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The Chinese government has ordered its officials to boost the take-up of electric cars for official uses with a requirement for 30% EVs by 2017. The UK government has just announced its commitment to use electric cars for its own vehicles in an effort to boost the take-up of EVs, but China is going even […]
Electric cars are nothing new, but as car makers desperately seek to hit ridiculous CO2 average emission targets set by governments around the world, the EV has been revived as a panacea for tailpipe emissions.
Unfortunately, electric cars haven't improved massively in the last 100 years, so they are still very heavy - thanks to the enormous battery packs needed even to provide a modest range - and extremely expensive. Those two facts alone mean that unless there is a quantum leap forward in battery technology EVs will never be a replacement for the internal combustion engine (ICE).
But there are evangelists for the electric car - and we do understand their point of view - but we firmly believe the only really practical use for the EV is as a commuter car in congested cities, as a local delivery vehicle or to produce awesome amounts of instant torque for a powerful toy.
However, electric cars are big news and we strive to cover all the EVs in the news, from the best-selling Nissan LEAF on down, and with more and more electric cars for sale the amount of electric car news does seem to grow all the time.
Below (and on subsequent pages) you will find all the articles on Cars UK about electric cars from makers including Nissan, Tesla, BMW and just about any EV you can think of.
The Hyundai ix35 FCEV hydrogen compact SUV has broken records for the longest distance by a hydrogen-powered car on a single tank – 435 miles. Now the Hyundai ix35 FCEV (the hydrogen-powered version of Hyundai’s iz35) is starting to move out in to the real world (in a small way) Hyundai are keen to shout […]
The Tesla Model X SUV will go in to production in early 2015 after production prototypes are built in Autumn 2014, Tesla confirms in an email to Model X buyers. The Tesla Model S electric car has been a bigger success than anyone could have guessed, and is probably the only electric car that offers […]
In a move that has been widely expected, Elon Musk has announced that Tesla will allow car makers free access to its electric car patents to promote EV sales. When we reported earlier this week that the Tesla Model S has launched in the UK, we also reported that it seemed Tesla were planning to free […]
Investment bank Morgan Stanley has declared that the electric car experiment is a failure, with only Tesla managing to make a success of EVs. The experiment of getting the car buying public to believe an electric car is a sensible alternative to an ICE car isn’t an unmitigated failure – but it’s close. And now […]
Fiat boss Sergio Marchionne has asked that no one goes out and buys the electric Fiat 500e because very time that happens Fiat loses $14,000. The electric Fiat 500e arrived as a concept at the Detroit Auto Show in 2010 and finally arrived as a production reality at the Los Angeles Show in 2012 before […]


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Microsoft’s new Windows 10 operating system is immensely popular, with 14 million downloads in just two days. The price of the free upgrade may just be your privacy, though, as changing Windows 10’s intrusive default settings is difficult.
While the upgrade is currently free of charge to owners of licensed copies of Windows 8 and Windows 7, it does come at a price. Several tech bloggers have warned that the privacy settings in the operating system are invasive by default, and that changing them involves over a dozen different screens and an external website.
Here's another article regarding our intrepid heroes at MicroSoft on how to change settings:

domain: news


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YKK AP America Opens Doors at New Texas Facility
DALLAS/FORT WORTH (Sept. 2014) – YKK AP America opened the doors to its newest manufacturing facility in the Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan area during a special event for the community. The grand opening was celebrated Sept. 26, in Coppell, Texas.
Opened in July 2014, the 105,000 square foot facility serves as a key U.S. distribution center for YKK AP. The Coppell location, which is dedicated to production, distribution and logistics, allows the company to increase its local production capability and allows for expanded finished good inventory. Additionally, the facility will serve as a key U.S. distribution center, improving transportation and logistics services to the entire region, and offer dedicated route truck deliveries to certain major markets.
“The new operation in Coppell will greatly enhance the company’s ability to service the local market versus its current regional branch location,” said Oliver Stepe, senior vice president, YKK AP America. “Texas is a continual focal point for YKK AP America as we look to expand in the local area as well as the western United States.”
News and Events
YKK AP America Appoints New Organizational Development and Engagement Leader
Will Ngo brings expert experience and knowledge of innovative talent strategies that drive employee engagement AUSTELL, Ga. (Aug. 27, 2020) – YKK AP America Inc. today announced the appointment of Will Ngo as organizational development and engagement leader. Ngo will join the organizational excellence team, where he will provide simple, effective and scalable solutions that […]
YKK AP America Hires Residential General Manager
Proven sales executive Rick Cawston joins YKK AP to strengthen sales and customer service AUSTELL, Ga. (Aug. 11, 2020) – YKK AP America has hired Rick Cawston as general manager of residential sales. In this position, Cawston will strengthen relationships with window and door dealers by supporting both the sales and customer service teams. Cawston […]
YKK AP America Hires Tyler Quinn as Architectural Sales Representative in the Southeast Region
Quinn will service architects and glazing contractors in the Louisiana and Mississippi markets AUSTELL, Ga. (July 31, 2020) – YKK AP America today announced it has hired Tyler Quinn as architectural sales representative for the Southeast market. He is now responsible for servicing architects and glazing contractors in the Louisiana and Mississippi markets to build […]


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Local PP prices dip to fresh lows in Thailand, Vietnam
Inside Vietnam, PP raffia prices posted further declines of VND500,000-900,000/ton ($23-41/ton) on the week to be reported in the range of VND21,600,000-23,000,000/ton ($885-943/ton without VAT) FD Vietnam, cash inc VAT. A converter operating in the packaging sector said, “We are buying on an as needed basis due to the approaching year-end as well as weak demand and we have enough material to cover our needs now. We do not want to keep our inventory levels high before the Chinese New Year and we are planning to replenish our stocks around the end of January.”
A trader also complained of disappointing demand, adding, “We do not prefer to source materials from the import market these days as it is too risky because of the ongoing bearish trend in prices. We only buy from other traders and buyers refrain from purchasing beyond their needs.”
In Thailand, overall local homo-PP raffia and injection offers witnessed additional decreases of around THB500-1000/ton ($14-28/ton) over the past week due to buyers’ expectations of seeing further declines amid sufficient supply and limited market activities stemming from approaching holidays.
A distributor commented, “Activity is winding down ahead of the year-end and we believe that sufficient supply and weaker import prices will maintain downward pressure on the market in the days ahead. We are receiving offers at THB36500-37000/ton ($1010-1024/ton) FD now and we think prices will come down to around THB35000-36000/ton ($969-996/ton) soon.”
“Currently, most buyers in the local market prefer to source material on a hand to mouth basis as they expect to see further declines in prices. Our customers are not placing many bids,” commented a trader.
More free plastics newsPlastic resin (PP, LDPE, LLDPE ,HDPE, PVC, GPS; HIPS, PET, ABS) prices, polymer market trends, and more...
- Export PVC prices out of China provide competitive edge
- European PP, PE set for 6th bullish month, is peak near?
- Caution reigns China PP market amid scant demand, low import supply
- Major producer leads way in higher April PP, PE pricing in Saudi Arabia
- European PVC set to rise for 11th month in April
- Suez Canal blockage: Global shipping faces another challenge
- Aggressive PP offers from China continue to find way to Turkey, Vietnam
- Stats: China’s total PE imports in Jan-Feb hit fresh record high
- PVC buyers’ resistance to sharp April hikes grows in SE Asia
- European PS sentiment cools off on styrene correction; ABS remains unfazed


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Buc-ee's, a Texas chain of mammoth-sized convenience stores and travel centers, is building what it hails as the world's largest car wash at its new Katy location.
The 255-foot-long car wash is set to open this fall when the Katy store opens, Buc-ee's general counsel Jeff Nadalo told the Houston Business Journal in an email. When the project was announced, the location was expected to feature about 120 fuel dispensers, an around 56,000-square-foot building and outdoor merchandise sales.
Katy's car wash is so big that it has set back the project, which was expected to open this spring.
"This location has some unique design elements that are not seen at Buc-ee’s other stores," Nadalo said in the email. "It will feature what we believe will be the largest car wash in the world and backup power that will run the entire store (and car wash) in the event of a power outage. These new features have extended the normal timeline for construction."
HBJ previously reported that Buc-ee’s signed long-term agreements with Houston-based Enchanted Rock Ltd. and Texas Microgrid LLC for backup power generation.
There are several competing super scrub claims around the world. Wiggy Wash in Orem, Utah — a community south of Salt Lake City — says it has the world's "largest" car wash, with two side-by-side, 205-foot tunnels, according to the Daily Herald in Utah.
Another bubble boaster says it's the longest. Rocket Express runs two, 240-foot-long car washes in Twin Falls and Meridian, Idaho, according to CarWash.com.
Still, nothing may compare to Mr. Wash in Stuttgart, Germany, which might be the world's busiest and most expensive, according to a 2014 Wall Street Journal article. The two-story, $40 million titanic tub washes about a half million cars a year.
A Feb. 18 post on the International Carwash Association's Facebook page includes comments from other car wash claimants. The association's CEO Eric Wulf said in an email that the group doesn't maintain largest car wash records and that there seems to be competing claims for the title.
In other Buc-ee's news, the company is again planning to open its first site outside of the Lone Star State. The Daytona Beach News-Journal reported April 12 Buc-ee's is planning to open in Daytona Beach. Late last year, the company terminated its deal to open its first out-of-state location in Baton Rouge.
Jack Witthaus covers money and innovation for the Houston Business Journal. Follow him on Twitter.


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The suppliers of Toyota Motors Philippines Corporation (TMP) are gearing up for the forthcoming Asean Integration as well as the new Philippine car industry road map called Comprehensive Automotive Resurgence Strategy (CARS) the government unveiled on Monday last week.
This was revealed during the recent 2015 Toyota Supplier Conference and 15th Toyota Suppliers Club (TSC) General Assembly recently held at The Bellevue Manila in Muntinlupa City.
TMP president Michinobu Sugata commended the excellent performance and important milestones achieved by Toyota suppliers and challenged them to further improve competitiveness in the areas of safety, quality and cost. Sugata reported industry sales for the first quarter of 2015 was 17 percent higher compared to the same period last year, signifying rapid motorization brought about by economic growth.
While production output remains low compared to other Asian countries, the future of the automotive sector looks very optimistic. TSC Chairman Rafael Villareal further challenged its members to optimize free trade agreements to channel investments to the automotive sector and turn it into a significant link in the global chain.
Given the steady growth and expected boom of the industry leading to 2020, TMP has aligned its goals, together with its suppliers, to gear up for the CARS program implementation and the integration of the economies of Asean or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. TSC currently has 92 member-companies, comprising of TMP’s first to third tier parts suppliers.


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The manufacturing sector, constituting a major chunk of IIP which is close to 77 per cent, recorded a growth of 1.8 per cent in September.
The mining sector, weighing nearly 14 per cent, rose by 4.6 percent. Meanwhile, the electricity segment grew by 11.6 per cent.
“For the month of September 2022, the Quick Estimates of Index of Industrial Production (IIP) with base 2011-12 stands at 133.5 The Indices of Industrial Production for the Mining, Manufacturing and Electricity sectors for the month of September 2022 stand at 99.5, 134.3 and 187.4 respectively,” stated a press release.
As per the use-based classification, the primary goods segment recorded a growth of 9.3 per cent in September. The other sectors including infrastructure, capital goods, and intermediate goods witnessed an increase of 7.4 per cent, 10.3 per cent and 2 per cent respectively.
Consumer durables and non-durables sector contracted by 4.5 per cent and 7.1 per cent in the month of September.


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A MELBOURNE house built entirely by volunteers fetched more than $100,000 over its reserve price on the weekend, with every cent of the proceeds going to a children’s charity in Frankston.
A crowd of 140 people watched as four bidders competed for the new home at 48 Tamara Circuit, Langwarrin, selling above its $495,000 reserve.
Couple Michael and Kim Benson won the charity auction on Saturday, paying $600,000 for the four-bedroom house.
All of the proceeds will go to the children’s charity Menzies Caring for Kids that supports young people in Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula.
Buy Property Direct and partner company Mainline Developments drove the project with the help of 35 companies that provided building supplies, labour or support for free or at a discounted rate.
Any extra costs were covered by the two businesses so that 100 per cent of funds raised would go to the charity.
In the wider Melbourne auction market, there was an auction frenzy throughout the inner south with an 84 per cent clearance rate last week, according to CoreLogic RP Data.
A standout sale from the 224 auctions held in the inner south was 797 Hampton St, Brighton.
The luxury residence, with four bedrooms, three living zones and a swimming pool, sold under the hammer for $3.55 million.
Buxton, Brighton, auctioneer John Clarkson said it was one of 12 auction sales that his office sold either under the hammer or shortly afterwards at the weekend.
In South Melbourne, Greg Hocking, of Greg Hocking Holdsworth, sold a 513sq m block to developers for $3.97 million.
Six bidders fought out the auction of 227-229 Cecil St, featuring two older-style homes on the same title on the street corner.
The agents said pent-up demand among buyers and disruptions to this autumn selling season with an early Easter were fuelling strong selling conditions at the moment.
“Right now sellers are enjoying the pent-up demand released from the Christmas period and that’s evident in the clearance rates,” Mr Hocking said.
Mr Clarkson said the timing of the upcoming Labour Day and Easter public holidays, as well as the school holidays, would disrupt auction campaigns in March.
There were 1327 auctions across Melbourne last week, delivering a 75 clearance rate, according to CoreLogic.


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However, to do so, it’s going to need the help of these five things:
1. Services Revenue
2. Apple Retail Stores
3. Bringing iOS closer to macOS
4. Emerging Markets
5. The iPhone
“Over the past five years, AAPL stock has achieved a total annualized return of 27.2%. For Apple stock to get to $400 within 36 months, it has to generate 29% annual returns,” Ashworth writes. “That’s a very tall order indeed.”
Ashworth writes, “To get there, the iPhone can’t have a letdown and emerging markets have to keep growing profitably.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: From Will’s lips to Mr. Market’s ears.


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Apple has revealed that its yearly Worldwide Developers Conference will kick off from 2 June.
As usual, it's taking place in San Francisco, and we haven't heard a peep from Apple about what we're going to see. Not that we ever expected to.
Still, there's still (potentially) plenty to get excited about. The big reveal of course, is iOS 8.
While we don't expect to see a massive UI overhaul like the one iOS 7 introdued last year, we do expect Apple to reveal its long-leaked Healthbook app.
Expected to track everything from steps taken and calories burned, it takes health tracking to the next level with heart rate, blood pressure and even hydration levels, all wrapped up in a colourful Passbook-like card interface.
Last year's WWDC saw Apple show off iOS 7, iTunes Radio and the new cylindrical Mac Pro, as well as OS C Mavericks.
Rumours of a new Retina Display iPad Air have been circulating for quite some time now, so that's always a possibility too.
Developers who want to go to this year's conference can apply for tickets from today. They'll be randomly allocated and you'll can find out if you're one of the chosen ones on 7 April. Good luck!


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- Reads from WWW
Thursday, 29 Aug 2013
A new update to Twitter (website, Android and iOS versions) will list conversations in chronological order, making it easier to follow discussions and conversations.
Tuesday, 27 Aug 2013
Yahoo has just announced that its stockpile of dormant usernames is ready to be released. Users who have successfully signed up for a dormant Yahoo username will be notified from today on.
Intel is set to publicly demonstrate overclocking of solid state drive (SSD) technology at next month's Intel Developers Forum (IDF). The session is titled "Overclocking Unlocked Intel Core Processors for High Performance Gaming and Content Creation".
The latest leak indicates that Apple's eagerly anticipated iOS 7 could be made available to the public on September 10, the same day that the company will announce the new iPhones.
The Verge reports that Nokia is launching a 10.1-inch Windows RT tablet soon.
Monday, 26 Aug 2013
With just under two weeks until Apple's big 10th September event, more and more pictures (and even a video) of the rumored budget iPhone 5C are appearing online.
Instagram recently announced that it had acquired video app Luma, which allows users to shoot, share and add stabilization to their videos. The app also includes some post-processing features like live filters, as well as the ability to post-process videos.
Updated with fix from Ocaholic! HWBot, one of the world's most popular benchmarking and overclocking databases has banned any results from a machine running Windows 8 OS. This is due to a fault in Windows 8′s real-time clock (RTC), which all benchmarking tools use.
Outgoing Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has confessed his biggest regret during his stint is Windows Vista operating system. He told Mary Jo Foley of ZDNet that there are "side effects" from spending too much precious manpower on a product that failed to deliver.
According to reports, Apple is said to be testing 64-bit "A7" processors ahead of the eagerly anticipated new iPhone launch. In addition, these new processors are said to provide a substantial increase in performance.


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Today in Riverton, a class full of Native American jewelry makers are learning how to screen print. Eastern Shoshone member Hope Abeyta wants to screen print her logo on a child-size tepee. The Central Wyoming College course was created specifically for the eclipse since Riverton and much of the reservation falls inside the eclipse’s shadow. The goal is to get these artists the business skills they need to be ready for the event. Abeyta says she found the class on Facebook and signed up.
“I needed help marketing my stuff,” she says. “I needed help finding out how to run a business. I never really actually have done that.”
For Northern Cheyenne member Krystena Scott, the class is an especially important opportunity. She’s a single mom with three small children, and to pay her bills, she relies entirely on the money she makes selling her jewelry at powwows and on Native American art websites. As intricate as her beaded earrings are, she’s selling them all for under $20. But the class is teaching her how to better price her work.
“I’m going to higher my prices once the eclipse gets here. I’m going to boost them up.”
“You know, we’re seeing their prices come up and they’re starting to value their work and feel good about that,” says her instructor, CWC’s Dean of Business Lynne McAuliffe. “I keep encouraging them that the eclipse is this financial opportunity to kind of have a windfall with the idea that we’ve opened up these other distribution channels and these places to market their wares long term.”
To do that, she’s helping them design business cards, learn to tally revenue and cost of goods, make sure they can take credit cards, even contact art galleries. These are all skills they can use in the future to grow their careers.
McAuliffe says she started the class because she sees the eclipse as a real chance to put Wyoming’s Native American beadwork on the map.
“It pains me to think that the concessionaires in Yellowstone Park are selling Chinese beadwork when we have such beautiful authentic beadwork produced right here in Wyoming.”
She says the class plans to sell their work on campus during the peak days of the event. Over in neighboring Lander, the art center also saw the eclipse as a chance to get local work in front of hundreds, if not thousands, of eyes. Because of its prime location near the shadow, this city of 7,000 people is expecting 10,000 visitors for the eclipse. So they’re hosting the Great American Eclipse Art Exhibition.


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Target Stores is opening a small-footprint location in Manhattan on Friday, one of about 10 of the chain’s new, urban-format stores to open this week.
The 43,000-square-foot New York City store, in Herald Square just a block away from Macy’s flagship location, will have a small, grab-and-go grocery department on one level and a more extensive grocery offering on a lower level. It includes 16 self-service checkouts, and will offer same-day delivery.
“We expect we’re going to have a lot of tourists, and lots of New York City professionals — the on-the-go New York City person who wants to grab something quickly, so we have grab-and-go grocery assortment,” said Shannon Burho, district team leader for Target, in a video on the company’s website.
The location will also include a CVS pharmacy.
It is the Minneapolis-based retailer’s second small-format store in Manhattan, and its first in the Midtown area. It also recently opened a 20,400-square-foot store in the Bensonhurst area of Brooklyn and a 48,000-square-foot store in Port Washington, N.Y., not far from New York City on Long Island.
Other locations of Target’s small-format concept have opened this week in Chicago; Minneapolis; Los Angeles; Philadelphia; Oak Park, Ill.; Skokie, Ill.; and Orange, Calif.
Four additional small-format Targets are scheduled for November openings in Austin, Texas; Gainesville, Fla.; Raleigh, N.C.; and San Francisco.
The smaller urban stores, which the company is also using to target college towns, are highly productive, the company has said in recent earnings calls. It currently operates 38 of the smaller stores plans to add 130 more in the next two years, according to an Associated Press report.


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CrediNord's CFO, Matias Peltoniemi, has provided Everly.eu with an exclusive interview in which he addresses the current challenges of the company, the state of the Fintech and lending world, and what he believes is the future of Fintech and lending.
The 'all cards in one' fintech Curve has been testing its new lending option with just a small number of customers at the moment. The full launch is expected later this year.
Curve is a UK based banking platform that consolidates multiple cards into a single card and app. According to a TechCrunch report, Curve is quietly testing its “Klarna rival” option.
SoftBank-backed lender OakNorth Bank almost doubled its profits in 2019 but slowed down its pace of expansion as economic concerns discouraged...
Leap Finance, a fintech platform for overseas Indian students, announced it has raised US$5.5 million in a round led by Sequoia India.
Cross-border savings and investments marketplace Raisin and the german digital bank N26 combine their strenghts to deliver top interest rates.
Revolut introduced additional fees on its free plan and trading on the Revolut platform will also become more expensive.


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iPhone Screen Protector How To Remove - New Silicone Case UK Online
iphone screen protector how to remove might be the same size as the iPhone, but that doesn't mean you don't want a spiffy new case for it.
The Taiwanese smartphone maker has hired Paul Golden, the former head of marketing for Samsung's US mobile division, as an adviser to HTC Chairwoman Cher Wang, CNET confirmed. The hiring was first reported by Bloomberg. HTC could use the help in the marketing department, as the company continues to struggle with shrinking market share and operating losses as it consistently gets overshadowed by larger rivals Samsung and Apple. The original HTC One was largely ignored in favor of the Galaxy S4, and HTC is attempting to avoid repeating history with the HTC One M8, which has to contend with Samsung's Galaxy S5.
Wang has recently taken over some of the day-to-day duties from CEO Peter Chou, leaving Chou to focus on the products themselves, Part of her new duties is to widen and strengthen its marketing push for the HTC One M8, iphone screen protector how to remove In the US, HTC has unveiled a series of ads featuring actor Gary Oldman, known for roles like Commission Gorden in the Batman "Dark Knight" trilogy, Its "blah blah" campaign directs consumers to the Internet and to form their own opinions before buying a new smartphone, The HTC One M8 has largely gained critical acclaim for its metal design..
The company has vowed to support the HTC One M8 with a stronger and more visible marketing campaign. Golden served as the chief marketing officer for Samsung's US mobile division from February 2008 through January 2012. While there, he helped develop and cement the Galaxy brand as a powerhouse in the US. His successor, Todd Pendleton, helped bring in the series of "Next Big Thing" ads and the commercials mocking the Apple lines debuted under his tenure. He most recently served as a managing partner for a marketing consultancy called Brand Slam, according to his LinkedIn profile.
"HTC continues to invest in talent and recruitment as part of our broader human resources strategy to ensure the continued strength of our company's organizational structure," the company said in an e-mailed statement, Golden's role at HTC isn't yet a long-term one, with the executive initially hired for a three-month stint, according to Bloomberg, Updated at 5:23 a.m, PT: To include confirmation of the hiring by CNET and a statement by HTC, Corrected at 8:22 a.m, PT on April iphone screen protector how to remove 21: An earlier story incorrectly stated that the "Next Big Thing" ads came under Golden's tenure, Pendleton is currently CMO of Samsung's US mobile unit..
According to the trade-in site Nextworth, older Samsung Galaxy smartphones are at their peak. But prices are likely to start dropping in the coming weeks. In this edition of Ask Maggie, I talk to a NextWorth executive who explains why the company increased the value it has been paying consumers who trade in older Galaxy S series devices. I also help another reader figure out the best place for trading in her old devices. Dear Maggie. I'm considering upgrading to the Samsung Galaxy S5. I've been using a Galaxy S3 for the past couple of years. I've heard that it's a good idea to sell old devices before the new one goes on sale. But I wasn't quite ready to commit to the Galaxy S5. Is it too late to sell my Galaxy S3? Will I still get a good price?.
Galaxy Lover, Dear Galaxy Lover, I've got some good news for you, It's not too late to sell your old Galaxy S3 and in fact, you'll probably get top dollar for it if you lock in your price as soon as you can, Jeff Trachsel, chief marketing officer for Nextworth, said that in the week or so before the launch of the new Samsung S5 , his trade-in Web site actually raised the prices they were paying for older Samsung Galaxy S devices by about 15 percent, iphone screen protector how to remove He said strong demand for these older models and low inventory of trade-ins on these devices is what has driven the increase in value..
But he warned that the high prices won't last long. "We're already starting to see demand soften," he said. "And since the release of the Galaxy S5 on April 11, we've seen a big uptick in people coming to the Nextworth site to get quotes on older Galaxy S phones."What this means for you and the other Galaxy S2, S3, and S4 owners is that you should lock in your quotes as soon as you can before the values start dropping. Conventional wisdom suggests that if you're trading in old gadgets it's better to sell sooner rather than later. Just like cars, old gadgets start depreciating almost the moment you take them for a spin around the block. And in general, Trachsel says that still holds true.
"Over time the value of all devices goes down, That is just a function of depreciation," he said, "So holding on to an older device and hoping for an uptick in the price is generally not a good strategy."He added that what he has seen recently with the iphone screen protector how to remove older Galaxy S phones is not a common occurrence when it comes to gadget trade-ins, "I've been at Nextworth for three years," he said, "And I can tell you that it's very rare that prices ever increase."Indeed, when Nextworth analyzed pricing information over the past couple of years, the company saw some consistent trends, In the four to five months leading up to and following the launch of the Galaxy S3 and the Galaxy S4, prices on the older Galaxy S phones declined about 25 percent to 30 percent..


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The 54th Super Bowl will kick-off at 11.30pm tonight (6.30pm local time) at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida. Almost 65,000 people are expected to fill the arena with millions more expected to tune in across the globe. NFL fans looking for an easy way to stream tonight’s action have been placed on alert by cybersecurity firm EclecticIQ. In fact, the company’s Threat Intelligence Analyst Joseph Woodruff recently spoke to Express.co.uk about the dangers of online streaming, especially for huge sporting events like the Super Bowl.
Woodruff urged individuals to remain vigilant of legitimate-looking streaming sites that could contain dangerous malware with the ability to compromise your personal data.
He said: “The Super Bowl is historically one of the most-watched broadcasts in the US, going on to attract massive audiences across the globe. However, high-profile sporting events such as the Super Bowl have also become a hot-spot for cybersecurity threats, attracting malicious actors looking to capitalise on people searching for streaming sites as a means to execute various cyber-attacks.
“Fake streaming sites and redirects are a popular tactic used by cyber criminals, and fans searching for different ways to watch the Super Bowl this weekend need to be aware of them, even if they look legitimate.
“One way cyber criminals use these sites to target users is by telling them they have malware on their machine, recommending they call a support number and during the phone call, installing software which allows them to control their device. Once they have access to the system, further damage can be done, whether that is stealing payment details or installing ransomware.
“Hackers can also compromise the safety of viewers through something called ‘typo-squatted domains’, where fake URLs host sites that appear genuine.”
Instead, those in the UK are urged to watch the Super Bowl through legal channels. Sky Sports and BBC One will air coverage of tonight’s game, the latter of which is completely free if you’ve got a TV licence.
Sky Sports’ coverage will begin at 10pm before kick-off at 11.30pm while BBC One will broadcast five minutes before the actions gets underway.
Remember, you don’t have to watch Sky Sports or BBC One on your TV, you can also access coverage from a variety of other devices, too.
All the action can be followed on your desktop or laptop via the Sky Go app, which if you’re an existing customer, is also available on iOS and Android smartphone and tablet devices.
Sky Go is also available on a number of platforms including Amazon Fire devices, iPad, Mac computers and laptops, Playstation 3, PS4 and Xbox One.
The BBC Sport website will show coverage of the game live, complete with real-time text commentary.
The BBC Sport smartphone app – which is available to download for free on iOS and Android devices – also boasts live coverage and text commentary.
BBC’s flagship iPlayer service will also air coverage of the game. BBC iPlayer can also be accessed through Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, BT Vision, Google Chromecast, EE TV, FreeSat, Freeview, NOW TV, Nvidia Shield, Roku, Sky HD, Sky Q, Talk Talk TV, Virgin Media and YouView.


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Berkshire India, a majority-owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, has chosen Metal Communications as its brand building and marketing communications partner as the company enters India for the first time. Berkshire India is entering the insurance sales and distribution space as a corporate agent for Bajaj Allianz General Insurance.
On choosing Metal, Berkshire India CEO Arun Balakrishnan, said, “We interacted with advertising agencies in India and zeroed in on Metal as the team brought in the right degree of enthusiasm backed with skill sets. We feel that building a brand in the online insurance industry requires an out of the box approach and feel that Metal would be the right partner for that.”
Metal will partner with Berkshire India to build and grow the brand in the distribution of motor insurance space to begin with. The agency will be responsible for all brand building and marketing communication and services work for Berkshire India.
On winning the business, Ambarish Ray, Vice President, Metal Communications, said, “This is a great opportunity for Metal to not only work with one of the world’s most admired companies, but also tackle some unique challenges in the sector. Traditionally, insurance has been sold in India and not bought. With its direct model and best practices, Mr Buffett’s company is all set to change the game and we are thrilled to be a part of it.”
Berkshire India will sell insurance products through its online portal berkshireinsurance.com and telemarketing channel, beginning with auto insurance. Berkshire Hathaway has a successful online and direct distribution model in the US and is looking to replicate that success in India.
Metal is an independent Mumbai-headquartered integrated marketing communications company set up in December 2008. With offices in Mumbai and New Delhi, Metal has on its roster blue chip clients like Platinum Guild International, Axis Mutual Fund, Web18, Sennheiser, Bajaj Capital, Zoom TV and Star CJ Alive, among others. Metal’s proprietary strategic tool, ‘Breakthrough’, creates successful and media neutral ideas for brands and businesses.
Chief Content Officer, Eros Group, on Eros Now's first original comedy series, reception to its short form content and code to crack original content strategy
The new Head of Office for FCB Ulka Bengaluru on her vision for the agency, her role in shaping brands over 16 years, and why it is important to have fun in advertising
Strategy Head, Zirca Digital Solutions listed out key aspects of a good content marketing strategy and performance indicators for successful campaign
Richard Ingleton, Group CEO, Kantar Insights, says it is not right to associate market research with just survey
Your weekly news roundup, a summary of some of the stories to keep an eye on
He joined the company in 2016 as Head of India and South Asia at Discovery Network
From Head & Shoulders, Colgate and Vivel Soaps to Prega News and Airtel, Kareena has been the face of several brands


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The producer for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (Yoshinori Kitase) has now revealed some small new info on the new and upcoming game. A small Q&A was held on the official Twitter page.
The first question was: How is development progressing on Final Fantasy VII Rebirth? The answer: “Development is progressing smoothly and according to plan. We are currently working on nailing down a release date for the game.”
The second question was: How will players journey through the world outside of Midgar in FFVII Rebirth? The answer: “Players will be able to journey across the wide and multifaceted world with a high degree of freedom, experiencing a myriad of different stories along the way.”
No release date for the game has been announced yet, but the game will be a PS5 exclusive at launch.


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A recent Technician column written by Laura Villegas criticized cryptocurrencies, stating that they were "not currency," and instead calling them a "crypto-bet." Though the risks of investing in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are high, the truth is that they are indeed currencies, and may hold the promise of a reliable economy in the future.
Repeat after me: Bitcoin is not money. Cryptocurrency is not currency, it is a crypto-bet. I am not saying this is the beginning of the end, but the crypto-bubble may be crypt-exploding.


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It wasn't all that long ago that the European Commission slapped Intel
with some fairly significant antitrust charges
, and it now looks like South Korea is set to do the same. According to Business Journal, after a two-year investigation, the country's Fair Trade Commission has concluded that Intel did in fact violate South Korea's antitrust laws, in particular by offering rebates to computer makers in order to sway them away from rivals like AMD
. While there's no word on what penalties Intel might face just yet, Business Journal is reporting that sanctions should be decided by the FTC by October.


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China investigates EU wines in latest trade spat
BEIJING (Reuters) - China formally began an investigation on Monday into whether Europe is selling wine in China below cost, a response to escalating trade tensions with the European Union.
The Chinese government said it would seek to determine if EU producers benefited from unfair subsidies following a complaint from its own wine producers.
EU officials have said China is only targeting the EU wine industry in retaliation for a dispute with the European Union over cheap Chinese solar panels.
A European Commission spokesman said he was disappointed to learn of China's latest action and that the Commission, the EU executive, would examine whether it was consistent with World Trade Organization (WTO) rules.
WTO rules prevent members from leveling tit-for-tat sanctions, instead requiring proof assembled via thorough investigation that a country's industry has suffered damage before any duties can be imposed.
In its announcement on Monday, China's Commerce Ministry said its inquiry, expected to last at least a year, would meet the relevant WTO rules.
"The Ministry of Commerce will follow the principles of openness, fairness and transparency, fully respect all parties' legal rights, and make a fair ruling based on objective fact and the relevant laws and regulations," it said.
The European Union accuses Chinese manufacturers of dumping billions of euros' worth of solar panels in Europe at below-production cost.
It levied punitive tariffs on Chinese solar panels in June and has warned the duties will rise further unless a negotiated solution is reached by early August. Continued...


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Despite the impact of COVID-19 on consumers’ lifestyles in the U.S. during the past several months, they are still looking forward to the holiday season, with 64% reporting they are just as -- or more -- excited about the holidays this year.
The data, released Thursday from video advertising platforms Unruly and Tremor Video, explores consumers' attitudes, expectations and plans for the 2020 holiday season. The companies surveyed more than 800 U.S. consumers in September 2020 for this study.
Balancing optimism with the reality of the changes, 42% of consumers think holiday ads should reference COVID-19, while 57% want ads to make them feel happy. Some 36% want ads to make them feel inspired, 30% want ads to make them feel nostalgic, 21% want to be amused, 22% want to be informed, 17% want to be surprised, and 20% want ads to amaze them.
While planning holiday advertising campaigns, brands should take special care to celebrate the season while balancing an acknowledgement of the hardships that consumers have faced this year.
The study takes a closer look at consumer interest and demand for the first holiday season since the COVID-19 pandemic began in the U.S.
Some consumers are still anxious about going into stores. The study found 41% of consumers report decreased comfort with shopping in person, which has been increasing online shopping patterns. Three-quarters plan to do at least half of their holiday shopping online, and 53% will increase the frequency of their online shopping.
Price and cost savings will play a major role when shopping.
When asked when they plan to do the bulk of their shopping, 15% said they will do so in October, while 27% cited November, 23% said they will shop on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and 17% cited the first half of December. Despite the possibility of shipment delays, 8% plan to wait for the second half of December.
Where do consumers get their inspiration for gifts? Some 53% said they will watch TV more frequently and 58% will browse the internet more often. About 41% believe that TV ads are among the most influential media channels in terms of inspiring their holiday purchase decisions.
Brands can find success by reaching consumers at their comfort levels and employing nuanced media plans for the holidays.
Digital makes a difference. Searching online at 57% is most or somewhat influential when it comes to making decisions for holiday shopping, and browsing online retailers at 53%. TV ads came in at 41%, followed by social media ads at 37%, email at 36%, and online video ads at 35%.
More traditional ways to make decisions include browsing shops in person at 53%, word of mouth from friends at 53%, browsing catalogs at 42%, and magazine or newspaper articles at 29%.
Additional key findings include:


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SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- It's no secret that even high-end SUVs like Cadillac's Escalade are a steal with the cheap financing that's been available this summer.
But recent data shows that the four-wheel drive, limo-like SUV is extremely popular among car thieves.
According to the Highway Loss Data Institute, the Escalade has a theft-claim rate that's four times higher than the average for 2000 to 2002 vehicles.
"The Escalade has both the highest theft-claim frequency and the worst overall theft losses -- 10 times the average for all vehicles -- indicating it's a top target for thieves," said HLDI executive Kim Hazelbaker in a statement.
HLDI, which tracks insured vehicles, said that the Dodge Stratus has the second highest claims frequency and the Mitsubishi Mirage is in third. SUVs make up half of the top 10.
The Escalade also tops the average theft-loss-payment ranking, more than double another from the GM stable, the Chevrolet Corvette convertible, which is in the No. 2 spot.
Cadillac, a unit of Detroit's General Motors
In July, sales of the Escalade rose 11 percent from last year and for 2003 overall are up 13 percent to more than 26,000 units.
Cadillac points out that on a volume basis, other vehicles are stolen more frequently, which makes sense given the relatively small number of units manufactured.
But the theft-claim rate is considered a telling statistic in the insurance industry. HLDI says it "identifies vehicles with the worst theft losses by counting the number of claims by make and model relative to the number of each make and model insured, indicating which vehicles are more likely to be targets."
The Escalade carries a more than $50,000 price tag, and has been offered with zero percent interest loans for up to 5 years. It has a special ignition system designed to curb theft as well as high-tech tracking system.
That tracking system, called OnStar, is found on many of the GM nameplates and is used for everything from navigation to safety to vehicle recovery.
Cadillac spokesman Kerry Christopher said the Escalade's anti-theft security features, like OnStar, are among the best on the road. For those looking for additional safety, he advised owners to park in well-lit areas or in a garage at night.
Last year, Acura's Integra took the top honors for theft from the HLDI. The car shared parts with others in the Honda family, a trend in the industry that's driven by cost pressure. For the Escalade, many of the vehicle's parts are interchangeable with other pickups and SUVs from General Motors. And the costly customized parts frequently found on the luxury truck also might make it a target for thieves, Christopher said. "The Escalade stands out. It is very noticeable," he said.


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For years, Lockheed Martin has been working on hypersonic (Mach 5 and above) aircraft like the SR-72, which could reach virtually any part of the world within a couple of hours. These vehicles have long been seen as distant prospects (the SR-72 might not reach service until 2030 at the earliest), but they now appear to be coming together. Lockheed tells the press that it expects to fly a demonstrator hypersonic aircraft “the size of an F-22” at a cost of less than $1 billion. That’s no mean feat when some conventional programs cost more, and it’s a hint that hypersonic technology is becoming a practical reality.
This vehicle won’t be crude, either. While the existing Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept project will rely on a booster to reach the altitude where its ramjet kicks in, the new concept embraces the SR-72’s “turbine-based combined cycle,” where conventional jet tech meets a ramjet. That would let it transition from takeoff to hypersonic speeds without needing a booster engine or helper aircraft in the early stages.
Lockheed’s work will still take a while to come to fruition. It’s readying a demonstrator aircraft for 2018, and the first hypersonic vehicles in the 2020s (such as HAWC) will likely be weapons. Still, these are positive signs. Although the military is the target customer right now, the developments could lead to hypersonic passenger aircraft that get you across continents in the same time that a short-hop flight takes today.
Via: Foxtrot Alpha
Source: DefenseNews, Reuters
Photos taken through glass, say of the skyscrapers surrounding the one you’re in, are often ruined by glare. That’s why MIT Media Lab’s Camera Culture Group is researching for ways to make a camera that can shoot clear photos through windows. The team developed a system that beams light onto whatever you want to shoot and measures the arrival times and the intensity of light reflected by objects, including glass. They used an ultrafast streak camera for the system’s earlier iterations. But for this particular project, they used and modified a device with a depth sensor that’s easy to find and buy: a Kinect camera.
Modifying the Kinect to be able to do what they want wasn’t easy. The group had to join forces with Microsoft Research to make sure the camera beams specific frequencies of light and to develop an algorithm that can separate reflections from different depths. You can read the technical explanation behind their work on MIT’s website, but you can see the results in the image above.
Paris Diderot University physics professor Laurent Daudet said he particularly enjoyed that the team used a consumer product for their work. “For this challenging problem,” he added, “everyone would think that you’d need expensive, research-grade, bulky lab equipment. This is a very elegant and inspiring line of work.” The system could lead to reasonably priced cameras with built-in anti-glare feature, but most likely not anytime soon.
A different team from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory also worked with Google to develop an algorithm for reflection-free photos. Their method involves using different frames from a short video to separate obstructions (reflections, fences, etc.) from the actual object you want to capture.
Uniloc, perhaps best known as Patent Troll in Chief, suffered a pretty devastating blow today. The company has long asserted that its “software activation” patent that’s beguiled everyone from Microsoft (to the tune of $388 million) to Electronic Arts gives it clearance to sue just about anyone who uses a form of online authentication for software. Until now, according to the Kansas City Business Journal. The Patent Trademark and Appeals Board has ruled that Uniloc’s patent number 5,490,216 is invalid via an inter partes review (IPR). Essentially an IPR is a way for inventors to challenge a patent without getting federal courts involved.
To win, Sega of America, Ubisoft, Cambium Learning Group (an educational software developer), Lexmark subsidiary Kofax and Star Trek Online publisher Perfect World Entertainment fought back with something different. Uniloc has been using an apparently vaguely written Australian patent for its DRM system. That was filed a year prior to submitting it domestically, after other companies had released similar systems. The PTAB sided with the aforementioned companies, agreeing that Uniloc’s practice wasn’t on the up and up.
“Ultimately the PTAB gave undue credibility to a lone expert opinion that was authored by petitioners’ counsel,” Unilock USA president Sean Burdick wrote in an email. “Congratulations to Erise IP [the law firm representing Ubisoft and Co.] for pulling wool over the eyes of the Patent office.” And that, my friends, is what we call irony. Uniloc can still appeal, of course, but hasn’t done so yet. If that email is any indicator, chances are high that this isn’t the last we’ll hear from Burdick.
Via: Ars Technica
Source: Kansas City Business Journal
So far, the solutions to wireless spectrum crunches have involved either offering relatively untapped airwaves or reusing frequencies that were previously assigned to something else. However, DARPA knows this can’t go on forever — and it’s looking for help to devise a clever way around the problem. The military research agency has launched a new Grand Challenge that will have teams develop artificial intelligence-powered radios that cooperate with each other to avoid wireless congestion. Rather than force devices to use narrow frequency ranges regardless of how crowded they may be, DARPA would like to see those gadgets negotiate frequency sharing whenever they need it.
The competition will take a while. It doesn’t start until 2017, and won’t pick a winner until early 2020. DARPA will even have to create a giant wireless testbed to see how the competitors fare in relatively realistic conditions. It could be worthwhile, though, as the winner will scoop up a $2 million prize.
The institution notes that there could be clear advantages to AI-based radios in the military, which could keep communications up and running on the battlefield. However, they’d also mitigate problems for just about everyone — you wouldn’t have to worry about your smartphone’s data bogging down in a busy part of town, or watch nearby networks interfere with your drone flight. Wireless technologies like 5G or unlicensed cellular could become that much more practical, as you wouldn’t see their potential wasted by arbitrary spectrum rules.
Source: DARPA, Spectrum Collaboration Challenge
Apple is planning a major overhaul of the iPhone for 2017, including the adoption of an all-new curved glass casing paired with a curved 5.8-inch AMOLED display, according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Seeking to move away from the metal casing designs that are no longer unique, Apple will reportedly take the glass-backed design used for the iPhone 4 and 4s “to the next level” in building the 2017 iPhone.
We expect the 2017 new iPhone model to adopt a structural design similar to that of iPhone 4/ 4s, meaning it will be equipped with glass on both the front and back sides, and a metal frame surrounded the edges. The difference is that the new model will likely come with a curved screen and curved glass casing, with other important features including a 5.8-inch AMOLED display, wireless charging, and more biometric recognitions (facial or iris). Given the curved design, the new model may look smaller than an existing 5.5-inch iPhone.
Kuo lays out two scenarios for Apple’s 2017 lineup, depending on availability of the AMOLED displays needed for the new phone. If supplies are sufficient, Apple would launch a 4.7-inch LCD-based iPhone paired with the new 5.8-inch AMOLED iPhone as a larger option. But if AMOLED display production is unable to meet the entire large-screen demand, Kuo believes Apple will launch 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch LCD iPhones similar to today’s lineup, with the 5.8-inch AMOLED model being a third option at the high end.
Such a major change in 2017 would be part of a significant departure from Apple’s usual pattern of keeping the same general body style for two years before making major changes. The current iPhone 6s and 6s Plus represent the second year of the current body style, and normally this year’s iPhone 7 would be expected to see a significant external redesign to freshen up the look. Leaks and rumors have, however, suggested changes could be fairly minor in the iPhone 7.
Previous rumors have suggested Apple is looking to launch a 5.8-inch OLED iPhone in 2017 or 2018, with Apple rumored to be working with several different OLED display manufacturers.
Related Roundup: iPhone 6s
Tags: Ming-Chi Kuo, iPhone 7s, iPhone 8
Buyer’s Guide: iPhone (Don’t Buy)
Discuss this article in our forums
All the fuss over Foxconn’s protracted acquisition of Sharp might come to a close soon. Reuters tipsters understand that the two tech giants will finally sign the takeover deal on March 31st, a day after they hold board meetings to approve it. Sharp may not be so happy with the end result, mind you. Foxconn is supposedly slashing its offer for Sharp’s shares by ¥100 billion (about $884 million), possibly owing to the liabilities it discovered at Sharp last month. Neither side has commented on the apparent leak, but it won’t take long to learn whether or not there’s any truth to the story.
If everything goes forward, the alliance could represent a sea change in the tech industry. Foxconn would not only get the freedom to make major consumer products under a brand it owns, but take display manufacturing under its wing — it could assemble more of a given device entirely in-house. That could be particularly crucial for Apple, which is rumored to be making OLED iPhones in 2018. Apple could turn to its biggest manufacturing partner for screens and avoid supporting mobile rivals like LG and Samsung, both of which currently dominate the OLED space.
Last June Microsoft showed off its HoloLens tech that created holograms from live video. Now it’s putting that into practice and giving it an official name: Holoportation. It uses multiple 3D cameras to capture a subject from all angles, creating a “temporally consistent model” that can mimic the feeling of someone being in a room with you. During a TED Talk,Alex Kipman used it to virtually meet with a colleague in front of a Mars backdrop, but this lab demo from Microsoft Research shows something a bit more realistic. That is, so long as you’re wearing one of the $3,000 augmented reality headsets.
The setup is in an incredibly controlled environment (the remote location and where the video hosted by Microsoft Research’s Shahram Izadai are laid out pretty similarly), but it definitely shows the potential of using the device as a means of long-distance communication. You can even record a portion of a holoportation session and play it back, shrinking it down to size to fit on your coffee table. It’s pretty neat! But it’s still incredibly early. Artifacts resulting from compression or motion tracking are still present, a reminder that this is still a prototype, and break the illusion a bit.
Check out the picture-in-picture shots and you’ll see the somewhat flickery and translucent images that go part and parcel with the headset at this point. Despite that, it’s hard to not get at least a little excited for a future where real-time holographic meet-ups with a loved one (or a zombie) exist.
Source: Microsoft Research


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Amazon has been fined €746 ($887m) for allegedly flouting European Union (EU) data privacy laws and ordered to revise certain undisclosed business practices.
The fine was issued by the National Commission for Data Protection (CNPD), Luxembourg’s national data protection agency, on 16 July.
In response, the e-commerce giant said that the CNPD’s decision was ‘without merit’ and that it would defend its practices ‘vigorously’ on this issue.
Amazon revealed the fine in a US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing on 30 July.
The filing said that the online retailer had allegedly failed to comply with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
According to GDPR, companies are required to have people’s consent prior to using their personal data or else face penalties of as much as 4% of their annual global sales.
An Amazon spokesperson said: “Maintaining the security of our customers’ information and their trust are top priorities. There has been no data breach and no customer data has been exposed to any third party.
“These facts are undisputed. We strongly disagree with the CNPD’s ruling and we intend to appeal.
“The decision relating to how we show customers relevant advertising relies on subjective and untested interpretations of European privacy law, and the proposed fine is entirely out of proportion with even that interpretation.”
CNPD initially launched its probe in 2018 after French privacy rights group La Quadrature du Net filed a complaint against the retailer.
Last week, Amazon reported a 27% increase in net sales to $113.1bn in the second quarter of this year, up from $88.9bn in the same period of last year.
In May, the online retailer faced an antitrust lawsuit for allegedly fixing online retail prices for third-party sellers through contract provisions and policies on its platform.
Last month, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) filed a lawsuit against Amazon, forcing it to recall potentially hazardous products from its platform.


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- 8 Jul 2013
- Reaction score
HTC will expand its entry-level 4G smartphone portfolio in the first quarter of next year, hints President of HTC North Asia, Jack Tong, in a media report.
Tong is also reported to have to revealed some statistics, such as HTC handsets sold online currently account for a 'double-digit ratio to its total sales'.
The DigiTimes report further citesTong to say HTC will stress on promotion of affordable HTC handsets over the Internet. Tong also expects that HTChandset shipment will grow by a double-digit rate next year. He also revealed that the single-SIM Desire 820will be available in markets starting January 2015


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AITWA National President Mahendra Arya said due to high GST of 28 per cent, initial cost has gone up and not only that many small transporters are bearing the burden directly as they don't get credit on it.
The Central government might soon call a meeting with automobile industry stake-holders to discuss measures to arrest the continuous decline in the sector's sales, sources privy to the development said on Thursday.
The 36th GST Council meeting, which was to be held through video conferencing, had only one item in the agenda.
Working capital has gone up after full tax now being part of invoicing, and the refund dues have also accumulated which has impacted more than Rs 500 crore in receivables for Hero MotoCorp.
There were around 226 goods in the 28 per cent category, when the Goods and Services Tax (GST) was implemented on July 1, 2017.
FAIASPDA, which is an apex body of those dealing in motor parts, held its AGM in Guwahati on Thursday.
GST replaces more than a dozen levies with a new tax. That should help reduce the immense power India’s myriad middlemen wield at state borders.
While the exact cess would be decided by the GST council when the rates are finalised, FM said that the states and the Centre had given them selves headroom for the levy.
At the meeting, to be chaired by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, the Centre is likely to press its proposal for 4-tier tax structure of 8, 12, 18 and 26 per cent, the peak rate being for FMCG and consumer durables.
At the time of the year when sales usually peak, these companies are dealing with a large number of prospective customers who are postponing their buying decision.
"The rate structure on which there is a lot of discussion going on at the moment with the GST Council and also in the public domain... will get resolved in the next meeting of GST Council in the first week of November.
With the finance ministry setting November 22 as the deadline for building consensus on all the issues in the Council, the upcoming meeting is significant as it will decide on the most crucial aspect of tax rate that will have a bearing on the common man.
When talking about electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles and other alternative fuel vehicles, the body said that a lower GST rate which should be at least 8 percent less than the standard rate need to be applied.
States such as Kerala have been vocal in suggesting the levy should be upwards of 20% to ensure that state revenue collections are not impacted by the GST rollout from April.
The new fiscal framework could provide the government wiggle room so that if revenues take a hit because of the low tax rate, this space could be utilized till the biggest tax reform since Independence starts yielding gains.
In their interaction with the state finance ministers, industry chambers also said it is difficult for them to meet the April 1, 2017, deadline for rollout of GST as they need sufficient time to put in place the IT infrastructure.
It is expected that certain goods, such as capital goods, would become cheaper by 12-14 per cent, increasing demand for them, raising investment and, thus, economic growth.


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Featured Hot DealsRs. 20900Rs. 7146Rs. 26999Rs. 23999Rs. 17650Rs. 14490Rs. 34989Rs. 13050Rs. 12499Rs. 26999
Lenovo and Reliance to launch five sub-Rs. 8,000 smartphones in IndiaReliance has tied up with Lenovo to launch five sub Rs. 8,000 smartphones in India for the GSM as well as CDMA network.
Reliance Communication has joined hands with Lenovo to launch five GSM-CDMA based smartphones in India. The smartphones will be priced under Rs. 8,000, so it is clear that the devices are targeted at the masses.
The Lenovo-Reliance phones will be available from March 2013 and will be distributed through 2,500 Reliance stores and 1,000 company stores of Lenovo.
"This is an important step in redefining India's CDMA device ecosystem. In the next six months, we plan to launch 4-5 more smartphones and tablets, which will be priced attractively to have a full bouquet of smart devices. The device announced today is in line with our endeavour to develop the CDMA device ecosystem, offering consumers speed and coverage." RCom President and CEO (Wireless Business) Gurdeep Singh said in a press release.
"India's smartphone market is booming and predicted to grow even faster in the coming years. Lenovo's partnership with Reliance creates strong synergies that leverage the unique strengths of Reliance and Lenovo," Lenovo Group SVP and President (LBG) Liu Jun said.
The smartphones are expected to have a dual-core 1GHz processor and run on the Android OS. No other specifications of the devices are known.
Micromax is one company that has launched devices in the sub Rs. 8,000 price bracket. Recently it announced the A89 Ninja for Rs. 7,000. The phone has a 4-inch TFT display with a 480x800 pixel resolution. A 1GHz dual-core Mediatek MT6577 SoC processor and 512MB of RAM power the device. It houses a 1450mAh battery. Micromax is expected to launch more than 30 phones in 2013.
With the growth in competition in the budget category, one thing is clear. The winner is the consumer. Sure, in the past a budget smartphone meant you would compromise on certain features and have an overall lacklustre experience, but now, budget smartphones have made a name for themselves as testing waters for those who want to know what its like to own an Android device.
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More than 10 million people in the UK have waited until Cyber Monday to begin their Christmas shopping online, according to the Royal Mail.
The postal service found that 22% of online shoppers have held off until December and one in five (19%) respondents said they started their present buying in the summer.
The study also found that 7% of people started their Christmas shopping in the Boxing Day sales last year.
"Online shopping continues to grow and people are buying their Christmas presents earlier to take some of the stress out of their Christmas shopping or to spread the cost," said Nick Landon, managing director of Royal Mail Parcels.
"Royal Mail has also been preparing for the busy festive period and has opened a dedicated network of ten parcel sort centres to handle the additional volume we experience every Christmas.
"As we do every year we're asking people to help our postmen and women spread the busy festive workload by buying their gifts online as soon as they can, and to post their cards before the latest recommended posting dates."
The figures come after separate research from software firm Sage found that online spending in the UK over the weekend was expected to approach £1.5bn ($2.3bn, €1.8bn).
Sage predicted that online retailers will take just over £600m in 24 hours on Cyber Monday as website visits hit 125 million.
The firm's data highlights 12pm (noon) as the busiest time of Cyber Monday, as it has been for the past two years.
"With just four weeks until Christmas, Cyber Monday is traditionally the day when consumers rush online to do their festive shopping," said Simon Black, CEO at Sage Pay.
"With record online spending predicted for Christmas 2014, including Cyber Monday, it's never been more important for small businesses to be online.
"Preparation should start with making sure your website and payments systems are optimised for the high volumes of traffic experienced on Cyber Monday."


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Arcane Research Suggests Slowing Down Of Adoption Despite Demand For P2P Crypto Trading Platforms In
Arcane Research has suggested that despite demand for peer-to-peer (P2P) crypto trading platforms in the Middle East, regulations and lack of infrastructure is slowing down adoption. But undocumented migrants in western countries have been making use of these platforms to send money back home.
It has been reported that P2P crypto trading volume across the Middle East and Northern Africa is around 15% what it was in late 2017 on major platforms LocalBitcoins and Paxful, or around $682,000 a week.
The report stated:
“In general, there are several centralized exchanges providing services in the more developed Arab states. However, other countries in the region do not have this exchange infrastructure, and also lack financial and political stability, but [have] not seen any notable crypto adoption on the P2P.”
Likewise, there is a demand for P2P services in Middle Eastern countries facing inflation, as it allows residents to get money out of the country or simply convert to crypto.
The Lebanese pound has suffered massive inflation in 2020. And while Iran has been a hotspot for crypto miners due to the low cost of electricity, its currency has also been ravaged by crippling hyperinflation since the United States reimposed sanctions in 2018.
The report said that despite this, P2P exchanges in both Lebanon and Iran are struggling to establish a foothold due to “poor Internet infrastructure and political regimes being negative towards Bitcoin.”
Instead, Arcane researchers found that “less sophisticated” Bitcoin P2P trading methods have grown in the region during the same period, spurred by messaging apps like WhatsApp.
Peer-to-peer trading volume in the Middle East and Northern Africa has dropped to roughly 15% of what it was during the 2017 bull run. https://t.co/R3OP5uNzAP — Cointelegraph (@Cointelegraph) October 23, 2020
Also, the report indicated that undocumented immigrants living in western countries are turning to crypto to send funds home using gift cards in conjunction with P2P trading platforms when local laws make sending crypto more difficult.
Arcane Research suggests Venezuelan immigrants have found “workarounds” to send money home amid “clampdowns on cryptocurrencies and strict currency control.”
According to researchers, immigrants can purchase gift cards to any number of popular retailers like Amazon or just a prepaid credit card, and send a picture of it to family and friends abroad. The recipients could then sell it for Bitcoin using a P2P platform and convert it into local currency.
The report stated that such a remittance method was fast and reliable, but incurred significant fees.
“Bitcoin can be used as a capital flight tool for Venezuelans. The hyperinflation is a huge problem for Venezuela and [has] caused over 10% of the population to leave the country.”
#P2PTrading #P2P #middleeast #CryptoNewsPoint #ArcaneResearch #DigitalNotice


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This week, construction began on a $375 million lithium refining plant in Corpus Christi, Texas. According to CEO Elon Musk, the plant will refine enough lithium each year to power 1 million automobiles.
At Monday’s groundbreaking, Musk stated, “We thought it was important to address… a fundamental choke point in the advancement of electric vehicles, which is the availability of battery-grade lithium.”
The Biden administration is trying to hasten the shift to EVs, but the United States lacks a functional supply chain for the raw ingredients used to make batteries, including lithium. While China refines more than half of the world’s lithium, this country is only responsible for 1 percent of the total.
According to Melissa Barbanell, director of U.S.-International Engagement at the World Resources Institute and an expert on the clean energy economy, “EV technology is really all lithium-dependent right now and probably for quite a while going forward.” The risk of failing to achieve our objectives increases if we have to import lithium from other countries.
Providing Automakers with Billions
The Biden administration has spent the past year allocating billions to automakers, materials processors, and start-ups to assist fill the domestic battery manufacturing deficit. To qualify for the Clean Vehicle Tax Credit, a vehicle’s batteries must be sourced from the United States or a country with whom the United States has a free trade agreement, according to the Inflation Reduction Act, which was signed into law last August.
To guarantee that its vehicles are eligible for those credits and to safeguard itself against supply chain changes and geopolitical disruptions, Tesla plans to begin refining its own lithium. GM is the only American manufacturer with a plan to purify its own lithium, so in January, it announced a $650 million investment in the Thacker Pass lithium mining project in Nevada.
Tesla asserts that its purification process will use 20% less energy than current methods while still being more environment friendly. The company claims it will generate less harmful waste products that may be used elsewhere, such as in building materials. “We end up as a net environmentally very neutral site,” said Turner Caldwell, Tesla’s senior manager of battery minerals and metals. The completion of the Texas plant is anticipated for the year 2025.
International lithium mines supply Tesla
The supply of lithium and the other important minerals necessary for the green transition remains problematic, even with less damaging processing methods. Some of Tesla’s suppliers are international lithium miners, which have been accused of social and environmental damage, including the contamination of water sources and the destruction of sacred Indigenous sites. There is currently only one operating lithium mine in the United States, despite Tesla’s early agreements with firms that will mine lithium in North America.
Some Americans, including some North Carolinians, are opposed to the industry’s expansion into their state. Opponents of the mining industry suggest that the green transition should put greater emphasis on expanding access to public transport and on developing micro-mobility solutions.
However, Barnabell argued that domestic mining had benefits beyond just ensuring a steady supply. Not transporting lithium ore hundreds of miles around the world saves energy, and American operations may be subject to stricter environmental and social regulations. “When it’s being done in the U.S., we know the laws that are applied,” she explained. How we know if something is being done correctly is undergoing significant change.
The Biden administration has made significant investments to create a closed-loop system for domestic battery production, in addition to its efforts to ensure a steady supply of new materials for EV batteries. A Nevada company that recycles electric vehicle batteries was just awarded a $2 billion conditional loan from the Department of Energy.
Lithium for the Texas plant will first originate from hardrock mines, but Caldwell said the process is “feed flexible,” so it could eventually purify lithium from recyclable sources like manufacturing debris and spent batteries.


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- Our Blog
Shhh… Your mom has a secret. This year for Mother’s Day she is really hoping for a tech gift. Your mom may not be a techie, but she is certain to love these tech gifts that will brighten her day. That’s right, your mom is bound to grin with delight when she opens up her Mother’s Day present this year and finds one of these tech gifts.
Getting the truth is challenging enough without seeing fake news stories in your Facebook News Feed. If your friend posts a fake news story, it may be an innocent mistake. But if you share that story with others, you may be spreading information that just isn’t true. Facebook has started rolling out a program that shows an alert when the truth of a news story has been dispute ...
How many terms have you searched on Google in 2016? 1.2 trillion searches done on Google around the world in 2016 and Google Trends kept track of the most popular search terms. From Brexit to the Olympic Summer Games to Aleppo, Syria to the US Presidential election to terrorist attacks to celebrity deaths, 2016 was filled with news.
If you think your fitness tracker on your wrist is giving you a good excuse to eat that donut, you may want to think again. According to a recent study from the Stanford University School of Medicine, fitness trackers are not accurate at tracking calories, though they are accurate at measuring heart rate.
Fun game apps are a “must” to have handy on your phone. You can play them to entertain you and make you think when you have free time. Keep them on your phone or tablet when you need a diversion. Whether you’re stuck in the office on a Friday afternoon or stuck in a car on a long road trip or stuck on a flight that is delayed, your time will be more tolerable if you keep yourself amused.
What’s more fun than shopping? Doing good when you shop! You can donate to your favorite charity when you shop at Amazon. And donating to your favorite charity won’t cost you any extra. The AmazonSmile program is a free service that donates a portion of your Amazon purchases to your favorite charity. All you have to do is head to AmazonSmile instead of amazon.com when you shop at Amazon.
Google started its annual I/O Developers Conference yesterday by announcing new tech that takes us into the future. Many of these announcements involve updates to existing tech, making the tech you already have more useful. At the conference, Google announced that Android has over 2 billion monthly active devices now.
On Friday, the largest cyberattack ever infected over 200,000 computers in over 150 countries around the world. The attack launched a virus that locked the computers’ data until a ransom of $300 was paid in Bitcoin. The ransomware virus, called WannaCry, infected computers in organizations ranging from the British healthcare system (NHS), to FedEx in the US, to the Russian Interior Ministry.
Amazon is innovating again, bringing us another version of its Echo smart speaker, the Echo Show. What makes the Echo Show different is that it has a touch screen so you can see what Alexa, Amazon’s voice assistant, can do. You may think that it was just yesterday that Amazon introduced a new Echo device. Well, it wasn’t yesterday, but you’re close.
Q. What’s the difference between virtual reality and augmented reality? These tech terms seem interchangeable to me, but I found out the hard way that they’re not. I used the term virtual reality when I should have said augmented reality in referring to Pokémon GO. Let’s just say the eye roll I got from my teenage son was almost audible.
How are you looking today? Are you sure you’re looking your best? And how do you know if you’re looking your best? Do you trust your friends and family to tell you the truth about how you’re actually looking? If you could look better, would you want to? Or do you even care about how you’re looking? Amazon Echo Look Amazon wants to help you look better with its new device, Echo Look.
If you’re still getting used to the idea of self-driving cars, then the next leap to flying cars may seem like a distant concept. But two companies have big plans to bring flying cars to reality very soon. Imagine never having to worry about traffic jams, stop lights, road construction or potholes.
If you’ve been reading Kindle books for a while, you may have accumulated hundreds or even thousands of books by now. But trying to find which books you want to read in your library may be a challenge. Whether you’re reading Kindle books on a Kindle ereader, phone, tablet or your computer, you may want an easy way to find books in your library.
Facebook held its annual F8 developers’ conference this week, revealing its plans for the future. While in the past the company has changed the way we communicate with others, Facebook has even bigger plans for our future. At the conference, Facebook shared its plans for radically changing the way we communicate.
You may do an image search to see what someone or something looks like. But there are many other reasons to do image searches. Now you can use images see related items to get inspiration for fashion, travel, decorating and more. Google and Pinterest have each created new ways to search using images.
Tech makes sharing messages very easy. Facebook, email, text messages, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and more help you communicate your thoughts with others more easily than ever before. For those who want to share scripture from the Bible, tech has made that easier too. Perhaps you want to lift someone’s spirits by sharing an inspirational verse.
If you think driverless vehicles are the future of transportation, you may be correct. Using driverless vehicles for public transportation got a step closer to reality this month, with a self-driving pod that is being tested in the Greenwich area of London, England. This pod, called “Harry”, is moving people around Greenwich to test how driverless vehicles can interact with the public.
There are times when you need to know who is calling or texting you, but you can’t look at your phone. You may be expecting a very important call from a very important person. Maybe you’re hoping to hear about a new job, or about a new baby who’s due any day, or about being cast in a new Broadway musical.
Making personal technology user-friendly for you!


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This week in Windows Phone we heard that developers don't think porting apps has value, Microsoft to control Windows 10 Mobile updates, and LG is back.
Showing results 1 to 20 of 2,175
News in the iOS world this week covered the first update for Apple Watch OS, a judge opens iPhone design to the world, and the watch will soon hit retail stores for purchase.
The small update is mainly bug fixes, a new default Today view and performance improvements, including some for Siri which has been inconsistent on my wrist of late.
It's about time for Apple's TV "hobby" to become a big deal: A new software platform for third-party apps would help. And the Apple Watch is expected to improve too next month.
This week in Windows Phone we saw a big new Windows 10 update, heard that porting apps may not be so easy, and the hot Lumia 640 is coming to the US.
Citrix updated its product line at its flagship conference with a focus on making enterprise apps more accessible on tablets and mobile devices.
NetSuite also outlined customer wins including Pebble, the smart watch maker.
Bushel is a cloud-based Mobile Device Management (MDM) for the Mac, iPhone, iPad and iPod devices. You can put your Apple devices under Bushel's MDM and still let them shine.
Battery life on the latest iPads and iPhones is pretty good, but if you've recently noticed that yours isn't lasting as long as before, Amazon might be to blame.
The iPhone was a big hit and while China was a huge reason, it's not the only one, says Apple's CEO. He still has high hopes for the iPad and shared an Apple Watch apps goal.
While Apple doesn't seem to have any problems shifting iPhones pretty much as fast as it can make them, sales data suggests that the peak for iPad sales may have come and gone, and now it's on a steady decline similar to that experienced by the iPod.
Microsoft has made available another new test build of Windows 10 Desktop that includes a number of new features and updates, including new mail and calendar apps.
Google recently announced Wi-Fi support for Android Wear and now the companion app includes the Cloud sync feature, plus a choice of calendars to display on your watch.
Google's latest software update for Android Wear will make the smartwatches easier to use in a hands-free mode and over Wi-Fi networks.
Scaling phone apps up to a large screen? That's far easier than scaling them down to a wearable device. It will require more planning and thought.
In iOS news this week we had reports of loaner iPads from vending machines, Apple Pay users having trouble, and you can trade in some non-Apple phones for a new iPhone.
Looking for apps for your iPad that you'll actually end up using? These 10 apps are a good place to start.
You have an iPad with lots of apps installed that you don't use much. Here are some apps you need, and you will use them.
The iPhone and iPad tech giant launched the new mobile software alongside its desktop operating system counterpart as a testbed for developers and early-adopters.
Apple has patched a security vulnerability in iPhones and iPads, which the company warned could allow an attacker to intercept encrypted connections.
The best of ZDNet, delivered
- 1 ZDNet Cloud TV: Hurdles to overcome (highlights)
- 2 Perfectly legal ways you can still get Windows 7 cheap (or even free)
- 3 34 ways to improve your iPhone's battery life
- 4 How much does an iPhone 6 really cost? (Hint: It's way more than $199)
- 5 So you have an app idea and want to make a bajillion bucks


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Mark Zuckerberg, who founded Facebook, the social media monster before 16 years, Mark Zuckerberg plans to give away 99% of his Facebook shares over his lifetime.
His net worth passed a hundred billion USD for the first time Thursday after Facebook Inc. hit a record high on confidence about the release of its Reels. Mark Zuckerberg‘s wealth is largely derived from his 13% stake in Facebook.
Founders of the largest technology companies have enjoyed a mind-boggling growth of wealth this year as the COVID-19 pandemic drives more people online, despite the US economy constricting at its fastest speed on record. Zuckerberg has gained about twenty-two billion USD in 2020, while Bezos is up more than seventy-five billion USD. The stunning numbers have put Big Tech under enlarged scrutiny, with Mark Zuckerberg, Bezos, Apple Inc.
Apple, Amazon.com Inc., Alphabet, Facebook, and Microsoft Corp. — currently have market valuations corresponding to about thirty percent of U.S. gross domestic product, nearly double what they were at the end of 2018.
U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, in the interim, plans to bring in legislation to tax what he called “obscene wealth gains” during the COVID-19 crisis. The “Make Billionaires Pay Act” would tax sixty percent of the raise in the ultra-wealthy net worth from 18th March 2020 through the end of the year and use the profits to cover out-of-pocket health-care everyday expenditure and expenses of all their citizens.
Even overseas, tech giants are among the top gainers in 2020. China-based Tencent Holdings Ltd. Chief Executive Officer Pony Ma has an additional seventeen billion USD, taking his possibility to more than fifty-five billion, while the assets of Pinduoduo Inc.’s Colin Huang has raised thirteen billion USD to thirty-two billion. India’s Mukesh Ambani has turned out to be twenty-two billion richer as the digital unit of his Reliance Industries Ltd. got funds from firms including Facebook, Google, and Silver Lake. He’s now worth 80.3 billion USD.


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Weymouth Olympics parking charges reduced
1 August 2012 Last updated at 20:57 BST
Parking charges in Weymouth have been cut following lower than expected visitor numbers to the town during the Olympic sailing events.
Retailers have complained business is suffering from the resort being quieter than anticipated.
The council said it would "help local businesses and encourage visitors".
While the ticketed sailing spectator area has sold out, the 15,000-capacity "live arena" on the beach has rarely had more than 1,000 people at a time.


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December 31, 2012
Ring in the New Year with the official New Year’s Eve Ball countdown app (and keep those resolutions too!)
The countdown is on. It’s New Year’s Eve and folks are either getting ready to go out and party or assembling a junk food fest to sit on the couch and gorge the night away, but it’s guaranteed that almost everyone will have their eyes locked on Time Square’s Ball when the clock strikes midnight. […]
December 1, 2018
Google app 8.65 continues work on Podcasts episode search, Image Search filters [APK Insight]
The latest version of the Google app is rolling out this evening with a number of small tweaks and features. Google app 8.65 details more about Podcasts episode search, Google Image Search filters, and more.
November 27, 2018
Review: Google Pixel Slate serves as an excellent ‘B’ to the Pixelbook’s predictable A/B test
Google is known for doing a few different versions of everything. Android Messages and Allo. Gmail and Inbox (by Gmail). Google Play Music and YouTube Music. Take your pick. The strategy is this: Take many versions of an idea seriously and you’re bound to get enough data to point you in the right direction. Intentional […]
March 26, 2019
Google’s original Pixel gets a speed test to show how four Android versions affect performance
It came as a surprise earlier this month when Google revealed that it would be providing an official update to Android Q for the original Pixel phones. Now, a speed test has hit YouTube to show how all of these updates affect the aging device.
January 8, 2019
10 Essential Google Chrome extensions for 2019 [Video]
Google Chrome needs to have the RAM management issues addressed but it hasn’t really stopped it from being arguably the best browser, even more so when you factor in the power of Chrome Extensions.
October 20, 2020
Google Pixel 5: Top 10 new features [Video]
The Google Pixel 5 has started shipping globally — sorry US — which is now putting the highly anticipated device in the palms of those that pre-ordered. It’s not a traditional “flagship” Made by Google phone, but the Pixel 5 does have a host of new features, and we’ve collated a top 10 of our […]
November 8, 2019
[Update: Flutter confirmed] Google Stadia app is now live in the Play Store
Stadia, Google’s upcoming game streaming service for almost any device including Pixel phones, is less than two weeks away from its official launch. Ahead of the November 19 launch, the Google Stadia app for Android is now available for download in the Google Play Store.
December 12, 2013
Google announces the winners of its Players Choice award for best apps and games of the year
Google has announced the winners of the 2013 Players’ Choice awards for top Google Play apps and games. The awards are given based on user popularity, unlike the apps featured last week in the Play Store for a similar award, which were chosen by Google themselves. There were six categories spanning apps and games. The […]
July 25, 2016
Review: Moto Z, Moto Z Force, and Moto Mods are ‘modular’ done well, but not cheap [Video]
Moto Z is the first Moto-branded flagship since Lenovo began phasing out the Motorola brand name, and the successor to the popular Moto X line. At the time of its unveiling, Moto X represented a new Motorola with a new, clearer vision under the influence of Google itself. The company ditched the heavy skins commonly found […]
July 19, 2018
Review: How YouTube Music stacks up against Spotify and Pandora
YouTube Music, the latest in Google’s long history of attempts at breaking into the music streaming market, launched last month in 17 countries. However, it may be too late for Google’s latest attempt at music streaming, as the competition is fierce between veteran services like Spotify and Pandora, newcomers like Deezer and Tidal, and of course […]
May 8, 2018
Google News gets redesigned with AI features, new app, available starting today
Keeping up with the news is a big part of our day, and since its inception nearly two decades ago, Google News has been a place for anyone to find what they’re looking for. Now, Google is giving it a makeover.


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Sony has revealed a new patent filing that will allow PlayStation gamers to trade NFTs across different platforms. Prior to the arrival of non-fungible tokens, this wasn’t possible due to technological limitations. However, Sony believes it has figured out a way to seamlessly trade in game assets across the different games it supports.
The patent was filed last year; however, it has only recently come to light. Sony intends to develop a blockchain-backed marketplace where users can sell their NFTs to other players, with prices publicly listed. Additionally, the marketplace will also allow the renting of in-game assets between players.
Dubbed “NFT Framework For Transferring And Using Digital Assets Between Game Platforms,” the patent describes a “system and method for tracking digital assets associated with video games.” These could represent in-game items, characters or skins. Furthermore, players will also have the opportunity to record special game plays and monetize them as NFTs. All this data will be stored on a publicly available distributed ledger, making ownership transparent and trackable.
The Many Gaming Patents Sony Files
The patent signifies Sony’s growing affection for NFTs and distributed ledger technology. Gaming is one of the main industries that is experiencing a revolution thanks to blockchain technology. NFTs, in particular, are playing a huge role by allowing for the monetization of in-game assets.
By filing a patent of this nature, Sony hopes to block competitors from copying its ideas, while also giving the company a license to keep innovating without incurring royalties. However, it doesn’t conclusively mean the company will implement the technology any time soon. For instance, Sony’s gaming-related research and development arm files almost a thousand patents annually. For the past 3 months of this year alone, the company has been awarded 170 patents, according to the USPTO database.


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But the latest action by Yahoo is rather intriguing and tickles me a little bit, after some talks with AOL and News Corp. as alternative merger options with Microsoft, Yahoo made a surprising announcement that they’ll be teaming up with Google. This new alliance is going to focus on Google’s AdSense, where Yahoo is going to display ads generated by Google in their own search results.
Although Yahoo still limits this ad test in US only for now, Brad Smith –Microsoft’s general counsel- has his own concern and said: “Any definitive agreement between Yahoo! and Google would consolidate over 90% of the search advertising market in Google's hands”. Of course Microsoft is furious and calling this Yahoo – Google ad deal as anti-competitive for the market; as in contrast to what Microsoft’s own intention to acquire Yahoo.
Bottom line of this ad trial with Google is to prove that Yahoo is capable to generate revenue more than Microsoft’s $42 million bid, so this way Yahoo can finally able to shout it out loud at Steve Balmer’s face: “Do not undervalue us, we worth more than your offers!”
Source is from PC Mag here, and picture is courtesy of Gnal.
[blogged with my Treo 750v]


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More and more consumers are ditching shopping at brick-and-mortar stores and turning to online shopping during the holiday season. Based on a poll question CivicScience developed that collected 2,023 responses from November 19, 2014 to November 25, 2014, we found that of the consumers who plan to shop this holiday (throughout the whole holiday shopping […]
With more retailers launching major sales events earlier this season (some even started last Friday), there is fierce competition for wallet share. We know from a previous poll that consumers don’t plan to substantially increase their total holiday spending this year, so this means that many retailers are doing whatever it takes to get those […]
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Warning: middle-aged angst is contained in this article. Even though it’s still “invitation only” to join, there’s been a lot of buzz around Ello, the newly launched social networking destination that promises better treatment of its users and their data (read Ello’s manifesto online). The company recently closed an additional $5.5 million in investment – […]
by Lamar Pierce, PhD, Associate professor of organization and strategy at Olin Business School, and CivicScience academic advisor Election Day is a difficult one for many political candidates. But a recent study I did with Todd Rogers of Harvard and Jason Snyder of UCLA shows it’s no picnic for their supporters either. We used thousands of […]