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In a connected world of ever-changing data, it’s hard to imagine basing marketing decisions on a single data point. And yet, that’s how advertisers have historically been forced to target and reach Hispanic consumers on mobile.
The Mobile Majority – an advertising technology company based in Santa Monica, California – has developed a new data model to better reach Hispanic consumers on smartphones and tablets, regardless of the language they choose to consume their content.
Today, the company announced its newest audience targeting product, Multicultural Smart Segments.(PDF)
Launching first with its Hispanic Smart Segment, The Mobile Majority can now offer advertisers up to 10 times more mobile inventory for specific demographic audiences than is currently available through standard RTB opportunities.
The Hispanic Mobile Opportunity
Currently, there is a large disconnect between Hispanic mobile usage and the amount brands are spending to reach them through mobile advertising.
The Hispanic market is not only engaged, but also large – and still growing. By 2050, Hispanics are expected to make up 30% of the U.S. population. Today, they already represent $1.5 trillion in buying power. Hispanics living in the United States are also highly connected to their mobile devices.
- Mobile data usage is 16% higher among Hispanics compared with the national average
- 49% of Latino respondents said they planned to replace or upgrade smartphones within the next six months
- 10 million Hispanics watch video on their mobile phones for an average of more than six hours per month
“Mobile phones provide the main link for Latinos going online, with 76 percent using their phones to access online content. According to Google, 65 percent of Latinos use their smartphones exclusively to go online,” added Adsmovil CEO, Alberto Pardo.
Even still, the AHAA reports that “the top 500 U.S. marketers are allocating about 8.4 percent of their overall ad spend to Hispanic dedicated efforts.” Though this number has risen from 5.5 percent in 2010, it is approximately half of what it should be proportional to the number of Hispanics living in the U.S. today.
Reaching Audiences via “Device.Language”
Until now, advertisers have relied on a mobile device’s language to be set to “es” (or Español) to determine if they should serve a Spanish language ad to that specific consumer.
Currently 3% of all bid requests that come through real-time bidding (or RTB) environments have this setting enabled. To put this into perspective, Hispanics and Latinos make up 17% of the U.S. population – a number that is expected to grow significantly in the coming years.
The reason is likely due to the fact that in many Spanish speakers’ lives, English is also prevalent – both linguistically and culturally. Online, 73% of Hispanics consume media “only in English” or “mostly in English, but some Spanish.”
Targeting Hispanic consumers solely by the language setting on their phone is a gross over-simplification of what is a burgeoning mobile market. Language alone does not define a culture.
As a result, advertisers trying to reach this highly engaged and receptive audience have been missing out on millions of potential mobile impressions.
Dual Creative from a Single Campaign
Because Smart Segments are implemented in real-time, it is possible for an advertiser to load two versions of an ad – one in Spanish and another in English – into The Mobile Majority’s platform.
“We all know that Latinos own their smartphones as their first source of entertainment and information, but most of the advertisers still focus on traditional Internet placements to reach them,” explains Giancarlo Molero, Partner at DLB Group Worldwide.
He continues, “If you are watching or reading what is going on your country of origin (Mexico, Dominican Republic, or Venezuela) you might be more willing to receive messages in Spanish.
“But if you are having fun with friends watching Late Night shows clips, you might be willing to see the ads in English as well. At the end, it is all about better understanding how the audiences consume media and how they prefer to interact, and that is something we can accomplish with excellent results with The Mobile Majority.”
Methodology and Approach
Currently, advertisers can reach only 3% of these consumers using the traditional method of targeting via device language. Through this new method, The Mobile Majority has unlocked 9 times more Hispanic mobile inventory in these areas for agencies and brands looking to engage with Hispanic consumers.
Of the entire U.S. Hispanic population, roughly eighty percent live in ten states. While using state-wide bid request data would lead to good coverage of this population, the accuracy would suffer.
“As an alternative, The Mobile Majority has created a new data model that uses census-level data cross-referenced with real-time bid requests and our 1st-party data. The result is a much wider recall with very good precision,” said Yongjia Wang PhD, Head of Data Science.
“In California, for example,” Wang continued, “there are 85 counties that can be analyzed to identify the most concentrated Hispanic areas in the state. By drilling down much further to census-level data, the team was able to analyze 8,057 census tracts for highly granular data.”
In addition to hyper-local location data, Smart Segments look at on variety of factors such as device, contextual, and in-app interest/behavioral data to predictively serve the appropriate version of the ad.
The result is a highly scalable new inventory source for advertisers to reach multicultural audiences with a high degree of precision.
“Working with The Mobile Majority will help us deliver better results for our existing clients and undoubtedly attract some great new brand advertisers as well as ensure that Hispanic Americans are reached with ads in the appropriate language — both great things,” added Pardo.
Source: The Mobile Majority Blog


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FXstreet.com (Barcelona) - UK deficit in goods and services trade has narrowed in December to its lowest level since July 2007, as exports to noon-EU countries posted a considerable pick up, according to data released by National Statistics.
December's trade deficit has narrowed to GBP 7.4 billion, from downwardly revised GBP8.1 billion in November, previously estimated as a GBP8.3 billion deficit.
Goods trade deficit has dropped to GBP3.6 billion in December, from GBP 4.0 billion in November, also revised down from GBP4.5 billion previously estimated.
Exports of goods to non-EU countries have increased 5% while exports to EU countries have fallen 3%. Imports from EU countries dropped 0.5% while imports from non-EU countries have posted a 4.5% decline in December.

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Application for cannabis cultivation in city limits moves ahead to public hearing
What has long been the calling card of the region’s underground economy is now looking for above-board validation in the budding of a new industry for Nelson.
Kootenay cannabis is the product ready to begin cultivation in the Heritage city as the Nelson Cannabis Collective has applied for an indoor cannabis operation use at 45 Government Road on the edge of the city.
The purpose of the application is to build an indoor cannabis cultivation facility, licensed by Health Canada to supply the legal cannabis market. City council passed first and second reading on the application Monday night in its regular council meeting and now sends the matter forward to a public hearing (no date set).
Coun Jesse Woodward was supportive of the project, seeing it exhibit a good element of local people wanting to do a good thing for the city.
“I think it’s probably a window into what small production facilities are going to be like,” he said. “I’m in favour of it but we have to be cognizant of how it affects the neighbours, but I feel like it could be a good plan.”
Which could mean producing a good quality product locally and then selling that product to local dispensaries, he said.
“There are many hurdles to get over, but, generally, in our area here we have an incredible amount of knowledge in this field, of course a lot of it has been underground for quite some time,” said Woodward.
Nelson doesn’t have industry of any sort, said Woodward, so to develop cannabis into a legal industry seems like a good fit for Nelson.
“We have to be inventive in how we do things, and the one thing we do have is this incredible cannabis knowledge,” he said.
The proposed project would introduce a new light-industrial use and additional vibrancy into Railtown, explained a city staff report to council.
“The tentative development plans are attractive and would be a significant improvement to the long-vacant site.”
Under the city’s Zoning Bylaw cannabis operation is defined as “the cultivating, growing, producing, packaging, storing, distributing, dispensing, advertising, trading, consumption, or selling of cannabis or its derivatives but excludes city-approved cannabis retail store.”
Currently, no property in the city is zoned for cannabis operation.
The Collective has a vision that would see the site host several cultivators.
The proposal is for a scalable, indoor cannabis cultivation facility that would include multiple cultivators, each under a separate “micro-cultivation” licence from Health Canada to cultivate cannabis for the newly legalized recreational cannabis market.
According to the application, “a single micro-cultivation licence permits 200 square metres (around 2,152 square feet).”
One of the major stipulations of the development is that there would be no retail sales or consumption on-site. Health Canada does not allow cultivation licensee holders to combine operations.
There will be two phases of development, with the first phase including up to 15 employees in the initial 1.5-storey facility, estimated at $6 million.
The second phase — expected to occur several years after the first is complete — is for two storeys (estimated at $10 million) and a second part which is three storeys (estimated $15 million).
The proposal noted that up to 50 employees would be anticipated in second part of the second phase.
The property is vacant and was previously a fuel cardlock site.
Rezone in alignment
According to a city staff report, approval of the rezoning application works based on three points:
- The use aligns with the intent of current zoning.
The waterfront mixed-use industrial and commercial zone permits uses such as warehousing, indoor manufacturing, light industrial (including brewery) and cannabis retail.
“The proposed facility is similar to many of these in terms of traffic demand, architecture, use, and neighbourhood impact and fit,” noted the report. “As the site is not permitted by Health Canada to be open to the public for retail or on-site consumption, traffic associated with the site would primarily be employees, and Railtown is designated by all planning documents as an employment hub with direct highway access.”
- Other cities allow indoor micro-cultivation facilities such as the proposed one in light-industrial zones.
- City staff research on nuisance odour has concluded no greater risk, and possibly less, than other uses that are already permitted, such as industrial and brewery.
“Although there is abundant negative press across Canada on the odours of outdoor and greenhouse cannabis production, staff have not found evidence of any issues with indoor cultivation facilities in Canada or the United States,” noted the report.
The proposed zoning would allow for indoor cultivation only and the applicants have proposed an industry-standard carbon filtration system.
— Source: City of Nelson
Going public with it
The Collective held a public open house on Sept. 18 with approximately 60 people in attendance with four area business owners and managers expressing opposition, with a few other attendees concerned about odour.
However, most did not express a concern about the development or the odour.
The application was presented to the city’s Advisory Planning Committee (APC) at its October meeting, with the commission recommending council approve the rezoning.
To-date the city has not received any questions or feedback directly from the public.
As well, Nelson Police and Nelson Hydro have not expressed any concern over the development, nor did the Ministry of Transportation.
“No objections were received, although Public Works indicated that they will install a water meter in order to monitor the facility’s water usage,” read the city staff report.
— Source: City of Nelson


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Virgil Abloh continues his collection with Nike for the coming Holiday season with a brand new colorway. The latest iteration sees the Air Max 90 featuring a University Red/Team Orange-Hyper Jade-Bright Mango color combo. The colorway features a similar theme to the holiday theme of red and green, almost making these a Christmas colorway.
Off-White Nike Air Max 90 University Red Release Date
The Off-White x Nike Air Max 90 “University Red” is set to release December 2018 at select retailers and Nike.com for $160 USD.
Color: University Red/Team Orange-Hyper Jade-Bright Mango
Style Code: AA7293-600
Release Date: December 2018


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Darknet News US sanctions Russia's largest darknet market and crypto exchange Garantex Digital intelligence must overcome challenges to solving crypto crimes. Entities sent approximately 64,000 BTCand received roughly the same amount major darknet markets that are currently up and running allow only bitcoin:. The Hydra darknet marketplace's servers have been shut down by German authorities. About 25M of Bitcoin was seized from Hydra's bitcoin wallet. Bitcoin years ago, he was bitcoin darknet markets clever, insightful journalist Kai knows a lot about Darknet markets and has a firm grasp on the bitcoin news circuit. The subreddit for Dark Net Markets (r/DarkNetMarkets) reveals one user who goes by about the benefits of using Bitcoin for transactions in this space. Silk Road was one of the most popular Darknet sites. It described itself as an anonymous marketplace. Silk Road was utilised by its users as a black market. Hackers recently took control of a darknet market directory to phish Bitcoin from unsuspecting drug buyers, reports Vice. On the dark web, cryptocurrency is popular because it allows users to conceal their identities and transaction details. In August 2022, Bitcoin.
Uncovering a Stealthy Network of Scam Markets on Dark Web & Deep Web. Bitcoins, or encryption that archetyp url ensure the future success of darknet markets, writes. You need Bitcoin in order to pay, Bitcoins are anonymous and that is the main reason and it is also very hard to trace transactions from one. Monopoly Market is a new darknet market hosted on Tor, focused on the anonymity "Grams" - Darknet market search engine, bitcoin mixer, vendor directory. Since 2022, Hydra Market has received about bitcoin darknet markets billion in cryptocurrency for transactions on the site, reaping commissions worth millions of. Blockchain analysis firm #Elliptic identified #Dogecoin as a #cryptocurrency increasingly linked to criminal activity, including #darknet market usage. Trusted Darknet VendorsIn fact, the list of darknet markets not The dark web has flourished thanks to bitcoin, the crypto-currency. Ransomware, darknet markets, exchange thefts - all generate large volumes of cryptoassets such as bitcoin. The criminals behind these activities then face a. German police were able to seize 543 bitcoins from the Hydra darknet market's accumulated profits, an amount that equates to about 25 millio.
To setting up access to archetyp market url DarkNet Markets using Tails and steps through the process of making a purchase including acquiring BitCoins thr. Due to the anonymity and lack of law enforcement, Bitcoin has been misused in darknet markets which deal with illegal products. The Silk Road: The Silk Road, aka the Amazon of illegal drugs, only allows transactions with bitcoins. At one point, the Silk Road drew the line at selling. Yo Crypto is one of the more solid groups that are often consistently producing A Darknet Market Platform, White House Market will not allow payments in. By S Kethineni 2022 Cited by 83 Some believe that Bitcoin will play a significant role in both e-commerce and money transfers, whereas others believe that Bitcoin transactions. A highly liquid futures market.. They open a Bitcoin wallet. Then, if you'd like, you'd snap a shot of the QR code at checkout and pay in BTC from your. Your bitcoin then goes into an escrow account maintained by the darknet market while you wait. Once the package arrives, you verify you got. Utilizing panel data of 296875 unique product and service listings that were available on 19 darknet markets from June 2022 to July 2022 as well as Bitcoin.
The second cryptocurrency by market cap is about to experience a major event with high potential to operate as a bullish catalyst, The Merge. The impact of Bitcoin address linking on user anonymity and privacy has archetyp market darknet been known for a while now 11,14,18,22. Tor and Darknet Markets. 2:13 - Jack's History in Crypto, Starting Podcast 5:18 - DarkNet Market Stories and Monero, AlphaBay 8:00 - How Jack finds guests for sho. By S Kethineni 2022 Cited by 83 Some believe that Bitcoin will play a significant role in both e-commerce and money transfers, whereas others believe that Bitcoin transactions. The man allegedly paid a total of 24,000 in bitcoin to try and engage a try and hire an assassin from a fraudulent darknet website. We focus on Bitcoin in this paper because Bitcoin is the most popular cryptocurrency which is accepted by all darknet markets 6. Using blockchain and. 5 Differences Between Dark Web Markets and Regular darknet market forum on the dark web archetyp market link focused on darknet market reviews, cryptocurrency and security. Among the four sites, Ferum Shop is by far the biggest, accounting for 256 million in BTC from the illegal proceedings. Trump's Dumps was.
HYDRA MARKET: RUSSIA'S MOST PROMINENT DARKNET MARKET of the illicit Bitcoin received directly by Russian virtual currency exchanges in. Use of Bitcoin in Darknet Markets: Examining Facilitative Factors on Bitcoin-Related Crimes. Kethineni, bitcoin darknet markets, bitcoin darknet markets, Cassandra. Among the four sites, Ferum Shop is by far the biggest, accounting for 256 million in BTC archetyp link from the illegal proceedings. Trump's Dumps was. Hackers recently took control of a darknet market directory to phish Bitcoin from unsuspecting drug buyers, reports Vice. By Arca el Darknet 3 hours ago it would jump to the top of the market cap ranking, along with Bitcoin ( 379 billion. Darknet markets set a new revenue record in 2022, bringing in a total of bitcoin darknet markets billion worth of cryptocurrencymost of which was in Bitcoin (BTC). "In 2022, Hydra accounted for an estimated 80 of all darknet market-related cryptocurrency transactions, and since 2022, the marketplace. These darknet markets hauled in a record amount of revenue last year, with customers archetyp link around the globe spending bitcoin darknet markets billion in cryptocurrency.
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Scientists turn to submarines to explore at depths too great for SCUBA gear. The DHS didn't respond to WIRED's request for comment, but it's no surprise bitcoin darknet markets that Evolution has become the target of a federal investigation. You can of course say that the crime is on whoever uses it but criminal neglect is a thing. Nano users elect representatives by delegating the balance of their accounts to the representative of their choice. Likewise, Valhalla, also known as Silkkitie, was shut down by Europol. Researchers at Group-IB found card details being sold at $100 each, total value of the card database is at over $130 million.
“The market offers Double SNAP, a one-to-one match archetyp darknet market on investment property through the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Barring some major shift in law-enforcement capabilities, there’s little governments can do about it.”
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PlayStation 3 jailbreaker George Hotz, also known as GeoHot, has donated the remaining funds for his legal battle against Sony to the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). He also says the battle with the PS3 will continue with or without him as others will continue to crack the latest firmware and find workarounds for the console:
As promised, all left over legal defense money, plus a little to bump it to a nice number, has been sent to the EFF. Thank you all so much for your support, without it, things could have been much worse.
This money goes to the EFF in hopes that America can one day again be a shining example of freedom, free of the DMCA and ACTA, and that private interest will never trump the ideas laid out in the constitution of privacy, ownership, and free speech.
At the end of the day, something I take comfort in. The PS3 got OWNED. "Once the code works they'll never be able to take it away from us."
Two months ago, GeoHot asked for donations to help pay for legal defense fees in his fight against Sony. At the time, he noted that the EFF provided some legal help and so leftover donations will go to them. Now he has delivered on that pledge.
Last week, Sony and GeoHot announced they had settled the lawsuit, though the terms were not fully disclosed. As such, GeoHot no longer needs money to fight the company.
Sony's legal attacks against the hackers that released the PS3 root key and custom firmware began three months ago. The group known as fail0verflow was accused of posting a rudimentary hack in December 2010 after finding security codes for the PS3. It was refined by GeoHot weeks later when he independently found and published the PS3 root key. The resulting hacks allow homebrew apps and pirated software to run on unmodified consoles. Sony is still threatening to sue anybody posting or distributing PS3 jailbreak code, despite the fact that the company accidentally tweeted the PlayStation 3 security key.
Sony largely won the legal battle. The company succeed in getting GeoHot to hand over his hardware, even demanding two copies of the data, one in encrypted and one in decrypted form. A federal judge allowed Sony to obtain the IP addresses of everyone who visited GeoHot's personal website for a period of 26 months (since January 2009) as well as the account names of anyone who has accessed a PS3 jailbreak video on the 21-year-old's YouTube account, his tweets relating to the hacking on Twitter, information on people who posted comments to his blog on Blogspot, and information about his account on the PSX-Scene website. The same judge also later granted the company access to GeoHot's PayPal account for the last two years.
Sony's official stance remains if you crack your PS3, you'll get banned. GeoHot has meanwhile moved on. When asked "Will you be continuing your work on Sony products anonymously?" he answered: "Nah. As much as I don't respect the goons at Sony, I do respect the court."


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December 3, 2010 Leave a Comment
KUALA LUMPUR: Yes, the fastest mobile internet service with voice, recently welcomed renowned singer Datuk Siti Nurhaliza to the Yes flagship store as one of the many customers who have chosen to pair the usability of their brand new Apple iPads and 4G flexibility, performance and mobility of the Yes Huddle mobile WiFi router (MiFi).
Upon collecting her iPad and Yes Huddle, Siti said: “The iPad is a great device and for the device to live up to its potential, it needs amazing connectivity. With Yes being able to deliver speeds five times faster than 3G, I can finally use my iPad to its full potential.”
When asked if she will be using the iPad frequently, she said, “Of course, it is such a versatile device. I can use it to catch up on my work and also use it to wind down after a busy day.


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Mobile commerce continues to gain momentum as a mainstream way for consumers to shop online. In fact mobile commerce now accounts for nearly one-third of all U.S. e-commerce sales, according to an analysis of data from Internet Retailer’s newly published 2016 Mobile 500.
In 2015 U.S. mobile commerce sales will total $104.05 billion, up 38.7% from $75.03 billion in 2014, reveals data from the 2016 Mobile 500. Internet Retailer estimates that mobile commerce in 2015 will grow 2.58 times faster than total e-commerce sales, which Internet Retailer projects will grow 15% this year to an estimated $350.64 billion.
But mobile commerce in the U.S. isn’t growing nearly as fast as in other global regions. The combined sales of the 14 Asian retailers ranked in the 2016 Mobile 500 grew year over year 249.3 %, or 6.4 times faster than 378 ranked U.S. Mobile 500 merchants. In 2015 the 93 European Mobile 500 merchants also will grow their collective mobile sales, by 70.7% or 1.82 times faster than their U.S. counterparts, while the seven Latin American Mobile 500 retailers increased their total mobile commerce sales 59.6% or 1.54 times faster than the U.S. retailers.
In the U.S. mobile commerce is becoming a bigger part of e-commerce overall.
In 2015 Internet Retailer projects that mobile commerce will account for about 29.7% of all U.S. e-commerce sales compared with 24.6% in 2014. There are other statistics confirming that more consumers are using web-enabled smartphones and tablets in general. Web measurement firm comScore Inc. estimates 189.7 million consumers, or nearly 60% of the U.S. population of 319.8 million, now own a smartphone. And U.S. consumers are using those web-connected more often to shop on U.S. mobile sites and through mobile apps.
The combined monthly mobile visits of all 378 U.S. Mobile 500 merchants grew 68.3% to 3.03 billion in 2015 while mobile monthly unique visitors grew collectively 44% to 964.7 million. The increase in mobile shopping is leading more U.S. retailers to invest in mobile apps, which can provide features not available on a mobile web site. 180 U.S. merchants in the 2016 Mobile 500 have one or more apps, and the combined sales from those apps increased 44% to $40.58 billion in 2015.
RealTruck.com, No. 295 in the 2016 Mobile 500, is an example of a U.S. retailer that’s registering mobile sales growth after making it a priority to cater to mobile shoppers. The retailer’s mobile sales are projected to grow by 107% and reach $18.0 million in 2015,.
RealTruck.com doesn’t have an app but its mobile site has been updated and streamlined over time to let web shoppers search and purchase parts and accessories by vehicle make, model year and by popular category. Other categories also get shoppers to products organized alphabetically by product category or by best-seller.
“A focus on mobile and catering to our mobile shoppers has been a 2015 strategic initiative for RealTruck.com,” says marketing manager Antinea Ascione.”We have been ensuring that we design specifically for mobile when possible, and keep mobile in mind with every project we implement.”Favorite


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About NBR“Nightly Business Report produced by CNBC” (NBR) is an award-winning and highly-respected nightly business news program that airs on public television. Television’s longest-running evening business news broadcast, “NBR” features in-depth coverage and analysis of the biggest financial news stories of the day and access to some of the world’s top business leaders and policy makers.
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The analysts increased their expectations from 14.3 million subscribers following healthy app downloads and better than expected subscriptions indicated by Verizon.
When people start taking a vacation to the moon, there might be a mobile network to let them post their pictures on social media. German space firm PT Scientists, along with Finnish network equipment-maker Nokia and British mobile carrier Vodafone, are gearing up to launch a telecoms network on the moon in 2019. It would mark the first …
Despite legacy media’s anxieties about cord-cutting, data suggest that the phenomenon isn’t nearly as significant as cable providers make it out to be.
Verizon isn’t just a telecom company anymore. It’s increasingly becoming a big player in the media space.
Dish Network and T-Mobile are reportedly in merger talks and a potential deal would be the latest in a string of consolidation happening in the industry.
AOL decided to sell to Verizon in order to compete in a future marketplace dominated by larger players, CEO and Chairman Tim Armstrong told CNBC on Tuesday. “If you look at AOL over the last five years … we turned the company around. We outperformed the S&P 500 for the last five years, and when …
FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler will seek to ban cable companies from throttling access to certain kinds of broadband data and seeking payments to prioritize some content over others, he said Wednesday. In an op-ed published on Wired magazine’s website, Wheeler said he would seek to use the FCC’s so-called Title II authority to ensure net …
The entire telecom sector is now negative for the year. Morgan Brennan explains why this group is under so much pressure.
Once aimed at a small elite with their blingy designs, luxury smartphones are being toned down as manufacturers look to broaden the appeal of their high-end devices. Vertu has released a £4,200 ($6,800) smartphone known as Aster, with a 5.1-inch sapphire crystal screen and titanium casing, materials often used on expensive Swiss watches. Consumers can …
BlackBerry unveiled the Passport on Wednesday, its boldest phone design since it went from pagers to handsets. Many critics will make the mistake of comparing its prospects to Apple’s iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, but it’s not competing in the same arena. Put another way, BlackBerry Passport will be a breathtaking success if it sells as many phones …
Is someone hacking cellphones in Washington, D.C.? A Nevada-based security technology company says it has discovered proof of as many as 15 cellphone interception devices secretly operating in the nation’s capital, capable of illicitly identifying the movements of prominent people, recording audio from mobile phones, listening to calls and reading email. The company is a …
What’s at stake for big cell phone companies with the iPhone 6 hitting stores in one week as they fight to sign up more customers?
Sprint has hung up on its pursuit of rival wireless carrier T-Mobile because of unlikely regulator approval.
The French low-cost telecommunications company, Iliad has made a $15 billion cash offer for more than half of T-Mobile.
AT&T reported earnings that missed estimates. How is the telecom sector doing as a whole and it is worth your investment dollars?


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"Sometimes you get lucky. Sometimes there's an overnight success. Usually it's a slog over many years," says the co-founder of AOL.
The co-founder and former CEO of AOL knows a thing or two about changing the world and convincing people about big ideas.
Yahoo's first quarter numbers were "atrocious" but it is making good progress on its sale process, says Axiom Capital's internet media MP, Victor Anthony.
NEW YORK, April 13- Verizon Communications Inc is the clear favorite in the upcoming bidding for Yahoo Inc's core Internet business, according to Wall Street analysts, in large part because the telecommunications company's efforts to become a force in Internet content have gone relatively well under the leadership of AOL Inc Chief Executive Tim Armstrong.
Jon Brod, Co-Founder of both AOL Ventures and Confide, and Mike Isaac, Tech Correspondent for the New York Times, discuss Spotify's convertible debt financing deal and when the streaming company may go public.
Jon Brod, Co-Founder of both AOL Ventures and Confide, and Mike Isaac, Tech Correspondent for the New York Times, discuss Apple's exit from the bear market as well as the company's recent fight with the FBI.
Pandora Media named founder Tim Westergren as CEO, but share prices of the music streaming company plunged after the announcement.
Users visiting the websites of the New York Times, Newsweek, BBC and AOL, among others, may have installed malware on their computers if they clicked on the malicious ads. Bresntsmedia.com, the website used by hackers to serve up malware, expired on Jan. 1 and was registered again on March 6 by a different buyer, security researchers at Trustwave SpiderLabs wrote in a...
Discussing Apple's fight with the U.S. government and the possibility of escalation that Apple will have to hand over their source code with Jon Brod, AOL Ventures Co-Founder and Edmund Lee, Managing Editor at Re/code.
Despite big challenges in tech, the mood among VCs and start-ups at SXSW is upbeat.


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The 7 days noticed nevertheless a further new entrant in the burgeoning compact SUV segment which would go on sale in March. But the spotlight of the 7 days would be the intention made by India’s greatest two-wheeler maker to make products and solutions in the future getting extra than just two wheels. Extra on this afterwards but first here is a full look at what else manufactured headlines all through the week.
Renault unveils Kiger SUV
French carmaker Renault has taken the sheets off the Kiger which also marks its environment debut. This is the to start with sub 4-metre compact SUV from Renault.
Designed in India and France, the Kiger has created its world debut in India. The compact SUV will be commercially introduced in March after price ranges and bookings are introduced in the coming months.
Vehicle market going through structural slowdown
The auto field in India is heading by means of a extensive-term structural slowdown as the compound annual advancement price (CAGR) across all major vehicle segments has witnessed a drop in excess of the final three decades, as for each industry overall body SIAM.
The car field has been struggling with headwinds even right before the COVID-19 pandemic derailed the total sector last yr, a study conducted by the Society of Indian Vehicle Manufacturers (SIAM) has revealed.
Auto sector workforce get spend hikes
With factories jogging at peak ability and corporations having difficulties to meet up with need, it can be likely the best time to be an personnel with an automotive company.
The much better-than-predicted turnaround in demand from customers has designed automotive and vehicle pieces makers to not only roll back again wage cuts but also reward staff members with increments.
Hyundai to carry N Line model to India
Hyundai is at last bringing its set of overall performance-oriented N-Line brand to India sometime in the subsequent number of months.
Equivalent to Ford’s RS and Volkswagen’s GTI, the N efficiency automobiles signify Hyundai’s acquire on their regular avenue automobiles pumped up for far more enjoyable and superior performance.
Green tax to thrust up truck rentals
The imposition of inexperienced tax on particular categories of automobiles by the Ministry of Highway Transportation and Highways (MoRTH) could drive up truck rentals as their house owners will probably pass on the added cess to shoppers.
To be calculated on street cess, the inexperienced tax is currently being imposed to ‘dissuade men and women from utilizing old vehicles’ as nicely as encourage individuals to change to more recent and considerably less polluting motor vehicles, the federal government has stated.
Hero to search at segments further than two-wheelers
About 10 days ago Hero Motocorp, the country’s largest-providing two-wheeler brand, rolled out its 100 millionth two-wheeler from just one of its producing crops. Due to the fact 1984 the firm which was back then a joint venture amongst the Delhi-primarily based Munjal family members and Honda Motor Firm and known as Hero Honda, focussed only on bikes. It branched out to scooters only in 2005.
But the senior administration of Hero MotoCorp has radically unique ideas to get to the future million. Interviews supplied by Pawan Munjal, Chairman and Handling Director, Hero MotoCorp to the media propose that the company would look at other sorts of mobility for the future other than bikes and scooters. However Munjal did not specify if the company’s intention was to get a few-wheelers, 4-wheelers of some thing even greater he did drop hints about Hero’s intentions about the upcoming.
In an job interview to a each day Munjal reported, “Hero has rolled out a record 10 crore two-wheelers considering the fact that its inception in the early 1980s, and the following 10 crore line-up in all chance will not only be a motorcycle, scooter or three-wheeler.”
Nevertheless, this is not the very first time that Hero has looked at diversification. Again in 2008 Hero fashioned a joint venture with German heavyweight Daimler for creating trucks and buses. Hero pulled out of the JV a calendar year later after the business motor vehicle section noticed one particular of its worst slowdowns ever activated by the Lehman Brothers disaster.
Earlier this economical calendar year Hero spoke about getting into the a few-wheeler section in its yearly report. “We are evaluating various choices in emerging mobility prospects, such as two-wheelers and a few-wheelers, telematics, charging/ swapping ecosystem and mobility as a provider (MaaS)”, Hero MotoCorp experienced stated in its once-a-year report.
Hero Motors Business tends to make bicycles. Hero Electrical will make electrical scooters. Equally these entities are independent of Hero MotoCorp, having no equity keeping. They all do, on the other hand, use the Hero brand name.
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#iPhone8 #Apple – iPhone 8 release date, specs, features, rumors : With the iPhone 7 already in the can, Apple is making big plans for the next generation iPhone 8. The 2017 iPhone release will mark the tenth anniversary of the iconic smartphone range, and it is expected that the consumer electronics giant will have something special up its sleeve to acknowledge this landmark.
The latest news on the iPhone 8 comes from Israel, where reports have outlined some of the hardware that the Californian corporation may choose to include in this important smartphone release.
An unnamed employee at an Apple site in Herzliya, Israel has provided these latest leaks, and they are certainly interesting and worthy of note, considering that the hardware for the iPhone 8 is being developed in the Middle Eastern nation.
Reports from Israel indicate that the iPhone 8 will feature a completely different appearance to recent iPhone releases, and will also be fitted with superior cameras. This would imply an outstanding photographic capability, as the existing iPhone 7 was already considered an improvement in this department.
It is particularly suggested that the iPhone 8 will be cased in curved glass made from Liquidmetal (a brandname for a technology developed by a California Institute of Technology research team), creating an entirely new visage for the world’s most popular handset.
Artist Martin Hajek had already created a prototype concept image of this nature ahead of the launch of the iPhone 6, but it seems that these rumors could finally come to fruition with the release of the iPhone 8.
Apple has indeed already filed a patent, back in 2013, for a curved glass phone case constructed from Liquidmetal. Of course, this does not necessarily mean that it will see the light of day in the iPhone 8 generation – Apple has any number of patents that it has yet to put into practice.
But it does seem likely that Apple has been planning to include this technology in the iPhone range for some time, and the landmark nature of this iPhone 8 release may tempt the Cupertino-based company to finally unveil it.
Liquidmetal comprises a mixture of titanium, nickel, copper and zirconium among other metals, ensuring that any product instructed via this technique is particularly scratch resistant.
Constructing the iPhone 8 from the Liquidmetal would ensure that it is robust, while the substance is also relatively light considering its toughness. Liquidmetal also has the property of a feeling as smooth as glass, potentially bringing a whole new feel to the iPhone range.


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If cash flow is tight and free capital at a premium, the last thing you want to do is tie up your business in bank loans and overdrafts for company cars.
Essex site is the first of over 100 Electric Forecourts being built by GRIDSERVE over the next five years ahead of the 2030 ban on petrol and diesel cars. The company’s £1bn UK-wide programme aims to make EV driving an enjoyable, ultra-convenient and stress-free experience.
If you are looking for something with plenty of capacity, the ability to get down and dirty on the farm, and at a reasonable price, then the Ssangyong Musso Long Bed Rhino will get the job done – it’s the longest, highest-capacity double cab pick-up available in the UK.
With garages and service centres remaining open, scheduled servicing and MOT visits should continue and not be put off. Coupled with this, daily or weekly vehicle maintenance checks to keep an eye on areas such as fluid levels, windscreen damage, working lights and tyre conditions are very important.
Reimbursement for the business mileage is usually offered by paying an approved mileage rate which s known as Approved Mileage Allowance Payments - often abbreviated to AMAPs. If you make payments to employees above a certain amount, you’ll have to report them to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and deduct and pay tax.
A POOL car is a company vehicle that’s available for use by one or more employees of that company. It can be a pool van, as well. It's called a pool car, because it is an asset that can be used by everyone in that organisation: 'pooled use'. However, HMRC is very keen to ensure that employees don’t use pool cars [...]
Smart EV charging solutions provider NewMotion has announced a partnership with Europcar Mobility Group to provide a complete ecosystem of charging solutions - from easy-to-use, smart charge points to access to the Business Hub platform that allows monitoring, management and control of the entire charging infrastructure. In addition, with NewMotion, customers renting an electric vehicle in one of the Europcar [...]
AS expected the Government has announced plans to bring forward the ban on sales of petrol and diesel vehicles from 2035 to 2030. From then it will be electric vehicles only with hybrids also being phased out from 2035. Reaction within the industry has been mixed, but largely positive. The main concern being over establishing an adequate charging infrastructure. The [...]
BMW Group UK has launched an Accident Support service, offering BMW and MINI drivers assistance and guidance in the aftermath of an accident, through vehicle recovery, repair and onwards mobility. Intelligent, on-board software on selected vehicles recognises when an accident has occurred but airbags have not been deployed. In these circumstances, drivers will receive a notification via their central information [...]
INSURANCE company Admiral has reported huge increase in catalytic converter thefts with Honda Jazz, Toyota Prius, Toyota Auris and Lexus RX the models most targeted. Precious metals found in catalytic converters in vehicles are worth a fortune to thieves – some even more than gold. Lorna Connelly, Head of Claims at Admiral, said: “At the beginning of 2020 we saw an [...]
Leasing Broker Federation partner Moneypenny explains how turning to outsourcing is one hugely effective way of overcoming Covid-19 issues such as furloughed staff, limited resource, and a whole new way of working and building resilience as we navigate the unpredictable climate ahead.
Europcar Mobility Group has appointed Mark Lister as Group Director International Partner Development. His mission will be to continue enlarging the global footprint of the Group brands (Europcar, Goldcar, Ubeeqo, InterRent) through franchising, as well as the development of the Global rent-a-car reservation platform and the expansion of the alliance network that operates in Canada, China, India and Japan. This [...]
FLEXIFLEET, the flexible private and corporate rental service from Thrifty Car and Van Rental, is gaining traction with private and businesses customers seeking adaptability in the current fast-changing economic climate. Thrifty has seen the number of its FlexiFleet rentals increase by 50% year-on-year since the first lockdown period was eased. FlexiFleet offers private clients and businesses the opportunity to rent a [...]
Offering an allowance can mean less work for the business as well as a tax saving and cost saving.
Autotech Training estimates that by 2025, the UK fleet vehicle industry will account for 75% of all electric cars on the road. However, a major knowledge gap surrounding EV’s and a lack of basic training could slow employee usage.


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Is poor cash flow the reason so many Australian small businesses are failing?
Small businesses in Australia are under pressure, according to statistics released by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). The figures show that the percentage of small businesses failing is on the rise, with owners struggling with issues such as cash flow, strategic planning and record keeping.
Research has shown that 51% of business start ups do not survive beyond four years of operation. ASIC reveals that 81% of businesses that became insolvent in 2012/13 were small businesses employing less than 20 people. The construction sector was the worst of those affected, with 24% of the insolvencies coming from that sector.
The primary cause of failure is poor strategic management, with 42% of owners reporting this. 41% also say inadequate cash flow or high cash use is a driving factor; 32% of businesses are trading at a loss; and 33% are experiencing poor financial control, admitting that they are not keeping good records.
Previously, we have talked about the fact that Australia is in a cash flow crisis, with many accounts being settled late. Dun & Bradstreet have actually estimated that over $19 billion is locked away from businesses beyond the widely accepted 30 day payment term. The good news here is that the Australian government have been putting steps in place recently to ensure that businesses improve in this area.
The ASIC figures also show that poor record keeping is a major cause of business failure. This is why it is so important to use an accounting program to manage your records well. Small business owners often make huge mistakes trying to use complex double entry programs, so give yourself a break and pick up something simple to understand like Cashflow Manager. It can also ease the burden around tax time and get your finances into shape to help you avoid a tax audit.
Avoid becoming one of the statistics and get on top of your business finances now.


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Top models to feature in Manipur fashion fiesta
Former Miss World runner-up Parvathy Omnakuttan announces third edition of event in Imphal
- Published 2.03.15
Imphal, March 1: Former Miss World runner-up Parvathy Omnakuttan and a host of top models of the country will walk the ramp in traditional Manipuri attire during a fashion extravaganza here in May.
The models will don traditional handloom apparel, designed by the country's top designers. Well-known choreographer Sheetal Sharma will also be a part of the event.
Parvathy flew down to Imphal from Mumbai today to finalise the event with Robert Naorem, a well-known name in India fashion circuit and to announce the event. "This year's theme is unveiling handloom design, a tribute to weavers," Naorem, a resident of Imphal and the man behind the event, said.
This is the third edition of Manipur fashion extravaganza organised here by Naorem. The first event took place in 2013. The earlier two programmes also focused on traditional fabrics and designs of Manipur.
"My dream is to take Manipuri handloom products to the forefront of the country's fashion circuit so that our weavers can benefit. My vision is to sell our handloom products outside the country. I want to contribute something in bringing change in the Manipuri society," Naorem said.
Naorem has invested about Rs 3 lakh for the weavers who would contribute in the fashion event.
Citing an example, Naorem said metei khudei, a loin cloth for men, will be used in designing shirts in the fashion parade.
"Our weavers earn very little. I want to help them by taking the handloom fabrics to better markets to connect our products to other parts of the world. If the top models of the country wear them, people will definitely notice," he said.
Parvathy, who was in traditional Manipuri saree, said she was happy to be a part of the Imphal event.
"The Northeast has a range of culture and tradition. It has not caught the attention of the people of the country. Such an event will bring the Northeast's fashion trend to the forefront of the fashion industry," Parvathy said.
She said the region has distinct cultures and dresses, which need to be highlighted.
Naroem said at least 12 top models of the country and three to four local models would take part in the event. The apparels will be designed by designers like Aslam Khan of Mumbai, Jayanti Balla of Karnataka, Ashikumar Rehman of Bangladesh and Arshi Jamal of Lucknow.
Naroem hoped that local designers would pick up tips on fashion designing from these designers. "If well-known designers display Manipuri designs people will certainly take notice and it will benefit our weavers," he said.
Naroem did not announce the names of the models from outside the state, saying it would be a surprise.


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Robust replacement demand also to help increase margins
Amid sluggish automobile market conditions, Indian tyre makers are expected to sustain good margins, supported by favourable rubber prices and robust replacement demand.
While orders from auto OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) are weak due to demand slowdown in the vehicle market, stronger replacement demand has helped tyre firms to grow revenues.
Industry analysts project a stable scenario on the rubber price front for the next few quarters. This would help companies sustain their margins. Rubber contributes about 50 per cent in volume terms and 55-60 per cent of the total raw material cost for tyre companies, depending on the product mix.
“Soft demand, coupled with good production and decent inventory levels, has led to rubber prices remaining under pressure. Going ahead, in the short-term, we believe rubber prices may recover from these low levels. However, in the medium-to-long term, rubber prices will remain favourable for tyre manufacturers,” said Nishant Vass and Venil Shah, analysts of ICICI Securities Ltd.
The performance of JK Tyres in the first half has beaten estimates on all counts on the back of favourable raw material prices and better capacity utilisation levels, while Apollo Tyres and MRF have benefited from lower rubber costs.
“Considering the estimated surplus of 134,000 tonnes in global natural rubber supply in 2013 as per a report by the Economist Intelligence Unit, we expect rubber prices to remain at lower levels which will help in stabilising MRF’s EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation) margin, said Nishant Sharma of Angel Broking.
For Apollo Tyres, the share of replacement segment in total sales has gone up to 77 per cent from about 70 per cent last year.
“Rubber prices have been volatile during the last two years and have been declining in the recent past due to slowdown in automobile production and import through duty-free channels that accounted for 50 per cent of the total during 2012-13 and rose by 208 per cent year-on-year till September in 2013-14 due to favourable international price, pointed out Mr. Sharma. Domestic rubber prices, after having peaked at about Rs.240 per kg in April 2011, declined to Rs.160-Rs.170 per kg during 2012-13 and to Rs.153 at present.
Source: The Hindu


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Canfor Corp. announced this week it will curtail about 115 million board feet of production capacity at its Canadian sawmills during Q3. The decision comes as wildfires in western Canada are creating significant supply chain challenges and a transportation backlog.
“The wildfires burning in western Canada are significantly impacting the supply chain and our ability to transport product to market,” Stephen Mackie, EVP for North American operations, said in a release. “As a result, we are implementing short-term production curtailments at our Canadian sawmills beginning July 26. We are developing site-specific plans to minimize the impacts to our employees and contractors.”


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Washington, D.C. -- The Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) today announces that leading shared experiences platform Hopin will join as its new member.
As an all-in-one solution, Hopin enables immersive and interactive connection from anywhere for live virtual, hybrid, and in-person events. Since it was founded in 2019, the platform has connected people around the world for internal company events, personal events, full-scale conferences and many more, allowing users to join and learn together with innovative features. With millions of users around the world and a mission to “make the world feel closer,” Hopin strives to offer a meaningful and effective way of staying connected to the conversations and communities people care about most.
“So much of our personal and professional lives shifted to digital spaces during the pandemic,” said Stephen Balkam, FOSI CEO. “Platforms like Hopin became vital for allowing people to continue to convene and connect without sacrificing experience. We look forward to working with Hopin to continue refining safety best practices in virtual communities.”
As a company, Hopin emphasizes the importance of access, engagement, and opportunity. With a focus on education, inclusivity and more, the platform strives to be a responsible part of the technology ecosystem and to build products that reduce barriers, emphasize global opportunity, and achieve the full benefits of a connected world.
"The safety and security of our rapidly-growing community of users is the highest priority for us at Hopin," said David Faye, Hopin's Vice-President of Trust & Safety. "Hopin’s membership in FOSI is a natural extension of this commitment, and we are looking forward to leveraging - and contributing to the development of - best practices that foster safer online experiences around the world."
Hopin is one of the fastest growing SaaS companies. Since the beginning of 2020, Hopin has scaled from six to more than 900+ employees in 47 countries and grown from a few hundred event creators using its platform to more than 100,000 organizations hosting events on Hopin as well as millions of attendees showing up for events each month. This year, Hopin earned the position of No. 79 on the 2021 Fast Company Best Workplaces for Innovators list and debuted on the Cloud 100 List.
The Family Online Safety Institute is an international, non-profit organization that works to make the online world safer for kids and their families. FOSI convenes leaders in industry, government and the non-profit sectors to collaborate and innovate new solutions and policies in the field of online safety. Through research, resources, events and special projects, FOSI promotes a culture of responsibility online and encourages a sense of digital citizenship for all. FOSI's membership includes many of the leading Internet and telecommunications companies around the world.
Founded in 2019, Hopin enables brands and communities to create all-in-one, live experiences. Through its platform, attendees can learn, interact, and connect with people from anywhere in the world. With Hopin, anyone can create live virtual, hybrid and in-person events that are made highly interactive and immersive. Hopin acquired StreamYard, a leading video streaming studio, in 2020, and acquired Streamable, jamm as well as Boomset and Attendify in 2021. Hopin is a remote-first company headquartered in London, with employees in 47 countries. Learn more at hopin.com.


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Wal-Mart hiring for 265 jobs in Elk Grove
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is accepting applications for about 265 jobs for a new Walmart scheduled to open in Elk Grove in March.
Applicants can apply online or in person at a temporary hiring center at 9561 Laguna Springs Drive, Suite 110, also in Elk Grove.
The hiring center, which has been open since Dec. 29, accepts applications Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., and on Saturday between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Wal-Mart is hiring for both full-time and part-time jobs.
Most workers will start their jobs in February to prepare the store for its grand opening, according to a news release.
The addition of the Walmart Supercenter store at 10075 Bruceville Road will make Wal-Mart one of the largest employers in Elk Grove, a spokeswoman said.
Kelly Johnson covers retail, insurance, marketing and media, manufacturing and distribution, sports business, nonprofits and education for the Sacramento Business Journal.
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August 1, 2009, Chicago – A small video production company made a major leap forward for web users this year when it released a much needed, all-in-one web video player. The search for simple-to-operate web video players is finally over. The Single Player and Multi Player Flash video players started fulfilling a vital need earlier this year.
Online PR News – 18-August-2009 – – Curtis, of the Jacksonville Bail Agents Association, said "Yes, the player met our needs. We have installed it on the front page of our website. It is a great product. Thanks, Curtis.”
Over 125 million hits on “video player” on the web shows that the need for a Flash video player for the web has been much sought after by I.T. managers, small business owners and even individuals. And, TheFlashPlayerSource.com found a way to fill that need.
“Posting a video on one’s site is now as simple as posting a photo.”
We find ourselves surrounded by high quality video: it is the visual age in which we live. One can shoot good quality video with affordable camcorders, web cams and even pocket recorders and cell phones. But, outlets for those videos, places to play and view them, hasn’t kept up with the fast pace at which capturing those videos has developed.
Videographer Mike Pudlo from Chicago’s Adventure-Crew says, “Finding a way to quickly post beyond anywhere than just U-Tube has really required some major hoop jumping. Because of this, seamless video posting on promotional web sites has only been available to the big boys of media like news agencies and broadcast TV stations and networks.”
The folks at IncreaseSalesWithVideo.com were finding that they were spending a lot of time and resources in finding satisfactory and appropriate ways to promote client videos due to the lack of fully programmable web video players. The need was so great, that in 2008 they finally just decided to create their own. So, the research, hiring of trained coders, and design process began.
The resulting Single and Multi Player tools were so successful at filling their in-house needs, that they found themselves in the unique position of being the discoverers of a new niche market: web video players. Clients from L.A. to New York City and from Minnesota to the gulf coast are now using these tools to expose their promotional, product and testimonial videos to the tens of thousands of viewers that visit web sites from all over the world. Posting a video on one’s site is now as simple as posting a photo.
And the best thing for these I.T. managers and business owners is that no longer do they have to suffer with jobbing out simple tasks to special coding programmers in order to make the video an integrated part of their business or corporate site. The players’ functions and appearance are easily changeable with just standard options included with each player. This allows the video being viewed to finally be a seamless element of the home site. No more sending potential customers off site just to view a video.
“The SinglePlayer is easy to use, easy to install, and the customer support is great.” Business owner Steve Black, DCHS Video Production Co., Ft. Payne, Alabama.
This is resulting in documented increase in hits, per-page visits and time spent on site. All of these values are the bread and butter of basic sales tracking and generation of sales.
Company president Clint Pollock said in a recent interview, “I still can’t get over the tremendous volume of product users we’ve already amassed in just a few months. We actually are conducting live user webinars to answer questions and deal with installations on a regular basis.”
The MultiPlayer plays like a video juke box, so not only businesses, but individuals have been using the product to display their custom video collection on the web.
For more information on the Single Player and Multi Player, and to see live players in action, visit http://www.TheFlashPlayerSource.com, or call Clint and his crew at


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Telltale's take on Guardians of the Galaxy gets April release date
Telltale Games has announced that its latest episodic series based on Guardians of the Galaxy will debut its first episode on April 18. Titled "Tangled Up in Blue," the first episode in the series will hit Xbox One, PC, PS4 and mobile platforms at the same time.
The April 18 launch, which will come in at $5 for the first episode, only covers the digital release. Telltale also has a physical release in store for May 2 with a special season pass disc, which will include the first episode and access to all subsequent episodes.
Finally, Telltale says it will have a new trailer to show off for the series on March 30. As details are a little light on the story that Telltale's series is tackling, hopefully this new trailer will give us a little more insight into what to expect. That said, if you're a fan of Telltale's approach to storytelling, then this latest release looks like it'll be a fun ride.
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Dan Thorp-Lancaster is the former Editor-in-Chief of Windows Central. He began working with Windows Central, Android Central, and iMore as a news writer in 2014 and is obsessed with tech of all sorts. You can follow Dan on Twitter @DthorpL and Instagram @heyitsdtl.
By Jez Corden
I mean sure, Marvel is a popular franchise, but you know, Windows 10 is "the best windows for gaming" and this is what we have to show for it? Yet another flavor-of-the-year-mediafranchise-turned-choose-your-own-adventure by Telltale? (There must be a demand since they wouldn't be churning them out one after the other, so from a business standpoint it must be a lucrative venture, I give them that.)
Might as well report on League of Legends patches from now on, I guess that has a bigger audience among PC gamers. Or do they only make the cut if they get released on Xbox as well? Genuinely curious.


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A recent report by Bloomberg claims that the 2023 iPhone will ditch the Lightning connector for a USB-C connection. Now renowned analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has done so tweeted that the Apple Airpods and other Apple accessories will follow suit iPhone transitioning to USB-C ports next year.
Kuo also mentions that the move could happen in the “foreseeable future.” And we might see it next year if we follow the iPhone timeline.
This could potentially mean that Apple is gearing up for a streamlining overhaul and eventually adopting a universal charging standard for all of its products and accessories.
Apple already uses USB-C ports to charge its laptops and almost the entire line of iPads. But it continues to ship Lightning ports on its iPhones, AirPods, and AirPods Pro, and a series of accessories. That means someone just buying into the Apple ecosystem can’t get away with just one charger.
The full switch to USB-C ports will definitely help solve this hassle, especially when traveling. The ability to charge a range of devices from a single USB-C charger is a convenience that many Android users already enjoy. So having the same for iPhone, AirPods, Macbook and iPads would be a boon for Apple users.
A full switch to USB-C ports will definitely help solve this hassle, especially when traveling. The ability to charge a range of devices from a single USB-C charger is a convenience that many Android users already enjoy. So the same for iPhone, AirPods, Macbooks and iPads would be a boon for Apple users.
Pressure from European regulators could be behind Apple’s future move to USB-C, as the EU has been pushing companies to make USB-C a standard for portable devices.
Apple definitely seems poised to introduce USB-C charging to all of its devices in the near future, leaving the Lightning connector behind. The Lightning connector was introduced with the iPhone 5 in 2012, and Apple announced at the time that it would be Apple’s charging standard for “the next decade.”
USB-C could mean a big shift in the charging standard, not just for Apple, but for the entire phone industry to have a standardized charging port.
When can we expect a USB-C iPhone?
During iPhone 14 was tipped to be portless initially, more recently it was rumored to be getting a USB-C connection. That now it doesn’t look like itunless Apple decided to add USB-C to the iPhone 14 pro models.
Addressing the portless rumor, Kuo said it would “cause more problems due to the current limitations of wireless technologies and the immature MagSafe ecosystem.” As such, it looks like Apple will be moving to USB-C next year, which it likely will be iPhone 15and then try moving to a fully wireless system when MagSafe charging finds wider application.
We’re more hoping that Kuo and others are wrong and stuff Apple introduces USB-C with the iPhone 14 Otherwise, given Lightning’s limitations, it might put a few people off. But Apple is likely to get into the design of the iPhone 14 lineup a bit already According to reports, they are preparing for production. So changing the design or port selection can be wishful thinking.
With that in mind, it seems most likely that an iPhone with USB-C will launch now in 2023.


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For most European economies we are forecasting what we have termed a “partial V” type recovery with annual GDP grow… https://t.co/enZKk5R0Dn
Strong consumer optimism will help keep travelers on the move as tourism season kicks off
Last week (May 5-11) was National Travel and Tourism Week. The concept was established in 1983 by President Ronald Reagan as way to salute the travel and tourism industry and highlight its importance to the US economy. The early May timing serves as a kick-off to the summer travel season, generally considered to run from Memorial Day through Labor Day. While overall economic growth is forecast to cool during the second and third quarters this year, optimistic consumers with rising disposable income will help 2019 continue the steady growth that the travel and tourism industry has seen since the recession in 2009.
The most recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, current through Q3 2017, show that US total tourism related employment was nearly 8 million jobs. The US Travel Association states that total federal and local taxes generated by travel spending totaled $181 billion in 2018. The impact of the travel industry extends well beyond those establishments that directly interact with visitors, from the supply chain needed to support the industry to the benefits of the taxes generated by visitor spending. IHS Markit recently completed its annual study with Destination DC, the destination marketing organization for Washington DC, and our findings show that without tourism the nearly 300,000 DC households would have to contribute an additional $2,844 per household in taxes in order to maintain the current level of DC tax receipts.
While the current expectation of lower overall economic growth might lead to some concern about the 2019 summer travel season, the underlying fundamentals point to a more solid outlook. The IHS Markit forecast for real consumer spending growth is 2.7% for the rest of 2019, a marked increase from the weak first quarter results. Employment and income trends are positive and a bounce-back in equity markets have all helped support consumer optimism. The University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment index edged lower in early April yet remains well above its January level. The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index rose 5.0 points in April. Consumer confidence has remained beneath levels seen in the latter half of 2018, but is 4 points above April 2018 and in historical context remains high - both indices are at levels near their 2018 average, which was the highest since 2000 for each index. Within the Consumer Confidence survey 52.3% of Americans stated an intention to travel within the next six months, a rate 2.4 points above the April 2018 survey. This optimism bears out in the IHS Markit/AAA forecast of travelers for the upcoming Memorial Day holiday, where we expect travel to rise by 1.5 million from last year as 42.8 million travelers are expected to take to the rails, roads and skies during the holiday weekend kicking off what we expect will be a strong travel season.
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The innovation week and startup festival of Hai Phong (Techfest Haiphong 2022) will take place from September 27 to October 4, according to Tran Quang Tuan, head of the northern port city's Department of Science and Technology.
Themed Hai Phong- innovation city - destination of success, the event comprises ten activities in a series.
The opening ceremony on September 27 expects to see an exhibition of 300 technologies and innovative products, which will be on display until the end of September 28.
Meanwhile, an online exhibition will be held with the participation of 150 firms, along with a booth introducing hi-tech products of Israel. The exhibition will be available at website http://techfesthaiphong.isel.vn. Businesses at the event will also have a chance to seek partnership and exchange.
During the week, a number of activities on technology, innovation development and startup support will also be organised.
Guests to Techfest Haiphong 2022 will include representatives from the embassies of some leading countries in innovation, the Ministry of Science and Technology, as well as central science-technology agencies, localities, universities, research institutes and businesses.
This will be the fifth edition of Techfest Haiphong. It is expected to introduce and connect leading innovation products of domestic and foreign businesses, shaping the development of innovation and startup ecosystem, encouraging the innovation activities and supporting startups in Hau Phong and the whole country.


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Apple releases `malware removal tool` following computer hack
London: Apple will release a malware removal tool after a number of Mac systems were infected by computer hackers who targeted Facebook last week.
Unknown hackers infected the computers of some Apple workers when they visited a website for software developers that had been infected with malicious software.
The malware had been designed to attack Mac computers, the Telegraph reports.
The same software, which infected Macs by exploiting a flaw in a version of Oracle Corp`s Java software used as a plug-in on Web browsers, was used to launch the attacks against Facebook.
According to the paper, a site devoted to sharing information called iPhoneDevSDK has been named by website AllThingsD as a possible source of the hacks on both Apple and Facebook.
Apple said there was no indication that any data had been taken and it was working with authorities in the US to investigate the incident.
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BI Will Be Pervasive
Business intelligence (BI) by 2012 will move from a data management process to a more strategically focused role, according to analysts at the Gartner Business Intelligence Summit 2006 in Chicago Monday. As a result, enterprise software vendors serving organizations' CRM, ERP, and BPM needs will be competing for customers with traditional BI providers.
"By 2012 BI will be integral to 85 percent of business applications," says Bill Hostmann, Gartner vice president of research. "Business intelligence is evolving from opportunistic deployments in a few departments in support of tactical decision-making, to more pervasive and integrated enterprisewide applications used to drive business transformations from the strategic to the process level." Companies are increasingly linking BI with corporate objectives, so they're looking for ways to support different parts of their organizations with BI tools, according to Betsy Burton, Gartner distinguished analyst.
"Through 2009 companies will increase their spending 7 percent per year on business intelligence technology," says Colleen Graham, Gartner principal analyst. "This is new spending. This doesn't include maintenance for BI technology that's already in place." Adding to the significance of the increased spending is the fact that after the severe technology spending cuts in 2002 and 2003, IT expenditures today are still below where they were in 2001, Graham adds. "CIOs rank business intelligence as their number-one priority. Three years ago, it wasn't even in the top 10."
BI providers must ensure that these tools are easy to deploy, because many new users won't have technical backgrounds, according to Kurt Schlegel, Gartner research director. In the next few years, the goal for adding BI will be seamlessness, even for the nontechnical user. "Some people will be using business intelligence without even knowing it," Schlegel says. BI can start in whatever part of the enterprise that is ready for it first, but organizations need to plan ahead with enterprisewide adoption, to prevent different units from installing competing BI applications that don't integrate with one another.
Because future BI users will come from different parts of the enterprise, they will use different terminologies for business intelligence and its components, Hostmann adds. So it's important for BI vendors to recognize this when presenting the capabilities of their products. "You need to expand your horizons around how you're supporting the business supply chain," Hostmann says. "The people in ERP will be looking for analytics; the people in HR will want analytics; the CIO will want business intelligence and the business analysts will want OLAP and data mining capabilities."
Hostmann recommends that users map out their current BI portfolios, including tools, applications, and embedded technologies, to understand the degree to which BI is already being used throughout the organization. BI users should also assess the organization's commitment to the technology and understand what parts of the business are not being supported with BI.
To get the most out of BI in the future, Hostmann recommends that companies adopt an organizational structure that will create a culture to support and manage BI, such as a business intelligence competency center. "By 2012, BI will be strategic for business processes," Burton says. "Companies are not going to make decisions without it."
Bigger BI Budgets Are CIOs' Priority for '06
Gartner predicts strong growth for this rapidly expanding market, but not before companies start to look at BI as the means to strategic IT planning.
Gartner Releases Its BI Magic Quadrant
Business Objects, Cognos, Information Builders, and SAS Institute are setting the standards in BI.
Business Objects Leads the Pack in BI ROI
An evaluation observes that standardization is growing as a trend, but that dashboards are driving BI adoption.
Analytics Made Easier
10 Mar 2006
Monitor Software enhances its on-demand analytics tool; an industry analyst says the products provide a perfect complement to existing on-premise solutions.


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The Hong Kong Book Fair – one of the world’s largest – is set to be held from December 16 to 22, its organiser said on Tuesday, after the annual event was postponed amid the city’s third wave of coronavirus outbreak.
The date was still tentative, however, as the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, which puts on the exhibition, said they would need to reassess health risks closer to the fair’s opening date.
Originally scheduled for the summer, the fair was one of the many conventions postponed due to social-distancing measures as Hong Kong saw record numbers of untraceable cases in the community.
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The fair drew more than 680 exhibitors and just shy of a million visitors last year.
The new date was decided upon after half the exhibitors who responded to a poll said that they wanted the fair to be held before the end of the year, instead of being postponed till July 2021, a spokesman from the council said.
The council said it would monitor the city’s outbreak and make a final decision on December 9, a week before the scheduled opening, as to whether the fair would go ahead.
Exhibitor Jimmy Pang Chi-ming, head of publisher Subculture, said he expected a 40 to 50 per cent drop in sales compared to last year given that the planned date in December was not a holiday for schoolchildren. He also called on the government to do everything in its power to prevent the book fair from being postponed again.
“We’ve already made a loss in July. If we have another postponement in December, it’s going to be a double blow,” Pang said.
He also took issue with what he said was the council’s “false choice” in its survey for exhibitors, saying the alternative to holding the fair in December was effectively cancelling it.
“But if we don’t participate in December, we’ll need to pay for storage and continue to suffer. Now, we will have a chance of getting some income,” Pang said.
The council did not directly respond to the concerns, but said it was in discussions with stakeholders regarding the rescheduling arrangements.
Dennis Yung Wai-kwok, who works in the exhibition production industry, said it was too early to say if the book fair would improve the gloomy state of his sector, as the city has gone for months without large exhibitions, especially lucrative international conventions.
“Many companies are still surviving, but some people have gone on to doing other things like cleaning, food delivery and construction work,” Yung said.
About 20 to 30 per cent of exhibition production houses in Hong Kong had already collapsed, he said, and the book fair was unlikely to generate substantial revenue as exhibitors were expected to rent standard booths with minimal decoration.
The Hong Kong government will subsidise each exhibitor by paying as much as half of their participation fees – up to HK$10,000 (US$1,290) per standard booth, for as many as 10 booths – as part of its pandemic relief funds.
The trade development council said exhibitors confirmed for the book fair in July would be guaranteed a place at the December fair.
Publisher Pang, meanwhile, said he hoped the book fair would show that society was recovering.
“If the book fair goes on as normal and life becomes normal, then I think it’s a good message.”


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Thousands of passengers have been left waiting for refunds after their flights were cancelled, even though the online travel agents they booked through have been paid by the airlines.
Some customers are still owed money two months after their fares were refunded to their booking agents.
Ryanair has accused agents, including Opodo, Lastminute.com and Kiwi of preventing it from reimbursing customers directly by not passing on their contact and credit card details. It says the companies use corporate credit cards but do not make it clear to the airlines.
Related: Passengers furious at airlines’ voucher policies in Covid crisis
It also claims the agents are selling flights without permission from airlines and has called on the aviation regulator the Civil Aviation Authority to take enforcement action.
Under EU aviation rules, passengers are entitled to claim refunds for cancelled flights directly from airlines. However, when they have tried to do so, many have found the money has been already been refunded to a card belonging to the agent.
The Guardian has been contacted by more than 300 passengers who are owed sums of up to £3,000, despite airline receipts showing their fare has been repaid.
Most of the complaints are from Opodo customers who report they have struggled to chase their refund because the customer service number is not clearly displayed on its website and call wait times are lengthy. There is no email option.
Stanley Batchelor tried for four months to claim a refund for easyJet flights booked via Opodo. “I kept receiving emails from Opodo which gave a voucher as the only option and asked me to click ‘I agree’,” he said. “Eventually I contacted easyJet which promised a refund, but the payment confirmation showed the money had been paid to a Mastercard that wasn’t mine. Opodo confirmed it was their card, but said they couldn’t pass on the money because it had not reached their account.”
Opodo refunded Batchelor four weeks after the easyJet payment following contact from the Guardian. It said it uses its own credit cards to make bookings on behalf of passengers and passes on refunds as quickly as possible. A new online portal allows customers to request and track repayments.
“Opodo owns the relationship with the customer as the customer has often bought more than one product from Opodo which is beyond the flight alone,” said a spokesperson.
Opodo’s terms and conditions, however, make clear that the customer contract is with the travel provider. They also state that Opodo is required to pass on customer card details to the airline to fulfil the booking.
The complaints website Resolver said it had received thousands of complaints about the same issue.
Ryanair, which has itself been criticised for refund delays, said booking platforms were obstructing direct contact between airlines and passengers to conceal often heavy surcharges that are added to the booking and pocketed by the agent.
Airlines require agents to inform passengers of any extra fees added to the airline’s own charges.
Test bookings made by the Guardian on Opodo, Kiwi and Lastminute.com showed that surcharges for ancillaries such as baggage and seat reservations inflated the airline’s own price by up to 85%. Add-ons such as emailed boarding passes, SMS updates and lost baggage cover increase it still further.
Some online travel agents also add substantial fees for aftersales customer service. Opodo customers are invited to pay £16.49 for benefits such as confirmation emails, “speedy” refunds and “preferential, free customer service” and an unspecified service fee is embedded in the fare price. Kiwi charges £15.74 on top of the advertised fare for “standard” customer service. Customers who do not pay the supplement get “low call priority”, “no email support” and “limited support availability”.
Lastminute.com was contacted for a comment. Opodo said it only shares customer contact details if airlines require it. It claims customers who do not pay a fee for customer services will still have access to its team, but those who do will be dealt with as a priority.
Kiwi told the Guardian that charging extra for different levels of support allows travellers on a budget to pay less if they are willing to rely on its booking management app instead of customer service.
It said it provides airlines with its own contact and card details rather than the passengers because it manages bookings on behalf of its customers. It criticised Ryanair for encouraging passengers to apply for refunds directly through the airline, claiming that it was a ploy to break agents’ relationship with customers.
In fact, regulation EC 261 which governs flights within the EU specifies it is the airline’s legal duty to refund passengers directly. “The law is clear that the refund must be provided by the airline that was going to operate the flight and not the agent that sold the flight,” said Coby Benson of consumer law firm Bott & Co. “If the airline has sent it to the agent rather than the passenger then it is still liable to refund the passenger and must claim reimbursement from the agent.”


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Late on the afternoon of April 27, I wrote a quick story right after Tesla posted its press release for Q1 earnings. From the numbers in the report, I estimated that the EV-maker had reaped total profits of around $840 million on its famous, $1.5 billion investment in the cryptocurrency, all made early in the first quarter. I expressed wonder that Elon Must reaped 60% more from speculating in Bitcoin than selling cars, batteries, and software updates.
As it turns out, the fruits of Musk’s Bitcoin adventure dwarfed the profits from his basic auto-and-green energy franchises by an even bigger number.
On April 28, Tesla issued its 10Q. The filing provided new detail on the market value of its Bitcoin holdings that for the first time, allows observers to calculate what it paid for the coins, and assess the full scale of its gains so far. Those gains are bigger than I’d estimated for two reasons: First, Tesla bought the coins for less than I’d calculated, and second, the shrewd timing of its purchases resulted in amassing a bigger trove of coins than I’d figured from studying the press release and its 10k, released on February 8.
The big number: Tesla disclosed that the “full market value” of its current holdings is $2.48 billion, as of the March 31. That day, Bitcoin closed at $59,918. So we know that as of that date, Tesla owned approximately 41,390 coins ($2.48 billion divided by $59,918 per coin). In its press release, Tesla stated that it sold 10% of its Bitcoin in Q1, collecting $272 million in cash proceeds. So prior to trimming its position, Tesla owned around 46,000 tokens. It then sold ten percent, or 4610, to raise the $272 million.
Once again, we know that Tesla paid $1.5 billion for all of its Bitcoin. So the average cost per coin at the time cost of its peak count of 46,000 is $32,600. This is an extraordinary number. Tesla made all of its purchases between January 1 and February 8 of this year; we know that because February 8 was when it filed the 10k that first revealed the celebrated, $1.5 billion position. Bitcoin’s price exploded in this period, and Tesla apparently bought mostly at the bottom, just as it started to ramp up. The signature crypto entered the year at $29,000, within a week shot to $40,000, and hit $46,000 on February 8.
Since March 31, Bitcoin has retreated by over 9% to $54,485 as of late afternoon, April 28. Hence, the the value of what Tesla retains has declined from the reported $2.48 billion to $2.255 billion. We know that Tesla paid $1.357 for those the 41,000-plus coins now on the books. Hence, it owns a stash worth around $900 million more than it paid.
Consider that it also collected another $272 million by selling that 10% of its holdings. It had paid $144 million for that tranche, and booked the difference of $128 million (less the impairment charge) in pre-tax profits. So Tesla’s total gains on Bitcoin appear to be just over $1 billion at today’s prices. That’s almost double its $533 in pre-tax income for the first quarter. Subtract the $518 million it collected (not from selling cars or batteries, but from regulatory credits), and it’s clear that Bitcoin is a rare success story in a Q1 that despite the praise fans heaped on it, was mediocre at best.
Elon Musk is gambling with investors’ cash. For now, the gambit’s paying off a lot better than EVs, but betting on Bitcoin is enough to fray any investors nerves.
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Car production rose in 2013Business in short
5 May 2014 Compiled by Spectator staff Business
A TOTAL of 987,718 cars were produced in Slovakia last year, up by 6.6 percent compared to 2012. The number of cars produced per 1,000 inhabitants in Slovakia stood at 182 in 2013.
“We are still the largest automobile manufacturer [per capita] in the world,” Jaroslav Holeček, head of Slovak Automotive Industry Association (ZAP), told the press on April 30, as quoted by the TASR newswire.
ZAP does not expect a further increase in production this year. Overall, more than 900,000 vehicles should be produced.
The association also noted a growing trend in sales of new cars, with the number of registrations in the first quarter of 2014 surpassing the figures for the same period last year. The number of cars owned per 1,000 inhabitants stood at 348 vehicles last year, which represents an increase of more than 7.4 percent compared to 2012, as reported by TASR.
ZAP data shows that companies operating in the automotive industry produce 26 percent of Slovak exports, thus contributing €4.5 billion to Slovakia’s positive budget balance.
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Quote of the Week
“I was joking when saying that I did not order a sightseeing flight, but we were flying to Paris.” Defence Minister Martin Glváč commented on his emergency landing after the pilot noted problems with one of the plane’s engines and made several circles above the town of Pezinok before returning back to the Bratislava airport.


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Chinese internet giant Alibaba and Shanghai Media Group have joined forces with Rovio Entertainment to bring its new Angry Birds Stella series to fans in China via reality/singing competition program Chinese Idol.
Beginning today, exclusive segments based on the 13 x six-minute animated series will air throughout the season-two finals of Chinese Idol, which is broadcast by Shanghai Media Group. (The program is China’s version of the hit Simon Fuller-created British series Pop Idol and its American counterpart American Idol.)
In addition, weekly behind-the-scenes footage from Chinese Idol are set to stream in a dedicated section on Rovio’s popular in-game channel ToonsTV, exclusively in China.
The Angry Birds Stella game for Android devices is published in China by the digital entertainment business division of Alibaba Group and is the first Rovio game Alibaba has published.
Touted as China’s largest mobile e-commerce company, Alibaba is also set to roll out Angry Birds Stella consumer products through its e-commerce platforms.
The partnership comes on the heels of Alibaba posting a 54% revenue increase for Q2. It also secured a record-setting US$25-billion IPO on the New York Stock Exchange in September.
Rovio expects to gain millions of new fans in China for its Angry Birds property, which has generated more than two billion game downloads worldwide to date.
Angry Birds Stella the series made its ToonsTV global debut on November 1, and its in-game iOS and Android debut a week earlier.


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At Microsoft’s annual Build conference this year, CEO Satya Nadella announced the company was going all in on the concept of an app-led platform. Developers saw demos such as ordering an Uber straight from your Outlook app on your iPhone based on your calendar appointments. This follows other moves we’ve seen to use APIs to create seamless workflows, like pulling Google Maps distance and traffic info to automatically create buffer time in Apple Calendar in OS X Yosemite. We’ve seen these workflows in other industries as well. Banks allow you to take a photo of a check and have it cleared in your account. The API that accepts the image of a check and “reads it” is usually provided by a third party outside of the bank that specializes in OCR technology and the information gathered is then passed to the bank’s APIs to process the deposit.
Forrester analyst Jeffrey Hammond calls this kind of app development — the kind that exists as part of an ecosystem rather than as self-contained apps — a “micro moment.” Hammond notes, “Instead of customers intentionally using apps a few times a day, developers need to think about how they engage customers in 5-10 second interactions many times a day. As a result, development focus shifts to favor notifications, widgets, and cross-device interactions.”
This kind of development wouldn’t be possible without an approach to integration that we call “API-led connectivity.” API-led connectivity is an approach to connecting data, applications, and systems that makes it simpler to connect apps that work together to create these seamless workflows. API-led connectivity also unlocks a company’s data assets by accessing them from any source, integrating them, and syndicating them to new applications and audiences where they can be most useful. Instead of trying to tie together multiple endpoints to one another, a single platform connects many to one and one to many.
API-led connectivity lets companies be more agile from within by connecting the data and systems they care about, and exposing them for the rapid development of applications that will move the needle on their business by enabling productivity, better collaboration, and faster business insights. API-led connectivity also lets companies share the services and capabilities they have built with third-party developers. For example, Amazon Web Services started as an internal IT imperative at Amazon in which CEO Jeff Bezos asked his engineering organization to build every component of their IT infrastructure as a service. Today, AWS is a $5.6B stand-alone business, catering to more than 180,000 developers.
The advantages that come from the free flow of data and exposing business data to third parties via APIs are numerous. Businesses are enjoying all sorts of benefits from adopting an open approach to API development, from increased revenue to increased consumer satisfaction to business transformation. In fact, says MuleSoft VP of Engineering James Donelan, “this is creating a change in the way we think about how to manage a business. With an API-led approach, companies can say good-bye to conformity and make the digital transformation they so badly need. Adopting an open approach to sharing data through digital channels will be a driving force for companies of all sizes this year.”
If you’re thinking about smart workflows, made up of micro moments, which can surprise and delight your customers, then you’re probably already contemplating an API-led connectivity strategy. MuleSoft has numerous resources to help you: take a look at our whitepaper on API-led connectivity, or our e-book on developing your API strategy. The age of open APIs isn’t a trend to jump on, it’s a major shift in the way developers build their apps and how the enterprise thinks about the customers they serve. Customers in the future are going to demand this kind of holistic thinking about workflows rather than specific tasks; businesses that approach development in this way will find themselves in an ideal position to compete and win.