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The Tesla Model X is due to arrive in 2014, underpinned by the award-winning Model S chassis and drivetrain. Photo: Tesla
The Model S is a sweet ride indeed — 20,000 buyers can't be wrong — but the car company honcho Elon Musk really wants is coming this year. The Model X is basically a Model S on stilts, but with more space and trick "falcon wing" doors that the rest of us know as gullwing doors. Why falcon doors? Well, they're cool as hell for one, but also because they (supposedly) allow parents to quickly and easily get their kids into car seats. The X is built on the same platform as the S, which means you'll get the same power (400+ horsepower) and range (up to 260 miles) in either ride. No word on price, but the smart money is on a $5,000-7,000 premium over the Model S.
Google and Apple are finally making a play for your car, bringing your dashboard on par with your smartphone. Photo: Apple
Automakers finally realizing that requiring developers to create apps for dozens of proprietary platforms isn't going to work. It makes a whole lot more sense to rally around a handful of mobile operating systems, and the two dominant players -- Apple and Google, natch -- are getting serious. On Monday, Google announced a partnership with four automakers to bring Android into your ride, while Apple hopes to bring iOS in the Car to market later this year through automakers ranging from Kia to Jaguar. It will be slow going at first, but with a solid UI and developer support, these two platforms could finally put your dashboard on par with your smartphone.
The all-new Corvette has an optional 720p camera and on-board telemetry data system to let you record and upload your track antics. Photo: General Motors
Speed junkies have for years recorded their track antics with GoPros and race-derived telemetry systems. But combining the two into a unified approach has been difficult and freaking expensive. Chevy just made it easier by giving the seventh-gen Corvette a "Performance Data Recorder" that combines video from a mirror-mounted 720p camera and telemetry data pulled from the car's on-board computer. Combining the two allows hotshoes to track everything from speed to Gs and lap times to steering angles, overlaid atop high-def video saved to an SD card. Showing off your sideways shenanigans has never been easier. You not into Corvettes? No worries. Cosworth -- the company behind the system -- plans to expand it to other vehicles before long.
Photo: General Motors
Automakers are obsessed with wearables, with Google Glass and smartwatches set to replace your key fob. Photo: BMW
Mercedes-Benz is integrating Google Glass and the Pebble smartwatch into its vehicles and says wearable functionality will be baked into future products. Not to be outdone, Hyundai says Glass integration arrives later this year in the redesigned Genesis sedan. And BMW rolled into CES with an i3 electric car with Samsung Galaxy Gear integration. Getting your car to communicate with your gear will let you do things like sending directions from your Glass to your dash, adjust the A/C with a simple voice command and make sure your doors are locked. All these systems are, like so many wearable devices, half-baked for now, but they'll become better as wearables gain momentum. The traditional car key will soon be a thing of the past.
The Alfa Romeo 4C marks the brand's return to U.S. shores. And it's about damn time.
Few things have us as excited as Alfa Romeo's return to the United States. We with the exception of the glorious 8C, we haven't seen an Alfa in the states since 1995. And it is that supercar's sibling, the achingly gorgeous 4C, that leads the charge. The two-seater is aimed squarely at the Porsche Cayman, with a mid-mounted turbocharged four putting out 237 horsepower. The headlights look like a stylistic oversight, but the rest of the car -- particularly those sultry wheel arches and front end -- is a sight to behold. And from what we've heard, the car is a complete hoot to hoon. All this for around 50 grand? We can't wait.
Dash cams aren't just for Russian meteor-spotters anymore. They're coming to the U.S. in a big way. Photo: Garmin
Russia has made an entire genre out of the the dash cam video, but why should they have all the fun? Garmin and Magellan are launching affordable dash cams here in the U.S. this year, incorporating GPS data, and in Magellan's case, a fully-integrated navigation system. If you want to prove fault or thwart an attempt at insurance fraud, they're a solid investment. And the $249 Garmin Dash Cam 10 (with GPS, $219 without) is the one we want, complete with a 2.3-inch screen and 1080 or 720p video to record your next freeway altercation or random meteor shower.
BMW might have screwed up the names of the M3 and M4, but there's no denying they'll be the performance cars to beat in 2014.
The nomenclature is idiotic, but there's no denying the M3/M4 twins will be absolutely enthralling to drive. The screaming V8 has given way to a turbocharged inline six good for 431 horsepower. Pack that into a car 200 pounds lighter than its predecessor, and the new M3 and M4 (Which is the coupe, even though it has four doors. See? Idiotic.) are all but guaranteed to set a new benchmark for sports car performance. And even though BMW lost its mind with the naming, the boys in Bavaria still know what drivers want: three pedals and six speeds controlled with a stick. Oh yeah.
High-speed wireless data will be yet another option when you buy a car, keeping it connected to your home and providing a rolling WiFi hotspot.
You don't want to add yet another device to your mobile bill, but a data connection is essential if you want your car truly "connected." The next generation of cars will skip the slow stream of 3G for the 4G LTE mainline. AT&T has announced partnerships with everyone from Audi to General Motors to give cars high-speed wireless data and is working with dozens of suppliers, including Ericsson, to dominate the four-wheeled data space. Aside from providing live traffic, weather reports, and turning your car into a rolling hotspot, connected cars will be be yet another node in the illusive Internet of Things. And why would you want that? Well, if your car knows you're headed home, it can open the garage door, turn on the lights, crank up the heat, and have House of Cards queued up on your TV.
The Zero RS is poised to be the electric sports bike bargain for 2014 with over 100 pound-feet of torque.
Our time with the Zero DS is coming to a close, and if there's an electric bike we want to take its place, it's the all-new Zero SR. Boasting 67 horsepower and an utterly insane 106 pound-feet of twist, the SR could be the most affordable electric performance bike around, and with an expandable battery pack that adds another 2.8 kWh of juice, we can enjoy all-electric, two-wheeled bliss for up to 171 miles. At $16,995 (not including the $2,495 Power Tank accessory), it ain't cheap, but it's far less expensive than the next step up -- the Mission R.
Getting through the TSA might suck, but your experience in the terminal and on the plane is set to evolve.
Replacing the paper ticket in your hand with a barcode on your phone isn't exactly new. But what if that virtual ticket automatically appeared the moment you hit the security line? Then, when you hit the United Airlines lounge, the app signs into the WiFi network and gives you a menu to order from. While you're waiting for your gin and tonic, you choose a movie; when you board, it transfers the flick to the 18-inch screen at your seat. This is what Panasonic Avionics will be rolling out in 2014, combining hardware, software, and network infrastructure to merge your smartphone or tablet into an integrated traveling experience. And when dinner finally rolls along, you'll get food recommendations and wine pairing suggestions right on your phone.
There’s a whole lot to look forward to in 2014 if you’re a gearhead, which is good because last year was a bit of a downer. We’ll have a sweet new model from Tesla, Alfa Romeo’s triumphant return to the United States, and more ways than ever to stay informed and entertained on the go. And don’t forget all the awesome machines and new technologies that will fulfill our need for speed while keeping us safe. Here’s what we’re looking forward to this year.


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A front page placement at www.foodengineeringmag.com featuring our January innovation breakfast! Debra Schug, Editor-in-chief, highlights all of the great insights from Andria Long vice president of innovation & consumer insights at Johnsonville. Read the article here.
“I’ll tell you what I want, what I really really want.” 90s pop music becomes gospel within the food and beverage innovation sector.
Meet Johnsonville’s VP of Innovation and Consumer Insights, Andria Long. In her tenure, Long has built two Chicagoland-based innovation centers and led innovation at a nimble family-owned company. She also has the savvy ability to turn cheesy 90s lyrics into catchy ways of improving consumer products.
Long kicked off our 2018 Innovation Breakfast Series on January 11 at Bluedog Design. And after her chat, we may call her the Casey Kasem of the Chicagoland Food & Beverage Network for years to come.
Long says innovation comes from providing consumers what they want. Yes… What they really, really want. And doing so in a way that no one has done before.
Long easily identifies three focus areas that are key drivers of innovation success:
Think about mobilizing around innovation as a team sport. Everyone needs to approach the game the same way. (Like the Spice Girls...not as a solo artist)
Andria was asked by an audience member why she likes doing business in Chicagoland? She boasted:
Join us at our next events -- including our Wednesday, January 24 event, Industry Leadership Series: The Changing Landscape Of Successful Consumer Innovation: The Rise Of The Dark Horse. Register here.
Now that Congress has passed the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act, you likely have questions about how it will affect you and your business. Plante Moran is here to help. Here’s what you need to know right now.
Podcast series: Year-end tax-planning opportunities
Businesses and individuals can take advantage of several tax-planning opportunities in the short window between now and the end of the year. These short podcasts arm you with everything you need to know to make changes now:
Well+Good, thank you for the shout out. Chicagoland may be cold, but we have some hot food ideas!
Read the entire article here.
This Food Navigator article highlights the Chicagoland Food and Beverage Network. It features Executive Director Alan Reed and the organization's role in supporting the start-up culture and institutional industrial change throughout the region. Read the entire article here.
In this episode of Food for thought: Data analytics in the food and beverage industry, Chris Moshier of Plante Moran and Steve Gaither, president of JB Chicago, discuss using in-store data to create timely, actionable insights and increase profitability.
Topics covered include:
Want to listen to this podcast? Click here.
View the video here!
Martha Blum AgriNews Publications Nov 16, 2017
CHICAGO — Students will be the ones charting the course for the future of the agriculture and food industry.
“The food and beverage industry is changing rapidly, and answers probably won’t be found by the adults in this room. It will be the students,” said Alan Reed, Chicagoland Food and Beverage Network executive director.
“Food and beverage is a massive part of our economy, and it’s one of the things Chicago is best known for,” Reed said during the Sowing the Seeds: Chicago’s Leadership in Food and Agricultural Education event held at the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences.
“Companies come here for the talent that’s here,” he said. “There are 4,500 companies and 130,000 people here just in food manufacturing, which results in a $32 billion gross domestic product.”
The Chicagoland Food and Beverage Network was launched about six months ago with the mission to bring together the food and beverage industry of the area.
“The network was started because the MacArthur Foundation was looking for an inclusive industry to invest to grow the economy,” Reed explained. “They found that not only Chicago food and beverage has great prospects because everyone has to eat, but also the jobs with food and beverage range all the way from entry level to white collar jobs.”
Panel members representing Chicago’s leadership in food and agriculture education provided the following comments during the event.
Read the entire article here.
The Chicagoland Food and Beverage Network is highlighted in this paper prepared for the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, discussing inclusive economic growth and cluster organizations. The bottom line is that "new approaches to economic development must be and are emerging to fit the dynamics of the new economy and that inclusive growth must be an organizing principle informing successful transformative economies." One of the authors is CFBN Founder Robert Weissbourd.
Read the entire paper here.
Kellogg’s venture capital arm to invest ‘very broadly’ in food categories
13-Nov-2017 By Douglas Yu
Kellogg’s venture capital fund, eighteen94 Capital, is planning to invest in various food categories around sustainability and functional ingredients next year.
You can read the entire article here.
Chicagoland Food & Beverage Network
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Oak Park, IL 60304
Tel (312) 525-9653

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CUSTOMERS at a local charity shop got more than they bargained for today (1 February) after being served by a rather familiar face – Ian Murray MP.
Mr Murray, MP for Edinburgh South, volunteered at Shelter Scotland’s Morningside shop, helping to sort donations, price items and put out stock – much to the delight of staff, volunteers and customers.
The Edinburgh shop – which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year – is famous for selling high-end designer goods. It recently held its first sale selling a Vivienne Westwood dress, Prada shoes, a Burberry coat and many other designer goods for a fraction of their retail price.
After the sale Mr Murray contacted Shelter Scotland to volunteer his time at the shop.
Ian Murray MP said:
“I was delighted to have the opportunity to help out at the Shelter Scotland charity shop in Morningside, particularly given its 30th anniversary this year, and be able to see firsthand the terrific work being done by the staff especially given the diverse and wonderful nature of the donations that support this excellent organisation.
“Since I became the Member of Parliament for Edinburgh South I have seen the essential work Shelter Scotland do to help people in their hour of need. In these tough economic times and with a chronic lack of housing, Shelter Scotland provides invaluable support to families who suddenly find themselves homeless or in desperate need of housing advice.
“I would like to say a big thank you to the staff for helping me through my sales apprenticeship today. Get along and pick up a bargain or two safe in the knowledge that every penny will help others.”
Alison Granham, manager of Shelter Scotland’s Morningside shop, said:
“We’re excited to welcome Ian to meet our team of dedicated staff and volunteers and hope he enjoys his time at the Morningside shop. Like many charity retailers, our shops are predominantly staffed by hard working volunteers who give up their time. I’m sure the staff, volunteers and customers in Morningside will appreciate Ian’s help today.”
Alison Granham added:
“At a time when funding for our national and local services is being cut our 42 shops across Scotland are a vital source of income. There are many other ways to help us in our fight against bad housing and homelessness such as donating unwanted goods to one of our shops or making a direct donation via our website – no donation is too small.
“We hope that the people of Edinburgh will continue to support Shelter Scotland. With their help and generosity we will continue our fight to end Scotland’s housing crisis for good.”
Notes to Editors:
1. Shelter Scotland provides expert support services, online advice and a free national helpline for everyone facing housing and homelessness difficulties. For advice and support visit www.shelterscotland.org or call 0808 800 4444.
2. Spokespeople are available for interview – call the media office on 0844 515 2442. An ISDN line is available for broadcast interviews.
3. Follow Shelter Scotland on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/shelterscotland Twitter – http://twitter.com/shelterscotland
Shelter Scotland believes everyone should have a home. We help people find and keep a home. We campaign for decent housing for all.
MEDIA RELEASE posted by Shelter Scotland. You too can post media releases (aka press releases) on allmediascotland.com. For more information, email here.
Contact: Shelter Scotland


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The corner office at Apple is still open.
Steve Jobs, who delivered the keynote address at Macworld Expo/Boston this morning, declined the opportunity to serve the troubled computer-maker as CEO for a second time, but he did announce dramatic changes in the company's board of directors and an aggressive new partnership strategy with archrival Microsoft.
Jobs said that just two current board members would remain at Apple - Ed Woolard, chairman and former CEO of Dupont, and Gareth Chang, president of Hughes International - and that four new members will join. They are Jobs; Oracle CEO Larry Ellison; Jerry York, former CFO at IBM and Chrysler; and Bill Campbell, CEO of Intuit and a former Apple and Claris executive.
"Apple had a very decent group of people as the board of directors, but I think it was time for a change," Jobs told the capacity crowd at the Park Plaza Castle in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood.
Jobs also announced that Apple will work more closely with longtime rival Microsoft, making Internet Explorer the default browser for Macs, and dropping patent disputes against the Redmond, Washington, software-maker. Jobs' announcement that Microsoft will buy US$150 million of Apple stock at market price was met with boos, but his explanation that they will be non-voting shares transformed the hisses into applause. Jobs said that Microsoft will have "a vested interest in our stock price going up, and we will be working together. I think it's going to lead to a very healthy relationship."
Microsoft CEO Bill Gates put in an appearance via satellite hookup, to mixed cheers and catcalls from the audience. "It's very exciting to renew our commitment to the Macintosh," Gates said, noting that Microsoft would be developing software especially for the Macintosh, rather than porting code written for other platforms.
The bulk of Jobs' 45-minute address was devoted to an analysis of Apple's past problems and a "keep the faith" message for the company's customers and developers. Notably absent was any word on Apple's future strategy regarding licensing its operating system to clonemakers like Power Computing, Umax, and Motorola. During an introduction by Mac Publications CEO Colin Crawford, though, a fast-paced slide show did include a Power Computing advertising graphic, which drew cheers.
During his introduction, Crawford observed that, "more than any other company, Apple continues to attract a lot of media attention," which yielded laughs from the crowd. He reviewed some of the negative headlines from the past year, including Business Week's "Is Apple Mincemeat?" "Gil Amelio, Please Resign," from Red Herring, and a Wired magazine cover that showed the Apple logo with the subtitle, "Pray." Crawford said that even though the company has been on an "emotional roller coaster, the passion and loyalty remain. People want the Apple market to be successful."
More cheers, more applause, flash photos, and rock-concert screams erupted as Crawford showed a slide of Steve Jobs on the cover of Macworld magazine around the time of the Mac's debut. But the audience began to realize that Jobs would not be accepting the top position at Apple when he introduced himself as "chairman and CEO of Pixar," the animation firm that developed Toy Story.
Jobs began by dissecting the company's problems. "Apple is executing wonderfully on many of the wrong things," he said. "The plan has been wrong. I've found people who can't wait to fall into line behind a good strategy; it just hasn't been there." He then showed a slide that indicated how precipitously Apple's sales have fallen over the past three years. He also indicated that Apple would not be naming a new chairman and CEO immediately, but would continue its search.
The remedies that Jobs proposed, which he repeatedly stressed were just "beginning steps," involved the naming of a mostly new board, a focus on the two markets in which Apple is most relevant - education and "creative content," like design and Web development - and partnerships.
In a video that Jobs showed, board members stressed that Apple needs to focus on its core markets and rebuild its battered Macintosh brand. Oracle chief Ellison, who emphasized that Apple's new board is more technology-savvy than the one that sacked Gil Amelio in early July, said, "Apple is the only lifestyle brand of the computer industry. It's the only one that people feel passionate about."
After the video finished, Jobs continued to hammer on the branding theme. He said Apple is "one of the world's greatest brands" - along with Coke and Disney - "and we haven't paid very much attention to it lately."
Throughout his presentation, Jobs roamed the stage, used expressive gestures, and posed questions to the audience like a popular college professor. But he also empathized with the audience, Oprah-like: "I've called the Apple support lines myself, and gotten very familiar with the hold signal." The audience responded with warm applause.
Jobs defended the Mac OS and said the company will invest more in it, noting that more than 20 million people use the system, and that it supports a $1.5 billion software industry. He said that Mac OS 8, released two weeks ago, has already sold 1.2 million copies. "And that number is going up. It shows no signs of abating."
The audience was apparently wary of Apple's partnership with Microsoft, but Jobs worked hard to sell the deal. "We have to let go of a few things," he said. "We have to let go of this notion that for Apple to win, Microsoft has to lose. We have to embrace the notion that for Apple to win, Apple has to do a really good job. And if others are going to help us, that's great." He spoke of treating Microsoft with "a little more gratitude." But he said the partnership was primarily "about getting Apple healthy."
In closing, Jobs sounded a number of chords intended to make Mac acolytes feel "special" again. "I think you still have to think differently to buy an Apple computer," he said. "They're the creative spirits, and they're out to change the world. We make tools for those kinds of people."
Before the keynote began, representatives of Power Computing had staked out a nearby traffic intersection, dressed in black jumpsuits and handing out placards that read, "We demand choice." The clonemaker's vice president of worldwide marketing, John Ellett, was among them. "Our customers asked us for a way they could show their support for choice and continued licensing," he said. "They're frustrated waiting, and they're frustrated with Apple's lack of clarity about licensing." Ellett said he hoped that Apple's new leaders - whoever they may be - would allow cloners to license the company's upcoming Rhapsody operating system, as well as all future operating systems. During Jobs' upbeat presentation, though, the signs weren't much in evidence.
The Park Plaza Castle reached capacity at 20 minutes to nine. Overflow crowds were watching the speech via closed-circuit television in conference rooms a block away.
Some audience members clearly hoped that Jobs would have used this morning's keynote to sign on as Apple's new leader, but others just wanted the company to articulate a new direction.
Joel Ingulsrud, president of Third Culture Enterprises, a developer in Sacramento, California, that focuses on the Japanese Mac market, said, "The big problem leading up to today is that there has been so much uncertainty. The board was irresponsible in their timing when they got rid of Amelio, from a sales and marketing point of view, especially since they didn't have anyone lined up immediately." Ingulsrud jokingly suggested eccentric billionaire H. Ross Perot might make a good CEO for Apple. "He has an ego bigger than Steve Jobs, if that's possible."
"We need somebody, anybody, so it's out of the way and we can focus on the rest of the show, and everything ahead," said Ingulsrud.
Leland Lehrman, the owner of The Gate, a New Haven, Connecticut, consultancy, was hoping that Jobs would assume the big chair at Apple. "I grew up with this company," Lehrman said. "Jobs and Wozniak are personal heroes. They changed the way people communicate and work. I cried when Apple bought Next and Jobs came back."
Lehrman believes the "behind-the-scenes" developers at Apple haven't been the source of the company's problems; he says it has been management malaise and public perception. "Today's an important event because of public perception. What does Wintel have that Mac doesn't have? It's still an incredibly innovative company."


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multimedia program, along with computers and editing equipment, two UCF professors are enticing middle and high school students to read by helping them create Hollywood film-type “trailers” for digital bo Read more »
Florida Business News
U.S. employers have been hiring at a healthy clip for six months even as the economy has slowed to an anemic pace.
Consumers are becoming more discerning about what they eat and more are willing to pay for better-quality foods.
Companies are taking less risks, and that's making the economy perilous for every one.
Many American businesses want to get a foothold in Cuba but politics and regulation still make such deals complicated.
With 12,000 commercial avocado trees already destroyed by laurel wilt, growers need a solution.
Florida Trend Video Pick
Rhesus monkeys have taken over a slice of the Sunshine State.
Would you like to visit Cuba?


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The plight of the humble pasty has been raised in the House of Commons after the chancellor announced plans to slap VAT on the snack.
Mid Cornwall MP Stephen Gilbert said the pasty was "a staple, hearty meal" which brought millions of pounds into his county and must be protected.
His colleague Andrew George said those in Cornwall would "be fighting them on the beaches" to block any "pasty tax".
Ministers say all food sold "above ambient temperature" should carry VAT.
VAT, currently at 20%, is not charged on most food and drink - such are described as zero-rated.
It is payable on takeaway food sold to be eaten hot, but baked goods which are put on display warm and subsequently cool down are also zero-rated.
The government says some retailers and bakeries have argued their food is sold hot to improve its appearance, or to comply with health and safety regulations - not for consumption that way - and therefore should not attract VAT.
Share price fall
Chancellor George Osborne said the changes announced in the Budget - andset out in a consultation document- were designed to fix such "loopholes and anomalies".
If the new rules are passed, all food sold at "above ambient temperature" will attract VAT - although the definition of that temperature has not so far been made clear.
Bread would remain zero-rated - even if it is still warm when placed on shop shelves.
Bakery chain Greggs has said it will make "strong representations" about the plan and did not believe its "freshly baked savoury products" should be included. Its shares fell by 5% on Thursday, wiping £30 million off their value.
During a debate on the Budget, Mr Gilbert, Lib Dem MP for St Austell and Newquay, said the issue was "exercising my countrymen in Cornwall".
Addressing Business Secretary Vince Cable, he said: "There is some ambiguity about whether the increase to 20% in VAT on hot food will include pasties that are served from bakeries.
"The minister will no doubt be aware that the pasty is not only a staple, hearty meal but, in effect, employs thousands of people and brings millions of pounds into the Cornish economy.
"Will he give some clarity on whether we can avoid a pasty tax?"
Fellow Lib Dem and St Ives MP Mr George said: "On the sublimely fundamental and seriously important issue of pasty taxes in Cornwall, let me reassure the honourable gentleman that we will be fighting them on the beaches."
Mike Hollings, of the National Association of Master Bakers, has said rules based on the temperature of a product would "cause so much confusion".
Labour, meanwhile, has called the plan a "stealth tax on middle and lower income families" which "will increase the cost of a haircut, a bacon sandwich, a sausage roll, or a caravan holiday".
Mr Osborne also announced plans to charge VAT on sports nutrition drinks, self-storage, hairdressing facilities and holiday caravans.
Labour MP Diana Johnson said the change would have a major impact in her Hull constituency because the region manufactures a large proportion of caravans made in the UK.
"I understand it could almost reduce demand by 30%, another hammer blow," she said.


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NEW YORK - More than 100 retailers as well as key trade associations are launching a new coalition aimed at fighting a Republican proposal on how imports get taxed, a measure they believe would harm their businesses.
The National Retail Federation, along with the American International Automobile Dealers Association, the National Grocers Association and others are joining forces to form Americans for Affordable Products, which will run a campaign to educate consumers and show lawmakers tha
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A recent market analysis of mobile devices has shown a continuing growth of smartphone and tablet sales, despite the ongoing lack of economic recovery.
As many industries continue to show poor sales, the smartphone sector grew in the second quarter by approximately 2 percent, according to Infonetics' quarterly Broadband Devices and Subscribers market analysis. Although the number of shipped units was up, sales fell slightly, which may mean prices have fallen – potentially good news for consumers of devices and mobile accessories.
Apple has continued its domination of the industry, and garnered more than a third of smartphone sales in the same quarter. Although Android remains the most widely-used operating system, the popularity of Apple products has kept the company in the lead over other manufacturers.
A key finding in Infonetics' latest report is the correlation of smartphone and tablet brand alliance.
"Just as iPhone users are more likely to buy an iPad as their tablet, so too are Android users more likely to buy Android-based tablets," said Richard Webb, the research company's directing analyst for microwave and small cells.
Both smartphone and tablet sales continue to rise as desktop and laptop computer sales remain sluggish, which may indicate a shifting of the electronics industry.


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Royal Enfield has released a teaser image of an upcoming motorcycle. The new model will be showcased at the 2018 International Motorcycle and Accessories Exhibition (EICMA) in Milan on November 6, 2018.
The bike maker hasn’t revealed any details about the new model. However, the teaser image suggests that it could be a Bobber-style bike. It has a circular headlamp and it appears to have a flat and wide handlebar. The motorcycle has a single seat and large alloy wheels and tyres.
In 2017, Royal Enfield unveiled the Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 at EICMA. The 650cc twins share the same chassis. While the Interceptor 650 is a street bike, the latter is a cafe racer. Both the bikes are powered by a 648cc, twin-cylinder, air-cooled engine that produces 47 BHP and 52 Nm of torque. However, it is unclear whether the new Bobber will get the same twin-cylinder engine from the 650cc twins.
Source: Read Full Article


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New TEXT2DRIVE Study Reveals Technology Consumers Seek in Dealership Service Lane
CHICAGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–TEXT2DRIVE, a fixed operations customer experience suite designed to help automotive dealerships improve customer experience, increase profitability and increase CSI scores, today released the results of its proprietary study with consumers focused on satisfaction and retention of dealer service.
Research firm JD Power has learned that dealerships capture 88% of annual customer service visits within the first three years of ownership – but what keeps them coming back after that? According to a recent TEXT2DRIVE* survey of 1,000 U.S. drivers, 54% want a digital vehicle inspection (DVI) tool they can view on a mobile device to authorize recommended repairs. Nearly 53% want SMS communications and notifications, followed by pre-scheduled vehicle pickup at 48% and online payment and payment at 45%.
Why DVI? : When asked to identify the benefits of a digital experience that included a mobile-accessible inspection report with photos, videos and pricing, 53% of respondents said “a better understanding of recommended repairs” , followed by “clear quotes and price estimates” at 50. percent, and “approve and deny repairs remotely” at 47 percent.
Text to win: The survey found that only one in three respondents are very familiar with their vehicle’s factory-recommended maintenance schedule. He also revealed that text is the preferred communication channel for dealerships to keep owners on track with maintenance milestones. Nearly half of respondents said they would prefer to receive text messages for recommended maintenance reminders, just below appointment reminders at 57% and appointment booking reminders at 54%. In fact, texting was preferred overall by 42% of respondents, followed by email by 29% and phone communication by just 18%.
Knowledge of vehicle, confidence of steering owners to service lane: As for why respondents choose to have their vehicle serviced at the dealership, the majority (59%) believe the dealership knows their vehicle best, while 41% believe dealerships are more trustworthy, and around a third choose dealer service for convenience.
1 in 4 say the service experience exceeded expectations: Among respondents who had recently visited a service lane at a dealership, only one in four said their past experiences exceeded their expectations, while 57% of respondents said their dealership met their expectations. Overall, only 17% of respondents said their service experience did not meet their expectations.
“Like the emergence of digital retail tools in front-end departments, COVID-19 has helped service departments enter the digital age, and as we can see from our survey, there is no no turning back,” said Gregg C. Owen, CEO of TEXT2DRIVE. . “We know that technologies such as digital inspection, SMS and online payments not only increase customer satisfaction, but also the rate of completion of recommended service and dollars earned per repair order. This study confirms that these technological tools are essential to loyalty and profitability. »
Conclusion: Vehicle knowledge, confidence and convenience are the reasons vehicle owners choose dealerships over aftermarket repair shops. Drivers want digital multipoint inspection tools that allow them to review and authorize service recommendations. These results align with JD Power’s 2022 Customer Service Satisfaction Index study, which noted that customers are three times more likely to approve of repair recommendations when photos or video are included in the communication. . Additionally, results showed that text messages sent by service departments that provide reminders of upcoming appointments or status updates for work in progress are preferred by 42% of customers. TEXT2DRIVE’s survey results also show the promise of texting beyond simple reminders and in-service updates. The channel even surpassed emails for communications related to lease expiration and security reminders. Texting was also the #2 offer according to survey respondents, which would most likely keep their service dealer in business. In fact, texting is 3.75 times more preferred than phone calls.
To read the full investigation report, On the service record: examining the role of technology in service retention, including additional commentary and a breakdown by consumer demographics, visit TEXT2DRIVE’s online resource library.
*Methodology: In March 2022, TEXT2DRIVE surveyed 1,000 US drivers between the ages of 26 and 67 who had visited a dealership’s service department in the past five years. The survey was administered via Pollfish’s online survey platform. The goal was to uncover trends in customer satisfaction that might reveal ways for service departments to increase retention.
Since 2008, TEXT2DRIVE has provided communication solutions designed to help dealerships reduce costs, increase conversion rates, improve CSI and generate ROI. In 2022, the company launched its own integrated MPI solutions to add to its automated text communications, RO management solution and mobile payment tools. To learn more, visit text2drive.com.
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text: If You Love Food Trucks, Head To City Hall TODAY! Ottawa, ON, Canada / JUMP! 106.9 Jenna Mo June 07, 2016 04:36 am Mmmmm food trucks! If you want to grab a bite to eat this afternoon, there’s a street food rally going on at City Hall TODAY (June 7th) EVENT ALERT! Street Food Rally @ottawacity Hall. June7, 11-430. #SaveTheDate #streetfoodottcityhallrally #capgosfa pic.twitter.com/qbX9t8jDtw— Street Food Ottawa (@StreetFoodOTT) May 23, 2016 What’s your favorite food truck in the city? Let us know in the comments BELOW!


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Silicon Valley companies think that smart glasses, like the Magic Leap, will one day replace the smartphone. That could be good: As we worry about smartphone addiction, glasses could present a way to access all of the information we need in a way that works better with our real lives. And yet, we're simply not ready for the shift. Show More Summary
Magic Leap, the mysterious tech company that spent years developing augmented reality goggles in complete secrecy, has finally shed light on one of the intended uses for its headset. At an event yesterday, CEO Rony Abovitz and NBA commissioner...Show More Summary
If there is one thing venture capital money is good for is undercutting the competition, and if there is one thing Magic Leap has it is a lot of investor money, with the company raising close to $2 billion from investors like Google, Fidelity and China’s Alibaba. Show More Summary
Magic Leap, the secretive billion dollar startup is slowly revealing its plans to create another dimension to computing. In December last year, Magic Leap first revealed the images of their first consumer headset Magic Leap One. Magic...Show More Summary
Magic Leap has been carefully building up their position in the augmented reality industry for the last five years, teasing different tech and concepts all the way up to the announcement of the Magic Leap One Creator Edition that ships this year. Show More Summary
Magic Leap won't detail pricing until it releases its Magic Leap One later this year, but it will set you back about the amount that a high-end desktop would.
After six years of hype videos and nearly $2 billion in funding, the secretive Florida startup that's backed by the likes of Google and Alibaba finally unveiled its first product this week: Magic Leap One. It looks nuts. But, uh, what...Show More Summary
Be ready to explore a whole new dimension in computing with the Magic Leap One AI Goggles. These goggles unveil an augmented reality system you’ve never seen before. The Creation
For the real estate industry, the VR benefits are obvious. Magic Leap can create a full, immersive experience. And there are also potential AR benefits...
Magic Leap's first mixed reality headset, the Leap One, is coming in early 2018. It looks pretty damn neat, assuming it delivers on everything it's promising — and as long as you can get over its weird design. Reactions to the headset...Show More Summary
When you hear the term “augmented reality” most people think about Pokémon Go, but the truth is that augmented reality can be much cooler than catching Pikachu, and it has a lot more uses. It also…
‘Tis the season for giving: Mixed-reality startup Magic Leap has finally unwrapped its long-awaited headset. Dubbed Magic Leap One, the “creator edition” is a three-piece set featuring Lightwear goggles tethered to a pocket-sized […] The post Meet Magic Leap One, An All-Day Every Day Mixed-Reality System appeared first on Geek.com.
Augmented reality company Magic Leap has finally revealed its long-in-development headset, known as Magic Leap One. Magic Leap One is broadly similar to Microsoft's HoloLens in that both devices are designed to overlay digital images on your view of the real world. Show More Summary
Regular-old reality is so 2017. Next year, it's all about augmented reality. After years of development, Magic Leap revealed the Magic Leap One via an update to its website on Wednesday, Business Insider reports. The smart glasses—or Lightwear—will give users access to what Magic Leap calls "mixed reality"—...
Magic Leap has come out of hiding. After several years of rumors and $1.9 billion in funding, the Florida company unveiled its Magic Leap One AR goggles for the first time. Magic Leap said its “creator edition” will be available in early 2018 with a software development kit (SDK) that will enable developers to get […]
After three years of secrecy and an astonishing $1.9 billion in funding, Magic Leap Inc. is finally ready to reveal its augmented reality technology to the world. Today, the Florida-based company unveiled Magic Leap One – Creator Edition, a standalone AR product for developers that will launch in 2018. Show More Summary
Did you hear the news? If you read technology blogs, you surely have! Magic Leap, the company that is for some reason valued at about $5 billion, is finally almost about to release the product that’s been hinted at for years. Now, we...Show More Summary
Magic Leap, the secretive Florida-based start-up that amassed more than $1 billion in funding without showing a product to the public, has finally lifted the veil from its upcoming Magic Leap One Digital Lightfield AR headset.
Magic Leap has been working on its anticipated augmented reality system for more than three years. Now, the company is pleased to introduce the Magic Leap One, consisting of a pair of goggles, a round external computer referred to as a Lightpack, and a handheld controller. Per Magic Leap, the assortment will accept “multiple input […]


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30.09.2020 / SATURDAY
Mr. Mirziyoyev announced a number of initiatives of both regional and global character at this Session. I drew attention to two of them, which directly concern protection consumer rights.
The first one is the establishment of the International Code of Voluntary Commitments of States during pandemics.
According to the President of Uzbekistan, this Code “should reflect each state’s commitments to its citizens and international partners.”
The adoption of such a document would soon contribute not only to the improvement of medical services to the population during pandemics, but also its social status, protection of all its rights and interests, including consumer ones.
The second one is “to adopt a special resolution of the UN General Assembly declaring the Aral Sea region an area of ecological innovation and technologies.”
He calls on the world community to cooperate to turn the region into a zone of environmental innovations and technologies.
It is commendable that the Government of Uzbekistan is doing a great job of greening the dried-up bottom of the Aral Sea to prevent the emission of harmful salts into the environment, which is in the spirit of the requirements of the "UN Guidelines for Consumer Protection", which define environmental protection as one of the basic principles of consumer protection.
Prof. Dr. Marimuthu Nadason,
President of Consumer International


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The 17th China Animal Husbandry and Feed Technology and Economy High-level Forum ended successfully
Five Keynote Reports
Ten thematic forums
Four special events
Promote the high-quality development of China's animal husbandry and feed industry
From December 12th to 14th, the 2020 17th High-level Forum on Animal Husbandry and Feed Technology and Economy, hosted by the Organizing Committee of the China Animal Feed Technology and Economy High-level Forum and the Beijing Biofeed Industry Technology Innovation Strategic Alliance, ended successfully in Shenzhen.
More than 600 representatives of "government, industry, university and research institutes" from 30 provinces across the country participated in the high-level forum themed "Crisis Fosters New Opportunities, Changes Situations, and Opens New Situations". Ma Youxiang, Chief Livestock Pastor of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Professor Wu Xiaoqiu, former Vice President of Renmin University of China and President of China Capital Market Research Institute, Lu Changquan, a brand marketing expert, Li Xirong, President of China Animal Husbandry Association, Wei Hongyang, Deputy Director of the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Bureau of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Qu Yuanquan, Chief Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Officer of the Guangdong Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Luo Yixin, Director of the Animal Husbandry and Feed Division, Ren Jing, Vice President of Huawei Digital Government, Xia Qifeng, General Manager of Huawei Digital Government Agriculture and Rural Industry, Qin Yinglin, Chairman of Muyuan Group, and Zhengda Group Agriculture Xie Yi, Vice Chairman of Animal Husbandry Food Enterprise (China), Tao Yishan, Chairman of Tangrenshen Group, Chen Dan, Chairman of Guangdong Hengxing Group, Liu Feng, Chairman of Shenzhen Jinxinnong Co., Ltd., Wu Long, President of Chia Tai Kangdi, and Director of Xinghui Group Chang Zheng Changxing, General Manager of China Animal Husbandry Group Xue Tingwu, Vice President of Wen's Group Luo Xufang, Chairman of Fengshang Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Equipment Company Fan Tianming, Chairman of Taikun Group Liang Jianjiang, Chairman of Tianzhao Pig Industry Yu Ping, Chairman of Anyou Group Hong Ping , Professor Jiang Qingyan, Dean of the Academy of Animal Sciences of South China Agricultural University, Researcher Jiang Zongyong, former Dean of Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and New Hope Group, Tongwei Group, Zhengbang Group, Liaoning Hefeng, Iron Knight, Bonn Group, Southwest Group, American Soybean Nearly 130 domestic and foreign industry entrepreneurs, experts and scholars exchanged views with the chairman and president of the Export Association, Cargill, Danongwei, Lilan, Kemin China and other companies.
Five keynote reports on the high-quality development of the industry
The opening ceremony of the forum was presided over by Dr. Cai Huiyi, chairman of the Feed Economics Professional Committee of the China Forestry, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Economics Association. Dr. Cai introduced the significance of holding this conference in a new historical development stage of the industry and all the important guests to the more than 600 guests present. He said: "The current and future development of the animal husbandry and feed industry is still in an important period of strategic opportunities, but both opportunities and challenges have new development and changes. This strategic opportunity period has two important characteristics: first, opportunities and challenges are high; There are opportunities in crisis, and opportunities can be turned. How can industry entrepreneurs accurately recognize changes, respond scientifically, and actively seek changes? Cultivate new opportunities in a crisis, and open a new situation in a changing situation. These are the issues that this conference focuses on and discusses. It was chosen to be held in Shenzhen, China's youthful city, because Shenzhen is the birthplace of China's 40 years of reform and opening up, a seed of fire, and a banner. It is also the place where the industry, government, industry, academia and research jointly plan the future and build a new pattern!
Li Xirong, President of China Animal Husbandry Association, said in his speech: "The entire animal husbandry industry in our country is at an important juncture of transformation and upgrading. There are many problems that we need to study and solve. Difficulties and severe challenges. The current challenge is mainly overcapacity, which is an internal injury. Therefore, in the next step, we must study the problem well, determine the production capacity scientifically, and regulate the production capacity reasonably.”
Professor Wu Xiaoqiu, former vice president of Renmin University, from China's reform to opening up, from poverty alleviation to well-off, from domestic economy to international economy, from talents to scientific and technological innovation, from China's economic growth to the maintenance of RMB credit, reveals the background behind the economic phenomenon essence. It has made a good judgment on the current Chinese economic environment and pointed out the development direction!
Ma Youxiang, chief animal pastor of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, made a keynote report on "Accelerating the High-Quality Development of Animal Husbandry". Mr. Ma systematically expounded the achievements and challenges faced by the current animal husbandry and feed industry from three major aspects, providing fundamental guidelines for the development of the industry, guiding the future development of China's animal husbandry and feed industry, and promoting the upgrading of the industry. It is of great guiding significance to improve the competitiveness of the industry and accelerate the high-quality development of the industry.
Qin Yinglin, chairman of Muyuan Group, made an analysis report on the development of pig industry after the pig industry boils. He said that the high prices brought by ASF made the pig industry "boil", but I think it is more clear to use "shock". It is very dangerous for the pig industry to make profits based on quantity. After boiling, what we need to do is to reduce the boiling and return to stability. We have to look at reality from the perspective of the future. In the future, the survival of enterprises must forge the ability of "cost first, value creation, and social service".
Lu Changquan, a Chinese marketing strategy and brand operation expert, had an in-depth exchange with the participants on how to use the "brand law to become the key capability of a high-quality enterprise". He said: "China's economy is changing in three directions: Made in China to Created in China; China's speed is changing to Chinese quality, and Chinese products are changing to Chinese brands. We are in an era of excess products and an era of few brands. There is no premium for brands, and companies and their products will struggle at the bottom of business. Therefore, Chinese companies must take the road of brand development.
The last report in the morning was concluded by Tao Yishan, chairman of Tangrenshen Group. Chairman Tao Yishan appealed that in the special period when "thousands of troops and horses" are coming to raise pigs, we must wake up ourselves, wake up our peers, wake up laymen, and don't Treat bonuses as abilities. Only by adhering to long-term values, and continuously working on cost management, technological innovation and asset securitization, and continuous improvement and improvement of breeding efficiency, pig enterprises can obtain continuous dividends in the pig industry. Afterwards, Chairman Tao Yishan emphasized that Chinese people must not eat pork, that China's pork cannot be solved by importing, and that China's live pig industry will always be full of hope!
President of Chia Tai Kangdi Group
The second half of the report was presided over by the co-chairman of the forum, President Wu Long of Chia Tai Kangdi Group. President Wu Long made a wonderful comment on each guest's report, and innovatively used QR code scanning to screen questions, which improved the efficiency of questioning and the ability to ask questions. accuracy.
Ten thematic forums promote industrial transformation and upgrading
According to the hot and difficult issues in the development of the industry, this forum has set up 10 thematic forums: the topic of pig industry ecology, the topic of poultry industry ecology, the topic of commercial feed, the topic of antibiotic-free technology and animal nutrition, the topic of intelligent breeding technology, and the topic of aquatic ecology. , the topic of new retail chain of fresh livestock products, the topic of comprehensive solutions to customer needs, the topic of industrial investment mergers and acquisitions and capital operation, the topic of fermentation and pre-digestion technology. More than 70 chairmen, presidents, scientific research experts, and technical directors of leading companies have released cutting-edge industry views and contributed industry wisdom.
Four special events inspire industry to create the future
It is particularly worth mentioning that more than 30 industry leaders in China's animal husbandry and feed industry have been organized by the Feed Economics Committee of the China Forestry, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Economics Association to join Huawei, which has aroused great repercussions in the industry. Huawei Corporate Vice President and Digital Government President Yang Ruikai, Huawei Cloud BU Vice President Su Liqing, Government Vice President Ren Jin, Digital Government Agricultural and Rural Industry General Manager Xia Qifeng, Digital Government Agricultural and Rural Industry Service Department General Manager Sheng Yaohui, Digital Government Smart Animal Husbandry Expert Xu Zhangheng and other senior executives personally participated in the reception, and together with the organizer of the event, Cai Huiyi, chairman of the Feed Economics Committee of China Forestry, Animal Husbandry and Fishery Economics Association, and Li Xirong, chairman of China Animal Husbandry Association, Qin Yinglin, chairman of Muyuan Group, and Xie, vice chairman of CP Group. Yi, Chen Dan, chairman of Guangdong Hengxing Group, and Fan Tianming, chairman of Fengshang Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Equipment Co., Ltd., aimed at the current demand for high-quality development of animal husbandry, and discussed how entrepreneurs in China's animal husbandry and feed industry can build an ecosystem with Huawei and promote the development of China's animal husbandry. Transformation and upgrading to enhance the overall competitiveness of the animal husbandry and feed industry.


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‘we are ready with nearly two lakh ‘Freedom 251′ handsets’ – Ringing Bells
according to Goel, he is facing a lack of Rs. 140 – Rs. a hundred and fifty in keeping with Freedom 251 unit.
organization is likewise making plans to release a 32-inch HD LED tv in July.
the arena‘s cheapest phone at Rs. 251 (less than $four) is right here, eventually. Its makers, the Noida-primarily based startup Ringing Bells Pvt Ltd, say they have made it feasible no matter allegations fromdiverse quarters that the sort of telephone might not see the light of the day. Even an FIR was lodgedtowards the enterprise.
in step with Ringing Bells’ Founder and CEO Mohit Goel, sitting easily in his area 62 office in Noida, theorganisation has been capable of keep its promise to customers.
“we are equipped with almost two lakh ‘Freedom 251’ handsets. we are able to start shipping from June 30,” Goel instructed IANS, including that once he’s carried out with this primary section of transport (oftwo lakh phones), he’ll open registration once more for those who want to buy the handset.
(additionally see: Freedom 251: Ringing Bells Says Will begin cellphone Deliveries From June 28)
The organisation had in mid-February this year planned to supply 25 lakh handsets earlier than June 30.but, it obtained over seven crore registrations before its charge gateway crashed within three days.
“We learned from our mistakes and determined to move silent till we come out with the product. Nowwe’ve got a 4-inch, twin-SIM smartphone ready for delivery. I sense vindicated,” he stated in a singlebreath.
consistent with Goel, he’s dealing with a loss of Rs. one hundred forty – Rs. one hundred fifty in line with unit, however hopes to make profit on volumes. “we can have a loss, however i’m satisfied that the dream of connecting rural and terrible Indians as part of the ‘digital India’ and ‘Make in India’ initiatives has been fulfilled with ‘Freedom 251’,” Goel stated.
The 3G tool has a 1.3GHz quad-middle processor, 1GB of RAM, and 8GB of inner garage and supportsexternal memory playing cards of as much as 32GB. No device become, however, given to IANS.handiest a photo become allowed to be taken.
(additionally see: Freedom 251 in pix)
The employer has supplied an eight-megapixel number one digicam with flash, a 3.2-megapixel frontdigicam for selfie and an 1800mAh battery. It runs on Android 5.1 (Lollipop).
The phone is to be had in colors – black and white – with centrally aligned rear digital camera and brandingat the back panel. It has a speaker just alongside the branding.
The device shows the Indian Tricolour when you turn it on. The business enterprise has integrated all the basic Google apps in the handset.
“Our gadgets are absolutely ‘Make in India’ and have been synthetic at our Haridwar-primarily basedproduction unit. We plan to promote two lakh gadgets each month,” he stated.
The agency is likewise making plans to launch a 32-inch excessive-definition LED tv – also called“Freedom” – in the first week of July.
“those will be the cheapest tv units in India and may be to be had for much less than Rs 10,000. insidedays, the delivery could be made and we can sell them on line,” Goel stated, adding that theorganisation currently has one lakh such portions in inventory.
In contrast, the cost of 32-inch HD LED tv sets usually starts offevolved from Rs. thirteen,000.
Ringing Bells launched “Freedom 251” in February in the presence of veteran BJP chief Murli Manohar Joshi.
It dispensed a few “prototypes” of the product to the media which became out to be handsets from every other domestic handset maker Adcom.
but, the enterprise maintained that the tool were advanced “with monstrous aid” from the authorities.
“Our humble starting to provide a high-tech system with a purpose to benefit all in the hinterland and bridge the large hole that sincerely exists between the metros and semi-urban/rural regions is consistent with the government‘s tasks,” Ringing Bells President Ashok Chadha had in advance told IANS.
Doubts have been raised over Ringing Bells’ handset after some specialists stated no telephone might besynthetic for much less than Rs. 2,000.
download the devices 360 app for Android and iOS to stay up to date with the modern tech information, product opinions, and extraordinary offers on the popular mobiles.


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Realme is set to enter the high-end smartphone market with new phones priced at over $ 800 (roughly Rs 59,500). Founder and CEO Sky Lee made a statement on Twitter that will allow Realme to compete against the likes of Apple and Samsung, which dominate the premium smartphone market. Realme’s siblings – Oppo, Vivo and OnePlus – also owned by the same parent company BBK Electronics – have also tried to battle Apple and Samsung in the high-end market with their separate offerings. However, all three companies have yet to be successful in attracting enough attention to create massive demand for their premium flagships.
Sky Lee published tweet to announce Realme’s entry into the high-end smartphone market. However, he has yet to confirm any further details, including when exactly we will be able to see the first Realme phone with a price tag of over $ 800.
It’s official: Realme is entering the high-end market with smartphones worth over $ 800. What do you most expect from a full-fledged Realme flagship phone?
– Skye Lee (@skyli_realme) 12 November 2021
Realme started its journey into the highly competitive smartphone market back in May 2018. The company originally entered the market as a subsidiary of Oppo, although shortly after the launch of its first smartphone model (Realme 1), it spun off from Oppo and became an independent brand.
So far, Realme has competed with companies like Xiaomi (including its sub-brand Redmi and the Poco spin-off), Infinix and Samsung with its range of smartphones starting at Rs. 7,499 and go up to Rs. 37,999. Also recently, it was decided to discontinue the Realme X series and bring the Realme GT series, which promises a flagship experience.
While Realme has yet to provide any details on the new move, a report from China earlier this month said the company would unveil its new flagship phone at around Rs.5,000 (roughly Rs 58,200) early next year.
Since its debut in the smartphone market, Realme has shipped a total of 100 million smartphones. In the second quarter of 2021, it grew 135 percent over the same period last year. in accordance with analytical firm Counterpoint. The company also ranks fourth among the top five smartphone manufacturers in India. However, its market share in India declined 5% y / y in the third quarter, IDC said.
Realme has also expanded its offline presence in India by launching 200 exclusive stores and plans to expand that presence to 300 stores in the country. These stores will feature Realme phones and accessories. By the end of 2022, the company plans to expand its offline presence in the country to over 1,000 exclusive stores.


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I believe the first prototypes that will change the way we travel by car are running around the roads of Nevada right now. In March 2011, Nevada gave approval for the operation of self-driving or autonomous cars. The first car to be granted a license was a Toyota Prius equipped by Google with equipment to navigate anywhere you’d like to go, and the car can do all the driving without any help.
The autonomous car uses radar, lasers, lidar, GPS and computer vision to make driving decisions. The computer operated car is projected to be safer and more accident free than human drivers. Several major auto manufacturers such as BMW, Volvo, GM, and Ford all are researching the autonomous car.
The autonomous cars in Nevada have now racked up more than 200,000 accident-free miles. One of the cars is used by a legally blind driver. These cars could be of great benefit to the handicapped, the old, the young, because you don’t need a driver’s license or driving skills to use the car.
If autonomous cars become available, it will change travel by car in one big way. No longer will you need to attend to driving. Instead, you could be sleeping, watching TV, surfing the web, or whatever.
Under current Nevada regulations, there has to be a person in the car, but that could change if the self-driving cars prove reliable. In the near future, you might be able to send your car to do your grocery shopping. Just email your shopping list to the store and the car would be loaded up by store personnel and sent back home. The car could do all kinds of boring errands, runs for fast food, take the kids to school, getting home from the bar (no DWI if the car is driving), pizza, you name it, the car can fetch it.
And it’s just a matter of time until autonomous taxis and buses take to the street, as technology eliminates the need for drivers. With fewer accidents, the cost of insurance could be reduced as well as the cost of police.
Future generations may not know how to drive a car any more than the current generation knows how to hitch up a team of horses to a wagon. Getting behind the wheel and operating a car may be an unnecessary skill in the not too distant future.


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Here’s a quick note that might belong best in Orac’s weekly feature, Your Friday Dose of Woo.
The Scientist reports today on a report released by the UK-based group of scientists called Sense About Science. The group has been challenging dietary supplement manufacturers about their scientific-sounding advertising claims by calling the companies up and questioning their “science.” Their statement of intent stays away from the fact that companies are making money on these products but, instead, focuses on the two standards for science that seem to operate in our societies:
We are fed up with the way pseudoscientific claims play on the public’s fears and spread science myths that deceive and misinform. We think it is wrong that members of the public are misled about products and practices based on unproven, and pseudoscientific claims. Why, when our scientific research is held accountable through peer review, are these claims not tested with similar rigour? By demanding answers for questions that typically go unasked, we aim to encourage more scrutiny of pseudoscience, expose misinformation and bring those responsible to account.
Their report, “There Goes The Science Bit…” is available for free download at their site. The report provides transcripts of 11 conversations with the customer helplines of supplement manufacturers. I couldn’t decide on the best discussion to post here, so I encourage you to read the report.
I wonder how long it will be before a similar group pops up in the US. As the authors of the report note:
There are no qualifications needed to do this — just an inquisitive mind and the tenacity to keep asking questions. Sometimes people make genuine errors or don’t appreciate the effects of exaggeration, but if no-one is probing these mistakes, they will go uncorrected. The lack of evidence and ridiculous answers we were given made us realise how important it is to ask these questions. We hope the next few pages (PDF report) will inspire you to do the same.
Well done, mates.


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During the launch of the Xiaomi Mi 10 and the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro smartphones in Europe, Xiaomi surprised us all with the launch of a new (and more affordable) 5G smartphone, dubbed the Xiaomi Mi 19 Lite. The Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite comes with features like a 48MP quad rear camera setup, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G 5G mobile platform, and a large AMOLED display. Take a look at the price, availability, specifications, and features of the Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite smartphone and find out what it has in store for us.
Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite: Price and Availability
The Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite is priced at EUR 349 for the 64GB memory variant and EUR 400 for the 128GB memory variant. The device will be available in early May in Europe. As a matter of fact, Xiaomi Spain has already started teasing it. So far, the company has not given any official statement as to when the device will be made available to the remaining parts of the world.
Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite: Specifications and Features
Starting with the display of the device, the Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite flaunts a large 6.57-inch AMOLED display, which features a waterdrop notch at the top, unlike the Mi 10 and the Mi 10 Pro devices, which feature a punch-hole cutout for the selfie camera. The waterdrop notch makes room for a 16MP selfie shooter. The Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite is 7.98mm thick and weighs in at 192 grams. The device is introduced in three color options – Green, Gray, and White.
Moving around on the rear of the device, the Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite sports a quadruple rear camera setup, which comprises of a 48MP primary lens. So far, the company has not revealed details about the other three cameras, but we can expect to receive intel on the same in the coming days. The company, however, showed some of the camera modes of the device, which include a Pro Mode, Shoot Steady Mode, AI dynamic skyscaping mode, etc.
Under the hood, the Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G chipset, which is paired with up to 128GB of internal memory. The device features a LiquidCool tech to avoid throttling during intense gaming conditions. On the software side of things, the Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite ships with the latest Android 10 OS out of the box with the company’s very own MIUI 11 skin baked on top of it.
As far as the battery of the device is concerned, the Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite packs in a 4,160mAh battery, which has provision for up to 20W fast charging via a USB Type-C charging port.
As of now, this is pretty much everything we know about the Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite and there are certain specifications of the device that are still kept under the wraps, but we are sure to learn everything about the device, including its launch in the other market, pretty soon. Whenever we do, we shall keep you posted on the same.
What are your thoughts on the newly launched Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite? Do let us know in the comments section below.
Thanks for reading till the end of this article. For more such informative and exclusive tech content, like our Facebook page


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A Hydropool swim spa on display in Aqua Quip's previous Bellevue, Washington, showroom. The new Bellevue location, which opened in April 2019, has three swim spas on display. Brian Quint, senior vice president of Aqua Quip, says multiple display models is the key to successful swim spa sales.
Increase your swim spa sales with a few basic techniques
As many pool and spa retailers are aware, swim spas are quickly becoming an alternative to the in-ground pool. The benefits of a swim spa are numerous, but despite their growing popularity, the cost can still be a deterrent for consumers. How then can dealers increase their sales of this pricey item?
Show it to sell it
To be competitive as a swim spa dealer, it’s crucial to have at least one filled swim spa on the showroom floor. Adam Hazenfield, the vice president and store manager of Watson’s in Dayton, Ohio, says, “If it’s not filled up with water where the customer can see it, feel it, touch it, then it’s a losing battle.”
Sometimes though, only showing one swim spa isn’t enough. “You need at least one wet one and one dry so [the customer] can get in,” Hazenfield says. “They can see how they would feel, they can see the depths, because water is misleading. It doesn’t look as deep until you get in there and it’s like, ‘Oh that’s a deeper puddle than I thought that I just drove through.’ ”
Tracy Hall, vice president of global swim spas for Jacuzzi and Hydropool, says some of her retailers have as many as four to six swim spa models on display. “In the future, you’re going to see a lot more people having multiple displays,” Hall says. “You’re going to see retailers that open a separate swim spa store from their hot tub store.”
A showroom game plan
Brian Wasik, owner of Spas of Montana in Missoula and Helena, says the first step is often already done for the salesperson. “Most people are already pretty darn informed when they walk in the door,” Wasik says. “You’re not creating the desire very often anymore. It’s more [about] informing people that you have what they want.”
The next step is qualifying the customer. Derek Sligh, head of the spa sales department at Rich’s for the Home in Lynwood, Washington, explains his process. First, he says, it’s important to understand the timeline the customer is working under. Do they want to purchase immediately? Or is this something they’re thinking about but need more information before making a decision?
Next, he suggests talking through potential space constraints and installation logistics. Because installing swim spas can be more labor intensive than installing a traditional hot tub, it’s important to inform the customer of this process at the beginning.
“Know that [the answers to] some of your questions may push the deal off for a few months, but the deal is going to be done right,” Wasik says. “This way, you’re not going to order [the swim spa] for them and then have them try to back out of it.”
At this point in the conversation with the customer, Sligh emphasizes the importance of narrowing down what model best fits the customer’s needs. “One of the things that may make actually closing the sale challenging is if you’re leaving multiple options on the table,” Sligh says. “You want to focus on a specific model that has the absolute best [characteristics] for the customer,” such as length, size and balance of seating and swimming area.
Sligh also addresses what he calls “the hot button:” the motivating factor for why they came in that day “to talk to a complete stranger about something that costs tens of thousands of dollars,” he says. “Is it pain? Is it social? What is really driving the interest in the product?”
Lastly, he says it’s important to slow the conversation and walk through what it’s like to own it, “because that can really put customers in a position to hesitate on making a purchase,” Sligh adds. At this stage, he will educate the customer about how to maintain the swim spa, including explaining purification, filtration and water chemistry.
The deal is in the details
Hazenfield says staff should know every possible detail about the swim spas on your showroom floor, which is key when explaining how they work. “When you have these big swim spas, there are a lot of diverters, valves and a lot of operational procedures to demonstrate,” Hazenfield says. “Show the customer how the jets and valves work, how to increase and decrease the pressure…to make sure they understand the performance of the tub.”
Debi Skains, vice president of All About Spas in Roswell, New Mexico, emphasizes that knowing the ins and outs of every model helps steer its customers toward the swim spa that best suits their needs. “The reps coming to the showroom for training are very beneficial,” she says. “The manufacturers’ sales training is an excellent source as well.”
Try it before you buy it
Wet tests are key in the sale of any spa; swim spas are no exception. Michael Swartz of Heavenly Times Hot Tubs in Dillon, Colorado, says he always encourages wet tests for swim spas. “We’ve had people who have brought bathing suits,” he says. “We’ve had people who have jumped in in their underwear, and we’ve also had some people that have gone in bare bones as well,” he adds, laughing.
If a customer comes into the store to look but doesn’t plan on purchasing that day, Swartz recommends the customer set up a wet test for another time. “You’re always trying to get that customer back into your store,” Swartz says. “And if a customer is in your store, you always have a better chance of selling them a product.”
Wet tests help the customer understand the power of the jets, and also assess the depth of the water and the size of the spa.
“You can get [swim spas] with two river jets or three river jets,” Hazenfield says. “So if you’ve got a professional swimmer and you sell him a two-jet system, he’s not going to be happy.” He adds that customers who take a wet test or two are less likely to experience buyers’ remorse.
Signing on the dotted line
There are dozens of factors that might prevent the customer from making a final purchase, but knowing some common ones can empower the seller.
“Although a swim spa is much less expensive than having an in-ground swimming pool built, price is the first and foremost reason for a customer to decide not to purchase,” Skains says. “As far as financial concerns go, we offer two sources of financing through our company and often, people will put a down payment on their credit card and secure the balance through financing.” She adds that providing customers with extended warranties also helps them overcome that initial sticker shock.
Another common concern is delivery because, as Sligh points out, most people haven’t had something craned over their house before.
Skains suggests the best ways to reassure the customer. “We typically send the salesperson or one of the company owners to the customer’s home to review preferred placement, concrete pad, electrical requirements and crane delivery clearance,” she says. “We look for overhead obstructions, such as trees, electrical lines and sloped grounds that would make it hard for the crane to execute the delivery.” She also suggests showing customers pictures of previous deliveries and including the crane costs in the original pricing. To give the customer the confidence to follow through with the purchase, Sligh offers one last bit of advice. “Get the customers excited about the many ways they’re going to be able to use the product, how often they can use the product and the impact it’s going to have on their life,” he says. “This is the big thing that gets a customer really engaged and excited about making a big decision like this.”


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Chris Lamb of The Tablet apologized in the press conference today for what he called 'racist' and 'insensitive' comment by journalists who aren’t buying the exploitation of the indigenous peoples going on over here. (Nice virtue signally, Chris! Seriously.)
But, there’s more. The press was also informed that over eighty percent of the Amazonian people don’t even live in the jungle, but rather hail from the big cities of South America. So, what with the feathers and cultural appropriation?
Are these people serious? Drug addiction is bigger problem in the Amazon than anything else. So, shall we listen to the drug addicted of the Amazon and learn something from them, too?
Abortion is a huge problem down there. How about we listen to the cry of the aborted?
Plus, Edward Pentin hits one out of the park at today's Synod press conference.
Follow Michael’s daily reports from Rome on Twitter (Michael_J_Matt) And don’t forget to sign up for our e-notifications, so you can get notified when a new RTV report is posted from here in Rome: https://remnantnewspaper.com/web/inde...


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Office Depot makes new executive appointments
| 28 June, 2018
Office Depot Europe says that it is back on track after a period of change, with new senior management appointments and a renewed business strategy.
The company, which was acquired by AURELIUS Equity Opportunities in January 2017, has a renewed focus on office services, solutions and e-commerce.
As part of the new business focus, Office Depot has made two new senior appointments to its leadership team. Udo Heskamp, former CFO/managing director of Nidec Secop has been appointed as the group’s new chief financial officer (CFO). Patrick Dittli joins as chief operating officer (COO), bringing strong experience from a number of larger international companies with operations across Europe, Asia, and North America such as Accenture, Nestlé and most recently METRO AG.
Neil Maslen, CEO and CSO of contract at Office Depot, said: “I am very pleased to announce that Office Depot is well on the road to recovery, with a new, experienced management team and a relentless drive to put our customers at the heart of everything we do.
“Last year saw a period of stabilisation, as we worked closely with AURELIUS to successfully bring our business back on track. This year we are excited to be seeing the results of this stabilisation, with growth once again on the agenda, operating as one company with two great brands.”
Office Depot is also celebrating a number of significant new business wins in H1 2018 including deals with European manufacturer Voestalpine, a well-known UK high street bank and UK high street retailer.


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GlaxoSmithKline Plc’s much-maligned diabetes drug Avandia will be released from restrictions preventing sales to certain patients after U.S. regulators determined new data show the medicine doesn’t raise heart risks.
Generic drug companies will be able to publicize new safety information on a product on their own instead of waiting for their brand-name counterparts to release the information under a plan from U.S. regulators.
Vicodin and other hydrocodone-based painkillers, the most popular pharmacy drugs in the U.S., would be placed under stricter prescribing limits to curb abuse, in a policy reversal by the Food and Drug Administration.
Zogenix Inc. won approval to sell the first painkiller made of pure hydrocodone as U.S. regulators recommended restrictions on popular combination treatments with the drug. The decision helped Zogenix shares climb the most in eight months.
Drugmakers may win approval from U.S. regulators for “breakthrough” therapies after a single round of studies, rather than three, in an effort to speed them to patients, a Food and Drug Administration official said.
Half of the 21 drugs pulled from the market in the U.S. for safety reasons since 1995 involved heart complications, a finding that is spurring Congress and doctors to call for closer government review of side effects.
April Hauge, a nurse practitioner in Weimar, California, spent $500 on a genetic test for her autistic son in 2009 that led to purchasing thousands of dollars in vitamins and supplements. Impressed with the results, she’s now selling advice on the approach to others.
The Food and Drug Administration is weighing whether to let consumers buy medicines for some chronic conditions without a prescription while speeding approvals of drugs for infection, Alzheimer’s disease and rare conditions.
Drug cocktails for cancer, heart disease and other conditions may reach the U.S. market sooner under new guidelines that let companies seek approval for a combination of two or more medicines at the same time.


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Ladies, sell your bodies and stop asking men for money – Huddah
Kenyan socialite Huddah Monroe has dished out a controversial piece of advice to women on how to stop borrowing money from men.
The socialite-cum-businesslady, who is known to speak her mind, baffled her fans on Tuesday, after she advised women to sell their bodies, save some money and open businesses.
“If you are a woman, stop borrowing 24-7. Go sell that p***y. Save the money and start selling groceries. Nothing in life is f*****g free. Everyone works hard for their sh*t,” wrote Huddah on her Insta stories.
Route to her success
She did not say if this was her route to her current success.
The self-proclaimed “boss lady” advised women not to depend on men for financial support without building their own personal life.
“I know telling people to sell p***y is bad advice but Ah! But whoever its (SIC) directed to some chronic borrowers know themselves. Do whatever, as long as don’t put your problems on people every day and get mad when they cut you off! It’s that simple! Everyone is hustling to make ends meet. No free biz!”
The Kenyan socialite owns a successful cosmetic line “Huddah” that sells lipsticks, eye shadow palettes and makeup wipes. She also owns a fashion line “Rebel by howdah” which was launched in 2018.
In August 2018, the 27-year-old admitted to being in a stable relationship for a year and claimed to be in love. The socialite is yet to reveal the man who is warming her heart.


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Tesla is doubling discounts on its Model 3 and Model Y EVs delivered in the United States this month to $7,500, the same amount customers will get next year in the form of the full federal tax credit.
According to Tesla's customer website, Model 3 and Model Y vehicles delivered before the end of the year are offered with a $7,500 credit plus free supercharging for 10,000 miles (16,093 kilometers).
That is up from the $3,750 credit Tesla has offered on Model 3 and Model Y vehicles delivered before year-end. The move comes amid concerns the automaker is facing dwindling demand as EV tax incentives loom and economies slow.
The latest discount also comes just days after the US Treasury Department delayed restrictions on EV incentives until March, which means Teslas and other US-made EVs are likely to qualify for the full $7,500 credit temporarily starting January 1, 2023.
Reuters reports that many customers have canceled their orders and held off their purchases until the new credits take effect in January. To qualify for the new tax credit instated by the Inflation Reduction Act, buyers need to take delivery of their vehicles on or after January 1.
This has obviously taken its toll on Tesla demand and has also contributed to an increase in cancellations as the company is not allowing buyers to delay orders for delivery in January. Tesla is also offering $5,000 credit in Canada on Model 3 and Model Y vehicles delivered before the end of the year, and has also given a discount of 6,000 yuan ($860) on some models in China to the end of 2022.
Such discounts—that's exactly what they are, despite Elon Musk previously saying Tesla doesn't do discounts— are rare for the EV maker, which has increased prices repeatedly over the past couple of years, blaming supply chain disruptions and inflation for that. Now, it looks like the automaker is trying to boost deliveries as the year draws to a close.
In October, Tesla said it would miss its vehicle delivery target this year, but downplayed concerns about demand after its revenue missed Wall Street estimates. Some analysts believe the most recent price cuts do not send the right message to the markets, failing to raise confidence for investors.


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In one quadrant of cyberspace—the place where you can buy and sell electric mosquito bats, face masks, hiking boots, vintage butter dishes, Star Wars pajamas and a Mr. Peanut vending machine—in that realm of eternal optimism where treasures are found and good deals abound, there are new tremors of anxiety.
Among the 25 million independent eBay sellers, especially the 7 million in the U.S., news of the June 15 arrest of six former eBay employees on bizarre and disturbing cyberstalking charges, including sending live spiders and cockroaches and pornography to a critic, threatens to tarnish the 25-year-old iconic brand.
The San Jose corporate headquarters of eBay, one of Silicon Valley’s biggest employers with 14,000 workers, has been ominously silent except for one distancing statement the day the indictments were announced by the U.S. Attorney’s office in Massachusetts.
No word from CEO Jamie Iannone (in his sixth week on the job). No emails to sellers or customers. Nothing for the 34,000 members of Stay at Home Moms Selling on eBay, the 357 members of Bay Area eBay sellers or the 125 million active buyers in the U.S.
But there is plenty of social media chatter among eBay sellers.
The only company statement to sellers—the heart of the eBay business model—came in the form of an apology by a senior vice president on an “Announcements” page for eBay sellers in the company website, which he reposted to his personal Facebook page and to a private eBay Sellers Facebook group that has 47,000 followers. The VP, Jordan Sweetnam, added a follow-up post two days later.
“This is the first time—at the request of law enforcement—that anyone from the company is allowed to speak about the events,” wrote Jordan Sweetnam, senior vice president and general manager, North America. “EBay will never tolerate this kind of behavior and has apologized to those who were affected.”
“I want to be able to tell you that this news won’t be a distraction, but that wouldn’t be true,” Sweetnam wrote. “Like many of my colleagues who try their very best to make eBay a great company, I am angry and frustrated.”
“This is the first time in 20 years I have been embarrassed to be an eBay seller,” said one popular online seller on his YouTube channel with nearly 12,000 subscribers. He also is host of a private Facebook group for online sellers that has 57,000 followers.
On his YouTube channel, Jason T. Smith of Las Vegas, said, “This is the first time in my eBay career that I won’t be telling anyone I am an eBay seller, as I am embarrassed and saddened by the news this week.”
“it appears that this disgusting behavior went all the way to the top at eBay. A lot of Youtube content creators and bloggers have talked about this, but I have a slightly different angle as I have direct involvement with two of the players in this.”
In addition to the impact on the thousands of eBay employees and sellers in Silicon Valley, the case also has a potential impact on politics in the city of Santa Clara, where one of the suspects was a police captain.
The suspect, retired Santa Clara police Capt. Brian Gilbert, was senior manager of special operations for eBay’s Global Security Team. He is the object of an independent third-party investigation by Santa Clara “to ensure that his actions and behavior while an employee were lawful and consistent with the expectations we have for all our employees,” the city announced June 17. “While we have no reports that indicate similar alleged behavior during his employment with the city, our investigation is being done to ensure that we maintain public’s trust.”
Gilbert was a close political ally of Police Chief Pat Nikolai, who’s up for reelection in November. Nikolai quickly distanced himself from his old friend.
“I am shocked and saddened by what I’ve read about the federal indictment,” he said. “Integrity is one of our core principles and I want to ensure the public that we have systems in place to thwart this type of behavior.”
The federal indictment alleged that Gilbert was part of an elite security team that waged an “aggressive cyberstalking campaign” in August 2019 against a husband-and-wife team that runs EcommerceBytes, a blog that reports business news for online merchants who sell on eBay, Amazon, Etsy and other platforms.
The site and some of its readers who posted comments were often critical of eBay and former CEO Devin Wenig, who left the company less than a month after it was notified of the actions of the security squad.
Neither the company nor any current eBay employee was indicted.
In his only comments about the incident, Wenig on June 18 sent online news site Vox a statement that his texts “have been wildly misinterpreted and taken completely out of context in some media reports.”
“In order to preserve the integrity of the government’s investigation, eBay did not previously communicate about this matter,” the company said in a June 15 statement to reporters. “In light of today’s public announcement by the government, eBay is now addressing this matter publicly. The online marketplace giant was notified by authorities in August last year of suspicious actions by its security personnel toward a blogger, who writes about the company, and her husband.”
Corporate officials say they “immediately launched a comprehensive investigation,” with the assistance of outside legal counsel, that resulted in the firing of the six employees, including the company’s former communications chief, in September. The company said it cooperated fully with law enforcement, that it “does not tolerate this kind of behavior.”
In a press release, eBay said it “apologizes to the affected individuals and is sorry that they were subjected to this.”
“[We] hold [our] employees to high standards of conduct and ethics,“ it added, “and will continue to take appropriate action to ensure these standards are followed.”
The company noted that the internal investigation also examined what role, if any, Wenig, its CEO at the time of the incident, may have played.
“The internal investigation found that, while Mr. Wenig’s communications were inappropriate, there was no evidence that he knew in advance about or authorized the actions that were later directed toward the blogger and her husband,” eBay officials said. “However, as the company previously announced, there were a number of considerations leading to his departure from the company.”
The six suspects are alleged to have sent the blog-publishing couple anonymous threatening messages, disturbing deliveries—including a box of live cockroaches, a funeral wreath and a bloody pig mask, to name some—and to have conducted covert surveillance of the victims.
James Baugh, 45, of San Jose, eBay’s former senior director of safety and security, was charged with conspiracy to commit cyberstalking and tampering with witnesses. David Harville, 48, of New York City, eBay’s former director of global resiliency, was arrested on the same charges. As were the following defendants: Stephanie Popp, 32, of San Jose, eBay’s former senior manager of global intelligence; Stephanie Stockwell, 26, of Redwood City, the former manager of eBay’s Global Intelligence Center; and former eBay contractor Veronica Zea, 26, of San Jose.


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Amazon is adding to its ongoing push into fashion with a simultaneous launch into the prestige beauty sector, whether brands embrace it or not. But as the total number of shoppers buying beauty online grows faster than those purchasing prestige beauty directly from the brands themselves, forging a relationship with Amazon might become necessary…just as the online behemoth is looking to push into that department. At this point in time, there are some other ancillary reasons why brands might just want to give in to the online behemoth.
One big issue here is that Amazon is a huge consumer resource for online reviews — paramount to making decisions in the beauty department. If consumers are already on the site to learn more about a product, what’s to stop them from just buying it there, too? (And of course, Amazon is also the go-to for price comparison, though that’s a matter of importance not just to beauty products but to everything.)
The conflict, though, is that selling on Amazon takes online image control out of brands’ hands, and most big prestige beauty labels have already developed their own strong digital presences. No wonder they’re resistant to Amazon’s push. However, for prestigious but not well-known labels, a presence on Amazon provides a level of trust to consumers that they can’t fully forge through their own e-commerce.
Of course, these conflicts of interest could prove to be a moot point — as with its recent push into the higher echelons of the fashion industry, it’s clear that Amazon does what Amazon wants. And if they want a bigger slice of the prestige beauty pie, they’re going to get it. The ultimate question, then, is how, on a case-by-case basis, brands will negotiate that development. We’ll be interested to see how Amazon relaunches its beauty department, and which brands will be folded into it most successfully.


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What is in this article?:
- As grain prices hit the roof, 2013 cotton acres head for cellar
- Predictions difficult
- Cleveland bullish on cotton
• Cotton prices may not have to fall to extremely low levels to discourage acreage in 2013. High corn and soybean prices are taking care of that problem, as wholesale shifts to those crops are expected.
• Significantly reduced acres is exactly what the cotton market needs next year, according to experts, as cotton supplies have soared to record levels.
Cleveland bullish on cotton
Cleveland is bullish on cotton. “I’m on an island by myself apparently. But you have to put your big boy pants on. December 2012 is 15 cents to 20 cents under-valued. Over the last four or five months, USDA has made significant changes to India’s supply and demand report. It’s been very difficult to get India’s consumption right. And this week, all of a sudden, India shows up as a huge buyer of U.S. cotton. That’s telling us that demand is stronger there than we realized.”
Cleveland says the cotton market must also reflect India’s faltering monsoon and the expectation that Brazil’s production could drop by as much as 23 percent.
“December 2012 has to go to 85 cents, and I would not be surprised to see it go to 90 cents. December 2013 will go higher, but it won’t be enough to keep acreage in cotton. Corn and soybeans will continue to dominate, and they will steal acres for 2013.”
Nicosia says cotton prices will be protected somewhat on the downside by the expected loss of acres to grains and soybeans.
“But to the upside, I don’t see a big explosion in prices at all for 2012. Going into 2013, I think two things are going to happen. We’re going to create a deficit in world production, and the available supply in the world from other exporters could be tight. The competition that the United States faces in the export market is going to be drastically reduced in 2013-14, which sets the United States up for a big year, where prices could really react and the market takes off.”
Cotton consumption continues to be the bugaboo in the cotton outlook, Nicosia said. “I’m worried that we have only slightly over 5 million bales as demand base outside of China.”
Nicosia believes U.S. prices and Chinese prices will eventually converge, “where U.S. prices move up slightly and China’s moves down substantially. I think 2012 is going to be a flat year. In 2013, I wouldn’t sell any of my cotton at 75 cents or 76 cents. I would wait for something with an 8 in front of it. But don’t get too carried away. There are still 72 million bales of cotton in the world. Any explosion in price is still 12 months to 18 months off.”
The Cotton Roundtable is sponsored by Cotton Incorporated, Intercontinental Exchange, Certified FiberMax, the Ag Market Network and Farm Press Publications.


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After 30 years of bitter struggle, music industry representatives today claimed victory for their campaign ‘Home taping is killing music – and it’s illegal’. No C90 tapes at all have been sold at WH Smiths this year, so apparently youngsters have been forced buy vinyl platters of the latest hit singles for themselves.
‘For a long time, it was touch and go,’ explained rising star Feargal Sharkey. ‘These pirates with their handy spooling biros nearly wiped out the industry. Artists like U2 and Michael Jackson struggled along, somehow.’ The industry also had to fight off the compact cassette, the ultimate in music reproduction technology.
Asked whether he believed the muisc industry had fully grasped the threat of digital copying, Sharkey said: ‘It won’t last. You don’t hear about mp1s and mp2s any more, do you? We think mp3 will fade away as well.’