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Sephora is moving to unify its online and offline retail strategies by shifting and expanding the roles of several key employees.The specialty beauty retailer has promoted Mary Beth Laughton to executive vice president 0f U.S. Omni Retail. Previously, Laughton was senior vice president of digital. She's been with Sephora for five years. Before that, she worked for Nike and McKinsey & Co."We hope to position ourselves for the future which is already coming — one where physical and digital blend even further," Laughton said. "We know the majority of our clients who shop our stores have an experience with us through one of our digital channels. Serving customers seamlessly across our channels has been a central part of our vision to be the most loved beauty community, and we think this move will help us accelerate our focus on the customer even further.""Mary Beth is a visionary and strategist with a deep understanding of how customers are evolving," said Calvin McDonald, chief executive officer and president of Sephora Americas. "During her time at Sephora she has pioneered many innovative, consumer-focused experiences both online and in stores, reflecting her relentless focus on making the client experience as integrated as it can be."Laughton is moving up as Christie Jack, executive vice president of retail and education, plans to step down from her post at the end of 2017. Jack has been with Sephora for 14 years — before that, she was with Williams Sonoma and Barnes & Noble."Our store team under Christie’s leadership has been prepping the organization for this shift in recent years with the adoption of many digital programs and technologies," Laughton said. "Bringing our stores and digital groups together as an integrated team will ensure, we think, holistic customer journeys using these tools and experiences across channels."
"We can also make sure we bring the best of each channel forward, ensuring key business practices such as digital marketing and innovation are equally considered across channels. And we can ensure that voices from the field — our stores — are heard loudly as we design new digital tools and strategies," Laughton said.
"Christie conceptualized Sephora stores as a destination for learning and has played an instrumental role in creating the unique experience Sephora delivers today," McDonald said. "While she will be greatly missed, she leaves a great legacy including the extraordinary retail and education teams she built. We thank Christie for all that she has done and the active role she has played in orchestrating how we are structuring our business for the future.”Several other Sephora employees are shifting into new, expanded positions.Gregg Ardizone will become senior vice president of stores. Ardizone, who has been with Sephora for 16 years, is currently vice president of East Coast stores. In his new role, he will report to Laughton.Bridget Dolan will now be senior vice president of omni experiences and innovation. Dolan is currently vice president, Sephora Innovation Lab. In her new role, Dolan will head the team that focuses on creating the next generation of client experiences through experiential retail.Artemis Patrick is also being promoted to chief merchandising officer. Patrick is currently senior vice president of merchandising for Sephora — in her expanded position, she will also oversee dot-com merchandising, and head a cross-channel merchandising team.The changes come as Sephora in the U.S. experiments with merchandising brands that lie outside of its traditional prestige beauty focus. On the masstige end, ColourPop will enter Sephora doors in November; on the luxury side, La Mer has been testing its products in a subset of doors, and in lifestyle, Bkr's silicone-sleeved water bottles are slated to roll into all doors in January.Sephora is also testing different store formats. The retailer opened its first small-concept shop in Boston in July. The 2,000-square-foot Sephora Studio location has a much heavier focus on services, including makeup artistry and skin-care offerings. On the other side, the business also opened an 11,300-square-foot store in New York's Herald Square in April.
For its next men’s wear collection, @roberto_cavalli will show as a special guest at #PittiUomo, running from June 12-15. The brand, which has Florence in its roots, will relaunch its men’s wear collection, which will be presented separately from women’s wear for the first time since Paul Surridge was appointed creative director in May. #wwdnews #wwdfashion (📷: @aitorrosasphoto)
“I was making the guacamole when my scout saw me,” says model @stuckinteenage on being discovered just six months ago while working at @chipotlemexicangrill. Since then Williams has signed with @dnamodels, walked in her first show at @calvinklein and landed on the cover of @vogueitalia – a high point of any model’s career. To read @lisajlockwood’s full interview with the model on her experiences thus far, head to WWD.com – link in bio. (📷: George Chinsee)
“I love the idea of dialogue, period. It’s where I’ve always gotten my inspiration from: hearing other women speak, their journeys and their paths,” said @hereisgina, who delivered the keynote speech at the @sxsw conference for @createcultivate, the online platform and conference series for women. For her two panels, Rodriguez chose female empowering, female-led and female entrepreneurs to focus on. Head to WWD.com to read more about her thoughts on Time’s Up, growing up in a family of women and why we “need a girls’ club.” #wwdeye #sxsw (📷: @jgreenery)
Leading luxury brand are shaking things up to keep up with streetwear. Case in point: the arrival of @mrkimjones as artistic director of @diorhomme. Jones, who succeeds @Kris_Van_Assche, is seen as one of the handful of designers who can actually straddle the luxury and streetwear worlds — which could lead to even more changes at established brands. What could this mean for the rest of the menswear landscape? Head to WWD.com to find out what experts predict #wwdfashion (📷: @franckmura)
“It’s like buying groceries. You’re going to buy the best mango, the best mozzarella, the best things. You have to, or others are going to take it all,” said @gabrielahearst on why she uses only the finest fabrics. Last week, Hearst received her first @cfda nomination for Womenswear Designer of the Year, and earlier this month she opened a permanent showroom in Paris. To read @jessiredale’s interview with the designer and find out why this is shaping up to be a big year for her, head to WWD.com. #wwdfashion (📷: @francoisgoize)
“It’s an interesting thing, playing a younger version of your mother. It’s an interesting concept. I adore my mom and love her in every capacity, but it was just something that had never crossed my mind,” says @anniemstarke on playing a young Joan Castleman in “The Wife.” The same role will be played by her mother Glenn Close. Read more about her growing up in the film industry as the daughter of producer John H. Starke and Close and what she has planned for the future #wwdeye (📷: @nataliamantini)
@asics is launching a new streetwear sneaker inspired by its latest ambassador, @steveaoki. The Hyper-Kenzen x Aoki, which will launch at @footlocker stores exclusively tomorrow, is a slip-on style that incorporates the brand’s proprietary Gel technology through beads integrated into the midsole for comfort and endurance. Read the full story on WWD.com.


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iBusinessLogic is in the news today with this interesting and fun eBay stores design powered by Frooition. Our design was chosen to be part of Internet Marketing expert Jay Berkowitz’s Ten Golden Rules of Internet Marketing keynote speech at eBay Live 2008.
We are pleased to have this honor and are happy that our new client Extreme Halloween Inc. Loves their new eBay Stores design and our AuctionLogic software suite.
Read the article on Yahoo News – just click the image to go to the article.

domain: news


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The effectiveness of the government’s grants for electric vehicle buyers has been called into question by a new report. The National Audit Office (NAO) document claims the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) has failed to prove the impact of the scheme, which has cost taxpayers £1 billion so far.
The report, which is entitled Reducing Carbon Emissions from Cars, has criticised OZEV for being unable to “clearly demonstrate the cumulative impact spending £1 billion has had on growth of ultra-low emission cars”. It also says the government has not been able to “demonstrate value for money from the amounts expended” on incentives for electric vehicle (EV) buyers.
In total, the NAO study shows the government has spent £1.1 billion on EV incentives, with the Plug-In Car Grant, which sees £3,000 knocked off the price of qualifying EVs, taking the lion’s share. Since the scheme was introduced in 2011, the NAO says it has cost the taxpayer around £1 billion.
And although the audit office concedes OLEZ has “assessed the likely impact” of changes to the Plug-In Car Grant, it says the office cannot prove the “additional impact” of the spending. That said, the NAO has confessed that purchase costs are a “barrier” to electric vehicle uptake, and it says zero-emission vehicles “remain an average of £13,000 more expensive to purchase than conventional cars”.
Perhaps more damningly, the NAO has also criticised the government’s record on reducing carbon dioxide emissions from cars. The office admits the market share of EVs rose in 2020, but that was an anomalous year in which new car sales were down significantly. Overall, EVs still make up just 0.5 percent of the cars on UK roads, and the combined CO2 emissions of British cars has fallen by just one percent over the past decade.
That figure comes despite government ambitions to reduce CO2 emissions from cars more dramatically – ambitions the country was on course to achieve until 2016. According to the NAO, CO2 emissions were down 13 percent between 2011 and 2016, but the organisation has blamed the subsequent rise in emissions on the new WLTP economy test, increased traffic and the popularity of bigger and therefore more polluting SUVs.
As a result, the NAO said the government could not demonstrate value for money from the incentives provided to EV buyers, criticising a “lack of clarity” about what the incentives should do.
“Over the past 10 years, the government has spent more than £1 billion to incentivise the take-up of ultra-low emission cars,” read part of the NAO conclusion. “While there has been an increase in the number of ultra-low emission cars and the required charging infrastructure, carbon emissions from cars have not reduced in line with government’s initial expectations.
“The lack of an integrated plan with specific milestones for carbon reductions from cars has resulted in a lack of clarity over what value the public money should be delivering. As a result, the departments have not been able to demonstrate value for money from the amounts expended.”
The Department for Transport (DfT), meanwhile, said the government was going "further and faster" to increase uptake of electric vehicles, pointing to the ban on new petrol and diesel car sales in 2030. The department also said it would set out a new plan for delivering on the promise later this year.
“Ultra-low emission vehicles (including EVs and plug-in hybrids) now represent nearly 11 percent of the new car market," said a DfT spokesperson. "Alongside the billions we are investing to support industry and consumers to make the switch to cleaner vehicles, we are proud to be a global leader in the development and manufacture of ULEVs.
“We will set out a plan later this year on how we will deliver these new ambitious phase out dates, helping us to meet our climate change obligations, improve air quality and support economic growth.”


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1. Sunny: Wednesday, Aug. 7 will be sunny with a light wind and a chance of showers and thunderstorms late in the evening, according to the National Weather Service. High: 83, Low: 66.
2. Whole Foods opens: The new Charlestown Whole Foods Market (51 Austin St.) will hold a bread-breaking ceremony to mark the opening of the new store on Wednesday, Aug. 7 at 9:45 a.m. The community is welcome to attend. The store will officially open at 10 a.m.
3. Wynn presentation: The Charlestown Waterfront Coalition will host a presentation by representatives from the Wynn LLC resort casino proposal on Wednesday, Aug. 7 at 7 p.m. The meeting will be held at Building 114 (114 16th St.).
4. Farmers market: The Kennedy Center's Charlestown Farmer’s Market is open Wednesdays from 2 p.m. to dusk through the end of October. Located on Main Street, near the Hubway rack and right in front of the Bunker Hill Mall, the Charlestown Farmers Market features produce and meat products sold by Stillman's Farm and a few other vendors.
5. Summer reading finale: Teens are invited to drop by the Charlestown Branch Library (179 Main St.) on Wednesday, Aug. 7 at 2 p.m. for the library’s summer reading finale, a Speech Bubble Photo Party. Teens will create speech bubbles for a photography shoot celebrating summer reading.


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We’re about a month away from the release of the (surprisingly controversial) Ghostbusters reboot. While the bones of the story are the same, there’s an all-female, all-new crew commanding Ecto-1. In honor of Ghostbusters Day — today — Sony released new vignettes providing a little background on Abby (Melissa McCarthy), Erin (Kristen Wiig), Holtzmamn (Kate McKinnon), and Patty (Leslie Jones).
First up, Abby:
08 Jun 2016


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Content tagged with Electronics & Test posted in October 2013
Teardown: What Makes the iMac Intel 27 Inch Tick?
Product News 10/21/2013
In the calm after the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c storm, Apple thought it could slip a couple new iMacs by us. Today we're tearing open the 27-inch iMac. Check back later this week for the internals on the iMac 21.5 inch!
Teardown: Fitbit Flex
Product News 10/3/2013
The folks at iFixit ripped into Fitbit's newest pedometer/heart-rate monitor/sleep-tracker wristband. What kind of a diet helped this thing fit into its tiny jacket? We're about to find out.


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I remember those times when I have an out of the country trip and I would get really excited to visit a nearby H&M store. Sometimes I shop like crazy, sometimes I just go inside, look around and not buy anything–yet still feel happy and satisfied. I don’t know, but there’s something about H&M that feels very festive to me. So imagine how stoked I was when I found out that H&M opened in Manila last year!
It seems like a new H&M store keeps opening every month in different parts of Manila but what came to the surprise of many last November was the opening of the biggest H&M store in the country–in Cebu. Yup, H&M finally opened its first ever store in the Queen city of the South. I’m good friends with a lot of Cebuano bloggers and they told me that they go to Manila at least once a month just so they could shop at H&M! The wait for the Cebuanos was surely worth it as H&M did not only bring three floors of fashion heaven to Ayala Center Cebu, but also their biggest store in the Philippines to date.
H&M Ayala Center is a full concept store, carrying ladieswear, menswear, kids and Home. H&M opened featuring the brand’s stylish holiday campaign and will showcase an exciting selection of gifts and fashion for the season. H&M will also continue to feature its Garment Collecting initiative in this store, where customers can donate their used clothes and get a discount voucher to use for their next purchase at H&M. Here are some photos from the VIP night that took place last November 25th. As always, it was a fun night of fashion and music!
Visit the newly opened H&M store at Ayala Center Cebu. H&M will also be opening a store in SM City Seaside this December 9! Make sure to like H&M Philippines on Facebook and follow them on Twitter and Instagram for more updates and promos!


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Private Jet charter app JetSmarter is offering its members free flights between key European cities
It used to be that flying in a private jet was reserved for the Kim & Kanyes of the world, but the best luxury transport is becoming more and more accessible.
It’s thanks, in part, to charter apps like JetSmarter, which aims to democratise private jet travel.
The app allows members to quickly and easily book private jet travel from their smartphones. Launched in the US three years ago, JetSmarter now offers a European JetShuttle service running between London, Paris, Nice, Geneva and Moscow.
The best part? It’s free – for app members, that is. Seats can be reserved at the touch of a button – on a first come, first served basis.
The current European routes are as follows:
JetSmarter also intends to launch routes between London and Ibiza, Nice and Olbia (Italy) during the summer, but the JetShuttle service is already available across the US, as well as in the Middle East (Dubai, Riyadh, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi and Jeddah).
Travelling in style has never been easier – just one tap on a smartphone away.


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XIAOMI’S MYSTERIOUS FOLDABLE SMARTPHONE HANDS-ON VIDEO LEAKED
After Samsung, it is now a show time for Xiaomi that also take a shot at a foldable cell phone for 2019. Samsung has now exhibited its foldable phone, which may be called Galaxy F, and it is relied on to launch later this quarter. Then again, a video of a foldable cell phone that Xiaomi has released on the web.
Video Leaked on Twitter About Foldable Xiaomi Cell Phone:
The 19-second video was shared on Twitter by mainstream typist Evan Blass exhibiting an expansive screen tablet at first before being collapsed into a telephone.
It’s essential that the tipster is not sure about the realities of the video, and notes that it’s ‘supposedly made by Xiaomi.’ So, and more intensively, a gander at the symbols shows a plan dialect that is similar to that of Xiaomi’s MIUI.
Royale FlexPai, the world’s first business foldable cell phone, is now at its annual engineer gathering in 2018, likewise prodded its foldable Galaxy F. From that point forward, all enormous cell phone creators have begun on a similar arrangement. Oppo has officially reported that a foldable telephone from them is on the way.
The new pattern could be of foldable cell phones in 2019, but unless there is flawless usage, it will be troublesome for makers to make it wrath.
Samsung, as well as other cell phone creators like LG and Huawei, are also apparently dealing with a cell phone that you could unfurl to use as a tablet.
The presence of adaptable presentations has been around in recent years, although nobody seems to have used it pleasantly yet.
Foldable as well as obviously straightforward presentations for a cell phone could be a thing in 2019 also.
As late as another patent documented by Sony, it portrayed a strategy for another kind of straightforward showcase on a cell phone, which had a cell phone with two presentations, one on the front and one at the back.


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An odd bug began affecting iPhone users today.
Random reboots can be quite annoying. But what happens if they’re not so random? Today many iPhone users found themselves victims of what may have at first seemed like random reboots, but that wasn’t really the case. They’re phones were being triggered to crash, and the trigger was app notifications. Just any old app notifications. I imagine this would be extremely frustrating for users.
The odd bug was causing processor usage to spike to 100% when apps gave a notification. With the processor at 100, the iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch would heat up. And when the device heated up, it would end up restarting.
For users being affected by the bug, the directions to fix it start with turning off the notifications for all the apps on the device, then upgrade to the latest iOS 11.2. It seems Apple was quick to push out this latest update to fix this latest issue. I bet Mac users are wishing Apple was as quick to patch that embarrassing root login issue.
source: ZD Net


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20 Under 20: Graham Boswell will be your technology shopping consultant
At age 11, Graham Boswell built his first computer — along with a bedroom workshop to disassemble and repair computers, phones and other electronics.
Three years later, the Cedar Bluff Middle eighth-grader has launched his own business, Panama Circuits, and provides personalized consulting for people shopping for technology.
"I like educating people about things they do not understand," said Graham, who has made himself an expert on up-to-date hardware and software and routinely reads sales circulars, blogs and websites to find the newest releases and the best prices. "I break down the options simply in a chart or graph, so even the least technologically literate people will understand."
So far, customers have given rave reviews to his service, which he started "because places like Best Buy are not hiring 14-year-olds. The money is also a bonus."
Graham said he likes the variety of products available and enjoys "spending hours comparing specs and prices" as well as hands-on building. Right now, he's working on a custom computer.
His goals are to graduate high school his junior year (he already has the courses planned out), then get a yearlong electrician apprenticeship before getting a degree in teaching and computer engineering. Shorter term, he'll be working on his Boy Scout Eagle Scout project, taking photos and doing online design for his school's yearbook — and joining Hardin Valley Academy's robotics team as the only 8th grade member.
Graham "has a real talent in communicating with people regarding their technology needs," said his mother, Shay Boswell. "He doesn't bog his customers down with too much technical information, but just enough so that they feel comfortable with their purchase."


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Google reported its quarterly earnings much earlier than expected Thursday, and the results missed analysts' expectations significantly.
GOOG) fell sharply, and its market cap shed about $19 billion. (Click here to get the latest quotes for Google.) The company offered no explanation as to why it released earnings early. Trading was halted shortly after the announcement at the company's request pending news.After the earnings announcement, the company's shares (
Following the earnings release surprise, the company issued a statement blaming its financial printer for the early release.
"Earlier this morning RR Donnelley, the financial printer, informed us that they had filed our draft 8K earnings statement without authorization. We have ceased trading on NASDAQ while we work to finalize the document. Once it's finalized we will release our earnings, resume trading on NASDAQ and hold our earnings call as normal at 1:30 PM PT," the company said.
The company posted third-quarter earnings excluding items of $9.03 per share, down from $9.72 a share in the year-earlier period.
(More From CNBC: The Top 10 US States for Technology)
Net income was $3.01 billion, down from $3.18 billion in the year-ago quarter.
Revenue increased 51 percent to $11.33 billion from $7.51 billion a year ago.
In the release, the company said its average cost-per-click declined 15 percent compared to the third quarter a year ago.
"There's a feeling that September wasn't a great month generally for our clients or for markets - not just advertising. That has some knock-on to our industry and this might be a little of that," Martin Sorrell, CEO of advertising company WPP, told CNBC in response to the disappointing Google earnings.
Analysts had expected the company to report earnings excluding items of $10.65 a share on $11.86 billion in revenue, according to a consensus estimate from Thomson Reuters.
On Thursday, the company unvieled a $249 laptop that is built by Samsung Electronics and uses Google's Chrome operating system, The Wall Street Journal Reported..
(More From CNBC: Just How Big Is Apple? Click Here for Some Perspective)
The company was scheduled to report after the closing bell on Thursday and surprised investors with its early release. Google's early release included the phrase "Pending Larry Quote" suggesting that a remark from CEO Larry Page would be added later. Below is an except from the company's SEC filing for third-quarter results:
More From CNBC
Earnings Look Better So Far, but Market May Not Care
Fourth-Quarter Earnings Warnings Start Rolling In
10 Cash Rich Companies


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Scoot, the San Francisco-based electric scooter ride share network, has teamed up with Nissan to create a four-wheeled two-seater enclosed vehicle onto the streets of San Francisco. Starting today, Scoot members have the option to rent one of these adorable little cars to get them anywhere in the 7×7.
Known as the Scoot Quad, this is an all-electric vehicle that you can turn on with the push of your smartphone. Just 10 of these little vehicles are ready to hit the road – a paltry amount compared to the 400 some odd scooters in the network. However, Scoot’s VP Mike Waltman told me that’s just the beginning.
The Quad is a bit of an experiment for both Scoot and Nissan. “As large cities continue to grow into megacities globally, we need to understand how transportation is changing and look ahead to anticipate what transportation needs will look like in the future,” Nissan Future Lab executive director Rachel Nguyen said.
Nissan is familiar with the electric vehicle market – introducing Nissan LEAF to San Francisco orginally in 2010. Nissan will now be working with Scoot to evaluate a different form of electric transportation in metropolitan areas.
This is also a boon for Scoot customers. Waltman told us the little two-seater was something its audience had been asking to get for awhile. Like the recently launched Scoot Cargo – a scooter with a larger carrying capacity and ability to haul more groceries and other items on the back – the Quad can also carry larger loads. Unlike the other scooters, Quad can now also carry an extra passenger.
Note that, though these little guys are pretty sweet to ride around in, you can’t park the Quad in all the places you can park a Scooter. The startup tells us it recently won approval to park its scooters in any designated parking area in San Francisco. However, Quads will remain in designated garage spaces.
But seeing and testing the new Quad are two different things. Waltman recently invited me and the TechCrunch camera crew to the Scoot Quad garage to test it out myself. Check out the video above for that.
Riders can get their own Quad experience using the Scoot Networks app — offered on both iOS and Android devices — to find the nearest Scoot Quad. Rides start at $8 per half-hour or $80 per day.


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Exchange traded funds heavy on Chinese Internet and technology names were not immune to the recent equity market rout in Asia’s largest economy. Over the past month, the KraneShares CSI China Internet Fund (NasdaqGM: KWEB) and the Guggenheim China Technology ETF (NYSEArca: CQQQ) are off an average of 14%.
However, with the stocks held by CQQQ and KWEB battered and bruised, it might be time to revisit Chinese Internet names along with the aforementioned ETFs even with marquee names such as Alibaba (NYSE: BABA), Baidu (NasdaqGS: BIDU) and Tencent (OTCBB: TCEHY) in correction territory after recent double-digit slides.
“Analysts’ mean price target for Nasdaq-listed Baidu is $250, compared with a price of $189 on July 9. Tencent offers still more theoretical upside, with a consensus target of 206 Hong Kong dollars (US$26.57) against a current HK$146 for its Hong Kong–listed stock,” reports Craig Mellow for Barron’s.
The $76.3 million KWEB allocates a combined 18.4% of its weight to Tencent and Baidu while the rival CQQQ, which has $82.1 million in assets, devotes a combined 19.5% of its weight to those Chinese Internet giants. [China Internet ETF Staves Off Alibaba Slump]
As has been frequently noted in the past, there is a strong long-term bull case for Chinese Internet names. China eRetailing sales topped $410 billion in 2013 and is projected to reach $650 billion by 2020; a 59% increase in sales and 4.3% of Chinese retail sales occur over the Internet, according to KraneShares. That is nearly quadruple the U.S. number.


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The United States government is still researching digital currency and examining its risks and potential benefits. As a result, US authorities are not yet ready to create a regulatory framework for the industry, according to remarks made by White House cybersecurity coordinator Rob Joyce at the Munich Security Conference on Friday.
The price of Bitcoin continued to rise on Thursday, peaking at above the $10,000 mark – a height last seen more than two weeks ago. The cryptocurrency markets have been rallying in recent days, as investor fears about potentially crippling government regulation have appeared to subside amid a host of more positive news.
An estimated 7% of all Americans are believed to own some type of cryptocurrency. According to early indications from tax firm Credit Karma, however, only a relatively small number of those people are apparently reporting digital currency gains and losses in this year’s tax filings.
More than 4,200 websites were infected with crypto-mining malware on Sunday, according to a report in The Register. The scheme used Browsealoud – a popular plugin that provides audio readings of web content for visually impaired internet users – to infect websites with the Coinhive Monera-mining malware. Browsealoud is used in many government websites around the world.
Several Russian scientists have reportedly been detained by the authorities after they attempted to use a supercomputer to mine digital currency. The scientists, who work on Russian nuclear warheads at the Federal Nuclear Center in Sarov, were caught as they tried to connect the facility’s computer to the internet, according to reports from the BBC.
The state of Arizona moved one step closer to accepting digital currency for state income tax payments last night, after the state Senate voted to pass a bill designed to allow taxpayers to use cryptocurrencies to meet their tax obligations. Arizona Senate Bill 1091 was passed with 16 yeas, 13 nays, and one abstention.
If Brian Forde is successful in his quest to represent California’s 45th congressional district in Congress, Bitcoin and other digital currencies could soon have a new friend in the nation’s capital. The 37-year old former digital currency director at MIT’s Media Lab is one of several candidates in that hotly-contested race, but he’s already attracted the attention of a number of prominent crypto investors who have been impressed by his knowledge and support for digital currency technology.
On Tuesday, the Senate Banking Committee conducted a hearing on cryptocurrencies that included testimony from Commodity Futures Trading Commission (FCTC) Chairman Christopher Giancarlo and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Jay Clayton. The two men testified about a wide variety of crypto-related topics, including regulations, ICOs, and distributed ledger technology.
Bitcoin’s price continued to drop on Monday, sliding below the $7 mark – its lowest level in more than two months. Analysts have attributed the ongoing price weakness to a steady stream of bad news for the cryptocurrency industry, including new regulatory concerns and recent announcements that several big banks will no longer allow their credit cards to be utilized for cryptocurrency purchases.
Three major U.S. banks recently announced that they will decline credit card purchases of digital currency. The three banks – Bank of America, Citigroup, and JPMorgan Chase – revealed the policy change at the end of the week, with JPMorgan Chase citing the “volatility and risk” involved in such transactions. In a statement to CNBC, a bank spokesperson said:
Shares of Long Blockchain Corp. enjoyed a 4 percent increase on Friday, after the company announced that it will no longer be purchasing 1,000 Bitcoin mining rigs. Instead, the company formerly known as Long Island Iced Tea will focus its attention on its proposed merger with British technology firm Stater Blockchain Ltd.
Brisbane Airport has announced that it plans to begin accepting digital currencies in its restaurants, bars, and shops. The Australian airport has reportedly signed a deal with TravelbyBit Australia that will enable it to accept a variety of different cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Dash, and Steem, according to a report in The Telegraph.
In the last eighteen months, cryptocurrencies have stormed onto the financial scene with a very loud bang. The cryptocurrency market is now valued at north of $500 billion and growing exponentially every year. At this rate, the cryptocurrency market will be worth trillions of dollars in just a few short years. This multi-trillion-dollar pot of gold is now firmly entrenched in global finance. As a result, what was once scorned, ridiculed, and considered little more than a pipe-dream is now being taken very seriously by almost every major financial institution worldwide
South Korean media reported this week that tech giant Samsung Electronics is manufacturing chips designed for cryptocurrency mining. The chips are being made by the company’s Foundry chipset business and provided to a Chinese Bitcoin mining hardware manufacturer, according to a report in The Bell.
The global elites who gathered at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland this week had much to say about digital currencies. One of the attendees, Swedish Riksbank Deputy Governor Cecilia Skingsley, expressed a sentiment that seemed to be shared by many, if not all, of the world leaders in attendance, as she asserted that Bitcoin and its digital currency peers are “not a very good version of money.”
Bitcoin and other digital currencies have been a hot topic at the 2018 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, as political leaders have called for increased regulation of the industry. Many of those leaders have expressed concerns about cryptocurrency’s potential use by criminals and other bad actors.
Weiss Ratings has announced its first ratings for digital currencies, in a move that some see as a further indication of growing mainstream acceptance of the industry. The securities rating firm relied on computer models that judge digital currencies based on four specific areas of analysis: risk, reward, technology, and the cryptocurrency fundamental index.
There are many tutorials online that will take you through the process of securing your wallet, step-by-step – and many of them are quite useful in that regard. However, your fortune could be at risk if you try to follow one of these tutorials after something goes wrong. To avoid that potential risk, it is critical to understand what it is that you are securing and what types of security risks threaten that security. That understanding can provide you with the insight you need to make your own decisions about which precautions you should take and determine the best bitcoin wallet for you. Understanding why you are doing something also makes it much less likely that you’ll make mistakes or follow the wrong instructions.
South Korea’s government has been tightening the reins on its vibrant digital currency trading market recently, and that trend shows no sign of slowing. Officials now plan to require more transparency in digital currency transactions by forcing digital currency traders to ensure that they use their real names on crypto exchange accounts, according to reporting from Reuters.
Contained within several notices from the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA), are clarifications of the regulations in place that can determine the legality of Initial Coin Offerings (also called Initial Token Offerings). The CSA’s main concern with ICOs in their current form will most certainly be the lack of investor protection for Canadians. Like securities laws in the United States that provide investor protection, Canada also has regulations regarding the sale of ICO tokens to its citizens.


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Carbon fiber, one of the strongest man-made lightweight materials has been reliant on fossil fuels. Scientists are trying to use biofuel to make carbon fiber.
Carbon fiber is one of the strongest man-made materials, and it’s also incredibly lightweight. That’s what makes it an excellent material for vehicles and planes, but up until now, it has still been very reliant on fossil fuels.
WebForum had a recent report that highlighted what is so special about this material.
But there is a downside in the financial cost and a huge amount of energy that makes carbon fiber less than a sustainable and green material.
But that could be about to change. Scientists are working on a solution that uses a biomaterial called lignin from plants to turn it into carbon fibers. This could end up making a huge difference to the green EV market.
The lighter vehicles become while still providing the same level of strength as steel, the longer the battery ranges will become. Biocarbon fiber is also expected to become much cheaper, and if it finds a mass market, then economies of scale should drive prices down even further.
The airline industry has already set its eyes on the potential of this as a cost-effective solution to make aircrafts lighter and more stable, which is something that could make air travel a lot more environmentally friendly.
More inspiring green news similar to this:


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by Anton Shilov
03/02/2011 | 03:40 PM
A publisher of causal video games designed for Apple iPhone and iPod Touch platforms said that Sony Corp.'s next-generation dedicated video game console called NGP was dead on arrival and so are all dedicated mobile consoles.
“I think [Sony's portable consoles] are hurt; I think they are clearly hurt. I think PSP is done and the new [NGP] is dead on arrival. It's really difficult to compete with an app store that has hundreds of thousands of applications and a wide range of options where the average price paid is around $1.20 and there are tens, if not hundreds of thousands of free applications that are really high quality," said Neil Young, the head of Ngmoco, said in an interview with IndustryGamers web-site.
Sony and Nintendo stress that titles designed for dedicated portable game consoles provide better experience and longer game-play compared to games developed for smartphones albeit at higher price. However, the quality of content for smartphones is getting higher and will become even more solid once ported titles from consoles and PCs hit PlayStation-branded and other Google Android-based handsets. Nonetheless, dedicated hardware by definition has higher performance and better form-factor to play games compared to a smartphone.
“[NGP is] not a PS3 quality experience... And in terms of getting broad adoption, having great processing power is not necessarily a prerequisite for great adoption in the marketplace. You need a range of things and what I think the iPod Touch and iPhone have been able to do is offer people Swiss army knife-type functionality for a device that plays games really well. [The platform is] pretty good at playing games and it can do a whole bunch of other things as well," added Mr. Young.
Interestingly, but the designer of iPhone games paints a better picture for Nintendo 3DS.
"I think Nintendo will likely be competitive. My personal opinion is that the 3D piece of the puzzle is kind of gimmicky. But Nintendo has great franchises and there are tens of millions of people who want to participate in those franchises, so that always helps," assumed the head of Ngmoco.
Sony has succeeded in selling 67.8 million of PlayStation Portables so far and Nintendo Corp. has managed to sell over 145 million of various versions of its DS console. But manufacturers of smartphones have sold many more units and all of those devices can provide decent gaming experience. It is a big question whether there are a lot of gamers, who want to have premium gaming experience while on the go and it will be answered in the following couple of years, when Nintendo 3DS and Sony PSP2/NGP will reach the mass market.


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LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif. (CBS.MW) - Gateway Chairman and CEO Ted Waitt on Tuesday defended his company's strategy of engaging in a PC price war that would lead to operating losses for several quarters, saying the move would result in sustainable profits for the long run. "We're going to grow the business significantly," said Waitt, looking fit and tanned without his bovine mascot in tow as he spoke at the 14th annual Roth Capital Partners growth stock conference in Laguna Niguel, Calif.
Hypercom stands by 2002 targets
Calif. Amplifier stands by Q4
OSI 'very confident' about business
OSI Systems CEO Deepak Chopra said the company is "very confident" about this quarter and the next quarter.
He added that since Sept. 11 the security screening portion of the optoelectronic specialist's business has grown 34 percent. Before Sept. 11, it was growing at a 10 percent rate. The company's total order backlog is over $75 million. The cargo market has a backlog is more than $27 million. The company
Digital Lightwave still glum
Digital Lightwave DIGL reiterated that revenue for 2002 would be considerably lower than 2001. For the year the company is expected to post revenue of $22.2 million, down 73 percent from $82.8 million in 2001, according to Roth Capital Partners. Digital Lightwave blamed a significant decline in capital expenditures in North America. The company is taking steps to reduce costs to expand into additional telecom markets to increase its global market share and accelerate product development.


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Tate & Lyle says adios to Mexican sugar
volatile commodity markets and refocus on value-added ingredients,
with a plan to sell its Mexican sugar business, Grupo Industrial
Azucarero de Occidente.
The firm's plan to sell its 49 per cent stake in Occidente to E D & F Man Holdings for US$93m (£46m, €66.5m) represents Tate & Lyle's exit from the sugar industry in the Americas. It sold its Domino business in the United States to Refined Sugars of New York in 2001, and earlier this year it sold its Canadian business, Redpath, to American Sugar Refining. The news of the Mexican sugar interest sale comes just a week after the company warned that profits from continuing operations in its sugars division were "sharply lower" than in the prior comparative period, principally due to a forecast small loss in sugar trading for the first half compared to a profit of £15m (€21m) in the prior year. Occidente operates three sugar cane mills in Mexico and primarily serves the domestic market. A spokesperson told FoodNavigator.com that the decision to sell has not been spurred by any particular issues with sugar in Mexico, but that it makes strategic sense since Tate & Lyle has no other sugar presence in the region. Tate & Lyle's repositioning towards ingredients that can add value to food products, was spurred in particular by reform of the European sugar sector, in which Tate & Lyle was a major player but, with the introduction of sugar quotas from last year, it could no longer see a strong future. When commodity prices fluctuate, whether caused by regulatory, environmental or other factors, the corresponding cost of raw materials can have a serious impact on an ingredient firm's bottom line. It is the on-going effects of this which Tate & Lyle is seeking to curtail. Successful conclusion of the Occidente deal is subject not only to clearance by the Mexican Federal Economic Competition Law, but also the option of majority shareholder, the Saenz family, to acquire an additional one per cent stake. If such an option were exercised, E D & F Man will acquire 48 per cent of Occidente. Following the sale, Tate & Lyle will have sugar operations only in the UK, Portugal and Vietnam. The spokesperson said that the firm is presently investing in its remaining European sugar businesses. It has no plans to rid itself of its Vietnamese interest (a joint venture), either, since this is "a growing market with a future". Chief executive Iain Ferguson made a connection between the proposed sale of Occidente and last week's closure of the sale of five wheat starch production facilities in Europe to Syral. "Both these transaction represent important steps in our strategy of reshaping our business to reduce the impact of our exposure to volatile raw material and commodity markets as we build a stronger value-added business," he said. The conclusion of the starch sale is particularly reassuring for Tate & Lyle given the record prices that wheat has been commanding on the world markets in recent months, exposing margins to potential harm. Tate & Lyle has said it will use revenue from the Occidente sale to reduce group debt. Net liabilities stood at £286m (€413.5m) at the end of the last financial year, ended March 31. However this debt is not a cause to fret; the spokesperson said it is simply good cash flow management. Given that Tate & Lyle this year has invested in an 80 per cent stake in German specialty ingredients firm GV Hahn, he said it "has no issues making investments in strategic areas". In May this year, the group reported sales from continuing operations of £3.81bn (€5.6bn) for the 12 months ended March 31, up from £3.46bn (€5.09) the previous year. Operating profit was £333m (€490m). Tate & Lyle's share of the net operating asserts of Occidente was £42m (€60.7m), and its share of operating profit was £6m (€8.7m).


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Brambles in big demerger
Brambles has resorted to spinning off its document-storage business, Recall, into a separately listed company on the Australian sharemarket after failing to sell the unit to trade buyers last year.
In the biggest company split in Australia since Westfield spun off a retail trust in 2011, the world’s largest supplier of timber pallets will list Recall as a separate company with a market value estimated at $1.1 billion to $1.5 billion by December. It will make Recall a top-150 company on the ASX.
Recall has faced what management has termed a near ‘‘perfect storm’’ over the past year, including a large decline in pre-tax earnings in the second half.
But Brambles chief executive Tom Gorman said the demerger would allow Recall to ‘‘pursue its own opportunities’’ while Brambles could focus on pallet-pooling operations. ‘‘After a disruptive year [for Recall] ... the focus is now going after some of those business opportunities. We do believe there continues to be top-line growth opportunities,’’ he said.
Brambles in June last year abandoned attempts over almost a year to sell Recall to trade buyers for as much as $2 billion. It blamed ‘‘challenging capital markets’’ and low offers for the lack of progress.
The Sydney company expects Recall to post an underlying profit of between $US138 million ($151 million) and $US142 million for the year to June, down from $US174 million in 2011-12.
Recall bore the brunt of a sharp decline in paper prices in the first half, while a slowdown in transactional activity affected it in the second half. Its main competitor is US company Iron Mountain, whose stock price has fallen 32 per cent over the past two months.
The document-storage business has 4500 staff and its main operations are in North America, Europe and Australia. About a third of Recall’s business is here.
While companies could still be interested in buying Recall, Mr Gorman said it would have to be a ‘‘significant premium’’ to stop him pursuing a listing. He said it had been difficult for Recall to ‘‘shine well’’ in the shadow of its parent, whose main pallet pooling business had higher growth potential.
Analysts believe a demerger makes sense because Recall is a ‘‘non-core asset’’.
Shareholders will vote on the demerger in December and, subject to their giving approval, Recall will list on the ASX soon after.
They will gain new shares in Recall proportionate to their existing Brambles stock. Recall will carry about $450 million in net debt once it is spun off.
Ian Blackburne, the chairman of poker machine maker Aristocrat, has been named Recall chairman. Recall chief executive Doug Pertz will remain in the top job.
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Automotive News is claiming to have an exclusive in their confirmation this weekend that Audi now plans to build a plant in the USA. "It is totally clear that we need new production capacity in the USA. The only question is when." said company CEO Rupert Stadler in an interview.
A second source of AN also told the publication that a second plant bbuilding engines and transmissions in North America is also likely as it would increase local content and could also be shared with Volkswagen.
<b>So what would it build an where would it be built?</b>
Don't assume it'll be the Q3 because we show that above. The Q3 is currently built in Martorell, Spain and this first generation likely won't come Stateside anyway. We expect the Audi plant will build cars where demand is high and so are volumes. Think Q5 and A4 due to their shared MLB longitudinal matrix and maybe even the Q5-based Porsche Cajun. Then again, the next-gen A3 sedan was designed mainly for the US market and it could readily share a line with the next-generation MQB Q3 or A1. All of these transversely oriented models would share engines and (more critically) transmissions with their VW counterparts being built in Chattanooga.
As for where, Audi also hasn't revealed this but we'd guess it won't be far from existing suppliers. This leaves the Chattanooga area as quite likely, but also perhaps near other manufacturers that share suppliers with Audi.
Read more via Automotive News' sister publication Autoweek.


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- Call for internet safety lessons [BBC]
"Lessons on how to use the internet safely should be compulsory in schools, university researchers say."
- Microsoft warns of new Windows security issues [CNET]
"Company says issues put some Windows users at risk of attack and that it's investigating a third possible vulnerability."
- Forget the browser wars, prepare for the toolbar wars [CNET]
"A potential deal between Google and Dell highlights the new turf battle over the choices PC users have on first booting up."
- Apple rolls out 1GB Nano [CNET]
"Newest edition of the device, priced at $149, offers same basic features as the 2GB and 4GB Nano."
- Apple rolls out $69 iPods, new Showtime downloads [USA TODAY]
"Apple Computer on Tuesday slashed prices on entry-level iPods and added shows from pay-TV's Showtime to its iTunes store - moves aimed at further cementing its supremacy in digital downloads."
- Attack Code Published for Firefox Flaw [PC World]
"Mozilla has already issued a patch for the vulnerability found in Firefox 1.5."
- Another damn Google HQ tour
"You see that "Worst Job Ever" desktop search result? Yeah? That's the sign of unlimited hilarity to come."
- Confabulous: Sun gets business plan from underpants gnomes
"Looks like these poor folks could use a backchannel. "


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John Romero, one of the brains behind Doom, is working on another first-person shooter, Romero Games announced today. In a tweet, the independent studio founded by Romero and his wife Brenda Romero said it will be teaming up with a major publisher to develop the game and will be using an “original, new IP.”
Few other details were revealed about the upcoming title, which will be the first title from Romero Games since Brenda’s 2020 strategy game Empire of Sin. We do know that it will be powered by Unreal Engine 5. The studio mentioned that it is recruiting staff at all levels to help build the game, particularly people with UE5 experience.
The Galway-based studio isn’t revealing much else about the game. In the FAQ section of its website, the question “What can you tell us about the new shooter?” appears first. “We can confirm that it’s new, that it’s a shooter and that we’re making it with a major publisher. Otherwise, it’s way too early to share any other information on it. We’re grateful for your interest, though,” the studio writes in response.
It’s only been a few months since Epic Games released UE5 to developers, and we’ve already seen a number of new, promising game announcements — though we won’t see most of them until later on in 2022 or 2023. Fans of Romero’s work will likely have to remain patient for this latest title, and it’s unclear where whether it will take precedence over Sigil 2which Romero Games announced last year but which still lacks a release date.
Correction 7/19/22 5:51pm: Empire of Sin has now been appropriately attributed to Brenda Romero.
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We drive all different types of cars all year round. Here are the best and worst ones we reviewed in 2014
China's plan to lower pollution with electric cars is running into some issues
'Look at China’s skies, all responsible corporate citizens want to do something about it'
Vancouver International Auto Show to get makeover
Tesla drivers are more likely to be repeat customers, Consumer Reports says
The new model will mark Audi’s first mainstream all-electric vehicle
Sun Country Highway charging stations put to the test in second annual E-mazing Race
The electric B-Class has Tesla tech powering it
Michigan becomes the fourth state to ban direct sales of Tesla cars
Tesla's new battery swap stations promise to replace your drained Model S battery with a fully charged one in less than 90 seconds
Our wallets may finally be getting a break at the pumps thanks to dropping oil prices. But not everyone's cheering
The electrifying stuff Lotto 6/49 fantasies are made of
Tesla has added a new dual-motor all-wheel-drive system to the Model S lineup
Why is the electric car so popular in Norway and what would it take to replicate that popularity in Canada?
The move would better position the electric-car maker in cold-weather markets
What could Tesla's mysterious new model possibly be?
The small size of the territory’s main island means customers will need to charge their cars only once a week
Tesla is expected to introduce some sort of semi-autonomous driving assists in the next three years
CEO Elon Musk says, "I would not be surprised if there was a significant deal with Toyota and Tesla"
World’s biggest lithium battery plant eyes world’s ’Biggest Little City’


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Kawasaki Robotics has sold 2,000 units of its duAro dual-armed collaborative industrial robot in China, according to a report on Bloomberg.com.
The company is now looking to increase sales to 5,000 units of duAro as the country’s industrial sector struggles with labour shortages.
As anomalous as it seems for a country with 1.4 billion people, China is facing labour shortages – believed to be caused by the one-child policy, introduced in 1979 when the country first started moving to a more capitalist-style economy.
Continue reading Kawasaki sells 2,000 duAro units in China, looking to sell even more robots amid labour shortages
The European Union is re-examining the rules governing takeovers of European companies by investors from outside the EU.
The reassessment comes in the aftermath of the takeover of German robotics and industrial automation company Kuka by Chinese household appliances maker Midea.
Midea’s acquisition of Kuka – for about $4 billion – was said by
Bloomberg to be part of a “global acquisitions spree” by the Chinese company. Continue reading EU expected to make it more difficult for foreign companies to buy European companies
China’s appetite for industrial robots is big and growing. Already the largest buyer of the machines, domestic companies are being encouraged by the Chinese government to build more robots locally, not just import them from overseas.
Such high-powered encouragement has led to the establishment of numerous robot manufacturers in the country, some of which take advantage of government subsidies.
This has prompted criticism from US commerce secretary Wilbur Ross (main picture), who grumbled about a range of issues, but singled out China’s burgeoning robotics industry, which he apparently believes is built mainly on government subsidies.
Continue reading US trade boss warns of oversupply of bad robots because of Chinese government subsidies
The global robot population is growing at what some might say is an alarming rate.
As well as the countless millions already tucked away in factories and homes everywhere, there could be another 2 million added to that number by the end of the decade, which may or may not coincide with the end of humanity’s control over the planet and a ceremonial transfer of power to the robots and artificial intelligence.
Purely ceremonial, since some people say they already rule over us anyway.
Continue reading By 2020, 1.7 million new robots will be roaming the earth
HIT Robot Group, one of China’s leading manufacturer of robots, has launched an industrial robotics tutorial platform.
HRG says Haidu Academy is designed to help learners of different levels to improve their industrial robot-operating skills on various brands.
China is the largest and fastest-growing robot market in the world.
According to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, in the first seven months of 2017, 71,600 industrial robots were produced in China, accounting for more than 30 percent of global output during the period.
Statistics also suggest an increasing demand for skilled workers. The Ministry predicts that China will need 200,000 skilled workers to operate industrial robots as of 2020.
Continue reading HRG launches industrial robotics tutorial platform
ABB has a significant lead in the industrial robotics and automation market in China, but it seems somewhat wary of Kuka.
The company recently decided it would double its investment in its research and development facility in China, and effectively make it the company’s global R&D HQ.
ABB currently employs 17,000 people in 139 cities in China. Its robotics division, though huge by itself, is just one part of the Swiss multinational engineering company.
Bloomberg, ABB CEO Ulrish Spiesshofer says: “ABB is ahead of Kuka globally, we are ahead of Kuka here in the market and our ambition is to stay so.” Continue reading ABB doubling investment in China to see off challenge from Kuka and surpass Fanuc
Engineering giant Siemens is establishing a robotics research and development centre in China.
The company says the facility will be a global research centre in autonomous robotics, and is part of its innovation strategy to “master technology fields that are critical for future success”.
Worldwide, Siemens is planning to spend $6 billion this year on R&D, and China is likely to represent a significant portion of that budget.
Siemens says the global research community in its China R&D centre will comprise experienced experts from around the world will focus on:
the research and development of new mechatronics systems,
human-robot collaboration; and
the application of artificial intelligence in robotic controllers.
Continue reading Siemens to establish global robotics research and development centre in China
Siasun Robot & Automation has become the first Chinese company to join the US Robotic Industries Association.
Siasun is said to be China’s largest robot supplier and integrator. By joining RIA, the company will gain greater access to the association’s members, partners and personnel.
It may also learn about new technologies and more support for any plans expansion in America.
Continue reading Siasun becomes first Chinese company to join leading US robotics association
Comau is continuing on with its ambitious growth plan with the signing of two new partnership agreements in the US, and with the presentation of its industrial robotics and automation solutions at the World Robot Conference in China.
In California, Comau signed a partnership agreement with Valencia, California-based distributor
Pacific Technical Products.
Since 1985, PTP has been a provider of industrial automation products and services, and specializes in industrial automation solutions.
Continue reading Comau signs new partners in the US as it showcases its industrial robots in China
HIT Robot Group, one of China’s leading robot manufacturers, unveiled more than 50 products and introduced its vision to build the “Robotics Biosphere” at the 2017 World Robot Conference in Beijing.
The company announced that it has successfully laid the groundwork of a unique biosphere for global robotic innovation, entrepreneurship and industry.
In his keynote speech at WRC, the company’s senior vice president Yu Zhenzhong said: “HRG Robotics is committed to building an industrial incubation platform that encompasses the robotic sector as a whole so as to realize optimized integration of all resources based on industrial layouts.”
Continue reading HRG Robotics unveils products and ‘Robotics Biosphere’ vision at World Robot Conference in China
China is seeing more demand for industrial robots as well as more of the machines being built inside the country, according to a report by the Robotics industries Association.
Annual sales in China were “the highest level ever recorded for a single country”, says RIA, adding “sales in China surged by 27 percent to 87,000 units” in 2016.
At the same time, says RIA, robot manufacturers in China have been expanding their market share within the country.
Continue reading China reaching new heights in demand for industrial robots as well as making them
Gao Feng, a business consultancy headquartered in China, has released a new paper about the revolution in auto mobility in China.
China’s unique set of urban transportation challenges, very high rate of adoption of mobile internet services, and rapid and aggressive introduction of alternative mobility solutions have combined to make China a global breeding ground for mobility innovation.
The deeply-rooted automotive industry business model is experiencing disruption.
Mobility needs previously satisfied through product “ownership” are increasingly being served through mobility services “usership”, with profound implications not only for traditional players within the value chain, but also for non-traditional players – as they enter and compete to deliver services.
Continue reading China’s auto mobility revolution: Going from ‘ownership’ to ‘usership’
Picture courtesy of Dr Miha Pipan
The huge and growing demand for industrial robots in China is prompting the world’s largest industrial robot makers to look into setting up operations in the country.
In particular, Japanese companies are said to be profiting from China’s huge increase in demand for industrial robots.
Statistics collated by the Japan Robot Association show that the country exported around $4.4 billion worth of industrial robots to China in 2016.
Continue reading Big industrial robot manufacturers looking to move into China
A jade-polishing robot produced by the HIT Robot Group, one of China’s largest robot makers
China’s enthusiasm for new technology, combined with its paranoia about being left behind in a globally intensifying high-tech competition, sometimes leads it to create small bubbles in its economy which may or may not dissipate in the disciplined manner in which the markets they encompass may have emerged in the first place.
Two years ago, the government of the world’s most populous nation of 1.4 billion people launched a 10-year national plan to “transform China from a manufacturing giant into a world manufacturing power”, in the words of
XinhuaNet, the state propaganda outlet. Continue reading China’s enthusiasm for robots and electric cars creating oversupply of clean technology
The Progress spacecraft
China and Russia have both launched robotic spacecraft on cargo missions recently, according to reports in the media.
Chinese state news agency
Xinhua says the Tiangong-2 space lab and Tianzhou-1 completed a second refuelling test which “cemented technical results from the first refuelling”.
According to Space.com, the refuelling procedure requires 29 steps to complete and lasts for several days.
Continue reading Chinese robotic spacecraft completes second refuelling test, as Russia launches robotic cargo ship to International Space Station


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LOS ANGELES — Shelby American has resurrected one of the most popular cars in its lineup by unveiling the new Shelby GT, based on the 2014 Ford Mustang GT.
“The Shelby GT was one of the most important vehicles in modern-day Shelby history,” said John Luft, president of Shelby American, located in Las Vegas. “Ever since the Shelby GT went out of production [in 2008], people have clamored for its return.”
The 2014 edition starts off with a 430-horsepower V8 and all sorts of performance modifications to the suspension, exhaust, wheels and body. The optional Shelby GT/SC supercharged model comes in either 525 hp or 624 hp form. In this most potent form, Shelby American says the GT/SC will launch to 60 miles an hour (96 km/h) in less than four seconds and complete the quarter-mile in less than 12 seconds.
Shelby says the base GT package starts at $14,995 US (plus the cost of a 2014 Mustang, which retails for around $30,900 US).


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To promote the use of cleaner and greener vehicles, Government if India is likely to extend a financial support of Rs 8,730 crore under Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric (FAME) scheme in India. The new financial support will be valid for five years but will be restricted to new energy vehicles like hybrids and electric vehicles used for public transport, commercial purposes, and two-wheelers. Ministry of Heavy Industries has laid a road-map for this scheme and claims it to be a 'technology agnostic' approach. Reports also suggest that only advanced batteries will be promoted in Phase II of the FAME scheme.
Second innings of FAME scheme was expected to be implemented starting April 1, 2020. But as usual delays in the workings of Government, it has been delayed. The proposals entailing financial support to the tune of Rs 8,730 crore are likely to sent to the Union Cabinet for approval soon, an official said. Further, the fund supports include Rs 2,500 crore for buses, Rs 1,000 crore for four-wheelers, Rs 600 crore for two-wheelers and Rs 750 crore for three-wheelers.
Ministry of Heavy Industry has submitted this new plan to government-appointed Niti Aayog which is responsible to see the workings of implementation of electric vehicles in India. Niti Aayog has begun the process of collating inputs from various ministries involved including Power, Road Transport & Highways, Finance Ministry and GST Council.
The phase one or pilot phase of the scheme was to expire on March 31 and is likely to be extended by few more months, another official added.
Out of the Rs 8,730 crore, support to the tune of Rs 5,550 crore has been proposed as demand-side incentives during the second phase of the scheme spanning five years, said sources.
This also to a certain extent makes it clear that the Government's focus towards electric mobility first is at public transport and commercial vehicles. "Support under FAME II, will be extended exclusively to public transport and/or commercial transport. However, two-wheeler segment with a maximum speed greater than 25 km/h will continue to be supported for all users." a senior government official informed PTI.
The proposal also seeks to link incentives to the increasing demand for electric vehicles and their localization level to promote 'Make in India' programme. "It is proposed to begin with 50 per cent localization; to be increased to 60 per cent by second year and 70 per cent thereafter. Proportionate reduction in incentives by 10 per cent each year after Year 2 is envisaged," the official added.
The government has also decided not to specify any type of technology for providing support under the scheme with "all zero emission vehicles (ZEV), including fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV), envisaged to be supported".
"The proposed scheme is also intended to support hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles to build volume of EV components which are similar for electric and hybrid vehicles," the official said, adding, however, stringent norms based on optimal energy saving as per market viability would be defined for strong hybrid vehicles. It's like that Government will prevent premium automakers to take advantage of FAME scheme and will restrict these incentives to vehicles with Ex-Factory prices, lower than a particular threshold value. So most of the imported vehicles (CBU) will not be benefited under this scheme.
Incentives on ex-factory prices range from Rs 1.5 lakh for high-speed two-wheelers to Rs 3 crore for buses, while for four-wheelers, including strong hybrid and plug-in hybrid, it is capped at Rs 15 lakh. For heavy-duty trucks, the factory price has been capped at Rs 2 crore and for LCVs it is Rs 10 lakh.
These incentives proposed are in proportion to the fuel efficiency that will be verified by ARAI. Under the FAME II, the ministry has also proposed that in cases where vehicles are sold without batteries for any fleet of 50 vehicles and above, operators can claim incentives for the purchase of bulk batteries.
On the infrastructure front, under FAME II, the Government of India plans to set up a network of charging stations in all metros, cities with million plus population and smart cities. The Heavy Industry Ministry had estimated an overall requirement of Rs 14,000 crore to support this infrastructure.
With inputs from PTI


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SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Northern California grocery workers agreed late Friday to extend their current labor contract with stores owned by several large supermarket chains.
The pact pushes the current agreement beyond its Saturday expiration date, keeping 19,000 members of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 588-Northern California on the job while negotiators continue to work on a new deal.
Both sides want to avoid the grocery strike and lockout that idled 59,000 workers in Southern California. That walkout lasted from October 2003 to March 2004 and was cited by the three big chains as their earnings tumbled.
The work stoppage pivoted around the issue of affordable employee heath care, which is also a bone of contention in the Northern California negotiations. The companies say they need to cut costs to compete with Wal-Mart
Shares of Safeway fell 45 cents to close at $22.70 on Friday; Albertsons lost 35 cents to $24.07; and Kroger finished the session at $16.76, down 29 cents.


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Natural Evolution managing director and co-founder Krista Watkins has been named Queensland’s latest #eatqld Champion for her support of Queensland produce and agricultural innovation. Watkins will join the panel at the upcoming Women in Packaging breakfast forum on 2 April.
Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries Mark Furner said Watkins’s passion for creating new, high-value food products that help local farmers generate additional income made her the perfect choice as our third #eatqld Champion.
“Krista is a leader in agricultural innovation and the co-founder and managing director of Natural Evolution Foods, a world-first company specialising in green banana flour products,” Furner said.
“Natural Evolution Foods has found innovative uses for otherwise wasted green bananas including gluten-free banana flour and a range of skin care products.”
Watkins said being a #eatqld Champion was a privilege as she actively encourages others to live healthy and happy lifestyles, while the title also recognises the pioneering work done at Natural Evolution.
“Natural Evolution is unique because we buy beautiful produce from farmers that would ordinarily be thrown away and produce the world’s best functional foods, cosmetics and spirits right here in North Queensland,” said Watkins.
“Queensland producers are world class and it’s interesting observing the emerging layer of producers who are challenging the status quo, diversifying both in their raw produce but also their finished products. That gets me really excited, we should be on the map as a food destination.”
PKN Packaging News and Food & Drink Business are hosting the Women in Packaging event on April 2, in partnership with AIP, at the upcoming Australasian Packaging Conference. Watkins will form part of the panel alongside Stay Tray founder and MD Kate Stewart, and plastics researcher and PhD candidate at UQ Nicole Garofano (MAIP).
2020 Women in Packaging breakfast forum
TIME: 7.00am registration & coffee for a 7.30am (sharp) start. Event ends at 8.45am
DATE: 2 April
VENUE: Crown Promenade, Melbourne.
Everyone is welcome. The event is free of charge for AIP Australasian Packaging Conference delegates.
Register for the 2020 Women in Packaging Breakfast forum here: http://aipack.com.au/event-registration/?ee=252


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The European Union isn't pleased with Motorola's stance on standard essential patents and has gone so far as to call the company's injunction against Apple an abusive act, and that Apple should be allowed to license the patents in question under reasonable terms. In a statement from the European Commission, which is investigating Motorola's actions, officials called the actions "an abuse of a dominant position prohibited by EU antitrust rules."
EU says Motorola is abusing its standard essential patents
The European Commission stated,
The Motorola Mobility SEPs in question relate to the European Telecommunications Standardisation Institute's (ETSI) GPRS standard, part of the GSM standard, which is a key industry standard for mobile and wireless communications. When this standard was adopted in Europe, Motorola Mobility gave a commitment that it would license the patents which it had declared essential to the standard on FRAND terms. Nevertheless, Motorola Mobility sought an injunction against Apple in Germany on the basis of a GPRS SEP and, after the injunction was granted, went on to enforce it, even when Apple had declared that it would be willing to be bound by a determination of the FRAND royalties by the German court.
The agency's preliminary ruling comes as part of an investigation into potential patent abuse on Motorola's part after the company won an infringement case against Apple in 2012 related to standard essential cell service patents. Apple was apparently willing to pay to license the patents so it wouldn't have to deal with ongoing litigation over how they are used in the iPhone and iPad, but Motorola refused despite their SEP status.
The European Commission added,
Today's Statement of Objections sets out the Commission's preliminary view that under the specific circumstances of this case - a previous commitment to license SEPs on FRAND terms and the agreement of Apple to accept a binding determination of the terms of a FRAND licence for SEPs by a third party - recourse to injunctions harms competition. The Commission is concerned that the threat of injunctions can distort licensing negotiations and lead to licensing terms that the licensee of the SEP would not have accepted absent this threat. This would lead to less consumer choice.
Motorola is currently dealing with two EU investigations into potential patent abuse over its refusal to license SEP technology to Apple and Microsoft despite both companies statements that they are willing to strike agreements.
The fact that Apple and Microsoft have both expressed a clear interest in strikingi licensing deals with Motorola doesn't bode well for the company, especially since the patents in question are standard essential. Depending on what the agency decides in its final ruling, Motorola could face fines that add up to "10 percent of [the] company's annual worldwide turnover."
Motorola hasn't commented on the preliminary ruling.


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- Used car retailer Carvana has come crashing down after a strong two years.
- Now, many are wondering if the company will go bankrupt.
- Consumers have a few things to keep in mind if that happens, experts say.
After a blockbuster few years during the COVID-19 pandemic, Carvana has seen 98% of its market value evaporate and its stock plunge to just $4.81 as of Friday morning. The upstart used car retailer is fading so fast, many industry players are wondering what happens if it goes bust.
When global supply chain constraints hampered new production, shoppers pushed used car prices to record highs and Carvana's peak valuation to more than $60 billion. The retailer built up inventory as it scrambled to cash in on demand for its online model, which included home delivery.
Now that auto production has largely recovered, used car prices are at their lowest level since August 2021, according to Cox Automotive's latest index.
Carvana reported a Q3 loss of $508 million. It's undergone layoffs and has admitted to being too bullish on buying cars to sell so fast — cars that it had acquired at a premium but has since had to sell at lower prices.
"Nothing focuses us like difficulty," CEO Ernest Garcia told investors on a third-quarter earnings call in November, "and the last several quarters have undoubtedly been difficult."
Carvana's biggest group of bondholders, led by Apollo Global Management and Pacific Investment Management, are banding together in negotiations with the retailer over the restructuring of its debts, as first reported by Bloomberg. Together, they own about 70% of Carvana's unsecured debt, or $4 billion, according to the report.
The move would ensure Carvana can't play its creditors against one another as it has secured emergency financing.
What its mean for car buyers — and legacy dealers
Carvana vehicle buyers should feel relatively protected. Used car sales are governed by state laws, and even if the company files for bankruptcy, a court is likely to honor existing warranties, according to auto research firm Kelley Blue Book.
KBB cautions that car buyers should be sure to have the appropriate paperwork when it buys from Carvana, as Carvana has had a history of vehicle title issues brought on by its rapid expansion.
In the meantime, it's possible Carvana will "sell off some property, close some sales lots, and shutter some brightly-lit car vending machines," according to KBB. But don't expect a going out of business sale that floods the market with inventory anytime soon.
A bankruptcy, however, could leave car dealers pleased, as Carvana was able to undercut its brick-and-mortar competition with vehicle prices.


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By now everyone is aware of the recent changes to YouTube that were introduced last month. You know, the change that if your channel doesn’t surpass 4,000 hours of watch time within the past year and 1,000 subscribers that you’ll lose monetization. For many of the smaller channels, it’s a bit depressing. Well, Nintendo just sent over an update on how this affects their Nintendo Creators Program.
If you’re a member of the Nintendo Creators Program, the YouTube change is also going to affect your channel. According to Nintendo, the agreement with them is that you also become and stay a partner within the YouTube Partner Program. Meaning if your channel no longer will be in the partner program on or after Feb. 20, then Nintendo will also drop you from theirs.
The Nintendo Creators Program requires agreement to and participation in the YouTube Partner Program, so if channels do not meet the above eligibility requirements, they will not be able to monetize on the Nintendo Creators Program from their videos.
It goes without saying that this was going to happen, especially since Nintendo’s program relies on YouTube’s. At least now we have official confirmation. A bit of a whammy for the smaller channels, more so for the gaming ones.
Per YouTube, these changes are being made to stop “Bad Actors” from harming the inspiring and original creators around the world who use YouTube. Yet, they fail to see that these changes could stop people from attempting to use the platform. There’s already been a huge backlash regarding the upcoming changes. Meanwhile, YouTube has failed time and time again to punish those who embarrassing the service and take advantage of loopholes.
No wonder people are searching for an alternative to YouTube, while many others have either made the jump to Twitch or have announced plans to do so.


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Losses attributable to things like theft and fraud cost retailers almost $50 billion in 2017, according to the National Retail Federation. Given the scale of that problem, it’s no surprise a giant Internet retail enterprise like Amazon deals with more than its share — but what you might not be aware of is the lengths to which Amazon goes to try and stop it.
To clamp down on drivers running off with packages, the company will frequently insert dummy packages (which might be empty and which might also have a random object inside to provide some weight) into the slew of orders a driver needs to load up with. Since the packages are fake (because they’re a trap to deter stealing), the real-looking label on them will present an error message when it’s scanned.
“If you bring the package back, you are innocent. If you don’t, you’re a thug,” Sid Shah, a former manager for DeliverOL, a courier company that delivers packages for Amazon, told Business Insider.
Another source told BI that directives for this practice came straight from Amazon’s corporate headquarters in Seattle. “It’s meant to be a trap,” this unnamed person said, “to check the integrity of the driver.”
Per BI, “Here’s how the practice works, according to the sources:
“During deliveries, drivers scan the labels of every package they deliver. When they scan a fake label on a dummy package, an error message will pop up. When this happens, drivers might call their supervisors to address the problem, or keep the package in their truck and return it to an Amazon warehouse at the end of their shift.”
Since the package shows an error message when it’s scanned, the thinking is that a potential thief might decide to take it, because the error message means the package technically doesn’t exist in Amazon’s sprawling network.
It’s certainly a creative way to try and put a stop to internal thefts — which, again, are bigger than an Amazon problem alone. This 2017 survey from packaging company Shorr, for example, found that more than one-third of respondents said they’d been the victim of package theft.
While Amazon doesn’t put any kind of hard numbers on its own theft-related losses, it’s safe to bet they’re not insignificant since the company is going to these lengths. The scale of the company’s deliveries alone are another clue. Last year, for example, Amazon says it delivered more than 5 billion packages — just to members of its Prime subscription service.


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WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration is updating its advice for pregnant women on the appropriate levels of mercury in seafood but not planning to require mercury labels on seafood packages, as consumer groups have sought.
FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg said Friday that the agency soon will offer new guidance on mercury in different varieties of seafood and what that means, a long-awaited move aimed at helping women better understand what to eat when they're pregnant.
“It's an advisory, not an effort to mandate labeling,” Hamburg said. “Different seafood products do contain different levels of mercury, and so different seafood products can be rated in terms of levels of mercury.”
Eating fish is part of a heart-healthy diet, and many types are good sources of omega-3 fatty acids that are important for brain development.
But fish also can absorb small amounts of mercury, a neurotoxin, from streams and oceans — and a small number of varieties harbor higher levels.
For most people, accumulating mercury from eating seafood isn't a health risk. But for a decade, the FDA has warned that pregnant women, those who may become pregnant, and young children avoid certain types of high-mercury fish because of concern that too much could harm a developing brain.
Consumer groups have sued the agency, saying the warnings weren't clear enough about what to avoid, and seeking labeling to help so that shoppers wouldn't have to remember which products are OK during pregnancy or for youngsters.
“We can't ask consumers to memorize two different lists of fish,” said Caroline Smith DeWaal of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, one of the groups that sued.
DeWaal said the new advisory will be an improvement if it gives consumers better information, especially if that information could be kept at fish counters in grocery stores and retail outlets.
The seafood industry says the government shouldn't look at mercury by itself, but at the benefits of seafood.
Jennifer McGuire of the National Fisheries Institute says the original FDA guidelines warning against some types of fish for pregnant women just served to decrease overall seafood intake.
“That would be very concerning if there was a 'good fish, bad fish' list,” she said.
The government's 2010 Dietary Guidelines incorporated FDA's warnings to say that pregnant or breastfeeding women should consume 8 to 12 ounces of a variety of seafood per week.
However, it said they shouldn't eat tilefish, shark, swordfish and king mackerel because of the mercury content and it advised limiting white albacore tuna to 6 ounces a week.


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What a difference the past two months made for Netflix.
It was just early July when the streaming video giant’s stock was flirting with new record highs. Now after an unexpected loss of subscribers and increased competition in the streaming war, shares of Netflix erased all of its 46% gain for the year at its peak and officially entered negative territory on Monday.
Netflix has been haunted by nonstop bad news in the past few months. First, its most popular show “The Office” was stripped from its platform by NBC. Then, Netflix was hit by a rare loss in U.S. subscribers and a large miss on international subscriber adds in the second quarter, which sent the stock plunging and suffering its longest losing streak in five years.
Some Wall Street analysts started losing faith in their darling stock. Barclays analyst Kannan Venkateshwar said Monday Netflix is “very expensive” under a new valuation framework for growth companies as Netflix needs millions more subscribers than it can get.
Most of Netflix’s gains for 2019 came from a big pop in January when the company flexed its pricing power. It raised prices by 13% to 18% then and the stock soared. In a more crowded streaming space today, hiking prices may not be so welcomed by investors again.
Nomura Instinet analyst Mark Kelly told CNBC that increased competition could “take away engagement,” “make content more expensive,” “or diminish the price power Netflix has exhibited for several years.”
The newcomers are already winning in terms of pricing. Apple announced its original TV service will cost…
Continue reading at CNBC.com


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HP Taiwan head announced
Hewlett-Packard (HP) Taiwan Ltd yesterday announced the appointment of Jonathan Yang (楊人捷) as its new head.
Yang will assume roles as managing director of HP Taiwan and vice president of HP global operations, effective beginning June 18, a company statement said.
He took over from Rosemary Ho (何薇玲), who resigned in March.
Yang will be responsible for HP's overall business operations in Taiwan and also overseeing the Technology Solutions Group, which provides storage, software and services to enterprises and the public sector.
Before joining HP, Yang was vice president for worldwide global services at Foxconn Technology Group (富士康科技集團), where he helped to set up global services infrastructure to propel high-growth strategies.
Microsoft eyes Yellow Pages
Microsoft Corp is in talks to buy a stake in the Yellow Pages unit of Chunghwa Telecom Co (中華電信), an official at the nation's largest telephone operator said.
Chunghwa is considering a proposal from Microsoft, Michael Lee (李誠偉), special assistant to Chunghwa's chairman, said, declining to specify financial terms. The Taipei-based company is also interested in listing the Yellow Pages unit, Lee said.
NT dollar loses ground
The New Taiwan dollar lost ground against its US counterpart yesterday, in line with the yen, dealers said.
The NT dollar fell NT$0.015 to close at NT$33.385, the weakest level since Dec. 13, 2005, Taipei Forex Inc said. Turnover was US$1.114 billion.
ARIZONA PROJECT: A spokeswoman said that TSMC appreciates the support from US authorities, which gives it and its partners confidence about future investments City officials in Phoenix, Arizona, on Wednesday approved a slate of financial incentives and government support for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s (TSMC, 台積電) planned US$12 billion chip plant, a step toward bringing high-tech manufacturing to the US and addressing national security concerns over the industry supply chain. The city agreed to provide about US$200 million to develop roads, sewers and other infrastructure, according to a notice from the city council. At least one additional set of traffic lights would be included for a cost of approximately US$500,000. The company is conducting due diligence on several locations in Phoenix with a final decision to
HARD ASK: At a meeting held by the MOEA to talk about the RCEP trade deal, trade associations said that they expect the government to push for more free-trade deals Business representatives yesterday urged the government to slow the appreciation of the New Taiwan dollar, saying that some Taiwanese industries have been undercut by rivals due to unfavorable foreign exchange rates. The government should also assist local industries to expand their domestic market, and push for more bilateral trade deals so that Taiwanese companies can enjoy zero or preferential tariffs on exports, following the nation’s exclusion from the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) which was signed by 15 Asia-Pacific nations on Nov. 15, they said at a meeting with the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA). Some participants said that the NT dollar’s
A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S is planning to launch a US$1.6 billion share buyback program as the world’s biggest container shipping company weathers the COVID-19 crisis better than expected. Copenhagen-based Maersk, which on Tuesday raised its guidance for a second time since last month, reported a 39 percent rise in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization to US$2.3 billion in the third quarter. Profit by that measure, before restructuring and integration costs, would reach US$8 billion to US$8.5 billion this year, the company said. Its previous guidance was for US$7.5 billion to US$8 billion. “The global economic environment was [in the third quarter]
OPPORTUNITY: After Huawei said it would sell a sub-brand, potentially exempting it from the US ban, the Hsinchu-based chipmaker eyes the chance to boost sales in China MediaTek Inc (聯發科) yesterday became the nation’s second-most valuable listed company after its market capitalization climbed to NT$1.157 trillion (US$40.23 billion) amid investors’ optimism of new business opportunities, while Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密), a major assembler of Apple Inc’s iPhones, fell one notch to third with a market capitalization of NT$1.153 trillion. The increase in MediaTek’s value came as its shares rallied 4.6 percent to close at NT$728 yesterday, as investors expected the handset chip supplier to benefit from Huawei Technologies Co’s (華為) decision to sell its low-to-mid-range smartphone business under the Honor (榮耀) sub-brand. On Tuesday, Huawei announced


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That’s gonna leave a mark. Apparently Vonage infringed upon six of Sprint Nextel’s patents, which is a big, expensive no-no. Sprint will receive $69.5 million plus 5 percent of Vonage’s future revenue.
Earlier this year, Vonage lost a cool $58 million, plus 5.5% future royalties to Verizon. That now seems somewhat tame. All told, that brings the grand total to $127.5 million plus 10.5% of all future revenue that Vonage is going to have to dish out. Guess who might be picking up some or all of that bill? Vonage customers.
I would like to try to say this as delicately as possible. I understand that many of you out there use Vonage and are happy with the service. I understand that Vonage is a better deal than a traditional phone line and that there are many fine people who work for Vonage.
That being said, I don’t like Vonage one bit. I won’t shed a single tear because of this recent lawsuit. As a former customer, I had a terrible time with its customer service and it took me about a dozen phone calls to cancel my account. I was finally able to do so by telling them that I was moving to Australia to study aboriginal people and would be out in the middle of nowhere with no access to any sort of broadband internet service. I’m not kidding, either.


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Meta announced this week that they will be sunsetting digital collectibles (NFTs) on Instagram.
Related features across the platform will be disabled.
Commerce & FinTech lead at Meta, Stephane Kasriel, posted about the company’s plans on Monday, writing, “Some product news: across the company, we’re looking closely at what we prioritize to increase our focus. We’re winding down digital collectibles (NFTs) for now to focus on other ways to support creators, people, and businesses.”
In a multi-tweet thread, Kasriel added, “Let me be clear: creating opportunities for creators and businesses to connect with their fans and monetize remains a priority, and we’re going to focus on areas where we can make impact at scale, such as messaging and monetization opps for Reels.”
And he concluded, “And we’ll continue investing in fintech tools that people and businesses will need for the future. We’re streamlining payments w/ Meta Pay, making checkout & payouts easier, and investing in messaging payments across Meta.”


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Many Americans expect to return to work in the coming weeks and months, but much fewer expect to resume other nonwork and social activities in the near term.
According to the most recent Bain/Dynata survey of American workers (conducted May 8–May 15), US workers plan to prioritize basic activities such as shopping in stores over more discretionary outings such as going to restaurants or attending large events, suggesting that a recovery for those industries could be delayed.
And when it comes to using public transportation or traveling on airplanes, Americans are much more hesitant. More than half of survey respondents don’t expect to resume using those modes of transportation until after August.
- Could Teacher Safety Be a Bottleneck to Getting America Back to Work?
- Going Back to Work Is a Matter of Trust
Recovery from Covid-19 will require resilience as companies advance, retreat, adapt—and repeat as necessary.
As the global pandemic deepens and the human cost of Covid-19 rises, the novel coronavirus outbreak is sending shocks through the world economy. But across industries, companies can take action now to protect their employees and customers and minimize the economic damage.
Dynata is one of the world’s largest first-party data and insights platforms. With a reach that encompasses more than 62 million consumers and business professionals globally, and an extensive library of individual profile attributes collected through surveys, Dynata provides precise, trustworthy, quality data. The company has built innovative services and solutions around its robust first-party data offering to bring the voice of the customer to the entire marketing continuum―from strategy, innovation and branding to advertising, measurement and optimization. Dynata serves nearly 6,000 market research, media and advertising agencies, publishers, consulting and investment firms, and corporate customers in North America, South America, Europe and Asia-Pacific. For more information, go to www.dynata.com.