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When the U.S. Department of Justice decided a week ago not to stand in the way of Expedia’s acquisition of Orbitz Worldwide, the DOJ cited Google’s hotel and flight products as a sign that new players are emerging to ensure a competitive market.
Right on cue, Google announced a series of moves this week to ramp up its hotel advertising and booking features.
And you can bet that similar initiatives to enhance booking flights on Google can’t be far behind.
On the hotel front, Google killed its Hotel Finder site, launched in 2011, in favour of offering hotels from hotel websites and online travel agencies right in Google search. Google had been offering hotels both in its Google Hotel Finder site and in Google search but has decided the latter is the sleeker and more attractive experience.
This story was originally published on Skift and can be read in full here.


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Carbery reports strong results
Global food ingredients manufacturer Carbery Group reports a 22% rise in turnover in 2010, with revenues of £197 million (€224.3m). The group says it benefited from stronger consumer demand for nutritional-based food and beverages in key overseas markets, continued recovery of global dairy prices in 2010 and successful positioning in new regions.
“Carbery Group’s performance was extremely encouraging, generating a stronger EBIT relative to 2009,” says Carbery Group CEO Dan MacSweeney.
Carbery’s ingredients division comprises Synergy, an international flavours and savoury ingredients specialist, and a whey protein-based nutritional ingredients business. Both made a strong contribution to the increase in revenue and operating profit. Synergy delivered significant growth based on greater penetration in existing markets such as North America and Western Europe, continued gains in emerging markets in Asia and South America and successful new business development in sport nutrition and general nutrition.

domain: news


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Digital Ad Spending in U.S. to Surpass Television Spending in 2016
Magna Global lowers projections for overall U.S. ad market growth due to weak TV sales
Digital media ad revenue will surpass TV ad spending faster than expected, according to a new forecast from Magna Global.
The Interpublic-owned media buying and research firm projects digital media in the U.S. will overtake television as the biggest media category next year—a year earlier than previously expected – with $66 billion in revenue. That shift is a “powerful symbol” for the future of the U.S. ad market, said Magna Global’s director of global forecasting, Vincent Letang. Digital media is already the biggest media type in several Western European countries as well as in China.
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Rumors have surfaced today that the companies who own the remnants of the Toys "Я" Us brand are attempting to bring stores back in time for Christmas this year. While no one from TRU has confirmed the rumor, at least one toy company has gone on record to say they have been pitched on the planned return.
The idea is that the new "Я" Us locations would be about 10,000 sq. ft. (a third of the size of the old stores - so think... local TV/appliance store size, maybe?) and would possibly sell toys on a consignment model, where companies wouldn't be paid unless things actually sold - so don't expect a lot of big sales or clearance prices. It's also likely some companies would be hesitant to work with TRU again, considering the money they would have lost when the store went out of business last year.
For now, we're excited about the return, but we'll believe it when we see it.


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Starbucks rolls out a more personalized mobile app along with a revamped Rewards program
by Sarah Perez for techcrunch.com
Starbucks this morning announced the overall of its mobile application, now used by 17 million people, in an effort to create a more personalized experience for its customers. The changes rolled out alongside an overhaul of the company’s popular customer loyalty program, Starbucks Rewards, which is now doling out stars based on dollars spent in stores, rather than how often customers make purchases.
The changes to the rewards program are already receiving some backlash from consumers who are complaining about how much harder it is to earn free rewards. Customers now earn two stars for every dollar spent, instead of one star per visit. That means they have to earn 125 stars (~$63) to reach a free reward, when before it just took 12.
It also will require more spending to level up in between the different reward program tiers, which have been reduced from three to two: Green and Gold. Now, customers will need to earn 300 stars to move from Green to Gold, for example.
Other tweaks include the addition of double-star days (4 stars per $1 spent), and a series of strategic partnerships with technology companies including Spotify and Lyft, which will allow customers to earn stars outside of Starbucks. JPMorgan Chase, which powers the Starbucks Rewards prepaid card, will also be involved.
This is a significant overhaul to Starbucks’ loyalty program, which is seen as one of the industry’s best in terms of traction, growth, and its embrace of technology innovations. Starbucks popularized using barcode scanners in its stores to track its customers’ visits and purchases first with plastic cards, and then with smartphones. Its mobile payments platform was adopted well before mainstream advances in mobile payments, like Apple Pay or Square.
Now the company is pushing forward with a Mobile Order & Pay solution that lets customers skip the line by ordering ahead. And it’s experimenting with a delivery servicein partnership with Postmates.
The Starbucks mobile app, and the company’s focus on making technology a priority, has had a lot to do with the success of its loyalty program as a whole, as well as the company’s bottom line. The company said this fall that mobile payments accounted for 20 percent of all in-store transactions across the U.S., and Starbucks processes nearly nine million mobile transactions each week.
However, the Starbucks’ app’s focus, to date, has been largely on helping customers find stores, manage their cards, order and pay. That’s now changing.
While one of the notable upgrades is the integration of Mobile Order & Pay with Starbucks Rewards (before, members couldn’t redeem rewards when placing mobile orders), the more noticeable change is to the app’s homepage.
Following the update, customers will now see an interactive stars display which responds to users’ touches, along with other changes designed to make it easier to track stars and reward levels. Another section shows what’s “Now Playing” in the local store the customer is visiting. As you may recall, Starbucks was already working with Spotify to enhance the app experience when it comes to music – in January, it began allowing customers to save songs heard in-store to the popular music streaming service.
Music will now be better highlighted in the new app, along with guest DJ playlists, says Starbucks.
The app will also began to feature personalized offers based on order history and other factors, and it will introduce more personalized content and features from its strategic partners in the near future, the company says. In addition, Starbucks will allow customers to earn stars outside of Starbucks stores.
These changes speak to Starbucks becoming a larger player in the mobile loyalty and commerce ecosystem as a whole.
Starbucks says the changes may create slower app functionality or stars credited over the next 48 hours as the updated experience rolls out, but it doesn’t believe the majority of customers will be negatively affected by the upgrade.
First appeared at Techcrunch.com


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CLAIM: Colloidal silver products can help prevent or protect against the new coronavirus from China.
AP’S ASSESSMENT: The silver solution has no known benefit in the body when ingested, according to officials with the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, a federal scientific research agency.
Colloidal silver is made up of silver particles suspended in a liquid, and has often has often been falsely peddled as a miracle solution to boost the immune system and cure diseases. Social media users have most recently linked it to products to address the new virus that emerged from China. But experts have long said that the solution has no known function or benefits. “There are no complementary products, such as colloidal silver or herbal remedies, that have been proven effective in preventing or treating this disease (COVID-19), and colloidal silver can have serious side effects,” Dr. Helene Langevin, director for the NCCIH.
The FDA has taken action against companies promoting colloidal silver products with misleading claims. The NCCIH says colloidal silver has the power to turn skin blue when silver builds up in the body’s tissue. In 2002, The Associated Press reported that the skin of a Libertarian Senate candidate in Montana turned blue-gray after taking too much colloidal silver. The candidate, Stan Jones, made the solution himself and began taking it in 1999 to prepare for Y2K disruptions, according to the report.
On Wednesday, televangelist Jim Bakker interviewed a guest on his show who promoted silver solution products, claiming the substance had been tested on previous coronavirus strains and eliminated them in hours. She said it had not been tested on the new coronavirus. As the guest spoke, ads ran on the screen for items like a “Cold & Flu Season Silver Sol” collection for $125. Bakker did not immediately return a request for comment.
Coronavirus is a broad name for a family of viruses including SARS, severe acute respiratory syndrome. As of Friday, China had reported 63,851 confirmed cases on the mainland, with 1,380 deaths.
This is part of The Associated Press' ongoing effort to fact-check misinformation that is shared widely online, including work with Facebook to identify and reduce the circulation of false stories on the platform.


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The North Yorkshire company that produces Fab ice lollies has been snapped up by a French private equity group.
The strawberry, vanilla and chocolate lolly, topped with its trademark multicoloured sugar strands, dates to the 1960s and is made by R&R Ice Cream, one of the biggest ice cream suppliers in Europe. On Monday the firm, which also makes Nestlé ice cream, Ribena lollies and owns the Lyons Maid brand, was bought by PAI Partners for €850m (£714m) in a deal aimed at expanding the firm's overseas business.
It is the second major investment by the group in the UK after it bought McVities, Twiglets and Jaffa Cake maker United Biscuits in 2006.
R&R has been owned by rival private equity group Oaktree Capital since 2006 but last October bosses suggested they were exploring options to quit. The deal will be financed by a controversial £213m five-year high-interest payment-in-kind note, where interest repayments roll up and are due in one lump sum at the end of the loan period. This type of debt was popular before the 2008 financial crisis, but contributed to the downfall of clothing retailer Peacocks.
R&R, which can trace its roots back to 1932, reported full-year sales of around €600m in 2012.
Colm O'Sullivan at PAI said: "R&R is a market-leading company with a strong portfolio of innovative products and excellent potential to expand in the UK and internationally. The food and consumer brands sector is a core area of investment focus and expertise for PAI and we are delighted to be investing in R&R. We look forward to working closely with the company's management and supporting the company's continued growth."
It is the latest high profile sale of a signature UK brand to an overseas buyer in recent years. Last October, Branston Pickle was bought by a 200-year-old Japanese vinegar manufacturer, Mizkan Group, for £92.5m from Premier Foods, which also off-loaded Hartley's jam, Gale's honey and Sun-Pat peanut butter to US firm Hain Celestial for £200m.
Weetabix, which also makes Alpen and Ready Brek breakfast cereals, sold a majority stake to Chinese business Bright Foods last year, and in 2010 US food giant Kraft bought Cadbury's in an £11.9bn hostile takeover.


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virtualization.info already revealed that VMware is going to release this December its new and much expected Infrastructure 3.5 (formerly 3.1), the commercial name for ESX Server 3.5 and VirtualCenter 2.5 bundle.
Most customers are eagerly waiting to access the bits because of many improvements and major new features, but don’t hope to have the product before the last day of the year.
Against forecasts anyway, VMware may release today, announcing availability at the Lehman Brothers Annual Technology Conference, where Diane Green, company president, will perform the presentation.
A further hint comes from some online magazines which published an article about VI 3.5 release yesterday, way too ahead of time for a Dec 31 launch date.
Diane Greene keynote is set for today at 7.30am (PST) and can be watched live here.
Update: As readers probably saw by themselves Diane Greene didn’t launch VI3.5 today as speculated.
virtualization.info has learned that the definitive launch date is set somewhere in the Dec. 6-11 week.


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Tokyo has once again become the center of a world-wobbling virtual financial crisis. Let me emphasize the word virtual. That’s because the world’s best-known and perhaps largest exchange of the virtual currency known as bitcoin — Mt. Gox, located in Tokyo’s Shibuya district — appeared to have all but collapsed last week.
And with that exchange out of operation, uncountable amounts of wealth are now missing.
The Japanese government, which has until recently paid little attention to bitcoin or its largest exchange, has expressed concern and appears to be chewing over the matter.
What are bitcoins? A bitcoin is a virtual currency that is produced by the Bitcoin computer program. The program was released in 2009 by a computer genius who has used the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto.
Who is that? I suspect he is the cyber equivalent of Mr. Kobayashi in the film “The Usual Suspects” — but these days he seems a lot closer to Kobayashi Maru. (If you don’t understand the oblique reference, watch some more “Star Trek.”)
The bitcoin program runs on the computers of anyone who joins up, and it is supposedly set to release currency only in regular increments. Bitcoin can be moved between digital wallets using secret passwords. The codes are supposedly extremely heavily encrypted and uncrackable. Bitcoin advocates see it as a revolutionary new way of moving money around the world. Critics have viewed it as pyramid scheme or a huge opportunity for investment fraud and/or money laundering.
For those of you who are not into finance, which includes me, you can look at the trade in bitcoin as something akin to foreign-currency trading — or gambling.
The value of bitcoin fluctuates tremendously. It reached a peak of $1,200 and is now floating at around $500. If you buy low and sell high, there’s a lot of money to be made. The same thing can be done with yen to some degree — especially if you know when Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is planning to visit Yasukuni Shrine or new NHK President Katsuto Momii feels moved to make another crazy remark. (Hint: Sell your yen before either of those occurrences.)
Mt. Gox was founded in 2009 as a trading-card exchange before, from the following year, it became a major bitcoin exchange.
Up to 70 percent of the world’s bitcoin trades went through the site at its peak. On Feb. 23, the current CEO, Mark Karpeles, quit the board of the Bitcoin Foundation, which oversees and develops the virtual currency. Shortly afterward, while rumors proliferated that several hundred million dollars had been hacked out of Mt. Gox’s accounts, the site simply shut down.
Millions of dollars worth of currency is now lost (temporarily, or not) in cyberspace. Thus bitcoin has became a “bit” of a headache for the Japanese government. Top government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said the authorities — including the police and the Financial Services Agency — were collecting information on the bitcoin trade in Japan and considering regulatory action.
However, within the FSA there is considerable skepticism. One senior official said, off the record, “It’s like regulating Pokemon cards. People think they have value and they buy and sell them. If someone wants to pay ¥700,000 for a zebra-striped Pikachu, that’s their choice. Bitcoin isn’t a real currency and thus it’s not really under our jurisdiction.”
While no one is accusing Mt. Gox or its CEO of fraud, there have been cases of virtual currency being the center of criminal investigations in the not-so-distant past. In March 2010, the Tokyo-based founder of the bankrupted L&G K.K., who promoted the use of its “enten” quasi-currency in a fraud scheme, was sentenced to 18 years in prison for swindling investors. The entire scam was estimated to have totaled more than ¥500 billion in damages. One way the firm collected funds was by issuing its own enten currency, which they claimed could be used at company-sponsored bazaars nationwide and on the Internet. However, that currency was issued in exchange for investing in the company — hence enten and bitcoin aren’t quite the same thing.
If the Mt. Gox money has been stolen then that would be a crime — but the management would be the victims, not criminals. If the money was siphoned off intentionally, or if the firm was doing transactions knowing they were going to go under, they could be involved in fraud. Right now, no one seems to know what’s going on.
Of course, this isn’t exactly the first time billions of yen have just vanished into thin air from a financial institution in Tokyo.
The FSA noticed in 2012 that AIJ Investment Advisers, a pension-fund manager, had somehow lost about $2 billion. Poof! And that was a firm under FSA supervision. To top it off, for years before they took action, the FSA had received numerous complaints about the firm.
So do please forgive me if I don’t think Japanese government intervention will make bitcoin exchanges any safer to use.
In 2012, by the way, MRI International — an asset management firm with an office in Tokyo and mostly Japanese clients — was investigated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on suspicion of defrauding its customers of ¥130 billion. Thank goodness the company was registered in Las Vegas or the FSA would have looked like they were asleep at the wheel . . . again.
Despite skepticism about bitcoin, some casinos in the United States accept bitcoin payments — as do some Tokyo restaurants. Until the implosion of Mt. Gox, bitcoin seemed to be moving toward becoming an accepted currency. And while the problem is big, it will not necessarily put an end to bitcoin trading or use in Japan.
Traci Consoli, the American manager of Tokyo restaurant and event space The Pink Cow, has not been dissuaded. “We will absolutely continue to accept bitcoins,” Consoli said. “Just because we made the mistake of going with one company who structured their business badly doesn’t mean bitcoin overall is not a good thing. I had friends who lost most of their life savings in the subprime crash, and that was entirely regulated. It can happen. We’ll continue to redeem it.”
This column is written days in advance of publication, so perhaps by the time you’re reading this, Mt. Gox will be back online.
Perhaps their clients will have their virtual money back in their virtual wallets — or perhaps they will have cashed it in for cold hard yen. Somehow, I feel that probably won’t be the case.
Personally, I’m going to start asking The Japan Times to pay me with bags of rice. That’s a currency I know will be good for at least a few months.
Update: Mt. Gox filed for bankruptcy protection in Japan on Friday.
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By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.


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By Alex Irish / February 1st, 2019
Japanese business newspaper Nikkei reports that Nintendo is considering the sale of a smaller Nintendo Switch redesign for release in their fiscal year 2019. Such a redesign they say is to focus on the Switch’s handheld form and the removal of certain features. The small redesign would also reportedly feature a slimmer frame and improved battery life.
Previously, Nintendo CEO Shuntaro Furukawa outright stated in an interview that there were no plans for a Switch redesign in the future, nor a price drop. The Nikkei has a long track record of Nintendo rumors and reports, some accurate (the original 3DS XL) to false.
The ulterior motive for a smaller Switch would be to expand its audience in time for 2019’s new installments of Animal Crossing and Pokémon. A similar situation took place in 2013 when Nintendo happened to announce the cheaper-priced Nintendo 2DS in time for Pokémon X and Y, which launched at $130 in a slimmer form without stereoscopic 3D.
Nintendo has no response to Nikkei’s report at this time, so this firmly falls into rumor territory.


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Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) today announced it has joined the Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP). TI will continue to develop new bqTESLA wireless power receiver and transmitter integrated circuits that comply with existing and future versions of the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) Qi standard, and also create products that support the A4WP magnetic resonance specification.
"TI is actively bringing advanced wireless power capabilities to the market," said Sami Kiriaki, senior vice president of TI Power Management. "The WPC Qi specification is clearly the standard for wireless power today, and there is an emerging trend toward loosely coupled technologies - something both WPC and A4WP are exploring. We believe that working closely with both initiatives will help us continue to lead in wireless power."
Organized in April, A4WP is a group of electronics companies, including Samsung, Qualcomm and others, focused on advancing the field of wireless power by delivering a specification that permits spatial freedom. The group officially released its A4WP specification, which is based on loosely coupled magnetic resonance technology, to simultaneously charge smartphones and other portable electronics with different power requirements.
TI is making wireless power a reality
Wireless power is an emerging technology that creates a better charging experience for consumers, just as Wi-Fi replaced the need to use an Ethernet cable for Internet connectivity. TI's advanced receiver and transmitter integrated circuits, such as the recently announced bq51050B single-chip wireless power receiver with integrated charger and bq500410A 3-coil transmitter, are making wireless power a reality. As the leading provider of power management ICs, including battery management and power supply technology, TI relies on its power design expertise to drive innovations in wireless charging. For samples and bqTESLA development kits, visit: http://www.ti.com/wirelesspower-pr
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The lore from the galaxy far, far away that we all love is about to expand even further. As per Lucasfilm and Disney, around 11 new shows and six new movies will be released over the next few years. The Clone Wars: The Bad Batch is the closest from the bunch to being released as it is set to premiere on May 4th (ironic), with The Book of Boba Fett likely coming out this December.
The new wave of Star Wars content is a stark contrast to what their fans are used to. There was 16 years between the release of Episode VI: Return of the Jedi and Episode I: The Phantom Menace and ten between the release of Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and Episode VII: The Force Awakens. Now, within the span of probably five years, we’ll get a handful of movies and an abundance of new shows. I refrain from guaranteeing that timeline of five years because only a Sith deals in absolutes.
The most notable of the shows set to release (aside from The Bad Batch) is Star Wars: Ahsoka and Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi. The first will follow Anakin Skywalker’s former padawan, Ahsoka Tano on her adventure through the galaxy at around the same time as Din Djarin’s feature in The Mandalorian. The latter will take place 10 years after the events of Revenge of the Sith and will feature both Hayden Christensen and Ewan McGregor returning to their former characters.
While television shows are fantastic, it was on the big screen that Star Wars truly shined in the beginning. The most notable new addition to the line of Star Wars movies is Rian Johnson’s untitled trilogy that will, “introduce new characters from a corner of the galaxy that Star Wars lore has never before explored” as Lucasfilm announced back in 2017. Johnson was the writer-director for Episode VIII: The Last Jedi; the worst-rated Star Wars movie with an audience approval rating of 42 percent. The next closest movie was Episode II: Attack of the Clones with a 56 percent approval rating.
Many Star Wars fans are upset that Johnson will be at the reins for the franchise’s next trilogy instead of, who many claim to be, better choices such as Dave Filoni, Jon Favreu, and J.J. Abrams. While that is up to debate, one thing that is not is the significance of Kevin Feige directing a new movie alongside Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy. Feige is the uber-producer and head of Marvel Studios, the largest grossing movie franchise of all-time, valued at around $22.5 billion dollars. Star Wars is second at $10.3 billion. It’s over Star Wars, Marvel has the high ground!
If you’re like me, just watching Star Wars isn’t enough. I want to be a part of the galaxy. That’s why Lucasfilm Games purchasing exclusive rights to producing Star Wars video games is such a big deal. No company outside of Electronic Arts (EA) has produced a Star Wars video game since Disney acquired Lucasfilm in 2012, and during those eight years, the results have been… questionable. The most notable blemish on EA’s track record in that span of time is their treatment of Star Wars Battlefront II. In what seemed like a promising sequel to Star Wars Battlefront (2015 release), fans were instead greeted with paywalls and a “pay-to-win” system.
Even though EA rebounded by tearing down those walls and adding long-awaited content from the Clone Wars era, the ball was eventually dropped as they decided to cut off support abruptly late 2020 even though the game was flourishing.
Lucasfilm Games hopes to do its longtime franchise justice by creating video games fans around the world can enjoy for years to come. The most notable announcement they’ve made thus far is something fans have been practically begging for: an open-world game. What’s even better? This project will be in collaboration with Ubisoft; one of the best in the business at creating open-world games. The most notable titles to come from Ubisoft are Tom Clancy’s The Division 2, Assassin’s Creed, Watch Dogs, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six Siege.
In short: Star Wars’ future has never been brighter. To quote the beloved Anakin Skywalker… “This is where the fun begins.”


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Retailer Cameraworld has announced two free shows which are coming up later this year. The first is on Thursday, 2 August at Brands Hatch and the other is on Saturday, 27 October at 155 Bishopsgate. The first of these is offering live racing photo sessions, seminars and workshops in addition to the opportunity to look at the latest gear and purchase at discounted prices. The second is a repeat of a similar event held at the same venue last year and will probably be more of a trade show.
More details are on the Cameraworld website: https://www.cameraworld.co.uk/live
Details and discussion for any up-coming outings, exhibitions, or general photographic events.
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It looks like a remastered version of Dead Island could be on its way to PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
South African retailer loot.co.za has posted a listing for Dead Island: Definitive Edition. However, short of the name itself, the page has no information as to what would make the edition definitive, or if it will have any discernible differences from the original whatsoever.
Dead Island was originally released back in 2011, and has since spawned an expansion in Dead Island: Riptide, and a spin-off in Escape Dead Island. A sequel titled Dead Island 2 was announced during Sony’s E3 press conference in 2014, but has since run into trouble after developer YAGER was removed from the project.


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After three years, South African Airways (SAA) has finally released its new business class seat aboard their A330-300s, and it’s slicker than ever.
Kim Thipe, head of marketing at SAA, said: “We wanted to create a strong identity that was both reflective of South Africa’s rich cultural heritage and designed to appeal to both domestic and international passengers”.
So what does this new design feature and look like?
(Video source: Head for Points / YouTube)
The interiors have been designed with warm, neutral colors and finishes that have a relaxed yet elegant feel. The seats are upholstered and convert into a fully-flat bed with a seat pitch of 73 inches and a width of 23.7 inches.
Each seat comes with a 15-inch entertainment touch-screen, offering you hundreds of movies, shows, games and music to keep you busy for the entire duration of your flight.
The designers made sure that each seat offers more privacy than their older designs, all with direct aisle access. Goodbye, middle seat!
The seat comes equipped with a wireless headset, a storage area for your personal devices such as your cell phone, tablet and laptop, AC and USB power sockets, reading light and seat controls—all within hand’s reach. There’s even a stowage area for smaller and more valuable items like your watch, rings, wallet and more, which you can hide away from sight. And to keep everything as efficient as possible, a cocktail table has been flawlessly fused with the rest of the seat.
Although this is a big win for the airline, which was overdue for an upgrade, a spokesman for SAA stated, “the new (A330) seats won’t be installed in other aircraft.”


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|Lenovo announced the Lenovo Skylight, the first ARM-based processor smartbook device based on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon™ chipset platform. Skylight harnesses the best of smartphones and netbooks to create a new mobile consumer device. With an eye-catching sleek and slim design, all day battery life, robust wireless connectivity and custom interface with live web gadgets, Skylight is designed to transform the mobile Internet experience. The Skylight smartbook connects with AT&T 3G mobile broadband service in the U.S.
“The web has become the window to the world for more and more people, helping them connect with friends and family across town or thousands of miles away,” said Peter Gaucher, executive director, Mobile Internet Product Management, Lenovo. “Skylight combines the long battery life and connectivity of a smartphone with the full web browsing and multimedia experience of a netbook to create one of the first devices in this developing smartbook category. Consumers want choices. They can now choose from a full portfolio of Lenovo mobile consumer devices including netbooks, smartbooks and laptops.”
Spring 2010 availability.


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SEATTLE — In the biggest shuffling of Microsoft’s executive ranks since the company’s new chief executive, Satya Nadella, took over, Mark Penn, the former aide to the Clinton family, is becoming the company’s chief strategy officer.
The change will give Mr. Penn, who has been an executive vice president at Microsoft overseeing advertising and strategy, a bigger hand in determining which markets Microsoft should be in and where it should be making further investments, according to a person briefed on the change who spoke on the condition of anonymity because it had not been publicly announced.
Tami Reller, the company’s executive vice president for marketing, who shared leadership of advertising and marketing at Microsoft, will leave the company, as will Tony Bates, Microsoft’s executive vice president of business development, this person said.
Mr. Bates, who joined Microsoft through its acquisition of the Skype Internet communications service in 2011, was among the candidates Microsoft’s board was considering to replace Steven A. Ballmer, its previous chief executive. Since the job went to Mr. Nadella, Mr. Bates’s departure was widely expected.
Frank Shaw, a Microsoft spokesman, declined to comment. ReCode, a technology news site, earlier reported news of the executive changes at Microsoft.
Mr. Penn’s new role at Microsoft is the most surprising, given his background as a political operative and pollster who built his reputation in the other Washington — D.C., not Washington State, where Microsoft is based. While a polarizing figure within Microsoft, as in politics, he became a trusted adviser to Mr. Ballmer, and now is poised to do the same for Mr. Nadella.
It was not immediately clear whether the new job was a promotion for Mr. Penn since he will no longer oversee Microsoft’s huge advertising budget. That responsibility will go to Chris Capossela, a longtime Microsoft executive who has been managing its relationship with retailers and distributors, the person briefed on the executive changes said.
Some of Mr. Penn’s work at Microsoft has been criticized by people within the company and in the tech industry, especially a negative advertising campaign aimed at Google. The “Scroogled” campaign, as it is known, has sought to raise privacy and other concerns about Google. While many pundits have derided the campaign as sour grapes, Mr. Penn’s supporters within Microsoft say they have data showing it has been effective.
At Microsoft, Mr. Penn has continued to poll consumers, as he did in his previous career, to help shape the company’s messaging. Mr. Penn helped conceive another, more acclaimed advertisement that ran during the Super Bowl, which features examples of technology empowering people with various disabilities.


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App simplifying use of digital ID launched
Ljubljana, 29 December - The eOsebna mobile app, which simplifies the use of the digital identity card, is available as of Thursday on the Google Play and App Stores. The mobile app is used to identify oneself when using online services and to manage the ID passwords, the Ministry of Public Administration said.
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The basic idea of raising export duty was to discourage exports of the raw material and conserve them for future use, the official said.
“The consumer base using arecanut is so large that duty increase will not affect the demand."
"We have urged the government to continue excise duty exemption on branded garments for healthy growth of the organised sector."
Premium petrol could cost less if the government’s proposal to reduce excise duty on it by over Rs 5 per litre is implemented.
The decision comes barely a day after FM proposed 'sin tax' and announced increase in excise duty on cigarettes in the range of 11 to 72 per cent.
The Finance Ministry has written to Oil Ministry seeking its view on raising excise duty on unbranded diesel, a senior finance ministry official said.
The country's sugar production is expected to 24.3 million tonnes in 2013-14, as against 25.1 million tonnes in the last year.
Auto: Change method of calculating excise duty


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eWeLink Matter device showcased by Amazon on The Connectivity Standards Alliance’s Matter Launch Event, with Amazon’s Frustration-Free Setup feature supported.
Matter is officially released! The first batch of eWeLink supported Matter products will be unveiled soon
With the joint promotion of Google, Apple, Amazon, SmartThings, and many other Matter players including “eWeLink”, Matter may become one of the biggest drivers of the future “new era” of IoT.
Apple WWDC 2022 kicked off on June 6, 2022, as expected Apple reveals plenty of NEWS at this event, including new hardware products, and launch updates to all of its platforms, iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS. The most eye-catching part of WWDC 2022 revolves around Matter, with eWeLink’s debut as a partner of Matter.
CoolKit, as the authoritative solution provider in the field of smart home, officially rolls out a new solution based on Google Wi-Fi Seamless Setup.
eWeLink became one of the Authorized Solution Providers of Google Assistant.
eWeLink has obtained the Work with SmartThings (WWST) certificate and is paving the way for a quick path for certification.
eWeLink announced the incorporation of Alexa FFS technology for eWeLink Support products to improve the user experience of smart home devices.
eWeLink announced the incorporation of Alexa FFS(Frustration-Free Setup) technology to improve the user experience of smart home devices.


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May 27 - June 1. Not a lot happened this week.
- Gaming disorder is now a mental disease according to WHO
The World Health Organization has now declared gaming disorder as a mental health issue. This move came after the organization adopted the 11th revision of its International Classification of Diseases. With numerous reports of suicide & crime related to gaming (specially PUBG) in India, its high time parents, adults and the players themselves take note of this announcement seriously.
Source: Android Authority
2. Convert any of photo of data into an excel sheet
Microsoft just announced its brand new tool that can convert any photo of data into rows and columns of Excel sheet. This new tool is built into the mobile application of MS Excel. Check out this article by CNET on how to do so.
3. Redmi K20 launched in China, coming soon to India
After much heavy teasing, Xiaomi has finally launched the Redmi K20 in China. There are two variants - the regular K20 with Snapdragon 730 and then we have the K20 Pro which Xiaomi touts as the cheapest phone to have Snapdragon 855. Both of the variants have an all-screen display with pop-up selfie camera and a gorgeous finish at the back.
Source: India Today
4. OnePlus 7 sale begins in India
The 7 is a much better proposition that the 7 Pro, even much more now than ever before.
Any important news I missed this week? Let me know in the comments below.


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Air Nonetheless Leaking From Iss After Failed Try To Seal The Crack
Hacked EA recordsdata allegedly stolen almost two months ago — together with FIFA 21source code — had been apparently released on the Dark Web following a failure to extort Electronic Arts for their return. Roblox is doubtless considered one of the world’s largest gaming platforms, with greater than 37 million every day users. It permits creators to develop their own games inside the company’s universe, which can be monetised via microtransactions between gamers using the company’s digital foreign money, Robux. Cheat-makers accessing the source code for a recreation or engine could have a field day figuring out the way to work around any anti-cheat strategies built into the engine. This is the most recent leak of knowledge from my phone, which was on the same day as my “death,” however at a different time.
Popular platform says it has refused to satisfy calls for of hackers who leaked info on avid gamers. I realized that the cloud was actually a leak of data from my phone. I assume the larger point is that EA is THE basic hated firm within the online game world. It’s unsurprising that a disgruntled worker or former employee would leak this for causes having extra to do with revenge.
I was the one individual that was working late that day, and I had spent lots of time going over the deal with them. I was feeling stressed, and I didn’t even know what a failure meant. I should have seen the “failure” as an opportunity, but instead I just felt like a failure. Catalin Cimpanu is a cybersecurity reporter for The Record. He previously labored at ZDNet and Bleeping Computer, the place he became a widely known name in the trade for his fixed scoops on new vulnerabilities, cyberattacks, and legislation enforcement actions in opposition to hackers. I can solely think about the source code comments …properly, if EA even allows inner builders to ACKNOWLEDGE flaws in frostbite.
I was told by somebody who has it that it is a widespread downside that occurs all the time. The purpose that the “leak” occurs isn’t because the cellphone tusimple 1.3b 8b is getting infected but that the phone and laptop are getting infected. When your telephone gets contaminated, it doesn’t want the cloud to get contaminated.
Initially, the hackers leaked 1.3GB of the supply code to FIFA on July 14, followed by the discharge of the entire set two weeks later. However, the group has confirmed that user knowledge was not compromised, and so, participant privacy should not be at risk. Gaming big Electronic Arts was hacked last month, when a gaggle of hackers had stolen treasured supply codes for some well-known labels, amongst other things.
The hackers, who breached EA in June, have released the complete cache of stolen information on an underground cybercrime forum on July 26, in accordance with a report from The Record. The data has since been distributed on numerous torrent websites. This occurred after EA refused to pay the ransom the hackers demanded. The dumped files are being reported to have contained the supply code for EA’s FIFA 21 soccer recreation. “Following the incident, we’ve already made security enhancements and don’t count on an impression on our video games or our enterprise,” an EA spokesperson advised The Record.
I’m certain if the hackers got away with the source code to the server-side software program, even for a load of legacy video games, there can be 12 pages of replies. I don’t suppose people will get too excited anymore concerning the source code to a sport anymore however having the ability to run your personal server and revive legacy video games, that might be. Meanwhile, EA itself has stated that it has amped up the safety surrounding its video games and codes, and has added that it doesn’t anticipate the incident to have any important bearing on its enterprise. A felony investigation is still happening, and the corporate is “actively working with law enforcement officials” for a similar.
The information was concerning the amount of occasions I used my phone within the final three days. It was a approach to see what quantity of times I’ve used it up to now three days, and to see which apps had been more than likely to be on the go on the time I died. People–programmers and companies alike–tend to suppose of their source code as their major business asset, the lifeblood of their firm. The real lifetime of a company is wrapped up in its folks, and the relationships they’ve constructed with different people and different corporations. You can steal the code, but when you don’t know tips on how to run a business based on that code, you’re going nowhere.


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Bill Gates Describes Microsoft's Early Smartphone Efforts as "Clearly a Mistake"
February 18, 2013 3:10 PM
comment(s) - last by
The Windows Mobile era took a heavy toll on Microsoft's mobile efforts
In a new candid interview with CBS Corp.'s (
) titular station, Microsoft Corp. (
) co-founder and
Bill Gates discusses his
struggles in the mobile era
. Microsoft today accounts for less than 5 percent of the smartphone market, according to most estimates.
For a time, Microsoft
held nearly a quarter
of the fledgling smartphone market (circa 2004). But it failed to keep up with rivals like Google Inc. (
) and Apple, Inc. (
), sticking for years with the increasingly dated Windows Mobile platform. In November 2010, Microsoft launched
a new operating system
, Windows Phone, which was ambitious but lacked strong third-party hardware support. Today Microsoft is still struggling to sell the market on its latest mobile OS --
Windows Phone 8
Bill Gates in the interview calls Microsoft's former cellphone strategy "clearly a mistake", remarking, "There's a lot of things like cellphones where we didn't get out in the lead early. We didn't miss cellphones, but the way that we went about it didn't allow us to get the leadership."
The tech icon says that both he and current CEO (
and close friend
) Steve Ballmer are both incredibly "self-critical". He comments, "He [Ballmer] and I are not satisfied that in terms of breakthrough things that we're doing everything possible."
Steve Ballmer's company has struggled in the mobile era, since Mr. Gates' retirement.
[Image Source: SFGate]
Mr. Gates expressed confidence, though, that it's not too late for Microsoft to claw its way to a significant mobile market share. He's
a big fan of Windows 8 and Microsoft's Surface tablet
Microsoft is reportedly aiming to
unify the Windows and Windows Phone platforms
under one consistent set of mostly overlapping APIs and user interface themes, to allow users to feel more comfortable with both form factors, and to help developers save time deploying cross-platform apps. The first unified release, Windows Blue, may land late this summer.
The revisions are also accompanied with some big leadership change. Windows President Steven Sinofsky was
new rising stars are taking his place
at the company. Some investors have
called on CEO Ballmer to step down
, but for now Mr. Ballmer is
in the top spot,
vocal as ever
This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled
RE: Windows 8 Phone is great
2/19/2013 4:12:05 PM
Man. WP8 was released end of 2012. You think stats for whole 2012 are really realistic way to look at WP8 adoption?
RE: Windows 8 Phone is great
2/19/2013 5:01:14 PM
Very funny. The stats are for WP7 and WP8
WP8 did not come out of nowhere. Microsoft is in the smartphone business for 10 years now.
I've already seen the 'with WP7 it will be differnt'-hype, then the 'with WP7.5 and Nokia it will be different'-hype and the 'with WP8 it will be differnt'-hype.
So now I should believe the 'wait until WP8 gains traction'-hype?
I give you a clue: MS' current strategy does not work. Marketshare in the low single digits for 2 years in a row is nothing to brag about for a company like Microsoft.
Perhaps they can come up with a sane strategy, but MS has not much time left. I#d hurry.
"I'm an Internet expert too. It's all right to wire the industrial zone only, but there are many problems if other regions of the North are wired." -- North Korean Supreme Commander Kim Jong-il
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The “Internet of Things” was a major focus at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, with virtually every company introducing more connected devices. This is for good reason, as a report from last December said the Internet of Things industry would be worth $309 billion by 2020. That’s just the tip of the iceberg, though, according to Cisco CEO John Chambers. More →
Networking company Cisco estimates that Internet traffic will grow three-fold between 2012 and 2017 to reach an annual run rate of 1.4 zettabytes, more than a trillion gigabytes per year. The firm expects traffic to reach nearly 121 exabytes per month by 2017 — equal to 30 billion DVDs, 28 trillion MP3′s or 750 quadrillion text messages — and an increase from 44 exabytes per month in 2012. Roughly 3.6 billion people worldwide are expected to access the Internet by 2017, or around 48% of the world’s projected population. In 2012, 2.3 billion people worldwide used the Internet, accounting for nearly 32% of the world’s 7.2 billion people. Cisco also estimates that the average fixed broadband speed will more than double from 11.3Mbps in 2012 to 39Mbps in 2017. Unsurprisingly, non-PC Internet traffic is expected to reach 49% in 2017, up from 26% in 2012.
It’s not often that we hear speculation about wireless carriers actually charging customers less for wireless data services, but Cisco CEO John Chambers seems to think that it’s really going to happen in the near future. AllThingsD reports that Chambers told the D: All Things Digital conference on Wednesday that new developments in wireless transport will let carriers aggressively lower their prices as expansions in Wi-Fi capabilities will help absorb increased traffic from wireless devices over the next several years. More →
It seems that Cisco’s (CSCO) efforts to hit back at patent trolls have hit a potentially fatal roadblock. Although the networking equipment vendor last year decided to go on offense against firms that buy patents in bulk and sue other companies for infringement despite not making any products of their own, the Wall Street Journal reports that a federal court has shot down one of Cisco’s first major attempts to go after an alleged patent troll. According to the Journal, U.S. District Judge James F. Holderman this week “that the aggressive licensing strategy used by [patent holding firm] Innovatio IP Ventures LLC against Cisco customers is protected by the U.S. Constitution.” More →
Cisco (CSCO) recently released its new 2012-2017 mobile data growth projections and the numbers seem strong. The company is calling for 66% compound average growth between 2012 and 2017, leading to 7.4 exabytes per month in 2016 and 11.2 exabytes per month in 2017. These are impressive numbers, but they are far below what Cisco projected last year. In its 2011-2016 projection, Cisco was calling for 78% annual growth leading to 10.8 exabyte per month mobile data volume in 2016. More →
Cisco (CSCO) is finished messing around with pointless patent litigation. The Wall Street Journal reports that Cisco has decided to go on offense against firms that purchase patents in bulk and sue other companies for infringement despite not making any products of their own by flat-out accusing them of breaking the law. According to the Journal, “the networking-equipment maker has captured the attention of patent experts and lawyers across the country by filing strongly worded legal claims against two companies that buy up patents and seek to make money from them through licensing and litigation.” More →
It didn’t take tech companies long to realize that nobody really wants an enterprise-centric tablet since tablets are just too gosh-darned fun to be larded up with all kinds of performance-degrading enterprise bloatware. While RIM’s BlackBerry PlayBook has traditionally been the poster boy for the perils of making an enterprise-centric tablet, Cisco also foolishly tried its hand at this endeavor when it announced the Cisco Cius back in 2010. Cisco wisely decided to kill of the Cius two weeks ago and now Network World reports that Cisco chief John Chambers admits the company should have cut its losses with the tablet at least nine months earlier. “Once you realize you’re not going to reach the volumes you need, you should just stop,” Chambers said. “We should have made our decision to exit the Cius market nine months ago.” More →
Although the average web user won’t notice a difference, Wednesday marks a major milestone in the history of the Internet. Several major ISPs and tech companies have officially enabled IPv6 addresses for their products and services, including AT&T, Google, Facebook, Cisco, Comcast and Yahoo. For the uninitiated, IPv6 is a next-generation Internet layer protocol that was designed by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) to create a virtually limitless number of new IP addresses once the world had run out of addresses on the most widely-used Internet layer protocol, IPv4. While IPv4 has a fixed limit of around 4 billion IP addresses, IPv6 has exponentially more, on the magnitude of around 340 billion billion billion billion (3.4×1038). At any rate, the Internet Society is hosting a virtual IPv6 launch party on Wednesday, complete with video tributes to the new protocol from tech bigwigs such as Cisco CEO John Chambers. More →
Global mobile data traffic is expected to increase 18-fold over the next five years to 10.8 exabytes per month according to Cisco’s Visual Networking Index Forecast (VNI). Cloud traffic is expected to account for 71%, or 7.6 exabytes per month, of total mobile data traffic by 2016. In 2011, cloud traffic accounted for only 45% of mobile data traffic, or 269 petabytes per month. It is projected that there will be more than 10 billion mobile Internet-connected devices in 2016, exceeding the world’s projected population of 7.3 billion individuals. The surge in smartphone adoption — which is expected to hit 8 billion in 2016 — is the core driver behing the massive mobile data growth expected in the coming years. From 2011 to 2016, Cisco estimates that global mobile data traffic will outgrow global fixed data traffic by three times. Read on for Cisco’s press release. More →
Apple has edged out IBM to become the top brand of 2011, according to an annual list from marketing strategy firm Davis Brand Capital. The Cupertino-based company ousted IBM, which topped the list in 2009 and 2010. Apple was previously ranked No.12 in 2009 and No.7 in 2010. Davis evaluates the top 25 brands annually using five categories that go beyond traditional marketing functions. “The annual 2011 Davis Brand Capital 25 ranking evaluates companies’ abilities to manage and balance the five key intangible categories that comprise brand capital: brand value; competitive performance; innovation strength; company culture; and social impact,” the company said in a press release. “The ranking does not aim to place a financial value on the brand capital of the companies. Rather, the list reveals the comparative strength and breadth of the companies’ brand capital.” As in previous years, the rankings were dominated by technology companies such as Google, Microsoft, HP, Cisco, Intel and Samsung. Read on for the complete list of Davis Brand Capital top 25. More →
Cisco announced on Tuesday that it will layoff 9% of its workforce, or 6,500 jobs, in an effort to boost profits. That figure is lower than original speculation that the company would cut 10,000 employees. Cisco made the move as part of an effort to cut $1 billion in annual costs while spurring profit growth, Bloomberg reported. 2,100 of the 6,500 employees have agreed to an early-retirement program. Additionally, Cisco plans to sell a Juarez, Mexico-based manufacturing facility to Foxconn. The move will transfer 5,000 workers elsewhere but will not result in job cuts. Earlier this year, the company laid-off 550 additional employees when it announced that it was killing off its Flip camera arm in an effort to restructure its consumer business. More →
Cisco could cut as many as 10,000 jobs — 14% of the company’s employees — in an effort to boost profits, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday. 3,000 Cisco employees accepted buyouts and early retirement packages, which will cost Cisco between $500 and $1.1 billion during the fourth quarter. While the layoff plans aren’t final, 7,000 more jobs could be cut by the end of August. The move comes as analysts predict that Cisco’s router and switches business will continue to slide into next year, and the company believes the job cuts could save it as much as $1 billion during 2012. “We will provide additional detail on the cost reductions, including layoffs, on our next earnings call,” Cisco spokesperson Karen Tillman said. The call is scheduled for early August. On April 12th, Cisco announced that it was restructuring its consumer business and killing off its Flip video camera arm. More →
Today, Cisco announced plans to restructure its business, noting that it will kill off parts of its consumer vertical in an effort to focus on core routing, switching and services, collaboration, architectures, and video. The Flip video camera line will be one casualty of the restructuring, although Cisco says that it will provide current FlipShare customers with a transition plan. The firm said it will also:
- Refocus Cisco’s Home Networking business for greater profitability and connection to the company’s core networking infrastructure as the network expands into a video platform in the home. These industry-leading products will continue to be available through retail channels.
- Integrate Cisco umi into the company’s Business TelePresence product line and operate through an enterprise and service provider go-to-market model, consistent with existing business TelePresence efforts.
- Assess core video technology integration of Cisco’s Eos media solutions business or other market opportunities for this business
“We are making key, targeted moves as we align operations in support of our network-centric platform strategy,” said John Chambers, Cisco chairman and CEO. “As we move forward, our consumer efforts will focus on how we help our enterprise and service provider customers optimize and expand their offerings for consumers, and help ensure the network’s ability to deliver on those offerings.” Hit the jump for the full release. More →


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Full Sail Brewing Co. promotes the responsible enjoyment of its products. If you are of legal drinking age, we welcome you to visit our website.
I AM 21 OR OLDER
We are so proud of the newest member of the Full Sail family. Session Black recently claimed a gold medal in the American-style dark lager category at the Brewers Association (BA) World Beer Cup® 2010, the world's largest-ever commercial beer competition. The prestigious event is a global beer competition that evaluates beers from around the world and recognizes the most outstanding beers being produced in the world today.
"After winning the gold medal at the Great American Beer Festival®, it is such a treat to go two for two and also win gold at the World Beer Cup®. We are thrilled that the judges recognized the balance and complexity in Session Black. With both Session and Session Black our brewers show that we can make beers that are easy to drink, but never at the expense of character," said Jamie Emmerson, Full Sail's Executive Brewmaster.
Session Black Lager, with its sophisticated grey label, is short, dark and totally drinkable. The initial tastes are a subtle balance of caramel and chocolate malt flavors with precise hopping to provide an elegant citrus background to the delicate finish of dark cocoa.
Gold, silver and bronze medals in the competition’s 90 beer-style categories were awarded April 10, 2010 during the World Beer Cup Gala Awards Dinner at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers in Chicago, Ill., U.S.A. World Beer Cup 2010 winners were selected by an international panel of 179 beer judges from 27 countries. An impressive field of 3,401 entries from 642 breweries in 44 countries made up the competition. More than 3,800 breweries in 100 countries were invited to compete.
Since its recent launch in July 2009, Session Black has been awarded four gold medals and was named “One of America’s Best Beers” by Men’s Journal Magazine. Click here for more on our awards.


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When the TV was first invented the evolution was very slow, but over the past few years’ things have moved up a gear. If you were to buy a TV now, chances are they will be out of date in three months times. When we were informed last year that new Sony TVs will have Google TV built in, we were a little surprised, but they now show promise.
The reason we say we were surprised was the fact that Google seems to be partnering with everyone, and we had expected the likes of Samsung to be offered it first, as they are the world’s number one in TV sales. Sony know that they have ground to make up, so the idea of the television and Internet together at last is exciting.
Whenever you think of a Sony TV the first things that come in to your head is BRAVIA, quality and price. Two of those you would not want the consumer electronics maker to change, but the latter they have been working on, and the results speak for themselves.
Having a TV powered by Google opens the device up to so much more, and this is seen as the biggest evolutionary step yet, and that’s without the range of 3D TVs that Sony also has on the market.
2011 will be a big year for Sony, as they plan to launch an assault on not only the TV market, but also other areas of consumer electronics products.
Prices start at just $599.99, for the 24-inch version of the Sony Google TV, up to $ 1,399 .9 for the 46-inch model. There will be new models coming to market, but we have not details as yet. read our previous post looks at all the current models of Sony Google TVs.
Things are not all good for Sony and their obsession with Google TV and 3D, as they still do not have access to Hulu Plus. One thing we do know, it is so nice to see Sony come back fighting, too long has the likes of Samsung and LG had the market to themselves. Yes the likes of Panasonic and Sharp have great TVs on the market, but no one innovates like Sony.
What would it take for you to buy a Sony Google TV?
*Identifying Monetised Links - outgoing links that we monetise are marked with an '*' symbol.


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Com2uS recently let known via the local media that its latest product, Summoners War: Chronicles, has achieved over 10 billion Korean Won (around 7.1 million US Dollars) in its first 27 days of domestic launch in South Korea. This result is said to be better than the original Summoners War game by 5 times.
Summoners War: Chronicles, the first MMORPG developed using the Summoners War IP, was launched on various platforms including PC and mobile. 37% of the revenue came from the local app store, ONE Store, and the PC version. The global version of Summoners War: Chronicles was previously scheduled to launch sometime this winter, so stay tuned for updates!


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Apple’s E-Book Market Share Is Bigger Than You Think
On the stand this week in the U.S. Department of Justice’s e-book price-fixing case against Apple, Keith Moerer — head of the company’s iBookstore — defended the storefront against a government attorney who characterized it as a “failure.”
“E-book sales grew 100 percent last year at the iBookstore, and it had over 100 million customers,” Moerer said.
So, how much of the U.S. e-book market does Apple actually control? According to Moerer, 20 percent.
“I believe that Apple has about 20 percent market share,” Moerer said. “It’s very difficult because there are not industry-wide sales reporting for e-books, but I believe that the iBookstore’s market share is approximately 20 percent in the U.S. and growing.”
That’s twice the 10 percent share typically attributed to the company. And if it’s an accurate accounting of Apple’s share, it means that the 65 percent and 25 percent shares often attributed to Amazon and Barnes & Noble respectively might be in need of reassessment. It also means that e-books are becoming a significant contributor to Apple’s iTunes business.


text:
Search results - found 720
Legislation was tabled last week in the US House of Representatives calling for the abolition of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), following a week in which over 100 elected officials declared their support for dismantling the organisation. It sparked a reminder that the agency plays a crucial role in the fight against counterfeits, with a leading trademark lawyer describing the calls for ICE’s complete abolition as “short-sighted”, warning that such a move would damage brand rights enforcement as well as other positive functions it serves.
"No closer to clarity" UK's Brexit White Paper offers clues to future IP approach, but big questions remain
This week the UK government published its much-anticipated blueprint for the United Kingdom’s future relationship with the European Union. While IP rights are specifically addressed in the White Paper, trademark practitioners will be left with several significant unanswered questions.
The main drivers that determine the likelihood of a country being involved in the trade of counterfeit goods have been identified by a new report from the European Union Intellectual Property Office. Governance, free trade zones, production facilities, logistical capabilities and facilities and trade facilitation policies are all highlighted as the key determinants.
In the first of a new regular opinion column, the onward march of plain packaging is examined. In the face of seemingly unstoppable momentum, now is the time to consider whether brands will remain on the sidelines or make their voices heard.
After over a decade of discussion, Brazil looks increasingly likely to accede to the Madrid system within the coming year. To get a sense of the sentiment on the ground, we reached out to local law firm practitioners to ask how it is expected to impact their own practice and the wider trademark scene and whether predictions of imminent accession are actually realistic.
Last week we reported on a session at the ICANN meeting in Panama, in which the Government Advisory Committee heard from rights holders who have faced significant enforcement challenges following the enactment of the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation. As the week went on, it became clear that those frustrations will continue for some time yet, despite government calls for urgent action.
The Second Civil Court of Santiago has dismissed a complaint filed by Evercrisp (a subsidiary of Pepsico) against a Health Authority resolution prohibiting it from using a cheetah logo on the packaging of its Cheetos product on the ground that it violated the food labelling regulation - despite the fact that the logo was duly registered. The court held that the regulation does not imply an expropriation, but only a limitation of trademark rights.
With a 10% rise in trademark applications mostly spurred by Chinese filings flooding the USPTO in 2017, questions have been raised about whether the office can cope with this influx both now and in the future.
The new Law on Competition, which was passed by the National Assembly on 12 June 2018, will enter into force on 1 July 2019. In light of the changes introduced by the new law, the alternative procedure for challenging certain IP-related unfair competition acts before the National Competition Authority may no longer be available to brand owners.
Geographical indications have hit the headlines in recent months, with mainstream debate grappling the extent of their protection but why have they become such a hot political issue?
New research has highlighted the beneficial effect of trademark ownership for start-up companies. One of the first studies to explore the relationship between brand rights and a firm’s financial performance, it demonstrates that fledgling companies with more trademarks achieve higher valuations, attract greater investment and perform better after IPOs.
During a session at last week’s ECTA Annual Conference, experts made some bold often startling predictions on where they see the trademark industry in 10 years. While some were unsurprising, such as how artificial intelligence and automation will improve efficiency, there were some unexpected suggestions, including how the role of law could change in the future.
ICANN steps up GDPR clarity bid, Squire Patton Boggs resolves China dispute, and insights from ECTA 2018: news round-up
In our latest round-up, we look at various insights from ECTA’s 37th annual conference, Squire Patton Boggs resolving a dispute in China over use of its name and related domain name, a potential disagreement between Jack Daniel’s and a Chambord estate, the Financial Times winning a trademark dispute, and how domain registrations for sports betting are on the rise.
South Korea rockets to top of customs ranking; illicit trade report reveals countries that need to do more
The Global Illicit Trade Environment Index, launched simultaneously in Hong Kong, Brussels and Panama City, scores 84 economies on the extent that they enable or prevent illicit trade. While taking a broad look at illicit trade, the report contains useful insight on the anti-counterfeiting landscape.
A new IP law will come into force in the Southeast Asian nation of Laos this weekend, introducing trademark opposition procedures to the country for the first time. The new law stipulates the creation of a new digital platform for brand rights and expands the range of images eligible for trademark protection in the jurisdiction, among other things.
The Scotch Whisky Association’s director of legal affairs pulls back the curtain to reveal how the industry protects its heritage.
Japan’s filing trends are distorted by a single applicant, while brands plummet in value: exclusive data analysis
In this week’s country data report, we look at the trademark landscape of Japan. Specifically, we highlight the country’s unusual distribution of applications by trademark class, show how a single applicant has obfuscated filing trends and analyse the volatile values of the leading Japanese brands.
This week, the Guardian reported that the treatment of geographical indications is proving a sticking point in the ongoing Brexit negotiations, with the European Union having “stepped up demands on the UK to legislate to preserve the status of European speciality produce”. While trademark associations have confirmed their support for a system of mutual recognition, the UK government has proved resistant to making any guarantees. The result is uncertainty for rights holders and producers.
In a move that brings South Africa a step closer to plain packaging for tobacco products, the Department of Health has invited public comment on the Draft Control of Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Bill 2018 by August 9 2018. Among other things, the proposed legislation aims “to regulate the packaging and appearance of tobacco products and to make provision for the standardisation of their packaging”.
The INTA Board of Directors recently approved the creation of a Brand Value Special Task Force. To get the inside track on this new initiative, and explore how brand owners will benefit, we sat down with co-chair Heather Steinmeyer.
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July 18, 2012
TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLPARK
Tickets for soccer going at a premium
Soccer matches in baseball stadiums are selling for higher prices than those in other types of venues this summer according to research done by ticket reseller TiqIq.
The Real Madrid vs AC Milan game at Yankee Stadium of the unique combination of two iconic teams and an iconic venue is making for high demand and a high reseller price. The average ticket priced for those available on TiqIq is $231, , which makes it the priciest of the matches at baseball stadiums this summer.
Even the second exhibition at Yankee Stadium, between Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain, is selling at a high average, of $128 per ticket on TiqIq.
Cheap seats are prevalent for the AS Roma v. Zaglebie Lubin matchup between the ivied brick walls of Wrigley Field in the first soccer match at Wrigley since 1984. The average ticket price on TiqIq, is $97, making it the least expensive of the soccer-baseball collaborations.
The Polish team Zaglebie Lubin, mostly unheard-of in the States, is the lowest-profile team playing in ballpark exhibitions this summer, and is likely the reason for the cheap price. Tickets through TiqIq they start at $9 well below the cheapest face value price of $30.
Though in the middle of the matches in terms of price at $110, tickets are totally sold out for the Liverpool v. AS Roma game at the Red Sox’ home of Fenway Park. Because of that, Boston sports fans have turned to the secondary resale market en masse and have bought the most secondary tickets of any friendlies in the US this summer according to another ticket reseller, Seat Geek.
Tickets still remain on the secondary market through SeatGeek, starting at $69 for standing room along the First Base Pavilion. The most expensive tickets available are selling for a well-overpriced $1363 in State Street Pavilion Club 9. On TiqIq, tickets start at $85 and top out at $1286.
Unlike the other ballpark friendlies, Liverpool’s game against Toronto FC in the Blue Jay’s home of Rogers Centre features only one international team. Despite that, the match has had no trouble on the secondary market, where tickets average $108. TiqIq has tickets starting at $69 up to $168
Tickets for these games can be obtained here: TiqIq
Editors note: prices on any reseller site can vary from moment to moment based on the number of tickets available and sold


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Unsaturated polyester resin (UPR) prices have been on an upward trajectory since the fourth quarter of 2020. Consecutive price increase announcements have been made by producers in both Europe and the US, on the back of escalating feedstock costs and raw material shortages. For the time being these price increases have not dampened demand, which is very healthy, and the final quarter of 2020 finished well above expectations for most. However, some market participants fear that as prices continue to increase, downstream buyers could look at alternatives.
UPR prices were stable to softer during the second and third quarter of 2020 but at the start of the fourth quarter this changed, and prices started to increase quickly, especially in Europe. The last quarter of the year was a perfect storm for markets, demand returned much quicker than anticipated at a time when inventories through the chain were low and production issues for feedstocks were ongoing.
In the US most major feedstock costs have been trending upward since October. The isophthalic acid contract reference price has increased by over 10%. Maleic anhydride prices have climbed by almost 9%. Phthalic anhydride prices have seen a more moderate increase, going from $47-48 c/lb (contract molten) and $49-50 c/lb (contract flake) to $49.50-50.50c/lb and $51.50-52.50 c/lb, respectively. DEG supply has been tight, and prices have increased by almost 19% and monopropylene glycol costs have jumped by over 20%. During the same period, styrene contract prices have also spiked, and spot values have increased from $28.1-28.34 to $44.2-44.7 c/lb, an increase of almost 60%.


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FAIRHOPE, Ala. (AP) - Republican candidate for governor Bradley Byrne has picked up an endorsement from another business group.
The Home Builders Association of Alabama gave Byrne an endorsement Monday in Fairhope. Association President Cliff Pitman says Byrne has the experience to lead Alabama through tough economic times.
Byrne got endorsements earlier from the Associated Builders and Contractors of Alabama, the Alabama Association of Realtors and the Alabama Retail Association.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)


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CLERMONT — A quiet resurgence of commercial activity has taken hold in downtown Clermont where merchants have taken matters into their own hands to keep the central business district alive.
The downtown transformation continues despite the loss of the city's economic base of citrus, high local unemployment and commercial growth along State Road 50, the city's main artery.
''It's kind of coming together,'' said Joyce Walker, executive director of the Clermont Chamber of Commerce. Some of the changes started in the early 1980s when many buildings were renovated in the downtown area, a six-square- block off Montrose Street.
The loss of citrus still weighs on the minds and cash registers of most shop owners but it has not them from proceeding with their downtown plans.
''It's changed a whole lot,'' said Sarah Hogan, a 25-year-old shop owner who grew up in Clermont and remembers when two dime stores, a shoe shop and two drug stores were some of the main attractions downtown.
Hogan and her husband, Keith own Patti Lu Casuals, which they bought four years ago when it was in South Lake Plaza on State Road 50. Before moving to the strip shopping center in 1980, Patti Lu Casuals was downtown.
Six week ago, the Hogans bought the old downtown bank building at the corner of 7th Avenue and Montrose Street. About $20,000 in renovations to the building, are to be completed for the store's grand downtown reopening on Tuesday.
When the plaza increased its rent, the Hogans decided to move the store back downtown.
Hogan is not alone as other store owners have poured thousands of dollars into downtown.
Other businesses that have renovated existing buildings include a new Cermaks Sub Shoppe, Gloria's Country Kitchen, Olivenbaum Insurance, accountants Greenlee, Kurras, Rice & Brown and The Emporium, a novelty gift shop.
An old barbershop on Montrose Street was demolished to make way for the Village Hair Centre. Other businesses, such as Gatorland Meats on 8th Street, have opened in the past year.
South Lake Memorial Hospital on 8th Street has helped maintain a steady flow of traffic near the downtown area with more health professionals locating near downtown. The opening of Lake Sumter Community College's satellite office on Montrose Street also will attract more people downtown.
Older businesses such as Hanks Electric Co. and Marshall's Pharmacy have remained downtown through some lean economic times. And they hope the downtown rejuvenation signals better times ahead.
Charlie Marshall, the pharmacy's owner for 26 years, said changes in recent months are a good sign downtown is headed in the right direction. Marshall said most businesses ''have been hit pretty hard by the freezes'' but he remains optimistic that business will pick up next year.
Like other businesses, Marshall has seen his accounts receivable increase during the past two years but the area's growth could eventually offset the loss of citrus.
Richard Huff, a city council member and businessman, said downtown businesses have made these changes without help from the city. In what may be a good sign, some merchants complained that store employees were parking downtown and taking spaces that could be used by shoppers. Huff said the city met with merchants and the problem appears to have been solved without having to install parking meters or implement a decal system.
More businesses may cast a cautious eye toward the central business district because building rents are cheaper than those in the shopping centers along S.R. 50. These same shopping centers have been hurt by the freeze, he said, because many citrus-related workers who spent money in center stores are out of work or have moved elsewhere.
Huff, a director of the Lake County Economic Development Council, said most commercial activity will continue to be concentrated east of U.S. Highway 27 off S.R. 50. He said the growth of South Lake Memorial will play a major part in the resurgence of downtown.
Walker of the Clermont chamber said she hopes to organize a downtown merchants association through the chamber because many merchants have expressed support for such an organization. A merchants association formed about three years ago, flourished briefly, and then dissolved.


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Those in search of an iPad this fall can stop by the nearest Target store.
That's because Target Corp. (NYSE: TGT) said Friday it will start selling Apple Inc.'s (Nasdaq: AAPl) iPad tablet device.
The Minneapolis-based retailer said four models of the touchscreen computer, starting at $499, will go on sale Oct. 3.
Target made the announcement to reporters gathered for a media day Friday morning.
E-mail email@example.com. Call (937) 528-4400.


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Apple responds to U.S. government probe of ‘batterygate’
The investigation is still in its early stages.
Amazon adds texting feature to Alexa speakers—but there’s a catch
The feature won't be coming to iOS anytime soon.
Samsung plans to win 2018 with foldable smartphones
That is, if the release doesn't get pushed back another year.
Spotify releases experimental Pandora-like ‘Stations’ app on Android
The service is only available in Australia.
Snapchat overhauls Bitmoji so you can make your avatar look just like you
You can now use a selfie to model your avatar.
Facebook to launch revamped privacy controls in 2018
A new control center will bring transparency to privacy settings.
110 child health experts ask Facebook to discontinue Messenger Kids
Experts say the app is 'irresponsible' and that kids aren't ready for it.
YouTuber causes traffic jam outside FCC building to protest net neutrality repeal
If you still don't get net neutrality, this video might help.
Ajit Pai slams Trump administration’s proposal to build a government-run 5G network
He says federal efforts to build the next-gen network would be "counterproductive."
Brett Favre sued for allegedly lying about his doomed social network
He's on the hook for $16 milli, and his app is no longer active.
True 3D projections are here—and they make holograms look prehistoric
Unlike today's 'holograms,' these don't have limited viewing angles.
Elon Musk was apparently serious about selling you a flamethrower
It appears the device will go on sale in April.
Investment mogul George Soros predicts the end of Facebook, Google
The philanthropist says companies like Facebook and Google deceive users by manipulating their attention.


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The big exclusive games for PS4, Xbox One and Switch in 2020
We look ahead to the exclusive games of 2020 on the three major consoles...
2020 is shaping up to be quite a big year for video games: not only are we getting brand new consoles with the PS5 and Xbox Scarlett launches, but developers are also trying to squeeze the last few morsels of gold out of the current generation of systems. This means we’ll be seeing some big exclusive games across PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.
To help you work out exactly which games to be watching out for in 2020, we’ve put together a little article that breaks down the biggest exclusive titles of the year and which platforms they’ll be on. Whichever console(s) you’re lucky enough to own, then, you’ll know which games are compatible with your specific gaming set-up.
Let’s get cracking, then. These are the massive exclusives that you won’t want to miss on PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch in 2020…
PS4 exclusives to play in 2020
The Last Of Us Part II seems to be positioning itself as the last massive exclusive of the PS4 era. This zombie-stuffed sequel will launch on 29 May 2020, and we’re hoping it can live up to the heartbreaking brilliance of the original.
Another PS4 exclusive with heaps of expectation on its shoulders will be Final Fantasy VII Remake. It’s the first part in a series of games that will reimagine the beloved original, and you’ll be able to play it on PS4 from 3 March. (In the meantime, we’ve got hands-on first impressions here).
Fans of the Predator film franchise will need a PS4 to play the new tie-in game, Predator: Hunting Grounds, which will launch at some point in 2020. One player gets to control the deadly Predator, while four others control soldiers and try to survive. The trailer looks pretty fun.
Also, Iron Man VR will launch on 28 February, exclusively on PSVR. We enjoyed our time with the demo, which put us inside Tony Stark’s iconic suit of armour (complete with loads of weaponry options).
Speaking of superheroes, there’s no word yet on whether Insomniac will try and sneak in a sequel to Spider-Man PS4 before everyone moves over to the PS5. We’ll be sure to let you know if that does get announced.
Other PS4 exclusives to look forward to in 2020 include Yakuza 5 on 11 February, Nioh 2 on 13 March, and Persona 5 Royal on 31 March. We’ll be sure to update this article if any other big ones get revealed.
Xbox One exclusives to play in 2020
Through its Xbox Game Pass service, Microsoft has been working to make all of its first-party games accessible on PC as well as Xbox consoles. Because of this, all of the Xbox One titles we’re about to mention will also be available on Windows PC. They’re not strictly ‘Xbox exclusives’, then, but they’re the closest thing we’ve got.
The biggest Xbox-centric game of 2020 has to be Halo Infinite, the new instalment in the beloved sci-fi franchise. It will span console generations, meaning you can play it on Xbox One or Xbox Scarlett (or Windows PC). The game will launch around the “holiday” season at the end of 2020, and you can find all the latest news right here.
Another Xbox One/PC title to look out for in 2020 is Bleeding Edge, a real-time strategy game with plenty of action and some beat-em-up elements. Developed by Ninja Theory and published by Xbox Game Studios, it’ll launch on 24 March.
Before that, on 11 February, Ori And The Will Of The Wisps makes its highly-anticipated arrival. The sequel to 2015’s Ori And The Blind Forest promises more Metroidvania platforming fun.
Also, Minecraft Dungeons will launch on Xbox One and PC in April 2020. This action RPG spinoff from the much-adored game will pit cuboid characters against randomly-generated environments.
They don’t have release dates yet, but some other Xbox One games to try in 2020 include a time-loop action game called 12 Minutes, an online shooter called Crossfire X, and the latest Microsoft Flight Simulator.
Nintendo Switch exclusives to play 2020
Without a Mario or Luigi game on the docket as of yet, Nintendo’s 2019 slate is looking a little bare at the moment. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t exciting games to be pre-ordering on your loveable portable console.
For example, 20 March brings the much-anticipated release of Animal Crossing: New Horizons on Nintendo Switch. The fifth mainline entry on the life-simulating franchise has already had a hype-inducing trailer.
There’s also Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training coming on 3 January, with the ‘how old is your brain?’ franchise making its debut on Switch. And there are loads of Switch games for 2020 that don’t have specific release dates yet: there’s a survival horror game called Deadly Premonition 2, a hack-and-slash game entitled No More Heroes III, and a role-playing simulation game called Rune Factory 5.
A sequel to The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild has also been announced with an eye-catching trailer, but we don’t yet know if that one will come out in 2020. It seems plausible, certainly, but the next Zelda game’s release year is yet to be properly announced.
It’s also unclear, now that Pokémon Sword and Shield have been released, whether Game Freak will serve up a sequel (or any other sort of Pokémon game) on Switch in 2020. Our speculation about the franchise’s future is here, though, if you fancy taking a look.
As more console-exclusive games are announced for 2020, we’ll be sure to update this article. And in the meantime, if you’re interested, you can find the top PC games of 2020 at this link.


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The tablet wars continue. Amazon is hoping to cut into iPad’s dominance with its latest iteration of the Kindle e-reader that’s expected to have all sorts of bells and whistles along with a lower price tag.
Sony is also getting in on the tablet action, revealing info about its new devices a few weeks ago along with the launch of a social media campaign meant to drum up online excitement before the tablets hit stores.
Working with its firm Atomic PR, Sony has launched Catch the Tablet (or #CatchtheTablet), which used Sony Facebook and Twitter pages to drive fans to events, spur them to snap photos of the tablet to post on social networks, and encourage them to enter a contest with a Sony Tablet S prize.
According to an email from Atomic, the campaign has resulted in an eight percent in rise in the number of Facebook fans and a five percent increase in Twitter followers. The campaign has also gotten the company some media attention with TheNextWeb calling the it Sony’s “most successful social media campaign.” You can click that link for more campaign details.


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Reward for Fans, and Microsoft
By SETH SCHIESEL; Rachel Pomerance, Geannina Munizaga and J. Michael Kennedy contributed reporting.
Published: September 26, 2007
Bill Gates, the chairman of Microsoft, is the richest man on earth. R. J. Bollard, a freshman at the University of Washington, said he would have 73 cents left in his bank account as of midnight. And that's one reason Mr. Gates is likely to be the richest man on earth for quite a while.
Both were at a Best Buy store in Bellevue, Wash., on Monday night as the third installment of Halo, Microsoft's hit video game series, went on sale at 12:01 a.m. yesterday. Just before that moment, Mr. Gates was hand-shaking his way down the line of customers. Among them was Mr. Bollard, 18, who said the 73 cents was all he would have left after buying the game.
Even before the doors opened, more than 1.7 million consumers had preordered the game, which is available in three versions priced from $60 to $130.
''I don't know how I'm going to feed myself,'' Mr. Bollard said.
The success of Halo 3 is critical for Microsoft, which has struggled to get its Xbox game players into homes around the world. While it is primarily a game machine, the Xbox 360 also plays DVDs and movies downloaded from the Internet. Microsoft views the game machine as an entry point into the home, where it may serve as an entertainment hub.
But the game machines have not been profitable.
Microsoft hopes that the new Halo futuristic shoot-'em-up game, which is exclusive to the Xbox 360, will persuade more consumers to choose its game machine over the PlayStation 3 from Sony or the Wii from Nintendo. Although the Xbox -- and Halo 3 -- appeals to hard-core gamers, Microsoft's game machine has been outsold lately by the cheaper and less-powerful Wii.
Microsoft has sold nine million Xbox 360s since the introduction of the console in 2005. But Nintendo has sold just as many Wii machines since their debut late last year, largely because their simplicity appeals to a broader group of players. The PlayStation 3, which also was introduced in late 2006, has sold about four million units.
Halo 3 might also help to restore the Xbox 360's image, which was tarnished by serious design defects that caused as many as a third of the machines to suddenly stop working. Microsoft said it had corrected the problem and was fixing defective units at no charge.
For the serious gamer at least, all was forgiven yesterday morning. More than 10,000 stores across the country, many of them converted into miniature carnivals Monday night for fans awaiting the game, opened their doors to long lines of Halo fans who started camping out as early as Sunday afternoon.
Microsoft said it would not announce sales figures until today, but the new game has been expected to be the most lucrative introduction of any entertainment product. The previous game in the series, Halo 2, set a record for first-day sales in the entertainment and media industries when it brought in more than $125 million in the United States in its first 24 hours.
''In our first few hours on sale, all signs indicate that we will indeed have achieved the biggest entertainment retail day in history,'' Microsoft said in a statement.
''This is the Mecca of the video game world right here, right now,'' Carl Gunther, a 23-year-old marketing researcher from Brooklyn, said Monday night as he joined hundreds of other fans in a long line outside a Best Buy in Midtown Manhattan.
''Halo is the 'Star Wars' of this generation,'' Mr. Gunther added. ''Thirty years ago my father waited in line to see 'Star Wars,' and I know I'll tell my kids I stood in line to buy Halo 3. It's like saying you were at Woodstock or something.''
Microsoft's shares rose yesterday by 1.7 percent, closing at $29.56, on the expectation of strong sales. The Halo franchise, which has sold more than 15 million copies since its introduction in 2001, has been Microsoft's most successful foray into the entertainment business, anchoring the growth of the video game unit.
Sony of Japan, one of Microsoft's main competitors in games, has struggled to provide comparably popular titles for its PlayStation 3 console. Games exclusively for the PlayStation 3 this holiday season include the fantasy diversions Lair and Heavenly Sword.
While Sony and Microsoft have focused mostly on young men, the core base of video game players, Nintendo of Japan has pursued a different strategy of appealing to broader demographic groups with easy-to-use products like its Wii console and DS (for dual screen) hand-held player. Super Mario Galaxy, potentially the Wii's biggest seller of the year, is expected to be introduced in November.
Halo 3, a science-fiction game set in a future when humanity is battling for its survival against a hostile alien species, has generally received excellent reviews in game publications. The game has been produced in 17 languages and is being released in Europe today and in Japan tomorrow. One potential hiccup is that in some cases the packaging for the $70 version can scratch the game disc; Microsoft said yesterday that it would replace any unusable discs.
In Atlanta, an arc of young men lined a balcony at Lenox Square, the city's biggest shopping mall, as they awaited the game's debut at a GameStop store. Ari Velazquez and Dan Gibson, roommates at the Georgia Institute of Technology, said they had converted their apartment into a sort of high-tech video game cave, sealing windows with blankets and cardboard and stocking up on ramen noodles, chips and white-cheddar popcorn.
''We expect that, like, no one's going to go to class tomorrow, and the teachers are going to know,'' said Mr. Gibson, 20.


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More Hints at a Console Version of Diablo III
We already know that Blizzard is interested in bringing its best selling action RPG series Diablo to consoles, but it has yet to happen. The developer recently posted a job ad for a senior producer and you’ll never believe the name of the project: Console Diablo III. This actually isn’t too surprising since something nearly identical happened in November of last year, although we still haven’t heard confirmation of anything.
Blizzard has however since issued a statement that the listing for this job in no way confirms the existence of a console version of the yet unreleased Diablo III but rather, they are just exploring the idea of bringing the game to consoles. So in short, it doesn’t exist but they’re trying to make it happen. With the length of Diablo III‘s development cycle, the game may as well launch on consoles and the PC at the same time.