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Indie music reverberates throughout Helm-Cravens Library’s two-story lobby area and mingles with the mixed conversations of patrons, most of them students stopping for coffee between classes.
Memphis, Tenn., senior Kristen Bernhardt grins as she glances over her shoulder at the long line in front of the counter at Java City.
“It’s usually quiet,” Bernhardt said.
One reason for the congestion could be that there is currently only one coffee establishment that accepts meal plans on Western Kentucky University’s campus. When WKU started renovations on Downing University Center, a multi-purpose student center, at the end of the spring 2012 semester, the construction knocked out the Java City in that building. Any caffeine-craving students now have to focus their attention on the Helm-Cravens location if they want to use meal plans. Or they can go to Einstein Bros. Bagels in Mass Media and Technology Hall and pay by other means.
But the crowds could be moving back to DUC next fall. Posters in Topper Café, the temporary building that houses Fresh Food Company, indicate a Starbucks will replace Java City when construction on that portion of DUC is completed.
But according to section 6.1.4 in the WKU and Aramark Dining Services Agreement¾ available on the College Heights Herald’s website¾ WKU and Aramark can come to an agreement to replace the planned-for Starbucks with another Java City again if they choose.
The exact clause reads, “This is a continuation of the current program in Downing University Center. Starbucks may be replaced with Java City upon mutual Agreement between the UNIVERSITY (sic) and ARAMARK (sic).”
Bernhardt said she enjoys frequenting Java City for the usually relaxed atmosphere and available seating while she sips her coffee during her two-hour break from classes on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. But she said¾ her eyes wide with excitement¾ putting in a Starbucks would be a good move on the university’s part.
“It pretty much comes down to the coffee,” Bernhardt said. “Starbucks just hits it better.”
As far as the range of products the two establishments supply, Bernhardt said there isn’t much of a difference.
“Variety-wise, they pretty much have the same thing,” she said. “But Starbucks tastes better, I think.”
Bernhardt also said the availability of Starbucks gift cards on campus would be a perk for the “poor college kid.”
Although Bernhardt has visited the Helm-Cravens Java City location frequently this semester, she said she went more often when there was one in DUC because it was a better place to sit and enjoy her coffee. She said she’s disappointed she won’t get to see a Starbucks on campus.
“I’m so mad I’m graduating [before Starbucks opens],” she said.
Bernhardt said she thought Starbucks’ arrival on WKU’s campus was “pretty much determined,” considering she heard about Starbucks coming to WKU from a Java City employee.
“It’s not like keeping Java City will hurt anyone, but Starbucks will help,” Bernhardt said.
Even if WKU and Aramark decide against putting a Starbucks in DUC, Bernhardt said students will have to deal with being let down.
“It’s not really students’ decision,” she said. “From a business standpoint, WKU has to do what’s best for the school.”
If WKU and Aramark go through with opening a Starbucks, as the advertising seems to suggest, Bernhardt has one request.
“If they get Starbucks, I want them to keep the Java City employees,” she said.
According to Tim Colley, Resident District Manager for WKU Restaurant & Catering Group, the DUC Java City employees have gone to different locations on campus.
“We had opportunities for all our employees,” Colley said.
Graduate student Brittany Ryan, an office associate at the Alive Center who is pursuing a master’s in social responsibility and sustainable communities, said Starbucks is one of her favorite coffee joints.
“Even when I was in my undergrad, I preferred Starbucks,” she said. “I just like the coffee better.”
Ryan said she typically goes to Starbucks two times a week.
“More [times], if I’m stressed,” she said.
Ryan said convenience is important to her, and Starbucks provides that better than Java City on campus. Because of parking issues near Java City, Starbucks is a quicker visit for her. She also likes the technology Starbucks provides by allowing her to have her Starbucks card on her phone. The cashier only has to scan the barcode on her phone for her to pay. Getting her syrups and soy free is also a plus.
Ryan said Starbucks is also good at making the same drink every time and giving its customers what they expect. She felt pretty confident the internationally popular coffee dive will come to campus because she heard the news from her brother, who used to work at the WKU Store. But Ryan said even if Starbucks didn’t replace the DUC Java City, it wouldn’t matter.
“At the end of the day, coffee’s coffee,” she said. “Normally, it’s, ‘I need coffee right now.’ Students will get what’s there [on campus].”
If WKU ended up not opening a Starbucks, it would not exactly be far-fetched, given dining services’ track record with campus eateries. During the fall 2009 semester, the DUC food court housed a Pizza Hut and a sushi stand. By the fall 2010 semester, Papa John’s had replaced Pizza Hut and still shares space with RedZone. The sushi stand disappeared to make room for Greens To Go, a salad place, and another Izzi’s, a Mexican food joint, to match one in the Garrett Conference Center.
This semester, students have expressed frustration over RedZone, a popular sports bar-style restaurant, and the much-anticipated Panda Express not being open on time.
According to a June article in the Herald, Panda Express was set to open at the start of fall semester classes. When the start of the fall semester came and went, a September Herald article quoted Colley as saying Panda Express and RedZone would be open on Oct. 1.
Panda Express opened on Oct. 4 during fall break, and RedZone opened Oct. 15.
But, as Colley has also said in previous articles, construction makes things uncertain.
“Any time you have construction projects….there’s always a possibility with things not going according to schedule,” Colley said. “None of [the delays] were planned or hoped for, that just happens with construction.”
Colley said student surveys and WKU’s wanting to “upgrade” campus with new brands motivated the university’s decision to bring new dining locations to campus. He said dining services tries to adhere to students’ requests, and the services came through when there was a high demand for international cuisine.
“The number one option [from student surveys] was Asian, and now we have a Panda Express,” Colley said.
Colley said months of negotiations between WKU and Aramark precede food option decisions, but he said he thinks the food portfolio WKU has is “the finest in the state.”
“We’re trying to stay leading edge and current and fresh in providing those things,” he said.
Another big request from students was for a Starbucks on campus. Colley said the clause in the dining services agreement available on the Herald’s website must be the one from when WKU and Aramark were still in the negotiation phase.
“We’ve been dealing with Starbucks for, oh gosh, several years now,” he said.
Colley said WKU and Aramark try to expand the food portfolio with several different coffee options, and having Java City, Einstein Bros. Bagels and Starbucks was a good way to achieve variety in atmosphere and taste selection.
In order for Starbucks to come to campus, Colley said the DUC renovations were necessary to satisfy the establishment’s location preferences.
Although Colley said the project wasn’t 100 percent, he is very confident there will be a Starbucks on campus, and the university is moving forward with the plan.
“As of today, our plan is to put a Starbucks in the new Downing University Center,” Colley said.
By the time the DUC renovations are completed, the deafening chatter and claustrophobic lines in Java City may disperse to the coffee restaurant students have been waiting for: Starbucks.


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The success of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds has become scary. Over 10 million units have been sold on PC alone and the game still hasn’t been finished. Bluehole also announced that updates will come slower. All this why Brandon aka “Player Unknown” keeps making promises on Twitter that he can’t keep. Seems like some miscommunication is going on.
Since all these missteps Bluehole has announced that they’re working on a Xbox One version of PUBG. So what’s one more version of the game right? Our mole claims that they’re currently in “talks” with Sony to bring PUBG to the PS4 platform. Just don’t get too excited. The game still isn’t finished on PC and H1Z1 still hasn’t come to the PS4. It’s starting to feel like Bluehole needs to pump their breaks.
Finish the PC version!

domain: news


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Although Mazda's RX-8 sports coupe was discontinued after 2011, the automaker is already planning its successor. According to Left Lane News, Mazda is resurrecting the RX-7 name for a new lightweight sports coupe. Don’t get too excited, though; it likely won’t be on sale until 2017.
Like the RX-8 and the original RX-7 (model-year 2001 pictured), which was canceled in 2002, the new version will use a rotary engine. Left Lane is reporting that it will use Mazda's next-generation 1.6-liter rotary engine. Horsepower is estimated at 300.
According to Mazda engineers, the car will use a lot of aluminum, making it as lightweight as its main competitors: the Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ. The two-seat coupe will likely be based off of the next-generation MX-5 Miata platform, Left Lane reports.
Mazda told Left Lane that the car's price will fall between Nissan's sports coupes, which doesn't say much. Topline versions of the 2013 370Z start at $43,810 and the GT-R starts at $97,820 (all prices include a destination charge). In its final year, the Mazda RX-8 had an MSRP of $26,795, meaning the next RX-7 will be much more expensive by comparison.
The automaker has not returned our request for comment.


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AN Argos worker who came up with an idea which saved the company more than £1.5million received a £10 gift voucher as a thank you.
Mark Heslehurst, 52, sent a list of suggestions after the catalogue business was taken over by supermarket giant Sainsbury’s.
All staff had been asked to email ideas to chairman Mike Coupe and delivery driver Mark’s included Argos vans using Sainsbury’s petrol stations only.
The idea was introduced and a manager said the savings would be “about £1.5million”.
Mark, who earns the minimum £7.50 an hour, said: “It did seem quite an obvious thing to do but I guess ideas can get over-looked.
MOST READ IN NEWS
“I got a £10 gift voucher, which was nice. But in light of how much money I have saved the company, perhaps they might have done something more. I enjoy working for them but I think on this occasion they got it wrong.”
Single dad Mark, of Middlesbrough, has been at Argos two years.
He works 16 hours a week and cares for son Edward, 14.
An Argos spokeswoman said the idea had already been thought of, but thanked Mark for the suggestion.


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Corrimal’s growing town centre could soon have a new multi-storey retail and residential building atop one of its most run-down blocks, if plans to install an Aldi and childcare centre complex at Underwood Street are approved.
The four-storey development would replace the town’s derelict former Mitre 10 site, and include a 1500-square-metre Aldi supermarket, 49 apartments, a 122-place childcare centre and 171 car spaces.
Plans lodged with Wollongong City Council by Think Planners on behalf of Mintus Properties note the site – at the corner of Underwood and Russell street and Bertram Lane – has been vacant for years, and has fallen into a state of disrepair.
The application says the existing building is a safety hazard, detracts from the town’s street scape and limits the “vibrancy, viability and overall economic performance of the [Corrimal] town centre”.
“The development aims to present a strong and attractive interface that addresses the site’s prominent corner location [while] improving street level activation and legibility of the area for pedestrians and residents,” documents now on exhibition said.
“[It] will ensure that the north-western portion of the town centre will be a vibrant place with a variety of commercial uses to service the needs of the surrounding established residential areas.
“Furthermore, the proposal will also increase housing opportunity and housing mix within the town centre by 49 residential units of varying sizes and types.”
The application has proposed four one-bedroom, 41 two-bedroom and four three-bedroom units.
Four smaller retail tenancies to “activate” the street, the application said.
The childcare centre would operate from 7am to 6pm on weekdays and would be run by Big Fat Smiles, according to the application.
News of the proposed development was welcomed by many Fairfax Media readers last week, with dozens jumping online to voice their approval.
For instance, Julie Pallas said it was the “best idea ever”, while Sandra Shephard said it would “give Woolies and Coles a run for [their] money”.
“Building looks brilliant,” reader Graham Mercer said. “Corrimal needs to be rid of the eyesore on that site.”
Central Corrimal has been pegged for urban renewal for years, with a draft Wollongong City Council strategy released earlier this year proposing an art-filled, leafy, pedestrian safe haven with a higher population and a better variety of retail outlets and services.
Development application documents for the Aldi proposal will be on exhibition though the council’s website until October 21.


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Buying GuideYou'll feel better once you've re-organized your life this spring, and this tech will make the job stink a whole lot less.
Tech deals, prizes and latest news
Get the best tech deals, reviews, product advice, competitions, unmissable tech news and more!
OnePlus 2 release date, news and features
Windows 10 launch: Live Blog!
iPhone 7 release date, news and rumours
10 best mobile phones in the world today
OnePlus 2 hands on review


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When It Happens Panel Get involved: send your photos, videos, news & views by texting 'OXFORD NEWS' to 80360 or email
MEP supports ruling
5:00am Monday 17th March 2014 in News
South East MEP Catherine Bearder has welcomed new rules that will result in universal mobile phone chargers in Europe.
A vote held in the European Parliament on Thursday brought in new rules for electronic devices.
This means all manufacturers will be required to make any new electronic devices on the EU market compatible with a universal charger.
Ms Bearder said: “This is a great victory for common sense. This will mean that finally every electronic device has to be compatible.”
Comments are closed on this article.


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Johnson City Medical Center Begins Offering Einstein Bros. Menu Items at Second On Campus Location
Location Becomes 30th License Location to Begin Offering Menu Items in 2007
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn., Dec. 27 // PRNewswire-FirstCall // -- Patients, employees and visitors of Johnson City Medical Center now have an even more convenient way to get their favorite craveable food and Darn Good Coffee(R), as the facility began serving Einstein Bros.(R) Bagels menu items in a second location at the medical center recently.
The second location serving Einstein Bros. near the front lobby of Johnson City Medical Center is the 30th license location to begin offering Einstein Bros. products in 2007. Guests can now choose from a selection of Einstein Bros.' eclectic sandwiches made with high quality ingredients, crisp, fresh salads and Darn Good Coffee(R).
These items and much more will be served from the medical center's second complete Einstein Bros. license restaurant when it opens next near, which is tentatively scheduled to occur in March. The first Einstein Bros. license restaurant at the Medical Center opened more than a year ago is still serving guests in the Center for Cardiovascular Health. It was also the first Einstein Bros restaurant to open in the region.
"I'm pleased that Johnson City Medical Center has elected to open another Einstein Bros. restaurant on campus," said Paul Carolan, senior vice president of franchising and licensing for Einstein Noah Restaurant Group (Nasdaq: BAGL). "The neighborhood friendly atmosphere and signature menu offerings have proven to be a great fit for Johnson City Medical Center and the health care environment."
There are now 13 license locations at health care facilities that are currently serving Einstein Bros. menu items.
"Einstein Noah Restaurant Group is in growth mode," said Paul Murphy, CEO. "It's a testament to the popularity of the Einstein Bros. experience when one facility, like Johnson City Medical Center, decides to add a second restaurant on the same campus."
About Einstein Noah Restaurant Group
Einstein Noah Restaurant Group, Inc. is a leading company in the quick casual restaurant industry that operates locations primarily under the Einstein Bros. and Noah's New York Bagels brands and primarily franchises locations under the Manhattan Bagel brand. The company's retail system consists of approximately 600 restaurants, including more than 100 license locations, in 36 states and the District of Columbia. It also operates a dough production facility. The company's stock is traded under the symbol BAGL. Visit http://www.einsteinnoah.com for additional information.
Contact: Peter Jakel, (303) 568-8113 or email@example.com
SOURCE Einstein Noah Restaurant Group, Inc.


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The latest Jobber Nation print edition is on its way to automotive aftermarket distribution professionals across Canada, but you can check out the digital edition flipbook here. The cover story details just how deeply committed to being part of the solution the aftermarket has been.
In addition, we look at retailing priorities, why it’s a great time to choose quality brakes, tips for delivery drivers, what’s happening with store brands, and more. Plus we welcome Norm Rose, Excel Sales Consulting as a contributor, who provides great tips for counter professionals.
Plus industry news and products.
Print copies are on the way across Canada, but you can check out the DIGITAL FLIPBOOK HERE


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BlackBerry to buy cybersecurity firm Cylance for $1.4 billion
Besides the cash component, the deal includes the assumption of Cylance’s unvested employee incentives, BlackBerry said.
California-based Cylance develops AI-based products to prevent cyberattacks on companies and recently considered filing for an IPO.
BlackBerry, which dominated the smartphone market a decade ago, has shifted to selling software to manage mobile devices in addition to focusing on emerging areas like autonomous cars.
Cylance will operate as a separate business unit within BlackBerry, the company said. ■


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The Motor and Equipment Remanufacturers Association (MERA) is holding its virtual Re-Connection 2020 on Oct. 5-6, 2020.
The event includes a town hall session with top executives from Cummins. Following their presentations, smaller groups will be formed for further discussion in the areas of:
- Marketing & Core
- Additive Manufacturing
- ReCon Manufacturing
Wondering who is going to win our Successful Dealer Award?
You are in luck. This year's award presentation will be held Nov. 19, and presented live through our website. Sign up now to have access to the event, and learn more about how to better serve your customers from our keynote speaker Al Barner of Fleet Advantage. Sponsored by Interstate Billing, National Truck Protection, Premium 2000 and TopMark Funding.
The town hall will be led by:
- Rob Enright, general manager, new and recon parts
- Patrick Wolf, executive director, marketing
- Kelly Schmitz, executive director, engineering
- Nikhil Doiphode, additive manufacturing leader
- Scott Hoover, quality director, recon manufacturing
In addition MERA customer sessions provide an opportunity for members to interact with key customers, organizers says. The event will allow you to hear from customers on both the automotive and commercial vehicle side of the business. Betts Truck Parts & Service is scheduled for Oct. 5 and the session with NAPA is set for Oct. 6.
Betts’ presentation will discuss its diverse business units, what qualities they look for in a supplier and their views on remanufactured products. NAPA will cover building strong relationships.
To register and view the full agenda, CLICK HERE.


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Today host and (now former) face of Channel Nine, Lisa Wilkinson, has spectacularly quit the network to join rival Ten on a salary reported to being over $2 million a year.
In what can only be described as a PR disaster for Nine and a serious coup for the embattled Ten Network, the 57-year-old Wilkinson will join the network in 2018 in an editorial role and co-host of The Project.
Reports are Wilkinson’s contract negotiations were the reason for her quitting with revelations she was on half the salary of Today co-host Karl Stefanovic who was said to take home a cool $2 million a year. Nine apparently offered $1.8 million but the damage was done and Wilkinson signed with Ten.
What damage Wilkinson’s defection has on the resurgent Nine is yet to be seen. However, for a network that unashamedly courts grocery buying mums then it won’t be a good look at all. The race is now on to fill Wilkinson’s Today spot with Slyvia Jeffreys (Karl’s sister-in-law) believed to be the frontrunner.
Nine has also argued that Stefanovic also did a lot more at the network, hosting This Time Next Year, as an example, hence the higher pay packet. And it will be interesting to see if any mud sticks to Stefanovic following this and his recent and very public divorce.
The other question is what do Ten have in store for Wilkinson? For example, will (potential new owners) CBS want to chance its arm at a possible new breakfast program to play against Today and Sunrise?
Interestingly, Wilkinson may have given the game up back in mid-September when she appeared on Ten’s The Project to discuss Rebel Wilson’s defamation win over Bauer Media. Even then it was deemed odd that one of Nine’s superstars would pop up on a rival network.
Discussing Wilkinson’s departure on Today this morning, Stefanovic said: “For 10 years, Lisa has dragged herself out of bed at 3:30 in the morning, fed the dogs and cats, put a load of washing on and came into work to inform you of what was happening in the world,” he began.
“For 10 years, she handled the brutal hours with grace, beauty and intelligence and a wicked sense of humour. For whatever reason she won’t be doing that anymore. It is safe to say we are all a little shocked and it will take time to sink in.
“So for now this: Thank you. Thank you for the laughs, the sage advice, the calmness, oh, the calmness. And thank you for all of your support. Thank you for being a great colleague. Thanks for being a great interviewer. Thanks for being a great dancer and a truly, truly terrible singer. Thanks for being a great mum. I know you value that more than anything else and thank you for being a great friend.
“The rest I will leave for when I see you but whatever you do, and wherever you go, you do so having made your mark on this show and on this man.
“Mostly you go with my love, lots of love, all my love. We will see you soon, maybe after midday. Enjoy the sleep-ins.”
Twitter was forced to make the unprecedented decision to disable the ability of verified accounts to send tweets following a major hack. The hack saw Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Kanye West and Michael Bloomberg attempting to fool their millions of followers with a Bitcoin scam. As well as these major political […]
Acast Marketplace now has a virtual storefront. Advertisers can browse Acast’s global inventory of thousands of monetizable podcasts, and use search criteria to filter a list of shows that best fit their brief and budget. Filters include audience demographics such as age, gender and language, podcast subject categories, and more — and, once selected, the […]
Data science led marketing agency, Jaywing, has won the SEO account for online fashion retailer, Princess Polly, in both Australia and the United States, adding to its ever-growing eCommerce portfolio. The Sydney based agency will be managing the retailer’s search engine optimisation, with the aim of facilitating the brands growth in Australia and the US, […]
The Connect Agency has just announced the launch of their micro influencer booking agency, Connect Engage. The division will represent digital content creators in the kids and family; interiors; and health and wellness spaces to drive brand engagement and reach further. Connect Engage will work alongside the public relations, creative, and talent representation arms of […]
Cashrewards, today announced the appointment of experienced loyalty, data, digital marketing and ecommerce executive Bernard Wilson as its Chief Executive Officer. Wilson previously ran loyalty, data, media and marketplace for Myer and was a senior executive in loyalty and data at WooliesX. He joins from data science and artificial intelligence leader Quantium, where he was […]
As BritBox escalates its plans to launch in Australia later this year, joint venture partners BBC Studios and ITV announce the appointment of Moira Hogan as Country Manager. Tasked with leading the BritBox Australia strategy and team, Moira joins from Network 10, where she was Head of Content and Commercial Partnerships for Digital Media. She […]
Australian Energetic Beauty brand, Bean Body today launches its new campaign #BEANYBODY that breaks convention by featuring every bodies. Captured by Steven Chee and styled by Marina Didovich, with hair by Anthony Nader and makeup by Max May, the campaign features the completely unretouched new faces of Bean Body – 12 inspiring everyday women who […]
A new media platform servicing Australia’s burgeoning legal cannabis industry launches today. Cannabiz is the brainchild of Mumbrella co-founder and former CEO Martin Lane and KlickX founder Kim McKay. It will inform, educate and connect Australia’s legal cannabis sector through its website weekly newsletter, podcast, market intelligence, industry reports, networking events and business consulting services. As […]
Medallia today announced an integration between Medallia Experience Cloud and Adobe Experience Platform (AEP) that gives brands comprehensive insights into the complete customer journey to deliver highly personalised real-time experiences that increase purchase frequency. Customer feedback from Medallia Experience Cloud seamlessly integrates with behavioral data in Adobe Experience Cloud to deliver a single view of […]
“As marketers, we tend to overcook the storytelling process.” That was the message from Carlton and United Breweries head of creative and production Jonathon Bernard, during a special B&T Webinar on Storytelling at Scale, presented in partnership with Shutterstock. “Successful storytelling is the ability for a story to resonate and connect with its audience. As […]
oOh!media’s Queensland market position is set to be bolstered with the appointment of former ARN Sales Director Jamie Wood as the new leader of its Queensland sales team. An experienced and respected industry figure, Wood will enhance the capabilities of the local sales team while delivering strategic leadership and building customer relationships across the portfolio. […]
New research has examined the role of echo chambers in Australia and their impact on society, media and brands, offering guidance to marketers on how to escape the sea of sameness surrounding their industry. The independent study conducted by the human and cultural strategy team of FiftyFive5 and Nine’s marketing solutions division, Powered, examined the […]


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NVIDIA Q1 FY2013 Earnings Report: $924M Revenue, $60M Net Incomeby Ryan Smith on May 11, 2012 1:30 PM EST
As earning season wraps up NVIDIA has released their earnings report for Q1 Fiscal Year 2013 (Feb-April 2012).
For the first quarter of FY2013 NVIDIA booked $924M in revenue, with a net income of $60M. This is compared to $962M in revenue with $135M in net income for Q1 of FY2012, meaing for a year-over-year basis NVIDIA’s revenue is slightly down while their net income has taken a larger hit.
|NVIDIA Q1 FY2013 Financial Results|
|Q1 FY2013||Q4 FY2012||Q1 FY2012|
Looking at NVIDIA’s revenue breakdown, the biggest hit was to NVIDIA’s consumer GPU business (GeForce), where revenues declined by $58M. Otherwise the professional solutions group (Tesla/Quadro) and consumer products (Tegra) were both up slightly compared to last year.
|NVIDIA Revenue Divisional Breakdown|
|Q1 FY2013||Q4 FY2012||Q1 FY2012|
|Consumer Products (Tegra)||$132M||$109M||$122M|
So why have revenues and profit margins fallen since Q1 FY2012? The biggest change for NVIDIA is that the next product cycle for the GPU side of their business started more than 15 months after the previous cycle. For example while the GTX 580 launched in November 2010, the GTX 680 didn’t launch until March of 2012. Consequently while NVIDIA was in the midst of selling a number of new GTX 500 series cards by Q1 FY2012, they got a late start with the GTX 600 series.
NVIDIA sells GPUs year-round of course, but outside of holidays their strongest periods are the months following major product launches, while their weakest periods are the months immediately preceding a major product launch as customers hold off for the next generation of cards. NVIDIA is also at the mercy of Intel and AMD to some extent for the same reason; the launch of Ivy Bridge was good for NVIDIA’s sales, but because of Ivy Bridge everyone in the PC industry saw lower sales in the first part of the year before Ivy Bridge launched.
At the moment the biggest cloud hanging over the head of NVIDIA’s GPU business is supply issues. As we’ve seen from the launch of the GTX 680 and GTX 690, NVIDIA’s partners have been unable to keep their latest generation of video cards in stock due to a lack of GPUs, and that’s only finally started to break with the launch of the GTX 670 yesterday. In their earnings call NVIDIA updated their investors on the status of 28nm production over at TSMC, and while the situation is improving it’s still not great.
As far as 28nm yields go things are looking decent. NVIDIA has said that they believe that TSMC’s 28nm process is probably the best of any new node that TSMC has ever done. Like any other process yields will continue to improve over the lifetime of the process of course, but as it stands what NVIDIA is reporting is nothing like the teething issues that 40nm went through in 2009/2010.
The real problem for NVIDIA right now continues to be overall capacity. They have been rather straightforward in stating that they need more 28nm wafer allocations and they need them yesterday. As it stands NVIDIA is expecting to be supply constrained at the wafer level throughout the end of the year, slowly becoming less constrained as capacity improves. For at least the next quarter however this means NVIDIA will be unable to meet channel demand and will have no problem selling everything they can get. This also means that the shortage of GTX 680 and GTX 690 cards may very well continue for another quarter.
Consequently NVIDIA’s dip in GPU revenue is being attributed to this shortage. High-end desktop sales in particular were the biggest contributor here; in spite of a general decline in desktop sales, desktop GPU sales are still such a large part of NVIDIA’s GPU revenue that the lack of 28nm GPUs there is adversely affecting NVIDIA’s bottom line. NVIDIA has used their limited capacity to launch their premium notebook and desktop GPUs first, and even then NVIDIA says they could have shipped many more GPUs if they had them. Kepler GPUs have higher margins on them than the aging Fermi lineup, so it’s in NVIDIA’s best interests to shift as much over to Kepler as quickly as possible. To that end NVIDIA is expecting 30% of their GPUs to be 28nm this quarter, with that improving in the future.
As for NVIDIA’s other major businesses, NVIDIA’s Tegra group has done better than expected, which is a big part of the reason that the consumer products group has seen revenue grow over last year. Although the first Tegra 3 products technically shipped at the end of last year, NVIDIA is still fairly early into Tegra 3’s lifecycle as the first Tegra 3 phones just now being released. So NVIDIA is hoping that they’ll be able to continue to grow their market share this year on strong sales of Tegra 3, particularly in overseas markets where there’s greater demand for quad-core SoCs and LTE isn’t as prevalent.
Speaking of market share, as it stands today nearly half of all Tegra SoCs are going into tablets. That’s going to shift some as more Tegra 3 phones are released (and again when WinRT is released), but it’s a good reminder of just how much traction NVIDIA has gained in the tablet market in very little time. And unlike the GPU space NVIDIA shouldn’t have any supply issues here; since Tegra is still on TSMC’s 40nm process supplies are plentiful and yields are high.


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Nothing(opens in a new tab), a new company co-founded by OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei, is making its first moves, and it wants you to join the ride.
On Tuesday, the company announced a crowdfunding campaign which will allow its community to invest a total of $1.5 million at the same valuation that its Series A round investor (namely Google Ventures) has invested at.
The funding will be conducted through crowdfunding platform CrowdCube. You can register your interest and see all the details over there(opens in a new tab); pre-registration goes live on Feb. 16 at 5 a.m. ET, and the campaign will go live on March 2 at 5 a.m. ET.
Nothing (we get the cool name, but it's going to be a drag writing about this company in a way that makes sense) will also elect a community member to its board of directors.
"We want our community to be part of our journey from the very start and play an active role in it," Carl Pei, CEO and co-founder of Nothing, said in a statement.
The funding news follows 9to5Google(opens in a new tab)'s report that Nothing has acquired the intellectual property of smartphone brand Essential, including trademarks and logos, though it's uncertain that the deal also includes patents and products.
Founded by ex-Googler and Android founder Andy Rubin, Essential was a promising smartphone brand with some innovative products, but it folded after sexual misconduct allegations against Rubin came to light.
Nothing has been fairly secretive about what it plans to do in the future. Pei, whose OnePlus rose to prominence by selling powerful, affordable phones, told Bloomberg the company's first product will be wireless earbuds(opens in a new tab), with more products to follow later this year. The company says its mission is "to remove barriers between people and technology, and create a seamless digital future."
Besides GV, the company's investors include Reddit CEO and co-founder Steve Huffman, Twitch co-founder Kevin Lin, and Product Hunt CEO Josh Buckley.


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TechFlash delivers technology news and trends from your city and beyond.
Multi-touch technologies are all the rage, letting people use multiple fingers to zoom, pinch and manipulate objects on screen in everything from the iPhone to Microsoft’s upcoming Windows 7 operating system. But what about multi-touch on a mouse?
That was the challenge taken up by researchers from Microsoft’s Applied Sciences Group and Microsoft Research. They’re presenting their prototypes, and their findings, at this week’s User Interface Software and Technology conference in Victoria, B.C. They gave TechFlash a sneak peek on a recent visit to the Microsoft campus, as shown in the video above.
These are just prototypes, for now, and the company isn’t saying anything about its future plans for them. In many cases, however, concepts that come out of Microsoft Research end up being incorporated into products or turned into products. Microsoft makes a wide variety of mice and keyboards in its hardware product group.
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The world is waking up to cider, leading to a flurry of expansion in the apple orchards of England.
Brewing giants have rushed to tap into the boom as many beer markets stagnate. As a result more farmers are turning to the apple crop in the Herefordshire heartland of cider making.
Pear and other fruit ciders have added to the upsurge as the drink sheds its West Country farm-gate image and appeals to a younger, trendy drinker.
Cider sales have jumped 32% over the last five years to reach £2.7bn in 2012, and are forecast to add a further £1bn of sales in the next five years.
The world’s biggest cider maker Bulmers, now owned by global brewer Heineken, has nearly doubled the size of its apple orchards in the last 20 years just to keep pace.
The last round of tree planting finished in 2011 and as those take years to produce bumper crops, these new fruit trees will help feed the expanding market.
Farmer Duncan Matthews (pictured above) has switched his entire arable farm to growing cider apples during the last 17 years, backed by a 30-year supply contract with the cider maker.
Although some of his orchards have still to break into profit, mature apple trees can turn out a crop which can be worth close to £10,000/ha.
“It is more profitable than arable over a 30-year period and Bulmers say they will take every apple from the farm,” Mr Matthews says.
He planted his first orchard in 1996 on his 90ha Middle Brampton Farm at Madley, six miles south west of Hereford and soon caught the apple-growing bug.
A range of bitter sweet cider apples are grown across the farm – varieties such as Brown, Katy, Michelin and Dabinett – and all were heavily in blossom by late May. “I enjoyed growing my first apple trees and the plantings simply grew and grew to cover the whole farm,” he adds.
The apple trees took well to his free-draining red Herefordshire gravelly loams and he won Bulmers’ Golden Apple award with a 82 t/ha crop of Browns last season.
With Bulmer paying just over £100/t for apples, these top crops helped cover his costs for newly-planted orchards yielding under 1t/ha. The big cost is planting trees and grubbing them out when orchards come to the end of their productive life after 40-plus years, although there are plus points.
Mr Matthews can save on expensive arable machinery like combines, cultivators and grain stores, replacing them with mechanical pruners and small sprayers that thread between the trees.
Labour costs are higher than for his previous crops of wheat and potatoes as spraying is more time consuming and some manual pruning, he admits, is a “bugbear”.
Harvesting is fully automated with ripe fruit trees mechanically shaken and the apples picked up gently with what looks like a small-scale potato harvester.
He now has to contend with a new range of pests and diseases such as apple blossom weevil and apple scab, compared with his former grain and potato crops, but Bulmers’ growers development manager Chris Muntz-Torres is on hand to give advice.
Last season was a difficult time, as it was for many arable farmers, as a wet April resulted in poor pollination, followed by three months in the early summer when it hardly stopped raining.
Mr Matthews was attracted to apple growing during a Bulmers’ orchard expansion phase in the late 1990s, while a second phase ended in 2011, pushing the group’s total orchard area to more than 3,500ha
He is one of Bulmers’ 180 contract growers which together add up 2,600ha of orchards in Herefordshire and bordering counties. In addition, the cider maker owns five farms with 900ha of orchards.
Cider is the undisputed success story of the alcohol world in the last six years according to Mintel Research as cider’s advance came at time beer sales slumped by £2.2bn to £11.4bn.
The big upsurge in cider’s fortune came when Bulmers’ big rival Magners launched its products in Britain in 2005.
The following year a hot summer, football’s world cup and a multi-million pound Magners’ marketing campaign to serve cider over ice boosted cider as the new trend-setting drink of the summer.
Bulmers was quick to market its Bulmers Original within weeks of the Magners’ launch and prospered on the coat tails of the wider cider boom which saw British sales soar.
The Magners phenomenon soon attracted the big brewers with Heineken snapping up Bulmers-owner Scottish & Newcastle, Anheuser-Busch InBev launching Stella Cidre and Carlsberg getting into the act with Somersby.
Stella Cidre quickly became the No 1 modern-style cider ahead of Bulmers Original and Magners, while Sweden’s Kopparberg rose to the top of a new fastest-growing category – cider with fruit.
Bulmer, under its new Dutch owners, is the biggest player with a 43% market share of the British cider market; nearly one-third of all cider pints consumed are of its top brand Strongbow.
The boom has also encouraged the expansion of local producers, such as Aston Manor, Thatchers, Westons and Aspall.
Back at Bulmers, the head of cider milling Martin Keene says more than 90% of its apple supplies are locally grown and he oversees the 12,000 tonnes of apples that arrive each week at harvest time.
Mr Keene says a poor apple harvest in 2012 saw the group’s annual crop drop to 80,000t from 115,000t the previous year, but capacity is set to reach 150,000t by 2020 – enough to quench the thirst of the thousands more expected to join the ranks of cider drinkers by then.
World’s big brewers compete for growing cider market
The world’s four biggest brewers, which account for more than half the beer made in the world, are all expanding in the growing cider market. Although the cider market is only a tenth of the world beer market, it is particularly attractive in the largely flat western beer markets.
Anheuser-Busch InBev – By far the world’s biggest brewer with brands like Budweiser, Stella Artois and Beck’s, the group entered the British cider market with Stella Artois Cidre in the spring of 2011, backed by a massive marketing budget. The Belgian-based brewer makes the cider in Belgium and exports it to the UK.
SABMiller – The globe’s number two brewer (Peroni, Grolsh and Miller Lite beers) took its first sip of cider when it swallowed Australia’s Fosters in late 2011, giving it the Bulmer and Strongbow brands downunder. The London-based brewer then acquired America’s third largest cider maker Crispin in early 2012.
Heineken – The third biggest brewer bought Bulmers as part of Scottish & Newcastle’s British business in 2008 to make it the largest cider group in the world. The Amsterdam-based brewer, which makes its eponymous beer, John Smiths and Amstel, expanded further in mid-2012 with the purchase of Belgium cider Strassen.
Carlsberg – The Copenhagen brewer – ranked fourth in the world – introduced Somersby cider to Britain in July 2012, and has launched a £10m market campaign to boost the brand this year. The Carlsberg, Tuborg and Tetley beer brewer first tapped into cider in 2007 launching Somersby in its native Denmark and also Sweden.
Other players – Irish group C&C brought its Magners cider to Britain in 2005 and owns English cider brands Gaymers and Blackthorn; Sweden’s Kopparberg leads the fruit sector with its pear ciders; American brewer Molson Coors recently launched its Carling cider in Britain.
For more on arable coverage go to Arables page


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Hampden’s upscale Bluebird Cocktail Room is ready to pull back the curtain on its lower-level concept, with plans to open on Friday, May 10.
As promised when Little Bird closed abruptly back in February, its successor will feature an expansive whiskey selection and traditional pub fare with an elevated twist. A release describes the space as “handsome and familiar, like an upscale neighborhood bar designed to reflect a simple, classic, and timeless experience.”
The locally sourced menu features, among other items, a foie gras burger with bacon-shallot jam ($23), a house corned beef on rye ($14), a Scotch egg ($10), a signature burger ($11 single patty/$17 double), a short rib sandwich ($12, with mushroom substitute option for vegetarians) and a vegan-friendly broccoli sandwich on baguette ($10). There will also be brunch staples like French toast and a traditional English breakfast when The Pub is open from noon to 3:30 p.m. on Sundays.
The drink menu is whiskey-fronted, with cocktails like an Old Fashioned, the Rusty Nail (Drambuie and Scotch whiskey) and house barrel-aged cacacha sour. And in good pub fashion, they’ll have Guinness on draft, to go with canned and bottled beers, wine and cider.
The Pub, located beneath Bluebird and Belgian beer hall De Kleine Duivel at the corner of W. 36th Street and Hickory Avenue, will be kid-friendly until 5 p.m., after which all guests must be 21 and up.
Owner Paul Benkert said in an interview in February that the new bar would give Bluebird a chance to accommodate guests who end up waiting in lines to get into the popular upstairs space, particularly on weekends. “We just need room to grow,” he said.
Benkert and his wife, Caroline, shut down Little Bird this winter after six months. The restaurant served espresso and coffee drinks, adult beverages like wine, spritzes and beer, and breakfast sandwiches, pastries and other light fare.
While Little Bird’s hours were 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, The Pub will keep its doors open until 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, in addition to Sunday brunch.


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The head of research at Daimler AG said Mercedes-Benz will have a fuel-cell vehicle ready for the road next year, but the company’s chief executive officer, Dieter Zetsche, also raised new doubts about the viability of hydrogen as at automotive fuel during a session with reporters on the sidelines of the North American International Auto Show.
“There is a disconnect,” noted Zetsche. Right now battery-electric vehicles have gained an edge over fuel cells, he noted. “Five years ago they seemed to be equal,” But fact of the matter is that there is a lot more money being spent on battery electric vehicles than in research on hydrogen fuel cells. “The potential advantages of fuel cells have diminished,” he said.
In addition, the infrastructure issues associated with hydrogen fuel cells remains formidable. People talk about the hydrogen highway in California, but the progress is very slow and very limited, he suggested.
Zetsche also noted the so-called wells-to-wheels discussion about carbon dioxide emissions, which seemed to favor hydrogen, is beginning to tilt in favor battery-electric vehicles. Battery electric and vehicles that depend on coal-fired generating plants to produce electricity might not help reduce carbon dioxide emissions overall. But the fact is there is a path to reducing the emissions for coal-fired generating plant.
(Automakers, U.S. regulators set to announce deal for improved safety. For more, Click Here.)
It’s not so clear that you can produce substantial amounts of hydrogen without hurting the environment, he said.
“There is no feasible way to produce carbon dioxide hydrogen,” added Zetsche, noting zero emissions of carbon dioxide remains an important goal for carmakers around the world.
Thomas Weber, the member of the Daimler AG Board responsible for research and development, said that the German automaker is committed to building a vehicle powered by a hydrogen fuel cell next year. But Daimler the cost of batteries that would extend the range of electric vehicles has dropped dramatically in recent years and the range has steadily increased.
(Click Here for details about Sergio Marchionne’s plans for FCA’s debt-free future.)
The improvements in cost and performance of battery electric vehicles are accelerating, he added. By 2020, batteries will have the capability of delivering the kind of performance that automakers initially thought would not be available until 2025. In addition, there is a lot of competition now, particularly in East Asia, among battery makers that is helping drive down costs.
Daimler is committed to bring out a battery-driven SUV that will have range of between 400 kilometer and 500 kilometers, or about 250 to 300 miles, he added. But Weber declined to say specifically when it might appear on the road.
(To see more about Audi and its plans, Click Here.)
Mercedes-Benz also will have offer a plug-in version of its new 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-class and Weber said plug-in feature, which means the vehicle can run on battery power part of the time, will not be subsidized. In fact, Daimler will make a profit on the vehicle, Weber said.


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Interesting article..tech working with illegal growers and advertising in London. One wonders how on earth authorties can keep fighting the inecitable?
An illegal weed business in the UK which stuck hundreds of unauthorised adverts on London’s Tube trains tells VICE World News it is now selling £50,000 worth of cannabis products a week.
Cannabis dealers who stuck hundreds of unauthorised adverts on London’s Tube trains say they are now swamped with orders and have more guerrilla marketing tactics up their sleeve.
Dispenseroo, a cannabis selling start-up which mimics the branding of online food delivery giant Deliveroo, said over the last three weeks it had put up 2,500 adverts on London Underground trains. The posters, which were clipped or glued into advert panels by 10 workers employed via job site Gumtree, said: “Do you love 🍃? Use code ‘tube’ for £5 off,” alongside the Dispenseroo hashtag.
Transport for London confirmed the posters were unauthorised and said it was removing any found on the network. Many people presumed the guerrilla advertising campaign was a spoof, scam or art project.
But it appears from those that searched up the Dispenseroo website and bought and sampled the products, that bags of cannabis, weed edibles and vapes are bona fide, despite the drug being illegal to possess, promote, sell or grow in the UK.
Speaking exclusively to VICE World News under the pseudonym “S” in order to protect his identity, Dispenseroo’s founder, who describes himself as a weed-smoking Londoner in his 20s with a background in advertising and logistics start-ups, said “the response from the public has been great”.
He said on Wednesday alone the company, which made its first sale four months ago, dispatched 264 orders, and is now “turning around £50,000 a week” in sales. Orders were boosted not only by commuters seeing the adverts, but after the company contacted Instagram influencers and street news profiles such as @richkidslondon and @itsallleaked to publicise the posters online.
Read more at


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A 1971 Datsun 240Z with 35,000 original kilometres on the odometer has sold for record-breaking US$310,000 ($460,000) at auction.
Sold on American auction site Bring a Trailer, the 240Z is a one-owner, all-numbers-matching car dressed in its original Racing Green paint with ‘go fast’ 240Z side stripe decals, and a brown vinyl interior.
James Munson, owner of the Datsuns of Marion dealership in Indiana, USA, bought it new from his showroom and gave it to his son for a dental school graduation gift.
His son didn’t drive it much, so it was then stored back in the showroom before finding a home at the Munson house. Dr. Munson died in May 2019, so it was then bought by a friend who offered it up for auction.
The photos prove just how original this car is, with protective plastic that can still be found on the seat belts, behind the armrests, and rear panels.
A window sticker shows a suggested retail price of USD$3757, including $83 for freight, and options such as $3 antifreeze, tinted glass for $30, and a defroster for $40. All its documentation, including a 240Z-branded bra, was sold with the car.
The Japanese sports car has its original four-speed manual gearbox and 2.4-litre inline-six engine, which produced 111kW at 5600 RPM and 198Nm at 4400 RPM when new. Sitting on factory 14-inch wheels, it has disc brakes up front and drums at the rear.
The only work that has been done was an adjustment of the carburettors, an oil change, new tyres, and a good detail, which means it is pretty much a time capsule.
“This is one of the best-known survivors to exist in the world, and it possibly could be the best – I’ve never seen a better example,” Marc Schiliro from MS Classic Cars said, who presented the car.
“This is really something extremely special. It’s a one of a kind find, and it’s something that myself and car collectors dream of.”
The 49-year-old car eclipsed a previous record for the 240Z – a 1970 example with 53,000km which sold for for US$124,240 ($184,000).
Last month a rare 240Z known as Nissan Fairlady Z432R overseas sold in Tokyo for $1.17 million.
Could these recent auction results start to drive up the value of these once-affordable Japanese classics even more?


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Affected by the “lack of core”, Xiaomi’s performance growth in the fourth quarter of 2020 is not as good as expected. On the evening of March 24, Xiaomi Group (01810.HK) released its Q4 2020 results. In the quarter, the company’s revenue and adjusted profit were 70.462 billion yuan and 3.204 billion yuan respectively, up 24.8% and 36.7% year on year respectively, but down 2.4% and 22.4% year-on-year respectively.
In 2020, the company’s revenue reached 245.9 billion yuan, up 19.4% year on year; Adjusted net profit was 13 billion yuan, up 12.8% year on year.
Xiaomi’s fourth-quarter and 2020 results fell short of some expectations. CICC had previously forecast fourth-quarter revenue of 73 billion yuan. CICC, Cinda Securities and Everbright Securities had previously estimated Xiaomi’s 2020 revenue to be between 248.4 billion yuan and 253.1 billion yuan.


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Taipei--Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC, ???), the world's largest contract chip maker, reported Thursday that its sales for July fell to a three-month low, but market analysts said the company was likely to show stronger sales the rest of the third quarter as the effects of global inventory adjustments faded.
In July, TSMC's consolidated sales fell 14.9 percent from a month earlier to NT$71.61 billion (US$2.36 billion), which was attributed to inventory adjustments in the global smartphone sector.
The company's July sales were the lowest since April, when the figure stood at NT$56.87 billion, and were also a 6.3 percent decline from a year earlier.
At an investor conference in mid-July, TSMC said in its sales guidance for the July-August period that its consolidated revenue would range between US$8.12 billion and US$8.22 billion, increasing almost 16 percent from the previous quarter.
Analysts said the drop in the company's July sales was due to weak demand for smartphones, in particular in non-Apple phones, which affected TSMC's shipments of chips used in such devices.
In addition, demand for computers and other consumer electronics also remained stagnant in July, dealing another blow to TSMC's sales, analysts said.
However, with the expected launch of new iPhones in September, TSMC's sales are likely to bounce back in August and continue to climb in September to meet the company's third-quarter forecast, analysts said.
TSMC reportedly is supplying the A11 processor for the new iPhones, which is expected to boost third-quarter shipments of the company's chips made on the advanced 10 nanometer process, analysts said.
Mass production of the chips began in the fourth quarter of 2016 and they are expected to account for 10 percent of TSMC's third-quarter sales this year, compared with 1 percent in the second quarter.
In the first seven months of this year, TSMC's consolidated sales totaled NT$519.38 billion, up 3.5 percent from a year earlier.
Meanwhile, United Microelectronics Corp. (UMC, ??), the second largest contract chip maker in Taiwan, posted NT$12.79 billion in consolidated sales for July, down 2.37 percent from a month earlier in reflection of a decline in shipments of chips made on the 28nm process. However, the July figure was 2.34 percent higher than a year earlier.
UMC said its consolidated sales for the first seven months of 2017 totaled NT$87.74 billion, up 4.59 percent year-on-year.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel


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05/23/2014 // West Palm Beach, Florida, US // JusticeNewsFlash // Justice News Flash // (press release)
Illinois – Redbox is set to close over a reported 500 kiosks this year. As reported by The Verge, the company, which operates more than 40,000 kiosks, has announced its plans to uninstall hundreds of the machines after only seeing a three percent increase in revenue last year.
As noted in the report, since introducing its $1 per day rental model with DVDs, the company has since added video game and Blu-ray rentals for over the dollar price range. Redbox has also since sought to branch out with selling items such as concert tickets via its kiosks, but achieved minimal success with the short-lived endeavors.
Redbox will reportedly renegotiate with major studios regarding content deals later in the year.
This report is provided by Justice News Flash – Illinois Legal News
Address: 215 South Olive Suite 300 W. Palm Beach FL 33401


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Chinese Internet giant Sohu.com (NASDAQ: SOHU) recently reported second quarter earnings that topped analyst estimates on both the top and bottom lines. The top line rose 23% annually to $493.6 million, ...
It’s common knowledge that the gaming industry has undergone drastic changes and experienced speedy growth over the years. It is expected that the global games market will reach a substantial size of $86.1 billion by the year 2016. However, there are some recent trends that the companies in this industry should keep a closer eye on.
The stock markets in the United States declined due to the lower-than-expected manufacturing data today. The S&P 500 was down 0.04%, the NASDAQ dropped 0.20% and the Russell 2000 fell 0.52%. The D...


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Expedia Group Inc, TripAdvisor Inc and eDreams Odigeo SA asked the European Union to investigate how Google shows vacation rentals, claiming it unfairly gets a prominent placing above other search results.
In a letter to EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager published online, more than 30 travel firms allege that Google is "favouring its own service in general search results pages” by displaying ads "in a visually-rich OneBox” showing pictures, a map preview, ratings and prices. The display "secures Google’s service more user attention and clicks than any competing service may acquire”.
Google was fined in 2017 for how it displayed product ads above search queries and told to offer similar placement to rival shopping comparison services. It will fight that EU decision at a three-day court hearing later this week. Dozens of companies have complained to the European Union about how Google search shows competing search services. Regulators sought feedback last year on local search and jobs search services.
Google said statement that it is testing a new format for specialised searches in Europe "where people might see a carousel of links to direct sites across the top of search results”.
"This is designed to demonstrate the range of results available,” a spokesperson for the company said in an email. "Search results are designed to provide the most relevant information for your query.”
The Financial Times reported on the letter earlier on Feb 10. – Bloomberg
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The battle against groups of hacked computers known as botnets is suffering from a lack of coordination, resulting in a cybercrime industry worth more than US$10 billion worldwide annually, according to a report from a European Union security agency.
IT staff spent the weekend in a massive clean-up operation to remove traces of a "spectacular" attack on computers at Bercy, the headquarters of the French Ministry of Economy, Finances and Industry, a government minister said Monday.
Companies have long sought to balance what information about their vulnerabilities they must keep secret, and what information it would benefit them to share. The names of companies leaked in internal emails from HBGary, which were made public after ...
Four men who ran what U.K. police say was the largest English-language criminal forum for selling stolen credit card numbers and the tools to steal data were imprisoned for a combined total of more than 15 years, according to the Metropolitan Police.
Point-of-sale payment processing devices for credit and debit cards are proving to be rich targets for cybercriminals due to lax security controls, particularly among small businesses, according to a report from Trustwave.
More than 50 applications containing malware have been discovered in Google's application market for its Android mobile OS, a sign that hackers are hard at work trying to compromise mobile devices.
A version of the Zeus malware that intercepts one-time passcodes sent by SMS (Short Message Service) is targeting customers of the financial institution ING in Poland.
Chinese hackers working regular business hours shifts stole sensitive intellectual property from energy companies for as long as four years using relatively unsophisticated intrusion methods in an operation dubbed "Night Dragon," according to a new r...
The rumored combination of two pieces of advanced online banking malware appears to be fully underway after several months of speculation.
The open-source software development site SourceForge is speeding up its move to a new a security model following a targeted attack that may have compromised the passwords of its large user base.
A new report from Akamai Technologies shows that hackers appear to be increasingly using the Telnet remote access protocol to attack corporate servers over mobile networks.
A piece of banking malware that researchers have been keeping an eye on is adding more sophisticated capabilities to stay hidden on victims' PCs, according to the vendor Seculert.
Researchers have developed a low-profile Trojan horse program for Google's Android mobile OS that steals data in a way that is unlikely to be detected by either a user or antivirus software.
Professed White Hat hackers face federal criminal charges for grabbing the e-mail addresses of 114,000 AT&T 3G customers who use iPads.
An online retail site at University of Connecticut is warning thousands of customers that their billing information may have been hacked.
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QUETTA: The traders and businessmen of Balochistan have called off their strike on the assurance of Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman Muhammad Ashfaq Ahmed that their grievances will be addressed.
It may be mentioned here that there was an exchange of heated words between Chairman FBR team and traders. Vice Chairman All Pakistan Customs Agents Association Alamgir Durrani wakled out of the meeting, but other office bearers of Chaman Chamber of Commerce mentioned that it was against their norms to decline a guest coming from a distance.
FBR sources said Dr. Ashfaq was adopting a pro-smuggling policy to damage the Customs group. Dr. Ashfaq was undermining the efforts of Customs officers.
An official said Dr. Ashfaq was damaging Pakistan Single Window (PSW) and legal trade. Chairman FBR had no control over PSW, so that he wanted to separate it from FBR.
The business community were on a protest for the last three days, demanding transfer of a Customs Intelligence officer over unnecessary harassment of importers and exporters and lodging FIRs against them. The community has given till January 10, 2022 to the FBR chairman to resolve their issues otherwise they would resume their strike.
Quetta Chamber of Commerce and Industry (QCCI) President Fida Hussain Dashti complained about the behaviour of the Customs Intelligence director and others, saying that they have set up baseless cases against importers and exporters against which protests are going on.
The FBR chairman was received at the QCCI by its president, Senior Vice President Muhammad Ayub Mariani, Vice President Amjad Ali Siddiqui and others.
The FBR chairman said that he was aware of the difficulties and problems faced by the people associated with industry and trade in Balochistan as well as the poverty and backwardness of the people of the province.
“We want a solution to the obstacles in the way of development of industry and commerce,” Ahmed said, adding that the views of the officials and members of the QCCI are highly valued.
“Steps will be taken to restore tax tribunal and deployment of director general valuation in Balochistan soon,” he said. “There is no concept of an undocumented economy in the world. We have no choice but to have a documented economy.”
He assured the QCCI members that Balochistan’s right will be taken into consideration in each and every MoU inked with Iran.
The QCCI members and others apprised the FBR chairman that the authority of tax valuation in Balochistan is vested in the Customs Collectorate under Section 25-A of the Customs Act but it has not been implemented so far.
Dashti said, “Under Section 25-A, relief was given to those involved in industry and trade of Balochistan in tax valuation, which increased the revenue from Rs4 billion to Rs45 billion.
“We demand that Balochistan be given 30% to 35% discount in tax valuation.”


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Tilteed.com Launches New T-Shirt Design Contest Community
Printing a new t-shirt every 72 hours, Tilteed.com offers a break from the normal wardrobe. Members of the site vote on submitted t-shirt designs, helping to choose the next offering in the Tilteed line.
With over 20,000 page views in it's first few days as well as 50 submissions from accomplished artists, Tilteed is off to a promising start in the online fashion industry.
Many of the artists were attracted by the large, initial prize money for designing Tilteed's first t-shirt. Paying $5000 to two artists, Tilteed launches their new line on July 29th, 2009.
Speaking on the launch, Patrick Treadway, the creator of Tilteed says, "We're attracting some amazingly talented t-shirt artists. Members are signing up and rating their designs in an effort to choose our initial launch line. We were pleasantly surprised when we received over 20 submissions in our first few hours."
After the intial launch, Tilteed will be paying artists $500 for each winning design, plus $1 per shirt sold.
For more information, to help choose the next t-shirt design, or pick up a new shirt for the weekend, visit http://www.tilteed.com/
# # #
Tilteed is an online t-shirt company that prints a new, member chosen t-shirt every 72 hours. Members vote on t-shirts which are then printed on Tilteed.com. Winning artists are paid $500 plus $1 per shirt sold.


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24 Jul 2019.
A high value allows for larger oppositely directed movements than a.
of the Bitcoin price in US Dollars from January 2012 to February 2018.
As Bitcoin approaches its next halving, due in May, we look at two competing views on where the crypto currency could be.
5 Feb 2018.
LONDON – The price of bitcoin dropped back below $8,000 a coin and closed in on the $7,000 on Monday amid persisting high volatility in the cryptocurrency markets. Bitcoin.
Screen Shot 2018 02 05 at 15.31.07 Markets.
Park Despite the long-awaited third halving of bitcoin that fell on May 11, the price of cryptocurrency is not showing signs.
Bitcoin halving and the Coronavirus pandemic are factors that could send the price to new all-time highs. Devaluation of.
Demand for bitcoin has surged again as the halving countdown of the virtual currency will occur in a few days, with millions of baht being traded daily on a local digital asset exchange.
Licensing Issues Abound For Ether Apps PRNewswire/ — Dr. Gregory Jantz, best-selling author of 40 books, founder of nationally acclaimed The Center • A Place of. Maxtaco On Github Free Bitcoin Cash Trading For A Limited Time Only Which Bitcoin To Invest In Eduardo Strecht Ricou Libertex Senior Analyst I am often asked if I have a favourable or unfavourable opinion
I think these two FTSE 100 (INDEXFTSE:UKX) shares could deliver higher returns than gold and Bitcoin over the long run after a period of volatility.
25 Jun 2018.
What is Bitcoin worth now? Bitcoin just hit a new low for 2018, dropping below $6000. That's roughly a 70% drop from the all-time high.
Bitcoin is currently the most prominent cryptocurrency with a market capitalization of approximately $116 billion (as of August 26, 2018). It was created in 2009.
17 Dec 2018.
December 17 will mark one year since the price of bitcoin—the.
told CNBC in January that bitcoin could trade as high as $100,000 in 2018.
16 Dec 2017.
Overall bitcoin markets are on fire and traders are speculating higher BTC prices into 2018. The introduction of Cboe's futures seems to have.
As global economies continue to print money to keep businesses afloat, Bitcoin could now be the best hedge against upcoming.


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Can you profit from investing in sport? Top fund manager buys shares in Manchester United
- Fund boss says United has potential to be worth double its current £2bn value
- Retailers like Halfords and JD sports profit on the back of big sporting events
- Beer sales expected to rise as football season starts and fans head to pubs
Take a punt: Give your cash a workout in a sporty fund
To most of us, the amount of money sloshing about in professional football seems almost obscene.
That's the verdict of one of Britain's most successful fund managers. Nick Train, who runs the £4.2 billion CF Lindsell Train UK Equity Fund and the Finsbury Growth and Income Trust, last week snapped up a big block of shares in Manchester United.
Mr Train believes the club has the potential to be worth twice as much as the £2 billion it is now valued at, partly thanks to its share of television rights, but also because it is the best-supported club in the world.
In the summer, American business magazine Forbes estimated that Manchester United was the world's most valuable sports team.
Also on its list were U.S. football franchise the Dallas Cowboys, baseball team New York Yankees and Spanish football giants Real Madrid. Many of the top clubs make huge sums from merchandise sales worldwide.
Mr Train isn't the only fund manager cashing in on Britain's passion for sport. This summer, fans have watched Roger Federer win a record eighth Wimbledon Men's Singles title, Chris Froome secure another Tour de France victory and witnessed unprecedented success for Britain in the sprint relays at the World Championships, held in London last month.
Experts say big sporting successes such as these prompt fans to buy new bicycles, trainers and tennis rackets.
Experts say big sporting successes such as Roger Federer's Wimbledon triumph prompt fans to buy new bicycles, trainers and tennis rackets
And that's good news both for the companies that sell the gear — and their shareholders.
Halfords profited from bike sales after the London Olympics in 2012, and JD Sports is benefitting from the popularity of 'athleisure' clothing — kit designed for the gym, but often worn for the sake of fashion — and a shift from budget to quality gear.
JD, which was the exclusive retailer for the Wales and Northern Ireland football kits for Euro 2016, has seen profits rocket 81 per cent to £238 million in a year.
Just under 2 per cent of the Old Mutual UK Mid Cap fund is invested in the retailer. The fund has turned £10,000 into £26,390 in five years.
Matt Hudson, manager of the Schroder UK Opportunities Fund, expects more fans to head to local pubs now the new Premier League football season is well under way.
He likes pub chain Greene King, which revealed record sales of £2.2 billion in the 12 months to April, up 7 per cent.
It posted disappointing figures for the 18 weeks to September, with sales down 1.2 per cent.
However, this was compared to the previous summer when the football European Championships boosted sales. Next summer, there is a World Cup.
'As people spend their money on experiences, rather than things, the market for eating out is growing 4 per cent every year,' says Mr Hudson.
'People are looking for good brands and good venues, and that's something Greene King has a lot of.'
Greene King's shares are down 8 per cent to 553p in five years. However, its shares were up over five years until a share fall after its most recent sales figures were published.
Beer we go: More fans are expected to head to local pubs now the new Premier League football season is well under way
Mr Hudson's fund has turned £10,000 into £15,610 in five years. In big football years — 2018's World Cup, for example — pubs and supermarkets do very well. Many fans stock up on drinks and food for big games.
Mr Hudson tips Morrisons. He says it has stuck to a pure supermarket model, rather than following Tesco and Sainsbury into other areas.
Helal Miah, an analyst at stockbroker The Share Centre, prefers Marks & Spencer. 'You think Wimbledon, you think strawberries and cream — and I think M&S,' he says.
M&S food has 20.5 million customers and last year saw sales climb more than 4 per cent to £5.6 billion. Yet concerns about the fashion business — overall profits plunged 64 per cent last year — mean shares are down 7.6 per cent to 340p over the past five years.
Threadneedle UK Equity Income fund, which turned £10,000 into £17,690 in five years, has 2.9 per cent invested in M&S.
And bookmakers could clean up — but only if the favourites win. A number of shock results last year — not least Leicester City's Premier League win — hurt profits as bookies faced big payouts.
Mr Miah likes William Hill, even though it faces stiffer competition after rivals merged to form larger competitors Paddy Power Betfair and Ladbrokes Coral.
He says William Hill's growing online presence will help, as gamblers opt for tablets and phones over betting shops.
After a tricky time, with gambling regulation getting tougher, William Hill's share price has slipped from 282p to 246p over the past five years.
But Mr Miah says the firm is expanding overseas. Some 18 per cent of its sales now come from Australia and the U.S. and this number is rising.
With millions of eyes glued to TV screens, advertisers are jostling for the best slots. That's good news for the companies that own the rights to show the most popular sports.
While BT and Sky tussle over the football, Mr Miah likes ITV, which has exclusive rights to the Tour de France in the UK.
Advertising sales at the business fell 3 per cent to £1.7 billion last year, but the share price has shot up 75 per cent over the past five years, from 90p to 157.6p. Some 2.7 per cent of the Threadneedle UK Ethical Equity fund is invested in ITV.
The fund, which launched in 2015, has turned £10,000 into £12,180 over the past year.
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text: You know how you'll go into a store and try some shit on that you saw online because you want to see it in person, only to get cold feet, look at it a million times on the Internet later, then maybe, but probably not buy it online? Well, apparently that's called "showrooming" and it's got luxury labels like those at LVMH (Céline, Louis Vuitton) butthurt according to the Wall Street Journal. Really, this comes down to the fact that most high-end brands are still—in an age when you can essentially online shop for a booty call—completely fucking terrible at e-commerce. For all the money they have, you'd think a brand like Louis Vuitton could invest in a fluid, easy-to-shop online store. But they don't, which has lead to people buying these brands from online-only retailers like Net-A-Porter, and has almost completely stopped consumers from shopping at, say, the Louis V store on 5th Avenue. LVMH and companies like it are either going to have to change or simply be comfortable with the smaller market share that comes with being pretentious.


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Call for clarity on spaza shops during Covid-19 lockdown
Share this article:
Referring to Small Business Development Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni’s announcement last week on the question of foreign-owned spaza shops being allowed to operate during the lockdown, Mbehle said: “The minister previously said during a ministerial briefing that all spaza shops in communities would be allowed to operate during the lockdown period.
“However, she went on to muddy the waters by saying that those spaza shops that will be open are strictly those that are owned by South Africans, managed and run by South Africans. This is a hugely problematic statement as there is no provision in the regulations for differentiation between South African and immigrant-owned spaza shops, so there is no basis in law to target micro-retailers for closure.”
Mbhele said he would ask Ntshavheni to communicate with her counterpart in the police portfolio, Bheki Cele, concerning police action.
“We have received reports of SAPS officers being confused about whether or not to close unlicensed spaza shops (regardless of ownership) and an executive directive is needed informing the police that such spaza shops must be allowed to remain open.”
Calixte Kavuro, a post-doctoral researcher in the Department of Public Law at Stellenbosch University, said: “Ntsheveni’s approach fails to take into consideration the legal positions of foreign nationals who are holders of permanent resident permits, refugee status permit, asylum-seeker permit and business visas and who were, on top of all of these permits, issued licences to run small business.”
Meanwhile, Tax Justice South Africa founder Yusuf Abramjee said the banning of certain goods being sold could further fuel illicit trade.
“Illegal traders are delighted to have new customers for their illicit alcohol, cigarettes, medicines and even food. South Africa already loses R100 billion in taxes to the illicit economy every year.” Abramjee said the government should reconsider rules on certain items to prevent illicit trading and in turn save the economy.@MwangiGithahu


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It’s not like this wasn’t among the many causes in every single place suspected when Apple abruptly introduced it was shopping for Intel’s modem enterprise, however now the chipmaker has filed a quick in assist of the FTC in an ongoing attraction by Qualcomm of a call made in May. That choice present in favor of the FTC’s allegations that Qualcomm’s licensing preparations for its IP round CDMA and LTE applied sciences have choked out different potential rivals.
Intel, within the submitting and a brand new weblog publish accompanying and explaining the submitting from Intel EVP and General Counsel Steven R. Rodgers, says that “Intel suffered the brunt of Qualcomm’s anticompetitive behaviour, was denied opportunities in the modem market, was prevented from making sales to customers and was forced to sell at prices artificially skewed by Qualcomm.” It additionally particularly notes that it counts itself among the many checklist of “competitors [Qualcomm] forced out of the modem chip market.”
Earlier this yr, Apple and Qualcomm agreed to drop ongoing lawsuits the 2 sometime-partners had filed agains each other, settling a feud within the courts that had began again in 2017 when Apple accused Qualcomm of overcharging it to be used of Qualcomm’s patents. The settlement included Apple paying Qualcomm sone-time sum, and the institution of a six-year licensing settlement, in addition to a provide settlement for Qualcomm chipsets for use in Apple merchandise.
At the identical time, Intel introduced it was exiting the modem enterprise – an announcement that appeared well timed, on condition that Apple has sought to make use of Intel modems in latest iPhones to bypass Qualcomm, which is an business chief with regards to the availability of wi-fi communication chips utilized in smartphones. Then in July, Apple introduced that it was buying the vast majority of Intel’s smartphone enterprise, which led many to take a position that finally Apple will search to develop its personal wi-fi communication chips in-house in a longer-term play to cut back its reliance on Qualcomm.
Intel clearly isn’t content material to only let the state of affairs lie, and since its weblog publish notes that it has invested “billions” within the modem enterprise it constructed after which offered to Apple, you get a transparent thought of why – positively sounds prefer it didn’t recoup all of its sunk prices within the Apple deal, which was value round $1 billion all advised.


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- Reliance Jio Q1 results: Profit jumps 3 folds to Rs 2,520 crore; ARPU at Rs 140.3
- RIL Q1 results: Profit jumps 31% YoY to Rs 13,233 crore on exceptional gains, beats Street estimates
- JM Financial Q1 results: Net profit declines 26.5% to Rs 93.6 crore
- Mahindra Logistics Q1 results: Reports loss of Rs 17 crore
The numbers were on the expected lines, but a sharp drop in revenue from petchem business, drop in gross refining margin, a major hit on the proven cash generator oil & gas and retail business raises worry for the company. Revenue from the media business, too, shrank quite a bit.
Analysts said the bottomline was also driven by a lower tax rate, even if one were to exclude the other income part.
How much did the company earn?
RIL reported a 31 per cent year-on-year (YoY) rise in consolidated net profit at Rs 13,233 crore for the quarter ended June 30, thanks to a sharp jump in other income at Rs 4,388 crore.
- Profit in its telecom arm Jio jumped nearly three-fold to Rs 2,520 crore, as data usage spiked and average revenue per user improved due to tariff hike.
- Ebitda of its retail arm fell by half to Rs 1,083 crore due to Covid-19 restrictions during the quarter
- Refining and marketing business' revenue declined 54.10 per cent YoY to Rs 46,642 crore. Ebitda slipped 25.80 per cent YoY to Rs 3,818 crore.
- The topline from oil and gas business fell 45.2 per cent YoY to Rs 506 crore; Ebitda turned negative at Rs 32 crore from Rs 207 crore YoY.
- Revenue from the media business declined 35.20 per cent YoY to Rs 807 crore due to the Covid-19 clampdown; Ebitda declined 41.30 per cent YoY to Rs 27 crore.
What is that one-time gain?
The company said the exceptional gain of Rs 4,966 crore (net of taxes of Rs 1,508 crore) came from profit on divestment of shares of Reliance BP Mobility Services. RIL sold 49 per cent of its fuel retailing business to BP for Rs 7,629 crore, which translated into the above-mentioned gain.
How did Jio grow during the quarter?
Jio was the outperformer among all business verticals. It added 15.1 lakh gross subscribers despite restrictions across the country. “Customer engagement increased during the quarter with national lockdown driving average wireless data consumption per user per month to 12.1 GB and average voice consumption to 756 minutes per user per month,” the company said.
What with its retail business?
Reliance Retail suffered badly due to the store closure during the lockdown. “Store functioning and digital commerce fulfilment was severely impacted by lockdown and restrictions (50 per cent stores were fully shut, 29 per cent partially operated). The performance whilst muted by the operating context, was well ahead of market,” RIL said.
The company insisted that Ebitda was positive and resilient despite the limitations in the quarter.
What does the management say?
“Severe demand destruction due to global lockdowns impacted the hydrocarbons business, but the flexibility in operations enabled us to operate at near normal levels and deliver industry leading results. The consumer-facing businesses became the life-line for individuals and businesses, with Retail and Jio teams working hard to ensure millions got essential goods and services through the lockdown,” said Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director.
What do analysts say?
Abhijeet Bora, Sharekhan: On operating level, the results were in line with estimates. Both GRM and petchem Ebit margins were in-line. The refinery throughput and petchem production was strong because given the lockdown, I think they have been able to export more and done a good job. Jio ebitda that has grown almost 17 per cent QoQ is in line with Street expectations but retail Ebitda is slightly lower. We know there has been pressure except for grocery business. Jio Arpu increased to Rs 140.30, a 7 per cent qoq gain, which was expected. Overall, operationally, I am satisfied but on the bottomline, it was driven by lower tax rate, even after we exclude the other income.
Mayuresh Joshi, William O'Neil: RIL's Q1 results came in line with expectation. Core petchem business and refining were supposed to remain soft due to lockdown. However, petchem margins came in better than expectations. GRMs were far better in a tough environment. Jio came as a surprising element on Arpu and subscriber front. Global development may give direction to RIL shares in the near term, but the long-term story stays intact as the value unlocking exercise is still happening on the counter.
Deepak Jasani, HDFC Securities: RIL's reported revenues were short of estimates, mainly due to poor topline performance by refining segment. Adjusted PAT came in marginally higher than estimates, helped in part by higher other income and lower tax.Both refining and petchem businesses performed well at the operating profit level due to optimised crude procurement, relatively higher utilisation, cost management and agile product placement. Reliance Retail's topline performance was resilient in an adverse operating environment. Reliance Jio’s performance was broadly in line, but the Apru at Rs 140 surprised positively.
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Shopee reportedly conducted three rounds of layoffs this year as its parent Sea Limited struggles towards profitability.
Lauryn Ishak | Bloomberg | Getty Images
More tech startups in Southeast Asia laid off workers this year, as macro headwinds widened losses and venture capitalists pushed startups to extend their runways.
Last week, online marketplace Carousell announced it was letting go about 10% of its headcount — or approximately 110 positions.
Both companies cited challenging macroeconomic challenges.
“Founders are being prudent by managing costs in this environment to ensure there is sufficient runway till late 2024,” Jia Jih Chai, co-founder and CEO of Singapore-based e-commerce brand aggregator Rainforest, told CNBC. Chai was previously a senior vice president at Carousell and a managing director at Airbnb.
“There are signs that we are entering into a recession, if we are not already in one. Therefore, customer demand is likely to be slower in 2023,” said Chai.
In a note to Carousell’s employees, CEO Quek Siu Rui acknowledged “critical mistakes” were made. He said he was “too optimistic” about the Covid recovery and underestimated the impact of growing his team too quickly.
“The reality is that we were quick to grow our expenses and hire, but the returns took longer than expected,” said Quek, adding that there have been cost-cutting measures in the past few months and Carousell’s leadership will take voluntary pay cuts.
Quek also said it’s only prudent that the company get to profitability as a group as quickly as possible, as it is unclear if market conditions will improve.
Carousell posted a slower revenue growth of 21% in 2021 at $49.5 million, compared to a tripling of its revenue in 2020. Meanwhile, GoTo saw its losses swell from the January to September period.
“I was astonished that companies predicted that the Covid behavior changes would last forever,” Alex Kantrowitz, a Silicon Valley journalist, who also runs an independent newsletter and podcast called Big Technology, told CNBC’s “TechCheck” Monday.
“Clearly, once you are allowed to go out to restaurants, hang out with friends outside, your usage of Netflix, Facebook, Shopify and Amazon would go down. So why do all of them build as if that would last forever?”
“Previously, the companies were designed for fast growth. So there needs to be changes made when the organization is shifting from strong growth to sustainable growth. For example, you may not need too many marketing people if the marketing budget is cut,” said Jefrey Joe, co-founder and managing partner at Indonesia-based Alpha JWC Ventures.
Tech startups in Southeast Asia are still largely unprofitable, with names like Sea Group and Grab amassing billions of losses annually.
Existing investors in the company are also actively advising founders to prepare for winter, Jussi Salovaara, Antler’s co-founder and managing partner for Asia, told CNBC. Venture capitalists are pushing founders to have a longer runway, he said.
Source: CNBC research
“We say to the founders that they need to be prepared that next year is not going to be easier than this year,” said Joe.
“These companies may be doing well operatively. They still have some growth. They might be close to profitability, but they need to make sure that they’re sustainable for the future,” added Salovaara.
Tech companies are only seeing the beginning of layoffs, said Kantrowitz.
Globally, tech companies have been conducting mass layoffs, especially the U.S. tech giants. For example, Meta cut about 11,000 jobs while Microsoft reportedly laid off less than 1,000 people due to a slowdown in growth.


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LA 2009: Chevy Cruze Officially Debuts in North America
After yesterday’s sneak preview of the all-new 2011 Chevrolet Cruze, there isn’t much new to tell other than that GM officially debuted the car today at the Los Angeles Auto Show. It is worth revisiting the car, however, as it is sure to be an important car for GM and the industry as a whole.
The main newsworthy item that sets the Cruze apart is its turbocharged 1.4-liter Ecotec engine (standard in LT and LTZ models) that makes 138-hp and 148 ft-lbs of torque. Those are pretty standard numbers for this class of vehicle, but what makes the engine so impressive is that it achieves 40 mpg on the highway. A larger 1.8-liter unit will come standard on LS models and is expected to make roughly the same amount of horsepower but less torque. Both engines will be offered with either six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmissions.
With a 40-mpg highway rating the Cruze easily has the best highway mileage in its class, besting the current highway leader, another Chevy product, the Cobalt XFE.
Style wise, it has a prominent front end, with Chevy’s corporate face that premiered on the new Malibu and can be found on vehicles like the Traverse. From some angles, the car does look like Hyundai’s Sonata – which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Chevy says the Cruze has more passenger and cargo room than either the Civic or Corolla and due to significant efforts to reduce exterior noise is supposed to deliver a much more high-end driving feel than compact competitors. In addition, Chevy wants to position the Cruze as a segment leader in safety with standard equipment including ABS brakes, StabiliTrak as well as 10 airbags.
Along with some high-tech equipment like Bluetooth connectivity and an available navigation system, other optional highlights include heated front seats and available 18-inch rims.
The Cruze is set to be built at GM’s Lordstown, Ohio plant with sales scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2010
Get more Chevy Cruze news and info at CruzeTalk.com