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Workers are preparing final jobs on the Kodak stands ahead of CES in Las Vegas, Nevada on January 8, 2018.
David McNew | AFP | beautiful images
Check out the companies creating a title by midday Monday:
Kodak – Kodak’s shares fell more than 30% after a federal agency said its $ 765 million loan to the company, which would help the company establish a pharmaceutical unit, was suspended. “Recent allegations of misconduct raise serious concerns. We will not take any further steps unless these allegations are clarified,”; National Development Finance Corporation said. United States economy said in a tweet. The move comes amid a report from The Wall Street Journal that the company is under investigation by the SEC about how it disclosed the loan, which has opened up a frenetic trading activity in stocks.
Simon Property Group – The mall owner is in talks with Amazon about using former JC Penney and Sears stores as a fulfillment hub, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal. The report brought shares of Simon Property up more than 8% on Monday.
McDonald’s – McDonald’s fell 0.5% after the fast-food chain said it was suing its former CEO, Steve Easterbrook, for allegedly lying in the company’s internal investigation of his conduct. The investigation allegedly revealed that Easterbrook destroyed information regarding his inappropriate behavior, including three additional alleged sexual relationships with the employee prior to being fired.
MercadoLibre – Shares of South American e-commerce company fell 6.6% after the company released its second-quarter results. MercardoLibre beat Wall Street estimates for top and bottom margins, according to FactSet, but its gross margin fell from the same period last year. The company’s shares have more than doubled so far this year as the pandemic increases demand for online shopping.
Seres Therapeutics – Massachusetts-based company saw its stock skyrocket by more than 300% thanks to positive Phase 3 testing results for a drug aimed at treating colon infections. CEO Eric Shaff said in a statement: “We are extremely pleased with these highly clinically significant results of the SER-109 Phase 3 study, which exceed the statistical threshold provided by the FDA.
SeaWorld Entertainment – Parks and entertainment companies shares fell more than 1% following dismal quarterly earnings. SeaWorld reported a loss of $ 1.68 per share, compared with an expected loss of 97 cents per share. According to Refinitiv, revenue reached $ 18 million, far below an estimated $ 39.9 million.
Berkshire Hathaway – Berkshire’s B-class shares rose 1.4% after Warren Buffett’s conglomerate said over the weekend it had acquired a record value of equity in the second quarter. Berkshire said on Saturday that it bought back $ 5.1 billion worth of shares in May and June, more than the group spent to buy back in all of 2019. have returned the majority of profits to trade 0.4% higher.
Foot Locker – Shares of the clothing retailer rose more than 7% after Foot Locker said its similar store sales rose 18% in the second fiscal quarter. According to FactSet, the company’s adjusted earnings estimate was higher than what analysts had expected. Foot Locker is expected to report all quarterly earnings on August 21.
Majesco – New Jersey-based insurance software company has increased by more than 23% when it was reported that private equity firm Thoma Bravo bought it for $ 16 / share, equivalent to nearly $ 730 million. This deal is expected to end by the end of 2020.
Barrick Gold – Shares of gold companies rose 0.8% after the company’s strong profits. Barrick Gold reported earnings of 23 cents per share on revenue of $ 3.06 billion. Analysts polled by Refinitiv expect earnings of 19 cents per share on $ 2.9 billion in revenue. Barrick benefits from the rise in gold prices to record highs, as well as increased copper output.
Canopy Growth – Canopy shares rose nearly 10% after the cannabis company reported narrower losses than expected for its financial first quarter. The company reported a loss of 92.2 million Canadian dollars. Analysts polled by FactSet expect a loss of C $ 102.4 million. Quarterly sales also topped the estimate at C $ 98.6 million, of which C $ 110.4 million. CEO David Klein said: “We have grown sales year over year and are seeing an improvement in market share, notably achieving the number one market share in marijuana-infused beverages at Canadian market.
FedEx – FedEx rose 7.2% after Bernstein upgraded the shipping giant to outperform market performance. The Wall Street Company said residential prices are expected to improve while e-commerce parcel delivery will remain strong in the future.
– Tom Franck, Maggie Fitzgerald, Yun Li, Jesse Pound, and Pippa Stevens of CNBC contributed to this report.


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Greenwood parks launching rent-a-bike service in 2015
Greenwood's parks department hopes a new bike rental program will give people reason to ride the city's trails.
"We want to get people active and get them out exercising," Greenwood Parks Director Rob Taggart said.
Greenwood is buying eight bikes and cable locks, thanks to a $3,900 grant from the Johnson County Community Foundation. Taggart expects to purchase the bikes early next year and start the program in spring 2015.
In an effort to get more people on the trails, Taggart said his department will also start monthly bicycle tours that will educate riders on the health benefits and show off Greenwood's 20 miles of trails.
The bikes will be kept in a dedicated rack outside the Greenwood Community Center. Folks have to go inside the building with a credit card to check out a bicycle, which means there are no bike rentals on Sundays and other times when the center is closed.
The fees are not official, but Taggart said a four-hour bike rental likely will cost about $6 for center members, $8 for residents and $10 for non-residents.
Taggart said he hopes Greenwood's bike rentals will generate as much excitement asIndianapolis' Pacers Bikeshare program, which launched in April.
The Pacers Bikeshare is an alternative to buses, taxis and cars for people who want to travel around Indianapolis.
Pacers Bikeshare offers 250 bright yellow Indiana Pacers-themed bicycles that riders can pick up and drop off at 25 stations along the Indianapolis Cultural Trail. A 24-hour pass is $8, but riders must get the bike back in a rack within 30 minutes to avoid paying an additional fee.
Brian Gootee, owner of Gray Goat Sports, a bike shop on the Far Southside, said Greenwood's rental program is a good start.
"It's a great way to get some people interested that may not have bicycles," Gootee said. "That's OK for people who want to ride, but it's not going to create an alternative transportation system."
Mayor Mark Myers said the city is taking "baby steps," but he hopes the demand for the bike rentals will lead to future investment.
"You've got to start somewhere," Myers said. "If we find an interest in it, we will try to pursue more grants and make it a bike share like they have in other cities."
Call Star reporter Vic Ryckaert at (317) 444-2701. Follow him on Twitter: @VicRyc.

domain: news


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Healthcare providers should actively support online reviews because they are meaningful and empowering for patients, and can be a valuable business driver.
Physicians are often apprehensive about encouraging patients to write online reviews. This is due to the understandable desire to protect their reputation from unfair or unwarranted criticism. But patients have a right to share their experiences, and in the age of the Internet, censorship is impossible. There are plenty of sites for online reviews, with many devoted solely to reviewing medical providers, like Vitals and HealthGrades. Patients have always found ways to air their opinions and experiences, but in today’s online world, those opinions can reach a much larger audience quicker and easier than ever before.
Patients are benefitting from online reviews left by other patients. In a recent survey conducted by Search Engine Land, 72 percent of consumers said they give the same weight to online reviews as they do to personal recommendations. In other words, people are relying heavily on online resources to make decisions about their healthcare providers. This is clearly an indication of patients’ growing trust in the quality of information found on the Internet. Because of this, there is every reason to believe that online reviews will soon surpass word of mouth recommendations in their importance for patients.
There are only three things physicians need to do to harness the power of online reviews:
- Claim and manage their online real estate
- Learn how to appropriately respond and address all kinds of reviews
- Actively encourage patients to write online reviews
By doing this, providers can leverage online reviews as a way to remain viable and competitive in the shifting online landscape.


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ABC sitcom "The Middle" has tapped a local company for help.
Goose Clothes Galore was notified recently by ABC the network will use lawn goose clothes from the company on the set of the "The Middle" for
the upcoming 2012-13 television season.
James Cole poses with a few friends in Sycamore.
According to owner James Cole, his company was contacted by Julie Fanton, set director for the sitcom, and asked to provide lawn goose clothes for the season.
According to Cole, his company was chosen based on a large selection available at gooseclothesgalore.com.
"This is a great opportunity to showcase to the world the quality, creativity and care that goes into locally made products," Cole said.
"The Middle" stars Patricia Heaton, Neil Flynn, Charlie McDermontt, Edan Sher and Atticus Shaffer. New episodes of "The Middle" can be seen Wednesday evenings on ABC starting Sept. 26.
Goose Clothes Galore is a family-owned business that makes hand-crafted clothes for the cement and plastic lawn geese in four sizes.
Founded in 1981 by Cole's mother, Marijane Cole, the business has been operated by her son since 2002.
The goose outfits are handcrafted in Sycamore, Upper Sandusky, Tiffin, Crestline and Galion. The company is based in Sycamore.
Goose Clothes Galore.com previously has been featured on HGTV and "My Name is Earl."


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EVs & Hybrids
Mazda CX-5 News
Revamped Mazda CX-5 range starts at just under £28k
The family SUV has been lightly updated in time for 2022.
05 October 2021
Mazda rear-wheel-drive inline-six SUV will launch in 2022 - report
Didn't Mazda just announce standard all-wheel-drive for 2022?
16 September 2021
2022 Mazda CX-5 refresh allegedly leaked by Chinese government
We see only minor changes on the front and rear.
12 September 2021
Manufacturing / Production
Mazda confirms next CX-5 with straight-six engine, new platform
The question now is when?
11 July 2021
Next-gen Mazda CX-5 unofficially rendered from spy shots
Lots of speculations floating around but none's confirmed at this point.
29 May 2021
Next-generation Mazda CX-5 spied up close with thin camouflage
It could be called the CX-50.
11 May 2021
Updated Mazda CX-5 available to order now with prices from £28,830
Revamped car gets new engine, new infotainment and a new special edition.
27 January 2021
New Mazda CX-5 to go premium, gain six-cylinder engines - report
It could share its platform with the new Mazda6.
01 December 2020
Mazda's centenary special editions start at £20,995
There are special versions of the Mazda2, Mazda3 and MX-5, among others.
05 August 2020
Mazda reveals MX-5 papercraft to end boredom
There are lots of other Mazdas to build, too, like the Cosmo sports car.
14 April 2020
2020 Mazda CX-5 will go on sale next month with prices from £27,030
The SUV has been updated with new tech and extra soundproofing.
30 March 2020
2019 Mazda3 factory body kit and MX-5 carbon fibre top revealed
The two will be on display at the Tokyo Auto Salon along with a couple of modified crossovers.
20 December 2018
Updated 2018 Mazda CX-5 Starts At £24,795
A few minor updates to make the CX-5 an even better place.
27 July 2018
Mazda Offers Virtual CX-5 Test Drives At Shopping Centres
Take a VR spin.
05 August 2017
2018 Mazda CX-5 spied while getting gas
Mazda adapts the sharper styling from its recent crossovers onto this new model.
09 August 2016
EVs & Hybrids
Our International Editions
Edition: USA / Global
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Virgin America, long known for its social media prowess, somehow manages to raise the bar with its latest campaign. For the next three months, the airline will give away a prize to every person who uses geo-social app Loopt to check in at its T2 terminal at the San Francisco International airport.
Loopt didn’t disclose how many daily check-ins have been averaged at T2, Virgin’s social-media-minded terminal that opened last spring after a major renovation. But it said that the terminal averages 9,500 outbound travelers per day.
Of that number, those who check in via Loopt can win anything from a free flight to complimentary gift items at retailers in T2, such as Cat Cora’s Kitchen, Kiehl’s, Napa Farms Market, and Natalie’s Candy Jar. Morgans Hotel Group is also a partner, giving away random suite rentals for the Mondrian hotel in Los Angeles and the Clift in San Francisco.
Mountain View, CA-based Loopt, which claims 5 million users, has created a customized prize generator for the effort. A spokesperson for the company said that Virgin America, the T2 retailers, and Morgans Hotel Group were contributing to the cost of the daily prizes.
Most geo-social campaigns reward users with discounts or swag only after multiple check-ins.
If you’re just starting out with a business, or looking for tools to help you grow, there is a huge array of digital marketing tools, platforms and services available online.
As emojis take over the world, more brands are experimenting with them in an attempt to stay relevant. What’s the best way to do so and what should be avoided?
You don't have to be a large B2B company to create an impressive LinkedIn presence, all you need is the focus on the right direction and the consistency to succeed in your social efforts.
Social media management can become time consuming, and that’s why we compiled a list of some of the best tools to enhance your ... read more


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With the highly anticipated legalization of cannabis set to take place October 17, investors seeking cannabis producers now have a wider range of publicly traded options on the TSX. From newly launched and relatively small operations to juggernauts such as Canopy Growth Corp. (TSX:WEED)(NYSE:CGC), investors who are betting that the cannabis industry will explode in Canada and worldwide are driving up prices for cannabis producers, many of which have hit fresh all-time highs within the past two weeks.
The phenomena that has seen valuations increase across the board is a curious one, as not every marijuana grower will be able to attain a spot as one of Canada’s handful of companies that make up the eventual oligarchy that will control cannabis production within the country. Betting on the biggest firms, and specifically the ability of such companies to continue to acquire and consolidate this sector, has worked out well for most investors, who have seen their investment in such companies continue to grow.
While Canopy’s acquisition strategy has been much more muted than many of its peers such as Aurora Cannabis Inc. (TSX:ACB), that company has managed to position itself much more attractively for long-term success than most of its peers. The only company to secure supply deals with all 10 Canadian provinces, Canopy also boasts a balance sheet with more than $320 million in cash on hand, ready to be spent on growth strategies rather than the high-priced acquisitions of many of its peers.
Canopy’s recent earnings, which resulted in a net loss more than five times last year’s quarterly loss (but less than three times the EPS loss due to dilution over this period) has resulted in some pushback from investors over the cash burn rate of the company currently. While Canopy was able to generate higher revenue per gram for its goods and increase production quantities in lockstep, the amount by which Canopy is going to be able to increase prices is likely to be capped at some level around what it is already selling at, thereby forcing the company to increase organic production growth at a lower cost gradually to make the current valuation multiple make sense.
While sentiment may be at an all-time high, I would steer clear of investing in any company based on a “gut feeling” about how edibles may change the market, or how oils may drive growth, or how cannabis-infused alcoholic beverages may be the “next big thing.”
Doing so is equivalent to speculation.
Fundamentals, which are extremely hard to measure in this industry because of convoluted accounting standards imposed on such firms due to their agricultural status, will continue to keep smart money on the sidelines, with retail investors taking all the risk in this sector. Again, I would advise extreme caution with any of these companies at current levels, even companies such as Canopy, with healthier balance sheets than those of their peers.
Stay Foolish, my friends.


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In a major development, Bajaj Auto non-executive director and chairman Rahul Bajaj has resigned from the company with effect from April 30, 2021, the company informed the stock exchanges today. "Rahul Bajaj, Non-executive Chairman of the Company, considering his age, has tendered his resignation as a non-executive director and Chairman of the Company with effect from close of business hours on 30 April 2021," Bajaj Auto informed the stock exchanges today.
In place of Rahul Bajaj, Niraj Bajaj, who's a non-executive director of the company, will now serve as chairman of Bajaj Auto from May 1, 2021. "Rahul Bajaj, Non-executive Chairman, having been at the helm of the company since 1972 and the Group for five decades, considering his age, has tendered his resignation as a non-executive director and Chairman of the Company with effect from close of business hours on 30 April 2021," the company said via filing.
The company said Rahul Bajaj made an immense contribution to the success of the company and the group at large over the past five decades. "Considering his tremendous experience and in the interest of the company and to continue to benefit from his experience, knowledge and wisdom from time to time in an advisory role and as a mentor, the Board of Directors at its meeting held today and as recommended by Nomination and Remuneration Committee has approved the appointment of Shri Rahul Bajaj as Chairman Emeritus of the Company for a term of five years with effect from 1 May 2021," the filing said.
The matter will be discussed at the ensuing annual general meeting with the shareholders, the company said. Meanwhile, Bajaj Auto also reported its Jan-March quarter results on Thursday. The country's leading two-wheeler major reported a 14.57 per cent rise in its net profit at Rs 1,551.28 crore in the January-March quarter of the financial year 2020-2021. The company had reported Rs 1,353.99 crore profit during the same quarter last year. Bajaj Auto's revenue for the quarter rose 26 per cent to Rs 8,596.10 crore in Q4.
Meanwhile, Bajaj Auto share closed Rs 70.80 or 1.82 percent down at Rs 3,818.95 on the National Stock Exchange on Thursday.


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Rare earth metals like lithium and cobalt have been among the hottest commodities in recent years, but there are no actively traded contracts to help negotiate efficient pricing, adding to volatility in related lithium ETFs that track companies dealing with these metals.
For instance, the Global X Lithium & Battery Tech ETF (NYSEArca: LIT), which tracks the full lithium cycle from mining and refining through battery production, has declined 13.7% year-to-date.
Market weakness has also negatively affected the recently launched Amplify Advanced Battery Metals and Materials ETF (NYSEArca: BATT), which includes companies involved in the production of advanced battery technologies, such as lithium and cobalt. Over the past week, BATT declined 5.0% while LIT fell 2.7%.
Unlike most other commodities, lithium and cobalt don’t have actively-traded futures contracts tied to the metals, so investors are forced to rely on costly services that provide price estimates, which may differ from privately negotiated chemicals prices used by large miners and Chinese battery manufacturers, the Wall Street Journal reports. The uncertainty in pricing could further add to rapid price swings in the markets.
“The market is quite opaque,” Nick Page, a portfolio adviser for Fiera’s European division, told the WSJ. “It’s difficult to take any comfort from all of the different forecasts, which makes it more risky.”
Rare Earth Metals Supply & Demand
Meanwhile, supply and demand for the rare earth metals can move dramatically since they are tied to how quickly consumers adopt new technologies like electric cars, a trend that is still in the nascent stages.


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German automaker BMW debuted two new vehicles to its 5 Series model range, the M550i xDrive and the 530e iPerformance today at the 2017 North American International Auto Show.
“The seventh-generation BMW 5 Series is the most dynamic and innovative yet, without a doubt and will continue to set standards for years to come,” BMW executive Ian Robertson told DBusiness.
The M550i xDrive — a four door sports car and business sedan — is equipped with a TwinPower turbo engine, a rear-biased intelligent all-wheel drive system, and M Performance-specific suspension set up. The M550i xDrive boasts a 456-horsepower engine and can go from 0-60 miles per hour in four seconds.
The BMW 530e iPerformance will be available as a plug-in hybrid variant to the latest vehicles in the 5 Series model range, which Robertson also told DBusiness is part of the company’s commitment to industry-wide innovation. It will be the company’s fourth iPerformance model released in the U.S. and the first to offer rear and all-wheel drive, an added safety and performance feature.
“The success of our electrified cars so far shows our commitment and we intend to remain at the forefront of electric mobility,” Robertson adds.
BMW also announced its commitment to putting 100,000 additional electrified vehicles on the road in 2017, the same number the company supplied during efforts the past three years.
The 5 Series sedan has been a cornerstone of the BMW brand since its introduction in 1975 and is projected to be on the market in the next few months.


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French and Japanese producers have come together to form GO-N Prods., a new company that will create French and European animation for children. The Paris, France-based entity will explore Japanese/French business opportunities.
GO-N is the result of a partnership formed in June of this year between former Antefilms (France) producer Eric Garnet, former Antefilms head of development Anne de Galard and Japanese animation company GDH K.K., which owns Gonzo studio and is backing the new enterprise.
GO-N plans to take advantage of GDH’s creative Japan/U.S. network, as well its operations in the Japanese and Asian markets. GDH will work closely with GO-N to strengthen its entry in the European market by searching for original stories and developing graphic design elements. The two companies intend to leverage each other’s strengths in production to work on globally targeted joint projects.
GO-N and GDH also plan to facilitate each other’s entrance into the partner’s domestic market. GDH, which has overseas bases in Los Angeles and London, is actively promoting overseas exposure of its consumer brands, Gonzo and Gonzino.


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Chinese electric vehicle maker Nio cut its deliveries outlook in the fourth quarter due to supply chain disruptions from Covid outbreaks in major cities.
The projects in the fourth quarter of 2022 were cut from the initial forecast of 43,000-48,000 vehicles, to 38,500-39,500 units, according to the company press release.
As a result of supply chain disruptions, Nio’s customers faced delivery and registration problems.
Despite posting losses at its bottom line, its performance in the third quarter was strong for production and sales with revenue increased 33% from the previous year, while projecting new models with high demand.
Last week, the company launched two new electric SUV models, the EC7 and the ES8, that will set up shipping in May and June.
The share price of Nio decreased more than 8% on Tuesday.


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It’s a good week to be Jeff Bezos.
As Amazon stock soars on news that the company turned a profit in its third quarter, Bezos added $5 billion in wealth to top out at $55 billion in total net worth at the time of this writing, according to Bloomberg.
The added pile of gold put Bezos ahead of Charles and David Koch. He is now the third-richest person in the United States, trailing only Bill Gates and Warren Buffett.
Amazon, the online retail giant, generally re-invests any profit back into the company. Things might be changing: it has now reported a profit in three of the previous four quarters. On Thursday, the company announced a third-quarter profit of $79 million, on $25.4 billion in sales. That’s still peanuts for a company of Amazon’s size; Apple’s third-quarter profit was revealed in July to be $10.7 billion, and the iPhone manufacturer reported a record-setting $18 billion profit in the first quarter of its fiscal calendar.
Still, news of the modest profit buoyed Amazon’s stock. The Seattle-based company exceeded Wall Street’s sales estimates, managed its spending more tightly, and also saw a nice rise in its cloud-computing businesses.
Amazon didn’t only make news on Wall Street. It mounted a counter-offensive to a two-month old New York Times investigation into company’s work culture. That effort, led by the Amazon’s head of communications (and former White House press secretary)Jay Carney, prompted a discussion on Medium. Dean Baquet, the Times’s executive editor, responded in kind to Carney’s public criticism.
As Bloomberg notes, Amazon’s wins are in stark contrast to Walmart’s woes. The brick-and-mortar retail king has stumbled this year, and the bleeding has drained some $41 billion from the fortunes of Alice, Christy, Jim, and Rob Walton—including $11 billion in just one day. Each Walton heir has seen approximately one-quarter of his or her net worth vanish.


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- You are here:
- Auto News >
Saabs United, the site that played such a noteworthy role in the General Motors-Saab-Spyker cage match earlier this year that Saab gave the site an award, is at it again. This time, Saabs United is voicing concern about Jason Castriota, who was recently named 's Saab's design director. Castriota ...
2010 Saab 9-3X – Click above for high-res image galleryWhile newly emancipated Saab has some fresh product in its near-term pipeline, it's fair to say that the biggest challenge for the Swedish automaker over the long haul will be the development of costly new technologies and platforms. ...


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Digital sovereignty: Commission proposes Chips Act to confront semiconductor shortages and strengthen Europe’s technological leadership
8 February 2022
Today, the Commission proposes a comprehensive set of measures to ensure the EU’s security of supply, resilience and technological leadership in semiconductor technologies and applications.
The European Chips Act will bolster Europe’s competitiveness, resilience and help achieve both the digital and green transition. Recent global semiconductors shortages made more evident the extreme global dependency of the semiconductor value chain towards a very limited number of actors in a complex geopolitical context. But it also illustrated the importance of semiconductors for the entire European industry and society.
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: “The European Chips Act can be a game changer for our global competitiveness. In the short term, it will increase our resilience to future crises, by enabling us to anticipate and avoid supply chain disruptions. And in the mid-term, it will help make Europe an industrial leader in this strategic market. With the European Chips Act, we are putting out the investments and the strategy. But the key to our success lies in Europe’s innovators, our world-class researchers, in the people who have made our continent prosper through the decades."
For more information, you will find a press release, questions and answers, a factsheet and a factpage online.
Follow the press conference by Executive Vice-President Vestager and Commissioners Breton and Gabriel live on EbS.
To hear more details about the EU chips act, addressing strategic dependencies or about the EU digital ecosystem, follow these sessions at the EU Industry days
Addressing EU strategic dependencies in a co-creative way
Digital Ecosystem - Europe’s leadership in industrial data, cloud and edge
You need to be registered before accessing these pages.
Picture © Alexandre Debiève


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Bithumb, one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in South Korea by its daily trade volume, has sold more than 38 percent of its ownership to a blockchain consortium in Singapore, Coindesk Korea reported this morning. The stake was sold for 400 billion won, or $350 million USD.
Bithumb signed the deal on October 11th with BK Global Consortium. BK Global Consortium is a blockchain investment firm that was formed by BK Global, a plastic surgery medical group in Singapore.
BTC Holdings Company currently owns 76 percent of Bithumb’s equity and has agreed …
Read The Full Article On CryptoCurrencyNews.com
Get latest cryptocurrency news on bitcoin, ethereum, initial coin offerings, ICOs, ethereum and all other cryptocurrencies. Learn How to trade on cryptocurrency exchanges.


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Search giant Google has posted a list of over 100 reasons to upgrade to the Google Pixel. The main audience is LG smartphone users, because the full phrase goes like this: “113 reasons to switch to Google Pixel when your phone manufacturer stops making phones.”
The big video does give 113 reasons to switch to the Google Pixel, including that it is the only Google smartphone line to create Android. The manufacturer also praises the cameras, long battery life, seamless integration with Google services, original ringtones, and so on. Of course, there are also comic reasons in advertising, such as the ability to use a smartphone as a cutting board.
Google also spiked LG by stating that the Pixel company “is known for organizing the Web and mapping the world” rather than making other things like washing machines.
The video also advertises the new Android 12 operating system, which is already available for Pixel users.


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Following a successful trial, Walkers has announced that it will be rolling out new paper bags for all its Walkers Baked multipacks.
The company estimates that the move will reduce the use of virgin plastic on outer packaging by 180 tonnes annually.
Walkers has been owned by PepsiCo since 1989 and is Britain’s most popular savoury snacks brand, with a 22.1% volume share and 26.5% value share of the savoury snacks market in the year leading up to 13 May 2023.
Its products include French Fries, Monster Munch, Quavers and the Walkers Baked range, all of which will now have the new paper outer bag.
Forming part of the PepsiCo Positive health and sustainability transformation strategy, Walkers’ paper bag will be widely recyclable in home recycling bins across the UK. Its introduction follows a trial that took place in 800 Tesco stores across the UK, which commenced in March 2023 and reportedly received positive feedback.
The packaging represents a step towards PepsiCo Europe’s goal to eliminate virgin fossil-based plastic in crisp and snack bags by 2030 and PepsiCo’s global goal to reach net-zero emissions by 2040.
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Gareth Callan, Sustainable Packaging Lead, PepsiCo UK and Ireland, said: “We are constantly innovating new ways to remove virgin plastic in our packaging. It’s exciting to see our successful trial of this paper pack lead to a nationwide roll-out. At this scale, the new packaging will deliver a huge reduction in virgin plastic, while also helping to lower our carbon footprint.”
PepsiCo has seen an overall increase in environmental concerns across its company filings since 2019, despite a significant dip in mentions in 2021. Following the launch of PepsiCo Positive the same year, priorities have re-shifted towards environmental concerns.
PepsiCo is trialling other potential packaging changes too. including ‘bagless’ Snack A Jacks multipacks, which use a tape-like strip to combine individual packets. Also at Tesco, the design uses 86% less plastic on the outer packaging when compared with the previous multipack design.
Our signals coverage is powered by GlobalData’s Thematic Engine, which tags millions of data items across six alternative datasets — patents, jobs, deals, company filings, social media mentions and news — to themes, sectors and companies. These signals enhance our predictive capabilities, helping us to identify the most disruptive threats across each of the sectors we cover and the companies best placed to succeed.


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For any of your more “organic” focused affiliates you may find the following news extremely interesting. This could be a huge ranking loophole for a short time when it launches, so get ready.
Facebook is looking to turn their “notes” feature into a full blown Tumblr competitor.
How good does that sound?
Imagine combining the ranking power of Facebook with keyword rich blog posts. It’s a wet dream for any organic affiliate with any experience (in fact some may actually be drooling).
Techcrunch noted that:
Back in March, Facebook acqui-hired the team from Storylane, a sort of blogging platform its founders described as the “the home for personal thoughts and stories that go deeper than a quick Facebook or Twitter update.” It illustrated the rift between Facebook and Tumblr. Twitter is defined by its simplicity, so we’ll leave it out of this discussion.
It’s a fair bet that Facebook wouldn’t acquire blogging specialists without the intention of them creating a blogging platform. Notes has a long way to go to become a “blogging platform” but it can certainly be done.
We’ll have to wait and see for now. In the meantime start thinking about how you want to jump on this opportunity while it lasts.


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Chevrolet Korea Sales Decrease 40 Percent In June 20193
Chevrolet Korea sales decreased 40 percent to 5,757 units in June 2019.
Individual model sales performance was as follows:
- Chevrolet Bolt EV sales decreased 84.58 percent to 250 units
- Chevrolet Camaro sales decreased 23.08 percent to 10 units
- Chevrolet Damas sales decreased 46.32 percent to 219 units
- The Damas is a small van originally introduced by Daewoo, which GM subsequently bought in the late 1990s
- Chevrolet Equinox sales decreased 40 percent to 231 units
- Chevrolet Impala sales decreased 54.46 percent to 51 units
- Chevrolet Labo sales decreased 38.08 percent to 200 units
- The Labo is a line of small vans and pickups introduced by Daewoo, which GM subsequently bought in the late 1990s
- Chevrolet Malibu sales increased 13.21 percent to 1,183 units
- Chevrolet Spark sales decreased 33.32 percent to 2,567 units
- Chevrolet Trax sales increased 7.06 percent to 1,046 units
- The Chevrolet Aveo, Cruze, Orlando, Captiva and Volt were discontinued in South Korea
In the first six months of 2019, Chevrolet Korea sales decreased 16 percent to 35,539 units.
Sales Results - June 2019 - South Korea - Chevrolet
|MODEL||JUN 2019 / JUN 2018||JUNE 2019||JUNE 2018||YTD 2019 / YTD 2018||YTD 2019||YTD 2018|
The GM Authority Take
Chevrolet Korea sales are continuing to fall, with a decrease in four of the first six months of 2019. The Bow Tie brand only recorded sales growth in the market during the months of March and April, when it appeared that sales were recovering after the particularly negative performance throughout 2018.
Only the Malibu the Trax saw an increase in deliveries, both in June and during the first six months of the year. And though Equinox figures show an impressive increase during the first half the year, that circumstance is the result of the vehicle having only gone on sale in June 2018, during which time it recorded all of its 385 deliveries. Hence, Equinox sales during the first half of 2018 totaled 385 units, all recorded in June, resulting in a notable jump in year-over-year sales volume.
About The Numbers
- All percent change figures compared to Chevrolet Korea sales in June 2018, except when noted
- South Korea sales figures reflect actual vehicle registrations rather than wholesales
Further Reading & Sales Reporting
- GM news
- Running GM sales results
- Running Chevrolet sales results
- General MotorsÂ Q2 2019 sales numbers:
- GM Q2Â 2019 sales U.S.A.
- Chevrolet Q2 2019 sales U.S.A.
- Cadillac Q2 2019 sales U.S.A.
- Buick Q2 2019 sales U.S.A.
- GMC Q2 2019 sales U.S.A.
- GM Q2Â 2019 sales Canada
- Chevrolet Canada Q2 2019 sales
- Cadillac Canada Q2 2019 sales
- Buick Canada Q2 2019 sales
- GMC Canada Q2 2019 sales
- GM Q2 2019 sales China
- GM Q2Â 2019 sales Mexico:
- GM Q2Â 2019 sales Brazil:
- GM Q2Â 2019 sales South Korea:
- GM Q2Â 2019 sales U.S.A.
- Sweepstakes Of The Month: Win a 2023 Corvette Z06 Convertible. Details here.
GM should get out of Korea and make the new Trailblazer, Encore GX here is the States. Why should we invest in manufacturing in a country that doesn’t buy the product?
And Americans are buying Korean cars by the hundreds of thousands. 5700 units is nothing.
What does that say about Koreans and Americans?
It’s because GM make average cars and nobody outside of the US is interested in buying them…


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South Korea's Coinplug has enabled bitcoin purchases with credit cards through a network of over 7,000 traditional ATMs across the country.
Olivier Janssens and Jim Harper have become the Bitcoin Foundation's newest board members following the recent election.
The Bitcoin Investment Trust is set to become the first publicly traded bitcoin fund, having received approval from US securities regulator FINRA.
Decentralised crowdfunding platform Swarm is offering startups up to $50,000 in funding thanks to a partnership with Focus Investments.
MGT Capital has entered into an agreement with Tera Group that would find the regulated bitcoin derivatives platform operator going public.
Australian bitcoin company Digital CC Ltd has published the results for its half-year period up to 31st December 2014, posting a net loss.
Bitcoin firm igot has expanded to Kenya following the acquisition of a local cryptocurrency exchange and integration with a mobile payments platform.
A former executive director of Goldman Sachs in London has launched a bitcoin derivatives exchange called Crypto Facilities.
OKCoin says its 10m yuan bitcoin giveaway gained it "roughly half a million new users" over Chinese New Year.


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(ATTN: ADDS details, vice finance minister's remarks in paras 6-12)
By Kim Deok-hyun
SEJONG, June 30 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's industrial output extended its slump in May as the coronavirus pandemic disrupted supply chains, but retail sales reported a robust gain, data showed Tuesday.
The nation's overall industrial production fell 1.2 percent on-month in May, following a 2.8 percent on-month plunge in April, according to data compiled by Statistics Korea.
Compared with a year earlier, overall industrial production also plunged 5.6 percent in May.
Production in the mining, manufacturing, gas and electricity industries plunged 6.7 percent on-month in May, marking the sharpest decline since December 2008.
Retail sales rose 4.6 percent in May from a month earlier as the nation eased strict social distancing rules, and the output in the service sector gained 2.3 percent on-month.
Sales of durable goods, such as cars, gained 7.6 percent and those of nondurable ones, such as cosmetics, edged up 0.7 percent, the data showed.
Production of chips rose 10.8 percent on-month in May, but auto output plummeted 21.4 percent last month.
Local manufacturers have been facing hurdles in securing key parts as suppliers around the globe suspended their operations amid the pandemic, with global shipments of goods also being disrupted by entry bans.
Facility investment fell 5.9 percent on-month in May, marking the first monthly decline since February this year. the data showed.
Vice Finance Minister Kim Yong-beom said a recovery in retail sales is expected to help the nation's economy revive its growth momentum.
Exports have also showed signs of bottoming out in June, Kim said, adding the government will encourage companies to make more investment.
The so-called cyclical component of the composite leading index, which predicts the turning point in business cycles, fell by 0.8 point on-month to 96.5, marking the lowest level in more than 21 years.
The nation's economy shrank 1.3 percent on-quarter in the first quarter of this year, the sharpest quarterly contraction since the last three months of 2008.
Exports slipped 7.5 percent on-year in the first 20 days of June amid the shock from the coronavirus pandemic.
BTS to appear on Korean TV shows this month
(LEAD) 2 patients die after AstraZeneca vaccine shots; study under way over potential connection
Three more die after receiving AstraZeneca vaccine
J-Hope releases new song 'Blue Side' on 'Hope World' anniversary
'Please Look After Mom' author vows to 'write on' following plagiarism row
Couple indicted on murder charge over fatal abuse of 10-year-old niece
85,000 foreign workers in Gyeonggi ordered to take COVID-19 test before March 22
S. Korea tentatively concludes no link between COVID-19 vaccination and deaths
Another delivery worker dies from apparent overwork
(LEAD) S. Korea, U.S. reach defense cost-sharing agreement


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In the revolving door that is 1926 Liacouras Walk, an Italian restaurant named Maxi’s opened on March 9, making it the third restaurant since 2002.
When construction on 1900 Liacouras Walk ended in January 2002, stores were assigned locations and store owners were able to work out different long-term leasing packages through landlords Campus Walk Partners. They are in charge of the leases and of financing any improvements to the property.
Temple owns the land that the building is constructed on and has the right to approve the tenants that come onto the strip. The University is also a tenant, with housing and development offices on Liacouras Walk.
In March 2002, the University and Campus Walk Partners saw the grand opening of its first store, 7-Eleven, located across the walkway from what is now Maxi’s.
A Pizza Hut was originally assigned to 1926 Liacouras Walk, but those plans were scrapped when the owner declared bankruptcy and the store never officially opened.
Since then, the building has housed three Italian restaurants: Cartucci’s, Sal Anthony’s on the Walk and Maxi’s.
Richard Rumer, the associate vice president for business, said that a change in format does not necessarily indicate a change in owners.
“I saw a picture in the paper the other day where underneath it indicated that this was the third group or third owners in the restaurant; that is not really accurate,” Rumer said.
“Luciano Lombardi is the owner, or tenant, in that space. He opened first under the name of Cartucci’s and then he took on a partner and took on Sal Anthony’s on the Walk, but never really liked that concept. … The whole time it has been one consistent owner.”
The partner he attempted to go into business with was Anthony “Sal Anthony” Macagnone.
Macagnone, who owns Sal Anthony on the Walk in New York City, said that a deal could not be finalized because of “insurmountable problems” between Lombardi and the current landlords, Campus Walk Partners.
“Basically it was dollars and cents, period,” Macagnone said. He added that a rent and lease package through Campus Walk Partners would not be economically feasible for him.
“I am looking to bring a service and make money. I’m a soft capitalist. I believe that everyone should be leaving happy from the restaurant and everyone involved should be making money,” Macagnone said.
The problem was with the amount of money that would be available for Macagnone to serve the food. With a higher quality of food being served, Macagnone needed a set number of dollars subsidized from Lombardi in the beginning in order to buy food and charge enough money to the customer to still make a profit.
Macagnone claims that with the lease and a lack of subsidies made available, it was impossible to open and make a profit.
“To put [a restaurant on campus] would have meant I would have had to charge X amount of dollars instead of the normal Y amount. Rent made it impossible. They overrode my profits and charged like it was in Times Square,” Macagnone said.
Lombardi was not available to respond.
Kevin Duffy, a partner in the Campus Walk Partners deal, is in charge of the leasing procedures on campus and is currently working out a contract with the University of Pennsylvania.
Duffy said that it is unfortunate that a deal could not be reached between the parties to bring Sal Anthony’s on the Walk to campus, but noted that the other stores found the leasing plan acceptable.
“He [Macagnone] had the lease in his hand, he did not sign it. That was his choice, not ours,” Duffy said.
Rumer, despite the difficulties of opening a lasting restaurant, has been very pleased with the work that Campus Walk Partners has done.
“We are happy because for the most part it has brought the bank on campus [PNC Bank], the hair cuttery [Chop Shop], the 7-Eleven which we think is nice for the students to have on campus,” Rumer said.
“And for the most part we have a good mix of tenants. We now have a lot of the amenities that the average student or faculty and staff on campus might need,” Rumer said.
“We aren’t too concerned,” Roland Taylor, the bar manager at Maxi’s, said of the immediate competition between Maxi’s and the Draught Horse.
“People will go to the Draught Horse for certain reasons and people will come here for certain reasons,” he said.
Bob Hollawell can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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To riff on Brian Stelter’s lede in the New York Times this morning, in a world where everyone with a smartphone seems to be a content creator, Netflix’ quarterly results released yesterday reinforced the notion that well-executed “content is the new black” — black halo, that is.
“Netflix has surpassed rival HBO in domestic subscribers in the third quarter, a milestone it credits to buzz surrounding such original series as ‘Orange Is the New Black,’ the Emmy nominations for the political drama, ‘House of Cards,’ and its exclusive content,” as Dawn C. Chmielewski reports in the Los Angeles Times.
But as Stelter points out deep in his story, “as important as original series are — they have, as [Netflix chief content officer, Ted] Sarandos said Monday, a ‘particular halo effect on the brand’ — the typical Netflix subscriber still spends a lot more time streaming repeats of TV shows that had their debuts elsewhere.”
Indeed, 90% of Netflix programming budget next year will be for retread movies and TV series, Stelter reports. With good financial reason. As CEO Reed Hastings writes in his letter his shareholders, “While our original series get most of the headlines, a bigger percentage of overall Netflix viewing is generated by our exclusive complete season-after series.”
But Hastings also proudly refers to a 1:40 YouTube video — unabashedly titled “The Future of Television is Here” — that he writes is “an excellent summary of our early progress in original content.”
Here are the Netflix numbers — and Wall Street’s ecstatic reaction — for the quarter ending Sept. 30, as compiled by USA Today’s Roger Yu: “Net income rose 315% to $31.8 million …. Earnings per share of 52 cents beat analysts' average estimate of 49 cents. Revenue rose 22% to $1.1 billion. Shares jumped almost 10% in after-hours trading. Netflix rose $21.49, or 6.4%, to close regular trading at $354.99.”
Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter, who has been “bearish” on the stock for some time, remains pessimistic about long-term results.
“The valuation makes no sense at all,” Pachter says, Bloomberg’s Cliff Edwards writes. Indeed, CEO Hastings indicated that he “isn't comfortable with the huge stock run-up,” CNNMoney’s Julianne Pepitone reports. “On a post-earnings conference call with analysts, he said Netflix thinks ‘momentum investors’ are ‘driving the price more than we like normally’ — but that it's out of the company's control.”
“That said, ‘the subscriber guidance number is probably the only one that anyone cares about,’ Pachter tells the NYT’s Stelter. “ ‘They’re guiding to similar growth year-over-year, which is a great result if it happens.’”
Speaking of hopeful outcomes, news began to surface last week that Netflix has been “in talks with several U.S. pay-television providers including Comcast Corp. and Suddenlink Communications to make its online video service available as an app on their set-top boxes,” as Shalini Ramachandran reported in the Wall Street Journal.
Currently, shows are “funneled to televisions through users’ video-game consoles or standalone devices such as Apple TV or Roku’s Web-connected box. Viewers can also watch on their smartphones or tablets,” as Bloomberg’s Edwards writes. Janney Capital Markets analyst Tony Wible tells him that “there’s nothing to stop somebody who has a cable plan today from getting Netflix, but people will use it a lot more if it’s integrated into the set-top box.”
But that’s easier wished-for than done, no less an authority than Hastings informs us. After citing its first such agreement with Virgin Media, the UK’s leading cable company, Hastings writes: “We are open to more of these integrations with cable set-tops around the world, but given the fragmented technology footprints, we think it will be many years before cable set-top boxes match Internet set-top boxes for Netflix streaming volume.”
The bad news for marketers, of course, is that one of the key attractions of Netflix programs is that they are free of advertising. “I tried Hulu, and that service is a joke,” writes one Netflix fan commenting on Chmielewski’s story in the Los Angeles Times. “Even after paying them you have to watch commercials.” Echoes another: “Best entertainment around and the good thing is ... no ads.”
The best news for consumers coming out of yesterday’s festivities, Forbes’ Jeff Bercovici writes, may have been a statement by Netflix’ Sarandos, who indicated that “Netflix is aiming to reduce another source of viewer annoyance: the long wait between new seasons.”
“Ideally, we’d like to reduce the cycle time between seasons to tighter than the one year it is today,” Bercovici said.
I'm not understanding why there is not more discussion about the fact that the Netflix apps do not allow a user to browse their full library? When you log in to a Netflix app you are limited to seeing the titles listed that they want you to see. If you want to search their entire library to find something to watch... you still have to go to their website... search... put the movie in your" list" (queue) .... then access that title on the devise running the Netflix app. Dose this bother anyone else? What if you don't have access to a computer when using a Netflix app? So... if you want to know if they have a title that's not listed in the app, have fun searching until you find one they do have. How hard would it be to allow members to brows all of Netfix's content in an app? Maybe I'm just living in the future...or asking too much?


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According to Chinese media, the first ever sea shipment of Chilean cherries bound for China’s Shandong province pulled into the Port of Qingdao at 1 a.m. on Dec. 27, 2021, after a 28-day sea journey.
Local customs officials got in touch with the importers of the shipment long before the fruit arrived and established a green channel to expedite customs clearance and maintain the highest levels of fruit freshness. Owing to all of this preparatory work, the first batch of cherries from this shipment were able to reach an agricultural trading hub in Qingdao’s Jimo District by 11 a.m.
In recent years, the Port of Qingdao has been dealing with an increasing number of imported fruits, including peaches from Australia, bananas from the Philippines, longans and durians from Thailand, oranges from Egypt and South Africa, and dragon fruit from Vietnam. In northern China, Qingdao ranks third after only Beijing and Zhengzhou in terms of sales of imported cherries.
Previously, Chilean cherries had to be shipped to Hong Kong, Guangzhou or Shanghai first then transported onward to Qingdao by land. Direct sea shipment to Qingdao is anticipated to cut the total transit time by three days and save approximately 20,000 Chinese yuan ($3,100) per container. Furthermore, this mode of transportation also helps to avoid the need for repackaging, resulting in superior quality and freshness.
Industry insiders estimate that the Port of Qingdao will receive another 1,000 metric tons of Chilean cherries by Chinese New Year on Feb. 1, 2022.
This article was translated from Chinese. Read the original article.


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April 12, 2019, | AtoZ Markets - According to the recently published Plus500 Ltd first quarter of 2019 report, the online trading company’s revenue dropped from $ 154.8 million registered in the last quarter of 2018 to $ 53.9 million. The company representatives explained why Plus500 revenues dropped in Q1 2019 by almost 65 %.
Plus500 LTD in a brief
Plus500 is one of the largest international brokers in the world that enables its customers to trade CFDs over different financial instruments including equities, indices, commodities, options, ETFs, cryptocurrencies and Forex. Plus500 customers can trade CFDs in more than 50 countries and in 32 languages.
The company is listed on the Main Market section of the London Stock Exchange and is regulated in the United Kingdom, Australia, Cyprus, Israel, New Zealand, South Africa, and Singapore. The company has over 101,000 active investors trading with them.
Plus500 record revenue and profit in 2018
Earlier in February, Plus500 announced that it had closed 2018 with a record number of 223,864 active customers. However, this figure fell by 55% in the last quarter of 2018. The number of new customers has declined even faster, due to the interest in a crypto decrease at the end of 2018.
The cost of attracting users per customer in the fourth quarter of 2018 increased by 424% to the US $ 1,489 per customer. Meanwhile, the average revenue per customer increased by 158% to $ 1,523 per customer in the fourth quarter.
After the publication of the record in the first half of the year, the broker remained in profit during the year on key indicators. Due to this activity, the company registered record revenue in the amount of 720.4 million dollars in 2018, which is 65% more than 437.2 million. Dollars registered in 2017. Net profit also jumped 90% from $ 252.9 million in 2017 to $ 379 million in 2018.
While explaining record profits and revenues increase, the company official explained that it happened by the “exceptional” first quarter, thanks to a recovery in cryptocurrency trading. At that time, cryptocurrencies had just reached their record highs after an exceptional 2017, which brought more interest to the market.
The company officials try to explain why Plus500 revenues dropped
The trading update of Plus500 Ltd for the first quarter of 2019 covered the period from January to March 31 and showed a pretty unflattering picture. According to the company's report over the past three months, in annual terms, the broker's revenue decreased more than it did in the same period in 2018.
Back in February, the company stated that it does not expect a similar level of profit in 2019, so the expected reduction in the number of customers, revenues and profits in 2019 was not a big surprise. The experts suggest, that Plus500 shares have been simply overvalued.
Explaining the reason why Plus500 revenues dropped in Q1 2019, the brokerage company mentioned that the main reason for such numbers is the strong suppression of financial markets for most types of assets. The low level of volatility affected the number of active clients and ARPU.
Also, according to the company, the number of active clients has decreased by 4 percent in the last quarter. The average income per user in the first quarter of 2019 was $ 550, while in the last quarter of 2018 it was 1,523 dollars, and in the first quarter of 2018 - 1,363 dollars. The average cost of attracting users was $ 1,230 in the first quarter of 2019 compared to $ 1,489 in the previous quarter but significantly exceeded $ 502 in the first quarter of 2018.
Plus500 LTD experts remain silent about the future forecasts
Plus500 LTD officials did not provide any specific forecasts regarding its future activities. The broker explained that it was impossible to predict market conditions for the rest of the year, and therefore it was too early to draw conclusions about the full year results based on performance.
Two months ago, the company officials stated: “Following our latest assessment of the impact of the ESMA regulatory measures, FY19 revenue is expected to be lower than current market expectations. This, combined with our intention to maintain our marketing spend, is likely to result in 2019 profit being materially lower than current market expectations”.
Please share your thoughts with us in the comment box below.


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Frank Body's Birthday Pop-Up
For two days, Frank Body – known for its locally-made natural skincare products – is celebrating five years in business with a birthday pop-up in Chapel Street.
The makers of cruelty-free coffee scrubs and more, will be offering free products and free cake. There'll also be limited-edition Birthday Cake Scrub, a sweet sugar scrub best enjoyed in your birthday suit.
The store has been decked out in pink and red for the occasion, with the help of Melbourne artist Ellen Porteous, whose merchandise will also be available during the pop-up.
Frank Body's Birthday Pop-Up is open Friday June 15 and Saturday June 16, 10–3pm.


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Earth Day 2020 – Sustainability Update
As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day in 2020 nearly two billion people, roughly a quarter of the world’s population, are in lockdown. The environmental impact of that sudden absence of human activity can be seen from space.
This dramatic decrease, while unintended, may bring the subject of sustainable energy and air pollution back into the global conversation.
According to a blog in WTTW, these changes in human behavior prompted by the pandemic create a rare opportunity for scientists to study how humans interact and influence the environment on a global scale.
Scott Collis is an atmospheric scientist at Argonne National Laboratory.“This is what we call a natural experiment, a sudden perturbation or change from the normal, that allows us study a stop and a system’s response to that,” said Collis. “This time the system is planet Earth.” Scientists expect their ability to forecast the weather, for example, will be impacted by the sudden lack of air travel.
Before all this happened, the industry was launching initiatives to address sustainability.
TechRepublic describes how 8 tech companies are honoring the day, including Apple, Microsoft, NASA, and others.
Jabil invites its customers and suppliers to ‘Rise to the Challenge’ by spotlighting the responsibilities they have assumed to work on behalf of their customers.
“Companies have to act on climate change, governments have to act on climate change and individuals have to act on climate change,” said Eric Austermann, VP of Social & Environmental Responsibility at Jabil.
As an extension of our customers, we have an obligation to manage our environmental impacts and help our customers do the same by innovating new sustainable solutions and using our voices to advocate for positive change.
Forbes writer Blake Morgan collected 9 Everyday Products that have an impact, including ways to reduce plastic consumption.”Today’s companies can’t focus solely on profits,” she writes. “They must be driven by a purpose to make the world a better place. Surveys have found that 96% of people believe their own actions can make a difference in the world, and 88% of consumers want brands to help them live sustainably. Successful companies not only provide great products, but also contribute something good to the earth.”
What else can the electronics industry do to reduce the strain on the Earth’s systems, after the Covid-19 travel restrictions are lifted?
Maybe we can actually do business without so much travel. This Zoom thing works pretty well, doesn’t it?
Enjoy some time outdoors with your family today, and appreciate the cleaner air while it lasts.


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It's no secret that dividends are not only a big chunk of the average investor's annual returns. Not only that, but companies that are able to consistently raise their dividends for years on end are surefire ways for investors to build long term wealth. Such has been the case with cigarette maker Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM)
(NYSE:PM)But increasingly, public sentiment throughout the world has turned against smoking, and this can't be good for the tobacco trade. Currently the company's dividend is relatively generous, but there are some question marks wafting in the haze of its future.
Smoke 'em if you got 'em
For a firm manufacturing an increasingly unpopular product, Philip Morris isn't doing too badly. In its most recently reported quarter, total cigarette volume fell. That was to be expected. But the drop was fairly light, at 0.4% on a year-over-year basis.
Revenues are growing (if slightly, by 3%), and the company continues to rake in plenty of cash. This has always been a hallmark of the tobacco industry -- once cigarette-making assets are onstream, very little innovation needs to take place to enhance the product. A Marlboro bought this morning isn't vastly different than the product sold decades ago.
Meanwhile, on the consumer end, most users are effectively addicts. This goes a long way toward ensuring that they'll continue to buy cigarettes at whatever price they're sold for. So tobacco companies are classic cash cows. Their costs are low and their profits high, leaving plenty of cash in the coffers, certainly more than enough to pay a hefty dividend (which Philip Morris recently raised to a quarterly $1 per share, yielding 4.6%).
Flicking the ash away
But the simple fact is that tobacco's day is probably done. Globally, cigarette consumption by volume is declining. Awareness of the risks of smoking is very high and often impossible to ignore; just look at the dire official health warnings written directly onto cigarette packs in most major markets.
So in all likelihood, those volumes are probably going to continue to drop. And as they decline, revenue will follow, as will bottom lines. In Philip Morris' case the latter has been falling off recently, sliding 8% in the firm's most recently reported quarter. Although the profit slump is not alarming yet, it's beginning to look like a trend:
The firm seems acutely aware of this. It's trying to broaden its product selection by making a new push into the cigarette alternatives market. The company is rolling out iQOS, which sounds like a cell phone operating system but is actually a smokeless tobacco device, a battery-operated product that heats, rather than burns, tubes of tobacco known as Marlboro HeatSticks (which retail for about the price of a pack of traditional Marlboros).
It's a snazzy-looking product, but can it restore meaningful growth to Philip Morris? The alt-cigarette market is crowded by a score of products, and the once-rapid growth of the segment is leveling off significantly. As such, the long-gestating, expensive to develop iQOS doesn't seem like the golden lighter that will spark the company's future success.
That isn't to say that Philip Morris is in immediate trouble. In spite of those scary warnings printed on their cigarette packs, smokers will continue to puff away while the company rakes in money and keeps exhaling a dividend. So for the short- to mid-term, that chunky payout probably isn't at too much risk.
The longer term, however, is a different story. Cigarettes as a product clearly don't have much of a future, and the prospects for Philip Morris' alternatives don't look great, either. This Fool would bet that the firm will continue to maintain or even increase its dividend over the next few years. But as the tobacco market really starts to vaporize, its payout will follow suit.


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SINGAPORE, Nov. 2 (Khmer Times) – SilkAir is set to offer flight services between Singapore and Denpasar, the capital of Bali, Indonesia. The daily flight operations will begin on December 12, the airline said.
The daily services to and from Singapore and Denpasar operated by SilkAir will be an addition to the four daily flight services of Singapore Airlines, the parent company’s brand. In total, the two airlines will offer five round-trip services per day.
“Bali is a popular year-round travel destination renowned for its multifaceted attractions, from temples to pristine beaches and paddy fields,” said SilkAir’s Chief Executive, Leslie Thng.
“SilkAir is extremely pleased to have the opportunity to connect travellers around the world to this vibrant tourist destination from 12
December,” he said.
According to Singapore Airlines’ Senior Vice President of Marketing Planning, Lee Wen Fen, this synergizing network between the two airlines will boost the connectivity through their combined network of 99 cities in 35 countries.


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Anselmo Lastra and his wife, Mary, are used to taking vacations in Europe, often with their daughter. But this year is different.
"We probably won't be going to Europe," says the University of North Carolina professor, who lives in Chapel Hill, N.C. "It's just too expensive in dollars." Instead, he says, "we'll be going to Asia [already booked] and perhaps Africa."
Lastra isn't alone. As the dollar weakens, the economy slows and talk of a recession grows louder, more and more Americans are trimming, shrinking and shifting vacation plans.
Two recent nationwide surveys agree: Americans are taking a hard look at vacation costs.
More than two-thirds of respondents to the most recent survey by Ypartnership, co-authored with the Travel Industry Association, said they had downsized their trips in some way during the past six months because of personal financial concerns.
And a survey just completed by AIG Travel Guard found that 47 percent of travelers polled plan to downscale their vacations to save money.
But while Americans may be cautious about how much they spend on vacations this year, they're not about to give them up.
"Trading down, not out: That's what we're saying," said Peter Yesawich, CEO of Ypartnership, commenting on his company's latest "travelhorizons" survey. "In the next few months we will see a transformation of vacations, not cancellations."
That means that increasingly value-conscious consumers are likely to seek cheaper transportation, lodging, entertainment and recreation. Some will take shorter trips.
According to the Ypartnership survey, 29 percent who are downsizing said they had taken fewer trips. Sixteen percent selected less expensive lodging, 12 percent stayed away fewer nights, 11 percent drove a shorter distance to their vacation destination, 7 percent changed destinations, and 2 percent brought along fewer people.
AIG Travel Guard's new Travel Beat survey sings the same tune. About 72 percent of the 300 polled said they wouldn't reduce the number of leisure trips they take in 2008, and 53 percent said they wouldn't cut back on the quality.
But 22 percent did say they would eat in less expensive restaurants, 17.2 percent said they would stick closer to home, 16 percent said they would choose less expensive hotels than in the past, 10 percent said they would stay with friends and family instead of in hotels, and 10 percent said they would shave days off their trips. More than 7 percent said they'd drive rather than fly.
But traveling cheaper isn't just about shrinking vacations. It's also about planning ahead to snag better prices.
"Travelers are planning earlier, taking more all-inclusives to control costs, especially with families," said Margie Jordan of the ASAP Travel agency in Jacksonville. That trend also was evident in a survey of travelers planning 2008 trips to Europe, said Genevieve Shaw Brown, senior editor of Travelocity, an online booking agency.
Taking a tour rather than traveling independently has long been a way to travel less expensively, and more travelers seem to be gravitating to that alternative.
"Our tour business is going through the roof," said Brad Anderson, co-president of America's Vacations Center in San Diego, which specializes in escorted tours and cruises. Bookings of Contiki tours, for travelers ages 18-35, is "exploding," he added.
For those electing to drive to their destinations, rising gasoline prices are having some impact, but for now, at least, they aren't causing travelers to quit the road.
Orbitz, another online booking agency, says 35 percent of those polled in its quarterly Traveler Update Report are renting smaller cars because of current fuel costs. "We've been offering hybrid vehicles [rentals] on our Web site for two months and response has been good," said Jim Cohn, an Orbitz spokesman. Hybrids use far less fuel than regular cars.
But the American Automobile Association says in its Travel Pulse Survey, taken in January, that half of its members do not plan to make any changes now to lower their gasoline expenditures. A third did say they would consider vacationing closer to home if gasoline rose to $3.25 a gallon, but 28 percent said they won't change their plans no matter how much gas prices rise.
For upscale travelers, neither higher fuel prices nor fuel surcharges nor the weakening dollar can dissuade them from their vacations.
"In our office, the exact opposite [to downsizing] is happening this year," said Kim Gray of Carlson Wagonlit Travel in North Olmstead, Ohio, near Cleveland. "Folks are booking full steam ahead with deluxe and extensive vacations. We are booking more Europe than ever, river cruises, deluxe Caribbean and Mexico all-inclusives, and cruises, cruises, cruises!"
In Miami, agent Lila Tell of New World Center Travel said she also hasn't noticed any downsizing on the part of her customers. "But my clients are mostly upscale," she added.
So what it boils down to is this: People who can afford it aren't going to change their travel plans. Those who need to downsize have many options, from simply taking shorter vacations to finding a combination of cost-saving measures.
Either way, no one plans to entirely eliminate his or her vacation. "It's mine and I want it now" seems to be the battle cry for American vacationers.
- - -
- Visit destinations where the dollar is worth more, such as Eastern Europe, Asia, South America and South Africa.
- Check alternative or regional airports for better prices.
- Drive rather than fly.
- Book early for best price and options.
- Travel in off-season, when prices drop.
- Look for family discounts.
- Book a package with most expenses locked in and pre-paid in dollars. Look for those that include as many meals as possible.
- Take cruises and other inclusive vacations that include meals and high-quality lodging.
- Rent smaller cars with better mileage.
- Abroad, change money at ATMs rather than banks or hotels.
- In cities, buy a tourist card that includes local transport and entry to many attractions.
- Use public transport rather than taxis wherever possible.


text:
RE-RELEASE OF SEHNSUCHT ON 09.06.2023 AS LIMITED “ANNIVERSARY EDITION” FOR THE FIRST TIME ON CD IN HD-SOUND INCL. NEW, EXCLUSIVE MIX OF “SPIEL MIT MIR” (PLAY WITH ME)
LOS ANGELES, April 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Dark. Disturbing. Different. Deutsch.
For the six Berliners there is a certain way of doing things. The kind that has made their band and their brand a worldwide phenomenon, an award-winning, multi-platinum record-breaking collective unlike anything else.
Following the release of their debut album Herzeleid (‘Heartbreak’) as ‘Limited Anniversary Edition” it is time to revisit RAMMSTEIN’s sophomore album Sehnsucht (‘Longing’), originally released in August 1997, effectively announced the arrival of the six onto the global stage. Sehnsucht (‘Longing’) peaked at Number 1 on the German and Austrian charts, also going Top 50 in the US (it stands as the only fully-German album to be certified platinum Stateside).
26 years and a new century on, it’s clear that Sehnsucht – another 11-tracker like Herzeleid, indeed like all of the studio outings has lost none of its initial power. From opener, ‘Sehnsucht’ itself, to the aforementioned ‘Du hast’ or the follow up ‘Engel’, through to closing number, ‘Küss mich (Fellfrosch)’ (‘Kiss me (Fur Frog))’, Rammstein’s sophomore release sees the founding members spectacularly hitting their stride, making greater use of electronics and samples, as well as the melodic side of Till Lindemann’s considerable vocal range.
That signature R-R-Rammstein Sound has been given an added boost now – Remastered in HD sound for the first time on CD for the ‘Anniversary Edition’ of an album that can rightfully be termed ‘iconic’. This 2023 version exclusively includes a new mix of the track ‘Spiel mit mir’, and comes in a selection of exclusive, elaborately packaged formats: CD, MC, Digital, plus a pair of double LPs, one black vinyl, the other white.
To millions heroes, to others villains, there’s no question that Sehnsucht – the band’s first official release in the US – was the album that fully shaped who Rammstein were, what they sounded like and what they stood for. Sehnsucht underlined in red pen just how intriguing, and singular, they really were, and just where that collective mind was prepared to go, starting with the sleeve itself.
- Bestrafe mich
- Du hast
- Bück dich
- Spiel mit mir
- Alter Mann
- Küss mich (Fellfrosch)
- Spiel mit mir (2023 Mix)
SOURCE Universal Music Enterprises
Originally published at https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rammstein-announce-exclusive-sehnsucht-anniversary-edition-301800098.html
Some images courtesy of https://pixabay.com
The post RAMMSTEIN ANNOUNCE EXCLUSIVE ‘SEHNSUCHT ANNIVERSARY EDITION’ first appeared on TREND MAG.


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Even though it is best known as an on-line retailer, Amazon.com, Inc (NASDAQ:AMZN) is a major player in the cloud. With its new Graph Search, Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB), the social media giant, could become just as prominent in Big Data. For Foolish investors, that could provide a tremendous boost for the share price of Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB).
The cloud is the provision of computing services (hardware and software) over a network, generally the Internet. Big Data is the term for utilizing the massive amounts of information that exceed the capabilities of traditional software packages to capture, manage, and process for commercial purposes. From an article in USA Today about Big Data:
Welcome to your everyday world of ‘Big Data,’ the infinite sea of facts, products, books, maps, conversations, references, opinions, trends, videos, advertisements, surveys — all of the sense and nonsense that is literally at your fingertips, 24/7, everyday from now on. Eric Schmidt, Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG)’s executive chairman, estimates that humans now create in two days the same amount of data that it took from the dawn of civilization until 2003 to create.
The potential revenue from both the cloud and Big Data is enormous.
Needless to say, this has drawn behemoths such as Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG), Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), among others, into the sector. Amazon is a dominant player in providing services for the cloud, which Gartner, Inc. (NYSE:IT), a research group, estimates to be a market of over $100 billion already. Deepfield, another research entity, estimates that one-third of Internet users visit a website powered by Amazon Web Services, its unit for the cloud.
From its start selling books over the Internet, Amazon developed an expertise in building advanced computer systems that has evolved into a position of primacy in the cloud. From searchcloudcomputing.com, the top players in the cloud for 2012 were Amazon at #1, and Microsoft at #9. With its new Graph Search, Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) could ascend to a similar lofty perch in Big Data.
Graph Search is a feature that “helps users find connections to people and places that have always existed in the graph. In a sense, it’s a clean interface into the breadth of Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) data that people have entered into Facebook, but contextualized to each user.”
Having over one billion users that account for one-fifth of the daily page views on the Internet, the amount of data that Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB)encounters in a continuim renders to it a tremendous competitive advantage for exploiting Big Data opportunities. Google and Microsoft are also similarly situated due to the dominance of the Web browser and search engine for each.


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Kingston Digital Europe has introduced a line of ultra-secure USB Flash drives for Windows PCs, certified to the US government's FIPS 140-2 Level 2 security standard.
Available now in capacities from 2GB to 16GB, the DataTraveler 5000 range features 256-bit AES encryption in hardware, and uses XTS cipher mode and elliptic curve cryptography algorithms to meet Suite B standards approved by the US government, according to the firm.
"The DataTraveler 5000 delivers unsurpassed levels of security and encryption to government and enterprise customers," said Kingston Digital Europe's Flash business development manager, Steve Hall.
Each DataTraveler 5000 has a tamper-evident construction, according to the firm, and a power-on self test which verifies that the encryption mechanism is functioning whenever the drive is plugged into a PC's USB port.
The devices are compatible with Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7. Prices start at £71.42 for the 2GB DataTraveler 5000, up to £257.91 for the 16GB model.
Some parts of Atacama have not received rainfall for 500 years - but a sudden deluge of water upset the Desert's delicate biological balance
Spitzer Space Telescope could not spot Oumuamua, suggesting that it is actually pretty small
Greenland crater one of the 25 largest impact craters on Earth
This long-sought progenitor star was identified in an image captured by Hubble in 2007


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Apple is in talks to settle the lawsuit recently brought against the company by electric car battery manufacturer A123 Systems, Reuters reports. The breach of contract lawsuit against Apple and five former A123 employees claims that Apple began poaching engineers from the company last June. A123 specializes in creating large lithium-ion batteries for use in cars and other machines — it’s believed that Apple is working on its own electric car. In a court filing Tuesday, Apple requested an extension in responding to the lawsuit to explore a “potential resolution.”
Apple will be releasing a fix next week to remedy the newly discovered “FREAK” security flaw affecting the company’s iOS devices and Macs, according to Re/code. Researchers who uncovered the vulnerability in encryption technology said it could be used to spy on users of Apple’s Safari browser. A U.S. government regulation banning American companies from using the strongest encryption standards for users from overseas — ostensibly so the government could more easily monitor that communication, according to some experts — left websites vulnerable to hackers who realized they could exploit the weaker export encryption standard to break into sites in a matter of hours. The hackers could then steal data or take over elements of the affected websites. The bug left Apple and Android users vulnerable to attack while using hundreds of thousands of websites, including Whitehouse.gov, FBI.gov and NSA.gov.
The approach expected to be used by Apple Retail to sell and promote the Apple Watch has been unveiled in a new report by 9to5Mac. The strategy will focus on “three key features” as well as a plan to encourage Apple Watch customers to adopt the latest iPhone models. Citing sources within Apple Retail, the new selling guidelines indicate that Apple believes “many customers have already decided they want an Apple Watch.” The company expects to leverage the Apple Watch to “position the benefits” of users either upgrading to the latest iPhone model or switching to the iPhone from other platforms. Retail employees have been specifically instructed to “highlight the ways Apple Watch will add value” to a customer’s life, before asking a variety of iPhone-related questions. It’s interesting that Apple appears convinced of customers’ desire to buy an Apple Watch — as the report notes, employees aren’t instructed to make a “hard sales pitch” regarding the device.
Apple took back the throne as the world’s top-selling phone manufacturer in the final quarter of 2014, according to Gartner, Inc. Sales of the iPhone made up more than 20 percent of the total phone market, narrowly edging out Samsung for the first time since 2011. Apple reported its best quarter ever at the end of 2014, selling 74.8 million units. The increase is attributed to Apple’s strong ecosystem of products and the release of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, which were a concession to users in the U.S. and China looking for bigger screens than previous iPhone models ever provided.
Criminals who stole iPhones and iPads are phishing for iCloud information from the very people they robbed in a new scam, according to Symantec’s security blog. Some users with lost or stolen devices have reportedly received messages informing them that their device has been found — these users are then sent links to fraudulent websites that often incorporate the word “icloud” into the URL and are made to look like the real iCloud login page. Once the thieves have the user’s iCloud credentials, they’re able to turn off Lost Mode and use or sell the device. Symantec warns users with lost devices to be wary when receiving unsolicited messages and to carefully examine URLs before entering any information. [via MacWorld]
Apple has filed to expand protection of its brand name and logo to the automotive industry in Switzerland, ApfelBlog reports. Public filings made by Apple lawyers to Swiss regulators request protection of Apple’s trademarks to be used with multiple types of vehicles, including cars, motorcycles, golf carts, trains, planes and ships. Though not a major development, it’s another sign pointing to Apple’s rumored car plans; a recent report claimed the company intends to produce an electric vehicle by 2020.
Apple CEO Tim Cook told a group of employees in Berlin that the Apple Watch will be available in countries other than the U.S. this April, 9to5Mac reports. Germany will also get an April launch for the smartwatch, Cook said. It’s possible the U.S. launch could occur early in the month, with other countries getting the device in late April. But there’s also the possibility Apple Watch will roll out in the U.S. and other countries simultaneously. We’re certain to hear details on the launch schedule during Apple’s March 9 event.
The Apple Watch will have a “Power Reserve” feature that will let the watch run in low energy mode while only displaying the time, The New York Times reports. As of now, it’s unclear how the feature will be activated. Apple claims the watch’s battery will last a full day, requiring an overnight charge, and it’s unknown how much Power Reserve will affect this estimate. We’re likely to hear more details on this low-power mode — and any other Apple Watch features still yet to be announced — at Apple’s “Spring Forward” event, scheduled for Monday, March 9.
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In a stop in London during his European tour, Apple CEO Tim Cook made some more interesting comments on the Apple Watch, The Telegraph reports. Touting the revolutionary features of Apple’s upcoming wearable device, Cook highlighted Apple Pay and the fitness aspects, but also described other “potentially revolutionary uses,” notably saying that the Apple Watch “is designed to be able to replace car keys and the clumsy, large fobs that are now used by many vehicles.” While it’s unclear whether Cook was referring to this as a long-term application or a feature for the device’s initial launch, Apple has already demonstrated apps from companies such as Starwood Hotels that could employ the Apple Watch to replace traditional room keycards, and a BMW iDrive app was also visible in the initial demonstrations of the Apple Watch last fall. Of course, Apple’s alleged plans to develop its own electric car will likely integrate the Apple Watch in some way, but with a vehicle not expected to arrive until 2020, it’s a safe assumption that the company’s ambitions for the Apple Watch are somewhat nearer term.
Ericsson has escalated its legal dispute with Apple, Bloomberg reports. The Swedish phone maker announced that it plans to file seven new lawsuits in a U.S. court as well as a request to the U.S. International Trade Commission to block Apple products from being sold in the U.S. Last month, Apple and Ericsson filed several suits against each other over LTE patents, after Apple’s license to use Ericsson’s technology expired and re-negotiations broke down between the two companies. Ericsson’s latest series of complaints allege that Apple has infringed as many as 41 patents related to mobile device communications, user interfaces, battery conservation, and the operating system itself.
In other patent litigation news, after Apple was ordered to pay $532.9 million to Smartflash, LLC earlier this week, Reuters reports that the Texas-based patent licensing company has launched a second lawsuit against the larger company, over the same patents’ continued use in devices that were introduced after the original case began. The $532.9m settlement in the original case was awarded to Smartflash as a result of Apple using the company’s patents in all devices capable of accessing iTunes up to the point the lawsuit was filed, but it excluded the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, and iPad Air 2. This second salvo by Smartflash is intended to make Apple pay the royalties deemed necessary by the original case, applied to these newer devices, as well.
Apple has sent out media invitations for an event on March 9, with the tagline “Spring forward.” The Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco will host the event. It’s expected that the event will mainly focus on the Apple Watch, which is scheduled for an April release, but some other surprises may also be in store. [via The Loop]
Update: Apple has announced that it will stream the event live on its website. The event takes place at 10 a.m. Pacific time, March 9.
Brikk, a company that produces high-end versions of tech and lifestyle products, has announced Lux Watch, an expensive line of modified diamond-studded Apple Watches. The Lux Watch is available in three versions — Standard, Deluxe, and Omni — with prices set based on its materials, size, and the amount of diamonds included. A Lux Watch Standard starts at $7,500, while the Lux Watch Omni in 24-karat yellow gold can reach a price as high as $75,000, with 12.30 carats of diamonds on the 42mm version of the watch. Brikk is now accepting pre-orders on Lux Watch, which will ship four to six weeks after the Apple Watch’s release.
While only a select group of people will have interest in Lux Watch, it raises a few other questions about the price of Apple’s 18-karat gold Apple Watch Edition. Estimates for the Edition have ranged from $4,000 to $20,000, with lots of guesses in between. Though certainly not out of the question, it would nonetheless be peculiar for a diamond-studded version of the Apple Watch — coming in 24-karat yellow gold, 18-karat pink gold, or platinum — to cost less than Apple’s own Edition. [via MacRumors]
Apple has been adding new data providers to Apple Maps, according to a new report from Apple Maps Marketing. The report notes several new services have recently appeared as suppliers of “Business Listings Data” in Apple’s Maps Acknowledgements page. Some of the notable new providers include GasBuddy, which provides gas price information, and GreatSchools, which provides school reviews and other school-related data. Although none of this data appears to have been incorporated into any actual Apple Maps listings, the appearance of these providers suggests that Apple is taking steps to integrate direct feeds from specialty services to enhance the amount of information available in Apple Maps. The report goes on to note that there may be a number of other companies beta testing integration with Apple Maps under typical Apple non-disclosure agreements.
Apple has been ordered to pay $532.9 million in an iTunes patent infringement case, Bloomberg reports. Texas-based Smartflash LLC brought a suit against Apple claiming that the Cupertino company infringed three patents related to iTunes digital rights management and “inventions related to data storage and managing access through patent systems.” The original claim sought $852 million in damages as an entitlement to a percentage of sales of all of Apple’s devices capable of accessing iTunes.
Apple had responded to the allegations by stating that it did not recognize the Smartflash patents, pointing out that “Smartflash makes no products, has no employees, creates no jobs, has no U.S. presence, and is exploiting our patent system to seek royalties for technology Apple invented.” Apple lawyers repeatedly argued that the patents in question were invalid and that Smartflash’s royalty demands were “excessive and unsupportable,” noting that Apple should not be required to pay royalties on the full price of an iPhone when the dispute only pertains to a single feature, stating that “It doesn’t make a lick of sense that one person would buy an iPhone and not make calls.” Apple notes that it will appeal the decision. Smartflash, which appears to be in the sole business of having licensed seven patents, has also launched patent infringement claims against Samsung, Google, and Amazon.
Apple is planning some significant changes to how Genius Bar appointments are handled in its retail stores, according to a new report from 9to5Mac. Citing several inside sources, the report notes that the initiative, dubbed “The new Concierge,” is expected to launch in Apple’s U.S. retail stores starting in early March. Under the new system, customers walking into a store and looking for a Genius Bar appointment will be placed on a priority-based wait list after describing their issue to an Apple Store employee, and will then receive a wait time based on how “important” the issue is. So a customer with a broken iPhone screen would be automatically prioritized over somebody seeking help with a more minor issue. Customers can then provide a phone number to receive text messages with time updates, so they can continue shopping elsewhere in the area and know when to return to the Apple Store for their scheduled appointment.
The brainchild of Angela Ahrendts, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Retail Operations, the new system is being heralded by Apple employees as “one of the most significant changes to Apple Store operations in several years” and is expected to reduce congestion in Apple Stores and hopefully make customers happier by reducing fatigue and impatience while waiting for appointments. At this point, the new system will only apply to walk-in Genius Bar requests, however; appointments booked online will continue to be scheduled for specific times as they have been in the past.
Apple has acquired music software developer Camel Audio, according to a new report from MacRumors. Citing information found on a corporate registry site, the report notes that the U.K.-based company’s address has been updated to match that of Apple’s London office, and the sole director of the company is listed as a member of Apple’s legal team. Camel Audio was best known for Alchemy, its modular music editing suite that incorporated a range of plug-ins, synthesizers, effects, and sound libraries, along with powerful resynthesis engines and other features. The developer shut down most of its operations early last month, although at the time no reason was given for the sudden change; this latest information suggests Camel Audio quietly wound down its operations after being acquired by Apple. While it’s unclear what Apple’s specific plans may be for Camel Audio, it seems reasonable that the company’s technologies and talents will be directed toward work on Apple products such as Logic Pro X or GarageBand.
VISA has announced that it will be introducing a new payment “tokenization” service in Europe designed to help facilitate mobile payment solutions. Intended to be available for European financial institutions to take advantage of as early as April, the new service will replace traditional plastic credit card numbers with unique one-time tokens that can be used to authorize payments without needing to expose account information. This form of one-time “tokenization” is a key component of the security behind Apple Pay, and while the VISA announcement simply mentions mobile devices and contactless payments in general terms, it seems likely that this development is intended to at least indirectly provide support for a future rollout of Apple Pay within the European Union. [via TNW]
Apple has released a second beta of iOS 8.3 to registered developers, continuing its parallel iOS 8.3 beta cycle which started earlier this month alongside the iOS 8.2 betas. This latest beta features a build number of 12F5037c and details few changes in the release notes from the prior beta. According to a report last week, Apple plans to begin releasing public betas with iOS 8.3 sometime in March; this second developer beta is likely the last for this version prior to the beginning of the public beta cycle.
Despite being listed as a partner company on Apple’s CarPlay page, Toyota currently has “no plans to adopt [...] CarPlay in the United States,” according to an article from The New York Times. The report mostly examines how Google and Apple are vying to develop the best in-car dashboard systems. John Hanson, the national manager of Toyota’s advanced technology communications, noted that the company is in frequent talks with both companies, but that the car maker currently prefers to use its “own in-house proprietary platforms for those kinds of functions.” Hanson conceded that the company may “eventually wind up there,” which may explain why Toyota remains a CarPlay partner, but the lack of any specific plans in this case raises questions about how soon CarPlay may actually be coming to new vehicles from any of Apple’s listed CarPlay partners. While it also remains unclear as to whether Toyota may implement CarPlay in other markets — considering that Hanson specifically limited his comments to the company’s U.S. operations — it’s worth noting that as a national manager, he likely wouldn’t comment on what Toyota’s plans may be outside of the U.S.