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Intel an unrivaled process leader
Intel claims that the transistor density in its 10nm nodes will convert into a CPU (central processing unit) that has 25% better performance and 45% lower power consumption than its 14nm KabyLake.
Moreover, its 10nm node should give it a 30% cost advantage over Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), which is building its CPUs on GF’s (GlobalFoundries) 14nm node.
Intel plans to optimize its 10nm node over the next three years by introducing enhancements such as the 10+ and 10++. With every process refinement, the node’s performance and power efficiency are expected to improve 15% and 30%, respectively.
Intel fab utilization falls
However, Intel wants to cash out on its process leadership, as its fabrication facilities, or fabs, aren’t being utilized to their full capacities. The PC (personal computer) and server markets require a large number of chips, and because of this, Intel has built capacity and developed advanced processes to improve yield and performance.
However, the PC market has stagnated, and demand for server processors has slowed, adversely impacting Intel’s revenue and fab utilization. The fixed cost of maintaining a fab and the rising cost of developing new process nodes is increasing the company’s cost of production. Hence, Intel is entering the foundry business to improve its fab utilization and get a better return on its investments.
Intel’s foundry model
At its Technology Manufacturing Day in March 2017, Intel’s president of manufacturing, operations, and sales, Stacy Smith, explained the foundry opportunity. Smith stated that the total addressable market of the foundry was $53 billion in 2016, of which $23 billion was for advanced nodes of 28nm and smaller. Only a few foundries, namely TSMC, Samsung, GF, and IBM (IBM), have advanced nodes of 22nm or smaller.
Intel’s process nodes are more advanced, giving it a technological advantage over its peers. Intel has partnered with ARM to manufacture ARM’s chips. This move should help it tap into companies that use ARM’s chip design such as Qualcomm, Lenovo, and Apple (AAPL). Intel’s key target is to secure a manufacturing contract from Apple that outsources the production of its A10 processors used in iPhones to TSMC.
Intel can optimize its process nodes and its customers’ chip architectures to make its foundries flexible for manufacturing all types of chips. It can use this flexible capacity to manufacture its own products at no additional cost.
Intel is also looking to optimize various nodes to create advanced chip designs. Because it’s becoming increasingly difficult and costly to shrink nodes, Intel has adopted a heterogeneous design approach to manufacturing new chips. We’ll take a closer look at this approach in the next article.


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Adweek's annual #Brandweek summit will explore the ideas behind breakthrough successes, discuss solutions to pressing challenges and explore new opportunities in the Metaverse. Join leaders from Alo Yoga, Hyundai Motor America, Frito-Lay and more, Sept. 12–16 in Miami. Sign up early to save.
With the steady drumbeat of privacy controversies over the past year, it’s not surprising that surveys indicate that consumers are concerned about the issue. But research released today (Feb. 13) by privacy management firm TRUSTe highlights just how far the privacy debate has permeated the national consciousness, and how that can end up hurting many Internet companies’ bottom line.

domain: news


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Prized shirt up for grabs
WANT to own a rare piece of sporting history? Do you want to help the Ipswich flood victims at the same time?
All you have to do is make a bid for a prized Australian Socceroos shirt being auctioned.
The shirt was worn by Leeds and Socceroos midfielder Neil Kilkenny during the recent Asian Cup tournament where Australia reached the final. Kilkenny’s Socceroos teammates have signed the shirt to enhance its value.
The current bid stands at $2200, thanks to a local businessman keen to help out.
However, further bids over that offer will be accepted.
Perhaps a Leeds fan would like to hang the prized shirt over his or her bar.
All proceeds will go directly to assisting Ipswich.


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Blair pays up 'blackmail'
CAR manufacturer Nissan has blackmailed 50 million from the government but it could still destroy thousands of jobs. Nissan bosses had warned that they would cut spending on British components by 200 million a year.
Nissan also said it might not build the new Micra model at the Sunderland plant unless it received a big aid payment. Tony Blair met with Nissan bosses on Monday and offered them 50 million of state aid. But they were still saying that they might take the new model to France, endangering 1,000 jobs directly at Sunderland and up to 5,000 more across north east England.
There is a crisis across the car industry from Rover to Ford to Nissan. Instead of throwing money at the bosses Labour should be nationalising.


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JERUSALEM » Better Place, an Israeli-based company that had been a major player in developing Hawaii’s electric vehicle charging network until selling its local operations in March, reached the end of the road Sunday when it announced plans to liquidate.
The company started out as a source of pride and a symbol of Israel’s status as a global high-tech power, but it suffered from a local brand of hubris and overreach. Better Place’s end came after it burned through almost a billion dollars and failed to sell its silent fleet of French-made sedans to a skeptical public. The company’s earlier pullout from Hawaii was part of Better Place’s exit from the North America market.
It was an audacious idea that came to symbolize Israel’s self-described status as "Start-Up Nation," a company that believed it could replace most gasoline-powered cars with electric vehicles and reduce the world’s reliance on oil — and all within a few years.
But it all came crashing down.
"This is a very sad day for all of us. We stand by the original vision as formulated by Shai Agassi of creating a green alternative that would lessen our dependence on highly polluting transportation technologies," the company said. "Unfortunately, the path to realizing that vision was difficult, complex and littered with obstacles, not all of which we were able to overcome."
It capped a stunning fall from grace for Better Place and its founder Agassi, a former high-tech whiz kid who sought to change the world by building a revolutionary network of battery-swapping stations.
Agassi, 45, believed that in an era of global warming and rising oil prices, environmentally friendly electric cars could be the wave of the future, if only a way could be found to overcome the limited range of their batteries.
Better Place offered an elegant solution. The vast majority of travelers who commute short distances could plug in their cars at home or work each day to keep their batteries recharged. For longer distances, customers could stop at the swapping stations, remove their used battery and replace it with a fully charged one in a matter of minutes. (Better Place did not operate any battery-swapping stations in Hawaii, instead opting to install a network of 77 conventional 240-volt charging kiosks with the help of a $582,000 federal grant administered by the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. Better Place sold the network to Portland, Ore.-based OpConnect for an undisclosed price.)
Agassi’s native Israel was chosen as the company’s main laboratory, and a network of several dozen stations was installed, offering travelers nationwide coverage.
Star-Advertiser reporter Alan Yonan Jr. contributed to this report.


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Arab Israeli Conflict
Middle East News
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The billionaire business magnate is said to own $5 million of Israeli bonds in his personal portfolio.
"It does create a rising price, creates more buyers ... If you don't understand it, you get much more excited," Buffett said on CNBC television. "People like to speculate, they like to gamble."
Buffett's comments come a day after JPMorgan & Chase Chief Executive Jamie Dimon said he regrets calling bitcoin a fraud.
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Child support and claims of a ‘side n*gga’ from Blac Chyna aren’t getting Tyga down.
Photographers caught up with him as he was getting into his Ferrari after a shopping trip in Beverly Hills.
In this particular clip, we don’t see any bags. Maybe he didn’t find what he was looking for.
Tyga didn’t say much…but we assume it’s because he was just trying to get out of there before the repo man realized where he was.


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Local restaurants starting to accept outdoor dining reservations
Local restaurants are starting to accept reservations for outdoor-only dining as the governor rolls out plans to get service-industry employees back to work and people back in the seats of eateries that have been closed for nearly three months.
"It has been everything from sad to infuriating to hopeful and now cautiously optimistic," Donato Frattaroli, owner of Victory Point restaurant in Marina Bay, said. "It’s a roller coaster."
Gov. Charlie Baker rolled out a slew of new safety standards last week for restaurants, which will be allowed to open for outdoor dining during Phase 2 of the state's reopening plan. Baker isn't expected to announce exactly when Phase 2 will begin until Saturday, but local restaurateurs think they could be serving up dishes and drinks on patios as soon as Monday.
"We're looking forward to it," Chef Paul Wahlberg, who owns Alma Nove in the Hingham Shipyard and the Wahlburgers chain of restaurants, said. "It seems like it's been forever."
Once Phase 2 begins, restaurants will be able to serve food and drinks outside only, with tables spaced at least 6 feet apart. No bar seating, which traditionally keeps patrons in close quarters, will be allowed.
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At Alba Restaurant in Quincy Center on Wednesday, workers were installing a sound system on the roof deck and employees were taking stock of bar and kitchen inventory. The menu will depend on availability of ingredients — coronavirus has significantly impacted the supply chain of dozens of industries — but owner Leo Keka said patrons can start calling the restaurant Monday to reserve a table.
"As a restaurant owner you're used to having crowds and people around you and food and fun," Keka said. "We've been able to do takeout but the excitement of the restaurant has been taken away. We can't wait."
The popular eatery opened a large rooftop patio last year, which can usually fit up to 140 people. Once bar seats are eliminated and tables are appropriately spaced out, Keka said he thinks he'll be able to serve about 75 people outdoors.
Restaurants without outdoor spaces can't start serving until at least the next reopening phase, the state has said and restrictions mean that even those with patios and roof decks will still have their occupancy restricted.
At Victory Point, the restaurant's patio and outdoor bar can usually accommodate 120 people, including those who stand. Without standing room or bar seats, Frattaroli said they should be able to accommodate about 60 people.
At Hull's Kitchen, which is already taking reservations, co-owner Jane Wicks said she expects to be able to seat about 30 people, instead of the usual 40 to 45.
"We’re hoping just opening at all will help people find a place to decompress a little bit and smile and laugh and enjoy the summer while feeling safe," Wicks said. "We are incredibly flexible. We can zig and zag and zig and zag as we need to."
Wahlberg said both his Hingham Shipyard restaurants — Alma Nove and Wahlburgers — plan to be serving food Monday. Reservations will be accepted at Alma Nove, but walk-ins will also be welcome. He said he thinks Alma Nove will be able to seat about 50 people once its outdoor fire pit and lounge seating is re-purposed to follow state guidelines, and that Wahlburgers will be able to seat a few less.
"Everyone is going to be eager to get back out there and enjoy themselves," he said.
While some restaurant owners are chomping at the bit to open, others are taking a back seat. Frattaroli said it will likely be a few weeks before Victory Point is ready for diners. He said he wants to see how other restaurant openings go, make sure enough people are dining out to make coming back to work worth it for servers, and make sure his workers will have enough personal protective equipment to make everyone feel safe.
"The last thing we want to have happen is for us to run out of PPE and not be able to get it, because that means having to shut the doors again," he said. "Once we open, we want to make sure we can stay open."
Owners of each restaurant expressed their commitment to safety and cleanliness, and said they're eagerly awaiting confirmation from the governor that they'll be able to open next week.
"When you think about the cleanliness factor, that is very, very high priority for restaurants at all times. We'll keep that up as always to make sure people feel safe," Wahlberg said. "We're excited, but we're really at the mercy of what the legislature decides at this point."
Reach Mary Whitfill at email@example.com.


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The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council on Tuesday decided to correct several tax rates and withdraw some tax exemptions. This will increase the price of many items. This decision taken by the government can help in earning more revenue in the era of high inflation. There is no change in the GST rate on gold and jewellery.
The 47th GST Council meeting is underway in Chandigarh under the chairmanship of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The Finance Ministry said that the meeting was attended by the Finance Ministers of the States and Union Territories and senior officials of the Central Government and the States, besides the Union Minister of State for Finance. Today, the second and last day of the meeting on Wednesday, the council is likely to demand from states including Kerala and Delhi to extend GST compensation beyond June and impose a uniform 28 per cent GST rate on online gaming, horse racing and casinos.
GST New Rule: Will it be cheaper or more expensive?
- After the meeting on Tuesday, 5% GST has now been levied on pre-packaged and labeled food items (except frozen) like meat, fish, curd, cheese and honey.
- Additionally, non-branded items like flour and rice will attract 5% GST if they are pre-packaged and labeled. Presently, 5% GST was applicable only on the branded versions of these items.
- The charges that banks charge for issuing cheques will also now attract GST.
- Dry legumes vegetables, dried makhana, wheat and other cereals, wheat or meslin flour, jaggery, murmura (muri), all goods and organic manure and coir pith manure will now attract 5 per cent tax.
Now 12 to 18 percent GST will be levied on these items
According to a Mint report, the GST rate will now be increased from 12 to 18 percent on items like printing, writing and drawing ink, certain knives, spoons and tableware, dairy machinery, LED lamps and drawing instruments. The rates for solar water heaters and finished leather are expected to rise from 5 to 12 per cent. Also, unpacked, unlabeled and unbranded goods will be exempt from GST.
GST on taking a room in a hotel
If you buy a hotel room for less than Rs 1,000 per day, you will have to pay 12 per cent tax, which is currently under tax exemption. Along with this, the GST Council has recommended a hike in the GST rate for several items including edible oil, coal, LED lamps, printing and drawing inks, finished leather and solar water heaters.
Discussion of increase in GST on these items
The council is likely to discuss on Wednesday the implementation of 28 per cent GST on casinos, online gaming as well as seeking extension of compensation paid to states for their taxes such as sales tax (VAT) to be included in the national GST.


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With the release of the newest addition to the Transformer franchise we not only see a HOT new chick (Victoria’s Secret model Rosie Huntington-Whitely), but we also witness the return of one of America’s favorite muscle cars.
Closely resembling the Autobot “Bumblebee” in Transformers: Dark of the Moon, the 2012 Transformers Special Edition Camaro rolls off the lot with dealer-installed 21-inch, black-painted wheels and a black ground-effects package. Available this fall, the “Bumblebee” features black rally stripes that stretch over the hood, roof, and decklid. The interior features black leather seats and yellow stitching on the panel, center console, armrests and seats. If that wasn’t enough the Autobot Shield logos are embroidered on the front headrests and the center console lid. Two models will be available, the on 2LT and 2SS Camaro Coupes with Rally Yellow paint.
“The Transformers franchise has helped introduce Camaro – and Chevrolet – to a whole new generation of fans,” said Rick Scheidt, vice president of Chevrolet marketing. “Its role in the films helped make the Camaro the best-selling sports car in America and one of the best-known cars of any kind around the world.”
In 2009, the Camaro was the most-searched-for car on the web, according to Yahoo!Autos. The 2012 Transformers Special Edition will be offered as a $3,000 package on 2LT and 2SS Camaro Coupes with Rally Yellow paint. With hot chicks and muscle cars such as the Bumblebee Camaro, Transformers: Dark of the Moon is sure to be a box office hit this weekend.


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Super Bowl LII is almost upon us. Sports fans are one step closer to Philadelphia versus New England, with the former pegged as the underdog by most (except Amazon’s Alexa, who says she’s “flying with the Eagles”).
Everyone else is gearing up for the only day of the year when they’re actually excited for commercial interruptions. By last year’s Nielsen count, 111.3 million were armchair ad critics—cheering on the best creative and panning the worst from their sofas and social accounts—which in turn puts all that more pressure on brands to deliver great work.
So far, there’s yet to be a viral hit, but brands are holding off until the Big Game for the big surprises, and unlike years past, are waiting to release their full spots until Sunday.
Below are five ads we haven’t seen yet, but which we anticipate will be high points during NBC’s telecast. Let the countdown begin!
“Dilly Dilly!” Advertising’s most famous catchphrase from the past six months finds its way to the biggest stage of all, as Bud Light and Wieden + Kennedy New York present the culmination of their trilogy of spots, following “Wizard” and “Pep Talk.” The phrase has captured the cultural imagination, but will it capture the hearts of Super Bowl watchers? Tuneth in and findeth out, as the king and his thirsty countrymen do battle for their favorite beer.
PepsiCo decided to tap into the power that is the supergroup, a tactic hard to nail, but when done right, can be phenomenal, e.g., Run the Jewels and Audioslave. Well, this combo-brand Super Bowl spot for Doritos Blaze and Mountain Dew Ice has all the makings to be phenomenal, including actors Peter Dinklage and Morgan Freeman pairing with hip-hop legends Busta Rhymes and Missy Elliot.
2018 does not appear to be the year that halts the thread of revivals we’ve seen since TV series Full House and Gilmore Girls made their comebacks in 2016. Keeping in tune with that, Pepsi is bringing back supermodel Cindy Crawford for this year’s Super Bowl spot, mirroring its 1992 ad. It will be interesting to see how the commercial plays out with Crawford starring alongside her son, Presley Gerber.
This ad, in which we’ll see legendary Brazilian racer Emerson Fittipaldi face off against another currently unknown celebrity in Kia Stingers, might end up being more exciting than the showdowns between the Eagles and Patriots and Doritos Blaze and Mountain Dew Ice. The spot, created by David&Goliath, will definitely have a lot to live up to following last year’s “Hero’s Journey” with Melissa McCarthy.
While we may never see the official Super Bowl LII commercial because Skittles is supposedly only showing it to one dedicated fan (or so the company says), it’s still fun to watch David Schwimmer tease a series of wacky clips for Skittles. At the end of each, he asks if it’s a scene from the official top-secret ad. We may never know.


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New Delhi: Chinese brand Realme on Friday said it has sold over 15,000 smartwatches in less than two minutes during its first sale on both Flipkart and Realme.com.
“A new category, a new record. Our first smartwatch #realmeWatch has got huge success as we have set a new benchmark with 15000 plus units sold in less than 2 mins. One more step closer towards becoming the most popular tech trendsetter,” tweeted Madhav Sheth, Vice President, Realme and CEO, Realme India.
The price of the Realme smartwatch is Rs 3,999. It features 1.4-inch touchscreen colour display with a square dial, 2.5D curved Gorilla Glass 3 layer and 320 X 320 pixels resolution.
The watch comes with a real-time heart rate sensor and SpO2 monitor for blood oxygen levels. It features 14 different sport modes, including cricket, yoga, walking, running, football, basketball, treadmill, badminton, table tennis and more.
The watch is IP68 certified as well. In terms of connectivity, the watch can only pair with smartphones running Android 5 or above via Bluetooth 5.0.
Realme on June 2 said it sold over 15,000 smart TVs in less than 10 minutes during its first sale.


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So Delicious® Dairy Free, a manufacturer specialising in plant-based foods, has recently launched a new line of oat-based chilled desserts. According to the company, these are the first oat milk-based desserts on the market. All the brand’s new products are gluten-free, vegan, and GMO-free.
The frozen desserts are currently available in three flavours: Peanut Butter & Raspberry, Oatmeal Cookie and Caramel Apple Crumble. So Delicious is expanding its already broad range of plant-based products, which comprises vegan beverages, coffee cream and yogurts in addition to plant-based desserts.
“We are proud of our expertise in ice cream, including our new frozen mousse line and our frozen products made from cashew and coconut. Now, we are pleased to introduce our new range of oat milk products,” said Jennifer Michuda, Senior Brand Manager at So Delicious. “The creamy texture and neutral taste of oat milk really lets the flavours shine through. Our new line of frozen desserts brings oat milk from the beverage aisle into a new category of dairy-free delicacies. They will be available all over the world.”


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Man sought in theft of cell phone left at Walmart in Temple
Man made no attempt to return phone to its owner, police say
The saying goes, 'One man's loss is another man's treasure."
A man who found a cell phone left behind inside the Walmart store in Muhlenberg Twp., Berks Co., earlier this month has apparently made it his own, police said.
The man found a Samsung Galaxy cell phone at register #20 shortly before 10 a.m. on Sat., March 9, said police, adding that the man placed the phone in his shopping bag and made no attempts to return it to the owner.
The man left the store and got into a small dark-colored pickup truck with a tool box on the back, police said. He was last seen traveling north on the Allentown Pike.
Anyone who can identifying the man seen in the surveillance picture is asked to call Crime Alert Berks County at 877-373-9913. A cash reward is being offered for information that leads to an arrest.
Copyright 2013 WFMZ. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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BankAmerica Corp. intends to close 30 branches in California in the coming months, while opening as many as 50 supermarket branches.
Such a move may sound familiar to its rival across the street, Wells Fargo & Co., which has bet much of its retail future on the same strategy.
BankAmerica's supermarket banking campaign "hasn't had the big public profile that Wells' has had, but they've got one, too," said Raphael Soifer, a banking analyst with Brown Brothers Harriman & Co.
The closings, to be completed by March, involve about 2% of BankAmerica's traditional branches in California. Russ Yarrow, a bank spokesman, could not say how much the bank expects to save. Employee layoffs should be "minimal," he said.
The bank expects to have as many as 400 branches in Lucky Stores in the coming months, up from 370 today. In all, the bank, which operates in 11 states, has 750 supermarket branches, about 27% of its distribution network, Mr. Yarrow said.
BankAmerica officials stressed, however, that they're not copying Wells' ambitious strategy of replacing traditional branches with in-store branches in order to save on costs.
"Is there life for the traditional branch? Absolutely," said Mr. Yarrow. "What we want to do is provide a really dynamic platform to give customers the choice to bank how they want, where they want, and when they want."
Added Barbara Desoer, executive vice president in charge of BankAmerica's California retail bank, "In addition to adding more branches in Lucky Stores, we're continuing to enhance our ATM, telephone banking, and on-line PC banking services."
A host of large and small banks around the country - such as KeyCorp, NationsBank Corp., and U.S. Bancorp - have embraced supermarket branching in recent years, but none to the degree that Wells has. Nor have any scrapped their traditional branches in favor of the in-store outlets, as Wells has.
"The mind-set of most of them is run the supermarket branches parallel to their other branches and see how they work - and then maybe consider closing the traditional ones down," said Anthony Lombardi, an analyst at Dean Witter Reynolds.
Earlier this year, Wells said that by yearend it would have closed about half of the 615 traditional branches it had in California in 1994. About a third of its branch network is in supermarkets.
Analysts said that though they don't believe BankAmerica is trying to mirror Wells' aggressive approach, Wells Fargo's steps have encouraged other banks to take smaller steps in the same direction.
"Wells has conditioned California customers to banking this way," said Mr. Soifer. "That makes it easier for BofA or whoever else to come in and do the same thing."
In the Midwest, BankAmerica is already operating its retail network solely out of supermarkets. The bank has 172 branches in Jewel/Osco stores in the region, which it entered in 1994 with the acquisition of Continental Bank.


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The 8th Annual “Steaks Are High” Wagyu sale catalog is now available! Make plans to attend this important Wagyu genetics sale, either in person or online, as it is shaping up to be one of the most important Wagyu sales ever! The largest and longest-running Wagyu sale outside Japan! Never-before offered genetics, including elite bulls, donor cows, bred and open heifers, pregnant recipient cows carrying embryo calves, young calves, rare embryos, bull semen…this sale has it all!
The 2017 Steaks Are High sale has well over 200 lots, and includes some very special Wagyu genetics that Wagyu breeders around the world will find exceptional. This sale, hosted by the Texas Wagyu Association following the association’s annual meeting of members, is always a huge success. This sale will have a huge number of sale animals onsite and available for inspection by buyers prior to the sale. This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to see top Wagyu genetics from some of the top Wagyu breeders on display for viewing at a single location. Don’t miss this opportunity to participate in the top Wagyu sale of year, and perhaps the most important Wagyu sale ever!
The sale will be broadcast online by Superior Productions at www.SuperiorClickToBid.com. Bidding will be available worldwide either by phone or online via “click to bid”. AbseIntee buyers must sign up online prior to the auction. See page 23 of the sale catalog for details.
CLICK HERE for the full sale catalog in PDF file format.
CLICK HERE for the news release that contains details of the two-day event including the agenda and schedule for the 2017 General Meeting of Members of the TWA and the 8th Annual Steaks Are High sale.


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Toyota withdraws performance model
According to officials, a handful of customers have already taken delivery but are unlikely to experience any problems. One of the officials revealed in an interview with Drive that the problem “appears unrelated to the supercharger or the engine power output” and that it’s a “one-off issue” at the moment.
These latest comments are strange because the Aurion is basically a Camry and runs the familiar 2GR-FE 3.5L global V6 engine, which hasn’t previously presented any problems. Click here to read our previous story or click ahead for our image gallery.


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The first super star of Indian Cinema, Rajesh Khanna is back in action with his first Television commercial advertisement.
The veteran actor will be seen in Havell's Fan ad. The ad is directly by noted director R Balki.
"To be approached after so many years is indeed a great honour for me and I am delighted to reconnect with my fans once again. Shooting after a gap of so many years has definitely brought back fond memories and I feel that not a lot has changed at all. It's good to be back," he said.
R Balki is also thrilled to be directing Rajesh Khanna in the TV commercial. "This new campaign gave us a great opportunity to capture the essence of the brand with sheer simplicity. When the ad was being conceived, we could think of none other than Rajesh Khanna himself who still commands a great deal of respect and maximum fan following! Needless to say that it was a huge achievement to direct Mr Khanna in his first ever commercial," said R Balki.


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Why Malvern can no longer call itself a mineral water
by SEAN POULTER
Last updated at 09:32 09 April 2007
Two of the UK's most famous bottled waters, enjoyed by the Queen and millions of Britons, have lost their premium status.
Malvern and Highland Spring can no longer claim to be 'natural mineral water'.
They are being downgraded to secondtier 'spring water' - although prices are staying the same.
Malvern has been hit by wild swings in rainfall, which have resulted in impurities in the water.
Owners Coca-Cola had to bring in filtration and treatment equipment which is banned by EU rules on the classification of water.
Highland Spring fell foul of the regulations when the company decided to take water from a wider number of sources in Scotland's Ochil Hills.
The move means it will be able to bottle and sell an extra 100million litres of Highland Spring a year - dramatically boosting its income and profits.
But 'natural mineral water' must come from a single source, so the classification has been dropped from the labels on new bottles.
The changes could leave the premium end of the market open to foreign rivals, mainly from France, such as Evian, Volvic, Perrier and Vittel.
This could give them an edge in a £ 1.7billion market which has been growing at 10per cent a year, despite the fact that bottled water is 500 times more expensive than the product which comes out of the tap.
Malvern Water has been drunk by royalty for centuries. It is still the only brand served at the Queen's palaces and castles.
The water, from the Herefordshire town's 'Holy Well', was first bottled about 1622.
But it was appreciated well before that for its purity and reputed medicinal benefits.
It was granted official EU status as a natural mineral water in 1987.
Regulations say natural mineral water must be bottled straight from the ground, although bubbles can be added to create a sparkling version. But Malvern hit problems with the purity of the water, especially after a drought was followed by storms last year.
The drought meant the granite rocks of the Malvern Hills, which filter impurities from the water, dried out more than usual.
The following rainfall passed through the dry rock too quickly for the full filtering process to take place.
Coca-Cola found it necessary to treat and filter the water, so local trading standards chiefs ordered the company to drop its claims to be a 'natural mineral water'.
The old label read: 'Malvern The Original English Natural Mineral Water'.
It added: 'Naturally filtered through Pre-Cambrian granite and sourced from deep beneath the Malvern Hills.'
The new one simply states: 'The Original English Water' and says it is 'Bottled in the Malvern Hills'.
An industry insider said: "Natural mineral waters are a premium product and have to go through a natural filtration process, each collecting a unique recipe of minerals.
"The best spring waters may be just as good, but at the other end of the scale they can be no better than treated rainwater."
Britain still has some true natural mineral waters, such as Abbey Well, Brecon Carreg, Ty Nant and Speyside Glenlivet.
There has been a huge boom in sales of bottled waters in recent years, despite blind taste tests showing they are no better than tap water.
The Food Standards Agency and various government departments have banned them from their offices because they are seen as environmentally-unfriendly due to the bottling processes and transport involved.
A spokesman for Coca-Cola/Malvern said last night: "The relabelling has become necessary due to classification requirements resulting from the necessary additional filtration to enable continuous production to meet strong consumer demand."
He defended the decision not to drop the price, saying Malvern was a "valued, niche brand".
New bottles of Highland Spring, without the 'natural mineral water' stamp, are just starting to appear on shop shelves.
A spokesman for the firm called the change a 'positive move for the company'.
He added: "It will allow us to manage our water resources more efficiently. There will be no change in the price. It is the same product and the same high quality."
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BloombergNEF’s annual battery price survey finds a 14% drop from 2022 to 2023
New York, November 27, 2023 – Following unprecedented price increases in 2022, battery prices are falling again this year. The price of lithium-ion battery packs has dropped 14% to a record low of $139/kWh, according to analysis by research provider BloombergNEF (BNEF). This was driven by raw material and component prices falling as production capacity increased across all parts of the battery value chain, while demand growth fell short of some industry expectations.
The analysis indicates that battery demand across electric vehicles and stationary energy storage is still on track to grow at a remarkable pace of 53% year-on-year, reaching 950 gigawatt-hours in 2023. Despite this growth, major battery manufacturers reported lower utilization rates for their plants, while demand and revenue fell short of many companies’ expectations. As a result, many EV and battery makers revisited their production targets, which in turn impacted battery prices. Lithium prices reached a high point at the end of 2022, but fears that prices would remain high have largely subsided since then and prices are now falling again.
Evelina Stoikou, energy storage senior associate at BNEF and lead author of the report, said: “It is another year where battery prices closely followed raw material prices. In the many years that we’ve been doing this survey, falling prices have been driven by scale learnings and technological innovation, but that dynamic has changed. The drop in prices this year was attributed to significant growth in production capacity across the value chain in combination with weaker-than-expected demand.”
The figures represent an average across multiple battery end-uses, including different types of electric vehicles, buses and stationary storage projects. For battery electric vehicle (BEV) packs, prices were $128/kWh on a volume-weighted average basis in 2023. At the cell level, average prices for BEVs were just $89/kWh. This indicates that on average, cells account for 78% of the total pack price. Over the last four years, the cell-to-pack cost ratio has risen from the traditional 70:30 split. This is partially due to changes to pack design, such as the introduction of cell-to-pack approaches, which have helped reduce costs.
On a regional basis, average battery pack prices were lowest in China, at $126/kWh. Packs in the US and Europe were 11% and 20% higher, respectively. Higher prices reflect the relative immaturity of these markets, higher production costs, lower volumes, and the diverse range of applications. There was also intense price competition domestically in China this year as battery manufacturers ramped up production capacity aiming to grab a share of the growing battery demand.
The industry continues to switch to the low-cost cathode chemistry known as lithium iron phosphate (LFP). These packs and cells had the lowest global weighted-average prices, at $130/kWh and $95/kWh, respectively. This is the first year that BNEF’s analysis found LFP average cell prices falling below $100/kWh. On average, LFP cells were 32% cheaper than lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC) cells in 2023.
Miners and metals traders surveyed expect prices for key battery metals like lithium, nickel and cobalt to ease further in 2024. Given this, BNEF expects average battery pack prices to drop again next year, reaching $133/kWh (in real 2023 dollars). Technological innovation and manufacturing improvement should drive further declines in battery pack prices in the coming years, to $113/kWh in 2025 and $80/kWh in 2030.
Yayoi Sekine, head of energy storage at BNEF, said: “Battery prices have been on a rollercoaster over the past two years. Large markets like the US and Europe are building up their local cell manufacturing and we’re keenly watching how production incentives and tightening regulations on critical minerals will impact battery prices. These localization efforts will add a layer of complexity to how battery prices shape up regionally in coming years.”
Localization of battery manufacturing in regions such as the US and Europe could exert upward pressure on battery pack prices as the local industries scale up. Battery manufacturing in the US and Europe have higher costs due to higher energy, equipment, land and labor costs compared to Asia, where most batteries are currently produced. Local policies such as the $45/kWh production tax credit for cells and packs under the Inflation Reduction Act in the US could offset part of the cost, although the IRA’s impact on pricing is not yet clear.
Continued investment in R&D, manufacturing process improvements, and capacity expansion across the supply chain will help improve battery technology and reduce costs over the next decade. BloombergNEF expects next-generation technologies, such as silicon and lithium metal anodes, solid-state electrolytes, new cathode material, and new cell manufacturing processes to play an important role in enabling further price reductions.
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NEW YORK (AP) ? The announcement that Facebook Inc.’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, won’t sell stock in the company for at least the next 12 months sent the shares up in premarket trading Wednesday.
Zuckerberg holds about 504 million shares and options of Facebook. The company currently has about 692 million shares eligible for sale.
The shares were up 52 cents, or 2.9 percent, at $18.25. That more than wiped out Tuesday’s loss, during which the stock hit an all-time low of $17.55. That’s less than half of the $38 the shares went for in their May IPO.
Investors have been concerned with the prospect of Facebook’s early investors flooding the market with shares, weighing on the stock price. In a regulatory filing Tuesday, the company soothed those fears by revealing Zuckerberg’s commitment. It also said that two of its board members, Marc Andreessen and Donald Graham, have no “present intention” to sell stock beyond what they need to cover taxes.
Facebook also said that it plans to report its third-quarter earnings on Oct. 23.
On Tuesday, Morgan Stanley analyst Scott Devitt cut his target price on the stock to $32 from $38, saying that its mobile advertising revenue is just starting to grow. Morgan Stanley led Facebook’s IPO.


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NASSAU, BAHAMAS — While Bahamas Power and Light has decided to suspend disconnections until month’s end, a Chamber of Commerce representative called for greater leniency given the widespread economic fall-out from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Debbie Deal, head of the Chamber’s energy and environment committee said: “I do understand that they don’t have money but many people don’t at this time. Look at what NIB is doing.
“NIB is doing everything they possibly can to get contributions to people as quickly as they can to make sure the country doesn’t implode. The government is doing some things to ensure people stay above water. Many people are out of a job today.”
“This is a global crisis,” Deal said.
“I find it annoying but you’re sending out notices that people can go in and pay and that they are postponing disconnections until the end of the month which is literally just days away. It’s poor timing.
“Could you imagine sitting at home with no money, no job, very little food, you can’t go anywhere and your electricity is off?”
The fall-out from the COVID-19 crisis has set in for the hotel and tourism sector with restrictions on US travel impacting hotel bookings as well as the cruise industry and other stakeholders reliant on tourism dollars.
Further, the government imposed COVID-19 restrictions has resulted in many businesses not considered ‘essential’ having to temporarily shutdown and furlough workers.
“Every hotel, every business, every construction site is being affected. People don’t have money coming in,” Deal said.
“They are going to resume disconnections next month, well go ahead. See how that is going to work out. I haven’t seen Cable Bahamas, BTC or any other utility put out notice about disconnections. That’s sad. They have to look at the bigger picture.
“Everyone is bending over backwards to try and get through this situation.”


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The Group of Seven (G7) nations have pledged to focus on keeping Russian diamonds out of the market, while the UK will ban them completely.
“In order to reduce the revenues that Russia extracts from the export of diamonds, we will continue to work closely together to restrict trade in and use of diamonds mined, processed or produced in Russia,” leaders of the bloc said Friday in a statement on the White House government website, following a meeting in Hiroshima, Japan.
They will also “engage with key partners with the aim of ensuring effective implementation of future coordinated restrictive measures, including through tracing technologies,” the statement continued.
The G7 comprises Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US, as well as the European Union (EU). Many of those introduced their own measures after Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022. For instance, the US imposed sanctions on diamonds coming directly from Russia, but rough cut and polished in places such as India or Belgium technically remains legal.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak further announced that the nation would ban all Russian diamonds, as well as imports of copper, aluminum and nickel. The UK had previously instituted sanctions against Russia, including doing business with Alrosa, the country’s largest diamond miner, and increased import duties by 35 percentage points on a range of precious and semiprecious stones and metals.
“As today’s sanctions announcements demonstrate, the G7 remains unified in the face of the threat from Russia,” Sunak noted. “The UK has already taken a lead on action on Russian diamonds…. Today’s announcement goes further…. Sanctions imposed on Russia by the UK and our G7 partners are having a clear and progressive impact in degrading [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s war effort.”
Meanwhile, the EU, which has yet to impose a ban on the import of Russian diamonds, may be headed for that in the next few days, according to a CNN report.
Russian diamond exports totaled $4 billion in 2021, the UK government said.
Image: Diamond sorting. (Alrosa)


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ENTRIES TAGGED "cookies"
BlueCava can identify specific Internet-connected devices and how they're used. Is this the future of tracking?
BlueCava lets businesses identify devices that are coming to their websites. In this interview, BlueCava CEO David Norris discusses fraud prevention, privacy, and the state of reputation technology.


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Blackburn based doughnut manufacturer, Simply Doughnuts has been shortlisted as a finalist in the 2014 E3 Business Awards, which will be held at the Reebok Stadium in Bolton on 18th September.
The company, which manufacturers an array of mouth-watering flavoured doughnuts for wholesalers, retailers and professional caterers across the North West, was selected from amongst hundreds of nominees across the North West to become one of the four finalists for the prestigious New Business Start-up of the Year category.
Reacting to the announcement, the company’s Managing Director, Shiraz Master said: “We are thrilled to have been shortlisted for this prestigious award. This award acknowledges the hard work and commitment on behalf of the whole team.”
Speaking on behalf of 1 Events Media, which has developed and organised the awards, Managing Director Mubarak Chati said: “Last year marked the launch of the E3 Awards and we were very impressed then by the number and calibre of the nominees, but this year, we’ve seen even more. Perhaps it’s testament to a recovering economy or just to the relentless ‘can do’ spirit that characterises the North West, but whatever the reason, the quality of entrants has been superb.
“We’ve had hundreds of nominations, and they’ve come from right across the region: Manchester to Merseyside, Cumbria to Cheshire. It’s astonishing to witness the effort and ingenuity of so many individuals and organisations because so much commendable work has clearly been done. In compiling the shortlist, the Nominations Panel certainly had an unenviable task and for Simply Doughnuts to have secured a place in the final is an achievement of which it should be very proud.”
More information about the E3 Business Awards, including a full list of finalists, can be found at


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The FTC comes down on Facebook, but is the new DOJ probe really what Silicon Valley should worry about? Cruise won’t be self-driving taxis in San Francisco this year, Snap really seems to be on the rebound, and is media piracy poised for a major comeback?
- U.S. government issues stunning rebuke, historic $5 billion fine against Facebook for repeated privacy violations (The Washington Post)
- Google launches Gallery Go, a lightweight alternative to Google Photos (The Verge)
- GM’s Cruise delays driverless taxi service, plans to build country’s largest EV fast charger station (Venture Beat)
- Snap shares surge as results smash estimates (CNBC)
- DoorDash CEO announces that now your tips will go to delivery workers (Engadget)
- PLEX MAKES PIRACY JUST ANOTHER STREAMING SERVICE (The Verge)
Here's something new for the RideHome audience. Attention investors, those thinking about investing and those long interested in the music business. A tightly held start-up in the Music Publishing space is looking for some investor love. Rocket Songs is changing the way musicians across the globe get their hands on professionally written songs. With songwriters that have written for:
• Chris Stapleton
• Kings of Leon
• top K-Pop acts
• And many others!
Up until now songs from these songwriters have been in a vault (literal and figurative) at Music Publishing Houses. But we're making them available in a state-of-the art marketplace. We are live. We are converting users and making money. But we need Seed Round money and we're not friends with any top VC or angel investors. So, if you want... to help disrupt the multi-billion dollar publishing industry, to help a start-up with a proven business model. Reach out! Email: InvestIn@RocketSongs.com and check out RocketSongs.com. But also, for serious investment inquiries: InvestIn@RocketSongs.com. Link in the show notes.


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NEW YORK – Stocks edged higher Friday, extending a rally that began nearly two weeks ago, as investors hold on to their newfound optimism about the economy.
The Dow Jones industrial average rose 47 points in very light trading. It was the seventh day of gains out of the past eight for the index. Treasury prices eased as traders became more willing to take on risk.
Stocks have escaped their August doldrums and moved steadily higher in September thanks to a series of encouraging signals on the economy. The latest came Friday morning with a report that wholesale inventories shot up in July, a sign of confidence that retail sales will pick up.
“It’s becoming more evident that confidence by consumers and the labor market is improving,” said Tim Speiss, chairman of EisnerAmper’s Personal Wealth Advisors practice. “It’s tepid, it’s weak, but it’s progress.”
The energy sector got a lift from a jump in oil prices. Oil climbed about 2 percent after a pipeline that delivers oil to Midwest refineries was shut down. Oil companies like Chevron Corp. and Schlumberger rose on the news.
The market’s September rally has paused only once so far, when concerns resurfaced about European banks. European markets fluctuated Friday after a report that German banking giant Deutsche Bank is considering raising new cash through a stock sale.
Many of the recent improvements in economic indicators have been incremental, but given the deep pessimism about the economy that had set in during August even faint glimmers of hope on the job market and other parts of the economy like trade have been enough to please investors.
“There’s been so much negativity that it doesn’t take much in terms of data beating expectations to propel the market,” said Hank Smith, chief investment officer at Haverford Investments.


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Wave of activity at Home Health
INDIANAPOLIS – What a difference a year makes.
Home Health Depot started 2009 as a company with about 28 employees providing power mobility devices and standard HME. It started 2010 as a company with 80 employees providing those products and respiratory.
Home Health Depot has happenstance to thank for much of its success.
The company added the bulk of its employees when the owners of Indianapolis-based Adaptive Mobility approached it about buying their company last year, and it took them up on their offer. And it added respiratory when a former provider approached it about coming out of retirement to help them start the new division, and it took him up on his offer, too.
“We weren’t really looking for any of it,” said Derek Miller, Home Health Depot’s rehab sales manager. “It came to us.”
Home Health Depot also acquired Bargersville, Ind.-based Sun Medical last year, after its owner passed away.
Now that Home Health Depot has some momentum, though, it doesn’t plan to rely on happenstance any longer.
“Acquiring additional companies is definitely a future goal of ours,” Miller said.
As it stands, Home Health Depot covers Indiana, Illinois, southern Michigan and western Ohio from eight locations, the newest in Lafayette, Ind. It relies on a mix of payers, including Medicare (30%), Medicaid (30%), retail (15%) and, most recently, the Department of Veterans Affairs (10%).
Home Health Depot figures that if it has its hands in enough cookie jars, from a product, geographic and payer perspective, they’ll make it just fine, despite threats like national competitive bidding.
“Our overall push is to get ourselves in a position that if something detrimental were to happen, it would have a limited impact on the company,” Miller said.


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Fans of the Oscars will be able to control their own behind-the-scenes coverage this year when a series of 360-degree cameras livestream the event for the first time »
James Gilpin is a designer and researcher who has turned the sugar-rich urine of elderly diabetics into a high-end single malt whisky »
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3 Mins Read
A new campaign is taking aim at the huge amounts of packaging waste as a result of our online shopping habits. Launched by nonprofit Habits of Waste, the ShipNaked initiative holds e-commerce giants like Amazon and Walmart to account, asking them to do their part by delivering items without extra packaging.
Habits of Waste (HoW), says it’s high time that online shopping giants start unboxing their shipments. In their new campaign, ShipNaked, the organisation spotlights the enormous number of plastic bags, wrappers, tissue paper and cardboard boxes that e-commerce companies use.
Packaging waste is on the rise
We can all agree that all these bits of packaging are unnecessary. Once delivered, the majority of these boxes and bags simply get tossed into a landfill. And with global e-commerce sales continuing to skyrocket amid the pandemic, we’re only going to see our waste crisis get worse.
In fact, we’re ordering so much now that e-retail sales are set to reach US$4.8 trillion by the end of this year. Amazon alone already ships nearly 2 million parcels per day and leaves behind 465 million pounds of plastic packaging waste annually. Every year, we throw away 850 million tons of paper and cardboard—equivalent to 1 billion trees.
HoW says that these figures are only set to rise unless companies change the way they deliver, and that’s the premise of the ShipNaked campaign.
It’s a simple switch
There are many different problems to tackle when it comes to the global waste crisis; there isn’t one single fix. But given the scale of packaging waste from online shopping, ShipNaked believes a significant impact could be made if companies made a simple switch.
For those products that already have their own packaging, just deliver them without any additional boxes or plastic wrap.
“By creating this simple change we will immediately reduce millions of pounds of plastic waste and cardboard waste,” explained the organisation. HoW is now asking consumers to join in by calling, writing or emailing big online retailers like Amazon, Walmart and Target to ShipNaked.
To make it easy, HoW has also created a convenient one-click email to send emails to wasteful e-commerce firms. Another option is to take to social media, like posting an Instagram of a delivery covered in excessive packaging and using the hashtag #ShipNaked.
Sustainable delivery solutions
Meanwhile, startups are now working on creating circular delivery solutions to help cut down on packaging waste for those items that might not come in their own packaging, like apparel or fresh produce.
Olive, for instance, is a free platform that lets customers know if an online retailer is partnered up with them. Many brands have already signed up to use the service, including Adidas, Alo, and Steve Madden, who will send out your purchases in reusable cardboard-free shippers made from recycled plastic. Olive also groups up your orders in their warehouses, even if they come from different brands, to help reduce last-mile emissions.
Another startup, Loop, is tackling takeaway food delivery packaging, which accounts for almost half of all ocean plastic waste. Loop has partnered with fast-food giants like McDonald’s and Burger King and even retailer Tesco so consumers can get their groceries in reusable containers, cups, and bags.
Lead image courtesy of Pexels.


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Two New Electric Car Charging Stations in Marlinton
Cara Rose, Director of the Pocahontas County Convention and Visitors Bureau talks with us about the two new electric car charging stations at the Depot in Marlinton.
Cara, can you tell us about these two new electric car charging stations?
“Yes, Tim, I am happy to report that we now have two electric car charging stations installed in Marlinton,” said Rose. “They are located at the Depot -the Fourth Avenue Gallery on Fourth Avenue. These charging stations were generously donated by the West Virginia Electric Auto Association and Pickering and Associates, which is an engineering firm here in West Virginia.”
“This is a great asset to add to our community, a lot of visitors and even a few residents have electric cars today. And, these electric cars are becoming more popular throughout the U.S. and the world, and even here in Pocahontas County. So, I am really pleased that we are able to add that amenity for folks that are traveling through Pocahontas County. It is also a great opportunity if other communities in the county are interested in charging stations. They can contact me and I am more than happy to put them in touch with the generous donors who have made it possible to get these charging stations in town.”
“People ask all the time, ‘how much does it cost.?’ The average cost to charge an electric vehicle is eighty cents to a dollar-twenty ($0.80 to $1.20) -roughly a dollar per hour. And our intention is to ask those who use the charging station to make a donation of a dollar per hour, based on how much time they actually charge their cars. These electric charging stations are universal as well, so they can be used by any electric vehicle, whether they are a hundred percent electric or a hybrid. They can be Tesla’s or they can be a GM product. Whatever electric vehicle visitors have, or residents have, they will be able to use those charging stations. The people who live here in the county, generally speaking, charge theirs at home, but if you find yourself in a bind you can certainly charge. But the vast majority of users of these charging stations will be visitors -people travailing through the county.”
“You might ask ‘how do people find the charging stations?’ there are phone apps that people who have electric cars can download and identify on maps where these charging stations are. I am working now to make sure we populate a few of those apps. But I do know that Marlinton is already on ‘Plug Share.’ That’s one of the apps that’s very well known and commonly used. So, it is on the map out there for those electric car travelers, and it really does bode well for our communities when we are able to offer these amenities. And, certainly we will have many more users as the electric car industry grows.”
“There are electric car chargers at the Green Bank Observatory and also at Snowshoe.”
If you have tourists that have electric cars, they are going to need to have a way (to charge them) or they are not going to come here.
“Right, they won’t come here, exactly. The very first day after they were installed, when the Gallery clerks came in that morning, there were two cars parked there using them. So, there is a way to find them and for sure, people will need them, especially when you look at information such as GM who is really putting a big push on designing a wide array of electric vehicles. More and more people are going to be purchasing them, which means the costs of those cars will be going down, and hence, more people will be buying them.”


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The foldable phone future is barely here, with only the Samsung Galaxy Fold readily available for people to buy, but it looks like Samsung could be about to launch its second foldable already – and it could be shown before the Motorola Razr.
By Tom Bedford
This phone is the Samsung W20 5G, and it has been teased by China Telecom in a Weibo post. All we know so far is the name, a November release date, and the fact it’s a foldable 5G phone, but that’s still a lot to go on.
- The Samsung W20 is one of many 5G phones
- What we want to see in the Samsung Galaxy Fold 2
- What we know about the Motorola Razr
The Samsung W20 is a successor to the W2019, a flip phone that never made its way out of China, and fittingly the W20 has a clamshell-style fold like the anticipated Motorola Razr.
We don’t know the specs or features for now, but if the tease is accurate we will do in the coming days, so stay tuned to find out more.
We’re expecting the Motorola Razr to launch on November 13, almost exactly in the middle of the expected launch window of the Samsung W20.
This means there’s a 50% chance the Samsung W20 will get shown off before the Motorola Razr, in which case Samsung would be the first company to put out a foldable clamshell device. More


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In LittleBigPlanet 3, you once again play as a little sack person. Here's one of you. Aww bless. You're quite a cute one.
Who can forget such lovely words when uttered by narrator Stephen Fry? The games just wouldn't feel the same without British actor and comedian.
Fans of the series should be pleased to know the man himself will reprise his role in the third outing.
Sony XDev Europe and Sumo Digital, the developers of the title, confirmed the news to Gamespot during E3 2014 this week.
LBP3 is coming to PS4 in November and was announced during Sony's E3 presentation.


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Rogers Communications has introduced the advisory council that will oversee its proposed National Centre of Technology and Engineering Excellence in Calgary, following the anticipated closure of its $26 billion merger with Shaw Communications. Part of a multi-year, $6.5-billion commitment to invest in Western Canada as the two entities come together, Rogers says THINKLab would convene academia, developers, and research partners to foster made-in-Canada tech solutions and act as a talent pipeline for skilled technology roles focused on engineering and technical delivery across networks, digital and IT, with an emphasis on 5G, DOCSIS & Fibre technology, Digital & Cloud, Data analytics, Multi-edge Compute, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, IoT and Cyber Security. Through the creation of THINKLab, Rogers says 500 skilled technology roles would join its existing team, following the close of the Shaw transaction. Read more here.
The Humber College B²C Lab is hosting an online industry workshop event featuring Avateq Corp, discussing rural remote internet access with ATSC 3.0, showcasing an ultra long-range wireless backhaul solution. Taking place May 25 from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. ET, register here.
Avid Pro Tools is dropping its perpetual license in favour of going subscription only. Avid is no longer making lifetime licenses available to customers that offered unlimited access to a version of the digital audio workstation (DAW). New users are being asked to choose between three subscription-only plans: Pro Tools Artist, Pro Tools Studio, and Pro Tools Flex. Current Pro Tools and Pro Tools Ultimate customers with active subscriptions or perpetual software updates will be migrated to their respective subscription plan.
The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) says registered attendance for the 2022 NAB Show was 52,468. Nearly 12,000 of those attendees were international with 155 countries represented. That’s roughly half the registered attendance of the 2019 show, which boasted 91, 460 and 24,000 international guests, pre-COVID. Revisit the Best of NAB Show here. NAB Show New York returns Oct. 19-20, 2022, while the NAB Show Centennial is set for April 16-19, 2023.
SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers) is partnering with the Open Services Alliance (OSA) for media to present the Media Microservices Summit, hosted by Microsoft in New York City, May 11-12. The free two-day event will offer a comprehensive review of current progress and future initiatives aimed at bringing interoperability to media processing in the cloud and to microservices in particular. While in-person attendance at the Summit is preferred, remote attendance will be an option. The event is free for registered attendees.


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European Central Bank (ECB) may have to intervene if energy prices continue to rise to curb inflation, Isabel Schnabel, a member of the institution’s board of directors, said on Saturday, Reuters reports.
Eurozone inflation hit a record 5% in recent months, more than twice the ECB’s 2% target, but the bank has not tightened its monetary policy so far, arguing that price growth will slow on its own. the main reasons for high inflation are the unique transient factors, according to News.ro.
“The green transition poses medium-term inflation risks. Rising energy prices may require a deviation from a policy of ignoring,” Schnabel said.
Schnabel said there are two scenarios in which the ECB should change policy. The first is if high energy prices are shifted to other sectors of the economy and change pricing behavior.
“So far, however, there are no signs of a larger second-round effect. Wage growth and union demands remain relatively moderate,” Schnabel argued.
The second scenario would be whether the trajectory of energy prices, which is severely affected by carbon taxes and the green transition, threatens to push general inflation above target.
Imbalances between supply and demand may remain long-term as the transition period continues, and carbon prices will continue to rise, meaning that the contribution of energy and electricity prices to consumer price inflation could be above its historical medium-term norm, she said.
She added that the carbon tax is unlikely to be a negative factor for economic growth, with studies suggesting that it could even have a modest positive impact.


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NEW YORK – Holiday music playing throughout Toys “R” Us’ flagship store in New York City’s Times Square helped set the stage for chairman and CEO Jerry Storch’s take on what’s to come this season.
Despite a sluggish economy that is expected to continue for the years to come, Storch highlighted the company’s performance during the last few years, noting that its holiday comparable-store sales have been more consistent and more positive than other retailers. However he stopped short of pinpointing a specific comparable-store forecast for this year.
According to Storch, the secret to Toys “R” Us’ success is having a differentiated product assortment, a growing e-commerce business, enhanced omnichannel capabilities and improved store experience.
The differentiated product assortment for Storch means having more exclusives than any other retailer and to have more of what isn’t exclusive than anyone else. Storch said the company invests a lot in time and money when it comes to finding the hottest toys of the season. In addition, the company’s key relationships with such major players as Hasbro and Mattel helps keep it the leader in toy exclusives.
To emphasize Toys “R” Us’ large selection of toy exclusives for the holiday season, press in attendance were handed a copy of the retailer’s 44-page exclusives only catalog – a first for the company.
Toys “R” Us’ e-commerce business continues to be a key driver of overall sales, Storch reported. The retailer’s website is the 29th largest according to Internet Retailer, with 15 million visitors per month in 2010. That number jumped to 30 million in December, showing the retailer’s popularity during the holiday season.
The retailer’s growing online business is being supported by its newly opened distribution center near
Storch sees e-commerce has just one part of an enhanced omnichannel shopping experience. Toys “R” Us has integrated its online and in-store channels through a number of services that give customers the ability to shop from multiple platforms, have their order fulfilled anywhere, picked up anywhere and returned anywhere.
The in-store experience is where Toys “R” Us has the potential to really stand out from online-only and limited-assortment mass retailers. Although Storch acknowledges that those companies may beat Toys “R” Us on price, his company leads when it comes to helping customers find the right toys for the right kids, noting that Toys “R” Us is where they go for the big gifts. He commented that a customer shopping at limited-assortment retailer is lucky to find someone on staff who knows where the toys are, and with online only, they don’t help you at all.
Toys “R” Us efforts to improve its in-store experience includes the continued integration of Toys “R” Us and Babies “R” Us stores, keeping Toys “R” Us Express pop-up stores open year round and expanding into more outlets.
Heading into the holiday season, Storch is confident “Christmas will come” and that his company will be the go-to place for toys. To help that prophecy come true, the company is launching a fully-integrated marketing program that includes an increase in TV ads for its exclusive brands and actively engaging in social media.
Storch stressed that while his company doesn’t market based on price like the discounters, Toys “R” Us has more toys at any price point than any other store. He noted that when it comes to finding the right toy, price isn’t always the most important factor for the consumer.
“People want to buy what they want,” said Storch. He added that the key is to meet their needs first, then worry about price.


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The European Commission today presented trade agreements with Japan and Singapore to the Council to eventually be adopted. The European shipowners are very pleased that the first step towards the conclusion of these agreements has been taken. “With Japan and Singapore agreements Europe sends a strong message to the world in support of fair and regulated trade”, said ECSA’s Secretary General Martin Dorsman.
The agreement with Japan is the biggest bilateral trade partnership ever negotiated by the European Union. It will remove the vast majority of customs duties that cost EU companies exporting to Japan €1 billion a year. EU exports to Japan could increase by over one third. “It contains obligations to maintain open and non-discriminatory access to international maritime services such as transport and auxiliary services, as well as access to ports and port services,” Dorsman reminded.
“Shipping needs global trade to exist and global trade cannot exist without an efficient shipping industry. Around 90% of world trade in goods is carried by the international shipping industry and European shipowners control 40% of the world’s merchant fleet and operate shipping services all over the world,” he concluded.
European Shipowners look forward to the Council’s approval of the agreements. Once approved by the Council, they will be sent to the European Parliament, aiming for the entry into force before the end of the current mandate of the European Commission in 2019. The investment protection agreement with Singapore will follow its ratification procedure also at Member State level.


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The Wall Street Journal has a great story about the travails of the makers of Nosh, a beer whose name in means "cheers!" in Kurdish (and, interestingly, "to snack" in Yiddish).
Brewed in Romania to be marketed in Turkey (perhaps with the idea of appealing to Kurdish-minded tipplers), the beer has suddenly found itself locked out of the market after government officials cancelled Nosh's import license. From the WSJ's story:
Company CEO Nurettin Keske said he had already sunk $600,000 into producing almost 40,000 bottles of Kurdish-branded beer in Romania, and imported them to be distributed and sold to Turkish consumers. Although the permissions still existed in writing, Mr. Keske concluded it would have been too risky for him to make sales agreements with distributors.
“A representative from the ministry called me and said that all of the necessary permissions to import Nosh were cancelled. We had to either drink all the beer or dispose of it,” added Mr. Keske who opted to transport the bottles back to Romania on Tuesday after storing them in a depot in Istanbul for over two months.
The Ministry of Agriculture declined to comment on the case, saying that they could not verify whether permissions had been cancelled due to technical reasons. The representative added that it was “unlikely” that the ministry will respond later on the issue, either.
The curious case of Keske Gida comes as Turkey’s government has reached a crucial stage of a peace process aimed at providing greater autonomy and language rights for the country’s 15 million Kurds to end a three decade conflict which has claimed some 40,000 lives.
Some Kurdish businessmen called on the Agriculture Ministry to explain the reason for the alleged cancellation of permission to import, or risk the perception that there was discrimination against Kurdish language.
“This case is open for misunderstandings. The very first thought that occurred to me was that the cancellation has to do with a Kurdish name. Of course it could also have to do with regulating the import of alcohol, or something else, but the reason has to be clarified and the cancellation has to be in print,” said Sahismail Bedirhanoglu, chairman of the Southeastern Industrialist and Businessmen’s Association. “Turkish bureaucrats in Western Turkey may not be used to seeing Kurdish brand names,” he said.
Having a Kurdish-branded beer on store shelves would certainly have been a nice gesture at a time when there are renewed efforts to solve the decades-old Kurdish issue. Could Nosh's troubles be another sign that Turkey's faltering Kurdish peace process is truly on the rocks?


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On Thursday (10/9), anime streaming service Muse Asia has announced a new Youtube channel to legally stream anime with Indonesian subtitle. Branded as Muse Indonesia, the channel will start streaming anime on September 22, 2020.
Three anime has already been planned to be released at launch. The first is One Punch Man which will be available for a limited time only between September 22 to September 30. 6 episodes of One Punch Man will be released on September 22 and 6 other episodes will be released the next day. Two other titles are The God of High School and Monster Girl Doctor, which will be released one episode per day starting from September 22.
Muse Asia is a Singapore-based Youtube channel created by Muse Communication Singapore, an active branch company of MUSE Communication Co., Ltd. The channel has streamed various anime legally on Youtube for South-East Asia audience with English subtitle. Other than Muse Indonesia, Muse Asia have also created other country-specific Youtube channels Muse Malaysia or Muse Thailand. Just like in Indonesia, those channels stream the anime with subtitles in their respective languages.
The Indonesian Anime Times


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( Worldcarfans ) - A number of distinctive design cues take the new Volvo S40 a visual step closer to the new S-range look as first shown on the all-new Volvo S80. At the same time, the V50 approaches the new V-range and the all-new V70 without compromising on its original compact and sporty attributes.
"When it comes to the exterior, we're aiming for increased differentiation between the two models. The interior refinements have focused on liberating smart storage space," says Volvo Cars Design Director Steve Mattin.
Starting with the new S40, the source of the inspiration can be seen clearly when the compact sedan is viewed from the front.
The new colour-coordinated soft nose creates a broader, lower stance thanks to a new grille with a larger Volvo iron mark, new headlamps and a lower air intake that sweeps across the entire front unlike the current model's three-part design.
"The new, lower and more horizontal appearance radiates smooth power. This impression is reinforced when the car is seen from the side. At the rear, it is the shape of the new tail lamps and the new bumper that further boost the dynamic appearance," says Steve Harper, who has been responsible for the design of the new Volvo S40 and V50.


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The Nintendo Mini-NES is Coming Just in Time for Christmas!
This will be the HOTTEST thing to buy coming up for Black Friday.
Nintendo is releasing a mini version of their original game system. It will be preloaded with 30 games and will cost about $60
It will be available coming up on November 11th.
I remember when Atari did this and they were REALLY fun. If your family is anti-video game (like mine is) this is a fantastic compromise.


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Hong Kong, Amsterdam lose air cargo to Covid as smaller airports gain
HONG KONG, the world's largest cargo airport, experienced a seven per cent decline in cargo to 4
20 January 2021 - 19:00
The airport handled 68,660 cargo flights during the year, an 18.3 per cent surge compared to 2019. The damage to Hong Kong came in the loss of passenger traffic because so much cargo is transshipped from regional flights to long-haul passenger and freighter flights.
In Europe, Frankfurt Airport in Germany reported 73.4 per cent and 8.5 per cent declines in passenger and cargo volume for 2020, reported New York's FreightWaves. The ninth ranked airport in terms of international air cargo volume handled 1.9 million tonnes. Cargo volume grew nine per cent in December, the third consecutive month of gains.
Leipzig/Halle Airport and Amsterdam's Schiphol both handled 1.4 million tons in 2020, but they took different routes to that total. Air freight grew 11.7 per cent at Leipzig/Halle, Germany's second-largest cargo airport, setting an annual record for tonnage, while volume fell eight per cent at Schiphol.
Airport operator Mitteldeutsche Flughafen said the current year is shaping up well, headlined by medical goods, protective equipment, possible Covid vaccines and e-commerce packages.
Leipzig/Halle is home to DHL Express largest air hub and began hosting Amazon Air's first European air hub in early November. Medical shipments are expected to increase once construction is completed on a nearby logistics centre for disaster management. About 60 cargo airlines now serve the airport.
At Schiphol, freighters accounted for 61 per cent of total volume, with 29 per cent carried on passenger flights and 10 per cent in passenger planes reassigned to cargo transport. Schiphol is the 14th busiest airport in the world for international air cargo.
The airport said inbound volume fell 4.7 per cent and exports dropped 11.7 per cent compared to 2019. The three biggest destinations for cargo tonnage were Shanghai, China, Doha, Qatar, and Chicago.
Meanwhile, Brussels Airport reported 2.2 per cent growth in cargo to 512,000 tons as passenger traffic plunged 74 per cent. The strongest growth, 43 per cent, came from all-cargo aircraft thanks to the arrival of several new carriers and the use of passenger aircraft as mini-freighters, which accounted for 30 per cent to 40 per cent of the full freighter activity. Express business also grew a healthy 18 per cent.
Imports, especially from Asia, increased, while exports decreased versus the same month a year ago. The airport is also at the forefront of Covid shipments.
A 19 per cent drop in cargo delivered by truck from other airports pulled Brussels Airport's overall volume down by three per cent. In December, normally a strong cargo month, volumes decreased 3.4 per cent compared to an unusually strong month in 2019.
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Burgerim to join Westfield Siesta Key
A new burger joint is joining the rapidly growing restaurant line-up at Westfield Siesta Key.
Burgerim, a build-your-own-mini-burgers concept, is moving into the shopping center at U.S. 41 and Siesta Drive, according to commercial building permits filed on Friday.
Burgerim diners have their choice of three buns, six sauces and nine unconventional toppings such as sautéed mushrooms, fried egg, avocado and blue cheese. It also offers 11 patties to choose from, including traditional options such as beef, chicken and lamb as well as bases not necessarily typical of a burger joint, such as salmon, falafel, veggie and Spanish beef.
The patties are 2.8 ounces each and can be ordered in singles, doubles, triples or party packages of 16. Officials with Burgerim were not immediately available for comment.
The first Burgerim opened in Israel in 2011, and the concept spread rapidly through franchising. It had 80 stores by 2013 and more than 160 in 2016, according to the company’s website. The chain has Florida locations in Miami and Boca Raton and about 25 others slated for the Sunshine State.
Burgerim will be the fifth restaurant to join Westfield Siesta Key in the past year. Metro Diner kicked off a string of food-related openings last summer and Connors Steak and Seafood, Bravo Coastal Bar and Kitchen and Naples Kitchen and Wine Bar followed shortly after.
The mall, formerly known as Westfield Southgate, took a hit to both tenants and foot traffic when the Mall at University Town Center opened in 2014 but has seen renewed interest from consumers in recent months. Siesta Key has also welcomed an LA Fitness, a Lucky’s Market, a new jewelry boutique and a coffee shop and Thai food mashup in recent months.
There are currently two restaurant parcels available at the mall. One was constructed in 2016 and neighbors three of the four recently opened restaurants. The other is inside the mall near Talbots and was most recently occupied by Ziti.
CineBistro and TooJay’s also operate restaurants at Westfield Siesta Key.
Maggie Menderski, the Herald-Tribune's retail and tourism reporter, can be reached at 941-361-4951 or email@example.com. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @MaggieMenderski.


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California lawmakers have sided with privacy advocates to pass a bill that bans drones from flying lower than 350ft (106m) over private property.
If the bill is signed by Governor Jerry Brown it will create a no-fly zone and make it a trespass violation for someone to fly an unmanned aircraft or drone over private property below 350ft without the consent of the owner or tenant.
SB 142 passed a third reading on Monday in the California State Assembly despite pressure from drone users and manufactures who say the new law will stifle innovation in the growing industry.
“People should be able to sit in their backyards and be in their homes without worrying about drones flying right above them or peering in their windows,” said state senator Hannah-Beth Jackson, who authored the bill. “We need to balance innovation with personal and societal expectations.”
According to the National Conference on State Legislatures (NCSL), in 2015, 45 states considered 156 bills related to drones, and 18 states have passed legislation.
In May, Florida passed SB 766, prohibiting a person, state agency or political subdivision from using a drone to photograph people on their private property without their consent.
Jackson was inspired to propose the bill when she was vacationing in Hawaii in December and sitting on a friend’s private balcony.
“A neighbor’s drone flew right onto the balcony and was recording our conversation. It was very unsettling and so I started researching this issue,” said Jackson, a former prosecutor and the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
The bill doesn’t affect the “lawful activities of law enforcement personnel, employees of governmental agencies, or other public or private entities that may have the right to enter land by operating” a drone within someone’s private property.
But drone industry advocates say the bill is too broad and lumps together hobbyists and commercial drone users.
“There is a growing commercial drone industry and companies are developing legitimate uses for drones. This law leaves very little room for a commercial drone corridor in the sky,” said Mario Mairena, senior government relations manager for the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), a drone and robotics advocacy organization based in Washington DC.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 requires the governmental agency to establish a regulatory framework for safely integrating drones into the national airspace by 30 September, 2015.
Currently the FAA allows small aircraft, weighing less than 55lb, to be flown for recreational purposes without a permit, below 400ft and at least five miles from an airport.
The federal law doesn’t differentiate between flying over private and public property. This means that under SB 142 hobbyists in California would only have 50ft – from 350ft to 400ft – to fly their drones.
In February, the FAA proposed a new framework of regulations to allow the use of drones at up to 500ft for non-recreational use. The flights have to be during daylight and require the UAS pilot to maintain a visual line of site with the drone at all times.
This framework affects Amazon and Google, whose officials have announced that they are in the process of developing drone delivery systems. Under the new law small commercial drones that don’t need permits will be able fly between 350 and 500ft in California.
While the FAA continues to work on the Small UAS policy, according to its website, it has granted 1,277 certificates authorizing certain drones to perform commercial operations like aerial photography or agricultural crop surveying.
“States should not be regulating airspace. That is the FAA’s job,” said Mairena.
But a slew of drone-related state bills have come up this year, including SB 168 by California senator Ted Gaines, which proposes to give immunity to firefighters and other emergency responders who take down or damage a drone that is intruding into areas where there is a fire or other type of emergency. The legislation came after drones interfered with firefighting activities in various parts of California this summer.
On Friday, the FAA released a new list of pilot, air traffic and citizen reports of possible encounters with drones. According to the data there were 765 possible encounters between 13 November, 2014 and 20 August, 2015. 171 of those occurred in California. Additionally, more than 275 pilots reported seeing drones at altitudes of up to 10,000ft.
“Because pilot reports of unmanned aircraft have increased dramatically over the past year, the FAA wants to send a clear message that operating drones around airplanes and helicopters is dangerous and illegal,” said the FAA report.
SB 142 would allow drone users to fly in public spaces like parks and roads below 350ft.
“Companies can still deliver packages to someone’s front door using a drone as long as they are allowed by the FAA and fly along public roads. They must enter your property the way a delivery person would,” said Jackson.
According to a May 2015 report by CB Insights, a New York city-based research firm that tracks venture capital and start-ups, six of the top 10 drone manufacturers that have raised the most venture capital funding are based in California.
CB Insights reports that Berkeley-based drone manufacturer 3D Robotics leads the top 10 and has raised $99 m in disclosed venture funding.
San Francisco-based drone software maker Airware has raised more than $40 m and Skycatch $21 m.
“We should be looking at if a drone flies over someone’s private property, is it actually invading someone’s privacy by looking into their backyard, taking pictures or recording video. This shouldn’t be just about flying over private property,” said Nancy Egan, 3D Robotics general counsel.
3D Robotics recently came out with the Solo, a sleek black drone built to hold a GoPro camera and features a wireless high-definition video feed.
Egan says the Solo, which costs about $1,900 for the drone, controller, gimbal, and camera, is largely used by hobbyist drone users who take photos of extreme sports or landscapes like mountains or beaches.
“With drone and camera technologies rapidly advancing, safeguarding the right to privacy is more critical than ever,” Jackson said.


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Maruti rejoins Sedan war with green and price-friendly SX4
Powered by a 1.6 litre global M-series engine and built on a new platform, the all-new Sedan SX4 has also been priced aggressively, reports Deepak Joshi.business Updated: May 07, 2007 19:06 IST
Once bitten, but not twice shy, industry leader Maruti Udyog Ltd on Monday launched its all-new Sedan, SX4, putting behind memories of Baleno, which was discontinued last year after falling sales.
Powered by a 1.6 litre global M-series engine and built on a new platform, the SX4 has also been priced aggressively, as Maruti takes aim at the currently popular models in the class, including Honda's City, Hyundai's Verna and Ford's Fiesta.
The SX4 has an indigenisation level of 79 per cent, and its engine has been geared in advance to meet future emission standards conforming to the Euro IV and Euro V norms.
Managing Director Jagdish Khattar said there was a market for Sedan and the company needs to reinforce its presence in the segment. "SX4 Sedan is just the right car with which Maruti can reinforce its presence in the A3 segment and enhance its leadership," he said.
The car will be available in two variants Vxi and Zxi and will be available to customers for Rs 6.18 lakh and Rs 6.89 lakh (ex-showroom in Delhi). The Zxi variant is also available with a leather packet Rs 7.24 lakh.
Khattar said the company has already dispatched 1,500 units of the new car and would send out another lot of 500 units on Tuesday. With the dispatch of a second lot, SX4 would be present across the country, he said, adding there were no plans to export the SX4. However, the Sedan will be unveiled in the US and European markets in the next two months, where Maruti's parent Suzuki Motor can drive sales from local units.
Khattar declined to set any sales target for SX4, saying targets are often surpassed and result in constraints on production. "We will try to meet customer demand," he said.
Meanwhile, Maruti is planning to launch this year a new version of its utility vehicle Vitara and is also working on a new model for exports to Europe. "The new car should be available to the customers in the next 18-20 months. With this, we will be able to raise our exports to 2 lakh units per annum by 2009-10," Khattar said.
The company's exports have declined substantially in the past two years with Maruti pulling out of the European market. The company hopes to export 50,000 units this financial year by tapping demand in South America, Africa and other non-European regions.
First Published: May 07, 2007 18:52 IST


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Outlook Dixons Retail, the owner of Currys and PC World, was a rare shaft of light from the retail world today, pushing up sales 8 per cent thanks to Comet's demise. You can't argue with selling five tablets every second.
But before Sebastian James and the rest of the management team pat themselves too hard on the back, investors should take a look at the margins, down 0.5 per cent despite the collapse of its biggest rival.
I'm getting uncomfortable déjà vu here. The broker KBC Peel Hunt once said of ill-fated HMV: "For the coming year, we believe the group can deliver material sales and profits benefits from the collapse of Woolworths and Zavvi."
Look what happened there. Just because you're the last man standing, it doesn't mean you're safe.Reuse content


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Icelandic Group has applied to trademark a raft of variants of The Saucy Fish Co in a bid to futureproof the ‘Saucy’ brand against potential rivals.
It has submitted applications for The Saucy bird, cow, duck, lamb, pig and chick ‘Company’ and ‘Co’ trademarks.
The registrations were part of Icelandic’s long-term brand strategy but no product launches were imminent, said group sales and marketing director Simon Smith.
“IGUK wishes to ensure that its investment and future brand growth is not restricted and so is in the process of securing registration for these future brands and product sectors.”
The success of The Saucy Fish Co had led to many companies trying to “copycat” the brand, not only in fish but also in other categories, he added.
Icelandic registered The Saucy Fish Co in 2009 and The Saucy Meat Co in 2010.
Since its launch, The Saucy Fish brand has racked up considerable brand equity, with annual sales of about £35m. It also became the first fish brand to make the annual CoolBrands list last year, alongside the likes of apple and Aston Martin.


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New Sony Xperia LTE Android phone to be launched in June, could be the LT29i Hayabusa
Until now, we only have four Sony-branded Android smartphones: Xperia Ion for AT&T, Xperia S, Xperia U, and Xperia P. Only one of them features LTE connectivity – the Xperia Ion. But a new LTE-capable Xperia is in the making, and should be officially unveiled soon.
According to MT, Sony is getting ready to introduce the new LTE Xperia in South Korea and Japan starting June. The website specifically says this will be a different model than the Xperia Ion, although it sadly doesn’t have more details on it.
As far as we know, this new LTE Android handset could be the Sony LT29i Hayabusa. The LT29i was recently discovered in a benchmark test which suggests it features a 1280 x 720 display (probably of at least 4 inches), Android Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0.3, and a 1.5Ghz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor. Most likely, a nice rear camera is also included.
It remains to be seen if the new Xperia LTE handset is made for Japan and Korea only, or for other markets, too. In any case, this might be the first Sony smartphone to come with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich from day one (all the current Sony Xperias run Android Gingerbread, although updates to ICS have been promised).