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Thu, 27 Oct 2016 21:44:11 +0000(image)
A year after Google spelled out its plans to evolve into Alphabet Inc., legacy products including search and YouTube continue to be the biggest revenue generators for the company.
According to its third-quarter earnings announced today, Alphabet once again beat analysts' estimates, reporting total revenue of $22.5 billion, a 20 percent increase over the same period last year. Earnings on a per-share basis totaled $9.06, up from $7.35 during the third quarter of 2015. (Analysts had expected total revenue of $22.05 billion and earnings per share of $8.63.)
On an earnings call with investors Thursday, Alphabet CFO Ruth Porat said the quarterly earnings were driven by growth in both search and YouTube.
"We had a great third quarter, with 20 percent revenue growth year on year, and 23 percent on a constant currency basis," Porat said in a statement. "Mobile search and video are powering our core advertising business and we're excited about the progress of newer businesses in Google and Other Bets."
Advertising revenue for Google during the third quarter totaled $19.8 billion, up 18 percent from $16.8 billion last year. Aggregate paid clicks in the third quarter also increased, growing 33 percent year-over-year, while paid clicks on Google websites grew by 42 percent.
Aggregate cost-per-click decreased 11 percent, falling 13 percent on Google websites and 14 percent on Google network members' websites.
On the earnings call, Google CEO Sundar Pichai mentioned that Google's six-second "bumper" ads have shown strong results for marketers such as Universal Pictures.
Losses from other ambitious, long-term bets, or "moonshot" projects, like self-driving cars, cost Alphabet $865 million in the third quarter, a smaller loss than the $980 million it reported a year prior.
"As we reach for moonshots that will have a big impacts on the longer term, it's inevitable that there will be course corrections along the way," Porat said on the earnings call.
Earlier this month, Google made its debut in the hardware industry with several new products. in addition to launching Pixel, Google's first self-branded smartphone, the company introduced a new virtual-reality headset, voice-activated assistant and Wi-Fi router.
Thu, 27 Oct 2016 19:28:28 +0000(image)
Publicis Groupe announced today Laura Desmond will step down as chief revenue officer of Publicis Groupe, effective Dec. 31, 2016.
Desmond took a leave of absence from her role beginning July 1, 2016, citing a family issue for her time off and will not return once her sabbatical concludes in January 2017. During her time away, Rishad Tobaccowala, Publicis Groupe's strategy and growth officer, took on Desmond's day-to-day responsibilities and will continue to hold those duties when Desmond leaves at the end of the year. Tobaccowala has previously worked at other Publicis agencies including Leo Burnett and Starcom.
In a statement Desmond noted that while the family health issue has improved, "This sabbatical allowed me to consider where my greatest entrepreneurial and leadership opportunity existed. After thoughtful reflection and discussions with Maurice, I have concluded this is the right step for me. I leave the Groupe with nothing but thanks and appreciation for the opportunities and support I've received throughout my career and during my leave."
"We are all very grateful to Laura for her many important contributions to Publicis Groupe and are sorry to see her go. I know that Laura will continue to be as incredibly successful in the future as she has been with us. With my colleagues of the management board we wish her only the very best," Maurice Levy, Publicis Groupe chairman and CEO, said in a statement.
Desmond earned the chief revenue officer role in December of last year when Levy announced major plans to restructure the entire network, which moved Desmond from global CEO of Starcom Mediavest Group to her current position.
In the chief revenue officer role, a role created with the restructuring last year, Desmond was responsible for "developing strategies that catalyze Groupe transformation and business transformation through the alchemy of creativity and technology." During her time at SMG, Desmond was credited with doubling the size of the agency as well as building some key relationships with clients including Samsung, Visa, Twitter and Coca-Cola.
Thu, 27 Oct 2016 15:13:35 +0000
Twitter announced on Medium earlier today—and not during its earnings call—that it will be "discontinuing" Vine, the mobile app for short-form video. Vine is a platform that hosts six-second clips that permaloop for ultimate enjoyment, and quick-witted, extremely talented creators may or may not lose their body of work.
Vine launched in 2012 and was bought by Twitter later that year. It became a home for comedians, bored teens, sports fans and political activists. And brands took notice.
Vine had a lot to offer, but it got overshadowed when Snapchat and Instagram entered the video scene.
As of now, it's unclear whether Twitter will simply erase the extensive catalog of over 39 million videos or if the platform will simply become a graveyard for inside jokes of yore.
Here are some of the most beloved Vines, but there are countless others worth watching and discovering while you can:
"Do It For The Vine"
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"He hit the sign"
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This year's Brand Genius winners once again represent a group of elite marketers creating groundbreaking work for brands within their respective categories.
So what will it take for marketers of the future to get to the level that these men and women are at today? At Adweek's annual Brand Genius gala, held this year at the Rainbow Room in New York, a few of this year's honorees dolled out some of their best advice for the next generation of brand leaders and what they love most about their jobs.
2016 honorees included Taco Bell CMO Marisa Thalberg, Shinola CMO Bridget Russo, Intel CMO Steve Fund and Jeep CMO Olivier François, among others. Arnold Schwarzenegger received Adweek's 2016 Brand Visionary award.
Thu, 27 Oct 2016 14:58:16 +0000Becoming a woman is hard. There's that whole awkward adolescence, then the long canyon of negotiating space—with men, in careers, with other women. It takes a while to know who you are, to figure out whether you like high heels or not, hair long or short, red lipstick or something less aggressive. Are you less aggressive? Do you address problems or quietly wait them out? What does either position look like in the eyes of others? Are you interesting? Is it OK to want to be interesting and pretty? Do you have to smile when somebody asks you to? It isn't a journey we'd impose on anybody. And one of the biggest tests of everyday womanhood happens in public bathrooms, those social watering holes where grooming happens, decibels rise and packs form. The space is so small that you can't be ignored; you will be sized up. You time the length of your pee, even if no one else is listening. You follow conversation; whose voice is louder, who is dominating? Who gets the mirror, who's blocking the sink? And will you be tacitly accepted by the eyes you decide matter, in that eternal few minutes of relieving nature's call? It's a little nothing, but it can mean a lot in the moment. Secret introduces this very quandary in the latest installment of its #StressTest campaign from Wieden + Kennedy Portland. Women flood into a public bathroom, chatting amiably. It's a warm but sharply enviable space, full of pretty people who aren't questioning a word that comes out of their mouths—who aren't questioning themselves (even if they are, deep inside). Meanwhile, in a dark stall, another woman panics. The cues are clear: She has probably always been a woman inside, but is just learning how to express that woman outside. She's in the negotiating-space portion of her transition. And it's deafeningly horrible. allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="367" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Tjg-ZSk31rw" width="652"> After a deep breath, Dana exits her stall. "Great dress," a voice says. "It's really cute," says another. Meanwhile, the words onscreen read, "Stress test #8260: Dana finds the courage to show there's no wrong way to be a woman." As the ad wraps up, all the women watching collectively breathe out with our heroine. "This ad was inspired by transgender women and a real-life moment which is stressful and challenging. This is one of many stories about women's stress we're proud to share," Janine Miletic, brand director of North America Deodorants at P&G, tells Adweek. "Ladies' Room" has the unique quality of being both universally resonant among women, and timely, given the current political climate and all that hullabaloo about bathrooms and who gets to walk into which one. "This spot was not intended to make any political statement or to support or oppose any specific legislation," Miletic clarifies. "We're nonpartisan and not affiliated with any political party. 'Stress-Tested for Women' builds on Secret's rich history of supporting all women who show courage in redefining feminine strength." Per Miletic, Secret's objective has always been to support "confident, modern women" in its advertising. "The campaign highlights a variety of stressful situations that are culturally relevant, and how women face those challenges with courage every day," she says. "This spot is another story that we are telling through that lens. Secret knows it takes guts to redefine cultural norms, and proudly supports all women's efforts—big or small—to take life and stress head on." At the end of the ad, Secret promises "2x better sweat protection" for when your glands become your enemies. We like the campaign because, instead of focus[...]
Thu, 27 Oct 2016 12:18:28 +0000Twitter is planning to lay off 9 percent of its global workforce, as the ailing San Francisco tech giant struggles to please Wall Street despite beating earnings expectations. The company officially announced the cuts today in its third-quarter earnings, days after reports began to surface of the impending cuts. According to Twitter, the majority of the reductions will take place in its sales, partnerships and marketing divisions in order to "continue to fully fund our highest priorities," according to a letter to shareholders. However, the earnings also came with some good news. Total monthly active users grew for the second consecutive quarter to 317 million users, gaining 4 million over the past three months since its second-quarter results. Daily active users also increased, rising 7 percent year over year. Twitter's revenue totaled $616 million—an 8 percent increase year over year. Earnings per share totaled 13 cents, beating expectations of 9 cents per share and $606 million in total revenue. However, the company reported profit fell by $103 million. Advertising revenue grew 6 percent to $545 million, with mobile now accounting for 90 percent of total ad revenue. U.S. revenue grew just slightly, increasing 1 percent to $374 million year over year, outpaced by international ad revenue, which grew by 21 percent to $242 million. Revenue from data licensing and other revenue also grew, increasing 26 percent year over year to $71 million. Ad engagements also increased, growing by 91 percent year over year, with cost per engagement decreasing 44 percent year over year. In a statement, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey said the company's strategy is driving increased audience size and engagement, both in terms of monthly and daily users, but also in terms of tweet impressions and time spent. "We see a significant opportunity to increase growth as we continue to improve the core service," Dorsey said. "We have a clear plan, and we're making the necessary changes to ensure Twitter is positioned for long-term growth. The key drivers of future revenue growth are trending positive, and we remain confident in Twitter's future." Noah Mallin, head of social at MEC North America, said Twitter's progress might be going even better than it appears on Wall Street. But it might take some time to tell. "What it seems like to me, first of all, is that Twitter is in the midst of a transformation," Mallin said. "And it's on every level. There's a business transformation, and I think, sadly the layoffs are part of that. There's an advertising transformation, and I think the surprise of the numbers going up points to the fact that it's taking hold. And I think theres a transformation in terms of how people are using the platform." Some of MEC's clients have already begun advertising through Twitter's live video offerings, such as ad-supported livestreams of NFL games and presidential debates. Mallin said that has provided pleasing results for the brands that have tried it out. He said live video is likely to grow as awareness grows both on the advertiser and user fronts. (On the quarterly earnings call this morning, Twitter chief financial officer Anthony Noto said the company will introduce new syndicated video from partners such as NBA, NHL and Bloomberg in the fourth quarter.) Others are less optimistic about Twitter's progress. According to Janice Suter, director of social media at GSD&M, Twitter is still playing catch-up with its competitors. "Twitter can't touch the deep interest and behavior targeting capabilities that Facebook offers," she said. "And from a user perspective, the continuing lack of direction and understanding of what Twitter stands for is turning people away in favor of channels with more unique and compelling experiences, like Snapchat." Brand advertisers rema[...]
Thu, 27 Oct 2016 12:00:01 +0000The days of the typical commercial, where it interrupts the viewer's experience, might be coming to a close as another brand announced its intentions to create and distribute more of its own content. "We're flipping the script by becoming the creators," said David Beebe, the head of Marriott International's content studio. "You can't just make a commercial anymore. You have to create something of value." Beebe is behind the studio, which was created in 2014, and team that focuses on distributing content of all types including digital series, documentary-style TV programs or short films. All of these pieces of content are story-driven, as that's what holds interest these days. "Our approach is to stop interrupting what they're interested in, and become that instead," said Beebe. The latest of these content series comes from the winner of the first season of The Apprentice, Bill Rancic, whose exclusive development deal with Marriott Content Studios was announced earlier this year. The series will highlight some of the JW Marriott properties, one of Marriott's 30 brands around the world. In the show, titled Open Invitation, Rancic will travel the world with his wife Giuliana (who is a familiar face on E!) to visit Marriott properties; more importantly, he'll give viewers a look at the cities themselves, paying close attention to the food and the people. "Seasoned travelers can learn things they didn't know about cities they've been to many times," said Rancic, "and beginning travelers can see stuff they'll want to experience on their first trip." According to Beebe, most of the content studio's creations are available on Marriott's entire distribution network: People can watch on an exclusive multichannel digital distribution system including YouTube, Marriott's website, in-room and partner channels. "This series isn't only about the hotels," explained Beebe. "Sure, some of it is shot on property, but the show is about exploring the city and meeting the culture where it is. We want to inspire people to travel the world, or to maybe remind them to go back to cities they've visited before and discover something new." "I'm such a curious kind of person, that this series suits my personality well," said Rancic. "I'm always asking questions. When I married Giuliana, I told her our life would always be an adventure." The show will follow Rancic as he tries to "do things that aren't so typical or obvious" for first-time travelers to a new city. In the first episode, which is embedded below, the couple explores Venice while researching potential future recipes for his restaurants around the U.S. While these branded content series from Marriott feature its luxury and business-friendly locations, they still encourage people to explore the markets and views that are right beyond their room. Rancic, who got his start thanks to Donald Trump's reality show, confirmed that "Democrats, Republicans, independents, and bipartisans" will all be able to enjoy Open Invitation. "It's about seeing our beautiful world and what it has to offer," said Rancic. "There's even a family element, and I hope we can involve our son, Duke, in future episodes. I share the same beliefs and philosophies as the Marriott team, which is so refreshing." "We don't get in our own way creatively," said Beebe. allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="367" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IQ4LCLP1cFM?rel=0" width="652"> [...]


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Old Spice has launched a digital video campaign that will see the company leverage YouTube to sell its latest shave gels.
The campaign will see Old Spice launch two new video ads on the site. Ads will bring back one-time spokesperson Terry Crews. Along with the videos, Old Spice will also take over YouTube’s masthead with an interactive ad that promotes user-generated content.
Old Spice’s campaign focuses on the firm’s newest shave gel products. Both “Pure Sport” and “Swagger” scents will be given the full YouTube treatment with the launch of two separate digital video spots.
The first video, “Shave,” will see Terry Crews pop out of a formerly comatose man’s beard. The miniaturized version of Crews will then call out for the Old Spice shaving gel and shave the man’s beard.
The other video, “Baby,” sees Crews talk to a variety of inanimate objects before finally realizing he has a son. Among the inanimate objects Crews chats up are socks, a waffle iron, and solar panels with a British accent.
Old Spice’s ads have proved to be very popular on YouTube. Earlier this month, YouTube reported that two of the brands’ video ads made it into the top 10 most seen ad spots on YouTube for April.
Along with the latest video spots, Old Spice will also leverage YouTube to bring some interactivity to its campaign. For today only, Old Spice will take over YouTube’s masthead and offer viewers questions based on the firm’s newest products.
Questions for the site include things like, “Are (fill in the blank) newer than Old Spice Shave Gel?” Once a viewer answers the question he will be shown a follow-up page that will feature an image of the thing he wrote down accompanied by the words, “(Inserted word) Ain’t Newer Than New Old Spice Shave Gel.”
Pictures for the campaign will be provided by Getty Images. Getty is famed for having an extensive portfolio of stock images. Old Spice says the partnership is an unprecedented one that is rarely issued by Getty.
Facebook isn't just the world's largest social network. In the past two years, it has also become one of the world's most popular online destinations for consuming video content.
In 2015, Verizon purchased AOL for $4.4 billion. Now, the mega wireless carrier is leveraging its wireless network as part of a new ad offering called BrandBuilder by AOL.
As the ball drops on December 31st, make sure your media strategies are stacked with timely resolutions to make the most of 2017.
Easily spotted on the mobile web: holiday ad next to plane crash story; Muslim dating ad next to KKK story; beauty ad next to domestic violence story; car ad next to emissions scandal story.

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In this week’s nutrition news: Trendy dark-colored foods are taking over menus, added fiber in General Mills products and don’t be afraid to eat that juicy steak or burger.
Red Meat Gets The Green Light
Steak lovers, rejoice: Red meat may not deserve the bad wrap it’s gotten for many years. A new Harvard study says that the risk for heart disease comes from processed meats (like bacon, cold cuts and hot dogs) rather than unprocessed steaks and burgers. Folks in the study who ate two ounces of processed meat a day were 42 percent more likely to develop heart disease, while those who ate four ounces of red meat daily had no increased risk. Both processed and non-processed meats contain saturated fat, which contributes to heart disease, but the study suggests that it’s the salt in processed meats that may be the “really bad” culprit. What’s your take on red meat?
Alarming Amount of Canned Foods Contain BPA
We’ve told you about the chemical found in canned foods called BPA and how it’s been linked to cancer. A recent study examined how much BPA in can’s metal lining leached into the food itself. The results? A whopping 92 percent of food tested (including fruits, veggies, fish and beans) contained BPA. The study concluded that if meals are prepared from various canned food, this can lead to potential harmful levels of BPA. Although some companies use BPA-free lining in their cans, many do not. The FDA is taking a closer look at the issue and has pledged $30 million to research it.
Fast Food Joints Print Calories on Receipt
Ever wonder how many calories are in the meal you ordered? Burgerville (a fast food joint in the Pacific Northwest) makes that information readily available — on your receipt! They’re rolling out this new receipt system in 39 of their restaurants this week. Although this is the first fast food joint to use this system, the “SmartReceipt” is already found in numerous hospitals and cafeterias. Would you like to see the calories in your food order?
Dark-Colored Foods Are The New Black
If you follow fashion trends, you always hear about the “new black”. But instead of clothes, we’re talking food — black trumpet mushrooms, black garlic, black walnuts and black chickpeas are some of the foods that are appearing on menus across the country. Read up on some of the fabulous dishes being made from these ingredients.
General Mills Adds Fiber
With all the salt and trans fat-cutting going on, General Mills is actually adding an ingredient—fiber. They’ve added fiber to yogurt, soup and breakfast bars. So, does this fiber have the same benefit as the natural fiber found in whole grains and fresh produce? Studies aren’t conclusive to prove that all fiber is equal, but eating more fiber in general is a huge health benefit. Read more about the types of fiber and how much you really need.
Toby Amidor, MS, RD, CDN, is a registered dietitian and consultant who specializes in food safety and culinary nutrition. See Toby’s full bio »


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The membership page on Club Penguin’s website has been updated with an outlook on what benefits paying players will receive this month. It looks like November will be a fun month.
Shop for Pirate Penguin Styles
Arrrr! Get seafarin’ styles the likes of the Merguin Fin and the Lost Sailor’s Outfit!
Starting Nov. 13, members can build pirate ships inside their igloos.
Unlock Special Swords
Members can battle the boss crab with special swords Nov. 20 – Dec. 3.
In case you haven’t realised yet, November 2014 is all about pirates. Sweet!


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Mario has been a platforming mascot for nearly four decades thanks to its constant innovation and ability to bring players joy. However, as Mario has changed to accommodate a wider range of markets, some have sought to revive the game’s status as being “Nintendo hard” by creating their own level plans through tools that allow users to take a game’s ROM and treat it like a box of Lego, building whatever they want out of the parts and tools provided. Despite Nintendo’s release of “Super Mario Maker,” an innovative title that allows players to build their own levels with a drag-and-drop interface, the “Mario hack” community continues to thrive.
2006 saw the establishment of SMW Central, an online community dedicated to ROM hacks of “Super Mario World.” “S.N.N.,” head administrator for SMW Central, remarked that activity in the community surged in 2010. Much of this boom can be attributed to a YouTube video uploaded in 2010 that claimed to have discovered a new power up in Super Mario World through exploits performed within the game. While one user believed the item was made with “Lunar Magic,” a level-editing program; the truth was that this power up, a “laser suit,” was created in a hack by user “KPhoenix.”
The aforementioned Lunar Magic program, designed by “fusoya” and released to the public a decade before Super Mario Maker, uses a drag-and-drop interface similar enough to Super Mario Maker’s that some people believe Nintendo took inspiration from the former in making the latter. One of the recurring events that have kept SMW Central alive in a post-Super Mario Maker world is its “Vanilla Level Design Contest.” The premise of this annual contest, which routinely sees over 100 submissions, is to make the best level possible using only Super Mario World’s base resources. Camaraderie is also fostered through the many collaborative submissions, where two or more level designers will combine their tastes and skills to create something truly special.


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We’re not one to loft accolades in the direction of fraudulent telemarketers, but we’ll say this about them: They’re a quick study when it comes to using new technologies and business methods to their shady advantage. As part of its ongoing effort to protect consumers from deceptive telemarketing, the FTC is proposing amendments to the Telemarketing Sales Rule that would curtail the use of certain kinds of payments that have become fast favorites among fraudsters.
As FTC cases establish, con artists have been known to use unsigned checks and “remotely created payment orders” to dip into consumers’ bank accounts without proper authorization. In addition, “cash-to-cash” money transfers and “cash reload” mechanisms make it easier for scammers to siphon money from accounts and offer fewer protections for victims. The FTC wants to amend the TSR to make it illegal for telemarketers and sellers to accept any of those payment methods in telemarketing transactions.
What else is the FTC suggesting?
Another proposed change would expand the TSR’s ban on advance-fee recovery services. From what we’ve seen, telemarketers who call consumers and claim that for an upfront fee they can help get people’s money back from an earlier fraud are rarely on the up-and-up. Right now, the TSR makes it illegal to offer to recoup losses from earlier telemarketing transactions. The FTC would like to see that expanded to cover losses suffered in any prior transaction.
Other suggested changes are designed to clarify current TSR provisions most businesses are pretty familiar with. You’ll want to read the notice for specifics, but here’s the 25-words of less version of what’s under consideration:
- Specifying that the recording of a consumer’s express verifiable authorization must include a description what they’re buying;
- Spelling out that the seller or telemarketer has the burden of demonstrating that the seller has an existing business relationship with a consumer, or has the express written agreement to contact a person whose number is on the Do Not Call Registry;
- Clarifying that the B2B exemption extends only to calls to induce a sale to or a contribution from a business itself, and not to calls to people employed by the business;
- Making it clear that the prohibition against sellers sharing the cost of Do Not Call Registry fees — which are non-transferable — is absolute; and
- Illustrating the kinds of burdens companies can’t put on a consumer’s right to be placed on an entity-specific do-not-call list. (A related amendment would make it clear that a seller’s or telemarketer’s failure to get the information necessary to honor a consumer’s request to be placed on that list will disqualify the business from relying on the TSR’s safe harbor for isolated or inadvertent violations.)
How do these proposed changes sound to you? File a comment online by the July 29, 2013, deadline.


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Shortcuts | Dec. 8, 2011
condensed local news about civic and cultural goings-on
Phoenix Park Grocery Market Still in the Works
October came and went without the much-heralded opening of Charley’s Market, a 4,200 square foot retail space comprising two thirds of Phoenix Park’s newest building in downtown Eau Claire. Without so much as a construction worker spotted coming or going, many have wondered if the grocery store would actually happen. Since the market was to receive a $200,000 incentive package from the Redevelopment Authority, we’ve definitely had our eyes on the space. In a phone interview, Charly’s owner Carolyn Miller told us back surgery had put her out of commission this fall, accounting for the delays. She says the store is “financially set” and she’s making plans with developers to determine when interior work can begin. Miller says this could be as early as December. An opening date has yet to be set. Plans for the market remain largely unchanged, with the intention to sell high-quality deli meat, customized meals “for those on the go,” some baked goods, canned goods, dairy products, and items for “convenience shopping.” Watch the market’s Facebook page for updates.
Local Retail Sales Up About 7%
If you read our economic feature last month (titled Dodging the Down Economy) and still aren’t convinced the Valley has skirted a lot of the national woes, recently released data from Eau Claire County says the business are seeing an increase in sales for the first time since 2008. Sales are up 6.8% so far this year, and with this last month of frantic holiday shoppers, we are well are on our way to exceeding the sales record of 2008. If that were to happen, we would have generated $1.61 billion of income from taxed goods for Eau Claire county businesses. So as you bundle up and head out to buy holiday gifts for friends and family, shop local and continue helping support our community!
Martha Stewart Totally Loves Local Glitter Queen Kari Tarr
There can never be enough glitter in the works of UW-Stout art instructor Kari Tarr ... or, it seems, The Martha Stewart Show for that matter. For the second time this year Tarr’s sparkling face and art made an appearance on Stewart. The show aired on Dec. 6, and Kari helped Martha make a sparkly ornament. Later, directions for the ornament will be available on Martha’s website and KariTarr.com. Kari was previously on in March after being a finalist in the “Simply Remarthable Contest” for ger glitter paintings. She’s also co-owner of Mike’s Art & Design Supply in Menomonie.


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Nintendo has announced that The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will cost $90 in Canada.
Shortly before the February 8th Nintendo Direct, the eShop briefly listed the $70 USD/$90 CAD price tag before it was taken down. However, following the release of a new trailer at the Direct, Nintendo confirmed in a press release that this price is indeed accurate.
It’s a notable move from Nintendo, which has otherwise priced Switch games at the standard $79.99 MSRP (manufacturer’s suggested retail price) in Canada. While some publishers have moved towards $90 — like PlayStation, 2K and, starting this year, Xbox — they’ve done so for titles on the current-gen PS5 and Xbox Series X/S consoles. Given that the Switch was released nearly six years ago, as well as the fact that Nintendo titles rarely go on sale, there’s been some debate about whether games on such dated hardware warrant the increased cost.
MobileSyrup reached out to Nintendo of Canada for comment regarding why Tears of the Kingdom costs more, to which a Nintendo of Canada spokesperson said, “We determine the suggested retail price for any Nintendo product on a case-by-case basis.”
It should be noted that there has been speculation among industry insiders that Tears of the Kingdom could be the last “significant” exclusive title for the Switch, given that it’s been around for so long. Presumably, any other major games, like another 3D Mario in the vein of Super Mario Odyssey, would release on whatever the Switch’s successor ends up being. To that point, analysts are looking to 2024 for the next Nintendo console. In other words, Nintendo could be testing the waters with $90 games before shifting towards that pricing range in its next-gen system.
For now, though, Nintendo is mostly just talking about the first half of 2023, which was the focus of its February 8th Direct. Some of the highlights of the show include the aforementioned new look at Tears of the Kingdom (reiterating a May 12th release), a new trailer for Pikmin 4 (coming July 21st) and shadow drops for Metroid Prime Remastered and Game Boy and Game Boy Advance titles on Switch Online.
Update 09/02/2022 2:20pm ET: Comment from Nintendo of Canada has been added to the story.
Image credit: Nintendo


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What Is Pharrell Working on with Chanel?
Follow Pharrell behind the scenes of one of the world’s biggest fashion houses.
Pharrell may have numerous fashion collaborations under his belt by now, but his latest takes the cake for being the biggest partnership he has worked on so far. Chanel had teamed up with the singer-slash-producer for its recent Métiers D’art 2015/2016 collection, which was shown in Rome last December. This collaboration perhaps came with no surprise as the visionary is known to have a close relationship with the house as well as its creative director Karl Lagerfeld.
While information has been vague, it is safe to conclude that Pharrell definitely has something cooking up with the luxury brand. A recently released video follows Pharrell on his day-trip to Paris as he oversees the design process and teases some of the pieces in the collection. Watch the video above to find out more.


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Are you a Nexus or Samsung user? If so, then you’re more secure than most mobile users – at least, according to a security researcher.
Security researcher Gal Beniamini, a member of the Qualcomm Product Security Hall of Fame, has reportedly demonstrated a “serious security vulnerability” that affects all devices that have not yet received the Android security update from May.
That’s a total of 57% of all Android smartphones. Which means the majority of Android smartphones are vulnerable to this exploit.
As a result of this exploit, Gal recommends switching away from vulnerable devices and switching to devices that have installed the latest security updates – which patched the recently-identified flaw.
The only devices that aren’t vulnerable? Those are Samsung and Nexus devices, both of which received the security update relatively quickly:
“[We] find the only Android devices that we can recommend without major reservations are Nexus and, now, Samsung devices, provided they keep releasing those security updates quickly.”
In other words, the issue isn’t just related to this latest security flaw: it’s the fact that Nexus and Samsung devices frequently receive security updates more quickly than others. As long as that continues, and the other device manufacturers continue to lag behind, Nexus and Samsung devices will consistently offer better security than other Androids.
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Despite efforts to tweak the store model and cut costs, new competition in the past year from national brands like Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods made it nearly impossible for Katuah Market to compete, says owner John Swann.
Dough on Merrimon Avenue anticipates a quiet opening in early February and a grand opening celebration on Tuesday, Feb. 12. In Woodfin’s Reynold’s Village, Livi’s Pantry will open around the same time.
After losing its lease in downtown Asheville’s Grove Arcade last month, the Grove Corner Market wasted no time in setting up shop elsewhere. The grocery, which has kept its name, opened its doors June 3 at 771 Haywood Road in West Asheville (which formerly housed the Haywood Road Market). A grocery transported: Grove Corner Market, […]
The Grove Corner Market, a small but well-stocked grocery that’s been in Asheville’s Grove Arcade since 2003, plans to leave the downtown location and set up shop in the West Asheville space soon to be vacated by the Haywood Road Market, which closed recently. On the move: Grove Corner Market staffers (from left) Adam Edwards, […]
The grocery store, located in Asheville’s Grove Arcade since 2003, plans to set up shop in the space soon to be vacated by the Haywood Road Market, which recently closed
The cooperatively owned Haywood Road Market is part of a small group of businesses that was part of West Asheville’s resurgence several years ago. But the organic corner grocery has a history of financial struggles and now may have to leave its location in West Asheville’s Bledsoe Building. At the end of March, the market […]
The Haywood Road Market, which has a history of financial struggles, now might have to leave its location of six years.


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Chiquita Brands International’s shipping operations are returning to Louisiana’s Port of New Orleans after a long absence.
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal joined Chiquita SVP Mario Pacheco Wednesday to make the announcement that the company would relocate its shipping from the hub of Gulfport, Miss. Chiquita plans to move 60,000-78,000 TEUs (20-ft.-equivalent units) at the port each year, which would be roughly 15 percent higher than current container volumes. The move also is expected to generate between 270-350 new jobs, as well as an increase in economic output of $373-$485 million over the next 10 years.
The company left Louisiana in the 1970s when it went under the name United Brands, after seven decades of calling at the Port of New Orleans.
“This is a huge, historic win for the Port of New Orleans and for trade in our state. We are excited to welcome back Chiquita after a nearly 40-year hiatus,” Jindal said. “Since day one, we have made economic development our top priority, and a big part of that has been investing in our ports to cultivate job-creating projects in Louisiana. In fact, since 2008, we’ve invested hundreds of millions in port infrastructure and port-related economic-development projects all across Louisiana. These efforts, combined with our progress in improving our state’s business climate, have led to record-high employment levels in Louisiana and the lowest unemployment rate in the South.”
Around half of the containers will be bananas and other fruit coming into the port, while the other half will comprise various outbound cargos. The first shipments are expected to start in the first quarter of 2015.
“We at Chiquita are thrilled to return to the port and the great city of New Orleans as we implement a new shipping configuration,” Pacheco said. “We are particularly excited about the enhanced service levels to our Chiquita and Great White Fleet customers that will result from this change in our shipping operations and expanded vessel capacity. We have valued our partnership with the Port of Gulfport and thank them for many years of great service. This was a clear business decision for us surrounding our new shipping configuration rather than any dissatisfaction with the strong and economically competitive team we have had at Gulfport.”


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According to the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), Trina Solar has been guilty of using Chinese government subsidies to win a big portion of the U.S. solar panel market. The DOC imposed a 31.14 percent tariff on the company.
But Trina awarded itself a Triple Crown for 2011 because of numbers it achieved that belied the popular image a Chinese solar manufacturer, and, even compared to other Chinese solar makers that had similar advantages and saw similar tariffs imposed on them, made it a leader in financial viability, field performance and sustainability practices.
Financial viability makes many things possible. Price Waterhouse Cooper subsidiary PRTM Management Consulting ranked Trina first in its Sustainable Growth Index.
“The metrics we were ranked on,” explained Trina Solar Americas Director of Marketing Mike Grunow, “were balance sheet strength and cost structure.” There is a fundamental reason, he said, for those good numbers.
“Over the past three or four years,” he explained, “solar manufacturers have taken on enormous amounts of debt and used that debt to experiment with business models and investigate a ton of new technologies. Very early on, we had the foresight to choose a technology path that was capital efficient and thus had the ability to not be distracted significantly by experimental business models downstream and potential new technologies that didn’t pan out.”
Trina has, instead, been “very conservative and saved,” Grunow said. “During that time, we raised significantly less debt than some of our competitors [and] built up our balance sheet to support our product.” That conservative strategy, he said, “is coming home to roost” in the PRTM rankings.
Grunow said Trina’s multi-crystalline silicon panel and its Honey technology manufacturing platform were what led to its success. “Right now, we hold the world record for the most efficient multi-crystalline silicon panel produced.”
Confirmed by TUV Rheinland, Trina’s Honey platform-manufactured, standard size Honey Ultra module (1650 mm x 992 mm) reached 284.7 watts peak power output in May 2012.
The Honey platform, Grunow said, is “four or five different incremental manufacturing improvements bundled together to provide the best tradeoff between performance and cost. You get the lion’s share of high-efficiency performance at a much smaller incremental cost to the consumer.”
Trina’s number one ranking by watchdog Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition (SVTC) for its industry-standard sustainability practices did not “just happen,” Grunow said. Sustainability is a priority set by CEO Jifan Gao as his way of answering the doubters Gao faced daily when he began in the business as a rooftop solar system seller/installer.
“Long before he created our company, he was selling and installing solar systems. Again and again he would hear questions, especially in the early '90s." It was a time when the economics of solar were far more dubious, Grunow said, “so buyers wanted to know about efficiency and environmental impacts.”
The company now produces an annual report “solely focused on our company’s environmental practices, use of energy, and use of water. These are core metrics and there are teams of people working every day in our company to find ways to improve them.”
It pays off, Grunow said. Trina’s products are being used by “channel partners like SolarCity and SunEdison [because] more and more, we see end-users looking to the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition report as a way to understand the environmental attributes of the products [and] Trina panels are being specifically requested by clients who want to protect their image and don’t want to install dirty panels.”
Hundreds of practices at Trina’s factories contribute to the SVTC ranking, but a key, Grunow said, “is what we call our solar manufacturing campus approach.” The Trina campus in Changzhou, China, an hour-and-a-half outside of Shanghai, has “all our suppliers” on or near “the primary assembly facility.” This eliminates “a large portion of the inbound logistics costs of the raw materials and the inbound energy required,” according to Grunow.
The efficiency of Trina’s multicrystalline panels was verified by a field performance test published by the California Energy Commission in which panels’ claimed capacity factors were compared to obtained capacity factors.
Trina’s number-one ranking, Grunow said, was due to the way it rates its panels. To achieve a high rating, he said, “some manufacturers cut corners. One common way is to label a panel, say, 200 watts, plus or minus three percent.” The result is a panel that may be rated at 200 watts but only deliver 195 watts in the field. “Trina,” Grunow said, uses “plus three percent, minus zero” so its panels will not under-deliver.
In field performance testing done by third parties, Grunow said, panels of plus three percent or minus three percent from other manufacturers may turn up. “There are two or three studies that show Trina’s panels consistently perform in the field better than almost everybody else’s,” he said. “The proof is in the output number.”
There are other lists on which Trina’s numbers put it high at this crucial juncture in solar industry evolution. “Right now, everybody is wondering who are the few solar companies that are going to be around in five years,” Grunow said, “and Trina is consistently at the top of the lists.”
But with the module tariff, not to mention the anticipated slowing of the industry’s big California and New Jersey markets and the gap left by the expiration of the 1603 tax grant, Trina could find it challenging to stay high up on those lists.


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Singer also speaks about becoming the first Disney star to embrace the LGBT community
Miley Cyrus has revealed that she lost her Walmart clothing line because of her weed habit.
The ‘Wrecking Ball’ singer has made no secret of her fondness for marijuana in recent years, posting several joint-smoking selfies on Instagram and even wearing an onesie with a marijuana leaf pattern on stage.
“I had a clothing line at Walmart and got kicked out, because they said you had to choose weed or Walmart,” Cyrus told Variety. “And you see what I did – I chose weed.”
During the interview, Cyrus also discussed her LGBTQ activism, which includes running a nonprofit organisation, Happy Hippie, which aims to reduce youth homelessness, particularly among LGBTQ teenagers.
“My empowerment comes from feeling like I have a purpose now,” she explained. “On my tombstone, I didn’t want the ‘Wrecking Ball’ lyrics. I wanted it to be something greater. I’m the only fucking Disney star who would say I’m pro lesbian and gay, before it was OK to say that.”
Asked if she got in trouble with Disney for her LGBT activism, Cyrus replied: “I actually didn’t, because a lot of the dudes that work for Disney are gay, so they were very happy to have someone on their side.”


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Ford Produces 100,000th Hybrid SUV
“As we celebrate our 100,000th hybrid, America’s interest in hybrid vehicles keeps growing, as does Ford’s commitment to advanced powertrain technologies that deliver greater fuel economy, lower emissions and help enhance our country’s energy security,” said Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford. “No domestic automaker has more real-world experience with hybrid vehicle technology than Ford, and it shows in the quality and fuel economy of our vehicles.”
In addition, the American automakers continues to praise the fuel economy of both Ford Escape Hybrid SUV and Mercury Mariner Hybrid SUV (34 and 31 mpg in city and highway cycles respectively), pointing that these two particular models "continue to be the most fuel-efficient hybrid SUVs on the planet".
The Kansas City production facility currently employs 4,100 workers and is especially responsible for hybrid SUV production. The first hybrid SUV to roll off the production line was the 2004 Escape Hybrid.
“All of us at the plant feel tremendous pride as we celebrate this important milestone,” said Ken Ward, Kansas City plant manager. “We are as enthusiastic about building the 100,000th vehicle today as we were at the initial launch.
And Ford isn't stopping here. The American automakers recently announced plans to "electrify" its production lineup by launching a next-generation hybrid and plug-in hybrid in most major markets by the end of 2012.


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Ready-to-Wear and Sportswear
Lacoste is making a stronger push toward fashion.
Designer and Luxury
However adverse Adolfo is to publicity (longtime clients still can bank on his discretion), the designer recently agreed, with some persuading, to an interview.
Intimates and Activewear
The category sprinted to the head of the fashion pack this year, with its new sister classificaiton: Ath-leisure.
New fibers, comfort stretch and lightweight denim were key trends for spring/summer 2016.
The Markets Features
Global pressure to inspect factory buildings has changed the basis of the country's fashion business.
The nonprofit organization B Lab administers a stringent assessment to vet companies looking to become certified as a benefit corporation, or B Corp.
The company didn't rule out the possibility of a bankruptcy filing.
Eddie and Dov were among the worst, and Jack and Kevin were among the best — chief executive officers, that is.
Mergers and Acquisitions
The H Halston and H by Halston brands were sold for $27.7 million in a combination of cash, shares of Xcel Brands stock and warrants.


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Hal Krag owns Trey Contractors, a utility contractor in Memphis, Tenn. He was on hand to buy excavator buckets and took a look at this Cat CP563 vibratory compactor.
More than 4,400 bidders participated online and in person at Ritchie Bros.' multi-million-dollar unreserved public equipment auction in Houston, on April 19 to 20, 2017.
With bidders from 61 countries, approximately 54 percent of the equipment in the auction was sold to out-of-state buyers, from as far away as France, Australia and Japan. Online bidders purchased approximately 54 percent of the equipment sold (by dollar value).
More than 4,400 equipment items and trucks were sold in the two-day auction, including more than 105 excavators, more than 75 compactors, more than 70 skid steers, more than 45 dozers, 35 cranes, 35 loader backhoes, more than 360 truck tractors, more than 310 trailers and more.—CEG
Today's top stories


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Newsflash: Britain’s energy regulator has fined six suppliers a total of £10.8m for missing their targets for smart meter installation last year.
British Gas, OVO, Bulb, E.ON, Scottish Power and SSE all missed their rollout targets, leading to a shortfall of 1,026,628 smart meters, Ofgem has announced.
The suppliers have all agreed to make payments into Ofgem’s Energy Industry Voluntary Redress Fund (EIVRF) – whicih is used to provide help to consumers in vulnerable situations who are most at risk from cold homes and high energy bills.
Cathryn Scott, director of Enforcement and Emerging Issues at Ofgem, said:
“The installation of smart meters is a vital step in the modernisation of our energy system and the path to net zero by 2050. Smart meters give customers better information about their energy usage helping them budget and control their costs.”
Some suppliers did cite “mitigating factors” for missing their targets, some of which Oftem considered when setting their payments into the EIVRF, but didn’t hold a detailed review into what went wrong.
Good morning, and welcome to our rolling coverage of business, the financial markets and the world economy.
China has dropped into deflationary territory for the second time this year, reigniting concerns over its economy.
Consumer prices in the world’s second-largest economy fell by 0.2%, compared with the previous year, in October, a larger decline than the 0.1% expected.
Chinese producers also cut their prices at a faster rate. The producer price index (a measure of prices at the factory gate) fell 2.6% year-on-year, following a 2.5% drop in September. That could push inflationary pressures down globally.
The drop in China’s CPI was partly due to cheaper food prices – pork, for example, cost 30% less than a year ago, with an oversupply of pigs and weak demand making this popular staple cheaper.
But there was also a notable slowdown in core inflation (stripping out food and energy), which fell to 0.6% in October from 0.8% in September.
While cheaper goods and services are welcome news for Chinese consumers, the fall in prices will worry Beijing, as it suggests economic demand remains weak almost a year after pandemic restrictions were ended.
Back in August, China’s inflation rate fell below zero, before returning to positive terrirory in October.
Deflation is a serious situation – falling price levels lead to a rapid slowdown in economic activity as consumers cut spending and business invest less (on the logical grounds that it will be cheaper next year).
However, is a small drop in prices actually full-blown inflation?
Robert Carnell, ING’s regional head of research for the Asia-Pacific, argues that China is actually grappling with “low underlying inflation”.
What China has right now, is a low rate of underlying inflation, which reflects the fact that domestic demand is fairly weak. What today’s data show is that it doesn’t take much of a negative shock from one of the components to push a low underlying headline inflation rate below zero on a year-on-year basis.
If you want to use any term, “disinflation” would be my preference, but what we are seeing today is mainly the result of a supply excess, rather than a collapse in demand.
Carnell adds that the inflation report highlights the “hog cycle” – when pork prices are high, farmers hold back pigs from the market to expand their herds, leading to a glut, causing herd shrinkage, etc etc.
China is not experiencing “deflation” as most headlines attest. But its pork prices are undoubtedly much lower, good news for all except farmers probably
8.10am GMT: European Central Bank chief economist Philip Lane speaks at the ECB Conference on Money Markets 2023 in Frankfurt, Germany
9am GMT: ECB economic bulletin released
11am GMT: Ireland’s consumer price inflation data released
1.30pm GMT: US weekly jobless report


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Amazon: And Now for Something Completely Different
Apr 2, 2014 7:09 AM PT
Amazon is widely expected to reveal a new set-top video streaming device on Wednesday. The company sent out teaser invites to journalists that include a photo of a couch with popcorn and the words, "Please join us for an update on our video business."
Vague? Definitely. But rumors that Amazon has been working on a streaming device have persisted for months, and The Wall Street Journal last week reported that it also was considering a free, advertising-supported video streaming service.
Variety, in the meantime, reported that an Amazon spokesperson denied plans to offer a free streaming-media service.
While no Amazon employee has gone on record to confirm a set-top box device, several reputable publications have -- over the last several months -- cited unnamed people familiar with Amazon's plans. Hardly a smoking gun, but considering that Amazon saw fit to refute the free-streaming service rumor -- but not the device rumor -- it's safe to say Amazon is going to deliver a streaming device.
Inside Amazon's New Set-Top Video Box
Amazon likely will introduce either a streaming stick like the HDMI Google Chromecast or a set-top box like the Apple Apple TV. Or, the company might produce both options -- like Roku's new Streaming Stick or more traditional Roku box.
Like the Kindle Fire, Amazon's operating system will be Android-based. It will provide streaming access to Amazon's video streaming library of movies and TV shows, which currently has two segments. The first is a "free" library of mostly B or C movies paired with thousands of TV shows available for on-demand access to Amazon Prime customers, who pay US$99 a year for augmented fast shipping of retail products, with the video access bonus.
In function, Amazon's Prime video service is similar to Netflix's video streaming service. And the second part of Amazon's video library? The company also lets customers rent or buy movies and TV shows on-demand, and this for-payment library includes Hollywood blockbusters and current-season TV shows.
More of the Same or Something Different?
The real question about this rumor is how might an Amazon-based video hardware device change anything?
Right now, Apple iOS users can stream Amazon Prime content via the Amazon Instant Video app, which even lets them throw the content to their Apple TV-connected HDTV via Apple's AirPlay feature. Xbox owners can stream Amazon Prime content to their living room HDTVs, too, with the Xbox-based app. And Roku? Roku owners can use an Amazon Instant Video app too.
If Apple has sold 13 million or so Apple TVs at $99 a pop, and if Roku has sold 8 million or so boxes and sticks at $50 to $99 -- and with some unreported number of Google Chromecast sticks sold at $35 -- what's the big deal if Amazon comes to the living room party?
Answer: ecosystem extension.
With its own hardware, Amazon won't have to rely on other companies to distribute its content. In addition, Amazon will be able to ensure that its content gets prime real estate on its device instead of fighting for attention with other apps, channels and services on every other device.
In fact, Apple doesn't even let Amazon have its Amazon Instant Video app directly on the Apple TV device (or Amazon doesn't want it there; hard to pinpoint why the app isn't native on the Apple TV since both Amazon and Apple are mum on the subject).
Right now, Amazon Prime is just another video streaming service. After this week's announcement, Amazon will be able to introduce a full chain of interconnected products and build it's ecosystem of content. From a consumer-focused position, this means that consumers can invest in a Kindle Fire tablet and have a content consumption experience that's replicated in their living room.
With Amazon's huge customer base, a set-top box will help ensure that customers keep Amazon top-of-mind -- not only for video content, but also for its Prime service, which also makes buying retail products online with super-fast shipping insanely easy. If the Amazon brand is always front and center in the living room, it stands to reason that shopping for products and books also might become more Amazon-focused for consumers.
All of this helps Amazon pump up customer activity.
Behind the scenes, if Amazon can expand its customer base and usage of its video services, it simply will gain power in the entertainment world. To reach these customers, Amazon will be in a better position to negotiate for streaming broadcast rights, as well as lay the foundation to build content delivery partnerships with Hollywood and television studios. Plus, in a new world where Net neutrality is suddenly just a pipe dream, Amazon may begin to be able to fight for -- if not pay for -- preferential streaming quality to its own hardware. In fact, according to one recent report, Apple currently is looking for special treatment on Comcast's cable internet network. If there's a new content war brewing, Amazon is going to want hardware to fight in it.
Even if Amazon doesn't angle for special Internet treatment, the company already is shaking up the content delivery space by activity investing in the creation of new television shows and movies. Amazon recently released 10 new pilots for possible TV shows to its Amazon Prime customers -- and even solicited feedback from fans to help decide which shows to green light for full seasons. Apple isn't doing this. Google isn't doing this. Roku isn't doing this. Amazon is.
Remember the wildly successful Stephen King breakout hit, Under the Dome? Amazon negotiated a new sort of streaming deal that helped goose CBS into producing the show, which has led to a second season as well as a brand new TV series with CBS, Extant.
"Our partnership with Amazon for Under the Dome helped build a creative, financial and marketing model for event television in the summer," noted Scott Koondel, chief corporate licensing officer for CBS Corporation, earlier this year. "We look forward to using the same model for Extant, a series whose creative auspices, on-screen talent and intriguing concept [are] already generating great excitement."
Any way you slice and dice Amazon's video efforts, it's all nontraditional with few competitors lining up head-to-head -- and a hardware device will only make Amazon stronger.


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The most recent onsite audit by the USDA of Poland’s inspection system for raw and processed pork products found the European nation’s efforts remain equivalent to those of the United States.
The report for the audit conducted in Poland on Sept. 11-19, 2017, was released last week by the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).
“The purpose of the audit was to determine whether Poland’s food safety system governing meat remains equivalent to that of the United States, with the ability to export products that are safe, wholesome, unadulterated, and correctly labeled and packaged,” according to the report.
Poland currently exports the following categories of products to the United States: raw–
intact; raw–non-intact; fully cooked–not shelf stable; heat treated but not fully cooked–not shelf stable; and thermally processed–commercially sterile pork products.
The audit focused on six system equivalence components:
- Government oversight – e.g., organization and administration;
- Government statutory authority and food safety and other consumer protection regulations – e.g., Inspection System Operation, Product Standards and Labeling, and Humane Handling;
- Government sanitation;
- Government Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) system;
- Government Chemical Residue Testing Programs; and
- Government Microbiological Testing Programs.
“An analysis of the findings within each component did not identify any deficiencies that
represented an immediate threat to public health,” according to the report.


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Apple Loses 'iPhone' Name Rights in Mexico over Phonetic Similarity [Updated]
Electronista reports that Apple has lost a court case in Mexico over the rights to the "iPhone" name in that country, with the court ruling that the name is too phonetically similar to that of telecommunications company iFone, which registered its trade name in 2003.
The decision stems from a legal action that Apple initially filed in 2009 requesting that the company cease using the iFone brand in order to head off the possibility of consumer confusion.
El Universal reports that the iFone trade name was registered in Mexico in 2003, some four years before Apple did so. Nonetheless, Apple sought unsuccessfully to gain sole control over the brand in the year after the iPhone first launched in Mexico.
Spanish news agency Efe has a bit more on the situation, quoting a lawyer for iFone as saying that this is the third time Apple has lost in this case.
It is unclear exactly what the next steps are for Apple and iFone, including whether additional appeals are possible. Apple is not likely to simply abandon the iPhone name in Mexico, and would thus almost certainly attempt to reach a settlement with iFone that would enable it to continue using the iPhone trade name in the country.
Update 1:21 PM: The Verge clarifies some of the confusion about the situation, noting that the court ruling has no impact on Apple's ability to sell the iPhone in Mexico and relates strictly to one trademark class.
As you'd expect, companies like Apple file to protect ultra valuable trademarks like "iPhone" in every class they can come up with an argument for, since it protects against infringement and brand dilution. That's where iFone comes in — it has a single Mexican trademark on the word "iFone" in Class 38, which covers telecommunication services. Apple runs a few of those, like iMessage and FaceTime, and indeed, it has a Class 38 US trademark on "iPhone."
Apple already owns two iPhone trademarks in Mexico in Class 9 and Class 28, which covers electronic game devices. But in 2009, Apple's lawyers decided iFone's Mexican Class 38 mark wasn't being actively used, and they filed a lawsuit to try and get it canceled so they could register their own pending Class 38 mark on "iPhone." iFone obviously disagreed and convinced the Mexican courts that they were still using the mark in commerce, which is where today's ruling comes from — Apple lost another round of appeals trying to cancel the iFone mark in Class 38.
The report goes on to note that reports of an injunction or fines against Apple are incorrect and are in fact related to what iFone is seeking in a countersuit, a suit that has yet to proceed to trial.


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Samsung has sent their Galaxy Beam for its compliance tests at the FCC and it seems the device really flaunted its stuff while it was there.
According to the filing for the Samsung Galaxy Beam, which is known for it’s built in projector, spotted at the FCC and based on the radio configuration equipped on the device, the device seems to be headed for an AT&T release.
What the US variant of the phone will be is still unclear but from what we know, the device does feature 3G support for the GSM 1900MHz and 850MHz bands.
The Samsung Galaxy Beam will rock a 4-inch display and will be powered by a 1GHz processor supported by 768MB of RAM. The device at the moment of its launch will be running Android 2.3 Gingerbread with no news of Ice Cream Sandwich yet.


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"We were proud to put our Strangekiss
Seal of Strangeness of this great creation. If all goes right Zog will
make his premiere later this year, maybe even at SDCC."
Strangekiss will be at San Diego Comic Con in booth number 4637. They are planning some fantastic surprises that are already in the
works. To celebrate their first toy production announcement almost everything in the store is 20% off * for the next Five days! Look for NEW special Valentine Day Goodies.


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Looking at the arduous across of the Audi Q range, it would be accessible to accept that it has an SUV to clothing all tastes and personalities. But Audi never stops innovating, and has affairs to aggrandize the agency still added to ensure it stays at the acid bend of appearance and technology.
What could be next? Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management of Audi, gave us an adumbration of what is to come, saying: “We will aggrandize our acknowledged Q ancestors by 2019 with two new concepts – the Audi Q8 and the Audi Q4.”
The Q4 won’t be apparent until 2019, but Audi has accustomed a able adumbration to the appearance of the car with the TT Offroad concept, appear at the Beijing Motor Show. As the appearance car’s name suggests, it is a alloy of Audi’s iconic TT and a Q model, creating a bunched account agent (CUV).
Featuring a coupe-style, low-roof silhouette, the Audi Q4 will be positioned amid the Audi Q3 and Q5 and will address to those who appetite a added antic attending after accepting to cede the all-weather adequacy and acumen of an SUV.
Little is accepted about the powertrain or technology planned for the Q4, but the aggregation has hinted that array ability – either as a amalgam or abounding EV – will affection as one of the options. Production of the Audi Q4 will alpha on an all-new band at Audi Hungaria.
The coupe/SUV affair will abide with the Q8, which promises to accessible up a new articulation for Audi’s top-end models. As the name suggests it will sit aloft the Q7 in the ambit and actualize a exceptional SUV which will amalgamate space, affecting architecture and the actual latest technologies.
The Q8 has additionally been previewed as a abstraction car – this time it was appear at the North American International Auto Appearance (NAIAS) in 2017 and was instantly hailed as the car of the event.
At a atom over bristles metres long, the abstraction is the aforementioned admeasurement as a affluence alehouse but offers far added amplitude for cartage and baggage acknowledgment to the cocked stance.
Inside, a ‘control concept’ uses ample touchscreens, an broadcast adaptation of the Audi virtual cockpit apparatus console and a head-up display. The closing incorporates able aggrandized absoluteness technology – a aboriginal in the motor industry.
The Q8 abstraction additionally hints at the powertrains which will be offered; it’s powered by a 3.0-litre TFSI petrol agent commutual with an electric motor, supplied by a 17.9kWh lithium-ion battery. Together they aftermath 440PS and 700Nm of torque, and yet the car can biking 37 afar on authentic electric power.
Audi has said the aboriginal Q8 will be on auction some time in 2018.
Wallpaper 2023 Audi Q8 – 2023 Audi Q8
| Pleasant for you to my weblog, in this particular time I am going to teach you concerning keyword. And now, this can be the 1st photograph:


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Vincent Entonu is the new MD for Africa, while Louise Taute will be heading up Southern Africa.
Distributor Westcon-Comstor Sub-Saharan Africa has appointed Vincent Entonu as managing director of the Africa region, as of 1 March, and Louise Taute has been in her role as managing director of the Southern Africa region since the beginning of February.
Vincent is tasked with the daily oversight of the region, providing executive management with local leadership support in driving sales and partner relationships and developing the channel and skills.
He joined the company 11 years ago as business manager for Comstor Africa, and has since served as a general manager and practice lead before his current promotion.
“It gives me great pleasure to accept the role of managing director and expand my influence across the greater Westcon-Comstor Africa business,” says Entonu.
Louise has been with the company for 16 years, most recently as Comstor director and marketing director for sub-Saharan Africa.
“It is an honour to take on the role of managing director at a company that I truly do call my home. I have been fortunate to watch this business grow through all the different industry hype cycles and local and global acquisitions,” she says.


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Viral publishers see sharp engagement drops on Facebook
LittleThings shut down after Facebook’s algorithm change cut its organic reach by 75 percent, but it’s not the only social publisher that’s in danger, data from several analytics firms suggests.
Publishers such as Viral Thread, ViralNova, 9gag, Bored Panda, Diply and Distractify have all seen interactions — likes, shares, comments and other reactions — slide precipitously since Facebook announced in January that it would deprioritize publisher content in its news feed, according to Facebook-owned CrowdTangle.
That drop implies Facebook has limited their reach on its platform, bad news for publishers that depend heavily on Facebook for referral traffic, according to data from internet analytics firm Jumpshot. Distractify, for example, saw its monthly traffic decline 78 percent year over year in January and 84 percent year over year in February, with most of the declines attributable to declines in Facebook referral traffic.
Some of these sites are more dependent on Facebook than others — just 12 percent of 9gag’s desktop traffic comes from Facebook, compared to 85 percent for Viral Thread, according to SimilarWeb data. But regardless of how dependent they are, it seems that Facebook sees less value in showing that kind of content to its user base.
“Publishers who had a heavy reliance on gaming Facebook news feed algorithms circa 2016-2017 will be hurting bad right now,” said Matt Navarra, director of social media at The Next Web. “Those publishers who failed to diversify their social platform distribution model or went all-in on Facebook will be regretting it in 2018.”
The declines are just part of a slide that publishers have been riding for over a year. While Facebook prioritized native video and Instant Articles, publisher referral traffic from Facebook declined substantially. In late 2017, Google surpassed Facebook as the top source of publisher referral traffic, leading some search-focused publishers to gloat.
But the severity of these drops varies. The interaction rate on 9gag’s posts fell 50 percent month over month from January to February, according to CrowdTangle data; Viral Thread’s interaction rate fell 32 percent, the second-largest decline month over month, over the past 12 months, according to CrowdTangle data. Neither publisher responded to a request for comment.
In the days following Facebook’s announcement that its users would see 20 percent fewer posts from publishers’ pages in their news feeds, publishers speculated about who would be affected most.
Nearly two months later, the effects are hitting some publishers harder than others. LittleThings was forced to shut its doors, while other publishers have had mild to negligible changes to their referral traffic.
“It’s no surprise the impact on some publishers is minor, whilst for others, it’s utterly devastating,” Navarra said. “We shouldn’t forget Facebook’s push on ‘meaningful engagement.’ Some publishers will be struggling to generate it if their mix of content is not adaptable enough to bend to [Mark Zuckerberg’s] latest desire to drive ‘meaningful interactions.’”
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Silicon Valley investor Tim Draper won part of an auction of 50,000 bitcoins auctioned by the U.S. government, which is disposing of virtual currency seized from the Silk Road online marketplace.
Draper, who bid on behalf of Menlo Park-based Draper Associates, said in an emailed statement that he bid successfully for 2,000 bitcoins at Thursday’s tender. The auction was the second sale after the U.S. Marshals Service sold almost 30,000 bitcoins in June, which Draper won in its entirety. Draper didn’t disclose how much he paid for either winning bid.
After yesterday’s auction, the agency will still have more than 94,000 bitcoins, worth about $35 million at current prices, to sell. The price of bitcoin has declined about 42 percent since the June auction, according to CoinDesk’s Bitcoin Price Index, an average of bitcoin prices across leading global exchanges. Thursday’s auction attracted 11 bidders, the agency said, compared with 45 bidders the last time.
Pantera Capital and a syndicate created by the trading division of SecondMarket also said they planned to participate in the auction.
Draper Associates will invest 300 bitcoins into every company that works with Boost, a bitcoin startup accelerator founded by Draper’s son, Adam Draper.
“The interesting part is that we are fixing the valuation, and the 300 bitcoins are worth about $120,000 today, but may be worth quite a bit more (or less) when the entrepreneurs receive them,” Draper said in the email.
The auction is part of a cache of bitcoins the FBI transferred to U.S. Marshals after shutting down Silk Road, which the U.S. said was run by Ross William Ulbricht. The marketplace was an online bazaar where anonymous users allegedly bought and sold heroin, LSD, phony passports and computer hacking services.
The auctions represent a rare opportunity to secure a large amount of the virtual currency. Because liquidity on the exchanges is low — a trade of 500 bitcoins can move prices — buying from the government offers a chance to avoid paying a premium.


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Novartis CEO, Joe Jimenez told Reuters the company is developing a new prototype of the ’smart‘ lens for accommodative vision correction that can be used by individuals with age-related vision problems.
“This project is progressing well. I had said it would take about five years to see a product on the market. The calendar is on track and we are already developing a technological lens prototype that should be tested on humans in 2016,” said Jimenez.
Last year when the two companies announced their partnership, they said they were developing two different ‘smart’ lenses, one to correct vision and the other to monitor blood sugar levels.
The ‘smart’ lens for those with presbyopia consists of miniaturized sensors and microchips that restore the eye’s natural ability to autofocus on nearby objects through accommodative vision correction. This technology could eliminate the need for glasses when reading or looking at other nearby objects.
The ‘smart’ contact lens designed to help diabetic patients monitor their glucose levels contains a small device made of non-invasive glucose sensors that measures glucose levels in the wearer’s tears. The data is transmitted wirelessly to a mobile device.
Since announcing the new holding company Alphabet, Google joined forces with pharmaceutical giant Sanofi to improve outcomes in people with diabetes. In August 2015, it announced collaboration with a leading continuous glucose-monitoring company DexCom, to develop smaller, better devices for people with diabetes.


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Panattoni is now working on the final stage of a production plant for Danfoss Poland within the company’s existing Grodzisk Mazowiecki complex, in cooperation with general contractor Dekpol. The developer has already delivered 12,000 sqm of the project, and now a warehouse facility and 1,000 sqm of production space are under construction.
Panattoni has completed a factory in Kalisz for Leviat – a global specialist in innovative solutions for the construction sector. The 40,000-square-metre investment replaces the company’s existing plant in the central Poland city. As a result, it will increase its production capacity and will be able expand its activities. One of the main challenges involved in developing the plant was to carry out the project within the strict time frame needed to ensure the continuity of the firm’s production.
Panattoni has started the development of Panattoni Park Rzeszów Airport II. Today, the groundbreaking ceremony took place on the site of an 11,300 sqm BTS project, which is being constructed for US firm BorgWarner.
European industrial real estate market leader Panattoni has revealed the potential of the Bydgoszcz warehouse market. Over the last five years, the developer has delivered over 200,000 sqm to the city including space in its own parks and BTS developments. These include projects for Carrefour and Kaufland, two giants of retail. Leading companies in logistics and e-commerce have backed Panattoni’s Bydgoszcz buildings. For this reason, the developer is now announcing that it is to build up its portfolio taking advantage of Bydgoszcz’s superb location that lies between Warsaw, Poznań and the TriCity as well as of the unwavering support from the city authorities and the Bydgoszcz Regional Development Agency.
Panattoni has turned its focus back onto the Warsaw market. In a strategic location – close to the planned New Central Polish Airport – Panattoni Park Błonie III is now under construction. The investment with an area of more than 90,000 sqm has already started and has its first tenant: logistics operator GTFL, which specialises in full truckload and international transportation.
Panattoni has launched work on its 21st park in Lower Silesia. The developer has started the construction of Panattoni Park Wrocław S8 South, which is to have an area of 18,000 sqm. The investment has already attracted its first tenant from the logistics sector, which will occupy more than 4,600 sqm. The facility is to be completed this year, in Nowa Wieś Wrocławska, close to the Wrocław Południe junction between the A4 motorway and the S8, providing an ideal connection with the main logistics centres across Poland and Europe.
Panattoni is continuing to make a major contribution to bringing Szczecin closer to joining Poland’s so-called ‘Big Five’ warehousing markets. So far, the developer has delivered almost 270,000 sqm in the region – around 30 pct of its entire industrial stock. The potential of Western Pomerania is also being recognised by new tenants. One example is international logistics forwarder DSV Prime Cargo, which has just extended its lease in Panattoni Park Goleniów while at the same time doubling the space it occupies to almost 10,000 sqm.
European industrial market leader Panattoni is launching Wrocław Campus 39, its largest project in Lower Silesia. The developer has already leased almost 85,000 sqm of the park to two tenants – 78,000 sqm of which will be used for e-commerce. Currently, 160,000 sqm is under construction, half of which will be ready in September this year. Campus Wrocław 39 will eventually offer 200,000 sqm and is to be BREEAM ‘Excellent’ certified.
Panattoni is to increase the supply of warehouse space in Bielsko-Biała, an industrial area bordering Silesia and Małopolska. The developer has started construction work on another park in the region - Panattoni Park Bielsko Biała IV. Three buildings with a combined area of 96,000 sqm are under construction, all of which are to be completed this year.
European industrial market leader Panattoni is opening the doors for a global provider of the technologically advanced orthodontic devices and dental prosthetics to the market of the EMEA region. The developer is now building the company’s first European production centre. The project to be built in Wrocław comprises an area of around 40,000 sqm and is scheduled to open in January 2022. As a result, up to 2,500 people will find employment. The factory is to be built following the principles of sustainable development and is to be certified under LEED for a rating of 'Gold'.
European industrial real estate leader Panattoni has completed the shell stage of another huge commission for the e-commerce sector. In Żerniki near Poznań, the developer is building a BTS facility with an area of 105,000 sqm for DHL Supply Chain. The latter company will use the space to carry out the logistics operations, among others, for Zalando required for distribution to several European markets – including Poland and Germany.
European industrial real estate leader Panattoni is strengthening its position in western Poland by expanding Panattoni Park Gorzów, where it has recently secured another tenant. Global logistics operator Fiege has leased 11,000 sqm in the park, which the company will use for the logistics operations of a client from the production sector. Panattoni Park Gorzów should be completed in November this year when it will comprise almost 70,000 sqm. The entire park is to be BREEAM certified at the ‘Very Good’ level, a standard that complies with both the developer’s requirements and those of Fiege.
European industrial market leader Panattoni has, for the fifth time in a row, taken first place in PropertyEU magazine’s Top Logistics Developers ranking. In 2018–2020, the company delivered 6.4 million sqm of warehouse and industrial space to the market. Panattoni owes its strong position to its expert anticipation of market trends and its rapid response to the economic turmoil brought about by the pandemic.
European industrial market leader Panattoni has completed the construction of a BTS facility for Animex Foods, the largest food producer and exporter of meat in Poland. The modern building, with an area of 10,153 sqm, has been developed near Ostróda in the Warmian-Masurian province and meets extremely high standards in terms of food storage.
Panattoni has developed another green project for DB Schenker. In Świdnik at the beginning of this year, a cross-docking terminal of around 5,165 sqm was constructed and has now successfully completed its BREEAM certification with a rating of ‘Very Good’.
Honeywell, a global manufacturer of a wide range of work optimization technologies and devices, is opening a factory in Prologis Park Chorzów. The plant, which will be unique on a European scale, will produce advanced devices for logistics automation, and will start operating in April.
Leading industrial space developer Panattoni is to develop its latest production and warehouse plant in the Warsaw area. The company is to deliver 31,000 sqm to Reynaers Aluminium – one of the leading European suppliers of sustainable and innovative aluminium solutions for the production of windows, doors and partition walls. The building is being constructed in Urzut – 30 km from Warsaw – on a plot chosen by the client. The centre will have a clear height of 10m in the warehouse section and 14m in the production section.
Panattoni to deliver a dedicated facility for TJX Europe - the owner of the TK Maxx brand and a leading off-price clothing and homeware retailer. The 61,135 sqm distribution centre will be located in Sulechów, Western Poland. This facility will help to supply products to TK Maxx shops in Poland, Germany, Austria and the Netherlands.
Panattoni has launched the construction of Panattoni Park Zgorzelec, which will comprise approx. 70,000 sqm. This is the developer’s latest 3 PL investment near the Polish-German border. The first tenant has already been secured for the park – ID Logistics, which will occupy 44,500 sqm for its e-commerce operations. Panattoni has also announced that the project will be BREEAM certified at the ‘Excellent’ level.
COVID-19 has slowed the activity of office developers but intensified competition in the residential land market. Warehouses are now so popular among investors that one can speak of a shrinking supply of land for more of these projects.
Wprowadź poprawne wartości pól e-mail oraz hasło. Uwaga: wielkość liter ma znaczenie.


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DETROIT – Honda again will offer a hybrid as part of its new, ninth-generation Accord lineup, due later this year.
But unlike the first-generation Accord Hybrid, Honda has the right recipe for success the second time around, a top American Honda official says.
The difference between the old Accord Hybrid, which sold from 2005-2007, and the upcoming '13 model, a plug-in variant, is "chalk and cheese," John Mendel, executive vice president-American Honda, says in a recent interview here. The first Accord Hybrid "pales in comparison" with the new version.
The second-generation Accord Hybrid will be a full hybrid, able to travel exclusively on electric power for up to 15 miles (24 km). Electric-only is one of three modes drivers can choose in the new plug-in, which has two motors and a 2.0L Atkinson-cycle 4-cyl. gasoline engine.
Although it was an "asphalt-burner," Mendel says, the original V-6-powered Accord Hybrid failed to put enough emphasis on fuel economy when that became the key selling point for gas-electric hybrids.
The first Accord Hybrid used Honda's mild-hybrid technology, Integrated Motor Assist (IMA), which prevented the car from driving exclusively on electric power.
Honda has not released expected fuel-economy numbers for the upcoming Accord PHEV. The first-generation hybrid averaged 28 mpg (8.4 L/100 km), according to post-2007 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency methodology.
Mendel says IMA is not dead, maintaining that Honda will keep the technology for compact or subcompact vehicles. The new Civic Hybrid, which went on sale last year, still uses IMA, as do the Insight and CR-Z dedicated hybrids.
While American consumers seem largely disinterested in hybrids, with the segment’s market share hovering at 2% of total industry sales despite plentiful offerings, Mendel says they are an important tool for auto makers needing to meet forthcoming U.S. corporate average fleet fuel economy targets of at least 35.5 mpg (6.6 L/100 km) by 2016.
"There's only a couple things you can do: (reduce) size/weight (or employ) alternative powertrain technologies," he says.
Honda is not totally wedded to hybrids as the solution to meet 2016 rules. Vehicles such as the Civic Natural Gas and hydrogen-powered FCX Clarity fleet demonstration model also are in its portfolio, as are gasoline direct-injected engines and continuously variable transmissions.
The auto maker will offer a DI engine and CVT in the ’13 Accord, as well as a V-6 engine option.
The decision to put a V-6 in the next Accord, while other auto makers such as Ford and Hyundai have gone exclusively to 4-cyl. in their midsize sedans, is just smart business, Mendel contends.
"We can get great fuel economy from a V-6, (and) a fair amount (of Accord buyers) still opt for a V-6," he says.
Honda hopes the new Accord Hybrid will help it raise its total hybrid sales, which last year reached 31,582 units, WardsAuto data shows.
But Mendel thinks that despite higher gas prices predicted for 2012, fuel efficiency is a hard sell for most Americans, who have become accustomed to paying more at the pump. "It's kind of like a punch in the face: After the first (price spike), you kind of go numb. The first one really hurts and the second one hurts less. The third one you're like, 'Yeah, OK.'"
Mendel believes gas prices in the U.S. will not fall below $3 a gallon again. "It's a finite resource."
Some oil analysts predict regular unleaded may reach $5 a gallon this summer, citing the improving economy, Iran's threat to close the Strait of Hormuz shipping lane, the European debt crisis and continued demand in China and other developing countries.


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- Sky News, Thursday, November 14, 2019 8:39 AM
Direct mail marketers and online retailers can breathe a massive sigh of relief. Sky News
reports the Post Office has been successful in overturning a decision by postal workers to strike in
the run up to Christmas.
Read the whole story at Sky News »


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Detroit startup StockX now worth $1B: How it got rare status
Detroit-based StockX, an online resale marketplace for unworn merchandise — particularly sneakers — has achieved rare "unicorn" status for a Michigan company with a new $1 billion-plus valuation.
StockX also announced Wednesday that it has hired a former eBay and StubHub executive as its new CEO, replacing hardcore sneaker collector Josh Luber, who will remain on the three-year-old company's executive leadership team and board of directors.
The company received its $1 billion-plus valuation through a new $110 million Series C funding round from investment firms DST Global, General Atlantic and GGV Capital.
StockX calls itself the world's first "stock market of things" and was co-founded in early 2016 by Luber, Detroit businessman Dan Gilbert and the company's now-Chief Operations Officer Greg Schwartz.
Headquartered at One Campus Martius in downtown Detroit, StockX is one of three southeast Michigan-based startup firms in recent years to become a so-called "unicorn." The others firm were Duo Security in Ann Arbor, which sells digital security systems, and OneStream Software, a Rochester-based firm that sells financial management software to major corporations.
StockX said in a news release that it plans to use the new investment money to fuel its international growth, with a focus on Europe and Asia. It also hopes to have more new products directly released on StockX.
The company says it has more than 800 employees.
StockX gives consumers a platform to buy and sell like-new merchandise in four categories: sneakers, watches, handbags and street wear. Similar to what Kelley Blue Book is for used cars, StockX is now the leading gauge of market value in the sneaker resale world.
The company earns revenue through a flat transaction fee and by taking a percentage of each sale.
The newly named CEO is Scott Cutler, who most recently worked as a senior vice president at eBay and, from 2015 to 2017, was president of StubHub. He previously was an executive vice president at the New York Stock Exchange.
Luber, who owns a personal collection of over 350 pairs of sneakers, founded a Philadelphia-based company called Campless that was a first-of-its-kind price guide for sneakers.
Gilbert purchased that company, bringing Luber to Detroit to help him start StockX.
"Scott and I met just two days after StockX went live," Luber said in a statement. "His extraordinary background — a unique mix of experience working in the stock market, eCommerce, marketplace, retail and resale — mirrors the unique business model we’ve built here at StockX.
"As a result, Scott understood the power of the ‘stock market of things’ perhaps more so than any non-founder, and he quickly became a friend and trusted advisor. Over the next three years, as StockX grew, we always had this idea that Scott might one day be the perfect CEO to take us to the next level."
Other high-profile StockX investors include Eminem, Mark Wahlberg, streetwear designer Don C and model Karlie Kloss.


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Microsoft and community experts are teaming up Friday and Saturday to produce a global event taking place in 60 cities across 38 countries, called //Publish/. These sessions are designed to provide coaching and one-on-one consulting to developers to help get apps published in the Windows Store or Windows Phone Store.
//Publish/ is similar to a hackathon – there are lots of cool prizes – but the difference is that developers can bring their in-progress apps and games and get help from top Microsoft and community experts to improve, polish and make their apps and games as strong as possible. Then, they can get them published on the Windows Store or Windows Phone Store before they leave the event.
Head over to Building Apps for Windows for more information on //Publish/.
You might also be interested in:
- App of the Week: Challenge your brain and race the clock with new word puzzler “Wordament Snap Attack” for Windows and Windows Phone
- Staff App Pick: Start your next crafting project off right with the Jo-Ann Fabrics app for Windows Phone
- Use Zello on Windows Phone as a walkie-talkie
Microsoft News Center Staff


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SMA Solar Technology has acquired the microinverter technology platform from Dutch company OKE-Services, a move that SMA says makes it the only manufacturer in the world with a product portfolio featuring all existing inverter technologies for operating photovoltaic systems of any size and with optimal technical system configuration.
In addition to further development of the pioneering OKE technology, SMA says it plans to launch its own microinverter products in the future to go along with its existing Sunny and Sunny Boy lines of traditional inverters.
OKE, one of the pioneers of microinverter technology, has more than 15 years of experience in the development and series production of the devices. The company has continuously optimized efficiency and specific price, both important parameters for the success of microinverters. OKE has also systematically reduced the number of components used in their products, a prerequisite for a good price-performance ratio and good product reliability.
Terms of the purchase price were not disclosed.