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In a new product launch LG Electronics has entered the marketplace with a 300 watt model.
The MonoX NeoN is a 60 cell setup that has very high efficiency.
It will be launched October 2011.
In an outstanding attempt to beat the competition there is over 18% efficiency rating.
The module features the n-type cell manufacturing process technology.
There is a selective emitter and fine electrodes to keep it operating in top shape over a long lifespan.
Also, an anti reflective coating has been added as well.


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Bitcoin Dark Web
A major dark web marketplace has been take down, but no arrests have been had been taken down and bitcoin dark web million-worth of bitcoin seized. Cybercriminalsoften use Bitcoin in ransomware scams. These criminals will take over your computer, locking it up, until you pay a ransom, using Bitcoin to make. The Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs has reportedly taken down four major illegal Dark Web sites, which have made over 260 million in. Tampa woman pleads guilty in dark web, bitcoin murder-for-hire case DeAnna Marie Stinson paid more than 12,000 in an effort to have her ex-. A Russian-based, illegal dark-web marketplace that has allegedly German authorities seized over 25 million in Bitcoin through 88.
Fraudsters are increasingly dealing in bitcoin, with a new report showing the value of bitcoins transferred across the dark web bitcoin dark web was up by 65. Darknet entities are entities that operate via the darknet and offer illegal services or goods in exchange for (mainly) cryptocurrency. Other entity types are. Ultimately, the darknet marketplace had reportedly secured around bitcoin dark web billion in crypto alone since 2022. Although Hydra primarily offered. The data from Chainalysis predicts that Bitcoin spending on the darknet will top US1 billion AUbitcoin dark web billion in 2022. When Bitcoin is witnessing an astronomical increase in demand, White House Market, a major marketplace on the darknet, stops taking payments.
Bitcoin is a cipherliterally and figuratively. The crypto-currency conjures a William Gibsonesque panorama of dark web Tor servers. By A ElBahrawy 2022 Cited by 15 We analyse 24 separate episodes of unexpected marketplace closure by inspecting 133 million Bitcoin transactions among 38 million users. We. PDF On Jan 1, 2022, Yoichi Tsuchiya published Measuring Dark Web Marketplaces via Bitcoin Transactions: From Birth to Independence Find, read and cite. The marketplace accounts for almost 80 of all dark web-linked cryptocurrency transactions accounting for approximately bitcoin dark web billion since. Cryptocurrency crimes and scams are bitcoin dark web inevitable, but here's a way to trace them through the blockchain and on the dark wek.
Dark-net darknet market noobs spending in Bitcoin peaked in 2022, at 872 million, and declined last year as the coin's price took a dramatic dive. The findings are. Treasury Sanctions Russian 'Hydra' Dark Net, Major Crypto Trading and Garantex as it continues cryptocurrency laundering crackdowns. Vendors on the dark web have been releasing ads for the coronavirus vaccine asking for payments for as much as 1,000 worth of bitcoin. Bitcoin News Articles from Deep Web tag. Unusual Goods You Can Purchase on the Darknet With Cryptocurrency. Feb 24, 2022. While bitcoin is, of course, not solely used for illegal transactions, its use as a Dark Web cryptocurrency far outdates its recent commercial success. On the.
Bitcoin News Articles from Deep Web tag. Unusual Goods You Can Purchase on the Darknet With Cryptocurrency. Feb darknet market noobs bible 24, 2022. In the past few months, Bitcoin has seen a drastic decrease in activity on the dark web. Although many people attribute this to the increase in. They also confiscated 23M Euros (about 25M) in Bitcoin. Close the Largest Russian-Language Darknet Market appeared first on Flashpoint. According to data compiled by Coinfirm, a total of just bitcoin dark web of Bitcoin wallets are associated with darknet markets. By F PIAZZA Cited by 25 fought for in real life by giving cart blanche to criminals using Bitcoin and similar virtual currencies on the Dark Web.
Country specific differences in substance availability on the Agora dark net marketplace. Cannazon is one out of two cannabis only markets that does not allows any other drugs (other than mushrooms) being sold on the market. Because Now deep web exploring also illegal, If any one still exploring, only user responsible for his action. Keep your messages short, sweet, and simple which is valuable to most of the vendors. Similarly, international marketing scholars are often bitcoin dark web focused on the concept of internationalization itself. Agora Marketplace URL Google account all customer information upon completion. ETHD is often perceived to have a correlation to the performance of bitcoin (BTC) and alternative cryptocurrencies, or altcoins. Sign in Large Chevron Chevron that denotes content that can open up.
The anonymous and unalterable nature darknet market news of Bitcoin is made possible through Blockchain technology. You might have been to something similar in other cities including Kansas City’s River Market, Soulard Market in St. From what I have heard is overtime drug abuse declines some where it is legal.

domain: news


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Apple's "slide to unlock" mastermind to step down, and it's not looking amicable
Greg Christie, vice president and a senior engineer who played an important role in developing the original iPhone, is reportedly leaving Apple following a scuffle with a senior executive.
Christie was head of Apple's Human interface team whose aim was to make elegant and user-friendly softwares.
His team created the iPhone's famous 'slide to unlock; function and the ability to place calls from a contact list, CNET reported.
9to5mac reported that Christie was leaving following a spat with Jonathan Ive, the head of industrial and software design.
Apple's spokesperson however has denied reports that Christie was leaving following a brawl
- From more BBM-ing, to less Facebook-ing: how exactly are people in Qatar using the internet?
- Unnatural troubles: Cyber attacks increased by a billion in 2014
- From the World Cup to the iPhone 6: what are people in the UAE googling the most?
- Mashallah! Online ventures target a tremendous Muslim consumer base
- It's complicated: Iran's 'sinful' relationship with the internet
- Upsetting the Apple cart: Man behind map-app fiasco fired
- Economic Outlook: Apple's ego
- A lucrative setting: Apple to expand retail operations in the Gulf through establishing official stores
- Apple is urged to explain when 4G iPad arrives in UAE
- All night long: hundreds wait in line for Istanbul's first Apple Store


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USPS Temporarily Closing Post Offices in These States, Starting Now
The agency is adjusting operations at several facilities this month.
Hazardous winter weather can create unstable postal operations, leading to delivery delays and missed mail. But that may not be your only obstacle right now. Depending on where you live, your local post office might not be able to meet your needs at the moment. The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) can suspend services at facilities for different reasons, as certain customers in three different states are learning. Read on to find out more about the four post offices the USPS is temporarily closing, starting now.
The latest Service Alert from the USPS serves as a warning about an upcoming closure in Missouri. In the Jan. 18 alert, the agency announced that a facility in Arnold, Missouri—the Arnold Post Office at 1314 Jeff Blvd.—would be closing on Jan. 31.
In a statement to Best Life, Postal Service spokesperson Mark Inglett revealed that the lease for this post office expires at the end of January. According to Inglett, the agency has already secured a new lease at 2184 Michigan Ave in order to build a new facility.
"We are in the process of completing the design and will begin construction later this spring or early summer," he said. "Arnold is a very important community to the Postal Service. Our goal was to have our new facility nearby and to continue providing the same level of exceptional service to our customers."
Port Edwards, Wisconsin
Earlier this month, the USPS also warned customers about a temporary closure in Port Edwards, Wisconsin. In a Jan. 8 local press release, the agency said that the facility located at 160 Market Ave would be closed for the time being because of water damage.
"No mail has been damaged," the Postal Service stressed.
When Best Life reached out to the USPS about the Port Edwards Post Office closure, spokesperson Desai Abdul-Razzaaq further explained that the facility is dealing with a leaking roof. However as of Jan. 19, "no timetable has yet to be established for the resumption of retail services," Abdul-Razzaaq said.
RELATED: New USPS Stamps Have Customers Divided.
A separate local press release posted Jan. 12 informed customers about a different closure down South. Effective immediately, operations are "temporarily suspended" at a post office in Sheridan, Arkansas, according to the release. The facility located at 313 S Oak St is closed because of roof damage.
Best Life reached out to USPS about the Sheridan Post Office closure, and we will update this story with their response.
In the meantime, customers are being directed to pick up their mail and utilize retail services at the nearby Oak Park Station facility in Pine Bluff, Arkansas.
"We apologize for any inconvenience customers may experience, but the safety of both customers and employees is our highest priority," the agency said in its release.
Another post office in Arkansas was recently shuttered as well. In a Jan. 17 local press release, the USPS announced that postal operations had been temporarily suspended at a facility in Amity, too. According to the release, the Amity Post Office located at 136 W Thompson St has been closed for a similar reason: facility damage.
Best Life reached out to USPS about the Amity Post Office closure, and we will update this story with their response.
During the closure, customers from the Amity facility are being asked to pick up their P.O. Box mail at the nearby Glenwood Post Office.


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In this "Best Practices for Turning Around Distressed Companies" post, Yoav M. Cohen will share examples of companies that have had successful turnarounds.
In this series, Yoav M. Cohen will share tips for how to best execute turnarounds. In this blog, you'll learn the steps for saving a distressed company.
In this new series, Intralinks has partnered with Yoav M. Cohen, Managing Partner and CEO of NYC Advisors, LLC, to learn how to best execute turnarounds.
The economic forecast now seems to be improving, despite the Wall Street Journal's report on Monday that personal bankruptcy filings have topped one million for the first three quarters of 2009, as corporations are now filing for Chapter 11 at a slower rate and the pace of defaults is slowing as well.
Despite better industry leadership, economic recovery efforts and some recent upticks in the stock markets, the economy will continue to struggle in the near term before conditions stabilize and improve. There will be more bankruptcy filings, and the courts, law firms and restructuring advisors will remain busy for a while.


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Apple iPhone 8 has been subjected to various leaks in the past, which reveals some key design language of the upcoming smartphone. Now, another image has been surfaced online, which shows the front of the device in full glory.
The leaked image was shared by a renowned tipster, Evan Blass, which shows the device in a case. The front of the device sports a bezel-less display, which seems to have almost no bezels on both the sides and there is minimum bezels at the top and bottom of the device. The top of the device features earpiece, facial recognition cameras and other sensors. Interestingly, the Touch ID is not present at the bottom of the device, which could mean that it might be embedded into the screen.
The company is reported to induce the Touch ID sensor under the display, however, if a recent report is believed to be true, the company is facing some major problems while doing so. The brand is reported to move the Touch ID sensor at the back panel.
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Previously, the Apple iPhone 8 camera feature was revealed from the leaked HomePod firmware. The phone is reported to come with a new ‘SmartCam’ scene selection mode along with a face recognition feature that will help authenticate Apple Pay. The SmartCam code will allow iPhone’s camera to automatically select a scene, similar to what we have seen in other smartphones like Sony, Samsung and more. The mode could adjust exposure, ISO and other variables according to the scene. The code mentions several scenes like Baby, Bright Stage, Document, Fireworks, Foliage, and more.
Recollecting some previous rumours, Apple is said to launch three new iPhones this year. The 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone (probably iPhone 7s and 7s Plus) devices will be up much before, probably in September. Further, as per Brian White (analyst), the 5.8-inch iPhone 8 will be available for pre-orders along with the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone devices, however, the availability of the 5.8-inch variant is likely to happen sometime in October-November.


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Mumbai based Association of System Integrator and Retailers in Technology (ASIRT) has been taking various initiatives to educate partners against E Commerce. Continuing its series, ASIRT recently organized Techday event focusing on E Commerce menace. Industry veteran Mahesh Khatri underlined various approaches that could help partners competing with online portals effectively.
In his session, “Surviving the E-Commerce Tsunami & Beyond”, Mahesh Khatri, director of Kaytek Computer Services spoke on how partners and system integrators can pitch customers adopting new and innovative business practices. He practically demonstrated what needs to be done, what aspects to focus on while selling to each of CEO / Business Owner, Enterprise IT Head and CFO.
Mr. Khatri spoke extensively on effect of unethical business practices of E-Commerce giants and how to thwart the ill-effects of unfair competition from online portals.
In addition to talking of shortcomings of online sellers, he also presented various strategies to grow business with his session apart from highlighting tax issues and problems customer can face under that aspect of legal framework with a lot of unclear taxation issues.
Mr. Kshitij Kotak , president of ASIRT said, “The enormous and sudden growth of e-commerce is posing many challenges for traditional IT channels. Not only the box-pushers: dealers & distributors are at risk of survival, but retailers and system integrators are also facing the heat.”
“Many ill-informed customers do not know the unfair trade practices of predatory prices and below cost selling and allege they have been fleeced by their IT partner by charging exorbitant prices. ASIRT will continue to raise voice against E Commerce giants safeguarding interest of our community”, he said.
The second speaker in the event, Brand Guru Suneel Agarwal talked about Customer Management. He coached business owners how to acquire new customers in times when retaining existing customers is proving to be a tricky task.
Concluding the 6th and last session of Smart to Smarter series, Mr. Agarwal said, “Knowing your customer, the competition, your pricing and developing skills and tools to tackle are your response to this overbearing task.”
He promised special consideration for ASIRT members for his business building consulting services and also for his CEO coaching program.
Asus, a gold sponsor of ASIRT demonstrated their wide range of products including WiFi networking products during the event.
Event was attended by 75+ members of ASIRT.


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CCTV Monitoring Cracks Down on Summer Shoplifting
From Staten Island to Newark, there are shoplifting spikes in our service areas this summer. There are published reports of grocery store chains being hit by teams of shoplifters filling up carts with dozens of items, from ice cream pints to steaks. Local department stores are being impacted as well, losing clothing and other merchandise to shoplifters in search of items they can sell on the black market. The climate is ripe for shoplifting activity, and law enforcement is overwhelmed.


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Klick Health has hired veteran brand strategist Carl Turner for a newly created role aimed at elevating the strategy function at the agency. As Klick’s first chief brand strategy officer, Turner will helm the agency’s existing brand strategy group and work to grow and evolve it.
“As we continue to evolve the marriage of activation, brand strategy, creative and medical it was something we really wanted to lean into," Glenn Zujew, Klick’s executive vice president of creative and medical, said. "The role of a chief was born out of knowing we needed this to be a prominent role in the organization and we wanted to elevate the craft, but it also became obvious with the level that Carl was at that this was a perfect fit.”
Klick chose Turner after more than eight months of searching, Zujew said. He was most recently at Publicis Health’s Razorfish as managing partner and chief strategy officer and before that worked at Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness, Publicis Lifebrands, JWT, Commonground and Palio in a variety of brand strategy roles.
“All forms of strategy are really valued by our clients now and it’s about, 'how do you integrate those forms of strategy in ways that bring about new value for the client?' Our clients are clamoring for strategy,” Turner said.
He’s looking forward to working at the growing and entrepreneurial agency, which recorded double-digit growth last year and added new business in therapeutic areas including migraine, ADHD, women’s and men’s health and oncology.
“One of the great advantages of working at Klick is the cross fertilization that happens between all the disciplines,” Turner said, adding that, “The ability to work in an entrepreneurial fashion and influence each other with new ways of thinking is where the excitement comes from.”


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The 15th annual Consumer and Retailer Mood Survey: Retail Holiday Outlook poll conducted by Deloitte & Touche and the National Retail Federation has extremely positive results for retailers.
The survey reports that an overwhelming 82 percent of respondents plan to spend more during the holiday season than last year. The percentage has not been this high since the 1993 survey, and spending is expected to total $836 per person.
This is very positive news for the U.S. economy, and comes at a time when citizens pose questions about the outlook of the economy, especially as the nation moves forward into the new millennium.
Many people are curious about the role e-Commerce will play, and it appears, based on the survey, that consumers have confidence in online purchases, despite the many horror stories reported during last year's holiday season. The average person is expected to spend $264, or 28 percent of his total budget on online purchases.


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Ever wondered which mobile operating system is the most effective for advertisers? Opera Software, the makers of the Opera browser, published its first study providing information about mobile monetization and its current status. Turns out, according to this study, that Apple’s iOS devices have the fastest return on investment of all the mobile operating systems.
As other studies about mobile advertising have shown, mobile marketing is just making its first steps right now. Google makes more money from Apple than it does from its ads on Android. With more than 50% of its users on mobile Facebook and ads being one of its key sources of revenue, Google has to find ways to monetize these users.
Opera’s State of Mobile Advertising report reflects an up-to-date picture of mobile monetization. The company reported that in the second quarter of 2012, iOS devices averaged an eCPM of $2.85 (average cost per mille—the standard measure of effectiveness of an ad or campaign found by calculating ad impressions vs. click-throughs). Google’s Android mobile operating system came in second with an average of $2.10 eCPM. When considering that there are more than 500 million Android devices out there and Google sells about 800,000 Android devices per day, this number is kind of disappointing. To put it into perspective, according to Apple’s official June 11 WWDC keynote report, there are 365 million iOS devices spread across the globe.
Other mobile device makers like RIM and Symbian, fell far behind with BlackBerry averaging $0.64 eCPM and Symbian $0.59 eCPM. Interestingly however, the Windows Phone that cost AT&T and Microsoft a combined $500 million to promote has, averaged $0.20 eCPM. A clear reflection of the platform’s current status in the smartphone market.
These numbers, however, aren’t overly surprising. According to a Nielsen report, iOS and Android account for about 90% of the US smartphone market. While on a global scale the two platforms own a combined 83% of the market. An interesting development of Opera’s recent study, is that devices with larger touch screens performed better than their smaller counterparts. The iPad being the absolute leader, with an average $3.96 eCPM, accounting for 14.26% of revenue and 6.86% of traffic.
Opera’s mobile monetization report is based on data gathered from 9,000 global customers with more than 35 billion ad impressions per month, driving a combined total of more than $240 million in revenue for mobile advertisers last year. [Via AppleInsider]Contact Us for News Tips, Corrections and Feedback


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A jewelry store owner in Kenosha shot an armed robber Wednesday. The victim was one of two men robbing the jewelry store.
According to police reports, two men entered the Jewelry Exchange in Kenosha, and one of the men pointed a handgun at the store owner. The store owner reacted immediately pulled a handgun from under the store counter and fired a shot at one suspect while the other fled.
The wounded robber was taken to a nearby hospital by police and was later reported to be in stable condition. Police said a search is ongoing for the other suspect.
If you have been injured in an armed robbery, contact the Kenosha personal injury lawyers of Habush Habush & Rottier S.C. ®, at 800-242-2874.


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The U.S. Postal Service was created more than 200 years ago and may be the country’s oldest continuously operating business. But like the candle makers and the buggy whip makers that ran prosperous businesses back when Ben Franklin was the first Postmaster General, the Postal Service is becoming obsolete.
To understand this crisis of obsolescence, all you really need to do is ask yourself when was the last time you got an actual letter, addressed to you in the mail with a stamp on it. Even Christmas cards and wedding invitations are going electronic. And so the main business of the service is withering away. This past quarter, revenue grew—thanks to the holiday season—but so did losses.
The big issue is what comes next. On one hand are those who argue that the requirement to pre-fund retiree health benefits is unfair and the sole cause of the crisis. Remove it and all will be well. On the other hand are those who argue that not only is that policy change unwise, it will not solve the problem in the long run.
This debate has led to a wide range of suggestions. For instance, some argue that the Postal Service should get into new lines of business—from delivering groceries to teaming up with retailers to deliver packages on the same day they are ordered. But this raises the thorny question of subsidies. To what extent do the U.S. government subsidies for the service create an unfair playing field for all those who are already in the private marketplace delivering everything from groceries to clothing?
Others argue that the Postal Service needs to bite the bullet and get rid of Saturday service. This would save large amounts of money but it would also reduce the workforce. In a similar vein, some argue that more post offices need to be closed.
These options open up big and challenging questions such as the relevance of the universal mandate (the requirement that mail be delivered everywhere no matter how remote) in the Internet age? Will the postal service be the next bailout?
But perhaps the biggest challenge facing the Postal Service is the inability of Congress to agree to a sensible plan for its future. One of the few exceptions to the benign neglect shown by most of Congress is Senator Tom Carper (D-DE) who said last December, “Because of Congress’ inability to come to a consensus on post reform legislation this year, the Postal Service’s fate continues to twist in the wind.”
Tomorrow, Brookings will host a forum on the future of the U.S. Postal Service in the hopes that lawmakers can stop kicking the can down the road and grapple with a problem that doesn’t seem to be going away.


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Amsterdam’s worldwide air terminal, Schipol, has introduced a cryptographic money ATM that gives travelers a chance to change over their euros into bitcoin or ethereum.
In a declaration on Wednesday, the airplane terminal uncovered it is evaluating interest for the two most unmistakable digital currencies among travelers over a six-month preliminary in an activity that is the first of its kind in any European air terminal.
The ATM is deliberately situated close to the air terminal’s takeoffs terminal, empowering outbound explorers to change over the rest of their euros into the two biggest cryptographic forms of money by advertise top. In particular, the crypto ATM is introduced in Arrival Hall 2 which is additionally available by the passage to Departure Halls 1 and 2 where leaving travelers visit.
Tanja Dik, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol’s executive of customer items and administrations, said in articulations:
With the Bitcoin ATM, we hope to provide a useful service to passengers by allowing them to easily exchange ‘local’ euros for the ‘global’ cryptocurrencies Bitcoin and Ethereum. That can be beneficial if, for instance, it’s not possible to spend euros in their home country.
The 2-way ATM acknowledges euro charges and has been introduced through an organization with ByeleX, a Dutch programming administrations firm that offers crypto ATMs through its auxiliary ‘Byecoin’.
The novel idea of enabling explorers to utilize digital forms of money like bitcoin at universal air terminals to discredit the issue of uplifted transformation expenses amid cash change is getting on among airplane terminal administrators all around.
In a more thorough grasp of digital forms of money, Australia’s Brisbane air terminal – the nation’s third-busiest airplane terminal by traveler movement – presented crypto installments at various retail foundations over the air terminal’s two terminals prior this year. The terminals are open by explorers both arriving and leaving the air terminal, empowering them to make installments in bitcoin, ethereum, dash and different cryptographic forms of money.


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Health matters but convenience matters more, according to a report that looked at why functional foods succeeded or failed in the market place.
New UK guidelines for vitamin D intake in the UK should recommend that only medically licensed products are prescribed and not food supplements, according to several pharma experts.
Arla Foods Ingredients says women wrongly believe high protein products risk making them fat or overly muscly, as Mintel warns Europeans simply aren’t that interested in protein drinks.
Join us on a whirlwind tour of the Healthy Beverage and World Tea Expos, as we train our lens on five rising beverage brands addressing need states from enhanced hydration...
DairyReporter.com's US dairy commodities expert John Geuss explains why the amino acid balancing of feed is "one of the most impactful emerging technologies" in the dairy sector.
Companies have to be clever about proprietary research, and plant extracts may hold unique opportunities in this respect, according to a food and nutrition industry consultant.
Energy drinks that also offer beauty or weight loss benefits have a growing market in the EU despite a difficult health claims environment.
The meso-zeaxanthin cartenoid is a synthetic, quasi pharmaceutical that needs holistic research on whole body affects, says an eye health researcher.
How we define ‘commercial communication’ when it comes to health claims remains somewhat of a grey zone, according to a Leatherhead analyst.
When it comes to cognitive health products, women look for emotional ‘brain food’, while men look for caffeine sources, according to a survey of German students.
The discourse around eye health carotenoid meso-zeaxanthin (MZ) has been marred by commercial interests, according to supplement firm OmniActive Health Technologies.
Sustainability is not such an important issue for the supplements industry, because of the relatively low ingredient volumes involved and a difference in industry priorities, Malaysia-based Carotech has said.
Establishing broad acceptance is the greatest challenge facing the sports nutrition segment today, and this hinges on the creation of local mainstream retail channels, according to one analyst.
BASF says it is honing in on its omega-3 business but will sell a recently acquired low-concentration omega-3 facility in Norway as it aims high-end.
The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) has backtracked on a decision to close its doors on EU novel foods applications after stakeholder unrest at the UK government austerity driven measure. ...
The UK Food Standards Agency is no longer accepting novel food applications, a development one public policy expert says is “alarming”.
Meso-zeaxanthin (MZ) proponent says a French government report on the fraudulent use of meso-zeaxanthin in eye health supplements casts unnecessary doubt on a safe and viable compound. ...
German flavours and aromas specialist Symrise has won the battle for French flavour and ingredients producer Diana, after agreeing a deal that values the firm at €1.3bn.
Cross-border communication must be provided to combat the confusion caused by the 24 subtly different language versions of EU-approved health claims, as well as countless other cultural nuances, according to...
DSM has ended speculation about acquiring Chinese vitamin C supplier Aland by acknowledging it is in talks with the firm, but asserts no deal has been signed.
Nutrition Capital Network (NCN) is setting up shop in Europe this May at Vitafoods in Geneva and is scouting for investment opportunities in the health and wellness sector.
Russia may still hold the lion share of the dietary supplements market in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), but it’s the comparatively more stable Kazakhstan that will lead in...
Swedish probiotic player BioGaia has broadened and strengthened its ties with food manufacturing giant Nestlé by agreeing a deal for clinical research and new product development (NPD), according to the...
French supplier Ingredia has announced its acquisition of bioactive peptides specialist Galactis Pharma.
Romania and Moldova may still be small markets, but Indena says it sees in them what it saw in Poland 20 years ago.


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Mi 11 Ultra smartphone will pack a Silicon-Oxygen Anode battery, a prime Xiaomi govt shared on Friday. As per Daniel D, Xiaomi Senior Product Marketing Manager and Global Spokesperson, this battery know-how will enable for sooner charging whereas preserving the scale thinner than conventional smartphone batteries. In one other growth, Xiaomi has teased that it’s going to launch a brand new chip, that might debut in an upcoming Mi Mix smartphone. This Mi Mix smartphone is scheduled to launch alongside the Mi 11 Ultra and Mi 11 Pro on March 29.
Highlighting the “core benefits” of a the Silicon-Oxygen Anode in a tweet, Daniel says that the Silicon-Oxygen Anode is just like the batteries present in electrical automobiles. As per the chief, these batteries use nano-scale silicon supplies on the damaging electrode rather than graphite, theoretically growing its capability and charging pace. Mi 11 Ultra will reportedly characteristic a 5,000mAh battery. It is anticipated to assist 67W wired charging, 67W wi-fi charging, and 10W reverse charging.
Meanwhile, a Weibo post by Xiaomi says that it’s going to introduce a brand new chip, with out giving a proof about its utilization. As per a report by GSMArena, it could possibly be a touch to the corporate’s Surge S1 SoC that was announced in 2017. Later, Xiaomi reportedly shelved its plans of bringing the SoC. It could possibly be attainable that the corporate could deliver Surge S2 SoC this time round.
Additionally, Xiaomi additionally confirmed via a Weibo post that it’s going to launch Mi Mix smartphone along with the Mi 11 Ultra and Mi 11 Pro in China. This Mi Mix machine is touted to characteristic a brand new liquid lens know-how, whose working has been defined in a Weibo post by Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun.
This smartphone has allegedly been spotted on TENAA with mannequin quantity M2011J18C, and could possibly be accessible in 12GB + 512GB in addition to 16GB + 512GB storage configurations. Citing sources, MyFixGuide reports that the purported chip could possibly be an ISP (Image Signal Processor) and should debut within the Mi Mix handset.
Has the Redmi Note 10 Series raised the bar within the price range telephone market in India? We mentioned this on Orbital, our weekly know-how podcast, which you’ll be able to subscribe to through Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or RSS, download the episode, or simply hit the play button under.


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The wildly anticipated Battlefield 3 has been catching on with gamers.
According to the game's publisher, Electronic Arts, preorders for the title are more than 10 times higher than they were for Battlefield: Bad Company 2, the last title the company released in the franchise. It's an impressive feat. Last month, EA announced that it had sold 9 million copies of Bad Company 2 since the game's launch in March 2010.
Battlefield 3 is being called by some industry observers a possible Call of Duty killer. The game, which is scheduled to launch on October 25, is a first-person shooter that puts the gamer in the shoes of U.S. Marines. Gamers must work their way through several missions spanning Paris, Tehran, and New York City. Battlefield 3 promises gameplay that's quite similar to real-world battles--a hallmark of Activision's Call of Duty franchise.… Read more


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Apple’s new iPhone 5 could not only boost the technology giant’s bottom line but also the overall US economy, JP Morgan says.
Apple plans to release the iPhone 5 this week, and according to JP Morgan’s chief economist, Michael Feroli, sales of the new iPhone could add between a quarter and a half percentage point to fourth quarter annualised growth in the US.
In a note to clients on Monday, Feroli said: "Calculated using the so-called retail control method, sales of iPhone 5 could boost annualised GDP growth by $3.2bn, or $12.8bn at an annual rate." That 0.33 percentage-point boost, he added, "would limit the downside risk to our Q4 GDP growth protection, which remains 2 per cent."
JP Morgan's analysts expect Apple to sell around eight million iPhone 5s in the fourth quarter. They expect the sale price to be about $600.
With about $200 in discounted import component costs, the government can factor in $400 per phone into its measure of gross domestic product for the fourth quarter.
Feroli said the estimate of between a quarter to a half point of annualised GDP "seems fairly large, and for that reason should be treated skeptically". But, he added, "we think the recent evidence is consistent with this projection."
Feroli said that when the last iPhone was launched in October 2011, sales significantly outperformed expectations.
"Given the iPhone 5 launch is expected to be much larger, we think the estimate mentioned ... is reasonable," Feroli wrote.


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July 11, 2011
Samsung BD-D7500 Blu-ray player, explored with Wi-Fi, 3D conversion
Samsung’s mighty Blu-ray release for the year, the Samsung BD-D7500, hasn’t come in to much fanfare. Instead it has silently made its way into many wishlists. It’s got its share of exciting features which include a slot-in disc drive. It also holds the stake of being the world’s slimmest Blu-ray drive at just 23mm. It’s so cool that its sleek body can be wall-mounted smoothly. Other exciting features that make it the hype-worthy drive that it is include 2D to 3D conversion, Wi-Fi connectivity; BD-Live, Samsung Smart TV support, and a lot more.
However, the flagship Samsung BD-D7500 doesn’t come cheap. It slices your pocket for a heavy $350.


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When you think of a basic, affordable vehicle that everyone can buy, a hover car doesn't immediately come to mind. But that's what emerged from the People's Car Project launched by Volkswagen in China last year.
Volkswagen, which translates to "people's car" in English, challenged China residents to submit their ideas of what the car of the future should look like. The company sifted through more than 119,000 ideas submitted to the project Web site and compiled three concepts, including the Hover Car.
The Hover Car is a two-seater zero-emissions vehicle that hovers … Read more


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Visa to help accelerate the expansion of Fidel API’s new solution
By Joy Dumasia
Fidel API, a leading financial infrastructure API platform, announced the launch of its Transaction Stream API, which enables developers to connect to real-time payment card data and build the next generation of corporate expense management platforms and consumer financial management applications. The Transaction Stream API is built on top of the Visa Offers Platform. Fidel API and Visa will be partnering to expand the solution capabilities and bring it to new global markets.
With the new Transaction Stream API, developers building commercial solutions can provide real-time spend visibility to HR and Finance teams and reduce time spent by employees manually filing expense reports. Developers building consumer applications for expense management can make real-time decisions on a card purchase programmatically, triggering event-driven experiences such as personalized alerts and insights for consented cardholders the moment they transact.
Dev Subrata, Chief Executive Officer of Fidel API, said: “We are delighted to announce this expanded collaboration with Visa, which is a testament to the work we have done together over the last five years. The launch of the Transaction Stream API is the first of many joint efforts that will deliver new value across the ecosystem: to our clients, issuers and individual cardholders. We look forward to leveraging Visa’s expertise and extensive global network as we continue to scale our products around the world.”
Brian Cole, SVP and head of North America Product, Visa, said: “Fidel API has been a long-term, trusted partner of Visa. Their tools are helping drive the future of fintech innovation and transforming existing payments processes, like expense management. We are excited to help expand their product offerings.”
IBS Intelligence recently reported that Visa, a leading global payments technology company, announced today the launch of Visa Eco Benefits, a new package of sustainability-focused benefits for account issuers designed to enable and encourage their cardholders to engage in sustainable consumption behaviours.


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Imperial College London has released a report recommending that UK Government’s proposed tax on plastic packaging with less than 30 per cent recycled content should be set at £150 (€164.50) per tonne, to provide an incentive for producers to use recycled content in their packaging.
The government announced plans for the introduction of a ‘plastics tax’ as part of last year’s Autumn Statement, proposing that a tax on the manufacture and import of plastic packaging with less than 30 per cent recycled content will be introduced from April 2022. Revenue from the tax will be invested into tackling the issue of single-use plastics.
The £150 figure is based on an estimation that the price difference between recycled and virgin plastic is currently around £500 (€548) per tonne. The minimum tax level would therefore need to be £150 per tonne to make costs similar between using 100 per cent virgin plastic packaging and packaging with a minimum of 30 per cent recycled content.


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Less than a week after sister line Princess Cruises dropped pre-cruise testing for unvaccinated passengers, Carnival Cruise Line has done the same.
In an email to travel advisors, Carnival said “Consistent with the evolving public health guidelines, we have continued to update our protocols over the last several weeks. In summary, vaccines, proof of vaccination, and testing for unvaccinated guests, are no longer required on cruises of 15 nights or less.”
This means that on the guest-facing side, the cruise line has pretty much dropped all of its COVID-related health and safety protocols. This is in line with Princess’ change, which said “Beginning October 21, Princess Cruises is lifting its protocols, meaning there are no longer vaccination or testing requirements on most voyages.”
In the email, Carnival Cruise Line also said that a digital health pass from the VeriFLY app is no longer necessary for check-in. It wasn’t required before, but many guests chose to use it to expedite the boarding process in the terminal. This seems to imply that Carnival no longer has a use for the app at all, which makes sense since it was used to verify vaccination and testing status.
“While the cruise industry continues its return to normal operations, our commitment to the health and safety of our guests and crew and the communities we serve remain our top priority,” Carnival continued. “Please make sure you are fit to sail and in good health as you prepare for your cruise. Then we’ll do the rest to make sure you have a great vacation.”


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Growth in electronic spending slows
Marlborough has experienced its lowest growth rate for electronic spending in more than a year.
Paymark figures released yesterday showed spending in Marlborough totalled $50.9 million in March this year, compared with $49m last March - an increase of just 3.9 per cent.
This places Marlborough eighth for regional spending growth, on par with Gisborne.
The last time Marlborough had a low growth rate for electronic spending was in February 2013, when the region fell to ninth place.
Paymark customer relations head Mark Spicer acknowledged Marlborough's position after normally showing the highest growth out of the regions.
"A couple of things are at play here, the trading conditions and the change in date for Easter will be impacting the change.
However, Spicer said spending in Marlborough and throughout the country showed consistent growth.
The number of electronic transactions for last month was up 5.4 per cent. A total of 900,000 transactions were recorded, compared with 950,000 in March 2013.
January and February 2014 paymark figures showed Marlborough had the highest regional spending growth.
The Marlborough Express


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The Commerce Department releases retail sales data for July on Thursday at 8:30 a.m. Eastern.
SALES RECOVER: Economists forecast that retail sales rose 0.6 percent in July, according to a survey by FactSet. This would reverse the 0.3 percent dip in June. Sales climbed a solid 1 percent in May because of accelerating auto purchases.
Continue Reading Below
STRONGER ECONOMY, RELUCTANT SHOPPERS: The combination of strong job growth and cheaper gasoline prices seen this year had historically fueled consumer spending, yet retail sales have largely been muted for the first half of 2015.
In the past 12 months, retail sales have edged up just 1.4 percent. That slight increase is roughly in line with the low core inflation rate — which excludes volatile energy and food prices — of 1.8 percent. The weak sales gains indicate that many workers are either saving more of their wages or using the money to pay down their debts instead of shopping more.
The muted sales growth contrasts against an economy that has added a seemingly robust 2.9 million jobs over the past year. The hiring has driven the unemployment rate down to 5.3 percent from 6.2 percent during that period.
Consumers have also benefited from cheaper gasoline. Prices at the pump are averaging $2.59 a gallon nationwide, a 25 percent drop over the past year, according to AAA. Most of the growth in retail spending has occurred at auto dealers, furniture stores and restaurants, barely offsetting the downward pressure on spending caused by lower fuel costs.
Economists watch the retail sales report closely because it provides the first indication each month of the willingness of Americans to spend. Consumer spending drives 70 percent of the economy. Yet retail sales account for only about one-third of spending, with services such as haircuts and Internet access making up the other two-thirds.


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“Effective immediately, we have modified our APO shipping charges,” Walmart spokesman Ravi Jariwala said in the e-mail. “They are now the same as shipping to homes and businesses in the continental U.S. This change is currently reflected on our site as our customers select and purchase their merchandise.”Apparently they decided that the publicity from an earlier story was making them look, well, opportunistic:
Thanks to Stars and Stripes
According to Small, when companies ship to APO addresses in Europe, the order is shipped to New York, after which the Department of Defense picks up the tab to get the package to an APO address.
On Walmart.com, the company says shipping costs will be higher to APO addresses due to higher transportation costs.
“There is no higher transportation costs,” said Small. “Companies are abusing the system and making a killing.”


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Parliamentary Under-Secretary Mr. Michael Wood,
President of the National Party Mr. Peter Goodfellow,
Members of Parliament Jamie Strange, Raymond Huo, Jian Yang and Chris Penk,
Mayors and Councilors,
Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Thank you so much for joining us today at this event. At the outset, please allow me to extend, on behalf of the Chinese Consulate General in Auckland our warmest welcome to all the distinguished guests, friends and media present here today.
As you know that my consular district covers three very important regions of NZ, namely Northland, Waikato and Auckland, where my colleagues and I have paid regular visits and hosted a series of events and business forums. We were so much impressed and encouraged by the strong desire of the local governments, business people, educators and many others to forge, with the help of my Consulate General, partnership with Chinese counterparts. It is out of this consideration that we convene this dialogue today, which aims to serve as a platform for both sides to explore cooperative opportunities through face-to-face meetings at a time of world's dramatic change and at a time when China has entered into a new stage of further reform and opening-up.
At this special occasion, I wish to express my heartfelt appreciation to all the friends of my consulate district and NZ for their consistent support to promote the relationship and business co-operations between our two countries and two peoples. I hope that all the participants today will make full use of this platform to advance your businesses, make friends and connections with each other, and open new opportunities of cooperation at various areas between China and NZ.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Today, I would like to take this opportunity to share with you my views on the opportunities that China's new round of reform and opening up as well as the Belt and Road Initiative brings to the world and Sino-NZ co-operation:
This year marks the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up. The past 4 decades have seen transformative changes in my country and made China the world's second largest economy. The Chinese people, with vision, hard work and perseverance, have forged ahead and taken a historic stride. We have stood up, become prosperous and grown with strength. For decades, some people in the west have made all kinds of assessments and predictions about China. To them, China is either "collapsing" or "threatening". As China continues to grow, the first theory has collapsed itself and become an international laughing stock. Meanwhile, proponents of the second theory have conjured up new versions of different kinds, but only to find dwindling support because facts speak louder than words.
For years, China has been the leading engine of global growth. At more than 30%, China's annual contribution is bigger than that of America, Japan and the Euro zone combined. We played our part in responding to the Asian financial crisis and international financial crisis. By doing so, China has contributed its vision and input to building a community with shared future for mankind featuring long-lasting peace, universal security, common prosperity, harmony, clean and beautiful world. China accounts for more than 70% of poverty reduction worldwide, a miracle in human history. As the world's largest trader of goods, the biggest tourist market and a major trading partner with over 130 countries, China's stability and development enjoyed by close to 1.4 billion people itself is a great contribution to the world peace. As the largest source of peacekeeping personnel among the permanent members of the UN Security Council and the second largest contributor to the UN peacekeeping budget, China is bearing a weighty responsibility for maintaining world peace. Not even mention that in the last five years, with the Belt and Road Initiative and other major proposals, China has come to the fore in championing global governance, free trade, open economy and rule-based international order, etc. From these solid facts, those who do not have bias or practice double standards will see in China not a threat, but lots of opportunities.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The Belt and Road Initiative, which is a very important proposal of China's opening up, aims to enhance connectivity among countries and regions, promote interconnected development and create a new space for global growth through tapping the economic comparative advantages of countries along the BRI. This initiative is an open, inclusive and transparent platform for international cooperation based on extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefit. It has no hidden geopolitical agenda and no preconditions and it is not a one-way road. Instead, it is a win-win road of connectivity of policy, trade, financing, infrastructure and people-to-people exchanges. Over the past five years, the BRI has won wide international endorsement. We have signed BRI cooperation documents with more than 100 countries and international organizations. A large number of cooperation projects have been launched under this initiative. The total volume of trade in goods between China and countries along the Belt and Road had surpassed US$5 trillion, and China's outward direct investment to these countries has surpassed US$70 billion, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs and bringing tax revenue worth billions of US Dollars to local governments. Just as President Xi Jinping put during his speech at the APEC CEO Summit a few days ago, the BRI is a major and transparent initiative with which China shares opportunities and pursues common development with the rest of the world. He announced that in April next year, China will host the second BRI forum for international cooperation in Beijing.
Ladies and gentlemen,
As we look back over the past four decades of reform and opening up, we in China are more convinced than ever before that only through reform and opening up can China develop itself. Going forward, China will take an even more responsible approach, be even more open and inclusive, and strive to achieve even higher quality of growth. By doing so, China will make greater contribution to the common prosperity of the world. Our policy has always been and will remain consistent and steadfast. China will continue its peaceful development and will continue to be the upholder of the world peace, contributor of the world growth and defender of the world order.
Since the beginning of this year, China has announced a series of measures for further opening up, which include but not limit to provide a more attractive investment and business environment, significantly expand market access, lower tariffs and strengthen IPR protection. Protecting IPR is crucial to the nurturing of productive and innovative forces that will ensure China's sustainable high quality development. China views all companies, both Chinese and foreign, as equals, welcomes and encourages fair competition among them and will fully protect their legitimate rights and interests. We will do more to increase import. Along with the China's middle class closing to 400 million and the continued implementation of people-oriented policy, China's total import of goods in the next 15 years is estimated to be USD 24 trillion. Such bright prospect has been evidenced by an important event that took place in China this month.
During the six day First China International Import Expo (CIIE) held in Shanghai early this month, attended by 172 countries, regions and international organizations, over more than 3,600 companies and 400,000 domestic and overseas buyers. Deals worth USD 57.8 billion were sealed. More than 100 NZ companies participated in the expo and signed contracts amounting hundreds of millions of Dollars. Right after the conclusion of the first CIIE, more than ten NZ exhibitors have presented applications for next year's expo booths covering around 1000 square meters.
Ladies and gentlemen,
China's further reform and opening up offers valuable opportunities to NZ and the cooperation between our two countries as well. Our bilateral relationship has maintained in a good momentum of development. The leaders of our two countries have kept very close communication and contacts with each other. China is committed to deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership based on mutual respect, equality and win-win cooperation. China's new development concept featured with co-ordination, innovation, openness, greenness and shared development is very much in line with that of NZ. Our two economies are highly complementary with each other. China's economy enjoys steady and stable growth and is expected to increase at medium and high level in the foreseeable future. We are faced with tremendous opportunities in developing our mutually beneficial co-operation in all areas.
Trade has been the major driving force for NZ's economic growth. China has maintained to be NZ's No. one trading partner for five consecutive years. Over the past 10 years since we signed FTA, our bilateral trade has been tripled and increased from 6.8 billion to 27.8 billion NZD, accounting for 20% of NZ's import and export. NZ brands of products become more and more popular in the Chinese market.
Tourism is the second engine of NZ economy. China has been NZ second largest tourist source country and is expected to be the No one in a few years. Last year, tourists from China brought NZ with US$ 1.6 billion revenue. In next 5 years more than 700 million people will travel abroad. And more and more would love to travel to NZ, a 100% pure paradise country on earth. Of course, our NZ friends are most welcome to visit China as well. 2019 will be China-NZ Year of Tourism, we look forward to more tourism exchanges and cooperation with Northland, Waikato and Auckland.
Fast growing tourists and trade will possibly transfer NZ's disadvantaged geographical location into an advantaged one. It will help make NZ an international transportation hub like Singapore, Paris and Dubai. For years, non-stop flights flying back and forth between major cities of China and Auckland per week has steadily rocketed to over 160 during peak seasons. Each flight generates as much as 180 million NZ dollars on average to NZ per year and also brings many job opportunities and other benefits. Air connection has not only facilitated the people-to-people exchanges but also brought opportunities for investment and trade.
New mode of cooperation is gaining momentum. NZ is a very innovative country and has accumulated expertise and experience in open and environment-friendly development. In addition to primary industry, we have great potential to cooperate in "soft connections", such as trade facilitation, supply chain connectivity, technological innovation, energy conservation, business consulting and financial integration. We should focus on innovation to tap new sources of growth. Breakthroughs are being made one after another in frontier areas such as information technology, life science, smart manufacturing, green energy and new material. New business forms are replacing existing ones at a faster pace. Enterprises from both China and NZ will give full play to the spirit of pioneering and entrepreneurship and work together in opening new areas of pragmatic cooperation in order to realize better and sustainable development, and bring more mutually beneficial results to our two peoples.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Today's world is faced with complicated challenges as well as new opportunities. Only openness, dialogues and cooperation can bring more opportunities and create more space for development. One who chooses to close his door will only cut himself off from the rest of the world and lose his direction.
Here I want to stress again that the China-New Zealand economic and trade cooperation is mutually beneficial in nature. We encourage Chinese companies to conduct economic cooperation in other countries including NZ on the basis of following market principles and international rules and abiding by local laws. We hope that New Zealand can level the playing field for Chinese enterprises' operation and contribute more to mutual trust and cooperation. It is our sincere hope that NZ central and local governments will also provide welcoming and fair environment for Chinese enterprises to do business here and to work together with their NZ partners to achieve win-win results. NZ friends are most welcome to do business in China, too. I am confident that through our joint efforts, the China-NZ comprehensive strategic partnership will be pushed into a new level.
Wish all of you a great success!


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When visiting a Stockland shopping centre, customers will soon not only say "charge it" when making a purchase, they'll also be able to keep their electric car fully firing.
Under a deal with the electric car manufacturer Tesla, Stockland is investing $200,000 in a national rollout of Tesla Destination Chargers across 31 shopping centres from Cairns to Melbourne.
The owners of the cars can access the power points for free and stay as long as they wish in the centre.
It reflects the ongoing innovations being offered by mall landlords to entice shoppers and increase the "dwell" time at a mall. It is the shifting nature of a shopping centre into being the town centre for a local community. It is not just shops that people want, but also entertainment and a range of convenient features.
The move also reflects the increased focus by consumers on sustainability and their desire to patronise green-rated properties.
Other retail mall owners are rolling out similar programs, with GPT Group offering chargers for electric cars at its Rouse Hill town centre, and Wollongong Central, NSW. Vicinity Centres has installed chargers at Chadstone in Melbourne.
Stockland chief executive, commercial, John Schroder said in the ever-changing retail landscape, technology was increasingly critical to drive innovation, efficiency and engagement with customers.
"Just one hour connected to a Tesla Destination Charger provides up to 110 kilometres of range," he said.
"We know EV vehicles are part of the future and we look forward to offering more features like this to meet continuing Australian demand."
Stockland already has 17 free Charge Point facilities in 10 locations throughout Australia, including Stockland Cammeray and Stockland Balgowlah. These Chargepoints can be used for all EV vehicles.
Stockland will continue to roll out both Chargepoint and Tesla Destination Chargers across its centres to support the growth in EV Vehicles in Australia."
And with the move by Tesla to deliver its first cheaper Model 3 electric saloons, there will be more demand for chargers across all shopping centres and in the future, offices, hotels and residential towers.
Stockland will install the chargers in centres ranging from Cairns to Balgowlah, Cammeray and Green Hills, in NSW and the The Pines, Traralgon in country Victoria.
Mr Schroder said the Tesla Destination Charger rollout complemented Stockland's Chargepoint facilities, which have been used more than 2000 times by customers since 2015.
The initiative was part of Stockland's broader focus on innovation, which included the pioneering use of social robotics in retail environments.
"Our customers continue to demonstrate their desire for more innovative in-centre features, tech-integrated amenity and sustainability-led initiatives to enhance their everyday shopping experience. It is integral that Australian shopping centres continue to evolve and adapt to retailer, customer and global demands," he said.


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Dr. Craig Wright, Jimmy Nguyen and Lorien Gamaroff all took the stage at the event to discuss how BSV will impact the African continent in the coming decade.
In this new episode of BSV Stories, CoinGeek’s Natalie Mason explores Zug, Switzerland—a small historic town that’s home to some of the world’s largest corporations.
In this latest episode of BSV Stories, CoinGeek’s Natalie Mason explores Switzerland’s Crypto Valley, the home of many digital currency and blockchain focused businesses.
CTO of nChain, Steve Shadders, explains, new possibilities for making use of dust are becoming available: “there is really nothing revolutionary about this at all.
Jordan Atkins sits down with GeoSpock CEO Richard Baker to talk about GeoSpock, extreme data, future economies and where nChain fits into their vision for the future.
nChain CTO Steve Shadders was one of the speakers during the five-day event geared towards exploring emerging technologies, including blockchain.
CoinGeek Live 2020 wouldn’t have been possible without the support of our sponsors, the true pioneers of the Bitcoin ecosystem.
Patrick Thompson looks back on the three significant announcements that were made during the CoinGeek Live conference.
A panel composed of legal and patent law experts explored topics related to blockchain patents on Day 3 of the CoinGeek Live conference.
Much of CoinGeek Live was dedicated to the concept of scalability, a pre-requisite for the world to get behind one chain and reap the benefits.
A panel representing some of the most experienced thinkers in the space discussed these issues at CoinGeek Live to give everyone a better idea of how this could happen.


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The mobile app space has picked pace in the past decade as businesses from almost every industry and of all sizes are embracing apps to maximize their reach. The past few years have been super-hot in particular, with new technologies making inroads and revolutionizing app development like never before. 2018 promises to be no different as developers can look up to bring the most amazing smart apps this year. There are some big changes lined up as futuristic technologies will be the flavor of the year. Let’s check the trends that the year holds in store for mobile app enthusiasts:
1. The IoT technology will grow bigger
Like the last year, the IoT trend will be hot, even hotter in 2018. In fact, as the craze of connected devices is expected to grow, most businesses will demand IoT-based smart apps that make them stand apart and deliver exceptional user experiences as well.
2. Hybrid technologies will make to the forefront
Most businesses would prefer to invest in hybrid app development as these apps ensure that multiple platforms and devices are covered with a single product. Developers will thus need to polish their skills on hybrid platforms such as Cordova, React JS, Xamarin, Ionic, and PhoneGap.
3. More apps will have the flavor of AR and VR
The technologies of AR and VR will no longer be confined to the gaming industry but will become mainstream for domains such as e-commerce, manufacturing, and healthcare. A majority of mobile app development services in India are already specializing in these technologies.
4. AI will hold its supremacy this year too
After dominating the app scenario for the past few years, AI will retain its position in 2018 too. The popularity of Apple Siri and Google Assistant speaks volumes about the boom that can be expected in this technology in the coming time.
5. Location-based apps will be trending
Location-based technologies will become essential for mobile applications. With this feature, the real-time information about the user can be procured and used for personalized marketing. Smart sensors and beacons will be used to merge the boundary between the physical and the virtual.
6. Enterprises will be app-ready
Although the trend of enterprise mobility has stepped up in the past few years, 2018 is expected to make its adoption widespread. The majority of enterprises will be keen on investing in customized mobile applications to bridge the gap between employees, partners, and customers.
7. Chatbots will become all pervasive
2018 will be the year of Chatbots as they will be an integral part of mobility now. Whether you are opting for e-commerce, healthcare, or banking app development, this is one feature that is no longer an option. Smart chatbots drive conversational user experiences, which make the mainstay of the success of an app.
8. Android instant apps will be a hit
The concept of Android instant apps that Google has introduced recently is poised to change the app development space now. These “run-as-you-need” apps enable the users to save on space and data as there is no need to download and install them; rather they can be used instantly.
9. Security will be all the more important
Another trend that developers will need to focus on in 2018 is that of app security. Apps will be built with stronger security as users realize the need to be cautious while sharing their personal and financial details.
10. The Cloud will grow bigger
As the use of multiple devices such as mobiles, laptops, and tablets become widespread, there is need to synchronize data across these devices to ensure its accessibility. The integration of Cloud technology has come up as an effective way of doing so. In 2018, developers will show an inclination towards creating cloud-based mobile apps to fulfill the data synchronization requirement.
Every business that is planning to invest in a mobile application or already has one needs to be aware of these trends so that they can align their app accordingly. Partnering with experts is the best way they can do so. At Mobiindia, we are a leading application development partner that offers expert iPhone and Android app development services. We make sure that every mobile application we create fulfills the client’s needs and adheres to futuristic trends as well.


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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 28-Sep-17
Google has declined to comment on the cost of hiring Sir Elton John to perform at its annual Brandcast marketing event in Sydney, although industry sources suggest that the British music legend would have commanded a six-figure fee. Meanwhile, Google Australia and New Zealand MD Jason Pellegrino has conceded that the last year had been challenging for the digital giant. Advertisers boycotted its YouTube video-sharing site over the placement of ads alongside objectionable content, while Google has attracted scrutiny over tax avoidance, fake website traffic and the dissemination of fake news.
GOOGLE INCORPORATED, GOOGLE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, YOUTUBE INCORPORATED, MEDIA FEDERATION OF AUSTRALIA, OMNICOM MEDIA GROUP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, EUROPEAN COMMISSION, ALPHABET INCORPORATED, THE COCA-COLA COMPANY, TOYOTA MOTOR CREDIT CORPORATION


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DecisivConnect, the umbrella name given to the various Decisiv Inc. social media platforms, is providing more communication opportunities for customers and leading to quicker resolution of problems, the company said.
“We launched DecisivConnect to coordinate our communications activities,” said Dick Hyatt, president of Decisiv. “We are embracing social media channels to reach out to technology partners, fleets, service providers, manufacturers and the media. Those conversations are helping us develop customer driven solutions and drive improvements in how trucks, trailers and related assets are serviced and maintained. These open, comprehensive forms of communication are essential to collectively bringing about positive and constructive changes that will benefit everyone.”
DecisivConnect includes a blog which offers insights, news, power user sections, Twitter and Facebook pages. The use of the pages, which Decisiv said have an average page visit of over 2.5 minutes, have led to more rapid development and deployment of features and enhancements to the company’s products, including its Decivis Service Management Platform, the company said.


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Facebook wants to kick the video-conferencing interloper off its turf with the new function “messenger rooms” a virtual room where you can hang out with up to 50 people at a time with no time limit.
– can be created from Messenger or Facebook
– you can invite anyone to join, even if they don’t have a Facebook account.
– will be available on Instagram, WhatsApp and the Facebook Portal smart speaker, too.
“The ability to feel like you are directly connected with someone live over video” – “It’s an incredibly important way people are relying on to stay connected right now,” is essential to maintaining that togetherness, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said.
Messenger Rooms arrives as some people are looking for an alternative to Zoom, which has faced a number of privacy issues in the past two months.
Messenger Rooms privacy protections include the ability to control who sees your room, and can lock or unlock it.
If it’s unlocked, anyone with the link can join and share the room with others. But the room creator has to be present to start the call. Facebook doesn’t listen to your calls at all, the company said.


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Attorney General James Announces Investigation of Recent AT&T Outage
Consumers Across the Country Were Left Without Service for Hours
AG James to Investigate Causes and AT&T’s Response
NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced that she is investigating a recent cell service outage on the AT&T network that affected consumers in New York and nationwide. On Thursday, February 22, AT&T customers were unable to place calls, send text messages, or access the internet for up to 12 hours, leaving many unable to contact loved ones, conduct business, or access emergency services. The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) will be investigating the causes of and AT&T’s response to the service disruption, and is encouraging all affected New Yorkers to file complaints.
“Americans rely on cell service providers for consistent and reliable service to help them with nearly every aspect of their daily lives,” said Attorney General James. “Nationwide outages are not just an inconvenience, they can be dangerous, and it’s critical that we protect consumers when an outage occurs. I encourage any New Yorker who was affected by this disruption to file a complaint with my office.”
New Yorkers affected by the recent AT&T outage can file a complaint online with OAG.


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Apple Music users with gripes about audio quality will soon get a boon. The company's upcoming mobile operating system iOS 9 will allow them to play higher-quality music when streaming on a cellular connection.
Released to developers this week, the new feature was bundled with the third iOS 9 beta. Users will be able to toggle it to play high-quality music while using their cellular data. The option, which is under "Music" within the Settings app, will be officially released via iOS 9 this fall.
Currently, Apple Music plays lower-quality music when cellular data is used, and better-sounding music on Wi-Fi. At its best, the service streams at 256 kbps AAC, the same quality as iTunes purchases.
Users will pay for the higher-quality stream by using more of their data for the month; it also drains more battery life. In addition, Apple warns users that playback might not be as smooth.
Users who signed up for iOS 9's public beta will get to test the feature out before the operating system's official release.


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Global out-of-home advertising provider CBS Outdoor has selected Proxama’s TapPoint platform to add NFC capabilities to its outdoor media estate... More
The Westfield London shopping centre is giving shoppers the opportunity to access and download content, enter competitions and win prizes by tapping their NFC smartphones against digital pods supplied by outdoor media company CBS Outdoor UK... More
Only 8% of European consumers are aware of NFC technology, up just 2% from a year ago, a survey of 9,000 people in six European countries has found... More
A survey conducted in six European countries has found that consumers like the idea of interactive out-of-home advertising — but they expect a ‘value exchange’ in return for interacting with advertising and the most popular incentives are money or entertainment. More
“NFC offers advertisers greater opportunities to build ‘hyper-local’ promotional campaigns using media-rich, high quality content through a simple tap of the phone,” says the digital agency behind the project. More
Feed for stories featuring CBS Outdoor.
• Find a list of all the companies and other organisations that have been featured in NFC World in our directory.


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Longevity Vs Biodegradeability
Sony has released specs for a 25Gb Blu-ray disk for it's next generation of optical storage devices. What's interesting about it, is that the media is 51 percent paper, and the disks are supposed to be bio-degradeable. This is another in the growing number of products that promise environmental responsibility through bio-degradeability. But is this really so? At the rate that CDs are currently bought, and discarded, it might appear that bio-degradeability would be a plus. However, with short term storage media (i.e. flash) becoming so much cheaper, and being very easily re-writeable - in most cases, flash drives mount as standard hard drive disks - shouldn't mass storage media be longer lasting? Imagine the damage a bend in the paper could do. Even if this paper disk is as chemically stable as a CDROM, that only gives 20 years of archiveability. Early CDs are just begining to fail, but over time, some artists will have to be re-released, or fade away completely. A recent study in PC-Active Magazine, found that many name brand and generic manufacturers are producing CD-R disks that become un-readeable in two years. From the first time a human scrawled an image on a rock face, through the advent of paper, and books, to our present digital age, we have understood more and more how valuable information is. And yet we have protected it less and less. Maybe it's time we started re-considering our values, for our children't environmental, and informational legacy.
And, if you're interested in more try a throw away culture search for starters.
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FedEx Express begins use of renewable diesel to reduce well-to-wheel carbon-emissions in linehaul truck network
FedEx Express Europe, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) and the world’s largest express transportation company, has begun using renewable diesel– made from organic matter or waste materials – to fuel a portion of its company-owned trucks in the Netherlands.
As of the beginning of November, FedEx Express instructed the drivers of these heavyweight, long-distance vehicles to refuel using renewable diesel as an environmentally favourable alternative to fossil-fuel diesel. Trucks will use this fuel when they depart the recently reopened FedEx Express road-hub in Duiven, Netherlands.
The decarbonisation of the heavyweight transport sector is recognised as more challenging than parcel pick-up and delivery, where the transportation company has already outlined its goal to transition to a fully electric fleet by 2040. The required mileage range, time needed to refuel, and the fact that, by the very nature of their operation, heavy goods vehicles travel between territories means they often require refuelling in multiple countries.
“Using synthetically-made diesel offers an interim solution with the promising ability to drive down ‘well-to wheel’ carbon emissions by as much as 80-90% per litre. It means that while technological solutions are still being developed to help the industry transition away from using fossil fuels altogether, we can already make decisions to influence and reduce our scope one carbon emissions in our linehaul truck network – those generated by our owned vehicles,” said Vinay D’Souza, Senior Vice President Planning & Engineering, FedEx Express Europe
The opportunity for reducing emissions in linehaul trucking with this fuel depends not only on supply of the fuel, but also on the infrastructure. FedEx Express use of this renewable diesel is currently small-scale and limited to the Netherlands, where its use is encouraged on continental routes from the Netherlands.
The FedEx goal announced in March 2021, to achieve carbon-neutral operations globally by 2040, includes all FedEx owned and operated transportation including parcel pick-up and delivery, its extensive European linehaul truck network, and aircraft. It also includes the company’s scope three emissions that are generated by contracted transportation services that play a part in the FedEx network. By demonstrating support and adaptation of diesel alternatives, FedEx is striving to make alternative fuels more viable, scalable, and ultimately accessible across the industry, as solutions to decarbonise challenging transportation sectors in Europe.


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Weak Japan data supplies more bad news for Abenomics
Japan on Friday published a string of mostly weak data, the first major figures since news that the world's number three economy had slipped back into recession.
A key inflation gauge showed prices fell in October from a year ago, while spending by households also dropped in a double blow for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's high-profile growth blitz, dubbed Abenomics.
The weak figures came despite signs of a tight labour market, with the headline unemployment rate at a two-decade low of 3.1 percent, down from 3.4 percent in September.
Japan's dipped into a brief recession last year after consumers tightened their belts following an increase in the consumption tax ©Kazuhiro Nogi (AFP/File)
But even the jobless numbers highlight a growing red flag for the economy -- the rise of part-time work at lower wages.
"Employment is rising, but those jobs are mostly part-time," said Dai-ichi Life Research Institute's chief economist Yoshiki Shinke.
"The supply/demand balance for stable, permanent positions is not firm. As a result, we are seeing more employment in low-wage jobs."
Earlier this month, official figures showed that Japan's gross domestic product (GDP) shrank 0.2 percent in the July-September period, or an annualised contraction of 0.8 percent, marking the second straight quarterly decline.
In response to the recent weakness, Abe on Friday ordered his government to draft an extra stimulus budget.
The economy dipped into a brief recession last year after consumers tightened their belts following an increase in Japan's consumption tax, which dealt a blow to signs that Abe's bid to spur the once-stellar economy was working.
That downturn spurred the Bank of Japan (BoJ) to sharply increase its already massive bond-buying programme -- a cornerstone of Abenomics -- effectively printing money to boost lending.
While Tokyo's efforts sharply weakened the yen -- beefing up firms' profits -- and stoked a stock market rally, its impact on an economy beset by years of deflation has been less convincing.
- 'Out of gear' -
Daiwa Institute of Research economist Satoshi Osanai said Japan's economy was "out of gear", with most of Abenomics' benefits limited to the country's boardrooms.
"That's why consumption is still weak, even though employment got better," Osanai added.
"(Any) economic improvement remains at the corporate level and has not spread to other areas, such as the household sector."
The figures on Friday showed that core inflation, which excludes volatile fresh food prices, fell 0.1 percent in October, marking the third consecutive monthly decline.
Falling gasoline prices were the key culprit in pulling the index down, the internal affairs ministry said.
Meanwhile, household spending for the month fell 2.4 percent, underscoring consumer caution.
The latest figures will turn attention back to the BoJ ahead of its policy meeting next month to see whether it adds to its 80 trillion yen ($653 billion) annual stimulus programme.
Last week, Japan's central bank held fire on expanding the scheme despite news of another recession and evidence of weak exports.
However, the BoJ has been forced to cut its growth outlook and push back the timeline for a key inflation target as earlier, more optimistic predictions failed to come true.
The price target is a key part of Japan's bid to exit years of deflation.
Falling or stagnant prices may sound good for consumers but they tend to act as an incentive to put off spending in the hope of paying less for goods down the road.
That, in turn, tends to hurts companies' expansion and hiring plans, denting the wider economy.
Abe has staked his reputation on a mix of fiscal spending, aggressive monetary policy easing and structural reforms, but overhauling the highly regulated economy has been slower than many had hoped.
Japan's economy, once Asia's biggest, has been overtaken by rival China, while it struggles with a challenging demographic outlook that is expected to see its population shrink by tens of millions in coming decades.
Japan's gross domestic product (GDP) shrank 0.2% in the July-September period, or an annualised contraction of 0.8%, marking the second straight quarterly decline ©Yoshikazu Tsuno (AFP/File)
Japan economic data was a blow for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's high-profile growth blitz, dubbed Abenomics ©Adek Berry (AFP/File)
Employment in Japan is rising, but those jobs are mostly part-time, according to the latest data ©Yoshikazu Tsuno (AFP/File)
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Pokemon GO to get trading, more interactive Pokestops and Gyms, possibly a HoloLens version3
Fans of the classic RPG series will be glad to hear that Pokemon GO will be updated with a feature that has always been a staple of the franchise – trading. Trading has been in the Pokemon games since the very beginning, but in the early days it was handled by the IR port on your Game Boy Color or by a Link cable, which was a cumbersome system but we put up with it, because, well, 90's kids things. Trading changed for the better with the franchise's arrival on the Nintendo DS where the entire process was done over Wi-Fi, so we were surprised to find out that it would not be a part of Pokemon GO. Fortunately, Niantic CEO John Hanke says that this feature is next in the list of things to be added to the game.
“It's kind of a core element”, Hanke admits without going into detail.
We are glad to hear that Pokemon swapping will be added in the not so distant future, as it will bring a much needed layer of interaction between players.
Niantic is also apparently planing to enhance the functions of Pokestops and Gyms, which currently exist in their “very most basic versions”, says Hanke, with future updates enabling players to “customize their functions in other ways”. To enhance competitiveness, the developer is also planning a global leaderboard of some sort, which would be a welcome addition to a game otherwise surprisingly devoid of player interaction.
Hanke also hints that Pokemon GO might be coming to dedicated AR devices – such as the upcoming HoloLnes and the new version of Google Glass – but not much else is currently known about this.
via: Business Insider


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Consumers don’t appear to be in a shopping mood, despite August’s U.S. retail sales uptick and a strong holiday outlook.
While the steep August falloff in consumer sentiment ended in September, the modest improvement indicates that consumers don’t exactly have high hopes for a significant economic rebound, according to data from the University of Michigan’s Surveys of Consumers on Friday. A final report for September’s consumer sentiment is due on Oct. 1.
The August reading saw the Index rise to 71.0 from last month’s 70.3 reading, but it was still below the 80.4 reading in September 2020. The read on current economic conditions slipped to 77.1 from last month’s 78.5, versus September’s year-ago level of 87.8. In addition, while the expectations component rose slightly to 67.1 from 65.1, that too was below the reading of 75.6 from September 2020. Essentially, all signs point to possibly slower growth in consumer spending.
The survey suggests that “consumers are more downbeat today than when the pandemic first struck last year,” Wells Fargo Securities economists said, describing September’s modest gain as a “worrying indication for the outlook for the consumer.” While expectations inched up, perceptions of current conditions slipped to the lowest level since April 2020, they added.
“Higher prices seem most to blame for the weaker read on sentiment, but we suspect dwindling stimulus and the delayed return to some semblance of normal life due to the rise in the Delta variant is also weighing on the moods of consumers,” the economists said.
While some analysts point to the resiliency of the consumer following Thursday’s report that U.S. retail sales rose 0.7 percent last month after July’s decline, the Wells Fargo economists believe the University of Michigan’s “gloomy read on sentiment still suggests some weakness in third quarter spending.”
Headlining the concern for spending has been the deterioration in consumer appetite for big ticket purchases, such as major household items, vehicles and homes. Buying intentions fell 10 points in September on top of an eight-point drop in August, the economists said.
But that’s not necessarily bad news for apparel, considered the go-to category for gift giving, especially cold weather wearables when coupled with some planned promotions as holiday specials. And even though consumers have already faced a bit of sticker shock on many items at the stores, many households have saved money during quarantine that they would have spent dining out and doing other discretionary activities.
“A steady decline in the savings rate to pre-pandemic levels will support consumer spending and keep retail sales elevated this season,” Daniel Bachman, Deloitte’s U.S. economic forecaster, said. Deloitte expects holiday retail sales to increase between 7 percent and 9 percent this year, totaling 1.28 trillion to$1.3 trillion during the November to January timeframe. In addition, the consulting firm forecasts that e-commerce sales will grow 11 percent to 15 percent, year-over-year, with holiday sales in the channel reaching between $210 billion and $218 billion.
On Friday, global consulting firm AlixPartners said it expects holiday retail sales this year to rise between 10 percent to 13 percent, which would make 2021 “the strongest holiday period since 1999.”
While retailers still face some challenges, such as supply-chain disruptions and higher delivery costs, those that can optimize inventory across stores and distribution centers will be better able to navigate whatever surprises are thrown their way.
“Our message to retailers is: ‘This holiday season is yours to lose,'” said Joel Bines, global co-leader of the retail practice at AlixPartners. “There’s unprecedented pent-up demand out there, consumers have lots of money in their pockets, in part due to recent government programs, and even the rise of the Delta variant, while certainly concerning, doesn’t seem poised to put a damper on things, thanks in part to the big increases in online shopping this past year.”
Walter Loeb, a former retail executive and retail analyst, believes that retailers will start a “protracted promotional period for Christmas” by the end of October so consumers know to buy before inventory runs out.
While Loeb isn’t exactly a naysayer regarding the optimistic holiday sales projections, he’s cautious given the economic environment.
Loeb believes inflation-wary consumers might start to curtail spending. A recent University of Michigan consumer sentiment survey supports this position, along with the Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index, which dipped 11.3 points and indicates consumer concern over rising food and gas prices.
The stock market might be in for a 10 to 20 percent correction, potentially leaving consumers “shell-shocked,” Loeb said, and sparking worry about home values, jobs and their personal cash flow. Because stock markets routinely correct when valuations get too high, it’s not a question of if it will happen but when and by how much.
President Biden’s vaccine mandate is also pressuring the consumer psyche, and could spur some workers to leave their jobs and exacerbate the labor shortage. That’s on top of any unemployment increases. On Thursday, the Labor Department said first-time filers for unemployment benefits last week rose to 332,000. The increase, possibly tied to layoffs in Hurricane Ida’s aftermath, is still near a pandemic low.
Plus, rising Covid cases, increasing unemployment claims and a stock market downturn could create a perfect storm where many consumers have little choice but to tighten their purse strings, Loeb noted. If that comes to pass, there’s a decent chance 2021 could see just a 2 percent to 3 percent gain for the holiday selling season, he added.


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Watching all of the tragic news coverage on Hurricane Sandy the past couple of days has made us feel, well, kinda helpless — until now. Starting today through Friday, November 2, DMK restaurants is inviting thirsty patrons to "Drink Them Dry," a cheeky fundraiser benefiting Hurricane Sandy.
Grab a group of pals and order up some cocktails at Fish Bar, Ada St., or DMK Burger Bar, and 20% of your bill will go straight to the American Red Cross. In addition, all of the restos will be selling $10 raffle tickets for a $250 DMK Restaurants gift card. It really is that easy to be a do-gooder.


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The Federal Communications Commission took the next step in speeding up wireless home internet last week. The FCC approved testing for a new 6Ghz band, a faster version of the current Wireless Home Internet bands, according to Telecompetitor.
The 6 Ghz band would create more airwave space for companies wanting to sell wireless home internet. This means less competition among signals and faster, more reliable internet connectivity for users. The new 6Ghz band offers four times the total space available with the available 2.4 and 5Ghz bands. Wi-Fi officials hope that even after 6Ghz routers become more common, the sheer amount of space will keep signals fast and strong.
In 2020, the FCC voted to open up spectrum space in the 6GHz for unlicensed use, including standard-power operations and low-power indoor operations. The vote, according to The Verge, is the biggest spectrum addition since the advent of Wi-Fi in 1989. At that time, it was limited to indoor use only. Now in 2023, the FCC has approved plans to use this for full-power outdoor use to deliver wireless home internet.
Right now, the FCC has approved thirteen companies to test this internet, including Google, Nokia, Qualcomm, and more.
The important thing for cord cutters looking at using wireless home internet is this new 6Ghz standard offers greater range vs. current options used by many home internet services. This could bring wireless internet to move cord cutters who currently live outside of the ranges that current wireless options offer.
Currently, this FCC approval is for testing, but it is the first step to making this commercially available to Americans looking for new internet options.


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The HTC First experiment is over
In an interview with CNET, AT&T’s CEO Ralph de la Vega has stated that the carrier has now sold off all of its remaining Facebook Home powered HTC First handsets. Interestingly, he declined to indicate exactly how many handsets AT&T had sold, which certainly raised a flag or two.
Now, usually you’d consider selling out all of your handsets to be a sign of strong demand, but we’re quite sure that the HTC First hasn’t exactly been popular. After all, AT&T knocked the price of the First down rather significantly from the $99 starting price to just $0.99, which no doubt helped shift the carrier’s remaining stock.
In fact the handset has been described as a bit of a disaster for HTC, leading to its launch being cancelled in the UK and, without any other manufacturers keen to jump on the sinking Facebook Home ship, it looks like the venture is over, at least for the foreseeable future.
Whilst it may not have been particularly surprising that sales of the First have been slowly wound down, De la Vega also made an interesting comparison between the HTC First and the ill-fated Motorola ROKR. You may recall that the ROKR was Apple’s first attempt at breaking into the cell phone market, by integrating iTunes with the handset. But the phone ended up being a total flop, and that’s putting it nicely.
However, De la Vega believes that even though the initial handset was a failure, it did give AT&T a head start and an “inside track” when it came to selling the iPhone. De la Vega also stated that he is committing to working on different iterations of products with its partners.
So, is he perhaps hinting that Facebook Home could well come back at some point in the future in an updated form on a different handset? Have a little read of this quote and decide for yourself.
[quote qtext=”We have a great relationship with Apple just like we have a great relationship with Facebook… We look forward to working with them to make Home better.” qperson=”” qsource=”” qposition=”center”]
Either way, we bid farewell to the HTC First for now, but I can’t say that it’s a handset that will be particularly missed.


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Taiwan actively seeks bilateral free trade agreements, though it is hampered in this effort by its status vis-a-vis China. It has FTAs already with Panama (2003), Guatemala (2005), Nicaragua (2006), El Salvador (2007) and Honduras (2007). It is negotiating with Dominican Republic and Paraguay. And it hopes to negotiate further deals with Costa Rica, Israel, Swaziland, Japan, the US of course, Korea, New Zealand, Singapore and Mexico. Taipei’s emphasis on Central American countries as FTA partners is to gain access to the US market under NAFTA and CAFTA. But now Taiwan is in talks with China for a possible FTA following the signing of the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) between the two governments in 2010.
last update: May 2012
Photo: simonwai/CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
The island known for moving big batches of electronics to world markets is struggling to keep a toehold in Asia politically and economically against rivals that make the same stuff and have more trade deals, writes the business magazine Forbes
Taiwan wants to take part in a proposed regional trade agreement but is still assessing the mode of participation and its impact on industry, an official of the Ministry of Economic Affairs said Saturday.
Taiwan will use Mexico and Turkey as gateways to stepping up trade with the United States and the European Union, so as to reduce the impact of the free trade agreements (FTAs) between South Korea and the two major economies, according to the country’s main trade promotion body.
Talks on a Taiwan-Singapore free trade agreement "have nearly concluded" and are expected to yield a result in the first half of 2013, Taiwanese officials said Monday.
Taiwan should deepen trade talks with China and work to sign a free trade agreement (FTA) with South Korea to race against the upcoming China-Japan-South Korea FTA negotiations, an expert on East Asia said Thursday.
Taiwan should focus on joining the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), instead of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP), local scholars said Friday.
Several European scholars called for a free trade agreement (FTA) between Taiwan and the European Union Wednesday at a one-day forum co-hosted by a major French think tank and Taiwan’s representative office in Paris.
A study on a potential trade agreement between the European Union and Taiwan will be released on Sept. 20 in Taipei, according to the European Chamber of Commerce Taipei (ECCT).
Taiwan should maintain its dignity when it signs Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with other countries, a National Taiwan University professor said Wednesday.
Industrial heavyweights yesterday urged the government to speed up the signing of free-trade agreements with major trading partners and take concrete steps to make the nation more business-friendly.