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Samsung has recently announced its new flagship device known as Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro. This flagship device comes with 6 GB RAM, 64 Bit Octa Core processor for handling heavy tasks and stunning 6 inch IPS display. Most of the people consider Samsung C9 Pro as the successor of Unsuccessful Galaxy Note 7.
Every Individual, Celebrity, Politician, Business owner, etc now a days requires an application (Android & iOS) for running their business smoothly. But not all can afford it, as it would be costing around USD 500 for each instance or atleast require coding knowledg to accomplish the same. Today we have come up with a web based SAAS solution that will help to create a professional app in less than 5 simple steps and that too without the need to code.
Google has recently launched its new product called the Google Keyboard. Later Google has renamed it to Google Gboard which now has more than 500 million downloads on Google PlayStore. With this, the app has made it to the list that currently includes some biggies like Google Photos, Dropbox, Whatsapp and Skype.
Finally after a long waiting, Whatsapp users will be getting the video calling feature soon after the official launch offered by the company. Till that time, developers who want to test the application can download the app as a beta user. As of now the application is only available for Android users and later will be given to iOS users.
Google has promised to pushed the latest developer preview of Android 7.1 starting this month. As promised Google has started rolling the developer preview to its latest flagship devices called Nexus 5X, 6P and Pixel C. By default, Pixel C comes with Android 6.0.1 (Marshmallow) and this would be latest update to this flagship device.
A month after global launch, iPhone 7and 7 Plus has finally gone on sale in India from 7 PM I.S.T today. Apple has changed the launch a bit differently this time in India. Earlier years, Apple use to launch the iPhone at midnight which eagerly making fans to stand in queues up outside Apple stores.
Google has rolled a new update to its Google Map Android application that makes it even more exciting with an option to search a location without even lifting your phone. Yes, latest version of Google Map comes with Google Now integration which allows to fire the GMap application with 'Ok Google' Hands-Free voice search.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 was the biggest competitor to iPhone 7 until the issue of battery explosions popped up in Samsung Galaxy Note 7. Company has officially recalled the devices back to the manufacturing zone especially in USA.
We all know that Samsung has officially called off his Galaxy Note 7 back from customers in USA due to faulty components causing battery explosions. That's really annoying for the consumers waiting for so long and couldn't able to use it. This does not mean Note 7 is bad in other aspects. There are many exciting features available in Note 7 and one among them is Secure Folder.
After the launch of iOS 10, mac sierra at WWDC (World Wide Developer Conference) 2016, Apple has launched its new iPhone 7. iPhone 7 is the extra ordinary and revolutionary product developed by Apple engineers. iPhone 7 dramatically improves the most important aspects of the iPhone experience. The best performance and battery life ever in an iPhone. Immersive stereo speakers. The brightest, most colourful iPhone display.
WhatsApp Messenger is a cross platform, encrypted messaging client for smartphones that uses internet to send text, audio, video, etc to other users registered on cellular numbers. As of February 2016, WhatsApp had a user base of one billion, making it the most popular messaging application.
Microsoft has launched a new version of its Next Lock Screen app making it to version 3.7.1. The update brings along several changes, including improved notifications, reduced memory usage, as well as some bug fixes.
Google has over the last few years been offering a number of useful software and internet services. The latest in the series is Google Duo – an app updated last Tuesday on 15th August. The app makes video calling all the more simple and easy. The picture quality is good and the voice is clear. The Duo app is downloadable and free through Google’s Play Store and Apple’s App Store. When the user opens the app, he finds just one button: video call. Tapping the button will load the list of contacts. He can then decide as to whom he wants to call.
Apple is ready to release the final beta version of iOS 10 for developers. This is probably going to be one of the last Beta releases of iOS 10 before Apple releases the "Gold master" build in time for WWDC 2016. We do not have any public release date of iOS 10 but the company says its going to be launched in 2 months.
Last year Apple announced iPad Pro and since then the company is trying to sell it as a computer replacement. Apple itself is a computer manufacturer but for basic tasks atleast. A new commercial is going on in the market of explaining how efficient is iPad Pro than a normal computer.
Pokemon Go has launched a week ago and has crossed over 10 million installs milestone in the Android. These figures are being taken from the number of installs in 10,000,000 - 50,000,000 range. While this certainly does not mean the figure mentioned in the store are the number of people who are actively using the app.
WhatsApp with millions users chatting and calling with friends and family require custom notifications option to get notified. For which Whatsapp has added this feature in its latest update. But many people don't know how to activate the same.
Exporting contacts from an iPhone was very big task for the users migrating to Android or other smartphone. By default, you cannot export iPhone contacts using your device alone. In the past, you could use an application specifically designed for this function, or you could utilize iTunes from your PC or Mac.
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In their latest Press Release, Activision revealed that Call of Duty: WWII has already made over $500 million in worldwide sales. The company also revealed it was also the best-selling digital full game by units sold on its first day of availability with double the amount of overall copies sold compared to last year.
CEO of Activision Erich Hershberg, also said in a statement..
“We challenged our players to get their squads back together and they answered the call with the highest number of players we’ve ever seen on current gen consoles and PC. Call of Duty: WWII returns the franchise to its roots and the results are incredible, selling twice as many units in its opening weekend as last year and setting the day one record for full-game downloads on PlayStation 4. Our $500 million opening weekend was not only bigger than Thor: Ragnarok‘s, it was bigger than the opening weekends of both Thor and Wonder Woman combined. And we’re committed to supporting the community with continuous improvements and new content.”

domain: news


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Ahead of the Mobile World Congress (MWC), when people are waiting for the official launch of anticipated devices, comes a fresh leak which all but confirms the specs of one the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3.
The company is expected to launch its highly anticipated tablet on Feb. 26 as indicated by its press invite. Close on the heels of the images of the Samsung tablet emerging online, which revealed that it will have AKG audio support, the full specifications of the Galaxy Tab S3 have leaked hours before its MWC debut.
The latest image of the Galaxy Tab S3 affirms previous speculations of the device offering keyboard support. The current leak is courtesy MySmartPrice, which managed to lay its hands on the image and the full specifications of the tablet.
What Does The Leaked Image Reveal?
The render shows the Galaxy Tab S3 from the side and attached to it is the magnetic keyboard, which will be sold separately.
The picture shows the tablet donning a black hue, but it may be available in other color options as well upon its release. The tablet may also come in silver as evidenced by older leaks.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S3: Full Specifications
The leak also shares the detailed specifications of the upcoming tablet from Samsung. It is expected to boast a 9.7-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels. The aspect ratio will likely be 4:3 and the device will be able to play HDR content.
The Galaxy Tab S3 may house a quad-core Snapdragon 820 chipset, clocked at 2.15 GHz and 4 GB of RAM. The Samsung tablet will apparently offer 32 GB of internal storage, which can be expanded up to 256 GB via a microSD card.
It has also been revealed by the leak that the tablet will come with a 13MP rear-facing camera with auto focus and a 5MP selfie shooter. The battery will likely be a massive 6000 mAh one, which may also support Adaptive Fast Charging if the reports are to be believed.
Apart from these, other features include a dual band Wi-Fi, LTE Cat.6 which supports speeds of up to 300Mbps, USB 3.1 Type-C port and a 3.5 mm jack for headphones
The Galaxy Tab S3 will come with Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box per the leaked specs.
Some special features that the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 will boast include four AKG-based loud speakers. AKG is under the Samsung-owned Harman Kardon brand and, therefore, the audio quality of the tablet can be expected to be exceptional.
Gamers will also be pleased to learn that the Samsung tablet may house Vulcan API for a high quality gaming experience. The image suggests that the Galaxy Tab S3 will offer support for the S Pen stylus.
While the latest leak provides full details of the specs, it mentions nothing about the price of the device.
Release And Price
While the Galaxy Tab S2's successor is slated to debut at Samsung's press conference at the MWC on Feb. 26, the release date for the tablet is not known. That said, the Galaxy Tab S3 is expected to hit the shelves in March and will start at $580 per rumors.


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Porsche threatens to sue Nissan over using logo in ad campaign
Porsche and Nissan regularly hit up the Nurburgring with the Porsche 911 and the Nissan GT-R to win bragging rights. Well, Nissan capitalized on its victory over Porsche at the Nurburgring with some aggressive guerrilla marketing activity used in a new campaign with slick titles such as “The Germans Came Off Wurst” and “The Winner Hans Down.”
Things heated up when Nissan showed up to the Goodwood Festival over last weekend with sports cars with logos of BMW, Audi and Porsche on the side with a five bar gate scoring system “etched” next to each brand showing the number of victories it had at the Nurburgring against them.
The move caused Porsche executives to call up Nissan’s and complain and even threaten legal action – not because Porsche is embarrassed, but because Porsche doesn’t allow anyone or any company to use its logo without their permission.
“The problem arose with them using our Porsche crests,” said Andrea Baker, head of public relations at Porsche. “They are our property and we do not give permission to any company to use our crests without our permission. This applies to any company.”
– By: Omar Rana


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Meyer Sound has announced its new self-powered HMS-15 surround speaker.
Outline will introduce a raft of new products in Frankfurt (Hall 8.0, stand J70), including three new EIDOS models.
Sennheiser has unveiled its new TeamConnect system, which delivers "exceptional simplicity for stress-free audio conferences," at ISE.
d&b audiotechnik has expanded its White range with the new xC-Series column loudspeakers.
Turbosound has expanded its range of line array systems with the new TLX Series.
Audio-Technica has launched the AT-DMM828 Digital Matrix Mixer, the next generation of the company’s SmartMixer family of automatic mixers.
Matrix Amplification has expanded its range of Class AB amplifiers with the MF series models.
Powersoft has expanded its Ottocanali power amp range with three new high-performance eight-channel models for fixed installations.


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The games are on now! Will the Canon EOS R1 outperform the Sony A1?
The Canon EOS R1 is believed to be the new flagship device of the EOS R camera lineup, and it will be a direct rival to the insanely powerful Sony A1.
Considering that it will probably be placed somewhere above the Canon EOS R6, which is officially known as “Canon’s best ever stills camera,” it is a pretty exciting aspect.
Obviously, it will probably cost a fortune, but the EOS R1 is also believed to contain brand-new technologies that will be used in premiere on a mirrorless camera.
It would bring photographers one step closer to a world without the need for DSLRs, as it will most likely be a pro-grade sports photography camera.
The Canon EOS R1 is a direct competitor for the Sony A1, but it will also be a follow-up of the Canon EOS 1D X Mark III.
Unfortunately, the camera is yet to be announced. It will probably be introduced to the public later in 2021, and we already hear about two of its most significant features. Those include a global shutter and a new breed of autofocus known as Quad Pixel AF.
The Sony A1 is priced at $6,500 / Â£6,500 / AU$10,500.
As it is such an important name in the industry, the chances are that if the R1 indeed boasts superior features, the price tag may be the same or even higher.
It is the kind of camera that has a chance to be announced well before the Olympic games, probably during an Olympics year like this one.
However, there are still doubts regarding the Tokyo Games, so you should take the rumours regarding the camera’s introduction with a grain of salt.


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PHOENIX—Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants announced that it has purchased Amara Resort and Spa in Sedona, Ariz. The property was acquired through the company’s proprietary KHP-III fund, which closed in first quarter this year. The 100-room boutique resort overlooking Oak Creek, will be the third Kimpton hotel in Arizona..
“We’re proud to add the Amara Resort and Spa to our collection,” said Mike Depatie, chief executive officer, Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants. “We saw an opportunity to expand to Sedona, an area that’s a very desirable resort destination for travelers for its ideal weather, stunning views and serene environment. It’s a perfect addition to our growing roster of hotels because it further expands our presence in popular leisure markets adding to hotels we already have open or in development in Scottsdale, Vero Beach, South Beach, Miami, Aspen and Palm Springs.”
Amara Resort and Spa completed a $2 million renovation in September 2012. The renovations included the addition of a 26,000-gallon infinity edge saltwater pool along with upgrades to the resort’s restaurant, outdoor event space, fitness center, and lobby.
Kimpton plans further renovations to align the property with its standards in the area of design and comfort. The details and the timing of the renovations have not yet been announced. Amara Resort and Spa has already begun to incorporate and offer Kimpton’s amenities, such as the Kimpton InTouch loyalty program, hosted evening wine hour, coffee and tea service in the living room lobby daily, in-room yoga mats, loaner bikes, and the company’s pet friendly policies.


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It’s been a long time coming, and now Migos fans can rejoice, as the hip-hop group finally has a set release date for their debut album.
After releasing multiple mixtapes in the last half year, the trio did an interview with Quality Music Control/300, where they announced that their album YRN Tha Album will be hitting stores on June 16th.
So far, there’s not too many other details surrounding the album, but we’re sure we can expect some artwork to come in the next few months before its official release.
Watch the trio talk about their upcoming album in the video above.
PHOTO CREDIT: Getty


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Colorado’s attorney general has launched an investigation into whether the state’s marijuana businesses are misleading consumers by labeling their products “organic.”
Consumers have complained to the attorney general’s office that they can’t tell whether the weed they buy is really organic, said Roger Hudson, spokesman for Attorney General Cynthia Coffman. The investigation will help consumers make informed decisions, Hudson said.
“Merchants have been misrepresenting their product when they say ‘organic’ or ‘organically grown,'” he said. “We’re looking for information inside those complaints to make a determination on what those next steps are. Is it consumer fraud? Is it criminal?”
Officials at Coffman’s office declined to elaborate on the investigation or explain its scope, according to The Denver Post. But a local attorney who works in the cannabis industry told the newspaper the inquiry appeared to be relatively limited. The focus includes grow sites that became part of a separate investigation into the use of illegal pesticides by marijuana farmers, lawyer Sean McAllister said.
Many growers misrepresent growing methods
Coffman wants to make sure the use of the word “organic” is “consistent with the concept of organic,” McAllister said.
Technically speaking, no weed provider is allowed to use the label “organic” because the drug is illegal under federal law, which regulates the use of the term. It doesn’t matter whether pot growers actually obey the requirements of organic farming.
Breaking this rule is treated as fraud under the Colorado Consumer Protection Act, and penalties top out at $10,000 in fines per violation. The same maximum penalty is also possible under federal law.
But the rules have gone mostly unenforced over the years, allowing the increased use of “organic,” regardless of whether weed is grown to organic standards. At least 29 companies, including growers, retailers, and medical marijuana shops, use “organic” in their names, the Post reported. Some businesses use it as part of a trade name to advertise or sell weed.
Some stores claim their weed is “grown in organic soil” or uses “organic growing techniques.” At least one website goes so far as to say it received a “certification of organic standards and testing that mirrors the USDA organic certification.”
Some pot shops are ditching the “organic” label
The term isn’t growing on everyone, though. At least one Denver pot shop, RiverRock Cannabis, recently took the words “organic” and “medical” out of its name. Retail Manager Chris Haggerty said his business was moving to comply with Coffman’s new policy, which forced him to change signs, stop selling T-shirts with the old name, and stop handing out promotional materials with the word “organic.”
“The attorney general sent something saying that no dispensary can be certified as organic,” Haggerty said.
The Organic Cannabis Association, a Denver-based group, is pushing for a better system, one that would really tell users if their weed is organic.
“The word organic is being used inappropriately by people who are using very toxic chemicals,” said John Paul Maxfield, the group’s co-founder. “There’s no governing agency that is regulating that. In the absence of a body coming through and branding organic cannabis, that term can be used by everybody, even if it’s not done properly.”


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TOKYO -- Panasonic, a key Tesla supplier, aims to capitalize on its strength in battery technology to drive profit amid an accelerating shift to clean energy, its CEO said on Thursday.
Yuki Kusumi, outlining the company's focus under his new leadership, placed clean energy and resource efficiency at the core of its business operations, as his company aims to go on the offensive after years of restructuring.
Kusumi came into office last month, taking over from outgoing chief Kazuhiko Tsuga.
Panasonic has long produced various types of batteries. In addition to batteries for electric vehicles, the Osaka-based company makes solar panels, hydrogen fuel cells, and storage batteries for use at home, offices and factories.
Kusumi said the company was now developing a small-scale energy system that can power offices and factories without using fossil fuel. The system combines fuel cells, solar panels and storage batteries: It generates solar power on sunny days, uses fuel cells on cloudy days or at night, and then stores electricity in batteries to even out supply. The system will be capable of producing electricity at or below the current electricity rates.
Demand for such a system is expected to grow, at least in Japan where Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga in October made a commitment to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
The company aims to generate 300 billion yen ($2.7 billion) in sales in 2030, by selling them in Japan, China, and Europe among other countries.
The joint venture with Tesla is another key focus in the clean energy field, Kusumi said, adding that the company will keep its technological edge in the field, where it competes against China's CATL and South Korea's LG Chem.
Kusumi said that the company will focus on the development of a new battery, code-named "4680," which Tesla unveiled last year. The new cell is believed to increase the range of Tesla electric vehicles and make them more affordable.
Business solutions are another area of focus, Kusumi said, as he tries to accelerate the company's shift away from the traditional hardware business of selling electric appliances, avionics and automotive displays.
Its acquisition of Blue Yonder, a U.S. developer of supply chain management systems, for $7.1 billion last month is aimed at transforming Panasonic into a business solutions company that helps other entities such as retailers eliminate any inefficiency in their supply chain from procurement to distribution to inventory.
Kusumi says he is going to shift away from his predecessor's focus on restructuring.
Under previous CEO Tsuga, Panasonic decided to exit plasma panel displays and smartphones in 2013, semiconductors and liquid crystal panels in 2019 and solar panels as a stand-alone business this year.
Panasonic is also looking to exit production of low- and mid-end TVs to focus on the high-end segment with products such as OLED TVs.
Kusumi said his focus was on improving the remaining businesses, although it remains to be seen if investors buy his strategy.
Panasonic shares have fallen 20% in the last three months after the Nikkei reported on the acquisition of Blue Yonder. The decline has also been spurred by the company's cautious profit forecast for the current fiscal year.
Panasonic faces uncertainties such as the ongoing COVID outbreaks in Japan, shortages of semiconductors, which have crippled production at automakers, which are key Panasonic customers, and high commodity prices.
But undaunted, Kusumi said his aim was to deliver results. "We are at a stage where the existing visions are put into practice rather than making more new visions," he said.


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Dan and Horace are back to discuss the latest news from Nokia, RIM, HTC and Sony and what they have to do with each other. We touch on the distinction between market and product orientation and meander into the question of what is the value of the enterprise vis-a-vis the product it sells and what management has meant and what it should mean. We even tackle the history (and future) of history.
via 5by5 | The Critical Path #33: The Futility of Machinations.
This show covered a lot of topics, broad as well as deep.
Show notes and links:
- Investors hang up on Nokia after yet another profit warning – Apr. 11, 2012
- Sony posts its worst loss ever – USATODAY.com
- Sony doubles red ink forecast to worst loss ever – Yahoo! Finance
- Sony and Sharp warn of record annual losses – Telegraph
- 5by5 | The Critical Path #2: Synchronized failure
Nielsen has already noted that more than half of US consumers have smartphones. comScore’s data seems to point to that threshold being crossed sometime this year.
If that point is crossed then it would mark the smartphone as one of the most rapidly adopted consumer technologies of all time. I plotted the time it took for a set of technologies to reach 50% penetration of US households.
I also showed the time it took for some of the technologies to reach 80% penetration.


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Australia's average broadband speed now sits below nine developing countries....
Australia's average broadband speed now sits below nine developing countries.
Telstra has announced it will stop selling the fastest available consumer NBN plan to all but a lucky minority of customers because the infrastructure can’t deliver the advertised speeds.
The telco has announced that “for the time being” it will sell only new connections on the fastest available consumer grade NBN bundle to lucky customers who have fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) or hybrid fibre coaxial (HFC) connections, a Tesltra spokesperson told news.com.au.
That plan is supposed to give you speeds up to 100Mbps, but that doesn’t always happen.
This is because the less capable connections that make up the multi-technology mix (MTM) introduced in 2013 by then Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull aren’t capable of delivering those speeds.
RELATED: Net price map’s surprising result
RELATED: Problem facing future of the NBN
The mishmash of different connection types where meant to deliver the NBN quicker and for less money.
But there are major issues with the mix of technology with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission releasing a report earlier this month revealing its latest report into the performance of Australia’s broadband internet.
It found more than 10 per cent of NBN connections were underperforming, meaning they were getting speeds closer to the bundle below the one you’re paying for.
The overwhelming majority (95 per cent) of those underperforming services were on the fibre-to-the-node connections that were introduced in the MTM.
“This data clearly shows that too many consumers with FTTN connections are not receiving the speeds they are paying for,” ACCC chair Rod Sims said at the time.
RELATED: Telco’s 6.4 million email mistake
Telstra is going to stop selling 100Mbps speeds to consumers where their premise connections are unlikely to support it.
“It is often the case that customers that sign up to these plans will be subsequently notified that they cannot achieve top speed and end up downgrading to a lower plan or leaving,” a Tesltra spokesperson said.
“We want to ensure these customers have the best possible experience when connected to our plans and hope to have some news soon. In the meantime, we still offer our NBN 50Mbps Standard Plus plans to these customers.”
That plan is typically half as fast as the 100Mbps plan, but if you aren’t ever hitting those speeds anyway you may as well save the $20 a month you’d be spending for speeds you can’t get.
The change only applies to new connections, so if you’re connected to a 100Mbps Telstra NBN plan on a FTTN or FTTC connection and you’re happy with the speeds you’re getting, there’s nothing to worry about.
The trouble is there’s no real way to test the speed you’ll actually get before connecting.
“Once customers have been connected to the NBN, we have the ability to test individual services in real time and we provide retailers with updated Weekly Speed Reports based on the measured performance of the service to individual premises,” an NBN spokesperson told news.com.au.
“This enables retailers to verify that their customers are actually receiving the line speed they are paying for and, if necessary, take steps to improve service speeds, or move individual customers to an alternative plan.”
Telstra now appears to be doing just that.
It might not be the cables in the ground that are the problem though.
The internal wiring of your house is another potential factor.
NBN internal research found half the homes that had problems with FTTN connections were having them because of the wiring in the property itself.
“Download speeds on all NBN access technologies can be affected by a range of issues that can impact a customer’s broadband performance. These can range from faulty wiring within the premises, distance from their wireless router, the type and age of the modem they are using, through to how the retailer designs its network,” the NBN spokesperson added.
“Isolating telephone sockets or remediating internal wiring with the help of a licenced cabler, can rectify these issues in most cases and provide significant speed boosts.”
Two-thirds of Australians are on 50Mbps or higher plans.
Roughly 2.75 million premises are connected to the NBN via the FTTP or HFC technologies, the one you want.
Close to 3.3 million are on the FTTN or FTTC (fibre-to-the-kerb) connections.
Do you think changing the mix of technologies on the NBN was the right choice? Have your say in the comments below.


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Wargroove will Support 10 Languages and will be Out "Very Soon"
Wargroove can't come soon enough, even with "very soon" release window.
Developer Chucklefish announced yesterday that their retro turn-based combat game Wargroove will support 10 different languages at launch. Chucklefish also tweeted out that Wargroove would be out “VERY soon.” Wargroove currently only has a release window of Q1 2019.
Wargroove‘s 10 languages at launch will be English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese. The translation has been handled by Shloc Ltd., who have translated games like Grim Fandango, Dragon Quest, The Last Guardian, and Ni No Kuni: The Wrath of the White Witch. Chucklefish is open to adding more languages down the line, depending on how the game’s launch goes and player feedback.
In a thread on Twitter, responding to the announcement of supported languages, Gianluca Leone (@Ulanborg) simply asked “Ok but whe [sic] will be launched” with the crying from laughter emoji. Wargroove‘s Twitter account responded that the game is coming “VERY soon” with details coming “even SOONER.”
VERY soon. More details even SOONER! (soon).
— ⚔ Wargroove (@WargrooveGame) January 15, 2019
Wargroove was delayed into Q1 2019 late last year. Chucklefish did close out the year with a brand new trailer that shows off it’s Advance Wars inspired gameplay. Wargroove will be out “VERY soon” for PC, Switch, PS4, and Xbox One.


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Pioneer reported higher sales in both car and home electronics mainly due to the falling value of the Japanese yen.
Total sales rose 12.3 percent for the recent quarter ended September 30 over a year ago to the equivalent of about $1.28 billion.
Net income swung to a positive $51 million compared to a loss of $47.8 million a year ago.
Car electronics sales rose 13.5 percent to $892.4 million on an increase of car audio aftermarket and OEM sales, again fueled by the depreciation of the yen. In navigation, sales increased in the OEM market. OEM sales accounted for 53 percent of Pioneer’s total car electronics sales for the period, compared with 51 percent a year ago.
Home electronics grew 26.2 percent over the quarter a year ago.
During the period, the average value of the yen declined 20.5 percent against the U.S. dollar.
Source: Pioneer Electronics


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Yorkshire to pilot switching customers to lowest tariff
Yorkshire Water has taken inspiration from the energy sector, where suppliers are obliged to ensure that their customers are on the best possible tariff, and is piloting a scheme which could lower thousands of customers’ bills.
The company will review the accounts of up to 100,000 customers who it thinks would likely save money from having a water meter installed and offer these customers a two-year meter trial. If customers do not save money, Yorkshire will switch them back to the unmetered rate.
If the pilot is successful, the company is considering rolling the principle out to all its unmetered customers as part of a “price promise” at the heart of its proposals for the next five-year period. Under this proposal, which Yorkshire said would be an industry first, the company would commit to review the accounts of approximately 650,000 customers who do not have meters to identify those who might be better off on a metered supply.
Director of finance, markets and regulation Liz Barber said: “We are a monopoly so customers do not get a choice of who supplies their water – they cannot go on a price comparison website to find out if they could be better off. Because of this we have an extra responsibility. It’s not enough for us to wait for them to contact us and request a meter, really looking after our customers means that we should proactively contact them and ensure that they are not paying more than they need to.”
In addition the company is reassessing its approach to customers in financial difficulty who are finding it difficult to pay their bills. Barber explained: “We know that around one in five of our customers potentially has problems in paying their water bill. By using new analytic techniques, its possible for us to proactively identify those customers who might be at risk of being in this position. We can then contact them to identify what alternatives might be open to them or see if they qualify for one of our reduced social tariffs.”


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Shares in insurance giant Prudential (LSE: PRU) have steamed higher in Tuesday business, after the firm’s latest financial statement underlined the huge potential of its Asian marketplaces. The financial favourite was last dealing 3% higher from Monday’s close.
Asia powering up
Prudential announced that group-wide operating profit clocked in at a whopping £4.26bn last year, up 7% from 2015 levels and setting a fresh record Lauding the results, chief executive Mike Wells commented that “our performance has been driven by Asia, which has delivered a seventh consecutive year of double-digit growth in new business profit.”
New profits from the region surged 37% in 2016, up to £2.03bn, a result that drove total Asian operating profit 28% higher to £1.64bn. And Prudential has seen momentum pick up in recent months, with quarterly annual premium equivalent (APE) sales in Asia breaching the £1bn marker for the first time during October–December.
Asia is undoubtedly the jewel in The Pru’s crown, but today’s results also indicated the strength of the company’s other global operations. Indeed, the insurer saw operating profit at its US Jackson division rise 20% last year, to £2.05bn.
And the City sees no reason for the bottom line at Prudential to stop pounding higher. Indeed, brokers have predicted earnings expansion of 14% and 8% in 2017 and 2018 alone.
These figures result in P/E ratios of just 12.7 times and 11.7 times, well below the forward average of 15 times for the broader FTSE 100.
I reckon this is a steal given Prudential’s exceptional growth potential, as its expanding presence in Asia latches onto favourable demographic trends like booming population growth and increasing personal income levels.
Likewise, I reckon GlaxoSmithKline (LSE: GSK) is in great shape to deliver excellent earnings growth in the near-term and beyond.
The global geographic diversification of the medicine giant’s operations helps to mitigate the impact of macroeconomic bumpiness in one or two regions. And the essential nature of GlaxoSmithKline’s products provides it with an extra layer of earnings protection in the event of broader economic problems.
Besides this, while GlaxoSmithKline remains haunted to some extent by major patent expirations like that of Advair in the US, the company’s pumped-up pipeline is consigning the worst of these revenues hits to history.
Indeed, the company saw new product sales more than double in 2016, to £4.5bn. And GlaxoSmithKline has plenty more potential earnings drivers up its sleeve, and now expects sales of its New Pharmaceutical and Vaccine products to hit £6bn per annum at constant exchange rates by 2018. This’s two years ahead of its earlier estimate.
The number crunchers expect GlaxoSmithKline to throw out earnings growth of 9% in 2017 and 3% next year, projections that create P/E ratios of just 15 times and 14.7 times for this year and next. And I reckon investors can look forward to bottom line growth bulging further out as the next generation of sales stars hit the shelves.
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In this era of technology, where the tech revolution is captivating people's attention, innovations in the tech world are mind-blowing and have left the audience amazed with their cutting-edge advancements.
Many recent tech revolutions have been designed and launched to enhance and speed up work using tech gadgets.
One recent example of this tech revolution is the use of drones for delivering pizzas directly to customers' homes.
A video showcasing this drone delivery gadget went viral on the internet, and people were thrilled with the idea of such innovations.
Sohan Rai, a content creator in the social media sphere, uploaded a video featuring this drone delivery concept.
In the video, he expressed his desire to use a self-flying drone to deliver pizzas, after having experienced being a Zomato delivery boy for a day.
During his time as a delivery boy, he realised the challenges and struggles faced in dealing with traffic and finding delivery addresses.
This experience inspired him to do something to assist delivery personnel. Leveraging his expertise in drones, he built an autonomous drone, which he programmed to operate without a pilot.
After a few test runs and repairs, Sohan's drone successfully flew on its own and demonstrated a pizza dropping mechanism.
In the video, Sohan receives an order from Pizza Hut and quickly reaches an open space to load the pizza into the drone for delivery, which is approximately 1.5 km away.
After inputting the delivery location into the system, the drone takes off and embarks on its pilotless journey.
Sohan also uses another drone to follow and record the delivery process. He calls the recipient of the order to inform them about the drone delivery, and the receiver expresses excitement upon seeing the drone approaching.
The pizza is safely delivered. Sohan captions the video, expressing his amazement at people's reactions and happiness.
He believes that drone delivery is not just a dream but a reality that will soon become prevalent in India.
The video uploaded on Sohan Rai's Instagram page, known as "zikiguy," has garnered an impressive response with 8.9 million views and 1.2 million likes.
People have left various comments on the video, including humorous remarks like, "What if the customer chooses cash on delivery 😂."
Some also raised concerns over the use of drone and wrote, "This is the future, but in India, you might not get your drone back 😂."
A few users even pointed out that drone delivery could lead to job losses for delivery boys and drone pilots alike.


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Curated by Beatrice Galilee, chief curator of the 2013 Lisbon Architecture Triennale and co-founder of London’s Gopher Hole, this week sees King’s Cross’s new Filling Station arts space examining the future of technology through a number of exciting design and arts commissions for the Electric Futures: Vauxhall Ampera Technology week.
Jason Bruges Studio and Troika will be speaking about past projects and speculations on the future of the ‘hybrid creative industry’; while after dark, viewers will be treated to a nightly lighting show curated by Nuit Blanche.
The week opens with Nuit Blanche New York, showing a selection of works by Melodie Mousset and Martynka Wawrzyniak topped off by Quayola’s Strata #1 video installation piece.
Other highlights include Belgian designer Tuur van Balen’s ‘DNA hacking’, where he will be holding a demonstration on how to DNA-hack yoghurt, creating a one-of-a-kind dish. Blumenthal eat your heart out.
Elsewhere performance art is given a rather original scientific twist in a performance by artist Choy Ka Fai, who will choreograph a piece using electrical pulses to stimulate the nerves and create movement to show the potentials of digital muscle memory.
Also on display is designer and sound artist Yuri Suzuki’s interactive, kinetic robot that can read circuits and translate colour into sound.
The free Electric Futures: Vauxhall Ampera Technology week runs until 26 August at The King’s Cross Filling Station, Goods Way, N1C. See the full programme here: http://kxfs.co.uk/technology-week/


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National Frozen Foods, a frozen food processing company with facilities in Oregon and Washington, has received a charity voucher worth $4,000 after winning The Golden Bean competition, held by TOMRA Sorting Food, a leading provider of sensor-based food sorting machines.
The competition was held to celebrate the launch of the new TOMRA 5B, a state-of-the-art sorter for the vegetable, fresh cut and potato processing industries.
The TOMRA 5B processed 20 kg of green beans, one of them made of gold, and the person who came closest to correctly guessing the moment when the golden bean would be ejected was awarded with the voucher. The prize was presented to Kevin Massey at the National Frozen Foods plant in Quincy in December.
Kevin, who entered the competition on behalf of National Frozen Foods, decided to donate his charity voucher to the Massey Memorial, a community celebrating loved ones with Lou Gehrig’s disease, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The Massey Memorial was established by Kevin in honor of his late brother, Keith.
Kevin said: “ALS is a debilitating disease for which there is no cure and witnessing Keith’s battle is something I will never forget. When Keith succumbed to the disease, I lost a younger brother, a fishing partner and a friend.”
“TOMRA’s contribution to my brother’s memorial fund will help provide the money necessary to fund research for a cure, so hopefully someday we will live in a world without ALS. The entire Massey family is grateful for this donation.”
Karel Strubbe, Sales Director AMERICAS, TOMRA Sorting Food, said: “We are very pleased that National Frozen Foods chose the Massey Memorial as their good cause and that we were able to help Kevin reach their family goal of $5,000. We would also encourage those who would like to support the work of the ALS Association's Community of Hope to make a donation to the Keith Massey Memorial Fund.”
The TOMRA 5B
The TOMRA 5B is the first of a next generation of innovative sorting machines. Karel added: “Recent developments in our technology result in more accurate decisions about the quality of the product. These technological advancements not only improve the quantity of food available, but they also maintain the high levels of quality expected by consumers who are increasingly interested in what they are purchasing.”
“The TOMRA 5B boasts a powerful combination of exceptional features, state-of-the-art innovation and ease of use. It is a great addition to the TOMRA range, guaranteeing excellent results throughout the entire sorting process.”
For more information about the competition, visit the TOMRA Happy Faces website.
For more information about the TOMRA 5B, click here.


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31/01/2019 · Bitcoin ATMs represent a very good way of buying Bitcoin with fiat, but also of converting Bitcoin to USD without much hassle. Their functionality is somewhat similar to the run-of-the-mill ATMs we use on a daily basis. All you have to do is locate the Bitcoin ATMs that support sell operations, so make sure you check before actually going there.
Bitcoin has bounced back slightly on Thursday after Wednesday’s massacre. There is a divergence forming on the daily Relative.
As the European Central Bank doubles its emergency asset purchase program, Bitcoin seems an ever stronger fiat opt-out.
This is the best Bitcoin converter for any Bitcoin conversion, like BTC to USD. Bitcoin units include BTC, mBTC, bits, and Satoshis. Fiat currencies include USD (US Dollars), CAD (Canadian Dollars), EUR (Euro), GBP (Great Britain Pounds), and AUD (Australian Dollars). Available altcoins are BCH (Bitcoin Cash), LTC (Litecoin), and ETH (Ethereum).
07/12/2017 · They may even try to sell you an online course, for four easy payments of $199 (U.S. dollars, not Bitcoin, thank you very much) on how to make millions in digital currency.
Bitcoin Regulation News Iran President Hassan Rouhani told officials at the central bank that they needed to create a national strategy for. 4 Mar 2020. With plans to launch its own cryptocurrency later
Hardware price fluctuations, changes in Bitcoin-mining difficulty, and even the lack of a guarantee of a payout at the end of.
Bitcoin Days Destroyed The COVID – 19 pandemic has once again reinstated the importance of developing the digital economy and trying to invest as. Bitcoin Conference Bitcoin Casino On Facebook 11 dec 2019.
The Bitcoin price is trading nicely above the $9,600 and the coin must climb above the $9,800 resistance to continue higher.
Recent selling activity off of the 9564 to 10,168 resistance zone appears to be dramatic, but don’t let the size of the range.


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May 30, 2013Are Chinese apples the biggest threat?
For a long time, John Rice – vice president of Rice Fruit Co., an apple grower and packer based in Gardners, Pa. – was a strong proponent of keeping fresh Chinese apples out of the United States. His main concern was the threat of new pests and diseases showing up in U.S. orchards.
Over the last several years, however, Rice’s position has shifted. His changing attitude seems to reflect a shift among many in the U.S. apple industry.
For one thing, China has been putting a lot of pressure on the U.S. government to open the U.S. market to Chinese fresh apples, and the outcome appears to be inevitable, Rice said.
“We’re not going to keep Chinese apples out of the American market indefinitely,” he said.
If fresh apples from China are coming whether U.S. growers like it or not, it might be time to seek something in return, something they don’t have right now – like full varietal access to the Chinese market. A growing fear, for Rice and others, is that the United States will open its borders to Chinese apples but U.S. apple interests will get nothing in return.
Besides, there’s a bigger threat to apple growers in the eastern United States: Washington. Even under normal circumstances, Washington state grows more apples than the rest of the country combined, but the record-breaking size of the state’s 2012 crop convinced Rice that allowing Chinese apples is worth the risk if it means that surfeit of Washington apples has access to China.
“The Chinese government operates very much on a barter system,” Rice said. “They don’t give anything away unless they get something in return.”
Washington growers harvested more than 129 million bushels of fresh apples last fall, shattering the previous record of 109 million bushels set in 2010, according to the Washington Apple Commission (WAC).
Rice hadn’t realized that Washington was capable of such an “alarming” increase. And it could have been bigger. Without a major hailstorm last summer, the state could have produced perhaps 140 million fresh bushels, he said.
“We don’t have enough overseas markets to absorb all those tens of millions of extra boxes of Washington apples,” Rice said. “Unless we open the door somewhere, those millions of boxes will be looking for a market in the eastern United States.”
Jim Allen, president of the New York Apple Association, is familiar with the China/Washington conundrum. He said tens of millions of extra bushels, no matter where they come from, are a threat to a profitable apple market.
“Nobody is saying we welcome Chinese apples,” Allen said. “We don’t want them. We’re growing plenty already.”
But Allen understands that the more Washington apples that are exported, the better it will be for New York growers. He also understands that Washington cannot expand its exports by the needed volumes without having access to a huge market like China.
The U.S. Apple Association (USApple) has consistently stated that it doesn’t support the importation of fresh Chinese apples if doing so would damage U.S. orchards, but in January, the association’s public affairs committee adopted a provision to that long-held policy. President Nancy Foster put it like this: “Our industry would strongly oppose Chinese apples coming in without full varietal access to China,” she said. “That would be the worst of both worlds.”
Todd Fryhover, WAC’s president, made a similar statement.
China’s massive middle class has been a huge consumer of Washington apples, despite the fact that China is the largest producer of apples in the world. If Washington growers were allowed full varietal access, it could double their market growth, he said.
Chris Schlect, president of the Northwest Horticultural Council, Yakima, Wash., said apples from other countries are already in the U.S. marketplace. Where they originate from is not the issue. Pests and diseases are the issue.
“The point is not to exclude one country just because of the country’s name,” Schlect said. “Exclusion should be driven by phytosanitary concerns.”
There are concerns about competition, of course, but the positives of full U.S. access to China would far outweigh the negatives of Chinese access to America – especially given the known quality of U.S. apples, Schlect said.
“We feel we could ship more fruit into the Chinese market than they would ship to our market,” Fryhover said.
China started to flex its muscle in the international apple trade in the 1990s. Thanks to cheap apples, cheap labor and the latest technology from Europe, the huge Asian country became a dominant player in the apple juice concentrate trade – pretty much decimating the industry in the United States, said Desmond O’Rourke, an international fruit trade analyst based in Washington state.
On the other hand, China’s fresh apple industry has been trying to crack the U.S. market for 13 years with no success, Fryhover said.
As of May 2013, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service was still negotiating phytosanitary issues with Chinese officials, and had not yet decided whether or not to open U.S. borders to that country’s fresh apples.
The Chinese, who’ve made it clear that getting their fresh apples into the U.S. market is a top priority, appear to be growing impatient with the lack of progress, said Jim Archer, manager of Northwest Fruit Exporters, based in Yakima, Wash.
In August 2012, China closed its borders to U.S. apple exports, Fryhover said. (Red and Golden Delicious had been the only fresh varieties from the United States allowed inside China.)
According to Chinese officials, the ban was due to phytosanitary diseases and decays detected on U.S. apple shipments, but that claim doesn’t appear to have much justification, Archer said.
In the opinion of Archer and others, the Chinese are using the ban as leverage – a way to force the United States to open its market. U.S. apple interests hope China will reopen its borders before the coming shipping season, but Archer didn’t know when or if that would happen. As of May, U.S. exports were still prohibited.
At this point, it’s a matter of national pride for the Chinese, O’Rourke said.
“If we want access to the Chinese market, it’s very hard to deny them access here on anything other than phytosanitary grounds,” O’Rourke said.
But even if Chinese fresh apples are allowed, it won’t be a repeat of the apple juice situation. The Chinese are facing rising costs and declining exports – and domestic demand has been so strong lately that it hasn’t made much sense for Chinese producers to jump through the export hoops in other countries. The amount of fresh apples likely to enter the U.S. market is very small, he said.
China’s food safety record will be another obstacle. The American public, in general, will be slow to respond to Chinese apples, O’Rourke said.
“I do not see some big eastern chains being in a rush to bring in cheap Chinese apples – even if they were cheap, which they aren’t right now,” he said.
If the Chinese market remains closed to Washington apples, that’s going to be a bigger problem for eastern growers. Washington will end up sending more apples east, where they will face no trade barriers, O’Rourke said.
A simpler solution?
Of course, if there were fewer Washington apples, eastern growers wouldn’t feel so much pressure to do something about them. But trying to convince Washington producers that less is more is difficult, Rice said.
“I suggest to my Washington friends, whenever I see them, that they grow less,” he said with a laugh. “It doesn’t seem to have made a big impact on them. I’m hoping they will see the light shortly.”


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Discover more from The Media Nut
Publishers only receive half of an ad spend
Ad tech. Two little words that cause so much headache, heartache, and according to a report published today by the Incorporated Society of British Advertisers (ISBA) and the Association of Online Publishers (AOP) and PwC, bewilderment. (If not a little anger.)
Tracing the advertising spend supply chain—from 15 brands, eight agencies, five DSPs, six SSPs and 12 publishers—the report found:
“publishers receive 51% of advertiser spend on average; and
“taking other visible costs such as DSP/SSP fees and other technology costs, 15% of advertiser spend – an “unknown delta”, representing around one-third of supply chain costs – could not be attributed.”
The industry, both the buy- and sell-side, has long known of the existence of the ad-tech black hole. Now, with this report, and with this fancy visual, we can put some kind of number behind the old Wannamaker quote: “Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is, I don't know which half.”
Beeswax CEO Ari Paparo jumped into the report on Twitter to highlight some of its findings (this is an excellent thread you should read from one of the smartest folks in the industry):
His point on the currency dilemma, how “virtually all programmatic is transacted” in U.S. dollars is an interesting one, as currencies fluctuate.
“Suppose rates updated 1x/day by a DSP. You’re transacting $1=￡1.3. During the day the actual rate decreases to $1=￡1.25. Your budget spends ￡1,000 that day, and you are billed that amount. But the SSP was converting at ￡1.25. So the publisher receives ￡961.”
Talking to the Financial Times, Jon Mew of the IAB, said programmatic advertising was “complex and relies on many companies to play a part. However, it is not a dark art and we shouldn’t lose sight of the crucial role programmatic plays in supporting our ad-funded, open web.”
It will be interesting to see the effects of this report on the ad-tech ecosystem. The industry’s Wild West days have been waning for quite some time, as funding dries up, consolidation speeds up, regulations force companies to close up and the elimination of cookies will make everyone clean up.
Over the last several years, VC funding for ad-tech companies has dropped. According to TechCruch, “deal flow has fallen at a roughly 10% compounded annual growth rate over the last five years.” And of course there will be outliers, but the investment community pumping the brakes on ad tech firms is a signal.
And as data and privacy regulations sweep the industry—from GDPR to CCPA, and what’s yet to come—ad-tech shops have been forced to reassess their business, leading some to even close their doors in regulation-heavy areas. For example, Verve and Drawbridge each shuttered their European offices after GDPR was implemented.
So funding dries up, regulations force ad-tech firms to take a hard look in the mirror, and then comes Google saying, “You know what would be fun? We’re going to stop letting third-party ad targeting on Chrome.”
Oh, and for good measure, let’s throw in the current global pandemic. Adweek reports that, perhaps unsurprisingly, the coronavirus has had an impact on ad tech. The ad-tech community, for example, has petitioned Google to put its cookie-less world on hold due to the coronavirus. Though that is not likely.
You take these signals and it’s not hard to think that ad tech is in trouble. The questions, of course, are: so what? And, what’s next?
If history is any indication, ad tech will find new land to plunder. Take connected TV (CTV) and OTT.
Today, for example, Kevin Arrix, head of sales for DISH told AdExchanger, “Advertisers are going to use data and technology to make sure the dollars they spend are driving known and big impacts.”
Yesterday, Roku introduced its DSP “OneView Ad Platform,” wrapping its October acquisition of Dataxu into a one-stop-shop.
“Our goal is to help advertisers and content partners invest for a world where all TV is streamed,” Scott Rosenberg, svp and gm, Platform Business at Roku, said in a statement. “OneView provides the data and scale across the entire TV landscape so marketers can plan, buy and measure TV advertising and ultimately shift spend to streaming more quickly.”
Roku is just the latest streaming company to have its own DSP. AT&T, for example, brought Xandr into the WarnerMedia mix last week, consolidating ad sales units. And Verizon yesterday joined the TV advertising consortium Ampersand, “in a move to attract more brands to buy commercial space on Fios and through its internet ad marketplace,” according to AdAge.
As CTV becomes a more important aspect of the digital, if not linear, ecosystem, watch for today’s ad-tech companies to follow the money. eMarketer, for instance, pegs the CTV industry to be a $14 billion industry by the end of 2023.
They’ve been doing that for decades, going from ad networks to ad exchanges to DSPs/SSPs. Old wine, new bottle.
It’ll be up to the industry to not repeat the sins of the past. With more transparency, and reports like the ISBAs, perhaps the system can be fixed.
Pink Floyd, “Money”
Some interesting links for today:
Disneyland in China set to reopen May 11. Though with curious social distancing queues. (Gizmodo)
AirBnB’s CEO shows how empathy is one of the strongest characteristics of leadership. (AirBnB)
In Q1 earnings, the New York Times says it had 587k net new digital subscribers. (NYT)
A problem I don’t have, but many do: How to handle a micromanager when working from home. (CNN)
I had the honor of being a guest on the What Happens in Ad Tech podcast. Check it out. (YouTube)
Thank you for allowing me in your inbox; thank you for reading. If you have any tips or thoughts about this newsletter, drop me a line!


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- The biggest gaming firm in Kenya, Sportpesa will not close shop in Kenya as earlier reported
- The firm had indicated plans of exiting the country beginning January 2018, remarks which have since been clarified
- The remarks comes barely two weeks after President Uhuru Kenyatta assented to a bill imposing 35% tax on gambling
Gambling company Sportpesa has come out to refute claims that it will close shop in January 2018.
READ ALSO: Uhuru's big gift to the Maasai community
On Friday, June 7, the Sportspesa global CEO Gerasim Nikolov hinted at the firm exiting the country due to the increased tazes on gaminsg.
However the Sportpesa Kenya CEO Ronald Karari has said Nikolov's remarks were taken out of context.
READ ALSO: Sportpesa set to end its operations in Kenya
“SportPesa was the first and remains the best gaming brand in Kenya and SportPesa will be the last gaming brand to ever close in Kenya for whatever reason,” the clarified on earlier remarks.
He assured Kenyans that the company will continue operating in Kenya but will no longer enjoy it's profits.
“There is nowhere in the world where such a huge tax is levied on turnovers and even here in Kenya, no firm can survive today if a 35 per cent tax was put on its turnover," said Karari.
The remarks come just a month after the firm withdrew it's sponsorship to local companies over the tax increase.
President Uhuru Kenyatta recently assented a bill imposing 35% tax on gambling in Kenya.
Have something to add to this article or suggestions? Send to firstname.lastname@example.org
What if Uhuru Kenyatta loses the elections? - Gatundu residents speak;


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The Global Restrictions on Travel to China were imposed by the United Nations, on July 12, 2021. It was imposed after two UN-sponsored conferences in Beijing. At the first meeting, China promised to respect the resolutions and implement them; and at the second meeting, it announced that it would cooperate with the six countries which had imposed the restrictions. However, Chinese officials have repeatedly stated that they would never accept the demands, since it violates the Basic Agreement between the Parties in the Friendship Treaties of 1960. On July 14, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it would not accept the enhanced Multiplying Passive Internal Control System (MIPCS) that was imposed by the UN. The ministry added that China has the right to review thereafter draft declaration by the UN Secretariat and decide whether it conforms to Chinese law or not.
The move came after Chinese authorities inspected the cities that had been Participating States in the Global Village project, an economic development program in China. These cities included Lashzhou, Kaifeng, Chongqing, Suzhou, angdingtang, Ningbo andangxia. Travel to China was previously very easy for travelers, as visa requirements and passports weren’t required. However, visa inspection is still required for foreigners who travel to China by airplane.
Travel to China has been made much more complicated due to the imposition of these MIPCS restrictions. Since the implementation of the MIPCS, all travelers to China are required to obtain passports, which are no longer honored by the Chinese government. Furthermore, there is a ban on the movement of people within China, including by foreigners. This ban bars travelers from leaving China for three months, during which they are required to obtain an exit visa. During this three month period, foreigners can only leave China via flights that are booked through their own country, or through an accredited Chinese travel agency.
Travelers who are traveling with their families also have unique entry restrictions. There are certain national holidays that are restricted for foreign nationals, even if they are traveling with their family members. The main reason for these holidays is to celebrate the Chinese national holiday. Additionally, there are some other national holidays that are only honored by Chinese officials. In addition, there are some restrictions on entering China during periods of bad weather, as well as on entering China during the Chinese New Year.
Some tourists are facing additional restrictions upon their entry into China. The current Chinese censorship is especially stringent, as it is a tool to control human rights. If you are a foreigner and are currently planning to travel to China, it is very important that you consult with your own government first. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not have a webpage where one can submit queries about travel restrictions. Your own government can answer your questions about whether or not you are subject to travel restrictions, and if so, which restrictions apply to you.
A similar measure was implemented in March by the Chinese government, which implemented an entry ban on all citizens of North Korea. The move came after a series of nuclear tests carried out by North Korea. Although this measure was subsequently lifted, some South Korean businesses were forced to shut down. This comes as China considers North Korea to be a renegade state, due to its continuing acts of defiance towards the Chinese Government.
There is no clear reason why China implemented an entry ban on travel to North Korea, but some speculate that this is in response to a US decision to impose trade embargoes on China. There have been rumors that travel to China may be banned due to the growing number of US state-owned airlines suspending flights to the country. However, there is no concrete information available at this point, and the exact reasons why these airlines have decided to suspend flights to China has not yet been made public. Nevertheless, it can safely be assumed that the decision was made in response to the heightened security concerns following the terrorist attacks in September.
Travel to China is highly popular for westerners, mainly due to the ever-growing trade with the country. However, there are increasing reports of instances of disappearances and extra-judicial executions carried out by Chinese authorities. If you plan to travel to China, it is recommended that you seek legal advice from a certified attorney who can provide you with relevant information regarding the arrest and detention of foreigners in China. You should also be aware of the local customs and laws regarding entry into and exiting the country. It is also advisable to carry a copy of your travel itinerary, or travel insurance in case of any detentions.


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We’ve known for quite some time that Ford is working on an all-electric SUV inspired by its iconic Mustang car. We’ve also been told to expect the model only in 2022. But a new report by the Autocar website says that we could see the Mach E or whatever it will eventually be called debut before the year is out.
There’s a big caveat here, of course: we’re talking about a concept version. Still, with the Tesla Model Y hitting the market this year, Ford has no time to lose. Development of the SUV, which could be called the Mach E or the Mustang Mach E depending on which rumour you pay attention to, has been fast-tracked in recent months.
For the moment, we still have no detailed information about the upcoming EV, though we do know where at least a part of its DNA will come from. European cycle testing refers to a range of close to 600 km, which would come to between 400 and 500 km in North America.
It’s likely several different battery capacities would be offered to buyers, with pricing following range. It’s also clear the model will be performance-oriented – that Mustang DNA and all! Bill Ford Jr. himself declared this past February that the SUV would need “to go like hell”.
We know as well that the model will be built on a platform designed specifically for electric vehicles.
Perhaps we shouldn’t be totally shocked about the change in plans. Ford is in the midst of a massive restructuring plan and it needs to add models to a lineup depleted by the cancellation of virtually all of the company’s cars in North America.
We will undoubtedly be hearing a lot more about this EV project in the coming months, and if we had to bet we’d say a presentation of the concept version will take place at the Los Angeles Auto Show in the fall.


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Generac, a leading manufacturer of power systems, has recently issued a recall for approximately 64,000 of its portable generators. The recall is due to the risk of fire and burns associated with the product. As communities across the United States continue to face power outages caused by hurricanes, the company is taking proactive steps to ensure the safety of its customers.
The affected generators, specifically the GP15000E and GP17500E units, have fuel tanks that may fail to vent adequately. This can lead to the buildup of excess fuel vapor pressure when operating under high ambient temperatures, which can then be expelled when the tank is opened. This poses a significant fire and burn hazard to users of the generators.
Generac has announced that it has developed a repair kit that is available free of charge to consumers. The company is urging all owners of the affected portable generators to immediately stop using them and to contact Generac for the repair kit. The repair kit will address the ventilating issue and ensure the safe operation of the generators.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has also issued a statement regarding the recall. The commission reported that there have been more than two dozen incidents of the generators overheating and pressurizing or expelling fuel when opened. Several of these incidents resulted in severe burn injuries. In light of these potential hazards, the commission advises consumers to discontinue the use of the recalled generators and to contact Generac to arrange for the repair kit.
The generators in question were sold at major home improvement and hardware stores in the United States and Canada from April 2011 through June 2023. The price range for these generators was between $3,300 and $3,650. Generac has apologized for any inconvenience caused by the recall and emphasizes the importance of safety in its products.
This recall comes at a time when many people rely on portable generators during the hurricane season. Hurricanes often cause extensive power outages, and generators serve as a vital source of electricity for affected households. However, it is essential to ensure that these generators are safe to use to prevent any accidents or injuries.
The current hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30 and has already seen significant activity across the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean Sea. Many areas are still recovering from the impact of recent storms, and the need for reliable and safe power sources is crucial.
Generac’s recall serves as a reminder for consumers to prioritize safety when using portable generators. It is essential to heed manufacturer’s warnings, follow proper usage guidelines, and promptly address any recalls or safety concerns. By taking these precautions, individuals can protect themselves and their homes during power outages and other emergency situations.


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You might think the face of one of the hottest areas in gaming right now is a young male in his 20s who owns the latest supercharged gaming system from Microsoft or Sony - or both.
But you'd be wrong.
Instead, the epitome of the new-era gamer is a woman in her late 30s or early 40s who plays on an average PC.
Yes, the video game industry seems to have been turned on its head.
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Poet’s Place is a place that provides voice to poets across this nice metropolis. Linda Kaye puts this together every month and he or she invitations all to take part. The Los Angeles–based artist’s survey at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami is on view by way of March 17. As in related cases, the Supreme Court’s determination hinged on whether or not the justices deemed Warhol’s use of Goldsmith’s image as “transformative,” which means that the unique was reworked to the extent it’s a new paintings. In the last decade, it has turn out to be a key defense for artists who rely on appropriated photographs, such as Jeff Koons and Richard Prince, each of whom have been taken to court docket on allegations of exceeding the protections of the doctrine. Ahead of the closure, nevertheless, the Centre Pompidou has several notable exhibitions deliberate, including what has been billed as the most important Constantin Brancusi exhibition ever staged, and a centenary celebration of Surrealism in 2024.
- Bidding is now open for the NFT on the blockchain website Zora, and part of the proceeds will be used to fund tree and olive planting initiatives in Palestine.
- In October, a New York choose accredited the sale of select paintings and books from Schiff’s in depth collection, but greater than one hundred items remain shrouded in thriller among the many trove of nearly 900 artworks in her possession.
- Fifteen percent of all honest ticket proceeds will benefit St. Jude.
- Gender roles, Nature, society, self, metaphysical issues and even COVID-19 are depicted.
- It leverages Lagos’s dynamic gallery scene and the rising collector base in Nigeria and throughout the continent.
McAndrew writes the annual Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report, which analyzes sales made via public sale homes and private dealers. While auction gross sales are largely public, the report’s details about supplier sales comes from a survey, which had roughly 1,300 respondents this yr. Antiqon PRO is saying the launch of an internet platform that introduces a very new format for promoting and selling art objects on the Internet. This revolutionary service will allow representatives of the art market to seamlessly transition their enterprise on-line and reach an audience of over 12 million folks. It is considered to be one of Vladimir Tretchikoff’s great masterpieces and is likely certainly one of the best-known and most reproduced of his works.
Highlights From Zona Maco In Mexico Metropolis
Chelsea galleries deploy to Cuba, suing to implement an art sale, confusion over Prince “donation” to Morgan Library, “Krazy!” at Japan Society, more. Artnet NewsNew museum for Moscow, Obama-Joker artist revealed, the Whitney Biennial, more. Art movies at Sundance, art e-book swap at MoMA, good results from Florida fairs, more. The Tata Nano comes to New York, Johnny Swing, artists rugs, international silver, pictorial wallpapers, Industry Gallery in D.C., and Sienna Miller in leather-based.
Get Regular Perception Into Africa’s Dynamic Art Scene
Njami’s important work on African art has continued within the form of numerous biennials and initiatives connected to art gala’s. Over the past fifteen years, Kouoh’s curatorial follow has discovered an viewers past Africa. Yet she has ascended in Africa, too, and now she directs certainly one of its prime establishments, the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary African Art in Cape Town, where she has organized exhibitions featuring work by Tracey Rose, Otobong Nkanga, and extra. An professional in contemporary Asian art, Mami Kataoka joined the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo in 2003 as its chief curator and deputy director, and she has been the museum’s director since 2019.
Two cohorts are currently offered with a sliding scale fee structure. Registration closes on Wednesday, July thirteen for the Summer cohort, and on Wednesday, Aug. 31 for the Fall cohort. The singer will be the fifth recipient of the award that’s “reserved for truly exceptional artists”. New banknotes with the pinnacle of Charles III are to go on public display for the first time next month, before they go into circulation.
According to “quilt code theory”, designs similar to “wagon wheel,” “tumbling blocks,” and “bear’s paw” were secret messages hidden in quilt patterns that helped direct enslaved Africans to freedom. Browse and buy artworks from LA Art Show by way of Artsy, the world’s most trusted art marketplace. Explore the truthful Art News by gallery or artwork, and use Artsy’s AR instruments to view artworks in your house. This past February, the organization launched a report carried out by a scientific committee that accused the curators and select artists of exhibiting anti-Israel bias.
Galleries had the best danger urge for food rating for male and female artists, with a score of eighty three for each. New York museums had the most effective risk appetite score for male artists and the second-best for ladies artists . ARTnews launched a brand new ARTnews JAPAN version on January 20 by way of a licensing agreement with the Japanese firm MAGUS Co. The new digital edition will concentrate on coverage of world art news in addition to surveys of developments and tendencies of the type chronicled by ARTnews since its beginning as a weekly broadsheet more than a century in the past. While sustainability is turning into a rising concern within the art industry, and the Frieze Los Angeles art truthful takes place close to the busiest port within the United States, consultants advised ARTnews that the majority art shipped to high-profile occasions and exhibitions is finished by aircraft. For the Frieze Los Angeles art honest, this means dozens of galleries — from throughout town and all over the world — transport artworks to the Santa Monica Airport’s Barker Hangar in hopes they will be snapped up by collectors, curators, and other establishments.
That’s why ARTnews is offering a collection of trips to cultural facilities all over the world. Gain entry to the museums, non-public collections and other arts institutions that define cities via our ARTnews consultants. Each journey is deliberate by the editors of ARTnews to offer an entire experience of the art and culture of town and region you’ll be visiting. On their treks, collectors often hit up main museums exhibitions, gallery reveals, and festivals to make their purchases. A handful of them are also recognized to compete for blue-chip works at the main night gross sales placed on by Sotheby’s and Christie’s each May and November, the place they’re bound to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on art.


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The Federal Reserve reported late Tuesday that outstanding balances for consumer credit card accounts fell in June at its member institutions at an annualized rate of 5.1 percent. The decline followed very strong growth in May.
Consumer credit card debt, or revolving debt, outstanding contracted by a total of $3.4 billion in June. It was the second-largest contraction in a year and signaled a period of month-to-month swings in declines and gains in the credit card market.
Non-revolving debt increased at a 7.2 percent annualized rate in June, driven primarily by gains in auto and student lending.
The numbers coming from the Fed in its month consumer credit data release – also called the G.19 – had begun to show a growth trend in consumer credit card balances over the past year. But with June’s release, credit cards have entered a monthly pattern of ups and downs. Over the past six months, half have seen increases in card balances and half have seen declines.
Still, credit card balances are $13.5 billion higher now than when card debt bottomed out in mid-2011 after a prolonged period of sharp contraction. At the end of June, total consumer credit card debt outstanding was $864.6 billion, down from a peak of more than $1 trillion in 2008.
- Settlements in Full: What Every Debt Collection Agency and Credit Issuer Needs to Know to Recover the Most Debt
- Collection Agency Financial Benchmark Report 2011
- The Debt Collection Compliance Handbook
- Debt Settlement Survey: How Creditors and Collectors Increase Collections


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American card issuer Discover Financial Services has announced that the card members can now redeem their cashback bonus rewards for a statement credit through Apple Pay.
The new cashback bonus feature requires a Discover card added to Apple Pay, Discover mobile app and rewards balance higher than purchase amount.
Discover card members can redeem cashback points by making a qualifying purchase that is greater than $1; select ‘Tap for Details’ under the Discover redemption message in Apple Wallet; and then tap to redeem cashback bonus as a statement credit in the amount of the purchase.
Apple Pay does not store users’ credit or debit card details on their devices; instead a unique code is generated when paying for the item.
Discover vice president of e-business Szabolcs Paldy said: “Cashback Bonus redemption through Apple Pay can happen in just two touches for Discover cardmembers. We are committed to providing simple and valuable solutions to our customers wherever and whenever they need them.
“Customer experience hinges on embracing mobile-first technologies like Apple Pay, and this new ability will make Cashback Bonus redemption even easier and more convenient for our cardmembers.”


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ONE gutsy Australian company has taken technology that is literally thousands of years old and used it to teach the world to grill Aussie-style.
From Turkey to China, Hot Rock Dining International’s unique dining system provides healthy hot meals to hungry diners around the world.
Hot Rock has been recognised as a finalist in the emerging exporter category of Austrade’s Exporter of the Year Awards.
The system the company sells starts by heating a giant stone in an oven. A hunk of raw meat, seafood or vegetables is then put on the stone, and the diner cooks his or her own meal at the table.
No oil is used, just a small amount of healthy sea salt, and the flavour and juices are sealed in.
Hot Rock is an add-on business which is based on an innovative product, enabling the proprietor of a restaurant to create a whole new exciting range of meals served within six minutes from order, with dishes only limited by the imagination.
Hot Rock’s George Hilder said: “This is not entirely a new product as it has employed as a method of cookery that has been used down through the ages by different cultures.”
Mr Hilder is currently on a mission to China: “At the moment I’m here with a gentleman from Hungary and we are pushing into Germany and the Czech Republic.”
Mr Hilder said the system was an Australian invention manufactured in Australia, although the
source of the rocks was a closely guarded secret.
Mr Hilder said being recognised by the Australian Export Awards provided an extra push to
establish an international reputation with their product. He added:’ ‘We give our client base a point of difference with their competitors. When we set up a restaurant, we give them an exclusivity area which we don’t change.” He said the exclusivity area varied, depending on how big the city or town was: “For example, in Sydney we would have one per suburb.
“In regional country towns, we would put one in a town. In a regional centre like Dubbo or Wagga, we would put in one at one end of the town and another at the other end.”
Mr Hilder said the firm started late in the 1990s:
“We started doing it in a small way and slowly expanded. I took it to Canada in 2000 and to the US in 2003 to a trade show there and launched the US push.
Mr Hilder said growing the company had been “easy”. He added: “It was a walk in the park and it gets easier every year. The reason being, it’s a different style of product.
“When you create something you get an immense personal satisfaction in putting your product around the world. Life is a great challenge and to be able to do something worthwhile has been a gift.”
Mr Hilder said the company was going into more countries all the time: “We have just cracked Egypt and the Canary Islands and we cracked India last year. And we have started to generate a lot of sales through the internet.”


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Sony's Blu-ray player continues to help pay the bills for patent lawyers.
Orinda Intellectual Properties is the latest to file a case alleging that Sony has violated some Blu-ray related patents, says gaming website Edge.
Sony has allegedly infringed on a patent that broadly describes "methods for recording and reproducing information via optical disc," according to the Aug. 20 lawsuit in the
Texas Eastern District Court.
Orinda has named Sony Corp., Sony Electronics, Sony Computer Entertainment and Sony Computer Entertainment America as the defendants in the lawsuit.
In addition to royalty payments, Orinda has asked for an injunction on manufacturing, sales and distribution of Blu-ray devices from Sony, which would include the PS3, Blu-ray players and computers. The demand is a standard operating procedure by plaintiffs in most patent infringement cases, though it is up to the judge to make a decision.
This is the second lawsuit that Sony is facing related to Blu-ray. Last year Target Technology sued Sony for a Blu-ray patent infringement. The case was dismissed later.
Photo: Blu-ray Lenses (Flickr/37Prime)


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— A National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Tesla crash investigation has concluded by saying the driver of the Model S, the driver of a tractor-trailer and the design of the Model S itself are all to blame in the death of former Navy SEAL, Joshua Brown.
The NTSB report blames the deadly crash on "driver errors," an "overreliance on automation" and a "lack of safeguards" designed into Tesla's "Autopilot" system.
The May 2016 Florida crash occurred when Joshua D. Brown, 40, of Canton, Ohio, was driving his 2015 Tesla Model S with Autopilot engaged when the car crashed into the side of a tractor-trailer that was crossing the highway to make a turn. Mr. Brown was known as a huge supporter of Tesla and autonomous technology and founded a company that worked on Internet and camera systems.
Investigators say the Model S went under the tractor-trailer and exited the other side of the trailer before going off the road and through two fences, finally hitting a utility pole. Brown was pronounced dead at the scene. The truck driver, Frank Baressi, 62, was not injured.
Tesla originally responded to the crash by saying the Autopilot feature is only to "assist" a driver, not take full control from a driver. The automaker had taken heat for marketing materials where Autopilot sounded more like "self-driving" technology that would take the driving responsibility from drivers.
After a crash in China that involved the Autopilot system, the automaker removed from its website a Chinese phrase that means "self-driving."
After the Brown crash, Tesla said a driver must keep their hands on the steering wheel at all times, something that seems contradictory for a system called "Autopilot." Tesla also said the car provides audible and visual warnings if the system catches the driver without their hands on the wheel.
Additionally, Tesla said the system makes frequent checks to verify a driver's hands are on the wheel, and the system will gradually slow down the car until it detects the driver touching the steering wheel.
Tesla also pointed out the Autopilot feature is disabled by default and a driver must acknowledge the technology is new and still being tested before the driver can enable the feature.
The Florida crash caused the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the NTSB to open investigations, something the NTSB typically doesn't do for vehicle crashes. NHTSA closed it's investigation by finding no defects with Autopilot systems, and the NTSB in its final report makes seven recommendations to improve the safety of vehicles.
Safety investigators say the Brown crash was caused by the driver of the tractor-trailer failing to yield while crossing the highway and Mr Brown's inattention to the road and his Model S because of placing too much faith in the technology.
In addition, the NTSB places blame on Tesla for designing Autopilot to allow a driver to ignore the warnings and have a false sense of security in the technology.
“While automation in highway transportation has the potential to save tens of thousands of lives, until that potential is fully realized, people still need to safely drive their vehicles. System safeguards, that should have prevented the Tesla’s driver from using the car’s automation system on certain roadways, were lacking and the combined effects of human error and the lack of sufficient system safeguards resulted in a fatal collision that should not have happened.” - NTSB
The government found that Autopilot was not designed to, and could not identify the truck or trailer crossing the highway and didn't "see" the crash coming.
In this aspect the car completely failed and kept traveling 74 mph as if no obstacles were in the way. The car didn't slow down, the forward collision warning system didn't alert Brown to the impending impact and the automatic braking feature didn't activate.
The NTSB says Mr. Brown had a history of using the Autopilot system in ways the technology was not meant to be used and should have known about the limitations of both Autopilot and auto braking.
Tesla was also blamed for the design of the autonomous systems with how those systems monitored and responded to the driver’s interaction with the steering wheel. The feds say no effective methods existed to ensure the driver stayed engaged with the steering wheel and car.
Investigators determined mechanical system failures, fatigue and the design of the highway were not factors in the Model S crash. As for the truck driver, he wasn't using a cell phone, but he had used marijuana before the crash. However, although he was not attentive to the road or his driving, investigators couldn't prove from the available evidence what caused his inattention.
The NTSB issued its safety recommendations based upon its findings:
- "Event data should be captured and available in standard formats on new vehicles equipped with automated vehicle control systems."
- Automakers "should incorporate system safeguards to limit the use of automated control systems to conditions for which they are designed and for there to be a method to verify those safeguards."
- Autonomous companies should develop "applications to more effectively sense a driver’s level of engagement and alert when engagement is lacking."
The NTSB report also recommends that all automakers "report incidents, crashes, and exposure numbers involving vehicles equipped with automated vehicle control systems."
As for Autopilot technology, Tesla updated the system after the Brown crash to reduce the period of time before the Autopilot system issues a warning or alert when the driver’s hands are off the steering wheel.


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Boston.com / Business / Technology / Microsoft to unveil product to manage Net communications: "Microsoft Corp. -- there's a name that rings a bell. Soon it may be the bell inside your office telephone.
The world's leading software company is expected to unveil tomorrow a product that will let businesses manage telephones, instant messaging, e-mail, and even video conferencing through a single unified system. Microsoft announced the product, codenamed Istanbul, at an Internet telephony trade show in Boston last October.
If you want to phone a colleague, Microsoft can handle the task. ''We're enabling Istanbul to control the enterprise phone," said Simnett. The Microsoft server will connect with standard PBX gear -- the equipment used to route phone calls inside large companies. Istanbul can work with VoIP phone networks or traditional phone systems. ''You could actually choose: Do I want to use the phone or do I want to use the PC audio channel?" Simnett said."


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Telecom Lead America: Will Hurricane Sandy, which is likely to negatively affect American economy in a big way, hit the smartphone targets for 2012? American buying decisions will influence the smartphone and tablet targets of Samsung, Apple, BlackBerry, etc.
Though China is set to overtake the U.S. as the largest smartphone market this year, the current turmoil in America has the potential to negatively impact growth in the smartphone market.
Though Sandy will be slowing down now, people who lost their homes and faced other challenges, will shift their buying decisions, according to analysts.
Though analysts confirmed that Sandy will negatively impact Smartphone growth in 2012, TelecomLead.com could not assess the exact impact.
Earlier IDC said cell phone shipments are expected to reach 1.8 billion units this year compared to 1.7 billion in 2011. Smartphone shipments will offset the 10 percent decline expected from feature phones, growing 38.8 percent year-over-year to 686 million units in 2012.
According to a Bloomberg report, Sandy, the Atlantic superstorm that ravaged the East Coast, knocked out cable or phone connections to more than 1 million customers in the New York area and weakened wireless service from Virginia to Massachusetts.
About one-fourth of mobile-service transmitters failed in an area stretching from the coast of the northeastern U.S., where Sandy came ashore on Oct. 29, to inland West Virginia, Federal Communications Commission officials said in Washington.
Earlier, IDC forecast that China’s share of the smartphone market will increase to 26.5 percent this year from 18.3 percent last year, while U.S. market share declines to 17.8 percent from 21.3 percent.
According to a report by Associated Press, several airlines have canceled thousands of flights, stranding travelers around the globe. Insurers are bracing for possible damages of more than $5 billion. Retailers face shrunken sales.
Preliminary estimates are that damage will range between $10 billion and $20 billion or more. Present damages and time taken for correction will be the crucial influencing factors that will help in future buying of premium goods.
Nokia, Apple and Samsung have a number of smartphones lined up for 2012. Besides emerging markets, these smartphone majors’ main target is America.
According to an earlier report by research agency IDC, in the U.S., growth is expected to slow this year because smartphones already make up the majority of shipments here. The United Kingdom, the next biggest smartphone market, will trail behind, with a 4.5 percent market share. India’s market share is expected to be 2.5 percent in 2012 and will grow to 8.5 percent in 2016.


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Currently at $1.8 billion, the Indian gaming industry is set to reach $6-7 billion in value by 2025. Detailing out more statistics, a report by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) in collaboration with OnePlus and RedSeer also stated that the pandemic has accelerated the organic growth of digital games as mobile app downloads grew by 50 percent and user engagement went up by 20 percent.
Today, video gaming engages around 2.8 billion people globally and this number is expected to cross 3 billion by 2023.
The sheer growth in all these numbers has led the gaming industry to rethink its technology. From hardware-based consoles to cloud gaming, there is a complete shift in technology. With the help of cloud, AI and other state-of-the-art technology, companies are enabling a personalised experience for users.
Diving deep into the topic, ‘Gaming reimagined: The power of data cloud’ at YourStory’s TechSparks 2021 were Vimal Venkatram, Country Manager, India, Snowflake; Vikas Gulati, Founder, Jambox Games; Darshan MS, Chief Architect, Adda52 (Gaussian Networks); and Prithvi HV, Technical Lead, Gamezop.
“If it’s not organic, people will not appreciate it,” says Ruhee Dosani on content creation and influencer marketing
Cloud gaming trumps traditional gaming
“A lot of business outcomes are achieved for customers when they move to the data cloud,” said Vimal while sharing his insights into how cloud has been strengthening the customer experience at Snowflake. He added that cloud gaming enables “improving your subscribers’ engagement and retention, increasing revenue from in-game purchases, accelerating advertising revenue, and much more.”
“The ability to understand data very deeply is very important… That’s why cloud and game analytics have become so important,” added Jambox’s Vikas, saying that “gaming was considered an art, but it’s actually more like a science”.
Talking about the diverse set of players at Adda52, Darshan said, “Cloud has enabled the kind of hyper customisation and personalisation that we would want to do for a player.” He mentioned that the kind of data and information they are serving to their users would have been “a great challenge without the support of the cloud ecosystem”.
Cloud gaming enables most players to play AAA titles at relatively cheaper rates, according to Gamezop’s Prithvi, as they can stream games on any machine and pay just for their usage, which would otherwise be cost-extensive because they would have to buy expensive networks, keep a check on updates, etc.
Breaking the barriers
Elaborating on issues that the industry face with respect to data security and privacy, Darshan said, “The tech-stack is matured now, there’s a clear demarcation of what’s acceptable, what’s not… we as a business are a lot more confident on what [data] can be leveraged, what has to be protected, what can be used to deliver a better experience to the end game user; and doing all this in an efficient manner without using very expensive enterprise solutions.”
The panellists further outlined many advantages of cloud gaming in making data safe, secure and easily accessible.
Speaking on how cloud gaming has created a level playing field, Vikas said, “Earlier bigger companies, players and providers were leveraging data to their own advantage; but now even smaller studios, publishers, publishing companies are able to acquire users, and use the same data that anybody has access to.”
Smoor founder Vimal Sharma on how the chocolate brand scaled up during the pandemic to get 10K orders a month
Stressing on countering security risks and data protection, all panellists spoke about safety and security as a core function in their respective organisations, and not an afterthought.
The leaders also highlighted new trends and technology that are poised to take the industry to the next level. Talking about the barriers in building new games, Vikas said, “Cloud gaming will enable the rise of multiplayer, competitive and social gaming.”
“HTML5-based games will also be on the rise… it’s portable, majorly focused on non-gamers becoming casual gamers,” said Prithvi.
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Read more: yourstory.com