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However, the IT services giant is studying the idea and is eager to strike up relationships with venture-backed startups, including joint marketing deals that have the possibility of revenue sharing.
Computer Sciences, which reported $16 billion in fiscal 2010 revenue, is charting a new course into the future. Six months ago, it created the role of global vice president of emerging technologies and gave the position the mandate of finding next-generation technologies.
To get the job done, the current office holder, Brian Boruff, a former Microsoft executive, is scouring Silicon Valley’s venture-backed landscape for compelling technology.
“I don’t know whether you’ll see us be the next Kleiner Perkins,” Boruff said. “But I think you’ll see us talking to Kleiner Perkins.”
He says a marketing deal with Computer Sciences could help a young company accelerate growth by tapping into the CSC customer base.
And while acquisitions are not necessarily the goal, they are possible, too. Computer Sciences this month acquired privately held security startup Vulnerability Research Labs, and Boruff says the company’s aim is to get 2% to 3% of revenue growth from acquisitions.
Despite his long background in tech, Boruff appears to be learning about his new role as he goes along. For a patient startup, it might be worth taking a meeting.


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The pieces could be falling into place among the global container carriers, with a new global alliance expected to see the light of day in the near future. News is expected already this week, according to several news media.
At any rate, several representatives from container carriers who look set to lose their alliance partners following the reshuffle of the past few months will meet with the US Federal Maritime Commission, FMC, on Wednesday, reports the Wall Street Journal. Here the parties are expected to present their proposal and subsequently announce their plans. The announcement could potentially come on the same day, said William Doyle, one of commission's members, recently.

domain: news


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This isn’t the first time we caught a prototype of the refreshed 2018 Ford F-150, but it’s the first time we clearly see what’s changed because the American bestselling pickup truck features very thin camouflage. This may be the last time we see the vehicle hidden. Judging by the latest reports, the car manufacturer should introduce it at the upcoming 2017 Detroit auto show.
The exterior changes are mostly cosmetic and without any essential differences. The most evident change is the all-new and very handsome two-slat grille. Still, the carmaker will probably continue with grille differentiation between other trim levels, so this is just one variant. The second “big” change is the redesigned headlights. As you may notice, they are slimmer and prolonged toward the middle. The mid-cycle facelift brings the new and more pronounced front bumper. Around back, the camouflage still does the job, because we can figure out the changes. Still, it appears that the 2018 F-150 is getting a smoother tailgate and totally redesigned taillights.
If the updated 2018 Ford F-150 actually comes at the 2017 NAIAS, you can also expect a number of useful improvements under the hood. The people from Blue Oval are very determined to win in the ”fuel economy battle”, so the truck is definitely getting a diesel engine that can compete against Ram’s 3.0-liter Ecodiesel. We already wrote about Jaguar-Land Rover’s ultra-efficient 3.0-liter Lion engine, which will likely power the 2018 F-150 Diesel. In addition, the pickup will get revised Ecoboost V6 engine, but not rumored hybrid. More precisely, the hybrid model won’t be introduced before 2019. On the other hand, Ford will definitely add a new 10-speed automatic transmission, but only as an option.
Like we said, the refreshed 2018 Ford F-150 will appear at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit next week, so stay tuned for updates.


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Jul 13, 2012 16:31 EDT
Apple said Friday it was rejoining a program to certify its products as environmentally friendly after a controversy that could have dented sales of its popular gadgets.
Apr 19, 2012 16:08 EDT
Activists rappelled down a Seattle office building Thursday to get Microsoft and Amazon.com to use clean energy to power datacenters running services based in the Internet "cloud."
Apr 17, 2012 13:42 EDT
Amazon, Apple and Twitter were graded poorly Tuesday in a Greenpeace study of technology titans' use of clean energy to power the mushrooming Internet cloud, but Facebook, Google and Yahoo! won praise.
Jan 08, 2010 08:09 EST
Environmental group Greenpeace is handing out grades to consumer electronics makers for phasing out the use of hazardous substances and Apple, Sony Ericsson and Nokia are top of the class.


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Businesses across the Lowcountry have had shut down in the wake of the pandemic. The hospitality industry too has shuttered its doors. This has affected the livelihoods of many workers. Therefore several organizations, from Southern Eagle Distributing, Michelob Ultra, Louie’s Kids and The MatchingFund, have created a fundraiser for the staff members impacted by this change.
Together, they raised 35,000 dollars. Now hospitality workers of any level in the industry can apply to get a piece of these funds. If you work in hospitality, you can apply to get fifty dollars from the fundraiser. It will come in the form of a gift card to your preferred grocery story. Through this, the organizations hope to provide workers in need with at least a week’s worth of food.
If you qualify, go here! Then fill out the application. All verified hospitality workers will receive $50.


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Audi to quit endurance racing after 2013 season?by Ronan Glon
The announcement comes after Porsche has confirmed that it will launch a factory-backed program in 2014.
Rumors circulating around the European auto industry indicate that Audi will shut down its highly successful endurance racing program after the 2013 season comes to an end.
Sources familiar with the matter Spain's Autoblog that the decision was made shortly after Porsche confirmed that it will start up its own factory-backed endurance racing program in 2014.
If the two were competing head-to-head today it would not be overly problematic but Volkswagen is expected to the 51.1 percent share of Porsche that it does not currently own in the very near future.
To avoid internal competition between Audi and Porsche in the popular LMP1 category, Audi will move on to another form of motorsports or focus its efforts on the DTM touring car series.
Inside sources indicate that the Volkswagen-owned luxury automaker is mulling the creation of a Formula 1 team in order to avoid losing its sporty image but a final decision on the matter has not yet been taken.
If the rumors prove to be true, an official announcement will be made by Audi in the coming months.
Audi's diesel and hybrid race cars captured on the podium of the 80th 24 Hours of Le Mans that took place last June.


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Which is the best supermarket in the UK?
The battle to be the best supermarket trading in the UK is over, and we have a winner! For now.
Aldi has beaten their rivals Lidl to become the best supermarket in Britain, getting the top prize at The Grocer 's Gold Awards.
The German budget chain, now has a bigger market share than Waitrose, also grabbed the award for Own Label Range of the Year. Aldi's Mamia brand of baby products added to the long list of own label prizes it picked up in summer at a Grocer awards.
Aldi UK boss Matthew Barnes said: “The recognition by The Grocer Gold Awards provides consumers with the assurance that Aldi is the best supermarket in Britain."
“We remain dedicated to offering our customers the highest quality products at everyday low prices, and as we continue to open new stores in 2016, we hope more and more people throughout the UK will choose to come to us for their full weekly shop."
So there you go! Aldi can't put a foot wrong at the minute. Everyone else needs to shape up!


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China Further Tightens Screws on Entrusted Loans
China is further cranking up its scrutiny on “entrusted loans,” channels that have been used for massive asset management funds to invest in risky borrowers outside the formal banking system.
Entrusted loans – in which a bank acts as an intermediary to arrange and administer financing between a borrower and lender – have become one of the main segments of the country’s “shadow banking” industry.
- 1Power To The People: Pintec Serves A Booming Consumer Class
- 2Largest hotel group in Europe accepts UnionPay
- 3UnionPay mobile QuickPass debuts in Hong Kong
- 4UnionPay International launches premium catering privilege U Dining Collection
- 5UnionPay International’s U Plan has covered over 1600 stores overseas


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UK tackle industry anxiously awaits decision on bass fishing measures
The UK tackle industry is waiting anxiously to learn what bass fishing measures will be in place following the outcome of the EU-UK partnership agreement.
For now, the UK Government has rolled over the 2020 measures into 2021, which means that recreational anglers will be required to release any bass caught in January and February and will be limited to two bass per day from March until November.
However, the regulations may be adjusted in the spring of 2021 to take into account any changes and adjustments after negotiations are completed with the EU. The Angling Trust, the representative organisation for anglers in England and Wales, will be publishing updates on its website as they become available over the course of 2021.
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Dan Ives of Wedbush gives us his take the fallout from the new investigation into Tesla Autopilot crashes occurring at crash scenes.
– Hi. We’re watching shares of Tesla right now, because if you go to the Yahoo Finance page, whether it’s on your app or on your computer, there’s an article about the Tesla investigation. The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, what we all call NHTSA, they’ve initiated the investigation of Tesla’s autopilot system. This is involving 11 crashes with what’s referred to as parked first responder vehicles, all of this dating back to 2018. And these resulted in roughly 17 injuries and one death.
So what’s the impact on this, and what are we going to learn. Let’s bring in Dan Ives, friend of this program, who’s also an analyst at Wedbush Securities. It’s good to have you here. What should people who are Tesla fans consider as this investigation is now official, Dan?
DAN IVES: Yeah, look, I mean, this is definitely a bit of a black eye. And I think it formalizes some of the concerns there have been on self-driving. I think, you know, Tesla was never going to get there without some of these unfortunate issues. I think from an investor perspective, you know, especially given it’s the gold standard from a technology perspective, this formal investigation definitely takes a bit of the bloom off the rose when it comes to FSD.
EMILY MCCORMICK: Dan, this is Emily McCormick. We’re seeing Tesla shares down about 4% as we speak. This is certainly not the first safety concern raised about Tesla’s autopilot system. And in the past, the stock has been able to shake off these concerns, in the near to medium term. So is this time, and this probe, different than these times past?
DAN IVES: Well, I think this is really the build up. I mean we’ve seen it in China. Now we’ve seen it in the US. And I think investors are starting to get more concerned around the scale and scope of this investigation, because it’s been something that we’ve seen, the last year or two, from some of these high profile crashes.
Now in terms of the stock, is it affecting demand in the near term? No, but when you look at the big technology difference that Tesla has over others, even within a GM and others that are going after the market, it’s FSD. So FSD, full self-driving, is a big piece of the future holy grail. And this is definitely a step back.
And now Tesla and Musk need to navigate this to make sure they get on to the other side successfully. And I think that’s really right now a bit of the uncertainty that you’re seeing in the stock.
– And yet the defense Tesla keeps saying is, look, you’re not supposed to use this for autonomous driving. You have to be awake and have your hands by the wheel. Is this perhaps a greater threat to the whole industry of autonomous vehicles, I mean UPS has been testing autonomous driven trucks for delivery. And they’ve had successful runs from city to other city. Is this going to push everything back, simply because it’s an investigation of Tesla?
DAN IVES: I don’t think it necessarily pushes things back. But I think it does show the clear hurdles and pitfalls, if not used correctly, in terms of full self-driving. I’m not going to tell you as someone that’s focused on the industry for years, the technology advances that have been made are eye-popping, not just on the consumer side, but even when it comes to long-haul trucking. But I think what this just shows is that, you know, there’s going to be regulatory and safety issues that need to be a focus.
I mean before we can get onto the other side, these need to be resolved for the safety of any consumers that use the actual vehicles. But like you said, I think Tesla is going to fight this in terms of at least what their defense is.
EMILY MCCORMICK: And then in terms of the timing of the announcement of this probe, this, of course, came just a couple of days before AI day for Tesla later this week. And, Dan, I’m wondering if you expect this probe and this announcement to really impact the recruiting effort that Tesla was trying to put together on that date, as it relates to their AI efforts?
DAN IVES: Yeah, and in terms of the AI day coming up later this week, I think it just speaks more to Tesla being focused on software and services, right? I mean that’s a big part of the differentiation, also a big part of the margin and accretion, the model. And when you think about the growth over the coming years. I don’t think it necessarily impacts that.
But I think it does show they’re trying to juggle a lot of balls at the same time. And they need to make sure that they execute flawlessly on every part. And the AI and the software piece is a big part of the broader Tesla flywheel, as we look forward.
– Dan Ives, next time you’re with us, really want to dive deep into what you were writing about just a couple of weeks ago with China’s Green Wave and how Tesla will benefit from that. But at this point, we have to say thank you for helping us understand what’s at stake with this NHTSA investigation. Again Dan Ives is a analyst with Wedbush Securities, and he covers Tesla.


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Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+ officially launches in Kenya
Tech enthusiasts, media personalities and Samsung lovers got a chance to feel the phone for the first time.
Samsung Electronics East Africa today launched the smartphone in a classy event held in Nairobi which saw tech enthusiasts, media personalities and Samsung lovers get a feel of the phone for the first time.
Speaking at the event, Jung Hyun Park, the managing director and vice president of Samsung electronics east Africa said the Samsung Galaxy S8 ushers in a new era of Smartphone design and fantastic new services, opening up new ways to experience the world.
“ Today is the official date of the launch of Samsung S8 for the whole of Africa, the galaxy S8 is our testament of regaining the customer trust by redefining what’s possible in safety and marks a new milestone in Samsung’s smartphone legacy.”
Bob Asiyo, head of Samsung mobile East Africa added the launch was a success and a culmination of a month long preparation
“Today we invited you here to witness the launch of S8, for about four weeks we have been talking about the S8 and encouraging customers to register for the preorders in order to enjoy the added benefits the level box slim which is an accessory worth about Ksh13,000”
The Galaxy S8 comes equipped with a lot of new cool added features like an advanced 12MP F1.7 rear camera, internal memory of 64GB which you can expand it to 256GB and a more advance security features like iris scanner and finger print detection.
The Galaxy S8 will be available at a recommended retail price of KSh84, 999 while the Galaxy S8+ will be available at Ksh94, 999 at all Samsung shops and selected retail stores.
Consumers will have the choice of the choice of three color options for both devices which include midnight black, Orchid grey and Maple Gold.
Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:


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As is typical of magazine iPad applications, the tablet version of Wired sports markedly enhanced graphics — photos in the magazine are represented as interactive 3-D models on the iPad. The app also enables sharing articles via social-media sharing, according to a promotional video.
Says Wired editor in chief Chris Anderson in an editorial introducing the app:
To deliver this rich reading environment, we’re using new digital publishing technology developed by Adobe. The yearlong effort, spearheaded by Wired creative director Scott Dadich, will allow us to simultaneously create both the print magazine and the enhanced digital version with the same set of authoring and design tools.
For more on the Wired iPad app, check out WebNewser’s coverage.


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While we await the arrival of the Galaxy S10 series, Samsung is reportedly working on developing a notch-less 3D camera. The leak, was spilled by well-known leakster, Ice Universe, who also shared image of a bezel-less smartphone. It is believed that the image of the smartphone shared, will be rocking the new notch-less 3D camera.
The new smartphone appears to be practically just a screen and the notch-less 3D camera could be located under the display. The device from the image shared, shows no bezels or a front camera. The name or details of the device were not given, but we hope to see how Samsung intends to pull this off.
The Galaxy S10 series will come in three variants, the S10 (Beyond 1), S10+ (Beyond 2) and the S10 Lite. Its S9 has seen a year-on-year sales decreasing and the company is hoping the S10 series could bring the required success. The S10 and S10+ will reportedly sport in-display, fingerprint scanners while the S10 Lite is expected to sport a side mounted fingerprint scanner.
Samsung new foldable smartphone, the Galaxy X is expected to be unveiled at the CES 2019 (Consumer Electronics Show). On the other, the S10 (Beyond 1), S10+ (Beyond 2) and the S10 Lite is expected to be unveiled at MWC 2019 (Mobile World Congress).


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LAS CRUCES, New Mexico -- After losing $9,000 worth of property to three separate burglaries, the owner of Galaxy Gaming Lounge is choosing to sleep on his property.
"Since that third time, I've been living here," said Mario Sauceda. "That's the only way (to prevent it). Being here 24/7."
Sauceda told ABC-7 that all three burglaries happened during the state's mandated closures of his business, which is deemed non-essential during the pandemic.
"Every time the governor said, 'We're going to shut down the businesses,' the next day I would show up and everything was gone,'" Sauceda said.
Non-residential burglaries increased by 291% this year, according to the Las Cruces Police Department. Because of the public health crisis, July was the last month the data was publicly available.
The owners of Play it Again Sports told ABC-7 that their business was burglarized twice during the pandemic.
"This last break-in, we literally saw the guy walk up and break into the store," said Justin Glick, who owns the business with his wife.
"The local criminals really took that as an opportunity to start vandalizing businesses," said Alysha Glick. "During the first shutdown and the second shutdown, we were just one of so many local businesses to be targeted."
On top of the two burglaries and the state's closure of the business, Play it Again Sports has seen plummeting profits with the cancelation of school and city sports.
"Trying to operate a sporting goods store for a whole year in a state where sports have been essentially illegal, that's a real challenge," Alysha Glick said.
A Las Cruces police spokesman applauded the businesses that have installed security systems. He said police have patrolled the parking lots of businesses that are closed, but officers "can't be at all places at all times."
"We can't be private security guards," added LCPD's Dan Trujillo.


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The cost of running fryers is causing an increasing number of restaurants in Denmark to change their menus, according to newspaper Politiken.
Fast food staples like curly fries, sweet potato fries or the classic French fry or pomfret as it’s know in Danish may become a rarer commodity at restaurants, the newspaper writes.
Chains synonymous with serving fries could meanwhile be forced to suffer some damage to their bottom lines – or raise prices – as the cost of cooking the food goes up.
Increasing energy and raw material costs could influence the importance given to fried foods on restaurant menus.
“A fryer costs an insane amount of money to run,” Anders Aagaard of the restaurant Madklubben told newspaper Børsen.
“It uses an insane amount of power and the oil is insanely expensive. But boiling some new potatoes instead, which aren’t very big and therefore don’t take long to cook, can help us to save on [the energy] front,” he said.
While Madklubben plans to strike French fries from the menu entirely, some restaurants famous for their fries — such as McDonald’s or Danish chains Jagger and Sunset Boulevard — are more likely to take a financial hit or raise their prices.
“We can, of course, like everyone else in the industry, recognise the increasing prices of energy and raw materials. We are following developments closely, but for now we are not changing the menu,” Sunset Boulevard CEO Jens Broch told Politiken.
“For example, fries are such a large request from our guests that we would go a long way to make sure these are available on the menu,” he said.
Both Jagger and McDonald’s confirmed to Politiken’s Ibyen supplement that they have raised prices on some menu items.
Jagger’s CEO and founder Christian Brandt said the company had “dragged it out as long as possible” but had now raised prices to account for increasing costs. Brandt also said the company had no plans to remove fries from its menus.
McDonalds, which has raised the prices of some of the cheapest burgers on its menu – known in Denmark as “coinoffers” – also said it would be holding onto the French fry.
“We recognise the increase in price of products. But we won’t be taking fries off the menu. People come to our restaurants because of things like French fries,” head of communications Fannie Pramming told Politiken.


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NRD Capital, the private equity owner of Ruby Tuesday and Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, has raised nearly $48 million in a handful of funds, according to federal securities filings.
The bulk of that, $30 million, was raised by one fund, called NRD Real Estate Ventures. The remaining $17.7 million was raised in four other funds, according to SEC filings.
The fundraise should give the Atlanta-based investment firm some cash to make deals coming out of the pandemic.
“We are humbled by our investors’ continued confidence in NRD’s team, our strategies and core values,” NRD Managing Partner Aziz Hashim said in an emailed statement. “More than ever, having a deep understanding of the franchise business model is a key asset. Our investors have demonstrated, with their wallets, that they believe NRD is well-positioned to avail of the opportunities which lie ahead.”
NRD is the owner of the bankrupt casual dining chain Ruby Tuesday. Its other investments have done better, including the fast-casual taco concept Fuzzy’s and the family concept Frisch’s Big Boy.
But the firm has also made inroads into services and technology. In April, NRD created Franklin Junction, a company that helps create ghost kitchens out of restaurants’ excess kitchen capacity—a concept it has termed “host kitchens.” Franklin Junction has signed up several brands since both as host kitchens and occupants, including Nathan’s Famous, Wow Bao and Dog Haus.
NRD’s biggest deal, however, was its 2017 acquisition of Ruby Tuesday in a deal valued at $335 million. The venerable casual dining chain was struggling before that deal and continued to struggle afterwards, having closed more than half of its locations in the years since, including 185 that have been closed during the pandemic.
Ruby Tuesday is expected to be sold early next year.
Exactly what NRD could buy remains uncertain, but plenty of restaurant companies are expected to be available coming out of the pandemic at low prices.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.


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More than half a million prescription inhalers have been recalled voluntarily by GlaxoSmithKline, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and a report by The State.
Per the FDA, Ventolin HFA (albuterol sulfate) Inhalation Aerosol inhalers are not effectively delivering drugs, which are most commonly used to treat asthma and other treatable obstructive airway diseases.
Which inhalers are affected?
The following inhalers are being recalled by GlaxoSmithKline, the pharmaceutical company:
Lot #: 6ZP9848, Expiring 03/18
Lot #: 6ZP0003, 6ZP9944, Expiring 04/18
“There is possible risk that the affected inhalers could potentially not deliver the stated number of actuations,” said spokesman Juan Carlos Molina in an email later published by CNN. “We continue to investigate the issue in order to identify the root cause and implement appropriate corrective and preventative actions.”
The recall is a Class II recall, meaning that the drugs could cause “temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences,” according to The State. Long term effects and consequences, however, are unlikely.
What should you do if you have a defective product?
If you are in possession of a defective inhaler—or any defective drug, for that matter—you should not use them.
Second, authorities recommend consulting with your doctor, so that you can find an alternate medicine or drug that could alleviate your problems.
While this isn't a patient level recall (GSK is recalling the product from hospitals, pharmacies and retailers), patients with the affected product can contact GSK's customer service center at 1-888-825-5249
As with any recall, caution is important.


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Mr. Big will celebrate 25 years as a band with a huge Japanese only exclusive box set to be released on December 10 (date could be pushed back a little).
Details of this 18CD + 2 DVD set have been sketchy so far, but I have uncovered a little exclusive information!
First of all – the label blurb reads:
“Special box set release from MR. BIG commemorating the 25th anniversary of the band's career. Consists of 18 CDs and 2 DVDs, including unreleased studio takes, rare tracks, live tracks, and plenty more (subject to change).
Japanese original release. Features hardcover packaging (30cm x 25cm) with a slip case.


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This year marks the release of the new iPhone XS and XS Max. But what all do we know about these phones? Here are all of the features and the benefits.
Since it’s launch in 2007, Apple has sold over 1.3 billion iPhones around the world. With the recent announcement of not one new iPhone but three of them, we can expect that number to grow even larger.
Apple fans are all abuzz with new info about the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR. If you can’t wait to get your hands on one to find out all the details, don’t worry. We’ve got you covered. From it’s price to its stunning new camera, here’s what you should know about the three new iPhones.
The New iPhone Price Points
One of the first things Apple fans want to know about the phones is how much it’s going to cost them to get one, and you may not like the answer. Apple seems to be testing how willing their audience is to shell out extra cash, with one of their newest phones breaking their usual $1000 ceiling.
That’s right, the iPhone XS Max comes in at $1,449, which the iPhone XS starts at $999 and the iPhone XR comes in at a “humble” $749
The first thing you’ll notice with the new iPhones is they are the largest iPhones to date. The iPhone XS max features a 6.5-inch screen, while the iPhone XS measures 6.1 Inches and the iPhone XR comes in at 5.8 inches.
The iPhone XS and XS also include a battery that lasts up to 1.5 hours longer per day than their successor. iPhone fans will also enjoy its dust and water resistance, so us clumsy users can hang on to our phone a bit longer. Still, we’ll be keeping ours in a protective CustomEnvy case.
Our personal favorite feature for the new iPhone? The camera. While it’s difficult to beat the most recent iPhone camera, the new iPhone cameras Complete with the True Tone Flash and True Depth Camera, the new iPhones will become your go-to for portraits and selfies.
The iPhones also feature Smart HDR that starts buffering as soon as you open the camera so there’s no shutter lag when you take a photo. Smart HDR also figures out the best pixels from each frame, so you don’t have to.
It’s Sold Out
Now that we’ve gotten you all excited…it’s sold out. In true iPhone fashion, the new iPhone XS and iPhone XS max were sold out within hours during pre-order. Fortunately, there’s still time to get the iPhone XR before it’s gone!
Currently, the iPhone XR is set to go out on pre-order September 21st and to be shipped out October 18th, so there’s still time to order yours!
If you’re one in over a billion iPhone users, you’re going to want your phone to stand out while protecting that $1,000 investment. Why not protect your new iPhone in a custom phone case from custom envy? There’s one for every iPhone size including the newest model.
Make Your New iPhone Stand Out


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Brimming with epic successes and stunning failures, the early historical past of the motor auto business features clues about its long term, much too. As so frequently during technological revolutions, original bursts of speedy and furious experimentation by wild-eyed pioneers are adopted by waves of sector consolidation by far more sober corporate varieties.
So it was in the US from the 1890s, when scores of obsessive business people introduced the modern day auto marketplace. Around the following couple of many years they established hundreds of businesses producing hundreds of distinct styles. In the words of a person historian, these devoted enthusiasts competed in a “drastically Darwinian” world and seemed to want “to go broke building cars than get abundant doing just about anything else”, a tune which resonates once again right now.
But the improvement of funds-intense mass production solutions, the Terrific Depression and the 2nd planet war thinned out the opposition. By 1950, the industry was dominated by just three huge firms: Typical Motors, Ford and Chrysler, which involving them accounted for about three-quarters of worldwide output.
Today, the auto sector is opening up after yet again to new entrants amid a different technological convulsion as electrical and related motor vehicles — and maybe eventually autonomous cars and trucks — exchange combustion motor motors pushed by individuals. As this revolution unfolds, we are observing one more burst of inventive level of competition as entrepreneurial commence-ups and tech organizations flood into the sector.
According to the market place research company CB Insights, more than 70 start-ups have just lately launched in the EV sector, ranging from automobile brands and battery organizations to charging infrastructure vendors. Investments in the EV start out-up market are on study course to hit $16.3bn this calendar year, a 28 per cent boost on the year in advance of, the firm forecasts.
By considerably the most productive of the more recent entrants has been Tesla, started by the mercurial Elon Musk. Tesla has redefined the complete EV sector and offers a industry worth of about $632bn, greater than GM, Ford, Toyota and Volkswagen blended. But if the previous is certainly prologue, then some of the much more new start off-ups are bound to flame out amid overheated technological statements and creation disasters. “There is a wicked waste of dumb dollars,” suggests Peter Rawlinson, main govt of the EV car or truck company Lucid, predicting that 80 for every cent of EV commence-ups and 20 per cent of regular carmakers are most likely to go bust.
Nonetheless, the former Tesla engineer remains convinced that the changeover to an EV environment will occur quicker than anyone expects, pushed by the environmental critical. Lucid is releasing its very own luxurious EV saloon afterwards this yr with a array of additional than 500 miles, enough to drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles on a single demand. “We are on the cusp of a transportational revolution. The ecosystem is in disaster. The globe requirements tens of millions of electrical cars tomorrow,” Rawlinson advised me at the Founders Forum tech party past week.
For the moment, the EV sector is a little, albeit fast increasing industry, cheered on — and generally greatly subsidised — by environmentally mindful governments. In accordance to the data service provider EV-volumes.com, world wide EV gross sales rose to 3.24m in 2020, up from 2.3m the year just before, with Europe outpacing China as the world’s swiftest-increasing market place.
It is an open up and intriguing issue, who will sooner or later consolidate the EV market place. Quite a few bet on Chinese firms dominating mass-market place EVs. US tech giants, these as Google and Apple, see autos as “computers on wheels” and are revving up their very own ambitions in the sector. Although lots of were being late to the game, traditional carmakers are also now investing greatly in EVs.
GM’s eyesight is to make a “zero crashes, zero emissions, zero congestion” vehicle marketplace. Mary Barra, GM’s chair and CEO, introduced this month that the business would devote $35bn on EV investments by 2025, in a procedure driven by consumer demand from customers. “Across the board we are looking at exceptionally sturdy reactions and a positive response to all of our electrical autos,” she instructed CNBC.
The industry’s desire is to produce an attractive and reputable $25,000 electric powered car or truck that overcomes array nervousness. As Alain Kornhauser, a professor at Princeton College, says, the winners will be those people who can create automobiles that attraction to every day drivers as nicely as the “greasers and truckers”. “It’s all about the sociology, not the technologies,” he provides.
In other words, it will be, as it has constantly been in the course of background, the client who decides.
Letter in reaction to this column:
Electricity offer is major hazard in electric motor vehicle race / From James Hanshaw, Zurich, Switzerland


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Join nearly 500 Life Science Research Professionals this week at the upcoming University of California San Diego Biotechnology Vendor Showcase™ Science Product Trade Show. Find new tools, new processes and make new contacts that can help your with your research programs in this well funded research mecca.Read More
Life Science Research Professionals and Lab Product Suppliers are invited to attend the upcoming University of California San Diego Biotechnology Vendor Showcase™ Science Product Trade Show.Read More
Does your company have new products that will help life science research professionals at the University of Georgia?
Tags: biomedical research, University of Georgia Athens, University of Georgia, NIH funded Research Projects, UGA, chemical supply, laboratory equipment suppliers, lab suppliers, BioResearch Product Faire, Laboratory product sales, Biotechnology trade show, NIH awards 2017, 2017 research funding, Brain Repair
During the most recent fiscal year, researchers at Texas A&M and A&M System Agencies formed six startup companies and executed 50 licenses, bringing the total active licenses to 441. The 17th Annual BioResearch Product Faire™ in College Station coming early 2018 will provide an opportunity to meet with over 150 active researchers seeking the newest technologies and services for their labs. This will be a great chance to increase laboratory product sales and start 2018 on the right foot.Read More
Meet Face-to-Face with Hundreds of ResearchersRead More
Due to increased research at the Mission Bay campus and requests from our lab product supply companies; we are excited to be offering our Biotechnology Vendor Showcase™ at the University of California, San Francisco semiannually in 2017.Read More
Last year the BioResearch Product Faire™ event at the University of Alabama saw over 200 on-campus attendees. The university has 10 different research schools and 24 university-wide research centers.Read More


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Logitech introduced the NuLOOQ navigator about one year ago. TheTechLounge has published a review of this interesting input device.
Quote from the review:
"Logitech's NuLOOQ Navigator is one of the more interesting devices I’ve seen in the past few years. It’s an attempt to create a new breed of devices; it's more than a mouse, it's not a tablet, it’s a new way to move around your computer environment. But is it just another gadget or is it really useful? Will it change my usage patterns or just become an expensive paperweight? The details lie ahead." "
Read the full review.
Amazon.com sells the NuLOOQ for $62.69.


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This week, we are focusing on the Deeptech sector: its players, its challenges, its funding, its issues and its opportunities. Robert Marino, director of the Deeptech Founders support program, takes stock of the deeptech sector in France in 2020. Deeptech Founders is a support program launched in partnership with Bpifrance in 2018.
Between 2000 and 2018, only 231 research officials had requested authorization to set up their business. In 2019, Bpifrance launched its Deeptech plan to encourage researchers to start their business. In one year, more than 250 start-ups were founded and benefited from 85 million euros in funding in the form of grants or loans. A new ecosystem that still needs to grow.
” For the creation of deeptech start-ups, we have an excellent ecosystem in France. But there is a lack of small business angel tickets at the very beginning of the funding chain to derisking technology and also very large funds to achieve significant tickets so that start-ups are no longer obliged to turn to American funds. We have not had very big exits in the deeptech field in France. This would show that it’s worth investing in these companies ”, explains Robert Marino
Recruiting talent is key to the success of a deeptech business. A difficult subject for French companies which do not fight with the same weapons as American companies in terms of wages in particular. ” Our national champions are suffering from the fight for talent. American companies raise four times more and can pay their employees twice as much, which makes it difficult for French companies to hunt for talent ”, highlights the director of the Deeptech Founders support program.
Find the full interview with Robert Marino, director of the Deeptech Founders support program:
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- Decode of the week: Richard Menneveux and his guests decipher Tech news around the world
- WildCard: our sniper Joseph Postec shares his look on Tech news in an offbeat tone
- Silicon Carne: the news of the Valley seen by Carlos Diaz and his guests


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Ceres urges buying local to support city services
Chamber of Commerce in Ceres pushes effort
City leaders in Ceres are encouraging shoppers to "think local" this holiday season with a new campaign to get families to spend their money at local shops.
Watch report: Ceres campaign encourages local shopping
"By reinvesting their money into the community, it really helps to promote jobs here locally," said Renee Ledbetter, president of the Ceres Chamber of Commerce. "It supports local business owners and it puts money back into the community by generating funds through the local sales tax."
In addition to promoting the top 10 reasons why people should shop local, the city is also kicking off a "Shift 10 When You Spend" campaign.
“By shifting 10 percent of their spending dollars here in Ceres, residents could infuse an extra $480,000 into our local economy," Ledbetter said.
City Manager Toby Wells said the additional revenue would then go back into the city’s general fund to be used toward public safety and other city services.
"There’s a tremendous need in our community for park maintenance -- and we have some firefighters that are on a grant that ran out that we’re really trying to find ways to keep," Wells said. "Basically, there’s a need everywhere we look."
While you may not consider buying gas to be a part of your holiday shopping, the city said fuel is its No. 1 sales-tax generator. Therefore, it's urging drivers to pump their gas at local stations before they head out on the road.
"People don’t realize the power they have in just making a simple decision," Wells said. "Rather than getting gas at your destination, get gas here in town. That benefits us as a city and helps us provide those services to our residents."
Local businesses like Custom Embroidery and Graphic Design in downtown Ceres support the city’s effort.
"People need to realize that by shopping local, you keep that money in the town (and) that makes a large difference for our public safety department," salesperson Kathy Foster said.
While she’s working to get the word out about the company’s personalized sweatshirts, T-shirts, bags and hats during the holiday season, she wants customers to think "Ceres First" throughout the entire year.
“The town of Ceres really has a lot to offer and by just coming downtown, they can find treasures (and) gifts," she said.
Jim Delhart of Delhart Home Furnishings agreed.
His family owned business has been a fixture in the community for about 45 years and is now competing with big box stores in other cities like Modesto and Turlock.
"I think the shop-local campaign is wonderful because we’re easy to get to," he said. "We have the Highway 99 on-ramps and off-ramps within two blocks of the store."
He argued, when you shop local, you also get great in-person customer service you can rarely get anywhere else.
"A lot of people here own their own businesses, so you’re dealing with the owners themselves and not someone from Chicago or New York," he said. "When there’s a problem, you deal with us and you’re taken care of.”
In its quest to get more shopping in Ceres, the Chamber is working with city staff to get a Shop Local message on the large billboard west of Highway 99 just south of Whitmore Avenue.
It’s also handing out flyers to hang in its members' storefronts and is re-tooling its website to add some new features, including a “Gift Ceres” gift card campaign.
Local merchants will be able to procure gift cards through giftcards.com and then sell them to customers. Consumers will receive the gift cards by mail and can then spend them at Chamber members' businesses. Purchasing a gift in Ceres will benefit the city and its residents, the Chamber said.
"Think about 'Can I get that item here?' And that’s really what this campaign is about," Wells said.


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Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has been named Most Reliable Vanmaker at the FN50 Awards, with all three of its vans – the Caddy, Transporter and Crafter – ranked in the top ten most reliable models.
The annual FN50 survey is the industry benchmark for reliability, measuring data from leasing companies based on mechanical breakdowns and warranty claims for over 213,000 vehicles.
Overall, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles came first in the manufacturer table, knocking Mercedes-Benz off the top-spot.
And according to this year’s survey, Transporter was the second best performing LCV, followed by the Caddy in third place – up from tenth in 2018 – and the Crafter in eighth.
“It’s great to be back on top of the FN50 reliability table, with this real-world data demonstrating the quality and durability of our products,” Carl zu Dohna, the Director of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, said. “We know that maximising uptime is the number one consideration for commercial vehicle operators, so it’s reassuring for customers choosing a van to know that our vehicles are less likely to find themselves off the road than those of other manufacturers.
‘What’s more, on the occasions when things do go wrong, we have a strong, dedicated network of nearly 100 Van Centres and Authorised Repairers who work with customers to get them back on the road. It’s all part of our Working With You commitment.”


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“There’s a new version of iOS. Yes really. iOS 8.4 comes just five days after the company launched iOS 8.3 (which fixed one big issue but caused another) and the first beta hits developers with something very interesting: a revamped music service,” Gordon Kelly writes for Forbes.
“Unfortunately at this stage it isn’t that music service, but there is still plenty of time for Apple to bake in a Beats Music-based streaming product,” Kelly writes. “In fact such a service is likely to get its own event prior to launch so this is Apple just getting the foundations right.”
“So what is the Music service in question?” Kelly writes. “It’s an overhaul of the core ‘Music’ app from top to bottom”
Full article, with Apple’s iOS 8.4 beta change log, here.
MacDailyNews Take: For Apple and music, somethings big this way come.


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Woolworths reported a 17 percent rise in first-half profit yesterday as its well-heeled customers splashed out on luxury goods even as the rest of the consumer market grapples with high personal debt.
Woolworths said headline earnings per share totalled
Headline earnings are the main profit gauge in
But Woolworths is faring better as most of its customers are from the high-income category.
Sales rose 16.2 percent to R19.382 billion compared with the same period the previous year. Woolworths said it expects second-half sales growth to be broadly in line with the first half.
The firm declared an interim dividend of
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Rounds: Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act Will Strengthen America’s Financial System, Expand Economic Opportunities
WASHINGTON—U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Banking Committee, today spoke on the Senate floor in support of the bipartisan Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act, of which he is an original cosponsor. This legislation, which includes seven of Rounds’ provisions, will provide much-needed regulatory relief to community banks and credit unions, whose ability to serve their customers has been made more difficult since the passage of the Dodd-Frank Act in 2010.
“Just in the last year, we enacted historic tax reform, we’ve undone burdensome and unnecessary regulations at a record pace, and we’re restoring the American people’s confidence at levels not seen in decades,” said Rounds in his speech. “Making sure American families and businesses have access to credit when they need it is critical as we work to further grow our economy and create jobs. The ‘Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act’ will strengthen America’s financial system and expand economic opportunities across the country, especially in rural areas, which are often the most underserved.”


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200 jobs at risk as manufacturer enters administration
A manufacturer has collapsed into administration putting 200 jobs at risk.
Chris Pole and Mark Orton from KPMG have been appointed joint administrators to plastic packaging companies Gelpack Industrial and Gelpack Excelsior.
The majority of staff have been sent home from its two Hereford sites, although the administrators have retained a skeleton staff to help fulfil outstanding orders. There have been no redundancies.
Mark Orton, partner at KPMG and joint administrator said: “Gelpack is a leading name within the packaging industry, with customers including well-known names from across the food and drink, pharmaceutical and bedding sectors.
“However, both companies have recently suffered difficult trading conditions that have led to an additional funding requirement, which has prompted them to enter into administration.”
In May Gelpack revealed it had secured a £10m asset-based lending (ABL) facility through business financier, Bibby Financial Services.
The deal combined confidential invoice discounting, asset finance, stock finance and foreign exchange, and was to enable the business to unlock significant additional working capital for growth.


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Physicians back DTC ban
Almost half of physicians— 44%—would approve of a moratorium of two years or more, and 27% believe there should be no DTC ads at all.
Among specialists, cardiologists were the most hostile to DTC, with 73% favoring some type of moratorium, and endocrinologists close behind at 69%. Just 55% of neurologists and 60% of gastroenterologists agreed.
The survey found strong support among physicians for stricter policies around claims and product cautions and more severe penalties for false and misleading ads.
The survey of 1,002 physicians and 251 consumers found physician attitudes toward DTC far harsher than those of the general public.
Only 44% of consumers favored a moratorium on drug ads, with 41% backing a two-year moratorium and 32% saying there should be no drug advertising at all.
Physicians and consumers were in agreement that the FDA is falling down on the job of policing DTC, with three-quarters of both groups saying the agency has failed to adequately vet ads.—


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Foxconn Allows Workers To Elect Union Representatives For The First Time Ever
Hon Hai Precision Ltd. a.k.a Foxconn, the largest manufacturer of Apple’s iPhone, iPod touch and iPads with more than 1 million employees at its huge factory complexes in China, has agreed to allow its workers to elect union representatives for the first time ever, Reuters reports. The company will hold elections for a chairman and 20 members of its Federation of Labour Unions Committee every five years.
Last year, Apple asked the Fair Labor Association (FLA) to review Foxconn’s operations following the troubles at its plants and criticism of Apple itself for having its products made in under-waged Foxconn plants. This move comes as part of Foxconn’s efforts to raise participation in its union, under pressure from Apple and its own workers as well. The firm has said in an official statement that all its sites are holding elections to increase the number of its employee representatives and the management is not involved in the election process.
“As a part of efforts to implement the Action Plan that was developed together with the Fair Labor Association, Foxconn is introducing measures to enhance employee representation in the Foxconn Labor Union and to raise employees’ awareness of the organization,” it said in a statement.
“Only by letting the workers choose their candidates by themselves and then vote for them can they fully express the hopes of workers,” said Wang Jing, dean of the department of labor relations at Capital University of Economics and Business in Beijing.
“But anyway, it’s a good to see this. It shows that the company wants to improve its relations with the workers,” she added, noting that Apple was likely to be pushing Foxconn to implement change to protect its own brand image.
Foxconn’s latest plan follows recommendations in the FLA report ,having already implemented other recommendations such as increased wages and improved amenities at its sites.


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Turkey has just imposed a ban on advertising on certain popular social media platforms. This includes the likes of Twitter, Pinterest, and Periscope, which faced the ban by the country’s Information and Communication Technologies Authority.
According to a Reuters report, the advertising ban arrives after the government recently passed a new social media law. For those unaware, the new law requires social media tech giant firms to appoint a local representative in Turkey. At the moment, Facebook and a few other companies have stated that they would be complying with the local law and appoint such a representative. Although, critics have stated that this move will restrain dissent.
Similar to Facebook, other major platforms like YouTube have also decided to appoint a representative. The new decision adopted in the Official Gazette went into effect earlier today (19h January 2021). However, Twitter and its live streaming application Periscope have yet to comment on the matter, which is also true for the image-sharing app Pinterest. The new law will allow the authorities to remove content from social media platforms rather than just block access to them, like in the past.
This has raised concerns for many regarding the government’s move of restricting content and tightening the grip around online platforms and mainstream media as well. Turkey has already fined companies like Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter for not complying with local laws previously, with failure to comply now would have the firms face a bandwidth slash of 90 percent, which basically completely blocks access to their websites.
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SACRAMENTO, CA —The California Chamber of Commerce today announced the election of its new board officers, including Mark Jansen as 2020 chair of the CalChamber Board of Directors. Jansen is president and chief executive officer of Blue Diamond Growers.
“As we begin the next decade, and the next chapter of California’s story, I’m proud to support the CalChamber’s integral role in leading California’s diverse business community and supporting our strong workforce,” Jansen said.
Serving with Jansen as 2020 officers of the CalChamber Board are:
- First Vice Chair: Donna Lucas, chief executive officer and president, Lucas Public Affairs.
- Second Vice Chair: Kailesh Karavadra, West Growth Markets Leader, Ernst & Young LLP; and
- Third Vice Chair: Gregory S. Bielli, president and chief executive officer, Tejon Ranch Company.
Jansen has been president and chief executive officer of Blue Diamond Growers since October 2010 where his leadership focus on innovation, quality and strategic growth has helped transform Blue Diamond into an industry-leading global branded food manufacturer. Jansen’s previous career achievements include leading the brand growth for Haagen-Dazs, Betty Crocker, Totino’s, Pillsbury, Red Baron, Freschetta, Wolfgang Puck, Tony’s and Minh.
Jansen received his bachelor’s degree in economics from St. Olaf College and an MBA in marketing and finance from the Kellogg School of Business at Northwestern University.
The California Chamber of Commerce (CalChamber) is the largest broad-based business advocate to government in California. Membership represents one-quarter of the private sector jobs in California and includes firms of all sizes and companies from every industry within the state. Leveraging our front-line knowledge of laws and regulations, we provide products and services to help businesses comply with both federal and state law. CalChamber, a not-for-profit organization with roots dating to 1890, promotes international trade and investment in order to stimulate California’s economy and create jobs. Please visit our website at www.calchamber.com.


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Telstra also now includes a three-month subscription to popular streaming services Netflix, Stan, and Presto on select mobile plans. Additionally, all plans include a free 200GB OneDrive cloud storage subscription, free and unlimited Telstra Air hotspot data, and a NRL and AFL 2016 Footy Season Pass.
Many carriers offer free subscriptions to services like Apple Music or Spotify to attract new customers. Telstra became the first carrier to gift Apple Music with a mobile plan when it offered a 12-month subscription for free last August. German carrier Deutsche Telekom is similarly planning to offer new customers six months of Apple Music service for free starting in September, according to a recent report.
When the six-month Apple Music subscription ends, Telstra will automatically charge customers $11.99 per month until the plan is canceled, but data-free streaming will continue. The carrier has posted an Apple Music FAQ with more information about the offer, including how to sign up.
Source: Mac Rumors


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The complaint also claims Facebook and an Oregon-based advertising agency hired by the company gave the legal team for Eminem's Ferndale-based publisher, Eight Mile Style, a replay with "bellicose language" and "gross factual inaccuracies."
In that response, according to the complaint, the defendant's legal counsel "falsely and wrongfully alleged" that Andre Young (Dr. Dre) composed the Eminem song "Under the Influence" that's the subject of the plaintiffs' lawsuit.
"Yet, a simple internet search of the Eminem/D12 composition would have revealed that 'Under the Influence' was composed by Marshall Mathers III and members of D12," read the complaint, obtained by MLive Detroit. "... Dr. Dre likewise did not produce 'Under the Influence.'"
The lawsuit filed by Emimen's publisher alleges that Facebook infringed the rapper's copyright when it unveiled in April an online commercial called "Airplane."
Listen to the Eminem song "Under the Influence," watch the Facebook commercial and let MLive Detroit now what you think about this legal matter in our comments section.
The complaint also mentions that Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is an Eminem fan.
Do you think Eminem's publisher has a case?
The Facebook ad in question
Eminem's song "Under the Influence" (WARNING: profanity)


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Domino's Pizza is taking full ownership of its Japanese joint venture by buying out partner Bain Capital's minority stake for $42 million.
Domino's, which in May announced Bain's intention to exit, on Monday said it would pay less than the $46.4 million it set aside for the deal in its full-year accounts.
The purchase will be funded by a combination of cash and existing debt facilities, and is expected to be completed by Friday.
Domino's said the transaction will be earnings per share accretive in the current financial year, which started on July 3.
The deal is the second in less than a week for Domino's.
Last week, the company continued its European expansion with the 32 million euro ($A48.1 million) acquisition of German chain Hallo Pizza.
The cost of integrating the 170 stores into Domino's Pizza Deutschland, which is majority owned by Domino's Pizza, will bring the ASX-listed company's net spend on the deal to between $A52.6 million and $A63.1 million.
That transaction will only have a small positive contribution to Domino's FY18 underlying earnings because it won't complete until early in the 2018 calendar year.


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Nokia is indeed making their own tablet and that is proven by the statement of Mark Ahtisaari, Nokia’s Lead Designer, that was noted by Reuters which has been seen on a Finnish magazine.
The said tablet is promised to standout from the packed tablet crowd by bringing new experience and other surprising undisclosed innovations that will surely come out.
Furthermore, Nokia is also currently focusing on making another breakthrough ‘revolutionary’ phone similar to Nokia 808 PureView & Nokia N95. One chunk of innovation we could think of is that Augmented Reality is definitely coming in new level. And yes, you might not be needing to bend your neck or touch your screen anymore in order to use your phone (aha!), that’s our guess though.


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NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- If Yahoo follows through with a possible sale to Verizon, you can say goodbye to Yahoo... and hello to Altaba.
Marissa Mayer will step down from Yahoo's board of directors if its sale to Verizon goes through, according to a company filing on Monday.
The Yahoo CEO's pending resignation from the board is part of a broader restructuring. After completing the $4.8 billion sale of its core Internet assets to Verizon, what remains of Yahoo will effectively be converted into an investment company for its Alibaba holdings.
Fittingly, that company will be renamed Altaba, according to the filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Yahoo, wait sorry, we mean Altaba (this takes some getting used to), will then shrink its board to five directors. Yahoo cofounder David Filo and chairman Maynard Webb also intend to step down from the board.
Yahoo says in the filing that none of the board members are resigning "due to any disagreement with the Company" over "operations, policies or practices."
Mayer remains Yahoo's CEO and has repeatedly stated her intention to stay with the company at least through the transition period with Verizon.
"For me personally, I'm planning to stay," Mayer wrote in a Tumblr post at the time of the acquisition. "I love Yahoo, and I believe in all of you. It's important to me to see Yahoo into its next chapter."
However, all of this assumes the Verizon deal actually goes through, which remains an open question.
Since announcing the deal to sell itself last July, Yahoo has suffered two massive security breaches impacting more than one billion user accounts. Verizon is rumored to be rethinking the price of the deal and possibly scrapping it altogether.
Verizon execs have said publicly they continue to investigate the full financial impact of the Yahoo breach.
"Unfortunately, I can't sit here today and say with confidence one way or the other because we still don't know," Marni Walden, an executive VP at Verizon, said at an investor conference this month.


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One step forward, one step back as Xiaomi mysteriously halts sales in South Korea due to “legal matters”
Xiaomi’s latest gambit in its quest to find sales growth outside of its home market of China was a short-lived one. The company launched its first phones in South Korea last Monday, 4th January, through KT Corporation, the nation’s second largest…
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The 2010 Toyota Prius
Safer driving starts with a driver's skills, but it also begins with the vehicle itself--one that's engineered and manufactured to operate in a predictable, reliable way.
When the best-laid plans of car companies go awry, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gets involved. As part of its mandate, the NHTSA patrols repair and crash records for vehicles to find flaws and defects. When it decides a vehicle isn't safe to operate, due to a mechanical defect, it issues a recall.
And sometimes, seeing the writing on the wall, car companies issue their own "service actions"--a recall in some ways, but less legally severe than an official NHTSA mandate.
The long history of car recalls has saved thousands of lives, and tarnished some nameplates in the process. Ford's Pinto fell victim to its own design flaws, called out by the safety agency.
Sometimes, companies have turned around recalls in their favor. In its early days, Saturn recalled its first cars and not only offered loaner vehicles, but also picked up and returned owners' cars as a sign of its committment to customer service. The Ford Focus endured nine recalls in its first few years on the market, spurring the company to increase its quality across the board--and today its lineup is among the most reliable, according to many surveys.
The list of recalls from the past decade includes some whoppers--and some smaller ones that had a greater impact on the carmakers involved. Not exclusively the biggest recalls on record, the seven most important car recalls and service actions of the past decade start with a duo from the very recent past:2009: Toyota floor-mat and accelerator-pedal recalls
A dramatic expansion of its lineup had elbowed GM aside, but Toyota's legendary attention to quality had suffered in its race to become the world's largest automaker. A string of recalls ended the decade with a thud. The most notorious included its halo vehicle, the hybrid Prius, and its Lexus brand, too. In two separate actions, Toyota recalled 4.3 million vehicles in the U.S. for loose floor mats and another 2.3 million vehicles for sticking accelerator pedals. Its golden reputation dented, Toyota lost its automatic recommendation from Consumer Reports for a time, and may have lost up to 200,000 sales as a result.
2000 Ford Explorer
Before Toyota's problems came to light, the Ford/Firestone debacle was the most comprehensive, brand-damaging recall of the decade. In the late 1990s, owners reported the tires on their Ford Explorer SUVs were suffering tread separation--a problem which was linked to at least 270 deaths. With much foot-dragging and internal debate, the tire company recalled 6.5 million tires in August 2000 for tread separation; a year later, Ford itself recalled another 13 million tires at a cost estimated at $3 billion.2000-2009: Ford cruise control
Throughout the 1990s, a huge swath of Ford vehicles came standard with a single type of cruise control. By 2000, that cruise-control switch was implicated in mysterious fires that occurred even after the vehicles in question had been turned off. In 2009, Ford finally completed its legal requirements in the recall, which would be widened several times to cover nearly 17.5 million vehicles from its Ford, Mercury and Lincoln brands, as well as a handful of Mazda pickups, all manufactured from 1993 to 2004. A troubling point: according to the NHTSA, through no fault of Ford's, many of the vehicles involved still have not been repaired.
2000 Volkswagen New Beetle
Volkswagen started the last decade with some momentum, thanks to clever ads and the return of the iconic Beetle. By 2003, the new generation of VW converts were an irked bunch, thanks to a problem with faulty ignition coils in its four- and six-cylinder engines that led to charges of foot-dragging by the German automaker. The coils would fail without warning, and until an official service action in 2003, VW only would replace the coils after they had failed--and after much kvetching. Eventually, more than half a million Volkswagen and Audi vehicles were included in a service action that replaced the coils at no charge. The cost to VW's reputation: enormous. Today, the issue still is under surveillance by the NHTSA, as VW prepares another U.S. onslaught with the 2011 Jetta and with a new mid-size sedan manufactured in Tennessee.
2002-2004: Honda automatic transmissions
Honda's first step beyond four-speed automatic transmissions proved a difficult one. A new five-speed automatic developed for use across its lineup, in vehicles from the Honda Accord and Odyssey to the Acura TL and MDX did not provide enough lubrication for proper transmission shifts. Honda spent more than $150 million to fix the problem in more than 1 million affected vehicles, but its reputation for reliability took a big, rare hit.
ASI Ferrari 458 Italia
It may only have affected 1,248 vehicles, but this year's notorious recall of the Ferrari 458 Italia grabbed headlines because of the spectacular fires that resulted. In the initial run of Italia coupes, wheel-liner glue caught fire, which spread to the rest of the mid-engined supercar. Before the headlines could spread out of control, Ferrari brought back all the copies it had built through July to swap out the glue for rivets. The final tally: four extra-crispy cars, and one scorched reputation.


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2.9 million Adobe customer accounts have been compromised – including UK, US, Europe and worldwide.
Adobe servers have been hacked in what the company has described in a blogpost as 'sophisticated attacks on our network, involving the illegal access of customer information as well as source code for numerous Adobe products.'
The hackers managed to download details from 2.9 million accounts, including encrypted debit and credit card details – though Adobe says that 'at this time, we do not believe the attackers removed decrypted credit or debit card numbers from our systems'. The accounts include those who have an Adobe ID, not just Creative Cloud customers
We've reached out to Adobe to confirm that this affects users in the UK, though from comments such as this on Twitter it appears that this is the case. We've also seen tweets from people who've received the email in Denmark, Sweden and Finland.
Adobe advises that 'if your user ID and password were involved, you will receive an email notification from us with information on how to change your password. We also recommend that you change your passwords on any website where you may have used the same user ID and password.'
Creative Cloud cracked?
The hackers also downloaded source code for many of Adobe's applications. In its blogpost, the company says that it's checking to see if the code could be used to find vulnerabilities that could be exploited by malware, but another concern is that hackers could use the source code to create cracked versions of tools such as Photoshop CC (though these already exist). Limiting piracy was one of the reasons given for Adobe's move to a rental system with Creative Cloud.


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The Consumer Electronics Association suggests that the average smartphone life expectancy in 2015 was 4.7 years, while data from Kantar WorldPanel has found that the average US smartphone user is only willing to keep their device for just shy of two years before looking to upgrade.
At TORRO Cases, our business is to help you get the best out of your smartphone. So, hoping to keep a hold of your trusty gadget for much longer than the figures above? Here’s some tips that could see your smartphone going strong and looking like new for many years to come…
Protection from common causes of damage
Smashed and cracked smartphone screens appear to be a common sight if research into this issue is anything to go by.
Engadget, for example, has reported that between 50 and 55 per cent of all smartphone repairs will be a result of the screen being damaged. Furthermore, Motorola has found that 50 per cent of people globally have experienced a cracked smartphone screen at least once in their lives.
TORRO Cases offers trusty tempered glass screen protectors and premium, genuine leather cases that not only save your gadget’s screen from damage when dropped or mishandled, but also reduce the risk of chips appearing around your device or damage to the camera lens.
You shouldn’t worry that a case will reduce how eye-catching your phone is either, as there are designs available now that will help make your smartphone something you’re even prouder to carry. A stylish TORRO case, for instance, is designed with the aesthetics of your device in mind.
Extending battery life
Sometimes it isn’t physical damage that will cause you woes when it comes to your smartphone, as Battery University, a leading resource for information on batteries, has discovered.
According to the institute, manufacturers have stated that a smartphone’s lithium-ion battery is designed to have a lifespan of between 300 and 500 charging cycles. To put this into context, a charging cycle occurs each time you plug in your phone once the battery has dropped below 70 per cent.
There are techniques which heighten the possibility of your smartphone’s battery life being expanded though.
One tip is to try and keep Li-ion batteries at 50 per cent or more for as much time as possible. Refrain from charging them all the way to 100 per cent though, as fully recharging a battery regularly can shorten its lifespan. Instead, aim for a full zero to 100 per cent recharge of the battery around once a month — this will recalibrate the battery in a similar sense as restarting a computer.
It makes sense to get the most of your smartphone’s battery when it’s charged too, to increase the amount of time it takes to reach empty. Dimming the brightness of a smartphone’s screen, reducing how long the screen stays lit after receiving an input, switching off both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, not using the vibrate function and refraining from running apps in the background are all easy ways to boost a device’s battery life.
Avoiding dirt and debris
A study from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine revealed that 92 per cent of smartphones that the institute tested were found to be covered in bacteria — 16% also had E.coli present!
Even though the screen protectors and cases mentioned earlier will help to prevent tiny particles of dust and crumbs from getting into the grooves and joints of your device, sometimes the cases themselves can show signs of daily usage after a while.
While plenty of device care kits are available, TORRO Cases offers a leather care kit that will effectively shield your genuine leather case from all grease, oils, dust and dirt that your phone will be exposed to during its lifetime. Not only will your phone stay as good as new, your TORRO case will also stay at its best for much longer while it protects its precious device.


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Lu Lindi became an avid online shopper during China’s coronavirus lockdown earlier this year, using the Alipay app on his smartphone to pay for everything from milk powder to Chinese medicine.
But the 54-year-old did not realise for weeks that instead of debiting his account, Alipay was actually funding his shopping spree by issuing him credit.
Mr Lu was not alone. Alipay’s credit business is so huge that it now issues about one-tenth of all of China’s non-mortgage consumer loans. And a number of other customers told the Financial Times they felt the app is designed so that people take out loans, sometimes unwittingly.
As Alipay’s owner, Ant Group, approaches a $30bn IPO in Hong Kong and Shanghai, the rapid growth of its credit business has been a key selling point to investors.
In its listing documents, Ant revealed that revenues from its credit unit, which largely consist of the fees that partner banks pay to Ant for arranging the loans, had grown by 59 per cent in the six months to the end of June and now make up 39 per cent of its total sales.
Kevin Kwek, an analyst at Bernstein, estimated that Ant receives a fee of about 2.5 per cent for each loan it sets up.
The credit arm, which also lends to small businesses, has transformed Ant, which originally amassed its base of more than 700m monthly users by being an easy mobile payments app. But with Chinese regulators circling consumer lending, analysts are unsure whether such rapid growth can continue.
Ant’s consumer lending business is made up of two products: Huabei, which is similar to a traditional credit card, and Jiebei, which are small unsecured loans made through the Alipay app.
Users say they are funnelled towards these two products with discounts and offers, and sometimes Alipay uses Huabei to pay by default, even if they do not intend to use credit.
“It induces you to use Huabei all the time,” said 38-year-old Vincent Cheng. “As soon as your default payment method is not Huabei, the app will continually push discounts and promotions at checkout to get you to pay with Huabei.”
“Once you’ve accidentally paid with Huabei, it becomes set as the default,” said Mr Cheng.
About 500m users borrowed from Huabei and Jiebei in the year to June 30; the average Huabei outstanding balance was about Rmb2,000 ($295) at June 30.
Janine Wong said she so frequently ended up paying with Huabei that she set a Rmb500 credit limit to minimise using it by mistake. But it did not solve the problem.
“They would temporarily raise my credit limit automatically, so sometimes even if my credit balance was not supposed to be enough to pay for something, it still got paid with Huabei if I didn’t pay attention,” she said.
Ant said if users have any questions, the company’s customer service is there to help. In its IPO prospectus, the company said it will automatically deduct funds from users’ Alipay accounts or connected debit cards, so that if consumers pay with Huabei unintentionally they do not pay interest as long as they have enough money in their accounts at the end of the interest-free period.
Mr Kwek said he did not expect the growth of the loans business to continue at the pace of the past two years, but noted that China’s overall loan growth is 12 to 14 per cent per year and that Alipay has some powerful techniques to keep people borrowing. “With the link to payments you have a unique basis for growth,” he said.
Meanwhile, Beijing has continuously tightened its regulation of online lending in recent years, putting 99 per cent of peer-to-peer lenders out of business but entrenching the positions of Ant, Tencent and a number of other major apps.
Ant has disbursed more loans as a result and had issued a total of Rmb1.7tn of outstanding consumer credit as of June 30, larger than the retail loan book of any Chinese bank.
But regulation has also forced it to partner with banks, which together with Ant’s affiliate MYbank, provided 88 per cent of the consumer loans as of June 30. In August, China’s supreme court ruled that the maximum interest rate on loans should be capped at four times the loan prime rate, or 15.4 per cent annually, which could affect the small portion of loans Ant makes directly or securitises.
Ant said the majority of its borrowers already pay about this rate or less and a person familiar with the matter said the court ruling will be immaterial.
But Zhao Xijun, a finance professor at Renmin University in Beijing, said its banking partners may face even stricter interest rate caps in the future.
“It is a general trend for China to control and lower interest rates on loans . . . licensed institutions are under a lot of supervision and their risk premium is lower, so they are likely to be given a maximum rate that’s even lower than four times the LPR,” said Mr Zhao.
Still, in recent years Ant’s business has faced numerous regulatory hurdles and managed to grow new business to offset curtailed areas. “Innovations happen when you have lots of challenges,” said one person close to the company.


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Britain's second-largest bookmaker Ladbrokes beefs up online offering
Ladbrokes hopes its online woes are behind it after beefing up a partnership with mobile and internet software specialist Playtech.
Just days after William Hill dissolved its joint venture with Playtech to go it alone, Britain’s second-largest bookmaker signed the firm up to help boost its poker, bingo and other games.
Just last summer Ladbrokes was forced to issue a profits warning and parted company with Richard Ames, its information technology boss, after internet profits halved following a botched attempt to expand online.
Another jump cleared? Ladbrokes is investing in more online gaming
Profits had slumped from £29.7m to
£15m from the unit that operates online and mobile phone betting, after
it lost out to rivals because of delays rolling out new technology.
It also failed to reach an agreement to acquire rival Sportingbet, which subsequently hatched a deal with arch rival William Hill.
Ever since the pressure has been on
chief executive Richard Glynn to transform the bookie’s online fortunes
and this latest attempt to catch up will be seen as make or break.
Playtech’s fee is linked purely to
revenues and based on increases of 27.5pc in Ladbrokes core earnings,
including a one-off bonus if Playtech generates digital operating profit
of more than £100m in 2017.
Investors welcomed the deal sending the shares up 14.6p to 239.8p.
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75-unit deal to permeate South, Southeast Asian markets with casual-dining chain’s presence
TGI Fridays completed a development deal with Universal Success Enterprises that will deliver 75 new restaurants throughout South and Southeast Asia over 10 years. The agreement with its territory master franchisor comes on the heels of the chain’s growing pipeline and 22 new TGI Fridays stores open in 2022.
“We’re thrilled to bring the TGI Fridays brand—and experience—to new markets and consumers in Asia through our expanded partnership with Universal Success Enterprises,” said Ray Blanchette, chief executive at TGI Fridays. “Universal Success Enterprises is a valued partner—their deep experience in the marketplace and proven track record of excellence with TGI Fridays coupled with our successful local market approach will ensure the brand—and our menu offerings—are relevant to consumers.”
Based in Singapore, Universal Success Enterprises has the experience and track record in Asia to open these new stores in the region. The company operates 3 TGI Fridays in India and debuted Outback Steakhouse in South and Southeast Asian markets, including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines.
“We’re excited to expand the TGI Fridays brand and footprint in South and Southeast Asia,” said Prasoon Mukherjee, chairman, Universal Success Enterprises. “Our deep experience in the hospitality industry, understanding of what consumers in our markets crave, and real estate development expertise uniquely positions Universal Success Enterprises to drive unprecedented growth for the brand. Personally, I began my restaurant career with TGI Fridays over 30 years as a kitchen manage—and am thrilled to be sharing the brand experience with consumers across the region.”
The TGI Fridays brand has performed well as of late, suggested an announcement. Global same store sales increased 23% globally, surpassing some other legacy casual-dining and QSR concepts. Executives note the appeal of the brand, including BIG AF Burgers in the Middle East, satiating consumers desiring American flavors. They envision a similar situation playing out at the 75 locations to be opened with Universal Success.
For more information about the publisher of this restaurant news site, click here.


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Toyota's stand at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show was filled with a variety of mobility concepts, ranging from a broom that can transport you through the air like a witch, to the e-Palette that will be transporting athletes during the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Some of the concepts on show preview production models, like the Mirai and Ultra-Compact BEV concepts. Though others, like the aforementioned broom concept, are purely the stuff of fantasy. Toyota's E-Racer concept, also on show in Tokyo, clearly falls into the latter category.
The concept is Toyota's vision for an enthusiast vehicle in a world where self-driving cars have turned the act of driving into a hobby, much like what cars did to horseback riding last century. It even comes with an automated tailor that can knock out a bespoke race suit.
While the E-Racer isn't bound for production, we could potentially see it in a video game at some point. In fact, at its Tokyo debut, Toyota had virtual reality glasses that enabled visitors to simulate driving the concept on leading racetracks.
For more from the Tokyo Motor Show, head to our dedicated hub.


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Legislators have approved a bill that would block all porn in Israel unless people ask to view it. The Israeli Ministerial Committee for Legislation unanimously approved the bill, which forces internet companies in the country censor adult websites by default. Backers of the new legislation claim that it is a way of stopping young people getting online. Under the terms of the bill, anyone wanting to access pornography online would have to tell their internet service provider, either by writing to them, ringing them or getting in touch their website. An employee shows a Samsung Electronics' Gear S3 Classic during Korea Electronics Show 2016 in Seoul, South Korea Visitors experience Samsung Electronics' Gear VR during the Korea Electronics Grand Fair at an exhibition hall in Seoul, South Korea Amy Rimmer, Research Engineer at Jaguar Land Rover, demonstrates the car manufacturer's Advanced Highway Assist in a Range Rover, which drives the vehicle, overtakes and can detect vehicles in the blind spot, during the first demonstrations of the UK Autodrive Project at HORIBA MIRA Proving Ground in Nuneaton, Warwickshire Chris Burbridge, Autonomous Driving Software Engineer for Tata Motors European Technical Centre, demonstrates the car manufacturer's GLOSA V2X functionality, which is connected to the traffic lights and shares information with the driver, during the first demonstrations of the UK Autodrive Project at HORIBA MIRA Proving Ground in Nuneaton, Warwickshire In its facilities, JAXA develop satellites and analyse their observation data, train astronauts for utilization in the Japanese Experiment Module'Kibo' of the International Space Station (ISS) and develop launch vehicles The robot developed by Seed Solutions sings and dances to the music during the Japan Robot Week 2016 at Tokyo Big Sight.
Oct-31-2016, 23:37:35 GMT