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Asian natural rubber materials maintain an upward trend
due to low inventory in Japan, tight supply in rubber producing countries, and strong overseas demand, natural rubber prices are expected to maintain an upward trend
in Thailand, the world's largest producer and exporter of natural rubber, "at present, traders pointed out that the supply of rubber decreased due to the rainy season in the southern part of the country this month.
in Indonesia, the world's second largest exporter of natural rubber, there was rainfall in many planting areas. Suharto honggokusumo, executive director of the Indonesian Rubber Association, said, "It has begun to rain. Although the rain is not very heavy, rubber farmers can still cut rubber, but the number of major stages of greenhouse gas emissions in the aluminum industry chain, such as power consumption, direct emissions from aluminum electrolysis and alumina production, has decreased." In Palembang, Indonesia, the price of natural rubber is quoted at Rs per kilogram, which is equivalent to that a week ago
the FOB selling price of Thai No. 3 cigarette adhesive (RSS3) delivered in November yesterday was US $1.72 per kilogram, the same as Monday. However, the bid of overseas buyers is 1.70
traders said they were closely watching the Japanese market. A trader said, "Japanese businessmen need to enter the market to buy futures glue in order to support the price."
the latest data released by Japan rubber trade association shows that Japan's domestic raw rubber inventory continues to approach a low level. 107874 tons in October, down 3.4% from 8149 tons on September 30, and only 10.8% higher than the historical low of 7106 tons reached on August 10
both demand and supply are tightening, pushing the life-span rubber contract with the indicator as the sample to rise above the level of 200 yen per kilogram earlier this month, the first time in 17 years. The Tokyo industrial products exchange (TOCOM) index march2006 futures contract continued trading around 204 yen on Tuesday
the tire grade standard rubber SMR20 shipped in Malaysia in November was stable at US $1.68 per kilogram, and the Indonesian Rubber newspaper was able to cope with the medical risk wastes $64
overseas buyers such as China and Europe are looking for prices and waiting for prices to fall. Dealers expect that more transactions will be concluded in the next few days, because once the price drops slightly, buyers will bargain hunting, and everyone will enter the market to place orders
note: the reprinted contents are indicated with the source. The reprint is for the purpose of transmitting more information, and does not mean to agree with their views or confirm the authenticity of their contents


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RIM hit back at reports that developer support for its BlackBerry platform is on-the-slide, with Alec Saunders, the company’s VP of developer relations, stating that “the numbers in the report do not gel with what we’re seeing in the real world”.
According to a Baird Equity Research report cited by AllThingsD, developer sentiment toward both the anticipated BlackBerry 10 platform as well as the current BlackBerry 7 OS are at a “new low”, stating that “31 percent of sampled BlackBerry 10 developers said they have shifted some or all of their work away from BB10”. The future for BlackBerry 7 was perceived as only slightly brighter than for Samsung’s bada, and behind Adobe’s Flash/AIR.
According to the Baird report: “We believe that many developers who planned to jump ship have already made the move, leaving a BlackBerry developer base that is smaller but increasingly loyal.”
In a blog post, RIM’s Saunders argued that in contrast, the BlackBerry App World vendor base has grown by 157 percent in the last year, with the company recently passing the 3 billion download milestone. He also said that its BlackBerry 10 Jam World Tour was oversold in “almost every city”, with the company meeting almost 5,000 developers.
“The other thing I hear consistently is that RIM simply treats developers better than anyone else in the mobile industry”, Saunders said.

domain: news


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The Halfords statement reads: The UK operation has assured Halfords (as Schwinn/GT largest world-wide customer) that it will be able to fulfil its stock commitments.
Halfords is actively working with Schwinn/GT to ensure the continued availability of the brand.
The business is expected to be sold as a going concern.
This is an expectation shared by the receivers.
Lee Manning, an administrative receiver from Kroll, Buchler, Phillips of London who, in effect, is now running Schwinn/GT (Europe) Ltd. said The legal entity that is Schwinn/GT (Europe) Ltd. will not be bought but the assets will be. We only sell assets, not liabilities.
Schwinn/GT UK Sales Ltd. owes about £10 million, although Manning says the final figure is not yet available. It has stock worth perhaps £6 million. The receivers have been approached by a number of bike trade companies eager to buy stock but they want to sell the company as a going concern, and specifically want to sell on the distribution agreement. Companies outside of the bike trade have been contacting the receivers since a for sale sign was placed in the Financial Times on Tuesday.
Weve had a pretty good response, said Manning.
The 11 containers of bikes sitting in bonded warehouses in London have yet to be moved although the receivers could raise bank loans to pay for their release, thereby generating cash.


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Morning Business Memo
Nothing is more American than the Ford Mustang, but big changes are in the works for the iconic brand. Ford is working on a world car version of the Mustang to be sold aggressively in Europe and other global markets. The euro look may also be more attractive to younger buyers. The next generation Mustang is expected to be smaller and sleeker than the 2012 model. Apart from the push to a huge new market overseas, a big reason for the makeover is new US fuel efficiency standards. "It will need to be much lighter, smaller, and have much more efficient engines," says Popular Hot Rodding Magazine. "Ford is seeking to shave at least 200-300 pounds from the current car's 3,600-pound curb weight. This will come partially with downsizing, but mostly from use of lighter materials in the body structure and chassis components. Look for more aluminum and use of high-strength steels." Other reports say the 2015 Mustang will shed today's retro look.
Reading habits may be changing but even young buyers of e-books also like to read from the printed page. A poll for the Los Angeles Times finds even with surging sales of e-readers, just 10 percent of respondents who have one said they had abandoned traditional books. "More than half said most or all of the books they read are in printed form," the LA Times reports.
The stock market has another losing week with worries about Europe returning to the front burner. The yield on Spain's 10-year government bonds moved up past 6 percent today. Fears are on the rise that Spain may need a financial bailout. Spain's conservative government has put in place a series of labor and financial reforms. It's also cut spending. But the Spanish economy is deeply depressed and there's been a property market bust. Another concern: the ratings firm Moody's says it may downgrade the credit of dozens of European banks in the coming weeks.
China is showing new flexibility on its currency, loosening limits on the daily trading range for the yuan. This means the value of the Chinese currency may be allowed to drift higher against the dollar. The US has been urging China for years to let its currency's value be decided by the markets. The move may raise prices of Chinese exports, making products made by American manufacturers potentially more competitive.
Richard Davies Business Correspondent ABC NEWS Radio twitter.com/daviesabc


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For Loui Michel, brand-names-for-less apparel retailers such as Marshalls and Ross Stores have become important customers. (T.J. Maxx is another retailer of this kind mentioned by frame vendors.) “Specialty retailers and mass merchants are the ones who are growing the business,” Block contends.
“Most people are shopping at off-price retailers.”
Fabric chains are reportedly looking to expand in home decor because the fabric business is down@ trending. Among those mentioned by frame vendors are Jo-Ann Fabrics, Fabric Bonanza and House of Fabrics.
In addition, Nick Lazaris, president of M.W. Carr, says he sees an upswing in frame sales in the photo channel, a view seconded by Joe Schriver of Burnes.
Meanwhile, the category-leading mass merchant channel (31 percent market share) has enjoyed a strong year in frames, with Kmart rebounding from a difficult 1993 that saw it reduce its store count by some 450 units (nearly 10 percent of its total) and with Wal-Mart and Target continuing to increase sales and store totals. Caldor, Venture and ShopKo have also been increasing their store counts.
“In 1994, Kmart has returned aggressively,” one vendor comments. “In 1993, they were struggling big time in frames. Now, they’re beginning to regain share from Target and Wal-Mart and some specialty retailers. Their assortment and attitude have both improved.”
Decorel’s Scheyer observes that the big three mass merchants devote 35 to 40 feet on average to photo frames, and “there are not too many categories, other than RTA furniture, which get that type of footage.”
Jamesway is another mass merchant whose frame business has rebounded strongly in 1994, posting an 11 to 12 percent increase after being flat in 1993.
Like chain drug stores, their closest competitors in the frame business, department stores (18 percent market share) are not counting on additional stores for sales growth but on greater efficiency and better merchandising (see merchandising story). Carr’s Lazaris says he is pleased that department stores are improving their operational systems.
“Those that have survived are stronger. The shakeout is over. Department stores now have an opportunity for renewed growth in frames,” Lazaris believes. “A year or two down the road, I see the upscale market growing again.”
“Some major department store players have targeted stationery/frames as a growth area,” notes Giron of Fetco. Overall, Giron believes that “department stores continue to hold their own” in the frame business.
“Although the bed and bath stores do extremely well in frames, we still find that the largest volume channel is department stores,” reports Schriver of Burnes. “They have the highest unit sales per rooftop of the stores we serve.”
Drug stores (16 percent market share) rank just behind department stores and may have the potential to overtake them because, large as their share of the frame market is, it is well below their share of the closely related photoprocessing market.
Drug stores had a 24.8 percent share of photoprocessing sales dollars in 1993, according to the Photo Marketing Association – second only to minilab outlets, which had a 25.5 percent share. Mass merchants, by contrast, had only a 15.9 percent share. In terms of rolls processed, drug stores were the number-one channel, with a 26.5 percent share. (One frame channel that has capitalized much less than drug stores on a large photoprocessing share is supermarkets.)


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Helmond-based Lightyear, a company that manufactures solar-powered cars, has temporarily halted production of its solar car. Instead, it will focus on producing solar roofs for car manufacturers through its subsidiary Lightyear Layer.
The announcement comes as the Dutch company has been unable to find new investors to further develop the solar car, Lightyear 2, since restarting from bankruptcy.
Pivoting business strategy
Talking about the abrupt shift in the company’s business strategy, Lex Hoefsloot, the CEO and Co-founder of Lightyear, tells Silicon Canals, “Over the past couple of months, we have noticed a significant rise in the demand for solar technology across the various industries. With Lightyear Layer we build record-breaking solar arrays that have the highest efficiency and are ready to be mass-produced and thoroughly tested in the harshest environment. We have been successfully talking to different parties for a while, and one of these parties is a big Asian OEM.”
“By taking these developments into account, as well as the lessons learned over the last few months, we have decided to further focus on our core technologies. We will focus on deploying integrated solar systems for cars at scale as these are closest to the market. For the other core technologies (e.g. the inwheel-motors) Lightyear continues to strengthen its collaboration and partnerships strategy to get highly efficient solar vehicles to market. We believe that this stronger focus and stepwise approach will be the fastest way to impact,” Hoefsloot tells Silicon Canals.
Currently, the Dutch company produces solar panels in Venray. It can produce 100,000 solar roofs per year in the factory shared with car roof maker Inalfa. Approximately 20 employees work at Layer.
Sunbo investment, Lightyear 2, and more
Clarifying about the deal, Hoefsloot says, “Sunbo’s investment has not been finalised yet. The news originally leaked and was not communicated via our official communication channels. We are still in the process of rounding off the deal with Sunbo.”
Regarding Lightyear 2, Hoefsloot says the company is actively exploring strategies to revive it, with a firm ambition to introduce highly efficient solar vehicles.
Earlier this year, the company decided to suspend the production of Lightyear 0 after Atlas Technologies BV, which is responsible for the production of Lightyear 0, declared bankruptcy.
In March, the Dutch company announced its plans to set up a new company and raised enough funding to create a solid capital base from the Individual Investors Group (IIG).
As a part of the process, the company also announced that its Intellectual Property (IP) will be brought to the new company as collateral for all stakeholders.
Invest-NL, leading the consortium of former IP pledge holders, agreed to accommodate this for the new company.


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Sobey’s supermarket chain has dangled an olive branch to suppliers who feel badgered by the clout of Canada’s supermarket chains.
It has adopted a code of practice developed jointly with the Food Health Consumer Products Canada association.
Grocery consultant Peter Chapman said suppliers are cautious, most saying they want to wait and see what evolves.
Tensions have always existed between fruit and vegetable growers and the big chains, but they reached a boiling point in 2020 when when Walmart suddenly and arbitrarily announced new fees, including an across-the-board two per cent cut in payments.
Loblaw and United Grocers, which buys for Metro and Save-On among others, followed soon after.
Suppliers had little choice unless they wanted to give up access to more than half of Canadian shoppers.
Sobey’s new code of practice is based on five guiding principles and has 14 sections dealing with issues such as payments, deductions and changes to agreements.
There is also provision to take issues higher.
Chapman writes in The Grower newspaper that supermarkets are not always the culprits.
For example, he said failures to deliver on schedule can disrupt operations at the supermarket or its distribution centre, costing time and money.
He also said things got better when COVID-19 hit and both suppliers and supermarkets realized how much they need a good relationship to get a steady supply of fresh fruits and vegetables for consumers.
Chapman said he doesn’t know whether other supermarkets were consulted about joining the initiative to launch a code of practice, nor what their reaction might be.
But they are clearly under political pressure after all of Canada’s agriculture ministers announced a few months ago that they are disturbed about how the supermarket chains have been treating farmers, so they are working on their own code of practice.


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Wall Street Market Darknet Url
Europol has today confirmed that the second largest marketplace on the dark web has been taken down and three traders arrested. Due to the. Itprovides a look into the most disturbing corners of the darknet. Politics and the Pandemic Study Finds Link Between Far Right and High Corona Rates. If you plan to make a purchase on a dark net marketplace like. Onion is a pseudo-top-level Olympus darknet market darknet market reviews wall. The marketplace offered for sale all kinds of drugs as well as 2019 of the Wall Street Market, the second-largest dark web exchange. Wall Street Market 2021-12. We believe that Wall Street Market recently became the world's largest dark net marketplace for contraband including narcotics. Wall Street Market Darknet Markets URL, Info and Invite Link Wall Street Market's IP address is exposed : onions - Reddit.
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Key Marketing Points: -Robyn O'Brien is the founder of wall street market darknet url AllergyKids -Robyn O'Brien has been featured in the New York Times -Rachel Kranz is author of Leaps of Faith -National publicity -Advertising on mommy blogs -Social media and online promotion -Robyn O'Brien's Web site: robynobrien. Amuse Secret city with Hard wall street market darknet url Topic Toddlers Candy Board Links from 255chan and 180chan with Alice in Wonderland, Amorzinho, BoysTown, and Rindexxx. Eden estimates that many millions of dollars have been stolen in this way. Our panel wanted to be sure to pick up all the delicate notes in each chocolate bar.


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For Online E-newspaper
The East African : July 7th 2014
COSTLY CASH Kenyan firms to pay more for funds from foreign markets. Page 40 BUSINESS JULY 5-11,2014 By ADAM IHUCHA Special Correspondent E AC partners have taken issue with Burundi for introducing new taxes on cigarette imports, terming the decision “discriminatory” and “contrary to the region’s Custom policy.” In the latest trade spat in the region, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania say the April decision by Bujumbura to introduce a $0.25 excise duty on every pack of cigarettes imported into the country violated the EAC Customs Union Protocol. At the just-ended meeting of the Sectoral Council on Trade, Industry, Finance and Investment, Kenya argued that the move by Bujumbura equals a 28 per cent tax on cigarettes imported from regional countries, a move Nairobi sees as inconsistent with the Protocol. Under the Protocol, partner states should give preferential treatment to products from other EAC countries. The spat is the latest in a series that has seen EAC member states accuse each other of purposely using tariff and non-tariff barriers to protect their domestic companies from regional competitors. For example, Kenya has accused Tanzania of discriminating against EABL, while Kampala accuses Nairobi of requiring its sugar manufacturers and exporters to acquire licences from the Kenya Sugar Board before selling the product in the country. This requirement, while consistent with Comesa rules, is against the EAC Treaty. $0.25 TRADE SPAT Bloc uneasy as Bujumbura enacts protectionist law Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania say the decision by Bujumbu≥a to int≥oduce excise duty on ciga≥ettes violates the EAC Customs Union P≥otocol MANAGER Start-ups share ideas without legal protection Page 42 37 48 per cent of the total trade of its member states. The EAC’s total intra-regional trade soared from $4.6 billion in 2011 to $5.8 billion in 2012, the equivalent of a 26 per cent rise, while total intra-regional exports grew from $2.6 billion to $3.2 billion during the same period, an increase of 23 per cent. Kenya and Uganda accounted for an average of 37 and 24 per cent of the total intra-regional trade in 2011 and 2012. During the same period, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi accounted for an average of 20, 12, and eight per cent, respectively. This kind of protectionism not only kills competition across the region, but is also harmful to intra-EAC trade. Daniel Mghwira, trade analyst at Miradi Associates For instance, data shows that the total exports from Tanzania in 2011 and 2012 amounted to $411 and $614 million respectively, while the total imports from the region for the same period hit $376 million and $678 million respectively. The intra-EAC trade has been rising since 2002, calming fears that some weaker member states would be swamped in the customs. “Since the launch of the Customs prices for goods imported from Tanzania into Burundi, mainly rice and wheat flour. “I believe Burundi will do away Excise duty Bujumbura has introduced on every pack of cigarettes imported into the country Tanzania’s Deputy Minister for EAC Co-operation, Abdallah Sadallah said that Burundi needs to borrow a leaf from Tanzania, which trimmed truck road toll fees by 69.6 per cent for Burundi-registered lorries. Tanzania relaxed and harmonised the road toll fees for Burundiregistered trucks from $500 to $152 per truck in June, to match the fee for the other EAC partner states. Burundi’s Minister for EAC Affairs Leontine Nzeyimana said the move was critical to the business climate in her country, as it will reduce the cost of doing business there. “This came at a crucial time for Burundi since consumers and traders have started enjoying the benefits from the decision made by the Tanzanian government,” Ms Nzeyimana said. The reduction of the road toll charges is likely to result in cheaper with this discriminatory excise tax for cigarettes from the EAC partner states,” Dr Sadallah told The EastAfrican. But Burundi says that consultations have been undertaken with all the stakeholders in order to resolve the matter as soon as possible. Daniel Mghwira, a trade analyst at Miradi Associates in Arusha, said that protectionism is a hidden threat to intraregional trade. “This kind of protectionism not only kills competition across the region, but is also harmful to intra-EAC trade, a most crucial component in regional integration,” Mr Mghwira noted. Economists say that once the intra-EAC trade amounts to 50 per cent of total trade volumes, the bloc will be able to lift its over 130 million people from poverty. According to the East Africa THREAT Protectionism is seen as a threat to intra-regional trade. Intra-EAC trade currently stands at 13 per cent of the total trade volume, against the 87 per cent of the business the region offers the outside world. The EAC’s total intra-regional trade soared from $4.6 billion in 2011 to $5.8 billion in 2012, the equivalent of a 26 per cent rise, while total intra-regional exports grew from $2.6 billion to $3.2 billion during the same period, an increase of 23 per cent. Kenya and Uganda accounted for an average of 37 and 24 per cent of the total intra-regional trade in 2011 and 2012. During the same period, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi accounted for an average of 20, 12 and 8 per cent, respectively. Since the launch of the Customs Union, and subsequently the Common Market, intra-EAC trade increased from about $2 billion in 2005 to $5.5 billion in 2012. Business Council executive director, Andrew Luzze, EAC intra-trade currently stands at 13 per cent of the total trade volume, against 87 per cent of the business the region does with the outside world. “We are exporting thousands of jobs to the outside world while our own people are jobless. Let the public and private sector work together to change this trend,” Mr Luzze said. Available records show that in the European Union, intra-trade accounts for 60 per cent of its total trade volume, while trade within the North America Free Trade Area accounts for Union, and subsequently the Common Market in 2005, intraEAC trade increased from about $2 billion to $5.5 billion in 2012,” according to records. Total intra-regional exports grew from around $500 million in 2000 to $3.2 billion in 2012, an increase of over 600 per cent. Looking beyond the numbers, analysts say that although intra-EAC trade is in favour of Kenya, there are promising signs that all partners are gaining from integration. This intra regional trade is made up mainly of manufactured products and services. Traded goods included oil cake and other solid residues of sunflower seeds, maize, oranges, cement, carboys, bottles, flasks, jars, pots, phials and ampoules, thermometers/ pyrometers, black tea fermented, flavoured or not, mosquito nets, liquefied natural gas, groats and maize meal, potatoe seeds, maize seed and salt. The list also included unbleached kraft liner, petroleum jelly, mineral or chemical fertilisers, sacks and bags, petroleum gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons, cane or beet sugar, unbleached sack kraft paper, solid residues of coconut, crocheted rubberised textile fabrics and seamless iron or steel casing used in oil/gas drilling.
June 30th 2014
July 14th 2014


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Paidia gaming community promises safe space for female gamers and their allies
The online community is launching in beta as more people demand that gaming firms act against harassment and other issues.
Shelby BrownEditor II
Shelby Brown (she/her/hers) is an editor for CNET's services team. She covers tips and tricks for apps, operating systems and devices, as well as mobile gaming and Apple Arcade news. Shelby also oversees Tech Tips coverage. Before joining CNET, she covered app news for Download.com and served as a freelancer for Louisville.com.
She received the Renau Writing Scholarship in 2016 from the University of Louisville's communication department.
Online gaming community Paidia launched the beta of its portal on Wednesday, aiming to deliver a secure environment for gamers in search of a supportive, inclusive and kind community. You can create an account on Paidia's website. But first, you must take the Paidia Pledge: a promise to denounce online harassment and abuse of any kind. After signing up, users get a 60-day free trial to explore the portal, and then it's $10 per month.
Paidia members will get access to a library of games, and they can host and play in tournaments, regardless of skill level, the company says. The portal also includes original content like articles, podcasts, audiobooks and on-demand classes, so gamers can explore and expand their interests. Members can get access to new technology, merchandise and gear from Razer and Xbox Game Pass as well.
Paidia is backed by the investors behind Guild Esports, Dynasty Esports, Leaf Mobile and Argo Blockchain and will feature voices from the gaming community like Jeannail Carter (@Cuddle_Core), Stephanie Harvey (@missharvey) and Kelsey Impicciche (@KelseyDangerous).
"We are seeing incredible year-over-year growth for the gaming industry. One in three people on the planet play video games, with women making up nearly half of the total market, and yet 77% of women experience harassment while playing online," Paidia CEO Jill Kenney said in a statement. "At Paidia, our focus is on quite literally changing the game by building an aspirational brand that not only offers products, solutions and messages that authentically speak to women and allies of all genders, but also provides a safe and inclusive place for them to connect and play."
Watch this: NZXT BLD Kit review: An easy way to build a gaming PC
Correction, Nov. 11: This story has been corrected to show that Paidia is backed by the investors behind Guild Esports, Dynasty Esports, Leaf Mobile and Argo Blockchain, rather than those companies themselves.


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A group of researchers from Georgia Tech managed to get a malicious app past Apple's review process, finding the company may run only a few seconds' worth of tests before posting an app to the App Store.
Dubbed "Jekyll," the malicious software was uploaded to Apple's App Store in March to test the company's control measures, which dictate what apps are allowed to be distributed through the App Store, reports MIT's Technology Review.
According to the research team responsible for creating the software, Apple was unable to distinguish dormant bits of code that would later be assembled into a malicious app. Once installed on a victim's device, Jekyll, disguised as a news delivery app, was able to post tweets, send email and text messages, access the phone's address book, take pictures, and direct Safari to a malicious website, among other nefarious actions.
âThe app did a phone-home when it was installed, asking for commands," said Stony Brook University researcher Long Lu. "This gave us the ability to generate new behavior of the logic of that app which was nonexistent when it was installed.â
Jekyll also had code built in that allowed the researchers to monitor Apple's testing process, which reportedly only ran the app for "a few seconds" before letting it go live on the App Store. Lu said the Georgia Tech team deployed Jekyll for only a few minutes, downloading and pointing the app toward themselves for testing. No consumers installed the app before it was ultimately taken down as a safety precaution.
âThe message we want to deliver is that right now, the Apple review process is mostly doing a static analysis of the app, which we say is not sufficient because dynamically generated logic cannot be very easily seen,â Lu said.
The research team wrote up its results in a paper that was scheduled for presentation on Friday at the Usenix conference in Washington, D.C.
Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr said the company took the research into consideration and has updated iOS to deal with the issues outlined in the paper. The exact specifics of these fixes were not disclosed, and no comment was made on the App Store review process.


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The RTX 3060 and the rest of the 30-series GPUs have been a huge problem for gamers. Anyone not wanting to give scalpers three times MSRP is left without a GPU at all. That led Nvidia and AIBs to look to ways to reduce demand without pouring money into supply boosting. That itself led to the announcement of Light Hash Rate (LHR) GPUs.
This has already been confirmed via previous leaks of new RTX 3060 silicon weeks ago. Now it appears as though we’re days away from launch.
RTX 3060 cards are limited to a 50% hash rate with the new LHR models. NVIDIA GA104-202 and GA106-302 GPUs will be the base of this mid-generation refresh, with multiple manufacturers coming out to announce their own takes. AIBs will likely announce more new 3060 refreshes in the coming weeks. GALAX is first to market, but will likely be followed by many more than just GIGABYTE. It’s a pretty smart move to make a minor alteration to curry favor with gamers, who have been pretty angry about this whole mess.
And it looks as though these manufactures will be offering full refreshes of the entire 30-series GPUs. Along with the new RTX 3080 and RTX 3070, GALAX also launches its RTX 3060 and RTX 3060 graphics cards. Let’s talk about all this in detail.
These models look very much like a simple BIOS change and maybe a baked-in hardware change at the lowest level. There seems to be no change in actual hardware though, as the display and memory configurations remain the same compared to current RTX 3060 models. Beyond the added hash-rate limiter, the rest of the GPUs’ specs remain unchanged. The RTX 3060 features the same 3,584 CUDA cores, similar core speed boosts, a 192-bit memory bus, and a TDP of 170W. That applies to GIGABYTE as well, who also announced a refresh.
There are a total of four models coming from GIGABYTE. GIGABYTE’s first two 12 GB models of Light Hash Rate (LHR) GPUs are two variations on the GA106-302 chipset. The two new variants both have 3584 cores, along with the same memory and core clocks; a 1320 MHz base clock with either an 1837-1867 MHz boost clock, depending on the model. The GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 3060 LHR 12GB GAMING OC comes in with a 1837 MHz boost, while the Aurus Elite comes in at 1867 MHz.
There are two other models, the LHR Vision OC and Eagle OC, which have lower boost clocks. The Eagle comes in with the lowest boost at 1807 MHz.
As for what other manufacturers have planned, nothing has been formally announced. MSI has teased plans of doing something similar to other companies with a PLUS moniker. It’s likely that the hardware will be very much the same, which the BIOS changes in place.
It’s worth noting that Nvidia tried this once already with driver-based controls and specialized CMP GPUs. Although the company did manage to shoot itself in the foot when drivers leaked which bypassed the limiter. Hopefully, this new idea can last against hardware hackers, as well as the threat of incompetence.


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Coolrec, a subsidiary of Dutch waste service provider Van Gansewinkel, has opened a new plastics compounding plant in Emmen, the Netherlands.
The waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) recycler and supplier of secondary raw materials will produce, at the new plant, specified plastic pellets which will be supplied directly to manufacturers of consumer goods, Coolrec announced on 11 January.
The pellets are produced from the process of recycling scrapped electronic appliances and Coolrec expected to supply 10,000 tonnes of pellets every year.
At the plant in Emmen, hard plastic flows of PE, PP, PS and ABS which have been reprocessed into pure raw materials are refined and converted into pellets and offered to manufacturers of consumer goods.
These secondary raw materials, said Coolrec, have “exactly the same properties as primary raw materials but are considerably more sustainable.”
"Scrapped equipment consists largely of valuable materials and using innovative technology allows us to recover specific materials so that they can then be reused in the manufacture of new products,” said Arjen Wittekoek, director of Coolrec.


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By BERNAMA / Pic by TMR FILE PIX
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 29 — The crude palm oil (CPO) futures contract on Bursa Malaysia Derivatives is expected to trade lower next week on profit-taking after prices rallied to above RM5,600 a tonne, Interband Group of Companies senior palm oil trader Jim Teh said.
He said most of the traders who are celebrating the Chinese New Year will be on a long weekend holidays.
“The market is forecast to trade between RM5,000 and RM5,100 per tonne next week,” he told Bernama.
He said the recent announcement by Indonesian government on 20 per cent mandatory domestic sales for palm oil is hitting very hard on the Asian people especially in China, Pakistan and India because it will cause food prices to go up.
Meanwhile, palm oil trader David Ng said CPO is expected to trade on a downward bias as profit-taking is expected to emerge due to the recent rally in prices.
Hence, he expects the price to trade between RM5,400 and RM5,750 a tonne next week.
Earlier this week, Indonesia imposed a rule starting on Jan 27 for a mandatory portion of palm oil to be sold domestically at a maximum price of 9,300 rupiah per kg for CPO and 10,300 rupiah per kg for olein, its Trade Minister Muhammad Lutfi said.
The so-called Domestic Market Obligation (DMO) will be applied to all cooking oil exporters and they will be required to sell 20 per cent of their planned export to the domestic market, Lutfi said.
For the week just-ended, the CPO futures finished higher tracking gains in the crude oil market, stronger soybean oil performance on the US Chicago Board of Trade, and Indonesia’s restriction on CPO exports.
On a Friday-to-Friday basis, February 2022 soared RM299 to RM5,803 a tonne, March 2022 gained RM337 to RM5,790 a tonne, April 2022 added RM306 to RM5,628 a tonne, May 2022 improved by RM262 to RM5,441 a tonne, June 2022 rose RM218 to RM5,266 a tonne, and July 2022 perked up RM191 to RM5,106 a tonne.
Weekly volume swelled to 324,049 lots from 296,878 lots last week, while open interest widened to 281,952 contracts from 267,885 contracts previously.
The physical CPO price for February South rose RM300 to RM5,800 a tonne.


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Maritsa and Maradine Whitehorn went from experimenting with dishes in their kitchen, to competing on hit TV show, My Kitchen Rules, and opening their own restaurant in less than two years. Theirs is a journey of love, determination and perhaps even changing the perception of what really makes a chef and successful restaurant.
Recently opened Seisoen in Louw Wepener Street in Dan Pienaar, is described as the perfect place for fun-dining. A restaurant where visitors can feel right at home with a bowl of “Pap en Kaiings” and a bottle of their favourite wine. Maradine expressed that some are also tempted to kick off their shoes to get even cosier among the wooden wall installations and a glowing fireplace inspired by farming life.
Maradine, Bloemfontein born and raised former photographer is the reason that they took part in the TV show last year, This propelled their way into the food industry, according to wife, Maritsa. “I was not sure about being on television but she told me that she would not want to take part in the competition with anyone else but me. So I entertained the idea and to my surprise we actually got the call to join,” she said.
The couple have been together for a decade and have been married for five years. They expressed that although they both had a love for cooking and experimenting with dishes, the support they have shown each other was instrumental in opening up the restaurant.
“We complement one another and we always push each other to do better. Every plate we put in front of a customer must be better than the last,” said Maritsa. “Every time must be better and that is how you grow and improve,” added Maradine.
The idea of Seisoen came about as the duo wanted to create a place that is as adaptable as the changing seasons in food and decor. This also means that sustainability is at the heart of the gourmet food that is so painstakingly prepared.
“More people need to be conscious of how they use food because there are less and less farmers, and food security is an issue. Making food from seasonal food is also better for the environment as well as the local economy because you will not need to import ingredients,” said Maritsa.


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Industrial radio remote control
As of 1 July 2023, the Research & Development Department, Product Management and Product Compliance of Åkerströms and Tele Radio are merging into the new Allgon Group. By consolidating resources in the new Allgon facilities in Gothenburg, Björbo and Malaga, the company says it can build a solid foundation for innovation and customer value for all incorporated brands.
The brand name Allgon represents over 70 years of innovations in wireless communication. It was once the global leader in the production of antennas for mobile phones and other uses. Now Allgon says it is reinventing its wireless heritage by providing groundbreaking end-to-end product solutions, technologies, and services in the field of wireless equipment control and machine communication for Tele Radio and Akerstroms. By realigning its resources, the Allgon Group says it is striving for operational excellence in the long term for all brands.
Ola Samelius, CEO of Allgon Group says: “We are on a journey. I am proud that we can build upon the great heritage of Allgon. We are committed to enabling customers through innovative wireless solutions, industrial remote-control technology, and services that contribute to a safer and more efficient work environment.”
The full transformation into the new Allgon will be visible in the new Allgon website that will go live in mid-July.


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Well, we knew this day would come. Netflix is about to get more expensive. The mega streaming hub has recently announced that it will be increasing membership prices for new members and that this increase will take effect immediately.
News has also come out that there will be an increase to Canadian Netflix subscribers in the coming weeks as well. If you are a Netflix user, you will be notified of this change through email.
The previous rate for Netflix was $7.99 for one screen viewing in standard definition, people with that plan will now have to pay $8.99 a month. The most common plan which users pay ($9.99 for two screens with HD viewing) will now be raised to $10.99.
The largest price hike will apply to the premium service which allows up to four screens and HD playback. Currently, this service costs $11.99. The new prices will see this service reach the cost of $13.99 per month.
Netflix states that the price hike is due to new features being added to the service. It’s no coincidence that a price hike came shortly after Netflix announced it was $20 billion in debt. Original programming is expensive and Netflix wants continued success in this arena.
We will have to see if the price hike causes people to ditch the service.


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Raised from Manafa Capital, the funding round will allow the startup to explore entering into other MENA markets.
Flicron, Saudi Arabia’s first micro-influencer platform, has closed its second Equity Crowdfunding round with $1.7 million through Manfaa Capital. The platform helps connect brands and businesses with social media influencers that can curate content for them and help them reach the appropriate demographics.
Since launching in 2018, they’ve already connected 9,000 micro influencers with over 400 small, medium, and large businesses. With these new funds, the startup hopes to be able to expand to greater coverage of the Saudi market and develop the tech operations of their platform.
Their process is simple but effective. At no cost to them, brands upload a brief for their products and then receive curated content from influencers, only paying for the content they select and wish to buy. Hashem Zahran, Flicron’s COO, said that the startup is looking towards expanding into other countries in the Middle East in the near future, after growing their team and taking on more talents.
Sign up for the daily Startup Digest.


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According to Bloomberg, two of America's most hated companies will reportedly drop plans to merge. The rumors come after a hearing with regulatory bodies raising concerns about the deal Wednesday.
...of Google's greatest, the wait for Microsoft's latest, and BlackBerry's bad day
...of Lumia luxury, Android antitrust, Chinese Windows, and an iPad on a stick
Office 2016 available for Office 365 subscribers on Windows
office 2016 promo
Android Marshmallow officially announced for Oct 5 rollout
Leaked slides confirm Lumia 950 + 950 XL specs, 'Display Dock'


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Consumers Can Now Request Credit Freezes for Free
It’s common advice to freeze your credit information when cybersecurity breaches potentially put your personal financial data into the hands of criminals who seek to exploit it. However, the three major credit-reporting agencies have routinely charged a fee to put that credit freeze in place—except in the handful of states that forbid such payments. Now all of that has changed.
A federal law signed in May by President Donald Trump requires credit bureaus, starting Friday, to allow anyone in the United States to restrict access to their credit reports at no cost. Your clients also won’t have to pay a fee to unfreeze their credit so a mortgage provider, credit card issuer, or other entity can access their information in order to evaluate their creditworthiness. Reinstating the freeze after a credit inquiry will be free, too. Keep in mind that consumers need to individually approach Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion to freeze or unfreeze credit.
The new law, known as the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act, also allows you to freeze credit files belonging to children under 16 at no charge. In addition, the law requires credit bureaus to offer fraud alerts to victims of cybersecurity threats for a year rather than just 90 days. These alerts let businesses that examine your credit know that they should check with you before opening an account in your name.
—Sam Silverstein, REALTOR® Magazine http://bit.ly/2MTuhwV


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China is on the way to becoming the world’s largest e-tailing market – valued at $590 billion in 2015 – as online shopping has become a highly social activity. Marketplaces such as Taobao have recently developed new apps and services in order to reap the benefits of this untapped opportunity.
Wary Chinese consumers don’t swallow advertising at face value and they don’t take vendors for their word—they check the internet for product reviews, swap links to favored products and seek out third-party opinions, especially those in their social groups. According to a recent McKinsey report, two-thirds of China’s consumers cite recommendations from families and friends as the most important factor in purchasing decisions. In the US, only one out of three people say the same.
In China, shopping is also sharing
Social commerce trend is so pronounced in China that Alibaba Group, owner of China’s largest online marketplaces, insists it’s not so much in the ecommerce business these days as it is in the social commerce business. And since more sharing equals more sales, the company is doing everything it can to make it easier for users to interact with one another when shopping online—going beyond offering the standard ecommerce fare of user-generated product recommendations and ratings by establishing online communities, encouraging shoppers to share photos of their latest online purchases and even adding monetary incentives to encourage greater social participation.
The tip of the social-commerce spear is Mobile Taobao, Alibaba’s hugely popular mobile shopping app. With 369 million monthly active users, Mobile Taobao is “not only China’s, but the world’s largest social commerce platform” according to Jiang Fan, who leads Mobile Taobao’s business at Alibaba.
“[On Mobile Taobao,] we want to get people together to allow them to discuss and generate content that can serve more people,” Taobao product manager.
Mobile Taobao: a new platform to facilitate peer-reviews
One of the most popular social functions on Mobile Taobao is a Q&A feature called Wendajia (‘ask others’) that lets shoppers with questions about a particular product get answers from members of the Taobao community. Wendajia helps free consumers from the drudgery of combing randomly through product reviews or resorting to asking sometimes biased and unhelpful vendors for answers. “The essence here is mutual assistance,” Zhang said. “The new feature builds a direct and effective communication channel between people who have purchased and people who want to purchase.”
Wendajia has proven to be a boon to buyers because they don’t have to wait hours or days for fellow shoppers to stumble on their questions and provide answers. One-fourth of all questions are answered within one minute and 60 percent of questions within 10 minutes, Jiang said. “This greatly optimizes the pre-shopping decision process,” he said. Every day, it receives as many as 1 million questions, and 2 million consumers participated in answering.
China’s widespread adoption of smartphones and the reach of the mobile internet has undoubtedly contributed to the growth of social commerce by making participation easy, ubiquitous and dynamic. Still, Mobile Taobao isn’t relying solely on user enthusiasm and social goodwill to foster greater user involvement.
A version of this appeared in Alizila on July 26. Read the full version here.


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Japan: MONET Technologies, a joint venture of Toyota and SoftBank has that it concluded capital and business partnership agreements with Isuzu Motors Limited (“Isuzu”), Suzuki Motor Corporation (“Suzuki”), Subaru Corporation (“Subaru”), Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd. (“Daihatsu”) and Mazda Motor Corporation (“Mazda”), respectively. Isuzu, Suzuki, Subaru, Daihatsu and Mazda each plan to invest in MONET by August 2019 and acquire approximately 2% of its shares.
Simultaneously, Hino Motors, Ltd. (“Hino”) and Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (“Honda”) plan to make additional investments in MONET and maintain their respective ownership stakes of approximately 10%.
Junichi Miyakawa, President, CEO, MONET Technologies said, “In addition to those with Toyota, Hino and Honda, our new partnerships with Isuzu, Suzuki, Subaru, Daihatsu and Mazda will enable us to acquire data on their vehicles and mobility services for coordination with the MONET platform. To build a high-level MaaS platform for an autonomous driving society, it is essential to integrate a wide number of datasets, and these partnerships will further accelerate our progress in building the MaaS business that MONET is aiming for. MONET will utilize the data provided by each company and leverage their automotive industry insights and networks. Together with our automotive manufacturer partners we will work to realize and spread innovative mobility services that can resolve Japan’s social mobility issues and create new value.”
Akira Marumoto, President, CEO, Representative Director, Mazda Motor Corporation said, “By sharing the experiences and thrills made possible by the fusion of cars and digital tools, Mazda is connecting different types of people with society, and providing a new type of car value—one that conveys the ‘joy of life’ with safety, peace of mind and enrichment. By co-creating together with other MONET participants, Mazda will pursue the possibilities of mobility services that ‘invigorate the mind and body’ to resolve social mobility issues in cities and regions.”


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In every business sector, there are always crooked players that try to use underhand methods to get an unfair advantage over their rivals. However, there are honest companies that try to expose such misconducts. Securus Technologies recently released a report that depicts misconduct of its competitor company GTL. GTL has engaged in various malpractices and has gained an unfair advantage over its rivals. Securus Technologies released a press release concerning the information in the PR News website. The whole press release highlights how far GTL has gone to steal its customer cash.
In the press release, Securus Technologies CEO stated that GTL has always gone to incorporate unethical practices to get ahead in the industry. The communication body set rules that were to regulate the industry. However, GTL disrespected those standards and flouted them. To GTL, making money is the central focus of their business. It wants to gain advantage over its rivals, even if it means engaging in unethical activities.
Securus Technologies, on the other hand, is a reliable company that values integrity and customer service above everything else. The company offers its services to more than 3500 law enforcement and prison agencies throughout the North America region. More than one million inmates have benefited from the excellent services provided by the company. Securus America always strives to provide the best services to its clients. It does this through seamless connection. The nature of services by the firm are based on inmate monitoring and information management services.
The quality of integrity as shown by Securus has seen the company increase its profits in the past. Securus Technologies has grown to become one of the largest firms in the inmate communications field. The company stands true to its motto of Connecting What Matters. The recent acquisition of JPay means that it will offer better services. Securus is always dedicated to providing unmatched services to clients and customers.


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Pet Resource Directory
**Read the CDC statement regarding the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and pets**
Look to our directory of pet businesses for information on pet specialty stores, veterinarians, doggie daycare facilities, sitters, groomers, trainers, and other pet professionals.
Treats & Goodies
Treat Worthy Pet Creations, LLC
Sleepy Hollow, NY 10591
What we do: Customized treat gift baskets for pets for all occasions and holidays.
Have a business you think our readers would like, add it to our directory here.
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Your privacy is important to us and we promise to use it only to send you Everything Shih Tzu news and updates.
By now, we are all be aware of the dangers of the Corona Virus (COVID-19) and how it spreads from human to human, but what about pets?
This is what the CDC has to say about it:
"The CDC hasn't received any reports of pets or other animals becoming sick with COVID-19, and no evidence that companion animals (pets) can spread COVID-19.
However, if you are sick with COVID-19, you should restrict contact with pets and other animals, just like you would around other people"
Read more about pets health on the CDC's healthy pet website


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“The Chinese car companies are the most competitive car companies in the world. So, I think they will have significant success outside of China depending on what kind of tariffs or trade barriers are established,” Musk said on Tesla’s earnings call on Wednesday.
“Frankly, I think, if there are not trade barriers established, they will pretty much demolish most other companies in the world.”
The European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union, is currently investigating subsidies given to electric vehicle makers in China. That probe began last year and has yet to be concluded. But there is a chance the EU could consider higher tariffs on Chinese EVs, at a time when they are expanding aggressively into Europe.
BYD, which sold more battery-powered cars than Tesla in the fourth quarter, has expanded sales to markets in Europe, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Chinese start-ups including Nio and Xpeng, have also launched their cars in Europe.
Chinese EV makers showed off their wares at one of Europe’s biggest auto shows last year. At the time, analysts said that these companies could pose a challenge to traditional auto firms.
It’s not the first time Musk has heaped praise on Chinese EV makers. Last year, the billionaire called Chinese EV firms “the most competitive in the world” and said they are likely to be among the world’s top auto companies.
“If I were to guess … probably some company out of China is the most likely to be second to Tesla,” Musk said.
Tesla’s own shares slid in pre-market trade on Thursday, after the company posted earnings that missed expectations and warned of a slowdown in 2024.


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Following three years of a decreasing number of cases the number of corporate insolvencies has increased slightly in the first half of 2013. From January to June 15,349 companies became insolvent in Germany – 1.8 per cent more than in the comparable period of the previous year. These figures are included in the current survey on “Corporate Insolvencies, 1st Half 2013” published by the financial information agency Bürgel.
Bürgel’s Executive Manager, Dr. Norbert Sellin, places responsibility for the first increase in the number of insolvencies since 2009 “primarily on the after-effects of the weak economy in the last quarter of 2012”. Seen over the year as a whole there will be little change in this new trend. While Bürgel expects fewer cases of insolvency in the second half of 2013 the agency still forecasts up to 30,500 corporate bankruptcies for the entire year. This would represent an increase of just under three per cent, or 900 cases, over 2012. Dr. Sellin argues that the current Bürgel forecast is not in contradiction to an improved economic forecast: “Economic forecasts reflect expectations of the future. Insolvency statistics in contrast are an expression of the past,” explains Bürgel’s Executive Manager.
The industrial sector in particular has recorded more corporate bankruptcies, as has the service sector – hardest hit have been mechanical engineering; the printing industry; textiles and freight forwarding and logistics companies. “Given the lasting poor sales outlook companies are holding back with expenditure. Sustained uncertainty as regards the crisis in the euro zone has also put the brakes on any prior willingness to invest,” summarizes Dr. Sellin. Export companies in particular are suffering from the sluggish global economy. In addition to this, the long winter proved fatal to many companies in the first quarter of 2013. Taken overall these factors have resulted in a slight increase in losses for creditors. During the survey period these losses totalled just under 16.3 billion euros, representing an increase of 1.6 per cent.
A large number of the corporate insolvencies were recorded in the federal states of North Rhine-Westphalia (5,777), Bavaria (1,751), Baden-Württemberg (1,240) and Lower Saxony (1,209). A more informative picture emerges from the so-called insolvency rate – the number of corporate insolvencies per 10,000 companies in a federal state. Viewed in these terms North Rhine-Westphalia again heads the insolvency statistics with 79 corporate insolvencies per 10,000 companies. Saxony-Anhalt (61 cases per 10,000 companies), Saxony (54), Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony and Bremen (53 each) and Berlin (51) also rank above the national average of 49 insolvent companies per 10,000 companies. Hamburg (48 insolvencies per 10,000 companies) and Saarland (47) were slightly below the national average. The lowest number of corporate insolvencies in the first half of 2013 were recorded in Bavaria, with 33 bankruptcies per 10,000 companies; Baden-Württemberg (35) and Brandenburg (39).
Even if the insolvency statistics in some federal states have only increased slightly, it remains a fact that the number of cases of corporate insolvencies has increased in 12 of the 16 states – particularly in Thuringia with 6.3 per cent more corporate insolvencies. During the survey period more companies have also been hit by bankruptcy in Baden-Württemberg (plus 6.2 per cent) and Hesse (plus 5.9 per cent). In contrast, fewer cases were reported in Saarland (minus 6.0 per cent), Bremen (minus 1.8 per cent), Bavaria and Schleswig-Holstein (both minus 1.0 per cent).
Industrial enterprises (Gewerbebetriebe) and German private limited companies (GmbHs) have been hit hardest by corporate insolvency in the first six months of the year. A total of 6,391 industrial enterprises became insolvent – representing 41.6 per cent of insolvency statistics. In the case of private limited companies there were 5,941 cases of insolvency (representing 38.7 per cent of insolvency statistics). In Germany, trading concerns with limited liability (Unternehmergesellschaft [haftungsbeschränkt]) now rank third among corporate insolvencies with a share of 5.7 per cent. In the last half-year there have been11 per cent more insolvencies for this form of company than in the comparable half-year in 2012.
A large number of corporate insolvencies in Germany continue to affect newly founded companies. A total of 3,808 companies that had been active on the market for less than two years reported insolvency. Just under a quarter of all corporate insolvencies in Germany can thus be attributed to start-ups. A lack of capital resources in the start-up phase in particular results in financial difficulties. Business start-ups also fail if their business ideas prove to be unsuitable for the market. Furthermore, changes in the market; strategic mistakes and lack of internal competence cause young entrepreneurs the greatest difficulty.
The main reasons why companies go bankrupt are a lack of new orders or the cancellation/postponement of orders which have already been placed. Customer payment behaviour also has a direct effect on companies’ liquidity. Companies battling with high payment defaults in particular have only limited financial leeway. This sets off a domino effect, starting with delays in payment; liquidity shortages and financial difficulties and ending up with some companies being driven into bankruptcy. At present some 20 per cent of corporate insolvencies result from this domino effect. In addition, mismanagement is often responsible for an increased risk of insolvency. Inaccurate market assessments or faulty product planning as well as investment errors can cause companies to fail – as can lack of competitiveness.


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Samsung has announced its latest Unpacked event for August 7th at 4PM ET at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, NY, where the company will be announcing the Galaxy Note 10, the latest in its line of super-sized stylus-equipped smartphones.
There’s not a ton to go by from the invite: just a picture of an S Pen and a single camera lens (which could be forming an exclamation point, if you squint at it really hard). The latest leaks do give a bit more to go by, with rumors of a fresh design for the Note 10 that will feature a single front-facing camera embedded in the display (similar to the Galaxy S10 earlier this year), although the Note 10 will allegedly be putting that camera dead center on the screen.
There are also conflicting rumors about the 3.5mm headphone jack, with one report claiming that Samsung could be axing the audio port on the Note 10. There are also reports that Samsung will be releasing two sizes of Note 10 this year, as it has for the regular Galaxy S line of phones in previous years, with rumored 6.28-inch and 6.75-inch sizes. The company may also be offering 5G variants of both of those sizes, for a total of four different Galaxy Note 10 models.
The biggest question for the August 7th event is not whether the Note 10 will show up (again, the invite and rumor mill already make that extremely clear), but whether Samsung will use that event to give release date updates on its other long-missing products, like the indefinitely delayed Galaxy Fold, which Samsung co-CEO DJ Koh said today was pushed to market “before it was ready.” There’s also the missing Galaxy Home speaker, which was announced alongside the Galaxy Note 9 last summer and still has yet to get a release date (the last estimate from Samsung was Q3 2019, but the company has missed multiple release windows for the Galaxy Home before).
Whatever surprises Samsung has up its sleeve, though, stay tuned to The Verge for all the action as we get closer to August 7th (especially given Samsung’s history of early product leaks).
(Source: The Verge)
Watch Apple Throw Cake, And Many Other Things, At The iPhone 11 Pro In Its New Ads
Apple has released two new commercials for the iPhone 11 Pro, both of which show the phone standing up to more abuse than any one phone should ever have to.
The first ad below focuses solely on how tough the iPhone 11 Pro supposedly is against everyday objects being flung at it in a high-speed wind tunnel. First, kids toys and food items pummel it (including an entire head of green leaf lettuce), none of which seem heavy enough to damage the phone.
Things get a little more intense later in the ad, with ice cubes and hair brushes bouncing off of the iPhone 11 Pro — all, of course, without leaving a scratch. To top it off, a wedding cake comes crashing down onto the phone, then a sprinkler washes it all off. Maybe it’s just me, but in that moment I think I’d be more worried about my expensive wedding cake than the state of my iPhone.
The second ad focuses on what the phone’s three-lens camera system is capable of, with an elegant, long-haired dog as the subject in a wind chamber.
This ad does a good job of educating viewers about the differences between the iPhone 11 Pro’s various lenses (telephoto, standard, ultra-wide angle). But the most notable thing shown is Night mode, and the results in the ad look much more impressive than the demo that Apple showed onstage at its hardware event earlier this week.
The iPhone 11 Pro is available to preorder now and will be in stores starting on September 20th.
Adobe Premiere Pro Will Use AI To Reframe Videos For All Of Your Social Apps.
Adobe is hoping to eliminate the tedious, time-consuming process that comes with editing videos for different social platforms with its new AI-powered Auto Reframe feature for Premiere Pro. For example, if you’ve got a video that you want to post to YouTube, the Instagram grid, and Instagram Stories, you’d currently have to manually edit that video for three different aspect ratios. Auto Reframe can automatically identify the main action happening in the video and crop and pan the frame around that footage to fit within ratios like square, vertical, or 16:9 videos. The feature, shown off today at the International Broadcasting Convention, makes use of Adobe Sensei, the company’s artificial intelligence platform.
Auto Reframe is an effect that can be applied to clips on Premiere’s timeline, and users can choose between three motion presets (Slower Motion, Default, and Faster Motion) to let the algorithm to know how much movement to expect in the video. The effect will produce motion keyframes that follow the action in your content, which can also be manually adjusted for fine-tuning. It also does the convenient work of resizing text for each aspect ratio, which will save video editors a lot of time.
Adobe has been adding more features to its Creative Cloud apps with social platforms in mind. Premiere Rush CC, the free mobile version of Premiere Pro, was made specifically with YouTube creators in mind, and it features exporting options that are optimized for different social networks, like Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Auto Reframe will arrive on Premiere Pro later this year.
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Revealed.
Apple has revealed the first Pro twist on its best-selling iPhone range, the iPhone 11 Pro, which is available in two sizes – 5.8-inch, and 6.5-inch. Those are exactly the same screen sizes seen on the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max.
Apple CEO Tim Cook introduced the iPhone 11 Pro on-stage, lavishing praise on its "all-new design," which seems like a stretch to us. From the outside, the iPhone 11 Pro looks almost identical to its predecessor – save for the new square-shape camera cut-out which houses three new cameras and a brighter LED flash.
Like the iPhone XS and XS Max before it, the iPhone 11 Pro uses surgical-grade stainless steel for the chassis – instead of aluminium seen on the more affordable Apple iPhone 11. As with its predecessor, the front and the back of the handset are glass to enable wireless charging.
However, Apple has created a new textured matte finish for the glass on the rear panel to give the handset a new feel in the hand. It is the only iOS device available with this finish. When it comes to colours, Apple has shaken things up again. As well as the Silver, Space Grey and Gold finishes seen on previous flagship models, Apple has introduced a new Midnight Green option.
iPhone 11 Pro has four more hours battery life than iPhone XS, while the iPhone 11 Pro Max lasts five more hours than the iPhone XS Max. That's for a total of 18-hour battery life for video playback, 11-hours streamed video and 65-hours for audio playback on the iPhone 11 Pro, and 20-hours, 80-hours and 12-hours on the iPhone 11 Pro Max, respectively. Both of these new flagships ship with a 18W fast-wired charging plug in the box to help top-up the handset faster than before.
The new handset has improved dust and water resistance, too. So you shouldn't have to reach for a big bag of rice if you drop the iPhone 11 Pro into a swimming pool, pint, or – heaven forfend – toilet bowl.
Apple says the iPhone 11 Pro range has the first camera system that truly warrants the "Pro" title. The (slightly unsightly) new square-camera includes a 12MP wide-angle, a 12MP ultra-wide camera with a 120° field of view, and a 12MP telephoto camera. These work together to enable iPhone 11 Pro users zoom in 2x and zoom-out 2x – for a total of 4x levels of optical zoom.
The iPhone 11 Pro will benefit from new Deep Fusion technology that takes nine different pictures, including four before you've even hit the Shutter button inside the default camera app to enable new levels of detail from the camera. The results should be much crisper images.
The Deep Fusion system, which won't be available at launch but will debut with a software update in the coming months, is very similar to what Google does with its Pixel smartphone range. In fact, the photo shown on-stage to advertise the system looks remarkably similar to something shot on a Google Pixel 3, with the same (until now) unmatched crispy level of detail.
Apple says the all-new wide camera boasts a new Night mode that delivers "huge improvements to photos shot in indoor and outdoor low-light environments", resulting in brighter images with natural colours and reduced noise.
The triple-camera also uses the same Smart HDR system introduced alongside the iPhone 11. According to Apple, the new system uses "advanced algorithms to finesse highlight and shadow detail in your image" including leveraging "machine learning to recognise faces in your shot and intelligently relight them".
All three cameras in the triple-camera system can shoot 4K Ultra HD video. iOS 13 includes video editing features, so you can tweak exposure levels, brightness, crop the footage and more, directly within the Photos app.
Like the more affordable iPhone 11, the new Apple handset includes spacial audio sound with Dolby Atmos from the front-firing speakers.
It also benefits from stronger glass on the front and back of the handset, faster Face ID facial recognition, and new Haptic Touch system which replaces the previous pressure-sensitive 3D Touch system.
In the United States, the Apple iPhone 11 Pro starts from $999, while the larger iPhone 11 Pro Max starts from $1,099. That's exactly the same price the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max commanded last year. However, in the UK the prices have creeped-up, with the iPhone 11 Pro starting from £1,049 (up from £999) and iPhone 11 Pro Max starting from £1,149 (up from £1,099) for the entry-level 64GB model.
Pre-orders will go live on Friday September 13, 2019 with the first units appearing on store shelves, and dropping through letterboxes, on September 20, 2019.
Both the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max have been ditched from the line-up, with the iPhone XR and iPhone 8 sticking around as the more affordable options, starting from $599 (roughly £629) and $449 (£479), respectively.
Shatta Wale Secures Corporate Ambassadorial Deal With Infinix Mobile.
Multiple awards winning Ghanaian born Reggae/Dancehall performing and recording artiste, Charles Nii-Armah Mensah, known with the entertainment circles as Shatta Wale, has secured another corporate ambassadorial deal after Infinix Mobile announced him as the latest addition to the mobile device family.
The Hong Kong-based smartphone manufacturing company, Infinix made a formal public statement on their Instagram handle about the fact, occurrence, or intention of employing the Shatta Wale who has excellent communication, networking skills, and a strong presence on social media to be the face of the fast selling mobile phone brand, after the latter agreed to sign a healthy deal the firm.
The "Melissa" hitmaker is to complete a variety of tasks ranging from proselytizing; supporting or actively encouraging the progress of the products or services in-store to implementing marketing campaigns, as he is widely also known as the influencer of corporate entity.
Shatta Wale who is hired as an enthusiastic brand ambassador of the firm will also be involved in increasing brand awareness and sales by promoting the products through various media channels. He will work closely with the sales and marketing division to achieve its marketing goals and objectives, such as communicating the value of our products to customers, tracking customer feedback, and representing the brand at launches and events.
The Africa Dancehall King will is also expected to educate customers, retailers, and distributors about their products. Creating website and social media content in order to drive brand awareness and attract new customers. Building rapport with customers and vendors. Pictured holding the recently announced Infinix Hot 8, this deal will be a landmark deal for Shatta Wale; who is set to hold the Wonderboy concert in October.
Accepting this corporate ambassadorial deal, Charles Nii-Armah Mensah (Shatta Wale) took to his verified Instagram page, with the handle (@shattawalenima), to express his pleasure in the board of directors of the mobile device company for believing and entrusting Infinix in his brand. He declared his unflinching solidarity to the firm, promising them of a fruitful and profitable end products.
Shatta Wale is currently working on a piece with English Rapper, Stefflon Don and is expected to be out soon, but for now enjoy "Melissa" below;
Infinix Mobile is a Hong Kong-based smartphone manufacturer founded in 2013 by Transsion Holdings. The company has research and development centres sprawling between France and Korea and designs its phones in France.
Infinix mobile phones are manufactured in Hong Kong, France, Korea, China and India and are available in Asia and in about 30 countries in the Middle East and Africa, including Morocco, Bangladesh, Kenya, Nigeria, Egypt, Pakistan and Algeria. In 2017, Infinix gained market shares in Egypt, rising to third place after Samsung and Huawei. Infinix is the main sponsor of the Indian Super League Mumbai City FC.
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text: CONCORD, N.H. (AP) \u2014 A New England bakery chain is charging female customers 79 cents on the dollar to illustrate the pay gap between men and women. The Works Bakery Cafe is offering the discount Tuesday to women in its New Hampshire shops in honor of Equal Pay Day. Men are charged full price. Equal Pay Day is a national symbolic event dramatizing how much longer it takes a woman to earn as much as a man. Chain CEO Richard French says the Stand with Women campaign asked them to take part in the event. French says his company employs a lot of women, and they are paid the same as men. French says hundreds of women came to each of the shops for the discount.


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The European Union has agreed a multi-billion euro free-trade agreement with Canada, following years of intense negotiations over agricultural exports.
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and European Commission President José Manuel Barroso signed-off on the historic agreement in Brussels.
Mr Barroso tweeted that the deal with Canada is good news for both Europe and the world economy.
He said the agreement will increase bilateral trade by 23% or around €26 billion.
Mr Barroso said it would be an effective stimulus to the EU economy and would boost EU GDP by around €12 billion per year.
It is the first free trade agreement between the EU and a G8 country.
Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Minister Richard Bruton said it would result in job creation as it had the potential to add over €200m in Ireland's bilateral trade with Canada.
John Whelan of the Irish Exporters' Association told RTÉ's News at One programme that he was delighted with the agreement, which he maintained would give a major boost to the services sector.
However, the deal has been met with some concern by the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers' Association.
ICSA beef chairman Edmond Phelan said: "I am concerned that imports of cheaper Canadian meat have the potential to undermine the price of Irish beef in key export markets within the EU.
"While there may be some upside in terms of exports, the likelihood is that there will be more pain than gain for Irish farmers."
The Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association said the deal would bring new opportunities for the dairy sector, but it also expressed concern that it could affect the beef trade in Ireland.
IFA President John Bryan this afternoon warned the EU Commission that it cannot repeat the market-access concessions on agriculture announced in the deal in forthcoming negotiations with the US.
Mr Bryan said it is unacceptable that the EU Commission is allowing the agriculture sector in Europe to be used as the bargaining chip in major trade negotiations.
He said: "Under this deal, the EU Commission cannot allow Canada to undermine the European beef market by cherrypicking the most valuable end of the trade with steak cuts."


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- Japan-based Softbank Group has initiated the talks between both the companies.
- Softbank is the early investor in Glance's parent company InMobi Pte. and TikTok's parent ByteDance.
- In December 2020, Glance had crossed $1 billion valuation after raising $145 million in funding from Google and Mithril Capital.
Months after the TikTok ban, Its parent company ByteDance Ltd. is reportedly planning to sell the TikTok India business to rival Glance, which recently became a unicorn after raising $145 million in funding.
According to the Bloomberg report, Japan-based Softbank Group has initiated the conversation between both the parent companies. If this happens, ByteDance may be able to bring TikTok back to India. However, the news is not officially confirmed by both companies.
Since the TikTok ban, Japanese conglomerate Softbank Group, which owns a minority stake in ByteDance, reportedly tried to engage with companies like Reliance Jio Infocomm and Bharti Airtel, to sell TikTok India business.
Softbank Group is the early investor in Glance's parent InMobi Pte. and TikTok's parent ByteDance Ltd.
Besides ByteDance, PUBG Corporation is also trying hard to bring PUBG Mobile back to India. Although in a recent note, the Indian government has clarified that the ban on Chinese apps will be continued. Therefore, the government is very unlikely to unban any of the Chinese application, which it banned last year.
The action on Chinese applications including TikTok, Baidu, Xender, started in June 2020. Initially, the IT Ministry had banned 59 Chinese apps such as TikTok, Shareit, Mi Video Call, Club Factory, and Cam Scanner, in the interest of national security and sovereignty.
Later in August 2020, Around 118 Chinese apps got banned including PUBG Mobile, CamCard, Applock, DualSpace, among others. The ban was imposed under section 69A of the Information Technology Act after learning that the apps were engaged in prejudicial activities. Bloomberg first reported the story.


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The owner of one of the first businesses launched as a result of the Teesside steelworks closure says she aims to eventually run a chain of make-up studios across the country.
Bellissimi Beauty has been launched on Yarm High Street by former recruitment consultant Simi Sanghera, who lost her job as a direct result of the SSI steelworks closing at Redcar.
Just two months after being appointed by Jo Hand Recruitment, the plant’s main recruitment agency, Simi was made redundant along with more than 1,700 others at the plant.
Rather than begin a new job search, law graduate Simi, 26, has launched her own business, inspired by previous student jobs on the cosmetics counters at Selfridges and Manchester Airport.
Although initially based in a small salon above a sandwich shop, Simi already has her sights set on a beauty empire.
“Hopefully, this is the start of something big,” said Simi, pictured (above, left) with reigning Miss Tees Valley, Ailish Shaw, who helped to launch the studio.
“I’d love to have a few studios across Teesside and further afield, maybe right across the country.
“The launch day was all a bit of a blur, it was literally non-stop, but everyone was so impressed and really positive, while we’ve already started to take plenty of bookings for Christmas.”
Although she had plans for a future in recruitment before fate played a hand, Simi isn’t surprised to find herself with a business of her own.
She said: “Running a business is kind of genetic because my family are all in business, they are predominately self-employed. Even with my Law degree and a Masters, I’ve been pulled into it.
“Others in my family run shops, newsagents, off licenses and properties, but I’m the first to launch a beauty business.”
Simi, whose father, Mick, passed away when she was just 11-years-old, said: “Dad was very entrepreneurial and is my inspiration.
“I don’t think I would have had the strength to do all this if I didn’t believe he was still around me. He has given me the fire in my belly.
“I was a real daddy’s girl and people say I’m just like him. I think he’d have thrown a party to know I’d launched my own business.”
Simi paid particular tribute to her mother, Aneeta, saying: “All of my family have been unbelievable but I want to say a big ‘Thank you’ to my mum.
“In her heart of hearts, I think she really wanted me to be a lawyer but she couldn’t be prouder now because she has seen how happy this has made me.
“My mum has sacrificed a hell of a lot for me and the family over the years, and she’s helped so much in helping me be ready for the launch, from handing out leaflets to sweeping up and cleaning the studio.”
As she was not directly employed by SSI, Simi has been unable to tap into the funds available to many former steelworkers so her business is entirely self-funded.
One of Simi’s first guests on her opening day in business was the reigning Miss Tees Valley Ailish Shaw, who was given a full makeover by Simi as she prepared for her final duty in the year-long role – handing over her crown to successor Becca Ridsdale.
Friends and family mixed with customers at the launch event that featured a champagne celebration and a raffle to raise funds for the Lacky Uppal Foundation, for children who have witnessed domestic violence.
Based on the first floor at 89A Yarm High Street, above Crofter’s Kitchen, Bellissimi provides a make-up consultancy service in partnership with skincare brand Arbonne, tailoring treatments to specific skin types.
Bellissimi also hosts pamper nights and a mobile service for weddings and other events.


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Manitoba’s ban on growing cannabis at home has annoyed resident Jesse Lavoie ever since it came into force in December 2017.
Lavoie says he doesn’t drink or smoke tobacco but really enjoys smoking a sativa when heading out on a hike, or sitting outside at the end of the day with an indica.
The problem, he says, is that his favourite strain costs around $15 per gram at the recreational store. And because he smokes one to two grams per day, that vice takes a serious chunk out of his wallet.
So he was irritated. And then the pandemic stopped him from being able to travel for work — and being stuck at home added fuel to the fire. Then Lavoie decided to do something about it.
To challenge the ban on home-grown cultivation he partnered with law firm MLT Aikins and filed a constitutional challenge last week. The notice is addressed to the Manitoba government, the Manitoba’s attorney general and the Attorney General of Canada. It challenges the ban for being inconsistent with the Cannabis Act, which says an adult may grow up to four plants at home.
“I honestly wish I didn’t have to do it, but someone has to,” Lavoie told Mugglehead in a phone interview. “I decided to take this challenge on — not just for me but for all Manitobans. If you have the right space and the desire to grow cannabis you can save yourself a lot of money and probably enjoy the process along the way.”
Medical patients in Canada can get licensed to grow hundreds of plants at home, but growing just four recreational plants in Manitoba can land you with a $2,542 fine.
“For some people that’s two to three months’ worth of rent in that one fine,” he said. “And good luck getting across the border if you have that on your file.”
Lavoie says he was partially inspired to challenge the ban because of the precedent set in Quebec, Canada’s only other province to ban home-grown weed. That ban was overturned September 2019 by Quebec Superior Court Judge Manon Lavoie in a court case that argued the province could not block rights laid out by federal law.
Lavoie says he isn’t related to the judge — there just must be something about the last name that makes people want the freedom to grow at home.
The provincial government in Quebec was strongly opposed to legalization and has done everything it can to limit the amount of cannabis available to Canadian citizens, Quebec lawyer Christian Saraïlis told Mugglehead. Saraïlis and his firm, Saraïlis Avocats, were the team that successfully challenged Quebec’s ban last year.
Now the provincial government is appealing the decision, and Saraïlis is once again defending Quebecers’ rights to home cultivation.
The provincial government thinks cannabis is evil and that its legalization will hurt public health and corrupt young people, Saraïlis says.
“Their approach is really about prohibition and control up to the maximum they can,” he said. “As a provincial government they can do that — they can pass laws to structure how cannabis will be sold and promoted in the province.”
Saraïlis says the province controls weed by only allowing sales through provincially controlled stores; by prohibiting the sale of promotional cannabis merchandise such as t-shirts; and by trying to ban home cultivation.
“But it is our opinion — and our opinion was confirmed by the Quebec Superior Court — that they cannot go against rights set forth in federal law,” he said. “If the federal cannabis law is allowing Canadians to grow a certain amount of plants at home for their own use then the provincial governments are not allowed to go against that.”
Lavoie says his challenge will incorporate some similar ideas, but he and the team at MLT Aikins are working to build a broader case and argue against the ban from numerous angles. That way if the Quebec’s appeal is granted then the Manitoba case won’t be similarly thrown out, he explains.
Lavoie thinks the Manitoba government prohibited home-grown cannabis because it was scared people would grow weed and then sell it to the unregulated market.
“But the majority of cannasseurs-slash-stoners-slash-the people who love cannabis are not really buying from the stores because it’s too expensive for that they need,” he said. “The ban was probably put in place to push people towards the stores and keep the black market at bay, but they’re losing both of those battles.”
To raise money for his court case, Lavoie launched a Gofundme with the goal of raising $80,000. In just under a month the campaign has raised $6,684.
Lavoie is hoping to be in court by the end of September. Every four months this drags on is another missed cannabis harvest, he says.
So he has this message for his provincial government: “Let’s make this quick and get Manitobans growing.”
Top image of cannabis seedlings by A7nubis via Wikimedia Commons


text:
Yates is working as interim marketing director to help Vodafone cement its market leading position in Ireland, where it enjoys more than 50% share of the mobile phone market.
He reports to Vodafone Ireland chief executive and former UK marketing chief Paul Donovan and will work alongside him to recruit a long-term marketing director. Yates said he had no indication of when his duties at Vodafone would end.
The company's Irish subsidiary previously operated under the Eircell name but was rebranded as Vodafone in February. Vodafone Ireland's previous marketing director, Jeroen Visser, left last month for a senior position at its global product marketing group in Germany.
Yates left his role as marketing director at One 2 One in February as the firm prepared to rebrand to T-Mobile. His departure followed the appointment of Clent Richardson as chief sales and marketing officer.
He joined One 2 One in 1998 and aided its transformation into a national UK network, using celebrities such as Zoe Ball in its ads.
If you have an opinion on this or any other issue raised on Brand Republic, join the debate in the Forum here.


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DECATUR, Ill. (Sept. 2, 2015) — Group Michelin is expanding its North American agricultural tire portfolio with the launch of a range of “Ultraflex” tires for tractors, sprayers, harvesting equipment and large implements and introducing a satisfaction guarantee on all Ultraflex tires.
The tires, SprayBib, CargoXBib, AxioBib and CerexBib, are debuting this week at the Farm Progress show in Decatur, which runs Sept. 1-3.
In addition Michelin North America Inc. is launching a full-year farmer satisfaction guarantee for the purchase of any Ultraflex tire, which Michelin said is an industry first. Farmers can try Michelin Ultraflex replacement tires risk-free for a full year and return the tires for a refund if they are not satisfied.
The tire maker also is rolling out a free mobile application to calculate agricultural tire pressure, which uses a photo of the tractor to determine proper pressures.
Michelin said its Ultraflex technology produces tires that can operate at up to 40 percent lower air pressure compared with standard radial tires, resulting in a larger footprint for reduced soil compaction and higher yields.
A recent Harper Adams University study demonstrated a 4-percent yield increase with Ultraflex tires, according to Michelin.
The new tires are:
- SprayBib — in size VF480/80R50 179D — is an expansion of Michelin's VF (Very High Flexion) high-clearance sprayer tire offering. “The tire is designed to offer farmers a unique balance between a narrow tire to avoid crop damage and a flotation tire to minimize compaction,” said James Crouch, farm segment marketing manager for Michelin North America. The tire carries a maximum load of more than 17,000 pounds and a top rated speed of 40 mph; it's available starting in September.
- CargoXBib High Flotation — in size 710/45R22.5 165D for harvesters — features a new tread design that will replace the CargoXBib design that has been in use for past seven years, Michelin said, and provides improved cleanout as well designed to be used with central inflation systems. It will be available in December.
- AxioBib — in size IF900/65R46 190D for tractors — offers a load capacity of almost 24,000 pounds for use on front-wheel and four-wheel-drive tractors in single fitments. With an outside diameter of 7 feet 6 inches, this is the largest farm tire in in the world, Michelin said. It is scheduled to be available in March 2016.
- CerexBib — in size IF1000/55R32 CFO 188A8 — is designed for large harvesting machines and grain carts. It launches in June 2016 with a “massive” load capacity and a giant footprint.
- Michelin also is displaying its XeoBib and YieldBib tires in sizes VF710/60R42 and VF480/80R50 166A8/166B 161D, respectively, for high-horsepower tractors. The YieldBib offers a reinforcement in the center line of the tire and an exclusive rubber compound to guard against stubble damager, Michelin said.
The Michelin Pressure Calculator can recommend the appropriate tire pressure for the desired load and speed, helping farmers maintain road safety and protect the soil, the company said.
The app involves three steps:
- Type the load supported by front and rear axle.
- Enter the type of tire fitted to the front and rear of the tractor using the drop-down menus; and
- Take a photo of the tractor; the app's camera function calculates load distribution and the length of the overhang measured from the wheel axles.
The app is free on both Android and iOS devices and available in French, English, German and Spanish.
Michelin North America sources ag tires from plants in Europe.


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The video ad is autoplay (without audio) and plays in the expanded (320x180) unit until the end or a user closes the ad by clicking an X icon in the upper left corner. A message at the bottom of the video invites users to click for more product information, which could lead to a brand Web site, additional videos or other content.
Zumobi CEO Ken Willner views the new video ad format, launching on the company's mobile app network, as less intrusive than pre-rolls or the type of interstitial video ads associated with gaming apps. “Our solution is a teaser that takes up a small portion of the screen and the user can decide whether to go on further,” he said.
But the ad still takes up a good chunk of a phone's precious screen space and since the video is autoplay, it's interruptive — even if it doesn't fill the screen. While users may be annoyed by having to watch a pre-roll before a selected video, that ad type doesn't necessarily autoplay before the video.
Willner emphasized that users have the option of immediately closing the ad if they don't want to watch the video. But the collapsed banner will remain at the bottom of the screen. Regardless of the user experience, video ads are gaining a higher profile on mobile devices as ad options increase and smartphone and tablet adoption grows.
Facebook on Monday announced the availability of video creative for its mobile app ads, likely as a preliminary step to a wider rollout of video advertising in the news feed on desktop and in mobile. The social network also recently began testing autoplay videos in the mobile news feed, limited initially to musicians, bands, and celebrities.
eMarketer projects U.S. mobile video advertising this year will more than double to $576 million from $244 million last year. But it remains a small portion of the $8.5 billion in overall video advertising the research firm forecasts in 2013.
Corona and Nissan are among the brands using Zumobi’s new mobile video unit, which will soon be available to run on any MRAID-compatible app or mobile site in addition to its own network of over 1,000 publishers.