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Microsoft’s Satya Nadella Wants Xbox to Conquer Cloud Gaming. Satya Nadella has never considered himself a “gamer,” but Civilization did manage to capture the attention of the Microsoft CEO for a stretch when he was younger.
He spent his time—unsurprisingly—empire building and strategically planning. The Rod Fergusson Interview: How Gears of War's Studio Head Earned His Reputation as the "Closer" Rod Fergusson is known as a "closer.
" We Are 343 Industries. Who saved Rare? To Infinite and beyond: Attracting new Halo fans without a new game. Phil Spencer On Xbox’s Unusual Strategy, Working With Sony, And More. Xbox chief Phil Spencer has heard from the skeptics.
They think that what he’s doing with Xbox means that Microsoft is giving up on consoles, or even going third party. That’s all wrong, he told me during an extensive interview in Los Angeles last week, where we discussed his vision for Xbox, the recently announced potential gaming deal between Sony and Microsoft, and whether he’d ever want to put Gears of War on the PlayStation 4. The biggest surprise of Microsoft Flight Simulator: it makes Bing cool. BelieveBelieve it or not, Windows isn’t Microsoft’s longest-running franchise.
Neither is Office. Breaking Through: Psychosis and the Making of Hellblade. Phil Spencer On Working With Sony And Competing With Google Stadia. How Forza overtook Need for Speed to become the world's biggest racing IP. The Complete, Untold History of Halo. The first Halo I ever finished was 2009’s real-time strategy affair Halo Wars.
That has to be something you don’t often hear. Most players’ first brush with a series as monstrous as this is undoubtedly some core Halo spectacle viewed from behind the muzzle of an assault rifle, not highlighting a convoy of units in eagle eye as a stand-in, custodial god of war. It feels like a fitting way to measure my unusual relationship with Master Chief, the UNSC, Covenant and everything else that Halo is, so we’ll go with it. Somewhat ironically, Halo began from a strategic position, rather than being mapped from the outset as a shooter. Phil Spencer interview: 'We have work to go do' on improving the Windows Store, UWP. Microsoft's E3 presentation this year was mostly dedicated to its new Xbox One X console, formerly known as Scorpio.
As usual, though, we had plenty of questions for Xbox boss Phil Spencer about Windows gaming, including the return of Age of Empires, and the future of the Windows Store and UWP, two of the more controversial elements of Windows 10. Before we dug into those issues, Spencer told us he's interested in bringing original Xbox emulation to the PC. Below we get into more about the Store, Age of Empires, and what UWP needs to do to earn wider support. What does Xbox One X mean for the way Microsoft approaches development of Windows games from here on?
Will it be easier for your internal studios to target higher-end features on Crossplay games? Interstellar Ambition: 343 Industries talks the legacy of the Halo brand (Video Games Month) – Page 46309 – Licensing.biz. Ever since its debut on the original Xbox in 2001, the Halo series has come to define the console first person shooter through its expansive world and groundbreaking combat mechanics.
Indeed, it was Halo: Combat Evolved that revolutionised the console shooter, popularising the FPS genre that had previously been largely a PC affair, to millions of new players. As the years went on, so did the Halo brand grow to encompass not only a rich legacy of core game titles but also novels, comics, animations and even a live action TV shows, all expertly produced with the marketing power of Microsoft behind them.
The Minecraft Generation. In its first year, Minecraft found popularity mostly among adult nerds.
But sometime in late 2011, according to Alex Leavitt, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Southern California, children discovered it, and sales of the game exploded. Today it costs $27 and sells 10,000 copies a day. (It’s still popular across all age groups; according to Microsoft, the average player is between 28 and 29, and women make up nearly 40 percent of all players.) Persson frequently added new features to the game, like a “survival mode,” in which every 20 minutes evening falls and monsters attack — skeletons shooting arrows, “creepers” blowing themselves up when they get close to you — forcing players to build protective shelters. (“Creative mode” is just about making things.) Persson also made it possible for players to share their works.
Stormlands and the million-man raid: Obsidian's cancelled Xbox One exclusive. Throw your mind back to Microsoft sharing a dream of an infinitely powerful Xbox One cloud, a box under your TV able to suck an almost mystical power into your living room, transforming games as we know them.
The vision wouldn't quite materialise, but while Microsoft was hallucinating over the cauldron it was also throwing money around - throwing money at Xbox One exclusives to embody this future, and Obsidian Entertainment was spinning in its pot. "We were given a proposal, the million-man raid," Obsidian co-owner and CEO, Feargus Urquhart, tells me.
Obsidian's CEO On Microsoft's Purchase And The Outer Worlds' Future. All month long we've been rolling out exclusive features on The Outer Worlds from Obsidian Entertainment.
While we're excited about the upcoming RPG, it's worth zooming out a bit and talking about this interesting period in Obsidian's history. Back in November, Microsoft announced they were purchasing Obsidian Entertainment but that Take Two's Private Division would still be funding and publishing The Outer Worlds. While visiting the studio, we spoke with Obsidian's CEO Feargus Urquhart about why they decided to let Microsoft purchase the studio, the studio's "three-ish" current development teams, and what Microsoft means for the future of The Outer Worlds as a franchise. Watch the video above and let us know you think in the comments below.
Click on the banner below to enter our updating hub of exclusive features on The Outer Worlds. Phil Spencer talks Microsoft's new studios and its commitment to PC gaming in 2019. Microsoft is on a video game spending spree. In the past year it’s bought six studios, including Forza Horizon studio Playground Games and Hellblade developer Ninja Theory, and founded a new one. For PC gamers, the two most striking acquisitions are Obsidian and inXile. Both are synonymous with PC gaming—Obsidian’s founders are the same developers that made classic RPGs Planescape: Torment and Fallout 2, while inXile’s CEO Brian Fargo co-designed Wasteland.
The opportunity for collaboration and shared learning across our new and existing teams is potentially what’s most exciting to me. Microsoft hasn't done PC gaming well over the past decade. Meet the 19-year-old high school dropout leading Microsoft into a new era in video games. Microsoft: 'We're growing our gaming business beyond the console' Microsoft’s new gaming cloud division readies for a future beyond Xbox. Microsoft shipped its first video game in 1981, appropriately named Microsoft Adventure. Xbox chief Phil Spencer: "Microsoft needed a reboot" Xbox boss Phil Spencer has delivered an impassioned speech on the need for inclusivity within the games industry and discussed how Microsoft's gaming division has evolved over recent years. The talk - which is embedded below and well worth a watch - also offers a frank account of Spencer's first few months in his current role as Xbox chief following the troubled launch of Xbox One.
"It was obvious Microsoft needed a reboot," Spencer admitted. "Morale had hit a low, we were all massively frustrated we kept missing big trends. In some ways, it felt like real innovation was impossible. Building Bridges: How Minecraft helped a father connect with his son who has autism. A safe space Since Keith has been writing about his experiences in his features at The Guardian, he has been contacted by hundreds of game developers and parents about their own experiences. There are now multiple autism-friendly Minecraft servers such as AutCraft and SafeCraft, where people with ASD can play with each other in a safe and familiar environment without fear of being bullied, picked on or insulted. Microsoft's design rules push Windows 'beyond mere rectangles' See where Panos Panay and his team are creating Microsoft’s next hardware innovations OnMSFT.com.
If B87 means nothing to you as a Microsoft fan, perhaps what’s related to it might such as the Surface Pro, Surface Book, and Surface Studio. Building 87 is the vault-like complex mad design scientist Panos Panay and his team work in while creating new and transformative experiences, often having to do with how hard and function intertwine in a modern productivity environment. While many fans wait for refreshed and updated versions of the Surface Pro, Surface Book, and Surface Studio, the team behind the hardware has opened its doors, figuratively, with a new site that looks at the various areas of B87 that have helped produce some arguably industry guiding products. How a watch helped Emma write again. While, at least for now, the technological advancement of the watch may have slowed down, Zhang certainly hasn’t. As if creating one potentially life-changing device wasn’t enough, in episode three of The Big Life Fix she came up with an aid for people with Cystic Fibrosis (CF).
Microsoft's game chat transcribes your trash talk. Beyond the console: Xbox leaders detail Microsoft’s gaming future, led by xCloud streaming service. The days of the Xbox console as the primary focus of Microsoft’s gaming division are numbered. Rare: Doing new things is in the culture of the studio. Reports of Rare’s death appear to have been greatly exaggerated as the studio scored its first No.1 hit in 17 years. But why did so many believe they were dying in the first place? ‘Who killed Rare?’ That was the headline to a consumer article written three years ago, and it’s hard to imagine how the team at Rare felt about it – particularly when you consider they weren’t actually dead. Lionhead: The inside story. In October 2008, Microsoft released Lionhead's Fable 2 to critical and commercial acclaim. At a launch party an emotional Peter Molyneux held aloft glowing reviews and praised the exhausted team of developers who had spent the previous four years pouring everything they had into the game.
Fable 2 would go on to win a BAFTA and become the best-selling role-playing game for the Xbox 360. Playground spent 18 months developing the first 10 minutes of Forza Horizon 3.


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With smartphone use and web penetration soaring, Africa is set for a tech revolution and Rwanda’s Mara Group has just brought Africa even closer to its Tech revolution as they launched the first-ever “Made in Africa” smartphones.
The new smartphones, the Mara X and Mara Z, have been described as the first “Made in Africa” models. Both models will use Google’s Android system.
The Mara X and Mara Z will cost 175,750 Rwandan francs (R2882,26) and 120,250 Rwandan francs (R1972,07) respectively.
They will compete with Samsung, whose cheapest smartphone costs 50,000 Rwandan francs (R819,17), and non-branded phones at 35,000 Rwandan francs (R561,28). Mara Group CEO Ashish Thakkar said it was targeting customers willing to pay more for quality He went on to say,
“We are actually the first who are doing manufacturing. We are making the motherboards, we are making the sub-boards during the entire process. There are over 1,000 pieces per phone.”
“This is the first smartphone manufacturer in Africa,” Thakkar told Reuters after touring the company alongside Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame.
Companies assemble smartphones in Egypt, Ethiopia, Algeria, and South Africa, but import the components, he said.
“We are actually the first who are doing manufacturing. We are making the motherboards, we are making the sub-boards during the entire process,” he said. “There are over 1,000 pieces per phone.“
By Bradley Brizzy

domain: news


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SEATTLE (AP) ¿ VisionChina Media Inc., which operates digital advertising screens on mass transportation systems in China, said Thursday it will buy subway advertising company Digital Media Group for $160 million in cash and stock. Beijing-based VisionChina Media said that when the deal closes, it will have exclusive subway advertising networks in eight major cities in China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, plus bus ad networks in 18 of the country's richest cities. After the acquisition, the VisionChina Media said it will deliver real-time television programming to commuters. Buying Shanghai-based DMG will push VisionChina Media's share of digital mobile television screens over 50 percent, the company said. Under the terms of the deal, VisionChina Media will pay $40 million in cash and $60 million in stock to DMG shareholders at the closing of the transaction, which is expected in the first quarter of 2010. It will pay installments of $30 million each on the first and second anniversaries of the deal. Both boards have approved the acquisition. VisionChina's shares jumped 83 cents, or 9.6 percent, to $9.50 in afternoon Nasdaq trading Thursday.
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One week of Bing
At the Hitwise-blog Robin Goad has provided the first 'actual' numbers on Bing-usage in Europe. Bing as expected took second place after the almighty Google. But the market share still isn't big.
People are primarly searching for brands on Bing, as almost everywhere in Europe "Facebook" was one of the most search for terms.
More on Hitwise
Tagcloudinternet tools research london ppc russia maps funny facebook blog images adwords streetview news bing analytics ads indonesia google tools sem sea seo search engine realtime twitter business google wave blogger event social media linkbuilding mobile youtube searchcowboys website search social google earth apple marketing


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Anticipation is building around the prospect that Microsoft will unveil more than just a Surface Mini in New York next week and instead surprise everyone with a larger tablet, presumably Surface 3. Regardless, the chance of a channel announcement coming with the new product is slim.
The tempo of news reports and rumours about a Surface 3 launch is picking up pace. The PC universe believes Microsoft will launch a larger Surface with either an Intel Haswell or Broadwell processor. In either case, a larger unit that looks more like a Samsung Pro Note 12.2 with a keyboard puts Microsoft in the ranks of traditional PC vendors.
Microsoft is making no official comments about the launch. In published reports inquiring about Surface 3, Microsoft has said posts in its support and development forums that reference the next generation device are merely typos that should refer to the current Surface 2. Even if a real "Surface 3" isn't unveiled, the expansion of the line to a smaller, more portable version is equally significant.
Thus far, Microsoft's release cycle for Surface tablets has been somewhat chaotic. The Surface RT debut in October 2012, but the Pro version didn't come out until February 2013. Second generations of both devices came out in October 2013. The inconsistency is bolstering speculation about the bigger product news.
While Microsoft is enjoying - and likely feeding - the building hype, it's dead quiet about the future of Surface in the channel. For nearly a year, Microsoft has restricted indirect sales to a handful of volume-focused direct market resellers, such as CDW and TigerDirect, as well as a few retailers, such as Best Buy and Staples. The primarily route to market remains direct and Microsoft is quite aggressive in going after enterprise accounts, such as the 20,000 unit deal to Delta Airlines.
The rest of the channel, which has been implored by Microsoft to adopt Surface for their own use, has been locked out of the Surface opportunity. Rank-and-file resellers around the world have criticised Microsoft for not releasing Surface for general channel availability.
Channelnomics asked Microsoft for an update on Surface channel plans, but received no response.
When Channelnomics last spoke with Microsoft about its channel plans for Surface last February, channel chief Phil Sorgen said sales channels were restricted so Microsoft could learn about hardware sales, distribution and support. He reiterated what has become Microsoft's standard response to such questions: "We'll release Surface to the channel when we're ready."
After years of sluggish performance and eroding market share in core products such as Windows, Microsoft is beginning to show signs of rebounding. Part of the momentum is coming from optimism infused by new CEO Satya Nadella, who is roundly seen as the anti-Steve Ballmer. A larger part of the revival is coming from surging cloud sales that have catapulted Microsoft to a number two position behind Amazon Web Services. And, Microsoft is getting a boost from the release of Office for iPad, which was downloaded 27 million times in the first month.
Yet, even after Surface has been on the market for 19 months, Microsoft is no clearer about when or how it will introduce it to partners for broader sales.
Many partners and market observers say Microsoft needs to broaden its Surface sales channels to pick up volume. Microsoft doesn't release Surface sales numbers, but analysts say Microsoft saw a 50 per cent drop off in sales volume from Q4 2013 to Q1 2014.
Part of the reason why Microsoft may be holding back Surface is in deference to OEM partners, such as HP, Lenovo and Dell. Microsoft is unapologetic when it points resellers to OEMs to sell their Windows-based tablets. However, those same OEMs are expanding the number of Android-based devices and launching more PCs running Google's Chrome operating system. The lack of allegiance may prompt Microsoft to expand its Surface and hardware efforts, and eventually embrace the broader channel.
Surface is selling well, but it's not a bestseller by any means. Solution providers like Surface and its market opportunities, and say they can expand Microsoft sales if only given the chance. And, even with the launch of Surface Mini or Surface 3, it appears the channel wait will go on.
As part of our special editorial partnership, CRN is publishing this article from Channelnomics.
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Mumbai, November 8 2017: Global cloud communications provider – Infobip -- has delivered four billion A2P SMS per month across India since the start of this year, 30 per cent of all A2P traffic in the region. This surge in demand is driven by adoption of the technology by businesses in the finance and retail sectors.
A2P or application to person is the process of sending mobile messages from an application to a mobile user.
Infobip launched into the Indian marketplace in 2014, and handles A2P SMS traffic from three major Indian operators. This includes Aircel, India’s fifth largest operator, which Infobip started working with in July 2015 and is now transmitting millions of SMS for the company every month
Says Harsha Solanki, Managing Director for India: “Banking in India has been transformed by the mobile payments revolution, with consumers and business able to make and confirm transactions easily and securely via SMS. As a result, a large number of banks across India have established service partnerships for A2P messaging, enabling them to authorise payments and send notifications to their customers."
He adds:“Infobip is also witnessing a boom in demand for A2P SMS in the retail sector, accounting for large volumes of e-commerce transactions. The technology has been embraced by major brands such as Amazon and eBay."
“The demand for A2P SMS traffic is showing no signs of slowing down, combined with interest in OMNI messaging support, India will continue to be a growth market for Infobip,” said Silvio Kutic, Infobip founder and CEO. “With Infobip’s presence expanding across India, it is exciting to see the different use cases and services we provide to local enterprises and operators, helping to drive their businesses.”
Infobip was founded over a decade ago by two young developers, in Croatia nd has grown into an international business with over 50 offices on 6 continents and an in-house developed messaging platform with the capacity to reach 6 billion mobile devices connected to over 800 telecoms networks.


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Countries and regions around the world are stepping up entry restrictions on the grounds of preventing the spread of the novel coronavirus. As a result, the global economic system has ceased to function properly.
In some aspects, such steps are inevitable as short-term border control measures. However, the movement of people and goods across borders has been cut off one after another without sufficient coordination with other countries. Amid this widespread closed-door policy, global supply chains have been disrupted, wreaking major havoc on distribution networks.
From smartphones and daily necessities to automobiles, production lines have been suspended one after the other. If prolonged, the global recession induced by the coronavirus shock could become increasingly serious.
President Donald Trump heralded the move in late January by severely restricting people entering the U.S. from China. In March, he also imposed travel bans on European countries, where coronavirus infections were surging.
Trump, known for his “America First” policy, initially bragged about the low number of infections in the United States, accusing Europe of failing to restrict entry from China. However, coronavirus infections in the U.S. eventually spiked, and the country now has the most confirmed cases in the world. This has highlighted the fact that border controls are not a perfect solution.
Nevertheless, the dominoes of national isolation policies show no signs of stoppage across the globe. Even Germany has moved to close its borders, setting aside the freedom of movement principle of the European Union.
Japan initially limited entry restrictions to people from Wuhan, the central Chinese city that became the epicenter of coronavirus outbreaks, and some other areas. However, after infections spread to other areas, Tokyo enhanced entry restrictions to include people from all over China, South Korea, the United States and European countries.
The World Health Organization points out that entry restrictions are only buying time, and has warned that countries and regions should consider side effects from the halt to the global movement of people and goods.
Behind the lingering shortages of surgical masks and other medical equipment lies the stagnation of trade with China, the world’s factory.
Group of 20 leaders declared in their joint communique that “We commit to … coordinate responses in ways that avoid unnecessary interference with international traffic and trade.” Yet there appears to be no end to moves to impose entry restrictions in a manner as if to put the blame on other countries.
If the global economy remains divided, the development of curative drugs would be delayed, bringing no hope for an early end to the coronavirus pandemic. Trade stagnation can only aggravate the global recession. Countries and regions should be aware that this closed-door policy cannot continue over a long period.


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Uratex, as represented by Justine Liza, Sleep BU - Brand Manager, joined the Interactive Marketing Media Association of the Philippines (IMMAP) Breakfast Roundtable (BRT) event held on May 25, 2023, at the V&A Law Center marked a significant milestone as the first face-to-face gathering of industry experts, with an engaging program centered around an open discussion on social media trends for 2023, the event aimed to provide valuable insights and foster meaningful conversations. This successful event was just the beginning, as another session is already being planned for July.
The event kicked off with a Q&A format, allowing attendees to interact with the esteemed panelists. The panelists for the IMMAP BRT comprised renowned industry leaders, including Miko David, President & Co-Founder of David and Golyat; Rizza Garcia, Creative Director at Elesi Studios; and Adrian Fajardo, Growth Director of Bull.ish Launch Agency. Each panelist brought their expertise and experiences to the table, enriching the discussion and providing diverse perspectives on the topics at hand.
One of the key topics explored during the event was "Advertising Authenticity & Transparency." The panelists emphasized the importance of staying relevant in the market. While anyone can ride the wave of current trends, it is crucial to have a deep understanding of one's brand identity. By finding ways to genuinely connect with influencers and creators, brands can build authentic relationships without resorting to hard-selling tactics. Sustaining these relationships and staying true to one's brand identity is crucial for long-term success.
The next topic, "Social Media Community & Content," shed light on the significance of tapping into the right community. The panelists stressed the need for brands to establish credibility by leveraging social media platforms effectively. The quality and type of content shared on these platforms play a pivotal role in shaping a brand's image. With the right content strategy, brands can effectively engage their target audience and foster a strong online community.
The final topic explored was "Social Commerce," which highlighted the transformative impact of integrating e-commerce functionalities with social media platforms. The panelists emphasized the need for brands to revisit their objectives and clearly define why they want to sell a particular product. By aligning their social commerce strategies with their overall goals, brands can maximize the potential of this evolving landscape and drive meaningful business outcomes.
Throughout the event, attendees were encouraged to actively participate and share their insights. The IMMAP BRT fostered an inclusive environment where industry professionals could exchange ideas, ask questions, and learn from one another. The interactive nature of the event allowed for a comprehensive exploration of the discussed topics and provided attendees with valuable takeaways to implement in their own social media strategies.
The IMMAP BRT event on social media trends for 2023 proved to be an enlightening and engaging experience. The panelists, Miko David, Rizza Garcia, and Adrian Fajardo, brought their wealth of knowledge and experience to the table, sparking valuable discussions on advertising authenticity, social media community building, and the evolving landscape of social commerce. With the success of this event, the IMMAP BRT series is poised to continue providing industry professionals with an invaluable platform for collaboration and knowledge sharing.


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An economic impact study has found the Bank of America Chicago Marathon provided over a quarter of a billion dollar boost to the city for the third consecutive year in 2015, estimating that last year’s event had a $277 million impact.
The study was conducted by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s regional economics applications laboratory, with the authors using the Chicago region econometric input-output model to estimate the direct and indirect economic impact the marathon has on the local economy.
An estimated boost of $112 million was brought to the main sectors of the tourism industry through the marathon, which included travel, lodging, entertainment and transportation.
A further $165 million was seen as being generated through indirect activity as a consequence of the event, with $33 million being spent on shopping and $8 million on entertainment.
It has been claimed that the economic boost to the city created by the marathon is the equivalent of 1,948 jobs and $94 million worth of wages and salary income.
Every dollar spent by a race participant in Chicago was estimated to have generated an additional $1.27 million worth of activity in the city.
“As the proud steward of this iconic tradition, Bank of America is pleased to support an event that continues to be a significant driver of economic benefit to the city of Chicago,” said Paul Lambert, Chicago Market President of the Bank of America. “The Marathon’s economic impact continues to grow, increasing by more than $23 million from 2014 to 2015. The Marathon’s success is largely due to our enduring partnership with the city, its residents and businesses.”
The Marathon had a total of 39,499 race participants in 2015, with 27 percent visiting the city for the first time.
As a result, it is claimed the Marathon has helped to improve the image of Chicago as a leading tourist destination.
The study comes ahead of 39th edition of the race, which is due to take place on October 9.
There was double Kenyan success in the elite races in 2015, with Dickson Chumba winning the men’s event and Florence Kiplagat claiming victory in the women’s competition.
By Michael Pavitt
Republished with permission from insidethegames.biz


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AT&T PSA Is An Eye Opener But You Already Knew That
Dec 30, 2010 12:44
AT&T's "It Can Wait" campaign for spring 2010 is about creating more awareness about the dangers of texting and driving. The Last Text, focuses on a few young lives that have been impacted by the short moment in time due to distraction caused by a text message.
This is what happens when high fashion meets luxury vehicles. Valentino has partnered with Aston Martin to customize The Vanquish, which will be auctioned off during the Cash & Rocket opening gala later this week. Read more
If you're selling a used car for the first time, the process can seem a bit daunting. There are a few steps between deciding to sell and actually handing over the keys to a buyer, but it's easier than you might think to get your car ready for the buying public. Read more


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Sleep Studio Tabs Veitch to Head Sales
November 16, 2012,
NEW YORK-Will Veitch has joined Sleep Studio as its vice president of sales, a new position for the bedding manufacturer.
Veitch has assumed responsibility over the company's sales activities, with a particular focus on reinforcing Sleep Studio's growth track. He reports to Michael Rothbard, the company's president, and Chris Ann Ernst, vice president.
"Adding Will to the team will allow us to continue the high rate of growth that we've experienced over the last few years," Ernst said. "With his help, we expect to broaden our base of business so we can maximize all the advanced technologies we have to offer."
Veitch is a veteran of more than 20 years in sales of sleep products. He previously held sales and marketing positions with Sealy, Latex International and Kingsdown.


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RAPAPORT... Graff Diamonds will unveil a $55 million dollar ''Hallucination'' timepiece, which is described as an exceptionally rare, multi-colored diamond design that Graff anticipates being the most valuable watch ever created.
The Graff Hallucination features 110 carats of colored diamonds and will be on display at BaselWorld.
Laurence Graff, the chairman of Graff Diamonds, said, “The Graff Hallucination is a sculptural masterpiece; a celebration of the miracle of colored diamonds. For many years I have thought about creating a truly remarkable watch that illustrates our all consuming passion for diamonds. The Hallucination has made my diamond dream a reality.”


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A nationwide search for a design firm to develop a scheme for upgrading the State Street Mall got underway this week as the Greater State Street Council began placing advertisements in architectural publications, a council official said Wednesday.
The upgrading of the mall, which was built in June, 1978, is being done to coincide with a $2 billion construction binge by public and private developers that will include renovation and new construction of office, retail and hotel buildings along the mall.
The council has set a March 15 deadline for the submission of design plans and anticipates selecting by early April five or six firms to form a
''team'' that will work together to carry out the plan.
Ernest Brown, the council`s project administrator, estimated that the design work and planning of the upgrading will cost from $2 million to $3 million. The actual construction work, which is expected to begin in 1990, would cost $30 million to $40 million, he said.
''What`s happening is there hasn`t been a significant retail or commercial project built on State Street in 40 or 45 years, but what`s going to happen is that in the next three years there`ll be seven major retail and commercial projects,'' Brown said. ''So we`re coordinating most of the work and also doing infrastructure work, like upgrading streets, landscaping and lighting (subway) arrival centers.''
The council anticipates the design study will include the possibility of reopening State Street to auto traffic. Currently, only CTA buses and emergency vehicles are allowed to travel on the transit mall during shopping hours. Taxi cabs are allowed on State Street after 7 p.m.
Brown, however, said there is nothing to indicate that State Street businesses have been hurt by closing the thoroughfare to regular traffic.
West suburban Oak Park recently reopened Lake Street to vehicular traffic in an attempt to revitalize business along the four-block shopping strip that was converted to a mall in 1974.
''What makes the Chicago mall so different from other cities is it has somewhat of a captive audience because we have a large working community downtown,'' Brown said.
Keeping State Street attractive, however, is important to helping it maintain its popularity with shoppers-a goal that also can benefit the Michigan Avenue shopping district, which includes Water Tower Place and the recently opened Bloomingdale`s.
''We have no disagreement with State Street,'' said Nelson Forrest, president of the Greater North Michigan Avenue Association, which had an estimated $725 million in 1988 sales. ''We work together with them to help one another toward bringing people to Chicago and strengthening retail sales.
Brown said he believed the $2 billion, nine-block redevelopment plan will ensure that State Street remains a vital shopping area.
Redevelopment plans include:
- An 85-story office tower planned by Bramalea Development Co. at State and Adams Streets on the site Montgomery Wards occupied.
- A mixed-use development styled like Water Tower Place between State and Dearborn Streets on the east and west and Randolph and Washington Streets on the north and south.
- A new central library at Van Buren and State Streets, which is scheduled to be completed in 1992.
- The 46-story headquarters of the Leo Burnett advertising agency, which is scheduled to open early this year at State and Wacker.
- Renovations for the Marshall Field & Co. and Carson Pirie Scott & Co. stores.
- The construction of the Stouffer Hotel, scheduled for completion in late 1991, at State and Wacker.


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New Zealanders have been told to expect a boom in the baby boom in their lifetimes as the country's population increases and baby boomers enter retirement.New Zealand's Department of Primary Industries said the population of babies will grow from a current level of 4.6 million to 7.4 million by 2036, or around 3.3 per cent.The department said the rise in births will have a huge impact on the econo...
An Ikea bed is getting a new home.
The bed, a version of a King bed, is available for $15,000 on eBay, and is available to buy through Amazon.
The bed is a design based on the popular King bed frame.
The design is inspired by the popular Ikea beds, and includes a headrest and a large mattress with an integrated armrest.
The design is the result of the Ikea Bedmaker Program, which aims to create new products that make the world a better place.
The program has received support from the US government, and the company has received over $4 million in funding to develop the new bed.
The new bed comes with a new headrest, a larger mattress, and an armrest that is a part of the armrest system that is integrated into the headrest.
This is the first time that the arm rest is a new feature of the bed.
The Ikea product is a great way to give back to a great cause, says CEO Krista Voss.
The Ikea project is about giving back to those in need, and giving them a beautiful product that they can use and that they are proud of.
This bed is something that will be an example of what it means to help people and to give a product back to the world.
The new bed will be available in black and red, and comes with four colors for $10,000.


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- Parexel International Corp. plans to eliminate around 1,200 jobs as part of an expanded restructuring effort aimed at "right-sizing" the company and improving operating margins.
- The contract research organization (CRO) expects the headcount reduction will cost between $49 million to $63 million, but will result in $75 million to $85 million worth of savings. Those savings will mostly materialize in its 2018 fiscal year, however, which starts July 1.
- While executives haven't detailed what parts of the business will experience the most cuts, they have made efforts to trim down the company's nearly 20,000-person workforce in countries where labor costs are higher. "We have an intense focus on labor costs and resource utilization," Parexel's Chief Operating Office Mark Goldberg said on a May 4 earnings call. "We continue to shift roles to our established lower-cost locations, such as India, where feasible."
Restructurings are usually a last line of defense for companies. Either they fix what wasn't working, or they show that a sale might be the best bet. Though this newly-revealed restructuring expansion hints that Parexel is committed to getting itself back on track, recent rumblings indicate a deal might not be out of the question.
Earlier this week, the Wall Street Journal reported that the company is exploring a sale. Fueling that fire was another report that activist investor Starboard Value LP had taken a 5.7% stake in the company.
Parexel did not return BioPharma Dive's request for comment.
Should the company not sell, it will have to keep a watchful eye on its restructuring plan.
Sending jobs overseas will surely save money in the near-term, but the move also carries some risk. Research and manufacturing operations in China, India and other markets with less expensive labor have a relatively poor track record of staying compliant.
In March, for instance, the European Medicines Agency revealed that Micro Therapeutic Research Labs, an Indian CRO, had for years submitted faulty bioequivalence data, an act that threatened more than 20 products —some of which from big drugmakers such as Novartis and Aurobindo — with market suspensions. Should a similar situation happen to Parexel, it could offset the potential gains from its staff reshuffling.
"We are reducing costs carefully, so that our level of client service remain high and so that we will be ready to capitalize on an expected rebound in our business," CEO Josef von Rickenback said during the earnings call. "While right-sizing is an important goal of the restructuring, this is not just about cutting costs. It is an opportunity to advance our strategy by making thoughtful reductions in investments to purposefully shape the company and its direction for the future."
Of particular importance for Parexel is achieving a 14% to 16% adjusted operating margin. The company was far from that during its third quarter, with operating income at $30 million and margins at 5.6% versus $70 million and 13.2% the year prior. Leadership blamed the restructuring efforts for this year's lower figures.
Parexel reported in a 10-Q filing that the restructuring plan, the initial version of which gained approval in January, cost $21.8 million for the first three months of 2017, driven entirely from separation benefits paid out to laid off employees. Before the plan expanded, the company said it only intended to axe 400 positions. As of March 31, the company had reduced its workforce by 257 since the beginning of the year, according to execs.


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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Senate dropped 68 bills on Gov. Rick Scott's desk Thursday night, including one that lawmakers said will keep kids out of jail by giving law enforcement more authority to issue citations.
But retailers lobbied hard to make sure they wouldn't be hurt by the proposal.
If the bill isn't vetoed, it will take effect this October.
Florida had more than 70,000 arrests involving minors last year. While the number is trending downwards, lawmakers are hoping an expanded citation program will help even more.
A bill passed the Legislature this year that would expand a police officer's authority to issue a citation for a non-violent crime.
Justice reform advocate Barney Bishop said the numbers make the case.
"Law enforcement officers would arrest those kids, it could be for something rather innocuous, maybe an open container, maybe truancy from school, and while they're on probation they get in trouble again and go deep into the juvenile justice system, and the statistics show that about half of all the kids that went deep in the JJ system would end up in the adult prison system," Bishop said.
The original bill didn't provide a cap for the amount of citations that could be issued, something that didn't sit well with the Florida Retail Federation.
"We needed a message in the law that said there are consequences that said at some point, you have to learn your lesson and there is a stopping point," said Samantha Padgett, of the Florida Retail Federation.
The bill was amended to include a three-strike limitation. The Florida Retail Federation said that without it, a minor could repeatedly shoplift in organized crime rings with little penalty.
"Organized retail crime is a $2 billion industry in the state of Florida," Padgett said. "There are very sophisticated rings that target items, they go into stores and steal them."
The bill also doesn't mandate an officer to give a citation. They have the discretion to increase a penalty as they see fit.


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Thursday, 29 November 2018
Questions without Notice
Thank you, Senator Smith, for the question, and how fabulous—in the last question time of the second last week of parliament, we get to talk about the achievements of the Liberal-National government when it comes to small and family business. Well, colleagues, guess what we have done: we have lowered their taxes to 25 per cent five years earlier than planned because of our strong economy. That's an achievement. We are ensuring that small and family businesses get easier access to finance with our $2 billion securitisation fund. That's backing small and family business. We are, of course, giving small and family businesses access to the $20,000 instant asset write-off. We've made the business activity statement easier to fill out for them, because we understand that any bit of their time we can give back to them is precious. We've cut nearly $6 billion in red tape.
Last night the Prime Minister announced at the ACCI dinner that we are going to ensure that small and family businesses get a fair go when it comes to the Australian Taxation Office. We will ensure that a small business that has a dispute with the Australian Taxation Office will have better access to dispute resolution. Why? Because all of the feedback that we have received is that the existing tax disputes mechanism is complex; quite frankly, it's probably scary for small and family businesses; and it is not sufficiently fair. So the Prime Minister has announced a new Small Business Taxation Division outside of the Australian Taxation Office. This is very important, because we need the independence. It will be located within the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. What we've also announced is streamlining. You need a decision within 28 days, because we understand small businesses need a decision so they can get back on with doing what we want them to do best, and that is, of course, to prosper, grow and create more jobs for Australians.


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Sick of studying TV dinner packaging to see what's inside? Not sure how long to heat that chicken pot pie?
Not to worry. Researchers have developed the first smart microwave oven that takes all the science out of nuking.
Samsung's aptly named Intelligent Microwave Oven will cook food to exact times and temperatures with a simple swipe past its scanner.
"We've had the concept for years," said Kim Yam, who developed the unit at the Rutgers University Department of Food Science. "But recently the hardware and software just came together, and scanning technology became more affordable."
The oven uses a bar code scanner to read and process information from food packages. Ideally, food manufacturers would load the bar code label with detailed nutritional, ingredient, and cooking information, Yam said.
"We have to put together partnerships between the food companies and Internet companies," he said. "The technology can be applied to any food because the bar code is there already, but we'd like manufacturers to put more information onto the bar code."
After the package is swiped past the oven's front scanner panel, the microwave automatically cooks the food according to the instructions.
People can program the oven to work with their particular palate, and can identify undesirable ingredients in foods. Over time, the oven's built-in microprocessor could be enhanced to collect information about consumers' likes, dislikes, and allergies, and alert them to food safety hazards.
Though the Samsung-funded project is in the latter stages of development, don't expect to enjoy brain-free microwaving just yet. Yam said there are still a few kinks to work out, and the product will continue to undergo testing for the next three to six months. There's no word yet on when it will be available to the general public.


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Analysts confirm ugliness of AMD's Q1
Intel scores share gain trifecta
With AMD's horrible first quarter now out in the open, analysts have started to deliver fresh data that documents just how much market share the chipmaker ceded to Intel in recent months.
Intel's share of the x86 processor market rose to 81 per cent during the first quarter, according to data from Mercury Research. That total is up from 74 per cent of the market in the previous quarter and 74 per cent again during the first quarter of 2006.
According to Mercury, AMD was left with 19 per cent of the x86 market in the first quarter of 2007, while Via took 1 per cent.
AMD's glory days ran throughout 2006 when it ate up more than 20 per cent of the x86 market and as much as 25 per cent of the market in the fourth quarter. A resurgent Intel, however, has punished the smaller rival via better product and brutal pricing.
Executives at AMD have claimed the company needs at least 30 per cent of the x86 market to post a profit on a regular basis.
Proving this point, AMD reported a $600m loss during its most recent quarter, as processor sales plummeted close to 40 per cent.
AMD lost ground in the notebook (four points of share), desktop (eight points) and server segments (seven points) quarter-on-quarter, according to Mercury. ®


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Cupra to launch its first electric performance model
It carries the “VZ” suffix, an acronym for “Veloz,” which means “fast” in the Spanish language.
Cupra aims to officially launch the sportier Born VZ as early as the third quarter of the year, with final pricing and UK specifications arriving in the summer.
“The CUPRA Born was a milestone for the brand when we launched the model in 2021 as our first 100% electric vehicle. And it’s delivered exceptionally, with 45,300 units sold last year, an increase of 44.4% compared to the year before. With the CUPRA Born VZ, we will bring even more performance to this model, proving once again that electrification and performance are a perfect match.”
Wayne Griffiths, CUPRA UK CEO
Cupra designed the new Born VZ with a pair of exclusive 20-inch wheels. It includes a forged set with performance tires, enhancing its sportier appearance.
It comes with two new body pain options, including the exclusive Dark Forest and Midnight Black. The model also sports a new “VZ” logo on its tailgate with a dark chrome look to mirror the “Cupra” lettering.
Inside, the Cupra Born VZ offers a couple of exclusive body-hugging seats. The range-topping Born variant also features an upgraded infotainment screen size from just 0.9 to 12.9 inches. In addition, it offers a touch slider to adjust certain settings such as climate and volume.
It also has paddle shifters behind the steering wheel, allowing owners to select from one of three energy recuperation levels.
The Cupra Born VZ is a rear-wheel-drive electric hot hatch with a revamped electric motor that yields a maximum output of 322 horsepower and 402 pound-feet (545 Newton-meters) instant torque.
It indicates a notable improvement of 94 horsepower and 235 Nm (173 lb-ft) torque from the prior most powerful Cupra Born variant, e-Boost.
It can apparently accelerate from 0-62 mph (100 km/h) in 5.7 seconds, indicating a full-second reduction from the e-Boost variant owing to its newly unlocked electric power.
In addition, its top speed also increased by a notable 25 mph (40 km/h) to 124 mph (200 km/h).
It also comes with an upgraded battery pack with 79kWh of net capacity (+2kWh) to deliver up to 570km* (335 miles) driving range.
Cupra aims to launch the new Born VZ in the European market in Q3 2024. Its equivalent, Volkswagen ID.3 GTX, is also set to arrive this year, hinting at the competition it may face in the electric performance vehicle segment.


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The actor is teaming up with screenwriter John August (Aladdin, Corpse Bride) to pen the original comedy. The pair last worked together on The Nines, released in 2007.
Plot details are yet to be revealed for the film, and both Reynolds and August will be executive producers, with the former's production company Maximum Effort also involved.
Upstate will mark the third Netflix project Reynolds has worked on in recent years, having previously starred in Michael Bay's 6 Underground and the upcoming action comedy Red Notice, in which he features alongside Dwayne Johnson and Gal Gadot.
Reynolds is also set appear in Shawn Levy's action comedy Free Guy, as well as the sequel The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard, which will see him reunite with Samuel L Jackson.
Elsewhere, to help pass the time during lockdown, Reynolds recently pranked fans with announcement that he'd be launching a whole new streaming service with just one film on it – his largely unseen 2003 crime-thriller Foolproof.
"Every tech company needs a streaming service. So... introducing Mint Mobile +. The world's most affordable streaming service!," he sarcastically tweeted on August 12.
Attached was a montage of Foolproof, the only film available on the streaming service.
He later said in the thread: "Two minutes after launch and our crack data team has already determined Mint Mobile + should probably be shut down by the weekend.
"We'll go back to focusing on premium wireless," he added, in reference to Mint Mobile, the phone service provider which he took an ownership stake in last year.
Meanwhile, it's looking like a third Deadpool movie may never actually materialise, according to comic book creator Rob Liefeld.
"The work they did was fantabulous, those movies are here to stand the test of time," he said recently. "You know, but in the world we live in, nothing is guaranteed. And it takes a lot to make movies. And post-quarantine, it's weird."
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What Car? has named the Kia e-Niro electric vehicle (EV) as its 2019 Car of the Year during its 42nd annual awards ceremony, held in association with Warranty Direct and BNP Paribas Cardif on Tuesday 22 January at Grosvenor House, Park Lane.
The Kia e-Niro beat 23 other category winners to take the overall title, becoming the first electric car to win the prestigious What Car? Car of the Year Award.
Victory for the e-Niro, which has a Real Range of 253 miles, also represents the first time Kia has taken the top prize at the ceremony.
The success for an electric car comes at the beginning of a big year for the EV market, with several major manufacturers, including Audi, Honda and Mercedes-Benz, all planning to launch new electric models in 2019.
What Car? editor Steve Huntingford said: “The demand for electric cars has grown exponentially in recent years, and 2019 is shaping up to be the biggest year yet.
“Most of the leading manufacturers have plans for new EVs, and the fact that the Kia e-Niro was able to beat all its petrol and diesel rivals to win the 2019 What Car? Car of the Year Award shows how far this technology has developed.
“The e-Niro stood out because it addresses the key issues of cost and range that have traditionally prevented many motorists from taking the plunge into EV ownership. Here is a spacious and practical family SUV that demands very few compromises.”
As well as taking home the main accolade at the 2019 What Car? Car of the Year Awards, the Kia e-Niro was named Electric Car of the Year.
Hyundai joined Kia in being recognised for its work with alternative fuels, being named winner of the Technology Award for its progress with electric and fuel cell technology.
The 2019 What Car? Awards saw the introduction of three new categories, recognising the best models in the Plug-in Hybrid, Sports SUV and Pick-up markets. These awards were won by the Volvo XC90 T8, Cupra Ateca and Volkswagen Amarok respectively.
Last year’s overall winner, the Volvo XC40, returned to be named Family SUV of the Year for a second year running, while the Skoda Octavia continued its run of success in the Family car category, and the Peugeot 5008 reclaimed the crown for the best Large SUV.
Reflecting the diverse range of cars available, the Performance and Sports Car category was split for 2019, broadening the range of eligible vehicles. The new Sports Car Award went to the Alpine A110, while the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio was named Performance Car of the Year.
Kia is the 20th car manufacturer to win an overall What Car? Car of the Year Award since its inception in 1978.
Paul Philpott, president and CEO of Kia Motors UK, said: “Everyone at Kia Motors (UK) Limited and Kia Motors Corporation is honoured and delighted that the e-Niro is the first Korean car to win the What Car? Car of the Year Award.
“This marks an important milestone in the Awards as we approach the tipping point where every motorist will be seriously considering buying an electric car as their next car.
“The market for all kinds of electrified cars is growing dramatically and What Car? recognising the e-Niro shows that the pure EV is now entering the mainstream. The future is definitely electric and with this decision What Car? is pushing even harder on an opening door.”
Aside from its overall Car of the Year success, Kia proved victorious in the City Car category, with the Kia Picanto taking the prize for the second year running.
Warranty Direct was headline sponsor at the Awards for the seventh year in a row, joined by BNP Paribas Cardif.
Simon Ackers, CEO of Warranty Direct, commented: “It is a privilege for Warranty Direct to once again return as headline sponsors. The What Car? Car of the Year Awards are one of the most highly anticipated events in the motoring calendar.
“Each year the experts at What Car? provide a great insight into what motorists can expect to see leading the way in the industry in the coming year and identifying which models drivers should be considering.”
In addition to the winners chosen by the What Car?’s experts, What Car? readers were once again given the chance to have their say on the car they are most looking forward to seeing launched in 2019, with the Honda Urban EV coming out on top.
For more information on the overall 2019 What Car? Car of the Year and the full list of award winners, visit: whatcar.com/awards


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Chinese appliance giant Haier has opened a new training centre on the Birchwood Park business park near Warrington.
The new Haier Europe Training Activation Centre will provide training for Haier’s engineers on the company’s latest products and technology.
The launch of the new training centre was attended by Haier Europe UK and RoI chief executive David Meyerowitz, Haier Europe general manager Yan Xiaoming, UK and RoI service director Andy Lane, and Warrington council CEO Stephen Broomhead.
Haier already has two others units on Birchwood Park – a Brand Activation Centre, which opened in 2020, and a deluxe showroom comprising sections for Haier, Hoover and Candy, plus a chef’s theatre for cooking demonstrations. It also showcases 140 appliance models from the group’s portfolio.
Commenting on the opening of the new centre, Haier Europe UK and RoI service director Andy Lane said: “Haier Europe’s new unit at Birchwood Park is a training activation centre, where skilled engineers will be trained in the company’s latest products and technology. This training will enable them to provide a top-class service when our customers call us with any queries.”
He added: “This is Haier’s third unit in Birchwood Park and we are delighted with our latest expansion. We look forward to training our engineers in this new unit and we are delighted to be centring these units in Birchwood Park as we continue to grow our strong relationship with the park.”
Speaking on behalf of Birchwood Park, commercial director Martin O’Rourke said: “For years, Birchwood Park has had an exceptional relationship with Haier UK and we are delighted to once again support the business with its continued growth, this time opening a training academy right here at the Park.
“We’re looking forward to seeing the quality of training Haier provides to its engineering staff in its new facilities, and we’ll always be on hand to accommodate any future expansions and updates”.


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The News: Google’s $2.1 billion Fitbit acquisition the fitness-tracking company, is running into some friction in Europe as consumer groups and regulators continue to raise concerns about the risk of such an acquisition. Top of mind is concern about Google potentially gaining an unfair advantage by using health data collected from Fitbit users to improve the effectiveness of Google ads targeting.
The European Commission, which has until August 8th to approve the deal, has asked Google to give assurances that it would not use Fitbit data to gain an advantage over its competitors, and/or that it would make that data available to third parties. Ars Technica reports that the Commission sent out questionnaires to Google competitors to better assess the risks posed by the deal. It is likely that, should the Commission and Google not come to some kind of agreement, the result would be a protracted investigation into the deal, which would at the very least cause delays in having it approved.
Although Google declined to comment about the specifics of its negotiations with the Commission, the search and tech giant has reiterated that it had no intentions of using Fitbit health and wellness data for Google ads, that it was committed to transparency with regard to what data it collects and why, and that it would not sell personal information to anyone.
Google $2.1 Billion Fitbit Acquisition Hits EU Snag
Analyst Take: Fears about Google’s use of Fitbit data to gain an unfair advertising advantage cause regulators to take a closer look at the potential anticompetitive effects of the deal.
Given that Google has already publicly stated that it would not use Fitbit data to improve its ad platform’s performance, the European Commission should have no trouble obtaining that concession from Google in writing. In other words, it seems unlikely that concerns about Google gaining a competitive advantage by improving ad performance through more granular wellness and health data obtained from Fitbit users are driving this hiccup. That issue has already been addressed. While concerns about Google gaining an unfair advantage from Fitbit data are valid, the company has already committed to a different path. A simple “trust but verify” policy by the EU should suffice to allow the deal to go forward. Should Google get caught doing this once the acquisition gets the green light, the Commission would have grounds to slap Google with a slam-dunk antitrust investigation that would not only put an end to the behavior but also result in massive fines for Google. So, what is this really about?
One possibility is that most of this is just political posturing by the European Commission. Approving an acquisition of this kind always involves some degree of political theater. Here, the Commission may simply be flexing its regulatory muscles in public to assert itself against a big bad American tech company. If that is the case, the Commission will simply make a show of having obtained concessions from Google, and the deal will be approved without much additional delay.
Another possibility may be that Google competitors have managed to somewhat successfully lobby the European Commission to force Google to do something it doesn’t want to do: Share Fitbit data with them. While the details of how this would work within Europe’s stringent General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) is unclear, any anonymized model of granular ad targeting wouldn’t be out of bounds. In such a model, a Fitbit user’s information could still be used for ad targeting purposes without sharing any personal information about the individual (like their name or address). Their gender, age, and location, however, along with fitness habits, and some health data could be used to create an anonymized profile that could then be targeted by specific ads. Given how the European Commission operates with regard to what it considers to be anticompetitive behavior, especially from large US tech companies, it could be lured by Google competitors into that kind of antitrust posture. As for motive, gaining access to data from Fitbit’s 28 million users isn’t an insignificant prize. This hypothesis is arguably an outlier, but it is worth considering all the same.
Overall, the European Commission doesn’t appear to have a whole lot of grounds to block the acquisition. If it attempts to bring up the threat of a monopoly in the wearables space, Fitbit numbers won’t support that theory. As of 2019, Fitbit’s market share of wearable devices was barely 5 percent. Compare that to Apple’s dominant 32 percent market share, Xiaomi’s 12 percent, and Samsung’s 9 percent. Even with Fitbit’s acquisition, Google still won’t be anywhere close to reaching a dominant position either with regards to hardware or software/OS in that space.
The only real issue here is Google’s arguably dominant position in digital advertising. That aside, predicating Fitbit’s acquisition on ensuring that Google will not use Fitbit data to further improve that position should not be all that challenging for the European Commission, or any regulatory body for that matter. This should be a simple procedural matter.
It is possible that the European Commission will choose to delay its approval of the deal to conduct an investigation into the matter, but I don’t see any reason or mechanism by which it will ultimately block it. My read on this situation is that, despite all of this noise, the deal will be approved in the EU, if not next month, by the end of the year.
Futurum Research provides industry research and analysis. These columns are for educational purposes only and should not be considered in any way investment advice.
Other insights from Futurum Research:
How Automation, AI And Analytics Are Driving Martech Amidst Market Challenges
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Image Credit: The Next Web
The original version of this article was first published on Futurum Research.
Senior Analyst at @Futurumxyz. Digital Transformation + Tech + Disruption. Author, keynote speaker + troublemaker. Opinions are my own. I like croissants.


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Watch Out for the Latest Phone Scam in Ocean County
This scam is circulating through Ocean County, officials say.
Several police departments in Ocean County warned the community of this scam according to patch.com. The scam uses phone numbers of Comcast and Xfinity so it looks like someone calling from these companies. They are offering an upgrade on television service and offer the customer to purchase gift cards. Don't purchase any gift cards, that would give the caller information. If this happens to you, contact your local police department.
I hate these scammers, just like you. Please, never give out any information. Just hang up.


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We all know that recently Samsung launched its new Galaxy S21 series smartphones. Besides the company is planning to unveil a new foldable device Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 soon. According to the previous report, this foldable device is set to unveil in January 2021, but due to evading the cannibalization of Galaxy S21 the company postponed the launch of the Galaxy Z Flip 3 smartphone.
Today, a reliable tipster has shared some key specifications of this upcoming foldable device through his Twitter account (@TheGalox_). So let’s check out the expected specifications of this upcoming foldable smartphone.
Regarding the display features, the Galaxy Z Flip 3 will have a glass display like UTG, the display also offers a 120Hz Dynamic AMOLED display with thinner bezels. Apart from this, the tipster also assumes that the display of this upcoming phone will measure between 6.7 to 6.9-inches, whereas another tipster reveals that, the Galaxy Z Flip 3 will sport a 6.70-inches LTPO display.
Under the hood, the 3rd generation Galaxy Z flip will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888G chipset. Looking at the SoC it can easily say that the smartphone will be a 5G device.
According to the tipster, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 is expected to have a triple rear camera setup, which includes three 12 MP lenses as the same as the Galaxy Z Fold 2. The upcoming Galaxy Z Flip 3 is also expected to have a camera module like the Galaxy S21.
Apart from the above information, the tipster also reveals that this upcoming foldable device will have a smaller punch hole, new hinge, and better water resistance (could be IP68).
According to the tipster, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 will cost $1,499, whereas the predecessor Galaxy Z Flip 5G has a price tag of $1,449. Looking at the price tag of both smartphones, it can easily say that the upcoming Galaxy Z Flip 3 will cost only $50 more than its predecessor.


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Shares of Finnish mobile phone maker Nokia (NOK: Charts, News) recently crashed to a 17-year low, after the struggling company announced that it would lay off 10,000 global employees, or a third of its total workforce, in a last ditch effort to stay afloat. The company also sold its Vertu handset subsidiary to private investors, and announced that it would sell its patents "for the right price." Credit rating agency Moody's (MCO: Charts, News) then slashed Nokia's debt rating to near junk level, shattering the confidence of analysts and investors. Daily Chart Nokia once traded for nearly $40 per share a mere five years ago. Since then, Apple's (AAPL: Charts, News) iPhone and Google's (GOOG: Charts, News) Android devices have pummeled Nokia, along with Blackberry maker Research in Motion (RIMM: Charts, News), into dust. Analysts who once believed that Nokia's partnership with Microsoft (MSFT: Charts, News) would be its saving grace have abandoned those hopes, after the company's Lumia devices failed to dent the markets shares of Apple and Samsung, the largest Android handset maker. A deluge of downgrades followed the negative announcements last week. Credit Suisse CS downgraded Nokia from "outperform" to "neutral" while Nordea Equity Research cut its rating from "buy" to "hold." UBS (UBS: Charts, News) cut its price target from $3.25 to $2.50, and Canaccord Genuity decreased its target price from $3.50 to $2.70. European equity firms Societe Generale and Natixis also slashed their price targets for Nokia. Nokia's shift from its aging Symbian OS has been disastrous. Its first Windows phone, the Lumia, has failed to attract a significant following. The problem has been exacerbated by the comparative tininess of Microsoft's Windows Mobile Marketplace, which is dwarfed by Apple's App Store and Google's Play Store. Analysts forecast that Nokia will have to sell its Lumia handsets at steeper discounts in order to gain traction with customers, which will pressure margins for the rest of 2012. CEO Stephen Elop, a former Microsoft executive, still believes that Windows Phones are the key to turning around Nokia's ailing smartphone business. While Apple was once the primary threat to Nokia's survival, South Korean electronics giant Samsung has hit Nokia hard over the past year, stealing market share away in the low, mid and high end segments of the handset market. Over the past twelve months, Nokia generated $44.75 billion in gross revenue, compared with Samsung's $147.82 billion and Apple's $142.36 billion. Nokia's profit margin is also negative - at -6.84%, while Samsung and Apple have far healthier margins of 8.95% and 27.13%, respectively. Lower revenue and negative margins have led many analysts to believe that Nokia is unlikely to survive the remainder of fiscal 2012. In addition, Nokia has approximately 1 billion euros ($1.3 billion) of restructuring charges due by the end of 2013. The 10,000 jobs that Nokia intends to cut in 2012 will increase the company's total number of job cuts over the past two years to over 40,000. During this time, the company also closed its only plant in Finland. To keep its head above water during this difficult time, CFO Timo Ihamuotila announced that it was willing to sell its patents - its most valuable asset - at the "right price." Nokia's patent portfolio contains 30,000 patents and approximately 10,000 patented innovations. These patents are potentially valuable to Apple, which currently pays Nokia royalties for each iPhone and iPad sold, and its nemesis Google GOOG, which bought Nokia's former rival Motorola (MOT: Charts, News) in a bid to build a defensive patent shield. Nokia's patent portfolio remains its most potent weapon for generating capital - last month, the company sued HTC Corp. HTC and Research in Motion for patent infringement in the United States and Germany. Squatting on patents, however, seems to be Nokia's last ditch effort to remain relevant. Nokia's current behavior closely resembles that of Eastman Kodak (EK: Charts, News), in the final year leading up to its bankruptcy. Kodak managed to score several decisive patent settlements against Apple and Research in Motion before losing control of its core business. Nokia now stands at those crossroads - it's the company's last chance to sink or swim. Other News About NOK Nokia will sell patents for the right price Nokia is ready to part with its prized patents for cold hard cash. Nokia Is Near Death According To Most Analysts Can Nokia Survive 2012 in one piece? Other Stocks in the News Rectangle Oreos and cucumber gum, made in China for China Kraft works hard to create new flavors for China. Facebook Said IPO Range Was Near Fair Value Facebook defends the company's busted IPO. Copyright 2012 by InvestorGuide.com, Inc. InvestorGuide has no control over the sites we link to, is not affiliated with these sites, and cannot take responsibility for their quality or suitability. The news, analysis, commentary and profile information is not meant to be comprehensive, and the data provided is not guaranteed to be accurate. WebFinance Inc., the publisher of this newsletter, is not a registered investment advisor or a broker/dealer. This is not a stock recommendation newsletter but rather a source for investment ideas, and we encourage you to fully research any company before considering investing. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of nor are they endorsed by WebFinance Inc. No employee of WebFinance has owned or currently owns any shares in the company described above. The above is neither an offer nor solicitation to buy or sell any securities. The trading of securities may not be suitable for all potential readers of this newsletter, and the purchase of stocks mentioned in this newsletter may result in the loss of some or all of any investment made. We recommend that you consult a stockbroker or financial advisor before buying or selling securities or making investment decisions. We are not responsible for claims made by advertisers and sponsors. Anyone who makes decisions based on what they read here does so at their own risk and cannot hold WebFinance Inc. (DBA InvestorGuide.com, Inc.) or its employees responsible.
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- Banks Fined $5.7 Billion Over Fraud and Abuse
- Fed Delays Rate Hike According to New Report
- American Apparel (APP) Sues Its Former CEO


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When asking consumers what is most important when buying a new vehicle, many will mention styling.
Read This Article
Dodge has announced today that for every Journey sold in the month of March, the Detroit-based automaker will throw in a third row of seating and a fuel sipping engine free of charge.
Over the past year or so, the Dodge Avenger has enjoyed somewhat of a comeback, as the sedan has seen a spike in sales recently.
You know that silly annual survey of which cars are "Most American?


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Nine influential experts have been invited on the conference as lecturers, such as Prof.O. Traxer of France, Prof. T. Knoll of Germany and Prof. Pappatsoris of Greece. There’re about 40 young doctors from the Europe attended the meeting.
PUSEN participated in hand-on training as the specially invited manufacturer for this meeting.Through the "hand by hand" training and teaching, the experts and students can personally experience the imaging effect and the control performance of our products. The students’ feedback is that PUSEN "disposable electronic ureteral pyeloplasty is very easy to control and the learning is very simple!”
Group photo of all the experts
Prof. Pappatsoris instruct trainees to simulate teaching on site
As a domestic high-end medical device manufacturer in zhuhai, PUSEN is focusing on providing innovative and high-quality medical products for clinical use, and committed to making "good products that can be used by more people".
PUSEN "disposable electronic ureteropelastoscope", with its subversive and innovative design, completely solves a series of problems such as the high price, easy loss, expensive maintenance and long maintenance cycle of traditional flexible ureteroscope. It can be compared with traditional electronic ureteroscope in terms of image quality and control performance. Until now, PUSEN "disposable electronic ureteropelastography" has been sold to more than 80 countries, more than 2,000 hospitals and 3,000 doctors are using it!
We hope PUSEN's products will become a proper "tool" for fall medical workers who will no longer be trapped by "scope"!


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Deadline for 2013/2014 Washoe property taxes due today
The deadline for the 2013 and 2014 property taxes are due Monday, Washoe County officials reported.
The fourth installment for property taxes can be paid via online, mail or in person at the Washoe County Treasurer’s Office, on 1001 E. Ninth St, or at the clerk’s office on 350 S. Center St., building A. Credit or debit card payments won’t be accepted at the either the treasurer or clerk’s office, county officials said. After hours payments can be made by check, money orders or cash payments with exact change only.
Property owners can also take a payment stub to any local Walmart store and pay by cash or debit card. A fee will be charged if a credit card is used at Walmart or online, but there is no fee charged for online e-checks.
For more details visit www.washoecounty.us or call 775-328-2510.
Washoe County Clerk’s Office hours:
Monday – Friday, 5 p.m. to 12 a.m.
Saturday – Sunday, 8 a.m. to 12 a.m.
Holidays, 8 a.m. to 12 a.m.
Source: Washoe County


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While we all know that Berliners and the French have a hard time treating tourists nicely, what about the rest of the world? Many surveys have already been done on the rudest countries for travelers, as well as the rudest cities in America (hello, New York!) and the world's worst tourists (yay, Americans). Now comes TripAdvisor with their 2012 Cities Survey, a compilation of 75,000 responses in a poll conducted by Brainbox Research on the best value, safest, cleanest and friendliest (among other categories) cities around the world.
The latest poll highlights 40 cities across the map. Berlin, it should be noted, isn't mentioned on this list; New York comes in #24 and, spoiler alert, Paris comes in at number 33.
Do you agree with TripAdvisor's conclusions? Check out the cities below.


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It seems that every new high-end mobile phone is powered by a Qualcomm chip, but there’s a new name in town, writes ARTHUR GOLDSTUCK.
The typical cellphone user doesn’t care who makes the insides of that cool new handset, but it’s a major selling point for manufacturers and resellers. For several years, it was a badge of quality to claim a Qualcomm processor as the heartbeat of the device.
Now the San Diego-based chipmaker is facing growing competition from the other side of the world.
MediaTek, headquartered in Taiwan, has quietly risen to number three in the world, with 2016 revenue of around US$8.6-billion. That’s still less than half of Qualcomm’s $23.5-billion, and some way behind number two, Broadcom Limited, at $13.2-billion. But, for a brand that has been primarily known as a chip supplier for cheap feature phones, its rise should send warning signals to the market leaders.
It also powers some of the best-selling entry-level smartphones in the world, and is beginning to rise up the value chain.
“We consider ourselves number one in the world in feature phones, so that’s still a very strong focus of the business,” says Dominique Friedl. “In smartphones, our biggest strength exists in the entry smartphones, from the Vodacom Smart Kicka, and other 3.5-inch display smartphones, pushing all the way up into the mid-tier smartphones, like the Sony Xperia XA, Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime Plus, and brands like TECNO, Infinix and Itel.”
The latter three are all owned by Transsion Holdings, which has become one of the most successful smartphone businesses in West and East Africa, and is slowly entering the South African market.
“Each of its brands is positioned to serve a particular segment of the market, with Infinix at the top, TECNO in the middle, and Itel as the entry-level brand,” says Friedl. “All use MediaTek.”
He points out that South Africa is very different to the rest of Sub-Saharan Africa, where retailers dominate cellphone sales, whereas this country’s market is driven by operators. That makes it more difficult for new brands to enter the market, unless they are able to build a good relationship with operators.
Nevertheless, home-grown brands Mint and Mobicel, Latin American entrant Azumi, and Transsion are all making inroads into the South African market.
“It’s quite a rainbow nation of brands that MediaTek supports. Our strength was traditionally in the Chinese market, and then supporting regional brands.”
In South Africa, it is already a dominant player. With some estimates putting annual smartphone sales as high as 16-million, MediaTek has a market share of
about 45%, or just under 8-million. For the entire Sub-Saharan Africa, it is forecasting 120-million smartphones, and 100-million feature phones.
“South Africa and Nigeria remain the two biggest markets,” says Friedl. “Growing rapidly behind them, we see the East Africa countries, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and now also Ethiopia. That’s a unique market because it has one mobile network, which drives the market in a specific direction.”
The ability to address the opportunities as well as the complexities of global markets has grown MediaTek to 15 000 people globally, and more than 30 global offices. It has grown turnover between 20 and 30 percent a year for the past few years, almost doubling revenue in three years.
Yet, this may be just the beginning. As more and more consumers decide that mid-range phones meet their needs just as well as expensive flagship devices, a new category is emerging, says Friedl.
“We’re starting to see the New Premium. You saw a decline in flagship phone sales in 2016 as people started questioning the diminishing returns of upgrades. The result is the trend towards the New Premium tier.
“It’s really by demand from customers and what their expectations are of phones. They want quality technology, performance, and power, all the things that were flagship features, but they want them now in mid-tier devices. That’s where the exciting stuff will happen in the next two years.”
The result is that the features that are currently associated with top-of-the-range smartphones, like dual cameras, edge to edge display, and fingerprint and biometric sensing, will arrive in mid-tier phones in the next year or so.
“You can equate it to Formula 1 racing, where advanced technology is developed in Formula 1 cars and then finds its way into commercial vehicles down the line. That’s the trend in 2017 and 2018 in smartphones.”
Now download a bank account
Absa has introduced an end-to-end account opening for new customers, through the Absa Banking App, which can be downloaded from the Android and Apple app stores. This follows the launch of the world first ChatBanking on WhatsApp service.
This “download your account” feature enables new customers to Absa, to open a Cheque account, order their card and start transacting on the Absa Banking App, all within minutes, from anywhere and at any time, by downloading it from the App stores.
“Overall, this new capability is not only expected to enhance the customer’s digital experience, but we expect to leverage this in our branches, bringing digital experiences to the branch environment and making it easier for our customers to join and bank with us regardless of where they may be,” says Aupa Monyatsi, Managing Executive for Virtual Channels at Absa Retail & Business Banking.
“With this innovation comes the need to ensure that the security of our customers is at the heart of our digital experience, this is why the digital onboarding experience for this feature includes a high-quality facial matching check with the Department of Home Affairs to verify the customer’s identity, ensuring that we have the most up to date information of our clients. Security is supremely important for us.”
The new version of the Absa Banking App is now available in the Apple and Android App stores, and anyone with a South African ID can become an Absa customer, by following these simple steps:
- Download the Absa App
- Choose the account you would like to open
- Tell us who you are
- To keep you safe, we will verify your cell phone number
- Take a selfie, and we will do facial matching with the Department of Home Affairs to confirm you are who you say you are
- Tell us where you live
- Let us know what you do for a living and your income
- Click Apply.
How we use phones to avoid human contact
A recent study by Kaspersky Lab has found that 75% of people pick up their connected device to avoid conversing with another human being.
Connected devices are becoming essential to keeping people in contact with each other, but for many they are also a much-needed comfort blanket in a variety of social situations when they do not want to interact with others. A recent survey from Kaspersky Lab has confirmed this trend in behaviour after three-quarters of people (75%) admitted they use a device to pretend to be busy when they don’t want to talk to someone else, showing the importance of keeping connected devices protected under all circumstances.
Imagine you’ve arrived at a bar and you’re waiting for your date. The bar is busy, and people are chatting all around you. What do you do now? Strike up a conversation with someone you don’t know? Grab your phone from your pocket or handbag until your date arrives to keep yourself busy? Why talk to humans or even make eye-contact with someone else when you can stare at your connected device instead?
The truth is, our use of devices is making it much easier to avoid small talk or even be polite to those around us, and new Kaspersky Lab research has found that 72% of people use one when they do not know what to do in a social situation. They are also the ‘go-to’ distraction for people even when they aren’t trying to look busy or avoid someone’s eye. 46% of people admit to using a device just to kill time every day and 44% use it as a daily distraction.
In addition to just being a distraction, devices are also a lifeline to those who would rather not talk directly to another person in day-to-day situations, to complete essential tasks. In fact, nearly a third (31%) of people would prefer to carry out tasks such as ordering a taxi or finding directions to where they need to go via a website and an app, because they find it an easier experience than speaking with another person.
Whether they are helping us avoid direct contact or filling a void in our daily lives, our constant reliance on devices has become a cause for panic when they become unusable. A third (34%) of people worry that they will not be able to entertain themselves if they cannot access a connected device. 12% are even concerned that they won’t be able to pretend to be busy if their device is out of action.
Dmitry Aleshin, VP for Product Marketing, Kaspersky Lab said, “The reliance on connected devices is impacting us in more ways than we could have ever expected. There is no doubt that being connected gives us the freedom to make modern life easier, but devices are also vital to help people get through different and difficult social situations. No matter what your ‘connection crutch’ is, it is essential to make sure your device is online and available when you need it most.”
To ensure your device lifeline is always there and in top health – no matter what the reason or situation – Kaspersky Security Cloud keeps your connection safe and secure:
· I want to use my device while waiting for a friend – is it secure to access the bar’s Wi-Fi?
With Kaspersky Security Cloud, devices are protected against network threats, even if the user needs to use insecure public Wi-Fi hotspots. This is done through transferring data via an encrypted channel to ensure personal data safety, so users’ devices are protected on any connection.
· Oh no! I’m bored but my phone’s battery is getting low – what am I going to do?
Users can track their battery level thanks to a countdown of how many minutes are left until their device shuts down in the Kaspersky Security Cloud interface. There is also a wide-range of portable power supplies available to keep device batteries charged while on-the-go.
· I’ve lost my phone! How will I keep myself entertained now?
Should the unthinkable happen and you lose or have your phone stolen, Kaspersky Security Cloud can track and protect your device from data breaches, for complete peace of mind. Remote lock and locate features ensure your device remains secure until you are reunited.


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Pinduoduo is the fastest growing e-commerce app in China. The startup’s growth is up to the point of a Pinduoduo IPO in NASDAQ with the company’s founder set to be one of China’s top 25 richest people. However, the company is difficult to IPO in Chinese exchange market due to government regulation and protection of intellectual property rights.
On that note, its plan to IPO in the US faces red flags. Pinduoduo has had reports of violations of intellectual property rights in the past. It had a number of issues about undermining business rules. It has also had reports of 248 Chinese companies suing the company. One of the issues that caused these companies to sue the platform is the prevalence of fake goods in the company.
Reports said more and more sex and violent products were found on Pinduoduo. Back to Pinduoduo app’s plan to IPO in NASDAQ, it has been making roadshows for investors recently. The startup is planning to sell around 85.6 million America Depository Shares at $16 to $19 each price range in an IPO.
Last April, Pinduoduo is in $15 billion valuations but has since increased to a range between $20 billion to $24 billion. The company following the footsteps of both JD.com and Alibaba, Chinese companies traded on U.S. stock exchanges. However, both companies were older when they IPO with JD.com being operational for 16 years while Alibaba had been operational for 15 years.
On the other hand, Pinduoduo has only been operating for three years. It is one of the many companies operating in the Chinese market with heavyweights such as Tencent and Alibaba. According to Colin Huang, Pinduoduo’s CEO, he wants his company to become somewhat of a combined “Costco + Disney”. He wants it to be a platform offering economical deals interspersed with entertainment.
To provide consumers with proper entertainment, investors and resources are required. To generate value for money, the company is selling private label brands. The shop offers highly discounted branded products. However, there were reports of unauthorized online shops selling unauthorized series of products in the platform.
Pinduoduo is a potential breeding ground for counterfeit products. This is because of the platform’s unsustainable business model. While it is great to have a place to buy extremely cheap items, the business could be a brand nightmare. They could destroy many companies that are legally operating. Whether it would be accepted by US investors is a huge question with tremendous market impact.
Company Name: OBNewsOnline Inc
Contact Person: Matt Smith
Email: Send Email
Phone: (+44) 20 8383 1211
Address:218-993 Harold Street
City: London W2E 3LT
Country: United Kingdom


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“Initial testing of Apple Inc.’s television sets have gotten underway at Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., a source at the Taiwan-based company said Wednesday,” Chung Jung-feng and Sofia Wu report for CNA.
“Hon Hai, the world’s largest contract electronics maker, has declined to respond to the reports, saying that it never comments on specific business deals with any single client,” Chung and Wu report. “However, the Hon Hai source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the initial phase of tests on the TVs has kicked off.”
Chung and Wu report, “The source also predicted that Apple TV shipments could be huge and that new Apple TV-related products might be put on display at the well-known international consumer electronics trade fair, CES, to be held in Las Vegas in January… Apple CEO Tim Cook told NBC News recently that the company’s interest in TV has grown beyond a ‘hobby.’ ‘It’s an area of intense interest,’ Cook said. ”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Take this report with a couple truckloads of salt.


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15th December 2006, 05:15 AM
Leica Sinar buy-out stopped
At Photokina earlier this year Leica made a surprise announcement that they had purchased the controlling share (51%) in Sinar from Jenoptik. In a rather strange twist to this story Jenoptik has today announced that it is now rescinding the sale of the shares to Leica and that they will maintain the controlling share of the company. The press release issued states that this will not affect the working relationship between Leica and Jenoptik, the later of whom were responsible for some of the image processing for the new M8 digital rangefinder.


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Peak Activity, a Chinese sportswear firm, has introduced a new pair of 3D printed sneakers. Section of the Upcoming Fusion Peak3D model, the sneakers feature 3D printed soles as effectively as higher and quarter sections. They are produced from TPU substance, 3D printed employing each SLS and FDM/FFF additive production certification know-how.
As described by Nanjixiong, 600 pairs of the sneakers, priced at ¥1299 ($189 USD), offered out times immediately after launch.
Upcoming Fusion Peak 3D
Circulating on line due to the fact release on July 5th, the Future Fusion Peak3D sneakers aspect 3D printing certification throughout a huge part of the shoe – a substantial improve from people made solely with a 3D printed insole or midsole.
Usually, the creation of uppers requires the chopping of mesh fabrics, having said that woven 3D printed fabric was handed by a loom for a light-weight, breathable, and environmentally pleasant surface area. Peak Activity is reportedly applying bespoke 3D printers to manufacture the footwear.
One of the company’s 3D printing certification companions is startup firm Z-Sharp 3D Technological know-how, which just lately invested roughly USD $3 million into a new TPU 3D printing certification facility in Wuhu.
3D printed sneakers
In 2018, Peak Sport declared the production of the world’s to start with volleyball shoes made making use of 3D printing certification. These sneakers, which leveraged SLS for themidsoles, were launched by Xu Zhihua, CEO of Peak Sport, and Olympic volleyball crew member, Ding Xia. Prior to this, the enterprise also produced a pair of sneakers integrating SLS 3D printed midsoles. On its start, Xu Zhihua, general supervisor of Peak Activity, commented, “The upcoming sneakers are the most recent accomplishment introduced by Peak Sport’s ground breaking strategy.”
“Our target is to construct Peak Sport into the most global, qualified and progressive sports activities manufacturer in China.”
Maintain up with the newest additive production certification information by subscribing to the 3D Printing certification Business newsletter, and adhering to us on Twitter and Facebook.
Also, sign up for 3D Printing certification Employment now for new possibilities in engineering.
Highlighted image exhibits the 3D printed Potential Fusion Peak3D sneaker. Image by using Sjfzxm.


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For Calories, It's All About Quality Over Quantity, Harvard Study Says
Harvard study says the quality of calories means more than the number consumed.
June 26, 2012— -- When is a calorie not just a calorie? When it comes to losing weight, a new study from Harvard University found that the number of calories consumed is not necessarily as important as the quality of those calories.
The kind of calories the body gets may affect how efficiently people burn their body's energy, which can be key for losing weight and keeping it off.
"It's not that calories don't matter, but the quality of the calories going in can affect the number of calories going out," said study author Dr. David Ludwig, at Boston Children's Hospital.
The researchers studied 21 overweight and obese adults, starting each on a diet that helped them lose at least 12.5 percent of their body weight. Then, to help them maintain that weight loss, the researchers put the participants on a cycle of three diets, and they were to stick to each for four weeks.
One was a low-fat diet, similar to the one recommended by the American Heart Association, which had participants reduce their dietary fat, that emphasized eating whole grains and plenty of fruits and vegetables.
Another was modeled on the Atkin's Diet, a plan in which participants ate more protein and fat but severely curbed their consumption of breads, pastas and other carbohydrates.
The final diet was a low-glycemic index plan, a model based on regulating the body's blood sugar levels used in many commercial diet plans, such as Nutrisystem and the Zone diet. The plan didn't require the participants to reduce the fat or carbohydrates in their diets but focused on the quality of the carbohydrates they ate. The plan pushed participants to replace some grain products and starchy vegetables with vegetables, legumes, fruits and foods rich in healthy fats.
The results weren't good news for low-fat diet aficionados. When dieters followed that plan, their bodies burned fewer calories than when they were following the low-carb or low-glycemic index diets. And the low-fat diet changed certain metabolic factors in their bodies that typically predicted weight regain.
The low-carb diet seemed to help participants burn the most calories. But it also increased certain markers of stress and inflammation in the body, such as the stress hormone cortisol, which are risk factors for cardiovascular disease and other health problems.
In the end, the researchers found that the low-glycemic index diet struck the right balance for the participants. It helped the dieters burn more calories, though not as many as the low-carb diet, but didn't seem to increase disease-causing stress markers in the body.
The study was published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The results provide physiological evidence for a growing consensus among doctors and diet specialists: that low-fat diets, long a staple of advice for shedding pounds, aren't as beneficial as many once thought.
"There is a growing feeling that we need to go beyond low-fat diets, that was too simplistic a vision," Ludwig said. "Instead, focus on reducing highly processed carbohydrates."
Heavily processed carbohydrates - white bread, white rice and some breakfast cereals, to name a few - make sugar readily accessible, rather than securing it to more healthy elements, like the fiber in an apple. Ludwig said easily absorbable sugar leads to a rapid surge and crash in blood sugar after a meal, which can wreak havoc on weight loss.
The advice to steer clear of processed foods sounds familiar, but it hasn't always been so prominent.
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