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Box Office Top 3: 'Furious 7' Blows Up The Box Office
"Furious 7" takes the top spot this weekend, bringing in an estimated $143 million. That figure places "Furious 7" among the top debut weekends ever.
I just want to say this out loud: If you are inside a car and said car falls out of an airplane, you will die. I'm sorry; I just really needed to get that off my chest.
"Furious 7" takes the top spot this weekend by a landslide, bringing in an estimated $143 million. That figure places Vin Diesel and company among the top 10 opening weekends of all time right behind "Spider-Man 3" and right in front of the second "Twilight" film.
And considering the $143 million debut was the largest ever for the 14-year-old franchise, you can be sure the box office gross for this film will at least be on par with past totals.
Oh, and if you're wondering, combine that domestic total with global ticket sales, and you get a $384 million worldwide debut. That's the fourth largest in box office history.
But aside from the box office success, what's really fascinating about this film and about this franchise is the critical response.
IGN's Roth Cornet says: "The film hits every note necessary to satisfy fans. Cars are flung from every conceivable height and defy gravity at every turn."
"Fast and Furious" drops cars out of planes, pits tanks against Camaros and still dares critics to turn away. The incredibly unrealistic action just keeps rising and so does the Rotten Tomatoes score.
Next up, Rihanna makes a kids movie. Yep, that Rihanna. (video via Def Jam Recordings / Rihanna)
In the No. 2 spot this week is Dreamworks' "Home," bringing in an estimated $27 million, so only $116 million less than "Furious 7." But who's counting?
“Home” didn’t score very well among critics with many calling the kids movie unoriginal, but the unlikely pairing of Jim Parsons and Rihanna seems to be keeping audiences satisfied.
What may be even more satisfying for the somewhat struggling Dreamworks studio: "Home" is the the only animated kids movie scheduled between now and mid-June, when Disney Pixar's "Inside Out" hits theaters.
"Home" only saw a 47 percent drop in ticket sales in its second weekend, which is more than you can say about Kevin Hart and Will Ferrell's latest venture.
Rounding out third place with a somewhat disappointing $12.9 million weekend is "Get Hard," proving that a big opening is just that: an opening.
Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart made all the rounds to promote this film before its release. Ferrell was in especially rare form, making the late-night rounds. The tireless promotions proved to be great for the terribly reviewed comedy's first weekend. (Video via ABC)
But it seems the hype can last only so long for a movie with such bad reviews. "Get Hard" saw a 62 percent drop in ticket sales for its second weekend.
As for next week, hankering for a good cry? Well, you're in luck. (Video via 20th Century Fox / "The Longest Ride")
Palm-scanning payment technology raises privacy concerns
Panera announced it will be the first national restaurant chain to use palm-scanning technology. Amazon has already implemented it in some stores.
Return warehouses sell new merchandise at deep discount
Ever wonder what happens with all those returns Americans make? A new trend now lets you buy those items for pennies on the dollar.
A look back at America's changing relationship with milk
Milk gained popularity as something of an American symbol.
One dead, several injured in roof collapse at Illinois theater
Severe weather is to blame for the roof collapse during a heavy metal concert at the Apollo Theater in Belvidere, Illinois.
Families still don't know if relatives died in fire at migrant center
Mexican officials made arrests in connection to a fire that killed at least 39 migrants, but some families don't know if their relatives are dead.
Her dad is a Russian Air Force pilot, she’s an anti-Putin activist
A Russian woman in Chicago leads a group of fellow exiles against Putin and his war.


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Pros and cons of demonetisation, according to Marico’s Harsh Mariwala
Marico chairman Harsh Mariwala shares his thoughts on the positives and the negatives of demonetisation ahead of its first anniversary
While the jury is still out on whether the positives of demonetisation outweigh its negatives or vice-versa, here’s how I see it through an industry lens. First, the pros:
A shot in the arm for e-banking and e-commerce
What demonetisation helped immensely was the digitisation of the economy. The digitisation of the money transactions has gone up in the last few months. E-commerce has become an important pivot of growth for many. As digital transactions rise, there will be a lot more tax compliance. We are not close to seeing a cashless economy, but moving slowly to a “less cash regime”.
Fence sitters would have started complying with tax laws
I believe there has been a substantial increase in the number of people under the tax net. Direct tax collections have been said to have risen in double digits. Also, with the centre’s severe implementation on demonetisation and following up on leads given by banks, there is a fear that has set in dealing with cash.
Warm up prior to GST implementation
Goods and services tax (GST), which followed demonetisation, expects all registered dealers to upload their sales and purchase transactions on the integrated GST Network. This would eventually enhance the visibility and enable higher compliance. Traders not accustomed to formal compliance needed to get their house in order for operating in GST. Demonetisation would have forced them to revisit their business models in the run up to GST go-live.
Having said that, it seems demonetisation success is suspect:
Loss of consumption
Demonetisation sucked the cash out of the system which temporarily impacted consumption for at least one quarter.
Huge disruption in trade
Demonetisation impacted a large part of trade ecosystem, which is used to doing business only in cash. No cash meant no business and would have certainly impacted small businesses and hampered employment.
Cash has come back…
Almost all the cash that was withdrawn has come back in the form of new currency. The Rs1,000 note has been replaced by Rs2,000 notes.
One wonders if it has made it easier to hoard black currency. So at the moment, one has to wait and watch if the positives of demonetisation outweigh the negatives.
Harsh Mariwala is chairman of Marico Ltd.
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domain: news


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Director, Diego Luna and Jarritos, the popular Mexican soft drink brand, joined forces to produce Jarritos’ most recent spot, “The Journey”. The short film showcases the struggles, and triumphs of immigrants living in the United States, while establishing Jarritos as a brand that celebrates the very diversity that makes its consumers and this country so great.
Luna proactively pushes the boundaries of a traditional spot, seeking to share the stories of the often unseen and uncelebrated story of immigrants. From casting to the music, all the elements are meant to tie back to the inspiring journey of immigrants and encompass the overall message: we are truly better together.
Luna collaborated with Jarritos, along with agency of record, WALO Inc. because of his belief in the importance of sharing the challenges, triumphs, and unity of the immigrant journey during this season when negative rhetoric seems to be running rampant. Jarritos, Luna and WALO Inc. hope this story does not just live on in a newsfeed but makes an impact on people’s hearts, while raising awareness of an important issue that has influenced our country greatly, and will continue to influence future generations to come.
“As a brand with firm roots in Mexico and completely embraced by the United States, we too are immigrants and we know the journey all too well,” said Luis Fernandez, CEO of Novamex, Jarritos Brand Owner. “Our intention was to thank our consumers and celebrate the beauty of that journey, the sacrifices of previous generations, and the inherent diversity of the United States.


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To celebrate their first anniversary, Plastic-Free YYC hosted a holiday mixer Dec. 1 to remind Calgarians of where hidden plastics lurk.
Cans, gift wrap, soaps with microbeads, ribbons and many clothing fabrics like polyester and nylon are just some of the products containing plastic.
The non-profit organization works to inspire Calgarians by collaborating with businesses and encouraging government leaders to make changes that will beneficially impact the environment.
“Our major goal is to stop waste before it even begins, so teaching people how to just say no to something that might be wasteful before they even use it,” says Briana Loughlin, co-founder of Plastic-Free YYC.
The mixer featured live music, booths from different organizations and a silent auction full of waste-free products or services.
Some tips for plastic-free living include:
1. Use old or spare fabric to wrap gifts
Boomerang Bags YYC showed passersby how cloth, a scarf or a blanket could be used to wrap a gift box instead of using wrapping paper that contains plastic.
“You just take some old fabric, or some used fabric or spare fabric and you can wrap your gift really simply and it’s just like a simple elegant way to wrap something without adding any completely useless waste,” says Evan Loughlin, a participant at the event and brother of Briana Loughlin.
According to waste reduction week in Canada, 40 per cent of plastic waste is from packaging.
2. Use a metal straw
Metal straws are a great way to reduce plastic. While convenient, they are somewhat challenging to clean, but users, like Evan Loughlin, say they’re worth it.
Loughlin remembers packing for a trip to Thailand and his sister giving him a metal straw to use during his time there.
“I was like, ‘Ah, okay … this is stupid I’m going to have to carry this mental straw around everywhere,’ but I actually used it so much and I loved it,” he says.
3. Bring your own cup to stores and restaurants
Around 1.6 to 2 billion disposable coffee cups are thrown out yearly in Canada according to Canadian Geographic.
Laura Hudson, a participant at the event, is trying to decrease her use of disposable cups by always carrying her travel mug.
“I think [plastic and wastes are] something that we have just become immune to as a society, but I think the more we become mindful of it I think … everyone’s capable of kind of doing their part,” says Hudson.
4. Use bar soap and refillable or bar deodorant
Many hand soaps contain plastic microbeads which end up in the drainage system. Using bar soap can both eliminate the soap container and the microbeads within the soap itself.
Hudson also reuses deodorant containers.
“You can just refill [them] and you don’t have to keep using the plastic with deodorant bars,” says Hudson.
5. Use newspaper bags to line garbage bins
Manashri Shejwalkar started following Plastic-Free YYC six months ago after reading a blog post urging people to pick trash polluting the environment. Since then, she’s discovered many ways to cut down her use of plastic.
“I’m already trying to reduce waste but then you also have to line the bin with the plastic bag. So, I learned how to make a paper bag out of newspaper that I could use for the general dry waste in the bathroom,” Shejwalkar says.
Briana Loughlin says the Plastic-Free YYC movement is for everyone.
“It’s for somebody who is living in poverty. It’s for someone who is really rich. It’s for, you know, a new Canadian or a Calgarian who has lived here all their lives. It’s for everyone.”
There are many different tricks to being more environmentally friendly such as:
- Reusable produce bags
- Compostable toothbrushes and dental floss
- Make your own beans or salad dressing
- Switch to safety razors
- Use beeswax wraps instead of plastic wrap
Editor: Amber McLinden | firstname.lastname@example.org


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A lot of smartphone makers get around to releasing kernel sources whenever they feel like. It might be a month or two after a device is released or updated, but it happens. OnePlus, to its credit, is much faster. The OnePlus 5 has only just been announced, but the open source files are already available for download. Read More
There is at least one certainty all consumers can have when it comes to phones these days. And that is: a new flagship launch means JerryRigEverything has a new video posted. This time his Mohs hardness points are set squarely on the display of the OnePlus 5. And when it comes to durability, the OnePlus 5 handles itself well. Read More
You may have watched OnePlus' recent launch event, which announced and demonstrated all the cool new features of the OnePlus 5. OnePlus might not have made things as clear as they could have during the live-stream, but they did actually drop the code for their "early drop" order system. So if you didn't catch it during the event — most of us didn't, either — you can pick it up here after the break. Who doesn't want to be at the front of the line? Read More
OnePlus burst onto the scene in 2014 with the OnePlus One, a phone running Cyanogen OS with an incredibly attractive price tag. From the very start, OnePlus talked a big game and was sometimes annoyingly overconfident. The success of that first phone ensured we'd see at least a few more phones from OnePlus. There have been some ups and downs since the OnePlus One launched, but the trajectory has been upward overall.
The OnePlus 5 has the most refined design this company has ever put out, but at the same time it would be impossible to ignore the resemblance to the iPhone. Read More
With OnePlus' launch event scheduled for tomorrow, the internet today is a sieve before the unrestrained torrent of leaks. So here are some of the highlights we've seen today. We'll be keeping this updated with anything we see that's of interest. Unless, of course, it's so interesting that it warrants its own post. Read More
Today is just one day away from OnePlus' announcement, and everyone is eagerly anticipating the final reveal of the company's latest flagship. While we while away the last 24 hours in anticipation of the OnePlus 5 launch event, the fine folks over at The Verge were able to get an exclusive with the company about the new camera setup in the upcoming phone. The article explains a lot of the design decisions that had to be made and demonstrates how OnePlus iterated upon different configurations. Read More
OnePlus is one of those companies that likes to slowly tease their products before releasing them. When you think about it, it's pretty clever; fans get more information, and OnePlus gets more coverage. The latest tidbit that OnePlus has 'leaked' about its upcoming iPhone 7 Plus clone is regarding its audio recording quality, specifically in noisy environments. However, it doesn't seem as impressive as the company is trying to make it seem. Read More
Two days ago, OnePlus announced the announcement of the OP5, which is scheduled for June 20th. Later that day, we leaked what the OP5 would look like. Now OnePlus has confirmed the leak with an image posted to the company's social media pages. Read More
The image you see at the top of this post is the OnePlus 5, the next smartphone to be launched by OnePlus. The phone, as announced today, will be fully detailed on June 20th. We have corroborated this information with a second source and are highly confident this is an accurate image. This also debunks an earlier alleged live image of the phone, which we can state confidently is not representative of the production device.
The image tells us a lot about what the phone looks like, but aside from a dual-camera array and what appears to be OnePlus's trademark mute switch, we really can't glean too much else in terms of features here. Read More
The day you've been waiting for is here. Actually, that's a lie. OnePlus is not announcing the OnePlus 5 today. The company is merely telling you when it's going to announce its next flagship phone. It'll be June 20th at 12PM Eastern. Read More


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Audi announced its plans to bring four new diesel vehicles to the U.S., with the reveal schedules for next week's Los Angeles Auto Show. The new additions will include TDI versions of the Audi A6, A7, A8 and Q5, along with the already existing Q7 TDI.
"Owners of Audi TDI engines have helped save over 4 million gallons of gasoline, or the equivalent of more than 240,000 barrels of foreign oil, since the introduction of the Audi TDI to the U.S. in 2009," said Scott Keogh, president of Audi of America. "And, TDI technology delivers better fuel efficiency without sacrificing performance."
The TDI versions of these vehicles will feature a 3.0-liter V6 turbocharged engine, complete with 240 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque. The diesel sedans are expected to get 24 miles to the gallon in city driving and 36 miles per gallon when highway driving, while the crossover will have 19 miles per gallon and 28 miles per gallon for city and highway driving, respectively, AutoBlog reports.
In addition to the fuel efficiency, the models will come with the luxury style Audi is known for, from the tires to the sleek interior. These vehicles will hit the market for the 2014 model year, but car enthusiasts will be able to get a sneak peek at the L.A. Auto Show.


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The News Industry Will Address Congress About Facebook-Google Duopoly
The news industry has never been more dependent on tech companies and the massive distribution platforms they operate on the internet, leading to a long-standing and ongoing existential crisis in journalism. This isn’t exactly a secret — nearly half of all American adults rely on Facebook as a primary news delivery mechanism, and both the social network and Google collectively control more than two-thirds of the entire online advertising market. But it’s something that has publishers so worried that they’re now deciding to band together to do something about it.
The group, which is being represented by newspaper industry trade group the News Media Alliance, is now planning on asking Congress for an antitrust exemption to let news organizations collectively bargain, like a union would, with Facebook and Google, according to a report yesterday from The New York Times. The goal is to give the journalism business some leverage against all-powerful web platform owners, and to help undermine the value and spread of fake news and viral hoaxes that are currently infecting Facebook’s News Feed and the top results of Google’s search engine.


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US home design platform Houzz has acquired Israeli interior design management software developer IvyMark. No financial details were disclosed but sources close to the deal believe that Houzz will be paying $30-40 million for IvyMark.
If so this will be a profitable exit for IvyMark's investors. The company has raised only $2.9 million to day from Pitango Venture Capital, NFX and Disruptive VC.
Headquartered in New York and with offices in Tel Aviv and San Francisco, IvyMark was founded in 2016 by Alexandra Schinasi and Lee Rotenberg. The company has 17 employees at its Tel Aviv development center.
IvyMark has developed business management software for interior design firms. The platform streamlines and automates a firm’s workflow and business operations including procurement, client billing, vendor purchasing, and time-tracking. This ensures that the entire project lifecycle, including profit and loss reporting, are all managed in one easy-to-use application. IvyMark has built a thriving community around its platform, including an online forum, trade magazine, educational webinars, and member meetups across the US.
Based in Palo Alto, California, Houzz was founded by Israelis Alon Cohen and Adi Tartako and has raised over $600 million to date. The company has a small R&D facility in Tel Aviv but following the acquisition IvyMark has leased a floor in the Azrieli Sarona tower from June with room for 130 employees and is embarking on an aggressive recruitment drive.
Cohen said, “IvyMark has built an incredible platform and team that align with our mission of providing the best experience for home renovation and design, by helping design professionals manage their business. We are excited to bring the power of IvyMark’s software and community to more professionals.”
Houzz has more than 1.5 million active home renovation and design professionals in over 65 categories -- including more than 200,000 designers worldwide -- use Houzz to showcase their work, build their brands and reach new clients. The addition of IvyMark’s platform will enable Houzz to also provide home professionals with tools that will help them run their businesses more efficiently, effectively and profitably.
“Houzz will allow us to continue on our mission of modernizing the way interior designers do business, while introducing Ivy to a massive audience and opening the door to new opportunities,” added Schinasi.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on February 6, 2018
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2018


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Samsung Galaxy S8 rumored to sport a UHD resolution screen and dual camera setup46
With the increasing popularity of VR, the Samsung Galaxy S8 is expected to feature a 4K resolution screen (2160 x 3840). A screen like that will no doubt consume battery life like crazy. If the rumor is true, we can expect a massive juicer inside the handset.
The Samsung Galaxy S8 could be driven by the Snapdragon 830 chipset. The chip will be produced using the 10nm FinFET process which means that it will provide more power, but will also be energy efficient.
There is no word on whether the phone will keep the IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, but we are pretty confident that a lot more leaks about the phone lay ahead. Heck, we're still waiting for the unveiling of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7.
Thanks for the tip!


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When you think of KFC, chances are that you don’t think of the fast food chain as being a haven for vegetarians. But according to , that could soon change. KFC is reportedly working on a vegetarian fried chicken recipe that could hit menus as soon as 2019.
But don’t get too hyped yet — there’s a small catch.
As of right now, KFC only plans to launch the meatless creation in the United Kingdom. The future launch is part of KFC U.K.’s seven-year plan to cut calories per serving by 20%. By the year 2020, KFC U.K. also aims to introduce several new meal options under 600 calories.
However, the company did reveal that the recipe will include the brand’s classic blend of 11 secret spices that make the OG KFC fried chicken so delectable.
Once the recipe is perfected, the company plans to test the vegetarian fried chicken with U.K. customers later this year. There’s no word on if/when vegetarian options will be made available to KFC customers outside of the U.K., but if the veggie fried chicken is a hit with this crowd, there’s a good chance that the recipe will go international.
If KFC succeeds in crafting a vegetarian version of Colonel Sanders’ beloved recipe, it will be the first-ever vegetarian fried chicken to hit the world of fast food chains.


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Despite congressional attention, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) action, public and private sector efforts, and ongoing media coverage, drug shortages remain a significant public health crisis in the United States. In response to that crisis (and at Congress’s urging), the FDA formed the interagency Drug Shortages Task Force (Task Force) to study the issue. FDA has now released the report resulting from the Task Force’s activities: “Drug Shortages: Root Causes and Potential Solutions.” The report, issued on October 29, 2019, concludes that drug shortages are primarily the consequence of economic factors driven by private and public sector business practices. Those practices, according to the report, disrupt the supply chain availability of marketed pharmaceuticals. The report offers recommendations to provide a framework for stakeholders to address the underlying economic factors leading to drug shortages.
Convened in 2018, the FDA-led Task Force was charged with studying the drug shortage problem, identifying its root causes, and recommending potential solutions, in an effort to prevent and mitigate future shortages. The Task Force discovered that the number of ongoing drug shortages is on the rise. It assessed 163 drugs that were in shortage from 2013 to 2017 and compared those products to similar drugs that did not experience a shortage. This analysis led the Task Force to identify three overall root causes for drug shortages:
- Lack of incentives for manufacturers to produce less profitable drugs;
- Market failure to recognize and reward manufacturers for “mature quality systems” that focus on continuous improvement and early detection of supply chain issues; and
- Logistical and regulatory challenges that make market recovery from a disruption difficult.
The report reveals that most shortages involve relatively low-priced, financially unattractive drugs. The Task Force found that many manufacturers discontinued products for commercial reasons, such as loss of profitability, prior to a shortage occurring. Other factors contributing to shortages included, among other reasons, outdated manufacturing equipment, unexpected problems with a product’s composition, occurrence of natural disasters, unavailability of raw materials, and unforeseen increases in clinical demand. When products were in shortage, the prices for those products defied basic economic theory by failing to increase sufficiently to restore the product supply to pre-shortage levels. In other words, the economics of the drug market do not function like most other markets.
Notably, as the report points out, industry contracting practices appear to contribute to setting the conditions for drug shortages. For example, many manufacturer contracts with drug purchasers do not require minimum purchase volumes, and some agreements contain provisions that allow the purchaser to walk away from the arrangement at any time without penalty if another manufacturer offers the same product for a lower price. Without adequate contractual incentives, manufacturers may be reluctant to continue supplying product and may instead choose to walk away from an unprofitable product.
The Task Force offers three recommendations in its report to address the root causes of drug shortages. First, it recommends increasing stakeholder understanding about the impacts of drug shortages and the role that contracting practices play in contributing to shortages. The report encourages the private and public sectors to collect and analyze comprehensive information necessary to characterize shortages, quantify their effects, and observe the contracting practices that drive shortages. This information would help to create a shared understanding of drug shortages’ impacts and relevant contracting practices.
Second, the Task Force supports the development of a rating system aimed at incentivizing drug manufacturers to invest in quality management maturity. Currently, most manufacturers focus on compliance with Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMPs), which essentially set minimum standards an entity must meet in order to supply a drug product in the U.S. The proposed rating system, however, would create a mechanism to inform purchasers and consumers about the state of a drug manufacturing facility’s quality management maturity and would provide increased transparency into the market. This solution could also have the added benefit of creating a competitive advantage for well-rated facilities, potentially enabling those entities to obtain sustainable prices and grow market share.
Third, the Task Force recommends considering new, more sustainable contracting approaches to ensure a reliable drug supply. Payers and purchasers may be willing to consider new contracting approaches aimed at maintaining a reliable supply of drugs, if they have the benefit of greater transparency in drug manufacturers’ quality management maturity, along with better information about industry contracting practices. According to FDA leadership (in a statement released by Dr. Norman Sharpless and Dr. Janet Woodcock), this recommendation can be accomplished by “paying higher prices for drugs manufactured at top-rated facilities, requiring a certain quality maturing rating as a condition of contracting, or guaranteeing purchase of a set volume of products from sites achieving a certain quality maturity rating.”
In addition to these recommendations, the report also describes various FDA initiatives focused on enabling the agency to help prevent future shortages. These initiatives include: (i) a legislative proposal in the President’s FY 2020 budget to expand FDA’s access to manufacturing information; (ii) new data sharing and risk management plan guidance for manufacturers; (iii) a legislative proposal to allow FDA to require that certain drug application holders develop risk mitigation plans; (iv) lengthening expiration dates for drugs; and (v) finalizing the internationally harmonized guidelines for an effective pharmaceutical quality system.
Drug shortages are an issue that affects the entire pharmaceutical supply chain. While there is no simple fix to address such shortages, the Task Force’s report provides a solid foundation for moving forward to implement possible solutions. Absent major changes within this marketplace, drug shortages will continue to pose a serious threat to patients and health care providers across the country.


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Spindustry, a web development and digital marketing agency, has announced a new partnership with Znode, an enterprise B2B e-commerce platform. Spindustry supports e-commerce systems, sales channel portals, intranets, field team management portals and enterprise websites. The Znode and Spindustry partnership aims to serve the digital agency’s e-commerce business as well as focus on serving more customers, particularly in the agriculture industry.
Marketing Technology News: FedEx to Acquire ShopRunner to Expand E-Commerce Capabilities
“We are excited to partner with the innovative B2B e-commerce platform Znode as a new option for our clients,” says Stephen Fry, President at Spindustry. “Znode’s robust e-commerce platform and extensive B2B capabilities make the platform a leader in the industry, and a great partner for Spindustry when our traditional custom solutions are not the right fit.”
“We are excited about this partnership,” says Rupesh Agrawal, CEO at Znode.
“Spindustry has continuously delivered on the promise of exceptional e-commerce implementations and management, and we are confident that our partnership will serve their growing customer base.”
Marketing Technology News: Dun & Bradstreet Launches Buyer Intent, To Help Increase ROI For UK B2B Marketing Teams


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Upcoming World of Warcraft update to tweak class talents and abilities
World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria patch 5.4's core changes focus on improving low-tier talents and toning down overpowered ones.
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Blizzard has posted more details on its upcoming patch 5.4 for MMO World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria.
According to World of Warcraft lead designer Greg "Ghostcrawler" Street, the changes for the update will be focused on the classes of the game; low-tier talents will be buffed up while overpowered ones will be toned down. "In general, you can assume that your damage was too low or too high if you see generic buffs or nerfs to abilities," he said.
For example, The Death Knight's Death Siphon and Plague Leech will be buffed, while Anti-Magic Zone will be changed into a damage reduction spell like Power Word: Barrier. The Hunter's Silencing Shot and Readiness ability will be nerfed. Mages will receive the least number of changes, as its Frost Mastery will be fixed. Head to the post for a detailed look at the class changes. There is currently no release date announced for the patch.
World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria was released on September 25, 2012. The expansion was praised for the variety the Pandaren race and monk class brought to the table and its numerous activities and challenge mode. The game lost 700,000 players within the last three months leading up to late July this year, and puts the MMO down to 7.7 million active subscribers.
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Earlier this week, Chinese mining-hardware juggernaut Bitmain unveiled its new product, an application-specific integrated circuit called Antminer T19. The Bitcoin (BTC) mining unit is the latest to join the new generation of ASICs — state-of-the-art devices designed to mitigate increased mining difficulty by maximizing the terahashes-per-second output.
The Antminer T19 announcement comes amid the post-halving uncertainty and follows the company’s recent problems with its S17 units. So, can this new machine help Bitmain to reinforce its somewhat hobbled position in the mining sector?
T19: The cheaper S19
According to the official announcement, the Antminer T19 features a mining speed of 84 TH/s and a power efficiency of 37.5 joules per TH. The chips used in the new device are the same as those equipped in the Antminer S19 and S19 Pro, though it uses the new APW12 version of the power supply system that allows the device to start up faster.
Bitmain usually markets its Antminer T devices as the most cost-effective ones, while the S-series models are presented as the top of the line in terms of productivity for their respective generation, Johnson Xu — the head of research and analytics at Tokensight — explained to Cointelegraph. According to data from F2Pool, one of the largest Bitcoin mining pools, Antminer T19s can generate $3.97 of profit each day, while Antminer S19s and Antminer S19 Pros can earn $4.86 and $6.24, respectively, based on an average electricity cost of $0.05 per kilowatt-hour.
Antminer T19s, which consume 3,150 watts, are being sold for $1,749 per unit. Antminer S19 machines, on the other hand, cost $1,785 and consume 3,250 watts. Antminer S19 Pro devices, the most efficient of three, are considerably more expensive and go for $2,407. The reason Bitmain is producing another model for the 19 series is due to what is known as “binning” chips, Marc Fresa — the founder of mining firmware company Asic.to — explained to Cointelegraph:


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According to a recent tweet from MuscleNerd, one of the most active member of DevTeam, they have already JailBroken the iPad mini. However, the JailBreak is FailBreak at the moment. We had previously told you what does the FailBreak actually mean and @planetbeing who’s also a member of DevTeam has achieved it on iPhone 5. But now, it seems that using the same extension of FailBreak, MuscleNerd has been able to JailBreak the iPad mini as well.
As you can see in the picture above, the hacker is successful to reach the root directory of the iPad mini which means that the device is JailBroken. FailBreak is another word for Tethered JailBreak which is extended to other devices using other vulnerable exploits. Yes, you are right. Similar to other Tethered JailBreaks, you would need a third party software to tether boot the device once it’s rebooted accidentally or battery dies. Perhaps, this is an indication towards that fact that we might be able to see an untethered JailBreak in future.
DevTeam clearly said in JailBreakCon that they wouldn’t release a JailBreak for A4+ devices on iOS 6 until Apple releases a software update. Since iOS 6.0.1 has hit the iDevice owners through OTA or iTunes, there’s a possibility that we might get the untethered JailBreak for iOS 6 as well. But the question is, do we have the required exploit to convert this FailBreak into actual JailBreak?
We think, yes! It’s only about time. Let’s wait and see what happens. What do you think?


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Are Post Offices open today? Is there Mail on Veterans Day? Veterans Day is a federal holiday. There are only three remaining federal holidays including today. Can you name them?
For 2009, the last three federal holidays are Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day (November 2), and Christmas Day (December 25). On any federal holiday, post offices are closed, no mail is serviced.
So while there is no mail on Veterans Day, malls, mass transit, and grocery stores are all open. And banks? Some banks are open, some are closed, it just depends. So the good news – you can’t get anymore bills in the mail today. The bad news is – banks are open, you can still pay your bills.


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“Air pollution has hit a new high in the country since Diwali, with Delhi air pollution and smog making headlines. People are falling sick, having trouble breathing, or experiencing headaches, nausea, and discomfort because of the pollution – and in the last few weeks, the air pollution levels are higher than ever.
“There are a few things you can do to make the air at home better – we’ve talked about gadgets you can use, and some low cost methods to follow, but for now, buying air masks in India has become imperative for one and all to protect themselves from the effects of air pollution. However, buying just any air mask won’t do. You need to know which air mask is good for you and which isn’t going to be any help at all. Here’s a list of the best air pollution masks you can consider buying, why they are useful to you, and where you can buy them…” NDTV-Gadgets 360. Read the full article and more about the different types and brands of masks on delhiair.org.
N95, N99, and Other Best Air Pollution Masks You Can Buy in India


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Colorado residents may be familiar with 20 to 70 pint capacity dehumidifiers manufactured by a company called Gree. They are sold under numerous brand names, including Kenmore, Frigidaire and others. Gree recently issued a recall of a variety of its dehumidifiers. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has a complete list of the date codes, brands and models of the defective household products that are affected by the recall.
Colorado residents who shop at Wal-Mart may already know the store is recalling a table and chair set after it received reports of injuries. The product is a five-piece set, consisted of one card table and four chairs made by Mainstay. As with other apparent defective household products, Wal-Mart is urging consumers to stop using the recalled product immediately. Wal-Mart will issue a full refund to consumers when the product is returned.
The potential dangers of holiday trees are well documented and publicized nationwide and in Colorado. Holiday trees have long made the list of defective household products that can injure and even kill their users. However, keeping the focus on trees may trivialize the dangers of other holiday decorations that could also pose a danger to the public.
Colorado consumers rely on companies to manufacture products that are safe and reliable. However, there are times when defective household products slip into the market unnoticed until it is brought to a company's attention. At that point, a recall may be issued to take dangerous products off the market. Recently, Cuisinart joined the list of companies having to recall one of its products because it poses a danger to the public.
Many drivers in Colorado own vehicles made by Mazda or Nissan. Those Mazda and Nissan owners that have a Mazda6, Nissan M35 or M45 may need to know that there are defective auto products and parts on the vehicles that are being recalled. Between the two auto makers, nearly 260,000 vehicles are subject to the recall.
Colorado shoppers may need to be aware of a recall of a product sold exclusively at Target. The product is the Threshold Floor Lamp. As is the case with other defective household products, consumers are being asked to stop using the product immediately and unplug it.
A one-vehicle car crash occurred recently near Wolcott, Colorado. Even though these types of car accidents involve only one vehicle, they often result in significant property damage and personal injury. The driver of a 1992 Honda sedan was heading westbound on U.S. Highway 6 in Colorado when he apparently drove off the roadway. The vehicle continued rolling down an embankment before landing upside down.
One Colorado couple feels lucky to be alive after a trailer from a semi truck fell from an overpass and landed on their car. Witnesses were amazed when the couple came clamoring out of the rubble, largely unscathed. The brief relief likely dissipated when the rest of the truck fell and exploded, killing the truck driver.
One Colorado man was transported to the hospital this week due to the actions of a negligent semi-truck driver that collided with the victim's pick-up truck. Reportedly, the crash, which occurred just east of Loveland, Colorado, occurred when the semi driver neglected to stop for a stop sign.
There is nothing as freeing as the innocence of childhood where an imagination and a bike can take you out of Colorado and soaring into uncharted territory. One 11-year-old little girl from Fort Collins, Colorado, was out riding her bike this past month when she was quickly shocked back into reality from her leisurely ride when she became the victim of a bicycle accident.


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The gains of the Xpedior (Nasdaq: XPDR) and C-Bridge (Nasdaq: CBIS) IPOs last week show that Internet services companies can still turn Wall Street's head, but investors could grow weary as dozens of services companies flood the market.
Has this Net services craze become a little too much of a good thing?
C-Bridge was the latest to gain Friday, closing up 150 percent after pricing at $16, the top of its revised range. A day before C-Bridge hit the market, Xpedior made a modest debut.
Net services: Too much of a good thing?
We know the Net services pie is big enough to go around for now, but consolidation can't be too far behind.
The merger of USWeb/CKS (Nasdaq: USWB) and Whitmann/Hart (Nasdaq: HART) could just be the beginning of consolidation as these Net consultants move to get bigger at warp speed.
Why? Size matters and there are simply two many services companies out there. That's a recipe for consolidation. The consolidation may not occur in the first half of 2000, but at some point we'll see some marriages.
Sure there is some differentiation between the Xpedior, C-Bridge, Agency.com (Nasdaq: ACOM) and a host of others, but all share a common goal -- to be a one-stop e-business solution shop.
If you stripped the company names out of the regulatory filings all of these Wall Street highfliers start to sound alike.
First, they all cite the same statistics. International Data Corporation estimates that the worldwide market for Internet professional services will grow from $7.8 billion in 1998 to $78.5 billion in 2003.
That establishes the big services pie picture.
Then comes the revenue, which is usually much better than other Internet companies out there. Xpedior reported pro forma sales of $102.7 million for the nine months ending Sept. 30 with a loss from continuing operations of $3.3 million. It turned a profit on an operating basis.
Other services firms are also posting profits, a fact that's attracting Wall Street even more.
After the strong financials, the companies cite the dreaded "relatively low barriers to entry in the eBusiness services market."
Then comes the competitor listing that really points out how crowded this field is getting.
Most services companies have cited the following as competitors or similar companies: Agency.com (Nasdaq: ACOM), Proxicom (Nasdaq: PXCM), Razorfish (Nasdaq: RAZF), USWeb/CKS, Viant (Nasdaq: VIAN), iXL (Nasdaq: IIXL) and Modem Media.Poppe Tyson (Nasdaq: MMPT). Traditional players include: Andersen Consulting, Cambridge Technology Partners (Nasdaq: CATP), Cap Gemini, EDS (NYSE: EDS) among others.
And there's more services companies going public.
Many of these companies depend on a few customers for the bulk of their revenue. As major corporations consolidate, the customer base could shrink. That could trigger a round of consolidation.
For now all is peachy with Net services companies, but the pie won't be large enough sustain dozens of new companies for long.


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Home > News > Automobile News
Posted on Dec 14, 09:09PM | IBNS
Automobile giant Tata Motors Group global wholesales, including Jaguar Land Rover, were 102,337 in November while the cumulative wholesales for the fiscal stood at 782,043.
The automobile giant's global wholesales of all commercial vehicles -Tata, Tata Daewoo and the Tata Hispano Carrocera range- were 49,248 while the cumulative wholesales for the fiscal stood at 384,199, the company said in a statement on Friday.
Global wholesales of all passenger vehicles were 53,089 nos. Cumulative wholesales for the fiscal are 397,844 nos.
The global wholesales of Tata passenger vehicles were 18,440.
Tata Motors' cumulative wholesales for the fiscal stood at 174,404.
The global wholesales for Jaguar Land Rover in the month of November were 34,649 vehicles.
Jaguar wholesales for the month were 6,260 and cumulative wholesales stood at 31,205 vehicles, while Land Rover wholesales for the month were 28,389 and cumulative wholesales at 192,235 vehicles.
Cumulative wholesales for Jaguar Land Rover for the fiscal are 223,440 vehicles.


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Grocery Shoppers Beware: Romaine Lettuce Containing E. Coli
Approximately 61% of shoppers want their produce department to store more local products, but shoppers need to be more concerned about foodborne illnesses as a result of purchasing some of these certain grocery items.
According to CNBC, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced a nationwide E. coli outbreak linked to romaine lettuce. There have been 53 cases of E. coli outbreaks across 16 states and 31 of those outbreaks resulted in hospitalization.
The CDC is warning states that all store-bought chopped romaine lettuce, including salads and mixes with romaine, should not be eaten and needs to be thrown away.
“Consumer Reports is making this recommendation given the potentially fatal consequences of E. coli, the fact that there are still several unknowns about this outbreak and that no type of romaine has been ruled definitively safe by government officials,” said James Rogers, Ph.D., director of food safety research and testing at Consumer Reports.
CNN Health adds that vegetables are to blame for the majority of foodborne illnesses. Soil is evaluated on two basic features: texture and fertility, but any bit of compromised soil can lead to serious food-related illnesses.
Every year, one in six Americans gets sick from food, and 128,000 people are so sick they have to go to the hospital due to serious vomiting and diarrhea issues as well as severe nausea.
Though grocery shoppers need to be fully aware of what they are purchasing, that doesn’t mean individuals should avoid eating fruits and vegetables altogether.
“When properly cleaned, separated, cooked, and stored to limit contamination, fruits and vegetables safely provide some essential nutrients that would otherwise be lacking in most American diets,” officials from CDC wrote.
In order to combat this concerning outbreak, a coalition of five produce industry groups was working to identify where the problem started. The team found that the E. coli-infected lettuce stems from Yuma, Arizona, where the majority of the product is grown between November and March.
“Leafy greens food-safety programs in both California and Arizona are the most rigorous in today’s produce industry,” the produce groups said. “Both programs include mandatory farm food safety practices, and frequent government audits to ensure those practices are being followed.”
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently released new food safety requirements. The draft proposals are the first food safety rules to be proposed in 70 years, and they will allow the FDA to take a more preventative role in dealing with food contamination, rather than strictly reactionary.
The new proposals will require much stricter standards for growing, harvesting, and storing produce items as well as increase sanitation methods for irrigation fields. It will also increase surveillance for machines used in soils like fertilizers and manure.
In order to avoid E. coli, thoroughly wash all fruits and vegetables, cook meat completely, avoid raw milk, wash your hands regularly, and avoid preparing food when you’re sick. If you believe you came in contact with E. coli, write down when you recently consumed and contact your doctor and local health department.
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Look out smartphones — the world is lusting after sex toys, which could soon make them the world’s favorite gadget, according to the Daily Mail.
With global sales of ‘pleasure goods’ rising towards 400 million, according to a study entitled “Women, Sex and Shopping,” they’re quickly catching up to mobile phone sales.
In 2001, the CBC estimated North American sales amounted to $500 million a year. But the bottom line remains: sex continues to sell, with some analysts pondering why the sex toy industry has avoided severe economic troubles during the recession.
Experts have chalked up strong sales numbers to celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow and Jane Fonda dishing about their sex lives, says Daily Mail.
And the companies have caught on. Take for instance the We-Vibe, a vibrator created by an Ottawa-based couple that Canadian Business called the “most successful branded sex toy since the Rotating Rabbit.” Realizing celebrity endorsements can lead to more success, the company has sent the product to celebs and gifted it at star-studded events such as the Grammys and Super Bowl, Canada.com reports.
The company’s blog name-dropped celebs after the Genies last year:
Celebrities like Kardinall Offishall, Shannon Tweed (who couldnt wait to show hubby Gene Simmons) and hip-young stars like Rachelle Lefevre (Twilight), the room was abuzz with excitement.
Check out which other celebs are hot for their sex toys — and possibly boosting sales to boot:
They say reading helps your imagination. Now picture reading about someone’s personal sex life — Jenny McCarthy’s sex life, specifically. In McCarthy’s, “Belly Laughs: The Naked Truth About Pregnancy and Childbirth,” she salutes her pocket rocket to her orgasms, her “O-Yeahs,” during pregnancy.
Snoop Dogg’s Adult Film:
With an explicit album entitled “Doggystyle”, we’re not really surprised this rapper decided to create his own adult film. In 2001, Snoop partnered with Hustler to direct “Snoop Dogg’s Doggystyle” that later received a “Top Selling Release of the Year” award at the 2002 Adult Film Awards.
Kandi Burruss’s Bedroom Line:
Reality star Kandi Burruss of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta,” recently launched her own sex toy and product line, “Bedroom Kandi.” Let’s just say this woman is all about convenience. Her pink-coated sex toys not only look like items in your makeup bag, they’re meant to charge on your laptop.
Lady Gaga’s Condoms:
Stay safe kids. In 2010, this rock star knew she wanted her little monsters to be safe, so she teamed up with designer Jeremy Scott to to produce her own condom collection.
Martha Stewart Likes Her Thumper:
The queen of home décor obviously should know a thing or two about the bedroom. Stewart once told Howard Stern she was excited with her, “new $1,200 vibrator.” As it turns out, the vibrator she was talking about is the classic Thumper (not Bambi) and it usually retails for $13.
Boy Band Condoms:
Well, this is kind of cute. Britain’s biggest boy band JLS teamed up with Durex Condoms to raise awareness about sexual health and safe sex. Oh and don’t worry, this line is slightly thicker, with extra lubrication.
The woman likes garbage bags, glitter and waking up in bathtubs. With this wild lifestyle, we’re not surprised Ke$sha teamed up with Lifestyle to have her own custom condom line. Here’s the catch: her face would be on the wrapper$ and she doesn’t really have a guarantee for pregnancy prevention — she told the BBC, “If it breaks, you have to name you daughter or son after me.”
50 Cent’s “Motorized Version”:
When he doesn’t want you to lick his lollipop, rapper 50 Cent was once rumoured to be releasing a sex toy line — to reflect his own manhood. The blue vibrator would also be waterproof — at least the man was thinking outside the box.
Dave Stewart’s Song:
Somebody decided to take former Eurythmics bandmate Dave Stewart’s “Little Steel Tonight” a little too seriously. This branded version of the Jimmyjane vibrator, encircled with a band of 28 round-cut black diamonds and personalized messages, works best while listening to the song.
In 2009 drummer Phil Varone signed into rehab — for his sex addiction. It only makes sense, then, that afterwards Varone would launch his own sex toy line including everything from a pierced dildo to “rock hard” nipple clamps.
Source: Huffington Post


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Following the news that Mattel was hooking up with mobile publisher Animoca Brands (ASX: AB1), the first fruits of the deal are now live.
Animoca has released Ever After High Tea Party Dash; a game set in gothic tween brand Ever After High.
The free-to-play Dash-style game has you hiring characters such as Apple White, Madeline Hatter and Raven Queen, as you attempt to manage increasing hectic tea parties.
"Animoca Brands is delighted to launch Ever After High Tea Party Dash, our first game in partnership with Mattel," said Animoca Brands CEO Robby Yung.
"Since launch in 2013 the Ever After High franchise has grown across multiple platforms to become a sterling example of a successful international brand and it's pleasure to work on such well-crafted source material."
Other games using Mattel's IP will be announced in future.


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With bars and restaurants forced to close their doors, the Alva-based brewer’s established online business boomed and the firm said that trend was showing no signs of slowing down.
The firm – famed for its Schiehallion pilsner – now offers a next day delivery service to anywhere in the UK if ordered online before 1pm. This has helped it record a 2,000 per cent increase in online beer and lager sales.
Managing director Stuart Cook said: “The coronavirus pandemic has substantially changed the way we all shop.
“We were hopeful the Harviestoun reputation would count for a lot amongst beer drinkers who hadn’t been able to get out for a pint in their local during lockdown, and we have been blown away by the response to our ‘beer to your doorstep’ service.”
He added: “In these tough times for the industry, getting beer fresh from our brewery direct to the trade is critical as a support mechanism.”
The brewery’s product range is becoming increasingly available in supermarkets, readily bought from major online e-commerce customers and the export market.
The dark beers, such as Old Engine Oil, Engineers Reserve and the Ola Dubh age range, are said to be especially in high demand across Europe, China, the US, Canada and South Korea.
Harviestoun has been brewing in the shadow of the Ochil Hills in Clackmannanshire since 1983, pre-dating the craft beer boom.


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“We’re making a holistic investment in technology to allow people to access their money however they wish to,” explains David Ness, President and CEO at MERCO Credit Union, when asked about the roll-out of their new mobile banking app.
Called “MERCO Credit Union Mobile Banking,” the app for smart phones, tablets and other mobile devices serves as an extension of the online banking system MERCO has been offering to its members for the past 12 years. It’s available from all app stores.
The MERCO app allows members to conduct online banking transactions no matter where they happen to be – plus some very cool added features.
Members will use a fingerprint login. “It’s very easy. You don’t have to remember passwords,” said Patrick Myhre, MERCO Marketing Director.
The app, launched in January, allows any account transactions that could be made online including instant cash transfers, person-to-person payments using Zell, checking your credit score, free credit monitoring and zero liability fraud protection. It will send alerts if someone tries to open loans or other financial accounts using your identification. It will even identify ways to save money on account fees or loan rates. Mobile deposit features were added in February.
“Our app makes banking very convenient for people who live a distance from our physical locations,” said Ness. “Technology has leveled the field between local credit unions and megabanks regarding access to banking. The need for physical locations has been dramatically reduced.”
The app is the last of three major changes – each designed to make MERCO a stronger financial partner for its members. In 2017 they expanded their field of membership. In 2018 they expanded their ATM network. And in 2019 they launched a sophisticated mobile banking APP.
This year marks 65 years in business for MERCO. Myhre is planning a “Member Appreciation Event” in September. Members will be receiving mugs, travel coffee cups, and other give-away products through the year.
“We celebrate at every five year mark,” Ness said, noting he has been with MERCO for more than 20 years so far. “By embracing technology we plan to get through another 65 years.”
MERCO has come a long way since they opened in 1954 when only Merced County employees could join. “Our initial mission was to provide financial support to those who were not getting a square deal from big banks,” Ness said. “My personal mission is to preserve a local institution in our community. One hundred percent of our employees lives, works, worships and goes to school here. We care about the community. We are the community.”
MERCO supports CASA, the Playhouse, Kiwanis and Kiddieland, and the Downtown Christmas Tree each year. In the past they sponsored the annual Bike Race. And MERCO employees volunteer throughout the communities they serve in many different roles.
Today MERCO serves people with any affiliation in Merced, Mariposa, Madera and Stanislaus County; including residents, workers, worshipers, organization members and students. Even those who move out of the area may continue banking with MERCO if they choose to.
There are three physical branch locations with a total of 38 employees. Members have access to a network of 80,000 ATMs spread across the nation and into several other countries. And now mobile access to MERCO accounts.
“We will continue to provide our members with big bank services with a hometown attitude. We have the staff to care for our members. We pride ourselves on providing that place where you walk in and we know you,” Ness smiled with pride.
For more information about MERCO Credit Union and its new mobile banking app, visit their website at: MERCO.org, call (209) 723-4285 or (800) 273-4993, or stop by one of their branches at 1911 “M” Street in Merced, 1655 Bellevue Road in Atwater, or 5011 Coakley Circle in Mariposa.


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Sam Gustin recalls Google chief executive Eric Schmidt's comments at last week's mogul confab in Sun Valley: "We make our own weather."
Schmidt was making the case that thanks to its superior advertising technology, Google is less vulnerable to outside economic pressures than other companies. Because Google's advertising system has been so effective, Schmidt argued, marketers are more likely to stick with Google during tough economic times.
Today, however, we learned that Google is not immune from the country's broader economic malaise. The search juggernaut missed Wall Street earnings expectations, sending the company's shares down more than 10 percent in after-hours trading.
Google reported that paid clicks were down 1 percent sequentially, and revenue from the company's AdSense program was down 2 percent sequentially.
What makes Google's report all the more distressing is the fact that many on Wall Street were anticipating an "upside surprise," thanks to strong international growth and growing search market share.
On a conference call with analysts, Google's chief economist Hal Varian acknowledged that the slowdown in consumer spending is affecting Google's results.
Google's earnings miss should bring to an end its recent honeymoon of sorts, as Wall Street and the financial press have focused on its two largest competitors, Yahoo and Microsoft, as they tear each other to shreds in their ongoing takeover battle.
Over the last decade, Google's rise has been one of the most amazing business stories in corporate history. But as today's results show, no company, not even Google, "makes its own weather."
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Let’s hope someone remembers to buy the “super bandwidth upgrade package”.
Nintendo said today it’s to stream its E3 press conference live on Nintendo.com.
The presentation begins at 9.00am PST on Tuesday, June 15.
Nintendo will show 3DS and the new Zelda during the event, and is expected to show software for the Vitality Sensor and more.
We will, of course, be there. Both Nathan and myself will be in the audience liveblogging, so we’ll have all the news as it happens.
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. For more information, go here.


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In a much-anticipated development, Apple made the big announcement of its upcoming Apple TV+ on Monday which is scheduled to be launched this fall. The date of launch and monthly fee were not discussed during the announcement. The announcement has got the people excited because of the big name content that will be available on the platform.
According to the press release, Apple TV+ will feature a brand new slate of programming from the world’s most celebrated artists, including Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, J.J. Abrams, Jason Momoa, M. Night Shyamalan, Octavia Spencer, Jon M. Chu and others.
Speaking about Apple TV+, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services, Eddy Cue said: “We’re honored that the absolute best lineup of storytellers in the world—both in front of and behind the camera—are coming to Apple TV+.”
“We’re thrilled to give viewers a sneak peek of Apple TV+ and cannot wait for them to tune in starting this fall. Apple TV+ will be home to some of the highest quality original storytelling that TV and movie lovers have seen yet,” he added.
With a plethora of programs available on Apple+, it seems that the technology giant has got the calculation right with all the right ingredients to challenge Netflix.
The all-new Apple TV app is set to be launched in May 2019 and it will give users the freedom to pay for only those services that they want, like HBO, SHOWTIME and Starz. They can also purchase or rent iTunes movies and TV shows all within the new, personalized Apple TV app.
The press release further goes on to note that the app will also offer suggestions for shows and movies from over 150 streaming apps, including Amazon Prime and Hulu, as well as pay-TV services such as Canal+, and Charter Spectrum among others.
While the company revolutionized personal technology with the launch of Macintosh in 1984, today, the company leading name in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple TV.
Technology has evolved a great deal over the past decade and now it seems that the audience is starved of things to watch or listen to and if the company wants audiences to sign up for one more app, it will need A-List talent to attract them.


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India's Essar Group has acknowledged that it selling a stake in its East African operation in order to raise funds to widen its footprint and implement a network upgrade, but details are still unclear.
Essar owns yuMobile in Kenya, Africa's second largest telecom market after Nigeria and South Africa, but the competition in the provision of mobile phone services in the East African country has become so stiff that yuMobile's revenue has been declining. Yu Mobile has already applied for a 3G license from the Kenyan authorities as part of its network upgrade plans.
The decision by Essar to sell a stake in yuMobile has renewed speculation that the group is planning to exit the East African market.
The Indian conglomerate has acknowledged it is planning to sell a percentage of yuMobile to an international firm but has denied it is planning to leave the Kenyan market.
Previous reports indicated that the company was planning to sell a 75 percent stake in yuMobile. Latest reports suggest that the stake will be priced at $100 million.
Stiff competition is slowly chewing into the operators' profit margins in the region. The need for investment has already forced local investors to sell their stakes to Essar as they can no longer afford to inject funds into the company.
Essar Kenya chief executive Madhur Taneja has told the media that "it was difficult for local shareholders to keep investing in the business at rapid pace because of the capital-intensive nature of the industry."
Essar has 10 percent market share in Kenya and trails behind market leader Safaricom, according to the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK), the country's telecom sector regulator.
In December last year, the company sold its 10 percent shareholding in the undersea fiber-optic cable company The East Africa Marine System (TEAMS) to rival operator Safaricom for just over $11 million.
In 2011, the Group also sold its stakes in Warid Telecom's operations in Uganda and Congo.
Essar bought the Kenyan telecom business from Econet Wireless about six years ago for KSh12 billion (about $145 million). The operator picked up in the last two to three years in subscriber numbers, although that did not automatically translate to growth in revenue.
"Essar just like many other small operators has been struggling to make a grade in the region. This is because of the battle by big operators to outdo each other. We expect the situation to be worse in the coming years," said Edith Mwale, telecom analyst at Africa Center for ICT Development.
Bharti Airtel is another Indian mobile phone operator in Kenya involved in aggressive price wars in a bid to keep and attract new customers.
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According to the latest celebrity news, the KARDASHIAN sisters KIM, KOURTNEY and KHLOE are set to launch their newest makeup line in December.
The Kardashians are truly taking over society!
Starting from their lucrative and famous reality show, “Keeping Up With The Kardashians,” the famous sisters managed to venture into business by creating the “Kardashian Kollection” that includes their own jeans and sexy lingerie line, as well as handbags, home décor items, and for Kim, her own perfume line.
Kourtney Kardashian and her baby daddy, Scott Disick are getting married?? Rumor has it that Kourtney will soon become a married woman as Mrs. Disick.
Rumor has it that the pair have discussed giving their son Mason a sibling but have they decided to do things the “right” way and get hitched first?
Kourtney has landed herself in National Enquirer with rumors of an upcoming wedding with Dick.
The sexy Kardashian sister’s promo ad for season 4 is hot! Khloe, Kim and Kourtney Kardashian all donned their best black lingerie and posed for the cameras and their new season of Keeping Up With the Kardashians. Is it tasteful or tacky?
Kim, Khloe and Kourtney Kardashian courtesy of E!
Kim has 40′s style lingerie on and a pointy bra. Kourtney is wearing a baby doll and showing off her huge baby bump. Khloe looks like a newlywed would…sexy and in high heels. From Popeater:


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CNN is facing a legal battle to keep its controversial advertising program in place, according to a court filing.
The Federal Trade Commission is accusing CNN of violating the FTC Act, which prohibits deceptive advertising that “promotes” a product or service in a way that makes consumers or businesses believe it’s of a higher quality.
The FTC has been investigating CNN since late 2013 over the program, which has since been removed from the site.
The agency says CNN failed to take reasonable steps to prevent its advertisements from becoming the subject of consumers’ complaints and to ensure that consumers’ information was not collected in a manner that might identify them as a target of the advertising.
The agency also says CNN is violating the federal False Claims Act, also known as the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
CNN has denied the allegations, saying its advertising program complied with all applicable state and federal laws.
The suit seeks a permanent injunction against CNN and the FCC.CNN is being represented by John Ostermeier, a partner at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Harcourt LLP in Washington, D.C.CNN’s complaint against the FCC charges that CNN has violated the FTC’s False Claims and Fair Credit Reports Acts by failing to take necessary steps to stop the distribution of its advertising during the 2016 election cycle, including by posting notice to consumers that it would not sell their personal information.CNN, the FTC and CNN have denied the complaint.CNN did not immediately respond to a request for comment.


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Canadians won’t be able to shop at local outlets of Neiman Marcus or Bergdorf Goodman any time soon, but they can soon claim a piece of the storied luxury retail through our national Canada Pension Plan.
[np_storybar title=”Check out Neiman Marcus’ over-the-top fantasy catalogue” link=”https://business.financialpost.com/2012/10/12/neiman-marcus-fantasy-christmas-catalog-is-out-and-the-gifts-are-over-the-top/”%5DItems on the fantasy list are all upwards of $30,000, with the most expensive item—His & Her watches from Van Cleef & Arpels called “Poetic Wish”—costing $1.09 million. See more [/np_storybar]
The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board secured its first large private deal in more than a year on Monday with partner Ares Management LLC to purchase U.S. luxury retailer Neiman Marcus Group Ltd. for US$6-billion.
The “iconic” brands in the Neiman stable, including Bergdorf Goodman, caused the Canadian pension fund to take a “hard look” and ultimately to prevail over competitors, said André Bourbonnais, senior vice-president of private investment at CPPIB.
“These iconic brands don’t really come on the market very often,” he said in an interview Monday.
The CPPIB has walked away from a number of potential deals over the past year because competition was driving up prices, Mr. Bourbonnais said.
The Neiman Marcus deal comes on the heels of another high-end U.S. retail transaction with a strong Canadian flavour. In July, the Ontario Teachers Pension Plan committed $500-million to Hudson’s Bay Co.’s US$2.9-billion purchase of Saks Fifth Avenue.
Mr. Bourbonnais said the timing of the transactions this summer is more of a coincidence than a trend. But other market observers say the luxury market in the United States is a natural draw for private investors seeking returns in a low interest-rate environment.
“It’s an opportunity to go after a growing luxury market in the resurging U.S. economy” that is being seized upon by the Canadian firms and funds, says Karl Moore, an associate professor at the Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill University.
What’s more, he says, there is a perceived opportunity to bring the U.S. chains into the Canadian market with its relatively strong economy.
Hudson’s Bay has indicated plans to incorporate Saks into its stores in Canada, but Mr. Bourbonnais says there are no immediately plans to bring Neiman Marcus or Bergdorf Goodman to Canada.
It’s an opportunity to go after a growing luxury market in the resurging U.S. economy
He said the retailer’s management team — headed by chief executive Karen Katz — is remaining in place and will be ultimately make such decisions.
Neiman has some unique issues that could keep it from Canada in the longer term, including a lack of natural real estate on this side of the border and the fact that that tiny niche luxury market is already getting crowded.
Nordstrom is coming to Canada with a handful of locations in major cities, an arrangement that was made possible only when landlord Cadillac Fairview made a deal to vacate space occupied by Sears. And Saks has its foothold through existing Hudson Bay stores.
In the U.S., Neiman has 79 stores with more than 6.5 million square feet of space, including two Bergdorf locations in Manhattan.
Ed Strapagiel, an independent retail consultant based in Toronto, said real estate comes into play in any retail acquisition.
“Land don’t rust, as they say,” said Mr. Strapagiel. It’s “a financial safety net” if things don’t go as planned.
Mr. Bourbonnais said Neiman’s marquee real estate in Manhattan was a factor in the transaction, and the pension fund’s experts in real estate were consulted during negotiations. However, he said the Canadian pension plan made the acquisition based on a conservative forecast of growth for the retail chain itself.
In arriving at the price, the buyers also considered that they were buying the chain from private equity investors, led by TPG Capital and Warburg Pincus LLC, which had undoubtedly already imposed controls and strategies to drive growth, Mr. Bourbonnais said.
Real estate is “an element, but only one element” of the transaction, he said.
The luxury market is not as strong as it was before the 2008 financial crisis, according to retail consultants, but it does not operate on the same metrics as lower-end retail. While the luxury segment is hit along with all other retail if no one is getting pay raises or bonuses, luxury purchases tend to have more to do with “windfall” income such as stock market gains than with weekly pay cheques, said Mr. Strapagiel.
“The luxury market has hung in there,” he said. “It’s only partially driven by the overall economy.”
Mr. Bourbonnais said that Neiman Marcus Group has historically demonstrated that it can weather tough economic times.
“We feel good about the price we paid. We feel good about the growth potential,” Mr. Bourbonnais said. “I don’t think we’re overlooking anything just because of the brand.”
With a file from Hollie Shaw


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This spring HipCityVeg is sprouting more than ever before.
Philadelphia’s popular fast-casual, all-vegan restaurant is expanding with new location announcements: one in Center City Philadelphia, and one in Washington, D.C.
The D.C. store marks the first location outside of Philadelphia for the fast casual. Located in the bustling historic Chinatown neighborhood, HipCityVeg will be just down the street from the Verizon Center, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and other popular destinations.
Meanwhile in Philadelphia, the Center City location will be replacing the former FedEx in the North American Building on Broad Street. This restaurant will bring HipCityVeg’s Philadelphia locations to a total of three restaurants, adding to the flagship 18th Street store in Rittenhouse, and the 40th Street store in University City. Both the Center City and Washington, D.C. locations are expected to open in spring 2016.
Based on traditional fast-food restaurants, HipCityVeg takes familiar menu items and turns them into delicious plant-based versions that appeal to vegans and meat lovers alike. All of HipCityVeg’s menu items will be available in the new locations, with customer favorites including the Ziggy Burger, the Crispy HipCity Ranch—the chick’n version of a fried chicken sandwich—the ever-popular sweet potato fries, and, of course, the Groothie.
“We are incredibly excited to add two new restaurants to our HipCityVeg family this spring, spreading the message of how easy it is to eat a plant-based meal,” says Nicole Marquis, founder and CEO of HipCityVeg.
“We’re so thankful to our customers for their loyalty and support that have enabled us to keep expanding, and we look forward to what the new restaurants will bring.”


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Cloud infrastructure startup Nebula, founded by former NASA IT chief Chris Kemp, wrapped up the week’s funding deals with a multimillion dollar debt round. We’ve got the details on that financing and more below in Friday’s installment of Funding Daily.
Nebula nabs $3.5M for OpenStack hardware
Following a $25 million financing in late 2012, Nebula has taken on an additional $3.5 million in debt funding, according to a Form D filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission yesterday. The Mountain View, Calif.-based company deploys complete private clouds for enterprises based on OpenStack (open-source cloud computing software) and commodity hardware. The resulting implementations cost as little as $100,000, which is cheap for an enterprise-capable data center. Read the full story on VentureBeat.
Gusto grabs $1.3M for its smart iPhone inbox
Mobile-productivity startup Gusto has closed a $1.3 million funding round led by Elevate Ventures, the company announced today. Gusto’s eponymous iPhone app launched on the app store today, bringing powerful search and attachment features to its unified mobile inbox. The best part? It’s free. Read more about Gusto on its website.


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“We don’t have the kind of baggage in some of our foreign markets as we do here from the bankruptcy, so from a perception point of view it will be easier to plow that field in the future,” Akerson tells WardsAuto.
Akerson (left) and Boler-Davis at GM celebration of J.D. Power Initial Quality Study Awards.
WARREN, MI –, looking to duplicate its new U.S. vehicle quality in other markets around the world, will find a smoother road to convincing international customers of its product reliability because its reputation elsewhere “carries less baggage,” Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson says.
“I came from China last week (and) our quality is viewed as very good there, very high,” Akerson tells WardsAuto on the sidelines of an event here celebrating the auto maker’s industry-leading J.D. Power Initial Quality performance.
“We don’t have the kind of baggage in some of our foreign markets as we do here from the bankruptcy, so from a perception point of view it will be easier to plow that field in the future,” he says.
GM last week earned initial quality awards for a record eight products, marking the auto maker’s best-ever performance in the closely watched consumer metric and putting it atop the industry in the U.S. for the first time.
Overall, GM buyers reported the fewest problems in the first 90 days of owning their ’13 model-year vehicle, and a key assembly plant for the auto maker was named one of North America’s highest-quality builders.
U.S. auto makers covet awards from the annual J.D. Power survey, which this year polled 83,000 buyers, because satisfaction typically translates into return buyers. GM estimates for every percentage point of customer retention the auto maker gains $700 million in revenue.
The award also can lead to word-of-mouth recommendations for its products, a key advantage in today’s socially driven market.
Product quality, Akerson told journalists at the auto maker’s annual shareholder’s meeting in Detroit last month, ranks among GM’s top three challenges alongside reducing material costs and product complexity.
To help make GM’s regional success more international, the auto maker today promotes current U.S. quality chief Alicia Boler-Davis to senior vice president-global quality and global customer experience. GM last year united quality and customer satisfaction into one unit under Boler-Davis, and cites the new customer-centric approach as one reason for its J.D. Power performance.
Boler-Davis, 44, will report directly to Akerson.
Boler-Davis, who rose through the auto maker’s engineering and manufacturing ranks to become a key executive, says some elements of GM’s U.S. quality and customer-service programs will carry over into other markets.
“We’re looking at the foundational things we need to put in place in order to listen to our customers and respond to their needs,” she says. “We’re not looking at it as a program we can introduce on day one. It’s looking at what our customers have told us, what are they expecting and what can we do immediately.
“There’s a lot of synergy already in the different regions, “Boler-Davis adds. “We want to pull them together and drive a laser-like focus to ensure we’re improving as fast as we possibly can.”
One program GM recently introduced was free maintenance for two years or 24,000 miles (39,000 km) on all ’14 models, broadening across its portfolio similar programs used more selectively in the past. Such programs are popular among consumers, especially in the luxury market, but expensive for auto makers without bullet-proof quality.
Dave Sargent, vice president-global automotive at J.D. Power, says GM will have a difficult time repeating its ’13 U.S. quality performance because many of the models earning top scores will be phased out this year in favor of redesigned or all-new products. Newly launched products historically encounter more problems.
Only one all-new GM product, the ’13 Buick Encore small cross/utility vehicle, won its segment in this year’s survey.
“Next year, life may not be so easy,” warns Sargent, who joined Akerson and Boler-Davis for an expansive employee celebration to mark GM’s J.D. Power wins this year. “The landscape will get tougher.”
Sargent also says the auto maker still faces an uphill battle in terms of customer perception of its quality, which remains “nowhere near reality.” J.D. Power research shows 44% of GM buyers cite reliability as a top reason for purchasing their vehicle.customers cite quality 67% of the time and buyers 72%.
“So you have work to do on your perception,” Sargent tells GM in his prepared remarks.
Akerson agrees. The auto maker in the U.S. will launch over the next 12 months 20 all-new or significantly redesigned cars, trucks and CUVs, including pivotal new large pickups arriving in the market now.
“We’ve brought a lot more discipline to our launch cycles, because we have not always had success,” Akerson says. “We’re in the midst of a huge truck launch right now. The initial cut is it is our best launch ever. It takes attention to detail, crisp execution (and) inspect, inspect inspect.
“I’m not telling you we’re going to be flawless, but that is what we are going to strive for.”
And perhaps a more modest celebration if GM repeats the performance, Akerson adds. The celebration here includes remarks from Major League Baseball player Max Scherzer, who leads the American league in wins. Local radio personality Paul W. Smith serves as emcee, and a band made up of GM employees plays rock and roll music. A free lunch to workers is on tap.
“You don’t ‘hot dog’ too much,” Akerson says, citing U.S. football players who dance after scoring. “Act as if you’ve been there before, and we have.”


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On March 25, a new and upgraded API SP series of BP lubricants were launched in Nanjing. Mr. Shang Baoguo, CEO of NEW CARZONE group, Mr. Chen Qing, General Manager of Automotive Sales in Greater China of Castrol Lubricants, and other seniorrepresentatives of both sides attended the conference to witness this exciting moment.
In the new strategic upgrade of NEW CARZONE and BP, Castrol gives full play to the advantages of flowing pioneer technology. The new BP Visco lubricant products will adopt the newly upgraded formula， bottle shape and the label with better product use experience. Meanwhile, the upgraded anti-counterfeiting label is equipped to provide consumers with a better guarantee of authentic products. The new and upgraded BP series products will continue to provide more secured products with higher quality and service experience for car owners.
As a professional high-end lubricant brand, BP has laid a solid foundation in the lubricant business in China market by virtue of its own strength and high-quality products, therefore, BP lubricants have been recognized by the industry and trusted by consumers. As the largest integrated professional service provider in China's IAM, NEW CARZONE has owned more than 1,100 service centers in more than 30 provinces nationwide in 2021, nearly 10 thousand employees are providing the professional services for the repair & maintenance industry.
As the industry innovators in the China’s IAM and lubricants field, NEW CARZONE and BP Castrol look forward to meet the differentiated needs of the market with professional service and excellent quality by creating more value-added service experience for consumers, and inaugurate a new future of product supply and service in the automotive consumption market.


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The first month of 2021 is almost halfway over, and Microsoft has begun the process of future features for Windows 10. Sources are sharing information about an overhaul of the user interface (UI) in one of the major updates – most likely the Fall update.
Gadgets 360 stated, “Microsoft is planning for two Windows 10 feature update, and the spring update is likely to be smaller, essentially laying the groundwork for the big fall update. The second release is expected to bring big changes.”
Other features that may come into play in 2021 include a Cloud PC service. This service will put Windows in the Cloud and users can stream any apps they’ve installed on their devices. The perk of this feature is that it won’t slow your local PC’s performance.
“This new service ‘puts a version of Windows in the cloud and allows users to install apps to it so that they can be streamed to any device. This will allow PCs with limited storage or performance capabilities to run heavy applications without it degrading local PC performance.’ The Cloud PC service will reportedly be offered to both Windows 10 and Windows 10X users. The report says that the service syncs with your Microsoft 365 subscription. In the future, once this service is available, all installed apps through Cloud PC will show up in the Start Menu as if they were natively installed. This will essentially work in a similar manner as the Windows Virtual Desktop. Windows 10X is expected to get local win32 app support sometime in 2022.”Source: Gadgets 360
The new Windows 10X is being added to new devices and will begin shipping this year. 10X software is simply a lighter version of Windows 10 added to foldable PC’s.
For computer inquiries, give us a call at (480) 666-5832. Gilbert Computer Repair Service has been providing mobile computer repair in Gilbert, AZ and to the greater Phoenix Metro Area since 1999.


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HMD Global is expected to launch Nokia 7.2, Nokia 6.2 and Nokia 2720 4G smartphones at the IFA 2019 which is scheduled for 5th of September in Berlin. But according to a new report out of these anticipated smartphones launch, the Nokia 7.2 is expected to be the most interesting among all.
A new leak has tipped towards the pricing and color variants of the Nokia 7.2 smartphone. According to that report a source has said that the upcoming Nokia 7.2 will have the model number TA-1196. And it is being claimed to come in Charcoal Black, Ice Blue and Forest Green color options.
As we all know that before the launch of any big brand smartphone the internet get full of rumors and leaks regarding that smartphone. now its the time for Nokia 7.2 and there are number of rumors and leaks rendering.
As per a new leaked, the China pricing of the Nokia 7.2 smartphone would be $249 or $279. But it is also expected that the price will differ globally. Apart from this, the smartphone also spotted in a real life image, which shows a circular triple rear camera setup of Zeiss brand at the back.
As it is now clear that the HMD Global will announce bunch of smartphones before the IFA 2019. Apart from the Nokia 7.2 the brand has also been rumoured to launch Nokia 5.2 and Nokia 6.2 smartphone in the same event.
Moving towards the specs of the Nokia 7.2, it is claimed that the Nokia 7.2 will come with triple rear camera setup and the primary sensor might feature a 48MP Sony IMX586 as primary sensor. It will have a 6.2-inch bezel-less display having FHD+ resolution. It is said that this handset will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 SoC coupled with 6GB of RAM. The handset is rumored to bear a 3,500mAH battery.


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South Korean Consumer Electronics company LG Electronics will run its first Super Bowl commercial at Super Bow 50.
LG announced a Super Bowl commercial in December. The LG Super Bowl 50 ad marks the first-ever entry of South Korean consumer company LG into the Super Bowl.
How To: Buy a Pokemon Go Plus
The LG Super Bowl 50 ad will be produced by Ridley Scott's production company, RSA Films and Jake Scott will direct the LG commercial that will feature the LG OLED TV technology and introduces a soon-to-be announced addition to its OLED TV line.
Ridley and Jake Scott appeared in a video message at LG's CES 2016 keynote to tease the LG Super Bowl 50 commercial.
Ridley Scott, who directed the iconic Apple 1984 Super Bowl ad said about the LG Super Bowl ad: "The LG ad would be big, bold and epic." His son added according to THR, "The LG Super Bowl ad will have a futuristic look of the TV and make it as cinematic as possible."
LG has not revealed yet any further details about the company's first Super Bowl ad. Jake Scott is though a great story teller, as the Lost Dog commercial proved.
The LG Super Bowl 50 commercial is one of the must watch Super Bowl 50 commercials. Based on what Ridley Scott and Jake Scott said it will be a like a 30 second Hollywood science fiction blockbuster.
Super Bowl 50 will take place on February 7, 2016, in Santa Clara, at the Levi's Stadium. The stadium is the home of the home of the San Francisco 49ers. Super Bowl 50 will be topping all previous Super Bowl's because of the anniversary. Marketers are flocking to Super Bowl 50 and it will be a huge TV event.
CBS is the lucky TV network to broadcast Super Bowl 50. The Super Bowl 2016 game will be preceded by a weeklong series of public events held throughout the Bay Area.
The Super Bowl City fan village, the NFL Experience and the Media Center will be hosted in San Francisco.
Read the latest Super Bowl 50 News.


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CATL December 24 announced that in recent days, the largest pure electric green commercial ship with the largest global power – “Yangtze River Three Gorges 1” is officially started. The cruise ship is equipped with a CATL power lithium battery, with a total battery capacity of 100 or more pure electric vehicles. It is the largest battery capacity of the world’s design, the most passenger, maximum, intelligent level, the highest level of pure electric passengers.
It is understood that the battery system of the “Yangtze Three Gorges 1” consists of more than 10,000 CATL high-safety phosphate cells. Each battery has a temperature sensor, which can achieve battery temperature monitoring and high temperature alarm function, all-round protection Product security, reliable. The battery power system protection of the cruise ship fully considers the selectivity of the fault, and is equipped with 15 independent battery power stations to charge and discharge alone, divided into four battery compartment, and additionally configured the backup battery power system, all-round protection Sailing.
At the same time, the electric cruise is also an electric ship in the world, which has solved the charging challenge of high-power port.. The ship planned in July 2021, invested in operation in November 2021, it will operate in two dams, Yichang Yangtze River night tour, the Three Gorges boat ship and other tourist routes, meeting, reception, wedding banquet, performance and other activities Function.
Multiple electric ship supporting CATL power lithium battery reporters noted that as the first domestic classic community (CCS) latest inspection guide “Pure Battery Power Ship Inspection Guide” certification (including battery, battery pack, battery management system) Dynamic lithium battery company, in addition to the “Yangtze River Three Gorges 1” “江 星”, Pearl River cruise ship, “Yangtze River Three Gorges 1”, “Zhi Fei”, “Zhongshan University” and other electric ship supporting power lithium battery. According to public information, January 2019, CATL and and my country’s Classification Society (CCS) Wuhan Normative Research Institute signed a strategic cooperation agreement in Fujian, officially entered the ship area. In June 2019, CATL said that the company has signed a cooperation intention agreement in the field of electric ships.
. Among them, the first pure electric business ship in the Yangtze River Basin – the “Sea Tour 12909” of the Yangtze River Three Gorges Navigation Authority is equipped with CATL’s lithium iron, capacity of 0.68mWh, maximum speed 21km / h.
In April this year, CATL became the first power lithium battery company that was recognized and inspected by the “Pure Battery Power Ship Inspection Guide” “Pure Battery Power Ship Inspection Guide”. On August 28 this year, my country’s largest ocean comprehensive science examination internship boat – “Sun Yat-sen University” is under Shanghai, the ship is equipped with CATL600KWH energy storage battery for balancing power grids to ensure the stability of the ship’s laboratory and electronic equipment. run.
On September 1 this year, my country’s first oil and electric hybrid marine luxury bibli cruise ship “Dawan District No.1” officially put into operation. “Dawan District No.
1″ is created by China Merchants, which is loaded by China Merchants, my country’s Middle Cars and CATL, and has complete independent intellectual property rights, marking our country has independent research and development, design and manufacturing. The power of the electric cruise ship at sea. In mid-September this year, it is equipped with a CATL3000KWH ultra-high capacity battery system.
The main hull with 486 passenger boats will be built, will promote the development of Pearl River Ecological Health and Guangdong and Hong Kong, Macao District Tourism Transportation Green Development.. On the eve of this year, the first new energy high-end inner river tour in Fujian Province “Minjiang Star” cruise ship held a first sailing ceremony in Fuzhou “Minjiang Tour” Taijiang Pier.
The cruise is the first to apply CATL’s battery technology, using non-polluting, zero-emissive lithium-ion battery new energy power system, bringing green environmental, quiet and stable tourism experience. Ship electricity process accelerated data show that the market size of domestic electric ships has reached 5.63 billion in 2016.
It is expected to be extended to 9.63 billion in 2021. By 2024, the scale of the global electric ship market is expected to reach more than 45 billion yuan.
. The lithium-ion battery demand brought by ship electricization is expected to enter the rapid rising period this year. It is expected that the demand for lithium-ion batteries will exceed 20GWH 2020.
. Lithium iron phosphate ion battery has good safety, long cycle performance, good high temperature stability, and lower cost, is the best choice for ship power lithium batteries at this stage..
At the same time, the electric ship should carry a large number of batteries, the discharge rate, cycle, and cost of the battery is also high.. Optimistic to optimize the huge potential of the ship’s lithium battery, CATL, Yiqi Lithium, Guoxuan High Class, BYD, Xingying Technology and other companies have been laid out in this field.
It should be noted that the electric ship is still in the primary development stage, the overall quantity is small, the monomer is huge. But with the advantages of technology and improvement and policy, I believe that the global electric ship battery market will usher in a new round of rising period.