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New Vegas-era dialog skill checks are back, and Starfield will have a unique persuasion system befit of a "classic" Bethesda game.
Starfield is shaping up for its impending 2023 launch, and no epic Bethesda RPG would be complete without an innovative dialog system. We've already reported that Starfield wouldn't recreate one of Fallout 4's biggest mistakes, but now Bethesda's Todd Howard discusses more info on the game's dialog mechanics.
"We've a lot of different dialog systems, we've gone back to a kind of classic Bethesda style dialog system. You're looking at the character and how they emote and there's a series of choices there," Howard said in a new Starfield video.
Howard also says the dialog is impactful...and that Starfield now has 250,000 lines of dialog. That's up from the 150,000 lines of dialog reported back in October 2021, and the 200,000 lines that was reported back in June.
"The scope of the game, the amount of content we're making is a bit more than we've done before in terms of quests and things like that. The depth in some of the stuff with the dialog...we just passed 250,000 lines. So that's a lot of dialog. But we've gone through it and the impact is really there. And that includes my favorite speech persuasion system.
"It feels like it's part of the dialog, that you're spending points to try and persuade them. It feels natural, not like I'm in some other mode where I'm not doing regular dialog. I'm in this mode of persuading you to get what I want."
Starfield is due out in 2023 and will be exclusive to PC and the Xbox Series X/S duo.


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This earnings season, the biggest tech companies clarified their paths forward over the next two years, and in the process explained what our tech future is going to look like.
For Apple, it's about doubling down on the services business to position itself for a time when the smartphone becomes redundant as a computing platform.
With augmented reality, virtual reality and the internet of things becoming more than buzzwords, Apple's future relies on recurring revenue from these shifts -- and that means services. Most of the Apple innovation debate centers around hardware -- the next great iPhone; an iWatch that does it all; Apple car; or perhaps a so-far un-thought of gadget. While that may still be a focus area for the company's research department, Tim Cook is now focused on doubling the services business over the next four years.
For Facebook, "It's more than just the big blue app," says Eric Sheridan, UBS tech analyst. The company is a portfolio of brands -- including Messenger, WhatsApp, Instagram, Oculus, and the like -- and that's the way to value it.
And a big value driver of that value is video.
"I see video as a megatrend on the same order as mobile. That's why we're going to keep putting video first across our family of apps and making it easier for people to capture and share video in new ways." - Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook CEO on the Q4 2016 earnings call.
BTIG's Rich Greenfield raises an important question: does this mean allowing users to upload and share more video or does this mean offering video entertainment to Facebook users? The latter idea is made more interesting by the fact that Reed Hastings, Netflix CEO, sits on Facebook's board.
Each path is a distinct strategy would take the company in different directions.
Meanwhile, the company's ad service business continues growing from strength to strength. Strategic buys including Instagram and Whatsapp helped diversify Facebook's geographical and demographical bets. As for monetization, Facebook has many untouched levers, including using bots enabled commerce within Messenger and Whatsapp. And of course, virtual reality:
"We're going to keep making big investments in VR content, and I'm excited about what's coming in 2017, from new games to more immersive educational experiences." - Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook CEO on the Q4 2016 earnings call
For Microsoft, the pivot to the cloud,continues. Its commercial cloud business, which include cloud products -- Office 365 and Azure – grew by 95% year-over-year in the most recent quarter.
CEO Satya Nadella's strategic bets are paying off. Since Nadella's Feb 2014 arrival the stock's rallied 67%. Nadella's LinkedIn acquisition, further proof of his cloud-based services focus, continues integrating with the parent company with the announcement of Kevin Scott, former SVP of infrastructure at LinkedIn as its new CTO.
Another nod to Nadella's sound management and stewardship of the 41-year-old American icon is his recent appointment to Starbucks' board of directors at a time when founder and CEO Howard Schultz is stepping away.
For Amazon: The Amazon story has not changed: CEO Jeff Bezos continues building scale into the business through aggressive investments in Video, Fulfilment, Fresh, Alexa & India expansion.
In the short term this implies quarterly earnings misses while the long-term continues to brim with hope and possibility. With exposure to over a third of the world's digital customers, you'd be hard pressed to find a company with bigger ambitions.
For Alphabet: Google's parent company is betting its future on the power of artificial intelligence. Google looks at AI to drive its search, ad and computing capabilities.
This is going to have an effect on the Google experience for users: "Over time, the 10 blue search links will likely go away. That could cause a bump in the Google story in a few years, just like the shift from desktop to mobile had a near term negative impact," says Gene Munster, co-founder of Loup Ventures and a leading tech analyst.
"Computing is moving from a mobile-first to AI-first with more universal ambient and intelligent computing that you can interact with naturally, all made smarter by the progress we are making with machine learning. 2016 was the year that this became central to who we are as a company and the products that we built. We had more than .350 launches powered by machine learning across areas like search, maps, messaging and Google Play." Sundar Pichai, Google CEO on the Q4 earnings call

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Aluminum could give a big boost to capacity and power of lithium-ion batteries.
Designed with green battery technology, the EnergyBar 100 is manufactured with no known carcinogens, is recyclable and there is no thermal runoff.
By implementing the IMERGY storage solution in the premises, GAT is able to store the energy produced by the PV panels during the day and use it during the non-solar time, thus eliminating the diesel generator run to provide clean power when needed.
Jabil will help ViZn ramp up production capabilities to fulfill current orders and meet expected delivery commitments over the next 12 months.
Saft leaders accept Brad Roberts Outstanding Industry Achievement Award at the Energy Storage Association (ESA) Annual Conference & Expo.
Mark Shwartz, Stanford Univ.: Stanford Univ. scientists have created a new carbon material that significantly boosts the performance of energy-storage technologies. Their results are featured in ACS Central Science. "We have developed a 'designer carbon' that is both versatile and controllable," said Zhenan Bao, the senior author of the study and a professor of chemical engineering at Stanford. "Our study shows that this material has exceptional energy-storage capacity, enabling unprecedented performance in lithium-sulfur batteries and supercapacitors." According to Bao, the new designer carbon represents a dramatic improvement over conventional activated carbon, an inexpensive material widely used in products ranging from water filters and air deodorizers to energy-storage devices. "A lot of cheap activated carbon is made from coconut shells," Bao said. "To activate the carbon, manufacturers burn the coconut at high temperatures and then chemically treat it." The activation process creates nanosized holes, or pores, that increase the surface area of the carbon, allowing it to catalyze more chemical reactions and store more electrical charges.
As a leader in energy solutions, Gexpro will be the system integrator using industry-leading technology from each of the supplier companies.
ees Europe 2015 takes place alongside Intersolar Europe at Messe München from June 10-12.
A Navigant Research report estimates that revenue from fuel cells, fast chargers, and Li-ion batteries in the material handling market will be $556MM in North America by 2020, compared to $121MM in 2013.
100-kilowatt solar installation powers university's parking garage --- Excess solar energy stored in an industrial-size battery system --- Project enabled by $1 million grant from Duke Energy Florida
Intelligent, connected energy storage system installed and operating in California brings new capability to the solar energy markets
ASD is presenting its entire new line of hybrid batteries and other innovative products at the Intersolar exhibition in Munich, Germany, from 10-12 June 2015.
Energy Products, one of the Midwests largest independently owned battery distributors, has been named Master Distributor for Trojan Battery in the Michigan and Ohio regions.
Gexpro Entering Commercial Battery Energy Storage Market With Turnkey Solution for Its Large Customer Base
From materials, manufacturing technologies, finished rechargeable batteries to the latest applications, a vast range of exhibits were showcased at BATTERY JAPAN by 252 exhibitors.
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Sierra was the first to introduce a combination volumetric vortex and multivariable mass flow meter in 1997. Today, Sierra's completely redesigned InnovaMass® iSeries™ 240i/241i builds on two decades of success measuring five process variables for gas, liquid and steam with one connection. Now, with the latest hyper-fast microprocessors, robust software applications, field diagnostic and adjustment capability, and a new state-of-the-art flow calibration facility, Sierra's vortex iSeries delivers precision, performance, and application flexibility never before possible.


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Cordish Organisations to Build $130-Million Mini-Casino in Pennsylvania
Cordish Firms presented plans for a $130-million casino along with 750 slots and fifty table games from Westmoreland Shopping mall in Hempfield Township
While few particulars had earlier been unveiled about a new proposed mini-casino in Pennsylvania’s Hempfield Township , distributors from Cordish Companies (and its online Stadium Gambling houses LLC) provided earlier as soon as possible their can easily the premises during a reading before the Pa Gaming Manipulate Board.
Cordish CFO Travis Lamb says during a 45-minute presentation in advance of regulators it had been their definitive goal to create ‘a complete pleasure destination. ‘
First this year, Cordish paid a new $40-million drivers license fee, looking for a game license to determine and run a mini-casino in Hempfield Township. It then bought the two-level, one hundred, 000-square-foot closed Bon-Ton shop at Westmoreland Mall in which it hopes to open often the facility. The organization submitted it’s full licenses application using the Gaming Handle Board this fall.
Throughout this week’s concept, the company declared the area would incorporate a gaming surface with 750 slot machines and also around forty table games as well as a 2, 500-square-foot food and beverage area including a two-story nightclub. Mr. Lamb said that the bar would build a ‘wow effect’ for readers.
Cordish now owns Live! Casino & Hotel around Hanover, Md, among many other qualities. Continue reading “Cordish Organisations to Build $130-Million Mini-Casino in Pennsylvania”


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Symantec announced a company-wide “organisational simplification initiative” in January, emphasising at the time it would be reducing executive and middle management positions, and reorganising its sales department.
We expect to eliminate between 30-40 percent of the management positions. We will have fewer, bigger jobs for our best and brightest.”
35 staff in Symantec’s Australian tech support teams were visited by the company’s global head of Consumer Support and told they no longer had a job.
The redundancies affected the Quality Assurance, Training and Consumer Support teams. The front-facing Consumer Support team was responsible for technical support, refunds and complaints, and was the point of contact for customers who wished to speak to an Australian about a product issue.
“As of June 14th, no support exists in Australia for Australian customers,” another source said.
Symantec’s Australian marketing and sales departments are understood to be next in line, with up to 36 employees asked to reapply for 12 positions.
1700 workers globally will be let go under the restructuring program – just under 8 percent of the 21,500 employees Symantec reported to have as of March 29 this year.
Of that figure, around 7400 are employed in sales and marketing, 7200 in research and development, 5400 in support and services, and 1500 in management, manufacturing, and administration globally.
In the last financial year, the Asia Pacific/Japan region made up 19 percent of Symantec’s overall net revenue, $1.3 billion,thats up 18%
screwing everyone harder
The machine, from start-up Lamassu Bitcoin Ventures, lets users buy bitcoins, but doesn’t allow the reverse transfer, from the digital currency to hard cash.
To use the ATM, you need to have an existing Bitcoin wallet number. First, it scans a QR code of your Bitcoin address. Then, the user has to feed bank notes into the machine, which are converted at the current exchange rate and deposited into their account. While the deposit takes moments, it can take several minutes for an account to be updated.
Bitcoin can be purchased via online exchange sites, but the ATM means you don’t need to use a credit or bank card, helping to keep the transactions anonymous, the company said.
The company hopes to ship the devices globally in the autumn, and they will cost between $4,000 and $5,000.
Bitcoin is currently priced at about $90
Solution providers say the 4-hour battery life for Surface Pro, which is targeted squarely at the business market, is a deal breaker. They say Microsoft needs to move quickly to bring longer battery life to the Surface Pro for it to be a winner in corporate accounts.
Ars Technica, said Surface Pro’s -hour had a 3- to 3.5-hour battery life when viewing a video continuously.
Walt Mossberg of AllThingsD, said in his review of the Surface Pro that the product was “too hefty and costly and power-hungry – Mossberg’s tests had the Surface Pro lasting “just under four hours between charges — less than half that of the iPad on the same test.”
The trial used a digital subscriber line (DSL) modem prototype made by Bell Labs and ran over a single, “good quality cable”. Speeds achieved were 1.1Gbps over 70 metres and 800Mbps over 100 metres, Alcatel-Lucent said.
The trial used G.fast [PDF] technology, which combines pair-bonding, vectoring and phantom mode technologies to improve speed and reach around VDSL2.
The technology is not yet standardised, but Alcatel Lucent said it was a natural evolution of today’s VDSL2 copper broadband service, and could be used to provide fibre to the premises (FTTP)-like performance from distribution nodes.\
Threat detection data collected by Kaspersky Lab shows a significant increase in phishing sites attempting to trick users into giving up their Apple account credentials,
Phishing attacks targeting Apple users increased from 1,000 detections per day on average in 2011 to about 200,000 detections per day today, according to the Kaspersky Lab data. Many of the sites attempt to mirror the official Apple store or an official-looking Apple credential reset page. A user who doesn’t pay attention to the location of the Web page can easily be tricked into giving up information.
Only 2.5 percent of threats encountered by Mac users were written specifically for Macs, according to statistics from Symantec. The latest Threat Report from McAfee supports Symantec’s findings and noted that malware growth was flat throughout much of 2012, with no growth in the first quarter of 2013.
Windows 8 grabbed 5.1% market share in June, up from 4.3% in May, finally pipping Vista to the spot as the third most-used Windows OS.
Vista’s share slid to 4.6%, while Windows 7 holds 44.4% and XP still has 37.2%. The most recent version of Apple’s OS X (10.8) has 3.1%,according to data from Net Applications.
Users on Telstra’s BusinessLine plans will see their monthly access charges rise by up to $2, as will those on HomeLine, Plus, Advanced and Together plans.
Bundled plans and contracts will remain the same, the telco said in a statement. HomeLine Budget and Telstra’s Pensioner Discount scheme will similarly remain untouched.
We spend hundreds of millions of dollars each year operating and maintaining our phone services so our pricing needs to reflect this ongoing investment, as well as the rising cost of our own business inputs such as labour, petrol and materials.”
releasing an eBook to mark the occasion.
Called The First 40 Years, the eBook chronicles the experiences of the compnay in Australia
just 100 staff in the early 1970s the company has grown to be seen as a true industry powerhouse and one of the most successful IT service providers in Australia employing around 5,000 people.
Other key milestones for Fujitsu Australia include:
Fujitsu’s 2009 acquisition of KAZ was one of the largest deals of its kind in Australian ICT history, and instantly made Fujitsu a major services player.
Fujitsu was the first vendor to provide a contract with a guaranteed uptime.
In 1991 the DRIVES system at the NSW RTA was the largest commercial Unix site in the world, running on Fujitsu mainframes.
In 1986 Fujitsu sold a game-changing research supercomputer to ANU, the first supplied outside Japan;
in 2012 Fujitsu sold another supercomputer to ANU which will take Australia’s research to new levels in areas such as weather and climate modelling, computational chemistry, particle physics, astronomy, material science, microbiology, nanotechnology and photonics.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics still refers to Fujitsu as a partner even though the ABS retired its mainframe in 2006. Fujitsu’s historic 1977 ABS tender win marked a new era in enterprise systems in Australia with a large deal on a global scale.
Fujitsu took its competition by surprise with a provocative exhibition at Brisbane’s Expo 88, winning the Golden Platypus award for best stand at the show.
Fujitsu Australia Software Technology (FAST) was the first major vendor software development centre in Australia.
The so-called National Day of Action has the backing of Pirate Party Australia, The Greens, WikiLeaks Party, Electronic Frontiers Australia and other political alliances.will hold a series of “pro-privacy rallies” in four Australian capital cities on Saturday July 6.
Rallies have so far been called in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, and the organisers are seeking others to spread the action to further areas of Australia.
NBN Co has achieved its revised June fibre rollout target, passing 207,500 premises.
The company said today it had passed 163,500 premises in built-up areas (“brownfields”) and 44,000 premises in new housing estates (“greenfields”).
It had been targeting between 190,000 and 220,000 premises passed by fibre by June 30.
The ABC has released a new version of its Android app in response to a consumer shift towards Android devices, and hopes to launch an Android version of its popular iview media player before the year is out.
Active usage of the ABC’s flagship Android app has increased 360 percent in the 12 months to May, and Android users now represent 35 percent of all mobile browsers on ABC Online, according to the organisation’s data.
The ABC last year forced the take down of a third-party application that enabled people to download and watch programs offered on its iview service on Android devices.
The Python-iview application, which had been available for more than two years, allowed people to download and playback later, programs offered via iview.
The ABC disagreed, arguing Python-iview breached section 101(1) of the Copyright Act by providing the means to allow users to permanently download and store ABC iview content without permission.
Computer mouse inventor Doug Engelbart dies at 88
developed the tool in the 1960s as a wooden shell covering two metal wheels, patenting it long before the mouse’s widespread use.
He also worked on early incarnations of email, word processing and video teleconferences at a California research institute.
He did not make much money from the mouse because its patent ran out in 1987, before the device became widely used.
SRI licensed the technology in 1983 for $40,000 (£26,000) to Apple.
At least one billion computer mouses have been sold.
The South Korean electronics giant said it had “acquired key talent and assets” from the company.
“This will help us continue to improve the overall user experience across our connected devices,” it added.
Boxee’s latest product lets subscribers record TV shows onto its servers and then stream them to TVs, computers and smart devices “from the cloud”.
It had previously raised $26.5m (£17.3m) in funds from a range of US and Israeli investors.
Facebook bug exposes users’ details
FACEBOOK says a bug in its system caused six million users’ contact information to be inadvertently exposed.
The social media company said on Friday that a bug led to users’ contact information, such as email addresses or phone numbers, to be accessed by other users who either had some contact information about that person or some connection to them.
Facebook said in a blog post that the cause of the bug is ”pretty technical” but that the problem is tied to its ”Download Your Information” tool.
The company uses the information that users upload to better tailor the friend suggestions it issues.
The bug caused some of this information to be inadvertently stored in association with a person’s contact information as part of their Facebook account.
Apps take over in the race to paperless schools
THE days of pawing through school bags looking for notes are numbered, as more and more schools turning to social media to keep in touch with parents.
While most schools have started sending newsletters by email and texting parents if kids aren’t there for morning rollcall, there has been an explosive growth in smartphone apps for schools.
Educators and parents praise the efficiency of the apps, which let you send sick notes, track your child’s location, order lunch and even get directions to sports carnivals.
ansform learning and teaching,” the spokesperson said in a statement to News Ltd.
The Sydney Morning Herald – Warning over gamers’ headset
A headset with four electrodes to zap the brain with a surge of electricity offers to improve computer gamers’ response time so they can eliminate more zombies and raid more tombs.
The $US249 ($273) device, which is available on the internet, passes a current to the prefrontal cortex using a stimulation technique that is also used to treat depression.
But a Sydney world leader in the use of the procedure has warned of the unknown side effects of using the headset and its long-term impact on brain function.
The company website says: ”Overclock your brain using transcranial Direct Current Stimulation to increase the plasticity of your brain. Make your synapses fire faster.”
The company says the headset is not a medical device and is not regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration. It also says the device meets all regulated safety standards but warns against its use by epilepsy sufferers or anyone with implants.
Professor Colleen Loo, from the University of NSW school of psychiatry and clinical and research psychiatrist with the Black Dog Institute said the effect on the brain was dependent on where and how the electrodes were positioned. ”It’s a bit like having an accelerator and brake in a car,” she said. ”Neither is bad and both are very useful but applying them judiciously at the right time and in the right context is absolutely essential. I think stimulation of yourself with do-it-yourself kits is potentially quite dangerous.
”Even with a single session, I am concerned about people doing some mischief to themselves … if you did this while playing a game and then you went out and drove a car and had an accident, did it affect your reaction time, your co-ordination?”
$25 million for an app that doesn’t exist yet
A TWENTY-one-year-old university graduate has become the recipient of the world’s largest early investment funding for a mobile payment app that isn’t yet publicly available.
The Stanford graduate, Lucas Duplan raised $25 million in funding for his app, Clinkle. What the app actually does, nobody really knows. It hasn’t launched yet.
The Clinkle website says it is “rebuilding your analog wallet from the ground up to bring you the future of payment.”
Duplan is keeping mum about what it actually does.
“Our goal is to completely modernise how payments work,” Duplan told Business Insider. “What we’re trying to do is basically take your phone and have it for the first time be able to rival cash and credit cards. We’ve developed a way for consumers to download an app, no hardware needed, and achieve scale from a software point of view.”
Duplan grew up in California and it seems he has always had a knack for business. He first started making money as a teenager by selling iPod cases on eBay. He also rented out his parents’ wireless internet connection in Croatia – where they are originally from.
In 2010 at the tender age of 19, Duplan enrolled in a study abroad program between his freshman and sophomore year at Stanford University.
He said he was inspired to create his app “Clinkle”, after having to carry around piles of coins instead of the notes he was used to using in the US. In fact the app is named after the “clinking” sound the coins made, he told the Wall Street Journal.
Facebook fix a bounty boon for researcher
SMS hijack bug worth $US20k
A Facebook bug that would allow attackers to take over user accounts with minimal effort has netted $US20,000 for a UK-based security researcher.
As detailed on his blog, Jack Whitten, writing as fin1te, found that accounts could be traversed by exploiting a bug in how Facebook linked user accounts to mobile phones. The registration code sent to users linking phones to accounts arrives with an editable profile_id field, which Whitten demonstrated could be changed to another user.
“The flaw lies in the /ajax/settings/mobile/confirm_phone.php end-point. This takes various parameters, but the two main are code, which is the verification code received via your mobile, and profile_id, which is the account to link the number to,” he writes.
Facebook allows the registration code sent to the attacker to be used to access the victim’s account – meaning that the victim’s account is then linked to the attacker’s phone. Whitten then requested a password reset on the target account, received the changed password form, and took over the account.
Tony Abbott: Malcolm Turnbull Invented The Internet In Australia
Maybe someone should stop Opposition Leader Tony Abbott from talking about internet from now until forever.
The Opposition Leader is holding a lofty policy discussion in Canberra right now in the lead-up to the 2013 Election, and in it he spoke briefly about his Shadow Communications Minister, Malcolm Turnbull:
“[Malcolm] virtually invented the internet in this country.”
Let’s fact-check that for a moment, shall we?
Abbott is clearly referring to Malcolm Turnbull’s time at one of Australia’s first ISPs, OzEmail back in the 1990′s. OzEmail came to be in 1992 when the editor of Australian Personal Computer sold his stake of the magazine to ACP to focus on his email service provider, originally dubbed MicroTex.
Fast-forward two years and Malcolm Turnbull enters the picture, investing in the company to the tune of $500,000. He later sold his stake for $57 million in 1999.
I don’t see any internet inventing going on there. Just a smart businessman, doing his thang.
Google developing game console, smartwatch, new Q?
The Wall Street Journal, citing those ever-loquacious “people familiar with the matter,” reports that Google is developing a game console and a smartwatch to be powered by, no surprise, Android.
“With the watch and game console, Google is hoping to combat similar devices that Apple Inc. may release in the future, the WSJ writes (paid subscription required).
In addition to these two new hardware forays – possible swag for Google’s rumored retail stores? – those familiar people also told the WSJ that Google was preparing to take another shot at a web-connected (and Google Play tie-in) media player, a second try at the globular Nexus Q – which didn’t exactly set the world on fire last summer. In fact, before it disappeared entirely its price dropped from three-hundred smackers to free when it was shipped to the few folks who had preordered it.
Interestingly, Reg readers may remember that a Nexus Q follow-on was hinted at late last month when Google filed paperwork with the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for a “H840 Device” that “functions as a media player” – a filing, oddly enough, that was replete with references to Douglas Adam’s Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
A few bubbles have risen to the surface of the rumor stew about Google looking into a smartwatch, but the WSJ’s report of Google working on a game console is the first that we here at Vulture Annex have heard of such an effort – and we wouldn’t be at all surprised if the “people familiar with the matter” were spot on about both devices.
Microsoft to shut down TechNet subscription service
The online Technet blogs and customer support forums will live on, but Microsoft announced today in a letter to subscribers that it plans to retire its venerable TechNet subscriptions service. New subscriptions will no longer be available after August 31, 2013, and the subscription service will shut down as current subscribers’ contracts end.
Microsoft has offered TechNet subscriptions for most of the modern Windows era, debuting in 1998 as a massive packet of CDs, and evolving into a download option as broadband connections became common.
The services have historically been one of the best deals around for frugal IT professionals and PC enthusiasts. For an annual subscription fee of a few hundred dollars, subscribers get the right to download virtually all of the desktop and server software Microsoft sells, with multiple product keys. The software is licensed for evaluation purposes only, but that restriction is part of the license agreement and not enforced in the software itself.
As a result, a lot of enthusiasts used TechNet as a way to get cut-rate Windows client and server upgrades and licenses. Those product keys would up activating Windows on PCs deployed for everyday use instead of hewing to the “evaluation only” restriction.
New rules help travelling Australians avoid shock roaming charges that rack up mobile phone bills
In one of the first announcements of the reborn Rudd Government, Telstra, Optus and Vodafone will be forced to provide details about the real cost of making calls, sending a text or surfing the net when overseas.
The overhaul comes after a 70 per cent surge in complaints about roaming charges that can be 150 times more than at home.
In the worst cases, people have had shock bills of up to $9000 after using their mobile overseas for just one day.
New Communications Minister Anthony Albanese said the crackdown would begin from September 27, forcing the telcos to:
SMS all customers when they arrive overseas to warn them that significantly higher charges for roaming services may apply.
REVEAL they may be charged for services that would normally be free at home, such as receiving a call or text.
TELL people how to turn off roaming services.
PROVIDE the exact price for making a call, sending a text or using the internet.
LINK customers to a free alert that can notify the user when their bill reaches $100 increments for data use and says when they have spent 50, 85 and 100 per cent of pre-paid limits.
“Aussies treated like second-class citizens”: Choice blasts US TV giants
Consumer watchdog Choice has issued a fiery statement accusing US content giants of giving Australians “a raw deal” when it comes to making television shows and films available in Australia, pointing out that Australians pay substantially more to access the same content and encouraging locals to use technical mechanisms to get around so-called “geo-blocking”.
According to Choice, Australians are being treated like second-class digital citizens when it comes to the availability of content, in stark contrast to the pricing and flexibility of content services in the United States.
“Netflix in the US costs only US$7.99 per month and features a hit-parade of shows including Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, House of Cards and Arrested Development. Back catalogues of most series are available for instantaneous viewing, along with other popular TV shows,” said Levy. “In Australia, Quickflix subscription costs range from AU$15 to AU$35 per month and you pay extra to watch some movies and TV shows. Also, it uses DVDs for new release movies, while Foxtel charges AU$72 per month.”
The consumer watchdog said Australians who use technical mechanisms such as supplied by sites like unblock-us.com or blockless-tv to bypass the virtual walls which make content more expensive and harder to access were helping create pressure for change, but also believes they should do so with their eyes wide open. The organisation has set up a site to help Australians work around US content blocks.


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Mexican fast-casual restaurant Überrito announced plans to open a new location in San Antonio later this summer.
Fajita Pete’s first Spring restaurant, located at 4127 Riley Fuzzel Road, is now open.
Rush Bowls, a fast-casual restaurant chain known for its meals-in-a-bowl, is coming to Oakland.
Chicken Salad Chick announced today that at the close of the second quarter, it achieved its 14th consecutive quarter of positive same store sales growth.
Just Salad is now welcoming domestic franchise opportunities with multi-unit franchise operators.
Willie Jewell’s Old School Bar-B-Q, the fast-casual spinoff from the Bono’s Pit Bar-B-Q concept, opened its 15th location on Wednesday, July 17th. The restaurant is located at 10787 Big
Yogurtland announced today that it has signed a multiple store development agreement with to expand to Indonesia.
TooJay’s Deli is pleased to announce the opening of its newest restaurant located at 131 South Compass Way in Dania Pointe.
FAT, parent company of Fatburger, is pleased to announce the opening of their newest co-branded location in Huntington Beach, California.
Global Franchise Group, the franchisor of the Hot Dog on a Stick brand, is proud to announce the opening of a new Hot Dog on a Stick location in Shanghai China – the brand’s first location in the c
Ike’s Love & Sandwiches has today announced the signing of its first multi-unit development agreement to franchise 10 locations throughout Utah and greater Las Vegas.
Hungry Howie's Pizza, is opening its first Arkansas location in Little Rock.
American Dairy Queen Corporation, franchisor of the DQ brand, recently announced its new DQ Grill & Chill restaurant opening in Bradfordville Corners north of Tallahassee.
Captain D’s announced its newest Georgia location in the Atlanta suburb of Norcross officially opened on June 3.
Sbarro has opened its newest restaurant in Cabazon, California.
Vitality Bowls announced today the achievement of reaching 70 open locations. Amanda White claims the 70th location for Vitality Bowls with the unveiling of Vitality Bowls Bellingham.
Mountain Mike’s Pizza is proud to announce the opening of a new location in Folsom, California.
Chef and Owner Gabriele Bonci of Rome-based Bonci Pizza will open the doors to his newest outpost location in New Orleans this June.
Today Del Taco announced the opening of its 39th Arizona restaurant with longtime franchisee and multi-unit owner Brent Veach.
Captain D’s announced today the opening of its newest franchised location in Lincolnton, North Carolina. Located at 1151 E.
Starbucks today announced it has opened its first Signing Store in Guangzhou, China, dedicated to offering employment and career advancement opportunities for the Deaf and hard of hearing community
Mountain Mike’s Pizza, a California-based family-style pizza chain known for serving “Pizza the way it oughta be!,” continues to significantly expand its footprint in the North Bay region of Northe
Chicken Salad Chick announced today it will be expanding in Texas with its newest restaurant in Katy.
Chicken Salad Chick announced today it will be expanding to Ohio with its newest restaurant in Columbus, marking the brand's first location in the state.
Something is baking at Garden State Plaza. Woops!,
a bakery dreamed up in New York City, specializing in macarons and other internati
Sonic Drive-In, a quick-service restaurant concept with more than 3,600 drive-ins in the United States, plans to open its first drive-in in the state of Alaska later this year.
Mici Handcrafted Italian
, a family-founded, five-unit fast casual chain based out of Denver, Colorado, today announces: their sixth locatio
The first Which Wich in the state of Connecticut is now open at 200 College Street, Space C07A, right across from Yale University’s campus in New Haven.
Stoner’s Pizza Joint, a millennial-focused, quick-service pizza franchise, announced today that Bruce Levy of Chatham Foods & Dining LLC, has assumed ownership of its existing Jacksonville, Flo


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ASRock is already teasing the next generation of Intel CPUs and motherboards, inviting press to its 9 Series Motherboard launch during Computex 2014. ASRock is holding the session on June 4, just as the event kicks off.
The company will be launching its new 9-series of motherboards, as well as its "latest product features" and exclusive product information to ASRock's closest friends in the media. You can be sure we'll be covering the event itself, and all of the new 9-series products that will be launched at Computex 2014.
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Physical Release Of Mortal Shell Delayed
Publisher Playstack announced this morning that the physical release of Mortal Shell is being delayed. Originally scheduled for a simultaneous global release on October 2nd, it will now release in the US on November 3rd. As for Europe, it will release at the end of October. This is due to challenges in the current global distribution environment beyond the team’s control.
Here’s a direct quote on the situation from Playstack CEO Harvey Elliott:
“We sincerely apologise to our fans all over the world who have been eagerly waiting for the physical release. Our number one priority is to get Mortal Shell in your hands as soon as possible, therefore we have decided to release each edition of the game the very moment it becomes available. That in turn means a slightly scattered release.”
While the delay of Mortal Shell is a blow to collectors and those preferring the physical format, thankfully the delay isn’t extremely long. When it does arrive, it will include an exclusive poster and artbook featuring previously unreleased concept images and character art. Reasonably priced at $29.99, this could be a good holiday present for the Souls fan in your life.


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1. "You'd save serious kibble buying elsewhere."
Consumers may find it's cheaper to browse other retailers' pet-supply aisle than make a trip to a dedicated pet store. Dollar stores usually carry tug ropes and plush toys, at a discount of 50% or better, says Teri Gault, founder of TheGroceryGame.com, a price-tracking site. Big-box stores, drugstores and supermarkets tend to have better supply prices, too. At Wal-Mart, an "intermediate"-size Remington plastic pet carrier is $38.67, versus $49.99 at PetSmart. Target edges out pet store Wag.com on the ScoopFree Ultra self-cleaning litter box with a price of $135.49 instead of $144.49.
Pet food and treats require more diligent shopping, especially if you're buying a mass-market products, says Paris Permenter, author of "Barkonomics." Pet stores' regular prices do often beat out those of supermarkets and other stores, for example. According to The Grocery Game, a three-pound bag of Purina One Beyond cat food regularly costs $8.99 at Petco and PetSmart, while Safeway has it for $9.99. But more frequent sales give an edge to supermarket pricing, Gault says. When it's on sale, the same bag goes for $5.49 at Safeway and $6.45 at Target. At Petco, a recent sale reduced the price to $6.99. (Online pet store prices can be even cheaper, but shipping charges often add to the price. Free shipping offers typically exclude food.)
Pet stores counter that they offer a wider selection and more knowledgeable employees. "They have one pet aisle. We have over 20,000 unique products," says David Zhang, site leader for online store Wag.com. A spokeswoman for Petland, which operates stores in 21 states, says its knowledgeable staff sets it apart from general retailers that sell pet supplies. A Petco spokeswoman says their prices are competitive, and that the store will match competitors' deals.
2. "Do as we say, not as we do."
When she found herself between jobs, toxicologist and iguana owner Ann Schnitz got a part-time job as a reptile specialist at a major pet store chain. She was surprised to see the store used bark chips on the bottom of the reptile cages, which many experts caution against. "They can ingest those," she says, and trigger a deadly intestinal block. She suggested using a replaceable tank liner instead. But the store held firm. "They thought this looked better, and it sold more bark," Schnitz recalls.
Experts say store enclosures are rarely accurate models of what a home setup should look like. They're often too small, reflecting both the store's space constraints and expectations that the (often young) animal won't be there long, says Melissa Kaplan, the author of "Iguanas for Dummies." Overcrowding is a problem, too, to the point where "they house different species together that would never be found together in the wild," she says. Plus, as Schnitz found, stores may also use enclosures as a product showcase, even if those items aren't a perfect fit for that species -- or safe for it.
Displays vary widely from store to store, but good pet stores make an effort to meet the animal's needs, says Michael Maddox, a vice president at the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council. "In terms of the enclosure sizes, you do have to take into account that there's a difference between a temporary housing environment and a permanent housing environment," he says. Petco uses veterinary and engineering experts to design its displays, a spokeswoman says, and products placed in them are reviewed for safety by in-house and independent veterinarians and other experts.
To be safe, Permenter and others suggest talking to a vet or another animal expert about what food and supplies are necessary for the animal's health and happiness -- before buying that animal. Maddox says store employees should also be prepared to share that information, and provide care sheets. (Petland and Petco both say they do.) It can also help to check with animal fancier groups and retailers that specialize in a particular animal, especially if it's exotic, Kaplan says. "Pet stores don't always know everything about the animals they're selling," she says.
3. "Fido came from a puppy mill."
Pet stores that sell dogs usually say their puppies come from U.S. Department of Agriculture-licensed breeders. The Animal Welfare Act requires any breeder with four or more females and that sells to pet stores be licensed, and the USDA is responsible for conducting regular inspections. "There's always room for improvement in any regulatory standard," says Maddox, but "by and large, the standards are good." Animal-welfare groups disagree. Federal care standards are so minimal and enforcement so irregular that licensed kennels still include many so-called puppy mills, which breed and house animals in inhumane conditions, says Cori Menkin, senior director of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals' puppy mills campaign. "Most pet store puppies come from puppy mills," she says.
A 2010 audit of USDA enforcement by the Office of the Inspector General found that the department didn't properly cite breeders' violations, and that the enforcement process was ineffective at curbing repeat violators. Dave Sachs, a spokesman for the USDA, says that has improved. "One problematic breeder is one too many, so we stay on top of those individuals and make sure they adhere to the regulations," he says.
Pet-store purchasers do risk getting an unhealthy puppy from a bad breeding facility, says veterinary specialist Dr. Justine Lee, associate director of the Pet Poison Helpline. Pet store puppies can cost upwards of $1,000, but bad living conditions at puppy mills and too-early separation from their mothers often make puppies sick (see #4). Muddled breeding lines can bring out congenital defects, she says. A 2011 study from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine and Best Friends Animal Society also found that puppy mill puppies often have longstanding psychological damage leading to fearful and compulsive behaviors.
Instead of a pet store, consumers may want to look to either a reputable local breeder or an adoption group, says Melanie Kahn, senior director of the Humane Society's puppy mills campaign. Petco, which does not sell dogs or cats, agrees that adoption should be the first option. "Petco always recommends that anyone looking to add a new pet to their family consider adopting a companion animal in need of a loving home -- rather than purchasing one -- even if it's an animal we sell in our stores," a spokeswoman says.
But Patti Strand, national director of the National Animal Interest Alliance, says buying from a pet store shouldn't automatically be out of the running. "There are some very nice commercial kennels that work really hard and take excellent care of their dogs," she says. Pet stores can be the sole source of particular breeds in some areas, and a better alternative than buying sight unseen. Ask the pet store for information on the breeder and check those records against its inspections at the USDA's site, Strand says. Petland's spokeswoman says the store's policy is to source puppies only from local adoption groups, hobby breeders (as defined by the Animal Welfare Act), and USDA-licensed breeders with no direct violations on their latest inspection report. Company employees often inspect breeders' facilities themselves, she says.
4. "Brace yourself for that vet bill..."
"Puppies and kittens from pet stores are not necessarily healthy," says Dr. Lee. The laundry list of illnesses includes respiratory infections and parasites, which can make the rounds among small mammals, reptiles and birds as well. For puppies, there's also parvovirus and distemper, viruses that can lead to lifelong complications or death. All can be expensive to treat. Dogs from commercial breeders may have more extensive congenital defects -- like heart disease, blood disorders and hip dysplasia -- that may not become apparent for several years, she says. It's not just purchased animals at risk. Dogs and cats adopted from stores' rescue partners can have those same health problems, too. "A lot of those animals are actually shipped from somewhere else in the world, where there are more strays," Lee says. "They bring up a whole totally different range of infectious diseases." After Hurricane Katrina, for example, rescued dogs sent to other states for adoption spread ringworm and heartworm.
The stores say veterinarians regularly check animals' health. Sick animals are monitored closely and quarantined while they recover, according to Petland and Petco.
Shoppers should still carefully examine the animal for physical symptoms and unusual behavior before buying. But not all problems are obvious, and animals are good at hiding pain, Lee says. "As soon as you get your pet, bring them to your veterinarian," she says. Many states have "lemon laws" covering pet owners' veterinary bills for illnesses and injuries existing at the time of the animal's purchase, Menkin says. Some allow claims as far as two years after purchase if the pet is found to have a congenital or hereditary defect. Stores may also include "warranties" with similar coverage. But in either case, the pet store's liability is typically capped at the animal's purchase price, she warns.
5. "...and a doctor bill for you, too."
Some diseases affecting pet store animals can also make you sick, whether you take the animal home or just pet it in the store. Puppies, kittens and other mammals may transmit parasites, while reptiles and amphibians can carry salmonella, says Dr. Casey Barton Behravesh, a veterinary epidemiologist with outbreak response and prevention for the Centers for Disease Control. Ongoing salmonella outbreaks linked to contact with turtles and African dwarf frogs have sickened 124 and 241 consumers, respectively. (Although the Food and Drug Administration prohibited the sale of turtles measuring less than 4 inches in 1975, some ill consumers still report encountering them in pet stores, she says.)
In recent years, the government also traced outbreaks of monkeypox (a virus in the smallpox family) and lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (a form of meningitis) to pet store animals. And live animals aren't the only risk. Since August, the CDC has tallied 46 cases of salmonella linked to pet owners handling frozen feeder mice, while another 22 fell ill with it after contact with contaminated dry dog food.
Consumers' best recourse is limited contact with store animals and pet food, and vigorous hand-washing immediately after, says Barton Behravesh. "You can't look at an animal and tell if it's contaminated with salmonella," she says, "and you can't look at dog food and tell, either." Petland and Petco both offer hand-washing stations, and Petland requires their use before and after handling animals. "The chance of getting a disease from animals at Petco is much lower than that from handling raw chicken or beef from your local grocery store," a spokeswoman says. An FDA spokeswoman says consumers should also be on the lookout for recalls. Wag.com's Zhang says the site pulls recalled items from the site and emails all customers who purchased affected food, offering them a free -- safe -- replacement.
6. "Are you sure you want to buy him?"
After a day of holiday shopping, Laura Finlayson of Westwood, N.J., and her niece stopped by the pet store to see the puppies on their way out of the mall. "We saw this little one that looked like a teeny teddy bear," she recalls, and couldn't resist taking the Poodle-Shih Tzu mix out of his cage to play. When another couple expressed interest, Finlayson decided to buy the $1,700 puppy, right then and there. "I wasn't planning on getting a dog at all," she says.
Finlayson turned out to be a dedicated dog owner -- Yogi even has his own Twitter feed -- but experts say such impulse pet purchases don't always end well. Live animals aren't often returnable, and so they may end up at shelters when the family discovers, say, that their new puppy is too energetic or that baby Easter bunny grows into a rabbit, says the Humane Society's Kahn.
Impulse buys aren't rare, either. "Pet stores for the most part want to make money, and that means they're not going to turn away potential customers," says the ASPCA's Menkin. There's generally no application, interview or home visit like consumers would encounter with a breeder, adoption center or rescue group, Kahn says. Most transactions are completed in minutes. There are a few exceptions: last year, several New York City pet stores changed their policies to prevent inebriated customers from buying or even holding puppies. But the onus is primarily on consumers to research their prospective pet and decide if they're ready to own one, they say.
"A good pet store is screening any customer that's buying an animal to make sure it's a good fit," says Maddox. That includes telling customers that the animal they want isn't right for them. A Petco spokeswoman says the store empowers its employees to refuse to sell to customers who seem unfit to own animals. The store's policy is to take back any healthy animal sold or adopted at the store, no matter how long the customer has had that animal. (The animal is quarantined until its health is confirmed, and then placed for adoption.)
7. "The pets are loss leaders."
Of the $51 billion spent on pets last year, just $2 billion -- or 4% -- was for the animals themselves, according to the American Pet Products Association. (That's down from about 5% of $43.2 billion spent in 2008.) The figure underscores the relative commitment of pet owners' spending once they acquire the animal itself, says Peter Wahlstrom, an analyst covering the industry for Morningstar. Pet stores' animals may be attractively priced, but the stores don't advertise the real cost of ownership. "Parents equate cheap with easy: if the animal cost $10, it must be easy to care for," says "Iguanas for Dummies" author Kaplan.
But experts say that's not the case. By the ASPCA's cost-to-own estimates, a guinea pig ($35 at PetSmart) will set its owner back $705 in the first year and $635 each year thereafter for its typical four- to six-year lifespan. Even a handful of $1 tetras and $3 fancy guppies or fantail goldfish cost, on average, $200 for a tank setup. Although on-site adoption revenue goes to the rescue group, stores also benefit from such partnerships with supply sales.
Pets can also be longer-lived than buyers might anticipate, underscoring the need for research in advance of buying. Former pet-store employee Schnitz's iguana Frodo is 19 years old and four-and-a-half-feet long -- a size that prompted her to give him free run of the dining room. "Of course, when people come to the store, they see these cute little green lizards," she says. "They don't think about that commitment."
Petco and Petland both say they work to make sure consumers are aware of the animals needs and lifespan. "Our mission is to match the right pet with the right customer and meet the needs of both," says a Petland spokeswoman. Maddox says part of stores' employee training typically includes discussions of both an animal's needs and potential cost.
8. "Spot's family-member status keeps us afloat."
Couponing expert Gault can knock a $150 grocery bill to $50. But when it comes to Marley, the family's four-year-old dog, Gault splurges on bags of premium brand AvoDerm, which sells for as much as $56 for a 26-pound bag. "Dobermans have dry skin, so he needs that food for his coat," she says. "He's a prettier boy because of it, and healthier."
Stores and manufacturers have carefully cultivated consumers' inclination to consider pets as family members or children, says Deborah Mitchell, a clinical associate professor of marketing at Ohio State University. "The pet industry is one of the most sophisticated out there in the way marketers segment and appeal to consumers," she says. Recent pet innovations have included electric toothbrushes, educational toys and designer fashion labels. The food market has also broadened to show human nutritional concerns and gourmet tastes, she says, with organic and sustainably-sourced ingredients, filler-free recipes and even raw-food diets.
Fido-as-family appeals have translated into sales, says Morningstar's Wahlstrom. "This is an industry shown to be if not recession proof, than recession resistant," he says. Spending on pets rose from $43.2 billion in 2008 to $45.5 billion in 2009, at the height of the recession, according to the American Pet Products Association. This year, the industry group expects a 4% jump to $52.9 billion. But even if money is no object, experts say it behooves shoppers to budget. "This is a category where you want to read labels, educate yourself and comparison shop," Mitchell says. There's such a rush to capitalize on trends that claims about nutrition, price and need may not hold up, she says.
"Our customers do consider their pets to be family members and this is reflected not only in the way we communicate with them through our marketing messages, but mostly in the breadth and quality of our products and services," says a Petco spokeswoman.
9. "But we're still bracing for the next downturn."
Pet stores have been working harder in recent years to give consumers regular reasons to visit, even when they're fully stocked on food, says Wahlstrom. Grooming, training classes and events like pictures with Santa or veterinary clinics are common. Even pet hotels and doggy (and kitty) daycare are making inroads. "It's creating a cycle of dependence," he says. "It's not like you're not going to get your dog's hair clipped or nails cut during the next downturn." Of course, most of the services also come with add-ons (pay an extra $5 to let your dog watch Animal Planet in the store? Or an extra $3 more for high-end filtered water?) And while you're in stores, that opens the opportunity for impulse buys on toys, treats and other products.
Services can be attractively priced, for consumers who are able to steer clear of unnecessary extras. Permenter says she got a month of private lessons at the local outpost of a large chain for $200 -- about half what it is for six weeks of private lessons at a local trainer, she says. Stores often also have the reputation for having great quality on such services, says Kimberly Gauthier, founder of pet blog KeeptheTailWagging.com. When she was looking for a trainer for her youngest dog, all the people at the dog park were buzzing about a popular trainer at Petco. A Petco spokeswoman says such services are a growth area for the company.
10. "No one's monitoring us."
Consumers have plenty of complaints about pet stores, but laws regulating pet stores are few and far between. With a few exceptions, the USDA-enforced Animal Welfare Act doesn't cover pet stores, which leaves regulation to the states, says USDA spokesman Sachs. The act covers only licensing and inspections for commercial dog breeders that sell to pet stores, and pet stores that sell wild or exotic animals. But the latter has a narrow scope, he says -- the Animal Welfare Act doesn't include birds, reptiles or amphibians, among other creatures, in its definition of "animals." "If there's a pet store that's selling sugar gliders, we would regulate the sale of those," he says. And then, inspectors wouldn't only be looking for problems in the store directly related to care of the exotics, not say, the hamsters in the next cage over.
State laws vary on standards of care that must be provided, and inspections can be as infrequent as once a year. Or never. Massachusetts, for example, is one of several states that doesn't require a license to sell fish. Michael Cahill, director of the division of animal health for Massachusetts, says state law defines pet stores as any place that keeps mammals, reptiles or birds for sale, and so that's where the division focuses its efforts. "Any complaint we get from anyone is followed up by an inspection," he says. Michigan eliminated pet store inspections and licenses in 2009 to save an estimated $150,000 a year in the state budget. The state currently directs consumers with complaints to local animal control officials. "We would love to be able to be out there doing [the inspections], but we also have to look out for our greater mission of food safety and greater animal diseases," says Dr. James Averill, a veterinarian and the director of the Animal Industry Division in Michigan's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. He says the state still gets involved in cases of animal disease at pet stores.
But some states are notoriously tough, Sachs says, and have regulations that set a higher bar than those at the federal level. Earlier this year, the Humane Society pointed to Virginia, Pennsylvania, Oregon, New Hampshire and Washington as the top five states with strong standards of pet care for breeders and stores, and laws that protect consumers who buy puppies. Stores also say they self-monitor. "We have a dedicated live animal vendor certification department, whose members visit every vendor facility each year to ensure our vendors are upholding Petco's standards for animal care and husbandry," says a Petco spokeswoman.


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Rivian and Mercedes-Benz announced today that they have signed a memorandum of understanding to create a joint venture to produce an electric van together.
The deal is still subject to the relevant regulatory clearances, but if it goes through, the two automakers will leverage “an existing Mercedes‑Benz site in Central/Eastern Europe” to build “an all-new electric-only production facility” to produce the electric van in partnership.
The companies wrote in a press release:
The companies envisage production-optimized vehicle designs for efficient manufacturing on common assembly lines. They will aim to produce two large vans, one based on VAN.EA (MB Vans Electric Architecture), the electric-only platform of Mercedes‑Benz Vans, and the other based on the second generation electric-van, Rivian Light Van (RLV) platform. Further options for increased synergies from the joint venture will also be explored.
Now, why would Mercedes-Benz and Rivian partner on this? The answer is of course “synergy”– the buzzword for any partnership, really.
They wrote in a press release that they aim to achieve better cost efficiency together:
By working together, they will be able to leverage operations synergies and substantially increase cost efficiency to help make the vans more affordable for commercial customers driven by total cost of ownership.
RJ Scaringe, Chief Executive Officer of Rivian, commented on the announcement:
Rivian was created to encourage the world to transition away from fossil fuel consumption by creating compelling products and services. We’re delighted to be partnering with Mercedes‑Benz on this project. Mercedes‑Benz is one of the world’s best known and respected automotive companies, and we believe that together we will produce truly remarkable electric vans which will not only benefit our customers, but the planet.
Mathias Geisen, Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans, added:
As a pioneer in the field of locally emission-free transportation Mercedes‑Benz Vans has gained broad experience in producing and launching eVans since 2010. Now we are accelerating the transformation to a fully electric product portfolio. From 2025 onwards, all vans based on our new architecture VAN.EA will be electric-only. I am delighted that as part of this transformation we are now joining forces with Rivian – a highly dynamic and inspiring partner with a strong technology position. We are sharing investments and technology because we also share the same strategic ambition: accelerating the electrification of the van market with sustainable and superior products for our customers.
There’s no clear timeline for the project, but the companies said that they would like to build the new factory within the next few years.
This is an interesting new partnership. Rivian sort of had a similar deal with Ford to build an electric pickup truck in partnership with them, but the automaker rolled that back as Rivian was already quite busy just bringing its own vehicles to market. And Ford decided it was all in on making its own E-Transits and F-150s
Now Rivian is a bit more mature, and it could be a good way for the US automaker to enter the European market.
It sounds like the electric van is going to be a commercial one, like the one it already produces in the US for Amazon.
Generally, I believe that Rivian shouldn’t diversify too much yet as it needs to ramp up R1T and R1S to volume production profitably, and it’s still far from that goal. But in this case, this seems to be a safe move for a first entry in Europe within the next few years.
This of course reminds that in 2018 Tesla was inquiring about doing a JV with Mercedes on Sprinter vans. That obviously never came to fruition with Tesla’s powertrain supply needs more than fulfilled internally.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.


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High Levels of PFAS Found In Deer Park, La Croix, Perrier and Other Carbonated Water Beverages: Consumer Reports
A new analysis indicates that more than half all carbonated water products, such as LaCroix, Perrier, Poland Spring and other popular brands, may contain high levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) chemicals, which may be the result of widespread use of firefighting foam chemicals that have widely contaminated water supplies.
The report was published by watchdog group Consumer Reports on September 24, looking at 47 bottled water products, including 35 noncarbonated and 12 carbonated. While the report notes federal regulators have only set a voluntary guidance calling for levels of PFAS to be below 70 parts per trillion in those types of products, experts consulted by Consumer Reports suggests the level should be set at less than 1 ppt.
PFAS chemicals are used in a wide variety of products, yet the chemicals are projected to take thousands of years to degrade, and past studies have shown their ability to enter and stay in the environment and human body through the air, dust, food, soil, and water. The chemicals primarily settle into the blood, kidney and liver, and have been found to contaminate waters sources near military bases, airports and other locations where the anti-fire foam is regularly used.
Due to mounting evidence linking severe side effects to PFAS exposure, a growing number of individuals are filing PFAS water contamination lawsuits against manufacturers of the forever chemicals, claiming they have developed ulcerative colitis and/or certain cancer caused by high volumes of toxic PFAS chemicals being released into their local water supply.
Did You Know?
Millions of Philips CPAP Machines Recalled
Philips DreamStation, CPAP and BiPAP machines sold in recent years may pose a risk of cancer, lung damage and other injuries.Learn More
Some estimate suggest the chemicals may be detected in the blood of 98% of the U.S. population, and exposure has been linked to a wide variety of cancers, including kidney cancer, testicular cancer and breast cancer.
While the Consumer Reports study found all of the bottled water products tested fell below the federal voluntary guidance of below 70 ppt, many, particularly carbonated products, had higher than the 1 ppt.
For non-carbonated water products, Deer Park Natural Spring Water had 1.21 ppt, and Tourmaline Spring Sacred Living Water had 4.64 ppt.
Among brands of carbonated water, Topo Chico Natural Mineral Water tested as having PFAS levels of 9.76 ppt; the highest of any product tested. Second highest was Polar natural Seltzer Water, which had 6.41 ppt, according to the Consumer Reports laboratory analysis. Other products with levels above 1 ppt included Perrier Natural Sparkling Mineral Water, La Croix Natural Sparkling Water, Canada Dry Lemon Lime Sparkling Seltzer Water, Poland Spring Zesty Lime Sparkling Water, and Bubly Blackberry Sparkling Water.
Overall, there were at least detectable levels of PFAS in 43 of the 47 products detected.
Firefighting Foam Chemicals Pose Safety Concerns
Consumer Reports and other investigators have repeatedly pointed to the use of Aqueous Film-Forming Foams (AFFFs) as a major cause of PFAS water contamination nationwide, as the fire foam contains a number of PFAS chemicals that could leach into waters supplies around military bases and other training facilities.
In an accompanying story, Consumer Reports detailed how a lack of regulation of PFAS has potentially contributed to widespread contamination.
Just this August, a lawsuit brought by Frank and Lisa Penna, of Pennsylvania, claimed PFAS contamination migrated from the nearby Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base at Willow Grove and into their groundwater supply. Tests of their private well detected PFAS levels as high as 701 ppt, more than 10 times the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s voluntary limits.
However, the fact that PFAS remain unregulated was used by the government’s legal defense to show that it could not be held liable for water contamination from military bases which poison nearby waters.
In recent months, former firefighters and families living near bases have filed numerous firefighting foam lawsuits, which have been filed over testicular cancer, kidney cancer, pancreatic cancer and other injuries.
Since December 2018, all complaints involving firefighting foam exposure filed in federal courts nationwide have been centralized in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina for pretrial proceedings.
ZMay 11, 2023 at 12:43 am
I got a Clearly Filtered water pitcher for 100 bucks. Most people arent willing to drop 200-400 dollars on a Berkey. My mom has one and they are pretty good but expensive. My tap water in Pa was making my gf and I very sick. Bottled water is way to expensive, annoying and iffy with the plastics.
RobbinFebruary 7, 2023 at 2:31 pm
Any water company owned first by Clorox and second by Nestle I would not trust to have my best interests at heart. Supporting Nestle, a company that is hellbent to corporate privatize water in the US and thus ultimately control water, seems unwise. My suggestion is to make life easy, cost effective and much healthier by investing in the tried and true Birkey water filter. It's the best gravity wat[Show More]Any water company owned first by Clorox and second by Nestle I would not trust to have my best interests at heart. Supporting Nestle, a company that is hellbent to corporate privatize water in the US and thus ultimately control water, seems unwise. My suggestion is to make life easy, cost effective and much healthier by investing in the tried and true Birkey water filter. It's the best gravity water filter available. I have used it for many years. Currently they cost $200 to $400.
phyllisApril 1, 2022 at 2:51 pm
water should definately be regulated anytime it can cost someone there life !
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Canadian Tire (TSX:CTC.A) is a Canadian icon. Long-term shareholders have grown rich by holding the stock. The coronavirus took a toll on shares, but the recent market rally could signal a limited-time buying opportunity.
As one of the country’s largest retailers, Canadian Tire was hit hard by social-distancing measures. Foot traffic at its stores has dipped hard, while two economic shocks could lower domestic spending further.
When the downturn began, Canadian Tire stock lost more than one-third of its value. The latest market rally has pushed stock prices higher, but Canadian Tire shares remain close to their previous lows. Could this be your chance to profit?
The correction was hard
With 1,700 retail locations, Canadian Tire is completely dependent on the health and stability of Canadian consumers. Its business lines are diverse.
The main storefront is the eponymous Canadian Tire, a retail and automotive service operation with a large car repair garage in each store. Additionally, the company operates Canadian Tire Petroleum, Mark’s (a footwear and apparel retailer), FGL Sports (a sporting goods retailer), and PartSource (which sells auto parts and accessories).
Previous to the market rally, there was, of course, a difficult market correction. Last month, Canada unveiled the worst jobs report in history. More than three million Canadians are now out of work or have seen their hours reduced. Consumer debt levels were already a concern, not to mention a potential housing bubble across several metropolitan areas.
In combination, it’s not difficult to see why Canadian Tire stock has suffered. Investors are hoping that the latest market rally will instill more confidence into the economy. A return to normalcy would be a major boon to brick-and-mortar retailers like Canadian Tire.
With shares nearly 40% lower their than pre-pandemic highs, is now the time to jump in?
Buy the market rally?
There’s no doubt that renewed confidence in the economy will help Canadian Tire, but how encouraging is the recent market rally?
Canadian Tire relies on two factors to make money: foot traffic and average spend per customer. These two items will determine the future of the stock price.
Foot traffic in the coming months will be directly tied to the coronavirus pandemic. How long will consumers be hesitant to frequent public areas? We may see restrictions lifted in coming weeks, but it would be surprising to see everyday Canadian behaviour return to 2019 levels.
That means Canadian Tire may see depressed foot traffic through the rest of 2020. And if a virus resurgence occurs next winter, the lower traffic levels could become a norm for the company.
And despite the market rally, average spend per customer is also a difficult factor to bet on. Millions of Canadians are out of work. Those with jobs are likely much more cautious about their spending. An upcoming housing crisis could reduce consumer spending even further.
And we’re not even factoring in the oil crisis. Most of Canada’s energy production is now completely uneconomic. If oil prices don’t rise by at least 50% in 2020, we could see another major economic headwind arrive.
Canadian Tire stock now trades at eight times trailing earnings. That’s a 50% reduction from its five-year average. But with a high fixed-cost business, it’s likely the company will post negative earnings in the quarters to come. Even at today’s depressed levels, shares are still not pricing in a prolonged economic downturn.
The market rally has pushed some stock prices higher, but there’s a reason why Canadian Tire shares haven’t moved much. Even with the current discount, the stock isn’t cheap enough to take a chance on.


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Retailers' Hard Bargain: China Watch
NEW YORK ( TheStreet) -- Mattel ( MAT) has become the latest company to close down shop in China. The toy maker said on Monday that is shuttering its Barbie flagship store in Shanghai just two years after its grand opening.
While Mattel said the store served its purpose in generating brand-awareness in the country, analysts say the company failed to adjust to the local market.
U.S.-based retailers have been struggling to adapt their business to woo the Chinese consumer. Earlier in the month Best Buy ( BBY) said it would close all of its nine namesake stores in the country and its headquarters in Shanghai. The electronics retailer is instead choosing to focus its attention on its locally-based Five Star stores, which it acquired in 2009. Best Buy, which entered China in 2003, plans to open 40 to 50 of the Five Star locations in fiscal 2012, with plans to operate between 200 and 210 stores by the end of that year. In 2008, Best Buy withdrew from Beijing, at the time saying it was due to internal adjustments. The company opened its headquarters there in 2006, with the intention of choosing locations for its new stores and sourcing home appliances and electronics. The electronics market in China is extremely price competitive and these shoppers would rather lower prices than the higher-priced service Best Buy was trying to offer, says Wall Street Strategies analyst Brian Sozzi.
Home Depot ( HD), which acquired 10 stores in China in 2006, has closed all but five of them in the past two years. The biggest faux pas these three retailers made is not figuring out how to cater to the local consumer. Both Home Depot and Best Buy essentially transplanted their U.S. stores into China, Sozzi says. Of course, there are retailers, especially in the luxury sector, that are surviving and thriving in China. Sozzi notes that Polo Ralph Lauren ( RL), Coach ( COH) and Tiffany ( TIF) are expanding their brand awareness in the country. Gap ( GPS) entered China in November and has been tailoring its merchandising and sizing to local shoppers. --Written by Jeanine Poggi in New York. >To contact the writer of this article, click here: Jeanine Poggi. >To follow the writer on Twitter, go to http://twitter.com/jpoggi. >To submit a news tip, send an email to: email@example.com.


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Delta-8 is a no-deal in Colorado If you’re looking for delta-8 cannabis products in Colorado, you may have to expand your search to another state. And good luck finding one. Following in the footsteps of many other states in the nation, Colorado officially banned the sale of delta-8 products in the state.
The ban hammer came down on delta-8 in mid-May, when the Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division sent out a letter to marijuana business owners to make it clear that the modified or synthetic versions of THC that are derived from industrial hemp — which include delta-8 — are not allowed to line the shelves of dispensaries in Colorado.
Delta-8 has grown increasingly popular with consumers, who flock to these products for their relaxing, less-intoxicating effects. Unlike other products on dispensary shelves, though, delta-8 isn’t derived from the cannabis sativa plant. Delta-8 naturally occurs in the cannabis plant, but in minute amounts that make it cost-prohibitive to derive from the plant.
In order to make delta-8 THC more accessible and more abundant, companies have been synthesizing the cannabinoid from crude CBD oil that’s derived from the hemp plant instead.
While perhaps more cost effective, turning CBD oil into delta-8 means that it’s technically a synthetic form of THC — and that’s a big no-no for Colorado MED.
This move is a big blow for both delta-8 businesses and consumers in Colorado, who can no longer access delta-8 at CBD shops or other outlets that carried it. And, now that it’s banned from lining the shelves of the dispensaries, it’s time to wave goodbye to delta-8 in our state. Guess it’s good that we have a legal market here.
That may not be the case for everyone eles, though. Several states, including Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Idaho, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, Rhode Island and Utah, have all banned delta-8 products, and not all of them have legal cannabis markets. So, guess it could be worse, eh?
Cha-cha-cha-cha-cha-changes (are coming to marijuana regulations)The cannabis rules are changing in Colorado. (And that’s precisely why we keep humming the cha-cha-cha-changes song in our heads. It’s definitely not just an earworm.)
In late May, Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill into law to increase the amount of cannabis that adults can legally possess in our state. The new rules increase the legal possession limits from one ounce to two ounces.
And, that’s not the only change that was made to the cannabis laws, either. The new rules also streamline the process of sealing records for Coloradans with past cannabis possession conviction records and expands the record-sealing eligibility rules to include additional cannabis offenses.
That’s great news for those with prior cannabis convictions, who will effectively have their records wiped clean if they qualify.
These new rules are part of the HB21-1090 bill, which was sponsored by Rep. Alex Valdez and Sen. Julie Gonzales. The bill eliminates the offense for possession of up to two ounces of cannabis, which, in turn, increases the possession limit from one ounce to two ounces for adults 21 and older.
The HB21-1090 bill also added cannabis possession to the offenses for which past convictions can be sealed without notification of the prosecuting district attorney who handled the case. This removes a laborious step from the record-sealing process and expedites the time in which it can be done. It also lowers the cost of sealing records for those who qualify.
In general, this new law is most likely to help those who in have been convicted of possession offenses prior to legalization. That said, the bill also extends eligibility for record-sealing to include those who were previously convicted of a class 3 felony for marijuana cultivation.
“Amendment 64 was drafted at a time when no jurisdiction in the world had ever legalized cannabis for non-medical use. Many voters were still on the fence about whether to allow possession of one gram, let alone one or two ounces. We knew there would eventually be an appetite for increasing the possession limit, so Amendment 64 was deliberately crafted to allow for it. These reforms are just the latest sign that most Coloradans and their elected representatives are satisfied with the state’s decision to end prohibition and regulate cannabis for adult use. We applaud our state lawmakers and the governor for their continued leadership on cannabis policy,” Mason Tvert, a lead proponent of Amendment 64 and co-director of the 2012 initiative campaign, said in a statement.
Jordan Wellington, who also played a key role in drafting and lobbying for HB21-1090, also noted the benefits of the bill, stating: “Even though cannabis is now legal for adults in Colorado, the collateral consequences of past convictions continue to haunt a lot of people. This legislation removes some of the structural impediments to efficiently sealing the records of prior cannabis convictions. Making the process less time-consuming and less expensive will make it more accessible to the people most likely to have been impacted by cannabis prohibition laws. It also encourages more effective and efficient allocation of Colorado’s sparse judicial resources.”
Bye-bye, sweet COVID rulesIf you’ve been living for the new COVID cannabis rules, prepare yourself for some impending heartbreak. Two perks of the pandemic: medical marijuana telemedicine and online dispensary payments, will soon be no more.
These two marijuana rules were temporary and were initially enacted through executive orders issued by Governor Jared Polis in March 2020. The rule changes were enacted initially to help with social distancing at dispensaries, and to help medical marijuana patients avoid the germ havens at the doctor’s offices in their areas. But, the rules, while glorious, were also temporary, and it looks like they won’t be sticking around post-pandemic.
That’s not for lack of trying, though. Colorado state representative Matt Gray tried to make the temporary rules permanent when he of this introduced House Bill 1058 yearin February.
“This has been the law for quite a while now,” Gray told fellow lawmakers prior to the May 20 vote. “We have not seen the sky fall.”
Unfortunately, Gray’s enthusiasm wasn’t enough to push forward the bill, which was shot down by an indefinite postponement with a 7-4 vote.
What that means is that the temporary rules will no longer be in place for either online payments or medical marijuana telemedicine in the near future.
While telemedicine is allowed for a wide range issues in Colorado, medical marijuana isn’t one of them. And neither is paying online for cannabis. You can pre-order cannabis in Colorado through an online platform, but paying for it online is banned under current law — at least for recreational customers, anyway. Medical patients are allowed to pay for their orders online, and that will continue post-pandemic.
One major hurdle with Gray’s bill was that it inadvertently kicked off an ongoing debate over the potency of commercial cannabis products and the effect they have on children.
“This bill has been caught up in a wave of more controversy that has to do with things that are not in this bill,” Gray told the committee.
This controversy kicked off yet another proposed change to cannabis rules — one that would require medical patients between 18 and 20 years old to meet more laborious standards of qualification to get access to medical marijuana.
Cannabis cash cowSay hello to Colorado’s cash cow, cannabis.
During the first quarter of 2021, Colorado’s marijuana sales met a huge milestone. It eclipsed the half-billion dollar mark, according to the state Department of Revenue (DOR).
That accounts for over $560 million in marijuana sales between January and March — which, you know, is a huge amount of weed. And, marijuana sales reached $207 million in the month of March alone. Y’all sure do smoke a lot of that sticky-icky, eh?
That said, the $560 million in sales is just a drop in the bucket compared to the grand total for cannabis sales in Colorado since legalization took hold. In total, more than $10.5 billion in marijuana has been sold in Colorado since the plant was legalized back in 2014. Again, y’all smoke a lot of weed. A shocking, impressive, lung-busting amount of weed.
And, all that weed translates to a lot of money in taxes. More than $1.7 billion in tax revenue has gone toward public schools, infrastructure projects, and local government programs in Colorado. Yay, weed tax!
Colorado law requires 71% of the total tax revenue to go into the marijuana tax cash fund, which helps to fund health care, health education, substance abuse prevention, treatment programs, and law enforcement in the state. The remaining 29% is divided between the state public school fund and the general fund, with schools receiving a little over 12% of the total, and the general fund receiving about 15%.
Not too bad for some taxes on a little plant, eh? Not too bad at all.


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Smartjack Flying High With US Patent
FOR IMMEDIATE PUBLICATION
Flying High With US Patent
Phitek’s Successful Noise Cancellation Product Granted US Patent
Auckland, 20 September 2005 – New Zealand-based global leader in advanced audio solutions Phitek Systems is pleased to report that it has been granted a patent for its highly successful SmartJack™ noise cancellation technology in the United States.
Phitek expects to receive further patents worldwide further cementing this technology as the default industry standard for integrated noise cancellation on board commercial passenger aircraft.
Mark Donaldson, CEO of Phitek Systems says Phitek is delighted to receive the patent from the US Patent and Trade Mark Office (USPTO) which recognises the inventiveness of SmartJack’s™ Active Noise Rejection™ technology, which has seen phenomenal success in the marketplace.
“There are now more than 20,000 passenger seats installed with a SmartJack™Active Noise Rejection™ capability and the customer list boasts many of the world’s leading commercial airlines, including Qantas, Air New Zealand, Emirates, Qatar, British Airways, Lufthansa and Singapore Airlines. We are also pleased that the Airbus A380 demonstration aircraft is now flying with SmartJack™ technology, supplied through Panasonic Aviation Corporation.”
Donaldson says that the US patent for Phitek’s multifunctional headphone jack is also an achievement because the USPTO must be completely satisfied that the invention is new and non-obvious.
“In general it isn’t easy to obtain a US patent so this grant also reflects the leading edge nature of Phitek’s technology.”
“Equally, Phitek is thrilled that a number of the world’s leading headphone companies continue to support SmartJack™ with the launch of new and exciting compatible headphones, providing airlines with more economical options for adopting noise cancellation on board.”
Donaldson says that SmartJack™ provides commercial airlines with numerous advantages including highly effective noise suppression, backwards compatibility with powered noise cancellation headphones, a compact form factor and price.
“In today’s competitive airline industry where every dollar counts, SmartJack™ offers airlines with a very economical path for increasing the value proposition of their in-flight entertainment experience by converting the recurring cost of expensive powered noise cancellation headphones into a one time equipment purchase.”
Phitek will be demonstrating its SmartJack™ technology in conjunction with its other headphone products at its booth (Stand No. 1416 in Hall 10) at the World Airline Entertainment Association exhibition (WAEA - www.waea.org ) in Hamburg from 20 – 23 September 2005.
About Phitek Systems
Phitek Systems is a leader in the development of advanced analogue and digital signal processing technologies for audio enhancement and noise reduction. Phitek’s avionic systems are employed by a number of the world’s largest and most successful airlines including Lufthansa, British Airways, Emirates and Singapore Airlines. Phitek also manufactures headphones and flat panel speaker products for global consumer brands. The company’s headquarters is located in Auckland New Zealand with operating offices and production facilities located in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, and Shenzhen.
For more information about Phitek Systems Limited please visit www.phitek.com


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It has been suggested today, by pocket-lint, that a 'source close to the matter' has revealed that Samsung intends to announce the Samsung GALAXY Tab 11.6 at the South by Southwest, SXSW, event in Austin, Texas, tomorrow, Friday 9th at 10PM GMT.
Whilst we can not confirm this rumour, we do know that Samsung is officially scheduled to be making a 'special' and unspecified announcement at this time.
Could the GALAXY Tab 11.6 be the rumoured iPad 3 killer that we reported on back in December? Certainly if this is the device to be unveiled it fits the bill; an 11.6 inch screen, though with a device barely larger than the 10.1 inch range due to a reduced bezel, rumoured to sport a whopping Retina-trouncing 2,560 x 1,600 display, running a dual-core 2GHz ARM Cortex-A15-based Exynos 5250 CPU alongside the new ARM Mali-T604 GPU.
Well here's hoping, expect a report tomorrow evening after the announcement is over, if there's something to report about that is.
EDIT: We're now hearing from sources that Samsung's announcement is actually relating to a new Angry Bird's product, suggesting that any new Samsung hardware will likely receive its own launch event.


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Mainstream Brands Indirectly Cashing In On Cannabis
By Tricia Cleppe, Senior Manager, Marketing and Client Support of New Frontier Data
The cannabis industry is spawning countless articles about legal cannabis moving into the social mainstream in direct ways, be it venture capital funds welcoming investment opportunity in the space, to all manner of cannabis startups, to popular mainstream conferences and events incorporating cannabis content, and even the rise of cannabis-friendly entertainment programming.
What goes less noticed perhaps is how some mainstream brands (some more subtly than others) are indirectly marketing to cannabis consumers. This month’s most popularly recognized holiday of the cannabis community, on 4/20, provided numerous examples of mainstream brands marketing toward the holiday indirectly, thereby cashing in from cannabis consumers without assuming the attendant risks of more directly aligning with the burgeoning legal market.
Some marketing examples from this month include:
Nike SB, the skateboarding line of Nike, one of the most popular brands in the world, released their “Intergalactic” sneaker on 4/20. Nike SB has been historically more willing to align themselves with cannabis than their parent company. This isn’t the first time that Nike SB released a cannabis-themed sneaker on 4/20; last year they released a hemp version of their famous “Dunk Low” sneaker.
At New Frontier Data’s Denver office, we saw the ridesharing behemoth Lyft partner with each MassRoots (one of the largest social media platforms for cannabis consumers), the Marijuana Industry Group, and the Colorado Department of Transportation to provide a reported 3,000 safe, specially discounted rides throughout the city that day.
- Totino’s Pizza Rolls:
Also in Denver, Totino’s Pizza Rolls sponsored a large event at Red Rocks Amphitheater called “420 On The Rocks”, where they gave away free pizza rolls and promoted the hashtag #BetterWhenBaked.
- Pop Chips:
In a national campaign, the popular brand of low-calorie, snack food used Snapchat filters to tease 4/20 revelers with encouragement to “pack a bowl…with chips.”
It is undeniable that cannabis is moving from the margins to the mainstream. Yet, so long as cannabis remains classified on the federal level as a Schedule I controlled substance, brands which directly align with the cannabis industry and reform movement do so with some level of risk, albeit now more benignly than at any other time in modern U.S. history.
Nevertheless, these mainstream brands are proof positive that there is ever more increasing appeal to the industry and legalization movement, and that more conversations are being had about how best to speak to cannabis consumers and appeal to their lifestyles. Accordingly, New Frontier Data is actively engaged in projects focusing on gathering and analyzing the latest trends in consumer data, for pending release across our content channels.
Tricia Cleppe is the Senior Manager of Marketing & Client Relations for New Frontier Data. Previously, Cleppe worked as a digital marketer for a wide array of clients, including non-profit organizations within the cannabis industry. Cleppe graduated with a degree in Advertising from the School of Journalism at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill.


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Currently, only those who own Samsung Galaxy smartphones and the Gear VR headset will be able to catch the fully-immersive 360-degree experience of the Olympics in VR. For those that own a Vive, Rift or other VR headset, NBC says you’re basically out of luck. The author of this article gives some feedback on his experience on using it. Basically, it sounds like a ‘meh’ experience. Seems silly to restrict the viewing experience to a single platform if they’re going to invest all the money and effort to test the market feedback on this.
The following is an approximate graph showing the number of new VR apps that are released on Steam each week since April 28th. Right now, there’s about 20 new VR applications that are being released each week and it’s following a general linear growth pattern. A lot of these are still Early-Access and demo type applications as developers are putting stuff out there to get community feedback as they continually update. I think that this general trend will continue for a while until true AAA developers start getting in the game.
Companies and startups are putting money into trying to develop the next BigThing(TM). A company called TheWaveVR just got $2.5million dollars seed funding for developing a social VR music platform. There will be plenty more of this in the future.
If I knew about this earlier, I would have signed up and made the trip to check this out. Would have loved to get a chance to see all the vendors and exhibitors there and also attend the panels and presentations. Next year!
This is a really cool demo of a project which lets you play the role of an actor and director in your own movie. You take on the persona of a character and you can physically act out your part taking turns to represent each character and then combine them together in multiple takes to form a complete scene.
HTC has been struggling on the mobile business side and they’re looking to decouple their foray into VR business wise be spinning off a separate division.
They announced that they’re opening their own app store targeting non-gaming VR apps. It will be interesting to see if they can actually build up traction for yet another storefront (Steam, Oculus Home, Viveport, etc). Personally, I’d rather have fewer platforms and stores to manage purchases and like the convenience of the Steam platform myself. Time will tell to see if they’re successful.
Valve is announcing a program to help support third party developers allowing people to develop their own tracked controllers and peripherals that can work with the Lighthouse system. I think this is a great move that will kick off even more innovation and technical solutions for improving the overall VR experience and capabilities. From a hardware perspective, Valve developed the Vive headset to be ‘hackable’ and extensible by design by putting together a modular system where the headstraps, cables can be easily replaced and extra USB ports are available to add on new peripheral capability.


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After being acquired by Apple in March 2020, Dark Sky, the popular iOS weather app, has officially been discontinued. The app was removed from the App Store last September and now will not function for existing users beginning on New Year’s Day 2021. This marks the end of a much-appreciated application that many relied upon to provide accurate weather updates.
According to MacRumors, Apple has taken Dark Sky’s features and integrated them into its Weather app on iOS, iPadOS and macOS. They have even published a support document guiding users on how best to transition from the former to the latter.
If you want to access all the features of Dark Sky in the Weather app, make sure your device is running iOS 16, iPadOS 16, or macOS Ventura. Please be aware that a few capabilities are currently only available to users living in selected countries.
Apple’s new Weather app features an array of impressive capabilities, from hyperlocal forecasts to hourly predictions for the next 10 days and high-resolution radar maps. Additionally, you can access notifications regarding future precipitation or any severe weather warnings in real time. On March 31st 2023 Apple will be replacing Dark Sky’s third-party API with their own trusted WeatherKit API.
Word has it that Apple is currently crafting two new OLED iPad Pro models slated to hit the market in early 2024. According to MacRumours, these advanced iPads will be accompanied by an all-new iPad Mini as well. Get ready for a whole new world of iPad Pro experience.
If the report is accurate, then it will be Apple’s first time ever increasing the size of iPad Pro models. To do this they must reduce the screen bezel to make room for a larger display. In October 2022 we saw Apple upgrade their 11-inch and 12.3-inch iPad Pros with an added M2 chipset that increased performance even more than before.