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Sorry, Adele fans. It looks like you'll actually have to purchase the songbird's latest album to listen to it.
Adele and her team announced on Thursday, her latest album, 25, will not be made available on several streaming services.
Adele was reportedly personally involved in the decision to keep 25 off both Apple Music and Spotify, The New York Times reports.
The album, being released by Columbia Records in the United States, will instead be available for download on iTunes or by purchasing the CD from various retailers. (Legit, when was the last time you bought a CD?)
On Wednesday, Billboard magazine reported music executives expect the album to sell about 2.5 million copies in its first week, which would make it the biggest week for any new album since *NSYNC's No Strings Attached in 2000.
Adele isn't the first musician to say no to streaming. Last November, Taylor Swift pulled her entire catalog off Spotify and nearly did the same on Apple Music earlier this year.
Beyoncé also kept her self-titled album, Beyoncé, off Spotify for 11 months.
With or without streaming, you can bet good money on Adele's future success with the release of 25.


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The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) has suggested people may struggle to maintain a healthy weight without clear food labelling.
Maya Monteiro, senior education manager at the charity, explained to the Press Association that it is not always obvious when a food has a high calorific content unless it is clearly shown on product labels.
She called on the food and drinks sector to adopt a common system that is easy for everyone to understand, as this will help consumers to stay healthy in terms of the number of calories they are taking in.
Her comments followed the publication of a study showing that two out of three adults underestimate the content of foods such as houmous.
"This troubling lack of understanding is perhaps not helped by labels such as 'light' and 'reduced fat' when these are applied to foods which still have a high calorie content," added Ms Monteiro.
Mail Online described how houmous contains an average of 332 calories per 100g, with the WCRF describing any food with more than 225 calories per 100g as being high in energy density.
Another item that is often misunderstood by consumers is light mayonnaise, which has average of 259 calories per 100g, yet just 29 per cent of respondees to the YouGov poll were aware that it was in this high energy density content category.

domain: news


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Outgrower Systems Hold Promise for Smallholder African Farmers
October 10, 2011 Editor 0
Authored by: Andrew Eder
(Above: Domingos Alfredo Torres, an outgrower for Novos Horizontes, a poultry company in northern Mozambique).
African agriculture is poised for a boom. Investors are buying large tracts of land at a growing pace as commodity prices rise and the overall business climate improves in Africa. But will this activity translate into higher rural incomes and a better quality of life for Africa’s hundreds of millions of smallholder farmers?
A number of obstacles stand in the way of these farmers transitioning from subsistence to market-oriented farming – and thus delivering the volume and quality of produce that commercial buyers require. A new joint report from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and TechnoServe highlights the promise and challenges of one way to overcome these obstacles: outgrower schemes.
- Visionary African Plant Breeders Tackle Issue of Better and More Available Seed for Farmers
- Unleashing Ugandan farmers’ potential through mobile phones
- Mercy Corps’ Agri-Fin Mobile program goes live in Indonesia, Uganda, and Zimbabwe
- Advancing research to support smallholder farmers
- Asian Interest Means Africa Needs New Economic Vision
- Q&A: Denis Kyetere on innovative technologies for Africa’s farmers
Subscribe to our stories
- Virtual reality as an urban tourism destination marketing tool January 26, 2020
- Exploring VR experiences of tourists' attachment to a rural destination January 26, 2020
- Sustainable intensification: Is a systems perspective essential for integrated crop-livestock systems? January 16, 2020
- Disseminating maize agronomy technologies using interactive voice response in Malawi–the opportunities and pitfalls January 12, 2020
- Towards a communication-based typology of management control modes: showing the relevance of communicative action for entrepreneurial settings December 24, 2019


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Pixar's 'Soul' had a huge debut weekend on Disney Plus, according to new Nielsen viewership data
- Viewers spent nearly 1.7 billion minutes watching "Soul" on
Disney Plusin the US in its first weekend, according to Nielsen.
- The movie topped Nielsen's latest list of most watched
streamingtitles for the week of December 21 to December 27.
- It bodes well for Disney, which plans to release more movies directly to
Pixar's "Soul" had a huge opening weekend on Disney Plus last month.
Viewers in the US spent 1.67 billion minutes watching the movie the week of December 21 to December 27 (it premiered on the streaming service on Friday, December 25), according to Nielsen. It topped the research company's latest list of top streaming titles released on Friday, which accounts for Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, and Amazon Prime Video.READ MORE: New research shows the average US household now subscribes to 4 streaming services - and it could lead to a major shift in the market
Disney did not immediately return a request for comment."The Office," which has nearly 200 episodes, landed at No. 2 on Nielsen's latest list with 1.4 billion minutes watched. The list accounted for the popular sitcom's final full week on Netflix before it left for NBCUniversal's Peacock at the end of 2020.
Questions still linger over what Disney will do with its major tentpole releases, particularly "Black Widow," which is currently dated for theatrical release in May. Other studios have already started to delay (again) several major movies this week, including the James Bond movie "No Time to Die."
- Earth's satellites, power grids and planes may have more time to prepare against the threat of solar flares
- These are India’s top 10 'most livable' cities, according to the government's Ease of Living Index 2020
- Flipkart is reportedly looking to list in US via a blank cheque firm
- Smartphone brand OPPO will launch new fitness band on March 9
- Ahead of its electric three-wheeler launch, EV startup Euler Motors raises ₹30 crore


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Tired of waiting, seemingly without end, for your computer to boot up? Software called Presto could make your life a lot more pleasant. A handful of products already make it possible to start a computer in seconds, but unlike the competition, Presto doesn’t need to be integrated into a computer’s hardware by the manufacturer. Simply download Presto–essentially a stripped-down Linux operating system–and within 10 seconds of booting up the system, you can get online to do simple things like check e-mail, use Skype, and send instant messages. Presto became available in April.
img src=”http://www.technologyreview.com/files/26083/0509-Presto_x600.jpg” alt=”” width=”600” height=”360”>
Courtesy of Xandros
Other products in this section:
With this tool, AI could identify new malware as readily as it recognizes cats
A huge data set will help train algorithms to spot the nasty programs hiding in our computers.
Tesla says its factory is safer—but it left injuries off the books
Undercounting injuries is a symptom of a larger problem: Tesla has put electric-car manufacturing above safety concerns, former safety experts say.
Three problems with Facebook’s plan to kill hate speech using AI
Mark Zuckerberg thinks AI will largely automate the process of censorship, but that assumes profound progress will be made.


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Technology is changing lives — even saving lives — in Africa, the world’s second most populous continent. For entrepreneurs, this also presents an opportunity of epic proportions.
In Rwanda, for example, where electricity is available to less than a quarter of the population, more than 60 percent of people now have access to mobile phones. And although only 8 percent of Rwandans are internet users, that number is growing rapidly.
In The Shift: The Entrepreneurs and Companies Bringing Africa Online, my good friend Elizabeth Gould who produced the Techstars documentary series on Bloomberg TV now reports on some of these inspiring stories of ingenuity and entrepreneurship in Africa. A production of BloombergTVAfrica, this will be an ongoing series about technology and entrepreneurship across Africa. In the first segment, Rwanda, Kenya and South Africa are featured:
African entrepreneurship has really been moving forward for some time now. A while back I invested in a company called Mobius Motors, which is based in Kenya. Mobius designs, manufactures and sells durable, affordable vehicles designed for typical road terrain, usage and income profiles in the region. The company also makes transport platforms that local entrepreneurs can customize for various transportation businesses.
Here’s a second segment about Kenya’s mobile money revolution. It’s great stuff.
It’s exciting to hear about all the development taking place and the lives being improved across Africa, and it will be interesting to see what the future holds for the continent. I look forward to upcoming installments of “The Shift” with more compelling stories of the individuals and companies who are creating that future.


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Slash Leaks Guitar Hero: Hendrix?
Jimi Hendrix getting the Guitar Hero: Aerosmith treatment, says the former Guns n' Roses guitarist.
In a Rolling Stone interview with Slash, the legendary guitarist discussed his new solo project, his random sexual conquests at a David Bowie concert, and -- here's the kicker -- a potential Jimi Hendrix-focused Guitar Hero.
Referring to the evolution of the Guitar Hero brand since he was featured in Guitar Hero III, Slash said the following:
"Well, having the Aerosmith guys do it was very cool 'cause Aerosmith's one of the bands I was heavily influenced by. And Metallica's doing it, that's great. Those are two ones that I think gives it some credibility. And they're doing a Hendrix one, which is great."
Now, this statement should be taken with more than a grain of salt. Remember that this is a musician we're talking about -- not an Activision representative -- and he may simply be referring to the inclusion of Hendrix's music and likeness in Guitar Hero World Tour. After all, it's not like it's his job to be totally clued-in on game industry happenings. We'll try and get a comment from Activision sometime today.
Skepticism aside, it wouldn't be the first time a performer leaked early details about an unannounced project like this. Fellow axe-slinger Joe Perry blabbed about his involvement with Guitar Hero: Aerosmith several months before Activision formally announced the game's existence. If the former Guns n' Roses guitarist's proclamation holds truth, then we could be shredding our way through "All Along the Watchtower" within the next year. If not, there's still the other half-dozen Guitar Hero games Activision has planned for 2009.
too muchPosted: Sep 17, 2008 12:00AM PST by joneskoff
"If not, there's still the other half-dozen Guitar Hero games Activision has planned for 2009."
HA. i would definately hit up a midnight release for a hendrix GH game, but if they keep up with the market flooding its just gonna get to the point that no one cares. one a year makes it an event. three or four a year makes it background noise


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District 8 Parish Councilwoman Teri Casso is fond of paraphrasing 19th century German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck who is supposed to have said “Laws are like sausages; it is best not to see them being made.” A case in point is the political charcuterie which led to Walmart’s newest Ascension location at the intersection of Hwy 44 and Hwy 42. Coincidence or no, a Casso-owned company pocketed 155,000 leafs of cabbage upon selling property across Hwy 42.
Casso Enterprises, LLC sold a .64 acre tract directly across Hwy 42 from Walmart Fresh Market to Galvez Medical, LLC on May 11, 2015 for $420,000. It acquired the tract on May 16, 2013 for $265,000 from Neighbors Federal Credit Union, which had merged with Keypoint Federal Credit Union, which paid $275,000 to acquire the subject tract in 2010.
Neighbors/Keypoint absorbed a $10,000 loss compared to Casso Enterprises $155,000 profit, a 59% percent return.
The May 2013 purchase occurred less than a month before a Joint Planning and Zoning Commission meeting (June 12, 2013) recommended approval of Walmart’s Small Planned Unit Development (SPUD) required to open its Fresh Market. It opened for business early in 2015.
On March 21, 2013 Councilwoman Casso’s husband, and fellow member in Casso Enterprises, Coy Casso purchased a 1.14 acre property across the side street from Galvez Medical tract…and also directly across Hwy 42 from Walmart. Deposit Guaranty Bank, which acquired the property in 1990 for an unknown price, sold Mr. Casso the property for $317,500. Teri Casso is listed as a secondary owner by Ascension’s Assessor.
Pelican Post questioned Teri Casso with regard to the Casso Enterprises transaction via email but no response has been received. Four questions were posed:
“Were you aware that Wal-Mart intended to build its Fresh Market directly across Hwy 42 from the subject property when your company made that purchase in May of 2013?If yes, how did you come by that information?In your opinion, did the fact that Wal-Mart built across Hwy 42 enhance the value of your property?Was Neighbors Federal Credit Union aware that Wal-Mart intended to build there when it sold the subject property in May of 2013?”
Casso did respond to a text message alerting her to the email correspondence.
The sausage making occurred during the negotiations leading up to Walmart’s acquisition of the, approximately, 6 acres where it would build Fresh Market. That purchase was made on January 31, 2014 and the price was $2.42 million. But Walmart had targeted two other properties before settling upon the Hwy 44/42 location.
In 2012 Walmart executed a purchase agreement for 9 acres at the intersection of Hwy 44 and Causey Rd, property owned by Dale Hidalgo. Hidalgo and his real estate agent, Randy Simpson, negotiated the potential $2.39 million sale, contingent upon Council approval of rezoning and obtaining a liquor permit even though the site is within 1,000 feet of Lighthouse Church.
“We met with Walmart and several elected officials,” Dale Hidalgo identified Parish President Tommy Martinez, legal counsel O’Neil Parenton and three council members; then Chairman Chris Loar, Benny Johnson and Dempsey Lambert. “Everyone seemed enthusiastic. Walmart agreed to build an $850,000 sewer treatment plant it would donate to Ascension Parish, and pay for turn lanes on all four legs of the intersection at Hwy 44 and Causey.”
Walmart promised 80 permanent jobs and sales tax on $30 million annual revenue according to Hidalgo. Randy Simpson obtained a letter from the pastor of Lighthouse Church evidencing its approval of Walmart at the location, noting that a convenience store already occupies the lot across Hwy 44 and it sells liquor.
“Councilman Loar did all the talking and assured us all that there was nothing to hold the sale up,” Hidalgo recalled.
Then, all of sudden, the deal was off.
“I got a call from Walmart,” remembered Randy Simpson with still lingering disgust. “Mr. Loar informed them that there were ‘not enough votes on the Council’ but he identified ‘family-owned property on Hwy 42’ instead of Dale’s nine acres.”
Simpson claimed to have called Chris Loar who would only say, “It’s not going to happen.”
Loar has not responded to Pelican Post’s emailed questions or text.
How could Loar have known that council votes to rezone Hidalgo’s property were lacking? Pelican Post was able to contact five members of the Parish Council, none of whom remembered the matter even being proposed for the agenda.
Dale Hidalgo was, to put it mildly, unhappy. He tried in vain to have the rezoning of his property to accommodate Walmart’s SPUD requirement placed before the appropriate parish governing bodies. What happened next infuriated him.
“The Council, or certain members anyway, threatened to put me out of business,” Hidalgo asserted. “I started Dale’s Garbage 35 years ago with a $300 pickup truck that had a cattle rack; and two customers. I worked very hard to build my business.”
A business that now includes five $300,000 automated trucks and over 7,000 customers.
That is how he perceived the Council’s consideration of an exclusive franchise for garbage pickup in Ascension Parish which is serviced by three vendors at present. Hidalgo claims that he was forewarned by a member of President Martinez’ administration about the Council’s intention.
Discussions were had in April of 2012 at a meeting of the Strategic Planning Committee before the full Council opted to explore non-exclusive franchising at its July 5, 2012 meeting.
Strategic Planning’s Chair, Councilman Kent Schexnaydre, insisted that the objective was not to put anybody out of business when the committee revisited the issue on March 11, 2013.
“We were looking at ways to lower the costs for our residents,” Schexnaydre said Saturday “and get more services.”
According to Schexnaydre three Ascension municipalities, and several neighboring parishes, have enacted franchise agreements for the service and virtually all charge the consumer substantially less than residents of Ascension living outside those incorporated areas. While neighbors pay $15-18 per month, Ascension residents pay in the mid-$30 range. Recycling, bulk waste removal, and other services are denied those residents too.
Councilman Dempsey Lambert insisted “We’re not here to put anyone out of business” at that March 11,2013 committee meeting. Councilman Daniel “Doc” Satterlee was even more vehement, likening the exclusivity to a monopoly, and decrying the fact that two companies with substantial investments would be squeezed out.
But two council members wanted an exclusive garbage franchise explored: both calling such a franchise “economy of scale” and the only way to provide additional services for Ascension customers at a lower price.
Chris Loar was “serious about going exclusive.”
“I think the public is watching how the sausage is made and I think it’s an excellent thing for them to see. It’s not easy to do this work and to do the right thing,” Teri Casso said a mere ten days before her husband would purchase 1.14 acres across Hwy 42 from the site that would be approved for Walmart Fresh Market by Planning and Zoning.
The Councilwoman would defend her colleagues against accusations of cronyism before adding:
“Most often, the good ole’ boys are in the public. The good ole’ boys want to keep things in this parish the way they are, to preserve for them the right to take advantage of, frankly, the citizens of this parish by charging them too much, to do too little,” Teri Casso said two months prior to her company buying .64 acres that would yield $155,000 in profit after Walmart Fresh Market was up and running.
“I will assure my constituents that the good ole’ boys do not sit among this Council,” she went on. “The good ole’ boys sit among the public on occasion; and protect themselves. And it is my obligation to find a way to give my citizens, that I represent, the best possible service for the lowest price.”
Dale Hidalgo resides in Council District 6, not Casso’s District 8, by the way.
In the end, nothing changed with Ascension’s garbage service. No franchise agreement, exclusive or non-exclusive, was ever effectuated. The Parish Council did vote to rezone Walmart’s Hwy 44/42 location as a SPUD on July 18, 2013 without objection according to the meeting minutes.
Teri Casso recused herself from that matter stating “she has business interest in the area.”
NOTE: The March 11, 2013 Strategic Planning meeting can be viewed by accessing the archival footage from the parish website; www.ascensionparish.net and clicking on Departments to find Ascension 21. Casso’s participation in the discussion starts at 1:54:29 into the video.


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Bibendum PLB raises £75,000 for war heroes
Bibendum PLB has raised more than £75,000 for military charity Help for Heroes by donating £1 in every bottle sold of its Wines for Heroes range.
The wines are made by South African producer Spier, and the range includes a Sauvignon Blanc and Shiraz that both retail for £7.99.
It said Tesco and Amazon have been major customers driving sales, along Mitchells & Butler in the on-trade.
Bibendum PLB chief executive Michael Saunders said: “Help for Heroes is a fantastic charity that does great work for our servicemen and women and we are thrilled that we have been able to raise money to aid their continued support of our wounded and their families.
“Working with the Help for Heroes charity has been a delight. We are currently looking at how we can further support our customers with their sales of our Wine for Heroes range – £75,000 is a great donation, but we have no intention of stopping there.”


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KT Releases United Brand 'QOOK'
Employs a strategy to capitalize on the upcoming merger with KTF
KT, the nation's largest fixed-line and broadband service provider, is poised to stage a marketing blitz to publicize its new brand, "QOOK," prompting a showdown among its rivals in the wake of the upcoming merger with its mobile telecom subsidiary, KTF.
An advertisement with an extraordinary nuance reads, "A big problem awaits you when you are away from home," heralding the onslaught of a new storm in the local fixed line business. The eye of the storm is the QOOK brand that KT strives to employ as its new brand for the fixed line business. KT released the brand on April 13.
KT is bracing for a showdown in the mobile telecom market in the wake of the May establishment of a new company combing itself and KTF. KT, a juggernaut in the fixed line business, is also poised to launch a new offensive.
KT cleared the last hurdle in its bid for consolidating with KTF as its shareholders approved the merger at an extraordinary shareholders' meeting held at the KT Research Development Center in Seoul on March 27. The move came as the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) gave the green light for the deal on March 18.
KT's brand strategy is apparently designed to promote its standing as the best total-solution provider of combination products, not an individual product provider. KT's latest move is expected to touch off a new showdown among the providers, as SK Telecom's "T," KTF's "SHOW," and LG Telecom's "OZ" are engaged in a fierce brand competition in the mobile telecommunication field.
KT now has a brand for most products, such as Ann for fixed-line phone service, Mega-Pass for broadband service and Mega-TV for IPTV service, but no representative brand for covering all KT fixed-line service products. If the unified brand QOOK is introduced, KT's home phone, Mega-Pass and Mega-TV will change into QOOK Phone, QOOK Internet, and QOOK TV.
QOOK, deriving from the word "cook," means that diverse broadcasting and communications services, including telephone, broadband Internet and IPTV can be managed with ease, KT officials said. KT's combined brand strategy can be interpreted as an attempt to make an aggressive foray into the combination product service market, industry sources said. Han Hoon, chief of KT's Home Customer Strategy Office, said, "As combination products are on the rise, the telecommunications sector is shifting the competition paradigm toward a total service provider structure, departing from an individual product-oriented one.
The new brand QOOK was made known to the public recently through SkyView, the map service of the portal site, Daum, which showed a picture of a banner carrying the brand, prompting attention from netizens, which put the name of the brand at the top of the Internet search words list.
KT Chairman Lee Suk-chae ordered about 36,000 "QOOK" banners to be distributed to staff members to be put on such places as the verandas of their houses in a move to publicize the brand. Lee himself put up the brand banner at his apartment in Songpa-gu, Seoul.
KT is to embark on a QOOK advertisement offensive designed to showcase the strengths of KT's fixed-line services. This is in keeping with a move not only to solidify the No.1 position in broadband Internet and other fixed-line services, but also to raise its market share in the emerging Internet telephony Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and IPTV markets.
KT aims to rake in 7 trillion won in sales during 2009 by setting targets of raising the number of Internet telephony and IPTV subscribers to 2 million and 1.7 million, respectively. The latest move is seen as a strategy to keep intact the 20 million home telephone subscriber foundation plus Internet telephony subscribers by minimizing the rising breakaway of home telephone subscribers. KT plans to keep intact KTF's mobile brand, SHOW. The company is to release in late April or early May "QOOK & SHOW," a new product combining fixed-line and mobile communications services in order to make the most of the merger with KTF.
Following the KCC's approval of KT's merger with KTF, the merger process is officially due to be completed by May 18.
KT serves about 90 percent of the country's fixed-line telephone subscribers and nearly 45 percent of high-speed Internet users. KT's consolidation with KTF, which controls more than 30 percent of wireless subscribers, will allow KT to become the country's ninth largest conglomerate with 19 trillion won (about $13 billion) in revenue and nearly 24 trillion won in assets.
In giving the go-ahead to the merger, the KCC ruled that KT should make its telephone and broadband networks more accessible to rival telephony carriers and Internet companies.
The company must also make it easier for its fixed-line customers to switch to other carriers under number portability, which allows them to keep their old numbers, and invest further in the government-backed wireless Internet technology, WiBro (wireless broadband), a Korean version of mobile WiMAX. Its rivals, including SK Telecom, the nation's biggest mobile telephony carrier, and LG Group's three telecommunications units ¡ª LG Telecom, LG Dacom and LG Powercomm ¡ª have voiced their opposition to the upcoming juggernaut. They maintain that KT should be required to separate its network business as a precondition for the merger, claiming that KT's massive fixed-line infrastructure deprives them of a fighting chance when the company leverages its dominance to the wireless sector. nw
KT, Brilliant Records
Both KT and KTF, the two large communications firms slated to be merged on June 1, posted their largest quarterly performance results in their histories for Q1 2009. KT, for one, recorded 384.4 billion won in operating profit in the quarter, up 15.4 percent YoY, the telephone company said recently.
Its affiliate KTF also generated 243.4 billion won in operating profit, the largest in its history, the company said. KT recorded quarterly sales of 2.77 trillion won, down 6.5 percent YoY due mostly to reductions in fees related to phone calls and the transfer of cell phone calls for cable phones and cable communications. KTF's service sales, on the other hand, rose 2.7 percent YoY to record 1.47 trillion won in the quarter, while total sales fell 3 percent YoY at 2.19 trillion won.
The rate of new subscribers for cable phones decreased at an increasing rate in the quarter, resulting in a deficit of 21.1 billion won, a drop in inter-city calls of 29.1 billion won, and a decrease in international calls of 11.6 billion won. The only bright spot in phone service revenue was a large increase in the number of new subscribers of Internet telephone service, up 305.7 percent YoY, or 31.3 billion won in total fees. Qook Internet phone service only fell 3.1 percent from the preceding quarter owing to the intensive ads on TV, discounts on long-term subscribers and a special discount on repair costs for consumers.
Qook TV, a strategic business, since its launch in the middle of November 2008, had an increase in subscribers to 153,000 on a real time basis, posting 19.9 billion won in sales, up four-fold from the same period last year. KT currently operates 53 channels with a plan to add a number of sports channels in the first half, which will help increase the number of subscribers. The popularity of the Wibro Notebook also helped increase the number of subscribers to bring its first quarter sales to 27.5 billion won, up 34.3 percent over the previous year. The Qook set, which will include Internet, home phones and mobile phones, is expected to see the number of subscribers increase continuously from the current 2.19 million and it is likely to increase faster when KTF's distribution channels are used.
KTF, in the meantime, saw its subscribers increase by 180,000 in Q1 to bring the total number to 14.55 million, of which 9.23 million were 3G (SHOW) subscribers. Outstanding features of their performance results are a decrease in sales with an increase in operating profit. The "surprise results" led to boosts in the two communication giants' share prices in the stock market, 1.66 percent for KT and 1.85 percent for KTF. An analyst with Woori Investment and Securities said the two companies saved costs to beat estimates and appear to have more room for future such performances, explaining the outlook for the two companies. The consensus estimate was 330 billion won in operating profit for KT and 190 billion won in operating profit for KTF, far below the actual results.
Both companies were able to cut marketing expenses a great deal in the quarter with KT cutting 241.5 billion won and KTF 374.7 billion won, 26 percent and 18.6 percent respectively, compared to the same period last year. Less competition in securing subscribers in the quarter weighed heavily in savings in marketing expenses, the analyst said. They also saved on personnel expenses, with KT shaving off 12.5 percent and KTF trimming 5.3 percent during the first quarter. Cho Hi-joon, chief financial officer of KTF, said the improvement in the performance results can be attributed to savings in marketing and other expenses with the merger of KT and KTF to be completed on June 1, and overcoming the reduction in sales caused by discounts in fees with the expansion in the number of subscribers of WCDMA, which boosted the growth of data sales.
Kim Yon-hak, CFO for KT, said the new CEO, all officers and staff, who are working hard for the merger of the two communications titans, have made the move go smoothly, at a lower cost than earlier estimated. The successful merger will bring more stability and maximum synergy to satisfy various expectations placed on the merger. nw
(top) KT Chairman Lee Suk-chae announces the approval to merge KT and its subsidiary KTF during a shareholders meeting on March 27. KT released its
united brand "QOOK" in a marketing blitz to make the most of the merger.


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PCB | August 14, 2012
Siplace: SMT equipment market shows signs of improvement
SMT equipment is showing signs of economic improvement according to a release by Siplace.
After a strong showing in 2010 and early 2011, the SMT equipment market posted declining numbers in the second half of 2011 and the beginning of 2012. At the end of the second quarter of 2012, however, Siplace's market analysts see first signs of a further economic upswing. New orders and deliveries are especially on the rise in China, which currently accounts for roughly 50 percent of the global market. The rest of Asia as well as North and South America are lagging behind, but a look at the quarterly numbers shows some light growth or stabilization in these areas as well. However, all in all the results still remain below last year’s level. In light of the uncertainties caused by the euro crisis, only Europe exhibits a negative trend, albeit with signs of a slight slowdown. As far as Siplace is concerned, the news from the company's analysis is positive: the new Sipace SX platform is an especially great success in North and South America. During the first six months of 2012, Siplace Amcas managed to increase its share of new machine deliveries considerably and almost doubled this share gain in terms of new orders. The economic recovery becomes particularly apparent in a quarter-over-quarter comparison. While deliveries increased by one digit numbers in the first quarter of 2012, they rose almost five times as much from the first to the second quarter of 2012. The fact that the deliveries in the Chinese market rose by three times faster in the same periods than in the rest of the world indicates its dominant role in current industry developments. Almost 50 percent of new equipment shipments went to manufacturers in the People's Republic during the first six months of 2012. Europe brings up the rear in this regional comparison: its deliveries number dropped in the second quarter of 2012 for the third quarter in a row. The Siplace team is especially excited about the North and South American markets right now. It not only posted a total increase in deliveries of 28 percent in the second quarter of 2012, but the Siplace team also managed to significantly increase its market share. In terms of new order bookings, Siplace's market share rose strongly by one digit numbers according to internal and external data. The Siplace team considers this a clear indicator of the good work being done in North and South America and of the strength of its new Siplace SX platform. The glass is half full "To use the famous comparison, we believe that the glass is half full as far as the global SMT equipment market is concerned. Although some risks remain, the trend is clearly pointing upward compared with the second half in 2011, especially in China. This confirms our medium-term forecast from last fall. We also see signs that Southeast Asia as well as North and South America will follow this trend in the second half of 2012. Because of its regional problems, Europe is the only place where we remain skeptical regarding a trend reversal anytime soon," says Stephanie Pepersack, who is in charge of Siplace market intelligence.
Huawei targets France for first European production plant Huawei says that it will build a new wireless communications product factory in France. The highly automated factory will focus on 4G and 5G equipment, and will primarily manufacture supplies for European customers.
IMI’s 2019 results strained by the weak market environment Integrated Micro-Electronics, Inc. (IMI) achieved revenues of USD 1.3 billion in 2019, a 7% decline versus 2018.
North American PCB industry sales down 5.2% in January Total North American PCB shipments in January 2020 were down 5.2% compared to the same month last year.
Covid-19 forces Italian EMS to shut down plant Italian EMS provider MTA, a designer and manufacturer of electronic and electromechanical components for the automotive industry, has been forced to close its Codogno production plant following regulations set by the Italian Minister of Health.
Ericsson to close European offices amid virus outbreak The Swedish telecom company is shutting down three offices in three different European countries after one of its employees in Croatia tested positive for the novel Coronavirus.
Advanced Energy's manufacturing facility in Penang is operational Advanced Energy Industries expands its footprint with new facility in Penang, Malaysia to serve semiconductor and industrial customers.
FCA revs up support for the Motor City Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has released details on its planned expanded presence in Detroit, including the first new assembly plant within the city limits in almost three decades.
Apple issues revised ‘revenue guidance’ for March Apple has stated they do not expect to meet the previously announced revenue guidance for March quarter due to two factors associated with the COVID-19 global outbreak.
Lucid inks battery partnership with LG Chem Silicon Valley-based EV maker Lucid has finalized a partnership with LG Chem that will supply battery cells for standard versions of the Lucid Air through 2023.
Sono Motors to cooperate with Valoe on solar solutions Finnish technology company, Valoe Oyj, has signed a cooperation agreement with the Munich based Sono Motors GmbH to become a Technology Partner for the integrated solar components of the Sion, a Self-Charging electric car with solar integration.
Incap's 2019 revenues climbed 20% The Finnish EMS provider is entering its fiscal year 2020 on the back of a solid performance during 2019.
IPC survey: COVID-19 major cause of concern In a recent survey of electronics manufacturers and suppliers conducted between February 11-16, results released by IPC yesterday showed overwhelmingly that most “are concerned about the impacts COVID-19 will have on their business operations.”
Upgrades boost output for U.S. appliance maker GE Appliances has completed work on a USD 125 million factory upgrade to its refrigeration plant in Decatur, Alabama, which has included the installation of smart factory 4.0 technology.
TTM Technologies Inc. expands in Wisconsin TTM Technologies Inc. celebrated the grand opening of a new North American advanced technology center in Chippewa Falls.
Panasonic to exit US solar manufacturing Panasonic says it will begin to wind down U.S. production of photovoltaic cells and modules at Gigafactory New York in Buffalo, New York.
Techsil acquires adhesive supplier Glueline Adhesive and sealant supplier Techsil has announced that it has acquired Essex based adhesive stockist and distributor Glueline Ltd.
Neways 2019 turnover up while result is down While the company’s net turnover made positive developments during the business year 2019, Neways’ bottom line shows a sharp drop.
Jabil cuts outlook in wake of virus outbreak EMS provider Jabil expects that the COVID-19 outbreak will have a negative impact on the second quarter of fiscal year 2020, relative to the company's previously set guidance.
Umicore starts construction in Poland The company has held a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of its new cathode materials production plant in Radzikowice in Nysa in south-western Poland.
Swedish EMS provider expands with Finnish acquisition Swedish EMS provider Inission has signed an agreement to acquire 100% ownership of the Finnish manufacturer HY-Tech Comp Oy (HY-Tech).
Silfab Solar expanding, adding jobs in Washington The Washington State Department of Commerce and Port of Bellingham have announced that Silfab Solar will be expanding its operations in Bellingham.
AIM Solder expands in Canada AIM Solder has announced the completion of phase one of its expansion plans for the company’s Montreal, Canada R&D laboratory.
MacroFab picks up AAT machine at EXPO Austin American Technology has announced that electronics hardware provider MacroFab has purchased an AAT all-in-one aqueous batch cleaner and rose tester at the 2020 IPC APEX EXPO in San Diego.Load more news


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Donald Trump threatens Canada over dairy products, trade
WASHINGTON: Trade tensions spiked between Washington and Ottawa on Tuesday as President Donald Trump accused Canada of being "very rough" on America and threatened to retaliate against restrictions on US dairy products.
Trump also touted his administration's surprise decision late Monday to rekindle an old trade conflict with America's second-largest trading partner by slapping new tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber.
"People don't realize, Canada has been very rough on the United States. Everyone thinks of Canada of being nice but they've outsmarted our politicians for many years," Trump told a group of farmers at the White House.
He said Canada was hurting American dairy farmers near the border, from Wisconsin to New York, by blocking dairy exports "and we're not going to put up with it."
Trump's aggressive comments echoed a tweet he sent earlier in the day, just hours after the Commerce Department announced it was imposing tariffs of up to 24 percent on Canadian softwood lumber, which it says is improperly subsidized. (APP)


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Data from ContractHireAndLeasing.com – the UK’s largest marketplace for new vehicle leasing – showed that the Audi A4 was the most enquired about new car
Audi is systematically building on its e-fuels strategy. Together with its partners Ineratec GmbH and Energiedienst Holding AG, the company has plans for a new
Automotive data experts hpi have crunched the numbers to come up with the best picks when considering an executive car.
The Audi Q7 narrows the margin between luxury limousine and SUV still further this week as it becomes available with an exceptional new Vorsprung specification.
Audi has a completely new slant on the concept of the five-door coupé for the executive class - the first A7 Sportback in which the
On Thursday evening, Audi will present the latest application of its new design language as the all-new A7 Sportback is revealed to the world.
The luxury class car of the future is no longer just a dot on the horizon - the new Audi A8 becomes available in the
The new Audi A8 will feature on British television for the very first time as part of a major new campaign illustrating the benefits of
Audi has tonight presented the Group’s first ever all-electric racing car in Neuburg, Germany. The Audi e-tron FE04 embodies the company’s transformation from a classic
New Carbon Edition versions of the recently reintroduced Audi RS 4 Avant and RS 5 Coupé are about to turn up the desirability dial for


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Apple’s Safari is the world’s second-most-used and least vulnerable desktop web browser, yet only 1% of Indians use it
Image credits- Unsplash
Chromeand Apple Safariare the world’s most popular desktop browsers.
- Google Chrome is the most vulnerable web browser of 2022, with 303 reported vulnerabilities.
- 90.4% of Indians use Google Chrome as a desktop browser.
AdvertisementGoogle Chrome is a very popular browser, so much so that people choose to use it even if it's not already on their device. This means that the market for
Statcounter, a platform that tracks web browser usage across various websites, reports that Google Chrome is still the world's most widely used desktop browser, holding 66.13% of the market.
In the meantime, Atlas VPN has found that Google Chrome is the most vulnerable web browser of 2022, with 303 reported vulnerabilities thus far. In fact, Google Chrome has the highest cumulative number of vulnerabilities of all time, with 3,159 reported vulnerabilities. Conversely, Apple's Safari browser has consistently had low vulnerability numbers for years. Despite recently reaching over 1 billion users and becoming the second most popular browser globally, Safari had only 26 documented vulnerabilities in the first three quarters of 2022.
Here’s the full ranking below:
- Google Chrome: 66.13%
- Safari: 11.87%
- Microsoft Edge: 11%
- Firefox: 5.65%
- Opera: 3.09%
- Internet Explorer: 0.55%
Apple's macOS Ventura enhances Safari with new features
Apple's macOS Ventura comes with exciting new features for Safari, including web push notifications, Shared Tab Group, strong password editing, improved CSS, and Passkeys. The Passkeys feature allows users to authenticate websites using Touch ID, eliminating the need to create traditional passwords. Despite these improvements, Safari still needs to catch up in supporting some of the latest web standards. This can prompt some users to switch to alternative browsers. In contrast, Microsoft has focused on integrating AI-based features into the Edge web browser to attract more users. The company has incorporated Bing Search with ChatGPT and the popular image generator DALL∙E.
What are ‘vishing scams’ that start with a Namaste and end with monetary losses
Sony WH-CH720N headphones review: Featherweight comfort and impressive sound
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Amazon.com Inc. rolled out its on-demand professional services platform Home Services in the U.K. on June 12.
The platform, which launched in March 2015, allows customers to schedule professional services for tasks such as assembling furniture, house cleaning and plumbing.
Amazon said customers can hire skilled professionals or tradespeople to assemble or fix products even if they were bought elsewhere.
The service comes with a pre-defined scope of work and upfront pricing, and customers can add pre-packaged services through Amazon.co.uk, the e-commerce giant said.
Home Services will initially be available to customers across Greater London, Birmingham and Manchester. Amazon said more cities and services will be added over time.


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In 1994, a professor in Virginia found a bug in the Intel Pentium chip that caused one in 9 billion floating point computations to be in error. Everyone agreed that very few people would ever see the error, but Intel handled it the way Apple is handling the (apparently) far more serious problem with the iPhone, resulting in a massive recall that cost Intel $475 million. There was wide consensus at the time that it was a PR bug more than a technical one. If they had not resisted, had been more empathetic, the cost would not have been nearly so great.
Intel was surprised to learn that users expected their computers to be computationally perfect. Engineers at Intel must have known, previously, that they weren't. That's what they were trying to "explain" but the users didn't want to hear it.


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Inflation slowed in April after seven months of relentless gains, a tentative sign that price increases may be peaking while still imposing a financial strain on American households. Consumer prices jumped 8.3% last month from 12 months earlier, the Labor Department said Wednesday. That was below the 8.5% year-over-year surge in March, which was the highest rate since 1981, reports the AP. On a month-to-month basis, prices rose 0.3% from March to April, a still-elevated rate but the smallest increase in eight months. Consumer prices had spiked 1.2% from February to March, mostly because of a sudden jump in gas prices triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Still, the Wall Street Journal points out that the so-called core-price index—which drops some volatile categories, like food and energy—was up 0.6%, a "sharp pickup" from March's 0.3% rise. Nationally, the price of a gallon of regular gas has reached a record $4.40, according to AAA, though that figure isn’t adjusted for inflation. Gas had fallen to about $4.10 a gallon in April, after reaching $4.32 in March. The April report "suggests that the deceleration is going to be painstakingly slow," Principal Global Investors chief strategist Seema Shah tells CNBC.
New disruptions overseas or other unforeseen problems could always send US inflation back up to new highs. If the European Union decides, for example, to cut off Russian oil, gas prices in the United States would likely accelerate. China’s COVID lockdowns are also worsening supply problems and hurting growth in the world’s second-biggest economy. (Read more inflation stories.)


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Bipasha Basu inaugurated the new highly modernized gym/club on Pune-Solapur road.
Pune: Known for its revolution in physical fitness field “Fitness Mantra’s” has opened its 5th branch in Hadapsar on Pune-Solapur road. This new highly modernized gym/club was inaugurated by none other than fitness sensation bollywood actress Bipasha Basu. Fitness Mantra’s Proprietor Anil Agarwal, Renu Agarwal, celebrity manager Akarshan Katiyar and other dignitaries were present on this occasion.
On this highly awaited event, Bipasha Basu highlighted the importance of physical fitness in the era of busy life. Bipasha said “Our progress depends on our fitness. I appreciate Mr. Anil Agarwal’s work in fitness field. Mr. Agarwal opened Fitness Mantra’s with very sophisticated and extraordinarily modern equipments and is extending this with new branches. I am delighted to inaugurate this new branch developed on 5000 sq. ft. area.” Bipasha concluded her speech by well wishing Fitness Mantra’s for its future endeavors and expressed her hope to see Fitness Mantra’s branches in Mumbai and all over Maharashtra.
Fitness Mantra’s proprietor Anil Agarwal said “Fitness Mantra was first established in 2013 in Vishrantwadi. After this it was opened in Dhanori in 2014, Market yard in 2015, Kharadi in 2016 respectively and now we are in Hadapsar. We are planning many more branches to reach maximum number of people with a mission of all-round fitness.”
Anil Agarwal further explained how Fitness Mantra is well equipped with all modern options like Cardio, strength training, functional training, personal training, circuit training, yoga, power yoga, zumba, nutrition program, spa and steam bath and also special population training and aerobics is available here. Renu Agarwal emphasized on ladies fitness and said “We are very particular with ladies fitness and we also have special female trainers. Already our past branches are having all the necessary and exclusive fitness programs for ladies.” Renu also lauded their commitment towards modern physical fitness by highlighting about recently imported machine from Taiwan. According to Renu, this machine reduces the workout period by almost three-fourth of the conventional machines i.e a workout done on simple machine in 2 hours can be done on this imported machine in just 20-25 minutes. Renu stressed on how Fitness Mantra’s programs and equipments save time in this busy schedule life. She further said “We want to give our members the topmost facilities available around world with minimum charge.”
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- Facebook, Twitter and Google + will propose changes in some unfair terms of anti-fraud policies and conditions of use.
- Additionally, companies must comply with European law in the fight against scams, committing to eliminate false promotions.
Facebook, Twitter and Google + have expressed their commitment to make changes to their conditions of use with the aim of respecting the European standard of consumer protection, today announced the European Commission (EC).
according to the EC, the conditions of use of these platforms must write in line with European consumer protection legislation, implying that the conditions that create a significant imbalance between the rights and obligations of the parties will be considered unfair and lacking in validity.
in practice, some clauses tailored to Community law can not deprive consumers of their right to go to the courts of their Member State of residence or modify unilaterally the conditions of use, among other cases.
on the other hand, companies must also meet European law in the fight against scams committing to eliminate fraudulent promotions and other false campaigns as soon as they are aware of its existence.
the three companies now have a month for a more detailed list of the changes that take place to comply with the regulatory framework of the EU, to the EC and consumer protection authorities examined subsequently.
according to the EC, consumer protection agencies might resort to coercive measures if the proposals that make the companies are not “satisfactory”.
the European Commissioner for Justice, consumer and gender equality, Vera Jourova said that the growing importance of social media in the lives of Europeans indicates that “it is when to ensure that the EU’s strict rules, aimed at the protection of consumers, are also met in this sector”.
“It is not acceptable that only EU consumers can resort to a California Court to resolve a dispute, or we can accept that users see is deprived of his right to cancel a purchase online”, saw the police station.


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FRVTA SuperShow Books Record Display Space
The Florida RV Trade Association’s (FRVTA) 23rd Annual 2008 Florida RV SuperShow will set a new record for manufacturers’ and suppliers’ booth space, according to the organization.
“We will have more suppliers’ booths than ever before and a record amount of manufacturer space,” said Marketing Director David Kelly. “With the addition of new entertainment and more seminars, we’re anticipating record crowds this year. We’re also renewing the two-day pass so the public will have two full days to see everything at the SuperShow at no additional cost.”
The theme for the 2008 show, running Jan. 16-20 at Tampa’s Florida State Fairgrounds, is “Where Do You Want To Go?”
“With more families looking into RVing as a travel option and with all the travel options for RVers, ‘Where Do You Want To Go?’ seemed like an appropriate theme for the 2008 SuperShow,” Kelly said.
In addition to new rigs and RV supplies on display, some of Florida’s finest campgrounds and resorts will have booth exhibits to show attendees the best camping opportunities in the state.
Other attractions include:
• Entertainment will run throughout the event featuring clowns, unicycle riders, barbershop quartets and bagpipe bands, along with a dog show.
• A full roster of seminars will be conducted by industry experts including national RV writers Joe and Vicki Kieva.
• The Super Rally will mark its 18th year at the SuperShow offering RV clubs and the general public a number of amenities including free admission to the show all five public days, meeting facilities for clubs and three nights of entertainment.
Hours for the SuperShow will run 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.


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EWING, N.J., Feb. 18 -- A recent CNN special report rank organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology among the top technological innovations introduced since 1980 and cited Universal Display Corp.'s FOLED (flexible OLED), WOLED (white OLED) and TOLED (transparent OLED) technologies as examples of how OLEDs could revolutionize display and lighting markets.
The list, compiled by a panel of technology leaders assembled by the Lemelson-MIT Program, which promotes inventiveness in young adults, identified OLEDs as 17th among "the 25 nonmedically related technological innovations that have become widely used since 1980, are readily recognizable by most Americans, have had a direct and perceptible impact on our everyday lives or could dramatically affect our lives in the future." OLEDs shared the stage with 24 other innovations, including the Internet, personal computers, e-mail, DNA fingerprinting, airbags and nanotechnology.
Universal Display said its OLED technologies have the potential to create a variety of novel display products and market opportunities, including wearable electronics; transparent 'heads-up' displays on windows and windshields; and revolutionary interfaces for mobile phones, digital cameras, and other electronic devices. They may also lead to new lighting products and pave the way for cost-effective organic electronic offerings, the company said.
For more information, visit: www.universaluisplay.com


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China's Ministry of Commerce has praised trade talks with the US but little concrete progress appeared to have been made in resolving the US-China trade war.
The Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that the two sides had "constructive" and "in-depth" talks, which will continue in September in the US.
It also said China discussed purchasing more agricultural goods from the US but gave little other information.
The statement followed the conclusion of talks between US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He in Shanghai on Wednesday afternoon.
The meeting marked the twelfth round of trade talks since the US-China trade war broke out last year.
On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump also downplayed the chances of progress and insisted that the United States has the upper hand because economic growth is slowing in China.
The US-China talks follow a trade war detente brokered by Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the G20 summit in Osaka last month.
Prior to the G20 truce, Trump had threatened to impose tariffs on an additional $US325 billion worth of Chinese imports, which would mean almost all Chinese goods imported into the US would carry punitive tariffs.
In the interim, the US has said it will hold back on imposing new tariffs and lift some restrictions on Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, which it blacklisted from working with US companies in May.
Stream free on


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Branson may be off to a bumpy start as he launches the first autumn-winter collection of Virgin Clothing on Thursday.
The debut of the upscale fashion line comes amid severe turbulence at Virgin's clothing and cosmetics subsidiary, Victory Corp. PLC, which saw its shares nosedive early this week following a profit warning and a boardroom shakeup.
And at least one prominent critic wonders whether Virgin is aiming a little too high in the market.
"It's in step with what's happening in fashion," said Mimi Spencer, fashion editor at London's Evening Standard newspaper. "But it may be out of step with what one perceives is happening with the Virgin brands."
Many shoppers identify the Virgin brand name with rock music and cola, but the Virgin Clothing line is targeting a more affluent audience than the youngish customers who are likely to buy those Virgin products, Spencer said.
The Virgin clothes are "altogether better than we anticipated, and more expensive, and that may be a problem," she said.
Virgin spokesman Will Whitehorn took issue with Spencer's characterization of Virgin brands as "young, fun and frivolous."
Whitehorn pointed to Branson's successful international airline, Virgin Atlantic Airways, and the Virgin Direct financial services business. "You tell me that Virgin Atlantic is a young and frivolous airline," he said.
It has not been an easy week for Victory Corp.
Founders Rory and Tim McCarthy stepped down as directors Monday to make room for managers appointed by Virgin after it recently took control of the company.
The vast bulk of Branson's Virgin empire is privately held and immune to the daily ups and downs of the stock market, but Victory Corp. is listed on London's small-issue stock exchange, the Alternative Investment Market.
After a long price slide, Victory lost half of its remaining value on Monday, slipping to 9.5 pence (15 cents) per share. The shares crawled back to 11 pence by late Wednesday - little consolation for investors who bought in nearly two years ago at 58 pence.
Whitehorn suggested the previous directors had acted too hastily in putting their company on the market before it had established its business. With Virgin in control, the business outlook is better, he said.
The Virgin Clothing line will be launched Thursday at London's fabled Selfridge's department store, then rolled out to 200 more retailers around Britain, he said.
Meanwhile, the cosmetics operation has opened a handful of Virgin Vie stores, including one in London's prime Oxford Street retailing area, while selling its goods through 1,500 more dealers.
Written By Dirk Beveridge


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E.piphany, Inc., a manufacturer of software that analyzes customers’ buying habits, announced today that it has agreed to acquire RightPoint, Inc., for about $392 million (US$) in stock.
This acquisition is the first made by E.piphany since its phenomenally successful September IPO. Yesterday, shares of the company fell $5.87 to $112.50.
Under the terms of the agreement, E.piphany will issue approximately 3.5 million shares of its common stock to shareholders of RightPoint in return for a 10.5 percent stake in the company.
Multiple Technologies United
By acquiring RightPoint, E.piphany will be able to offer software that helps companies make quick decisions about how to interact with customers. For instance, when a consumer calls into a bank’s customer service line, RightPoint’s software instantly gathers all the information that the bank has on the person and sends a message to the call center representative. The representative is then instructed to make a specific offer to that consumer based on an analysis of the data.
“E.piphany and RightPoint create a single view of the customer and manage customer interactions through real-time personalization,” said Roger Siboni, president and CEO of E.piphany. “Until now, technology buyers have struggled with a proliferation of vendors and fragmented piece part offerings. Today, we have set a new standard for customer interaction.”
Industry observers feel that the joining of the two companies is a definite win for both firms.
“The Internet enables new forms of real-time, interactive communication with customers and can also provide deep insight into their buying behaviors,” said Christopher Fletcher, Managing Director with the Aberdeen Group. “But in order for this vision to be realized, multiple technologies governing customer interaction, analysis, campaign management and personalization must be brought together.”
Nonetheless, analysts also point out that E.piphany faces fierce competition in this segment of the e-commerce marketplace from such giants as Oracle and Siebel Systems.
Based in San Mateo, California, E.piphany (Nasdaq: ESNY) designs analytical software, which gives companies insight into their customers’ habits, enabling them to personalize e-commerce transactions.
E.piphany also provides training, support, and consulting services. Its customers include software developer Autodesk, brokerage firm Charles Schwab, and computer maker Hewlett-Packard. Its products are sold directly and through resellers.
Investment firms Kleiner Perkins and Information Technology Ventures each own about 15 percent of E.piphany.
In its fiscal year ending in December, E.piphany — which will now employ about 275 workers — lost about $10.4 million on revenue of $3.4 million.


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Facebook Feels the Love, Gets Boost From Ad Platforms
NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Facebook(:FB) has not had the easiest of times since going public earlier this year, dashing investor hopes of a massive IPO pop. Since then, CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his team have faced ongoing questions about slowing growth and the company's ability to deliver long-term value.
Shares of the social networker have tumbled 40% since its offering in May, but have rallied recently thanks to a number of catalysts, including a new advertising platform.
The Menlo Park, Calif.-based company began testing the Facebook Ad Exchange, or FBX, during the second quarter of this year, letting marketers bid for ad impressions on the site. Touted as a way to deliver more relevant ads to users, FBX lets advertisers reach users based on their browsing history, a practice known as retargeting.
If a user, for example, visits an online retailer, FBX can generate a related ad when he next logs onto the social networker's site. Advertisers can then purchase these ads through what's been described as an automatic auction, known as real-time bidding (RTB).
"Facebook Exchange allows marketers to use their own real-time consumer insight data to reach an audience on Facebook," noted Scott Shapiro, a Facebook product marketing manager, in a recent blog posting.
The real-time aspect of FBX is key, giving sportswear companies the ability, for example, to market their wares during the World Cup final or the Super Bowl.
Now out of beta, FBX has garnered stellar reviews from a host of marketing specialists. Retargeting platform ADRoll, which was one of the earliest companies on the Facebook Exchange, said that its advertisers saw an average 16x return on investment thanks to FBX. AdRoll has already used the technology to launch campaigns for 60 advertisers, including home furnishing company Room & Board, social media dashboard HootSuite and camera specialist GoPro.
TellApart, which has been serving ads through FBX for three months, said that its clients have seen a 10x to 20x ROI.
In a blog posting, Zach Coelius, CEO of retargeting specialist Triggit, said that FBX has a four-time higher return on advertising spending compared to exchanges such as Google's(:GOOG) AdWords.
Clearly, this could be a big deal for Facebook.
IDC estimates that RTB will account for 27% of ad spending in the U.S. by 2015, up from 10% in 2011. Total spending on RTB in the U.S. will reach $5.1 billion, according to the tech research firm.
Investors may have been largely underwhelmed by Facebook during its short life as a public company, but have given the company some love recently.
Shares of the social networker closed up 6.49% at $23.29 on Wednesday, boosted by positive comments by Salesforce.com(:CRM) CEO Marc Benioff about Facebook's impact on the marketing community.
Speaking during Salesforce.com's Dreamforce event in San Francisco, Benioff said that Facebook's influence will change the way companies develop and market their technologies, according to Direct Marketing News.
Another positive catalyst for Facebook is Apple's(:AAPL) latest mobile operating system, iOS 6, which offers tighter integration with the social networker.
"Our recent management meetings further reiterated the company's bullish long-term vision in mobile, especially with the deep integration with the Apple iOS 6," said Herman Leung, an analyst at Susquehanna Financial Group, in a recent note. "Deeper engagement with Facebook can lead to users sharing more content and deepen the user's identity profile on Facebook."
Facebook's mobile strategy, of course, has been one of the biggest question marks hanging over the firm, something which Zuckerberg himself recently acknowledged. Speaking during the TechCrunch conference in San Francisco last week, the youthful CEO nonetheless promised that Facebook will make "a lot more money" on mobile than on desktop.
With almost a billion users, Facebook certainly has the launch pad for driving mobile dollars, and has already started to push into the space.
Earlier this year, for example, Facebook expanded its sponsored stories feature, enabling advertisers to buy sponsored stories in its mobile News Feed.
"Mobile sponsored stories revenues largely just started in the beginning of June," noted Susquehanna's Lueng, who estimates that total sponsored stories revenue could reach $612 million in 2013, up from $336 million in 2012. Within this number, Leung predicted that the mobile portion of sponsored stories will grow 122% to $390 million in 2013, up from an estimated $178 million this year.
Clearly, though, many investors still need to be convinced about the long-term Facebook story. The company's rally petered out on Thursday, pushing its shares down 2.45% to $22.72.
--Written by James Rogers in New York.
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Photographs reveal what it looks like inside a former car showroom which Boohoo wants to turn into its UK production base.
The online fashion retailer wants to create a flagship factory in Leicester inside a run-down and overgrown former Vauxhall garage on the northern outskirts of the city.
Some 40 per cent of its products already come from Leicester, and chief executive John Lyttle has said the site would have capacity to make up to 50,000 items a week, working in partnership with an existing manufacturer.
If it gains planning the business expects to create around 90 jobs within the Thurmaston Lane factory.
It would give Boohoo closer control of its stock and allow it to hit the short lead times demanded by fast fashion trends.
Last year Mr Lyttle said the factory was part of a plan to copy the success of Spanish fashion giant and Zara owner Inditex.
The images have been published as part of a planning application for the site.
The application states: “The newly proposed use seeks to completely rejuvenate the site, with the intention to reuse the entirety of the building for office accommodation and light industrial processing activities including the manufacture, test and quality control of clothing items.”
Boohoo also wants to set up an education centre on the site as well as a gallery to show off designs by students from Leicester’s university and colleges.
There could also be co-working spaces for charities and trade associations to use.
The application says: “The proposals will ensure that a disused building is improved and brought up to the standards of modern needs and occupation.
“Ensuring the continued occupation of the building for future development will also safeguard the protection of career opportunities and local assets for future generations within Leicester.
“The proposed alterations and improvements to the building are believed to be of minor, if any, impact on the existing structure.
“All repairs and alterations will be carried out to the highest standards by skilled tradespeople; new alterations to both the exterior and interior will be sensitive to the building and be of a high design quality in form and materiality.”
Manchester-headquartered Boohoo includes the BoohooMAN, PrettyLittleThing, Nasty Gal, MissPap, Karen Millen and coast brands.
The latest development comes after a workers’ rights group Liberty Shared announced it was lobbying the US customs department to ban the import of Boohoo clothes.
It follows allegations of poor working conditions at some Leicester subcontractors making clothes destined for Boohoo.
Any restrictions on Boohoo sales to the States would have a huge impact on its business.
It had revenues of £1.2 billion in its last full trading year – with more than £263 million of that coming from the US.
Boohoo says it has been working hard to ensure all the clothes it sells come from factories that look after their staff and pay them properly.
It has been telling UK suppliers to stop sub-contracting to smaller firms which might be putting profits before working conditions.
Boohoo came under the spotlight when a Sunday Times undercover reporter found work in a Leicester factory making clothes destined for it, which he said was paying workers £3.50 an hour – well below the minimum wage.
Following the allegations Boohoo set up an independent inquiry into supplier working conditions, headed by senior lawyer Alison Levitt QC.
Her findings said the fast fashion chain knew about “serious issues” with the treatment of factory workers in Leicester in December 2019, but failed to move quickly enough to do anything about it.
Leicester is a key supplier to Boohoo. The city employs something like 10,000 people in fashion and textiles, in around 1,500 businesses.
Shared Liberty said allegations of labour violations in the Leicester textiles sector, particularly in Leicester East, dated back to the early 2000s.
US Customs and Border Protection told BusinessLive it does not comment on investigations.
A Boohoo spokesman said it was confident that it met US customs standards on preventing products made using forced labour entering the US.
It said: “Boohoo continues to fulfil orders to customers in the US across all of its brands.
“The group will work with any competent authority to provide assurance that products from its supply chain meet the required standard.
“Over the past eight months the group has been working closely with UK enforcement bodies.
“If the group were to discover any suggestion of modern day slavery it would immediately disclose this to the relevant authorities.”
It said Alison Levitt QC’s review into Boohoo’s Leicester supply chain suggested there was no evidence that Boohoo committed any criminal offences.
It said action it had taken since 2019 included completing more than 400 on-site checks on its UK suppliers and removing 64 suppliers from the its UK supplier list which did not meet its transparency standards.


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Following two abnormal years for Amazon Prime Day, the annual sales event is returning to its July roots. Amazon confirmed in late April that Prime Day 2022 will kick off sometime in July, but unsurprisingly the retailer hasn’t provided an exact date for the sales bonanza. That said, we have a pretty good guess as to when Prime Day 2022 will run–as well as the length of the sale and the types of deals to expect.
When is Prime Day 2022?
With Prime Day 2022 confirmed for July, it’s highly likely that the sales event will start on one of two dates: July 11 or July 18. Prime Day has always kicked off on Monday, and we have no reason to believe that will change this year. Prior to the disruption to Prime Day in 2020, the sales event had always run in mid July. We can easily nix the possibility of Prime Day starting on the July 4 holiday, and a July 25 start date would be uncharacteristically late in the season for Amazon.
That leaves us with July 11 or July 18. Prime Day has been a two-day, 48-hour event since 2017. We expect that to remain the case this year. As such, Prime Day 2022 will in all likelihood take place July 11-12 or July 18-19.
Amazon tends to keep its sales events under wraps until just a couple of weeks (or less) before the start date. We might not get a definitive date for Prime Day until the end of the month or possibly even early July.
What is Prime Day?
If you haven’t experienced the annual sales bonanza, Amazon Prime Day is essentially a condensed Black Friday sale. Outside of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Prime Day has become the biggest sales event of the year. And it’s not just Amazon with great deals–major retailers will jump in on the fun with anti-Prime Day sales. Often times, these sales at competing retailers kick off the weekend prior to Prime Day to try and steal Amazon’s thunder.
The deals at Amazon are exclusive to Prime members, while competing retailers tend to offer deals to anyone. That said, with an increased emphasis on Walmart+, PowerUp Rewards Pro, Totaltech Unlocked, and other subscription services at competing retailers, it’s certainly possible that some of the hottest deals–including any PS5 restocks–will be limited to members at competing retailers, too.
All told, you can expect thousands upon thousands of deals at Amazon and other major retailers that week. From gaming and tech to entertainment and toys, just about every category of product you can think of will be on sale.
What deals do we expect on Prime Day?
Amazon Prime Day is not super predictable when it comes to the actual products that will be on sale. The exception here is Amazon brand devices such as the Echo Show, Kindle, Echo Dot, and Fire TVs. Amazon brand devices are always on sale for their best prices of the year during Prime Day. So if you’re in the market for a smart home device or Kindle, your best bet is to wait for Prime Day.
While we cannot definitively say which gaming products will be on sale, there will definitely be some stellar deals on Nintendo Switch, PS5, and Xbox Series X games. Prime Day gaming deals often focus on AAA games that released within the past year, so you can expect to see some 2021 holiday hits as well as titles that launched earlier this year.
In addition to games, Prime Day always offers a great opportunity to purchase gaming-related tech such as controllers, headsets, and gaming laptops/PCs. And, much like Black Friday, some of the best Prime Day deals are often found on 4K TVs, including budget options and high-end TVs that are great for gaming.
Will there be console restocks during Prime Day?
When it comes to consoles, it’ll be interesting to see if PS5 restocks occur during Prime Day. Sony recently released a PS5 bundle that includes Horizon Forbidden West, which seems like a prime (sorry) candidate for an enticing Prime Day drop at Amazon and other retailers.
On the other hand, we wouldn’t be surprised at all to see actual deals on the Xbox Series X|S. We’ve seen quite a few Xbox Series S deals recently, including a bundle at Walmart that contains the Series S and Halo Infinite for $300 (it’s still available!).
Meanwhile, Nintendo Switch console deals are rare, so we wouldn’t expect to see discounts–at least not on the Switch OLED. Bundles featuring the regular Switch or Switch Lite are a possibility, though.
The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors.
GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.


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Accusing it of consciously parroting Big Tobacco to manufacture a youth-addiction crisis, state Attorney General Keith Ellison on Wednesday sued West Coast vaping giant Juul Labs, Inc.
The company, a 2015 startup, has become a behemoth worth an estimated $38 billion, the complaint says. Its gains, the suit claims, have come in part at Minnesota’s expense.
“The rise in e-cigarettes among our youth in a few short years has erased the last 10 years of gains we made in fighting youth tobacco use,” Ellison said at a Capitol press conference Wednesday. “Juul is carrying on a tradition of Big Tobacco.”
The seven-count suit, filed Wednesday in Hennepin County District Court, accuses Juul of consumer fraud, deceptive and illegal trade practices, false advertising, negligence and creating a public nuisance. Juul also unjustly enriched itself while leaving Minnesota on the hook for the resulting public-health costs, the complaint says.
It is the latest in a string of state suits against Juul. New York, California and North Carolina have also sued the company, while Illinois and Massachusetts reportedly are investigating the possibility.
Minnesota’s suit does not deal directly with the most highly publicized elements of the vape wave—the reported 2,300 lung injuries and 47 deaths from vaping nationwide, including three in Minnesota. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention associates the illnesses largely with the off-label use of e-cigarettes for THC vaping.
The CDC says that THC-laced vape pods, purchased on the street or online, frequently contain dangerous vitamin E acetate. Some researchers think the additive is responsible for crippling lung illnesses.
While lung injuries are not part of the present case, they could be rolled into future litigation, Ellison indicated. “It’s not escaped our attention,” he said. “We may well be in touch on that soon, too.”
But for now, he said, the state will focus on Juul’s deceptive marketing of the devices’ intended use by teens and young adults.
“If you use this product as they intended it, it’s not a good thing,” Ellison said. “It’ll addict you. It’ll harm you.”
Just as it did in the 1990s when it wrangled a $6.5 billion settlement from Big Tobacco, the AG’s office has brought in big-league private lawyers to assist in the litigation.
A team of five Robins Kaplan attorneys—including Principal Holly H. Dolejsi and firm partner Munir R. Meghjee—are signed on. So are five attorneys from Zimmerman Reed, LLP—including Managing Partner Carolyn G. Anderson and firm partners June P. Hoidal and David M. Cialkowski.
Juul is represented pro se, according to the judicial branch’s register of actions for the case.
In addition to unspecified civil penalties—Ellison said the size of a requested payout won’t be known before discovery—the suit wants Juul ordered to:
“In terms of dollar amounts, look, we’re assessing the extent of the damage,” Ellison said. “It is extensive.” Asked if the ultimate payout could rival the Big Tobacco settlement, Ellison said, “I would not refute that.”
The complaint demands a jury trial. The case has been assigned to Hennepin County District Court Judge Laurie J. Miller.
Ted Kwong, a spokesman for Juul Labs, said via email that the company has yet to review the complaint.
However, he said, the company is already taking proactive steps. It is working on “resetting the vapor category and earning the trust of society,” he said. It also has been working cooperatively with state AG’s, regulators, public health officials and others to “combat underage use and convert adult smokers from combustible cigarettes.”
Juul has suspended orders for mint-flavored pods and pulled all U.S. online, broadcast and print advertising, while investing in research to develop technologies that might reduce youth vape usage, Kwong added.
“Our customer base is the world’s 1 billion adult smokers, and we do not intend to attract underage users,” he said.
Not true, said Ellison.
His 82-page complaint details Juul’s rapid raise from an obscure 2015 startup to the dominant e-cigarette company. It entered 2019 with a 76% share of that market, according to the complaint.
Juul owes its meteoric rise to a “vast, targeted and effective marketing campaign” aimed at the young, the suit contends. Even the product’s, sleek, Apple Inc.-inspired design, which resembles a USB drive, is geared to the young. For instance, it is easily hidden in plain sight, encouraging teens’ natural daredevil streak by allowing vaping in class, undetected by distracted teachers, the complaint said.
Vying for the youth market, the company initially sold various flavors of nicotine-laced liquid for its vape pods. Those included fruit and dessert-like flavors, as well as mint and menthol. All were aimed at young, inexperienced smokers, through most were later discontinued. Menthol is still being marketed.
The company’s marketers also recruited youthful social media “influencers” and pop-music musicians to promote and attend flashy youth-oriented launch parties, where unlimited samples were available.
On social media, it amassed 150,000 Juul-related Tweets by the end of 2017, while 11 of its YouTube videos had more than 1 million views. A 2019 study in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence found that 45% of Juul’s Twitter followers were 13- to 17-year-olds, while only 20% were 21 or older.
It even paid tens of thousands of dollars to schools and to a police department for direct access to students and youthful offenders, ostensibly to educate them about the dangers of vaping. In reality, those sessions were used to systematically demonstrate product’s use and recruit new users, the complaint says.
The suit also says that, as he was preparing for launch in 2015, Juul Labs co-founder James Monsees told online publication Social Underground that he picked up marketing cues from internal corporate documents released during the Big Tobacco trial.
Many of those detailed tobacco companies’ efforts to recruit teen-aged smokers. The companies understood, Ellison’s complaint says, “that nicotine users who start as teenagers are the most likely to become lifelong addicts.”
“It became a very intriguing space for us to investigate,” Monsees told the publication. “Because we had so much information that you wouldn’t normally be able to get in most industries. And we were able to catch up, right, to a huge, huge industry in no time. And then we started building prototypes.”
The company touted its products as a safe alternative to lit cigarettes, while failing to disclose that its supposedly low 5% nicotine formula actually equates to almost two packs of cigarettes per pod. One pod can be ingested at a sitting, the complaint said.
The message that vaping was safe hit home with Will Gitler, 17, a Hopkins High School senior who spoke to reporters at Wednesday’s Capitol press conference. As a result, he stopped smoking cigarettes and shifted to vaping—precisely what the company says it wants people to do—only to find himself more addicted than ever.
“It feels like I’ve been deceived, like the progress that I thought I was making wasn’t progress,” he said.
Gov. Tim Walz, who supports the suit, said that after the Big Tobacco settlement, youth smoking in Minnesota fell to just 5% of teens. Now, according to the complaint, 27.5% of high schoolers nationwide vape. Only 4% of adult smokers aged 25 to 66—Juul’s purported target market—use e-cigarettes, the complaint says.
Ellison warned Minnesotans that the state is in for a long, tough court battle. Walz said that Juul’s attorneys—some of whom will individually earn more money than the AG’s office’s entire budget—will argue that the problem lies not with Juul, but with flawed Minnesotans.
“They will use their merchant-of-doubt playbook to tell us we’re bad parents, to tell us we have bad kids, to tell us that we should have known, we told you,” Walz said. “Or how would we have known this was going to happen?”
He vowed that the state will dig hard to answer that question. “We’re going to get their research and I’ll damn sure guarantee you they had conversations talking about how do we get kids like Will addicted,” the governor said.
“There’s a new name for Big Tobacco,” he said. “It’s Juul and it’s vaping. It’s that simple.”
Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan said the Walz administration will also pursue legislation in 2020, aimed at curbing the vaping crisis. Banning flavored pods and raising the legal age limit are among possible bills.
“We’re not going to wait to take action on this,” she said.


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A new call for Innovation Partnership Grants between Swiss academia and Japanese innovation agents including industry and start-ups is now open. All scientific disciplines including social sciences and humanities are eligible. Selected projects will receive funding up to 20k CHF for a duration…
Science & Technology News from Japan
The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN), in coordination with the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), is currently accepting proposals aimed at combating COVID-19 by providing its new supercomputer Fugaku for selected research projects…
As nations scramble to develop vaccines for the coronavirus, Takara Bio is at the forefront of Japan's efforts, tapping its four decades of gene-editing experience to help develop a DNA-based approach that has never been used in humans before.
Japanese precision instrument maker Shimadzu will add saliva to the sample of PCR reagents to test for the new coronavirus, after the company confirmed it is as accurate as conventional methods.
Japanese biotech venture AnGes is set to begin a clinical trial of a coronavirus vaccine in July, Nikkei learned Monday, raising hopes that the medication could secure government approval by the end of the year.
A Japanese company has moved up plans to mass-produce an ultraviolet lamp developed with Columbia University that it says renders viruses harmless without damaging people's eyes or skin.
A hospital in Tokyo said it successfully transplanted liver cells derived from human embryonic stem (ES) cells to a baby with a potentially life-threatening disease, marking the first time ES cells have been used to treat human diseases in Japan.
Takara Bio will release a coronavirus test in Japan as early as this month that uses saliva, enabling samples to be taken from home in what could be a major step toward increased testing and improved health care worker safety.
A researcher in Osaka Prefecture has developed a wearable material that generates electricity from excess human body heat using tiny sensors that can be stuck on the skin like a small bandage.
Zetta, a spinout from the Tokyo Institute of Technology, also known as Tokyo Tech, has developed a nonwoven nanofiber material that can be washed repeatedly without losing its ability to protect the wearer from viruses. The startup, based in the western Japanese city of Matsuyama, plans to get…
Researchers here developed a face mask that can be washed repeatedly and is touted as being able to render viruses inactive.
The list of Intel Corp.’s annual supplier award winners tends to read like a who’s who of the semiconductor industry’s biggest names.
Japanese social media platform Line will this summer launch a telemedicine business to cater to growing demand amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Contactless technologies have come into the spotlight amid the spread of the new coronavirus as people have become more conscious of the risks of infection from touching doorknobs and buttons.
Japanese scientists doing groundbreaking research in Antarctica say warm seawater flowing deep beneath a glacier may hold the key to rising sea levels rather than warmer air melting the ice sheets.
The rocket engine roared to life with a burst of bright orange flame, firing at 70% of full power for five seconds in a test that featured fuel used to power much of the planet but not harassed to reach outer space: liquefied natural gas.
The asteroid Ryugu used to pass far closer to the sun, even closer than Mercury, an analysis of images shot by Japan's Hayabusa 2 space probe reveals.
One robot can use a toilet brush to scrub porcelain bowls all by itself. Another lets humans work on faraway assembly lines with fine motor skills, thanks to virtual reality gloves.
Nissan Motor, Renault and Mitsubishi Motors set out on Wednesday their plans to deepen their carmaking alliance to confront plunging vehicle demand amid the coronavirus pandemic, saying they would become more efficient and cut costs while ruling out a full merger.
Tencent Holdings will invest 4.9 billion yen ($45 million) in Japanese game maker Marvelous and become its top shareholder, as the Chinese internet services giant presses ahead with a global expansion drive.
Japanese chemical and materials maker AGC said Thursday it has teamed up with an Osaka University-affiliated biotechnology company to help produce a coronavirus vaccine that offers a great mass-manufacturing advantage.
Chinese internet services giant Tencent Holdings and Japanese carmaker Honda Motor announced on Monday a tie-up to develop in-car infotainment systems for the Chinese market.
As CEO Kenichiro Yoshida sees it, Sony's name change to Sony Group reflects a transformation in progress that will turn a hardware maker known for electronics innovations into a multi-faceted conglomerate.
Japanese clothing brand Uniqlo, owned by Fast Retailing, will start selling face masks this summer at its stores, Chairman and CEO Tadashi Yanai told Nikkei, as global demand surges for protection against the coronavirus.
Propelled by the wave of keen interest in promising treatments for the coronavirus, Fujifilm Holdings is ready to shed its image as a camera film and copier maker and become known as an operation centered on health care.
Sony will make listed subsidiary Sony Financial Holdings a wholly owned unit for 400 billion yen ($3.73 billion) as it follows global tech giants Alibaba Group Holding and Apple in turning to finance as a stable profit generator that performs even during crises like the current pandemic, Sony…
Supply chains for laptop computers have largely recovered from the damage caused by the new coronavirus, pushing manufacturers like Vaio to double production.


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Apple isn’t wasting any time patching exploits discovered and used by jailbreak tools. The company’s next mobile update -- iOS 8.1.1 -- is expected to eliminate the ability to jailbreak iPhones, iPads and iPod Touches with a tool developed by the Chinese Pangu developer team. The fix was discovered on Tuesday, following the beta version release of iOS 8.1.1 to developers.
After testing the iOS update release with the jailbreak, the Pangu developer team found that it patched flaws that the Pangu software used to give users access to their devices to install tweaks, themes and other apps while bypassing Apple’s App Store.
The team recommended that users looking to jailbreak their devices should upgrade to iOS 8.1 before the release of iOS 8.1.1, expected this month, if they haven’t already. Once Apple releases the software update, users stuck on an older version of iOS won’t be able to upgrade to the jailbreakable iOS 8.1, since the company prevents users from installing anything but the latest version of iOS on their devices.
Anyone who has not upgraded to iOS 8.x and wants to, do it soon. It appears Apple patched the method used in Pangu8 to inject the jailbreak.
â€” Adam I (@iAdam1n) November 4, 2014
It's also recommended that users restore their device running iOS 8.1 if it was updated using an over-the-air method instead of through iTunes, since the OTA update method has been known to cause problems with jailbreak software in the past.
As always, users should back up their devices before running jailbreak software or performing any modifications on their iPhones.


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Banshee, a Novell project, which is to replace Rhythmbox in Ubuntu 11.04, provides a means to buy music from the Amazon MP3 Store; the developers had opted to allow the GNOME Foundation to take the entire affiliate's revenue.
Mono is a project which is owned by Novell and is the brainchild of GNOME co-founder Miguel de Icaza; it aims to create a free equivalent of Microsoft's .NET development environment. Many FOSS developers are wary of it as there is no guarantee from Microsoft that patent suits do not await its users down the track.
According to Banshee developer, Gabriel Burt, the amount of money that GNOME earns from Banshee is approaching $US10,000 a year, the sum that a small company pays to be a member of the GNOME Foundation advisory board.
Burt wrote on his blog that Canonical approached the Banshee (corrected) developers as it was concerned that the Amazon MP3 link would affect its earnings from its own Ubuntu One music store.
Canonical proposed that when it used Banshee (corrected) it would disable the Amazon store code by default - it could be re-enabled with a few easy steps - and leave the affiliate code unchanged.
A second option offered, according to Burt, was to leave things as they are but change the affiliate code so that 75 percent of the affiliate's fee would go to Canonical and 25 percent to GNOME.
The Banshee developers accepted the first option, which means that Canonical will make no money out of using Banshee.
"As maintainers of the Banshee project, we have opted unanimously to decline Canonical's revenue sharing proposal, so that our users who choose the Amazon store will continue supporting GNOME to the fullest extent," Burt wrote. "The GNOME Foundation's Board of Directors supports this decision."


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3D is the Future: Ernst & Youngs Global 3D Printing Report 2016
The 2016’s Global 3D Printing Report carried out by the auditing company Ernst & Young (E&Y) sums up the feelings and facts about the use of 3D printing in the industrial environment from 900 companies worldwide. Thus, E&Y surveyed decision makers from small, middle and large companies from twelve countries and nine industries.
At this year’s drupa we saw a great variety of 3D printers and technologies in this field. Especially in the last decade, additive printing has become a huge thing for industrial manufacturers such as automotive, engineering or aeroplane companies. The technologies become even more innovative and efficient so that 3D printing will definitely change the way producers work resulting in an advantage for those who use it.
The 2016’s Global 3D Printing Report carried out by the auditing company Ernst & Young (E&Y) sums up the feelings and facts about the use of 3D printing in the industrial environment from 900 companies worldwide. Thus, E&Y surveyed decision makers from small, middle, and large companies from twelve countries and nine industries.
Germany Leading in the Use of 3D Technology
One of the major results of the study is that a huge proportion (37 percent) of German companies already use 3D printing and another 12 percent are planning to do so in the near future. This makes Germany a forerunner in this field. China and Korea are next in line with 24 percent, followed by the United States and Great Britain. Still, in terms of revenue Germany stands behind the U.S. because even though almost half of the companies already use 3D, they only generate 1.8 percent revenue – compared to 3 percent in the U.S.
Lack of Expertise and High Costs
Another finding of the survey was that for the businesses that do not use 3D technology yet the invest and the implementation costs are excessively high at the moment. Additionally, there is a great lack of expertise, especially in small and medium-sized companies. According to Andreas Müller, a partner at E&Y and author of the report, this might change due to news providers: “The cheap production also of small numbers can bring any business advantage. We will increasingly see in future providers offering 3D printing ‘on demand’ for other companies. So have smaller companies not even to finance the technology and the expertise and can order parts whenever they need it.”
China and Korea on Pole Position in 2021
As the technology further develops at a high pace, the countries, which are not leading yet, will be in 2021. Thus, the study predicts that China and Korea will increase their production of 3D-printed products within 5 years. For these countries, it means that they will increase their volume from 4.7 percent up to 55.9 percent. The reason for the increase in the use of 3D technology is that a great amount of the surveyed businesses sees primary benefits, especially in terms of product quality, complexity, and customization.
If you are interested in finding out more about the 3D printing industry, have a look at the full report and let us know what you think in the comment section below.


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Menasha Corporation received the 2017 Green Masters Award on December 13 by the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council for the seventh consecutive year. The Green Masters designation is awarded to the top 20 percent of Wisconsin companies that participate in the program, which scores each company in a variety of sustainability categories, including energy, carbon and other emissions, water, waste management, transportation, supply chain, community and educational outreach, workforce and governance.
In 2017, more than 200 companies competed in the program. The Award reflects Menasha Corporation’s commitment to a sustainable philosophy and business practices, including decreasing greenhouse gas emissions, reducing waste to landfill and water usage, and achieving LEED Gold® certification of its newly constructed corporate headquarters.
About Menasha Corporation
Menasha Corporation is a leading corrugated and plastic packaging manufacturer and supply chain solutions provider specializing in retail merchandising packaging and displays, plastic reusable containers and pallets, protective packaging interiors, and packaging supply chain and fulfillment services. Menasha Corporation’s products and services are used by major food, beverage, consumer products, healthcare, pharmaceutical, industrial and automotive companies. Established in 1849, Menasha Corporation is one of America’s oldest privately held, family-owned manufacturing companies. Headquartered in Neenah, Wisconsin, the company employs approximately 5,500 employees in more than 100 facilities in North America and Europe. For more information, visit www.menashacorporation.com.