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William Muriuki and his wife Ruth on their vegetable farm near Meru, central Kenya. AlertNet/Isaiah Esipisu
By Isaiah Esipisu
MERU, Kenya (AlertNet) – William Muriuki and his wife are inspecting their vegetable farm in the tiny village of Karimagachiije, some 15 km outside Meru town in central Kenya. Cabbages, onions and Irish potatoes are ready to go to market. But the question is where?
Identifying the best market never used to be a problem, explains the 73-year-old farmer. “It was easy to tell what vegetables were in season in a particular area, so we knew the most appropriate places to sell our farm produce.”
But changing climatic conditions have disrupted market patterns. “It is no longer as predictable as it was,” he says. “We have to physically identify places with high demand.”
Even fairly recently, local farmers could be sure the rains would come around March 25 each year. So by the end of April, most vegetables would be in season, meaning low demand at nearby markets. In much of Eastern Province though, the rains would be delayed or not arrive at all, so farmers from the central region knew they could get a good price for their produce there.
But that’s no longer the case. “In the past few years, I have seen rains come much earlier than expected, or very late,” says Muriuki. “At times, it rains in Eastern Province much earlier or at the same time as it does here, or it fails to rain in both areas.”
In these challenging conditions, Muriuki and his farming colleagues have turned to technology to help them find the right market.
PRICES BY TEXT MESSAGE
Standing on his farm, Muriuki pulls a mobile phone from his pocket to compose a text message. He writes the word ‘price’, followed by ‘cabbage’, then the place name ‘Embu’, and sends it to 3535. Almost immediately, he receives a reply stating: “Cabbage Ext Bag 126kg selling at Ksh400 in Embu as of 2011-04-01.”
This tells him that a standard bag of cabbage, weighing about 126 kilos, has been selling for 400 Kenyan shillings ($5) in Embu town for the past week.
Muriuki composes a similar message, substituting ‘Nairobi’ for Embu. The response tells him the same quantity of cabbage is selling at 2,100 shillings ($26.26) in the Kenyan capital – more than five times the price in Embu.
“Now all I need to do is to calculate the cost of transportation to Nairobi, and the cost of transportation to Embu, and differentiate in order to identify the market that is likely to give me more profit,” says Muriuki. Sending each text message costs 10 shillings (around 12 US cents).
“Identification of the appropriate market for our farm produce has been the biggest challenge in the recent past,” explains the farmer. “But now, technology is slowly and surely liberating us.”
The retired couple have been growing cabbage, tomatoes, Irish potatoes, bananas, onions and other vegetables for the past 10 years, sometimes using greenhouse technology to cope with the shifting climate.
The up-to-date market information they can now access from the mobile phone service is invaluable in helping them stay abreast of weather-related price fluctuations.
The system they use, M-Farm, is a mobile phone application created by three female students at Nairobi’s Strathmore University.
It provides a non-subscription service offering farmers real-time information about market prices across the country via their cell phones. It has been adopted by thousands of Kenyan farmers to identify the best markets for their produce.
The M-Farm team has turned the service into a fully fledged business with at least two agents positioned in each of Kenya’s five major agricultural cities: Nairobi, Eldoret, Mombasa, Kisumu and Kital.
They are tasked with feeding accurate market information into the M-Farm database on a weekly basis. In smaller towns, the job is done by selected farmers.
“Our ultimate target is to have farmers all over the country using this service, so that they can get real-time price information without involving brokers,” says developer Jamilla Abass.
Under normal circumstances, brokers procure agricultural produce in regions where demand – and prices – are low, and sell it on where they are high, enjoying profits at the expense of farmers.
While phone-based pricing technologies like M-Farm have been growing in popularity in the past few years, providers are now looking to offer additional services.
M-Farm has been trying out two other modules that help farmers club together when buying or selling, in order to get better prices and tap new, higher-volume markets.
These applications are being tested in Kinangop in Kenya’s Rift Valley region, where farmers subscribe to the M-Farm system to access information about inputs such as fertiliser, for example.
M-Farm identifies the companies supplying a particular product, and sends out text messages about their offering to subscribers. If farmers want to buy, they express their interest via a page on the M-Farm website or by sending a text message, stating the input they need, the quantity and their location.
The M-Farm team then aggregates the orders in its system, allowing them to bargain for a better price because they buy in bulk before the product is distributed among the farmers.
Similarly, a sellers’ forum enables small farmers to register what they have for sale, giving them access to exporters and large-scale retailers, which can procure the greater volumes they require from a range of suppliers in the system.
Abass says M-Farm hopes to roll out these new services to other parts of the country by the end of the year.
Isaiah Esipisu is a science writer based in Nairobi.


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Net inflows into U.S. equities by retail investors continued to climb over the past week as the stock market started the new year in a buoyant mood, but data analysts at Vanda Research said the pace of purchasing could easily slide if bullish momentum stalls.
Marco Iachini, senior vice president of Vanta Research attributed the January’s jump in retail purchasing of U.S. stocks to the muted purchases of exchange-traded funds, which indicate a sign of low conviction in the long-term prospects of financial markets (see chart below).
“We believe the January market rally is once again stemming from a bout of institutional investor short covering and rising equity demand from retail investors. However, despite the rebound in purchases, the aggregate retail flow has not yet recovered to previous highs, meaning that we’re still in a longer-term downward trajectory when it comes to retail participation,” wrote analysts led by Iachini, in a Thursday note.
The table below shows ETFs are currently experiencing the biggest flow divergences since 2022. “The three bottom ETFs are the last two years’ more popular vehicles,” said analysts, while the biggest gainers, such as Direxion Daily Semiconductor 3X Bear have a defensive tilt to them.
Iachini and his team also expect retail investors to “maintain high participation levels” in single stocks when companies comprising over half the S&P 500 ‘s market value report results in the next two weeks. That includes Microsoft Corp. which will step up to deliver its second quarter of fiscal 2023 report Tuesday, followed by Elon Musk’s Tesla Inc. and The International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) on Wednesday and Intel Corp. on Thursday. Apple Inc. and Google-parent Alphabet Inc. will report in the following week, according to FactSet.
“[Tesla] stock remains a bellwether of overall retail sentiment/health, in our view,” Iachini said. “Retail investors are buying the EV-maker’s shares at one of the widest margins relative to their history and other securities.”
With 11% of S&P 500 companies reporting actual fourth-quarter results as of Friday, 67% of them have reported earnings per share (EPS) above estimates, while 64% of the companies have reported a positive revenue surprise, said John Butters, senior earnings analyst at FactSet. EPS refers to net income divided by the number of shares outstanding, and could indicate how much money a company makes for each share of stock.
The blended earnings decline for the S&P 500 for the fourth quarter is 4.6%, said Butters in a Friday note. If that is the actual decline for the quarter, it will mark the first time the index has reported a year-over-year decline in earnings since the third quarter of 2020 which recorded a slump of 5.7%.
U.S. stocks traded modestly higher on Friday, with help from Netflix Inc. and Alphabet which jumped 7% and 4.7%, respectively, on corporate news. The Nasdaq Composite rallied 2%, but on pace to book a weekly loss of 0.2%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 163 points, or 0.5%, to 33,207. It fell 3.2% for the week and could notch its worst weekly performance since September 2022. The S&P 500 rose 1.3% on Friday, on track to book a weekly loss of 1.3%, according to Dow Jones Market Data.

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Apple's device penetration gives any new launch a great chance of success. If Apple has learned from Ping then Spotify and Pandora should be worried. For advertisers, it redefines 'radio' and pushes it back into the heart of the media plan.
iTunes Radio, tipped to launch in September 2013, will be an integrated part of the on device iTunes experience. The new product will be built into the iOS software and will initially be available in the US only across iOS7 – compatible on iPhones 4+ and iPad 2+. It will not be available as a standalone app. It will use an algorithm to search users purchase history to create custom stations.
iTunes Radio seems an obvious attempt to compete with Spotify and more directly Pandora which, mainly due to copyright laws, also operates only in the US. However, Apple will no doubt be looking to expand; so how does iTunes Radio stack up against Spotify?: In terms of libraries iTunes wins, with over 35 million songs vs. just 20 million on Spotify; iTunes Radio will be available free and on the go across tablet and iPhone, whilst Spotify Free is only available on desktop; iTunes Radio will be ad supported, just like Spotify Free, but whereas free listening on Spotify is capped after 6 months at 2.5 hours a week, iTunes radio will be unlimited. Perhaps the most crucial difference is like Pandora, but unlike Spotify, iTunes Radio has less user control as it doesn't feature a search and play function – the goal is instead to get you to listen, like and buy tracks from the iTunes store based on an algorithmically created playlist.


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Honda and Verizon are researching how 5G and mobile edge computing might improve safety for [...]
by Claire LEE Decades before the race to build a self-driving car became a multi-billion-dollar [...]
Motional will integrate its driverless technology into Hyundai’s new all-electric SUV to create the company’s [...]
Buckle up, startup and tech fans. Save the date and get ready to rub virtual [...]
Japan’s Nissan has become the latest automaker to dismiss claims it is working with tech [...]
Alphabet’s self-driving technology company hits a major milestone, Apple TV+ extends its free subscription period [...]
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As the cannabis market matures here in Oregon, consumer trends continue to evolve. Stereotypes and the traditional caricature of cannabis enthusiasts are changing — as well as their chosen consumption style.
“There are a very wide range of cannabis consumers who are consuming for different reasons and for multiple reasons,” says Liz Stahura, co-founder and president of BDS Analytics, a cannabis business intelligence company that tracks four states: Washington, Colorado, California and Oregon, which has the highest percentage of consumers at 35 percent.
Since January 2015, Oregon has generated more than $1 billion in cannabis sales, and sales were up 45 percent in 2017 compared to 2016. Flower consumption continues to decrease, comprising less than 45 percent of retail sales by the end of 2017, and interest in edibles and concentrates continues to grow.
One possible reason? It’s easier to control dosages.
“You will see that in every different market we track, gummy candies are the most popular edible product,” Stahura says. “They are very easy to sub dose. You can buy a 10-milligram gummy and cut it in as many pieces as you like.”
And while cannabis producers and processors in other states are starting to address this trend, BDS Analytics sees an untapped market in Oregon to create more products for the micro-dosing consumer, who can tend to skew older or newer and less-experienced.
Even the “power users,” or those longtime cannabis consumers who have a higher tolerance, are opening up to the idea of micro-dosing, according to Mason Walker, CEO of East Fork Cultivars, a CBD-focused farm located outside of Cave Junction.
“Micro-dosing is increasingly popular,” Walker says. “People are interested in milder experiences. In some ways, we’ve been effectively overdosing on THC for a long time, and there is a trend of almost correcting to a more proper dose.”
Whereas heavy users, or people he dubs “moonshine chasers,” are usually looking for high THC content when they buy at dispensaries, Walker is seeing a shift to more interest in the other cannabinoids and “ratioed varieties.”
“People don’t always want to drink moonshine. It’s not a very social thing to consume. As we learn more about the science of cannabis and how it interacts with our bodies, even for the people who want to get intoxicated from THC, they want a more rounded experience,” Walker says.
Carl Venezia of Indigo Farms in the Applegate Valley shares a similar sentiment.
“The consumers (in dispensaries) are looking at very high-potency scores and using that as a guiding force for buying,” Venezia says. “But we’re finding a lot of demand for CBD-heavy products.”
As a result, his farm is focusing on more specialty strains that are CBD dominant with a bit of THC. And instead of offering one larger pre-roll, it is offering two smaller joints at .4 grams.
“When it comes to micro-dosing, you can have a low amount of THC, but it also has to do with the ‘entourage effect,’ how all these different cannabinoids and terpenes work together to enhance or detract from a feeling that you are getting from the product,” Venezia says. “When they come together they can be amplified or diminished, and that can change how the product is experienced.”
Micro-dosing is a fairly new term, according to Jackie Carlino, an herbalist for Sun God Medicinals in Central Point. Sun God is one of three herb businesses operated by Sun Breeze Inc., which include two dispensaries, Breeze Botanicals in Ashland and Gold Hill.
Carlino says people are already taking smaller doses to treat anxiety, depression, pain and to enhance sleep — and it’s perfect for those who have never consumed before or older folks who may have a lower tolerance.
Micro-dosing is consuming multiple times a day, usually 2.5 milligrams or less, and comes in many forms — most commonly a tincture drop, one puff from a vaporizer or a small piece of an edible.
“We sell a lot of tinctures, because they make it really easy to control your dosage, and they also affect you in about 15 minutes,” Carlino says, adding tinctures for pets are becoming increasingly popular at their dispensaries. “So, you can take it every 15 minutes to get the effect you need, whereas edibles take up to 90 to 100 minutes.”
Carlino stresses the effect is different for everyone.
“Keep experimenting until you find the dose that works for you,” she says. “It’s generally recommended that first-time micro-dosers start off at 2.5 milligrams, maintain that level for approximately three days and increase if necessary. Start low and go slow.”
That said, the market changes depending on where you are in Oregon. For instance, Dicot Farms is located in Eagle Point, but it doesn’t sell its flower in the area, according to Ria Gonzales, its Portland operations manager. The company sells mostly in Central Oregon and on the coast, and it’s in the process of opening a dispensary in Portland.
“Depending on what city you are in, even sometimes the neighborhood, the market changes,” says Gonzales, who has spent several years working in Arizona’s medical market. “We sell a lot of clones in Southern Oregon. It’s hard to sell your product there because it’s so oversaturated.”
Gonzales says for the product that her farm does sell, they are holding prices at $1,000 a pound.
“In Oregon, the sheer amount of farms is remarkable to me,” she says. “When you have a small, controlled number, there’s not a lot of competition to make yourself better. It would take $50,000 a week to stock my store in Arizona, here that is a couple of months’ volume. The costs are different, and the amount of competition is different, so it’s not as lucrative of a business here in the rec market.”
You can follow Liz Gold on Twitter/Instagram @lizstacygold or read her blog at www.14karatliving.com.


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Sling TV has long offered a video on demand service, but the cord cutting originator has not yet had the ability to record TV shows. Some channels allowed for live TV pause, rewind, and fast forward. But this is changing today, as Sling TV unveiled a DVR feature.
This is not coming to all customers at first– Roku customers will have first dibs via a limited beta launching next month, December. The beta period will allow for up to 100’s hours of recording to be stored. There will not be a 28-day restriction like a traditional DVR, plus Sling will allow you to rewind, pause, and fast forward through content.
In the future after the beta period, customers will be able to upgrade the package for more storage. And like with past beta features, Sling TV will add more features based on customer feedback.
Sling TV is limiting the first beta period to Roku devices, but DVR functionality will expand to other devices in the coming months. Customers on the platform who use it with a Roku can request an invitation to the beta at www.sling.com/dvr.
NJTechReviews expects to get some hands-on time with the new DVR feature soon and will report back with our first impressions.


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Urian B. , Tech Times 22 October 2022, 12:10 am
Samsung has just unveiled a budget smartphone unit called the Galaxy A04E during a time when the company is seen pushing higher-end units like the Galaxy S23 series, Z Flip, and Z Fold.
Samsung Galaxy is Releasing Another Budget Smartphone
Selling powerful smartphones is important, but the problem is that not every buyer can afford these devices. After a while of focusing only on the latest cutting-edge technology, it seems like Samsung is now going back to basics with a budget smartphone.
Going back to basics in this context doesn't mean releasing an outdated phone; it means releasing a budget smartphone that is more accessible to the masses. This is exactly what Samsung is doing with the Galaxy A04E.
Company Suddenly Dropped the Galaxy A04E
According to Giz China's story, Samsung is preparing for the Galaxy S23 series as its 2023 flagships keep leaking. Some of the leaks include the Ultra equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, and although the spotlight is on the new flagship lineup, the company has numerous lineups that it can launch.
As of press time, the company suddenly unveiled a unit that was not under the Galaxy S23 series lineup. The company's new unit revealed out of the blue was the Samsung Galaxy A04E, as seen on GSM Arena.
New Smartphone is Under the Galaxy A04 Budget Series
The article notes that the Samsung Galaxy A04 series is usually low-end and sometimes comes out with the lowest specs in the market. The smartphones launched under the Galaxy A04 series are also considered very affordable.
The launch of the new Galaxy A04E did not include a lot of buzz like other smartphones launched under Samsung. Instead, the new smartphone basically joins the Galaxy A04 Core, which was initially launched in August, and the Galaxy A04s, which was released in September.
Samsung Galaxy A04E Specs
As for the specifications of the Galaxy A04E, the smartphone comes with a 6.5-inch HD+ PLS LCD panel and comes with a standard 60 Hz refresh rate. The device also comes with dot notch for a simple 5MP selfie camera and packs a 13MP main shooter with a 2MP depth sensor.
The good thing about this smartphone is that although its refresh rate and camera aren't too out of this world, it still uses an Octa-Core CPU, the MediaTek Helio G35. This, however, is still according to rumor, but if true, it will also come with eight ARM Cortex-A53 cores and a 12nm manufacturing process.
Read Also: Redmi Note 12 Series to Come with 200MP Camera and Up to 210W Charging
Variations for the Samsung Galaxy A04E Smartphone
Buyers will get to choose between either a 3GB or 4GB RAM variant, and when it comes to storage, the options available are 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB of internal storage, as seen on Samsung Mobile Express. Users can also expand the memory due to its internal storage.
The smartphone has a 5,000 mAh battery capable of single-band Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz with LTE.
Related Article: Oppo Find N2 Specs Leaked: Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 Processor and 120Hz AMOLED Folding Screen Display
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Urian B.
ⓒ 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.


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July's Games With Gold for Xbox One and Xbox 360 are now available. As revealed last week, you can get Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag for Xbox One and Plants vs. Zombies on Xbox 360, among others. Of course you'll also need to be an Xbox Live Gold subscriber in good standing to get the free games...
July's Games With Gold from Microsoft will allow you to be an assassin-pirate, a soldier, a gaggle of clones, and the only thing standing between your home and the zombie apocalypse. Microsoft's Games With Gold is a free game give-away program for Xbox Live Gold subscribers who own an Xbox One or an Xbox 360 - in case you have been living under or rock or in a cave with no Internet access.
If you missed Friday's live broadcast of Super Podcast Action Committee (Episode 148), you can watch the video replay on YouTube, to your left, or download it below. On this week's show hosts Andrew Eisen and E. Zachary Knight are once again joined by super cool dude Justin Leeper to talk about all the games they loved and hated from last week's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3 Expo) in Los Angeles. Who won the E3? Who had the best games? Who failed miserably?
Well, all the votes are in on which Xbox 360 games should get backwards compatibility and Red Dead Redemption is the top pick. Earlier in the week Microsoft asked fans to vote on the Xbox 360 games they would like to play on Xbox One on Xbox.com. Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas, BioShock Infinite, Mass Effect 2, and six different Call of Duty games also make the cut.
A list of the top twenty most requested titles can be found below. We are assuming this list is for more than just North America.
Earlier this week Microsoft announced at its Xbox E3 media briefing that it would support backwards compatibility of a hundred or so Xbox 360 titles starting during the holiday season. The news was very well received by Xbox fans and by the gaming community in general.
Yesterday Microsoft announced at its E3 Xbox media briefing that it would make a hundred or so games from the Xbox 360 library backwards compatible during the holiday season. While Mass Effect, Rainbow Six: Vegas, and Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 are definitely on that list, we have no idea what other games Microsoft will make backwards compatible and playable on Xbox One.
At its annual E3 media briefing today, Microsoft highlighted first- and third-party games, HoloLens, its partnerships with VR companies, a newly designed Xbox One and Windows 10 compatible controller, and Xbox One's (limited) ability to provide Xbox 360 game compatibility.
The event opened with a video montage showing Halo 5, Gears of War, and Rise of the Tomb Raider to drive home the point that first - and third-party games are what the company is all about in 2015 and 2016.
According to new research from the University of Tennessee, games that use motion sensing camera technology like those that use Microsoft's Kinect are better at promoting and fostering an active lifestyle compared to traditional activities. The study, spearheaded by Doctor Hollie Raynor, director of the University of Tennessee's Healthy Eating and Activity Laboratory, was recently published in the Games for Health journal.
At 9:30 am PT (12:30 pm on the east coast) this morning Microsoft will host its annual Xbox media presentation live from Los Angeles. You can watch the event in its entirety right here - we'll have a full report later today.
One thing you can never call Activision is stupid when it comes to squeezing the very last nickel from its largest franchise - the Call of Duty series. Earlier this year Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 developer Treyarch told Eurogamer that the latest game was only for PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
While it should come as no shock to anyone, Bethesda says that Fallout 4 will not be coming to last generation consoles like the PS3 or Xbox 360. They didn't even bother to mention the Wii U. Last week Bethesda revealed that Fallout 4 was in development and would be coming - at some point - to the PC, Xbox One and PS4.
But when asked about last-gen versions of the game, Bethesda community manager Matt Grandstaff told users on NeoGAF that the company has zero plans on old systems.
Microsoft's Larry Hryb (aka Major Nelson) has revealed June Games With Gold free offerings for the month of June. For Xbox One owners who have an Xbox Live Gold account, Microsoft is offering Double Fine's fantasy strategy game Massive Chalice and billiards game Pool FX Nation (which is being extended from last month's free game offering).
Yesterday following the release of its latest financial results, Ubisoft announced that it was ultimately done making games for last generation console systems. In fact it only has one game in the works for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360: a brand new title in its popular rhythm dance game series, Just Dance.
A 17-year-old Waupaca, Wisconsin teen had his "Xbox" confiscated by Waupaca County after they determined that he had attempted to "swat" a rival player. According to WeAreGreenBay.com, the teen allegedly called the Waupaca County 911 Communications Center on Sunday afternoon claiming that a woman had been shot in the leg in an apartment on Eight Street (in Waupaca) and the shooter was still in the house. The caller claimed they were making the call while hiding in a closet.
Police responded to the scene and learned quickly that the call was a hoax.
Microsoft is letting non-paying Xbox silver users on Xbox One and Xbox 360 get a taste of the good life starting today. Xbox Live Silver subscribers will get to see how the other half lives when they have full access to multiplayer features in all of their favorite games.
The free promotion will run from May 1 - May 3. No doubt Microsoft thinks that this free weekend will result in Silver to Gold subscriptions galore.
Microsoft has revealed the free games Xbox Live Gold subscribers can grab in May that are part of its ongoing "Games With Gold" giveaway program.
Xbox One owners can download CastleStorm: Definitive Edition ($14.99 ERP) for free during the month of May. Microsoft also announced that it will hold over Pool Nation FX ($13.99 ERP) for an additional month.
Former Lionhead Studios head John Needham has been promoted to a new position within Microsoft that will oversee internal development for several (but not all) games on Xbox platforms and the company's augmented reality technology HoloLens. A Microsoft spokesperson tells Engadget that he will report to Microsoft corporate VP Kudo Tsunoda. He will not be in charge of some of Microsoft's biggest franchises, though.
After a false start - which broke the Xbox 360 version of the game (see this story for details) - it looks like developer Toylogic has worked out the issues and will "officially" launch the Xbox One version of Happy Wars Friday, April 24.
In March rumors circulated that Corporate Vice President in Xbox in Europe Phil Harrison had left Microsoft. Today Head of Xbox Phil Spencer confirmed with GamesIndustry.biz in a statement that Harrison was no longer with Microsoft.
"Following a successful tenure as Corporate Vice President in Xbox in Europe, Phil Harrison has chosen to pursue business interests outside of Microsoft," Spencer's statement reads.
Assassin's Creed: Black Flag and Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel are now free to download as part of Microsoft's Games With Gold monthly giveaway for Xbox Live Gold level subscribers. Earlier in the month, Xbox Live Gold subscribers on Xbox 360 were able to score Gears of War: Judgment and indie sandbox RPG hit Terraria.
Xbox One owners got (and can still get) two titles during the month: Child of Light and Pool Nation FX.
According to this Eurogamer report, Microsoft is working on a future firmware update that will add support for external USB drives up to 2TB. Currently the Xbox 360 only supports USB drives up to 32GB. The upcoming update also removes the systems method for reserving hard drive space in advance; a method used to maximize the amount of free room on your drive.
Microsoft has revealed the titles that will be available in April as part of its free games promotion to Xbox Live Gold subscribers - and this month subscribers get double the normal amount of games.
Xbox Live Gold subscribers on Xbox 360 will be able to score Gears of War: Judgment and indie sandbox RPG hit Terraria between April 1st-15th, and on April 16th until April 31st they'll be able to pick up Assassin's Creed: Black Flag and Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel.
Square Enix will shut down the console versions of its MMORPG, Final Fantasy XI. According to Polygon, the Xbox 360 and PS2 versions of the game will be discontinued in March of 2016. The PC version will continue to operate.
To get ready for the end of the game on these platforms, Square Enix will start deploying special content called Rhapsodies.
GII reports that Phil Harrison has quietly left Microsoft, though executives within the company attending the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco this week have refrained from providing confirmation or commenting on it. When asked by Eurogamer about rumors that Harrison had left Microsoft, Xbox boss Phil Spencer said that "he couldn't say anything about that."
Microsoft has finally extended the Xbox One Preview program to Xbox 360 owners. Despite the age of Microsoft's last-generation console, Microsoft revealed this week at GDC that it will extend the preview program to the system later this year. The preview program allows Xbox 360 owners to try out dashboard and other system-wide changes before they are officially deployed.
Microsoft announced what titles you can score for free during the month of March through Games With Gold, the company's free games giveaway program for Xbox Live Gold subscribers. Xbox One owners who also have an Xbox Live Gold account can download Rayman Legends for free during the month.
Xbox 360 owners who also subscribe to Xbox Live Gold can get the Tomb Raider reboot in the first half of the month. On the 16th of the month Xbox 360 owners can download Irrational Games' Bioshock Infinite.
Microsoft has revealed the three games that will be part of February's Games With Gold free game giveaway for Xbox Live Gold subscribers.
Xbox One owners will be able to score #IDARB (It Draws a Red Box) free of chart from February 1 to February 28. The game is described as "an offbeat, crowdsourced multiplayer action game."
Xbox 360 owners will be able to grab puzzle adventure Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons for free from February 1 - 15. From February 16-28 Sniper Elite V2 will be made available free of charge.


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Two Cartier watches also topped their estimates at Christie’s “The Collection of Sir Elton John: Goodbye Peachtree Road” evening sale.
The Shirley Temple Blue Diamond Is Back
Now, the stone weighs 9.3 carats and is internally flawless.
New York—The Shirley Temple Blue Diamond failed to sell at auction in 2016, but now it’s found a new life.
The actress’ father purchased the cushion-modified brilliant-cut fancy deep blue diamond, weighing 9.54 carats with VVS2 clarity, in 1940 to commemorate the 12-year-old’s latest film, “The Blue Bird.”
She owned the ring until her death in 2014. Her family put the diamond up for sale at Sotheby’s April 2016 jewelry auction in New York, where it was predicted to garner between $25 and $35 million, though it didn’t find a buyer.
That’s when Windsor Jewelers stepped in.
The antiques dealer bought the stone from Temple’s family but decided to make an improvement before putting it back on the market.
“We showed it to some of the best cutters in the world and said there’s a potentiality for it to go internally flawless,” explained Windsor Jewelers President Paul Lubetsky.
Cutting the stone, and slightly lowering the carat weight in the process, was not a decision taken lightly.
“Polishing such an important diamond involves an immense amount of challenges and risk,” Windsor Jewelers’ Principal Avi Fattal said. “The stone was thoroughly studied by the cutter and a team of gemologists for weeks before deciding to put this very rare diamond on the wheel.
“The color of a blue diamond, and in some cases, quality, can be drastically changed even with the slightest movement. We ultimately decided to go ahead and re-polish the stone to try to improve the clarity.”
What Fattal described as many “nerve-wracking months” of polishing that involved several visits and consultations with the Gemological Institute of America resulted in not only an internally flawless stone—now weighing 9.3 carats—but also a richer blue color.
SEE: The 9.3-Carat, Internally Flawless Shirley Temple Blue Diamond
“When we finally decided to re-cut it, it completely opened the color also,” Lubetsky said. “We didn’t expect it to go so blue. Before it was a VVS stone, but when we got rid of the imperfection the color opened up and became bluer than any other stone I’ve seen before.”
In GIA’s current report on the stone, it notes a similarity in color to the famed Hope Diamond and the Wittelsbach-Graff—another blue diamond that was re-cut to improve it clarity—leading Windsor Jewelers to believe that all three diamonds might have been mined in a similar area, the Golconda mines of India.
Now, Windsor Jewelers is set to display the stone publicly for the first time since its acquisition and polishing at the second edition of the upcoming GemGeneve trade show, an exhibitor-run antidote to Baselworld.
There, attendees will be able to witness the new-and-improved Shirley Temple in person.
“Daylight sort of stimulates the stone and the more it’s in daylight, the bluer it gets,” Lubetsky said. “It continues to get bluer all day. It’s really an unusual phenomenon.”
GemGenève is slated for May 9-12 at The Palexpo Geneva.
Set to be held in Venice, it’s a look through the maison’s history.
Distinguishing natural diamonds from laboratory-grown stones – now more available than ever – has been difficult for jewelers. Until now.
Sebastian Clarke and Katherine van Dell, frequent appraisers on “Antiques Roadshow,” will join the new office.
Sherry Smith dishes on the month’s highs and lows and the two categories consumers were loving ahead of Valentine’s Day.
The WaxJet 400, recognized as the world's fastest wax printer, is bringing in a new era of precision and efficiency to industry.
Gorman was an industry trailblazer, serving as the first female treasurer of Jewelers of America.
The movement of the 18-karat gold and diamond “Tennessee Torque” necklace is subtle.
Industry veteran Gina D’Onofrio has rejoined the auction house.
“Power of Couture” recalls Frédéric Boucheron’s love of fabric using diamonds and rock crystal.
The couple won a bespoke engagement ring set with a 1.44-carat fancy yellow diamond and designed by Michael Hogan.


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In legal documents in its federal case against Jeffrey Howell, a Scottsdale, Ariz., man who kept a collection of about 2,000 music recordings on his personal computer, the industry maintains that it is illegal for someone who has legally purchased a CD to transfer that music into his computer.
The industry’s lawyer in the case, Ira Schwartz, argues in a brief filed earlier this month that the MP3 files Howell made on his computer from legally bought CDs are “unauthorized copies” of copyrighted recordings.
In 2007, 83.9 million albums were sold, down 21.4 million from last year. A 20 percent drop in sales is more than a blip; it’s serious trouble.
The industry has been under pressure for years, of course. Back in August, we took a detailed look at trends in the movie, music, and video game businesses and noted that RIAA companies have seen sales drop by 11.6 percent between 2002 and 2006, even as movies hold steady and games are showing sales increases.
the Warner Music Group said on Thursday that it would sell songs and albums without anticopying software through Amazonâ€™s fledgling digital music service. […] Warner is the third of the four major music corporations to reconsider its use of so-called digital rights management software, known by its initials as D.R.M., and offer its catalog in the unrestricted MP3 format. […] EMI Group broke ranks with the other major labels and agreed to sell unprotected music through iTunes in April.
Now, some music executives are privately backing the idea of dropping the software from music sold through virtually every service except iTunes, in order to strengthen Appleâ€™s rivals and potentially diminish Mr. Jobsâ€™s advantage. The major labels have been upset with Appleâ€™s inflexibility on music pricing, among other issues.
Warnerâ€™s move comes roughly four months after the industryâ€™s biggest company, Universal Music Group, part of Vivendi, said it would sell music without restrictions through an array of services, including digital stores run by Wal-Mart, Real Networks and Amazon, but not iTunes.
Apple and Fox have indeed (finally) agreed on an iTunes movie deal, and while details are admittedly scant at the moment, chances are Stevie J. will get to the nitty gritty come Macworld. What we do know, however, is that the alleged partnership will enable iTunes users to rent new Fox DVD releases and keep them around “for a limited time,” though pricing figures weren’t speculated upon. Additionally, it sounds like Fox will be spreading its digital file inclusion from select titles to all flicks, giving DVD purchasers a FairPlay protected file that can easily be transferred (read: without third-party transcoding software) to a computer and / or iPod for later viewing.
Apple is betting on the wrong horse here. I’m coming around to the view that Steve Jobs’ famous anti-DRM letter was just a negotiating tactic and didn’t represent any genuine pro-fair-use sentiment.


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The Solar Trade Association (STA) managed to negotiate a 5% rate of VAT on battery storage for householders who are installing a solar storage system for their new solar panels.
The STA claims that this will significantly decrease the costs of of installing solar storage batteries. Previously the HRMC ruled that solar batteries would be charged at the ordinary 20% VAT rate. The decision now makes battery the same tax rate as normal household fuels such as grid energy electricity.
The STA argued that the inclusion of battery storage at a 5% vat rate was appropriate due to risks to fair competition at the 20% rate. The decision means that the installation of solar PV and battery technology is far more attractive to property owners.
There is still some way to go before all storage is counted at the new 5% rate. at the moment, it only applies to new solar panel installations. The STA is of the opinion that all storage to be available at the lower standard rate. Talks between the STA and HRMC are still in progress, but at the moment batteries sold for existing solar installations will still be charged at the 20% rate.
In a quote released from the Solar Trade Association, their Vice chair Seb Berry made the following statement:
“This is a helpful and welcome decision by the Treasury following a major lobbying effort from the Solar Trade Association. Reduced VAT on new systems will encourage homeowners to embrace storage technologies alongside solar. Solar remains a good investment and storage means householders can now take even greater control of their energy bills. All STA members will be delighted by this win.
The policy wins are needed as solar deployment has fallen to a seven year low. The industry is struggling with a policy framework that now provides tax breaks for fossil fuels that are not applied to solar.”
If you’re interested in a new solar panel installation, get in touch with us today.


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If you have kids in your life - children, grandchildren, nieces or nephews - odds are you've heard about Minecraft. My son, Ian, absolutely loves the fun, retro game where players call the shots with no rules.
Basically, the game lets you build your own world made completely out of blocks. It gives the game a chunky, vintage look that's been a big hit with kids. Players start by creating structures to protect their character from monsters. Then, they can team up with other players to venture into new worlds and build tons of new stuff.
I think kids love the game so much because there aren't any rules to follow. If they can imagine it, odds are they can build it with their blocks and Minecraft. Originally, the game was only offered on PC. But, it has now expanded to gaming consoles and Apple and Android gadgets, encouraging even more players to pour in.
But now there could be another big change in store for this fan favorite that has some players up in arms. A giant tech company is now in talks to buy Mojang, the company that makes Minecraft. And, it's willing to spend a lot of money to do it. But, if Minecraft's success continues, will this look like a smart investment in the long run?
Minecraft for sale?
I'm hearing reports that software giant Microsoft is in talks to buy Mojang for $2 billion! That might seem like a lot of money, but Minecraft has the ability bring in some serious cash for Microsoft. That's because the game actually makes money on its own. Unlike many other online game companies, Mojang has a simple model already in place to turn a profit.
In an era when many games, especially for mobile devices, are given away, and derive their profit from the sale of virtual currency and other items, Mojang sells Minecraft the old-fashioned way — by charging people to buy a copy. The price varies depending on what kind of device people use to play the game, ranging from $7 on mobile phones to $27 for computer versions. A version of Minecraft for Microsoft’s Xbox, which has been a top seller for the console, costs $20.
The deal isn't done yet, but talks are heating up. The New York Times is reporting that a deal could be reached by the end of the month.
While a sale to Microsoft probably won't change the gameplay experience for Minecraft fans, some are shocked that the independent, no-rules environment could be rocked by a stuffy corporate giant. After all, if it isn't broke, don't fix it. On the other hand, Microsoft could bring the game to even more platforms. This deal could give Microsoft a big boost as it looks to compete on the mobile gaming front with Apple and Android gadgets. Currently, it's not available on Windows Phone or Microsoft's Windows Store. Its graphics also haven't been updated for the Windows 8's new interface. If the deal actually goes through, I expect Microsoft will make these changes and probably more. How the players react is yet to be seen.


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Of course, digitizing everything was the goal. And considering what Google has in the bank, $125M is cheap to settle. The bad news is that it's a settlement, and doesn't make any difference in the law, but it does set a non-legal precedent.
Of course, I'm curious if OCLC's fledgling copyright information registry is partnering with Google; it would make sense not to duplicate effort, and crowdsourcing has made sense in other fields. It certainly hasn't hurt LC, with its Flickr experiment.
I'm not as concerned about Google replacing libraries. It's not like Google is taking the books away from libraries, stopping ILL, or burning them. It certainly has a lower barrier to entry than the aggregators, when an individual can pay for full access to only what they want. Certainly better than Corbis, who bought the photos and has locked them up.
That's not to say that it can't change, but the libraries have gotten their digital copies, presumably the Internet Archive will crawl the open collections, and the libraries will know what was actually used if it comes to them doing the work again.
What's the worst case scenario? Google goes out of business, all the digital files go away, and the libraries are no worse than before, and some publishers and authors have made some money they wouldn't have gotten under the first sale provision.
What's the upside? 20% instead of snippets, payment to authors (if they can be found), fewer dead trees, universal access.
I don't have any problems with that.


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Amdaris set to join forces with Aceleron following BGF investment
Two of BGF’s portfolio companies – Amdaris and Aceleron – have joined forces to create a two-way communications device that monitors the effectiveness of sustainable battery technologies both in the UK and overseas.
Headquartered in Birmingham, Aceleron is a UK developer of serviceable battery solutions, which received a £2m equity investment from BGF in 2020 to scale the production of its unique circular economy battery technology and to expand its reach across global markets.
It partnered with BGF portfolio company Amdaris, earlier this year to create a two-way communications device that enables users to check on the lifecycle of their battery to troubleshoot problems, boost performance and ultimately save costs.
Bristol-based Amdaris is a software developer and digital transformation specialist. The company received £6m in funding from BGF last year and this project is an example of its outsourced software solutions that enable businesses to gain access to industry leading developers for digital projects and transformation programmes.
Alix Stuart, Head of Agile Delivery at Amdaris, said: “Amdaris works to guide and lead our delivery teams to solve problems for existing and new customers. We create specialist software teams for people that might not have immediate access to the resources in-house. It removes the headaches associated with sourcing experienced talent which can slot in immediately with their operations.
“This project will enable Aceleron to get the best possible information on the lifecycle of its batteries both here in the UK and overseas. We’ve created a specialist software solution to solve the missing part of the puzzle in its sustainable battery technology.”
As part of the delivery programme, Amdaris has built a team that will continue to work in-house at Aceleron. The team includes front and back-end developers, a senior developer and a specialist project manager.
Matt Isted, Chief Product Officer at Aceleron, added: “We have never outsourced a project like this before, however, it became immediately clear that we needed a specialist resource to create this unique communication device. The batteries we create are serviceable, however, we need up-to-date information to gauge the performance and health of the batteries remotely. Software is the first step in terms of getting that info. All information will now be available to the customer on our website; later down the line we’ll be looking at mobile apps to check battery health as well.”
The comms solution will be launched officially in July. It is currently being tested at Sheffield University before being rolled out to international markets.
Matt added: “We have really enjoyed working with Amdaris and due to the great work carried out on the communication device we have now started a second project with the team. The whole ethos of our company is based on the circular economy of batteries and this project will enable us to enhance the lifecycle of our batteries even further. It means we now have a workable data logging project that can monitor the efficiencies of batteries on the other side of the world which is a completely unique proposition.”
James Skade investor at BGF, said: “We’re absolutely delighted that two of our portfolio companies are working in partnership on this innovative solution. It highlights the breadth of the skills and offerings we have under the BGF umbrella and would invite other companies to explore the solutions BGF can offer to see if partnership projects are also for them.”


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Sun Microsystems has announced plans to bring its high-end SPARC processor technology and technical workstations to the PC desktop. By introducing aggressive price pointing - achieved by adopting PC manufacturing...
Collection #1, originally posted in December, contains 140 million email addresses that haven't been seen in security breaches before
Consumers can check the provenance of produce via a QR code
Huawei accused of stealing trade secrets from US partners
Windows 10 search shake-up will also bring changes to Office 365


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With the next big update to Windows 10, version 1803, Microsoft is making some big changes to how it sells the software to OEMs. The biggest casualty? Windows 10 S—the restricted version of Windows that can only run apps from the Store—is going away.
Currently, Windows 10 S is a unique edition of Windows 10. It’s based on Windows 10 Pro; Windows 10 Pro has various facilities that enable system administrators to restrict which software can be run, and Windows 10 S is essentially a preconfigured version of those facilities. In addition to locking out arbitrary downloaded programs, it also prevents the use of certain built-in Windows features such as the command-line, PowerShell, and Windows Subsystem for Linux.
For those who can’t abide by the constraints that S imposes, you can upgrade 10 S to the full 10 Pro. This upgrade is a one-shot deal: there’s no way of re-enabling the S limitations after upgrading to Pro. It’s also a paid upgrade: while Microsoft offered it as a free upgrade for a limited time for its Surface Laptop, the regular price is $49.
Source:: Arstechnica – Gadgets


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Global Food Supplier to Profit Enormously While Food Prices Soar
Posted on May 10, 2011
Switzerland-based Glencore—one of the world’s largest suppliers of food and other commodities—could make as much as $11 billion by going public this year. The sale of its shares will add hundreds of people to the international roster of millionaires and billionaires while rising food prices continue to gouge the world’s poor. —ARK
The rapid rise in prices for food, fuel and commodities has been disastrous for the world’s poor, including Indonesian market vendor Lia Romi. But it’s a bonanza for multinational trading firms such as Glencore.
While Romi has trouble feeding her family, Glencore - the world’s largest diversified commodities trader - is planning a US$11billion share sale, likely the largest market debut ever seen on the London Stock Exchange.
“The price for our daily food has at least doubled in the past two years,” Lia Romi told Al Jazeera through a translator. “Food costs 100 per cent of my family’s daily income [of about $3]. I have nothing saved and I owe [money] from my [market stall] business.”
While Romi, and millions like her, worry about feeding their families, the initial public offering from the commodity speculating giant will create at least four billionaires, dozens worth more than $100million and several hundred old fashioned millionaires. Chief Executive Ivan Glasenberg is set to make more than $9bn from the share sale. And speculating on food prices is an important part of his wealth.
Flickr / fullres Some rights reserved
A vendor sells food in Batam, Indonesia.


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Black Bean has released a new set of screenshots for their latest superbike game, SBK Generations. SBK Generations promises to be a huge experience with a career mode that is set across four different seasons of the Superbike FIM World Championship and is already available in stores. Enjoy!
John is the founder and Editor in Chief at DSOGaming. He is a PC gaming fan and highly supports the modding and indie communities. Before creating DSOGaming, John worked on numerous gaming websites. While he is a die-hard PC gamer, his gaming roots can be found on consoles. John loved - and still does - the 16-bit consoles, and considers SNES to be one of the best consoles. Still, the PC platform won him over consoles. That was mainly due to 3DFX and its iconic dedicated 3D accelerator graphics card, Voodoo 2. John has also written a higher degree thesis on the "The Evolution of PC graphics cards."


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The iPhone 5 rumor mill is working overtime and next generation iPhone will be completely redesigned and will look more like iPod Touch 4G rather than iPhone 4. Apple’s fifth generation iPhone could be a bigger upgrade than expected and iPhone 5 won’t support 4G LTE networks as we’ve heard before, which is one of the reasons why iPhone 5 could be a bigger than expected upgrade to make it more appealing for iPhone users to upgrade to the new iPhone rather than waiting for the 4G LTE iPhone, which is expected to be launched in 2012……………..
Rumors regarding the iPhone 5 continue to fly fast and furious and a couple of reports from earlier are making the rounds with more claimed details on the next-generation device. Analyst Shaw Wu with Sterne Agee said he has consistently received one question from investors regarding the upcoming iPhone. “Well, it turns out that we are picking up that this interim iPhone refresh in the Fall timeframe could be a bigger upgrade than we expected,” Wu wrote. “We believe this keeps the iPhone fresh and competitive and helps maintain its leadership position.” He said that supply chain sources have indicated that the new iPhone will feature a slightly larger display than the current 3.5-inch screen found on the iPhone 4. The fifth-generation iPhone is also expected to feature the same dual-core A5 processor already found in the iPad 2. In addition, those same sources reportedly said that the new iPhone will feature a similar form factor and size to the iPhone 4, but will sport a thinner bezel. “We believe this makes sense to improve the iPhone experience without making it too bulky as we have seen with models from competitors,” he wrote.
While Wu expects the new iPhone to have a bigger screen and thinner profile, checks within the supply chain have said that the fifth-generation iPhone is not expected to have 4G-LTE high-speed wireless data connectivity. The new technology still has issues with battery life and network coverage, problems that Wu believes Apple will fix at some point in the future. This week, one report claimed that Apple’s next-generation iPhone will become available in October, a date even later than expected by some. Apple typically releases a new iPhone in the June-July timeframe, but this year is instead holding off until the fall. In recent days, cases claiming to show the new design of Apple‘s fifth-generation iPhone have been appearing in large numbers in China. The cases show curved sides, suggesting the new iPhone will sport a different frame from the current iPhone 4. Rumors of an iPhone with a larger screen are not new with a number of reports over the last year claiming that Apple’s next handset will feature an edge-to-edge display that would allow the iPhone to retain the same size. Here’s the two key points from Wu:
Checks Indicate iPhone Update Could Be Bigger Than Expected. Well, it turns out that we are picking up that this “interim” iPhone refresh in the Fall timeframe could be a bigger upgrade than we expected. We believe this keeps the iPhone fresh and competitive and helps maintain its leadership position. However, we continue to pick up indication that it will not likely incorporate4G LTE due to battery life issues and spotty network coverage. And ironically, if anyone is in a position to fix these weaknesses, it would be AAPL.
Bigger Display. What is different is that in addition to a dual-core processor that we have talked about before, our supply chain sources indicate that it will sport a slightly larger display than the current 3.5-inch retina display that is already industry leading. We are picking up that it will retain a similar form factor and size but with thinner bezel. We believe this makes sense to improve the iPhone experience without making it too bulky as we have seen with models from competitors. We also want to highlight iOS 5 software features which we think are sizeable new upgrades including iCloud, Push Notification Center, iMessage, and Twitter integration.


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- We are in the strongest period of renter growth going back to the 1960s, when the Census began tracking rent vs. own.
- Each of the three younger age segments have experienced a shrinking number of home-owning households, totaling a decline of 6.85 million over the last ten years.
- The 55 to 64 group is unique in that the homeownership rate has shrunk (82 percent to 76 percent), yet the strong growth in the number of households allowed the number of homeowners to grow by 3.9 million.
MAY 2015 – Have you ever taken your temperature and been relieved
to find out you had a fever? You say to yourself, “No wonder I feel so bad.” I had a similar moment while researching national homeownership trends, which dropped to a 25-year low of 63.7 percent in 1Q15. What is less often reported is that the number of households has grown steadily during this time from just under 93 million in 1989 to over 123 million in 2014. Furthermore, even though the percentage of homeowners is unchanged compared to 25 years ago, because of overall household growth there are now nearly 20 million more home-owning households in the U.S. compared to 1989.
The problem has to do with trends in the last 9 years. During this time the number of households has grown by nearly 10 million (plus 9 percent), yet the number of home-owning households has grown by only 660,000, which is less than 1 percent growth. Conversely, the number of rental households has grown by 9.2 million or plus 26 percent. This certainly explains why the apartment market has been so robust. Currently, multi-family permits (mostly apartments) account for 36 percent of all permits, compared to an average of 19 percent from 2000 to 2006. This is the strongest period of renter growth going back to the 1960s, when the Census began tracking rent vs. own.
Read More >tbvxwqvqdqrqdrafwyrvtdqcrzqtbbcdf


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Earlier in May, Instagram launched a series of digital-only Insta-zines that aimed to help students around exam season, with mental health support and advice. The magazine, called #GramFam, was created with The Mix, a crisis service for youth, and CALM, charity Campaign Against Living Miserably. Previous editions went live in September 2018, in time for the first few weeks of university.
The online magazine consists of a series of Insta-zines, with videos, messages, advice and tips from influencers and celebrities including Reggie Yates, The Vamps, Kiss Radio DJ Neev Spencer, Jack Rooke, studygrammer Ruby Granger, among others, to inspire students ahead of Britain's A Level results. According to Instagram, the launch was in response to the use of the hashtag #examstress on the platform, which had seen a 640 per cent increase in usage, from March - May 2018.
Zine content will be hosted on CALM and The Mix's Instagram accounts. The Mix chief executive Chris Martin said, "This issue of the Instazine will reach far and wide with tips from new supporters such as Jameela Jamil and KissFM’s Tom Green, enabling us to support anyone struggling under the pressure of exams as well as letting them know that The Mix is there for them whatever life throws their way."
View this post on Instagram
Life-positivity campaigner, actress, and presenter @jameelajamilofficial joins #GramFam live: “Hi #GramFam. I know exams can be pretty intense and I just wanted to share a few tips on how I manage stress in case useful to any of you. Good luck and remember to look after yourselves!”
Platforms launching magazines isn't a new trend: Facebook launched a print magazine in the UK and Europe last year called Grow, and Snapchat launched a magazine in 2016.
In 2016, Snapchat launched a digital magazine called 'Real Life,' focusing on technology, and publishing essays, arguments, and narratives about living with technology, according to Nathan Jurgenson, editor-in-chief.
But The Drum's Cameron Clarke asked, "when is a magazine not a magazine?" Facebook's magazine, Cameron wrote, was a piece of marketing despite having the tagline "magazine for business leaders" inked on the cover. Indeed, as Facebook’s Leah Woodington said of the publication: “This is purely intended for marketing communications purposes,” The Guardian reported.
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Classic car made by Norfolk's Lotus could fetch £50,000 at auction
- Credit: Classic Car Auctions
A classic car made by the Norfolk-based British car manufacturer Lotus could fetch £50,000 at auction.
A freshly restored 1966 'mk 1 aeroflow' Lotus Cortina will go under the hammer this summer after undergoing extensive work over 12 months.
The model was launched in 1963 and was made famous by legendary racing driver Jim Clark, who won the 1964 British Saloon Car Championship at the wheel of one.
It went on to continue to be a huge motorsport success and was even used by some police forces in the UK.
Described as a highly collectable car, it’s going up for auction at the Classic Car Auctions (CCA) sale on June 18 at the Warwickshire Event Centre with a guide price of £40,000 to £50,000.
Lotus moved its manufacturing from Cheshunt in Hertfordshire to Hethel near Wymondham, Norfolk in the summer of 1966 where the headquarters remain today.


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Sweden's iconic Saab automotive brand is again facing an uncertain future with the news that Swedish supercar manufacturer Koenigsegg Group AB has terminated its agreement to buy the company from General Motors. The sale had been a key part of GM's plan to recover from bankruptcy by unloading some of its brands.
"We're obviously very disappointed with the decision to pull out of the Saab purchase," GM CEO Fritz Henderson said today in a statement announcing Koenigsegg's decision. "Given the sudden change in direction, we will take the next several days to assess the situation and will advise on the next steps next week."
The collapse of the Koenigsegg deal is the second such failure of a GM brand sale, with Penske Automotive Group having abandoned its plan to buy Saturn from GM back in September. Hummer's sale to a Chinese manufacturing group is continuing, while GM also plans to shut down its Pontiac brand. In addition, GM had concluded a deal to sell its European brand, Opel, to Canadian automotive parts supplier Magna International, but backed out of that arrangement earlier this month and now plans to keep Opel in the GM fold.


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News From : DagangHalal.com (11 May 2010)
KOTA KINABALU, May 11 (Bernama) — Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman is confident that the implementation of the MS1900:2005-Halal Standard for Quality Management for companies and organisations will help in the government’s efforts to establish the country as a global halal hub by 2020.
While the standard is based on Islamic perspectives, it is universal and can be used by all including non-Muslims.
Its implementation must be seen as a business strategy to win the Muslim consumer market while strengthening the work culture in organisations and companies, he said in his speech at the launch of a seminar, “Requirement From Islamic Perspectives”, here Tuesday to introduce the MSI900:2005 quality management system.
The text of his speech was read by the State Assistant Minister of Youth and Sports, Datuk Jahid Jahim.
In the Malaysian context, the standard has been given added value in terms of stress on the element of syariah compliance.
Musa said this includes the aspects of halal in the production process of products and delivery of services as well as the employment of ethics and values.
In terms of marketing, the use of the standard will give a competitive edge to the company in getting the share from the Muslim consumer market in the country as well as globally where the Muslim population stands at 1.65 billion or 24 per cent of the world population.
He also urged the logistics, trade and financial sectors to consider the compliance, adding that many organisations had already implemented the standards including those from the manufacturing, hotel and insurance industries.


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Full Truck Alliance Co. Ltd. [YMM] stock prices are up 1.42% to $7.15 at the moment. One of the good ways to gauge the recent performance is if the stock’s short-term value is rising or falling. The YMM shares have gain 2.88% over the last week, with a monthly amount glided 14.40%, and seem to be holding up well over a long-time horizon.
On 15, September 2023, Full Truck Alliance Co. Ltd. to Host Investor Day on September 19, 2023. In a post published today on Yahoo Finance, Full Truck Alliance Co. Ltd. (“FTA” or the “Company”) (NYSE: YMM), a leading digital freight platform, today announced that it will host its inaugural Investor Day, adopting a carbon-neutral conference format, on September 19, 2023, at 9:30 A.M. China Standard Time.
From an analyst’s perspective:
Full Truck Alliance Co. Ltd. [NYSE: YMM] stock has seen the most recent analyst activity on July 05, 2023, when Morgan Stanley initiated its Overweight rating and assigned the stock a price target of $9.
The stock price of Full Truck Alliance Co. Ltd. [YMM] has been fluctuating between $4.58 and $10.18 over the past year. Currently, Wall Street analysts expect the stock to reach $78.79 within the next 12 months. Full Truck Alliance Co. Ltd. [NYSE: YMM] shares were valued at $7.15 at the most recent close of the market. An investor can expect a potential return of 1001.96% based on the average YMM price forecast.
Analyzing the YMM fundamentals
The most recent quarter, Full Truck Alliance Co. Ltd. [NYSE:YMM] reported sales of 293.73 billion, representing a surge of 23.50%. In this publicly-traded organization, revenue per employee is $147,166, while income per employee is $8,890. Gross Margin for this corporation currently stands at +47.81% with Operating Margin at -3.11%, Pretax Margin comes in at +7.56%, and Net Margin reading is +6.04%. To continue investigating profitability, this company’s Return on Assets is posted at 1.11, Equity is 1.21, Total Capital is -0.62, and Invested Capital is 1.21. Taking a look at the Principal structure of this organization reveals enduring liabilities to the total capital at 0.24 and enduring liabilities to the whole assets at 0.22.
Before buying any particular stock, readers tend to pay close attention to the indicators that support and create resistance. The company’s stock is currently sitting at 6.97 points at the first support level, and at 6.79 for the second support level. However, for the 1st resistance point, the stock is sitting at 7.28, and for the 2nd resistance point, it is at 7.40.
Ratios To Look Out For
It’s worth pointing out that Full Truck Alliance Co. Ltd. [NYSE:YMM]’s Current Ratio is 10.40. Also, the Quick Ratio is 11.35, while the Cash Ratio stands at 9.63. Considering the valuation of this stock, the price to sales ratio is 8.63, the price to book ratio is 1.56 and the P/E (TTM) ratio is 34.54.


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New Nokia Asha 302 mobile phone : At the Mobile World Congress, currently held in Barcelona, Nokia introduces three new Asha mobile phones, including the new Nokia Asha 302. The stainless steel elegance design of the Nokia Asha 302 gets combined with smart features. The Nokia Asha 302 is the first Series 40 phone to feature Mail for Exchange support, which makes this mobile phone ideal for young entrepreneurs. The fast cloud-based Nokia Browser reduces internet access costs. The Nokia Asha family has expanded rapidly since its debut, just four months ago, with four devices presented at Nokia World 2011. The current Nokia Asha phones are already available in more than 100 markets globally and will be complemented by the three Asha mobile phones announced today.
Nokia Asha 302 phone
The Nokia Asha 302 is Nokia's first Series 40 phone to support Mail for Exchange, giving people access to their emails, contacts and calendar on an exchange server. That and a stylish QWERTY keyboard make the Asha 302 ideal for young entrepreneurs and professionals seeking a beautifully designed phone. Additionally, the Nokia Asha 302 connects to popular social networks and enables chatting through Whatsapp and other IM services. The Nokia Asha 302 is powered by a 1GHz processor and supports 3.5G data speeds. Download the Nokia Asha 302 technical specification sheet for more information.
Mail for Exchange op de Asha 302
"With the announcement of the Asha 302, Nokia has accelerated the truly global opportunity for enterprise mobility," according to Nicholas McQuire, research director enterprise mobility strategies EMEA for IDC. "By making Mail For Exchange available for the sub 100 euros mobile device market, Nokia has taken a significant step in helping businesses across the globe, including those from high growth economies, achieve the productivity and employee satisfaction benefits that greater mobility affords them."
Nokia Asha 302 internet browser
The new Nokia Asha 302 mobile phone provides a fast and affordable internet experience via Nokia's cloud-accelerated Nokia Browser, which makes internet content easy to discover with its localized and personalized home page design and portal to thousands of web apps. In addition to its speed, the browser of the Nokia Asha 302 compresses data traffic up to 90 percent, meaning cost reductions for consumers and operators, who can have better network utilization. Nokia Browser has been rapidly adopted, with almost four new users around the world activating it every second. Nokia Browser is available today in more than 200 markets.
Nokia Asha 302 retail package
• Nokia Asha 302 phone
• Nokia BL-5J battery
• Nokia AC-11 charger
• Nokia WH-102 stereo headset
Nokia Asha 302 price & availability
The Nokia Asha 302 will be available in five stylish colors; dark grey, blue, red, white and light gold. The Nokia Asha phone will be immediately available at a suggested retail price of €95 Euro. Besides the Asha 302, Nokia also introduced the Asha 203 and the Asha 202 Dual SIM phone.
Nokia Asha 302 review
As soon as we receive a Nokia Asha 302 test sample, we will publish a sample photo gallery with high resolution pictures, followed by an extensive Nokia Asha 302 review.


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2017 has been an interesting year of gaming for me. All sorts of new hardware and software has been released this year. Unfortunately, my from my own point of view, most of the hardware has lacked that ooooh and ahhh factor that makes much of it a must buy.
StudioMDHR has announced that their first effort, Cuphead, has sold over one million units across PC and Xbox One since the game was released on September 29th. It’s a classic run-and-gun action game with a large focus on boss battles where players take on the role as the game’s namesake (or Mugman) in single-player or …
Secret of Mana, one of the most beloved RPGs of the 16-bit era, is returning in the form of an all-new remake. The game is planned for global release on various platforms, such as the PlayStation 4, Vita, and Steam, Square Enix announced recently.
For those who are interested, Fallout 4’s high-resolution PC texture pack has landed on Steam. You can grab it right here (via NeoGAF). But be forewarned, this texture pack is a hefty download, weighing in at 58 GB of hard drive space.
If you grew up during the heyday of the 80s and 90s, there’s no doubt you were likely exposed to serious amounts of 80s and 90s action flicks. Because ‘MURICA! 🙂 Filled to the brim with fearless heroes killing innumerable amounts of communist fascists, terrorist scum, and extra-terrestrial threats, few can resist a testosterone boost …
Those of us old-schoolers who remember the Williams’ classic twin-stick shooter Robotron 2084 will likely find a familiar comfort with Curve Studios’ Ultratron, which takes that approach with its frenetic robot-zapping action. You play as the Ultratron, a robot programmed to get revenge for the dispatched human race against his own kind – a job …
Retro City Rampage was a game that brought an interesting mixture of nostalgia for gaming of days gone by, combined with a healthy dose of modern open-world gaming ultra-violence. The 8-bit Grand Theft Auto-style adventure was released back in 2012 on the PC platform and eventually followed up with releases on most major platforms of …


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For over five years and over 10 different versions, Guitar Hero has been one of the leading video game franchises for shedding light on new musical talent. The latest upcoming release, Guitar Hero: Warriors Of Rock will hopefully help increase the album sales of 11 lucky artists whose work has never been featured in a Guitar Hero game before now.The Guitar Hero games have helped me discover a wide variety of artists. From Muse to Freezepop, many of my personal faves I heard for the first time as I pretended to be the rock gods that make up their musical menageries. But aside from that, Guitar Hero has been responsible for helping lots of new artists find success, with many older artists seeing a rise in sales of decades old albums. Activision hopes to help a few more of those struggling or not-so-struggling acts with it’s next installment, Guitar Hero: Warriors Of Rock.
The game, with an impressive 90+ tracklist, will feature 11 songs from artists whose music has never before been featured in a Guitar Hero game. They are:
- Anberlin – “The Feel Good Drag”
- Arch Enemy – “Nemesis”
- The Dillinger Escape Plan – “Setting Fire To Sleeping Giants”
- John 5 – “Black Widow Of La Porte”
- Neil Young – “Rockin’ In The Free World”
- Orianthi – “Suffocated”
- Queensrÿche – “Jet City Woman”
- Red Rider – “Lunatic Fringe”
- RX Bandits – “It’s Only Another Parsec…”
- Snot – “Deadfall”
- Tesla – “Modern Day Cowboy”
Joey Milligan, lead guitarist for Anberlin, said “It is surreal to have our name next to so many great bands and amazing songs! I can’t wait to play this!” He feels it is a huge honor to be included in the game.
“One of the great things about Guitar Hero is that it’s in a unique position to expose millions of people to great music by bands they may otherwise never listen to,” said Tim Riley, Vice President of Music Affairs for Guitar Hero.
Guitar Hero: Warriors Of Rock touts a host of all-new gameplay features in which players can strum, drum, flail and wail their way on a epic journey to save rock and roll. Activision and Neversoft promise the most immersive music videogame experience to date, with the likes of Black Sabbath, Queen, Muse and KISS bringing their rock goodness home to you. The game offers a complete interactive and connected experience bringing friends and foes to the stage in the ultimate rock music experience.
Guitar Hero: Warriors Of Rock is currently in development for the XBox 360, Playstation 3, and Wii consoles. For more information, click on over to the Guitar Hero website.


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Pfizer breast cancer drug gets FDA breakthrough label
TRENTON, N.J. â€” Pfizer Inc. said Wednesday that its experimental pill for advanced, often deadly breast cancer has been designated as a breakthrough therapy by the Food and Drug Administration.
Pfizer shares jumped nearly 3 percent following the news.
Read more of this story and more!
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- Research firm: PC sales plunge as Windows 8 flops
- State foreclosures not slowing down as fast as national rates
- Pfizer breast cancer drug gets FDA breakthrough label
- Pratt & Whitney expects orders to rise in a few years
- U.S. unemployment aid applications plummet to 346K
- Expansion, benefits reduce earnings at Naugatuck bank
- Wild, unregulated hacker currency gains large following
- Reduced gas prices trigger drop in wholesale prices
- U.S. retail sales fall in March due to high taxes, weak hiring
- Consumer groups fear debtors' prisons are making a resurgence


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A family-owned business with more than 25 years experience in apparel cleaning is opening in New Roads. Sunshine Cleaners, 224 W. Fifth St., is set to open at 9 a.m. Thursday, April 29.
“Sunshine Cleaners was started by my parents, Don and Kim Moore, in 1995,” Donny Moore said.“My sister, Tracy Achberger, and I now run the day-to-day operations.”
Tracy’s husband, Nathan, is the production manager, he said.
Don Moore grew up in the textile/fabric business, his son said.
His parents owned Carolina Fabrics with sites in Baton Rouge, Denham Springs and New Roads.


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Pirelli scored a double at the 2009 China Tyre Enterprise Summit, which concluded recently in Shanghai.
The Cinturato P7 was voted “The Best New Tyre of the Year”, the Summit’s most prestigious award, while the P Zero, the high range tyre, won “The Best Ultra-High Performance Tyre” award as a result of its excellent performance in relation to that of its competitors in the category.
The Summit, which focused on an eco-sustainable theme of energy saving and protection of the environment, had at the centre of its debate research into new eco-compatible materials, the introduction of technological innovations that imply a lesser environmental impact and the creation of tyres that are increasingly ‘green’.
The attribution of two such important awards demonstrates the general appreciation by the industrial world of Pirelli’s policy of safety and respect for the environment, which it has pursued in recent years.
The awards were received on behalf of Pirelli by Michael Cati, commercial director of Pirelli Tyre China, who said, “It is a great honour for Pirelli to receive this recognition. From 2005, when the company entered the Chinese market, it has always introduced its latest technology and its new products. The P Zero and Cinturato P7 are proof of that. In line with the theme of the Summit, Pirelli will continue to focus on ‘green’ technology and energy saving while continuing to marry respect for the environment and performance“.


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COVID-19 Webinar Series on Trade Controls
Tackling the regulatory Pandemic following COVID-19: How to deal with the sudden surge of export controls, (foreign) investment restrictions and new areas of compliance ?
The experts of AT+ICA, the European Association of Trade + Investment Controls and Compliance Attorneys, team up to bring you their expert view on today’s rapidly changing landscape of export controls, foreign investments rules and new compliance areas. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupts global supply chains causing shortages of essential goods needed to protect healthcare workers or treat patients, but also damages national economies hereby increasing the fear for hostile takeovers of strategic industries and businesses. Authorities around the globe have taken various restrictive – sometimes conflicting- measures to deal with this new reality. Our independent AT+ICA experts will in a series of (free) webinars provide you their insights on what’s happening, how to navigate these new regulatory barriers and what can be expected from this in the future !
The Impact of New Export Controls on International Supply Chains
Wednesday 13 May (15:00-15:45 CET Time)
- Introductory comments by Daniel Reisner: Managing your exports in unprecedented times: lessons learned.
- The EU perspective by Bert Gevers: What measures are taken by the EU, how to they interact with national restrictions and what can be expected?
- A global perspective by Kay C. Georgi (guest): What is happening in the US and what does it mean for the rest of the world?
Will COVID-19 cause an epidemic of (foreign) investment restrictions?
Wednesday 20 May (15:00-15:45 CET Time)
- Introductory comments by Carolina Dackö: FDI restrictions in Europe: Hardly needed or a plague for Europe as an international investment hub?
- The EU perspective by Bärbel Sachs: Will the German EU Presidency of the EU lead the way ?
- A global perspective by Heather L. Finstuen: Securing or closing the economy for foreign investors ? A step by step guide to CFIUS.
Will COVID-19 shape a new era for (trade) compliance ?
Wednesday 10 June (15:00-15:45 CET Time)
AT+ICA members look into the future of export controls, economic sanctions and related areas of control now that COVID-19 seems to have opened the door to control items and/or technologies that are not controlled in any international agreement.


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BASCAP/INTA issue study on ACTA benefits and provisions
Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy (BASCAP) and the International Trademark Association (INTA) today released a study providing a practical analysis of the importance and benefits of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA).
The study aims to add clarity to the debate on ACTA in Europe by outlining how ACTA promotes EU trade and economic growth, as well as how it protects consumers and EU companies of all sizes against the negative impacts of counterfeiting and piracy.
It provides a detailed analysis of the provisions of ACTA and reaffirms the conclusion that ACTA is fully consistent with the laws of the EU and its member states, citing specific sections that expressly provide for protection of civil liberties, fair processes, privacy and other important fundamental rights and values of the EU.
“We understand the need to provide the public, the Parliament and other interested parties with the most detailed and accurate information, and, thus, the European Commission’s decision to refer ACTA to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) for review,” said Jeffrey Hardy, BASCAP Director. “Yet we also agree with the statements made by EU Trade Commissioner De Gucht that the debate about ACTA moving forward should be based on ‘facts and not upon the misinformation or rumour’ that has dominated the discussion recently.”.
“It is in that spirit that BASCAP and INTA prepared this paper, and we hope the legislators, media and the public, will find the analysis useful,” he said.
“ACTA will help improve and level the playing field world-wide on IP enforcement, specifically with respect to counterfeiting and piracy,” said Candice Li, External Relations Manager for Anti-Counterfeiting. “It will allow countries to take a coordinated approach in addressing commercial scale counterfeiting of consumer products of all kinds including medicines, automotive parts, and toys.”
“ACTA will help promote EU trade abroad and protect EU companies, products and jobs,” Mr Hardy added. “It is clear throughout the provisions of ACTA, that this Agreement respects civil liberties, privacy and other important fundamental rights and freedoms enshrined in the EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights.”
BASCAP and INTA announced that the purpose of the analysis is “to provide much-needed facts about ACTA and to explain why it is essential for the EU and its member states to ratify the treaty”.
“The ratification of ACTA will support businesses of all sizes, protect EU citizens from the harms of counterfeit goods and further establish the EU as a leader in the international effort to fight counterfeiting and piracy,” Li said.
Visit INTA for more information.


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When sweet potatoes were first introduced to the African continent . . . starchy white and yellow varieties took hold in local food cultures. . . But pale sweet potatoes are significantly lower in ...
Varieties of GMO Potatoes. Red Flag, Says Industry Watchdog Food-safety advocates have expressed concern regarding the GM potato varieties that are ready to hit the market. The varieties use a new form of genetic engineering known as RNA interference, according to the Center for Food Safety, an industry watchdog.
A new GMO potato might be coming to stores near you. The potatoes in question come from JR Simplot, a massive Idaho-based agricultural company probably best known as the biggest supplier of McDonald’s french fries. On November 2nd, the USDA approved two products in Simplot’s “Innate” line of ...
J.R Simplot submitted a request on March 3, 2016, for extension of a determination of nonregulated status for the two potato varieties and USDA held a a 30-day public review and comment period from September 23, 2016 to October 24, 2016. It determined that the two potatoes were similar to the Simplot Innate W8 Russet Burbank potato and ...
Far better would be to avoid French fries, potato chips, and all manner of processed foods containing modified potato starches and rancid oils. These are the real dangerous foods. But quite possibly, GMO potatoes such as Innate might be better for us.
As for GMO potatoes, they will likely be welcomed by food producers in the U.S. despite outcries from fresh food advocates and environmentalists, but not in Russia and much of Europe, nations which have shunned genetically modified strains over legitimate concerns about their safety. Sources: HistoryPlace.com NBCNews.com GMOSeralini.org NaturalNews.com
USDA Approves 2 New Varieties of GMO Potatoes. Yet herbicide use among U.S. farmers has risen by 21 percent; in France it has fallen by 36 percent. Although use of insecticides and fungicides has indeed dropped by a third in the U.S., it has fallen by more than double that rate in France.
Amflora' (also known as EH92-527-1) was a cultivar developed by BASF Plant Science for production of pure amylopectin starch for processing into waxy potato starch. It was approved for industrial applications in the European Union market on 2 March 2010 by the European Commission ,  but was withdrawn from the EU market in January 2012 due to a lack of acceptance from farmers and consumers.
Genetically modified microbial enzymes were the first application of genetically modified organisms in food production and were approved in 1988 by the US Food and Drug Administration. In the early 1990s, recombinant chymosin was approved for use in several countries.
I’ve found a free app for android called “True Food Network” (Center for Food Safety), it has lots of shopping tips and a full updated shopping list, that truly helps me! Reply ↓ GMO Awareness on June 12, 2013 at 9:14 am said:


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Lotus's most extreme hypercar, the Evija, has just touched down for the first time in the UAE.
The manufacturer's showroom in Dubai pulled the covers off the all-electric monster on the latest leg of the vehicle's world promotional tour, which has so far included appearances at Monterey Car Week in the USA and Japan's prestigious Lotus Day.
The vehicle, which was originally unveiled in London in July, is the world's most powerful production car that you can actually use in the real world.
The figures that make up the vehicle's specs are startling by any measure – Lotus says the Evija has a top speed of more than 320kph, produces 1,971 horsepower and – wait for it – does 0 to 100kph in less than three seconds. That's really sticking it to your petrol-powered cousins.
The Evija's official unveiling in the Middle East, which took place before a packed and enthusiastic crowd, marked exactly a year since the opening of Lotus's Dubai showroom.
It was designed, engineered and hand-built at Lotus’s home in Hethel, England.
You can put your order in for one of the energetic little machines now, but you'll have to wait until 2020 for a delivery. You'll also have to have £1.5 million (Dh7.5 million) ready. Production is limited to just 130 cars, though, so if you fancy one don't hang about.


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WASHINGTON: Americans' retail spending unexpectedly took its biggest tumble in nearly a decade during the key holiday shopping period, government data showed Thursday (Feb 14).
While 2018 overall was a strong year and much of the decline was due to falling gasoline prices, the sudden frugality of the US consumer was a jolting reminder that cracks could be beginning to show in the world's largest economy.
The news sent Wall Street into the red, with stocks closing the day mostly lower, and it could weigh on estimates of GDP growth in the year's final quarter. The auto sector was a bright spot, however.
For the month, retail spending tallied at US$505.8 billion, seasonally-adjusted, a 1.2 per cent dip from the previous month, marking the largest month-to-month decrease since September 2009.
Economists had instead been expecting a token increase of 0.1 per cent.
The surprise retail weakness sent Wall Street into the red, with the Dow Jones tumbling at the open and down 0.5 per cent shortly before 1600 GMT.
The Commerce Department data, which had been delayed by the record five-week government shutdown, was held down by nose-diving sales at gasoline stations, where fuel prices have fallen sharply in recent months.
But consumers also held off spending at online retailers, bars and restaurants and department stores as well as at furniture and clothing outlets.
The level followed a downward revision for November but still put still sales up 2.3 per cent above December 2017.
December also had a Wall Street rout and economists say tumbling stock prices can make consumers wary of spending freely.
The National Retail Federation said Thursday that holiday shopping, which strips out auto and fuel sales, was up 2.9 per cent over 2017 - but this was still well below October forecasts for a 4.3-4.8 per cent rise in sales.
NRF President Matthew Shay said that "it appears that worries over the trade war and turmoil in the stock markets impacted consumer behavior more than we expected."
Federal Reserve Governor Lael Brainard said Thursday the retail numbers were a reminder that risks to US economic growth - which so far remains robust - were growing.
"It certainly adds to a story we want to take on board that there's downside risks at the same time we're seeing pretty good numbers," she told CNBC.
She noted slowing economic growth in China and Europe, tightening US financial conditions as well as Brexit negotiations - strongly suggesting the Fed will hold off raising rates for the near future.
But she cautioned against taking "too much signal" from a single month of retail data and said the US still had strong job creation.
With cheap fuel, auto sales were unscathed: sales at motor vehicle and parts dealers were up one per cent over November.
But excluding the volatile auto sector, sales were down an even weaker 1.4 per cent over November.
"These numbers are astonishing," Ian Shepherdson of Pantheon Macroeconomics said in a client note, adding that they did not match recent Redbook chain store survey results.
The "wild" numbers are likely to be revised upward and should not point to a new trend, he added.
"The consumer is no longer enjoying tax cuts or falling gas prices, but that's no reason to expect a rollover."


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We are excited to bring Transform 2022 back in-person July 19 and virtually July 20 - 28. Join AI and data leaders for insightful talks and exciting networking opportunities. Register today!
Online video advertising is still taking its baby steps. Big display ad networks like Ask.com have added video support to their banner ad networks, while startups Tremor Media, VideoEgg and Brightroll launched as straight-up video networks. Company strategies stretch across a wide range. Freewheel is a technology platform, while Brightroll focuses on being an ad sales network.
YuMe, a well-funded company founded in 2004 in San Francisco, combines what co-founder Jayant Kadambi described on a phone call as “a technology platform with a media sales team on top of it,” in the style of the original DoubleClick ad network of the 1990s. YuMe will not only provide the technology to serve video ads to your site, it’ll actually sell the ads for you, and give you a cut of the proceeds. “Instead of going to publishers and saying, ‘pay me $10,000 up front to use my technology,'” Kadambi said, “we can go in there and start writing checks to them.”
Today, YuMe launched a new video ad feature the company calls Triple Play. Think about how at the end of a YouTube video, you’re given the option to do several different things — play the video, play another video, share the video. Triple Play adds that sort of functionality to the end of a pre-roll ad that runs before the main video in an embedded Flash player. See the demo Triple Play ad in YuMe’s ad gallery. It begins with a 12-second ad for the Pulse Smartpen. At the end of the ad, there’s an onscreen menu with three options: Watch a full-length video about the Pulse, go to Pulse’s Facebook page, or go to Pulse’s website.
Oh yeah: There’s also a link at the bottom: “Continue to Content.”
I’m sure many people who find themselves agitated by advertisements — I’m one of them — will seethe in silence when instead of proceeding to the video they wanted to watch, the ad stops and puts up a menu of more calls to action. But it’s also a pet frustration of mine that when I do find an ad interesting, it’s suddenly over and I can’t get it back. Triple Play could help — it could let me play the ad again, or pop open a new tab with the product’s home page, or tweet me a link to look at later. “Basically anything you can code into a Flash file,” Kadambi said. The most obvious call to action might be to get a viewer’s ZIP code or email address for more targeted information.
Will this make YuMe more money? It seems likely. Video ad rates can be as high as $80 for 1,000 served ads, or as low as a few cents for a thousand. Triple Play gets to the point that what advertisers really want from online viewers is for them to “lean in” and interact with the ad, rather than leaning back and watching it go by. Triple Play pretty much forces you to engage.
YuMe, which has 40 employees in Redwood City and another 40 in India, is backed by Khosla Ventures, Accel Partners, BV Capital and DAG Ventures. The company has raised $21 million in three rounds, most recently a $5 investment in September 2009.
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