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Despite continued COVID-19, the PRINTPACK INDIA Show Must Go On: IPAMA President
20 December 2020: Dayaker Reddy, President Indian Printing Packaging & Allied Machinery Manufacturers’ Association (IPAMA) says that the new event schedule for the postponed PrintPack India would be announced in the first quarter of 2021. PRINTPACK INDIA, organized by It may be noted that the 15th edition of this Show was to be organised at India Expo Centre, Greater Noida from February 03-08, 2021.
However, keeping in view the non-availability of Vaccine for the treatment of the pandemic disease as also the safety and the healthcare, a detailed survey was conducted, seeking the recommendations of the Exhibitors and Business Exhibitors regarding further course of action for the PrintPack India show.
Owing to the continued COVID-19 pandemic, the business activities throughout the world came to a standstill and still trying to bounce back. The percentage of impact may differ from country to country. So, in an exclusive online interview, Dayaker Reddy, President of IPAMA said the manufacturing processes of IPAMA Members were affected mainly due to imposition of lockdowns, migration of workforce, absence of transportation facilities, health precautionary measures, travelling restrictions etc. “We have learnt that we should also be ready for disasters,” he said, adding, “There was also an adverse impact on the manufacturing processes in India as also on IPAMA Members, who are located in different States and involved in manufacturing of printing, packaging machinery and allied products for domestic consumption or exports to different countries.”
IPAMA Secretariat office is now functioning with full staff strength. It may also be stated that participation in foreign exhibitions during 2020 had been withdrawn or cancelled. These will be finalised during the first or second quarter of 2021, in consultation with IPAMA Members.
IPAMA is planning to organise the 15th edition of PRINTPACK INDIA during the latter part of 2021. The actual dates will be finalised in consultation with all the concerned parties. During the previous edition of the Show, 509 Indian and foreign companies had participated. IPAMA is now targeting to break the previous participation level during PRINTPACK INDIA 2021. The aggressive marketing will start after finalisation of the new dates.
Conferences, Workshops, Seminars will also be planned and organised in different States for promoting the event, commencing from the first quarter of 2021. Similar programmes will also be organised in selected countries. Apart from this, IPAMA will also organise participation in foreign exhibitions after assessing the impact of the pandemic disease in the host countries.
Reddy concludes with a ray of hope: “The number of Corona cases in India is reducing day-by-day which is the good news for IPAMA Members, most of whom are involved in manufacturing different types of printing, packaging machinery and allied products. IPAMA sincerely hope that its Members will attain full production levels within the next three or four months.”


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Malaysians are shocked to know that their favourite beef dishes such as daging masak kicap, daging rendang, or beef burgers at one time could have been made from horse, kangaroo or non-Halal beef.
This is the reality as the latest report on the frozen meat cartel revealed that kangaroo and horse meat imported into the country by means of deception is being repacked and sold as beef to consumers. To make matters worse this practice has been going on for 40 years.
There are 4 government agencies involved in the approval of the import of Halal meat from other countries. These agencies have not explained to the public how Non-Halal meat could have escaped their supervision. Obviously the import of Non-Halal meat has been made possible due to corrupt officers of the agencies and fraud on the part of the syndicate. The government must take these matters seriously and make all those responsible accountable for their action.
One could not imagine such an unscrupulous practice is taking place in our country which is made possible through the corruption and malpractice. For a mere RM150 to RM300 this merchandise gets to elude the eyes of the enforcement officers involved.
Since the news of the frozen meat cartel surfaced at the beginning of December, media has been carrying the news. Investigations are being carried out by the authorities but there is no recall of the imported frozen meat. This means that consumers are still consuming the tainted meat despite of CAP’s calls to do so earlier.
Due to the high price of local meat, restaurants and other food establishments are using imported frozen meat in the dishes they serve to the customers. Processed meat manufacturers are also using imported frozen meat in their products.
As it is, we cannot even say that the Halal labelled meat is genuine. Consumers are advised to refrain from buying imported frozen meat and processed meat products until the authorities can ascertain that the imported frozen meat in the market are genuine Halal meat.
In view of the latest report on the smuggling of imported frozen meat in the country, the Consumers Association of Penang calls on the authorities to:
> Set up a Royal Commission of Inquiry to investigate the failure of the system in place for Halal meat and make recommendations so that it does not take place in the future.
> Immediately recall imported frozen meat in the market.
> Take severe action against the smugglers of imported frozen meat and the government officers involved in corrupt practices as it concerns the Muslim faith.
Letter to the Editor, 29 December 2020

domain: news


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The Secretary for Food and Public Distribution, Sudhanshu Pandey warned of challenges in sugar exports from India in the 2021-22 season even though 1.8 million tonnes had already been contracted at the start of the season itself.
Addressing the All India Sugar Traders Association (AISTA) on global sugar, he said that last year India was able to export 7.2 million tonnes of the sweetener to various destinations and almost 50% of this went to three countries — Indonesia, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka.
“These countries have different dynamics this year. Thailand’s production is likely to go up this time and so Thailand sugar will try to find its lost market in Indonesia. Indian sugar will have to compete for Indonesia market again. Instability in Afghanistan may impact our exports to the country and Sri Lanka has a huge foreign currency shortage. And therefore, a new arrangement will have to be thought of by the industry so that export market is also served,” he observed.
Pandey said that the country is planning to divert about 3.5 million tonne for ethanol production next year and by 2023, the target is that at least 6 million tonne of sugar should be diverted for ethanol production. But at the same time, we are also looking for new opportunities for export, he explained.
More than 50 million farmers and their families are dependent on the sugar sector and proper pricing policy needs to be encouraged for the sugar sector. The food secretary expressed hope that sugar production this year would be as per estimates and the average cane recovery goes up because farmers are using better varieties and techniques for planting cane. India’s total sugar production is estimated at 34 million tonnes of which around 3.5 million tonnes may be diverted for ethanol production, 6 million tonnes for exports. He also stated that the government shall not provide any assistance for exports this season and urged the industry to educate consumers to increase sugar consumption as well.


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In less than a week, the Facebook-led Libra Association has lost the support of PayPal, while Visa, Mastercard, and Stripe are also rethinking their participation amid more scrutiny from US regulators. And now, its Chief Product Officer Simon Morris is leaving in the shadow of a backlash from many governments’ authorities.
The departure of the executive comes barely five months after he originally joined the startup, which aims to drag cryptocurrencies into the mainstream, back in April.
Morris came to Libra from online real estate investment marketplace RealtyShares with nearly two decades of tech experience under his belt. Prior to that, he was BitTorrent’s media general manager, where he led several of the peer-to-peer file sharing platform’s divisions.
During his tenure as BitTorrent, Morris also acted as the Vice President of Marketing and Products, Vice President of Data Science and Senior Vice President of Products, User Experience, and Data. The tech veteran also filled similar roles with Openwave Systems and Verisign.
At the time, Libra Association said the recruitment of Morris was crucial to the company’s strategy for tech and product development. His extensive background in tech made him well-suited to tackle the demands of the new global cryptocurrency.


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Western Australia remains Australia’s top-performing state economy, according to CommSec's latest quarterly State of the States report. The report also shows the ACT is holding on to second place, with marginal differences between the Northern Territory, Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. “We have seen improvement in Western Australia in things like the jobs market and also the housing market, so it's still at the top of the leader board,” CommSec chief economist Craig James says. “But we are seeing a transition of the growth leadership in Western Australia from the mining sector to the housing sector.” Sporting goods the next big contest for Catch Online retail giant Catch Group has announced plans to add sporting goods to its portfolio of retail websites, which includes group buying, groceries and baby products. “We have circled a certain category in the retail space that we hope to launch in January or February,” co-founder Gabby Leibovich told The Australian. “Sporting goods for Catch of the Day is the strongest growing category right now. It is a category we had not sold much of about 12 months ago, and right now it is our number one category. Fashion – shoes and clothing – is going through the roof. “There are not many players that control that market and we certainly believe there is an opportunity there for someone to come in and shake it a little bit in only the way we can." Cheesy grins for Warrnambool shareholders as Bega looks to increase its bid Bega is set to increase its bid for Warrnambool Cheese and Butter following a proposed change to the company’s constitution, to be considered at the company’s annual general meeting tomorrow. The news comes after Murray Goulburn placed a $420 million bid for the company on Friday, trumping a $392 million bid from Canadian food company Saputo. There is also mounting speculation New Zealand-based food giant Fonterra could launch a bid, with the company saying it is “actively looking” at the Australian dairy market. Overnight The Dow Jones Industrial Average is up 0.18% to 15399.65. The Aussie dollar is at US96.685 cents.
Small business advocates have delivered a mixed response to Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s announcement yesterday of a $12 billion budget shortfall, saying now is a good time to introduce some much-needed tax changes. However, some advocates and economists have warned the announcement may have a detrimental impact, with Gillard warning that new taxes may be imposed in order to pay for new spending on disability insurance and education. Finance Minister Penny Wong told the ABC this morning the government is considering a wide range of options, and did not deny the possibility of a levy to fund the National Disability Insurance Scheme. While economists say the deficit is not an economic problem, as Australia’s credit rating is secure, the impact on confidence could impact businesses. “The impact here is more on confidence and uncertainty,” CommSec economist Savanth Sebastian told SmartCompany this morning. “Until we get confirmation about what measures are put in play, that will be a concern. We’ve seen some improvement in confidence, and further cuts to tax concessions could have a detrimental impact.” Gillard said yesterday the budget will be affected by a drastic fall in revenue of about $12 billion. The Australian Financial Review has reported this will translate into a deficit of between $16 billion and $17 billion. Gillard also said yesterday the shortfall would mean putting “every reasonable option on the table” in order to plug the gap, “even options previously off the table”. The Prime Minister said the government would spend “less in some areas than we had hoped, to raise more in revenue in some areas than we had planned”. While the government has not targeted any specific areas, previous speculation had pinpointed self-managed superannuation and high-income earners as potential sources of revenue. Peter Strong, the chief executive of the Council of Small Businesses of Australia, told SmartCompany this morning the government should consider financing SMEs in order to boost medium-term growth. “We need to have better targeted funds for businesses that are identified as growing quickly,” he says, also adding the government should consider taxing purchases made overseas in order to raise GST revenue. However, Strong says the size of the deficit isn’t necessarily an issue for small businesses, per se. “At the micro-level, we look for solutions. What this suggests to me is that we need to get our micro-economics right.” Savanth Sebastian agrees the size of the deficit isn’t necessarily a large problem, especially as it has shrunk since last year, but points out the impact on confidence such a big budget gap could have. “We’ve seen some improvement in confidence, and that translates to business confidence,” he says. “Further cuts to tax concessions and revenue can have a detrimental impact on that early boost to confidence.” Sebastian also says the deficit means the Reserve Bank is in a position to ease interest rates even further. However, not every business group is so pleased. The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry released a harsh response to yesterday’s announcement. Head of economics and workplace relations Greg Evans said the latest writedown “puts the onus on the government to properly deal with spending”. “Business is indicating that a major cause of uncertainty is the inability for the government to get its fiscal house in order and to set out a pathway back to surplus.” “This has become our number one economic priority as without a sustainable budget there is no scope for the major economic reforms required such as delivering a tax system that promotes incentive and enables productivity improvements.” This story first appeared on SmartCompany.
There is little to separate Victoria, Queensland and NSW in the way of economic performance, according to the latest CommSec State of the States report, while Tasmania continues to lag.
Business groups have downplayed the Federal Government’s concession the budget is unlikely to return to surplus in 2012-13, with one group describing the move as “neither here nor there”.
The Reserve Bank has cut the cash rate by 25 basis points to 3%, admitting that while consumer spending is expected to grow, a return to “very strong growth” seen in previous years is unlikely.
Economy-wide spending rose by 3.9% in September, according to the Commonwealth Bank Business Sales Indicator, but a spike in inflation has reduced the likelihood of another rate cut.
Mining-rich Western Australia is still dominating the rest of the country when it comes to state-by-state economic health, but the Northern Territory is gaining ground quickly, according to new research from CommSec.
Retail rents are expected to remain stable in 2012, according to Colliers International, despite store closures by major retailers including Dick Smith, Billabong and Specialty Fashion.
Australian retail spending rose by 0.6% in trend terms in January, according to the Commonwealth Bank Business Sales Indicator, after 0.7% gains in November and December.
Companies looking to do business in the United Kingdom shouldn’t expect any short-term gains, an economist says, despite the Australian dollar hitting a 27-year high against the British pound.
October was the best month for retailers in 25 months, according to the Commonwealth Bank Business Sales Indicator, suggesting Christmas sales may not be as dismal as initially thought.
Business conditions perked up in September amid talk of an interest rate cut and the falling Australian dollar, the latest NAB survey shows, but global uncertainty is still having an impact.
Generation Y is keen to save and baby boomers are concerned about their retirement income, so who's going to spend at home? That is the question raised by two new surveys which suggest older and younger generations are closing their wallets.
Unemployment remained steady at 4.9% in June and the number of new jobs soared by almost 24,000 but economists say small business is struggling to recruit appropriate staff.
Interest rates have remained on hold for yet another month, the Reserve Bank announced yesterday, but the lengthy hold-off appears to be contributing to the pressures faced by business.
Household finances have hit their lowest level in a decade as consumers increase their precautionary savings, according to a new report by the Melbourne Institute.
Australian consumers are shifting their dollars from retail to experience-based activities, with the amusement and entertainment category recording the strongest sales growth of any sector, according to a new report.
Health and social assistance has overtaken retail as Australia’s biggest employment sector, according to new data, suggesting start-ups should investigate business opportunities within this industry.
New research reveals Australians are more likely to stay at home and use electronic devices than dine out, with industry experts saying consumer-focused businesses shouldn’t take customers for granted amid these long-term trends.
The ACT has held its position as the best performing economy in the country but WA and Victoria are not far behind, a new report says.


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Esaote and the Ducati Lenovo team back together on the track for the 2021 MotoGP Championship, celebrating the title of MotoGP constructors’ world champion conquered by Ducati in 2020. The partnership between the two brands in the name of innovation, performance and Italian style is also confirmed for 2021.
Genoa, February 19th 2021 – Esaote, an Italian company among the world leaders in the field of medical diagnostic imaging systems in the name of innovation, performance and Italian style, looks to 2021 with confidence and ambition. Ducati recently streamed the official team that will participate in the 2021 MotoGP Championship; the first race is scheduled for 28 March in Qatar and the “esaote” brand clearly stands out on the hull of the Desmosedici GP 2021.
“We are very proud to confirm the partnership with the Ducati Team also for the 2021 MotoGP Championship - said Esaote CEO Franco Fontana. We operate in different sectors, but with Ducati we share our deepest values, Italian style, competence, technological innovation, passion, but above all the ability to compete internationally, continuously improving our performance. The past year represented an important challenge, but we have worked hard, achieving significant results and we are ready to face the future with confidence and determination".


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China’s largest shipping group is beefing up its operations to compete against global rivals as it pursues business opportunities thrown up by the Belt and Road Initiative.
Earlier this month, China COSCO Shipping Corp snapped up a 51 percent stake of Noatum Port, a Spanish container terminal operator, for $227.81 million.
The deal extended its ports and terminals network to the Mediterranean region in Europe, and dovetails with its massive merchant fleet of 1,028 ships.
“This initiative provides numerous opportunities for Chinese companies to carry out the Going Global strategy, and the Belt and Road Initiative,” said Xu Lirong, chairman of the State-owned company.
China COSCO Shipping is an ocean-going giant and was born from the merger of China Ocean Shipping (Group) Co and China Shipping (Group) Co in 2016.
It has already rolled out a port strategy along the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, which is part of the Belt and Road Initiative.
Included in this was the Noatum Port acquisition by COSCO Shipping Ports Ltd, a subsidiary of the parent company. It took a controlling stake in Noatum Port Holdings SLU from TPIH Iberia SLU of Spain.
“China COSCO Shipping will use its abundant overseas resources in this new project, and provide supporting services from our overseas shipping and ports networks,” Xu said.
Naturally, this is all part of the company’s Belt and Road Initiative blueprint, with Noatum Port, which operates container terminals in Port of Valencia and Port of Bilbao in Spain, a key link in the chain.
The group will also expand port services, logistics, industrial equipment manufacturing, and financial and shipping services.
“This will be in countries related to the Belt and Road Initiative, especially in Southeast Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe,” Xu said.
One key acquisition made by the company’s subsidiary, COSCO Pacific in Hong Kong, was Turkey’s Kumport Terminal in 2015.
Last year, the Port of Singapore Authority was extensively upgraded by the group, while it also bought the Piraeus Port Authority in Greece and invested in the Euromax Terminal Rotterdam in the Netherlands.
As for the big picture, China COSCO Shipping owns more than 46 container terminals across the world, with over 190 berthing spaces.
“The amount going through our container terminals worldwide amounts to 90 million twenty-foot equivalent units or TEU, making it the second biggest in the world,” the company stated. “Global sales volume of our ship bunker fuel exceeds 25 million metric tons, topping the world’s list.”
Other figures showed that China COSCO Shipping’s container leasing business surpassed 2.7 million TEU, which is the third-largest in the world.
During the first four months of this year, the group’s shipping volume registered a year-on-year increase of 9.8 percent, with terminal throughput of 12.2 percent. Projected logistics volume was 8.7 percent.
Operating revenue and profit showed double-digit growth although the State-owned company declined to disclose detailed financial figures.
Back on dry land, COSCO Shipping Logistics Co completed construction on the Central and Eastern Europe Trade Logistics Park Base (Phase-I) in the Ningbo Free Trade Zone of East China’s Zhejiang province.
“The base will provide central Eastern European traders and e-commerce players with a one-stop supply chain solution by integrating ‘overseas warehouse’ operations, cargo agencies, bonded and food warehousing, logistics distribution and trade enforcement,” said Han Jun, president of COSCO Shipping Logistics.
The sprawling complex has been divided into three phases.
Opened earlier this month, the 12,000-square-meter constant-temperature food warehouse was part of phase one. The design and construction of a constant-temperature food warehouse for the second phase will be started in July.
That will be followed by the third phase, a cold chain warehouse, scheduled to be built when demand takes off for products from Eastern European countries.
“Even though the world’s shipping market has limped along since 2009 because of weak demand, the Belt and Road Initiative can effectively offer a lifeline to ailing global shipping companies,” said Dong Liwan, a professor at Shanghai Maritime University.
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Source: China Daily


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Pune-based Emcure Pharmaceuticals has pulled out its proposed red herring prospectus or DRHP with securities market regulator SEBI. Emcure Pharmaceuticals on Wednesday said it has filed a draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) with the Sebi for launching an initial public offer. Pune-based Emcure Pharmaceuticals has filed draft red herring prospectus ( DRHP) with SEBI for initial public offering that includes fresh issue.
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Emcure Pharmaceuticals withdraws proposed IPO | VCCircle
By Jasleen Kaur Batra. Another pharmaceutical firm which filed for public offering recently was Intas Pharmaceuticals. It has subsidiaries in Brazil, DubaiNigeria, Singapore and South Africa and branch offices in Morocco and Russiawhich play an important role in its international operations, the release said.
Crude oil prices to direct sugar prices in Emcure Pharmaceuticals acquires Canadian company and its marketing arm Marcan. Fortis again pushes back date to complete RHT Dhrp deal; auditor resigns.
The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Emcure is ranked among the top 15 pharmaceutical companies in India in terms of market share based on the domestic sales of pharmaceutical products. Choose your reason below and click on the Report button. Find this comment offensive? Interestingly, all the firms which decided not to go ahead with public floats are backed by private equity investors.
Emckre is an infrastructure development company which operates in road, irrigation, real estate and hydro power projects.
We have not given a thought to a pre-IPO funding round.
Emcure Pharmaceuticals files IPO papers with SEBI –
Thu, Dec 19 From Berlin to Washington: Here’s how the world is celebrating Christmas. For the nine months ended December 31,Emcure’s revenue from operations was Rs 1, crore with net profit at Rs Emcure operates nine manufacturing facilities, eight of which are located in India and one in the United States. Book running lead managers to the issue include Bank of America Merrill Lynch. The transaction is subject to conditions under contract and law including Foreign Investment Promotion Board approval.
The company commercialises its products through a combination of its own marketing and distribution infrastructure. My Saved Articles Sign in Sign up.
Emcure Pharmaceuticals files for IPO; Blackstone to part exit
Ltd with returns of almost three times. Emcure Pharmaceuticals withdraws proposed IPO. To see your saved stories, click on link hightlighted in bold. Antibiotics made by Emcure Pharmaceuticals recalled in US. Blackstone Emcure Bain Capital private equity stake. Log in Keep me signed in.
Reliance to buy majority stake in renewable energy services firm Kanoda. Emcure is ranked the 14th largest pharmaceutical company in India in terms of market share based on the domestic sales of pharmaceutical products, according to healthcare services information provider IMS Health India.
Fill in your details: The company is engaged in developing, manufacturing and marketing a broad range of pharmaceutical products globally.
Link Intime India Private Limited is a registrar to the issue. Pune-based Emcure Pharmaceuticals has pulled out its proposed initial public offer IPO which was to raise around Rs crore besides giving part exit to Blackstone in its maiden investment in India.
Read more on Emcure Pharmaceuticals. Emcure is a fast growing Indian pharmaceutical company engaged in developing, manufacturing and marketing a broad range of pharmaceutical products globally. It is ranked much higher in the therapeutic areas in which it operates.
Drag according to your convenience. Fri, Dec 20 Emcure is ranked as the 14th-largest pharmaceutical company in India in terms of market share based on the domestic sales of pharmaceutical products.
The issue also involves a secondary sale 2. Pune-based Emcure Pharmaceuticals has filed draft red herring prospectus DRHP with SEBI for initial public offering that includes fresh issue of upto Rs crore and an offer for sale of upto 25,13, equity share.
Bain Capital has paid nearly Rs. Promoter Satish Ramanlal Mehta holds This will alert our moderators to take action. This will alert our moderators to take action Name Reason for reporting: Sensex finishes year above 36, posts third straight annual gain. Deepti Chaudhary Malvika Joshi.
NIFTY 50 10, 2. The pharma company intends to utilise the net proceeds for setting up of new manufacturing facilities and expansion of existing manufacturing facilities; research and development; and general corporate purposes.
Secondary transactions vrhp the ground for appropriate valuations as there is no information arbitrage unlike in ekcure primary transaction. Mandhana added that while an IPO is a convenient route for exits, secondary transactions provide more comfort to the new investor as potential corporate governance issues would have already been taken care of by the exiting PE firm.
British support-services provider Serco Group Plc. This follows a deal struck late last year where Blackstone sold its stake to Bain Capital for an undisclosed amount.


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Shangri-La has decided to extend all Golden Circle tiers (Diamond & Jade) worldwide through December 31, 2022 due to the ongoing pandemic and it’s impact on customers travel profiles.
The cancellation waiver has previously been extended through 31 March 2021 regardless of the booking channel but this perk has not been extended and customers now have to adhere to standard cancellation policies as per the rate conditions.
ShangriLa (just like many other chains) has now repeatedly extended the tier level of their status members since there has been very little travel activity, especially in ShangriLa’s core markets within Asia.
You can access Shangri-La’s website with all their Covid policies here.
This is the email that Golden Circle just sent out to members:
The relevant passage from the website reads:
Our Loyal Members
Golden Circle has extended tier status for all Diamond and Jade members globally. With this extension, all Golden Circle Diamond and Jade members will maintain their current tier status and benefits until 31 December 2022.
This is indeed a generous and logical decisions. Shangri-La is a niche brand of luxury hotels and many of it’s customers haven’t had the chance to travel to their favorite destinations for quite some time.
It doesn’t hurt Shangri-La to simply extend the tier for yet another year and given the rather boutique nature of the hotels and the footprint of the portfolio it won’t have a massive impact like one of the larger chains such as Hilton and Marriott properties.
Some hotels (especially at leisure destinations) have complained that there is now a flood of elite members who all insist on their benefits which are almost impossible for a hotel to provide beyond a certain point. There are only so many standard suites that aren’t being sold and lounge (if open at all) are often at capacity as well. Since Shangri-La isn’t mass market they can stomach such extensions much easier.
Shangri-La has decided to extend members tier level until December 31, 2022 which is a positive signal towards their customer base. I’m glad that I get to keep my Jade status for yet another year as the treatment has been pretty good so far.
The chain has a strong presence in Asia and therefore this announcement for blanket status extensions makes sense as most borders have now been shut and sealed for well over a year.


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Apple joins Google in counterattack against Paul Allen lawsuit
Google asks judge to dismiss 'scattershot' suit, Apple and others follow suit
Computerworld - Apple last week joined forces with Google, Facebook, Yahoo and others in an effort to dismiss patent infringement charges brought by billionaire Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.
In a federal lawsuit filed last August, an Allen-owned firm claimed that 11 companies, including Apple, Google, YouTube, Facebook, AOL and Yahoo, infringed four patents awarded more than a decade ago.
Among the patents was one that described a "news browser," while another referred to technology for alerting users of Web content related to what they were currently viewing.
Apple was one of four companies -- the others were AOL, Google and Yahoo -- charged with violating all four patents.
The patents were issued between 2000 and 2004 to Internal Research, an Allen-funded Silicon Valley research lab that shut its doors in 2000. The patents were later transferred to Interval Licensing, which Allen also controls.
Google launched the counterattack against Allen on Oct. 18 when it filed a motion to dismiss the claims. The motion asserted that Interval had failed to show how Google had infringed the patents, and that it had not named the technologies used by or the services offered by Google that allegedly violated those patents.
"Interval is not entitled to waste Court and party resources with a scattershot Complaint against multiple Defendants that fails to give any indication as to which products or services Interval contends are infringing and the factual basis for such a claim," Google asserted.
"Interval's Complaint is so devoid of any facts to support its infringement contentions that it is impossible for Google to reasonably prepare a defense," Google continued.
In an Oct. 19 follow-up motion submitted to Seattle-based U.S. District Court Judge Marsha Pechman, Google said Interval had tossed all 11 defendants into the same litigation basket without showing "any coordinated action" among the bunch.
The TechFlash blog first reported on Google's motion to dismiss in a story published Sunday.
Apple joined Google's motion on Oct. 21 with a filing of its own.
"Interval has sued eleven major corporations and made the same bald assertions that each defendant infringes 197 claims in four patents," Apple stated. "As the U.S. Supreme Court noted in Twombly, it is in this type of situation in which courts should use their 'power to insist upon some specificity in pleading before allowing a potentially massive factual controversy to proceed.'"
The other defendants have submitted their own similar motions to Judge Pechman.
Allen's suit seeks unspecified damages, as well as injunctions that would block the accused companies from continuing to use the patented technologies.
Gregg Keizer covers Microsoft, security issues, Apple, Web browsers and general technology breaking news for Computerworld. Follow Gregg on Twitter at @gkeizer, or subscribe to Gregg's RSS feed . His e-mail address is email@example.com.
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The platform is bringing more tools to businesses in the coming months, introducing business profiles a la Facebook, which bought Instagram in 2012. It could be a game-changing move for what’s become the fashion industry’s go-to app. Instagram plans to start providing brands with analytics about content and businesses will be able to create and place their own ads from within the app for the first time. This will help brands maximize their exposure on the app and differentiate themselves.
“Instagram needs to make money and brands want to be able to push content in a way that they can control,” said Sucharita Mulpuru, vice president and principal analyst at Forrester Research. “It may not be what users want, but it’s what brands want. And they are happy to pay for it.”
Instagram’s following not just Facebook, but Snapchat and others, by offering more commercial-friendly treatment for advertisers.
“They have brands and brands are trying to find ways to create content,” Mulpuru said. “It’s a different flavor from Facebook, but the idea of branded content [is the same]. Snapchat has shown it’s a revenue channel and it hasn’t alienated anyone so that their growth has suffered as a result. The bigger question is: My god, it’s taken them so long to do this? Companies like Snapchat seem to be stealing their thunder.”
While the new approach could be great for the brands and retailers that have followings in the several hundred thousands to millions, it could also undercut some of what helped Instagram gain popularity in the first place. The picture-sharing platform has been lauded since its inception for the organic nature of its feed, where users can view posts of celebrities, regular people, influencers and brands based on posting order.
“Instagram has to be customer-centric and continue to deliver the experience that consumers have learned to expect,” said Mary Beech, executive vice president and chief marketing officer at Kate Spade & Co., calling it the “premiere destination” for people looking to share imagery and words. “That is the critical nature. I hope Instagram remains brand- and customer-centric in their efforts.”
She said Kate Spade started paying for advertising on Instagram, where it has 1.6 million followers, last year, and focuses the majority of digital advertising spend around three to four larger campaigns a year. While too early to know what exactly the new Instagram products will look like, Beech said the team will meet with Instagram and assess their strategy.
Jan-Hendrik Schlottman, chief executive officer of Derek Lam, plans to do the same.
He said the brand will roll out its first sponsored Instagram posts next week and will create business profiles depending on how they are designed and what they will look like. The company brought the production of its footwear collection back in-house last year, and promoting the spring collection is a priority.
For him, the upside to Facebook and now Instagram is that a marketer can very precisely target users. Schlottman listed the targeting criteria for next week’s Instagram ad launch: women who are interested in fashion, are heavy shoppers, ages 28 to 50 and are fans of Gianvito Rossi, Prada and Gucci. The next week, Derek Lam will target users who follow Jimmy Choo and Louis Vuitton.
“We can see which women react to the shoes the most. Not because we want to emulate what other shoe brands are doing, but because we want to see who we are going to target,” he explained. “We have the hope that Instagram is somewhat more ‘fashion’ and that it will be more exciting even than Facebook.”
Facebook has been Derek Lam’s most effective digital advertising tool in terms of return on investment. Fifty percent of the brand’s monthly online marketing spend goes to Facebook (30 percent goes toward search engine optimization). So even while Schlottman acknowledged that Instagram is more aspirational and sexy than its parent company, Facebook still wins when it comes to purchasing power among female Facebook users of a slightly older demographic.
Although this is a step that’s widely seen as necessary for Instagram as a business, it does set the platform on a path with some risk.
“Facebook doesn’t seem to have been impacted [by advertising], but if you actually talk to people in fashion, Instagram is certainly the more important platform of the two,” said Oliver Walsh, chief marketing officer of Aritzia. “What they have to be careful of is making sure that it remains the most powerful platform for the fashion and luxury industries.”


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Overheating Samsung tablet forces diversion of Delta flight
Updated 1 hr 1 min ago
DETROIT, Michigan (WABC) --
The plane from Detroit was headed to Amsterdam, but was forced to land in Manchester, England. A Delta official says the tablet began smoking after it had become jammed in a seat.
A Delta official explained that the tablet fell inside a seat and became jammed after the seat either reclined or was returned to upright.
Underneath the seat cover, the tablet and foam then started smoking and passengers could smell a strange odor.
The flight diverted to Manchester, where the seat was replaced entirely. After two hours on the ground, the flight was airborne en route to Amsterdam, where it landed at 5:11 ET.
The device that caused the emergency is apparently not the Samsung that is subject to recall because of a faulty battery.
The FAA is reviewing the incident.
This incident comes as Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 phone remains under recall because of battery problems.
In another scare in the air, an Indian airline says a Samsung Note 2 phone belched smoke and sparks on a flight from Singapore to southern India.
The airline IndiGo reports the phone was found in the bag of a passenger in an overhead bin after other passengers reported smelling smoke.
The smoke was traced to the phone, which was removed from the bin and placed in water as the flight continued without further incident.
Samsung says it's aware of the incident with the Note 2, which was released in 2012. Authorities in several countries have banned their use in aircraft.
Here are our recommendations for overheating Samsung Tablet (or any computer for that matter)
Tablet OverheatsTablet is too hot to touch!
Reset the DeviceHold down the power button until the device shuts off. Let it cool down for a few minutes, then hold the power button until the device powers on.
Bad BatteryIf the device continues to heat up, the battery is most likely defective and needs replacement. Purchase a replacement battery, and replace the old with the new.
Samsung Issues Statement On Overheating/Warping Galaxy Tab S Devices
By Tyler Lee on 07/22/2014 04:10 PDT
If you’ve recently picked up the new Samsung Galaxy Tab S, you should probably take note that there are several issues with the tablet. According to the reports, it seems that the Galaxy Tab S is prone to overheating and in some cases, the back cover of the Galaxy Tab S has warped, although in a recent statement made by Samsung, they claim it is not due to overheating.
Starting with the overheating, Samsung claims that this is a bug that causes the tablet to overheat. Samsung has since advised users with tablets that are overheating to head on over to the store they bought it from to return it for a new one. As far as the warped back covers are concerned, Samsung claims that this is due to manufacturing issues and that it is a rare issue.
“Contrary to certain media reports, the slight disfiguration that has formed on the rear surface of the Galaxy Tab S has been attributed to a limited number of defective back covers, which has no relation to the overheating of the application processor or the material used for the back cover. We would like to assure our customers that we have already resolved the issue. We ask affected customers to please contact their nearest Samsung Electronics customer service center.”
Given that Samsung has claimed that the issue is rare as far as the back covers are concerned, we can’t ascertain as to how many users might have been affected. However if you experience warping or overheating on your Galaxy Tab S device, you’ll probably want to take it back to the store ASAP!


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A North Battleford business owner was hospitalized after being attacked with a hatchet during an armed robbery.
According to Battlefords RCMP, a lone male entered the business Thursday around 9:45 p.m. in the 1100 block of 107th Street. Police say he assaulted the business owner and made off with a small quantity of merchandise.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
The business owner was taken to hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening.
The suspect is described as about 5′ 8″ and 140 pounds with a slim build and hair that may have been dyed red.
He was wearing a faded grey bunnyhug with the word “RAW” on the front, a red bandana around his neck, a red hat with black brim, black sweat pants, and white Nike running shoes. He was carrying a small purple backpack.


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Daily Times Staff Report
LAHORE: Pakistan Fashion Design Council’s (PFDC) Sunsilk Fashion Week kept creating ripples with its colours on its third day at the Royal Palm Golf and Country Club on Thursday.
Eight ramp shows featured outfits by Rehana Saigol, the Sarah-Salman duo, Hajra Hayat, Nayna, Ammar Belal, Shamoon Sultan (Khaadi), Tazeen Hassan and
Maheen Kardar (Karma).
Ammar Belal’s western wear collection, “The King Of Pop” – inspired by Michael Jackson, or more specifically, the “Thriller” era and the subsequent punk-rock movement – ranged from casual wear and street wear to cocktail dresses and gowns. “I am very Continue reading


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(via Todd Akin rape remark featured in new Claire McCaskill ad : Stltoday)
In the final week of campaigning, U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill will make sure voters won’t forget U.S. Rep. Todd Akin’s comment on rape.
McCaskill is out with a new ad featuring the clip of Akin’s comment that ”if it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.”
Akin apologized for the comment in August.
McCaskill was set to appear on Sunday at a campaign event at a south St. Louis coffee shop. She canceled to be at her ailing mother’s bedside.


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If you were disappointed that no new phones were introduced at Apple’s “Time Flies” event last month, you can rest easy — Apple plans to introduce a rumored four brand-new iPhones today. The new phones are said to have a new squared-off design, sizes ranging from 5.4 inches to 6.7 inches, and 5G, although we’re not sure which phones and which types of 5G. And it is said that the phones will not come with chargers or earbuds — which may not be a problem if you’re already overstocked with chargers and already have a decent personal audio device.
But wait, there may be more. Currently, there is talk of new headphones, a Tile-like tracking device called an AirTag, and a smaller, cheaper HomePod. And perhaps a surprise or two.
Want to know…tech, The Verge


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Who says a Jack Russell terrier can’t stop traffic?
In this ad, a Jack Russell on his morning walk manages to turn heads, and even cause a traffic accident, as he trots down the sidewalks and streets of New York City.
Some believe it’s actress/model Emily Ratajkowski — clad in revealing lacy black intimate apparel — that’s causing the uproar.
But we know better.
Ratajkowski, who you might remember from her supporting role in “Gone Girl,” wakes up topless, but has the good sense — it is winter, after all — to don a bra before taking her dog on the morning walk.
DKNY says the ad shows, “Anything can happen in New York.”
Upon repeated viewing (necessary for research purposes), we can see it shows a lot more than that.
Clearly the ad is aimed at creating a stir, but as for who it is targeting I can only guess. Men who might be considering gift purchases for a special someone? Women who like to show the world how self-assured they are? Dog lovers, maybe? I’m guessing they don’t all buy long underwear.
The bigger question, though, given no self-respecting New Yorker would venture out with their dog without their poop bags, is where Miss Ratajkowski is carrying hers.
They must be in her boots.
For more of our Woof in Advertising posts, click here.
Posted by John Woestendiek March 15th, 2017 under Muttsblog, videos.
Tags: actress, advertisement, advertising, commerical, dkny, dog, dog walking, dogs, emily Ratajkowski, intimate apparel, jack russell terrier, lingerie, marketing, model, new york, new york city, walking, woof in advertising
Our favorite Super Bowl ad? This one, of course.
And that was even before we found out it only cost $200 to make.
Joshua Svoboda and Nick Dimondi, both in their 20’s, made the ad, called “Underdog,” with an untrained dog. They didn’t know it would even air Sunday night on CBS, according to the Associated Press.
It was one of four ads aired by Doritos maker Frito-Lay, all of which were created by fans, who were competing for $5 million in prize money if the ads ranked highly in commercial roundups.
The ad came in second in USA Today’s annual Super Bowl Ad Meter, which ranks ads based on a viewer panel’s response, winning the two ad-makers $600,000. The two, from Cary, N.C., said they planned to use the money to pursue film careers.
They said they wanted to make an ad with a dog because they felt those ads are more popular with consumers.
Posted by John Woestendiek February 8th, 2010 under Muttsblog, videos.
Tags: $200, ad, advertisement, advertising, animals, anti-bark, bark, cary, collar, commerical, dog, dogs, doritos, joshua svoboda, nick dimondi, north carolina, pets, shock, super bowl, super bowl ads, untrained, video, won $600, zapped, zapping


text: AD Quality Auto 360p 720p 1080p Top articles1/5READ MOREBasketball roundup: Sierra Canyon, Birmingham set to face off in tournament quarterfinalsDeclining profit at Dow component American International Group Inc. and media conglomerate Viacom Inc. also stunned a market that has enjoyed yet another quarter of outstanding corporate earnings. The Dow plunged 141.92, or 1.22 percent, to 11,500.73, its largest slide since falling 213 points on Jan. 19. A day earlier, the Dow came within 75 points of its best-ever close of 11,722.98, reached on Jan. 14, 2000. Broader stock indicators also fell steeply. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index slid 16.93, or 1.28 percent, to 1,305.92, and the Nasdaq composite index lost 48.04, or 2.07 percent, to 2,272.70. Interest rate concerns weighed on the dollar and bonds, with the yield on the 10-year Treasury note climbing to 5.16 percent from 5.13 percent at Wednesday’s close. The U.S. dollar pulled back from earlier gains against the Japanese yen and was flat versus European currencies. A lower-than-expected rise in April retail sales lent some support to views that high energy costs will hinder consumer spending and prevent the economy from overheating. NEW YORK – Anxious investors sent stocks plunging Thursday as surging commodities prices fed fears that the Federal Reserve would extend its two-year streak of interest rate hikes. The major indexes saw their biggest one-day drops since mid-January. The sharp decline reflected Wall Street’s deep disappointment with the Federal Reserve’s statement on Wednesday that more rate tightening could be needed to counter inflationary pressures from energy and metals. Investors were hoping for signals that rates have been raised enough to keep inflation in check. But Thursday, worries about overseas supplies sent crude futures racing past $73 a barrel, and gold prices jumped to a fresh 25-year high. The commodities strength spooked a market looking for clarity on an economy teetering between growth and inflation. “I think there are inflation concerns all over the marketplace right now,” said Brian Williamson, equity trader at Boston Company Assetment Management. “Because of what the Fed was talking about yesterday, (higher commodities prices) put some anxiety into the marketplace.” However, hefty gains among commodities made investors anxious that inflation could begin affecting core prices – excluding volatile food and energy costs – and bring more interest rate increases. “The market had priced in a very optimistic Fed outlook, and of course we didn’t get it,” said Ed Peters, chief investment officer at PanAgora Asset Management. “Secondly, we do have this problem with commodities, and it continues to build.” Crude futures leaped as traders cast aside reports of increased U.S. reserves and worried about a Texas refinery snag and political unrest in Nigeria. A barrel of light crude jumped $1.19 to settle at $73.32 on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Elsewhere, gold prices soared to $725 an ounce and carried silver prices higher. The Commerce Department said retail sales grew 0.5 percent last month, less than the 0.6 percent increase in March and the 0.8 percent gain economists had predicted. The department also reported that business inventories rose a better-than-forecast 0.7 percent for March.160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set!


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The chip, based on the 28 nanometre manufacturing process, typically runs at speeds of around 1.2GHz in modern mobile smartphones.
TSMC also noted that the chip achieved this frequency “under typical conditions”.
The chip was designed with High Performance for Mobile applications (HPM) technology, which is meant for use in tablet computers and other mobile devices.
The company claims the new chip is twice as fast as the equivalent chip based on the older 40 nanometre technology. A smaller manufacturing process means the new chip should also be more energy-efficient.


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Embattled conglomerate Toshiba on Friday completed the $21 billion sale of its prized chip unit to an investment consortium, a move seen as crucial to keeping the Japanese firm afloat.
The deal had been delayed while Chinese regulators examined whether it could violate anti-trust laws, but they finally granted approval in mid-May.
“Toshiba hereby gives notice that the closing of the sale has been completed today as scheduled,” the group said in a statement.
It added that the deal was worth about 2.3 trillion yen ($21 billion).
The business was sold to K.K. Pangea, a special-purpose company controlled by a consortium led by US investor Bain Capital.
The Bain-led group includes US tech giants Apple and Dell, as well as South Korean chipmaker SK Hynix.
Toshiba said it was reinvesting a total of 350.5 billion yen in Pangea, acquiring a 40.2 percent stake.
The sale and reinvestment will give Toshiba a pre-tax profit of 970 billion yen, though the bump was already built into forecasts it announced last month.
Toshiba agreed in September to sell its memory chip business in a bid to stay afloat after multi-billion-dollar losses.
It struggled after the disastrous acquisition of US nuclear energy firm Westinghouse, which racked up billions of dollars in losses before being placed under bankruptcy protection.
In order to survive and avoid delisting, the cash-strapped group decided to sell the chip business — the crown jewel in a vast range of businesses ranging from home appliances to nuclear reactors.
Toshiba said last month it had bounced back into the black, avoiding a humiliating delisting from the Tokyo stock exchange.
The firm booked a record net profit of 804 billion yen for the year ending March 31, compared with a loss of 965.7 billion yen a year earlier.
That marks the first net profit for the firm in four years, and was helped by one-off revenue from tax cuts linked to the sale of its nuclear units. afp
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Japanese auto giant Nissan and German luxury car maker Mercedes-Benz on Sunday announced a tie-up to produce engines in the United States, hailed as their biggest joint project outside Europe.
The two auto firms will jointly produce Mercedes-Benz four-cylinder gasoline engines at an assembly plant in Decherd in the southern state of Tennessee.
Production is expected to begin in 2014, with 250,000 engines being rolled out annually when the plant is up to full capacity, a statement said.
“This is the newest milestone in our pragmatic collaboration and our most significant project outside of Europe so far,” said Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn.
Daimler and Nissan, which has been in partnership with French automaker Renault for more than a decade, already announced in spring 2010 that they would team up on compact cars.
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Spotify Welcomes European Union Antitrust Charge Against Apple
The European Commission has issued antitrust charges against Apple over the company’s App Store practices. The Commission says it found Apple in violation of its competition rules with its App Store policies after a Spotify complaint in 2019.
Apple faces a fine of up to 10 percent of its annual revenue if found guilty. This could be up to $27 billion given that Apple’s revenue for 2020 was $274.5 billion. Worst still, the company could also be forced to change its business model as regards the app store. This could have a more damaging effect as it would mean a potential loss in revenue.
Spotify has responded to the initial charges. “Ensuring the iOS platform operates fairly is an urgent task with far-reaching implications. The European Commission’s statement of objections is a critical step toward holding Apple accountable for its anticompetitive behavior, ensuring meaningful choice for all consumers and a level playing field for app developers,” Horacio Gutierrez, Spotify’s chief legal officer says.
In an emailed statement, Apple issued its response; “Spotify has become the largest music subscription service in the world, and we’re proud for the role we played in that. Spotify does not pay Apple any commission on over 99% of their subscribers and only pays a 15% commission on those remaining subscribers that they acquired through the App Store. At the core of this case is Spotify’s demand they should be able to advertise alternative deals on their iOS app, a practice that no store in the world allows. Once again, they want all the benefits of the App Store but don’t think they should have to pay anything for that. The Commission’s argument on Spotify’s behalf is the opposite of fair competition”.
– Apple Is Reportedly Cutting Down On AirPods Production As Competition Hurts Sales
– Microsoft Abruptly Reduces Its Revenue Cut For Games On Its Windows Store
– Apple Extends Deadline For Charging Online Teaching Apps Fee Once Again
Apple argues that its 30 percent cut, called Apple tax, is essential to the operation of the store. It says that the revenue contributes toward the costs of maintaining the App Store and enforcing its content, privacy, and security policies.
Spotify had claimed that Apple uses its App Store to stifle innovation and limit users to its own Music service. Rakuten also made a similar complaint alleging that it’s anti-competitive for Apple to take a 30 percent commission on ebooks sold through the App Store while promoting its own Apple Books service.
More recently, Epic games have opposed Apple’s store policies, filing an antitrust suit earlier in the year. Apple has also made some adjustments. It’s now allowing some video streaming apps to bypass the App Store cut. Also, it reduced its App Store commission rate to 15 percent for developers with under $1 million in annual revenue.
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Property giant Megaworld is boosting its e-commerce facilities to fast track the recovery of its commercial and hotel businesses, which have been greatly affected by the coronavirus pandemic, its press release said.
It is set to roll out digital platforms that are aimed at “enhancing customer experience” under the so-called “new reality”, such as ‘e-concierge’, a mobile application that allows guests to have contactless interaction with hotel staff, from check-in to check-out, including virtual ordering of food from various food and beverage outlets in the hotels.
“Our e-commerce platforms will give our customers the convenience and comfort that they need as we take their safety and well-being to a whole new level. We will also do the same for our mall customers, which will also greatly help our retail tenants,” Kevin Tan, chief strategy officer of Megaworld said.
Megaworld’s net income for the first quarter of 2020 declined by 8 percent to P3.8-billion from P4.1-billion during the same period last year.
For the period ending March 31, it registered cash reserves amounting to P25.7-billion and a net debt-to-equity ratio of 26 percent.
It also reduced its capital spending for the year from P60-billion to just P36-billion, the press release added.*
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Coffee chain Starbucks Corp.
over the past year has racked up allegations of labor-law violations and accusations of retaliation against employees in its effort to squash a unionization drive. But at least one analyst survey finds that consumers are largely indifferent.
The survey of roughly 1,000 customers, conducted by equity research firm BTIG, found that 4% indicated that “they would never visit again if Starbucks and the unions failed to reach an agreement,” analyst Peter Saleh said in a research note on Thursday. A majority, 69%, said it would have “no impact on visit frequency.”
“Among the rest, 16% indicated they would visit less often, while 11% said they would be more frequent customers, essentially offsetting each other,” he continued.
The findings were largely in keeping with a survey the equity research firm released in April. Saleh has a buy rating on Starbucks shares, and on Thursday raised his price target to $120 from $110.
Other surveys, however, have shown support for unionizing at Starbucks and nationwide.
In February, a poll of roughly 2,500 people from Blue Rose Research, conducted on behalf of More Perfect Union, a website focused on workers issues, found that four in 10 respondents bought something at Starbucks over the past six months. Of those, 69% said they backed Starbucks’ employees efforts to organize. The survey found that around two-thirds overall believed Starbucks workers needed a union.
More broadly, Gallup, in August, said that 71% of Americans approve of labor unions. That’s the highest on record for the polling firm began tracking the issue since 1965.
Saleh, in the note on Thursday, said he expected negotiations between the Starbucks union and company representatives to continue for the rest of the year, “or until one side decides the cost of the ongoing campaign is greater than that of a contract agreement.”
Some Starbucks investors have called for closer scrutiny over how the company is handling the unionization effort at its stores. At the World Economic Forum this week in Davos, Switzerland, Labor Secretary Marty Walsh said that amid rising inequality, company executives needed to take a more active role in talks with labor unions.
Despite higher-profile efforts to unionize at Starbucks, Amazon.com Inc.
and other retailers, the percentage of U.S. workers who were union members continued to fall in 2022, to 10.1%, the lowest on record. However, the agency said the number of people in unions had crept higher.
“The number of wage and salary workers belonging to unions, at 14.3 million in 2022, increased by 273,000, or 1.9 percent, from 2021. However, the total number of wage and salary workers grew by 5.3 million (mostly among nonunion workers), or 3.9 percent,” the agency said in the report.
“This disproportionately large increase in the number of total wage and salary employment compared with the increase in the number of union members led to a decrease in the union membership rate,” the report continued.


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Home » Uncategorized » VIDEO: 2020 Lincoln Corsair
OurAutoExpert takes a look at the latest luxury crossover to come from Lincoln.
The post VIDEO: 2020 Lincoln Corsair appeared first on autoNXT.net.
Published on: October 7, 2019
Filled Under: Uncategorized
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June 2, 2020 •
2021 BMW 4 Series Coupe At the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show, BMW revealed the Concept 4 — an advance look at an upcoming 4 Series Coupe — and the biggest industry talking point
© 2020 TestMiles.Com | Automotive Industry News / Car Reviews


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Kudzai M. Mubaiwa
I am still convinced we should be focusing more on Small to Medium Enterprises than big business in Zimbabwe. The past two decades have seen many big businesses fail and others completely collapse due to business models that are failing to survive the dynamic Zimbabwe economy.
There are enterprises that exist today that came up only because they are filling in gaps left by large ones that folded.
The tough economic conditions have left consumers extremely price sensitive, and willing to compromise on quality of household goods.
For example there are many new brands that have emerged in dairy products, peanut butter, dry goods, cooking oil, household cleaning agents, soap, fuel stations.
Some major brands that offer these goods have survived but they face stiff competition and are often undercut by pricing. They struggle to respond as quickly and therefore cannot turn-over the historical large volumes.
We also know that many large companies invested in equipment and machinery sometime back when we only used United States dollars.
Shifting product or decommissioning the machinery will be costly and some continue to offer the market the same type of goods in the hope of recouping their investment.
Unfortunately they may not be able to compete with fairly new ventures that have not committed as much.
Prices are continually changing in Zimbabwe because of information and perceptions, which in turn push up (or depress) the informal exchange rate between the bond note and the United States dollar, certainly a notable premium from the official one to one Reserve Bank rate.
This period before elections makes it even worse as speculation is rife. Business — large and small — is unsure of the direction the economy will take. We will import a lot of raw materials — whether components or chemical substances used to make products.
The uncertainty on what the price will be on subsequent production cycles forces many to price in for a likely hike and this has made prices on supermarket shelves spike.
Consumers, with limited disposable income can only afford so much and so many items that are non-basic are completely struck off grocery lists — or a more affordable product is purchased. This affordable product has increasingly become local SME brands.
This is a good thing for local business owners but not necessarily good for old big brands, unless they too introduce a value product.
Another interesting phenomenon is that of former employees of large corporations that are starting up. Because certain big business has failed due to inflexible economic models — certain smart former employees are coming together and producing a similar product from that made with their former employers. They simply do it at a smaller scale, with a leaner team and smaller investment.
They are able to leverage the relationships from past suppliers and customers, and in some cases produce an even better quality offering as they can innovate in ways they could not under big business arrangements.
They replicate the good systems and discard the old, inefficient methods. Some businesses that started off in this was a decade ago have now carved out niches for themselves and are comparable with their erstwhile employers.
They thus cannibalise the market and eat into what were monopolies or huge market shares.
Consumers in Zimbabwe are no longer afraid to try new things and through word of mouth a once unknown brand can easily grow. Such was the case recently with a certain cordial company that changed a formula.
Consumers started sharing endorsement of an alternate product of similar quality and it has started picking up.
The fact of the matter now is anyone can prosper in the Zimbabwean market if they offer a quality product.
This understanding must inspire government to invest much more in making “Zimbabwe open for local business”.
There is no harm in receiving foreign investment, and making it easy for new business to enter, however, this must not be at the expense of those local brands that have emerged in this season.
They too need support in the form of accessible funding, workable tax regimes and endorsements. They are quite likely to play the long game and will produce meaningful employment for local people.
They will develop products and services that serve the local tastes and preferences. They will be loyal to local economic development agendas because they are natives of the land.
Across the world, disruption is the name of the game in every sector. Big business will not be spared.
Companies are becoming smaller, leaner and more efficient by using new economic models and technology.
As a nation that has been struggling, we have an opportunity to start on a new trajectory and leap frog such that our new companies are already in the new season. It cannot be a new dispensation when we are fixated with the old models.
Large companies must actually self-introspect and rethink their models. They must not be afraid to replace their own most profitable products and services if they no longer serve the market.
They must be deliberate in setting up new business units that compete with the old — start-ups within the current company. This needs to be done with correct timing before the present products demand declines.
Replacement of products can be completely new ones coming in or an incremental approach can be adopted.
Big companies can also consider buying into the new emerging SMEs to leverage on the innovation whilst bringing in their good points.
It can no longer be business as usual if we intend the economy to grow in a sustainable way.
Small, efficient companies are the model for the now and for the future and we must embrace that. Businesses that do not continue to innovate and respond quickly and appropriately to the changing market landscape — particularly consumer needs, will die.
Greater effort and resources must be poured into scaling up the SMEs that are doing well than in making operations easy for big business with old models.
Feedback: Twitter @kumub, Email [email protected]


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"Financial returns are simply the result of Apple's innovation, putting our products and customers first, and always staying true to our values", Cook wrote.
What seemed to be once unthinkable is now a reality: with Apple's stock price hitting an all-time high of $207.05 on Thursday, the tech titan has become the first listed U.S. company to boast of a trillion-dollar market valuation.
The answer is nearly certainly yes.
At press time Apple's stock cost $206.90 and its market capitalization was $1.017 trillion.
But not all companies get big that way. Overall revenue rose 17%, to $53.3 billion, and profits, 32%, to $11.5 billion.
Behind Apple are Amazon, Google parent Alphabet, Microsoft and Facebook. And as long as these companies continue to generate long-term earnings growth - as virtually every analyst expects - their share prices will continue to rise over the long haul.
Evans did not expect anything surprising from Apple in the near future, with many "boring quarters" in store before the company unveils smart glasses or high-tech cars. Also propelling Apple higher in recent months was Apple's announcement that it earmarked $100 billion for a new share repurchase program.
The feat was achieved momentarily by PetroChina in 2007, after a successful debut on the Shanghai Stock Exchange that same year.
Rises in services revenue have come with jumps in Apple Pay, Apple Music and other programs. It's a trend the analyst expects to continue to accelerate through next year and beyond.
Higher average selling prices equal higher profit margins, by the way.
Going forward, Apple, and other firms, will be looking to sell us different products because phones and computers have matured to a point where we feel like we don't need to buy a new one as often. Second, Apple compares well with the broad market on measures of risk, financial strength, and growth potential, which means it arguably deserves a premium valuation.
But for the generations that follow, the instantly recognisable eaten apple seems set (so far) to be one of the brands of the 21st Century. Stocks in general will, of course, have to cooperate.
Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook has a trillion reasons to smile.


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Disney’s Chapek maintained that Mulan is a one-off, and other blockbusters like Black Widow aren’t being considered for a Disney+ release, this move is sure to have an impact on Hollywood as a whole.
Up until this announcement, Mulan was jockeying with Warner Bros’ Tenet to be the first major movie to hit theaters as they began to reopen. But while Warners chose to release Tenet to international markets before the U.S. – and it’s still not clear whether its current early September date will hold – Disney has opted to make Mulan available on streaming for a premium price while releasing theatrically simultaneously.
Depending on how well Mulan performs in both venues, it may impact the way studios release the rest of their 2020 movies. For now, movie fans will have to wait and see.
NEWS:Today, Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Chapek announced Mulan will release in the U.S. and other markets on the Disney+ streaming service Friday, September 4 for $29.99. Mulan will be available via Disney+ in the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, Australia and many Western European countries. The movie will also release theatrically on the same day in markets where movie theaters are open and Disney+ isn’t available.
Mulan was delayed from its original March 27 release date. It was moved to July 24, before being pushed again to August 21. Most recently, Mulan was removed from Disney’s release schedule as the film studio evaluated when and how to released the live-action remake


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A strong jobs reports sent stocks higher once again today as major indexes pushed further into record territory. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES:^DJI) finished the day up 88 points, or 0.5%, to close at 16,924, while the S&P 500 also added on 0.5% to end the session 1,949. The Nasdaq, meanwhile, gained 0.6%.
The Department of Labor reported numbers essentially in line with expectations in the always-anticipated monthly jobs report, saying 217,000 payroll jobs were added in May, and that the unemployment rate held steady at 6.3%. Economists had predicted 220,000, and for the unemployment rate to move up to 6.4%. The report marked the first time since January 2000 that the country has seen four-straight months of 200,000-plus jobs growth, a sign that the labor market is finally making a return to full health after several years of weakness following the financial crisis. The number of long-term unemployed, which spiked because of the recession, remained essentially unchanged at 3.4 million during May, but has fallen by nearly 1 million in the last year. Average hourly earnings also improved by 0.2% last month after no change in April, showing that the improving labor market may be starting to bring up wage levels.
Turning to individual stocks, Hertz Global Holdings (NYSE:HTZ) shares drove off a cliff today, finishing down 9% after the car-rental company said it would have to restate three years of financial reports due to accounting errors. Hertz also said in a filing that its first-quarter results are "likely to be below consensus, reflecting costs associated with the accounting review." The accounting errors relate to depreciation of non-fleet assets, its allowance for doubtful accounts in Brazil, and other items. We should learn more when the company reports earnings on Monday. The car-rental industry also got a jolt from Uber, which was valued at $17 billion, in its latest round of fundraising today. The app-driven ride service is more of a substitute for cabs than car rentals, but that price tag makes it more valuable than even Hertz, the industry leader, which carries a market cap of $12 billion. As Uber grows, it could present more of a threat to traditional players like Hertz.
Moving higher today was Quiksilver, (NYSE: ZQK), which finished up 10% on insider buying. Shares of the surf-inspired apparel company had fallen 40% earlier this week on an unseemly earnings report, but today, the CEO and CFO both purchased 100,000 shares in the company, a sign of faith as the company struggles with falling sales and widening losses with competition increasing. UBS also released a note saying that Quiksilver remains an attractive acquisition target for V.F. Corp, the parent of clothing companies like Timberland and North Face, which is known for buying big-name brands. With its low price tag and collection of well-known brands including Roxy and DC, a buyout may be the best hope for Quiksilver investors at this point.


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Xiaomi’s upcoming flagship smartphone Mi 6 has been doing rounds in the rumour mill for quite some time now. And thanks to leaked renders we have an idea how the smartphone will look. While some renders hint a dual camera setup, a new rumour seems to list the price of the upcoming smartphone and its variants.
According to the technology news website GizChina, Xiaomi Mi 6 will be launched in 4GB RAM/32GB ROM, 4GB RAM/64GB ROM and 6GB RAM/128GB ROM variants priced at CNY 1,999 (approx Rs 19,000), CNY 2,299 (approx Rs 21,800) and CNY 2,699 (approx Rs. 25,600), respectively.
The Xiaomi Mi 6 Plus in turn allegedly features 4GB RAM/64GB ROM, 6GB RAM/128GB ROM and 8GB RAM/256GB ROM variants and will be priced at CNY 2,599 (approx Rs 24,700), CNY 2,999 (approx Rs 28,500) and CNY 3,499 (approx Rs 33,200), respectively.
As for the specifications, the Mi 6 is tipped to sport Quad HD 2K OLED display with dual curved edges just like Samsung’s S7 edge. It is also expected to feature a dual camera setup. Both the smartphone are likely to be powered by a Snapdragon 835 processors and will support Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 4.0 for fast charging. The bigger variant is expected to draw its power from a 4000mAh battery.
Consumers will have to wait for the company to an official announcement for confirmations. However, if the pricing is true, it seems very competitive, which is expected from the company.


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Samsung plans to launch its own cryptocurrency service along with the new Galaxy S10 smartphone some time in February. According to a number of online sources, images of the S10 have been leaked and they show the device running a Samsung Blockchain Keystore app. Website 91mobiles.com describes what its writers have seen: “One of them is a splash screen of the app, which notes that Blockchain KeyStore “is a secure and convenient place for your cryptocurrency.” The app will allow users to import their existing cryptocurrency from a previous wallet in addition to creating a new wallet.”
It adds, “In the image, Ethereum is listed as a supported cryptocurrency but according to Sammobile the app will support Bitcoin, Ethereum-derived token ERC20 and Bitcoin Cash at launch.”
Eagle-eyed viewers have also spotted that in the biometrics and security section of Settings there is a menu item for Blockchain Keystore; this would allow users to manage their blockchain private key securely.
SamMobile has also issued a report stating that a cryptocurrency service would be in two parts: a cold wallet for digital asset storage plus public and private keys storage and the private key signing mechanism for transactions. The second part would be a crypto wallet where users could view their account information and transaction history.
The leaked images also reveal other aspects of the latest Samsung Galaxy, one of the world’s most popular smartphones: in the S10 the bezels are non existent and there’s a punch-hole front camera on the top right corner of the display, for starters. The Galaxy S10 an S10+ are expected to launch on 20th February. The S10 will come in two versions; 6GB and 8GB, while the S10+ will have an additional 12GB model.


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In a Windows as a Service AMA on March 4, 2017, the question was posed about Microsoft moving away from Current Branch (CB) and Current Branch for Business (CBB) as the labels that help customers identify the latest official builds for Windows 10. Microsoft has used these terms and acronyms since Windows debuted in 2015.
Michael Niehaus confirmed that the company will be moving to new identifiers: Semi-Annual Branch (SAB) and the Semi-Annual Branch Channel (SABC).
The name change attempts to realign Windows 10 with the new model of big feature delivery twice a year in March and September.
Looking for an awesome, no-nonsense technical conference for IT Pros, Developers, and DevOps? IT/Dev Connections kicks off in San Francisco in 2017!


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“I Will By no means Marketing campaign For Any APC, PDP Member Once more” – Nollywood Actress, Iyabo Ojo Vows
Iyabo Ojo, a preferred Nigerian actress has promised to by no means marketing campaign or help any member of PDP and APC within the forthcoming elections.
The actress made this identified in a social media put up laced with Finish Unhealthy Governance hashtag.
In line with Iyabo Ojo, Nigeria must cease recycling leaders.
“I Alice Iyabo Ojo won’t ever help or marketing campaign for any APC or PDP member once more in my life even if you’re my household or mates. We’d like a brand new Nigeria. We have to cease recycling.”
Her put up comes days after youths took to the road to demand an finish to unhealthy governance in Nigeria.


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November 22, 2016
The news of GoPro recalling its brand-new Karma drone is all over the internet. Shortly after its much anticipated launch these drones started falling out of the sky. Unexpected power loss is not something most operators are prepared for.
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LONDON, March 31 (Reuters) – Private equity firm Montagu Private Equity is mulling the sale of Ireland-based survival technology manufacturer Survitec Group, banking sources said on Tuesday.
The possible sale of the life jacket and life raft manufacturer is expected to attract interest from trade and private equity buyers, one of the bankers said.
Survitec, which supplies lifeboats to the US Navy and inflatable hospitals to the Red Cross, could fetch a sale price of around 200 million pounds although valuations remain difficult to assess, a second banker said.
Rothschild is expected to be appointed to advise on a possible sale, two bankers said, adding that the informal process is at an early stage.
A third banker said that the information memo for the sale had already been issued.
Montagu Private Equity bought Survitec for £146m in 2004 from Alchemy Partners in a management buyout.
The buyout was backed with a £105m pound loan arranged by Barclays, according to Thomson Reuters LPC data.
Sponsor Montagu Private Equity is also looking to sell German sausage casings maker Kalle Nalo, but bankers said the sale is proceeding slowly amid difficult market conditions.
(By Zaida Espana and Tessa Walsh. Editing by Greg Mahlich)


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The Colorado Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) claims that it"admits the attention of companion animal owners and veterinarians concerning the possible advantages of marijuana treatments for many different animal medical ailments. Very similar to human medicine, there's very limited information on the health care benefits and side effects of marijuana goods in companion animals.
"The challenge is that while doctors can advocate (but not prescribe) cannabis due to their patients, California veterinarians are lawfully prevented by providing pet owners guidance or advice concerning the use of medical cannabis. While all cannabis, even CBD, remains more prohibited, pet owners may buy and give CBD for their pets in lawful conditions. However, based on their condition principles, vets might risk losing their licenses if they broach the topic.
He has also detected dogs using low-grade seizures that could stop their anticonvulsant remedies by switching into cannabis, but notes that this does not occur in each situation and warns it is always dangerous to bring a creature off a prescribed seizure medicine. The quandary maintaining vets from informing their patients on marijuana effectively compelled Dr. Tim Shu, an emergency vet of seven decades in Los Angeles - out of the health care area and to the industry.
Frustrated with the inability to lawfully provide cannabis to pets later he had seen the numerous advantages the plant could supply them. The 35-year-old stopped his clinic in 2015 to start his L.A. firm VetCBD, which supplies CBD pet nutritional supplements. Just like many matters cannabis, in regards to bud for pets, the principles haven't caught up with all the science, the company or the civilization.
You might have observed a sign on the regional pet shop or dispensary advertisements CBD -- that the chemical compound in cannabis that does not get you high and has revealed multiple health benefits in people -- for pets.
Cannabis companies are flocking into the 30 billion pet marketplace, offering CBD pet nutritional supplements and other pot-infused health products for animals. Since California unites seven other nations in legalizing the plant for adult usage, pet owners, veterinarians and dispensaries are considering how cannabis may benefit critters.
After Colorado legalized marijuana in 2012, Silver detected animals undergoing cannabinoid treatments and recovering from ailments which had been difficult to deal with with conventional or alternative integrative medicine approaches. Silver, 68, was doubtful about medical marijuana, but over the decades started to observe how animals take advantage of cannabinoid remedies. She says people are providing cannabis to cats and dogs to decrease noise phobia, itching and anxiety; control anxiety, particularly with arthritis; reduce the seriousness and frequency of seizures; and cure a number of different ailments.
Her firm began as a house kitchen endeavor to assist her aging pet Brady and young puppy Austin, but it immediately turned into a company as demand increased. The matter is"in the forefront of this dialogue from the veterinary world at this time," he stated, as laws is going to be debated during the upcoming few months.
However, Richter warns that although CBD is clinically valuable, THC, the chemical compound in cannabis accountable for the"large" effect, may be harmful to animals. THC overdoses in puppies particularly lead might to medical issues and, in extreme circumstances, death. He considers cannabis ought to be given to pets just as a medication, according to a vet's professional analysis and doses to prevent complications.
Silver said he's cancer tumors shrink and lots of enter total remission using cannabis, noting that in certain instances CBD will do the trick, and others a mix of THC and CBD functions best. He has also seen dogs which were awarded CBD in area of the prescribed arthritis medication"fared better compared to NSAIDs." However, what do veterinarians consider the security and benefits of marijuana for creatures? He notes that for every pet owner searching for a product, formulation and dosing will be the crucial things to look out for. She grew interested in marijuana for pets following her dog responded badly to some pharmaceutical anxiety medicine her vet in the time advocated. Cannabis supplements did miracles, she stated, with no unwanted effects of the medication. Her goods are found on the web and in shops and vet clinics in addition to animal rehab centers in 15 countries, including California. She stated that the vet practices can carry her hemp-derived CBD merchandise as they've freelancer licenses, which makes them retail establishments selling a hemp merchandise.
Silver advocates pet owners adhere to CBD and berry to prevent the complicated and potentially harmful effects of THC in puppies and other critters, and notes that pet owners in nations lacking medical marijuana legislation may buy CBD pet products on the internet. But anyone considering buying cannabis, even because of their pets, ought to take care to check in their nations' laws surrounding purchasing CBD goods, and keep in mind that even in nations where cannabis is legal, CBD and other cannabis products aren't federally legal. "I am pleased to perform one on you to help owners find answers to their pets' problems. Many times we're the last hotel after failed drugs and other treatment choices." Despite lots of anecdotes and lots of animal studies (frequently designed to evaluate and evaluate the possible effects of cannabis for individual use), Silver notes veterinary studies of cannabis are lacking"since the DEA has placed a grip on study by veterinarians which makes it rather hard for them to utilize even non-psychotropic hemp." "There's a belief that cannabis is 100 percent secure," he explained. "This isn't accurate, particularly in pets. In rare circumstances, an overdose of cannabis could be deadly."
Richter is a portion of a movement among vets to modify regulations so that vets can manage medical cannabis for creatures.
"Every creature with a spinal column also has an endocannabinoid system, therefore it makes sense that cannabis will help lots of species," she explained. "I believe we have reached an inflection point in society today where cannabis use in people is becoming far more widespread and approved. People today see how it will in people and would like to offer the very same advantages for their pets." "While there are a few differences in how cannabis affects pets when compared with people, they may benefit in lots of the very same ways people do," Richter explained. He adds that his professional expertise"has shown me that there's enormous potential to deal with medical conditions together with cannabis." "Products should clearly say the cannabinoid contents and ought to be lab-tested by third party labs for effectiveness, insecticides and pesticides to guarantee efficacy and safety." He's spent decades of his career advocating for its vet use of hemp, and more lately cannabinoids.
The wiring which produces cannabis successful in people and animals is called the endocannabinoid system, a string of receptors within the body and throughout the body which regulate many physiological processes such as mood, pain, appetite, memory and much more. Richter has been vocal about this issue of cannabis for pets, exploring its applications for the previous 3 decades.


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Shoppers are expected to queue overnight in a bid to bag a freebie when Rochdale’s latest Aldi store opens next week.
Teakwando world champion Bianca Walkden will cut the ribbon at the supermarket on Elizabethan Way, Milnrow , at 8am on Thursday.
To mark the opening, Aldi will be handing out golden envelopes to the first 100 people in the queue, each containing a prize.
Lucky customers will be in with the chance of winning a 55ins TV, Aldi hamper, slow juicers, bags of Aldi shopping and vouchers to spend in store.
Store manager Caroline Nield, said: “The team and I are really looking forward to welcoming customers into the store on the morning of the opening, and with some great golden ticket prizes up for grabs, we’re expecting a big turnout.
“We hope customers enjoy their new Aldi store, and I’d like thank the local community for their patience during the development.”
Aldi is also going to buy a practice net for Milnrow’s Cricket Club’s youth teams, which will be handed over later in the year and will also be donating a range of products to charity Petrus, to help support homeless people in the area.
Shoppers began queuing at midnight when the Aldi store opened on Mellor Street near the town centre in September.
The Milnrow store will be the fourth Aldi in Rochdale. Ten new jobs have been created by the opening.


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Pink Floyd, sans Roger Waters, unleashed new music for the first time in two decades with the release of an album and a music video for "Louder Than Words."
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"Friday" singer Rebecca Black knows her days of the week, but she's confused about one major thing: "WHY ISNT 1989 ON SPOTIFY????????" Spotify told us why.
Music and technology go hand-in-hand. Many artists are so intrigued by the connected world that they craft entire albums of tech-themed tracks. From Neo-Luddite musings about the Internet to gung-ho reception of robots and androids, various musicians tie their album concepts to a fascination with the digital age.. See also: 13 Must-Follow Musicians on Instagram Here are 12 artists who have released albums inspired by technology, from Radiohead to M.I.A.
"ARTPOP" by Lady Gaga “could mean anything,” as sung in the title track on the album. With the release of Lady Gaga’s third studio album “ARTPOP,” Gaga and her TechHaus team have built an intriguing companion app. The main question is whether the ARTPOP app is more than a gimmicky way to boost album sales. The "ARTPOP" app is centralized around the idea of “the auras,” which is the community of users within the app.
Alanis Morissette is working on a Broadway musical for her 1995 album "Jagged Little Pill." The musical will feature every song from the album -- including "You Outta Know," "Ironic" and "Hand in My Pocket" -- which won Best Album of the Year at the 1995 Grammy Awards. “Tony and Pulitzer winner Tom Kitt, who worked on Green Day’s American Idiot musical, will provide orchestration and arrangements for the musical, also called Jagged Little Pill,” according to Rolling Stone.
Some album covers are as iconic as the songs they hold. Now, SoundCloud is re-imagining them for the digital age. The online audio platform now allows its users to connect their Instagram accounts to their profiles and use their filtered photos as a new kind of album artwork. See also: 10 Visual Vine Tributes to Your Favorite Albums The integration means that users will be able to add photos to both new and existing sounds and playlists.
In an era when nearly every new album is leaked in one form or another, it should come as little surprise that a forthcoming release of new material from The Beatles was unearthed by some very savvy Internet sleuths. Apparently set for a November release, Australian-based Beatles blog WogBlog discovered the information thanks to a quietly placed post on the MCA Music – Philippines (MCA is owned by Universal Records, which own the rights to The Beatles catalog) Facebook page a few weeks ago.
David Bowie, who released his first song in a decade and announced a forthcoming album this week, is on top of the music world again — at least on iTunes.
Google's blog is announcing the release of Picasa for Mac at MacWorld. Even though they've previously released a Picasa Web Albums uploader and iPhone plug-in, the full-featured free software offers Mac users a way to edit, upload, and share video and images, surpassing iPhoto in feature set and maybe even usability.
One of my fondest memories as a kid was saving up my money and making the trip to the record store where I would spend what seemed like hours going through the LP bins. Finally, I would narrow down my selection to what money I had in my pocket. Sometimes I would be able to get only one album, maybe two or on those rare occasions when there was a sale going on I’d get more.


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British domain registry Nominet has withdrawn its plans to create a new ‘direct.uk’ extension after it received feedback and lack of consensus of support. In a post announcing the decision, the company said that respondents felt that the release mechanism “did not give enough weighting to existing registrants, and could lead to confusion if they could not obtain the corresponding domain.”
Nominet is the non-profit organization tasked with managing the UK’s namespace. It had hoped to implement a new domain that would allow UK businesses to register domains at the second level, that is yourbusiness.uk instead of the more traditional yourbusiness.co.uk. However, while some might think this plan would be good from a security standpoint, it has received backlash as well.
According to The Guardian, the company’s proposal offered no guaranteed rights for the 3 million businesses already using a .co.uk extension, nor the thousands of non-profit and charities on .org.uk and .me.uk extensions. The newspaper says that the new domains would have been released “as a separate prouct”, which give trademark-holders priority over third-level domain holders (the .co.uk, .org.uk, or the .me.uk groups) and the general public.
Over lack of support for its proposal, Nominet says that it’s going back to the drawing board and will evaluate whether it can come up with a revised proposal. It expects to explore a few things over the next few months, including a focus on registrant verification and ensure that the company has a physical UK presence, an investigation into the impact of this plan on the small and medium business sector, and even a pricing model.
If a shorter .uk suffix can be successfully introduced, Nominet says that existing third-level domains will be supported.
The registry has planned another board meeting in June and it is probably there when any alternative option will be presented.
Photo credit: LOCOG via Getty Images