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Economist Isabella M Weber was recently listed in the Times100 list of most influential people.
Her work, in the context of the US and the EU, explained what is being defined as seller’s inflation, where companies, particularly in oligopolistic market conditions (markets where few firms/corporate companies control the market share of a commodity), keep prices high to earn abnormal profits.
Greed underlines the motivation for artificially producing inflation, which acts as a tax on the most vulnerable and poor.
When oil companies were making abnormal profits from volatile oil prices in Europe, one of the measures adopted by the EU was to impose a windfall profit tax to correct the abnormal rise of incomes enjoyed by such companies, and give relief to the consumers.
While energy prices reduced drastically since last year, the persistent effect of the inflationary pressures still hurt the common households of Europe.
While Europe was caught in the immediate crossfire of the growing geopolitical rivalry among major powers, the effects of a disrupted supply chain during the COVID years, exacerbated by the rising costs of transportation, meant rising prices of essential commodities.
Russia and Ukraine have both been export-driven economies, with the former being a major energy supplier to the world. Food items such as wheat have also been exported from both countries, meeting , with countries in Asia and Africa fulfilling their food import requirement thanks to both countries.
It is in this scenario that one must investigate India’s own energy requirements and the pricing choices that have been pursued in the current regime.
India's Tryst With 'Seller's Inflation'
Since the BJP government has come into power, India has seen its import demand of oil growing steadily, with import of crude oil and other petroleum products nearly tripling in volume between 2014 and 2022.
This growing demand for energy has also been observed in the composition of merchandise imports between the same range, with imports of oil products nearly doubling in its value from Rs 78,281 crores in April 2014 to Rs 1,68,226 crores in July 2022 (see below).
While this rising import bill may present an issue for any government, through imposing taxes, the government has been able to contain the prices of oil products such as petrol and diesel in a narrow band.
Taxes on oil and petroleum products form a major part of the retail prices borne by the consumers.
To take the example of Delhi, of the current retail price of petrol, which is Rs 96.72 and of diesel, which is Rs 89.62, excise and VAT takes up 36 percent and 31 percent of the prices respectively.
At the precipice of rising energy prices in late October 2021, this share used to be 54 percent and 49 percent respectively.
Of this, Central excise duties held a larger share than that of the State government’s VAT, which was calculated on a percentage basis.
The central government keeps a fixed rate of excise duties on the base price of petrol and diesel, which has contributed to an increasing dependence on the revenues from such duties.
Of the total tax contribution from the petroleum sector to the Exchequer, excise duties levied from petrol and diesel has accounted for nearly 75-90 percent in the last 10 years (for state governments, VAT from petrol and diesel has accounted for 85-95 percent during the same period).
The Fog of Disinformation Surrounding Oil Prices
Historically, prices of both diesel and petrol were determined by the Administered Price Mechanism till 2002, under which objectives like stability and protection of consumers were pursued.
Even though this mechanism was discontinued, efforts were directed by the government-run oil manufacturing companies (OMCs) like IOCL, HPCL and BPCL to maintain the interests of the consumers at a priority.
After a brief stint of market determined prices, the OMCs have taken up the mantle since 2014 to revise the fuel rates daily, by considering the crude oil prices in the international markets, and the rupee-dollar exchange rates.
As prices surged during the height of COVID years, profits experienced by these companies also experienced a spike, only coming to a halt when was implemented despite rising costs in early 2022.
As prices of petrol and diesel have hovered around Rs 100, despite the cut in excise duties, it remains to be seen how the oncoming production cut will be managed by the government.
Leading up to the general elections of 2024, OPEC’s decision to cut production would certainly not bode well for the government’s fuel import bill. Also, with the dollar exchange rate already at record high despite RBI intervention, and inflation already high, the incoming rise in fuel costs is surely expected to add to the fire.
The spinoff in the narrative projected by the Modi Government in managing the headlines around fuel inflation is also interesting.
It first allows the price of retail petrol and diesel, much like LPG, to scale up, citing ‘external factors and geopolitical concerns’ while allowing the government to beef up revenue and oil companies to make abnormal profits, and then lowers them marginally - closer to the election cycle-citing gratitude of the prime minister.
What is critical is observing and seeing through the fog of this disinformation, cloaking the truth behind what’s happening to fuel and subsequently to in India.
See below the profit/loss levels of major OMCs.
From hitting rock bottom post 2022, companies have recorded profits consistently from thereon.
If we see the nature of relationship between headline inflation and crude oil price, in the figure below, one will see how between the period of 2018 and early 2023, inflation remained high despite a gap in oil prices.
Key Questions That Need to be Answered
Yes, in many countries, supply-side disruptions were majorly contributed to the initial rise in price, but if one looks closely in context to India alone, sustained high fuel prices because of high tax/cess and the government’s failure to pass on the benefit of lower import cost (when crude oil price was low), had a cascading effect on firm-level transport costs, leading to a .
The chart below provides a mapping between CPI-Oil price numbers across major cities that are engines of urban growth across India.
Therefore, there are key questions that remain to be answered on part of the Modi government as it enters the 2024 election cycle with key issues of low growth, high inflation, and low employment.
How did the Central government profit by the windfall gain realized in crude oil price import bill when global oil prices came down and the Indian government imported cheaper Russian crude oil (while justifying doing so for consumer-cost benefit reasons)?
To what extent did the government allow oil, gas, petroleum, and petrochemical companies to profit as they gained from the cheaper crude oil price import cost without passing on the benefit in terms of price reduction to consumers?
Is there a windfall profit tax (like Europe) left to be imposed on these companies?
A lot remains left to be answered.
(Deepanshu Mohan is Professor of Economics and Director, Centre for New Economics Studies (CNES), Jindal School of Liberal Arts and Humanities, O P Jindal Global University. Yashovardhan Chaturvedi works at CNES. This is an opinion piece and the views expressed are the authors' own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for them.)


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The first announcement trailer of Floodland was dropped barely a month ago and it has gone viral. There are strong speculations that this new strategy video game might turn out to be a smash-hit soon after its global release, which is slated to happen next month. The Floodland announcement trailer shows that it is set in a post-apocalyptic world, which has been shattered by a gigantic flood, much like the one which wiped away the Indus Valley civilization thousands of years ago. The primary challenge in this society survival game remains to be, managing to rebuild the lost world right from the ruins. Ever since the Floodland release date was announced, the global gaming community has almost gone crazy and within weeks of its release, the Floodland announcement trailer has already become viral.
This is indeed a hard nut to crack as you can’t commit the same mistakes done by the mere mortals which brought down the catastrophe. Let’s explore the murky waters of Floodland to unravel what’s on offer.
Floodland: The Flood We Catapulted
The game begins with the erstwhile ‘civilized’ world being decimated to ruins. Sea level has experienced a huge surge across the globe and barring a few newly-formed islands, everything is under water. ‘Floodland Announcement Trailer’, which was unveiled almost a month ago, shows that sheer greed on the part of human beings, has resulted in this apocalypse. We can blame only ourselves as Floodland highlights in the official trailer that fear replaced greed in the end, but it was too late.
The Onus Is on You
Developed by Vile Monarch and published by Ravenscourt, Floodland’s post-apocalyptic world makes you take the center stage. You are entrusted with the responsibility to guide the survivors of the climate catastrophe in a Herculean journey that seems like a redemption song. There are factions which can start fighting among themselves, adding to the woes and washing away the chances of a revival of the society, revival of the human civilization.
There’s another interesting aspect to the rebuilding saga. You can actually choose the manner in which the society would be ruled. It could be a society where equality of all sorts, is celebrated or a society which upholds a dictatorial regime. But remember, later on you have to pay for the consequences of the choices you make.
Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day
Floodland is undoubtedly a unique society survival game, which isn’t anyway a cakewalk. You have to get past an array of hurdles to rekindle the hope of human civilization which is leaning dangerously. With so much at stake, you have to step very cautiously. Never forget that destruction happens in no time but it takes much longer to create something. And when it comes to rebuilding, it takes way longer than the creation in the first place.
Floodland System Requirements: Check if Your Device Ticks the Right Boxes
In order to seamlessly run this society survival game on your gaming device, you must ensure the following Floodland system requirements:
- a) Operating System: Windows 10, 64-bit (minimum), Windows 10, 64-bit (recommended)
- b) Processor: Demo: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 8700k or AMD equivalent
- c) Memory: 16 GB RAM
- d) Graphics: Demo: GeForce RTX 2060 or AMD equivalent, 4 GB VRAM
- e) DirectX: Version 11
Floodland: Much More Than a Mere Game
At a time, when there’s a hue and cry at every nook and corner of the world about the adverse effects of climate change, Floodland’s arrival is a blessing in disguise. It’s believed to illuminate teenagers and young adults regarding the potential climate catastrophe which is knocking at the doors and the ways to keep it at bay. Both the developer Vile Monarch and publisher Ravenscourt, deserve a huge round of applause not only from the global gaming community but also from humanity in general. If you take all of these into consideration, it makes sense why the excitement is surging by leaps and bounds as we approach the Floodland release date.
The Water of Floodland Is Steaming Hot
Valve’s new Steam Deck has proved to be a hot property in the international gaming industry within months of its worldwide launch. Gamers will be on cloud nine to learn that Floodland Steam will be available for downloads right from November 15, 2022, the official Floodland release date. You can have a look at the Floodland announcement trailer to get an essence of the upcoming game.

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Stan Johnson Company, one of commercial real estate’s leading investment sales brokerage firms, has completed the sale of a single-tenant retail property located at 10225 South Highway 6 in Sugar Land, Texas. The 14,380-square-foot property is fully leased to Pep Boys Auto. Stan Johnson Company’s Mark Lovering exclusively represented the seller, an individual investor from The Woodlands, Texas. The asset was purchased by a private equity fund based in Irving, Texas as a part of their 1031 exchange. The property sold for approximately $4.9 million reflecting a 6.60 percent cap rate.
“Pep Boys discontinued its retail lines at all locations, including this site, in first quarter 2021, as the company plans to shift out of retail to concentrate on repairs and tire sales – things that can’t be sold easily by online competitors,” said Lovering, Associate Director in Stan Johnson Company’s Chicago, Illinois office. “This corporate strategy is one we expect to see other automotive service tenants with a larger retail line implement. Although Pep Boys no longer uses about 30 percent of the building, we were able to secure an aggressive cap rate for our client, and the outcome was successful for both sides.”
The property was built in 2013 on 1.5 acres with superb visibility on Highway 6 which sees nearly 50,000 vehicles per day. Area tenants include Home Depot, CVS Pharmacy, ALDI and Whataburger, among many others. The property is located just 17 miles southwest of downtown Houston.


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If you haven't started Christmas shopping yet, do not panic.
Eagle eyed bargain hunters take note: Black Friday is on November 25 and that's the day to begin.
Have your debit cards at the ready and brace yourselves as the major stores are set to slash prices to an all time low.
Black Friday has become one of the biggest shopping days in the UK and this year promises to be bigger than ever.
Check out which Cambridge and online shops will be taking part in the mega sale and what items you can expect to see on offer.
Amazon is going hard for Black Friday this year.
It's been announced that the Black Friday sale at the online retail giant will start early on November 14 and culminate on Black Friday.
Discounts are expected to be amazing and save customers millions of pounds.
There is limited availability on products though so if you have your eye on something, you'll need to get in there quick.
To get you in even more of a panic, Amazon will be doing flash sales that are time-limited offers on items appearing on the site unannounced throughout the day.
Ready, set, GO!
The supermarket chain slashes prices to all time lows on Black Friday on a wide range of goods. The deals on TVs and electricals are particularly popular among shoppers.
Naturally the supermarket won't be unveiling its deals until November 25 but if last year's sales are anything to go by expect big reductions on TVs, Playstations, Xboxs, iPads and home furniture.
If scrapping over a TV in a supermarket aisle doesn't sound like your idea of retail therapy you can also shop online.
If you can't wait until November 25 eBay has already launched its Black Friday page and is adding daily deals in the run up to the big day - shop now and get 47 per cent off a 43-inch Phillips TV.
On the day itself expect reductions on laptops, the most-wanted toys, smartphones and tablets. Visit eBay.
Register your interest online and you will be alerted when the sales begin - last year online sales kick-started at 6am.
Expect deals on coffee machines, vacuum cleaners and laptops.
In 2015 there was up to £600 off laptops, 50% off vacuum cleaners and £200 off LG and Samsung TVs.
Visit Currys, Retail Park, Newmarket Road, Cambridge, or go to Currys.
Buy your deals online and choose click and collect at the checkout on Black Friday.
You can collect them in store as soon as they are available. Alternatively head down to your local Argos for bargains or shop online and have items delivered to your address.
The store currently has seasonal sales and offers on toys, furniture and £50 off selected laptops.
Visit Argos, Retail Park, Newmarket Road, Cambridge, or go to Argos.
Not only will you find cute woodland creatures (as the advert would have us believe) but you'll find offers in home, electricals and technology, computers and TVs.
The discounts will also be handy for people wanting to pick up designer fashion and accessories.
The department store will launch its sales online around midnight on November 24, which will continue throughout the weekend when more offers will be launched.
Visit John Lewis, Grand Arcade, Cambridge, or go to John Lewis.
Whether you're treating yourself to some perfume or aftershave, or looking for that special Christmas electrical beauty gift, there will be something for everyone at Boots.
Last year the high street retailer launched hundreds of deals on beauty, perfume, toys and electrical ranges and we expect similar discounts to run both online and in-store for 2016.
Visit Boots, Petty Cury, Cambridge, or look out for the Boots Black Friday launch here.
Last year Game turned its Black Friday into a five-day sales event and launched new deals every hours from 8am.
The website is yet to launch its 2016 Black Friday page but if you're a keen gamer, or know someone who is, it's worth keeping an eye on the website for any updates.
It currently has 50 per cent off games and accessories Overwatch: Origins Edition, XCOM 2, Dead Island: Definitve Collection and others.
Visit Game, Fitzroy Street, Cambridge, or go to Game.
Sign up to the newsletter and be the first to know when the sales begin - you will be able to pick up gifts for the whole family as well as some nice treats for yourself.
Last year there were big reductions on perfumes, coffee machines, household goods, children's toys and clothing.
Debenhams currently has 24 per cent off men, women and children's clothes, homeware and lingerie.
There is also more than 50 per cent off Christmas decorations, towels, wrapping paper, bedding and kitchen appliances.
Visit Debenhams, Grafton, Cambridge, or go to Debenhams.


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A team of researchers have just discovered that sugar-free drinks are just as harmful to teeth as sweetened beverages.
According to the researchers, these types of products still contain acidic chemicals that can lead to dental damage, Fox News reported.
For the study, the team from the University of Melbourne's Oral Health Cooperative Research Center (CRC) in Australia analyzed 23 different kinds of sugar-free beverages that are currently available in the market. The researchers also looked that the data on oral health collected by the facility.
They discovered that these kinds of drinks can induce dental enamel softening by at least a half. Eric Reynolds, one of the authors of the study and a the CEO of Oral Health CRC explained that this is due to the acidic chemicals found in most sugar-free beverages such as soft drinks, sports drinks and even flavored bottled water.
"Many people are not aware that while reducing your sugar intake does reduce your risk of dental decay, the chemical mix of acids in some foods and drinks can cause the equally damaging condition of dental erosion," he said in a statement according to Medical News Today.
He then went on to say that when people consume sugar, this develops a layer of plaque on the surface of their teeth. Bacteria then feed on this layer and turn it into acid.
If the acidic byproduct remains on the surface of the teeth, it can cause the enamel to erode. This can then lead to tooth decay.
In the same way, sugar-free drinks and food items that contain acidic ingredients can also produce the same effect on teeth.
"We have even found sugar-free confectionary products that are labeled 'tooth-friendly' and which when tested were found to be erosive," Reynolds said.
To avoid dental problems, Reynolds and his team recommend avoiding sugar-free items that contain acidic ingredients like phosphoric acid and citric acid. Also, after consuming acidic or sugary products, people should immediately rinse their mouth with water. However, they should wait about an hour before they brush their teeth to avoid accidentally removing the layer of their teeth that has been softened.
In addition, after drinking beverages that are high in acid, they should chew sugarless gum to increase the production of saliva. This natural fluid has been found to neutralize the effects of acid on teeth. Likewise, people should avoid drinking soda when they are thirsty because this is the time when their saliva levels are at their lowest.


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For those of you patiently waiting on the 2013 Genesis Coupe and the return of the Azera to Hyundai's lineup, your wait is over.
Read This Article
New engine, new transmission, and better fuel economy
Google is slowly taking over the world, and Korean automakers Hyundai and Kia are welcoming the technology giant with open arms.
The NADAguides released its 2011 Second Quarter Car Buyers Market report, with six current models earning a spot on NADAguides Top Recommended Current Buys.


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Families across the UK are feeling the pinch as even the price of the basic weekly food shop has started to creep up. Grocery analysts have warned that supermarket prices could potentially go up by a further 15 per cent this summer and it means shoppers need to be more savvy than ever with how they budget.
The Mirror reports, The Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD) said households can expect their essentials to rise in price including dairy, bread and meat and inflation is predicted to hit 11 per cent. A family of four might notice their shopping goes up to as much as £40 per month. But every little bit helps and there are some ways to cut costs, even now.
Take the “downshift” challenge
This tip is the most obvious thing you can do and it's very effective. Swap your expensive branded goods for cheaper supermarket-own labels and, if you do it across your shopping, you could save around 30 per cent. If you think about it that's £30 if you tend to spend £100 a week on food and, over four weeks, that adds up to £120.
Always look down different aisles
Often you can find cheaper versions of the products you like in the world food or baby aisles of the shop. Research from MoneySavingExpert found cotton buds can sometimes be 20 per cent cheaper when picked up from the baby section. Similarly, some herbs and spices can be found for less than half the price in the world food section.
Use a basket instead of a trolley
If you're nipping in for something, get a basket instead of a trolley so you're not tempted to spend more. You won't be able to carry all those extras in your basket.
Don’t forget your loyalty card
Loyalty schemes are free to sign up for an give you all sorts of points, money back and discounts every time you shop. If you always shop at the same place, it's well worth it. Tesco lists cheaper prices for shoppers who are using their Clubcard at the check out.
Avoid spending in convenience stores
Avoid doing too much shopping at your local store. The smaller shops are more expensive than the bigger versions. Which? says shopping in smaller convenience stores could be costing you an extra £300 each year. And the consumer champion said households spend up to £10.20 more each week at a Sainsbury’s Local rather than at a big Sainsburys. Meanwhile, a basket of groceries from Tesco Express cost on average £279 more over 12 months.
Hunt out yellow stickers
Keep an eye out for those reduced yellow stickers. Items with yellow stickers on are going out of date and therefore the price is reduced. You could ask staff at your usual supermarket what time they start adding the yellow stickers and be there to pick up the bargains.
Don’t shop on an empty stomach
Shopping when you're hungry is a bad idea. You're much more likely to grab impulse things and spend more on what you fancy rather than sticking to your list when your tummy is rumbling. Also try to shop alone so other people can't influence what you get.


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A New York Times report has published a comprehensive profile of Apple chief Tim Cook. While the report talks about everything from his childhood memories to his work on human rights, it has also revealed some hitherto unknown details about the rumoured iWatch.
Firstly, the report says that the device (although there has been no confirmation from Apple that anything of the sort is in the pipeline) is expected to launch in the fourth quarter. This time frame was also predicted by KGI securities’ analyst Ming Chi Kuo.
The report also indicates that Cook is not as involved in the iWatch, unlike his predecessor Steve Jobs who was very hands on with all of Apple's new products.
“Lower-level employees praise Cook’s approachability and intellect. But some say he is less hands-on in developing products than his predecessor. Cook is less involved in the minutiae of product engineering for the watch, and has instead delegated those duties to members of his executive cabinet, including Mr. Ive, according to people involved in the project, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to press, ” according to the report.
Cook is said to focus on ’broader implications’ of the iWatch such as the features such as the heart rate monitor, how the data aggregation could help doctors and so on. This doesn’t mean he is any less involved with the devices. Going against the grain, we did see him launch the iPad mini after taking the realms of the company, which turned out to be the bestselling tablet.
Other reports on the iWatch, indicate that Cook is also looking for talent beyond the company to fine tune the product and has made multiple hires to this end.
Michael O’Reilly, former medical officer of the Masimo Corporation that makes health monitoring devices was hired - presumably in a bid to ramp up these services on the device. Paul Deneve, the former Yves Saint Laurent chief will also be working on special projects, reportedly in the medical and health sector.
Published Date: Jun 16, 2014 11:28 am | Updated Date: Jun 16, 2014 11:28 am


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KARACHI: Proctor and Gamble, one of the largest consumer goods companies in the world, claims that well over 22 million Pakistanis have benefited from its corporate social responsibility initiatives over the course of the two decades the firm has had a presence in Pakistan.
In an interview with The Express Tribune, Yassin Omer Al Attas, External Relations Director for Middle East & Pakistan at Procter & Gamble said the firm takes great pride in its engagement initiatives with the communities it has a presence in, pointing out that the firm donated close to $2 million towards the flood relief efforts last year.
Most of the programmes seem to be dedicated towards health and hygiene, with the Sehat-o-Safai programme – an initiative to teach personal hygiene to school children – having impacted 7.5 million schoolchildren, according to company officials.
Proctor and Gamble has also been involved in partnerships with several non-governmental organisations to build and finance schools in underprivileged parts of the country.
Yet P&G’s engagement seems to go beyond just its CSR initiatives and affects its business strategy as well. For instance, for the past six years, the company has been producing “Pur” – a water treatment chemical that renders most water potable – exclusively at its manufacturing facilities in Hub, Balochistan, from which it is exported around the world.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 17th, 2011.
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Veteran TV and advertising research executive Leslie Wood has been hired as the chief research officer of iSpot, the growing TV measurement company.
More recently Wood worked at Media Trust LLC and Leslie Wood Research.
Wood was noted for her work as chief data officer of NCSolutions (NCS) -- a firm owned by Nielsen -- where she developed new ways to use data for incremental measurement and targeting and had oversight for all NCS products.
At iSpot, Wood will drive the development of products, solutions and methodologies -- which iSpot and other industry executives say are essential, and of growing importance as legacy media measurement products are unable to address new digital and cross-platform media.
Wood will oversee data science at iSpot for TV and video-measurement products at iSpot.
Over 600 brands, including 40 of TV’s top 50 advertisers, are using iSpot products.
In February of this year, NBCUniversal made a bold move in giving "certification" to iSpot -- as well as VideoAmp -- as currencies for advanced audience guarantees.
A year earlier, NBCUniversal certified iSpot as the basis of traditional demographic audience guarantees at its annual “One” developers conference.


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Recalls & Warnings
ConsumerLab.com is keeping you informed with current product recalls and warnings.
Posted January 09, 2009
FDA Expands Warning to Consumers About Tainted Weight Loss Pills
On January 8, 2009, the U.S. FDA expanded its nationwide alert to consumers about tainted weight loss pills that contain undeclared, active pharmaceutical ingredients. On December 22, 2008, FDA warned consumers not to purchase or consume 28 different products marketed for weight loss. Since that time, FDA analysis has identified 41 more tainted weight loss products that may put consumers’ health at risk.


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As I'm sure many of you have noticed, Valentine's Day is just a week away, and it looks like T-Mobile will be celebrating the holiday in one of the only ways it knows how. According to our friends at TmoNews, T-Mobile is planning to hold a Valentine's Day sale on February 11th that'll see the carrier offering all of its 4G smartphones for free after mail-in rebate and two-year contract. The deal will reportedly be open to both new and existing customers and, unlike some of T-Mobile's past big sales, this one is said to include Classic and Value plans.
Want details? TmoNews explains that interested customers will pay for their phone in-store (two-year subsidy for Classic plans, down payment for Value plans) and then that amount will be reimbursed to the consumer in the form of a mail-in rebate. All 4G smartphones, as well as some tablets and mobile hotspots, will be included in the sale. However, some devices, like the Galaxy S II and Amaze 4G, will reportedly require a 5GB data plan.
So there you are, Magenta faithful. Obviously this sale and its details still have to be made official by the folks at T-Mobile, but as long as today's leaked information holds true, it may be worth your time to make a stop by your local neighborhood T-Mobile store on Saturday. The good news is that we may not have long to wait before the sale is announced, as TmoNews claims that it could be unveiled by T-Mobile as soon as this afternoon. We'll let you know when we hear more.
UPDATE: And just as soon as this post went up, T-Mobile has made the promotion officially official. This Saturday, T-Mobile will be celebrating Valentine's Day by offering all of its 4G smartphones and select tablets and mobile hotspots for free with a two-year contract and qualifying Classic or Unlimited Value plan.
As mentioned in the leak above, customers that opt for a Classic plan will pay the two-year subsidy for a device and then receive that amount back on a mail-in rebate card. For example, both the Samsung Galaxy S II and BlackBerry Bold 9900 will require customers to pay $249.99 in-store, and then those folks will receive a $250 mail-in rebate to bring the net cost down to $0. Value plan customers will make their down payment in store and then will also receive a mail-in rebate for that amount. As is normally the case, Value plan users will also be subject to monthly payments of varying amounts. Some EIP monthly payments examples include $20 for the Galaxy S II, $15 for the Lumia 710 and $5 for the Sonic 4G Mobile Hotspot.
T-Mobile also notes the data requirements in place for devices: 200MB for voice phones, 2GB for most smarpthones, 5GB for the Galaxy S II and Amaze 4G. You can find the full press release below for the full rundown from T-Mobile.
Cupid’s Arrow Hits Mark: T-Mobile Offers Free 4G Phones to Celebrate Valentine’s
For one day only, on Feb.11, all of T-Mobile’s 4G smartphones and select mobile broadband devices are free with the switch to a qualifying two-year plan
Bellevue, Wash. — Feb. 7, 2012
In the spirit of the season, T-Mobile USA, Inc. will show consumers lots of love with another jaw-dropping promotion for its “Valentine’s Day Sale.” For one day only, Saturday, Feb. 11, T-Mobile will give customers the chance to get their hands on the latest 4G smartphones and select tablets for free, making a perfect gift for loved ones or themselves. The promotion includes T-Mobile’s fastest 4G smartphones and select tablets running on America’s Largest 4G Network® such as the Samsung Galaxy S™ II1 and the T-Mobile® SpringBoard™ with Google™.
New and existing eligible customers can take advantage of this deal receiving their device for free after a mail-in rebate card when they sign up for a new two-year contract on any qualifying Classic Plan™2 or for a $0.00 down payment after mail-in rebate card when signing up on a qualifying Unlimited Value™3 plan.
“T-Mobile has a commitment to make the 4G experience affordable and accessible to everyone, so this sweet deal on smartphones and tablets is our Valentine’s gift to consumers,” said John Clelland, senior vice president of marketing, T-Mobile USA. “No matter where loved ones live, T-Mobile wants to bring them closer with unlimited talking, photo sharing, video chatting, texting, and more.”
A recent online Omnibus survey4 with Harris Interactive found that four-in-ten (44%) of first time smartphone buyers in 2012 say the cost of the data plan associated with the smartphone is the most influential reason they have not purchased a smartphone before. The value for customers extends beyond the “Valentine’s Day Sale” as T-Mobile offers the best rate plan pricing on America’s Largest 4G Network.
The “Valentine’s Day Sale” will be available on Feb.11 at participating T-Mobile retail stores nationwide and T-Mobile will support the promotion with a national television advertising campaign. For more information about T-Mobile’s “Valentine’s Day Sale” and details about qualifying plans, visit http://bit.ly/z36M9c.
1 Devices must be supported with the following data requirements: voice phones: 200 MB data; most smartphones: 2 GB data; 42 Mbps devices (Amaze and Galaxy S II): 5 GB data.
2Standard upgrade eligibility rules apply for existing Classic customers that stay on a Classic plan; standard migration fees will apply for existing Classic customers that switch to a Value plan and have less than 18 months contract tenure.
3 $0 down payment offer not applicable in RI, CT, or Miami-Dade County, FL; customers in these regions will be eligible for a different offer. Equipment installment plans: On approved credit and 0 percent APR. Down payment and unfinanced portion required at purchase. Remaining balance paid in 20 monthly installments. Total post-rebate price of each device equals down payment amount plus monthly payment amount times 20.
4This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of T-Mobile USA from December 20-22, 2011 among 2,573 adults ages 18 and older, among whom 235 will be first time smartphone buyers in 2012, and 988 are current smartphone users who will remain smartphone users in 2012. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact firstname.lastname@example.org.
5Mail-in rebate not applicable in RI, CT, or Miami-Dade County, FL.


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Even when the economy is uncertain, Daimler AG CEO Dieter Zetsche continues to be optimistic that the automaker is prepared for the future, specifically since it launched a new plan that extends until 2020. Zetsche sent employees a letter that states that the company is ready to adapt to the anticipated changes in the industry.
He also said, “We look forward to working with you to make the next decade a 'Mercedes decade'." This letter also had the signatures of the other members of the Mercedes Benz Cars management board.
Included in Mercedes-Benz Cars are the brands: Mercedes, Smart and Maybach. In this letter, Zetsche said that the automaker is ready for “short- to mid-term market weakness", according to Autonews. He said that the company is pursuing a long-term plan with its new strategy that covers until the next decade.
Experts say that by 2020, the demand for cars will rise at a quicker rate than the overall global economy. He added that in the next four years, Daimler will expand its lineup with 10 new models.
Five new models will be added to the compact segment. Most of these are targeted at the younger generation. Daimler will also release additional variants of the next S class, one more appealing SUV, and other models like the CLS Shooting Brake.


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DJI has released Osmo Pocket, its latest handheld camera. With integrated 3-axis gimbal stabilizer, the camera is able to capture shake-free videos. Need more features? Let’s keep checking.
Category: Digital Camera
Polaroid unveiled Mint several months ago. Now the 2-in-1 digital instant camera has been available. Want to learn more about the digital camera with photo printer? Let’s keep checking.
Sony’s latest high zoom camera, Cyber-Shot DSC-HX99 has been available for preorder. Using a Zeiss 24-720mm zoom lens, the compact digital camera is able to deal with more subjects.
Fujifilm’s latest GFX 50R medium format mirrorless camera has been available for preorder. Want to learn more about the digital camera? Let’s continue checking.
Insta360 has unveiled ONE X, its latest 360 action camera. Using its gimbal-like FlowState Stabilization, the action camera delivers smoother video. Need more features? Let’s keep checking.
Fujifilm has released Instax Square SQ20, its latest instant camera supporting video recording. Need more features? Let’s keep checking.
GoPro has released HERO7, its latest waterproof 4K action camera series that contains three models: black, silver and white. Of course, the HEEO7 Black should be an ideal option …
Fujifilm has released X-T3, its latest mirrorless camera. With new sensor and image processor, the digital camera delivers 4K/60p video recording. Need more features? Let’s continue checking.


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Android users will be able to unlock their smartphone by saying 'OK Google'.
Google has started rolling out the 'Trusted Voice' smart lock feature that allows users to unlock devices with their voice to Android 5.0 Lollipop users. The feature will be rolled out to users over the next few weeks.
Google had launched the trusted voice feature with Google Play Services 7.0 last month and now multiple users have confirmed that the feature is visible. The "Trusted Voice" smart lock bypassing the lock screen based on how users say "OK Google." Users can enable the Trusted Voice feature in the settings menu, tap on security and then Smart lock which will take users to Google app settings.
When you enable the feature, a pop-up warns that the "Trusted Voice" feature is not as secure as a traditional lock screen with a pin, password or pattern and that "Someone with a similar voice or a recording of your voice could unlock your device."
Google has been pushing voice commands as a core part of Android and has launched its latest Nexus 6 with always-on voice recognition. The internet giant has been rolling out new smart locks with the Android Lollipop update. Apart from Trusted Face and Trusted devices, it has launched Trusted Places, which bypasses the lock screen when the user is at designated places like home or work, and more recently, the Google introduced the "On-body detection," feature which uses your smartphones accelerometer to unlock the screen when its in the users pocket or hand but locks it automatically they place it on a table.
Source: Android Police


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Baltimore Gas & Electric (BGE), one of the largest providers of electricity in the state of Maryland, begins a 3-year project this month to install smart meters in customers’ homes.
Beginning in Anne Arundel County, BGE will begin to slowly replace 1.3 analog electric meters with digital meters capable of sending detailed energy usage information via a secure network between a customer’s home and the utility. The phased project will continue in Baltimore and Howard Counties in the fall, then move to the Harford and Carroll County service area next year. BGE plans to complete the smart meter installations by 2014.
Another local utility, Pepco, has already begun smart meter installations in the Washington, DC area.
In a statement to The Baltimore Sun, BGE vice president of strategy and regulatory affairs Mark D. Case said that the company believes this is “the most transformational change in the electricity grid in the last 100 years.”
The utility is required by state energy regulators to bare the cost of the smart meter updates; BGE is forbidden to use rate hikes to cover the project until at least 2015 when a rate increase–spread over a 10-year period–would have to be reviewed and approved. BGE estimates that if that rate increase is approved at that time, consumers would see an additional $1.10 added to their monthly electric or gas bill.
BGE is spending nearly $500 million on the smart meter upgrades, and another $66 million educating the public on what exactly the smart meters will–and will not–do. The utility is quick to point out that a “new or upgraded meter will not immediately provide benefit upon installation.” Rather, once more smart meters in the state come online over the next several months, customers will be able to utilize energy budgeting and tracking online among other features by the end of the year.
The company adds that even more benefits will come about in 2013, including special “smart energy pricing programs” and peak event reporting and online notifications, presumably to encourage energy conservation during peak demand hours when the burden on the grid is the greatest.
The smart meter installation project is not without controversy, however: consumers complain that there is no option to not participate in the upgrade. Some consumers are particularly concerned about loss of privacy as private information about energy usage is transmitted to and from the utility. And in some cases, consumers are concerned that the meters, which transmit data via radio waves, are a potential health risk.
In order to consider the need for an opt-out provision, the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) will have a hearing on May 22nd about whether or not consumers are entitled to choose not to participate in the smart meter upgrade.


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From Computerworld ChromeOS Explosion – Dec2020
A subtle-seeming Google purchase paves the way for a dramatic expansion of Chrome OS’s reach — and a dramatic reimagining of what a Chromebook even is.
Neverware and the Chrome OS connection
I first wrote about Neverware nearly five years ago, but the company’s actually been around even longer than that. Its primary purpose is creating a piece of software called CloudReady, which is basically a version of Chrome OS without all the Google-specific elements baked in.
CloudReady + Google = ?
The most important takeaway of Google’s Neverware purchase comes from a recently published FAQ on the purchase — with the emphasis being mine:
“Over the long term, CloudReady will become an official Chrome OS offering.”
An official Chrome OS offering!
And that means people — and perhaps most critically, companies — could take an abandoned old Windows or Mac computer out of storage and turn it into a fully functional, official-update-receiving Chromebook, with minimal cost, ample advantages, and few to no asterisks attached.
From a business perspective, that should be a massive opportunity to bring existing hardware back to life and cut down on the need for new purchases. (Remember, too, that Google just unveiled a new system for enterprises to run Windows apps on Chrome OS — a suddenly very relevant-seeming twist.) Neverware says such systems will eventually be managed via the standard Google Admin console. And support for them will be provided directly by Google, just as it would with any traditional enterprise-managed Chrome OS devices.
We recommend reading the full article From Computerworld ChromeOS Explosion


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Fortnite in decline? Is This News is True?
FORTNITE fans are currently enjoying a new season of Battle Pass content on PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, iOS and Android. But is it as popular as it used to be?
Fortnite developer Epic Games has denied reports of a decline in the Battle Royale game.
SuperData, a market research firm recently claimed that Fortnite earnings have been at their lowest point since 2017.
Battle Royale games, the company said, encountered mixed fortunes in January, choosing Fortnite and Apex Legends as two titles that made less money than before.
But the arguments seem unimpressed to Epic, claiming that the results of SuperData are wildly inaccurate and do not reflect reality.
Indeed SuperData’s methods are highly questionable, according to Epic Games.
“SuperData does not and has never had access to Epic’s Fortnite sales data, and the reports from SuperData do not accurately reflect the success of Fortnite,” a representative from Epic told GamesIndustry.biz “We are disappointed that SuperData has repeatedly published wildly inaccurate reports on Fortnite based on what we believe to be questionable methodology.


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The Audi A6 will be renamed A7 as combustion Audis gain odd numbers; E-tron branding will fade
Audi is expanding its range of electric cars and has implemented a new naming system to distinguish them from their combustion engine counterparts.
The new naming convention assigns even numbers to electric vehicles, while odd numbers will be used for traditional cars. The upcoming A6 E-tron, slated for release in 2024, will be sold alongside an updated A6, which will be renamed the A7. Additionally, the Q6 E-tron will be an electric alternative to the popular Q5, which will receive an updated combustion engine in 2024.
According to Audi’s technical boss Oliver Hoffmann, the new strategy will differentiate between the two powertrain types automatically and obviously.
According to Hoffmann, having a clear structure for customers is important. Currently, the Q5 is the model in the B-segment. While there may be room for another model, such as the Q5 E-tron, they have decided to focus on maintaining a clear strategy for their model line-up.
An example of one of our core vehicles is the A6. We are proud to announce the upcoming release of the A6 E-tron, which will further establish this model as our main offering in the C-segment. As we move towards a fully electric future, we have decided to designate our BEV cars in even numbers.
When asked about Audi’s decision to use the E-tron suffix for their electrified cars since 2009, Hoffmann clarified that the A6 will now serve as a clear indicator of their battery-electric vehicles. The A6 E-tron will be similar to the Q6 E-tron, but will not require the use of the E-tron or ICE badge. Simply referring to it as the A6 or Q6 will imply that it is a battery-electric vehicle.
Autocar reports that Audi will continue to use the E-tron badge, but in a more subtle way similar to how they use the TDI and TFSI badges to distinguish between diesel and petrol models.
“There are various badges on the market that signify whether a car is electric or a PHEV. From our perspective, this is a clear naming structure,” said Hoffmann.
For the latest electric vehicles news,
follow electricvehicles.in on
and our YouTube Channels


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As the holiday season approaches, the National Foundation for Credit Counseling is arming consumers with some shopping tips so that they can take advantage of all the discounts offered by retailers.
For instance, before heading to stores, NFCC advises consumers to shop online first. This will help consumers find the best discounts quickly, enabling them to avoid wasting time hunting for the best deals.
While shopping, NFCC says consumers should have a plan that details what they plan on buying and how much they intend to spend. Sticking to this plan will help prevent consumers from paying more than they should and going into debt.
Spending a little extra may be tempting for consumers, however, as many credit card companies offer incentives — such as no interest balance transfers — by meeting certain spending levels. NFCC cautions consumers to be careful of these offers, as they may not be able to pay off the debt when the bill is due.
Consumers should also review their financial histories during the holiday season. Inaccurate or unfair credit reporting marks may be negatively affecting their credit reports.


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The government’s target for the CPI measure of inflation is 2%.
The Centre for Economics and Business Research notes that the annual rate of inflation is at its highest for 17 months, and was above expectations of a rise to 3.5%.
Mervyn King, governor of the Bank of England, will now have to write to the new chancellor George Osborne to explain why inflation is above target.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that annual inflation was driven by higher prices for clothing and footwear where prices rose by 2.2% between March and April but rose only 0.2% a year ago.
Meanwhile the Retail Prices Index measure of annual inflation, including mortgage payments, has risen to its highest level since July 1991.
For the year to April the RPI was 5.3%, up from 4.4% in March.
The ONS says that as well as higher clothing and footwear prices, the RPI was pushed upward by increased housing costs.
Mortgage interest payments rose by 0.6% this year but fell by 7.7% a year ago following the cut to Bank of England base rate from 1% to 0.5%.
RPIX inflation, which measures the same items as the RPI but without mortgage interest payments, was 5.4% in April up from 4.8% in March.
The CPI shows that the UK inflation rate in March at 3.4% was above the provisional figure for the European Union at 1.9%.
Darren Cook, spokesman for Moneyfacts.co.uk, says: “Rises in the rate of inflation continue to antagonise savers who are already struggling to achieve a competitive rate of return on their money.
“Basic rate tax payers need to earn 4.63% just to break even, while higher rate tax payers need to earn 6.17% – a level that is only available on a handful of products.”
He adds: “A spiralling inflation rate, which could be aggravated by the predicted rise in VAT can only point towards a Bank base rate increase sooner rather than later.”


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WINTER PARK, Colo. — It’s been slow around Winter Park since the resort closed in March to slow the spread of COVID-19, but that’s about to change.
The resort will open summer operations on June 27, according to spokesperson Jen Miller.
“We will have the gondola open for scenic gondola rides to the top of the mountain,” she said.
While visitors will be able to take scenic gondola rides, the gondola will run at 50% capacity, with only five people at a time being allowed in each gondola cabin.
In addition to the scenic rides, there will be some activities at the base of the mountain, such as miniature golf. Some retail stores will also be open, along with takeout food orders at restaurants.
Guests are being asked to wear masks and keep six feet apart.
That type of social distancing likely won’t be hard for those who decide to get up on the hill for some mountain biking, with more than 40 miles of trails available to riders.
“We have a variety of trails, natural trails [and] freeride trails, which include jumps and features like [an] 800-foot bridge,” said Bob Holme, director of mountain operations. “We have technical trails. We have beginner trails. There’s something for everyone.”
Lift tickets, mountain bike lessons and rentals all need to be purchased online 48 hours before a visit. That allows the resort to manage the number of visitors. They said it will be a good trial run to see how ski area operations might run later in the fall.
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Local stories from 9NEWS


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Latest Vapur Inc. Stories
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., July 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- VapurÂ® Inc., makers of the foldable, flexible, reusable and eco-responsible "Anti-Bottle," has filed a lawsuit against Reshine Promotions alleging that Reshine has promoted and sold counterfeit Anti-Bottles.
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., Sept. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Vapur Inc., makers of the VAPURÂ® Anti-Bottle (TM), a foldable, flexible, reusable eco-friendly water bottle, is pleased to announce the winners of its "Thirst for Design" competition.
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., July 13 /PRNewswire/ -- VAPURÂ®, a foldable, flexible, reusable eco-friendly water bottle -- known as the "Anti-Bottle" -- is teaming up with Dwell magazine and Opportunity Green to sponsor the Vapur "Thirst For Design" Competition.
- Growing in low tufty patches.


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just the Round-Up - The week in drinks
The week in drinks
The top ten stories published on just-drinks this week:
SABMiller is to merge its South Africa and Africa units with the head of the latter to lead the enlarged region.
Brooklyn Brewery and Carlsberg have lifted the curtain on a new joint brewery in Sweden.
Diageo plans to release a single grain Scotch whisky in partnership with David Beckham and British media mogul Simon Fuller.
Bacardi has announced that its president & CEO, Ed Shirley, has left the company after two years in the role.
The new head of Treasury Wine Estates (TWE) has admitted the company has too many brands, while making clear he can be “cold” when it comes to discarding assets.
Stock Spirits' largest shareholder, Oaktree Capital Management, has sold its entire 36.8% stake in the group.
Constellation Brands has reported a big jump in full-year profits and sales after its newly-acquired beer business drove growth.
PepsiCo is to roll out three Pepsi extensions in the US sweetened with “real” sugar.
Export volumes of Champagne to its biggest market, the UK, fell last year, but Belgium, Australia and Sweden saw healthy rises.
Export sales of Scotch whisky by value were flat last year as sales to China fell sharply, but demand in the US and India hit a record high.
- How to turn a domestic spirit into a global brand
- Mahou San Miguel - just the Facts
- Whatever happened to binge Britain? - comment
- Britvic's FY Performance by Region - Focus
- A game of two halves for Remy Cointreau - Analysis
- Captain Morgan distillation trial queried by USVI
- Sazerac sues Brown-Forman over Tennessee Fire
- Craft, imports near 50% share in US on-trade
- This week in spirits & wine
- Beam Suntory's Laphroaig Brodir - NPD
- Global Beer Trends 2015 : Global Beer Trends and Long-term Forecasts
- Global sparkling wine insights - market forecasts, product innovation and consumer trends research
- Future growth opportunities for global spirits
- Global Wine Market to 2019 - Market Size, Development, and Forecasts
- Global Beer Market 2015-2019


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Twitter is intent on expanding its profile in Korea, focusing on launching localised features and building partnerships with brands and celebrities in the country, the company announced in a press conference today.
According to Yonhap News, Twitter has earmarked Korea as one of its most important markets, thanks to its ever-expanding number of Internet users (via both broadband and mobile networks) and its quality of service in the country.
Speaking at the press event, James Kondo, vice president of Marketing Development for the Asia-Pacific region. laid out the areas that Twitter would focus on when it came to furthering its business; partnerships with handset manufacturers (of which Samsung and LG are the largest), mobile operators, media companies, celebrities and even talent agencies (giving a nod to the expansion of K-pop to the West).
According to Othman Laraki, Twitter’s VP of Growth, International and Revenue, the company is already working with Daum (Korea’s second most popular web portal) and LG Uplus (the country’s third largest mobile operator).
“[Korea is] a country where we’ve seen a lot of early adopters that have taken to Twitter in a very energetic way and we don’t necessarily see that in all countries,” Laraki added.
In order to put its Korean plans into operation, Twitter has opened a local office and is already looking to hire talent.
Image Credit: AFP/Getty


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Government-linked Chinese companies reportedly sent around 1,000 assault rifles and other equipment to Russian entities that could be used for military purposes.
What Happened: Chinese companies — including one connected to Beijing — sent drone parts and body armor to Russia, according to trade and customs data obtained by Politico.
The report added that, according to the data provided by the customs data aggregator, Import Genius, shipments took place between June and December last year.
It added that one of the country’s largest state-owned defense contractors China North Industries Group Corporation Limited sent the rifles in June last year to a Russian company that does business with the state and military.
See Also: Australia Urges Xi Jinping’s Minister Not To Arm Putin: ‘Do The Right Thing’
In the data, the CQ-A rifles, modeled off of the M16, were tagged as “civilian hunting rifles.” The M16 has been used by Chinese paramilitary police and by armed forces from the Philippines to South Sudan and Paraguay. The Moscow-based companies also received 12 shipments of drone parts and over 12 tons of Chinese body armor routed via Turkey.
Although it can’t explicitly be concluded by the customs data that Xi Jinping‘s country is aiding Vladimir Putin‘s war effort in Ukraine by selling a large number of weapons, it does reveal that China is supplying commercial items that could also be used on the battlefield.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz reiterated his warning and said it was vital that China not supply Russia with weapons. The German leader said he doesn’t expect the war in Ukraine to end soon.
Read Also: Putin Sees Sanctions Pressure Piling Up As US, Allies Request UAE To Stop ‘Re-Exports’ To Russia
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NEW YORK: AirAsia has brought on Zeno Group as its first U.S.-based PR AOR as it prepares for its entry into the stateside market this month.
Zeno will work with the AirAsia global PR and communications team to establish the brand as a leader in long-haul, budget aviation with the U.S. audience. AirAsia X, which is based in Malaysia and is a sister company of AirAsia, will begin flights between Malaysia and Honolulu through Osaka, Japan, on June 28.
Zeno will lead consumer and corporate communications, including earned media and influencer engagement, as well as raising visibility and awareness of AirAsia’s leadership team.
Zeno will target travel enthusiasts, including millennials who are looking to "dive deep into cultural experiences and invest their time and money into the destination and are therefore attracted to affordable air-travel options," said Thomas Bunn, MD of Zeno Group New York.
The agency has managed the launch announcement about AirAsia X's U.S. route and secured speaking and panel opportunities for AirAsia cofounder and CEO Tony Fernandes at the Milken Institute Global Conference 2017, which ran from April 30 to May 3. Zeno also introduced the brand to Los Angeles-based travel and lifestyle influencers at an editors’ event in May.
"AirAsia X hopes to raise awareness and consumer interest in its services by and between the U.S. and Southeast Asia," Audrey Progastama Petriny, AirAsia’s group head of communications, said via email. "The company is proud of its special blend of customer service, in-flight amenities, and value pricing and hopes to expose more travelers to the beauty of the ASEAN market."
The airline selected Zeno following an RFP process that began last August; three firms pitched. Zeno began working with AirAsia last month.
"We chose Zeno due to its ability to translate our objectives into creative ideas," Progastama Petriny said. "They had ideas we were excited about."
Cheryl Overton, Zeno’s EVP and head of consumer, is leading a team of seven staffers from its consumer, corporate, and media units on the account.
"[AirAsia] needed a creative partner to tell its story and build its brand in the U.S. market," said Bunn. "They are known as a really bold and creative marketer in Asia, so it is exciting to work with them."
AirAsia X serves 22 destinations across Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and the Middle East. The airline has carried more than 19 million customers since launching in 2007, according to a release.
This story was updated on June 8 with additional information and quotes from Bunn.


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Monster Mini Golf Teams Up with the Nanuet Chamber of Commerce to Host Halloween Parade
Monster Mini Golf on Route 304 in Nanuet has teamed up with the Greater Nanuet Chamber of Commerce to host a Halloween Parade on Sunday, October 27th at 2:00pm. The festivities will include candy and Halloween bag giveaways courtesy of the Nanuet Chamber of Commerce and Monster Mini Golf. There will also be prizes for the scariest and most creative homemade costumes. Families can arrive any time after noon and the parade will kick off at 2pm. There is no charge to participate in the parade.
Created by antoinettenjcal
33 Route 304
Nanuet, NY 10954


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A few hopeful Duke students are looking to revolutionize how people shop for clothes online.
In October 2022, then-sophomores Dhruv Bindra and Rayan Malik sat in a 100-person lecture hall as they watched several girls in front of them switch between multiple shopping websites during class — Zara, Aritzia, Princess Polly.
“What we didn't realize at that time is … we ended up chancing upon the solution to the biggest problem with fashion recommendations,” Bindra said.
Seeing their classmates struggle with a handful of different brands, Bindra and Malik envisioned the convenience of a fashion aggregator mobile app that mimics the Tinder interface, one that allows shoppers to swipe on clothing recommendations from multiple websites on a single platform and receive curated recommendations based on their choices.
Now over a year out from that lecture, Bindra and Malik’s fashion startup Styl — marketed as the “Tinder for Clothes” — has amassed over 500 active monthly users and over 1.5 million impressions on social media since its launch on July 12.
This problem the co-founders wanted to address was data scarcity. Since most fashion brands’ websites display multiple rows containing multiple items at once, when customers scroll past a row without clicking on any items, it’s impossible to determine whether the user didn’t like a particular item or just did not see it. As a result, the website cannot collect complex data about individual products.
The Tinder-like interface allows the app to know whether a customer likes the item with a right swipe or dislikes the item if they swipe left. The app can then build more sophisticated clothing recommendation systems with the collected data and effectively monetize window shopping. According to Bindra, this data is invaluable to clothing manufacturers and retailers.
Other entrepreneurs before Bindra and Malik have had similar ideas. Madison Semarjian, for instance, created the Mada app while she was a student at Boston College. Launched in 2020, Mada also allows users to swipe left or right on clothing items or accessories.
Bindra noted that, unlike Mada, Styl shows a single item at a time, allowing for stronger data collection to power the algorithms driving recommendations. Styl is focused on changing user behavior, something that Bindra said other similar apps like The Yes have been unable to do.
For Bindra, Styl is more than just a startup — it’s a fresh attempt at changing a process he has long despised as a kid. Growing up conscious of his body image, he hated going to parties due to the pressure to dress up.
“Every time I would try something on, I would just internalize how overweight I was,” Bindra said. “So I was never into fashion growing up, because I just hated the process of shopping.”
With the idea solidified, Bindra and Malik decided on the name “Styl” for their company, removing the “e” from their initial name “Style” for stylistic reasons. Not every step came as easily as creating the name, however.
“We were a couple of brown guys building [a] women's fashion startup; we didn't know what we were doing,” Bindra said.
The team’s first step was creating a focus group of 35 female students. The group met weekly at Duke’s dining hall to swipe on 100 pre-created clothing recommendations. After asking hundreds of questions about their fashion shopping habits, the team collected user insights to fix and build upon the app interface. They also recruited sophomore Rahul Bhandari as chief technology officer to help develop the app.
Users like sophomore Rachel Kim found the app especially helpful for finding outfits for her weekly, theme-varying sorority events. According to Kim, there are few malls in Durham and online shopping can be unexciting.
A feature of the app that Kim found particularly useful was the curated “wish lists” for upcoming events, from which users can browse pre-selected lists of clothes that fit the themes of upcoming fraternity parties and other events.
“[Styl] spares me so much stress because I can get outfit ideas for specific events I’ll be attending,” Kim said. “I do wish the app offered a greater variety of brands and smaller boutiques, though.”
The team is spearheading user growth with an emphasis on marketing, after hiring sophomore Maya Teixeira as chief marketing officer and sophomore Nina Venter as chief strategy officer.
One of their strategies has been posting flyers around parts of campus. Near Edens Quad, a part of campus notorious for its distance from the rest of campus, flyers read “Walking to Edens is painful enough. Make it fly by! Start swiping on the 'Tinder for Clothes.'” On the walls of Bostock Library, the flyer playfully asks that the students “Bo-stock up on clothes.” Under the slogans is a QR code that directs students to the app.
The fashion startup is looking to expand to neighboring colleges, such as the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University, although it is still cautious about its expansion.
“We want to grow longitudinally before horizontally,” Bindra said. “So we're really focused on keeping our user base as small as it needs to be. We're happy to grow, but not at the expense of distracting ourselves away from time that is best spent talking to users and building out new features.”
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By Courtney Trenwith
The world’s largest software company’s comeback under CEO Satya Nadella has turned heads in the industry, as Microsoft changes the rules with its cross-platform systems, cloud computing dominance and the surprise release of its first ever laptop. The Indian-American executive reveals his strategy and what he has learnt from more than 20 years working with Bill Gates
Rarely would you find the CEO of one of the world’s largest global firms in a classroom, let alone in a small school in Sharjah, one of the UAE’s lesser known emirates.
But this is where we meet the head of Microsoft, Satya Nadella, the most powerful Indian-born tech executive in the world. A tall yet placid man, he attentively watches a handful of deaf students tell him not only how his products are enhancing their learning, but also – unabashedly - how they could be improved.
As Nadella watches from the back of the classroom, a teacher demonstrates how a white board has been transformed into an enormous touchscreen that allows her to conduct an engaging lesson with a few swipes, while the students can participate in practical examples using educational games. She tells him how she also records classes using Microsoft technology for occasions when she is unable to teach or students need to follow up at home. It is all a far cry from the days of chalk and text books that filled schools only a decade ago.
And this is why Nadella is here. Appointed as only the third CEO of the tech giant less than two years ago, he is adamant that his company’s products will change the world by empowering individuals and companies to achieve more.
“It’s not about technology for technology’s sake, it’s really about the human ingenuity and how technology has been used. Even in this school, when you see students using technology to not only learn but to create, that’s what our real focus is,” Nadella tells Arabian Business during an interview in the principal’s office at Al Amal School for Deaf Students in Sharjah Humanitarian City.
“It’s not just about producing technology that drives consumption, but producing technology that drives productivity creation and achievement. That’s what makes us unique.”
This drive has been in higher gear since Nadella came to the forefront of Microsoft in February 2014. The unparalleled leader of technology software during the 1980s and 1990s, Microsoft’s influence and fortunes had rolled downhill during the first decade of the century, under former CEO Steve Ballmer. Microsoft’s shares had plummeted to just $15, barely one quarter of the value under Gates, albeit in March 2009, during the economic crisis.
Since taking over, Nadella has undeniably put the company back on a steady footing. Its share price is up 25 percent since January 30, 2015, while competitors IBM and Oracle have plummeted, and is in its healthiest position since its peak in December 1999, weeks before its founder Bill Gates stepped down as CEO.
The company’s value has returned to about $400bn, although still below the $620bn record it set in 1999.
While revenues ($20.4bn) were down during the most recent reporting quarter (Q3 2015), they were above analysts’ expectations and included a deliberate halving of phone revenue as the company diverts its attention from one of the least viable areas of its business.
Multiple individual businesses have soared: Office 365 revenue was up almost 70 percent during the third quarter of 2015, with 3 million new subscribers; revenue from search engine Bing was up 29 percent; and the prized cloud division grew 8 percent.
However, the improved position has come at a cost – to jobs. More than 18,000 employees were cut almost immediately after Nadella took over, as part of a rescue plan for the $7.3bn mess caused by the acquisition of loss-making Nokia in September 2013. Another nearly 9,000 have been announced since.
Nevertheless, Nadella’s rise to the top has represented a critical juncture in the company’s history, although he insists the strategy has always existed in its philosophy; he has only served to reinvigorate it.
“The change in strategy is more about rediscovering that soul of the company and emphasising it,” the 48-year-old says. “[It’s about] going back to the very question of ‘why do you exist?’ And reinforcing the core of what made us successful in the first place. In today’s world, where technology is much more pervasive, I think the need is to really emphasise creation - learning versus just consumption - because I think the world is better served when people all over the world are not just consuming technology but are using technology to create.
“And so from that perspective I think we’ve made a huge difference. If you look at what we’re doing with our cloud and the success we are having as a business, or if you look at our devices and how they’ve been used not just to consume but to create, that’s where I think we’ve … moved the needle in a pretty significant way in terms of driving success.”
The last year was one of the company’s most defining on record. Not least because it launched its very first laptop, surprising much of the industry. While for decades Microsoft had relied on partners such as HP, Dell and Toshiba to produce devices compatible with its software, the new Surface Book allows it to directly compete against the likes of Apple. And industry critics have been positive, praising the new machine’s detachable touchscreen, which can serve as a tablet, and its computing power.
Microsoft also changed the game with its new universal app platform that allows developers to build apps that work across phones, tablets and computers for the first time. It is the company’s ploy to attract more apps to its platforms and plug what is currently one of its greatest weaknesses. It also worked to strengthen in this field with the acquisitions of several companies behind booming apps such as Wunderlist and Sunrise Calendar.
The launch of Windows 10, made available to retailers on July 31, marked the first new operating system in almost three years and has helped to reduce the double-digit decline in the sales of Windows packages to computer makers.
The adaptability of Microsoft software for any device running on any operating platform is another feature strategy under Nadella; it means giants such as Apple and Google are no longer rivals. Microsoft’s new virtual assistant Cortana also moved to challenge Apple’s Siri by being available on the desktop – as well as Apple devices – and having the ability to remember a user’s preferences over time.
But central to Nadella’s strategy is the cloud computing platform Azure. As the former leader of Microsoft’s cloud infrastructure, it is close to his professional heart, and Nadella says cloud and productivity services are driving the company’s resurgence.
Revenue from Microsoft’s cloud business rose 8 percent to $5.9bn during the third quarter of 2015 (the first quarter of the company’s 2015-16 financial reporting year) and was forecast to reach $6.2-$6.3bn in the last quarter. It now accounts for more than 25 percent of overall revenue.
“If you look at where our growth is coming from, it is coming from our strategy that is very focused on our cloud and the transformation. It’s not just cloud technology but it’s also the ability to convert data into intelligence. That differentiates our cloud; that’s what’s driving the tremendous growth worldwide, and it’s even seen in this region,” Nadella says.
“And then the second area [of focus] for us is our productivity services, which [includes] Office 365 and its fundamental contribution to how people can use the most scarce resource, which is time. Because if you think about it, amongst all the abundance of technology, what is scarce is human attention and time. And we now have a service that helps people organise themselves - use that time, both as individuals and as large organisations, more wisely. And so, to me that’s another place where we’re very differentiated.”
The electrical engineering graduate says Microsoft’s technology is playing a vital role in supporting entrepreneurs and job creation, key issues in the Middle East where several million new jobs are needed annually just to accommodate the rising Arab youth population.
This ambitious need is not lost on Nadella.
“[For] any economy … the heart and soul of it really is small and medium sized businesses and their productivity. If you can equip them with digital technologies, they become more productive, they become more competitive. So that’s another aspect that we are very, very focused on,” he says.
“Especially having grown up in an emerging market, one of the things I’m very, very sensitive to is, how does a multinational company truly contribute to a local economy? The first thing I think of whenever I visit a country … is, what is the local ecosystem? [In the UAE], we have over 800 partners, employing thousands of people, who are doing business around Microsoft. To me, growing that in some sense is the biggest existential priority.”
About 300,000 people in the UAE have been trained in Microsoft technologies, while 600,000 have signed up to the Microsoft Virtual Academy training course, Nadella says. Several GCC-based start-ups are also participating in Microsoft’s BizSpark programme, which gives young businesses free cloud services in a bid to encourage them to stick to the service after the three-year initiation.
It is not only at the small end that Microsoft is pushing its innovations; Nadella says it is boosting the competitiveness of some of the region’s largest firms, such as Emirates Airline or “any of the other larger businesses out of here”.
“That’s another aspect of how we contribute,” he says.
But it is not all about helping to increase profits; Nadella is personally keen to see Microsoft influence education, health and government services.
“How can our technology help educational institutions like this one really do what they do in ways that are more empowering?” he says at the Sharjah school. “The same thing with health, and even for the government’s own functioning, how can something like cloud fundamentally transform how the taxpayer dollar is being used more productively? So those are the three aspects I look at.”
During his visit to the UAE earlier this month, Nadella also signed a deal with the Dubai government to create an electronic font named after the emirate. He says the UAE epitomises what Microsoft is aiming to achieve.
“I feel very, very enthused by what’s happening in UAE. In fact, it’s a beacon of what can happen in this region,” Nadella says. “I think that there is more emphasis on creating a knowledge economy, which is more diverse.
“Take what we just saw with the educational focus around inclusiveness, that’s a pretty enlightened approach to talk about inclusive learning for people even with impairment, to the other extreme, which is how can we really make sure that the entrepreneurial class of this region is using technology to create new businesses. So we’re seeing that spectrum of usage of technology, because I’m a strong believer - and this speaks to Microsoft’s identity - in [asking the question], what are people doing with technology?
“If I just see people consuming technology, that’s probably a good first stage. But the true flourishing of a society or an economy happens when they can not only use technology but they’re using technology to do bigger and greater things. And that’s what I’m seeing [in the UAE].”
Microsoft is also planning greater things for 2016 and beyond, including more devices.
“We’re in the business of inventing new computers - everything from the holographic computer to Surface - which allows you to not only have a tablet but a tablet that can replace a laptop, to some things like Surface Hub, which is a new type of a conference room computer,” Nadella says. “So we think more personal computing is going to be pervasive, but that requires invention of new computers, and we’re absolutely doing that.”
Personal computing will be one of three key elements in which Microsoft competes against other technology firms, including Apple and Google.
“We think of three battlegrounds where we have very differentiated offers. One is the invention of new more personal computing; that is everything from our augmented reality, virtual reality, to tablets that can replace your laptops,” Nadella says. “There is the productivity services that are core to any knowledge economy, and then the cloud, which is not just another cloud infrastructure but really has the ability to make every application intelligent.”
It was Nadella’s vision of how technology will be used in the future that earned him to the top job at Microsoft, according to a statement issued by Gates at the time.
Nadella, who has been with Microsoft for 23 years – more than half of both his and the company’s lives – has a strong technical background, just what was needed as the firm strengthened its focus on product innovation. But he is equally revered for his personable character and ability to inspire staff to work together.
From his own perspective, Nadella says he learnt integrity from Gates, who was succeeded as chairman by John Thompson at the same time Nadella moved to CEO. Gates remains on the board of the company he founded while in college and now acts as a technology advisor.
“What I have most admired and what I’ve most learned from Bill is his intellectual honesty,” Nadella says. “He’s someone who is curious all the time, learning all the time.
“But more than all of that, he’s intellectually honest about assessing both where we are and what is the potential. And that’s just an amazing quality for someone who’s had that kind of success.”
As Nadella patiently absorbs deaf students’ explanations of how they would improve his products, he seems to have learnt well from his mentor. Coupled with his early success, Nadella appears capable of returning Microsoft to its former Gates glory.


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It’s been an incredibly volatile week for the top free apps list on iOS. On Monday, we reported that the big pay-per-install networks like Flurry were picking up what appeared to be a ranking algorithm change. Pay-per-install networks help developers break into the Top 25 by securing them enough downloads to ensure visibility, so these companies are keenly aware of how many downloads it takes to achieve a certain ranking on the charts.
Flurry suspected that Apple was starting to include more than the raw download rate in the ranking algorithm as older apps with presumably high daily active usage like Facebook, Pandora and Skype inexplicably rose over the weekend. But then new apps started to reappear at the top of the charts yesterday. Now, almost the entire top 5 for the iPhone and most of the top 5 for iPad have changed. While not all are new applications, most are still fairly young and never before seen — at least not this high — on the top free iOS apps lists.
New Titles Within Top iPhone Free Apps List
Stylish Sprint — There is a new top free app this week from Playus Soft. The title is Stylish Sprint, but don’t expect it to stay long. The app is only free for a limited time. That said, since the app also monetizes through in-app purchases, this special is certainly a prudent move. In the game (updated April 18th), players control the popular web culture character of “stickman” as they move through a stylish, randomly-generated, action-platforming world. As for Playus Soft, there is little information on this Korean developer. However, they do host one other title, Creatures – The First Blood on iPhone.
Stupidness 2 — Moving right along, a company by the name of Orangenose Studios hosts a title new to the list: Stupidness 2. Not completely new, this title was updated April 14th with some bug fixes. It might not seem like much, but evidently that was enough as this quiz and quasi-IQ test application is now #2 on the top free iPhone apps list. Regarding Orangenose Studios, this is yet another enigmatic developer, whose only other iOS title is a paid, “PRO,” version of Stupidness 2.
Crackle — The #3 app on the list this week is a new app (released April 18th) by the name of Crackle. It’s a television app allows users to view full movie and television episodes directly from their iPhone. Its developer is Crackle Inc., a multi-platform video entertainment network and studio based out of Los Angeles.
One Single Life — In at #4 is another young game called One Single Life. It was monetized previously through in-app purchases, but a recent update on April 12th has removed them, which likely contributes to its rise. A platforming game, players attempt to progress through the various challenges with the risk of not being able to play anymore should they die (hence the title). Absurdity aside, the app is developed by FreshTone Games, a small Austrialian developer with only one other title, iProton, under its belt.
Photosynth — Last on the iPhone list this week is Microsoft’s new title — released April 18th — Photosynth. In at #5, the application allows users to take panoramic photographs by basically sticking together multiple photos. Moreover, the panoramic images can then be shared via Facebook.
New Titles Within Top iPad Free Apps List
Crackle — Video entertainment network, Crackle Inc., is making itself known on iPad as well. It’s new title, Crackle, is also #1 on the top free iPad apps list. Allowing users to view television and movies on their iDevice, it is essentially mobile television; commercials and everything.
Beyond Ynth HD — Beyond Ynth HD is an older game, having been last updated back in January. However, developer FDG Entertainment has made this puzzle game free for Easter, and thus the title has shot up the iPad charts to #2. Players control Kribl, a little bug that must bring light back to their kingdom by finding the light-giving “Dazzly Diamonds,” which were stolen. FDG Entertainment is a veteran iOS developer and publisher, having been around since 2001, based out of Munich.
MyPad 2 — MyPad is a third-party Facebook app for iPad that has been around for some time. However, as of April 19th, MyPad 2 has been released. Though the app still hosts all the Facebook integrations users have come to know, the new version has been completely overhauled and includes new features such as portraits, event calendars, and supports multiple users. It is developed by Loytr, a very small developer out of San Francisco
Men vs Machines — A futuristic top down shooter from Glu Mobile holds the #13 spot as players must battle against the robot armies of G.E.A.R. in Men vs Machines. A publicly traded, San Francisco-based mobile developer, Glu has been in business for the about a decade and holds offices within the United States, Brazil, China, Russia, and the UK. As with other recent titles, this April 14th-released app monetizes itself through the in-app purchases of virtual currency.
Bug Village — At #15 is yet another new Glu title (released April 14th as well), Bug Village. A virtual space game reminiscent of titles such as Smurfs’ Village, the game also monetizes itself through the in-app purchasing of virtual currency. The only difference between this title and its predecessors, is now players are making a home for ants and bees.


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Robert Dyas extends payment options
Household hardware retailer Robert Dyas has extended its range of payment options to increase flexibility for customers
They can split their purchase with one third being paid upfront, and then seamless, automatic re-payments made over the next two months.
The maximum order spend is capped at £2,000, ideal for those larger ticket, considered items, such as furniture or consumer electronics and TVs - which may not be affordable in a single month’s salary. The instalment payment plan is interest-free.
Pay in 3 will support Robert Dyas’s growth strategy to increase its checkout conversion, revenue, and customer loyalty. This buy now, pay later loan is included in PayPal’s existing business offering and PayPal will pay the retailer upfront for the cost of the purchase.
Simon Spencelayh, ecommerce director at Robert Dyas, said: “At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of customers shopping with us online grew significantly. Customer feedback also showed that more people were looking to spread the cost of their purchases. We introduced PayPal Pay in 3 to meet that demand, as a responsible way for our customers to spread the cost of the products they need.”


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Dell Buyout: $24Bn-Deal in Sight
NEW YORK: Dell moved closer to a nearly $24 billion buyout deal, with price negotiations narrowing to $13.50 to $13.75 a share in what would be the biggest leveraged buyout since the financial crisis.
Talks between Dell, the world's No. 3 computer maker, and a consortium led by its founder and chief executive, Michael Dell, to take the company private were in the final stages, a person familiar with the matter said.
An outcome is expected soon, the person said, cautioning that no final agreement had been reached and negotiations could still break down. Dell shares fell 2.6 per cent to $13.27 in afternoon trading.
Microsoft, which provides its Windows software for Dell computers and is also part of the investment consortium, is expected to invest around $2 billion in the deal, while private equity firm Silver Lake is expected to put in about $1 billion, the source said.
Michael Dell is expected to roll over his roughly 16 per cent stake and put in some of his own money so he has control of the company, the source added. Dell and Silver Lake declined to comment and Microsoft did not immediately respond to a request for a comment.
The $13.50 to $13.75 per share price range being negotiated translates into an equity valuation for Dell of between $23.5 billion to $23.9 billion. The $13.75 per share is a premium of about 23 percent to the average of $11 per share Dell traded before news of the deal talks broke and is far below the $17.61 that the shares were trading a year ago."
Dell has steadily ceded market share in PCs to nimbler rivals such as Lenovo Group and is struggling to re-ignite growth. That's in spite of Michael Dell's efforts in the five years since he retook the helm of the company he founded in 1984, following a brief hiatus during which its fortunes waned rapidly.
Any deal that Michael Dell negotiates would need the approval of a majority of the shareholders. Deals that involve the considerable stake of a founder who is also the chief executive of the company are also likely to come in for extra scrutiny over whether the board exercised its fiduciary duty.
Dell has formed a special committee to take a close look at any potential deals on the table, multiple sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters earlier.
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EU turbine manufacturers had a global market share of 27.4 percent in 2010, consisting of 89 percent of the EU market, 32 percent of the US market, and 8 percent of the Chinese market (the world’s largest market). Of the 10 largest wind turbine manufacturers in the world, four are EU-based. Five of the 10 largest wind energy developers in the world are EU-based. European companies, despite numerous protectionist policies outside the EU, have achieved a higher share in foreign markets than non-European manufacturers have achieved in Europe.
 MAKE Consulting 2011


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Growing inflation is one of the most serious issues that governments, monetary bodies, consumers and businesses are facing today. Many industries are having major problems due to rising inflation and the car industry is no exception. Rising costs for manufacturers invariably means that these costs have to be covered and it is usually the consumer who’s paying for it through increased prices. As a result the cost of car finance also goes up.
Inflation has always had a severely detrimental affect on the car industry. The market as a whole can stall badly and every sector linked to vehicle production and manufacturing is affected. But not only these sectors suffer. Vehicle dealers, employees and finance brokers are all affected.
What is Causing Inflation in the Car Industry?
This rising inflation within the car industry is not just caused by the higher costs of materials and weaker Western currencies. Constant, new safety regulations inflicted on the car industry are contributing to inflation increase and pushing up rates of car finance.
Governments and Health and Safety boards claim that these regulations actually save thousands of lives each year. Many people will dispute these numbers. New emission limits increase costs even further so in response these are passed on to consumers. Although generally the passenger vehicles are safer and greener, the big picture hasn’t changed much – millions people are dying in car accidents every year and transport is still the biggest contributor of human-generated CO2 emissions worldwide.
Independent industry analysts in the US have stated in a report that strict new fuel economy standards in the US could damage the US car industry by pushing up costs too rapidly. At present in the US car manufacturers are expected to achieve a fuel economy average of 34mpg by 2016 but in 15 years time the proposed target is 60.1mpg.
Some experts predict that the average price for a car will increase by about 15% in the next five years and a further 15-20 percent in the next ten years after this.
In previous occasions of high inflation car manufacturers have tried to deal with the problem by extending bill payment plans from 24 months to 36 months for example.
What Higher Inflation Means for Consumers
As a result of rising car prices and the higher cost of finance it is likely that consumers will keep their vehicles for a longer period of time. This may make sense for the buyer as modern cars are built to extremely high standards and have a long life span.
Another consequence is previously lower priced cars will move up the price scale. This has been witnessed in parts of Europe already. It is expected that many new cheap cars will enter the market, built in Asia, where labor costs are lower. Manufacturing in the west will suffer because of this. Countries such as India, China, Russia and Brazil are just beginning their automotive ages and they’re ramping up the production capacities.
Unfortunately, the bottom line is probably higher costs for the consumer. the In the short term the car industry is facing many challenges with inflation perhaps being the greatest. Increased costs need to be passed on somewhere. The consumer will bare the brunt of these increased costs through higher prices and more expensive rates of car finance. Compass Vehicle Services are one of the UK’s leading companies for car leasing with low credit. Check out their example cars and prices and make a quick application with same day response.
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A music platform with a blockchain was announced, which is designed to provide both streaming and a whole music industry.
Muzika, which is the creation of experienced South Korean entrepreneurs, has already attracted support from the two largest technology companies in the country: Kakao and Naver.
The blockchain-based music platform is designed to fight the growing problem of remuneration of musicians. While in current streaming systems, artists complain that they have little control over their works and inadequate payments for their creations, Muzika seeks to link creators and their fans more closely with a system reminiscent of the Patreon membership platform.
Within the framework of the platform, users will be able to both sponsor and directly pay artists their music. They will also be able to participate in public activities, including voting, commenting and sharing songs.
Active users will be rewarded with loyalty points, which will be converted into the Muzika MZK token. This token will become the basis of all transactions on the platform.
For the artists, it will also be used to fund the creation of new music.
“We will create a new, decentralized digital music system that can autonomously achieve repeated production and distribution cycles, as well as take into account the consumption of music, and reform the hierarchy of profit distribution,” said Inseo Chang, co-founder of Muzika.
Despite the average age of 22 years, the creators of Muzika have considerable experience in the music technical space. They have already achieved success at Mapiacompany, the online pianist community and a music club with more than 2 million users.
The company raised funds from the “technological incubators” of the Korean government.
Muzika will start offering services in 150 countries in September.


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As Ford Authority previously reported, the Ford Fusion was officially discontinued back in August of 2020, while production of its international twin – the Ford Mondeo – is scheduled to end in Europe next year. However, the 2023 Ford Fusion/Mondeo will be returning as both a sedan and crossover-like wagon/hatchback, as Ford Authority previously reported. The sedan is being earmarked for China, and it’s currently unclear if it will be available in other markets, though Europe and North America will likely get a more rugged Active variant. For these reasons and more, a Ford Mondeo wagon sighting in Peoria, Arizona, recently by a Reddit user is quite perplexing.
This Ford Mondeo wagon is wearing the tell-tale yellow sticker on the windshield that tells us it’s owned by Ford, but it’s unclear why the vehicle is in the U.S. The Mondeo does utilize the same hybrid powertrain present in the Ford Escape Hybrid and Ford Maverick Hybrid, and Peoria is roughly seven hours north of the Ford Hermosillo Assembly Plant, where the Fusion was produced prior to its discontinuation.
Regardless, this isn’t the first time Ford has had a non-U.S. model in the states, as a next-gen Fusion/Mondeo prototype was recently caught by Ford Authority spies driving around the Metro Detroit area. However, spies have yet to capture the next-gen Fusion/Mondeo in Active form as of this writing – only sedan prototypes have been spotted driving around to date.
Meanwhile, the Mondeo is soldiering on in China, where it’s produced at the Ford Changan Assembly Plant. Recently, the Chinese Mondeo switched to a full hybrid and diesel lineup and gained a new 12.8-inch infotainment screen with SYNC+.