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The phenomenal growth of photo sharing websites like Flickr and Picasa has spawned a new art. With more than 80 million photos being uploaded to photo sharing websites every day, computer scientists have invented a technique that automatically creates 3-D models of famous landmarks and geographical locations, using ordinary two-dimensional pictures captured by tourists and enthusiasts.Thus Rome has been built in a single day, on a PC, using a method of image clustering, stereo, stereo fusion and structure from motion to give high computational performance.
It was devised by a team of researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Swiss university, ETH-Zurich, who believe the system will help preserve heritage sites, by allowing tourists to explore sites virtually.
Led by Jan-Michael Frahm, research assistant professor of computer science in the UNC College of Arts and Sciences, 3 million images of Rome available online were used to reconstruct all of the city’s major landmarks.
Although the technique of using millions of photos to recreate detailed scenes has been demonstrated by other systems such as Microsoft’s PhotoSynth, Frahm says they required clusters of computers to perform the necessary image analysis. Frahm said his team used a simple home PC equipped with four powerful graphics cards, giving an improvement of more than a factor of 1,000 over current commercial systems.
“Our technique would be the equivalent of processing a stack of photos as high as the 828-meter Dubai Towers, using a single PC, versus the next best technique, which is the equivalent of processing a stack of photos 42 meters tall – as high as the ceiling of Notre Dame – using 62 PCs,” he said. “This efficiency is essential if one is to fully utilise the billions of user-provided images continuously being uploaded to the Internet.”
One of the advantages of the 3-D models compared to viewing a video of a landmark is that the Internet photo collections used to construct them show the scene at different times and under different lighting and weather conditions, creating a richer experience for viewers, said Frahm. Video can be used as well, and usually shortens the processing time needed for reconstructing the models, he said.
Frahm said the models could eventually be embedded into common consumer applications such as Google Earth or Bing Maps, allowing users to explore cities from the comfort of their homes. Such applications could prove useful to travellers.
“You might be able to take a picture with your cell phone of a monument that would not only give you information about that monument, identifying it from the image, but could also tell you your location more precisely than even GPS,” Frahm said.
Frahm said the technology could also be a building block for disaster response software. For example, an aircraft could be sent to take video of the aftermath of a hurricane, and the resulting 3-D model could be used to assess damage from a remote location, saving time and money.


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Bhushan is a FinTech enthusiast and holds a good flair in understanding financial markets. His interest in economics and finance draw his attention towards the new emerging Blockchain Technology and Cryptocurrency markets. He is continuously in a learning process and keeps himself motivated by sharing his acquired knowledge. In free time he reads thriller fictions novels and sometimes explore his culinary skills.
Ford’s recent restructuring plan and electric vehicle push have brought new optimism among the investors. Besides, analysts are hopeful for a positive Q4 2020 earnings report which has pushed F stock to rally this week.
On Thursday, January 21, Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) stock registered its third-consecutive day of surge to a new 52-week high ahead of its earnings call. This has put the stock to register its best weekly performance since June 2020. From under $10 on Monday, F stock has surged all the way above $11.53 as on Thursday closing. This is a massive 17% surge so far this week with today’s session yet to begin. On Thursday, F stock price surged as high as $12.15 registering an 11.9% intraday increase.
The recent price surge for the automobile giant comes amid a positive outlook from Barclays and Deutsche Bank. Ford is all set to disclose its product plans and fourth-quarter earnings report on February 4. There’s an overall optimism around the company’s guidance for 2021.
On Wednesday, Deutsche Bank has given a short-term buy call for Ford shares. The bank is positive on Ford’s upcoming Q4 2020 earnings report. Thus, it also maintains its long-term hold rating for the stock. In an investor note, Deutsche Bank analyst Emmanuel Rosner writes:
“We see potential catalysts occurring in the coming months, including a solid 2021 outlook on its 4Q earnings call (2/4), the launch of a number of key models under its new executive leadership team, and Capital Markets Day in the spring where Ford could reboot its redesign program and present a new EV strategy”.
Barclays Positive on Ford Restructuring and Earnings
Last week, Ford announced that it will be shutting down three of its plants in South America as part of its $11 billion ongoing restructurings. Investors and market analysts have appreciated this decision by the company. Even Barclays has given a positive nod for this development.
However, Barclays is having a close watch on Ford’s efforts and development in the electric vehicle industry. Ford has said that it plans to invest around $11.5 billion in electric vehicle projects including all-electric as well as plug-in hybrid models. Last month, Ford unveiled its all-electric Mustang Mach-E. This move has already impressed analysts and investors.
While Ford makes a move in the electric vehicle industry it is bound to face tough competition from rivals like General Motors Company (NYSE: GM). GM is making a massive push in the electric-vehicle industry. The company is preparing an investment war-chest of $27 billion by 2025 for the EV push. Apart from only cars, GM is also working electric buses and flying pods. Besides, GM has recently entered a partnership with Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) for building autonomous vehicles.

domain: news


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Microsoft filed a patent this week that would upgrade its Cortana voice assistant to make it easier to converse with...
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Google Assistant has expanded enormously in the last year. Google has been busy adding new languages, accents, and other abilities..
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Honda revealed a preview of the advanced automotive technology it plans to show off at CES this year, including new..
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Prior to her presentation at Friday’s Engage Social Media Summit in Bali, B&T stopped in for a chat with one of the conference’s lead presenters – Vanessa Lim Singh (main photo), the digital engagement specialist for the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Here, she talks latest trends and why brands can’t afford anymore confusion about their social media strategies…
You’re speaking at the Social Media Summit, what can the audience expect?
I’ll be sharing how WWF uses digital to build a committed and passionate audience that helps us take action for the planet.
We’re living in a world of immense global challenges. Whether it’s our wildlife, oceans or forests, we’re losing nature at an alarming rate, while humanity continues to put more pressure on the environment in terms of food production, water demand and more.
So leveraging the power of digital, it’s important for us to show how we can deliver positive impact and inspire audiences to take action to protect our collective home.
What’s been the most exciting thing to happen in social media over the past 12 months?
From my perspective, it has been incredibly interesting to see how Facebook has been responding to the aftermath of #fakenews. The latest announcement on their algorithm change is perhaps one of the most significant changes we’ve had to date. This will no doubt affect brands significantly, which goes beyond dealing with falling organic reach.
In the social space, what always works, what doesn’t?
Giving people a platform to make a difference always works better for us. Solely being the bearer of bad news doesn’t do it at all – we need to empower our audiences.
There’s a HUGE issue around trust in all forms of media at the moment. What’s your view on that in relation to social media?
Now more than ever, it’s important for brands to understand who their audiences are, and from there foster deeper connections with them. Instead of continuously broadcasting information, which still seems rather common, it’s time to have conversations.
When there’s a strong personality behind a brand, people resonate more with the product/service. We stop looking at it as yet another brand trying to sell me something I don’t necessarily need, and instead feel a deeper sense of personal connection. This also fits into the shift that we’ll see towards communities and groups. So whether it’s re-looking at your Facebook groups strategy, or placing more focus on community management, we need to do more on the personalisation front to battle the issue of trust.
How are bands still getting their social media wrong?
Organisations need to start looking at social media as an extension of their brand. It’s more than a tool to sell, it’s a tool to foster better relationships with your customers and build a lifestyle, not just a product.
Where should social media fit in a brand’s overall media/marketing mix?
For us, social media serves as an effective mobilisation tool. It’s a great way to target the audiences we want, inspire them to drive positive impact for our planet and shape attitudes and opinions. More than just a part of the marketing funnel, social media should be seen as an extension of the brand.
What’s your advice to CMOs confused about investing in their social media strategy?
The age of confusion should have been long over! Social media and digital is no longer the future. It’s now, it’s yesterday. Used the right way, it gives us the immense potential to reach new audiences and continue conversations with existing ones. it allows people to share their experiences with each other and when you’ve built a positive experience for your users, you’ve built a strong community of supporters. Numbers speak and social media growth show no signs of slowing down. It’s about choosing the right platforms and targeting the right audiences
Who’s a brand (not yours) that you think is nailing its social media and why?
I love Netflix. They’ve mastered the act of building a strong personality for their brand, and perfected the execution of localising global content, which is important for a global organisation like WWF. Because of this, their content is always highly entertaining – regardless of whether you’re fan of the specific show or not. Most importantly, they know how to have fun – and they make it look easy.
Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, etc – what’s your platform of choice?
Personally, I love Instagram. I used to actively use Snapchat but that changed with IG story.
Looking deep into your crystal ball, what’s the next BIG thing coming for brands in the social media space?
Beyond social, I’d say cryptocurrency is the next thing to look out for, especially in the social sector. Lots of pilot programs are already being done, so I expect to see a lot more interesting development in this arena.
Jacqueline Gonzales [featured image] is the Head of Global Marketing at Squarespace. In this piece, she shares her best pieces of advice for launching a campaign globally. It’s estimated that we see between 6,000 to 10,000 ads every single day. In today’s digital landscape we’re constantly bombarded by so many different brand messages from every […]
From the audio producer of The Teacher’s Pet comes The Elements, a new Acast Creator Network podcast hosted by Thredbo survivor Stuart Diver. The Elements is a podcast that journeys into the heart of surviving a natural disaster and will be hosted and distributed by the creator-first podcast company Acast as part of the Acast Creator […]


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by K.C. Krishnadas, EE Times(10/26/2005 10:25 AM EDT)BANGALORE, India
— Innovation in the IC industry combined with increasing demand for high-performance electronic systems is driving demand for structured ASICs, according to a study by Frost and Sullivan.
"Structured ASICs are proving to be highly promising components for next-generation devices and combine the performance/cost advantage of standard-cell ASICs and the low-risk nature of FPGAs while dramatically simplifying the design process," said Sivakumar Muthuramalingam, research analyst at Frost and Sullivan (New York).
Click here to read more ...


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The COVID-19 pandemic saw the launch of historic government initiatives to help keep the economy afloat, and help UK SMEs to survive the enforced lockdown.
Many SMEs have had to navigate and adapt to thee mandatory shutdowns and have seen a huge decline in customer activity since the outbreak began. SCORE, a network of volunteer small business mentors, surveyed SME owners to find out how they’re adapting and keeping open throughout the crisis.
One initiative that was potentially of interest to SME owners was the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which provided funding to help these businesses keep employees on their payroll. A majority of respondents (55%) said they’ve applied for PPP loans. Of those who did, more than three-fourths (78%) received some funding.
SMEs— particularly those that are more established — have also looked to their vendors and creditors to potentially help them. For example, as of June, 44% had been able to delay loan payments, while 26% had received more favorable payment terms from their vendors. Many SMEs have even looked to their communities for help, as 12% said they’ve received financial support though crowdfunding or other requests. Despite the financial help, some businesses have had to take drastic measures to stay afloat, perhaps expecting revenue to drop for a while. Since March, nearly half (47%) have had to fire, lay off or furlough workers, but half of them hope to hire again in a year.
Among respondents to the SCORE survey, about a third of SMEs (34%) have made no major changes since the pandemic, while 9% have even hired new employees.


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// Homebase reopens a few stores as part of a trial
// The retailer had been offering click & collect since shutting stores due to the coronavirus lockdown
Homebase has reopened 20 stores since shutting all of its stores in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Despite closing stores, the DIY retailer still offered a click-and-collect service which caused disruption for customers due to high demand.
The retailer opened 20 stores on Saturday and said it would open more stores if the trial proves a success.
- Coronavirus: When will retail return to normal?
- Homebase & Dwell in new tie-up to extend choice for customers
“With the safety of our customers and teams as our first priority, we took the decision to temporarily close our stores and operate online only,” Homebase chief executive Damian McGloughlin said.
“We have taken this time to carefully review and make a large number of changes to our operations in preparation for a safe, phased reopening, in line with government guidance on social distancing.
“And that means the doors can now reopen.
“We will be trialling the opening of 20 stores, with strict controls in place to ensure shopping is safe for everyone.
“Our remaining stores in the UK will continue to offer a collection and counter service.”
These are the stores that reopened on Saturday:
Sheffield Chesterfield Road


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Timed to pull the carpet from under Google Plus – which has been dominating tech news for the past week since its launch – Zuckerberg made clear that this wasn’t just any old announcement. It’s going to be something awesome.
Most people are expecting a link-up with Skype and the integration of video chat into the Facebook user interface. Facebook’s close ties with Microsoft (Skype’s owners) make this a strong possibility.
But you know what we’d love it to be? That music service that was touted when the Facebook Spotify deal was mentioned last month. The service was tipped to launch in a few weeks, which would be, well about now.
The integration with Spotify isn’t just some random feature – this music library will be core to Facebook’s strategy of becoming the place to share and discover content. They started it with the Like Button, and importing a vast library of content like music will be a significant next step.
And could mean people turning less to places like Youtube to share music. Youtube being owned by Google of course.
IMHO, music sharing services ARE awesome. More awesome than video chat I think.
The hitch? Well when the Spotify deal was raised a couple of weeks ago, it was stated that only places that already have Spotify will get the Facebook integration. That would cut out the US, because Spotify is only available in the UK and Europe. Apparently Facebook are in talks with American partners which could power their service there, but given how slow record labels are in making changes, it’s hard to see how they could have pulled that off already.
And it’s inconceivable that Facebook will make a big deal out of a service that’s not available in the US.
Other big suggestions for the reveal are:
Integration with Skype – video chat
An iPad app – Facebook have one, and they promised to launch it soon
A better mobile app that makes it much easier to share pictures, Instagram-style
Facebook’s Project Sparta – a suite of html5 apps that could rival Apple’s app store


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The operator, whose service goes by the name Packet8, now sells videophones for $99, or a fifth of the manufacturer's suggested retail price, while supplies last. The associated service--unlimited voice and to any Packet8 subscriber, plus unlimited local and long-distance voice-only calls in North America--now costs $20 a month, down from $30.
8x8 joins major equipment makers Cisco Systems,and others trying to make videophones and services more affordable, thus eliminating a major stumbling block that's keeping these space-age services from the mainstream consumer. In 2004, revenue from sales of video-calling gear was a disappointing $40 million, though that adds up to a 23 percent annual increase from 2003, according to analysis company Point Topic.
Videophone operators are mainly providers of VoIP--voice over Internet Protocol--a cheap telephone service in which phone calls use Internet Protocol to travel over the public Internet, or privately owned high-speed networks based on IP. The calls, both voice and video, are much cheaper than traditionally placed ones, mainly because of IP's efficiencies. Plus, most IP calls have so far avoided regulation, while traditional phone companies must collect fees and taxes from their customers.
Breaking the $100 barrier for the videophones will help spur some new business, according to Packet 8. That's cheaper than do-it-yourselfers can find by searching auction sites such as eBay, where $200 was the highest bid recently on a pair of Vialta Beamer BM-80 videophones a day before auction's end.
"Once we get our technology into the hands of more consumers, we feel confident its appeal will take hold and bring about the critical mass necessary to make videophone conversations an everyday experience," 8x8 Chairman Bryan Martin said in a statement.
In May, 8x8 also will join theof Net phone operators charging customers an additional regulatory recovery fee, in this case $1.50 a month.


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Daniel Ortega sent Gustavo Porras -who holds the presidency of the National Assembly- an ‘initiative of law of reforms by addition’, to Law 554, Energy Stability Law, to offer tax exemptions for the importation of electric vehicles, which would encourage the electromobility in Nicaragua, a country that, until now, does not have a strategy to promote the use of this type of vehicle.
In 2012, article 282 of the Tax Concertation Law established that vehicles with hybrid engines -both those from 0 to 1600, and those from 1601 to 2600 cubic centimeters- would pay 0% import duty (DAI) , 0% selective consumption tax (ISC), and only 15% general value tax (VAT).
“Only one company brought hybrid vehicles to the country, and they stopped taking them because they didn’t catch on among the people,” he told CONFIDENTIAL an auto industry source who chose anonymity for security reasons. In his opinion, “this exemption scheme is identical to the one that works in Costa Rica. They just did copy/paste,” he said.
“That is basically correct,” assured Igor Ortiz, a specialist in electric vehicles, when comparing what the Costa Rican State charges for Customs Value Tax, and General Sales Tax (our DAI and VAT, respectively), as well as the ISC, which has the same name in both countries.
The proposal sent by Ortega to Porras, exempts 100% of the DAI, ISC and VAT, to new electric vehicles, whose value ranges between one and thirty thousand dollars, establishing different percentages for those from 30,001 to 45,000 dollars and for those from 45,001 to 60,000 dollars, after which, all of the established taxes must be paid.
The problem is that there are practically no electric vehicles that cost less than 30,000 dollars, which “in practice means that there will be no vehicle purchased in Nicaragua that can enjoy this total exemption from ISC, VAT and DAI, unless they are preparing to start bringing Chinese vehicles,” said the source from the automotive sector .
“They did not consult with Andiva (the Association of Importers of Motor Vehicles). They would have told them that it makes no sense to exempt vehicles below that amount from taxes,” the source assured.
With the current tax structure, an internal combustion engine sedan is about $15,000, and it goes up to $19,000 because of taxes, but an electric sedan is over $30,000, so even without taxes, the idea of acquiring one ceases to be attractive.
In contrast, the reform contains an incentive to acquire more expensive vehicles, because if for an internal combustion engine valued at 50,000 dollars, 90,000 are paid (its tax burden is higher), the exemptions of 50% of the DAI and the ISC for high-end electrics, they will lower their cost, comparatively speaking.
With stimuli, not by inertia
The source pointed out other shortcomings of this bill, among them, that they were limited to removing taxes on government purchases (central and municipal, as well as the dependencies that depend on them), and that they are going to supervise spare parts for loading sites, the source explained.
In the first case, he pointed out that the reforms to Law 554 do not include a replacement plan for the public fleet. “They should have established the obligation that at least 5% of the new public sector fleets be electric. This does not change by inertia”, he warned.
In the second of the cases, he pointed out that the proposed law exempts all the taxes that the recharging centers of electric vehicles would have to pay, as well as the spare parts of those centers, when “what they must do is facilitate the people can connect from home.
Upon hearing the news, the Nicaraguan Energy Chamber (CEN) recommended “establishing mechanisms to access rates at lower cost differentiated hours, to benefit users who charge electric vehicles at home,” in addition to “creating private infrastructure and public for charging points in the road system”.
“An electric car is like having a giant cell phone on wheels parked in front of your house, only it requires a different plug. That is solved by making a 220 triphasic adaptation in the garage, because the car is not charged in five minutes: it requires four to six hours, depending on the technology used”, explained the source of the automotive sector.
Normal mid-range vehicles can travel 200 to 300 kilometers on a charge, while the batteries of more expensive ones offer 400 to 500 kilometers of autonomy.
“The fact that the law does not contemplate creating a charging infrastructure will reduce confidence in acquiring an electric vehicle, because nobody wants to be stranded on the road. Compared, Costa Rica has 240 charging locations, but Nicaragua is a larger country, and will need more charging sites, that could be located in restaurants, offices, shopping centers, or in the buyer’s home”, he insisted.
The CEN celebrated the initiative of the Law because “Nicaragua requires technological investments that contribute to the promotion of more efficient means of transport, and thus promote the development of electric mobility, as a necessity in the adoption of responsible consumption models.”
For this reason, they supported the application of tax benefits, “through the exemption of taxes defined in the bill, which favor direct investment in technology, and the acquisition of models of electric vehicles and batteries for storage.”
While the deputies of the regime know the content of the law, and waiting for the changes that could be made, “in Nicaragua there is no official importer of electric vehicles. Enatrel announced that it had imported two electric vehicles. Apart from this, nothing else is known…”, said Gabriel Pasos, representative of the Energy Committee of the Federation of Chambers of Industry of Central America and the Dominican Republic (Fecaica).
“There is no known national strategy or law initiative on electric mobility. The Ministry of Energy only announced the purchase of the two vehicles. The information for businessmen is limited”, said Stephanie Torres, also from the Fecaica Energy Committee.


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Suzuki has released new photographs of the Extrigger, the company’s electric minibike recently unveiled at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show. Suzuki also released a video of the Extrigger in action, though oddly the audio seems to have been left off. A potential electric competitor to the Honda Grom or Kawasaki‘s mini-supermoto KSR Pro, the Extrigger […]
Brammo’s Enertia Electric Bike Off to Washington D.C. [video]
42 miles at a time
Its no accident that two riders representing Brammo started their PR road trip earlier this week from Ann Arbor, MI to Washington, DC. It also the happens to be about the same route CEO’s took from the big three, but instead of asking for a handout they are only looking to promote electric transportation as a solution to the transportation “crisis”.
The trip is about 520 miles and will take them about a week and a half (Google maps claims the trip should take 8 hours), hopefully because they are sight seeing or visiting family and friends along the way, unfortunately its more likely it will take this long due to the limited range of the batteries in the Enertia bike.
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The electric bike can go up to 60 mph and has a range of 42 miles but takes about 4 hours to charge on a standard 110 V outlet, they claim the trip will only cost $4 in electricity. Another big negative on the Enertia is the price tag, $11,995, the bikes are available at Best Buy.
If your interested in following the trip click here.


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All articles by BRAIN Staff
SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif. (BRAIN) — Mann University will offer two 1/2-day retailer education sessions at this year's Interbike expo. The sessions will be on Tuesday, September 20 and Friday, September 23.
WASHINGTON (BRAIN) — Utah's Sens. Mike Lee and Orrin Hatch are supporting a bill that would allow local land managers to decide whether to allow and how to manage mountain biking in federally designated wilderness areas, something that some mountain bikers have been advocating.
BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — Backcountry Lifeline is holding a raffle to raise money for its mission, which is to make mountain bike events safer.
WILTON, Conn. (BRAIN) — GT Bicycles announced launched its all-new line of freestyle BMX bikes Saturday at 50/50 Skatepark in Staten Island, New York. The new line pays homage to GT's roots in freestyle BMX with throwback graphics and modernized parts.
DENVER (BRAIN) — Quality Bicycle Products' new Q-West distribution center, which has been relocated from Ogden, Utah, to Denver, is set to begin shipping to customers Thursday, and will be fully operational by mid-August, QBP announced.
FLETCHER, N.C. (BRAIN) —Cane Creek Cycling Components has released a new tool for owners of its Double Barrel rear shocks.
SEYMOUR, Ct. (BRAIN) — Thule Group is recalling its Thule Sprint 528 and Thule Sprint T-Track 569/569000 roof-mounted bike carriers.
FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. (BRAIN) — Oakley is releasing a limited edition Green Fade Collection, featuring hand-painted frames on several sunglass models.
OLATHE, Kan. (BRAIN) — Garmin's new GPS bike computer models, the Edge 820 and Edge Explore 820, both feature the company's new GroupTrack feature, which allows cyclists to keep tabs of everyone in their group should they get separated. GroupTrack can track up to 50 riders and allows tracking for up to a 10-mile radius.
SPEARFISH, S.D. (BRAIN) — SRAM has taken over a Kickstarter-supported project to manufacture an electronic suspension control device developed by a Perth, Australia company, Dusty Dynamics.


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India to lift restrictions on IKEA's product range - report
REUTERS - IKEA will be permitted to sell non-furniture items and run cafes in India, Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma was reported as saying, removing a sticking point on the Swedish retailer's plans to enter the country.
"IKEA's proposal based on its global model, which includes cafeterias, will be approved," Sharma was quoted as saying by the Financial Express newspaper on Thursday.
The finance ministry had previously ruled that the world's largest furniture maker would not be allowed to sell items including textile products and office supplies, as it does in other markets, according to recent media reports.
The government has presented IKEA's long-mooted entry into India's retail market as a sign that foreign investors have kept faith with Asia's third-largest economy, at a time when GDP growth in the country has declined.
IKEA could not be immediately reached for comment by Reuters.
(Reporting by Henry Foy and Nandita Bose in MUMBAI; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)
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India approved on Saturday the purchase of 814 mounted gun systems for the army at a cost of 157.5 billion rupees ($2.55 billion), a defence ministry spokesman said. Full Article


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Apple unveiled a two-step verification option for iCloud accounts now also extends to iCloud backups, preventing attackers who know the target’s password from installing the target’s backup on a new device.
The move released via an email sent on Tuesday to all users who are already using two-step verification to protect their Apple ID. The recipients ended up directed toward the Two-Step Verification FAQ page for additional information.
If the two-step verification feature has been enabled, the second verification factor — the 4-digit verification code sent to the user’s phone — has to be entered when signing in to My Apple ID; in to iCloud; making an iTunes, iBooks, or App Store purchase from a new device; and when getting Apple ID related support from Apple.
The change was the result of recent leak of photos of celebrities.
A few days after the hacks became public, Apple said iCloud itself did not suffer a hack attack. It now appears the leaked photos ended up stolen by attackers who guessed or brute forced the victim’s Apple account passwords, or have social engineered or tricked the victims into revealing the passwords.
At the time, Apple advised users to use strong passwords and to enable two-step verification.


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National Commercial Real Estate Outlook
THE NATIONAL COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE OUTLOOK POSITIVE BUT MODERATING
WASHINGTON, DC -- (Marketwired) -- 02/24/14 --
Market fundamentals in commercial real estate continue to improve but at a slower pace, according to the National Association of Realtors® quarterly commercial real estate forecast.
Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said fundamentals are still on an uptrend. 'Growth in commercial real estate sectors continues at a moderate pace from a very slow pace of absorption, despite job additions to the economy. Companies appear hesitant to add new space,' he said.
'Office demand is expected to see only slow and gradual improvement. Demand for retail space is benefiting from improved household wealth, while industrial real estate is stable with increasing international trade, which requires warehouse space. Of course, the apartment market fundamentals are the strongest, as nearly all of the new household formation in the past 10 years has come from renters, and not homeowners,' Yun said.
National vacancy rates in the coming year are forecast to decline 0.2 percentage point in the office market, which has the highest level of empty space, 0.1 point in industrial, and 0.3 point for retail real estate. With rising apartment construction, the average multifamily vacancy rate will edge up 0.1 percent, but this sector continues to experience the tightest availability and strongest rent growth of all the commercial sectors.
NAR's latest Commercial Real Estate Outlook(1) offers overall projections for four major commercial sectors and analyzes quarterly data in the office, industrial, retail and multifamily markets. Historic data for metro areas were provided by REIS, Inc., a source of commercial real estate performance information.
Vacancy rates in the office sector should decline from an expected 15.8 percent in the first quarter of this year to 15.6 percent in the first quarter of 2015.
The markets with the lowest office vacancy rates presently (in the first quarter) are New York City, with a vacancy rate of 9.5 percent; Washington, D.C., at 10.2 percent; Little Rock, Ark., 11.6 percent; Birmingham, Ala., 12.7 percent; and San Francisco and Nashville, Tenn., at 12.8 percent each.
Office rents are projected to increase 2.3 percent in 2014 and 3.2 percent next year. Net absorption of office space in the U.S., which includes the leasing of new space coming on the market as well as space in existing properties, is likely to total 44.6 million square feet this year and 50.0 million in 2015.
Industrial vacancy rates are anticipated to fall from 9.0 percent in the first quarter to 8.9 percent in the first quarter of 2015.
The areas with the lowest industrial vacancy rates currently are Orange County, Calif., with a vacancy rate of 3.7 percent; Los Angeles, 3.8 percent; Miami, 5.8 percent; Seattle at 5.9 percent; and San Riverside/Bernardino, Calif., at 6.1 percent.
Annual industrial rents should rise 2.4 percent this year and 2.6 percent in 2015. Net absorption of industrial space nationally is seen at 106.1 million square feet in 2014 and 110.6 million next year.
Retail vacancy rates are expected to decline from 10.2 percent in the first quarter of this year to 9.9 percent in the first quarter of 2015. Presently, markets with the lowest retail vacancy rates include San Francisco, at 3.1 percent; Fairfield County, Conn., 3.8 percent; Long Island, N.Y., 4.8 percent; San Jose, Calif., 5.2 percent; and Northern New Jersey and Orange County, Calif., at 5.3 percent each.
Average retail rents are forecast to rise 2.0 percent in 2014 and 2.3 percent next year. Net absorption of retail space is likely to total 14.6 million square feet this year and 20.9 million in 2015.
The apartment rental market -- multifamily housing -- should see vacancy rates edge up from 4.0 percent in the first quarter to 4.1 percent in the first quarter of 2015, with additional supply helping to meet growing demand. Generally, vacancy rates below 5 percent are considered a landlord's market, with demand justifying higher rent.
Areas with the lowest multifamily vacancy rates currently are New Haven, Conn., at 2.1 percent; Minneapolis and New York City, 2.3 percent; and Oakland-East Bay, Calif., and San Diego, at 2.5 percent each.
Average apartment rents are projected to rise 4.3 percent this year and 3.5 percent in 2015. Multifamily net absorption is expected to total 204,900 units in 2014 and 112,500 next year.
The Commercial Real Estate Outlook is published by the NAR Research Division. NAR's Commercial Division, formed in 1990, provides targeted products and services to meet the needs of the commercial market and constituency within NAR.
(1)Additional analyses will be posted under Economists' Outlook in the Research blog section of Realtor.org in coming days at: https://economistsoutlook.blogs.realtor.org/.
The next commercial real estate forecast and quarterly market report will be released on May 27 at 10:00 a.m. EDT.
Information about NAR is available at www.realtor.org. This and other news releases are posted in the 'News, Blogs and Videos' tab on the website. Other commercial information and reports are posted in the Commercial Research area of the 'Research and Statistics' tab.
Blog Archive2017-01-09 11:59:35
2017 Housing Forecast
MP Perfomance Group - Salt Lake County 2016 3rd Qu
We Specialize in Real Estate
Bites in the Heights
Cold Summer Treats
What to do Summer of 2016 in Salt Lake City
2016 Salt Lake Housing Forecast
6 Lessons Monopoly Can Teach You About Home Buying
Ski Home near Little Cottonwood Canyons
How the Fed Rate Hike will affect Housing
New Government Regulations and How They Affect You
Trunk or Treat in Cottonwood Heights
Great Eats and Shopping in the 9th and 9th
The Ultimate Ski Getaway
Welcome Our Newest Team Member
Whats Happening in Salt Lake City this August
The Rise of the Backyard Farm
Events around SLC in July
Fireworks and Events for the 4th and 24th
Salt Lake City Watering Information
Why to List Your Home Today
CES 2015 Best of for your Home
New Build Projects in Little Cottonwood Canyon
Local Market Update - Summer 2014
Click here to see ALL articles.


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The iPhone 5 launch on Wednesday, Sept. 12, is sure to be the most important event for tech investors this year. The Motley Fool will be hosting a live chat where our top tech analysts will answer your questions and break down what the announcement means for Apple and tech investors everywhere. Be sure to swing by Fool.com at 12:45 p.m. ET tomorrow for all your coverage of Apple's next big announcement.
His own employees delete random portions of their product presentations just to keep his "giant alien brain" interested. Bezos doesn't just run charitable foundations but is exploring space tourism with his own money. The secret of Amazon's success? "If you're going to invent, you're going to disrupt," Bezos says. He simply had to get used to making enemies along the way.
Even against that backdrop, Jeff Bezos still knows how to stir up fresh controversy.
On the eve of Apple's
"We have the best tablet at any price," he told AllThingsD last week. The price point was set in 2011, when Amazon wanted to "build the best tablet at a certain price," but this one's just better than anything else. "Take away the price and it's still the best tablet."
Apple would most certainly disagree, and Google
This holiday season will provide an honest litmus test for that bold statement. The iPad 3 and Nexus 7 will start showing their age by then, while the Kindle Fire HD remains pretty fresh. Microsoft
This will be something like an eight-way duel at 10 paces, with the duelists slinging tablets at one another like ninja stars. The tablet market is maturing enough that this holiday season starts shaking out the winners from the also-rans.
To help you keep tabs on this amazing race, we've created premium reports on both Amazon and Apple. These reports give you deep insight on each company's current opportunities and challenges, and they come with a full year of timely updates to keep you informed. For example, the Apple report already includes a separate dissection of Wednesday's crucial iPhone 5 launch. Get started with the Amazon report here, then add our Apple insights over here.


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The Supreme Court order revoking the cryptocurrency ban has been the cause of concern for the central bank of India. However, the latter has not taken any action protesting the order yet.
RBI Issues Advisory Warnings To Banks
In April 2018, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued a circular which had imposed heavy restrictions on virtual currencies. However, in light of the Supreme Court’s order revoking all bans imposed on cryptocurrencies, the financial institution was compelled to rescind the circular. This means that the RBI has followed through with the Supreme Court’s order and rescinded its crypto ban. However, the central bank authorities are still holding on to their concerns when it comes to cryptocurrencies, as is obvious from their constant advisory warnings issued to its regulated entities to continue proper customer due-diligence processes. In addition, the RBI has reminded these entities to adhere strictly to the regulations for KYC, AML, CFT, and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), along with ensuring complete compliance with the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).
A source close to the central bank elaborated,
“Considering its prime responsibility of maintaining financial stability and the risks in cryptocurrency transactions like their possible use for illicit activities (money laundering, financing terrorism), price volatility, lack of customer protection, RBI has publicly highlighted its concerns.”
RBI And “Shadow Bans”
Although the RBI has not openly protested the SC order, there have been talks of “shadow banning” being imposed on several crypto projects. The most recent and prominent instance of this happening is the launch of the Coinbase app in India. Through the app, Indian users would be able to buy crypto tokens using UPI. However, soon after the launch, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), the governing body overseeing UPI operations, refused to acknowledge UPI support on the Coinbase app. Therefore, the Coinbase team was forced to halt its India operations within just three days of launch.
CEO Brian Armstrong has pointed fingers at the RBI’s interference behind Coinbase’s loss of revenue, saying,
“[There are] elements in the government there, including at Reserve Bank of India, who don’t seem to be as positive on it. And so they — in the press, it’s been called a ‘shadow ban,’ basically, they’re applying soft pressure behind the scenes to try to disable some of these payments, which might be going through UPI.”
Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.


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Behind the numbers
The five key facts that can help you better understand our 2016 second quarter financial results.
Celebrating Diwali: the annual Festival of Lights
First joint stamp issue by Canada Post and India Post marks five-day festival
Holiday shopping tips
The Canada Post Mom Squad tells you how to save money and time this holiday season.
Deepak Chopra, Canada Post President and CEO, advises Board he will step down in March 2018
Understanding the digital age, a transformative CEO positioned Canada Post to grow in e-commerce.


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August 28 marked five years' operation of China-Europe Railway Express (CR Express) in Guangzhou. During the past five years, 387 freight trains, carrying altogether 35932 TEUs, left Guangzhou Dalang Railway Station for more than 30 cities of over 20 countries including Germany, the UK, Hungary, Ukraine, Russia.
(Photo / Nanfang Daily)
Guangzhou CR Express has thus contributed RMB 14 billion of imports and exports, and has meanwhile provided stable transportation for around 1500 foreign trade companies.
On June 25, a new line, "Guanzhou Dalang - Khorgas - Duisburg" was officially put into operation, after which Guangzhou CR Express ran a total of 8 fixed lines (2 in, 6 out) regularly.
Data shows that Guangzhou CR Express has significantly developed over the five years, from 13 trains in 2016 to 111 trains in 2020. And, so far this year, 85 trains have departed for the west.
For now, Guangzhou CR Express operates 1 or 2 freight trains weekly, and 4 to 5 in the peak season. The overall clearance time has been reduced to less than 48 minutes. Xu Guang'an, deputy director-general of Guangzhou Customs, said that Guangzhou will in the future add more lines to further international trade with Europe.
Also, the trains have been carrying more varieties of "Made in Guangzhou" than ever. According to the authority, over 700 types of commodities have been exported to Europe, including communication devices, household appliances, toys, cars, leather goods, and cosmetics.
Author: Ray (intern)
Editor: Will, Jerry


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Back to bad branch habits? Lloyds staff claim sales pressure has intensified after slump in customers taking out products
- Staff member says pressure has returned due to sales slump
- Customers taking out loans and insurance in branches has slipped
- E-mail shows one line manager telling staff to ignore customers who are not going to take out any products
Staff at Lloyds Bank claim bad sales habits are creeping back into branches despite the high street giant changing the way advisers are incentivised earlier in the year.
The claims come after a sales slump at the bank, which has seen the number of products taken out by customers in branches across the UK fall dramatically since sales incentives were binned earlier this year.
In the first 12 weeks of 2015, Lloyds saw 45 per cent fewer customers in branches take out loans.
Sales drive: The Lloyds Trade Union and staff members claim sales practices have crept back into Lloyds Bank branches
In the first three months of 2014, when sales targets were still in place, 50,000 insurance products were taken out. This year, the number fell to 15,000. There was a similar reduction in credit cards.
Previously, This is Money reported how Lloyds would issue sales points to staff members for selling certain products. This contributed to a monthly target, which if hit, meant a bonus.
At the time we warned that for this reason, mis-selling was rife as desperate staff chased their targets, not only for a bonus, but to avoid potential disciplinary action from management.
However, at the start of the year, Lloyds brought in a new bonus structure which it said is based on customers giving feedback on staff.
A spokesman for the bank today said: 'For our branch colleagues, customer service feedback remains the only basis on which they can earn variable pay. "Sales points" remain a thing of the past.'
But despite this, evidence from some branch staff suggests old ways have started to creep in with management panicking over the slump in sales.
An insider, who works in a busy branch based in the South East, said: 'Sales have gone down this year and that is why they are panicking. The pressure has not gone away.'
Sales slump: Products taken out by customers in branch dived in the first three months of the year
The Lloyds Bank staff member says advisers and sellers are being 'micromanaged' around selling once again and are having to demonstrate to their superiors how they have 'helped' customers each week – which they say is another term for selling.
They go on to add that if branch staff do not properly complete a form called 'understanding you' about a customer, they are pulled in and are given coaching to ensure they always 'capture' all customer information and facts, they claim so products can be more easily sold.
A recent newsletter from Lloyds Trade Union echoes this sentiment. It published an e-mail from Lloyds management which said: 'Here's what we are going to do in Q3 - pretty much back to what we did in [name of branch removed] in Q4 last year.'
Quarter four last year would have been a period before the changes to the bonus structure.
The e-mail goes on to say that advisers need to have two referrals per day – this text is emboldened in the e-mail.
The sender added: 'Why last year did we want to help a customer who had £5,000 outstanding on a credit card but this year we don't...And, yes, it's about the business - we need to make a profit and this means customers need to take out new products with us and we need the quality in the diary...'
The LTU also published a separate e-mail from a line manager telling staff to ignore customers who are not going to take out any products and only see those 'who could benefit from our excellent rates and offers'.
When a new approach was introduced last year, then group director of Lloyds' retail division, Alison Brittain, said that there would be no output targets.
However, her reforms came under fire shortly after.
One trade union lambasted the system for still 'incentivising staff to do the wrong thing'.
It claimed the bank had become confused by its attempts at 'politically correct' language.
GET IN TOUCH
Do you work in a bank or building society branch, faced with high pressure sales tactics?
Or perhaps you work at one which has cleaned up its act in recent years.
Contact me: firstname.lastname@example.org
It sets 'standards' and 'expectations' which the union says are just sales targets by another name.
LTU and staff members who have contacted This is Money argue Lloyds is edging towards its old sales culture.
In May, Brittain resigned from Lloyds and was named boss of Whitbread - the owner of Premier Inn hotels and Costa Coffee.
A Lloyds Bank spokesman said: 'We do not recognise or endorse the style of language that the newsletter claims has been used in the e-mail.
'We are a customer focused business we expect our colleagues to spend time with customers and show knowledge and expertise when helping them.
'Our advisers are here to support customers and if a customer wants to speak to someone in a branch, they can.
'It is important that this process is managed efficiently to help customers avoid long waiting times when they want to see someone to help with their finances.
'It therefore makes sense to ensure customers are able to provide the right information and documentation in the appointments to help make the best use of their time.
'To re-iterate, and as highlighted above, we have not reintroduced any outcome targets and 'sales points' remain a thing of the past. We continue, as we always have, to review how our colleagues interact and support customers and will always look at new and different ways to do this.'
PUT YOUR MONEY TO WORK WITH A BETTER BANK ACCOUNT
If you're fed up with your bank there are plenty of reasons why now is a good time to switch to another provider.
We round up some of the best deals on offer below:
Free money and incentives
Top deals include Halifax's Reward Account promising new customers £100 to switch and £5 per month if they stay in credit.
First Direct pays £125 to new customers who switch to its First Account. On top of that, the bank is so confident in its customer service that it will give you a further £100 if you chose to close the account within the first 12 months.
The Co-op, too, has introduced a £100 cash incentive for new customers. It will also donate £25 to charity on your behalf.
If you switch your main current account to one of the Post Office’s Standard, Packaged or Control current accounts the bank will give you a £100 gift card.
M&S Bank offers a £100 gift card to new customers signing up to its Current Account. The bank account offers an automatic £500 overdraft with the first £100 interest-free.
It is also offering up to £240 cashback via its Advance Account until August 31 - but you'll need to be able to pay in a minimum monthly deposit of £1,750 a month to be eligible.
Interest-paying current accounts
M&S Bank offers regular savers 6 per cent on its current account.
Lloyds Bank is tempting desperate savers with its Club Lloyds current account - offering up to 4 per cent for balances between £4,000 and £5,000. But you will have to pay in at least £1,500.
TSB has also recently launched the interest-paying Plus Account, which pays 5 per cent on balances up to £2,000 and only requires a minimum monthly deposit of £500.
Santander's 123 current account pays interest on in-credit balances - 1 per cent on balances between £1,000 and £2,000, 2 per cent between £2,000 and £3,000 and 3 per cent on balances between £3,000 and £20,000.
It also operates a Refer a Friend scheme, whereby both parties will receive £50 if an existing customers successfully recommends friends or family to the bank.
Tesco Bank's Current Account gives customers 3 per cent interest on balances of up to £3,000. Spending on the account's debit card also clocks up Tesco Clubcard points. It pays one Clubcard point for every £4 spent in Tesco stores plus £8 you spend out of Tesco,
- Read our switching banks guide for step-by step advice on switching your current account.
By Amy Andrew
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My show, Chickens, Hugh and Tesco Too goes out tonight at 9pm on Channel 4, and if you can't wait to see what happens in ... the final episode of Unforgiven, over on ITV at precisely the same time, then I hope you'll at least set your magic box to record my offering – and you can watch me do battle with Tesco at your leisure. But even if you do manage to catch the show, you won't be fully updated on the Chicken Out campaign, because the very latest piece of exciting news came through only on Friday evening – too late to be included in the show.
The news, from an independent TNS survey commissioned by Compassion in World Farming, confirms the remarkable and life-affirming fact that the considerable gains in the sale of higher-welfare poultry (that's free range, organic and RSPCA Freedom Foods), made since we launched our campaign a year ago, are at least holding steady, if not actually rising still, in the teeth of the recession. Meanwhile, sales of intensively farmed or "standard" chicken continue to drop. (This is contrary to what was implied in the headline of my own cookery column in Saturday's Guardian, which was based on now discredited industry estimates.)
My interpretation of this is that there is now a solid section of the poultry-buying public who have made a lifelong decision not to buy any more intensively-farmed poultry – at least when they are selecting from the fresh poultry shelves in the supermarket (though it may continue to sneak through in the odd sandwich or ready meal – frankly, it's fiendishly hard to avoid). This must be a massive encouragement to those supermarkets that have already made a commitment to phase out the most intensively-farmed chicken from their fresh poultry shelves (the Co-Op, Waitrose, M&S and Sainsbury's). In the case of Sainsbury's, it must be a huge boost to their target, announced in our show tonight, of setting RSPCA Freedom Foods as their new minimum standard for fresh poultry by the end of 2010.
So where does that leave Tesco? The TNS research confirms that Tesco's own Freedom Foods sales rose by 51% over the year (comparing December 2008 to the previous December), while standard chicken sales fell by 24% over the same period. And Tesco's free-range sales are also on the up – by 21% over the year. For the company that sells more fresh chicken to more people than any other business in Britain, this trend is remarkable. In part, this gain must be due to the upgrading of their own Willow Farm chicken, confirmed in June of last year, so that it now fully conforms to the RSPCA Freedom Food standards.
This is a fantastic base on which our biggest national retailer can now build – and prove that, when it comes to selling meat, high-volume sales need not necessarily mean lower welfare standards. Perhaps they could follow Sainsbury's example and announce a target date for phasing out standard chicken from their fresh poultry shelves. Or perhaps they could make it their official policy to bring free-range fresh poultry sales in line with free-range egg sales – at around 50% of their overall sales.
Or, if either of those targets feels too challenging, perhaps Tesco would at least consider a couple of options that would level the playing field on which higher-welfare poultry has to compete. First, they could curtail the one practice that puts most pressure on both the industry and the consumer to perpetuate the intensification of our poultry industry: selling standard chicken at massively discounted prices – below the cost of productionl, in fact. Second, they could improve the labelling of their poultry so that it properly describes the product being sold. Surely their label should state, at a minimum, that their standard chicken is reared indoors – and not, as is implied by the current use of photographs of their chosen farmers standing outside, with skies behind and trees above, in a rural outdoor environment.
I would argue that the bird inside the packet – every chicken, in fact - should indeed live under just such an open sky, with access to a shady tree or two also highly desirable. But these birds, along with 80% of all the poultry raised in the UK are, sadly, still crammed, 17 per square metre, 10,000 or more in a single shed, without any perches or pecking objects to facilitate their natural behaviour.
It's not what I call farming and the result, frankly, is not what I call chicken. It's a bland, cheap, commodity of limited culinary interest, which you could, at a pinch, call "poultry flesh". Of course, nobody has to buy it ...


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LaLiga and Nielsen study shows younger fans are consuming a wider range of sports
June 21, 2022
Nielsen and LaLiga Tech, the technology subsidiary of Spain’s top soccer league, have been working on a new study that found sports fans aged 34 and under said they follow an average of 6.3 sports, a slight increase compared to older generations. The survey is based on responses from 20,000 fans in the Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X and Baby Boomer age groups.
The fans surveyed came from 15 countries in North America, Europe, Asia and Africa. Fans under the age of 34 named a total of 65 different sports as interesting. Almost half (46%) of younger fans (Gen Z and Millennial) prefer to watch sports on smartphones or tablets. The same group are 41% more likely than older fans to engage with fantasy sports while watching a match broadcast, while 55% of Gen Z fans expect to see and interact with live stats during a broadcast, according to the Report.
Of the 20,000 fans surveyed, 41% watch some sporting events through a streaming platform. About half of this audience (47%) say they watch traditional TV at the same time as they stream sports. According to Nielsen, multi-screen consumption for Gen Z grew 10% globally last year, compared to a 5% increase for all demographics.
“This report underscores trends that we have been observing for some time; Digital audiences are drawn to esports through games, streaming content or mobile apps, but their fandom has not changed and may even increase,” said Fabio Gallo, product director at LaLiga Tech, in a statement. “Now is the time for sports organizations to prepare for change by creating proprietary digital platforms that allow their content to be discovered by a new generation and using data analytics to build stronger fan links than ever create.”
Comments are closed.


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Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Big bucks back next mobile frontier: Broadcast TV
Reuters | Mon Sep 5, 2005 11:58 AM ET7
By Antony Bruno
SAN FRANCISCO (Billboard) - Want to watch TV on your mobile phone? The wireless industry is betting billions that you do.
And they're not talking about just downloading or streaming on-demand videoclips to your phone. Efforts are afoot to broadcast TV programming nationwide to a new generation of mobile phones that can tune in, just like an at-home TV.
Despite the billions of dollars U.S. wireless operators have spent upgrading their networks to offer such multimedia content as videos and music, they are insufficient for the job.
The problem is that they are designed for two-way, on-demand access. To broadcast programming on such networks would require that each show be sent to each subscriber separately -- an impossibly time-consuming and expensive proposition.
"It's very difficult to offer high-definition TV on a handset through existing networks," says Andrew Cole, an analyst with A.T. Kearney. "You have to offload that through a separate network."
Several initiatives are under way to achieve just that, a separate wireless network built specifically for one-way multimedia broadcasting.
BUILDING THE NETWORK
Leading the charge in the United States is wireless bellwether Qualcomm, which has invested $800 million to date in its vision for mobile broadcast TV.
Called MediaFLO, this effort requires Qualcomm to act much like a cable company, such as Comcast. It must build its own content-delivery system, consisting of an entirely new network of wireless transmitters, on airwaves paid for by the company. Additionally, it requires a new receiver -- also built by Qualcomm -- that manufacturers will have to incorporate into future phone models if they want their customers to be able to receive such broadcasts. Finally, the company is negotiating airing rights to programs from major media outlets.
Once MediaFLO is operational, Qualcomm hopes to sell the service on a wholesale basis to wireless operators, who would provide it to their subscribers as a complement to their own mobile video services.
The result is a service that offers 15-20 channels of real-time broadcast TV displayed on a mobile phone at 30 frames per second in HD resolution, on par with standard TV. That is twice the frame rate of Verizon's current VCast high-speed video service, with three times the picture quality.
In addition to the broadcast programming, the MediaFLO system supports a feature called "clipcasting." Users can select content they would like pushed automatically to their phone and replaced when new installments are created, much like a podcast. Content can be refreshed hourly, daily or weekly, and can consist of video and audio programming.
Qualcomm is positioning MediaFLO as a service for all carriers; wireless subscribers, regardless of their carrier, will have access to the same MediaFLO programming.
Carriers could then offer exclusive, on-demand, premium programming of their own to set themselves apart. In addition, carriers could incorporate the MediaFLO stream with such applications as a music store or ringtone store. So a user listening to or watching a music channel via MediaFLO can use the carrier network to buy the ringtone or full-song download of any given track.
"It's like gluing your TV and Internet together," says Jeff Lorbeck, VP and general manager of Qualcomm's MediaFLO division.
As usual, the testing ground for such a dedicated multimedia system is in Asia. Korean operator SK Telekom currently offers a wireless multimedia service using a satellite-based adjunct delivery system called Digital Media Broadcasting. Since its April launch, the DMB service has attracted more than 100,000 subscribers with seven channels of video and 20 of audio. A similar system has been operational in Japan for years.
Also making a play is another wireless giant -- Nokia. Its Digital Video Broadcast-Handheld technology is being tested across Europe by several wireless carriers and in the United States by partner Crown Castle Mobile Media.
But like any new technology initiative, the success depends on programming. With this in mind, Qualcomm is aggressively lobbying such well-known brands as ESPN, MTV, Comedy Central and CNN to include their content in the MediaFLO service.
Qualcomm does not expect commercial implementations until next fall, but it already has the support of several content providers.


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There’s Another Shortage In New Jersey & This One Is More Serious
We have another shortage, New Jersey.
Unfortunately, this issue is occurring nationwide and will be a problem until at least the end of the year.
This one is a bit more serious because the shortage isn't something like chicken or coins where we can work around it.
According to NBCNews.com, "The Food and Drug Administration confirmed a nationwide shortage for the attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder medication Adderall."
It is best known as one of the go-to medications to help manage symptoms of ADHD.
If you are a parent who is freaking out because you can't get the medication your child needs, just know that the FDA is working on the issue.
The FDA said they are in, “frequent communication with all manufacturers of amphetamine mixed salts, and one of those companies, Teva, is experiencing ongoing intermittent manufacturing delays,” according to their most recent statement.
Labor shortages are also a contributing factor.
Teva, the largest Adderall manufacturer in America, is hoping to have their inventory bounce back in the next few months.
“Teva has active supply of both branded Adderall and its generic version and continues to produce and refill the channel regularly at levels above historical demand. It is possible that some people may encounter a backorder (intermittently) based on timing and demand, but these are only temporary,” said spokesperson Kelley Dougherty.
The timing is not optimal and in ways, heartbreaking.
“I have high school students that are trying to take their SATs and do their applications for college, and they can’t focus. They can’t get them done,” said psychiatrist Dr. Gabrielle Shapiro according to NBCNews.com.
If the Adderall shortage is effecting you, it is being suggested to talk to the doctor who prescribed the medication to discuss alternative treatment options.


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Australian model and TV presenter Ortenzia Borre has signed a longterm deal to become the face of organic and fairtrade underwear label Mighty Good Undies.
Following in the footsteps of the successful business partnerships of models Jennifer Hawkins, Elle Macpherson and Sarah Murdoch, Borre has signed on as an ambassador and creative director for the brand. The stunning model can now add businesswoman to her title as she will work on the release of Mighty Good Undies’ new range.
“I’m very excited to work with a brand that produces comfortable and affordable underwear, and is made organically and ethically,” said Borre.
No stranger to corporate success, Borre has already established herself as one the country’s most respected models, teaching modelling skills and manners for June Dally Watkins, and says a portion of sales goes to supporting The Hope Foundation, a charity providing protection, education and health services to women and children in developing countries.
Made from organic cotton, the stylish and comfortable lines have already proven to be bestsellers, with their offices now distributing internationally.
What started as a simple crowd funding campaign has turned into a true rags to riches story and Borre says the Mighty Good brand is growing to establish itself as a leader in the organic and fairtrade fashion space.


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Microsoft and 343 Industries look back on the history of Halo to help build the future of Halo. In a video published by the studio today titled ” We Are 343 Industries,” the developers go over a brief history of the series’ development, giving players an inside look at the inner works of the team.
Not a whole lot of new shown in the video, but it is a nice look to see the faces that will be behind the upcoming Halo game, Halo Infinite. Hopefully, with them taking the feedback of the community, Halo Infinite is more of what the fans want rather than a complete departure.
343 Industries first started working on Halo in 2007 after Bungie’s departure. Since then, they have developed Halo 4, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Halo 5, and a few others. As of late, they have been working on porting the Halo: Master Chief Collection for PC along with the development of Halo Infinite that is scheduled to release on the PC, Xbox Series X and Xbox One consoles.
Halo Infinite is currently targeting a Holiday 2020 launch, coinciding with the release of the next-gen Xbox, the Xbox Series X. The console will bring a number of major graphical improvements, along with performance and is set to also support XCloud, Microsoft’s cloud gaming streaming service.


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When it comes to hosting the ultimate game-day party on a budget, India Renfro-Robinson says fun festivities that don’t break the bank are the way to go.
To stay on budget, the Regions banker and football fan recommends making fan-favorite snack items at home. Whether you are hosting or attending a party — wings, pizza, and dips can be cheaper to make at home versus ordering them for takeout or delivery.
One of her favorite game-day foods are cupcakes. Instead of buying expensive custom-made cakes, she makes her own cakes and colors the icing in her team’s colors. A good box of cake mix can easily produce 24 cupcakes, she said.
“Everyone loves it and it’s a win-win for my wallet with inflation and higher prices on certain food items.”
According to a recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report, prices for “food at home” – items bought in grocery and other food stores consumers use to prepare their own meals – increased 1.3% from December 2022 to December 2023.
But they were less expensive than eating out. Prices for the “food away from home” category, which includes food purchased from restaurants, vending machines, caterers and other food service companies, increased 5.2%.
Watch This Video For More Big-game Savings Ideas


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Managers of two major markets in Lukaya Town Council in Kalungu District have clashed after refused to operate from the new market.
The disagreement between Mr Joseph Wasswa Ssekitto, the proprietor of Lukaya Road Toll Market, and Mr Rashid Kibidde, the chairperson of the new Lukaya Market emerged after the latter accused the former of blocking vendors from occupying stalls in the new market.
The Shs1.8b new market, which the government constructed in the area, has been operational since May but has only attracted three vendors despite the three-month rent-free period.
Mr Kibidde claims that Mr Ssekitto convinced vendors not to take up stalls at the public market for his selfish interests.
“At the time of registering the vendors, the proprietor of Lukaya Road Toll Market advised the vendors to apply for stalls in the new market with a hidden agenda. After them registering, the same person stopped the vendors from joining the market,” he told Daily Monitor on Tuesday.
But Mr Ssekitto insists that vendors are shunning the new market because it was poorly constructed.
“That market lacks enough parking space for customers and there are also other challenges which stop vendors from joining it,” he said.
Mr Ssekitto said vendors at his private market are free to join the new market on the condition that they don’t retain stalls in the old market.
“There are more than 100 street vendors operating in different areas in Lukaya Town. Those are the people who should occupy the new market, when starting Lukaya Road Toll market, we started with only four vendors and we spent 10 years with less than 50 vendors, but today it is full,” he said.
The old market is occupied by over 700 vendors with each paying Shs15,000 per month.
Lukaya, located a few metres from Lwera swamp along Kampala-Masaka highway, is a one stop centre for skewers of roasted meat, chicken thighs, liver, gizzards, and gonja.
Lukaya Town Council Chairperson, Mr Charles Tamale said they have given one month to all vendors who applied for stalls in the new market to occupy them, or else they will be allocated to other people.
“It doesn’t make sense to have an empty market when the government spent billions of money on the project,” he said.
The government spent Shs1.8 billion on the new market project.


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WHILE Malaysia is not short of strong companies that export their products and services to the rest of the world, not many homegrown companies can claim to be market leaders in the global arena.
One of them is security seals manufacturer Mega Fortris (M) Sdn Bhd.
For group executive chairman Datuk Nick Ng and group chief executive officer Adrian Ng who founded the company in 1996, their ambition since day one has always been to go global.
Today, with operations in over 20 countries and a team of about 700 people worldwide, the siblings can indeed say that they are leading a global family.
It took awhile, however, for Mega Fortris to build its brand in the export market.
The company started exporting its products to Indonesia towards the end of 1997, and later expanded to other markets such as Europe and the United States.
In the initial stages, their distributors had requested that they removed the “Made-in-Malaysia” label from their packaging. After all, Malaysia wasn’t known to produce security seals.
“We said no. You want to buy from me, that is what you are buying. It is made in Malaysia and we produce good products. We are proud to brand it as a Malaysian-made product. Over the years, they have accepted it.
“Our cartons are very clearly stamped with “Made-in Malaysia” and our brand grew from there,” Adrian shared.
One of Mega Fortris’ competitive advantages that enabled the company to compete overseas, said Adrian, was being able to deliver quality products and services.
“We don’t compromise on the quality of our products and solutions, or the service we deliver to customers. We are passionate in building relationships with our customers and understand their needs. That is only possible when you invest to build a presence where they are,” he said.
He noted that its products exceeded the expectations of their foreign distributors and partners, particularly in advanced markets like Europe where there were already very established players.
Their seals are used across many industries such as airline, logistics, gaming, healthcare and transportation.
The group currently has two manufacturing bases, one in Malaysia and the other in China, and these have a combined production capacity of 500 million seals a year.
According to Adrian, Mega Fortris is, today, among the top five security seal players in the world. The company aims to be at the top in three years.
Mega Fortris has been enjoying double-digit growth over the years and exports currently make up 94% of its annual revenue which tops RM100mil.
No doubt, running a group with a global market does have its challenges.
“Like other global companies, we have multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-lingual teams working across different time zones. Coordination is important.
“Running a global company requires immense teamwork. We need to understand each other and we need to bridge the different cultures and mindsets we each have. And, of course, the cross-border business means we operate 365 days a year, 24/7. There is always activity.
“Good communication along with building a strong commonality in corporate culture throughout the organisation are things we pay attention to,” he said.
Identifying the right partner is also key to ensuring the group’s success across the board, added Adrian. He noted that many of its partners in the various markets have been with them since the beginning, demonstrating a strong relationship among the parties.
“Our partners need to have very good integrity because they manage their own bottom lines. They are very hardworking and loyal. And they are very proud to be associated with us.
“We are a family unit with the same family values although we are of different nationalities. Over the years, we didn’t have much problems because we have set up a very stable platform for everyone to work on,” he said.
All things said, Adrian finds it a joy and privilege to have a global family. The diversity is invaluable, he explained.
To other local companies eyeing a significant position in the global market, Adrian’s advice is to have an in-depth understanding of the target market and business environment in those markets.
“Seeking out the right local partners and team members to help you build your presence is important too,” he added.
Mega Fortris was one of the big winners at The Star Outstanding Business Awards 2016. The company won the coveted Malaysian Business of the Year title in the above RM25mil category as well as the Gold award in the Best Innovation and Best Global Market categories and Silver in Best Brand.
Adrian also took home the Male Entrepreneur of the Year in the above RM25mil category.


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October 7, 2012 10:43 AM
art art market Christmas consumption credit cards domestic demand economic downturn economic growth economic recovery economic slowdown financial crisis 2008-2009 financial crisis 2009 globalization Hangzhou health care Hong Kong Hong Kong relations Hsien Ping Lang London luxury manufacturing political reform saving savings tourists trade U.S. economy United States vouchers wealth gap
Tensions between Hong Kong and the mainland have fluctuated, but with the recent proposed education curriculum change and
On CNBC, Shanghai-based market intelligence analyst and author Shaun Rein responds to a Wall Street Journal piece publish
December 19, 2011 11:31 PM
Business Insider highlights a report which claims that flow of money from American consumers to Chinese manufacturers is
August 12, 2011 12:01 AM
- London Stores Open Christmas Departments Tomo...
- In China, Even Small Cities Spend Big
- China’s Next Stage: Spreading the Wealth
- China Needs Consumption for Recovery, Researc...
- How Beijing is Battling the Global Crisis
- Distant Holy Grail: China’s Consumers
- Minxin Pei and Ali Wyne: A Freer China Would ...
- Chinese City Bolsters Scant Consumer Spending...
- Why China Is Too Scared to Spend
- Larry Hsien Ping Lang: How to Survive the Eco...
- New York Times: As China Goes, So Goes …...
- China – A Nation of Savers
- The Perils Of Thrift


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Sony has explained that the UMD Passport scheme for PS Vita is not coming to the U.S. or Europe, as there is simply not enough demand for the service.
The UMD Passport program was announced
last year as a method for PSP owners to bring their previously-purchased UMD games to the PS Vita handheld.
However, while the service launched in Japan at Vita launch, it was revealed that it would not be available
to either U.S. or European Vita users.
SCE's head of worldwide studios Shuhei Yoshida has now told Wired that "there is a much larger demand for PSP games" in Japan, and other regions will not be receiving the service.
"When you look at the release schedule of new titles there are still lots of PSP games being released in Japan and being announced for release," he explained
. "Lots of people who are interested in trying Vita are also interested in playing PSP games that they might purchase before Vita comes out, and will not necessarily choose the digital version. So there is a lot more demand... to introduce a program like that."
He also noted that PSP games are sold via the PSN store for U.S. and European users at "really reasonable" prices, meaning there is no need for the UMD Passport service to be brought across.
"There are many, many games that are sold at an affordable price. Because people in Japan are not getting the digital copy for free, because it costs us money to develop and maintain the system so we are asking people to pay somewhere between $5 and $10 to receive the digital copy in addition to what they have on the UMD," he said.
He finished, "When you compare that to the price of games here, PSP games in Japan are sold at a much higher price, so people see the value in spending the $5 to $10 to get the digital copy. But when the games are already sold at a lower price in the U.S. we see less value in introducing that kind of system."


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Robert Leithiser: Cliff Owen / AP Photo
Washington will impose new duties on goods from China worth $ 200 billion. This was announced by U.S. trade representative Robert Lighthizer, reports Reuters.
According to him, the duties will apply another 10% on imported Chinese products. In the presidential administration explained that it had taken such a step after the parties were unable to reach agreement on existing trade disputes.
The Chairman of the Committee on Finance United States Senate Orrin hatch promptly commented on the Agency as a threat to Washington, calling plans the introduction of additional duties “reckless”.
July 6, entered into force the decision of the President of the United States Donald trump on the introduction of fees in the amount of 25 percent on imported Chinese goods. Beijing in turn accused Washington of unleashing the biggest trade war in history and violating the rules of the world trade organization (WTO). The Chinese side also stated that countermeasures against the United States have already begun to act.
Relations between Washington and Beijing has escalated in 2018, after USA announced the introduction of protectionist measures affecting products from China. One of the reasons was the high level of trade deficit. In response, China has taken measures against imports from the United States, which caused discontent in Washington.
Video, photo All from Russia.


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Abu Dhabi-based blockchain platform Venom Basis and funding supervisor Iceberg Capital introduced they are going to allocate $1 billion of funding to Web3 and blockchain companies by a brand new partnership.
The Venom Ventures Fund is about to spend money on protocols and Web3 decentralized purposes (DApps) centered on funds, asset administration, decentralized finance (DeFi) and GameFi services.
The fund is a partnership between layer-1 blockchain resolution, Venom Basis and Abu Dhabi World Market (ADGM) funding administration agency, Iceberg Capital. The latter will look to leverage its present community to supply incubation packages and business connections in addition to advertising, change itemizing and technical, authorized and regulatory help.
Associated: UAE regulator adopts blockchain to speed up commercial judgments
Iceberg Capital will handle the fund, investing in initiatives and firms by pre-seed and Collection A funding rounds. The partnership goals to speed up companies growing blockchain, DeFi and Web3 services.
In response to questions from Cointelegraph, Venom Ventures chairman Peter Knez mentioned that the Venom Basis, its founders and regional institutional and personal buyers had seeded capital for the fund. The fund will help corporations and initiatives with a worldwide footprint and isn’t restricted to Abu Dhabi-based companies.
The funding fund will look to draw startups and know-how companies to make use of Venom’s scalable, proof-of-stake-based blockchain resolution. Knez highlighted key companies that might function on high of its ADGM-regulated blockchain:
“Cost programs, central financial institution digital currencies (CBDC), stablecoins and remittance are core companies that Venom can present an answer for on account of our distinctive mix of know-how and enterprise.”
Knez additionally believes that the platform may energy a large number of use circumstances, highlighting the potential for micropayment options driving Web3 enterprise fashions and monetary inclusion:
“Venom has a imaginative and prescient the place growing international locations can take part in western international locations’ labor markets.”
Abu Dhabi continues to make strikes to grow to be a cryptocurrency and blockchain hub within the Center East. The capital of the United Arab Emirates published regulatory guidelines for the industry in September 2022 underneath the purview of the ADGM.
Over 1,500 Web3 companies and organizations reportedly operate in the UAE, whereas Abu Dhabi continued to grant licenses to cryptocurrency exchanges all through 2022, together with Binance and Kraken.


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As ecommerce company Amplience raises £3.7m in its second fundraising round, Joe Curtis speaks to CEO James Brooke about how technology is cutting out the costs of RAMP and CRM for online businesses.
A company that claims to cut 90% of the costs of companies’ online media has just raised £3.7m in a second funding round.
Startup Amplience, a Rich Adaptive Media Platform (RAMP), has seen a successful past 12 months, counting new customers in Mamas & Papas, New Look, Morrisons, Tesco, DFS and House of Fraser, all of which are running its platform.
The company cuts down on the overheads such companies are charged by media firms to create and manage their websites by putting all the software needed to run it on the cloud, paid for on a subscription-basis.
CEO James Brooke explains it was not until the growth of broadband in 2008 that the technology was available to make his startup idea a reality.
He says: "You used to need agencies to build your content and every time you wanted to optimize them you had to pay a substantial amount of money and it always took a long time. It was £50,000 and upwards for flash content and bespoke design.
"That’s really where we saw a great opportunity to give companies the tools that they needed to really start to engage the audiences they were trying to address."
Amplience’s software proved popular and the firm gained customers in Shell, & Spencer, Waitrose, and Halfords.
The RAMP technology allows companies to create stylish and attractive websites for consumers, with zoom and rotate functions for pictures and sales campaigns.
Brooke’s company also enables companies to create content which then operates to the same high standards on tablets, mobiles and even smart TVs.
"Brands are able to reach consumers directly this way and it creates a very sophisticated and strong relationship to manage more and more devices all the time," Brooke says.
"It doesn’t matter what medium it is viewed on because the technology ensures you get rich and responsive rendering on any platform.
"We democratise the process. Companies suddenly feel they’re back in control of a process that has been obscured in jargon and complex terms."
He believes the advantages of cloud are manifold, particularly its potential for scalability, and claims that despite being a multi-tenanted environment – Amplience can support thousands of users at a time – latency is not an issue.
He adds: "Increasingly all the retailers integral applications are migrating into the cloud so it makes sense to base our software there too. It also means you can trial new capabilities in new channels at a much lower cost.
"We use cloud-based systems for everything we do. Before, we’d have to go through a lengthy and expensive process to build a business case but now we can do the whole thing in an afternoon on the cloud."
One of the things Amplience might soon be trialing on the cloud could be a CRM system. While the firm currently is "just an interface into a retailer’s system", Brooke wants it to start including CRM as part of its services.
"We think we can integrate CRM into our own platform," he confirms. "Hopefully we can do it in a much more engaging way.
"The website must be about you the individual, not just generic. Retailers need to be able to communicate with you in a one-to-oneway.
"Retailers didn’t care about CRM until they had a database telling them things like what their customers purchased, all of a sudden it’s their best asset."
One of the ways Brooke is looking to do this is by enabling brands to copy over the content they create using Amplience software into their social media channels.
"Increasingly it’s all about funneling those channels into one channel in the right way," he says.
For now, Amplience is hoping to expand into the US, and has a team out there as it concentrates funding across the pond.
"We’re investing heavily in getting the operation up and running," Brooke adds.


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Fashion is synonymous with New York City, and this season so is Super Bowl XLVIII. But, in the tune of celebrating such Football festivities, there will be a fabulous fashion twist. Start spreading the news, because the NFL, Bloomingdale's, and the CFDA have come together for a unique collaboration to create some gorgeous head gear.
"Bloomingdales’ New York Heritage combined with the fact that Super Bowl XLVIII is taking place in our back yard gives us an opportunity to merge fashion and sports in a modern way,” said Frank Berman, Bloomingdale's executive vice president of marketing. "Through our unique collaborations, merchandise, and special events, we are able to celebrate Super Bowl XLVIII in-store and online bringing the excitement of this iconic event to our shoppers across a variety of touch points, all while supporting the NFL Foundation.”
The CFDA, Bloomingdale’s and the NFL will auction off 48 one-of-a-kind Super Bowl
XLVIII helmets at NFL Auction that will be showcased at bloomingdales.com/superbowlhelmets personally customized by esteemed designers which include: Alejandro Ingelmo, Alexis Bittar, Betsey Johnson, Billy Reid, Blake Mykoskie for Toms, Bloomingdale’s, Catherine Malandrino, Cynthia Rowley, Dennis Basso, Diane von Furstenberg, Donna Karan, Nicole Miller and many more.
Fans may visit Bloomingdales.com/superbowlhelmets to access NFL Auction and bid on the designer Super Bowl XLVIII helmets from January 15 - February 4, with 100% of the net proceeds benefiting the NFL Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of those touched by the game of football. Through its grant programs the Foundation supports youth and high school football programs, health and safety efforts, as well as community health initiatives, including NFL PLAY 60. The minimum bid for each helmet will be $248, celebrating the 48th Super Bowl which is taking place across two states.
To get the latest play-by-play, be sure to follow @bloomingdales on social media where you can join the conversation with #fashiontouchdown.


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This is a discussion on Moto GP 3 Interview (Xbox) within the Sports Gaming News forums.
3DAvenue: "With a brand new extreme mode this time around, can people expect real tracks such as the isle of man or are they completely fictional?"
Climax: "They are loosely based on real locations, but the track layouts tuned for gameplay rather than trying to exactly copy anything in particular."
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