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International Game Technology (IGT) has reached a settlement with video slot manufacturer GC2 Incorporated over a dispute related to copyright infringement and intellectual property licensing rights on certain gaming content. The supplier has also struck a deal to update the Oregon Lottery's central computer system with its INTELLIGEN software.
Greek lotteries and gaming solutions provider Intralot has reported an 8.5% year-on-year decline in revenue for the first quarter of its financial year, following weaker performances from all key business units.
Happy Friday igamers! This week we do the sums on where good causes money is going in Ireland, ponder an odd image and say farewell to the man who threw the industry into disarray with his reinterpretation of the Wire Act.
Strong growth in revenue failed to offset the impact of growing costs for Scientific Games in 2018, with the gaming solutions provider’s loss for the period growing to $352.4m (£269.3m/€310.1m). Revenue for the 12 months ended December 31, 2018 was up 9.1% year-on-year, with a marginal decline in gaming revenue - down 0.7% to $1.8bn - offset by strong growth in the social and digital divisions.
New Hampshire has launched a legal challenge against the US Department of Justice's revised opinion on the Wire Act, arguing that the new stance is not faithful to the text, structure, purpose, or legislative history of the legislation.


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Price index “will bring transparency” to legal fees
A new private online platform has been created to answer the growing number of calls for greater charging transparency for legal services.
The new price index, published by Lexoo, contains a database of around 15,000 quotes broken down into detailed categories of commercial work.
The large number of quotes has been obtained with the help of clients and is aimed at providing legal service users with an idea of average fees at current market rates.
The team behind Lexoo believe the large size of the data set, from which the index is drawn, will help counter objections that complex legal matters are impossible to price before the event.
Publishing the price index, Lexoo, which services a panel of more than 220 lawyers, said that making public ranges of prices commonly paid for commercial law services would give small businesses a “steer” as to what they should be paying.
The new system comes shortly after the Competition and Markets Authority’s interim report into the legal market highlighted the lack of transparency over legal services pricing.
The report said the lack of price transparency was the main reason why competition in legal services for individual and small business consumers was not working as well as it could do.
In an interview with Legal Futures Lexoo’s Chief Executive, Dutch lawyer Daniel van Binsbergen, said: “I think there are very few companies in the market that have access to the data… it is not possible for consumers to create their own price indexes because the large majority of the lawyers do not publish their prices.”
He added the index would “give a bit of a steer up front, and while every matter could be slightly different it shouldn’t be outrageously different.
“What we see quite often is that for the same, say, shareholders agreement with the same variables, when we obtain four quotes [from] lawyers of equal standing… [they will] quote very different amounts for the same work.”
The price index will become more accurate as Lexoo accumulates data, added Mr van Binsbergen.
The creation of this service ties in with the Legal Service Consumer Panels own calls for easier price comparison of services and greater transparency, which it has asked legal regulators to consider.
Setting the correct price for the service you provide is never easy and with a lack of transparency from other firms it is difficult to tell whether your services are competitive.
At Moore Thompson, we can help your firm assess its pricing policy and make sure it is sufficient to meet your practice’s needs, whilst remaining competitive.

domain: news


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We are hearing rumors about the launch of the next generation of iPad from past few months and many rumors suggest that it can come early next. Few days ago we reported that iPad would and 5 new features. But the thing is who will provide the camera for the 2nd generation of iPad for Apple.
Recent report from DigiTimes suggests that Apple’s next-generation iPad will
include at least one camera gain purchase Tuesday morning as a new report suggests Apple has named its camera lens supplier for its upcoming tablet. Report further mentions that Largan Precision has been awarded a contract that will make it the sole supplier of lens modules for the second-generation iPad. This is the same company which provides lens for the back camera of iPhone 4.
Apart from this front facing camera for 2nd generation of iPad is also a big possibility but surely front facing camera will not be of that much high resolution like the back camera. So, we may see the 2nd generation of iPad in the first quarter of next year and hope that it would have both front and rear camera.


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A SCOTS cafe have launched a bizarre new recipe - a deep-fried hoagie containing chicken and curry sauce.
Tasty Treats in Kennoway, Fife, is well-known for its unusual creations.
And their latest dish takes the classic Scots takeaway dish to a new level.
A hoagie, usually found at Indian takeaways in the central belt, is usually a chapati wrap filled with meat, chips, cheese and sauce.
Tasty Treats' crispy chicken hoagie costs £5.
Other options include doner meat, salt and pepper chicken, cajun chicken, hunter's chicken and chips, cheese and curry.
One eager diner said they would "give their left arm" for the wrap.
Another customer said: "Now that sounds gid."
Most read in Fabulous
A third simply said: "Wow."
Tasty Treats went viral in October with another one of their unique creations.
People from across the UK reacted to their tiger bread stuffed with salt and pepper chicken and chips.
Over 11,000 people saw the Kennoway recipe in October, which is more than double the population of the tiny Scots village.
It comes as a cafe in Glasgow has wowed punters with their new mac and cheese - with a Christmas twist.
We pay for your stories and videos! Do you have a story or video for The Scottish Sun? Email us at email@example.com or call 0141 420 5300


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GRAHAM, NC—Big Rock Sports concluded its 2018 Outdoor Expo in St. Cloud, MN, with record attendance and tons of highlights to report from the Rivers Edge Convention Center. The event kicked off on September 18 and by the time doors closed on Thursday, September 19, there was lots of talk about this show and the upcoming national Outdoor Expo in Nashville.
“The Hot Profit event here was one of the liveliest we’ve experienced in years. Many thanks are owed to our merchant team for negotiating some phenomenal deals and we are very eager to continuing to wow our customers with fresh new Hot Profit deals at our Nashville Outdoor Expo this January,” explained Big Rock’s Vice President of Merchandising Bob Hunter.
Notable products that shined include Lindy’s new Glow Spoon and Humminbird’s Helix ICE 5 and 7. “Ice fishing products flew out the door, thanks to these releases, as well as a strong finish to the previous season,” said Hunter.
Now that the St. Cloud Outdoor Expo has passed, Big Rock Sports will turn its full attention to bringing vendors and retailers from all over to Nashville’s Music City Convention Center, where Big Rock’s first-ever national show will take place in January. Even in St. Cloud, vendors and retailers shared their excitement for Nashville. More information about the upcoming show can be found at OutdoorExpo.BigRockSports.com.


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In light of substantial interest for iPhone 11 and other different iPhone models, Apple registered a gigantic increase over 55 percent, especially in terms of the number of iPhone shipments for India during the period January and February. This growth is in comparison with Apple’s performance during the same period last year.
There was hardly any effect on supply issues attributable to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak in the first two months on Apple shipment in the country. Meanwhile, industry specialists are as yet surveying the full effect of the pandemic.
Apple iPhone 11 and iPhone XR kept on contributing the most to the iPhone shipments in the initial two months of the year 2020.
Apple has seen a sensational movement in its fortunes in India since mid-2019, with expanded ‘Make in India’ contributing immensely to iPhone shipments in the Indian market.
Apple is making early paces in the Indian market and explicitly eyeing the domestic smartphone market in India but more like an export hub. That being said, the company also has its focus on shipping iPhone devices to different markets such as Europe.
Wistron, supplier of Apple, previously assembled now-discontinued iPhone SE modes at its facility in Bengaluru. They are now assembling iPhone 6S and iPhone 7 models. Meanwhile, the iPhone XR is currently being made at Apple provider Foxconn’s facility in Sriperumbudur, Chennai.
In 2019, Apple’s India shipments increased by a solid 17 percent. Factors like domestic, local assembling, well-thought-out pricing, among others helped Apple accomplish its market achievement in India.
Meanwhile, the uber-premium smartphone segment in India, the one selling smartphones at Rs 1 lakh and above, increased 23 percent year-on-year (YoY) last year 2019. And Apple contributed a whopping 85 percent of the total shipments in India market, courtesy of iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max.


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American star comedian ‘Atsugiri Jason’ (known as Jason Danielson in his home country) has featured in a new McDonald’s TV commercial with his face painted white.
“The more white makeup I apply, the more money I bank,” Thickly Sliced Jason told reporters while taking off his Gucci fur coat before entering his Lamborghini Veneno Roadster.
“If I talk like some sort of feeble-minded cretin my approval ratings skyrocket.”
Some gaijin within gaijin circles believe Thickly Sliced Jason’s heavy application of white makeup is offensive.
“I think it’s disgusting how he just lacquers the white stuff right on there as a way of impressing people,” says 4-years-a-gaijin Brian Ferguson.
“That should be left to the HUB where we pretend like we can’t speak Japanese when we’re trying to pick up women.”


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"We're reinventing the office realm, certainly for small business," says Red Brand Manager Greg Clark, 28. "We're giving [entrepreneurs] an office environment that communicates the passion and excitement they have for their business."
The Business & Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association forecasts a 4.4% decline in the U.S. office furniture market to $12.7 billion in 2001. Red, introduced last November, has bucked this trend. As of June, analysts' estimates ranged from rapid week-over-week sales growth of between 5% to 7% to a less-optimistic 7% over the previous quarter. Merrill Lynch analyst Pam Singleton estimates Red's revenue, while growing rapidly, is still under $20 million. Red has achieved these increases by targeting an industry bright spot, the growing small-and home office-segment.
"Fifty percent of people employed in America are employed by small businesses, and that's a market that Herman Miller wasn't really reaching," says Mr. Clark, formerly a Herman Miller product manager. Red executives opted to reach customers through a Web site (hermanmillerred.com), where visits have tripled in the last six months, and through dedicated retail stores, the first of which opened July 17 in Manhattan.
A Microsoft Network partnership and an e-mail marketing campaign drive traffic to the Web site, as do print ads, direct mail, public relations and events. Fairly Painless Advertising, Holland, Mich., creates all print, direct mail and direct e-mail. Red has yet to air TV spots.
All these efforts support Red's core message, says Mr. Clark: "We're all about hip, affordable design."


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# SAMSUNG DEVELOPS INDUSTRY’S FIRST GDDR7 DRAM FOR NEXT-GEN GRAPHICS PERFORMANCE
## Samsung Aims to Revolutionize Graphics Memory
On Wednesday, Samsung made an exciting announcement that could revolutionize the world of graphics memory. The tech giant revealed that it has successfully developed the industry’s first GDDR7 DRAM, which will power the next generation of computing, vehicle, and gaming hardware. Samsung’s key partners can expect to integrate these cutting-edge chips into their systems this year for testing. If all goes well, we could witness the market release of products featuring Samsung’s GDDR7 memory as soon as next year.
## Enhanced Graphics Performance Across Various Applications
Samsung’s GDDR7 DRAM is expected to significantly enhance user experiences in areas that demand exceptional graphics performance. Yongcheol Bae, executive vice president of the Memory Product Planning Team at Samsung Electronics, believes that the new memory will revolutionize workstations, PCs, game consoles, and even find applications in Artificial Intelligence (AI), high-performance computing (HPC), and automotive vehicles. The possibilities for improved graphics performance are endless.
## Industry-Leading Speeds and Bandwidth
Samsung is proud to claim that its new 16GB GDDR7 memory modules will offer “the industry’s highest speed yet.” This achievement is made possible by the adoption of Pulse Amplitude Modulation-3 (PAM3) technology, a signal modulation technique that allows for higher bandwidth compared to GDDR6’s PAM2. The GDDR7 memory is capable of delivering an impressive 1.5TBps of bandwidth, a 40% increase from the previous year’s GDDR6 chips. The top speed per pin has been significantly boosted to 32Gbps, surpassing Samsung’s GDDR6, but the company has even higher aspirations for future versions of GDDR7.
## Potential for Expanding Graphics Card Bandwidth
Samsung’s GDDR7 memory opens the door to potentially significant advancements in graphics card bandwidth in the coming years. Currently, the fastest GDDR6 memory used in GPUs tops out at 24Gbps. However, with the introduction of GDDR7 memory, graphics cards could experience a notable increase in speeds. Samsung has a history of scaling up memory technology speeds, and it is highly likely that GDDR7 chips will undergo similar improvements after their market release.
## Improved Energy Efficiency and Power Optimization
Energy efficiency is always a crucial factor, particularly for hardware like laptops that have power limitations. Samsung recognizes this need and claims that its GDDR7 DRAM is 20% more energy efficient compared to GDDR6. The company has developed a power-saving design technology optimized for high-speed operations. Additionally, Samsung plans to offer a low-operating-voltage option, further addressing power consumption concerns for certain hardware.
## Innovation in Heat Reduction
Overheating has always been a concern in electronics, particularly when it comes to memory chips. However, Samsung has made considerable strides in this area. The company now uses a new epoxy molding compound that minimizes heat generation and prevents components from overheating. With this innovation, Samsung boasts a remarkable 70% reduction in package thermal resistance compared to GDDR6 memory chips.
## Collaborative Efforts and Future Developments
The development of GDDR7 memory is an industrywide effort, and Samsung is leading the pack. Although they are the first to complete the development of these chips, mass production is still on the horizon. Other players, such as Cadence and Micron, are also working towards introducing their own GDDR7 memory solutions. While Cadence has already developed a verification solution for GDDR7, Micron plans to debut its GDDR7 memory in the first half of 2024. This may potentially ignite a race among memory manufacturers to bring the first market-ready product to consumers.
– Samsung News Center:
– Samsung Semiconductor News:
– PC Gamer:


text: Caldera has signed an agreement with Linux services provider Acrylis, in an attempt to position itself as a serious contender to market leaders like Red Hat.The Acrylis software, WhatIfLinux, will be tied in with Caldera's recently released Volution management and computer software. The new solution, available in the second quarter of this year, is being launched as a rival to the Red Hat Network, and will offer a subscription-based service to allow company administrators to update their Linux software over the network. Unlike the Redhat Network, the Caldera solution will be offered as a rebranded product for sale through Caldera's network of resellers. SuSE Linux also announced a worldwide agreement today with IBM. The Linux company will provide technical support to IBM customers using the open source operating system.


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The Future of Entrepreneurship
Is there a future for entrepreneurship? Yes…for a number of reasons. First, the economy has changed radically over the last 10 years. Gone are the days when a person would work for a company for 30 years, retire and receive a gold watch with a great pension plan.
Today’s American corporation is learning to drive more profit using fewer people…often leveraging new technologies at the expense of hiring new employees. Second, because large companies will need fewer people, more individuals will create their own incomes by starting their own businesses.
In many cases, these new companies will outsource their skills and knowledge to these larger corporations, which benefit by lowering their fixed operating expenses with reduced payroll, taxes, and benefits. They will do more with less by maximizing the resources of smaller entrepreneurial companies or proven small turnkey businesses.
In a recent study reported by Bloomberg Business Week magazine, small businesses were considered to be the most trusted organizations, ahead of churches, larger corporations, and government. Small business owners earn that element of trust because often they have a very high degree of passion for their business, treat it as a way of life, and generally have a strong sense of appreciation and caring for their customers. They enjoy serving people and have a giving attitude. They are “givers” – not “takers.”


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On Tuesday, Singapore-based fintech startup CredoLab announced that it has raised USD 7 million in its Series A round led by GBG, a global data identity intelligence specialist. Other participants in this round include Walden International, an existing investor, and Access VC.
Established in 2016, CredoLab utilizes an AI-based algorithm to gather data and produce credit scores using mobile device metadata. According to the firm, it has supported over USD 2 billion in loans in more than 20 countries.
Chris Clark, chief executive of GBG, said, “[CredoLab’s] AI-based proprietary technology will complement our existing offering but also provide critical behavioural risk reference data from good customers that are financially excluded.”
CredoLab intends to use this further investment to enhance its product features, such as by strengthening its alternative credit core scoring algorithm, CredoScore. The firm also plans to encourage adoption of its solutions in other finance-related industries and expand across Asia, Latin America, and Africa.
In June, CredoLab partnered with GBG to uplift unbanked and underbanked Indonesians. Banks, lenders, and mobile wallets can leverage GBG Instinct, GBG’s anti-fraud solution, to perform data callouts to CredoLab’s cloud service in Indonesia.
“Despite the obvious slowdown caused by COVID-19, we have already seen a significant shift from physical originations to digital ones and an increased appetite in using alternative sources of data,” Peter Barcak, CEO and founder of Credolab, said.
CredoLab’s latest fundraising round follows a rise in fintech investment in the region. In the second quarter of 2020, funding for fintechs in Asia-Pacific increased by 9.1%. Southeast Asian fintechs raised USD 455 million, approximately three times the amount compared to the previous quarter.


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During the pandemic, most restaurants have struggled to keep their heads above water. In particular, sports bars have struggled. Not only have lockdown protocols wiped out dining halls, but sports games—who were their main traffic drivers—suddenly stopped too.
But this sports burger chain is enjoying a great comeback from the dark days of the pandemic with both huge sales and store growth.
Casual sports bar brand Beef ‘O’ Brady’s saw sales drop more than 40% from 2021 at 2019, according to Technomic’s Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report. In the last quarter, however, the company was so successful in raising the bar that it posted record sales.
And Don’t Miss It’s Official – It’s America’s Best Restaurant Right Now
Beef ‘O’ Brady’s same-store sales increased approximately 13% in the first quarter of 2022 compared to the same period last year, bringing them to a record $1.5 million in average sales for all its stores, according to FRS magazine. The company also has big expansion plans, with six stores planned for this year and another 15 locations planned in the future.
The positive sales figures combined with the growth have also intrigued investors who have secured franchise deals for 15 more locations, six of which are due to open by the end of the year. Outside of sports returning to the big screen to attract customers, Beef ‘O’ Brady’s does some work to keep them. One of these initiatives includes a new and improved menu.
The new menu will launch on June 27 and will feature both new and improved items, including improved nachos and tacos, ground beef and gravy, cheeseburger fries, buffalo ranch fries, open steak and a gravy sandwich, and he’ll be reintroducing an old favorite, the Dubliner. The chain will also work on launching dining options, according to FSR.
Currently, Beef ‘O’ Brady’s is at 133 pitchesalthough in his heyday he had 270. Casual sports and Irish themed restaurant opened in 1985 in Brandon, Florida. Its headquarters is in Tampa, Florida, and is known for its award-winning chicken wings, which are available in 12 signature sauces.
Amber Lake is a staff writer at Eat This, Not That! and holds a journalism degree from UNF in Jacksonville, Florida. Read more


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It used to be that the older model Honda Civics were the most stolen cars in the country. Now though, thieves are going bigger.
This year’s list of the most stolen vehicles includes several big trucks and SUVs. What’s the most stolen vehicle? The 2007 Cadillac Escalade ESV full-size luxury SUV has the highest theft-claim frequency of any vehicle by a long shot, reports Forbes. It’s 15 times more likely to be stolen than the least-stolen car, the Mercedes E Class sedan.
The list was compiled by theft-claims for 2005-07 model year vehicles by the Highway Loss Data Institute (an affiliate of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety).
"The Escalade has been the star of the show with car thieves for the better part of the decade," says Russ Rader, an IIHS spokesperson. "It has pop-culture appeal, and thieves are attracted to it."
America’s 10 Most Stolen Cars:
Cadillac Escalade ESV (pictured above)
Ford F-250 SuperCrew
Ford F-350 SuperCrew
Hummer H2 SUT
Honda S2000 Convertible
America’s 10 Least Stolen Cars:
Mercedes E Class
Volkswagen New Beetle


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LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Jan. 9, 2018) — South Fourth Street in downtown Louisville soon will be home to an upscale women’s clothier. Mabel & Moss, a local retailer of new clothing and handcrafted items, is set to move from its Highlands location to the Hilton Garden Inn on the southeast corner of Fourth and Chestnut streets, according to Lee Weyland, who leads commercial property leasing for Louisville-based Weyland Ventures.
“We’re very pleased to have a retailer the caliber of Mabel & Moss opening in the heart of South Fourth Street,” Weyland said. “We’re also proud to be working with a local small business that is bringing back fine clothing retail to an area of downtown that once was home to several local clothing stores.”
Mabel & Moss has leased 1,930 s.f. on the first floor of the Hilton Garden Inn, 350 W. Chestnut St. The unfinished space, located next to Cellar Door Chocolates, fronts on South Fourth Street, Weyland said. He expects the space to be finished within 90 to 120 days.
Michelle Pellerin, owner of Mabel & Moss, said she’s “really looking forward to this move,” which will allow her to expand her offerings since the location is much larger than the 1,100 s.f. she operates in now. “When I saw the space, I knew immediately that I wanted to be in that space,” Pellerin said. “Downtown has a different vibe and more exposure” than her current location.
She said she likes the fact that recent redevelopment of the South Fourth area with the addition of shops and restaurants has “created more of a destination area.”
Weyland noted that the area is now a “thriving corridor” with the Hilton Garden Inn, the renovation of the Guthrie Coke mixed-used development and Cincinnati-based Capital Investment Group Inc.’s apartment complex that is under way down the block in a property formerly owned by KentuckyOne Health. Weyland Ventures is a partner in the Hilton Garden Inn Clay Commons Hotel with Rosemont, Ill.-based First Hospitality Group. In addition, Weyland Ventures is master developer of the Clay Commons area, which also includes The Henry Clay mixed-used development and the Mercury Ballroom.
“Redevelopment in the Clay Commons area is a great example of the type of investment and improvements that boost the appeal of Louisville’s Central Business District,” said Rebecca Matheny, executive director of the Louisville Downtown Partnership, which works to strengthen commerce, promote quality development and improve experiences for visitors, residents and workers in downtown Louisville.
“The fact that Mabel & Moss has chosen to locate on South Fourth Street is the right next step for that area,” Matheny said. “We needed a clothing store to join the other shops and restaurants that have opened in that corridor in recent years. This is a great fit and a wonderful project to start the new year.”
Pellerin said she will work on the store’s design finish with the team at Weyland Ventures. She expects the store to open sometime in March. “It’s going to look amazing,” Pellerin said. “I definitely want you to feel ‘wow’ when you walk in my store.”
She pointed out that the new Mabel & Moss will have a unique look in that all of the fixtures will be handcrafted from metal pipe and wood by her husband, Jack Pellerin. She said creating the fixtures is a hobby for her husband and that he made the ones used at her Highlands location. “A lot of people tell me now that my store is very inviting. I get a lot of compliments.”
Michelle Pellerin described her store as one that has “a more curated environment.” And the name has meaning related to her wares. Mabel refers to a variety of classic, feminine clothing brands, which typically have what she calls “a vintage silhouette.” Moss pays homage to the casual organic feel of other lines she sells that have an “everyday kind of vibe.”
Pellerin opened her store almost nine years ago as a fine vintage clothing and consignment store. But finding the types of vintage clothing she preferred to sell became challenging and time consuming so she changed her retail concept a couple of years ago to create the Mabel & Moss brand. She now sells higher-end new clothing, accessories and handmade apothecary items such as lotions and soaps.
Pellerin said she was prompted to start her retail venture as a result of the shops she saw while traveling internationally during her previous career in information technology and marketing. “After visiting little shops in Stockholm, I decided I wanted to do that.”
Many of the lines she sells are international with clothes coming from London and Canada. She orders shoes from Sweden. Purses she carries are handmade in Ethiopia and Peru. She also sells jewelry made by local, regional and international artists. “It’s an eclectic mix of things – mostly clothing and accessories,” Pellerin said. With the new, larger space, she will be expanding the lines and types of products sold at Mabel & Moss.
Pellerin will close her Highlands location at 936 Baxter Ave. on Jan. 27 to make way for the expansion of the El Taco Luchador restaurant, which is located next door. She said she twice turned down requests by El Taco Luchador representatives to give up the space, but finally decided to look around for a new location when they asked a third time.
While she likes the atmosphere of the Highlands location where she’s operated, Pellerin believes her move to the heart of downtown is better for the business. The downtown work force provides a built-in customer base along with guests staying at the Hilton Garden Inn as well as those staying at the nearby Seelbach, Embassy Suites and Brown hotels. Plus the soon-to-open Omni Hotel is not far away. “Everything happened at the right time,” Pellerin said.


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Yahoo paid Marissa Mayer $36 million in compensation last year despite the company's shrinking revenue and profits. The CEO is also expected to receive a huge payout of $55 million if she is terminated after Yahoo is sold.
April 29 United Continental Holdings Inc said in a proxy statement Friday that it cut the pay of one of its top officers in connection with an internal probe that resulted in its chief executive's resignation last year.
April 29 U.S. energy firms cut oil rigs for a sixth week in a row to the lowest level since November 2009, oil services company Baker Hughes Inc said Friday, as drillers remained cautious in returning to the well pad despite crude futures climbing to ...
Vans shoe company reported its first-quarter earnings on Friday, revealing a notable spike in profit and sales that far exceeded expectations.
An Ohio minister took retail giant Target's transgender-friendly bathroom policy straight to the staff of his local store with a video now going viral that has gotten him thrown out of Target.


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Harman is known as the stalwart audio company. However, the past decade has seen its transformation into an OEM infotainment powerhouse, and they have been tearing it up at the Geneva Auto Show as a supplier to some of the world’s most prestigious brands. Here are just some of Harman’s announcements:
o Harman Kardon comes to Volvo – For the first time, Volvo Cars will include first-class, premium Harman Kardon audio systems across a number of Volvo vehicles including the V40, V/S60, V/XC70 and XC60 lines.
o HARMAN premium infotainment for BMW – The BMW i8, X3M, X4 and 4-Series Grand Coupé are the latest to join an impressive line-up of BMW cars to feature the HARMAN premium infotainment system, which combines wireless connectivity, enhanced 3D navigation and even office tools into an intuitive, easy-to-use, unit.
o First MINI with Head Up Display (HUD) – Also in the BMW family, the new MINI F56 will be the first-ever MINI to feature a head-up display, the heart of the HARMAN infotainment system in the vehicle.
o Toyota RAV4 with JBL Green Edge – Continuing a long-standing partnership with Toyota, the new RAV4 will be the first Toyota SUV to hit the roads with JBL Green Edge™ audio, a high-performance weight-efficient audio system that consumes less energy and dissipates less heat than conventional systems without compromising on audio quality.
o Next-generation infotainment for Audi TT – In the Volkswagen group family, the Audi TT marks another premiere: the new TT is the first TT to feature HARMAN infotainment solutions.
o Porsche PCM infotainment by HARMAN – HARMAN is also proud to equip the brand-new compact SUV Macan and the new Porsche 911 Targa with premium infotainment, navigation and connectivity.
o HARMAN infotainment for the new Lamborghini Huracan – HARMAN has also been selected by Lamborghini to provide the infotainment system to the new Huracan. This marks HARMAN’s debut in Lamborghini cars and is an iconic first for the company.
o HARMAN connects Qoros 3 drivers to the cloud – Another premiere is Qoros: founded in 2007, the Chinese automaker has chosen HARMAN to equip its vehicles with T-Box, a new telematics component offering 3G network access and services to the car.
o Jeep Cherokee with award-winning Uconnect infotainment system – The new Jeep Cherokee, which is being launched at the Geneva Motor Show 2014, will be equipped with the state-of-the-art Uconnect infotainment system.
We will follow up with more in-depth reviews as we get to review the systems.


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“Regardless of the venue, we look forward to proceeding with this case. Dish will stand behind consumers and their right to skip commercials, something they have been doing since the invention of the remote control.”
"This suit has always been about who has the authority to regulate the content of cigarette warnings. That is a power reserved to the federal government without interference or additional efforts by state and local authorities.”
--Murray Garnick, associate general counsel of Altria Group
“The court’s decision is an important one for all companies who do business with the state, because it makes clear that the state is not above the law.”
"Our decision to settle is based on our belief that MasterCard and our stakeholders are best served by an amicable resolution. Although we have strong defenses to all claims, a settlement avoids years of litigation and uncertainties that are inherent in such cases. We believe that today's settlements should resolve all issues with the merchant community."
"DuPont/Pioneer's inability to deliver a novel trait product to farmers...does not grant it the right to be above the law nor misuse another company's product for its own gain."
"Discussions about working conditions or unionism have the potential to become just as heated or controversial as discussions about politics and religion. Without further clarification of what is 'objectionable or inflammatory,' employees could reasonably construe this rule to prohibit robust but protected discussions about working conditions or unionism."
“A consistent and growing body of social science and neuroscience research findings support the conclusion that juveniles are less culpable than adults, and are entitled to different treatment in sentencing in light of their immaturity, vulnerability and changeability.”


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Full profile →'">
The author is a Forbes contributor. The opinions expressed are those of the writer.
is beefing up its senior leadership at Cadillac, adding a new vice president to oversee the growth of the luxury brand around the world.
Robert Ferguson, GM's chief lobbyist in Washington, D.C., is being named vice president, global Cadillac, reporting directly to GM chairman and chief executive Daniel Akerson. In the newly created position, Ferguson will be responsible for marketing, brand management and advertising for Cadillac in markets around the world.
Here's an excerpt from GM's press release:
"Bob is a proven leader with vision and a will to win at this critical time for Cadillac," said Akerson. “He brings a deep business and marketing background that has been marked by delivering results at every stop and under every circumstance. The Cadillac brand will hit a higher gear under his watch."
Ferguson heads Cadillac at a time when GM's premium luxury brand is planning the most extensive round of product launches and upgrades in its history, and is poised to enter new international markets with industry-leading products like the XTS, ATS and SRX.
"I’m excited to join a talented team during a period of revitalized growth. The opportunity to strengthen and grow Cadillac is ours for the taking," said Ferguson. "More people in new markets will experience what makes Cadillac one of the industry's most revered brands."
U.S. vice president for Cadillac marketing Don Butler will report to Ferguson as he begins building out his global team.
Ferguson, 53, joined GM in 2010 and is currently vice president for global public policy. He is credited with helping GM strengthen its position and voice on Capitol Hill, and with its many regulatory agencies, on a wide range of business challenges related to energy, tax, labor and finance policy. In that role, Ferguson has become particularly familiar with GM’s product portfolio and advanced technology plans as the automaker contends with new fuel economy rules and safety regulations.
Prior to joining GM, Ferguson was at the business advisory and strategic communications firm Public Strategies, where he worked with a diverse and international group of clients as a senior strategist. His work with the firm included providing international relations and crisis counsel to the president of the International Olympic Committee during the period leading up to and during the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, as well as leading strategy around several high-profile and complex financial and M&A transactions."


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Nigel Bogle, the BBH group chairman, resigned the account late on Tuesday, and the agency was informed on Wednesday afternoon.
The relationship between BBH and one of its founding clients is understood to have deteriorated in recent times, as the agency struggled to get its creative ideas through to production.
It has not created any work for the brand since the "secrets and lies" TV ad and a poster campaign for Levi’s Originals, both of which launched in 2008.
The network lost its US business to Wieden & Kennedy Portland in 2008 after BBH declined to repitch for the account. W&K launched a US campaign called "ready to work" for the brand in June.
BBH's 1985 "launderette" ad, starring the model Nick Kamen and featuring the Marvin Gaye track 'I Heard It Through The Grapevine', is largely credited with turning around the fortunes of the jeans manufacturer in the 80s.
Other iconic Levi’s ads include "creek" and "Flat Eric".


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Football Manager 2012 dated for release in the UK
SEGA has given a UK release date for the latest in Sports Interactive's addictive Football Manager series.
Football Manager 2012 sees the series get a hefty revamp with over 800 new features, revisions and tweaks coming in.
This includes major reworking of the transfer and contract systems including amateur and youth contracts. The 3D match engine has also been improved along with a more detailed team talk system.
Football Manager 2012 will be released on the Mac and the PC on October the 21st.
- Ninja Theory: We'll cross the 1080p/60fps bridge for Hellblade when we come to it
- Standalone DayZ not expected to leave Steam Early Access until 2016
- Telltale gives their Game Of Thrones series final release dates
- Large patch arrives to tackle the matchmaking issues with Halo: The Master Chief Collection
- BioWare looking into a bug stopping banter between party members in Dragon Age: Inquisition
- New Assassin's Creed: Unity patch introduces a new visual bug
- Metal Gear Online will return, reveal coming at The Game Awards 2014
- Ever wanted to know which next-gen console would survive a 15-foot drop?
- New Assassin's Creed: Unity patch is a bit on the large side


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A federation comprising of 56 unions, representing more than 12 million members, have voted to endorse Hillary Clinton for president.
The Honest Company co-founded by Jessia Alba voluntarily recalled their organic baby powder due tests revealing its contamination by species causing skin and eye infections.
Google Maps is now an all-in-one powerful app for booking Uber rides.
This 2017, know which among HTC U Play, OnePlus 3T, Axon 7, and Moto Z Play suits you best.
This 2017 know which among HTC U Ultra, LG V20, Pixel XL, and iPhone 7 Plus best suits you. All the details about the phablets here.
NPD has officially announced that PS4 is the best selling home console in the US in December 2016. On the other hand, Xbox One wins the second half of 2016. Know the details here.
Amazon.com, Inc.'s finally announces its best-selling product in 2016. Know what it is here.
Now that "The Next Penelope" is officially canceled on Wii U, will Nintendo Switch version be available soon? Know the details here.
The new change in the market space has certainly brought Apple and Android in a neck-to-neck competition scenario. It's become difficult to predict what the future holds.
Apple has decided to adopt a new body from stainless steel with "glass sandwich" design.
Mexico-based cement giant will increase its offer to acquire Trinidan-based cement producer TCL. Last month, TCL shareholders urged to reject the price offered by CEMEX.
The Ford Ranger and Bronco are returning to US. Ford has officially unveiled its sole new product for the 2017 Detroit car exhibition. But at the press conference, Ford declared that it will take Bronco and Ranger nameplates back to the US this coming 2019 and latter 2020.
China and Brazil agreed to make a joint $20 fund for infrastracture investments.
The Mexican government is committed to keeping a lid on fuel price to contain mounting protests. But it seems the country's business groups are not satisfied with these steps.
South African leader Jacob Zuma aims to create more job opportunities for black majority. However, he is also facing resignation calls over graft scandals.
FBI has arresred Volkswagen former executive for being involved in an emission scandal. Oliver Schmidt was apprehended when he was about to fly home to Germany.
The Brazilian industry watchdogs are pushing for more transparency in the country's merger and acquisition (M&A) . State-owned oil giant Petrobras is one of the most affected.
Technology giant Sony has officially added four new headphones of Extra Bass headphones. While it is not made for pure audio professionals, the mainstream consumers will surely enjoy the lot.
Apple has reduced production of new iPhone models this year and has done the same last year after an over-production in Q4.
Microsoft is doing a massive online promotional campaign as the year ends. Seems like they want to start strong next year.
Sign up for our free weekly newsletter for the latest in-depth coverage!


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BlackBerry PlayBook owners may soon receive the OS update they’ve been promised since last summer.
The BlackBerry PlayBook was originally launched by Research In Motion (RIM) in April of 2011. But apparently the 7 inch tablet was not quite ready for prime time. Many of the features that BlackBerry fans expected to be included on the PlayBook weren’t available. Basic things… such as BlackBerry messenger, email, calendar and contact applications. The tablet required a BlackBerry smartphone to actually run these applications, and the PlayBook would use a ‘bridge’ to display the contents.
But buyers were told there would be an update within 60 days that would add these apps to the PlayBook for real. Well… that update got pushed back to later in the summer, then pushed back to the fall. In October 2011 it was pushed back again, to February 2012.
February 2012 is here. And it looks like an update may actually be on the way. Sascha Segan, over at PCMag.com, reported today that BlackBerry senior brand manager Jeff Gadway told them that the new OS would arrive “very soon.” Gadway said it would be pushed to all PlayBooks automatically.
The update will include all those missing BlackBerry ‘things’ – like email and message support, Microsoft Exchange, a contact book, a calendar.
Interestingly enough, after the update, the PlayBook will even be able to run reformatted Android apps on the BlackBerry PlayBook. The apps will be available in BlackBerry App World.
Once updated, the PlayBook won’t be dependent on a BlackBerry smartphone. But it will be able use a BlackBerry smartphone as a supplemental device. Users will be able to use the smart phone as a mouse or keyboard for the tablet.
The exact date that the update will be pushed to the PlayBook was not announced. We’ll just have to go with “very soon” for now.
Gadway also said that tablet shoppers should stay tuned for news about the price of the BlackBerry PlayBook. That piques our interest here at CP of course. The 16 GB version of the tablet was originally priced at $500, but was dropped $199 near the end of November, 2011. It remains available at that price on BlackBerry’s website today.
Will the new operating system, with BlackBerry Apps, the ability run Android apps, and perhaps even a price drop, spur interest in a year-old tablet with sluggish sales? RIM is banking on it.


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If it weren't for the do-it-yourself option, Kingfisher would be in trouble. The world's third-largest home improvement retailer is stuck between a moribund U.K. housing market and weakening consumer spending. Yet the retailer said Thursday it reckons it can achieve 15% compound earnings growth over the next three years, a target it has baked into a new management incentive plan. That's a bold call, given Kingfisher's U.K. sales are still falling.
Three years ago Kingfisher, which owns B&Q in the U.K. and Castorama in France, made returns on capital of just 5.8%, below its 8% cost of capital. But under a three-year plan that ends January 2012, Chief Executive Ian Cheshire has already eliminated debt, improved wafer thin U.K. operating margins and almost doubled earnings. Kingfisher has delivered almost 90% total shareholder returns, well above the market's 12%.
Back-to-School Sale: Extra 25% off sitewide - JCPenney coupon code
Walmart coupon: $20 off your $50+ order
- Best Buy:
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Up to 15% off + free shipping at Wayfair
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- Dick's Sporting Goods:
10% off sitewide - Dick's Sporting Goods coupons


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Inflated food prices due to weak supply chain
By Minh Tam - The Saigon Times Daily
HCMC – Recent price volatility in commodities is the result of price-hike rumors and serious flaws in the supply chain, according to expert Tran Nguyen Nam
Speaking at a seminar on supply chain management held in HCMC last week, Nam, deputy head of the local market department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said a lot of shortcomings exist in the commodity supply chain, especially the weak connection among components of the chain, prompting an imbalance between supply and demand.
Thus, the price of necessities such as rice and fresh food are adversely affected by rumors, paving the way for merchants to earn huge profits, Nam added.
For instance, the pork price continuously soared in the first few months of 2011. As of July last year, pork price in the North had surged by 68-80% while in the South it was up 53-70% against January.
Apart from the fact that disease had impeded reinvestment in livestock of pig farmers, the pork price rise was attributed to a psychological factor as consumers were concerned pork prices would rise following a rumor of pork exports to China.
Similarly, the rice market has witnessed price volatility over the past few years. The price of rice climbed to a high of VND15,000-20,000 a kilo in April, 2008 when people flocked to stock rice due to a price hike rumor.
The scenario was repeated as 2009 saw the price of rice soaring, while the general supply still satisfied domestic consumption demand.
“The food supply chain is not well-managed as its components are vulnerable to dramatic changes on the market. As for the rice market, the drawbacks of the supply chain create golden opportunities for speculators,” he said.


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Is your small business reaching out to Hispanic consumers on their mobile devices? If not, you’re missing out on a big opportunity. New research reported by eMarketer shows that Hispanic consumers are not only far more likely than non-Hispanics to use mobile devices, but are also far more likely to use them to shop.
Who Voted for this Story
July 20, 2015
What's more important than salaries at your small business? Small business owners and entrepreneurs sometimes believe they …Sponsored By Aflac
We are so psyched to announce yet another BizSugar "Contributor of the Week", Chris Hamilton of Sales Tip A … MoreMore Contributors


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There have been a lot of big name investors in the news recently, including the trio of Warren Buffett, Kirk Kerkorian, and Carl Icahn. The media tends to lump all three men into the same group of people investors should pay great attention to. After all, when Buffett disclosed he bought Anheuser Busch (BUD) stock weeks ago, the stock jumped from $45 to $48 in a single day. Kerkorian issued a tender offer for General Motors (GM) shares that resulted in the largest one day gain in the stock in more than a decade.
Icahn perhaps deserves less attention. His track record is not as solid as Buffett or Kerkorian, and Wall Street evidently realizes that his shareholder activism efforts with the likes of Blockbuster (BBI) don’t always add any value for stock owners. In fact, when Icahn recently released a list of stocks in which he purchased stakes in recent weeks, most of the stocks barely budged.
Today I will focus on two stock buybacks, one of which was precipitated by Icahn’s discontent with the management of Kerr-McGee (KMG), and the other non-Icahn related buyback that resulted from a huge cash stash at Motorola (MOT). As you can see from the chart of today’s trading below, the stocks have reacted differently to the news of their respective buybacks.
First, the good news. Motorola has $6 billion of cash on its balance sheet currently, net of debt. CEO Ed Zander today announced that the company will buy back up to $4 billion in stock, about 10% of the total outstanding shares. Both Motorola and Nokia (NOK) have huge cash balances that have contributed to Peridot’s extreme interest in the stocks over the last year. Investors should always pay attention to balance sheets, in addition to earnings per share. When companies are flush with cash, they will usually do something good with it eventually, just be patient. MOT shares have been up between 3 and 4 percent today.
As you can see, Kerr-McGee shares are faring much worse today, falling by as much as 8 percent. Here’s a quick synopsis of the story there.
Icahn, unhappy with the management of KMG (despite the stock’s rise from $50 to $80 with the last 12 months), threatened last month to attempt to get elected to the company’s Board of Directors. Icahn agreed to abandon the effort after Kerr-McGee launched a “Dutch Auction” tender offer for 46.7 million shares. The move would cost $3.97 billion based on a purchase price of $85 for each KMG share, in order to avoid a proxy battle with Icahn.
With KMG shares trading at $74, Icahn basically has forced Kerr-McGee to buyback 29% of its total shares outstanding for $85 apiece. Today, the stock opened at $69. How exactly is buying back stock at $85, when your share price is $69, good for shareholders? That’s a $16 per share premium to the price on the open market. Icahn evidently thinks that is a good investment of nearly $4 billion for the company.
You know what makes it even worse? KMG doesn’t even have the $4 billion to buy the stock with, so they are borrowing the money. The company secured a $5.5 billion credit facility to fund the purchases. So, in addition to the $16 per share premium it is paying (an extra $747 million above market value) Kerr-McGee also has to pay interest on the entire amount.
Something tells me Warren Buffett would never force a company he owned a significant stake in to throw away money like that, let alone money they needed to borrow to do so.


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One of the South’s premier wine tasting events is happening right here in Northwest Arkansas and will feature hundreds of wines, food from dozens of local restaurants, and live entertainment.
- Happening here: The Walton Arts Center’s Art of Wine Festival has been enjoyed by Arkansans and visitors across the country since 2000, quickly growing into one of the largest wine festivals in the region.
- Events: The “Winemaker’s Dinner” will be on July 19 featuring six courses paired with highly rated wines.“Uncorked!,” an evening of wine and food sampling, will be on July 22. Proceeds from the Art of Wine Festival support Walton Arts Center.
Get your tickets HERE.


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Here is the Indian arm of the California based venture capital firm Sequoia Capital. The company was buoyant after raising a fund of nearly $620 million in 2016 as it looked at deals to get a bigger foothold in the venture capital market in India. Sequoia was eyeing the market experiencing a void created after giant Tiger Global Management vacated Indian market. Sequoia aggressively searched for opportunities at start up and early stages to increase its share of the capital venture market in India.
For those who do not know, Sequoia Capital India is a very prominent venture capital firm in India, having investments in companies like MU Sigma (data analytics), FreeCharge (bill payments), and Grofers (quick delivery start up). Return to a phase of aggressive investing in India by this capital venture firm comes at just the right time for start ups in India that are experiencing a resource crunch. Sequoia Capital India is aggressively looking for investment opportunities especially as it is armed with a fresh fund of more than $900 million.
Experts say that Indian startups are experiencing a slowdown after unfettered growth period of nearly two years. Wary investors are running away and this has forced many start ups to either shut down or choose the option of being acquired by others. This is an ideal opportunity for a capital venture firm like Sequoia as it can watch closely and then choose and pick the deals. The new fund of $920 million takes the total value of funds at the disposal of Sequoia Capital India to a new high of $3 billion.
It is not that other venture capital firms are not doing their bit to get a foothold in the Indian market. Some of the prominent ones are Accel Partners ($305 million), SAIF Partners ($350 million), and Nexus Venture Partners ($450 million).


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New York Magazine Jason Sylva on how to launch a paywall
In theory, a flexible paywall allows a publisher’s audience to develop more of a habit, hit advertising campaign goals more easily, and test out more hypotheses. But it also risks confusing readers. In this presentation from Digiday’s Hot Topic: Subscriptions and Commerce, which took place in New York City this past February, hear from Jason Sylva, general manager of consumer marketing revenue at New York Magazine, as he discusses its decision to go with a dynamic paywall. The key hits:
- Information like when, where and how consumers are interacting with your content can help you determine strategic perimeters for the paywall.
- When introducing a paywall, many publishers run into problems with it impacting their advertising business. To find a balance, consider leaving the paywall off of one-off pieces, such as television recaps or event coverage, and instead drive it on some of the more in-depth reporting.
- Optimize, but also learn: Optimizing focuses on existing demand, and learning enables you to build a more sustainable business.
Listen to this presentation on the Digiday Live podcast here.
‘People have had permission to experiment’: Pandemic expedites rethink on 9-to-5 work structures
Starting out as a short-term fix to weather the coronavirus storm, employers are seeing work hours outside the traditional 9-to-5 week as a new normal.
‘A digital Madison Square Garden’: How Complex reimagined the sponsorship opportunities for ComplexLand
The online event, which will combine music, conversation, gaming and shopping in an online world, will have 60 sponsors.
‘They wanted to unload it bad’: Why HuffPost made sense for BuzzFeed – and Verizon Media Group
BuzzFeed's acquisition of HuffPost will give it access to an older, more affluent cohort, potentially bolstering its news and commerce businesses.
SponsoredA buyer’s guide to new CTV terminology
by Austin Scott, Head of EMEA Video Market Development at Xandr There has been a seismic shift in the way audiences consume content. The average U.S. home owns 11 connected devices. More than 40 percent of consumers use connected TV (CTV) devices to stream content daily, and 77 percent of households are considered CTV households. […]
‘A start-up again’: New Quartz owner Zach Seward’s plan for longevity includes revenue innovation and reader support
Seward would not disclose current financials, but the upswing in ad revenue in third and fourth quarters has him optimistic about the company's position for 2021.
‘People are gonna shop’: Despite second coronavirus wave, consumer confidence ticks up and brakes on ad spend not slammed yet
Better prepared brands and more settled consumers have kept advertising revenues flowing, even as a second coronavirus wave rises.


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Vessel Co.on Friday announced that it will sell stock to raise 35.5 billion won (US$26.8 million). The proceeds from the stock offering will be used primarily to pay off its debts.
According to a regulatory filing, the company will issue some 13.37 million common shares at a price of 2,685 won per share. The stock will be sold to the firm’s shareholders.
Source: Yonhap News Agency


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In recent years, fancy consumer-facing technologies have dominated global headlines.
The rise of cryptocurrencies and NFTs, the advent of the metaverse, and most recently, the emergence of Generative AI and Large Language Models like ChatGPT have all captivated our collective imagination.
Yet, as exciting as (some) of these advancements are, they overshadow a less heralded but potentially more transformative shift.
Quietly unfolding in the background, the Fourth Industrial Revolution, aka Industry 4.0, holds the potential to redefine global industrial production on a scale perhaps unseen before.
This next era of the digitized manufacturing sector is characterized by disruptive trends, including the rise of data and connectivity, analytics, human-machine interaction, and improvements in robotics.
Now, you might be thinking, “Hold up, hasn’t Industry 4.0 been around for a while? Why should I sit up and pay attention now?”
You’re absolutely right.
A quick Google Trends check reveals that, as far back as 2015, Industry 4.0 has been a buzzing keyword.
Its cousins, “Smart Factory” and “Digital Factory,” have been trending even longer.
So, why am I bringing your attention towards a concept that’s almost a decade old? Here’s the catch.
While the idea of Industry 4.0 isn’t new, its relevance today, in 2023, is the most significant to date.
In fact, 2023 might be the year when we see the scales tip, pushing smart industrial production into an unprecedented technology era.
Why is this the case? Let’s take a closer look.
Before we get started, let me demonstrate to you that I’m not the only business leader that believes Industry 4.0 is more mission-critical today than ever before.
CEOs’ New Priority: Industry 4.0
Understanding the new emphasis on Industry 4.0 is as easy as tuning into the conversations taking place in corporate boardrooms.
What CEOs discuss is arguably more indicative of the future than Google Trends, reflecting the strategic priorities of industry leaders rather than fleeting consumer interests.
How do we tap into these conversations?
Thankfully, IoT Analytics has done the heavy lifting for us.
In a comprehensive analysis of Q1/2023 earnings calls from over 3,000 US-listed companies, Industry 4.0 emerged as one of the hottest topics among corporate leaders.
In fact, as the chart below illustrates, Industry 4.0 was the second fastest-growing topic, edged out only by AI and ChatGPT.
- In a striking uptick, “industrial automation” was discussed 57% more than in the previous quarter.
- Even more impressive, the term “predictive maintenance” witnessed a whopping increase of 136%.
Why is this significant?
Simply put, the themes that captivate boardrooms are strong indicators of future investment directions. The rising chorus around Industry 4.0 suggests a pressing need to accelerate investments and shift from proof-of-concept to ROI-driven, outcome-based deployments.
Emerging technologies like connectivity tech, big data analytics, centralized and remote-controlled monitoring, and process automation are poised to attract substantial investments in the near future.
So, while consumer-facing tech trends may command the spotlight, the industrial trend making waves in the corporate world is unequivocally Industry 4.0.
Now that we’ve established the prominence of Industry 4.0 in corporate dialogue, let’s delve deeper into the drivers propelling its relevance.
There are three key factors that help us unravel this scenario.
1. Pandemic Response: Industry 4.0 Shows Its Strength
The first intriguing force that has propelled the acceleration of Industry 4.0 is its demonstrated value during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, as the world grappled with an unprecedented health and economic crisis, industrial digitization was put to the ultimate test.
Manufacturing companies across various industries faced extraordinary challenges, from worker and raw material shortages to sudden demand surges.
Did Industry 4.0 technologies rise to the occasion?
The answer, according to a recent McKinsey survey, is a resounding “yes.”
Companies that had already implemented Industry 4.0 use cases prior to the pandemic found themselves better equipped to navigate the crisis, as illustrated in the chart below.
A prime example of this would be a company that had a digital twin of its supply chain.
During the pandemic, this digital twin allowed the company to simulate multiple scenarios, effectively preparing itself for potential shutdowns of manufacturing locations or disruptions in raw material supply. These preparations were invaluable in maintaining operational resilience amid such an unpredictable period.
Such success stories have sparked an intensified interest in the potential of Industry 4.0 technologies, further driving the momentum towards this transformative shift in industrial production.
2. Robotics: Reaching Never-Before-Seen Productivity
The second reason pointing to 2023 as the tipping point for Industry 4.0 lies in the unprecedented levels of technology adoption within leading factories and warehouses, leading to remarkable productivity enhancements.
To illustrate this, let’s take a closer look at Amazon, the e-commerce titan known for its relentless pursuit of efficiency in its warehouses and distribution centers.
A report by ARK Invest reveals a striking advancement in Amazon’s use of robotics.
- Seven years ago, the champion robot in the Amazon picking challenge could pick 30 items in an hour.
- Fast forward to 2022, and Amazon boasts a robot prototype capable of picking 1,000 items per hour – a staggering 33x productivity improvement that now outpaces human capabilities.
The ramifications of this advancement are profound.
This productivity revolution isn’t about replacing humans but rather enhancing their capabilities. Amazon, for instance, is not only increasing its robotic fleet but also hiring more human workers. In 2022, Amazon’s robotic fleet grew by 49% while the number of human employees increased by 24%.
This trend towards a blend of humans and robots, often referred to as “cobots,” is vital to the future of Industry 4.0. Cobots don’t just help with tasks that are dangerous or monotonous for human workers. They also enhance productivity, enabling humans to focus on tasks that require creativity, problem-solving, and human interaction.
The productivity boost provided by this harmonious blend of human and machine is one of the key reasons why Industry 4.0 is at an inflection point in 2023.
The rise of robotics and connected workers is ushering in a new era of productivity and efficiency that was once thought impossible.
3. Quality Assurance & Sustainability: Elevating Standards in Global Competition
Let’s look at the final element that is accelerating Industry 4.0.
In today’s globalized and competitive markets, two factors have risen to prominence as crucial differentiators: quality and sustainability.
- In the race to win customers, subpar quality can no longer be hidden behind clever marketing or competitive pricing.
- Additionally, customers are not only demanding superior quality but are also becoming increasingly aware of environmental issues, thus seeking products that are created through sustainable and efficient production methods.
Industry 4.0 is playing a pivotal role in addressing both these factors.
Smart factory automation, a key component of Industry 4.0, has already revolutionized quality assurance, see chart below, but it is yet to show its impact on the way we approach sustainability.
As the chart shows, a recent survey of 65 senior leaders and executives from manufacturing companies confirmed the massive impact of automation on quality, with a staggering 97% endorsing its positive effect. This impact outpaced other critical factors such as production speed (95%), production capacity (92%), safety (86%), and costs (86%).
However, the advancement towards more environmentally friendly production through automation is still limited, with only half of the respondents acknowledging its beneficial influence on sustainable practices.
My core thesis is that “Sustainable production represents Industry 4.0’s next major frontier.”
And actually, the data is on my side.
A striking new report reveals that none of the world’s top industrial sectors would be profitable if they fully integrated environmental costs. This underlines the urgent need for incorporating externalities into our economic modeling and transitioning towards more sustainable production methods.
Industry 4.0 technologies like real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, and advanced analytics are the keys to this transition. They contribute to more efficient, less wasteful production, aligning industrial processes with the environmental imperatives of our time.
As we venture further into 2023, maintaining high-quality standards while embracing sustainability is not just an aspiration; it’s a necessity.
With Industry 4.0 at the helm, companies are poised to achieve this dual goal, carving their
path in the global competitive landscape.
Act Now: Embrace the Future
Industry 4.0 is here.
And it’s reshaping our global industrial production landscape. As we teeter on the brink of this transformative era, the pressing question isn’t “if” but “how swiftly” we can harness this inevitable change.
Past trends have shown that early adopters of these technologies are better equipped to steer through challenges and seize opportunities. But to successfully navigate this transformation, a reliable partner is essential — a partner like Germanedge.
Living up to our mantra of “creating the perfect flow,” we offer innovative software solutions that empower companies to produce more intelligently, more flexibly, and more sustainably.
We provide not just the tools but also the vision to ensure maximum efficiency at all times and at every point in your production process.
With Germanedge, you’re not simply upgrading your capabilities, but future-proofing your operations. We guide you in defining the optimal blueprint for a digital factory, eliminating unnecessary detours and blind alleys on your path to Industry 4.0.
The time to act is now.
Embrace the future of connected production. Unlock the potential of Industry 4.0.


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Rolls-Royce Annual Sales
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has today, Monday announced its second highest ever annual sales result in it's 113-year history. A total of 4,011 cars were delivered to customers last year, a 6% increase on its 2015 sales.
Torsten M??ller-Otv?es, CEO, said, "This remarkable result emphatically affirms the global appeal of the very finest British luxury goods to the world's most discerning patrons. Rolls-Royce is a true Great British manufacturing success story, one driven by the hard work and ingenuity of the men and women employed at our Centre of Luxury Excellence in Goodwood, West Sussex."
Customers come from more than 50 countries including the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific. A number of individual markets exceeded previous records, notably Japan up 51%, Germany up 30%, China up 23% and the USA up 10%. Rolls-Royce's home market did well too, up 26%.
These results confirm the brand's on-going strength and resilience in a year of challenging market conditions for luxury goods worldwide.


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SK Hynix introduces DDR3L-RS (Reduced Standby), a new type of 20nm-class DRAM that promises significantly lower standby power consumption which will benefit laptops, tablets and ultrabooks. According to the company, DDR3L-RS has a 70 percent lower standby power compared to DDR3L DRAM, while maintaining the same level of performance.
The memory is offered in chips with 2Gb, 4Gb and 8Gb densities, as well as in SODIMMs with capacities of 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB. Hynix says its DDR3L-RS will be cheaper than LPDDR3 memory.
SK Hynix announced that it has introduced DDR3L-RS(Reduced Standby) DRAM for mobile solutions using its 20nm class technology. This product significantly reduces the standby power consumption.
By using cutting-edge 20nm class technology and efficiently managing standby current, this DDR3L-RS product reduces 70% of standby power compared to existing DDR3L DRAM while it maintains DDR3L performance. DDR3L DRAM which has recently gone mainstream works at 1.35V, while DDR3 DRAM does at 1.5V.
This product is available in both chip and module types. Chips for on-board use enable thinner devices to implement various densities with 2Gb(gigabit), 4Gb and 8Gb. SO-DIMMs(Small Outline Dual Inline Memory Module) are also provided with densities of 2GB(gigabyte), 4GB and 8GB.
The DDR3L-RS is expected to evolve into the best memory solution in the Ultrabook™ and tablet PC markets which highly require mobility and low power figure. The product is especially price competitive than LPDDR3 and significantly reduces standby current than existing DDR3L. As it combines performances of mobile DRAM and PC DRAM, SK Hynix expects to penetrate into the new market including low to mid-end ultabooks and tablets with this intermediary product and lead the mobile market.
“With the release of the new DDR3L-RS DRAM, we are now able to provide price competitive and low power products to the customers and these products will open a new area of memory semiconductor as one of the best memory solutions for the low to mid-end market,” said Mr. Ji Bum Kim, Head of Worldwide Marketing & Sales Division of SK Hynix.
According to market research firm iSuppli, the portion of the ultrathin shipments in the laptop market is expected to be 11% in 2012 and will eventually be expanded up to 39% in 2014. In 2015, it will jump to the half of the lap top market with 52% share.


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Roundup: iPhone 14 launch date confirmed, iPhone 14 Pro Max to be a favorite, Satellite connectivity and more
Apple confirms the iPhone 14 launch date in its ‘Far Out’ event. Manufacturing data highlights that iPhone 14 Pro Max can be a crowd pleaser. And a new rumor suggests the upcoming smartphones might feature satellite connectivity.
We are just days away from the Apple iPhone 14 launch event and the excitement around the upcoming smartphone series is growing exponentially. Everyone from iPhone fans to tech enthusiasts are looking forward to the event to take a look at the new innovations Apple has planned for its next generation of iPhone devices. And the new information is quite exciting. We finally have received official confirmation on the date for the launch event. It also appears that the iPhone 14 Pro Max might be the real crowd pleaser, based on Apple manufacturing data. And finally, there are reports suggesting that the smartphone series might get satellite connectivity. Read on for a breakdown on the iPhone 14 roundup.
iPhone 14 launch date confirmed
After weeks of debating on whether the Apple launch event for iPhone 14 would take place in the second week of September or the third week, the Cupertino-based tech giant has finally put all speculations to a stop with its official announcement. The Apple ‘Far Out' event is going to take place on September 7. The event will begin at 10:30 PM and go on till 12:30 AM. The iPhone 14 series will be the highlight of the event. Apple Watch 8 series can also be launched in the event.
iPhone 14 Pro Max might be the favorite of the pack
The iPhone 14 Pro Max can be the real crowd-puller this year. At least that's what Apple believes. The most expensive model in the iPhone 14 lineup is also the most manufactured panel, according to a tweet by Ross Young. He said, “The iPhone 14 Pro Max has the highest share of panel production and shipments with a 29% and 28% share respectively. The 14 Max has the smallest share at 21% of production and 19% of shipments. It is expected to make up a lot of ground in September”.
mobile to buy?
iPhone 14 might come with satellite connectivity
A new leak has surfaced that claims that the iPhone 14 might come with satellite connectivity. AppleTrack, a Twitter account that collates all leaks and information on Apple, tweeted, “A new report says Apple WILL be launching satellite connectivity on iPhone 14. At launch, the service will be limited to brief text messages, with photos and voice calls not supported until later”.
According to the leaks, the iPhone 14 might start at $799 whereas the iPhone 14 Pro could start from 1,099. The iPhone 14 Pro Max is likely to begin at $1,199.
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WASHINGTON — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi urged President Bush Tuesday to seek the resignation of Nancy Nord, acting chairwoman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
The move by Pelosi (D., Calif.) came after Nord asked Congress to reject legislation that would stiffen standards and penalties for unsafe imports and beef up her agency's resources. Nord said in a letter to the bill's sponsors that the new requirements would overtax the CPSC and even though it includes a substantial increase in funding, it wouldn't be sufficient to meet the measure's mandates.
Trey Bohn, a White House spokesman, said the president supports Nord and urged Democrats to work with the administration on "meaningful reform.''
The developments occurred as the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee unanimously passed legislation that would overhaul the commission and give it more funding, staffing and resources to halt contaminated and defective imports. Congress has taken a more active oversight role in product safety since public outcry over recalls of contaminated Chinese products, ranging from pet food, toothpaste and seafood to children's toys and jewelry containing lead paint.
"Any commission chair who, in the face of the facts that are so clear, says, 'We don't need any more authority or any more resources to do our job,' does not understand the gravity of the situation and does not understand the concern that American parents have for the safety of their children," Pelosi said. "With that description I would join my colleagues in...calling upon the president...to ask for her resignation. It is his administration, his policy and his appointee."
The rebuke from Pelosi and several House members came after Nord asked lawmakers in two letters last week to reject proposed legislation that would double her agency's budget and boost its authority and muscle with much stiffer civil penalties for companies importing unsafe products.
Sponsored by Sens. Mark Pryor (D., Ark.) and Daniel Inouye (D., Hawaii), the bill would increase the maximum civil penalty for violations to $100 million from $1.8 million, compel more public disclosure of confidential safety information, allow state attorneys general to enforce product safety laws, tighten lead-content standards for children's toys and jewelry, require certification by the CPSC of testing laboratories and loosen the standard for "knowing and willful violations."The bill would also increase staffing at the commission to 500 employees from 420, authorize a funding increase to $80 million for fiscal year 2009 from $62.4 million for fiscal 2007, with a 10 percent increase per year, peaking at $141.7 million in 2015.
Apparel importers, already faced with strict commission standards on flammability, drawstrings and hazardous substances, are concerned with many of the bill's provisions.
Kevin Burke, president and chief executive officer of the American Apparel & Footwear Association, said in a letter to Pryor that the association supports the bill's increase in funding and staffing, but opposes aspects of the legislation, including a "whistle-blower" provision that would reward employees who are fired for reporting product safety issues with as much as a $25 million share of any civil penalties and give the states the right to bring independent civil actions.
On the other side of the debate, the Consumer Federation of America applauded the bill, arguing that the new penalties and more disclosure will act as a deterrent.
The measure now moves to the full Senate and a companion bill is set to be introduced in the House.
@tradesy is turning the concept of a showroom upside down with its new space in Santa Monica. Here, the company plans to hold events, art exhibits and a showcase rare fashion pieces like this Louis Vuitton boxing set. Get all the details on Tradesy’s first showroom on WWD.com. #wwdnews
Spotted last night at the @erdem x @hm launch event: Kate Bosworth, Rashida Jones, Kirsten Dunst and Selma Blair. The party, which took place in LA, also marked the opening of their pop-up shop. “I was interested in creating a collection that wasn’t in any way disposable. It was about pieces you’d create and keep forever, things that have a permanence to it,” designer Erdem Moralioglu said. #wwdeye (📷: Katie Jones)
Renee Zellweger in yellow in 2001 and again in 2017. Chosen as one of the 12 @pantone Leading Spring Colors (and dubbed “Meadowlark”), it only makes sense that the bright hue stands the test of time and is making a resurgence this season, seen already on stars like @blakelively and @gigihadid. (📷: Donato Sardello & @rexfeatures) #wwdfashion #tbt
Dior’s 70th anniversary celebration continues with a new exhibition at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. “Christian Dior,” which is scheduled to run through March 18, takes a look at the founders tenure from 1947 to 1057 and feature 40 designs. Pictured here is an evening gown from the Ailée, fall 1948-49 haute couture collection. #wwdfashion (📷: Brian Boyle)
As one of the most recognizable models in the world, Christy Turlington Burns has an insider’s view of the fashion industry and the allegations of sexual harassment swirling around it. “I can say that harassment and mistreatment have always been widely known and tolerated in the industry. The industry is surrounded by predators who thrive on the constant rejection and loneliness so many of us have experiences at some point in our careers,” Turlington told WWD, along with her suggestions for how the modeling world should protect younger women and men. Read more on WWD.com. Link in bio. (📷: Tony Palmieri) #wwdnews
@asics America has tapped a new brand ambassador: famed DJ/record producer @steveaoki. This initiative is intended to set the tone for the new brand identity and philosophy and will include partnerships with influencers and in-store and off-line activations that will continue into next year. This is Asics’ most significant marketing effort in two decades, and is expected to attract younger consumers to the brand. #wwdfashion
24-year-old Jean Prounis is redefining the rules of jewelry. Formerly a studio assistant to Jemima Kirke and a design apprentice at Ghuran, she focuses on handcrafted subtleties and ancient goldsmithing techniques. “There was a really sterile feel in the environment and I wanted to have jewelry with character that shapes how you wear it everyday,” Prounis said. Each piece is hand made in New York, either by Prounis or three other jewelers in the district. #wwdfashion
“These collections continue to build on that vision, empowering differently abled adults to express themselves through fashion,” said @tommyhilfiger of his line of adaptive apparel, which launches today. The line consists of 37 men’s and 34 women’s styles based upon the pieces from the spring Tommy Hilfiger sportswear collection. #wwdnews


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Since the start of the pandemic, thousands of people who would usually travel for business have switched the passports and passenger lounges for virtual meetings and video calls. As the worst fears of the lucrative business travel industry are realised, we look at whether it will ever make a full recovery.
Nine months into the pandemic, Brandon Contreras, a partner account executive at a U.S. tech firm, is working from home and joining Zoom meetings instead of jetting around the globe.
Contreras manages his North American accounts from Sacramento, California and doesn’t expect to travel for work again until the middle of next year. Even then, he’s not sure whether he’ll need to.
“Maybe it’s just the acceptance of the new normal. I have all of the resources necessary to be on the calls, all of the communicative devices to make sure I can do my job,” he said. “There’s an element of face-to-face that’s necessary, but I would be okay without it.”
That trend could spell big trouble for hotels, airlines, convention centres and other industries that rely so heavily on business travellers like Contreras.
Work travel represented 21 per cent of the 7.5 trillion euros spent on global travel and tourism in 2019, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council.
“I do think corporate travel is going to come back faster than people suspect. I just don’t know if it will return to what we were used to before,” says Delta Air Lines CEO, Ed Bastian. Right now, Delta’s business travel revenue is down by 85 per cent.
Is there less demand for business travel?
Dubai-based MBC Group, which operates 18 television stations, says it’s unlikely employees will travel as often once the pandemic ends, because they simply don’t need to anymore.
“We have managed to deliver projects and negotiate deals very successfully remotely,” says MBC spokesman Mazen Hayek.
Online shopping giant Amazon has saved nearly 850 million euros in travel expenses so far this year, after telling its 1.1 million employees to stop travelling in March.
At Southwest Airlines, CEO Gary Kelly said while overall passenger revenue is down by 70 per cent, business travel — normally more than one-third of Southwest’s traffic – is down by 90 per cent.
“I think that’s going to continue for a long time. I’m very confident it will recover and pass 2019 levels, I just don’t know when,” Kelly says.
The cutback in travel has been a boom for video-conferencing services. Zoom says it had 370,200 customer businesses with at least 10 employees at the end of July, more than triple the number it had at the end of April.
New trends in business travel
Sam Clarke, an assistant professor in the College of Business at California State University San Marcos, believes that some in-person events will still be critical for business productivity in the future. But he thinks new kinds of business travel could also emerge.
“Lockdowns have taught employees how to adapt to different work environments”, says Clarke, so hotels, airlines and even cruise ships should do more to cater to business travellers. Marriott recently introduced flexible options aimed at business travellers, including one-day stays with an evening check-out.”
Clarke also expects some companies will change the way their employees travel. Instead of letting a few executives travel a lot, he predicts companies could let most employees work from home and fly them all back to their headquarters once a year.
Some businesses are already changing the way their work is done. Cynthia Kay and Co., a media production company based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, previously sent its seven employees around the country to make videos for clients like Siemens.
When travel came to a halt in March, the company invested in proprietary software and sent iPads and other equipment to clients so it could coach them through their own video shoots.
As a result, the company’s sales are down by only 15-20 per cent even though its travel spending has dropped 75 per cent.
Still, Kay and her staff were eager to get back on the road once they felt they could do that safely. Kay began travelling again in October.
“For some people, this is the way they will work going forward,” Kay said. “But you can’t replace the spark that happens when you get people in the same room.”


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by Corinne Gangloff
June 3, 2020
According to Freedonia Group analyst Gleb Mytko, “While the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global motorcycle market is likely to be extensive and multifaceted in the near term, the market is expected to return to growth with renewed strength beyond 2020”.
In economic terms, the global COVID-19 pandemic will have a direct impact on:
In the corporate sphere, divestitures and acquisitions will be reviewed and key strategic decisions will be delayed. Companies will reorganize their operations to deal with the new reality, as severe currency fluctuations could eat into corporate profits.
Learn more about the short and long term trends for motorcycles in the new Global Motorcycles. https://www.freedoniagroup.com/industry-study/global-motorcycles-3827.htm
Here are a few key trends for the long term.
Contact Corinne Gangloff for an interview with the analyst Gleb Mytko.
Provide the following details to subscribe.


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Operations will soon begin at Indiana University Health’s new high-tech warehouse and distribution center that officials hope will save the state’s largest health systems millions of dollars a year.
The 300,000-square-foot warehouse in the western Indianapolis suburb of Plainfield will be stocked with 5,000 different items before it opens next month, the Indianapolis Business Journal reported . The warehouse is managed by a system of robots, tote bins, electronic controls and software.
IU Health officials hope it will save the organization up to $3 million a year by standardizing inventory, ordering in bulk at a discount and streamlining delivery routes.
“The goal is to have the right products in the right place at the right time in the most cost-effective manner,” said Dennis Mullins, vice president of supply chain operations at IU Health, which has 18 hospitals and hundreds of clinics around the state.
IU Health officials plan to use the warehouse to replace bulk supply rooms at its facilities. The old system tied up millions of dollars in inventory, took up a large amount of space and was inefficient. Under the new system, trucks from the Plainfield warehouse will deliver items to hospitals as needed.
“The current supply chain is complex and fragmented,” said Elizabeth Walker, an Indianapolis health care consultant at Miami-based BDC Advisors. “There are multiple handoffs before a product reaches a patient, which adds complexity and cost.”
The health system plans to phase in the use of the warehouse in two stages over about six months. The first phase will involve small, routine and relatively inexpensive items, such as bandages, tape syringes and bedpans. The second phase will involve more expensive items such as pacemakers and defibrillators.
IU Health’s hospitals and clinics will have just one or two weeks of supplies on hand in small storage areas as the new warehouse begins supplying those facilities.
Workers have been practicing with the software on the robotic-picking system, where small goods could be stored and retrieved, then sent out to trucks on a conveyor-belt system. Managers also are helping workers get certified on forklifts and how to load trucks.
“There’s a lot that goes into it,” Mullins said. “We can’t just turn on the lights and expect everyone to know how to do everything. There’s a lot of training and testing to make sure when we go live, when we start supporting our hospitals on July 10, we’re 100 percent ready.”


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AVIXA have announced that last week’s #InfoComm22 attracted 19,681 attendees. Not only is it less than half of the 44,000 people who attended back in 2019 (the last pre-#Covid19 pandemic event) it is actually the lowest since 2008 and says a lot about the struggles that both AVIXA and large trade shows in general are going to have over the next few years.
522 exhibitors (another low, there were 950 stands in 2019) showcased pro AV products and solutions across 294,500 square feet of the trade show floor, although much to the chagrin of almost all attendees this exhibition space was (needlessly) spread between the new West and old North Halls at the Las Vegas Convention Centre.
Rochelle Richardson, SVP of Expositions and Events, AVIXA tried to put a good spin on the poor attendance and was quoted as saying “This week has been a celebration of and for our industry – from the trade show floor to the AVIXA council events to our educations sessions. There are many people and organizations that help make this show possible – the exhibitors, sponsors, attendees, speakers, media, the Las Vegas Convention Center, Freeman, and the AVIXA staff. It’s truly the contributions and collaboration from so many that makes this such an exceptional event.”
In our opinion, all the stands were much smaller than usual (for example, the usual brilliant LG stand was a shadow of its former self) but all booths were probably the correct size for what little technology the exhibitors actually had to show. There were very few new product launches and supply chain issues were the talk of the trade floor and social media.
DVLED seems to be the (big) product that everyone is now focused on and while it’s very nice to view and look at in person, it is no more exciting than LCD was.
As is standard for AVIXA these days they did a poor job with social media and the impressive social media conversation that happened from the truly dedicated #AVTweeps during the week was despite the organisers and not because of anything they did. AVIXA’s marketing department continue to confuse attendees with InfoComm 2022 and IC22 branding and signage and did nothing to promote their own official hashtag #InfoComm22.
Despite some hashtag leakage to #Infocomm, #Infocomm2022 and #IC22 the hashtag analysis for the last 30 days from our sister site https://aka.tv  saw…
No. of Tweets: 14,535
No. of Twitter impressions: 105,193,199
No. of Twitter users who tweeted: 1,287
No. of Twitter users reached: 5,287,834
Note that #InfoComm19 saw 22,812, 128,510,425, 2,996 and 10,069,544.
Anyhow whatever way you look at it, this show is their smallest since 2008. Even Infocomm some 15 years ago managed to attract 30,000 visitors. It wasn’t until 2017 when the attendance figure hit 40,000 and it’s likely to take a long time for the show to get back to that level again.
* InfoComm 2010 32,000 (Las Vegas)
* InfoComm 2011 33,001 (Orlando)
* InfoComm 2012 34,286 (Las Vegas)
* InfoComm 2013 35,126 (Orlando)
* InfoComm 2014 37,048 (Las Vegas)
* InfoComm 2015 39,105 (Orlando)
* InfoComm 2016 38,833 (Las Vegas)
* InfoComm 2017 44,077 (Orlando)
* InfoComm 2018 43,000 (Las Vegas)
* InfoComm 2019 44,129 (Orlando)
* InfoComm 2020 no show (Las Vegas)
* InfoComm 2021 7,335 (Orlando)
* InfoComm 2022 19,681 (Las Vegas)


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It was only a matter of time before some big corporation caught wind of the drive-thru rap video phenomenon, previously covered here on Serious Eats back in April. Drive-thru rap videos on YouTube date back to 2006 but only recently have hit the mainstream. The basic premise: People drive up to the drive thru, usually with a friend providing beat-box, and rap with intentionally difficult-to-parse orders to confuse the employees on the other end of the intercom—the whole affair videotaped and uploaded to YouTube for all to see.
Now, Taco Bell (or an ad agency working for them) has co-opted the meme, keeping the appearance of a homemade video but adding pretty glossed up close-ups of the food--and sanitizing it of its humor, spontaneity, and originality. Some might say homage, I say rip-off.
Interestingly, but unsurprisingly, the Taco Bell commercial has created a feedback loop of sorts: The drive-thru rap video meme has reached a whole new, national audience, and new videos have appeared on YouTube likely drawing inspiration from the rip-off itself.
After the jump, the commercial, as well as some of the original inspirations.