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Hackensack, NJ, April 17, 2014 – Vidyo, Inc. today announced that Swisscom, Switzerland’s leading ICT provider, has launched a new cloud-based video communications and collaboration service based on the VidyoWorks™ platform. The service, called Vidia, is ideal for small and medium enterprises, but larger companies and consumer customers will also benefit from its many innovative features. Built on Vidyo’s award-winning platform, Vidia enables Swisscom business customers to participate in multi-party video calls and is able to deliver affordable, high-quality, multipoint HD video conferencing systems over smartphones, tablets and desktops.
The highly scalable and flexible VidyoWorks platform and APIs were chosen by Swisscom after a long evaluation process that included key requirements such as robustness and telco-grade scalability, API richness and cutting-edge underlying technologies.
“The integration of Vidyo has enabled us to offer our business clients the ability to place HD video conferencing calls,” said Erich Gebhardt, Head of Transversal Products, Swisscom Ltd. “In Switzerland, customers expect a high level of quality and reliability; those features, along with the scalability and flexibility that was needed to really differentiate this service, were made possible only through the power of Vidyo APIs and VidyoWorks.”
“The Swisscom deployment is a stunning example of what can be achieved as consumer and business users converge on the same platform, and we are excited to be a part of this,” said Ofer Shapiro, CEO and co-founder of Vidyo. “The VidyoWorks platform has raised the bar for cloud-based video conferencing, providing quality, scale and affordability, as well as the ease-of-use expected by today’s consumer.”
The VidyoWorks platform and APIs allow developers across a wide variety of markets and applications to attain a level of HD video conferencing scalability and geographical distribution that has never before been achieved affordably and with such high quality. The VidyoWorks platform allows customers and partners to achieve their visual communications goals of telco-grade scalability, exceptional quality and affordability. Vidyo partners are leveraging VidyoWorks to visually connect people and locations into their workflow and business processes to address new applications and business requirements.
Vidia is based on Vidyo APIs, and its new user interface was designed by Swisscom. The video conferencing service runs on the Swisscom Cloud and with Vidia, users can access virtual meeting rooms from any PC, Mac or mobile device (iOS or Android) and allows non-registered guests to join the conference.
Swisscom Ltd. is Switzerland’s leading ICT provider, with its headquarters in Ittigen, near the capital city, Berne. With over 20,000 employees, it generated turnover of CHF 11.43 billion in 2013. Swisscom is one of the most sustainable companies in Switzerland and Europe.
Learn more at www.vidyo.com, on the Blog or follow Vidyo on Twitter @vidyo and on Facebook.


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Apple may launch a dual-SIM iPhone, priced at Rs. 36,000
Apple is expected to launch its 2018 iPhone X in three variants and may offer a cheaper version as well. The cheapest version would be priced at $550. (Rs. 36,000) The iPhone maker may also launch a variant with support for dual-SIM cards, acclaimed analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI securities said in an investor note. Here's more on this development.
In his earlier investor notes, Kuo had mentioned that the 2018 iPhone X series will have three variants: a new 5.8-inch iPhone X with OLED display, a 6.5-inch display iPhone X Plus with OLED display and a cheaper 6.1-inch LCD display iPhone X. Notably, all three variants will come with FaceID - the face-unlock technology that debuted on the $1000 iPhone X last year.
In his latest note, Kuo revealed that the 6.1-inch iPhone X will have two models: a standard single model and a model with dual SIM- something which Apple has never done before. Notably, Bloomberg had also reported that the 6.5-inch iPhone X will come with support for dual-SIM cards. Interestingly, Kuo's note suggests the same thing regarding the bigger iPhone X.
Kuo suggests that Apple's low-end LCD screen iPhone with single SIM model could sell for $550 and $650, depending on the storage variant. However, the dual SIM model may get a price tag of $650 and $750. Earlier reports had claimed that the 6.1-inch iPhone will start at $799, while the iPhone X Plus will cost around $999.
Apple Analyst Kuo predicts that the new iPhone variants, which would be aggressively priced, will boost the company's sales. It can sell between 100 million and 120 million units from Q3 2018 to Q3 2019.
A $550 (Rs. 36,000) iPhone would be one of the cheapest iPhones to be launched in India's price-sensitive smartphone market. Apple could raise the bar of competition by offering a low-cost iPhone - especially in the premium segment. Additionally, a budget iPhone with dual-SIM support will allow Apple to compete better with competitors like Samsung and OnePlus which already offer dual-SIM options.

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The business of Valentine’s Day2/2/2022
Red roses, boxes of candy, cards, dinners and diamonds — these expressions of love and affection are hits for Valentine’s Day, which is now one of the biggest annual retail holidays. The National Retail Federation reports that 2021 saw $21.8 billion spent on Valentine’s gifts for that special someone. The biggest winners are, as may be expected, flower shops, candy companies, clothing stores and jewelers.
The greatest spenders on Valentine’s Day are men. Catering to their Valentine’s customers, businesses will expect last-minute gift purchases and day-of orders. As a result, businesses will see a spike during the days leading up to, and including, the day of the holiday before quickly returning to normal.
Roses say, “I love you”
Tom Boesen is the third-generation owner of his family flower business. The company dates back to when his grandparents opened a single flower shop in September 1923. Originally known as Beaver Avenue Floral, the business grew to become Boesen the Florist, one of the 25 largest florists in the country. At one time, the company had 17 locations. It now has two. However, Boesen said sales are better than ever because of the Internet.
“I think the reason for our 100-year success probably is, we cherish every customer,” he said. Boesen believes his business needs to respect each customer and not take any for granted.
For the floral business, Valentine’s Day is the single biggest day of the year.
“Valentine’s Day is monumental. It’s a task, and even people in our industry don’t always meet the task,” said Boesen. But he doesn’t want the Boesen experience to change for any of his customers. “It’s the same services we do every day, just a hell of a lot more of them,” he promised.
For Boesen to do well on Valentine’s Day, he says the company must anticipate its needs ahead of time. In the floral business, everything has a shelf life, so Boesen depends on getting the right quantity of products. For 2022, Valentine’s Day falls on a Monday.
“We had to go back to 2011 to look at the last time it fell on a Monday,” Boesen explained. This year, Boesen anticipates more than 2,500 deliveries on Valentine’s Day. Beyond having the product, he also depends on his people. For the holiday, Boesen needs to have 10 times the staff and 10 times the drivers. Most years, he will have previous employees, off-duty police officers, off-duty firefighters and others use their cars and pay them per delivery.
The biggest seller on Valentine’s Day is the rose.
“Nothing’s going to beat the rose. Red rose means ‘I love you,’ ” Boesen said. He has ordered 25,000 roses for the holiday. Men tend to wait until right around the holiday to place their order, he said, and that’s why Boesen will see most of their orders placed between Feb. 11-14.
“We wish they’d order in advance,” he joked. Meanwhile, the extra workforce and resources are lined up for the big day.
Sweets for the sweet
David Stam is the co-owner of Chocolaterie Stam, a European-style confectioner. Most of their recipes date back to his grandfather from 1913 Amsterdam. Stam Chocolate has been in the United States since 1997, and Chocolaterie Stam has been in Des Moines since 1997 as well, with three stores in the metro today. Stam said their chocolate is only available at one of their 11 U.S. stores; otherwise, it takes a trip to Europe to obtain it. The ingredients are directly sourced from stores and manufacturers in Europe. Stam imports the raw ingredients and turns them into confections.
“We don’t per se make chocolate; we make chocolate into sweets,” he said. The stores not only offer chocolates, but gelato and their own coffee blend.
Similar to the floral industry, Valentine’s Day is the single busiest day of the year for Chocolaterie Stam. Feb. 13 and 14 comprise a huge amount of Stam’s annual business.
“Valentine’s Day means a lot to us, as well as, we hope, it means a lot to our guests,” Stam said.
Chocolaterie Stam offers a variety of ways for customers to order their chocolate all year long. Customers can come to the store to handpick the chocolate they want, and they can also go to the eCommerce site to place orders for pickup or delivery within a 5-mile radius.
On Valentine’s Day, Chocolaterie Stam runs the store a little differently to meet the high demand. Sometimes, the line starts in the store and goes out the door, and it can be that way for 10 or 11 hours. To accommodate, Stam will have an additional four people behind the counter, as well as hosts going up and down the line to hand out free chocolate to guests. Stam’s best advice for Valentine’s Day customers: skip the line and take advantage of the special pickup area designated for online orders.
Stam’s biggest seller around Valentine’s Day is a collection of bon-bons inside an edible heart box.
“If you get a Stam box for Valentine’s Day, it means something,” he explained, adding he hopes the heart boxes remain an iconic Valentine’s Day gift. Another common gift around the holiday is the store’s jewel box, which comes in either a single-layer, 16-piece option or a two-layer, 32-piece option.
All things diamond
Christine Osborne is the general manager of Christopher’s Fine Jewelry and Rare Coins in West Des Moines. Christopher’s has offered a wide variety of jewelry, diamonds, watches and repair services in the community for 40 years. The company moved to its new location, just outside of Jordan Creek Mall, two years ago. Christopher’s has a team of five salespeople who are “great diamond experts, great fashion experts, and super great with repairs as well,” said Osborne.
“For Valentine’s Day, we think of love, and we think of all things diamond,” said Osborne. Around Valentine’s Day, Christopher’s sells exactly what they specialize in: diamonds. Whether it be diamond earrings, necklaces, bracelets or rings, the gem is considered the right gift for the holiday. Additionally, the store sees an increase in engagements around this time of year. The bridal counter becomes particularly busy around Valentine’s Day, which means more diamond engagement ring sales, too.
A lot of “fun gifting ideas” are popular for the holiday as well, said Osborne. This includes the current trend of paper clip chain necklaces and earrings.
“We always like to say that guys are kind of the last-minute shoppers,” Osborne laughed. She expects most of Valentine’s Day shopping to be made 48 hours ahead of time. Sometimes Osborne sees some guys stop in right before dinner. But Osborne promised that Christopher’s is open and ready for those customers.
Besides quality products, Osborne wants customers to know that Christopher’s has quality service, too. Nobody needs to have all the answers this Valentine’s Day. Christopher’s is there to help, she said. To serve the community “is really our joy to do that, especially this time of year when people want to commemorate love.”
Expressions of love
Whether it’s roses, chocolates or diamonds — or any other special gift that says, “I love you,” Valentine’s day draws shoppers looking for that “perfect” gift for their loved one. Local retailers are gearing up for what many say is their biggest and busiest day of the year. If you are one of those shoppers, rest assured that local shop owners are prepared for the rush and will help you find just what you are looking for.
Of course, it doesn’t hurt to shop early. ♦


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Chinese e-commerce platform Pinduoduo suffered huge losses due to a tech bug Sunday morning, NetEase has reported.(File photo: VCG)
Early Sunday morning one-year, 100 yuan coupons began to spread on the platform, with users able to claim as many as they wished.
The coupons spread due to technical bug on Pindioduo, according to NetEase.
Users were able to top up their phones by 100 yuan for the price of 0.4 yuan, with one netizen found to have topped up hundreds of times.
The bug is estimated to have cost Pinduoduo over 10 million yuan in losses, NetEase said.
The company announced at noon that about 10 million yuan in coupons were stolen through an expired coupon.
They alleged the group had made improper profits, and that the case had been reported to police.
The bug has now been addressed and past orders are being traced, the company said.


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By now, you’ve probably heard of Honest and Organic, the two companies that recently announced that they’ve teamed up to create a new line of organic and natural diapers.
As a quick aside, both Honest and Organics have partnered with Amazon and will be selling diapers from both companies’ brands, though the company’s own diapers will only be sold through its own website.
The deal is good for customers who buy from Honest and want to save money on the diapers, but not for shoppers who buy the Honest and organic diapers at the same time.
That means that, for the price of the organic diapers, you’ll be getting one of the diapers with no added ingredients at all, while the non-food-grade diapers are only worth $0.99 for the regular price.
The deal goes on sale today, April 10.
While there’s no word yet on the size of the new line, both companies promise to ship a lot of diapers over the course of the next year, which is the same period of time that Amazon Prime members will be able to buy the diapers.
The diapers will be available for purchase at Amazon’s online stores and through Amazon’s delivery service.
As a reminder, the $0:100 price tag is for the entire line of 10,000 diapers, so if you don’t already own all of them, you’re looking at $9.99 per $100 worth of diapers.
At the time of this writing, you can find them for $0,99.
The companies have also announced that their products will ship from the United States.
As of today, they’re still shipping diapers from Canada, but the company says that’s a temporary change.


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Chris Soechtig Returns To iHeartMedia Tampa Bay As Market President
iHeartMedia has appointed Chris Soechtig as its Tampa Bay Market President.
Soechtig had been serving in the same position for the company’s West Palm Beach cluster since February 2016. He previously worked in the Tampa market from 2001 to 2009 as General Sales Manager and then Director of Sales. Between those positions he served as Senior Vice President of Sales Operations for the company where he oversaw corporate sales operations and training platforms for the entire company.
Soechtig supplants Sam Nein as Market President for Tampa Bay.
iHeartMedia announced today that Chris Soechtig has been named Market President for Tampa Bay, effective immediately. iHeartMedia Tampa Bay has a strong cross-platform presence and includes a number of iconic brands and franchises — both broadcast and digital — encompassing more than ten stations comprised of music, talk and news formats.
iHeartMedia has the leading consumer reach and influence across multiple platforms and delivers more live programming than any other media company. As Market President, Soechtig will work with the programming, marketing and sales teams for radio station brands in Tampa Bay to oversee on-air and digital programming as well as create new business and revenue opportunities. He will report to Linda Byrd, President of iHeartMedia’s North Florida Region.
“I am thrilled to bring Chris home to Tampa Bay,” said Byrd. “He’s back where he started his career and now as the Market President. Chris is an amazing leader with a track record of success in every position he has held in iHeartMedia. We’re so happy to have him on the North Florida Region team.”
Soechtig is an industry veteran with 25 years of experience at iHeartMedia. He most recently served as the Market President for the West Palm Beach/Treasure Coast markets. Prior to that, Soechtig held the post of Senior Vice President of Sales Operations, where he focused on the creation and management of a corporate sales operations and training platform designed to support Sales Managers and Account Executives across iHeartMedia’s over 150 markets. He previously was the Director of Sales for iHeartMedia Tampa Bay.
“I’m honored to be selected as Market President and beyond excited to return to my hometown of Tampa to lead our talented iHeartMedia team,” said Soechtig. “We have an amazing brand portfolio and a long history of success. I look forward to building on that success well into the future.”
iHeartMedia is the leading media outlet in the Tampa Bay market with multiple platforms, including its broadcast stations; live events; data; and its digital businesses and platforms, including mobile, social and its own iHeartRadio, iHeartMedia’s free all-in-one digital music, podcasting and live streaming radio service – with more than 1.7 billion app downloads and 110 million registered users.


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U.S. stocks moved modestly higher in afternoon trading before falling by closing time and more in Tuesday’s Stock Market Update.
Health care stocks, technology companies and retailers notched some of the biggest gains.
DaVita led the health sector higher, climbing 3.8 percent. Cigna added 3.1 percent. Chipmakers also posted solid gains. Advanced Micro Devices vaulted 10.9 percent and Nvidia climbed 4.9 percent. Retailer L Brands added 2.6 percent, while Amazon rose 2 percent.
Banks and industrial stocks weighed the most on the market Tuesday. BB&T fell 2 percent and railroad operator Union Pacific lost 3.3 percent.
Utility and financial stocks were among the big decliners. Fifth Third Bancorp dropped 2.4 percent and FirstEnergy slid 2.1 percent.
The broader market broke out of a short slump last week and had been gaining since then.
A major focal point of the week for investors is the outcome of the Federal Reserve’s meeting on Wednesday. The central bank has signaled that it will be “patient” in raising interest rates.
KEEPING SCORE: The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 26 points, or 0.1 percent, to 25,881 by closing time. The S&P 500 index remained steady after losing all it gains and the Nasdaq composite gave up most of its gains and finished 0.1 percent higher.
Major indexes in Europe finished higher.
ANALYST’S TAKE: Investors seem reassured that the Fed will continue to hold off on raising rates, giving them more confidence push the market higher.
“Typically, markets tend to be flat in front of the Fed, usually we’re in a wait-and-see mode,” said Kate Warne, investment strategist at Edward Jones.
She said signs of a modest economic slowdown, such as a weak factory orders report on Tuesday, may help keep the Fed patient and on hold for a longer amount of time.
“It’s a slightly bad-news-is-good-news situation,” she said.
There has also been an absence of sharp bad news surprises, she said, which is giving investors confidence that there is less volatility than previously feared.
CRAFTY MOVEMENT: Michaels jumped 10.1 percent as investors rewarded a better-than-expected fourth quarter and overlooked a weak forecast. The arts and crafts retailer has been reassessing its operations, moving to expand its children’s offerings and shuttering its Pat Catan craft stores.
The company also changed leadership earlier this month, with CEO Chuck Rubin stepping down and longtime retail executive Mark Cosby taking over as interim CEO.
BROKEN LACE: DSW fell 13.4 percent after the footwear retailer surprised investors with a loss during the fourth quarter. The company swung to a loss of 7 cents per share, while Wall Street anticipated 4 cents per share in profit. Expenses jumped during the quarter and DSW had to deal with a hefty charge.
HIGH FLYER: Tilray slid 2.6 percent after the medical cannabis company reported a wider loss for the fourth-quarter than Wall Street analysts expected.
© The Associated Press. All rights reserved.


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Just in time for the New Year. Quick-thinking firecracker makers have released a new product for Filipinos still smarting from the recent Miss Universe fiasco.
A new firecracker called "Hello Colombia" has popped up in stores in the Philippines, and it's been promptly outlawed by the police because of how much more gunpowder it packs compared with smaller, legal versions.
"mashable.com/2015/01/01/new-years-eve-fireworks-manila/" is not a valid see-also reference
— Gerg Anrol Cahiles (@gergcahiles) December 29, 2015
Propped my shades against them to give you a better idea as to the size of the illegal "Goodbye Bading" firecracker. pic.twitter.com/UE9GxiPdB7
— Chiara Zambrano (@chiarazambrano) December 29, 2015
In a sweep of local stores, the police found new firecrackers called "Hello Colombia" and "Goodbye Philippines," among others. Filipino firecracker makers tend to choose trending topics to christen their products to make them attractive to merrymakers keen to commemorate big events of the year.
Colombia was a big topic in the Philippines, after last week's upset at the Miss Universe 2015 pageant, where show host Steve Harvey accidentally crowned Miss Colombia as the winner instead of Miss Philippines, which was printed on his cue cards.
Harvey returned four minutes later to retract the move, but the crowning — and uncrowning — ceremony left an especially bad taste for Colombians and Filipinos, who were angered by what they saw as a botched moment for Miss Philippines.
So there is a paputok named "Hello Colombia"
I guess that it will last for almost 4 minutes
— InvinciBubble (@SpongyMica) December 29, 2015
Miss Universe wasn't the only hot topic. Another new firecracker, "AlDub," is named after a meme born from popular afternoon variety show "Eat Bulaga." Search terms related to the show and its two popular stars trended in the top ten most-Googled list for 2015.
Bomb experts with the Philippine National Police said the new firecrackers were as powerful as explosives.
In a demonstration, the police placed a whole chicken and watermelon on top of "Hello Colombia" and lit the firecracker. The blast forced fragments of meat and fruit to reach an adjacent parking lot, and bits of chicken were found up in a tree.
Lighting up "AlDub" blew pieces of chicken out in a radius of 40 meters, and created a small crater on the concrete, they said.
The police found the new firecrackers in the province of Bulacan, which is a hub of fireworks and pyrotechnic manufacturers in the country. According to CNN, the police say that nearly half of fireworks dealers in the Philippines are in Bulacan.
The police make their rounds at firecracker stores each year before big celebrations. Several government agencies like the Department of Health and the Department of Trade and Industry, have also been putting pressure on illegal firecracker makers to desist, because of the dangers of large firecrackers that go beyond the stipulated limit of explosive powder.
The biggest that they've discovered this year, called "Goodbye Bading" (local derogatory slang) packs the explosive power of a hand grenade, authorities say.
"Goodbye Bading", "Hello Colombia", "Goodbye Philippines"....... smh filipinos. Also, let's not forget this one too pic.twitter.com/5PP7jLWqyC
—  (@explicitmixtape) December 29, 2015


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Two of Nokia’s latest phones that were announced during Nokia World in London last October 2011 have already gained some big popularity here in Asia.
The recently released Nokia Asha 300 and Nokia Lumia 800 are two of Nokia’s contender in CNET Asia’s top ten phone chart for January with the spots of 8th and 9th place respectively. CNET’s website voting system and Singapore based sales are the two big chunks who contribute entirely for whole ranking system.
It’s really a big hurrah for Nokia considering that Lumia 800 and Asha 300 were released recently, and not to forget that Lumia 900 for AT&T also takes the award of CNET for best smartphone in CES 2012. And all we’re wishing for is that a more positive momentum for Lumia 800 and the rest of its series.
Other worth to mention devices are the Samsung Galaxy Note which tops the lists followed by Samsung Galaxy Ace, Apple iPhone 4S & Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S. Lots of Sss-es. The rest of the lists could be found here.


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Each year, comic samplers and special edition comics are given away for free as part of the Free Comic Book Day festivities. While next year’s giveaway isn’t happening until May 6, 2017, a number of books that will be appearing have been revealed. The 12 Gold Sponsor comic book titles for this year’s assortment of 50 Free Comic Book Day titles have been revealed, and a The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess comic is among them.
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess 32-page sampler is Viz Media’s Gold Sponsor contribution for Free Comic Book Day 2017. Written and drawn by Akira Himekawa, it features an excerpt from the manga inspired by the video game of the same name. In addition, this comic also includes a sample of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time manga, also written and drawn by Himekawa.
This isn’t the first time a Nintendo-inspired comic has received a Free Comic Book Day sampler. Last year, Viz Media and Perfect Square offered a Perfect Square Presents: Pokémon Pocket Comics FCBD 2016 Edition comic book.


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In the first Social Gaming Summit to be held in Asia the speakers and delegates come together to discuss the connection between real world gambling and the rise of internet games. Mobile gaming was in the spotlight for most of the day with talks from several mobile game manufacturers giving their insights into game production in the region.
The day began with a talk from Stephan Lee; the executive director of 6Waves spent much of his talk discussing business models and the potential for cross selling between the gaming and gambling market. Lee explained how 20% of social gamers are also social gamblers but of that 20%, only 2% of those social gamblers are converted to premium gambling. Lee pointed out that Social gamblers spend on average $500 a year compared to $300 a year for social gamers. Another stat that stood out was 6.48% vs. 44%; Facebook has a 44% penetration rate in North America but only 6.48% in Asia. Despite the disparity in percentages, Asia recently surpassed North America in total active users on Facebook.
Dr. Serkan Toto talked about the Japanese gaming market boldly stating Japan is a gaming nation. He pointed out that the Japanese market is more willing to accept higher pay walls to purchase and play games. He points to Japans arcade game culture where putting coins into an arcade game for play has long been the standard, so paying to play mobile games isn’t a hard sell.
Digital Creative Director for Edelman China Kestrel Lee talks about the psychology of Asian gamers. He stressed that if social gaming is to continue its growth, companies will need to focus their attention on the Asian market. He pointed out that social gaming is already on the decline in North America, noting that 95% of North America acquired in the beginning of the beginning 3rd quarter had become inactive by the end of the same quarter. He also highlighted the importance of a freemium model, where the games are free to play but for quicker advancements and extra bonuses, players will need make in app purchases.
There were a couple of panel discussions on investor relations and game development both panels offered a few insights over the previous talks but nothing ground breaking.
The stars of the conference were the team from BitInstant.com. BitInstant.com provides people an easy way to purchase Bitcoins, a new virtual currency that is decentralized and transferred via a P2P model. They espoused the value of this new currency for gambling companies who are having trouble taking payments from markets like the United States and China where the restrictions on money flow are becoming more cumbersome. They spent much of their talk educating the audience on Bitcoins, it took a bit of time but you could see certain members of the audience could see the benefits of a currency. After their talk, which went well past their allotted time due to the high volume of questions from the audience, there was a line up of gambling and junket operators looking for more information. We have an in-depth interview with Roger Ver and Erik Voorhees of BitInstant.com coming soon.


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Feb. 22—As the COVID-19 pandemic has dampened the outlook for businesses across the state, the city of Romulus is seeing a different picture: economic growth.
In the past year, the city said more than 25 new businesses have either opened or announced plans to open in the city. Among them are a 135,000-square-foot Kroger fulfillment center announced in September and Vistar, a 165,200-square-foot food distribution center set to open in May.
Overall, the recent investments are expected to bring $34 million in commercial development and $85.8 million in industrial development, according to city estimates.
"It does seem like Romulus is a bit of a hot spot for business growth at this time," said Trevor Friedeberg, director of business development for the Michigan Economic Development Corp.
"Romulus, just being in a really unique position kind of on the outskirts of the Detroit area and southeast Michigan, but then also have proximity to the rest of the state and even Midwest. It's not that far away from the Ohio border, Toledo. Things like that. We've seen a surge of these logistics companies gravitating to that area."
The area's potential for development was identified as early as 2006, when business, government and educational leaders began a plan to amass and repurpose land in the vicinity of the renewed and expanded Detroit Metropolitan Airport, along with nearby Willow Run Airport, the state's fourth busiest. The efforts to develop an "aerotropolis" were hampered by scandal, political and funding issues, but may finally be gaining ground.
Romulus credits the growth to its streamlined review and planning process, which it touts as a benefit to companies large and small. Other draws are its access to freeways and the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport.
The MEDC has worked with the city on tax incentives for numerous large-scale projects in recent years including logistics facilities for Kroger and Vistar.
"It's all about getting the stuff to the people," Friedeberg said.
Developers are seeking out the city to tap undeveloped land at a time when experts say the demand for industrial land is high due to the increase in manufacturing and e-commerce needs.
The industrial market has stayed strong in Metro Detroit with 6.5 million square feet of mostly preleased new product under construction during fourth-quarter 2020, according to real estate advisory firm Newmark Knight Frank.
Tony Antone, an executive with Bloomfield Hills-based Kojaian Management Corp., has done business in Romulus in recent years, including developing a property on Vining Road for the Amazon fulfillment center that opened in 2018.
The most recent project Kojaian has undertaken is Vistar, which began construction last June and is set to open in May. It's an expansion from its current 95,000-square-foot facility in Van Buren Township.
The project could have been derailed as the COVID-19 hit while they were undergoing the approval process, but Antone said the city met with them through a socially distanced meeting and then virtually to keep the project on schedule, he said.
Antone declined to reveal company names, but he said Kojaian is working to lure other companies from other states to Romulus, as well.
"A couple of those have been going well as we've been able to tell the story of the city business friendly, wanting to work with companies to bring jobs to the city," he said. "Companies that we talk to all want to know that they can get their project approved. They've got a time frame that they have to be open by that they can get the approvals, build the building and get open in the time frame that they need for whatever their business need is."
The Kroger facility will sit in the aerotropolis region, development-ready land near Detroit Metro and Willow Run targeted for development.
Mayor LeRoy D. Burcroff said the city has adopted a fast-track system, which streamlines business reviews and planning and creates a business-friendly permit process. It was especially important during the past year with the pandemic, Burcroff said.
"We were able to keep these projects moving forward and not have them stall out, because the developers had enough challenge finding contractors during COVID," he said. "If they had a project that got stalled on our side, or their side or both it could be devastating."
Burcroff noted the city recently received recognition for economic development efforts through the annual eCities study conducted by researchers at iLabs, University of Michigan-Dearborn's Center for Innovation Research. It marked the third consecutive year that Romulus has received five stars.
Other significant projects are underway, as well.
Skyworks LLC, a Buffalo, N.Y.-based construction equipment rental business, is expanding with a new location in Romulus after purchasing Garden City Rental in January 2020.
And Ontario-based produce grower Mucci Farms in June announced it would open a warehouse and distribution facility in Romulus. The 66,300-square-foot site on Inkster Road will primarily service the Midwest and Northeast United States.
"This location will help us pack, repack and distribute our full lineup to the region in a timely manner," Gianni Mucci, vice president of operations, said at the time of the announcement. "Romulus is a great location for us as it allows us to avoid wait times at the border and quickly redirect product to several states."
Romulus has also been a draw for small business.
Bruce Watson held a grand opening in December for his clothing store, Swaggs Apparel on Goddard. He said he was drawn to Romulus because of the competitive rental rates.
Watson, who previously sold goods online, said that he worked with the city to register his brick-and-mortar business and for the permits needed to make changes the store's interior to accommodate his needs.
"Everyone was really welcoming from the city hall," he said. "It was a smooth process getting everything registered. They helped me out as much as they could, especially being a new business owner my first time opening up."


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Tesco reports fall in half-year profits
The UK's biggest supermarket chain, Tesco, has reported its first fall in profits since 1994.
Pre-tax profit for the six months to 25 August came in at £1.7bn, down 11.6% from the same period last year.
The fall in profits was largely due to spending on the retailer's £1bn investment programme to improve its UK stores, which was announced by chief executive Philip Clarke in April.
Also on Wednesday, Sainsbury's reported 1.9% growth in three-month sales.
The new norm
Sainsbury's sales growth outpaced that of Tesco's where UK like-for-like sales - which exclude the effect of new stores - in the three months to 25 August rose 0.1% excluding fuel, the first rise for seven quarters.
Mr Clarke put that down to the investment programme, which has already put 8,000 additional staff in existing stores at a cost of £200m a year.
He also said that the Everyday Value range was growing fast due to the pressure being felt by customers.
"They tell us they're resigned that this is the new norm. They don't have great expectations that things are going to improve in the short term," he told BBC News.
"They're hit by fuel prices, they're hit by taxes, real incomes aren't growing so people are having to adjust and what we see is that they are starting to buy into supermarket brands more, they're starting to buy our Everyday Value range... [which] is up 10% like-for-like."
Neil Saunders from retail analysts Conlumino was unimpressed by the figures.
"Those looking for a quick turnaround from Tesco will be disappointed by this latest set of results which underlines the fact that problems at the UK's leading grocer are fairly deep rooted and will only be remedied with both time and investment," he said.
"In the UK, like-for-like sales growth has certainly improved since the last quarterly update, but this appears to have been mainly driven by increased levels of discounting and promotional activity, especially in the form of couponing."
Outside the UK, Tesco also had problems, with international profits down 17.1% to £378m in the six-month period.
There were particular problems in South Korea, which is its biggest market in Asia, where new regulations have restricted opening hours for big retailers.
Tesco said those regulations were likely to cut its profits by about £100m in the full year.
Its stores now have to close for two Sundays a month and are only allowed to stay open from 0800 until midnight. Sunday is the biggest trading day in Korea.
Tesco also said that conditions had been challenging in China, where consumer demand was not keeping up with the pace of new store openings.
In Europe, the retailer said it had been hit by eurozone austerity measures as well as the weakening euro, which meant the value of its sales had fallen 6.8% in the half.
BBC business editor Robert Peston said: "What may concern Tesco's shareholders is that figures from Sainsbury's, also published today, show that this smaller competitor is continuing to take market share from Tesco - with underlying growth that is stronger than at Tesco."
Like-for-like sales excluding fuel at Sainsbury's rose 1.9% in the three months to 29 September.
"This has been a unique and special summer, during which we have delivered another quarter of good sales, outperforming the market in what remains a challenging retail environment," said chief executive Justin King.
"Our own label penetration is increasing at a faster rate than any of the major supermarkets; a testament to the investment we have made in the quality of our products."
Mr King warned that "we expect the challenging economic backdrop to persist", but added that, "we are positioned to perform well coming into the important Christmas period".
Retail analysts Verdict Research said: "While Sainsbury's is steaming ahead Tesco is struggling to recover real growth."
It said that Sainsbury's Brand Match promotion was helping to drive sales.
"The instant coupon-at-till refund reassures Sainsbury's shoppers that there is no need to switch away," said Cliona Lynch, senior analyst at Verdict.
Earlier on Wednesday, Sainsbury's was criticised by the Advertising Standards Authority and ordered to change its Brand Match campaign for misleading consumers over the finer details of the promotion.
Sainsbury's said it had already changed its advertising, and Verdict said the ASA's ruling would have little impact.
"[The] ASA's ruling on Brand Match, which relates to advertising now almost a year old and no longer in use, will not hamper the resonance of the message with customers," said Ms Lynch.


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Is Nike Inc. in the market for Under Armour Inc.?
A potential pairing is once again on analysts’ minds after a Times of London story suggested Thursday that a deal could be in the works.
Portland, Ore.-based Nike, the world’s largest athletic brand, has a market capitalization of approximately $41.2 billion and annual revenue of $20.9 billion.
Under Armour, founded in 1996 by CEO Kevin Plank, has a market cap of about $4 billion and does around $1.1 billion in annual sales.
Spokespersons for both Nike and Under Armour declined to comment on the possibility of a deal.
R.W. Baird & Co. analyst Mitch Kummetz said that such a match could offer substantive financial upside to Nike: “It’s a logical combination — but I don’t know that that means it would happen.”
With Under Armour’s comparatively small international business, mixed success in footwear and smaller marketing budget, there would be room for Nike to leverage its strengths to grow the brand, he said, adding such a deal would likely be accretive to earnings.
But Camilo Lyon, an analyst at Canaccord Genuity, said no matter how often rumors swirl, he doesn’t think the match is a likely one, and is out of character with Nike’s previous moves to buy brands with competencies in areas which they lack strength.
“There’s no scenario under the sun where Nike would buy Under Armour,” he said.
Despite the financial advantages of such a deal for Nike, he added: “I think there is a distinct cultural difference, and there’s no way that Nike would validate that Under Armour is as big a threat to them as they are by buying them.”


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Hulu Gets Squeezed: It was bound to happen. When Hulu began as “NewCo,” it was memorably derided as “ClownCo” by an unnamed Google insider. The inference was to its powerful backers, hardly known for their progressive digital instincts. Yet somehow, someway, Hulu management was able to navigate the rocky shoals to the point where it’s hands down the most successful online video play out there, leaving aside YouTube. Still, there has always been the feeling that when push comes to shove, Hulu’s powerful backers might just push it in the wrong direction. We’re seeing Fox play a card in this game. It announced yesterday it would make its new episodes of shows like Glee available the day after they air on Fox.com and Hulu only if they prove they’re paying subscribers. This is the authentication card, a sign that the big guys are truly worried that services like Hulu are encouraging cord cutting. It comes at a bad time for Hulu, since it’s out trying to drum up interest in a sale that would free itself from its difficult owners. The problem is, without those owners’ content, there isn’t much to Hulu other than a fancy design.
Twitter Ads Considered: 140proof, an ad network that puts brand placements in real-time streams, came out with a Twitter advertising report. The lowdown is advertisers have to act more nimble and match up their brand messages with what people are talking about at the moment. That’s a challenge considering how slow the ad process works.
Paywall Success: It’s far too early to tell for sure, but early signs are positive that the New York Times’ much-derided paywall is actually working. Felix Salmon breaks down the numbers, concluding that the NYT is well on its way to reaching 300,000 paying subscribers in a year. In fact, it already has 244,000. That doesn’t guarantee long-term success, of course. There’s no telling how much the declining page views to NYTimes.com has hurt potential ad sales. And there are still plenty of ways around the subscription wall. But Salmon, who was himself a doubter, is becoming a wary believer.
News Site Design Woes: The biggest challenge for most publishers isn’t getting people to visit their sites. That’s a big one, but the bigger one is getting those people to stick around. Sites are constantly trying to up the number of pages consumed during visits. That’s because the online ad world works when you churn impressions. The perverse effect of this has been an arms race of links and callouts that have left news sites horribly cluttered and frankly ugly. Designer Andy Rutledge breaks down the ugliness of news sites by using NYTimes.com as a prime example. The net effect of the barrage of links and content come-ons is the reader feels the site devalues its news. That’s a shame.
More in Media
Adalytics Research asks, ‘Are YouTube advertisers inadvertently harvesting data from millions of children?’
Publishers’ Q2 earnings reveal digital advertising is still in a tight spot, but digital subscriptions are picking up steam.
Experts reflect how the failures of social media and online advertising can help the industry improve the next era of innovation.
Ad position: web_bfu


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Country’s leading electronics and technology products manufacturer and exporter Walton has launched its e-commerce platform Walcart Limited.
Aiming to bring a groundbreaking and positive change in the e-commerce sector of Bangladesh, Walcart targets to achieve highest consumer satisfaction and represent the country in global arena. The e-commerce platform has already become a great attraction to sellers and consumers.
On Sunday (December 19, 2021) a grand opening ceremony was held at Walton Corporate Office in Dhaka where the state minister for information and communication technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak inaugurated the e-commerce platform with the slogan of ‘Shohoje, Sobkhane, Nirapode (Easy, Everywhere, Safely).
e-Cab President Shomi Kaiser, BASIS President Syed Almas Kabir, BCS President Shahid-Ul Munir, BACCO President Wahid Sharif were present at the opening ceremony as special guests while the delightful program was also attended by Walton Hi-Tech Industries Limited’s (WHIL) Chairman S M Nurul Alam Rezvi, Vice-Chairman SM Shamsul Alam, Directors SM Rezaul Alam and Tahmina Afrose Tanna, Walcart Chairman SM Manjurul Alam Ove, Managing Director Sabiha Jarin Orona, WHIL’s Managing Director and CEO Golam Murshed.
‘Walcart.com’ (https://walcart.com) is basically a B2B and B2C e-commerce platform through which the company is providing countrywide delivery services with products and services over 30 categories, including Walton products. Thousands of sellers across the country are connected to this platform. The newly launched company aims to be the top e-commerce platform through achieving customers’ satisfaction ensuring maximum customer services. The platform is expected to contribute to the national economic growth.
Zunaid Ahmed Palak said that 90 percent of the services of the government can be provided through digital platforms, creating 20 lakhs jobs in the hardware and software sector. Bangladesh have turned into producing and exporting country from an importing country where Walton is playing a groundbreaking role. Our aim is to generate 5 billion dollars as export revenue from the ICT sector by 2025. It is expected that one-fifth of that revenue will come from Walton itself.
He also said that the government is not doing business but has created a business friendly environment for the entrepreneurs and we have Walton as example, contributing to Bangladesh’s digital economy. Walton hired 5,000 new employees during the Corona pandemic without sacking any of its employee. Walton is the pride of Bangladesh. The company is now producing and exporting digital devices. They have come up with such a timely initiative in the e-commerce sector. I am sure that the consumers will get their desired service from this sector as well.
As a special segment of the event, Golam Murshed, MD and CEO of Walton Hi-Tech Industries, gave a technical review on Walton’s new model flagship smartphone ‘Primo S8’. Being amazed by his presentation, the ICT minister ordered a phone from Walcart. The device was delivered immediately to him in special arrangement.
Golam Murshed said: we will definitely fulfill the expectation of government from Walton in export earnings from ICT sector. Walcart will work according to the trust of the people, taking the red-green flag of Bangladesh to the global arena.


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1. Bye, bye BlackBerry.
Research In Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM) “failed to adapt its technology” and was consumed by Apple’s iPhone. We heard through the grapevine that BlackBerry loyalist President Obama has issued this terse statement:
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Yes, Nokia 7.1 does have the fingerprint scanner.
No. Nokia 7.1 lacks OIS. But it does have EIS for the video recording.
No. At the time of the launch of Nokia 7.1, the face-unlock feature will not be available. However, it is widely expected that the Nokia will introduce face unlock feature in short time across of its many mobile models.
Yes. Nokia 7.1 comes with a hybrid slot. You can use MicroSD card of up to 400GB capacity.
Nokia has quietly released one of the most exciting inexpensive phones of the year in the Nokia 7.1, a well-designed phone that delivers first-rate performance.
With the Nokia 7.1, the brand continues its run of impressive mid-range phones carrying close-to-stock Android. While the phone has weaknesses, overall it offers better quality and features than you would expect at this price.


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Microsoft has partnered with technology companies to launch the Retail Cloud Alliance (RCA), an initiative aimed at educating and empowering retailers to leverage cloud technology effectively.
Microsoft will collaborate with its partners to develop resources that cover a broad spectrum of topics, including optimising supply chains, personalising customer experiences, enhancing security and compliance, scaling operations, and future-proofing retail.
Resources are available in the form of reports, webinars, podcasts, and videos.
The RCA programme invites all retailers, regardless of their size or current technology infrastructure, to join. Members and cloud-compatible solution providers include ADOBE, Sunrise Technologies, and Icertis.
The RCA cites a Google Pulse survey which found that “industry leaders are increasing their use of cloud-based services and products (41.4%), planning to migrate from legacy enterprise software to cloud-based tools (33.4%), and migrating on-premises workloads to the cloud (32.8%).”
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Cloud technology is identified as a key disruptive force facing retailers in the coming years and is one of the areas that companies investing resources in now are expected to reap rewards from.
GlobalData’s thematic intelligence finds that the cloud services revenue for the retail sector was valued at $20.1bn in 2021 and is expected to achieve a CAGR of more than 17% by 2026.


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JAKARTA – The Jakarta Muslim Fashion Week kicked off last week with new collections from more than 35 Indonesian designers.
The event is aimed at heightening consumer awareness about Indonesian modest fashion designers, hosted by the Ministry of Trade in collaboration with the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce & Industry and Indonesia Fashion Chamber.
Indria Miranda, owner of brand Ria Miranda, told Salaam Gateway that the event helps connect brands with customers and was an opportunity to release new collections. It is the second modest fashion event in less than a month, following the Indonesia Sharia Economic Festival (ISEF), which showcased nearly 200 Indonesian fashion designers and some 400 resellers.
“The ISEF event and now Jakarta Muslim Fashion Week (JMFW) gives us the motivation to keep going and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic we adapted to changing consumer behaviour by designing collections that were more relevant, as people were staying at home more. The instant bergo scarf has been very popular. The key is to be consistent (with our designs),” said Miranda.
The pandemic disrupted the industry and changed the way Miranda managed her business, from how she recruited talent to managing the supply chain and the branding strategy. The Ria Miranda brand is available in 26 cities in Indonesia through boutiques managed by its business partners.
Istafiani Candarini, founder of Kamiidea, told Salaam Gateway that the JMFW and other fashion weeks she has attended has significantly increased consumer demand.
“The fashion weeks have been a positive signal for our business. We adjusted during the pandemic, in terms of sales and marketing strategy, themes and the materials we chose for our new collections. We are balancing our offline sales channel with online sales. We are also releasing new collections like loungewear, basics and smart-casual. In term of material choices, we started to develop materials that are environmentally-friendly and comfortable for daily activities during the pandemic period,” said Candarini.
Sales have risen 20% this year on 2020, but have not yet rebounded to pre-pandemic growth rates.
Hannie Hananto, owner of Anemone, told Salaam Gateway that the fashion weeks have helped her brand to slowly recover but are still down by around 30% compared to 2019.
“Last month I attended the Malang Fashion Week by the Indonesia Fashion Chamber, Lombok Syariah Festival by Hijabersmom, and ISEF by Bank Indonesia, and this month I attended JMFW. Through these fashion weeks my customers have returned but its not yet back 100%,” Hananto said.
Hananto has not followed the mainstream trends of global retailers like H&M, Uniqlo and Zara, whuch have released leisurewear orientated collections. Instead, she has focused on colourful and vibrant collections, which is a more niche market.
Becoming a global reference
The Mininster of Trade, Muhammad Lutfi, said during the event that the ministry will regularly hold the Jakarta Muslim Fashion Week each year until 2024, when it is expected to be recognised as an international-level fashion week.
The event is also geared at promoting the Indonesian modest fashion industry by highlighting the richness of the country’s handmade textiles (wastra) such as batik (wax resistant dying), tenun (fabric weaving), and embroidery. JMFW also aims to cement Indonesia's position as a global modest fashion hub.
“Jakarta Muslim Fashion Week can showcase the progress of our modest fashion industry to the world and I hope we can increase our export value,” said Lutfi.
© SalaamGateway.com 2021 All Rights Reserved


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The Top 5 Games We Played in 2018
After the knockout 2017 release schedule, many of us thought 2018 would be a quiet year of recovery. Instead, it was stuffed with far too many excellent games for any one person to play. Some games stood head and shoulders above the competition though, and we want to take a moment to praise our most beloved titles.
Diablo III Launches on Nintendo Switch This Fall With Exclusive Content
After a leaked announcement yesterday, Blizzard has now confirmed that Diablo III is coming to the Switch.
By Ryan Whitwam
Winter is Coming: Blizzard Will Kill Support for Windows XP, Vista in October
Blizzard is killing support for both Windows XP and Vista this year, making Windows 7 the oldest OS still officially supported.
By Joel Hruska


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|By Business Wire||
|June 11, 2014 06:35 AM EDT||
Demandware®, Inc. (NYSE: DWRE), the industry-leading provider of enterprise cloud commerce solutions, today announced that the company will be participating in the 10th Annual Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibition (IRCE).
Demandware’s Vice President of Industry Strategy and Insights Rob Garf and CLARINS Groupe’s Vice President, Digital & eCommerce Americas Han Wen will be presenting a session called “Preserve Brand Value and Relevance Across Multiple Cultures.” The session will take a closer look at the local complexities brands face as they execute on their global commerce strategies and offer insights into how to overcome technical and operational constraints.
|Who||Rob Garf, vice president of industry strategy and insights at Demandware, and Han Wen, vice president of digital and ecommerce Americas at CLARINS Groupe.|
Global E-Retailing Track: “Preserve Brand Value and Relevance Across Multiple Cultures”
session, where Garf and Wen will discuss controlling the brand at a global level to effectively manage the customer experience across all devices, geographies and channels.
McCormick Place West, Skyline Ballroom – Section C
2301 S. Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, Illinois 60616
|When||Wednesday, June 11 from 2-2:30 p.m. CT|
Additionally, Demandware—located at booth #1801—will offer product demonstrations of its commerce platform, featuring its new “buy anywhere, fulfill anywhere” functionality, as well as other omni-channel capabilities.
For retailers attending the event, Demandware and participating LINK technology partners will offer the chance to win one of three $10,000 shopping sprees to Demandware client Pier 1 Imports through the “Passport to Prizes” raffle. Winners will be selected and notified following the conference.
For more information on the raffle rules and eligibility, as well as what other activities are happening with Demandware at IRCE, visit the Demandware Commerce Innovations blog.
If you are a member of the press or an analyst interested in meeting with Demandware or learning more, please contact Kristin Allaben at [email protected] and 781-425-7311.
Stay engaged with @Demandware throughout the event and beyond by using #OneDWRE.
Demandware, the category defining leader of enterprise cloud commerce solutions, empowers the world’s leading retailers to continuously innovate in our complex, consumer-driven world. Demandware’s open cloud platform provides unique benefits including seamless innovation, the LINK ecosystem of integrated best-of-breed partners, and community insight to optimize customer experiences. These advantages enable Demandware customers to lead their markets and grow faster. For more information, visit http://www.demandware.com, call +1-888-553-9216 or email [email protected].
Demandware is a registered trademark of Demandware, Inc.
Explosive growth in connected devices. Enormous amounts of data for collection and analysis. Critical use of data for split-second decision making and actionable information. All three are factors in making the Internet of Things a reality. Yet, any one factor would have an IT organization pondering its infrastructure strategy. How should your organization enhance its IT framework to enable an Internet of Things implementation? In his session at Internet of @ThingsExpo, James Kirkland, Chief Ar...
Dec. 25, 2014 10:15 AM EST Reads: 2,151
The term culture has had a polarizing effect among DevOps supporters. Some propose that culture change is critical for success with DevOps, but are remiss to define culture. Some talk about a DevOps culture but then reference activities that could lead to culture change and there are those that talk about culture change as a set of behaviors that need to be adopted by those in IT. There is no question that businesses successful in adopting a DevOps mindset have seen departmental culture change, ...
Dec. 25, 2014 09:45 AM EST Reads: 1,518
SYS-CON Media announced today that Skytap blog on "DevOps Journal" exceeded 84,000 story reads. DevOps Journal is focused on this critical enterprise IT topic in the world of cloud computing. DevOps Journal brings valuable information to DevOps professionals who are transforming the way enterprise IT is done. Noel Wurst is the managing content editor at Skytap. Skytap provides SaaS-based dev/test environments to the enterprise. Skytap solution removes the inefficiencies and constraints that comp...
Dec. 25, 2014 09:00 AM EST Reads: 1,341
The 3rd International Internet of @ThingsExpo, co-located with the 16th International Cloud Expo - to be held June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY - announces that its Call for Papers is now open. The Internet of Things (IoT) is the biggest idea since the creation of the Worldwide Web more than 20 years ago.
Dec. 25, 2014 09:00 AM EST Reads: 7,083
The 4th International DevOps Summit, co-located with16th International Cloud Expo – being held June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY – announces that its Call for Papers is now open. Born out of proven success in agile development, cloud computing, and process automation, DevOps is a macro trend you cannot afford to miss. From showcase success stories from early adopters and web-scale businesses, DevOps is expanding to organizations of all sizes, including the world's large...
Dec. 25, 2014 09:00 AM EST Reads: 2,542
SYS-CON Events announced today Isomorphic Software, the global leader in high-end, web-based business applications, will exhibit at SYS-CON's DevOps Summit 2015 New York, which will take place on June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Isomorphic Software is the global leader in high-end, web-based business applications. We develop, market, and support the SmartClient & Smart GWT HTML5/Ajax platform, combining the productivity and performance of traditional desktop software ...
Dec. 25, 2014 08:15 AM EST Reads: 1,672
Fundamentally, SDN is still mostly about network plumbing. While plumbing may be useful to tinker with, what you can do with your plumbing is far more intriguing. A rigid interpretation of SDN confines it to Layers 2 and 3, and that's reasonable. But SDN opens opportunities for novel constructions in Layers 4 to 7 that solve real operational problems in data centers. "Data center," in fact, might become anachronistic - data is everywhere, constantly on the move, seemingly always overflowing. Net...
Dec. 25, 2014 07:00 AM EST Reads: 1,868
SYS-CON Events announced today that Gridstore™, the leader in hyper-converged infrastructure purpose-built to optimize Microsoft workloads, will exhibit at SYS-CON's 16th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Gridstore™ is the leader in hyper-converged infrastructure purpose-built for Microsoft workloads and designed to accelerate applications in virtualized environments. Gridstore’s hyper-converged infrastructure is the ...
Dec. 25, 2014 07:00 AM EST Reads: 1,732
The security devil is always in the details of the attack: the ones you've endured, the ones you prepare yourself to fend off, and the ones that, you fear, will catch you completely unaware and defenseless. The Internet of Things (IoT) is nothing if not an endless proliferation of details. It's the vision of a world in which continuous Internet connectivity and addressability is embedded into a growing range of human artifacts, into the natural world, and even into our smartphones, appliances, a...
Dec. 25, 2014 07:00 AM EST Reads: 2,280
"ElasticBox is an enterprise company that makes it very easy for developers and IT ops to collaborate to develop, build and deploy applications on any cloud - private, public or hybrid," stated Monish Sharma, VP of Customer Success at ElasticBox, in this SYS-CON.tv interview at DevOps Summit, held Nov 4–6, 2014, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA.
Dec. 25, 2014 06:30 AM EST Reads: 1,731
"Matrix is an ambitious open standard and implementation that's set up to break down the fragmentation problems that exist in IP messaging and VoIP communication," explained John Woolf, Technical Evangelist at Matrix, in this SYS-CON.tv interview at @ThingsExpo, held Nov 4–6, 2014, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA.
Dec. 25, 2014 04:45 AM EST Reads: 1,880
How do APIs and IoT relate? The answer is not as simple as merely adding an API on top of a dumb device, but rather about understanding the architectural patterns for implementing an IoT fabric. There are typically two or three trends: Exposing the device to a management framework Exposing that management framework to a business centric logic Exposing that business layer and data to end users. This last trend is the IoT stack, which involves a new shift in the separation of what stuff happe...
Dec. 25, 2014 04:00 AM EST Reads: 1,947
The Internet of Things will put IT to its ultimate test by creating infinite new opportunities to digitize products and services, generate and analyze new data to improve customer satisfaction, and discover new ways to gain a competitive advantage across nearly every industry. In order to help corporate business units to capitalize on the rapidly evolving IoT opportunities, IT must stand up to a new set of challenges. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Jeff Kaplan, Managing Director of THINKstrateg...
Dec. 25, 2014 04:00 AM EST Reads: 1,713
The Internet of Things promises to transform businesses (and lives), but navigating the business and technical path to success can be difficult to understand. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Sean Lorenz, Technical Product Manager for Xively at LogMeIn, demonstrated how to approach creating broadly successful connected customer solutions using real world business transformation studies including New England BioLabs and more.
Dec. 25, 2014 04:00 AM EST Reads: 1,973
An entirely new security model is needed for the Internet of Things, or is it? Can we save some old and tested controls for this new and different environment? In his session at @ThingsExpo, New York's at the Javits Center, Davi Ottenheimer, EMC Senior Director of Trust, reviewed hands-on lessons with IoT devices and reveal a new risk balance you might not expect. Davi Ottenheimer, EMC Senior Director of Trust, has more than nineteen years' experience managing global security operations and asse...
Dec. 25, 2014 03:00 AM EST Reads: 2,276


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Facebook and Young Users
According to a new Consumer Reports survey, 7.5 millionor more than one-thirdof people who used Facebook in the past year were younger than 13. Experts argue that’s against Facebook’s rules and, in some cases, a violation of federal law.
CMCH Staff Scientist, Dr. David Bickham, argues that parents should abide by the age restrictions and once children are of age to have a Facebook account, parents need to set rules and be there to advise.
Read the full story


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Today is another exciting day in the ICT!
We got word from Carrie Renger's most recent "Have Your Heard" article that Towne East Square is expecting six new businesses coming their way!
The first business that I am the most excited about is Vans. Most people are familiar with the popular SoCal skateboarding shoe and apparel brand.
The second store mentioned will actually be a returning store, Pandora jewelry store. The remaining stores include the popular sporting goods store, Scheels, an affordable fashion store, Daily Thread, a sporting apparel store, Pro Image Sports, and bohemian apparel and decor store, Earthbound Trading Co.
Along with the mentioned stores, Towne East will also be getting a new addition to the food court with a boba tea shop called Panda Boba.
I am excited to see all these great additions to the mall!


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In a week that was hard going for all the supposedly "risky" commodity-related currencies the Kiwi came away with a better result than its Australian and Canadian cousins. It lost nearly one and a half cents to sterling but it was able to pick up a sixth of a US cent and it was up by 1% against the Aussie dollar. Of the few NZ ecostats to emerge Fonterra's global dairy trade index was helpful, with milk prices up by 1.7%, and February's balance of trade figures weren't, because there was a small deficit.
Sterling took some stick on Monday when the prime minister announced that she would activate the Article 50 Brexit process on 29 March. Two days later it got a boost when inflation unexpectedly accelerated to 2.3% and it got another one on Thursday from surprising strong retail sales figures. It came away an average of 0.7% higher on the week.


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From the future of jobs and cyber threats, to political and societal turbulence, small business owners in South Africa are confronting numerous external challenges as they try to grow their operations, according to the newly released GoDaddy Global Small Business Research Survey.
Even with these challenges, South African small business owners remain optimistic, with 76% reporting they expect to grow at least 25% in the next three years.
One of the biggest issues facing workers globally is the rise of automation, artificial intelligence and robot disruption that raises concerns about the future of jobs. However, the vast majority of small business owners in South Africa believe they are insulated from those risks. A healthy 70% felt protected against job loss from these technology developments.
While technology disruption is likely to pose challenges, it also can reduce the barrier to entry to create a small business. While only half of South African small businesses reported either having their own website (28%) or are planning to build one soon (22%), around 42% said they rely solely on social media platforms. Interestingly, South African small businesses were least likely to have a website among the countries in the survey and the most likely to rely on social channels.
Almost half (46%) of South African small businesses cited political instability and social turbulence, including economic, technological or cultural factors as a major challenge to their growth prospects. Around one third (34%) identified insufficient investment as a significant obstacle to growth, followed by failure to keep up with technology (20%) and cyber-security risks (13%).
“Small business owners in South Africa are optimistic and resilient in the face of external headwinds,” said Stefano Maruzzi, vice president for EMEA at GoDaddy. “As they face a swirl of technology and political change, we aim to provide them with the support and affordable online tools they need to adapt and prosper. By lowering the technical and financial barriers to entry that small business owners and entrepreneurs face in setting up their own websites, we can help them take their growth to new levels.”
Half of small South African respondents without a website cited affordability as the main reason they do not have one, while 28% attributed this to their lack of technical expertise. Owning a website, however, has an impact on business outlook and reach, according to the survey. Among the global respondents, 67% of those with a website expected to grow at least 25% in the next three years, compared to 56% of small businesses that don’t have a website, resulting in more small business owners who do have a website believing they will have increased growth.
While few small businesses (7%) in the South African sample reported being victims of a cyber-attack, for those who did, the consequences were severe. Those who were attacked reported that it shut down their business for some time, customers couldn’t reach them, they had to spend money to repair systems, and they lost access to accounts needed to service their customers.
Besides looking at how businesses are adapting to change, the GoDaddy Global Small Business Research Survey also looked at the attitudes of small business owners. Here are some of the key findings:
- Small business owners in South Africa value the flexibility of running their own business, with nearly half (48%) saying it’s the best aspect of being an entrepreneur. For 13% of respondents, the money they can make is the biggest plus of running their own small business, while 12% cited helping the world to solve a problem.
- On the flipside, 32% said that risk of failure and uncertainty about the future is the worst thing about being a small business owner.
- Encouragingly, 91% of South African respondents said they would start their own business if they had to make the choice again knowing what they know now, and 84% reported they are happier since becoming an entrepreneur.
- The skills shortage is a major challenge for small South African businesses, with 76% saying it is somewhat hard, hard, or very hard to find talented workers.
- 57% of small South African businesses serve mostly local customers (within 80 kilometres of their location) and only 10% serve mostly international customers.
- 41% of small business owners worked for a corporate employer before setting up their own venture; 26% were working for a small business; 16% were unemployed; and 16% were students.
The GoDaddy Global Small Business Research Survey was conducted in April and May 2019 in Australia, Canada, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Mexico, South Africa, Turkey, United States, and the United Kingdom. Research firm Savanta conducted the field research of the 4,505 small businesses in the countries. The South African respondents comprised companies with less than 25 employees.
For more information about how GoDaddy can help your venture online, visit godaddy.co.za
*Must read: Business benefits of internet tools and platforms click here.


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Effie Worldwide has announced its 2015 index ranking, with five top global entities in the MENA region being recognised and awarded under the scheme. The index, now in its fifth year, identifies and ranks outstanding agencies, marketers and brands through a rigorous evaluation of their case studies and work, with a core objective to recognise and reward ideas that have had the most impact across the globe, irrespective of campaign size.
The Effie Effectiveness Index 2015 is compiled from 3,146 finalists and winning entries from worldwide Effie Award competitions from January 1 to December 31, 2014. Organisations that have been awarded this year in the MENA region include Unilever, for Most Effective Marketer, Coca-Cola, for Most Effective Brand, IPG, for Most Effective Holding Group, McCann Worldgroup for Most Effective Agency Network and FP7, for Most Effective Individual Agency.
“The Effie Effectiveness Index is the world’s most prestigious ranking of effective marketing, and five years of data allows for a bigger picture to compare and contrast the trends in Marketing,” says Neal Davies, President and CEO, Effie Worldwide. “By having access to the cases that led to success in the Effie Index, marketers can study best in class examples of effective marketing from around the globe.”


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Wake up ahead of the curve
PC & Mobile
TV & Streaming
Looking for the best laptop under $500? We have the list for you
Finding the best laptop under $500 can be painful. These “bargains” could be refurbished units, laptops with highly-outdated components and cheaply-made solutions from unknown ...
September 28, 2018
Here are the best 2-in-1 laptops you can buy right now
Finding the best 2-in-1 laptops can be challenging because there are so many on the market. If you’re not familiar with all the hardware, making a final, costly choice can be ...
September 26, 2018
How to get the Alexa app for Windows 10
Add your PC to the list of devices compatible with Alexa.
July 23, 2018
Chromebooks vs other laptops – which should you get?
Those trying to get a new computer have probably already wondered whether a Chromebook is for them or not. Is it for you? Let's find out!
February 11, 2018
Why laptops are becoming more like smartphones
PC sales have been declining for 12 quarters straight, but Microsoft thinks it found a way to reverse the trend: make laptops more like smartphones.
December 6, 2017
Harman Kardon Invoke is Cortana’s first entry into the smart speaker space
Microsoft and Harmon Kardon have teamed up to bring the first Cortana powered smart speaker. But is the Harmon Kardon Invoke worth getting?
October 27, 2017
Windows 10 Mobile is no longer a focus for Microsoft
Microsoft has confirmed that Windows 10 Mobile will no longer add any new features, but will still get security and bug fixes.
October 9, 2017
Xbox One X – what is it, and what to expect
We take a look at what you can expect from the upcoming Xbox One X 4K gaming console from Microsoft, which will be released in November 2017.
June 27, 2017
End of the line!
©2020. DGiT. All rights reserved.


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The Optimus F7 will have a a 4.7-inch True HD IPS display. It’s going to run Google Android 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean) on a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, with 2GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage, and a microSD memory card slot.
Its companion model will be the Optimus F5, which will be similar bit lower-speced. It is going to have a 4.3-inch display, and use a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, with half the RAM This model is going to have a 5MP rear camera and a 2,150mAh battery.
Still, it will run the same version of Android as the F7, and have the same internal storage capacity and front camera.
LTE for Everyone
Dr. Jong-seok Park, president and CEO of LG Mobile, said “With adoption of LTE expected to explode in 2013, we are sending a clear message to consumers with the Optimus F Series that LTE isn’t just for heavy content users and techies anymore. It’s for everyone.”
LG says the Optimus F7 and F5 are going to debut in Europe in the second quarter. The Optimus F7 will be released soon after in “selected markets”, although LG declined to be more specific.
Exact timing and pricing will be announced at a later date.


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A US judge has refused Samsung access to Apple's unreleased iPhone 5 and iPad 3 devices as part of an ongoing court battle
Samsung has been refused access to unreleased iPhone 5 and iPad 3 prototypes after a US judge ruled the Korean company had no legal right to see Apple’s upcoming products.
Having ‘demanded’ access to Apple’s unreleased tech after the Cupertino firm was granted access by a US court to view unleashed Samsung devices as part of an ongoing legal patent row, Samsung has been refused a viewing with the mooted devices in order to check if Apple has infringed on its patents.
Despite refusing Samsung access to the Apple devices, Judge Lucy Koh has announced the Galaxy S II and Galaxy Tab 10.1 maker will still be able to use the iPhone 5 and iPad 3 in its legal dispute once the device are released to the public.
"Samsung is free to argue, for instance, that there is little likelihood of confusion because consumers will not encounter its products side-by-side with the iPhone 4 or iPad 2, but rather with Apple's next generation iPhone and iPad,” Koh announced.
"Similarly, as to proximity, Samsung is free to argue that because the iPhone 4 and iPhone 2 will soon be outmoded and reduced in price, they are not being sold (or very soon will not be sold) to the same class of purchasers who are likely to buy new Samsung products.
"By choosing to allege infringement only of its current products, Apple opens itself up to these arguments."
Whilst confirmed release dates for the iPhone 5 and iPad 3 are being kept the industry’s most well kept secrets, last reports suggest the iPhone 5 will be officially unveiled and released this August sporting an 8-megapixel camera with 1080p Full HD video recording capabilities, a 1GHz dual-core processor and a radically redesigned form factor.


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In our round-up of the main tech events and happenings from the weekend: first images emerge of Samsung’s Galaxy Gear smartwatch; more revelations about the scale of the US intelligence apparatus’ investment in cyberspying; New Zealand abolishes software patents; more changes at the top for Microsoft; and the sale of its stake in Verizon will mean a US$130bn payday for Vodafone.
Get into the Gear
VentureBeat carried a story showing what could be the Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch due to be unveiled at IFA in Berlin later this week. Images showed a blocky industrial slab of technology attached to a wrist that appears to function as a health tracker with a camera on board.
The author of the report, Christina Farr, was shown an internal promotional marketing video for the watch.
“Health and fitness junkies will be intrigued. My initial impression was that it’s a new wearable fitness device to rival a Nike Fuelband or Fitbit Flex – a smartphone companion rather than a smartphone alternative.
“At about 3 inches diagonally, the Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch is quite large. Although its screen is square, large bezels on the top and bottom give it a chunky, rectangular shape, with rounded corners.”
Spies like US
The Washington Post reported that US intelligence agencies carried out 231 offensive cyber operations in 2011, describing the operations as “the leading edge of a campaign that embraces the internet as a theatre of spying, sabotage and war.”
Top secret documents obtained by the newspaper, and budget documents provided by former CIA contractor Edward Snowden, “provide new evidence that the Obama administration’s growing ranks of cyberwarriors infiltrate and disrupt foreign computer networks.”
They continue: “Additionally, under an extensive effort code-named GENIE, US computer specialists break into foreign networks so that they can be put under surreptitious US control. Budget documents say the US$652m project has placed ‘covert implants’, sophisticated malware transmitted from far away, in computers, routers and firewalls on tens of thousands of machines every year, with plans to expand those numbers into the millions.”
New Zealand abolishes software piracy
Also in The Washington Post was a report that New Zealand abolished software piracy in a move that could be bad news for patent trolls. Why, because according to the country’s Government Accountability Office, patents on software don’t work.
It reported that the number of software patents account for the majority of all patents issued. “The overall number of defendants in [patent] cases increased from 2007 to 2011 by about 129pc over the five-year period,” the GAO reports. “Lawsuits involving software-related patents accounted for about 89pc of the increase in defendants during this period.”
Drugs agents make ruthless cyber sleuths
The New York Times reported that law-enforcement agencies in the US have been just as ruthless as the National Security Agency (NSA) in accessing phone and internet records to corner their quarry. It reported on the Hemisphere Project, an enormous AT&T database that contains the records of decades of Americans’ phone calls.
“The Hemisphere Project, a partnership between federal and local drug officials and AT&T that has not previously been reported, involves an extremely close association between the government and the telecommunications giant.
“The government pays AT&T to place its employees in drug-fighting units around the country. Those employees sit alongside Drug Enforcement Administration agents and local detectives and supply them with the phone data from as far back as 1987.”
More revelations expected to come from Microsoft
Just over a week ago, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer announced his retirement plans, but it now seems that long-time observers and shareholders are sharpening their spears to ensure the software giant’s future direction is more to their liking.
AllThingsD reported that activist shareholder group ValueAct has amassed a 0.8pc stake in Microsoft, enough shares to get them a seat on Microsoft’s board.
“Now, according to numerous sources close to the situation, brace yourself for the next of many shoes to drop, in what appears to be a sequencing of events related to new management and perhaps a new configuration for the company itself.
“In fact, it’s that ‘what’s next?’ that is the big question winging around Microsoft, as insiders await another move in what is adding up to be a massive change at the company, a change that will eventually drastically reshape it.”
Mobile money image via Shutterstock
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In addition to the flagships of the Huawei Mate 20, which will debut soon, users are also waiting for another presentation, which will be held by the sub-brand Honor of Huawei. The date of the announcement of the new Honor and its name has become known. It is expected that the power of artificial intelligence will be combined in a novelty with a pleasant design, in which the screen cutout was chosen by another technology, allowing to place those necessary components that are usually located on the front panels of mobile devices.
It has already become known that the upcoming Honor presentation, where the smartphone announced at IFA 2018 will be released. We are talking about the upcoming smartphone Honor Magic 2, the teaser of which appeared on the web. The announcement of the new product was reviewed by Ro (Ro) on the pages of the gsmarena.com resource.
Honor Magic 2 will be presented on October 31
This smartphone has been considered on the Web more than once, but now it’s the most interesting for users, information is the date of its announcement. The novelty will be released on October 31, 2018.
The teaser appears when you enter the company's official Chinese website. It should be noted that the considered smartphone is among the most expected by a wide audience of users of new products of the current technological season. Indeed, in the not yet presented Magic 2, the technology of super-fast charging Magic will find its use. The smartphone will become full-screen and it will be implemented functions based on the use of artificial intelligence. Another feature of the Honor Magic 2 will be a mechanical slider, which in the upcoming full-screen smartphones may become a more elegant replacement for the on-screen dimple. After all, not so many users like displays with cutouts.
Discuss the upcoming release of Huawei smartphones and its Honor sub-brand readers can in the Telegram-chat.


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- Bentley Announces Limited Edition Continental GT3-R
- Bentley SUV Mule Number Plate Decoded
- First Bentley SUV Mules Spied Testing
The yet-to-be-named Bentley SUV has been spotted yet again, this time wearing something that we know will be a bit closer to production bodywork and tempting onlookers to visit NewBentley.com. Featuring the trademark Bentley round headlamps and grille, the new shape is reminiscent of the Continental Flying Spur if not a bit taller and with a lift back rather than a traditional trunk. Bentley claims that their SUV will be one of the fastest on the market, with a top speed expected to be around 200mph. The next generation Audi Q7, Porsche Cayenne and Volkswagen Touareg will all be based of of this platform, so we will be keeping a close eye on news regarding the Bentley SUV, and bringing it to you as it becomes available.


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“This actually works”: Well, for the first person who ends up wearing one of SpaceX’s spacesuits, Elon Musk’s words better end up holding true.
On Wednesday, Musk whetted the appetite for SpaceX’s future high-roller travelers to ride in the company’s spaceship when he posted the first photo of a SpaceX spacesuit, presumably being worn by a SpaceX employee in a mock-up of an actual SpaceX rocket. Musk said the suit has been tested to “double vacuum pressure” and that there would be “more in the days to follow” regarding information about the suit and SpaceX’s celestial-traveling plans.
Musk wanted the public to know that SpaceX isn’t just making any old suit, either. No, this isn’t John Glenn’s or Neil Armstrong’s space outfit. There is some style involved here.
“Was incredibly hard to balance esthetics and function,” Musk said in his post. “Easy to do either separately.”
Hey, as long as it holds together. No one wants space-travel hopeful Leonardo DiCaprio to run out of oxygen on re-entry.
Hitch A Ride: Apple has been doing some work on self-driving car technology for at least a couple of years. And it looks like Apple may be ready to get on the road. Apple is said to be about to start testing a self-driving employee shuttle bus that will run from Palo Alto to Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino.
#Happy #Birthday: Maybe we should put a #Hashtag on that salutation. Twitter’s iconic hashtag was first used 10 years ago today. And the trending industry was born. #SomeStillCallItThePoundSign.
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Getting On The Gridiron: Facebook, which by now has made no secret of its efforts to add TV-style programming on the social network’s platform, will be the place to go for college football this fall. Well, 15 games, anyway. Facebook has reached a deal with the Stadium sports TV network to livestream nine Conference USA games and six Mountain West Conference games this season. The first Facebook games will be shown on Sept. 2, with Miami (Ohio) at Marshall and UC Davis at San Diego State University.
Quote of the Day: “It makes sense for us to team up with Google. We know this means being compared side-by-side with other retailers, and we think that’s the way it should be.” Marc Lore, CEO of Walmart’s U.S. e-commerce business, in a corporate blog post. Lore was speaking about a new deal by which consumers can use Google’s Voice Assistant device to do voice-activated shopping with Wal-Mart.
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