text:
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -
Cyber Monday, the online retail world's version of Black Friday, got off to a busy start as many holiday shoppers logged on at work and trolled the Internet in an effort to bag a few more bargains.
Early morning online traffic trends already indicated a sharp spike in the North America region, said Jennifer Donovan, spokeswoman for online business solutions provider Akamai.
The Cambridge, Mass. -based company Monday launched the Akamai Net Usage Index for retail, which monitors aggregate Web traffic to over 100 U.S.-based online sellers, including etoys.com, Overstock.com, jcpenney.com and Circuitcity.com.
According to the index, total North American traffic by visitors per minute on Cyber Monday was up 35 percent from normal traffic trends for a Monday, according to Donovan. As of 11:40 a.m. ET, the sites tracked were drawing nearly 1.63 million visitors per minute.
"We're hitting new peaks before the West Coast has even logged on," Donovan said. "Today's traffic should peak about 4 p.m. (ET) If this pace continues, it leads us to believe that this could be a very big day for online merchants."
A 2005 eHoliday survey from Shop.org/BizRate Research last week showed that 43 percent of online retailers -- and even a few brick-and mortar retailers with an online presence -- plan to offer special promotions and discounts, ranging from free shipping to gifts with purchase intended to boost traffic to their Web sites.
Electronics chain CompUSA's one-day Cyber Monday sale includes a 17-inch LCD monitor for under $180 and 10-inch portable DVD players for less than $230. Chocolatier Godiva is hoping to tempt shoppers with a free gift when they make an online purchase.
Click here to learn more about Cyber Monday shopping tips
More than one-third of the 1,891 consumers who were also polled for the Shop.org report said they will use Internet access at work where they have faster Internet connections to buy their gifts this holiday season.
"Once the parades have ended and the leftovers are put away, many consumers will find a few precious hours to get a jump-start on the holidays by shopping online," said Chuck Davis, chairman of online comparison shopping Web site Shopzilla, said in the report. "This year, retailers will be reminding shoppers that even though their stores may be closed, their Web sites are always open."
Buying jewelry, electronics
Among the most-shopped categories last year on Cyber Monday were jewelry, consumer electronics, gourmet food, furniture and home décor, the report said.
Market research firm ComScore Networks expects total holiday online spending, excluding travel, for the two key months of November and December to jump 24 percent over last year to $19 billion. On Black Friday alone, ComScore said consumers spent $305 million online, which was up 22 percent versus last year.
Cyber Monday online sales in 2004 came in at $380 million, the firm said. That represented a 29 percent hike over 2003.
Separately, market research firm Nielsen NetRatings said Monday that traffic to online shopping sites grew 29 percent over last year on Black Friday.
The fastest growing product categories were toys, video games, consumer electronics and computer hardware and software.
"While many shoppers headed out to the stores over the weekend, the majority first turned to the Internet to check prices and product availability," Heather Dougherty, senior retail analyst with Nielsen NetRatings, said in a statement.
Online auctioneer eBay was the top online retailer on Black Friday, the report said, with 9.5 million unique visitors, followed by Amazon.com, with 4.6 million and walmart.com which drew 3.4 million.
Target.com. at 2.9 million unique visitors, and BestBuy.com, at 2.1 million, rounded out the top five online shopping destinations, Nielsen NetRatings said.
"Now that the 2005 holiday shopping season is underway, traffic to retail sites will climb as shoppers head back to work on Monday ready to make headway on their holiday shopping lists," Dougherty said. "Cyber Monday will bring additional growth in traffic for online retailers by luring shoppers to their sites through sales promotions and free shipping incentives."
Strong start on Black Friday. But will the pace hold?
Retailers saw a stellar kickoff to the holiday season as Thanksgiving weekend sales jumped 22 percent to nearly $28 billion, the National Retail Federation said Sunday.
The strong numbers should come as a welcome relief to stores worried about a sluggish start to the holiday shopping season on Black Friday, the traditional start of the holiday shopping season, so called since it's when many retailers start moving into the black for the year.
The average shopper spent an estimated $302.81 over the weekend, the NRF report said.
"As expected, retailers offered substantial discounts and savings on Black Friday to bring people into their stores and consumers held up their end of the bargain by shopping," NRF president and CEO Tracy Mullin said in a statement.
The group said that more than 60 million shoppers headed to the stores on Black Friday, up 7.9 percent from last year.
Another 52.8 million shopped Saturday, up 13.3 percent, and another 22 million were expected to be out Sunday, about in line with the turnout last year, the NRF said.
However, retail research group ShopperTrak said Monday that the holiday season's first two big shopping days got off to a relatively flat start compared to a strong 2004, despite special promotions, discounts and expanded hours.
Data from ShopperTrak showed combined Black Friday and Saturday sales were down 0.5 percent from a year ago to $13.4 billion.
"Although some discounting may have slowed the early pace of sales, the industry can expect to see much healthier sales patterns as we move into December and closer to both Christmas and the annually strong Saturday before Christmas retail boom," Michael Niemira, chief economist and director of research for the International Council of Shopping Centers, said in the ShopperTrak report.
Retailers see a strong start to the holiday shopping season. Click here for more.
Who were the Black Friday winners and losers? Click here to find out.
For tips on hot holiday gifts and how much to tip this season, click here.


text:
Henri Bendel, a luxury retailer based in NYC, is closing its doors for good.
The news was announced by L Brands (NYSE:LB), which owns the Henri Bendel brand. According to the company, the Henri Bendel closing will have it shutting down its stores at the end of January 2019.
L Brands notes that Henri Bendel will continue to get new stock in throughout the holiday season. The closing will affect the brands main store, as well as its smaller-format stores that are spread across 11 states.
L Brands also points out that all employees that stay with the Henri Bendel brand through its closing will receive retention bonuses. These employees will also be given the opportunity to apply for other jobs with L Brands, or accept separation pay and job search support services.
Here’s the official statement on the Henri Bendel closing plans from L Brands Chairman and CEO Leslie Wexner.
“We are committed to improving performance in the business and increasing shareholder value. As part of that effort, we have decided to stop operating Bendel to improve company profitability and focus on our larger brands that have greater growth potential. This decision is right for the future growth of our company, but not easy because of the impact to our L Brands family. I want to thank our Bendel associates for their dedication to this iconic brand and to our loyal Bendel customers.”
LB stock was up 4% as of noon Friday, but is down 54% year-to-date.
As of this writing, William White did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.

domain: news


text:
Everyone loves the classics, right?
Has BlackBerry passed its 'use by' date?
The Q5 is an entry-level BlackBerry smartphone targeted at "emerging markets"
New name, new smartphone, new era. Can the BlackBerry Z10 challenge the rest?
The BlackBerry Curve 3G is an inexpensive introduction to the world of BlackBerry
Blackberry in pictures
BlackBerry does an about-face, back towards its enterprise roots.
Microsoft, Google, Intel, BlackBerry and others bid farewell to brands, projects and more.
Shortly after obtaining a new iPhone 5S, CIO.com's Al Sacco, an unabashed BlackBerry user and Android loyalist, set out to find the best iOS apps that aren't available for other mobile platforms. He came with up these 15 must-have iPhone, iPad and iPod touch downloads.
From industry darling to potential footnote, what happened to Blackberry?
US warns airlines of onboard hacking...drone lands on Japanese PM's office...Google adds push notifications to Chrome...and more tech news
BlackBerry surprised Wall Street by getting its bottom line back into the black in the fourth quarter, but sales shrunk significantly again, putting in question CEO John Chen's assertion that the company's turnaround is on track.
BlackBerry is returning to the tablet market -- this time with the help of Samsung Electronics, IBM and Secusmart, the German encryption specialist BlackBerry bought last year.
BlackBerry isn't giving up on the smartphone market, and now hopes to make a mark with the Leap, an all-touch LTE device with a keen price tag.
Young professionals on a budget are being targeted by BlackBerry as it expands its inexpensive smartphone portfolio with a 5-inch device called the BlackBerry Leap.
You've probably used your BlackBerry smartphone to send countless text, or short message service (SMS), messages. Perhaps you even employ your device's multimedia messaging service (MMS) functionality to distribute image- and video-messages to friend...
Smartphones are intelligent, but with the 14 tips and tricks in this story, they could approach genius territory. We'll show you how to run seven separate devices from your iPhone, how to play Internet radio (mostly for free) on your BlackBerry, how ...
Every so often, wireless carriers take it upon themselves to push out their own branded, or at least sanctioned, applications and services to BlackBerry users in the form of "service book" updates--regardless of whether or not said users actually wan...
Politics collided with the world of technology this year as stories about U.S. government spying stirred angst both among the country's citizens and foreign governments, and the flawed HeathCare.gov site got American health-care reform off to a rocky...
The group trying to buy BlackBerry for US$4.7 billion will likely break up the company, wiping out its smartphone division while preserving BlackBerry's secure network services used by large enterprises. But one analyst said he hopes that's not the c...
BlackBerry has announced that it is has essentially put itself up for sale. So where did it all go wrong for Canadian firm which was once a leader in the mobile industry?
Physical keyboard addicts now have a smartphone designed for them, but no one else may want to suffer the drawbacks
The BlackBerry Q10 is a solidly built piece of hardware that will please those who've waited for a new physical-keyboard BlackBerry, but its small screen and limited app support will keep many away.
Most Popular Reviews
- 1 Microsoft Lumia 640 review: Honouring Nokia's legacy
- 2 Samsung SUHD smart TV (JS9500) review
- 3 Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge review: Return to Glory
- 4 Samsung Galaxy S6 (32GB) review: Simply, the best Samsung Galaxy
- 5 LG 55-inch curved OLED (55EC930T) TV review: The future of OLED is bright
Join the Good Gear Guide newsletter!
Best Deals on GoodGearGuide
Latest News Articles
- Panasonic SC-ALL8 multi-room wireless speaker
- Watch Netflix through Fetch TV
- US Senate blocks NSA surveillance reform bill
- Amazon rules Gartner's magical box
- Google gives Android developers new tools for tracking app performance
GGG Evaluation Team
First impression on unpacking the Q702 test unit was the solid feel and clean, minimalist styling.
- FTSenior Digital B2B Sales Manager | Household BrandNSW
- CCMobile Designer / Developer - IOSNSW
- FTSenior SQL DBANSW
- CCMobile Designer / Developer - IOSNSW
- FTSenior Sales Executive X 3 World Leading Music Streaming PlatformNSW
- FTKey Account ManagerNSW
- FTSENIOR FORMS ANALYST (13767)QLD
- FTSMB Direct Sales Account Executive | Largest Global Online MarketplaceNSW
- FTApplication Security SpecialistNSW


text: Science Agriculture Why Is Anyone Surprised That a Chicken Factory Engages in Questionable Activity? By Katherine Martinko Senior Writer University of Toronto Katherine Martinko is a writer and expert in sustainable living. She holds a degree in English Literature and History from the University of Toronto. our editorial process Twitter Twitter Katherine Martinko Updated October 11, 2018 Public Domain. USDA Share Twitter Pinterest Email Science Space Natural Science Technology Agriculture Energy The entire industrial food system, after all, is built on cutting corners, from raising animals to consuming them. An undercover investigation at one of the United Kingdom's largest chicken processing plants has discovered multiple breaches of food safety rules. Employees at 2 Sisters Food Group were caught on film altering the slaughter date of meat in order to print a later use-by date, and some workers confirmed that they've been asked to switch labels in the past. Other questionable practices included chicken being picked up off the factory floor and mixed in with other chicken. Packages of meat that were returned from grocery stores -- not necessarily because of food safety concerns, but likely mislabelling -- were mixed in with fresher meat and labeled as the same. Chicken slaughtered on different dates was mixed together and labeled with the most recent kill date. As The Guardian reports, this is a particularly sensitive issue because it follows on the heels of the 2013 horsemeat scandal, which resulted in prison sentences for those convicted of a conspiracy to pass off cheaper horsemeat as beef."Having been shown the [recent video] evidence, Prof Chris Elliott, a food safety academic from Queen’s University Belfast who led the UK government’s independent review of food systems after the 2013 horsemeat scandal, said: 'Over the past three to four years I have conducted many inspections of food businesses right across the UK. I have never seen one operate under such poor standards as your video evidence shows.'" Supermarkets Aldi and Tesco, that purchase meat from 2 Sisters, have suspended buying from them, and the Food Standards Agency is requesting anyone with further information to come forward. 2 Sisters says it hasn't had time to investigate the allegations. While the investigation's findings are disturbing, it's important to understand that the entire meat slaughtering industry, as it exists nowadays, is an ugly mess. This should not come as a surprise. Even if these procedures were cleaned up, there's still so much that is horribly wrong about the way in which animals are raised, slaughtered, and consumed in most of the world. USDA/Public Domain Use-by dates are only a small part of the picture, when you consider other problems like cramped, filthy conditions, rampant disease, mandatory chlorine baths for carcasses, and the excessive use of antibiotics that threatens the future of human health. Worth considering, too, is that European food regulations are much stricter that U.S. ones, so it's fairly safe to assume problems are even more serious on this side of the Atlantic. You get what you pay for, I've always believed; and if you're buying cheap chicken pieces for mere dollars a pound, from an untraceable farm and factory, don't expect that meat to be anything less than questionable, even at the best of times.


text:
This Year’s FIT Future of Fashion Show Mixed Celebration and Honors
Hosted by Ashley Graham, the evening honored Karlie Kloss and Victor Glemaud.
Ashley Graham Updates Minimalism With Cutout Dress at FIT’s Future of Fashion Event
Graham hosted the annual event, which was sponsored by Macy's.
Stella McCartney, Fashion’s Favorite ‘Eco Weirdo,’ Talks to FIT Students Ahead of Met Gala
Stella McCartney spoke to FIT fashion students on her design ethos, moral compass and calls to action on…
FIT’s Future of Fashion Celebration and Honors to Recognize Karlie Kloss and Victor Glemaud
The evening will be hosted by Ashley Graham.
What Will AI Mean for Fashion?
It's not just ChatGPT — artificial intelligence has already infiltrated the industry, from design apps to…
Pierre Cardin Looking to Young Designers for a Boost
The company held a fashion show and celebration in New York Wednesday night for its young designers contest.
The Museum at FIT Presents ‘Designing Women: Fashion Creators and Their Interiors’
The exhibition takes place Nov. 30 through May 14.
EXCLUSIVE: FIT Marks Progress Updates at Social Justice Center
FIT's Social Justice Center was launched last year with the help of PVH and more.
FIT’s PETE Prize for Entrepreneurs Goes to Student Embracing Adaptive Apparel
Her brand looks to make fashion-forward adaptive wear for people with different health problems and…
Eric Emanuel and Fashion Scholarship Fund Launch New Program
Applications are being accepted for the new scholars program.
Museum at FIT Honors Maria Grazia Chiuri With 2022 Couture Council Award for Artistry of Fashion
The luncheon, at Lincoln Center's David H. Koch Theater, helped kick off New York Fashion Week.
CFDA Reveals 2022 CFDA Scholar Award Recipients
The criteria for selection included financial need, talent and professional potential.
Halston-inspired Design Competition Takes Hold in Miami
The nonprofit With Love Halston is dedicated to preserving the designer's legacy and artistry.
Dior’s Maria Grazia Chiuri to Be Honored by The Couture Council of the Museum of FIT
She will be recognized at a luncheon on Sept. 7 at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York.
EXCLUSIVE: Plus-size E-tailer Dia & Co. Acquires 11 Honoré for Undisclosed Amount
The deal is reflective of the growing demand in the plus-size industry — and the need for more options.


text:
The local council in Letterkenny is set to request more hybrid and electric car charging points to address the rise in popularity of e-cars.
Recharging facilities are being sought for key areas of Letterkenny including the Hugh Duffy car park (formerly the Old Mart) and other council-owned locations.
The move follows a 542% surge in electric car sales in Ireland in the first two months of 2019.
With 1,129 new electric car registrations in January and February, Councillor Adrian Glackin has said the local authority should get ahead of the game and provide more charging points.
In raising the motion with the Letterkenny Municipal District yesterday, Cllr Glackin was told that the council will write to the ESB with the request.
Cllr Glackin also suggested that the council look beyond Letterkenny by exploring options to add charging points to car parks in areas such as Rathmullan and Downings to benefit tourism.Tags:


text:
Author: Tronserve admin
Thursday 23rd September 2021 09:54 AM
Smartphone Industry Headed for Virtual Reality Check As Japan Gets 5G
Unleashing digital monsters into real-world environments, Pokemon Go has captivated thousands and thousands of players who take pleasure in strolling round city holding up their smartphones to hunt them.
The idea of the location-based recreation that debuted in 2016 could also be a prelude to what the world will appear like within the subsequent decade or so within the period of 5G.
Lagging a yr behind a few of its friends, Japan’s main cell carriers launched their 5G rollouts final month. The brand new communications community is being hyped as the start of a brand new digital age, with buzzwords like web of issues, autonomous driving and digital transformation entrance and heart in information tales and advertising slogans.
However how precisely will 5G change individuals’s on a regular basis lives?
One factor to count on, in keeping with these within the trade, is nearer integration of software program engineers’ digital worlds with the actual one.
Benefiting from 5G’s capabilities — high-speed information transmission and low latency connectivity — extra elaborate augmented actuality and digital actuality will likely be blended into individuals’s communications and leisure, specialists predict.
5G networks are additionally seen as more likely to facilitate the rise of recent units, equivalent to sensible glasses, which may surpass smartphones in reputation.
Since protection is sort of restricted for now, it could take years for most of the people to really really feel the modifications caused by 5G.
AR is a expertise that enables digitally crafted content material to be visualized in real-world environment through cameras, and Pokemon Go has introduced it nearer to most of the people. Given its rising reputation in video video games, builders consider 5G will improve its momentum inside and past the trade.
“We predict AR will unfold as a communication instrument,” together with in video games, stated Toshiaki Morimoto, chief govt of Graffity Inc., a Tokyo-based AR-game startup.
Graffity developed the multiplayer smartphone shooters Pechabato and HoloBreak, the place gamers fireplace at AR marks that seem round different gamers. The video games are performed by watching the AR graphics by their cameras and shifting round bodily to dodge and hit their rivals’ marks.
Naturally, the video games contain bodily exercise, however the expertise typically has issues maintaining, Morimoto stated.
“With the present 4G community, there’s a little delay when an AR mark follows a participant. So, typically even when a participant dodges a shot, the mark will get hit,” he stated.
Toshiaki Morimoto, chief govt at Graffity Inc., demonstrates HoloBreak, its augmented actuality taking pictures recreation. | KAZUAKI NAGATA
That is the place 5G’s capacity to switch massive volumes of knowledge quick and with low latency fits AR completely. The goal latency price in 5G is simply 1 millisecond, which is 10 instances higher than 4G. This enchancment will permit for instantaneous responses and a smoother taking part in expertise in AR taking pictures video games like Graffity’s.
5G networks can even permit recreation builders to craft richer content material.
Video games with AR graphics are typically reasonably easy as a result of elaborate video games require a variety of information and thus quick, high-capacity networks to perform. 5G’s information transmission speeds are as much as 100 instances quicker than 4G.
There are additionally different indicators that the usage of AR will likely be extra frequent within the 5G period, equivalent to strikes by main trendsetter Apple Inc. The Cupertino, California-based big is reportedly growing sensible glasses scheduled to debut in a few years.
Whereas 4G networks have helped unfold the adoption of smartphones world wide, specialists are unsure how lengthy the smartphone’s reign will final.
Morimoto predicts sensible glasses will turn out to be fashionable due to a mixture of 5G and AR. Since AR entails the intently built-in use of optical and digital camera methods, glasses are nicely suited to the expertise.
Tsutomu Taguchi, who heads NTT Docomo Inc.’s 5G promotion staff, famous that smartphones are more likely to be individuals’s important units for some time as a result of they’ve grown so acquainted.
However it’s potential 5G will pave the best way for brand new providers extra suitable with completely different units. Smartphones are usually not essentially well-designed for AR and VR content material, Taguchi famous.
The truth is, NTT Docomo is betting on sensible glasses as nicely. The service invested about ¥30 billion in U.S.-based startup Magic Leap, which develops AR glasses. Google and Alibaba are additionally buyers in Magic Leap. Docomo has stated it can promote Magic Leap’s gadget someday this yr.
Elements propelling the rise of AR are usually not solely 5G but in addition the evolution of cameras and sensors, stated Takuya Kamei, senior researcher at Nomura Analysis Institute.
Certainly, current product unveiling occasions by main smartphone makers present that what they’re most desirous about exhibiting off is their cameras.
A number of the newest smartphones are geared up with a number of lens methods and sensors with greater than 100 million pixels and the aptitude to shoot 8K ultra-high-definition photographs.
The development of smartphone cameras and sensors will additional speed up the behavior of seeing issues by digital camera lenses, he stated.
“I’m not positive if smartphones will likely be their important gadget within the subsequent 10 years, however cameras will nonetheless be vital, and a serious change to be anticipated is that individuals will likely be holding up cameras over every part,” he stated.
Clefairy, a character from the popular augmented reality game Pokemon Go, developed by Niantic Inc., is shown in front of Man Mo Temple on a smartphone in Hong Kong. | BLOOMBERG
Clefairy, a personality from the favored augmented actuality recreation Pokemon Go, developed by Niantic Inc., is proven in entrance of Man Mo Temple on a smartphone in Hong Kong. | BLOOMBERG
Kamei predicts that extra digital info will likely be built-in into on a regular basis scenes.
For example, if somebody holds up a smartphone in entrance of a restaurant and sees it by the digital camera, the restaurant’s score or its menu could pop up as AR content material.
Sports activities can be a subject that will see extra AR integration.
KDDI Corp., one of many three main home carriers, already gives dozens of spectators at Toyota Stadium — residence to the J. League soccer staff Nagoya Grampus — with sensible glasses to take pleasure in matches in AR. The sensible glasses can show such particulars as variety of photographs and passes in actual time.
That stated, the protection space for 5G remains to be very restricted, so it can most likely take years for a world of “combined realities” to develop to the purpose the place most of the people notices it, individuals within the trade say.
Requested whether or not the COVID-19 pandemic has slowed plans to increase 5G protection, Docomo stated its plans haven’t been affected at this level however that it’s going to rigorously monitor the state of affairs.
“It’s not that we are able to absolutely make the most of 5G very quickly,” stated Taguchi. “It’s the identical because the earlier cell communication methods, equivalent to 4G,” which had been developed step-by-step.


text:
…suspect nabbed while attempting to sell laptopJust hours after bandits broke into the car belonging to a soon-to-be wed couple from the media, within the vicinity of the Georgetown Marriott Hotel on Saturday, a suspect has been taken into custody after attempting to sell an item which was stolen during the robbery.Bandits had smashed a window to gain entry into the car parked on Battery Road, Kingston, as popular iNews reporter Ramona Luthi and her fiancé were in a pre-wedding photo shoot around 16:00h.The robbers managed to cart off the laptop computer, two camera lenses, a battery pack and several storage devices, as well as a handbag containing several important documents and a quantity of cash belonging to the couple and the photographer, all of whom are members of the media.Altogether, these items carry a value in excess of $500,000.Shortly after the incident, a prospective buyer of the Asus laptop computer, which went missing from the car, cancelled the transaction based on the suspicious actions of the perpetrator who was on a mission to sell the stolen item.The woman instead contacted the Police, allowing for ranks to intercept the suspect who was nabbed with the stolen item in his possession. In addition, one of the hard drives which were taken from the car was also retrieved.Meanwhile, the man has been taken into custody where his fingerprints are expected to be cross-checked with those that were lifted from the damaged vehicle.Investigations into the matter continue.
Russia’s State Duma has passed a bill banning advertising on cable and satellite pay TV channels, which is set to take effect from the beginning of next year. According to reports, the bill is designed to level competition between Russia’s basic, free-to-view, cable channels, and cable channels that make money from ads and subscriptions.All channels that are available exclusively on a paid basis, as well as those that can only be accessed using a TV decoder will be included in the ad-ban.Exempt from the ban are all national, universally accessible and terrestrial channels – essentially the major state-run networks.According to an FT report, Russia’s ‘big three’ state owned networks have lost market share over the past 10 years, while the proportions of households that view cable and satellite channels has risen.The legislation went through quickly, passing its first reading on Tuesday and its second on Friday. Pending approval from Russia’s upper house of parliament, it is due to take force from January.According to a Moscow Times report, the heads of several Russian channels have voiced concerns at the bill, claiming that around 150 of Russia’s 270 cable and satellite channels will be placed on the brink of survival and the ad-ban will increase the price of paid TV services.
Mozilla’s mixed reality team has launched Firefox Reality, a new web browser designed to work on stand-alone virtual and augmented reality headsets.Firefox Reality was designed to move seamlessly between the 2D and the immersive web and is available now in the Viveport, Oculus, and Daydream app stores.The browser supports voice searches and Mozilla said it is working with creators to bring “an amazing collection of games, videos, environments, and experiences” to the Firefox Reality home screen.“We had to rethink everything, including navigation, text-input, environments, search and more. This required years of research, and countless conversations with users, content creators, and hardware partners,” said Andre Vrignaud, head of mixed reality platform strategy at Mozilla.“The result is a browser that is built for the medium it serves. It makes a big difference, and we think you will love all of the features and details that we’ve created specifically for a MR browser.”Mozilla said that the initial launch is version 1.0 of Firefox Reality, with version 1.1 “right around the corner”. It added that it has an “always-growing list of ideas and features that we are working to add to make this the best browser for mixed reality”.Earlier this year a new startup featuring members of the original Mozilla VR team launched a virtual reality browser for web VR content called Supermedium. This was created by developers Diego Marcos and Kevin Ngo and technical artist Diego Goberna to let users experience VR without downloading large native apps.
Pay TV operators and others are now embracing the world of OTT and multiscreen video, but the business models have in many cases still to be worked out. As more premium video services are made available over unmanaged networks to multiple devices, operators will face a growing threat of internet piracy. How aware are operators of the threat and what measures do they think are necessary to protect their business?In August 2013 DTVE carried out a survey of over 160 industry professionals on their perceptions of multiscreen video business models and the threat of internet piracy. We also looked at service providers’ concerns and the ways in which they might be addressed. Multiscreen Video and Piracy: The Big Picture provides key insights into industry perspectives on piracy, its impact on service providers and ways to tackle the threat posed by the illicit consumption of content.


text:
Mains Paper 3: Internal Security | Challenges to internal security through communication networks, role of media & social networking sites in internal security challenges
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:
Prelims level: Data Mirroring and Localisation, BN Srikrishna Committee
Mains level: Rising cyber crimes and the role data protection bill would play in reducing them.
RBI pushes for Data Localisation
- The world weighs free global data flow against national security.
- Companies around the world rushed to try and meet a RBI-mandated deadline to store Indian users financial data in India, reigniting conversation about data localisation.
- The Govt. of India has firmed up its stance on storing data of Indian users in the country, to the discontent of international players and the delight of domestic ones.
- This wave again is the latest digital battleground of ongoing power wars between government and industry.
- It is a concept that the personal data of a country’s residents should be processed and stored in that country.
- Some directives may restrict flow entirely, while others more leniently allow for conditional data sharing or data mirroring – in which only a copy has to be stored in the country.
- As of now, much of cross-border data transfer is governed by individual bilateral “mutual legal assistance treaties” (MLATs).
Why is the issue again in focus?
- In early April, the RBI issued a circular mandating that payment data be stored only in India by October 15.
- This covered everyone every global payments & technology companies and various domestic & foreign prepaid payment instruments (PPIs).
- RBI has not instituted any fines for those who have missed the deadline but is seeking schedules of pending data transfers to India.
Draft Law on Data Protection
- In July 2018, a data protection draft law by a committee headed by retired Justice B N Srikrishna recommended for a copy of personal data of Indians to be in India (data mirroring).
- A subset of that data, labelled critical personal data, must be stored and processed only in India.
- The draft E-com policy recommended localisation for community data and data generated by users in India from various sources including e-commerce platforms, social media and search engines.
- It also discussed strategies to incentivise domestic data storage in India through facilitating data infrastructure.
- There could be, say a 2-year, sunset period for industry to adjust before localisation becomes mandatory a/c to the report.
Why need Data Localisation?
- A common argument by officials is that localisation will help Indian law enforcement access user data.
- Proponents also highlight the security against foreign attacks and surveillance.
- An RBI circular ruled that to ensure better monitoring, it is important to have supervisory access to data stored with these system providers.
- This especially gained prominence when incidences of lynchings across the country were linked to WhatsApp rumours whose stance on encrypted content frustrated government officials.
- Concerns also arose when Facebook declared that its Cambridge Analytica controversy had affected Indian users as well.
Data is the new Oil
- In the home of the largest open Internet market in the world, companies like PhonePe claim that national wealth creation relies on in-house data storage.
- The e-commerce policy took on a similar stance, championing domestic innovation, and the data protection report also mentioned harnessing India’s digital economy.
Arguments in Favor
- Along with government support, most domestic-born technology companies (which tend to have heavy foreign investments) support data localisation.
- Most of these firms store their data exclusively in India.
- Some Indian companies have strongly argued that data regulation for privacy and security will have little teeth without localisation, citing models in China and Russia.
- These domestic companies are rivals of many big US giants and condemn the large tax differences between international companies operating in India and those with a permanent establishment in the country.
- Many argue that localisation would lead to a larger presence in India overall, such as local offices, and increase tax liability and open more jobs.
Argument against data localisation
- Industry bodies, especially those with significant ties to the US, have slung heavy backlash.
- Many are concerned about a Fractured Internet (simply put servers go offline and out of access) due to uncertain protectionist policies.
- Much of this sentiment hampers to the values of a globalised, competitive internet marketplace, where costs and speeds determine information flows, rather than nationalistic borders.
- Opponents say that this, in turn, may backfire on India’s own young start-ups that are attempting global growth, or on larger firms that process foreign data in India.
- Critics caution against state misuse and surveillance of personal data.
- They also argue that security and government access is not achieved by localisation.
- Even if the data is stored in the country, the encryption may still remain out of the reach of national agencies due to company’s privacy concerns.
Crimes across the globe not covered
- The draft bill mandates local storage of data relating to Indian citizens only
- Localisation can provide data only for crimes that have been committed in India, where both the perpetrator and victim are situated in India
- Prevalent concerns around transnational terrorism, cyber crimes and money laundering will often involve individuals and accounts that are not Indian, and therefore will not be stored in India
- For investigations into such crimes, Indian law enforcement will have to continue relying on cooperative models
- India’s major partner, US leave regulation up to the state and sector.
- US also signed the Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data Act (CLOUD Act) which established data sharing with certain countries.
- China mandates localisation for all “important data” held by “critical information infrastructure” and any cross border personal data transfer must undergo a security assessment.
- Russia also has the most restrictive regulation for data flow with strict localisation and high penalties.
- The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) does not mandate all data to be localised, but rather restricts flow to countries with a strong data protection framework.
- The CLOUD Act seeks to ease control over data from U.S. authorities.
- The law will for the first time allow tech companies to share data directly with certain foreign governments.
- This provides India the data not just for crimes committed within their borders but also for transnational crimes involving their national interests.
- A fundamental error that the Srikrishna Committee seems to have made is in its belief that the location of data should determine who has access to it.
- This scenario will hardly improve even after technology companies relocate Indian data to India.


text:
Carnival, the US cruise operator, is preparing to drop some of the conditions of its $3.1 billion offer for rival P&O Princess Cruises in a bid to persuade it into talks.
P&O has rejected the offer, claiming that the six conditions, covering everything from financing the deal to regulatory clearance, make it less attractive than the merger deal it has already signed with Royal Caribbean.
P&O's advisers point out that Carnival has not even committed itself to an offer if all the conditions are met. Among the conditions Carnival could dispense with are: that it has arranged funding on satisfactory terms; and that P&O restrict its dividend payments in the period until the offer becomes final.
A further condition states that the cost of unwinding P&O's joint venture with Royal Caribbean in southern Europe, agreed at the same time as the merger, should not be greater than $200 million. But P&O believes this condition should be removed when it posts the circular outlining the merger terms.
That document, expected to be sent to shareholders on Thursday, will give full details of the agreement between the two companies, including the costs of unwinding the joint venture. Analysts believe that could be as much as $200m - on top of a $62.5m kill fee if the deal does not go ahead. Carnival says the maximum break-fee allowed by the takeover panel is 1 per cent of the bid value, $31m in this case.
It also complains that P&O knew it was interested in bidding before agreeing the joint venture and inserting the poison pill. P&O chief executive Peter Ratcliffe rejects that. He admits Carnival did contact him on 23 September to ask whether he was interested in some form of merger or co-operation, but says that 'was not a takeover approach'. He adds that the share price stood at 180p at that time - less than half Friday's closing price, and 270p below the value of Carnival's offer. 'That was not the time to initiate bid discussions.'
P&O has, however, delayed the meeting for shareholders to consider the offer from mid-January until 14 February - believed to be the latest date for putting the merger to a vote. It has given Carnival until 18 January to come up with an unconditional offer.


text:
A House Sold as an NFT for the First Time in History The 3-bedroom abode is located in Columbia, South Carolina.
Despite fluctuating value, NFTS, "one-of-a-kind" digital artifacts, are still popular, and items ranging from videos to Tweets to paintings have all been sold as digital collectibles. Now, Web3 and the Metaverse are staking a claim in a new frontier — real estate.
An NFT of a real-world home was sold for $175,000 over the weekend in Columbia, South Carolina.
The home boasts three bedrooms and was recently renovated, featuring a large living room and dining room area complete with a galley-style kitchen and walkout patio.
There's also a master suite complete with a walk-in closet and double vanity.
The rental property "was sold on the Roofstock onChain NFT marketplace by transferring the Home onChain identity to an Ethereum address owned by the house buyer Adam Slipakoff," Unusual Whales reported.
How Does NFT Home Ownership Work?
The LLC of the company that wishes to sell the home creates an NFT representing ownership of the home. Whoever purchases that NFT then has ownership of the property. Though the purchase is digital, the ownership is very real -- whoever owns the NFT owns the physical home in the real world.
The historic purchase marks the start of what could potentially be the future of real estate as NFTs, possibly opening doors to make crypto purchases for real estate a viable source of funding.


text:
Press Statement by Isuzu Philippines Corporation (IPC), “Isuzu Philippines joins 28th Philconstruct Expo Showcasing its durable and eco-friendly Blue Power Euro V trucks,” 2018:
Isuzu Philippines Corporation (IPC), the local arm of Japanese carmaker Isuzu, recently participated in the country’s longest-running construction show and biggest trade fair exposition of its kind in Southeast Asia—the 2018 Philconstruct Manila.
The event, which is organized by the Philippine Constructions Association, Inc. (PCA), has been at the forefront of connecting stakeholders from both the government and private sectors in strengthening country’s various structural and infrastructural backbone for close to three decades now.
The 4-day expo was held simultaneously in two huge venues—the SMX Convention Center Manila and World Trade Center in Pasay City—and showcased the latest building materials and construction equipment from 23 countries. In addition, tents and massive outdoor displays were also seen outside the event venue.
Hajime Koso, President of Isuzu Philippines Corporation, said: “Participating in Philconstruct Manila allows us to showcase our credibility in providing a quality and reliable heavy-duty transport in the construction business.”
“Aside from becoming a key driver in the development of our economy, this exposition means a lot to us as we prove how our brand help elevate the construction industry in the global aspect,” he added.
Manufacturers from other countries participated in the 28th Philconstruct Manila trade show including those from China, Malaysia, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Vietnam, Japan, India, the European Union, Germany, Italy, and the United States.
Along with 1,500 participating companies, IPC displayed its top heavy-duty models, the CYZ52M with 18-cubic meter dump truck body which as a GVW of 33,000 kgs – ideal for carrying construction materials. Also on display is Isuzu’s EXZ52K Tractor Head unit which has Gross Combination Mass of 60 tons – usually used for heavy and long hauling.
Both models are now equipped with a 6WG1-TCR Blue Power Diesel Engine that is Euro V compliant – which promises to deliver low emission while maintain durability and fuel efficiency. The engine is tested to produce a maximum output of 400PS at 1,800 rpm and a maximum torque of 1,863 N-m at 1,300 rpm.
Celebrating the event’s 28th year, Philconstruct’s latest trade show also symbolizes a positive outlook for the Philippines’ in the construction industry, where GDP remains stable at 6.7 percent.
“The building and construction industry is already a booming market with total of 3.8-million employed workers in 2017. The support of the government to implement infrastructure allows a new road map for a more safer roads and better smarter cities,” Koso added further.
During the event, Isuzu offered promos and freebies to potential customers who will purchase a maximum of 50 units order per fleet account. To qualify, all registered customers were required to be physically attend the event with their name and company to avail a FREE LTO registration and 10,000 worth of parts coupons. Th IPC promo and freebies covered N-Series, F-Series, C&E Series, and other indent models.


text:
LawPath confirms $1.8m investment
Australian legal technology start-up LawPath has finalised a $1.8 million investment round, led by US brand LegalZoom.
The investment will see LawPath expand its “extensive reach of services”, which the start-up posits has already “caused substantial change” in Australia’s traditional legal marketplace.
“This exciting investment will enable our frontier pathway to disrupt the Australian legal system to continue,” said LawPath chief executive Dominic Woolrych.
“We are thrilled by the opportunities partnering with a global legal services provider will bring.”
LegalZoom will provide LawPath with strategic guidance, including technology expertise, marketing insights and assistance with LawPath’s expansion plans across Australia and international markets.
“We are incredibly excited to form an alliance with the pioneer of legal technology services,” Mr Woolrych continued.
“LegalZoom’s investment and ongoing support significantly advances our drive to make legal services more accessible to everyone.”
LegalZoom president and chief operating officer Frank Monestere added: “As the clear market leader in Australia, LawPath offers one of the most innovative technology-enabled online legal solutions that we’ve seen globally.”
“We are extremely excited to partner with the LawPath team in their expansion efforts,” he said.
Looking ahead, the next few years will bring a “huge shift” in how legal services are delivered in Australia, Mr Woolrych argued.
“Insurance, accounting and financial services have already moved online in a significant way, while online legal services have been adopted in the US, as illustrated by LegalZoom’s success,” he continued.
“Our market leadership and additional funding demonstrate that LawPath is ideally positioned to drive Australians to embrace online legal services as well.”
LegalZoom’s investment sees them join existing LawPath investors including LexisNexis, Murdoch Ventures, Temple & Webster, SiteMinder, and Adcock Private Equity.


text:
MetLife has joined the Pensions Income Choice Association board, adding further weight to calls for fundamental reform of the open market option.
Product marketing director Peter Carter has joined the board, which is urging policymakers to make shopping around at retirement the default for investors.
Carter says: “We have been strong supporters of Pica since its inception and are now focused on helping to drive innovation through our closer involvement with the group.
“We support the idea of the default Omo and are keen for Pica to help drive a better solution for retirees.”
Carter will sit on the board alongside representatives from Just Retirement, LV=, MGM Advantage, Partnership, Fidelity, Living Time, Hargreaves Lansdown and Bluefin Group.
Last month, Money Marketing revealed that Labour Shadow pensions minister Rachel Reeves is preparing to step up pressure on the Government to reform the Omo.
A DWP-led Omo stakeholder working group appointed by the Treasury is assessing the practical steps required to make shopping around the default option at retirement.


text:
Coguan, a technology company with the first Freemium Ad Exchange in Spanish that offers an open and transparent online advertising market, today announced the launch of coguan.tv, the first online video channel focused on education and training on the sector of advertising on Netherlands Mobile Database the Internet. coguan.tv aims to address topics of interest to both students and professionals in the sector. Students can promote their productions and take advantage of this channel to improve their probability of entering the job market. Among other advantages, professionals can identify talented students, publicize their companies and interact with other users.
Coguan has entrusted the production company Northern Light Pictures to launch this project with some humorous videos that will appear, in order to communicate a series of concrete messages to the community. Ignacio Gil, Founder and Director of Northern Light Pictures, has been enthusiastic about the opportunity to collaborate with Coguan on this innovative project, and hopes “that coguan.tv will be a complete success”.
For his part, Antonio Gimeno Calvo, Chief Marketing Officer of Coguan, affirms that it is necessary to continue working on transmitting the benefits of the online medium to the Spanish community, although he acknowledges that little by little the message is beginning to Brother Cell Phone List spread, thanks to institutions such as the IAB, AECEM-FECEMD and the Spanish Marketing Association among others. For Gimeno Calvo, coguan.tv is a complementary project to the evangelizing mission of online advertising, since it “promotes the adoption of the Internet medium for the development of campaigns and the achievement of visible results.” In addition, he took the opportunity to thank “the entire team at Northern Light Pictures, Coguan partner, for their catalytic role in the launch of coguan.tv.”


text:
With the very high mobile penetration and mobile banking platforms being developed in the country, mobile-based micro lending is poised to become one of the primary growth drivers in the banking sector in Sri Lanka, according to an independent research company.
According to Capital Alliance (CAL) research, high mobile penetration in Sri Lanka will act as an enabler in channelling loans into the bottom of the pyramid segments in society.
“CAL identifies microfinance as an attractive opportunity present in the market, given Sri Lanka’s microfinance penetration ratio of only 10 percent,” CAL said in a banking sector research note.
It was only last week Central Bank Payments and Settlement Department Director Mala Dayaratne emphasized the regulator is committed in promoting mobile banking, particularly to reach the un-banked segments.
Among Sri Lanka’s licensed commercial banks, only Hatton National Bank PLC has a sizable share in the micro lending segment as their exposure to microfinance is 3 percent of their loan book.
The national payment infrastructure provider, Lanka Clear (Pvt.) Limited, has already developed its Common Mobile Payment Switch (CMoPS), which will facilitate person-to-person, low value payments through mobile phone and is ready for implementation.
“The switch is live but we are awaiting the bank side solutions to be plugged in to the CMoPS. We have already given them (banks) our specifications,” said Lanka Clear CEO Sunimal Weerasooriya.
However, Weerasooriya said that there will be a value cap as to how much one could pay using his mobile.
Further, the mobile banking and the mobile-based payment platforms will further benefit the bank’s bottom line as the banks will require less capital expenditure on physical infrastructure going forward in reaching markets and expanding their footprint.
CAL further forecasts the banking sector loan book to grow by 16 percent in 2015 predominantly driven by the retail and SME segments. “SME disbursements have been on the rise over the past few years, growing 23 percent year-on-year in 2014.
Further, supporting loan book growth in the sector is the leasing and hire purchase disbursements, which grew 23 percent year to date. This was driven by an average 18 percent increase in household income expected in 2015E and the appreciation of the LKR against major international currencies in 1H2015,” CAL added.


text:
Apple aggressively defended its ecosystem in a recently published response to the UK’s competition watchdog.
The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) today published Apple’s response to his Interim Report on Mobile Ecosystemsas well as responses from dozens of other companiesincluding Google, Microsoft and Epic Games.
Apple’s detailed 47-page response aggressively dismissed the findings of the interim report, saying the CMA dismissed Apple’s ecosystem benefits “without a reasoned basis, either by ignoring them entirely or by dismissing them based on nothing more than speculation.” Apple alleged that the CMA report is based on “unsubstantiated allegations and hypothetical concerns” of Apple’s rivals who would benefit commercially from “profound” changes on iPhone:
…the IR draws conclusions about technologies, product design, and impact on competition from unsubstantiated claims and hypothetical concerns raised primarily through self-serving complaints from a handful of multi-billion dollar developers such as Microsoft, Facebook, Match, Spotify, and Epic, all seeking to make sweeping changes to the iPhone for their own commercial gain, without independent verification.
Apple has expressed serious concerns about the possibility of having to “redesign the iPhone” for the benefit of this small powerful group:
Apple is deeply concerned that IR is offering solutions to hypothetical problems that will lead to real-life market interventions that could force it to redesign the iPhone for the benefit of a handful of powerful developers. The IR seems to assume that the changes he is proposing would be relatively straightforward. Yet many would need a complete overhaul of a product that has been around for 15 years, has been constantly improved through Apple’s investment in intellectual property, and is loved and trusted by millions of consumers.
The CMA’s proposal to allow alternative app stores on the iPhone or sideloading was rejected to “minimize security risks” and ignore “the fact that users place great importance on this security and that many choose Apple over Android based on this”.
Remedies that undermine Apple’s holistic approach to security would effectively remove the competitive differentiation between Apple and Android, taking away that valuable element of choice from users.
Apple addressed specific issues raised by the interim report, such as the company’s WebKit restriction on iOS and iPadOS, which prohibits any competing browser engine on the platform. He asserted that WebKit is innovative and meets feature demand, such as adding “new features to enable better features and functionality for web applications.”
Open Web Advocacy, a group of web developers who are in talks with the CMA and who brought Apple’s WebKit restriction to light, disagrees and says that “Apple’s banning of third-party browsers on iOS is deeply anti-competitive… All artificial barriers placed by gatekeepers must be removed.If allowed, web applications can offer equivalent functionality with greater privacy and security for demanding use cases.
Apple highlighted the high level of customer satisfaction, ease of use and performance of the iPhone, as well as the company’s commitment to innovation and privacy. Apple rejected the findings of the interim report and ruled out discussing changes to the company’s ecosystem.
…the IR’s findings are, in fact, nothing more than speculation about how Apple’s ecosystem “might” have the “potential” to harm competition, given that they have not been tested and are based on one-sided evidence. Such assumptions are insufficient to warrant, let alone support, the discussion of potentially radical remedies at this point…
Apple urged the CMA to “undertake a deeper analysis of the benefits Apple’s ecosystem brings to consumers and developers, and to objectively consider the ramifications of any proposed interventions on consumers and competition in the markets that would be impacted.” “. For more information, see Apple’s full response to the CMA.


text:
Emap's Max Power achieved the best performance among car magazines with a sales increase of 10.2% on last year to 237, 584, nearly twice as many as its nearest rival. Of the other performance car titles, Fast Car was up 6% and Redline, which didn't have an ABC last year, was up 13% on the previous period. In the classic car sector, the market-leading Class & Sportscar increased sales by 3.4% over last year to 91,145. Meanwhile, Practical Classics and Car Restorer was down 2.7% and Classic Cars was up 2.6%. Sales of motorsport titles plummeted, with market-leading F1 Racing down 20.2% to 78,251, Autosport down 12.3% and Motorsport News down 7.5%. In the general sector, Top Gear fell 4% to 144,104. But BBC Magazines said last December's make-over plus the recent return to the screens of the TV show would be reflected next period.
Business Development Manager - £75K £75K basic+commission Morgan Rutherford Associates, London (Central), London (Greater)
Senior Brand Manager £60000 Per Annum Competitive with Benefits Nigel Wright Recruitment, London
Marketing Manager - Creative Solutions to 50k to £50.000 plus benefits The Space Business, London (Central), London (Greater)
A new wave of first-time CEOs are opting to do things differently in an evolving landscape. They discuss the business model of the future with Jeremy Lee.
"This girl can" was based on a powerful insight: that the fear of judgement by others is the primary barrier holding women back from participating in sport.


text:
Elkay Chemicals Pvt. Ltd. expanded its operations by opening a new manufacturing facility at Lote, Ratnagiri on 25 November 2017. The state-of- the-art facility is equipped with reactors, mixers, laboratory and modern precision equipment for high quality silicone fluids and emulsion manufacturing. With a team of highly skilled and experienced employees, this facility will serve the requirements of the agriculture, construction, pharmaceuticals, textiles, petrochemicals, chemical process, personal care and other various sectors in India and abroad. This expansion will serve to triple the existing capacity of certain product lines.
The facility was inaugurated by Shri Shripad Naik, Union Minister of State (AYUSH), Government of India. He said that the plant is an example of Make in India concept, the vision of Shri Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, and this plant will earn foreign exchange by exporting these performance products. Indian industry and society will become stronger with innovations in performance chemicals. Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Ravindra Kulkarni (Managing Director) spoke about the silicones technology, applications and future of the company. The main focus of the company is innovation, quality, environment protection and employees’ safety. Inaugurating the facility, Mr. A K Lokapur, (Partner) said the investment represented the group’s long-term commitment to its customers, employees and business associates.
Comments are closed.


text:
Shocking footage has surfaced online showing a food outlet worker using a blowtorch to prepare raw chicken in an alleyway behind a shop in Middlesbrough. The video clips, shared on social media and seen by MailOnline, depict a man using the cooking method to grill the chickens, which are being kept in a trolley near a large bin.
A piece of cardboard has been placed at the bottom of the trolley, apparently to catch liquid from the raw meat.
The person filming the clips can be heard shouting, “f***ing hell, I’m not eating that!” as he walks by the man, who is using a blowtorch connected to a propane gas tank. In a second clip, pieces of chicken can be seen in a shopping trolley nearby.
Middlesbrough Council has been informed of the incident, and environmental health experts are believed to be looking into the videos. A council spokesperson stated, “We are aware of the video circulating online and are looking into the matter.
As a matter of course, we expect all food processes to be carried out in a safe and hygienic manner.”
Social media users have commented on the footage, with some expressing their disgust and questioning the trustworthiness of takeaways. Others suggested that the blowtorch was being used to remove feathers from the chicken, as plucking by hand only removes the larger feathers, leaving smaller ones behind.
Regardless of the reasoning behind the blowtorch’s use, it is crucial that food outlets maintain safe and hygienic practices to prevent contamination and ensure consumer safety.


text:
When longtime friends Debbie Doherty and Barbara Snider happened upon a tour of a rum distillery during a vacation in the Canary Islands, Spain, they never dreamed that their spontaneous afternoon of rum, Cokes and limes would one day turn into a thriving business.
“We were really just looking for something fun to do that afternoon,” Doherty said. “But when we tasted the rum, it was exquisite, like nothing we had ever tasted before. We were so disappointed to learn that you couldn’t get it in the U.S.”
Upon their return to Houston, Doherty and Snider’s husbands, who had accompanied them on the trip and were just as enamored with the taste, encouraged the women to investigate what it would take to begin importing the rum, Ron Guajiro, to the U.S.
What it took was two and a half long years of gathering permits and approvals — and a good chunk of the women’s retirement savings — to get the company off the ground. But Doherty and Snider, who are both in their 60s, said it was well worth the effort. The company that makes Ron Guarjiro, Destilerías San Bartolomé de Tejina, agreed to begin producing the rum in an 80-proof-for-40-percent-alcohol version to meet U.S. importation standards.
And last January, Doherty and Snider’s company, DoSn International LLC, imported its first batch of the rum to its new Houston warehouse.
DoSn International is now the exclusive agent for importing Ron Guajiro from the Canary Islands into the U.S. The company is the only importer in the Western Hemisphere for the rum, which has been around since 1948 and comes in three blends: Honey, Golden and White.
Just last weekend, Ron Guajiro became available at the Spec’s Wine Spirits & Finer Foods locations in downtown Houston, San Antonio, El Paso, Lufkin, Dallas and Corpus Christi.
The rum, which comes in one-liter bottles, retails for between $21 and $22 per bottle.
By all accounts, the women admit they went through the process in somewhat of a backward manner.
While it is more common to first find a distributor for the alcohol, then let the distributor market the product to retailers, Doherty and Snider were able to snag a meeting with Houston-based Spec’s soon after DoSn International received its importer and wholesale permits from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau and the Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission.
“We were very lucky to even get an interview with them,” said Snider, who spent her career as a credit manager overseeing multimillion-dollar portfolios. “When they tasted it, they loved it, and they provided an introduction to a distributor for us.”
The women secured a contract with Atlanta-based Republic National Distributing Co., which has first rights of refusal for distribution into other states, as well.
“It is absolutely unusual to do it this way,” Snider said. “After we met with Republic, they said they were ready to help us get our labels approved and start working with retailers, and we were able to tell them we had already done all of that. They were really surprised by it.”
While it’s difficult for DoSn to track exact sales numbers, Doherty, who had a long career as an executive administrative assistant in the oil and gas industry, said Spec’s sold out of its inventory of Ron Guajiro between Aug. 24 — when it first hit store shelves — and Aug. 27.
The partners said that although Ron Guajiro has a loyal following throughout much of Europe, there is not yet much name recognition in the U.S., so marketing will be a big focus going forward.
In addition to a postcard mailing to select restaurants and bars, the women have held several rum tastings around the city. In April, they entered the product in a rum contest in Florida and came home with two gold medals. They also plan to enter the New York International Spirits competition in October.
Later this fall, DoSn plans to begin importing wine from the Cumbres DeAbona Winerie on the island of Tenerife, Spain.
Meanwhile, Doherty and Snider also have an eye on expansion of the rum brand to other states through their agreement with Republic National Distributing.
And while there are a variety of rums on the market, Snider said Ron Guajiro, which is made with sugar cane rather than molasses, has a smooth taste that is hard to replicate.
The women also say they approached the regulation- and permit-heavy importation business differently.
“A lot of these meetings were based on friendship and trust,” Snider said. “We found people that liked us and were willing to take a chance on us, and us on them. That made everything a lot easier.”
And it doesn’t hurt that being in the spirits industry creates the potential to have fun while also making money.
“We’ve had a ball so far,” Doherty said. “This is really a heartfelt business. We are two friends that are having fun at what we do.”
Tanya Rutledge is a freelance reporter. To contact the editor of this article, email firstname.lastname@example.org.


text:
The UK’s Maritime Autonomy Surface Testbed (MAST), an Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) based on the innovative Bladerunner hull shape, has read more >
DSEI 2017, held in London from 12 to 15 September, brings together the defence and security industry to source the read more >
The latest round of the Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series takes place in Fukuoka Japan from 18 to read more >
Autonomous Ship Technology Symposium is being held in Amsterdam, The Netherlands from 6th to 8th June 2017.
The Autonomous Ship Technology read more >
METS 2016 - the Marine Equipment Trade Show is held at Amsterdam RAI in The Netherlands from 15 to 17 read more >
Electric & Hybrid Marine World Expo 2017 is being held from 6th to 8th June at RAI Exhibition read more >
Southampton Boat Show 2016, held in the port of Southampton UK from 16th to 25th September, features read more >
Venice has around 20,000 leisure craft and 550 taxi boats serving 32 million visitors every year.
As most are currently diesel-powered read more >
Next Generation Shock Mitigation Solutions Workshop is being held in Southampton, UK on 25 October 2016 as part of a read more >
Next Generation RIB & High Speed Craft Workshop is being held in Southampton, UK on 26 October 2016 as part read more >


text:
If you haven’t heard, New Balance Numeric will be entering the skate market with its shoes in 2013. PJ Ladd is the first confirmed rider, and the brand will be distributed by Jamie Thomas’ Black Box. Here are some photos from a media day New Balance hosted last week at LA’s Dodger Stadium. Who do you think will be added to the team?
Photos by Sam Muller


text:
Canon has announced the new Canon PowerShot SD850 IS (aka Canon IXUS 950 IS) which replaces the SD700 IS (IXUS 800 IS). The Canon PowerShot SD850 is an ultra-compact pocket digital camera which features an 8 megapixel 1/2.5 CCD sensor, 4x optical zoom lens and DIGIC III Image Processor. In addition, other high-tech features includes optical image stabilization, face detection for optimizing AF, exposure and flash (up to nine faces) has been added to this Canon PowerShot camera.
The Canon PowerShot SD850 IS uses a new “PureColor” LCD display that Canon claims offers better color accuracy and brightness; the display has a multi-coated finish that resists glare, scratches and fingerprints. “The PowerShot SD850 IS Digital ELPH camera continues the strong tradition of Digital ELPH imaging excellence and eye-catching style,” said Canon senior vice president Yuichi Ishizuka of Consumer Imaging Group.
The Canon PowerShot SD850 IS Digital ELPH camera is equipped with a 18 scene modes including new Creative Light Effect special scene mode that turns bright spots into heart and star-shaped bursts. This latest Canon PowerShot SD850 compact digital camera is available in coming June for about $399.


text:
Friday, May 28, 2010
Posted by Pete Paxton in "Windows Phone News" @ 09:00 AM
"To state the obvious, that's pretty ambitious any way you slice it -- especially considering that the first Windows Phone 7 devices are still quite a few months away from hitting the market, giving Microsoft just over a year to reach that mark."
So I took 30 million and divided it by 12 and then multiplied it by 5. That comes out to 12.5 million Windows Phone 7 devices sold by May 2011. Is this a wild pipe dream or do you actually think they'll sell that many? To be honest, I laughed at this optimistic projection. Just seems like an awful lot of devices but who knows, maybe it'll be that good. Maybe it will be so cool and innovative - everyone will want one. Do you think they'll sell 30 million by the end of next year?


text:
African Dream: Njeri Rionge in Kenya
Njeri Rionge is one of East Africa's leading women entrepreneurs and among the region's very few women pioneers in the Information Communication and Technology (ICT) sector.
Twelve years ago, she founded East Africa's first mass market internet service provider, Wananchi Online.
It made internet connectivity affordable for the average household for the first time.
Wananchi is a Swahili word meaning citizen and the company grew to become the largest internet service provider in East Africa with a network of five regional offices.
BBC Africa's Ruth Nesoba asked Ms Rionge how it all began.
For more African news from the BBC download the Africa Today podcast.


text:
Providing a vital link between internal and external clouds, VMware plans to release in March an adapter for moving virtual machines between a hosted service offering and an organization's own internal systems, the company announced Tuesday.
The Gluster open-source file system is following the well-worn path into virtualization and cloud computing with the introduction on Tuesday of Gluster Virtual Storage Appliances for VMware and for the Amazon Web Services platform.
When Dataprise Inc., an IT services company, helped a customer with a desktop virtualization project last year, it found itself dealing with desktop virtualization's dirty little secret: No one -- including vendors -- seems to know how to license the...
This week I saw two articles that captured the two visions of IT that will dominate the future. Both were interviews with senior IT leaders, one a CIO of a major technology company, the other a senior executive with a leading system integrator. One a...
VMware's Paul Maritz has given up his title of president to four senior executives who will serve as co-presidents of the EMC-owned company as it increasingly goes up against Microsoft in the virtualization market.
Surging revenue from storage, security and virtualization brought record financial results at EMC in the fourth quarter, the company reported Tuesday.
VMware's fourth-quarter revenue jumped 37 per cent as businesses increased spending on its virtualization software, the company announced Monday.
With an eye on the small and medium-sized business market, IBM is working through resellers to roll out a VDI (virtual desktop infrastructure) package that costs US$150 per user annually.
Pano Logic has launched a new version of its zero-client device, supporting video and Citrix virtualisation for the first time,
A survey of 500 information technology professionals with responsibility to assure compliance with the Payment Card Industry (PCI) security standard shows just over half find it "burdensome but necessary" in their organizations and about a third see ...
Each year, the editors and reviewers of the InfoWorld Test Center gather to look over the list of products that earned the highest marks in stand-alone reviews or came in first in multiproduct shoot-outs. We then determine which ones were particularl...
As we close out 2010 and welcome 2011 it is clear we're at an interesting juncture in IT, with new opportunities stretching out before us. The key will be what we make of the opportunities and how we position our efforts to capitalize on them.
Rackspace Hosting has bought cloud management company, Cloudkick to bring new dashboard service to its customers. Its new purchase offers what Rackspace calls a cockpit for managing complex environments and the company hopes that the Cloudkick, which...
A new survey indicates that the biggest issue for virtualization deployment is insufficient memory installed in servers and not, as is commonly believed, CPU performance.
Amazon Web Services has announced a new feature called VM Import, which allows IT departments to move virtual machine images from their internal data centers to the cloud.
Most Popular Reviews
- 1 Ford Focus ST (2015) review: Absolutely mental styling, engine, handling
- 2 LG 65-inch UHD TV (65UF950T) review
- 3 Playing chicken with a Tesla Model S
- 4 Audi TT (2015) review: A smarter take on the sports coupe
- 5 Microsoft Lumia 640 review: Honouring Nokia's legacy
Join the Good Gear Guide newsletter!
Deals on Good Gear Guide
- Networking, Wireless & VoIP
Deals on Good Gear Guide
Latest News Articles
- Obama rolls out initiative to boost US supercomputer capability
- Oracle preps 'Sonoma' chip for low-priced Sparc servers
- Researchers develop astonishing Web-based attack on a computer's DRAM
- Samsung plots Galaxy S6 price cut, new phones to help business
- As Windows 10 launches, Microsoft pushes for enterprise adoption
GGG Evaluation Team
First impression on unpacking the Q702 test unit was the solid feel and clean, minimalist styling.
- FTTechnical Sales Support Representative - The Worlds largest Search Engine!NSW
- CCMarketing Coordinator - World's largest search engine!NSW
- FTDesktop Engineering ManagerNSW
- CCInternal Communications ExecutiveNSW
- FTBusiness Development Manager & Account ManagerVIC
- CCLead Generator - Software SolutionsNSW
- FTAccount Manager - PR AgencyNSW
- CCAccount Strategist | Sales Executive | Global Search EngineNSW
- FTDevOps Consultant - Microsoft Experience - Digital ConsultancyVIC
- FTField EngineerNSW


text:
Kellogg shares fell after a rumored deal with Kraft Heinz was deemed "not likely" in the near term, according to sources close to the company. » Read More
The growth in private-label, or store-brand, grocery items will continue across most categories even as the U.S. economy rebounds as consumers have found the quality has greatly improved compared to the traditional brand names.
You can make money regardless of the economy if you follow this investing strategy.
If you have some cash to play with, this is the best way to grow it.
What follows is a roundup of corporate earnings reports for Thursday, April 29.
But it’s the source of the money that matters to stocks, Cramer says.
Kellogg is drawing upside option activity as the food company's shares trade in an increasingly narrow range.
A lot of people doubt the president’s reforms will become law. Bu the Mad Money host isn’t so sure anymore.
Futures fell sharply Thursday after a surprise jump in jobless claims, a disappointing signal on the employment front ahead of Friday's jobs report.
What follows is a roundup of corporate earnings reports for Thursday, Feb. 4.
Cramer looks beyond the bloodletting.
Tough end to the week. For the first time in months, the last two days has seen some notable call buying in the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) — in other words, traders are buying volatility. Also a notable uptick in the put/call ratio (the ratio of put buying to call option buying). Why?
Major companies continued to pour support into the Haiti relief effort following last Tuesday's devastating earthquake, and the US Chamber of Commerce said corporate aid pledges had already exceeded $16 million by 11 am Eastern.
Dividend investing is considered a sound course in times of market turmoil. So what are the best dividend plays for investors in 2010? Dan Genter, president, CEO and CIO of RNC Genter Capital Management, shared his stock picks.
How should investors prepare their portfolios for next year? Dan Genter, president, CEO and CIO of RNC Genter Capital Management, and Steven Stahler, president of Stahler Investment Group, shared their market outlooks.
General Mills—the maker of Lucky Charms, Trix and Cocoa Puffs—plans to reduce the amount of sugar in its cereals marketed to children.
Last night I shopped for Thanksgiving at Vons, owned by Safeway spacer, and bought everything, including a 14-pound turkey, for the lowest price I've ever paid: $32.
It may be the strangest shortage since the world went nuts over tulips. Eggo Waffles have nearly disappeared from store shelves.
Disappointing earnings and a botched takeover bid are key reasons why Irene Rosenfeld just joined the Wall of Shame.
Buy these stocks, the Mad Money host says, just in case we slip back into a recession.
The S&P 500 logged its best one-day percentage gain in three months on Thursday after GDP data showed the economy expanded at an annual rate of 3.5% in the third quarter.


text:
Australian cross-border payments firm Airwallex has raised US$13 million in a Series A funding round led by Chinese Internet giant Tencent and joined by Mastercard.
Sequoia Capital Chain also participated in the round, which comes on top of a $3 million raise last year.
Targeted at businesses rather than consumers, the Airwallex platform can support thousands of transactions per second and claims to provide a more cost-effective alternative to existing payment networks.
It is powered by a sophisticated FX and payment engine and a transparent pricing model designed to avoid inflated margins and minimise market risk.
The firm, which joined the Mastercard Start Path accelerator programme last year, says that it will use the new funding to propel the release of its suite of APIs and fuel international expansion, notably into Europe.
Jack Zhang, CEO, Airwallex, says: "The continued growth of international trade and the global economy rely on efficient cross-border transactions.
"Our mission is to eradicate the burden of international payments so that businesses can transact across borders with ease. Armed with a growing number of financial services licences and partnerships across numerous jurisdictions, we aim to make international payments as cheap and simple as domestic payments."


text:
Developer of upcoming racing game, Gran Turismo 6 by Polyphony Digital has revealed that a big update will hit the game on its launch day in December 2013.
"It's an incredibly tight schedule. As to being able to include everything we want to on day one, we probably won't be able to," said Kazunori Yamauchi, series creator in an interview to Eurogamer.
"I think for the 12 months following the release we'll continue to update the software. Because in Gran Turismo 6 we're preparing a lot of different things we haven't even touched on yet."
He also said that the studio plans to make improvements on the game's multiplayer mode in the launch day patch.
"I can be almost certain that there'll be a day one patch applied. The online features are already working - we'll be updating it with a day one patch, and we're still overflowing with stuff we'd like to do. So I think the day one patch will be a fairly large patch."
Yamauchi also spoke on the change in game development and addressed how the studio is moving from boxed product to service, "I think you're sort of right in that we've really changed how we make games now. Even now when we're near the end of development [on Gran Turismo 6] we're still creating features that will be provided in this game in updates later on. I think it's a possibility that one day these types of update will be continuing for our titles. More recently, the speed of our output is much, much faster."
The studio released its first game for PlayStation in 1998 and it is celebrating Fifteenth Year Anniversary of Gran Turismo with a documentary: with a new documentary titled "KAZ: Pushing the Virtual Divide," CVG reported.
The game will hit PlayStation 3 on Dec 6, 2013.


text:
People find ways to save through different mediums
In response to the economic downfall, the coupon craze is all the rage for students who want to make a dollar go further.
Schools such as Southwestern Illinois College, John A. Logan College and SIUC are participating in the action as well.
“Couponing is in high interest right now,” said Sue Tyler, program coordinator for Community Education at
SWIC. “We are trying to help students not only save money but gain a new hobby, gather knowledge and develop a new interest.”
Couponing Cents is the newest noncredit class at SWIC that has been offered the last three semesters. From 10 a.m. to noon on Saturdays, students are taught shopping strategies that will help save them hundreds of dollars a month.
Anna Dowell, instructor of the course and creator of Couponing Centsibilities on Facebook, said she got into couponing to save money and take control of her health.
“My husband is in the military and my mother is sick, and with two kids money is tight,” she said.
Dowell, an SIUC alum, said she learned her couponing tricks by attacking it like a research paper. She said she followed coupon blogs and tips on YouTube to find the latest deals and keep her coupons organized.
At SWIC, Dowell teaches students how to organize, plan, clip, file and shop with coupons. She also educates them on legal and ethical issues, such as how to talk appropriately to store managers and not to photocopy coupons and clear shelves of a certain product.
Tyler said taking a coupon class or attending a couponing workshop is beneficial to students because everybody can use it.
Last November, SIUC’s Craft Shop hosted Dart into Saving, a workshop that focused on the practice of extreme couponing. The $6 class was led by Rachel Taylor, a graduate student from West Frankfort studying workforce education and development. She shared her tricks and techniques to get must-have items for less or even free by using coupons.
No couponing workshops have been scheduled for this semester.
Sarah Buto, a junior from Lake Zurich studying cinema and photography and theater, said she is a fan of couponing.
“I do see a difference in the money I save, especially in clothes and electronics,” she said.
Buto, who gets her coupons from newspapers like the Daily Herald and the booklets 710 Bookstore gives away at the beginning of each semester, mostly uses them at grocery stores and Walmart.
She said she uses coupons on anything from food to basic needs, such as cosmetics.
Buto, who is busy with studying and working as a stage manager, said she doesn’t find couponing to be too time consuming.
“I usually do it in the morning while I eat breakfast, so I’m multitasking,” she said. “It takes me 30 minutes or less. It doesn’t take hours to do like some people think.”
Tyler Seeds, an undecided freshman from Fresno, Calif., said he is one of those who finds the process too time-consuming.
“Couponing is hard and takes too much time, so I never do it,” he said. “I don’t get a booklet of coupons and I know the newspaper is usually where they are, but I want easier ways to get ahold of them without searching page after page.”
If time constraints and attending a workshop is an issue, there are other choices students can make to help stretch their dollar.
According to NCH Resource Center, with mobile and Internet coupons available to the public, consumers saved $2 billion with coupons through mid-year 2011, up 5.3 percent from the first half of 2010.
The top iPhone apps for couponing, according to Mashable, a social-media news blog, are Shoppe, Coupon Sherpa, Amazon Mobile, Compare Me and Save Benjis.
Despite the benefit of using coupons to save cash, the class isn’t merely focused on getting supplies for free, Dowell said. She said it’s more about doing what you can in a failing economy.
“The point of the class is to teach kids to live within their means,” she said.


text:
- You are here:
- bmw suv
To paraphrase George H.W. Bush, read their lips: no SUVs. That's what BMW executives are saying when it comes to the electric-drive i sub-brand it is about to launch with the plug-in i3. Car Advice spoke with i3 project manager Roland Kowalski, who said the German automaker is targeting city ...


text:
If you took a million square meters of totally undeveloped land in a relatively undeveloped nation, what would you build? Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) is going to attempt to build a mountain range. The Zira Island Master plan in Baku, Azerbaijan will be seven â€œleisure peaksâ€ to reflect the seven mountain peaks that Mother Nature built. It will be a 100% sustainable ecosystem.
Implications - Wealthy consumers are constantly seeking new ways to experience luxury. By constructing a mountain range or resort in remote, uninhabited locations, companies or developers can provide wealthy consumers with a prestigious experience. Companies that can offer a private, high-end experience are going to find high rates of success with wealthy consumers in search of such an experience.


text:
We’re proud of our menu and thrilled to have the partnership of the amazing Smash Waffles team
RALEIGH, NC. (PRWEB) March 22, 2017
Pizza La Stella opened patio seating in late February in anticipation of new brunch hours, which began March 18. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday, the restaurant will be offering special brunch cocktails in addition to a brunch dining menu. Various live music acts will also perform each weekend during those hours.
The launch of brunch also marks the start of a partnership with Greenville-based Smash Waffles, a delivery service of authentic Liege Belgian Waffles with creative flavors. Pizza La Stella head chef Matt Kepp has incorporated Smash Waffles into several unique menu items. The brunch menu also includes wood-fired skillets, wings and breakfast pizzas.
Managing Partner Rudy Theale sees the addition of brunch as the next step in the positive growth of Pizza La Stella. “Our first weekend serving brunch was a huge success,” says Theale. “We’re proud of our menu and thrilled to have the partnership of the amazing Smash Waffles team; together we’re making Pizza La Stella a real dining destination every day of the week.”
The restaurant is also increasing its number of weeknight events. Beginning March 28, every Tuesday will be Trivia Tuesday in Pizza La Stella’s main bar area. Hosted by the event team Geeks Who Drink, the trivia quizzes include a range of pop culture questions. Participants can play alone or in teams of up to six people. Special pricing during trivia includes $4 craft drafts and 10 percent off any pizza.
Every Thursday, the music event Live at The Loft features local acoustic artists in the upstairs bar area.
Opened in 2016, downtown Raleigh’s Pizza La Stella is a modern Italian restaurant specializing in Neapolitan pizzas and wood-fired wings. All hot menu items are cooked in custom-built Stefano Ferrara ovens, which reach 900 degrees. A second-floor bar, The Loft at La Stella, serves craft cocktails and local beers in addition to traditional offerings. View full menus and learn about upcoming events at http://www.pizzalastella.com.


text:
The latest electric vehicle from Hyundai’s luxury brand Genesis allows drivers to shift between virtual “gears”, accompanied by computer-generated sound and a digital tachometer.
The newest Electric car Genesis GV60 Performance has unveiled technology designed to bring the experience of changing gears in a petrol car to a battery-powered vehicle – and could come to Australia in a future model update.
Known as Virtual Gear Shift (VGS) – which can be switched on and off – the system combines electric motor hardware with clever software to simulate a petrol or diesel vehicle’s automatic transmission for an electric car.
While the feel of subtle gear changes – similar to a dual-clutch automatic in a Volkswagen Golf GTI or Hyundai i30 N Hot Hatches – is compelling, the irony is that the technology slows the car slightly when active, rather than seamlessly delivering a burst of acceleration.
Paddle shifters behind the Genesis GV60’s steering wheel – formerly used only to control the regenerative braking of the electric motors – allow the driver to change imaginary “gears” (most electric motors only have one gear).
Each simulated gear change is accompanied by a small jolt in the power of the electric motors and a change in the computer-generated sound that the car produces.
The virtual shifting system was unveiled by the Hyundai Group last year in the RN22e electric race car concept and was first due to go into production in this year’s Hyundai Ioniq 5N Electric Hot Hatch.
However, Hyundai’s Genesis luxury brand made it available in South Korea a year earlier in the updated GV60 Performance 2023 mid-size SUV – which shares its underpinnings with the Ioniq 5 N and RN22e.
It’s unclear if the ‘VGS’ technology will be retuned for use in the Ioniq 5 N – but that seems likely given Hyundai’s focus on track driving compared to the less powerful Genesis.
The system can be deactivated at the driver’s request, returning the car to a traditional single-speed setup, with the driver being able to use the steering wheel paddles to control the level of regenerative braking.
Genesis Australia is yet to confirm if the Virtual Gear Shift system for GV60 will be available in the Australian market, however it could be part of a future model year update.
Genesis says on its global website that the virtual shift feature “reduces the sound of the engine revving, [an] active electronic instrument cluster and changing speed [on a digital tachometer]”.
The version of the Virtual Shift System, destined for the Hyundai Ioniq 5N this year, was designed to mirror the shifting speed of a Hyundai i30N Hot Hatch with an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
“It’s full immersion for the guys who are looking for involved driving,” Hyundai senior technical adviser – and former head of Hyundai’s N-Performance division – Albert Biermann told Australian media earlier this month .
“But you can turn everything off [the fake gear shift mode]. And that’s important, because maybe you like it for five minutes or ten minutes, but then maybe you don’t like it anymore.
“There are many, many roads here in Australia that I would welcome it on – iceberg roads, and you just drive there and enjoy the car. But not so much in traffic jams in Sydney,” said Mr. Biermann.
The Lexus system uses a conventional gear stick and clutch pedal – controlled by clever software – and even lets the car sit, much like a real manual transmission vehicle.
- Hyundai and Kia claim 50 percent more range from the new electric car platform
- 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 6 RN22e concept: track test in Australia
- The Hyundai Ioniq 6 UK is priced at $70,000 MSRP in Australia
- 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 6: 614 km claimed range for electric sedan confirmed
- Record batch of 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 5 electric cars going on sale on January 19th


text:
Moto has come up with one model after another for its customers which is quite popular with the general public. However, this time new information has been known. The new moto g9 power is coming for the customers this time with improved battery service. Batteries are very important to customers in the case of phones in general. And this phone is going to come with that in mind.
The price of this phone in the European market is 199 Euros. In Indian rupees which is about 18400 rupees. At this price you will get 4 GB RAM and 128 GB storage. This phone has been brought in two different colours.
It is learned that this phone will soon be available in several countries including Asia and America. However, it is not yet known when this phone will hit the Indian market. Moto G9 Power has a 6.80-inch display. On the other hand, this phone has a 16-megapixel selfie camera.
This phone also has a triple rear camera. Motorola Moto G9 Power has 4 GB RAM and this phone has 128 GB storage. This phone also has a 6000 mAh battery.
And this phone has the advantage of android 10 operating system. In addition, this phone has the facility of 20 W fast charge. Comes with 3.5mm audio jack. There are also several additional benefits. In other words, this time the new phone came with moto for the customers. As a result, ordinary people will get benefits.
Stay updated with every news, download Koustav WiFi News App on your mobile. Get all Tech News related to live news update of latest mobile reviews apps, tablets etc. Stay updated with us for all breaking news from Tech and more update News.
Koustav WiFi aka TechnoInsider is dedicated to science, technology, and gadgets. I cover everything from the most recent tech news to reviews, tech tips and tricks, unboxings, new technology, the coolest gadgets, and so on. When it comes to tech, the internet is your best friend. And that's why I built Koustav WiFi, the only resource you'll ever need for all your tech troubles and inquiries. From tutorials on the latest gadgets to advice on how to get ahead of the curve, you'll find everything you need right here.


text:
Instagram has a pretty major moment to celebrate today: It just surpassed 500 million active monthly users, 300 million of which use the app daily. Growth has been particularly substantial over the past two years — Instagram’s monthly user base more than doubled since 2014. The social network dug up some fascinating fashion-centric stats for Refinery29 in honor of the milestone.
First up, the answer to the query you’ve probably been mulling over for some time now: what makes not just a great #OOTD, but the top #OOTD? Shay Mitchell knows what’s up, apparently — the Pretty Little Liars star had the top #OOTD from 2015, out of 82 million #OOTDs that have been posted since Instagram's inception. (The top post is measured based on having the most interaction, meaning likes as well as comments.) Mitchell’s pic, below, shows her perched on a ledge and is captioned with a quip about L.A.’s rapidly-shifting weather. It got the actress (who’s currently got 12.6 million followers) nearly 450K likes and over 3K comments.
More recently, Victoria Justice had the top #OOTD of the past few months with the below shot from earlier this month, which accrued 212K likes for the actress and singer, who’s got a following of 8.5 million at the moment.
Five other top-performing Insta #OOTDs were posted by the likes of Hollywood actress Bella Thorne, Bollywood star Deepika Padukone, Russian YouTube sensation Kate Clapp, fellow YouTuber Connor Franta, and yet another YouTube-famous name, Bethany Mota. Check out these images along with other high-performing OOTDs, below.
Beyond the all-important #OOTDs, Instagram’s reps shared some compelling stats on the platform's presence at fashion shows: 42 million people had 283 million interactions during the fall '16 shows (encompassing NYFW, LFW, MFW and PFW shows), compared to 25 million people having 140 million interactions just one season prior, during the spring '16 shows. There you have it: concrete stats to back up that feeling that nearly everyone in the front row (and every row behind it) is watching the catwalk action through their smartphone screens — and, of course, promptly Instagramming the best snaps. Other pivotal fashion moments for the app since its inception in 2010, according to Instagram reps, include: Prabal Gurung joining the app shortly after its 2010 launch (and way before many other designers), Diane von Furstenberg's pre-Oscars bathroom selfie circa 2013, and Alexander Wang's H&M campaign stealthily debuting on the platform — in the middle of the night, no less — in 2014, as well. Also of note: Tommy Hilfiger’s fall '16 InstaPit, where bloggers and other Instagram-famous folks got prime vantage points during the show and Misha Nonoo eschewing a physical showing in favor of a spring '16 InstaShow, shared exclusively on the social app. Fashion people have also utilized Instagram as a creative resource: Dries van Noten actually sourced an illustrator, @buttonfruit, to hand-paint their fall '16 invites. The platform's role within the industry was further solidified (for the few in the biz that hadn't jumped on the bandwagon yet) thanks to its CFDA Media Award win last year; it was the first time the accolade wasn’t given to a particular person in media. Meanwhile, labels like Moschino and Stella McCartney have done “InstaShoots,” in which collections were specifically shot for and posted on the network; plus, there have been a slew of expressly Instagram-friendly runway feats over the past few years, like Opening Ceremony’s fall '14 collection featuring a chocolate wall and a Great Dane traipsing down the runway at Hood By Air’s spring '16 show. Fashion people (finally) making it onto the ‘gram recently include Tim Blanks and Suzy Menkes joining in 2015, and Donatella Versace and Alber Elbaz joining this year. But back to those all-important #OOTDs: What do you think about the top looks (and the particular celebs donning them)? Let us know in the comments below.