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LOS ANGELES (AP) - Americans cranked up their use of credit cards in the third quarter, racking up more debt than a year ago, while also being less diligent about making payments on time, an analysis of consumer-credit data shows.
DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) - Ford is bringing its smallest engine to the U.S. in the race to meet stricter government fuel economy rules.
DETROIT (AP) - Twinkie lovers, relax.
NEW YORK (AP) - J.C. Penney CEO Ron Johnson seems unfazed that the department store chain's mounting losses and sales declines have led to growing criticism of his plan to change the way we shop. Perhaps that's because this isn't the first time during Johnson's 30-year career that he's attempted what seemed impossible.
LOS ANGELES (AP) - California continued its economic recovery as the unemployment rate dipped to 10.1 percent in October, led by increases in private sector jobs such as construction, retail and well-paying professional work.
NEW YORK (AP) - Twinkies may not last forever after all.
Spousal Benefit Clarifications
WASHINGTON (AP) - The federal agency that insures pensions for more than 40 million Americans last year ran the widest deficit in its 38-year history.
SAN JOSE (AP) - A California registered sex offender convicted of molesting a relative was caught volunteering at a Catholic elementary school festival, but he was not arrested because he had a permission letter from a church official.
OAKLAND (AP) - A federal judge has ordered city officials to negotiate with two lawyers who want the embattled Oakland Police Department to become the first in the nation to be taken over by the federal government.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A day of reckoning arrived for BP on Thursday as the oil giant agreed to plead guilty to a raft of charges in the deadly Gulf of Mexico spill and pay a record $4.5 billion, including the biggest criminal fine in U.S. history. Three BP employees were also charged, two of them with manslaughter.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The government has filed criminal and civil charges against several individuals and companies accused of ripping off unemployed and other vulnerable people with work-at-home and other business scams.
NEW YORK (AP) - This holiday season, the biggest discount chains in the U.S. will tell the tale of two very different shoppers: those that have and those that have not.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Federal health authorities are investigating reports of 13 deaths possibly linked to so-called energy shots and cautioning consumers to talk to their doctors before they take them or other energy drinks.
DETROIT (AP) - Auto companies are betting on a surge in pickup sales now that home building is on the rise.
NEW YORK (AP) - AT&T plans a major expansion of super-fast Internet services to cover as many as 100 municipalities in 25 metropolitan areas.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Netflix is preparing a sequel unlikely to be a hit with its subscribers. The Internet video service is about to raise its prices for the first time in three years to help pay for more Internet video programming such as its popular political drama "House of Cards."
WASHINGTON (AP) - Thirty years after failing to convince the Supreme Court of the threat posed by home video recordings, big media companies are back and now trying to rein in another technological innovation they say threatens their financial well-being.
SACRAMENTO (AP) - Swan Lockett had high hopes that President Barack Obama's health overhaul would lead her family to an affordable insurance plan, but that hasn't happened.
LAS VEGAS (AP) - A group including casino company MGM Resorts announced plans Monday to build a 33-acre open-air music venue on the Las Vegas Strip to host a four-day Rock in Rio USA festival beginning in May 2015.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Spring's thaw is reviving the economy, too.
SUNNYVALE (AP) - Yahoo's recently fired chief operating officer, Henrique de Castro, left the Internet company with a severance package of $58 million even though he lasted just 15 months on the job.
MOUNTAIN VIEW (AP) - Google's first-quarter earnings growth faltered as the Internet's most influential company grappled with a persistent downturn in advertising prices while spending more money to hire employees and invest in daring ideas.
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) - Connecticut's Gold Coast is living up to its name, with a record $120 million sale of a waterfront estate in Greenwich leading an increase in sales of homes for more than $10 million.
WASHINGTON (AP) - A public employees union is fighting a bipartisan effort in Congress to force the Internal Revenue Service to hire private contractors to collect some delinquent taxes.
NEW YORK (AP) - Coca-Cola, the world's biggest beverage maker, said Tuesday that the amount of soda it sold globally fell for first time in 15 years.
SANTA CLARA (AP) - Intel's earnings fell in the first three months of the year amid a continued slump in the worldwide PC market, but revenue grew slightly because of solid demand for tablet processors and its data center services.
SUNNYVALE (AP) - Yahoo is prospering from its lucrative investments in Asia while the Internet company's listless advertising sales are picking up, if ever so slightly, under CEO Marissa Mayer.
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Aaron Kushner believes he can launch and grow a print newspaper in a world gone digital.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Twitter says it has bought its data partner Gnip, which provides analysis of the more than 500 million tweets its users share each day - to advertisers, academic institutions, politicians and other customers.


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Tackling the problem of food-waste, the gigantic sum of food and water wasted to produce meals that are never consumed, is a pretty daunting task. Irish startup FoodCloud, which launched in October 2013 as a registered charity, is looking to do their part by connecting businesses and charities with items that would ordinarily be chucked in the trash.
The platform works by providing businesses a place through which they can upload information about food that they intend to toss out, for whatever reason (fresh produce went unsold, the food was mislabeled, etc.). From there, notifications are sent out to local charities and the first to accept the food can arrange to come and pick it up. In order to be eligible, charities are required to have a CHY number (registered charity in Ireland), have, or are willing to implement, a food-safety management system, and have received relevant food-safety training.
FoodCloud may be a non-profit, but even non-profits must generate revenue somehow and, in the case of FoodCloud, the service is monetized through fees from retailers. And, unlike many startups, they provide detailed information on their revenue and expenses, reporting that they went from relying heavily on donations (70% of revenue in 2014) to sustaining themselves (operational-income made up 84% of revenue in 2015).
FoodCloud started small, partnering with a number of small cafes and 1 Tesco store, but they have expanded quickly and now work with 170 businesses and 330 charities. And the amount of food that has already been donated is pretty staggering, with FoodCloud saving 788 tons (or 1.73 million meals).
In terms of funding, FoodCloud picked up an undisclosed amount of seed funding from Dublin-based investor NDRC back in September 2013. As is the case with many startups, their goal going forward is expansion, both internationally and with the United Kingdom and Ireland. The startup reports that they recently launched a pilot in the United Kingdom with with the non-profit FareShare, in 11 stores across the country, and intend to launch in 100 Tesco stores next year.

domain: news


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Aston Martin’s iconic Racing Green has officially become the most popular colour choice amongst new car buyers, for the very first time.
As the eyes of the motorsport world turn to Bahrain for the first Grand Prix of the 2024 Formula 1 season, new retail data shows that nearly a quarter (24%) of Aston Martin customers are selecting one of the marque’s nine exclusive shades of green for their dream car, with the official Aston Martin Racing Green colour now the number one choice, ahead of traditionally popular paint colours such as Xenon Grey and Magnetic Silver.
Aston Martin Racing Green was introduced by the marque to celebrate its return to the pinnacle of motorsport in 2021 and proved an immediate hit with customers. Representing around 7% of new car orders in the immediate 12 months following Aston Martin’s return to the grid, the trend has consistently increased year-on-year, with 12% of new Aston Martins now adorned in the official Aston Martin Racing Green colour – almost twice as many as the second most popular exterior option, Xenon Grey (6.8%).
Fernando Alonso’s historic first podium for the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team at last year’s season-opener in Bahrain delivered a 29% increase in website traffic, while the team’s strong start to the 2023 season supported a spike in customer orders for Aston Martin Racing Green sports cars in April 2023.
Marco Mattiacci, Global Chief Brand and Commercial Officer of Aston Martin said, “Aston Martin was born out of racing, so 111 years on, it is fitting that this iconic brand sits at the pinnacle of motorsport, supercharging our ultra-luxury and high-performance credentials while engaging a passionate community. Our presence on the grid has propelled the brand onto the global stage, but also captured the imagination of loyal and new customers who are specifying more cars in green than ever before. Just as James Bond made the Silver Birch paint tone synonymous with DB5 and the brand more broadly, 60-years on, Aston Martin’s on-track success is putting Aston Martin Racing Green at the forefront of customers’ minds when purchasing their Aston Martin.”Helped by Aston Martin’s main F1 livery colour and the company’s refreshed brand identity, demand for different shades of green has soared across its high-performance product portfolio. Aston Martin now extends its core colour palette to nine green variants, up from four offered at the beginning of 2021, prior to Aston Martin’s return to F1. For discerning customers looking for a more exclusive palette of colours, the Q by Aston Martin bespoke division has helped customers specify cars in 30 unique shades of green, as well as providing match-to-samples capability for those wanting something entirely exclusive.Boosted by the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One team’s success in 2023, claiming eight podiums and 280 Championship points, the global platform of F1 is attracting a new breed of customers to Aston Martin, the company aid in a media release.


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In an unprecedented thirteenth consecutive deal for Reliance Industries Limited, US-based Qualcomm Inc will invest Rs 730 crore in Jio Platforms for a 0.15 percent stake, joining other big-name investors in the digital unit of Reliance.
Qualcomm is the third strategic investor after Facebook Inc and US semiconductor company Intel in Jio Platforms, which comprises telecom company Jio Infocomm and movie, news and music apps.
The deal with Qualcomm — the 13th such investment in 12 weeks—means Reliance has sold 25.24 percent in Jio. RIL has now raised Rs 118,318.45 crore in total from some of the world’s leading tech investors.
Facebook had bought a 9.99 percent stake for Rs 43,574 crore on April 22. Reliance has since sold stakes in Jio to global investors such as General Atlantic, KKR, Saudi sovereign wealth fund, Abu Dhabi state fund, Saudi Arabia’s PIF and Intel.
Qualcomm is a San Diego, California, headquartered wireless technology company that specialises in 3G, 4G and 5G wireless technologies. Qualcomm’s technologies and products are widely used in mobile devices and other wireless products.
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon systems on a chip (SoC) is used by many leading smartphones. The company’s technologies and products are also used in automotive, computing and IoT. Globally Qualcomm holds a large number of patents and the company also files the most number of patents in India.
Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) had on July 3 announced that Intel Capital will invest Rs 1894.50 crore for 0.39 per cent stake in Jio Platforms.
This is the largest continuous funds raised by a company anywhere in the world. For some comparison, India’s start-up ecosystem raised Rs 1.10 lakh crore last year, in what was its best year.


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The forces of supply and demand, along with current and projected growth in the region, have led to the ongoing addition of new commercial space in the Wilmington area as brokers’ inventories are depleted.
The new space on the way includes 90,000 square feet in seven buildings, expected to be complete by summer 2017, at Mayfaire Town Center.
Although some portions of the town center are vacant, including two restaurant buildings, the owners of the center, CBL & Associates Properties, have been attracting tenants to the new spaces, including clothing retailer H&M and Palmetto Moon, a store that sells “Southern lifestyle” clothing, accessories and gifts.
Construction at Mayfaire and elsewhere in the region, including a new movie theater, restaurants and retail space in the works in midtown at The Pointe at Barclay, are signs of what brokers see as the typical cycle of low inventory spurring new space.
Brokers also point to newdevelopment in northern New Hanover County.
“Bayshore is a perfect example,” said Garry Silivanch, broker in charge at Eastern Carolinas Commercial Real Estate, referring to Wal-Mart-anchored shopping center Bayshore Commons in Porters Neck. “That product wasn’t there two years ago, and it’s full now.”
Silivanch, whose company is in charge of leasing for Bayshore Commons, added that the new center’s existing space is full, but the construction of a 5,000-square-foot outparcel building is part of the developers’ plans.
This year, among the properties ECCRE has handled have been older retail and industrial units that the company has filled with tenants and sold to investors.
Those investing in real estate, Silivanch explained, are chasing yield.
“People are chasing that 6.5 to 10 percent in real estate because the treasuries are at 3 percent or less,” he said.
Hank Adams, a broker with Coldwell Banker Commercial SunCoast, recently represented sellers in two major office deals.
Long Creek Holdings, a Florida limited liability company owned by multiple trusts, bought the second and third floors of the Howe Creek Landing office building at 700 Military Cutoff Road at the end of August for $4.4 million.
A different investor, RWH Properties LLC, paid $1 million for the top floor of 1430 Commonwealth Drive. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., a global, publicly traded insurance firm, will continue to occupy the same office space via a long-term lease negotiated with RWH Properties LLC, a news release said.
“Those were good income-producing properties that had good strong tenants,” Adams said of the recent sales.
Properties in the area’s most active markets, including the Landfall/Mayfaire submarket, midtown Wilmington and downtown, are particularly sought-after, said Cal Morgan, a real estate appraiser and owner of JC Morgan Co.
“If any good multi-tenant property comes on the market, it’s usually gone pretty quick,” said Morgan, whose company offers both commercial and residential appraisals.
Commerical real estate in Wilmington, said Adams, has definitely experienced a recovery.
“Things are much better. We had a couple years [as a result of the Great Recession] where you couldn’t give it away,” he said.
That improvement has followed an improvement in the local home sale figures.
“Commercial real estate in Wilmington is on the upswing, but has not grown as quickly as the residential market. This is OK because what investors, business owners and developers want is steady and consistent growth,” said Adam Nicholas, a broker with Keller Williams Commercial Realty, in a recent email.
“Commercial real estate is about calculated risk so having an area where growth is expected to steadily increase over the next 25+ years makes people more comfortable with their decision to buy or lease here. The perception of Wilmington’s commercial market overall is good, and the market in most areas is in a great place in terms of supply and demand,” he added.
Buyers agree. A real estate investment and property management firm based in Florida, New York, recently purchased The Village at Myrtle Grove, a Staples-anchored shopping center on Carolina Beach Road, for $9.5 million.
“We like the Wilmington market. We think it’s growing and vibrant, and we’re looking forward to working within the market to bring some new tenants to the shopping center,” said Jeff Rosenberg, CEO of Big V Properties, the new owner of the center.
The Village at Myrtle Grove, a 74,370-square-foot center in the 5500 and 5600 blocks of Carolina Beach Road, includes local businesses in addition to national tenants.
The center was about 87 percent occupied at the time of the sale. Home Depot owns its portion of the property, a more than 100,000-square-foot building and about 10 acres, according to property tax records.
Big V Properties owns and/or manages 31 centers, mainly in the Southeast.
“We believe there are more opportunities for us to grow and prosper in the South. It’s a little harder in the Northeast; it’s more competitive,” Rosenberg said. “It’s still competitive in the Southeast, but we believe there’s better opportunities.”
Along with interest from new investors in Wilmington-area properties, a new MLS is also helping local brokers.
Adams, who in addition to working at Coldwell Banker Commercial SunCoast serves as the president of Realtors Commercial Alliance of Southeastern North Carolina, led
recent successful efforts to bring a new commercial Multiple Listing Service to the group’s members.
Brokers had been trying to get a commercial MLS for the Wilmington area and surrounding counties for several years.
Previously, commercial brokers had to use a system that piggy-backed off the residential MLS.
These days, a company called Catylist is the vendor for the local commercial MLS, which Adams said has gotten good reviews among users in the region.
“It’s set up to provide the data that a commercial broker needs . . . plus we can see other listings throughout the Catylist network, and Catylist is growing,” Adams said.
As is the Cape Fear Region’s commercial offerings. Adams said he’s optimistic about the future, but he’s trying to figure out what the next catalyst might be for more growth.
“My heart tells me it’s economic development along the [U.S.] 421 corridor,” he said, referring to some of the last industrial land left in New Hanover County. “That corridor needs to boom. If that 421 corridor will boom, then we will have more demand for retail and office.”
Staff Reports - Jan 26, 2023
Miriah Hamrick - Jan 25, 2023
Miriah Hamrick - Jan 25, 2023
Johanna F. Still - Jan 25, 2023
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Boombalatti’s Homemade Ice Cream became a local favorite when it first opened in The Forum on Military Cutoff Road in 1999. When Wes and Kri...
With more than 15 years of experience in the wood chip industry, Taner Basaga has maintained key relationships with loggers in the region. “...


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We are joining in the call for urgent financial assistance for the UK’s hospitality sector following announcement of further COVID restrictions
£4BN LOSS PREDICTED FOR HOSPITALITY SECTOR
- The Plymouth City Centre Company has joined in the call for urgent financial assistance for the UK’s hospitality sector following the announcement of further COVID restrictions.
- Financial support can be provided by redirecting surplus funds from The Additional Restrictions Grant or by introducing a new discretionary fund, or both.
The UK’s hospitality sector is bracing itself for a £4bn hit in festive sales with the new ‘work from home’ directive killing off the UK’s hospitality sector this Christmas. Hospitality bosses believe reintroducing the ‘work from home’ guidance will diminish consumer confidence, resulting in widespread cancellations of bookings during the critical festive trading period.
The Plymouth City Centre Company, which runs the city centre’s Business Improvement District(BID)has joined the call from trade organisation UKHospitality, for urgent financial support to soften the blow to Christmas trading from new COVID guidelines. UK Hopsityality is asking the government to redirect unspent grants available to the sector or by introducing new alternatives such as a discretionary fund to be administered by local authorities.
This call is further backed by British BIDs, The BID Foundation, Night Time Industries Association and the Association of Town and City Management who together collectively represent more than 100,000 hospitality businesses.
Kate Nicholls, CEO, UKHospitality said: “The new measures will significantly impact consumer confidence and be particularly devastating to city and town centre venues.”
Steve Hughes, chief executive of the Plymouth City Centre Company, said: “Just as our bars, restaurants and cafes were beginning to get back on their feet and looking forward to a bumper Christmas, they have been dealt another hammer blow. Without help many will not recover.” “We urge the government to look again at business rates relief, grants, rent protection and extended VAT reductions.”
Update 20th December – A letter has been sent to Boris Johnson MP and Rishi Sunak MP – Viewable here


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"Electrification is a way to improve performance," new chief executive Benedetto Vigna said, as he unveiled a four-year strategic plan at the brand's historic Maranello site in northern Italy.
The plan for 2022 to 2026 will be driven by the launch of new products, including Ferrari's first 100 per cent electric car, which is set to be presented in 2025.
"Ferrari's first all-electric car will be 100 per cent a sports car," commercial director Enrico Galliera told AFP.
"We will develop an electric car that will deliver the same emotions as when you drive a [traditional] Ferrari," he pledged, without revealing any technical details.
The Italian luxury car maker plans to expand the Maranello plant and install a third production line for hybrid and electric vehicles.
Supercars with the best fuel efficiency - in pictures
Under the plan, about 60 per cent of its production would be all-electric or hybrid models by 2026, rising to 80 per cent by 2030.
Other coming new products include Ferrari's first SUV, Purosangue (Thoroughbred), which will be unveiled in September, with deliveries from next year.
Including the all-electric car, another 15 new launches are expected between 2023 and 2026, Mr Vigna said.
Ferrari, which celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, broke results records in 2021, delivering 11,155 cars — up 22.3 per cent — and generating revenue of €4.3 billion ($4.5bn), which was up 23.4 per cent.
It said on Thursday that it was setting an ambitious target for revenues. The €6.7bn goal for 2026 is well above this year's estimated revenue of around €4.8bn.
Electric supercars race to fix battery problem - video
Mr Vigna did not give many details of the new Purosangue, other than to say it will be a sportscar with a V12 engine, a trademark of the mythical brand.
"I am confident it will exceed all expectations," he said.
He emphasised its exclusivity, saying it would make up on average fewer than 20 per cent of total deliveries.
Under the previous strategic plan unveiled in 2018, Ferrari had also promised the launch of 15 cars — a target Mr Vigna said had been reached.


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Deliveroo has announced the completion of a $180m funding round, valuing the food delivery startup at $7bn.
Existing investors, led by Durable Capital Partners and Fidelity Management & Research Company, participated in the Series H funding round.
Deliveroo said that the funds will be used to expand its Editions delivery-only kitchens, also known as dark kitchens. It will offer its Signature service to restaurants, which enables customers to order via restaurants’ own websites, and new ways to support Deliveroo drivers. It will also expand its grocery delivery service and its Plus subscription service,
Will Shu, founder and CEO of Deliveroo, said:
“At Deliveroo we are always focused on developing the best proposition for consumers, riders and restaurants. This investment will help us to continue to innovate, developing new tech tools to support restaurants, to provide riders with more work and to extend choice for customers, bringing them the food they love from more restaurants than ever before. We are really pleased our shareholders see the opportunity and growth potential ahead of us.”
The London-based startup confirmed for the first time that it has its sites set on a “potential” initial public offering (IPO). Some have predicted that it could float in April 2021.
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After an initial downturn while restaurants in the UK closed their doors during the stages of lockdown in March 2020, Deliveroo is one of the businesses that has benefitted from the growth of the online food delivery sector during the Covid-19 pandemic. On-demand grocery delivery is now its fastest-growing segment. Earlier this month, Deliveroo announced it was expanding to 100 new locations in the UK.
In December 2020 Shu said that the business was receiving double the orders it did in 2019, saying that it had “demonstrated our model is profitable”.
Last year, Amazon’s 16% minority shareholding in the food delivery company was approved by the UK Competitive Markets Authority.
Online flower delivery company Bloom & Wild also announced it had raised $120m in a series D funding round it plans to use to expand into Europe.
Gerard Grech, CEO of Tech Nation said:
“Two fundraising announcements in over just two days continues to demonstrate the credibility and robustness of UK Tech, which last year alone attracted a record $15bn in venture capital funding. We can expect more record highs as we enter a golden age of technology-based entrepreneurship.
“Many of these innovative businesses, like Deliveroo and Bloom & Wild, have been through growth programmes, like ours, specifically designed to provide them with the knowledge networks and management disciplines to help them attract talent, investment and scale. With the support of a tech-friendly regulatory environment and increasing interest from VCs, these companies will lead the way for the UK on the global stage.”


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The company has commenced cultivation activities having received permits for the cultivation and R&D site owned by subsidiary Canndeo.
A manufacturing licence for this site is expected shortly which will allow product validation and study trial production.
This will be in addition to the full-scale manufacturing that THC will undertake at its other manufacturing facility.
THC Global’s CEO Ken Charteris said: “Q4 2018 has been a pivotal quarter for the company focussing on developing a vertically integrated global cannabis business and marking the company’s transition into production mode as its domestic facilities receive final licencing and permitting required.
“We are pleased to see first plants on site at our manufacturing and cultivation site, and look forward to commencing the first stage of our manufacturing activities to support the domestic market with a view to our larger facility being used to pursue export opportunities.”
During December 2018, the company expanded into New Zealand by securing exclusive rights to import cannabidiol (CBD) products into New Zealand.
The company’s expansion into Canada with its wholly owned subsidiary Vertical Canna Inc has also been successful.
Further expansion into Asia expected
It is also exploring strategic opportunities to the broader Asian region.
The company expects to reveal further details of these negotiations and early-stage partnerships as they develop towards commercial outcomes in the coming months.
Hydroponics equipment division expecting growth
THC Global’s hydroponics equipment division, Crystal Mountain, expects to grow significantly as the company enters the retail market to supply to micro-cultivators and other new markets.
The Crystal Mountain CEO, Jason Colquhoun has secured a number of new distribution agreements which will see distribution of Crystal Mountain’s trademarked products such as Spinpro to be distributed across the European Union commencing this March quarter.


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Dean Gemmell, president of Black Lab Five, an enthusiast marketing specialist in Michigan wants L.L. Bean to consider his shop for projects. He offers the letter he sent to Bean and details on his consequent conversations with “the sweet and polite Nadira Vallee at Pile & Company, the consultant handling the review process for L.L. […]
DM News: Consumers who use Coupons Inc.
The Observer: Kate Moss’s very public scrap with Pete Doherty – which took place apres the Paris couture shows on a London-bound Eurostar train on Wednesday night – was much more than a mere row. It was a fashion statement. photo courtesy of Sakura Moss and Doherty are riding the vanguard of skank chic. It’s […]
Adfreak’s David Kiefaber knows how to break the really big stories. Looks like pop musicians and rapping cartoons aren
New York Times: Displaced baseball fans who used to need a pricey cable package or a high-speed Internet connection to follow their favorite teams now only require a hand-held satellite radio, the familiar voice of a hometown broadcaster and a healthy imagination. “I feel like a kid again,” said Nathan Olson, a Cubs fan from […]
Lewis Lazare: Why are we not surprised that Fremont Co., one of the nation’s largest producers of sauerkraut, was having trouble getting younger consumers interested in its product? The rather unappetizing-sounding product name alone could turn off millions of customers. Lacking a giant advertising budget, the Fremont, Ohio-based company recently turned to an unlikely resource, […]
Al Ries writing in Ad Age says it’s imperative to describe one’s brand in three words. Powerful, long-lasting brands are built by owning a word in the mind. What
Austin American-Statesman: On a recent episode of the HBO drama “Six Feet Under,” Brenda Chenowith, one of the main characters, told her husband, Nate Fisher, to pick up some soy milk at Whole Foods on his way home. In March, actress Sandra Bullock gushed about Whole Foods’ just-opened downtown Austin store on David Letterman’s late-night […]
USA Today: A convoy of brawny Nissan Titan pickups will ride into the new Dukes of Hazzard movie in August, while the Quest minivan will shuttle children in an NBC reality show called Meet Mister Mom. More recently, a Titan was parked on Desperate Housewives’ Wisteria Lane, where more than 20 million ABC viewers could […]
Russell Beattie works on new mobile products at Yahoo. He’s also 6′ 2″ with graying hair, but I digress. Russell is pissed at P.R. people who pitch him without doing their homework first. In other words, he needs the pitch to be totally personalized. You know, now that people in Public Relations have “discovered” blogging, […]
Octopus Drop Kick reports on this truly odd brand extension (that steals from Nike and a famous athlete all at once). A Japanese company is offering pillows shaped like tennis star Maria Sharapova’s breasts and lap.


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MUMBAI, INDIA — Injection press maker Toshiba Machine Co. Ltd. plans to expand capacity at the India factory it bought last year, and use it as a base to export smaller-sized hydraulic machines to North America and later add all-electric and large tonnage machine manufacturing.
Tokyo-based Toshiba bought the Chennai factory in August 2012 from Indian industrial conglomerate Larsen & Toubro, as part of a global strategy to give it better access to India and other emerging markets and build a network of lower-cost production bases throughout Asia.
At the Plastivision 2013 show, held Dec. 12-16 in Mumbai, the company began unveiling the fruits of that work in India, taking the wraps off two new hydraulic machines made using technology from Toshiba in Japan but adapted for manufacturing in India.
The Chennai acquisition plugs a gap in Toshiba's product range, giving the company its first smaller-sized hydraulics in over a decade, said Hiroshi Azuma, director of Toshiba Machine (Chennai) Pvt. Ltd. The company has focused on all-electric machines.
Beyond providing better access to India, the company said the acquisition gives it an opportunity to re-enter the global market for smaller-sized hydraulics and export the Indian-made hydraulics to North America.
The U.S. market for smaller hydraulics is more than 1,000 machines a year, and Toshiba believes it can capture 10 percent of that market by 2016 from India, said Koji Egashira, group manager of the injection molding machine sales department.
It's part of an overall plan to grow its sales in North America to 700 machines a year, including all-electrics from its factories in Japan, China and Thailand, and 300 machines in Central and South America in its fiscal year ending March 2016, the company said.
The two new Toshiba-branded, India-built machines unveiled at Plastivision are a 100-ton toggle hydraulic model and a 350-ton ram-style hydraulic.
It plans soon to add other models in the small hydraulic range, up to 450 tons, and plans slightly different versions of the machines for the United States and the local Indian and Asian markets.
The production of Toshiba-branded hydraulics is starting now, but at the Plastivision interview, executives also said they plan to expand capacity in Chennai to accommodate the next phases of their plan, to make large tonnage machines over 1,000 tons clamping force and all-electric machines.
The timing and specific details of the expansion are not yet decided, although at the Plastivision interview, the company suggested expansion is a priority but was delayed because of softness in India's economy.
“We wanted to expand last year,” said P. Kailas, managing director of Toshiba's Chennai operation. “We are ready to expand but we are waiting for the market to show positive signs.”
India's injection press manufacturers made about 2,700 machines in the country in the year ending in March, down from projections of 4,600 machines, Kailas said. The drop-off is mainly due to slowdowns in the automotive market, he said.
Azuma said the Chennai operation will also give Toshiba much better access to the African market, where the former L&T operation has a good sales network. “A lot of Indians invest in African countries,” he said.


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Full article is available at CNET’s website, written by Terry Collins: Click here to access it:
Speaking via Skype, Branson, an unapologetic cannabis supporter, said he’s spent the past five years serving on the Global Commission on Drug Policy along with former United Nations General Secretary Kofi Annan and 15 former world leaders calling not only for the controversial decriminalization of drugs, but also for its legalization worldwide.
“That’s the only way of sorting out the problems that come with drugs by not regulating and leaving it up to the underworld to supply drugs,” he said. “Our commission has worked really quite hard on that. We’ve had some successes and some massive failures, we’re going to keep going until we get governments to see otherwise.”
Branson’s appearance during the two-day confab focusing on the budding billion-dollar emergence of weed immersed with technology, business and media, underscores how big the industry is becoming. It also comes as nine states in the US, including California, are set to vote on possibly legalizing marijuana on Election Day.
Branson lending his name also shows how far the industry has come, said Adrienne Nascimento, a marketing executive for WeedWeek, a Colorado-based newsletter. “It’s huge. This is a wellness industry and Richard Branson shows how this business is evolving,” she said.
The buzz was evident literally and figuratively. The conference has gone from holding hundreds in a small ballroom in its inaugural year in 2015 to occupying main spaces inside the same hotel this year. The event featured dozens of information booths and more than 30 panel discussions devoted to pot-related topics.
Why? Weed is big business. Four states — Alaska, Colorado, Oregon and Washington — have legalized the recreational use of marijuana, and 25 states allow for its medical use. That figure is bound to grow.
Just how big would legalizing marijuana be in California? Well, it’s the most populous state in the US and has the world’s sixth-largest economy with a gross domestic product of about $2.5 trillion.
To continue reading the full article, CLICK HERE


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A month ago, traders were confident that the value of ETH would not fall below $300. But the recent fake news that Goldman Sachs was dropping plans for a Bitcoin and Crypto desk, proved to be the catalyst the digital asset needed to fall even further to current levels of $192 at the moment of writing this. All year long, analysts had predicted that ETH would plummet in the markets due to congestion issues on its network. This led to many investors shorting the digital asset through BitMEX. But many did not expect the fall to be overnight as experienced in the last week.
BitMEX Accused of Manipulating Ethereum’s Price
Information around the crypto trader community indicates that the crypto exchange of BitMEX might have had a hand in the Ethereum crash. This was after a conversation on the exchange surfaced of a BitMEX official account (supposedly of Arthur Hayes) advising traders to keep shorting ETH. A screenshot of the conversation has been provided below:
The word ‘punt’ used in the conversation above, is used in informal terms to hint at attempts to make fast profits from an investment regardless of its underlying fundamentals. This means the trader carries a high risk in the trade by speculating instant high returns. In the case of ETH, the decline was inevitable, but the shorts on BitMEX might have contributed to the digital asset falling further.
With respect to BitMEX being accused of manipulating the value of ETH, the platform has barred trading for residents of the U.S, Québec (Canada), Cuba, just to name a few. This then can be interpreted as the exchange evading the corresponding regulatory authorities such as the American SEC. This theory further pushes suspicions that their back-end operations are not as they seem. There could be more to this than meets the eye with BitMEX. Here is the chart of Ethereum ever since it was added to BitMex on August 2nd at around $400.
The Decline of ETH Might Not Be Over
Many crypto analysts believe that the cryptocurrency bear market will not be over till late October this year. Other’s have postulated that we have a long 6 to 12 months of either a bear market or pure sideways movement. Both schools of thought agree that in the short term, Ethereum’s price in the market might drop as low as $155. This is without factoring in any other FUD or fake news in the crypto space.
When we add the prospects of bad news from the SEC postponing or rejecting the CBOE sponsored Bitcoin ETF, we can clearly see that ETH could be headed to a double-digit value very soon. The last time Ethereum was valued at under $100 was back in May 2017 when many of us had not even got into the crypto trading space. All we knew was that there was this new revolutionary technology called blockchain and its biggest advocate was Bitcoin.
In conclusion, the cryptocurrency exchange of BitMEX could have had a hand in further pushing the value of ETH lower than was expected. This is due to the various investment instruments on the platform that allows traders to bet against their favorite digital asset. Further looking at the situation from the point of view of the exchange’s CEO, Arthur Hayes, ETH was ripe for the picking as the preferred coin to short in the markets. With the market still a bit shaky, ETH might decline a bit further.
Check out the new Global Coin Report YouTube channel as we address all the highlights in crypto and the financial markets. With guests from all over the cryptosphere bringing you news, editorial, and of course, money making opportunities.
Disclaimer: This article should not be taken as, and is not intended to provide, investment advice. Global Coin Report and/or its affiliates, employees, writers, and subcontractors are cryptocurrency investors and from time to time may or may not have holdings in some of the coins or tokens they cover. Please conduct your own thorough research before investing in any cryptocurrency and read our full disclaimer.
Image courtesy of Pexels
XNO Token of Xeno NFT Hub listed on Bithumb Korea Exchange
Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 25th January, 2021, // ChainWire //
Xeno Holdings Limited (xno.live ), a blockchain solutions company based in Hong Kong, has announced the listing of its ecosystem utility token XNO on the ‘Bithumb Korea’ cryptocurrency exchange on January 21st 2021.
Xeno NFT Hub (market.xno.live ), developed by Xeno Holdings, enables easy minting of digital items into NFTs while also providing a marketplace where anyone can securely trade NFTs.
The Xeno NFT Hub project team includes former members of the technology project Yosemite X based in San Francisco and professionals such as Gabby Dizon who is a games industry expert and NFT space influencer based in Southeast Asia.
NFT(Non-Fungible Token) technology has recently gained huge focus in the blockchain arena and beyond, making waves in the online gaming sector, the art world, and the digital copyrights industry in recent years. The strongest feature of NFTs is that “NFTs are unique digital assets that cannot be replaced or forged”. Unlike fungible tokens such as Bitcoin or Ether, NFTs are not interchangeable for other tokens of the same type but instead each NFT has a unique value and specific information that cannot be replaced. This fact makes NFTs the perfect solution to record and prove ownership of digital and real-world items like works of art, game items, limited-edition collectibles, and more.
NFTs are already being actively traded in markets globally. For…
Should Crypto Projects Devote Resources to Community Growth and Marketing?
2020 has been an incredible year for crypto as investors have generated windfall profits and crypto projects have seen their businesses gain the spotlight they’ve been looking for. While Bitcoin has received most of the attention after major institutional investors announced they were accumulating the increasingly scarce asset, many altcoins have also seen their fair share of glory. When looking at all the big winners of the past year, the first project that probably comes to mind is Chainlink, having appreciated by more than 550% YTD and now valued at over $4.5 billion. But, the actual biggest winner of the year is HEX with a YTD return of over 5,000%.
I mention both of the above projects as they have each taken slightly different paths to achieve greatness. Chainlink has devoted resources toward building a fundamentally sound business with many strategic partnerships while HEX has spent vast sums of money on marketing and promotion. Both approaches are valid, but one thing is certain, it is absolutely imperative for crypto projects to let the crypto community know what makes them special. Of course, one of the reasons that makes crypto so valuable is the powerful blockchain technology that most projects are utilizing.
Cryptocurrency vs. Blockchain Technology
It’s important to make a distinction between blockchain technology and cryptocurrency. Although they are often used interchangeably, they are different. Blockchain technology and crypto were both created after the 2008 financial crisis, but cryptocurrency…
XENO starts VIP NFT trading service and collaborates with contemporary artist Hiro Yamagata
Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 24th December, 2020, // ChainWire //
The XENO NFT Hub (https://xno.live) will provide a crypto-powered digital items and collectables trading platform allowing users to create, buy, and sell NFTs. Additionally it will support auction based listings, governance and voting mechanisms, trade history tracking, user rating and other advanced features.
As a first step towards its fully comprehensive service, XENO NFT Hub launched a recent VIP service to select users and early adopters in December 2020 with plans for a full Public Beta to open in June 2021.
“NFTs are extremely flexible in their usage, from digital event tickets to artwork, and while NFTs have a very wide spectrum of uses and categories XENO will initially focus its partnership efforts and its own item curation on three primary areas: gaming, sports & entertainment, and collectibles.”, said XENO NFT Hub president Anthony Di Franco.
He also added “This does not mean we will prohibit other types of NFTs from our ecosystem However, it simply means that XENO’s efforts as a company will be targeted into these verticals initially as a cohesive business approach.”
Development and Procurement Lead, Gabby Dizon explained, “Despite our initial focus, we found ourselves with a unique opportunity to host some of the works of Mr. Hiro Yamagata. We are collaborating with Japanese artist Hiro Yamagata to enshrine some of his artwork into NFTs.”
Mr. Yamagata has been…


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THE APPEALS; project, a six-year World Bank-assisted program sponsored by the Lagos State government is supporting smallholder farmers to become successful agro entrepreneurs. It is empowering farmers to explore opportunities in the global egg paper market and other agro commodities,
The agricultural sector is probably the largest livelihood provider in Nigeria with the smallholder farming community making the bulk of it. It is responsible for growing food.
To ensure food security and boost agro entrepreneurship, the Lagos State Government is deploying its Agro-processing Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support (APPEALS) project, a six-year World Bank-assisted scheme, to boost farmers’ productivity and their linkages to markets, facilitating farmers and small and medium businesses, among others.
The World Bank and Lagos State government have invested in programs aimed at supporting smallholder farmers to implement best farming practices, boost exports and improve yields.
One area the government is pushing farmers to is the local and global Egg Powder Market, which www.marketreportsworld.com, an international research firm, says is expected to witness substantial growth due to the long shelf life of the product as compared to whole eggs which are fragile. Also, there is no need to refrigerate unopened powdered egg packages.
The growth of the bakery and confectionery goods industry is expected to boost the sales of egg powder at a global level.
The Lagos State Coordinator APPEALS Project, Mrs. Oluranti Sagoe-Oviebo, sees increased application in the foodservice industry to create opportunities for manufacturers of egg powder.
Local poultry farmers have called on the Federal Government to ban or impose more duty on egg powder (dehydrated and powdered eggs) import to save the country from waste associated with the import valued at over $1 billion yearly.
Nigeria is the largest producer of eggs in Africa, with 10.3 billion eggs rolled out yearly, according to the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN). But the poultry farmers are yet to fully take advantage of the large production capacity by processing eggs into powdery forms.
Mrs. Sagoe-Oviebo believes converting eggs into powder forms would not only prevent intermittent fluctuations in demand and post-harvest wastage but would also attract more investments in the egg production sector.
Egg powder is in huge demand for various uses which include: preparation of foods such as ice-cream, bread, cakes, biscuits, noodles, and doughnuts. It can be rehydrated to make dishes such as scrambled eggs and omelets. The egg powder can also be used for oil-based emulsions.
She said part of the mandate of the APPEALS Project is to develop the export potential of the beneficiaries and ensure successful linkage to the international market, noting that the meeting with the certification and regulatory agencies is one of the strategic ways in achieving the feat.
Mrs. Sagoe-Oviebo said the government is working with farmers to standardize the production and processing of aquaculture, rice, and poultry for the export market and high-earned markets.
She said: “We are training our farmers on best practices that will ensure that they get certification from relevant agencies and to ensure that they are getting premium prices for whatever they are selling.’’
Mrs. Sagoe-Oviebo said the project has assisted 10,000 farmers and 50,000 beneficiaries with grants to ensure food security, create jobs, and engender export opportunities for farm produce of farmers.
She said a cluster of fish farmers at Badagry had adopted the production of fish crackers and fish cakes, saying over 1000 packs of fish fillets and crackers had been produced and sold during the period.
At another forum, the Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms. Abisola Olusanya, said APPEALS would ensure food security and increase the capacity of farmers in the state.
She stated that the project was aimed at enhancing the agricultural productivity of small and medium-scale farmers and improve value addition along with poultry, aquaculture, and rice value chains.
Ms. Abisola Olusanya said the APPEALS project sponsored by the state government, in conjunction with the Federal Government and World Bank, is aimed at supporting farmers’ productivity and access to markets.
She noted that the administration supports agriculture, through the APPEALS project, to empower women, youths, and other residents in the three value chains of the project – aquaculture, rice, and poultry.
She noted that scale-appropriate farm mechanization would help farmers to intensify their cropping system at a lower cost.


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A new foodie business has opened in Shrewsbury Market Hall with chef Nick Turner bringing an artisan pizza and pasta offering to the award-winning food and drink and shopping venue.
Eat-In was born during lockdown when former restaurant chef Nick, furloughed from his job, seized the chance to launch his own business and indulge his passion for sourdough pizza.
With households unable to eat out during lockdown, he came up with the idea of launching a sourdough pizza kit containing everything people needed to prepare their own restaurant standard pizza at home.
The kits took off, selling through home delivery as well as from Maddocks Fresh Produce stall in the market and the Bakehouse artisan bakery, in Bellstone, just across the road.
Then, a few weeks ago, when a permanent market stall became available, Nick applied and beat off stiff competition to secure it.
Nick is now selling takeaway sourdough pizza and his own fresh, handmade gourmet pasta, pasta sauces and pasta butters in addition to his pizza kits. Most of the ingredients he uses are sourced from the market itself.
“It was always my goal to get a stall in the market. When I was working in local restaurants I would shop in the market for ingredients, so I already knew many of traders,” he said.
“It’s a fantastic place to be. I have access to the best seasonal veg, meat and cheeses available on my doorstep.
“We’ve been very busy since we opened and warmly received by the traders and customers alike. The pasta and pizza are equally as popular and we’ve been selling out most days!”
Nick worked as a chef for 30 years both in restaurants and the aviation industry. For a number of years he headed up a large kitchen of 55 chefs creating menus and dishes for first class and business class customers with Singapore Airlines.
Four years ago Nick fell gravely ill. He underwent kidney dialysis treatment for two years before receiving a kidney transplant. Wanting to give something back to the NHS, which he said “saved his life”, he joined the Ambulance Service and became a driver for non-emergency patient transport.
When the pandemic hit, Nick’s transplant meant he was classed as clinically vulnerable and so was forced to isolate at home.
“It gave me the time to start looking to do something for myself,” he said.
“I have a life-long passion for pizza. I’d started making sourdough and then got a pizza oven for the garden, so began making sourdough pizza. I was making more and more of them and it gave me the idea of selling pizza kits so that people, who couldn’t eat out during the pandemic, could enjoy restaurant standard food at home.”
Eat-In Pizza took off and Nick hasn’t looked back since!


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We’re seeing stores close and empty spaces remain empty (yes, I’m thinking of the cavernous former Borders space) as fall turns to winter. But two business people had optimistic news this week.
Susan Civic, a local lawyer, and her husband, Jed Civic, (parents of Aaron Civic, who you may have seen perform downtown) opened the Saratoga Traveler on the second floor of 360 Broadway, at the corner of Phila Street. The couple is selling backpacks, duffels, purses, garment bags, etc. made locally by Tough Traveler in Schenectady. Learn more at the store website.
And on the other side of Broadway at 425, Melanie Dallas is opening a new Sloppy Kisses Treat Boutique. Dallas is moving into the bigger space from the store where she started Sloppy Kisses six years ago at 493 Broadway. In a statement, Dallas said she hopes to use the bigger space formerly occupied by the Sorelle Gallery for dog birthday parties, pet photo sessions and obedience and puppy socialization classes. She also plans to install an oven so she can bake the treats sold in the store on the premises.


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Toyota Kirloskar Motor registers a 19 percent growth in February 2022 sales
Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) reported that in February 2022, they sold a total of 8745 units, up 19 percent from January 2022.
While that is a decent bump in sales compared to the previous month, Toyota's numbers are still far behind when compared to their sales in February 2021 when the company had sold a total of 14,075 units.
Later this month, Toyota will launch the facelifted Toyota Glanza and Toyota Hilux in India. The facelifted Toyota has already been spotted testing on the Indian roads. The car will quite obviously be a rebadged model of the recently launched Maruti Suzuki Baleno facelift.
Expressing his views on the performance for the month, Atul Sood, Associate Vice President, Sales and Strategic Marketing, TKM, said, "First of all, we would like to thank all our customers for the overwhelming response that the new Camry Hybrid has received, as we have very promising booking orders for the new Camry Hybrid. Similarly, the overall sentiment in the market continues to remain positive as we witness a steady surge in demand trends. This has also led to a consistent rise in order bookings, especially for the Innova Crysta as well as the Fortuner and as a next step, we are looking forward to cater to the pending orders on our side"
Toyota developing manual transmission for EVs
Booking for the Toyota Hilux stand temporarily closed due to excessive demand
Starts Rs 6.35 Lakhs
Starts Rs 41.7 Lakhs
Starts Rs 6.39 Lakhs
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Starts Rs 16.26 Lakhs


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India’s Tata Motors is seeking to expand its operations with its plans to open a manufacturing plant in Thailand. And they’re not the only one with plans to take their eco-friendly cars further. Major companies such as Toyota and Honda are also planning to make their own green cars available in Thailand as well.
I can’t help but be, well, green with envy about this one. I wonder when the local Toyota and Honda will think of doing those things here in the Philippines as well?


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Eyeball Games, a new company, is about to create an NFT 8-ball swimming pool video game, which will completely revolutionise the digital pool video game industry.
- With Eyeball Pool, Eyeball Games is revolutionising the digital pool game industry by allowing players to own and exchange unique NFT assets. Karsten Niemeier and Thomas Elgaard, two experts in the field of swimming pool video games, are now developing the game’s infrastructure.
- The incorporation of Web3 technology into Eyeball Pool makes for a more enjoyable play experience. It has the same feel as 8 Ball Pool, but players can also own and trade individual pool suggestions when it launches in the first quarter of 2024.
- The video game will be accessible on Immutable X, with NFTs providing access to exclusive in-game items, bonuses, and an ad-free experience.
Games The New NFT 8-Ball Pool Game
The imminent release of Eyeball Pool by startup Eyeball Games is set to revolutionise the genre of digital swimming pool video games. Players of this clever game will be able to acquire and sell virtual items known as NFTs. After completing the current beta screening phase, the developers Karsten Niemeier and Thomas Elgaard, who have extensive expertise with swimming pool video games, want to release Eyeball Pool in the first quarter of 2024.
The incorporation of Web3 technology is a major differentiator for Eyeball Pool. Players will appreciate 8 Ball Pool’s classic visuals and the option to collect and exchange their own personal pool tips. The inclusion of a token within the game has the potential to enhance the play experience even further.
On the Cronos blockchain network, Crypto.com was establishing Eyeball Pool. The company has shifted its attention to Polygon with Immutable X. In doing so, it will provide players with additional benefits in the form of unique items and features (NFTs). NFT holders will also have the benefit of being able to play the game in an ad-free mode.
Already this year, Eyeball Pool has made headlines with the release of their limited edition “Balldroid” profile picture NFTs. Building on this momentum, they are getting ready to launch a new series of Balldroid NFTs on the Immutable X network.
Anticipation for Eyeball Pool’s arrival becomes closer as its release date draws near. Players may expect to own and trade NFTs as they take aim and compete against friends in this fantastic new addition to the NFT gaming space.


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Correction, 15:53 BST 5/5/2020: The original version of this article incorrectly claimed the Oculus Go was discontinued. It was actually discontinued for commercial usage, and is still on sale for private owners.
A recent post right here on Forbes by Barry Collins claims that virtual reality is dying a "lonely death". People proclaiming VR as being 'dead' is by no means a new thing. It’s been going since at least the Rift’s development kit days which, ironically, is when that article’s header photo is from. But there are a few key things I feel Collins has missed in his assessment of VR that should be taken into consideration nonetheless.
Firstly, Collins cites a report that says over one million people have begun using PC VR since Half-Life: Alyx came out in March. This report is from Road to VR, based on the first set of Steam user data released since Half-Life: Alyx released. It shows a massive jump in VR users that is almost three times greater than any month before this. Collins' conclusion was that, as it's still only "one in 50" people using VR on Steam, the platform is dead.
Firstly, taking into consideration people who already owned VR before Alyx also bought it, and the fact that sales of the Valve Index or the Vive Cosmos Elite headset came with a copy of Alyx, we can be confident that this means the game has already broken one million sales. One million sales in just over a month for any flat game would be considered good, and for a VR game with the lower install base, it's just incredible.
The closest comparison to flat gaming I could find is 2015's Rise of the Tomb Raider, which sold just over a million copies in a month when it launched exclusively for Xbox 360 and Xbox One… which then went on to sell over five million copies and got a sequel in Shadow of the Tomb Raider a few years later.
Next, Collins suggests Valve dropping Mac OS support for SteamVR is a sign of the industry's slow demise. Except, if we use the same data Road to VR used to find the uptick in VR players, we can also see how many people use Mac on Steam: a whopping… 4.05%. Is dropping support for the 0.0008% of people using VR on Mac OS really something to suggest the End Times of VR has finally arrived? Especially when Oculus – the big VR platform not included in Valve's data - dropped support for the Mac in 2015, before it even launched its first consumer model. You can’t use something that happened before the industry began as evidence it’s now dying.
Collins then makes some valid points about the Quest – it made up around half of all VR headset sales in 2019, and has been a runaway success for Oculus. The fact it can get 6% on Steam, even though using the Quest on PC requires a high-end PC and an Oculus Link cable, is massively impressive.
I feel Collins understates the significance of this, though: the headset that’s chief selling point was a freedom from high-end gaming PCs is being used in significant numbers with gaming PCs. That shows the importance of the PC VR market, and it also suggests that the high specification requirements for PC VR might not be as big of a sticking point as many VR detractors claim it to be.
Finally, Collins mentions the decline of Mobile VR. Oculus discontinued the Go’s commercial usage in favour of the Quest, and Google discontinued Daydream… that must mean the VR Apocalypse is here, right? Not quite. SuperData's figures show mobile hardware sales have decreased, but overall VR sales increased between 2018 and 2019. The figures don't show that Mobile VR fell out of popularity, they show the hardware sales were absorbed by the Quest's massive success – why strap a phone to your face when you have a full, motion-tracked Quest available?
To say the VR industry is dying a slow death simply ignores all the evidence we have. We have more high-profile games being released than ever, with titles like Boneworks, The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners and Half-Life: Alyx pushing people into the medium. We have more headsets being released, too: in the last year we've had the Rift S, the Quest, the Index and the Vive Cosmos Elite. All of Steam's statistics show a consistent increase in people playing VR each month, and that's one statistic from one platform. Oculus doesn't release their install figures, and neither does Viveport. And then what about console VR? PlayStation VR has been getting ports of almost all the major releases, with Star Wars: Vader Immortal announced only yesterday.
You don't have to like VR. I love it, but even I don’t think it’ll fully replace flat gaming any time soon. Most people don't want to strap in to Elite Dangerous while on the train, they want to play Candy Crush. They don't want to jump about in Blade and Sorcery after a hard day at work, they want to chill on the sofa and play Uncharted. But that simply truth doesn’t mean VR is dying, it means people are comparing it to the wrong thing.
We don't argue that flight sims are dead because most people don't build a plane cockpit in their garage to play them, and we don't argue rhythm games are dead because people don't buy arcade-standard Dance Dance Revolution platforms for their own personal use. VR is a hobby, one that is adjacent to mainstream gaming, and it doesn’t need to meet abritrary goals comparitive to flat gaming to be considered successful.
Please, stop saying VR is dying.


text: There might be no argument that Windows XP is Microsoft Window’s most beloved OS. The legacy of this operating system is long lasting, and there are a lot of reasons why a lot of computers are still using the outdated OS. \n \nThough, of course, the number of users who utilize the OS has dwindled significantly. \n \nThere’s a sense of melancholy now that the extended support for the last supported version of Windows XP has finally ended. It’s the Windows Embedded POS Ready 2009, which is made for POS devices. It’s not similar to what most Windows users know. However, the version runs the XP kernel in its core. \n \nTechRepublic noted that the extended Windows XP support had been put into end last Tuesday. It officially sticks a fork in the product family of Windows NT 5.1. \n \nThe run of Windows XP is really impressive because the defunct operating system has lasted for 17 years and seven months. Most OS just lasted for two or three years. \n \nWindows XP has been tremendously successful, and it has been enjoyed by a lot of users worldwide. Windows is the most used OS, and a lot of its users are hesitant to try other versions especially those who aren’t adept at computing because they’re already familiar with the XP. It’s also cheaper than the Macintosh OS, and it’s really flexible and modifiable. \n \nWindows 10 could break some of the records set by Windows XP, but it’s still a long road ahead. \n \nHowever, it’s possible because Microsoft isn’t launching monolithic updates every several years anymore. Windows 10 might just be an average OS because a lot of people prefer Windows 7 than Win 10. \n \nThe support for Windows Professional and Windows XP Home had also ended on April 2014. However, there are still PCs that are using Microsoft’s legacy OS. StatCounter states Windows XP is accountable for 1.74% of Windows PCs, and it’s a bigger percentage compared to Vista. \n \nIf the scope will be expanded to all OSes, Netmarketshare has tallied the stats of XP to 3.72%. Windows XP might be dead because it will no longer receive support. However, it’s still a benchmark to be topped by the current and upcoming OSes. \n \nWindows XP has set a legacy because a lot of applications and games have been launched using the platform. A lot of users have grown up using the OS. \n \nA lot of developers and designers have utilized the operating system and have developed and designed numerous successful creative and business projects from it. \n \nGood night, Windows XP.


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Kbay Post time: 2013-5-13 17:43
We treat all foreigners well....... perhaps too damn well!
Take the BBC rat called Martin Patience ...
Rat meat and Chinese food safety
He hit the front page headline in the British Government's propaganda mouthpiece (these rats are quick to learn that China-bashing articles is the fast route to the top, and it is the usually way to get the story to front page)
This BBC rat plagiarized a Chinese newspaper report, and calls it his own investigative findings; to slander and smear Chinese people with innuendoes and fabricated lies.
It was a headlines in whole world
Cases like this one, is a shame in any part of the world.
Btw, Was Xinhua who released this scandal.
BEIJING, May 2 (Xinhua) -- A total of 904 people in China were captured during a three-month campaign involving meat-related crimes such as producing fake beef and mutton made from rat and fox, the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) said on Thursday.
Over 900 arrested in China for meat-related crimes
The ministry said since Jan. 25, police had uncovered 382 cases involving meat-related offenses, and seized more than 20,000 tonnes of illegal products.
Crimes also included the production of water-injected meat, the use of chemicals while processing products, as well as the selling of diseased and fake meat.
The ministry published five typical cases uncovered during the campaign.
In Wuxi, in east China's Jiangsu Province, suspects made fake mutton from fox, mink and rat by adding chemicals. The products were sold to markets and the suspects made more than 10 million yuan (1.62 million U.S. dollars) from the illegal activities.
In southwest China's Guizhou Province, police in March busted two meat processing and selling dens and arrested six suspects.
According to an initial investigation, the suspects had been using hydrogen peroxide solution to process chicken claws since July 2011. With an output of 300 kg per day, suspects made more than 4 million yuan in profits.
An unidentified official from the MPS said the police's actions are the first part of a campaign aiming at all crimes relating to food safety.
The police are now focusing on crimes involving dairy products, said the official, adding that there are some deep-seated food safety problems which have not yet been solved.


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Good news for game preservationists, perhaps not for fans of the leaked remake.
/ It’s back, “soon.”Danjaq / MGM
One of retro gaming’s worst-kept secrets has finally been confirmed by a tangled web of game publishers and license holders. GoldenEye 007, the legendary 1997 first-person shooter that changed the genre on home consoles, is coming back.
This Nintendo 64 game’s revival is a case of “mostly good news, some bad news,” as we’re left reading between the lines of two vague announcements from the two biggest companies involved. The best news, at least, is that we now have two announced re-releases for the game, each covered in copyright notices from the Bond license holders at MGM (now wholly owned by Amazon) and longtime Bond series handler Danjaq.
Switch: “Coming soon with online play”
The first confirmation came from Nintendo itself as part of its latest Nintendo Direct announcement frenzy (which, among other things, finally confirmed the next mainline Legend of Zelda game’s name). One portion of the showcase focused squarely on the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack subscription service, which costs $50 per year and includes a number of downloadable N64 games.
Today’s non-GoldenEye announcements for the Switch’s NSO Expansion Pack service.
Directly captured by Nintendo on a Switch.
After Nintendo confirmed eight more first-party N64 gems coming to the service in either 2022 or 2023, each with a clear look at their emulated gameplay, the familiar MIDI tones of the GoldenEye 007 intro began playing, followed by apparent direct emulation of the N64 version of Bond walking in front of a gun barrel, as framed in the Switch’s N64 emulator interface (meaning that a pattern of dots and a Switch profile icon fills its unused widescreen portions). Nintendo did not confirm a release date for the game beyond saying that it’s “coming soon with online play.”
The worst news about the Nintendo half of the announcement is that GoldenEye 007’s online multiplayer component appears to operate inside the console’s N64 emulator. This style of online play famously suffers from slowdown and chugging, owing to a delay-based netcode model that captures player input and then tries to bounce it across three other locally emulated versions of the game. We’d love to be proven wrong and see Rare, which is credited as the game’s maker, build a more streamlined first-person shooter netcode emulation model on Switch.
Keyword: GoldenEye 007 re-release finally confirmed—but it’s not the leaked remake>


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Pringles has launched a campaign to rename a spider that seems to be bearing the a picture of their famous mascot, Mr. P, on it’s back. The craziest part? It really DOES look like a sketch drawing of Mr. P.
Currently named the Kidney Garden Spider, the spider has a round white body with distinctive markings that look like two tiny eyes above a massive mustache. Catching on to the hilarious find, Pringles has tweeted to the masses in hopes of gaining enough support to officially rename the spider in honor of the famous snack.
Importantly, Pringles isn’t attempting to change the official, globally-recognized scientific name of the spider which, according to Wikipedia (my source for all things spiders), was established in 1886 and is currently Araneus mitificus. Instead, they are trying to get the common name of the spider changed.
Unfortunately, they’re not at groundswell yet. A week after launching the petition on Change.org, Pringles has currently only convinced 741 people to sign it, and that’s despite a bit of bribery: The brand has said that the first 1,500 people to sign the petition would be eligible for free Pringles if the new name is actually recognized.
“In 1968 the world was introduced to the iconic Pringles can and logo, but little did we know there was a creature amongst us who was unknowingly spreading the Pringles love,” Mauricio Jenkins, U.S. marketing lead for Pringles, stated in announcing the petition last Monday. “We’re thrilled to rally fans to help us recognize this spectacular spider, and welcome it into the Pringles family.”


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Waiting for the cable man has become the existential equivalent of watching paint dry, but if Comcast has a say they'd really like to change your perception. A few years back, they launched the Twitter handle @ComcastCares to better help people who are looking for answers from the cable giant. To anyone who's ever sat on hold listening to the byzantine "Press 1" prompts, this is welcome news. Customers trying to reach a real human being only need to send off a quick tweet and a Comcast rep will instantly be in touch. It's no wonder that Time magazine named @ComcastCares one of the best Twitter feeds of the year.
Comcast is not alone. Scores of companies have seized on the power of social media to better interact with their customers. Nike (@NikeSupport), American Express (@AskAmex), and UPS (@UPSHelp) have all joined the fray, looking for new and better ways to respond to consumer issues.
But customers are not using Twitter to just complain to customer service. They are also using social media to let their voices be heard on a wide variety of issues -- ranging from how companies treat their employees to how their product materials are sourced. After the recent Bangladeshi factory fire, customers flocked to Twitter and Facebook to let fashion designers know they will not stand for clothes produced in poor working conditions.
"Today's super-savvy consumers can be in almost direct contact with any brand via social media. Complaints and praise are posted and consumers expect to be responded to, especially about sustainability and health-related issues," said Starre Vartan, who writes about beauty and fashion for MNN. "There's a greater understanding about the planet's finite resources, and younger generations grew up with environmental topics part of their education. Companies that ignore their future customers' demands for less toxic and less polluting products do so at their financial peril.”
MNN asked John C. Havens (pictured right), founder of The H(app)athon Project and a contributing writer for Mashable, if the bevy of available data helps or harms consumers as they strive to make more eco-friendly choices.
“Data on most subjects has grown exponentially in the past few years, a fact which could hurt consumers trying to make more eco-friendly lifestyle choices," says Havens, also the author of the forthcoming book, "Hacking H(app)iness." "That said, I also believe consumers have become more search-savvy and are able to more quickly identify organizations that are truly making inroads towards sustainability versus the ones just paying lip service.”
To that end, Havens, who will be speaking this June at the Sustainable Brands '13 conference in San Diego, sees consumers using more than just the data provided by companies and green ratings systems. “The trend I'm most interested in is Quantified Self, where people are using biometric and other sensors to track their own behavior. I think this practice will eventually evolve to the point where people may have to file their own CSR Report ("Consumer Sustainability Report") in terms of how their actions reflect their eco-friendly practices,” Havens tells MNN. “Meaning, in a planet with finite resources, we'll being utilizing a supply-chain mentality towards people and tracking their behavior to ensure water and other essential items are preserved.”
It's all about making consumers' lives easier as they make lifestyle changes. Havens offers two examples of companies that he considers to be trendsetters in the sustainable lifestyle arena, Glooko and Live!y.
Glooko is a mobile diabetes logbook that lets diabetes patients sync their blood glucose meters directly with their smartphones. Users can compare weekly and monthly blood glucose averages, add notes about a specific reading, share the logbook with their doctor and search nutritional databases.
"People tend to forget that providing mobile tools like this means patients don't have to drive to the hospital, which conserves gas and patient time," Havens explains. "The aggregate effect of data accumulated about a population like this one also means resources needed in the health community won't be as focused on diabetes, minimizing the strain on overall medical costs."
Live!y is another solution aimed at a specific population, in this case senior citizens who are living on their own. Live!y consists of a series of passive sensors that can be placed in a senior's home. The sensors learn an individual's typical routine and can detect when something changes.
Adult children or other family members can access Live!y's data, which operates on a built-in cellular connection, and check in with their family member if they see something of concern. Havens said the product "creates a great sustainability of relationship between child and adult, because the data that's captured is done in the background, letting a senior live their life safely and without the need for badgering from their kids." This is a different type of sustainability but a prime example of how brands are changing to meet the needs of the ever-changing consumer.
Surveys like the Regeneration Consumer Study reveal that today’s more sustainability-minded consumers are demanding change. "Businesses are striving to not only meet these demands but also to exceed them. Innovating how we understand, research and uncover consumer behavior change is the leading edge of our work," says Dr. Renee Lertzman, consultant and faculty member at Royal Roads University. "It is where we need to be directing our resources and our curiosity. It is time to rethink almost everything we assume and think we know about the psychology of sustainability. We need to start with the recognition that our research has not brought us nearly to where it can and should in terms of leveraging latent aspirations to effect change in our world, and that we carry untested biases and assumptions about how people relate to our environmental challenges.”
Interested in learning more about the ways companies are innovating to serve their customers and create a sustainable future? Join the Sustainable Brands 2013 conference and meet the thought leaders, executives, and entrepreneurs who are shaping the future of sustainability.
Related on MNN:
- For companies, sustainability and innovation often go hand in hand
- Sustainable Brands 2013: From Revolution to Renaissance
- Visit our Sustainable Business Practices channel


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Consolidator PensionBee could be valued at between £346m and £384m when it floats on the London Stock Exchange.
In an announcement this morning (April 12), PensionBee said a price range for the initial public offering has now been set at 155p to 175p per share, implying an estimated market capitalisation of between £346m and £384m.
The IPO is made up of an offer to institutional investors (the Institutional Offer) and an offer to eligible customers of PensionBee (the Customer Offer).
According to the firm, more than 12,000 customers have signed up to participate in the IPO so far.
The company will now offer buyers 35.5m new shares as well as the sale of up to 2.8m existing shares by certain small minority shareholders.
Through this the company intends to raise gross proceeds of £55m to support future growth, by “funding future investment in PensionBee's advertising and marketing initiatives, its technology platform capabilities and for general corporate purposes”.
None of the founders, directors or members of senior management are selling their shares.
Romi Savova, chief executive officer of PensionBee, said: “An IPO has always been part of PensionBee's corporate trajectory, and we are extremely proud to be reaching this milestone.
“The flotation will further our vision to help millions of consumers look forward to a happy retirement through our technology platform and dedicated customer service offering that make pensions simple.
“We're delighted that so many of our customers wish to join us as shareholders and look forward to welcoming all of our new investors as important stakeholders in our business."
Under its lock-up terms, investors will not be able to sell for 180 days, while the company’s executive directors and founders have agreed to stay in for 720 days.
The firm said it had continued its growth trajectory in line with expectations for the period to March 31, 2021.
Its assets under administration grew by 123 per cent year on year to £1.65bn.
Meanwhile, active customers grew by 77 per cent year on year to approximately 137,000 and invested customers grew by 81 per cent year on year to approximately 81,000.
News of the pension provider’s IPO intentions first broke in November 2020, following a period of strong performance which had accelerated management’s plans.
Last month, the firm cemented these intentions, saying the IPO will allow it to invest in future growth.
Founded in 2014, the pension consolidator was one of the first platforms to join the Association of British Insurers, following Hargreaves Lansdown and Vanguard.
At the time the ABI stated it was looking to reflect the “changing nature of the long-term savings market” and pension consolidators have since been recognised as a potential threat to the traditional advice market.
What do you think about the issues raised by this story? Email us on email@example.com to let us know


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Let’s journey back to 2019. By this time, DevOps had secured its place in the mainstream, and agile development had become the industry standard. Yet, even companies like Spotify found themselves challenged by the dynamic nature of their infrastructure. The need for continuous team education on every emerging technology was simply unscalable. This led to […]
It seems that Generative AI is the new king in the realm of high-tech. Everyone is talking about it, it is becoming the centrepiece of investment decks, sales presentations and marketing reports. Everyone has a strong opinion on what the future will look like. The truth is that most of it is unknown. What is […]
Eight years after raising our first fund, we are thrilled to announce that we have raised our fifth fund, TLV Partners V. Our fifth fund stands at $250m, continuing our strategy of supporting visionary Israeli entrepreneurs from the Seed, A, and onwards stages. With this new fund, TLV Partners manages more than $1B across all […]
Nailing the right #narrative is crucial when building a company. This was the topic of our recent #Brainfest with @FNDR_James, the narrative expert behind Apple, Airbnb and more. Read more insights from James and our Head of Marketing, Dana Harel.
The Intelligence Revolution is not a future event – it’s happening now. Are you prepared to navigate this transformative era?
The Generative AI wave is in full swing and it feels like not an hour goes by without a new product launch announcement from one of the tech giants or one of the foundation model upstarts. Just play around with ChatGPT, Bard or Midjourney and the hype is quite easily understood. Spend a few minutes […]
Discover the latest insights into the intersection of DevOps and AI from TLV Partners’ Co-Founder & Managing Partner Rona Segev. In a recent interview with TechCrunch, Rona discussed the potential impact of generative AI on enterprise infrastructure management and how it could tackle the complexity of cloud-native applications through intelligent management and better visibility.
I am excited to announce that our portfolio company Neosec has been acquired by Akamai Technologies, marking a significant milestone for the company and its founders, Giora Engel (CEO) and Ziv Sivan (CTO). Congratulations to them both and to the entire Neosec team for the hard work and dedication, and for building a product that has stood out in a complex […]
The software testing market has undergone a major shift over the last few years, and we believe that it is on the cusp of another shift. In the past, software testing was primarily conducted by a team of Quality Assurance (QA) professionals who manually verified whether the application functioned as intended. As release times shortened, […]
The adoption of open-source solutions has increased in recent years as companies started to realize that rewriting already existing functionality is pointless. However, this growth has also led to a growing concern about the effective management and security of open source libraries. A few years ago, I came across a team with a solution for […]
Some Quick History Lending is one of the oldest financial mechanisms known to humankind. People always have, and always will, want access to capital that they currently don’t have, and people always have and will be willing to provide that capital in return for the upside that goes along with it. Understanding whether or not […]
Many professions throughout human history faced extinction and other evolution. Software programming is facing a revolution, not an evolution. AI is replacing mental labor like the industrial revolution replaced manual labor. We’re surrounded by software. It’s been coined (2011, Marc Andreessen) that software is eating the world and that every company is a software company […]
Small businesses are the bedrock of the global economy. Whether it’s a corner coffee shop, a local bakery, an artisanal clothing store or the best blankets to assure a good night’s sleep, we are surrounded by small businesses that produce superior quality products. While historically these businesses may have only been discoverable while walking down […]
Last month, we hosted our annual LP meeting (unfortunately over zoom). During the meeting, we presented our LPs with updates on the TLVP portfolio, the state of Israel’s startup ecosystem and were privileged to have some of our founders present their companies. We also presented our thesis on the state of Israeli fintech. We thought […]
What’s the value of value-add?


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Since Dick Wadhams was named the State Chairman of the Colorado Republicans, the party has lost control of the state Senate, the state House of Representatives, the Governorship, one U.S. Senate seat and one U.S. House of Representative seat. But Dick is not depressed. He is energized! Like General ... More >>
An image from an economic-impact study about car dealers in Colorado. Today's the day when fourteen Colorado auto dealers are supposed to stop selling Chrysler products as part of the beleaguered company's attempt to emerge from bankruptcy -- an effort that hit a bump in the road yesterday when a r ... More >>
An image from a National Automobile Dealers Association public-service announcement. Yesterday morning, during one of his regular updates on KOA/850 AM's morning-news broadcast, Channel 9 business reporter Gregg Moss talked about a new series of public-service announcements for the automobile indus ... More >>
Car dealerships are seeing more guns coming onto their lots -- carried not by thieves, but by state inspectors. They want that policy holstered.
The Mexican car of choice is American. Go figure.


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- All Computer
- Games & Entertainment
- Linux / GNU "Open Source"
- Microsoft Windows PC
- Operating Systems
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April 24, 2015 -- Akruto announces today that its AkrutoSync software has been updated to work with Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge phones. Akruto is the only third party software that syncs Outlook with Samsung...
April 24, 2015 -- In partnership with mobile strategy, development and deployment company Engage Mobile, Favorite Healthcare Staffing will offer employees custom staffing and schedule notification via the highly...
April 24, 2015 -- Widget Revolt announces the immediate availability of Apple Watch support in Timewinder 2.4, the best interval timing and task manager app. Timewinder's flexibility means customers can manage...
April 24, 2015 -- Both HotSchedules and Jobsabi release Apple Watch applications to keep users notified on the go.
April 24, 2015 -- Pocket Mariner has launched Apple Watch versions of its popular nautical apps, Boat Beacon, SeaNav and Boat Watch. These apps put powerful real-time navigation and boat tracking maps on the wrists of...
April 24, 2015 -- More in-game events, more playable languages, more opportunities — a whole new season of meaningful improvements starts in the iOS version of the well-acclaimed mystery game The Panic Room: House of...
April 24, 2015 -- NEXT is leader in low-cost fingerprint sensors with robust, high-quality large sensor area
April 23, 2015 -- Track the stock market, and the performance of your investments, from your wrist.
April 23, 2015 -- Fitnet 3 Debuts with Apple Watch Integration to Boost Social Exercise Challenges
April 23, 2015 -- Additional CJ2 helps Better Serve Surrounding Southern California Travelers
April 23, 2015 -- ilumi color changing LED Smartbulbs now turn on and off based on user’s presence and automatically adjust throughout the day to help support one’s circadian rhythm.
April 23, 2015 -- 48 Hour App-a-thon challenges budding mobile app builders through appathon2015.com
April 23, 2015 -- In the new no-cost iOS and Android app Hungry Moles from Crumb Media, gamers must put their memory and strategy skills to the test as they help Murray the Mole navigate through one maze after another,...
April 23, 2015 -- The United Kingdom’s PEN National awards recognizes the My Health My Say app, developed with AbleLink’s innovative ATLAS system, for enabling people with intellectual disabilities with the ability to...
April 22, 2015 -- Provider of Web and Mobile Time Management Solutions to Showcase its NetSuite Integrations
April 22, 2015 -- Mobile Active Defense has been selected by Los Angeles County Office of Education to secure its mobile devices for students, faculty and staff.
April 22, 2015 -- Millennial Renters Visited RadPad More than Two Million Times Last Month in their Search to Find an Apartment and Are on Pace to Spend $60M in Rent On the Mobile Marketplace this Year
April 22, 2015 -- NEXT says customer expects sales in excess of 1 million units in first 12-18 months
April 22, 2015 -- Apple Watch and iPhone app, WhereNotes, by Juicy Bits enables users to remember something somewhere and recall it when they return
April 22, 2015 -- The Oregon Education Association (OEA) today launched the mobile applications for its...
April 22, 2015 -- Award-Winning Blogger, Seasoned Mobile Tech Journalist James A. Martin Launches Site For Apple Watch Consumers, Followers
April 22, 2015 -- App Marketers and Investors gain access to Comprehensive Download and Revenue Data
April 21, 2015 -- Art education is increasingly cut from school curriculum due to budget cuts, but online learning can reverse that trend. Madcap Logic's 'Creativity Express' suite of iPad apps wins top...
April 21, 2015 -- The Swiss startup Uepaa (http://www.uepaa.ch) has released its unique and easy-to-integrate Peer2Peer tool kit...
April 21, 2015 -- Smartphone buyers in the U.S. become significantly older and less affluent.


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We won’t know exactly what the new iPhone looks like and does — though it’s, at this point, the worst-kept secret in tech — until after tomorrow’s big Apple event. But another clue has emerged from the phone’s leaked firmware, this one involving emoji. First spotted by 9 to 5 Mac, the new phone has a new feature called “Animoji.” Using the phone’s (rumored) facial-recognition technology, Animoji will let users animate emoji — extremely creative name there, Apple — using their facial movements.
“Animoji will be customized by the left and right eyebrows, cheeks, raising the chin, opening or squinting eyes, moving jaw, lips, as well as mouth movements like frowning and smiling.” 9 to 5 Mac reports. Options for emoji include unicorns, poop, robots, aliens, chickens, monkeys, foxes, and cats. Users will be able to create and send Animoji from iMessage. And while animating a pile of poop to mimic my eyebrow raise sounds fun, I don’t know that it’s enough to entice me into dropping a grand on an all-screen phone with no home button.


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CEOs Go on M&A Spree
With capital markets wide open, companies are reinvigorating the deal-making market, reports Barrons.com's Bob O'Brien.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
going ... welcome to the Berry Video Report ... I'm Bob O'Brien ... Wall Street has been riddled with divergence is in two thousand and ten we've long been talking about ... the battle that seems to be going on between Wall Street ... and Main Street ... one More divergence has evidence itself in the recent trading action ... while the market itself has been in a measure of distress owing to the disappointing economic data ... corporate CEO said vindicating like ... Cantonment we store ahead of the end of year holiday ... this week some eighty five billion dollars ... worth of MNA transactions were announced ... highlighted by the nearly a billion dollar deal ... announced by Intel in its offer to purchase McAfee ... now it's understandable exactly why corporate CEOs are doing this for one thing ... the financing markets are wide open ... that reduces some of the risk that these guys have to take when you doing these deals ... they know they can get the financing to get the deal done and they can get at ... the very attractive terms ... meanwhile CEOs remain frustrated that the dog and as of the economy ... cannot seem organic growth so they decided to grow ... by simply acquiring some of their rivals ... it's all good because it's probably a better use of the money ... than simply that the conventional ways of returning equity ... returning cash to shareholders ... which would be through dividends or buybacks ... although buybacks are picking up a little bit here ... meanwhile the frustration of investors is still very evident here ... and once again when seeing that divide between what's taking place on Wall Street ... and what's going on I mean streak ... the Barron's Video Report ... I'm Bob O'Brien ...


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Release Date: Heron Preston x BAPE STA
A Bathing Ape have been on a tear of late. Founded by Nigo in Ura-Harajuku in 1993, the Japanese imprint recently linked up with New Balance, Vans and JJJJOUND for various collaborations, whilst plenty of mainline BAPE STA colourays are keeping OG fans satisfied.
For their latest partnership, BAPE are tapping Heron Preston, the Kanye West and Virgil Abloh confidant debuting his eponymous label at Paris Fashion Week in 2017.
Cranking necks with his recent fully 3D-printed Zellerfeld shoe this year, Preston’s latest collaboration involves the classic BAPE STA. An early 2000s bait-and-switch Air Force 1, the BAPE STA is this time utilises Heron Preston’s signature hazard orange across the silhouette’s camouflage pattern. Implementing ABC camo patterns on the overlays, the BAPE STA comes emblazoned with brass BAPE dubraes and tongue labels on the left shoe – revealing Preston’s unique style of product labelling.
The Heron Preston x BAPE STA is set to release exclusively through BAPE on May 7.


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Today is Friday, October 6th- It IS- National Coaches Day. Garlic Lovers Day, Denim Day, Noodle Day, Lager Day
The most popular costumes in Ohio this Halloween are Vampire and Wednesday Addams. Barbie most popular in America.
Mom and Dad- you “cave in” to your kids demands 218 times a year.
A new survey found that Americans find air travel more stressful than sitting in the dentist's chair or filing taxes. 55% said that flying is the leading cause of stress in their lives
60% of those 25-44 asked say they do NOT consider themselves grown up, and are clinging to things of their youth
Prada is now designing spacesuits.
15% of us prefer leftover pizza to be served cold.