text:
In the walkup to incoming Hurricane Nintendo Switch, the company just revealed that you can preorder the new hybrid mobile/home gaming system starting this Friday.
Nintendo says a “limited quantity” of Switch systems will be available on January 13 at 9:00 a.m. ET. The bad news? You have to show up in person at Nintendo’s New York store. The good news? I’m seeing highs in the 60s in NYC on Thursday, with lows in the high 40s overnight. (You know, in case you’re planning to line up outside starting Thursday and camp through to the next morning.)
Nintendo says those preorders will only be available “while supplies last.” And while it’s not yet clear whether Switch is something worth preordering, I’ll put a finger in the wind and predict those supplies won’t last long.
The NYC preorder window will arrive on the heels of Nintendo’s Tokyo Switch presentation on January 12 at 11:00 p.m. ET, when the company says it’ll reveal the system’s price, release date and some of the games in the offing. That’ll be followed on January 13 at 9:30 a.m. ET by a Nintendo Treehouse presentation (via Nintendo’s YouTube or Twitch channels), which promises “an in-depth look at upcoming games featured in the Nintendo Switch Presentation.”
TIME will go hands-on with the system on January 13. Look for our impressions later that morning. And if you’d like to read more about the system, check out “Everything We Know About the New Nintendo Switch.”
- The Inside Story of Princeton's Cinderella Run at March Madness
- The Case for Betting on Succession's Tom Wambsgans
- For Both Donald Trump and Alvin Bragg, the Central Park Jogger Case Was a Turning Point
- If Donald Trump Is Indicted, Here's What Would Happen Next in the Process
- Alison Roman Won't Sugarcoat It
- Why Not All Observant Muslims Fast During Ramadan
- It's Time to Say a Loving Goodbye to John Wick
- Who Should Be on the 2023 TIME100? Vote Now
- Column: Ozempic Exposed the Cracks in the Body Positivity Movement


text:
The Salt Lake Tribune recently published an article highlighting Utah’s computer ownership and Internet use ranking in the Current Population Survey (CPS). The survey gave Utah the highest ranking in the nation with only 7.5 percent of Utahns lacking a home computer with Internet access. Nationwide, 15.9 percent of households do not have a home computer with Internet access.
According to the survey, Utah’s population is also considered highly connected with one of every four Utahns accessing the Internet from multiple devices, including computers, smart phones and tablets.
The survey is administered by United States Census Bureau and includes questions about computer ownership, Internet use both inside and outside the home, and the additional devices people use to go online.

domain: news


text:
If there’s one thing pretty much all runners have in common, it’s a love of coffee. Whether it’s downing a cup first thing in the morning or waiting until after you’ve logged your miles, chances are good that this caffeinated beverage makes an appearance (or two) during your day.
And while cold brew has become trendy in recent years—it’s been especially touted for its lack of acidity and bitterness—there might be a reason to reach for the hot stuff instead, new research published in the journal Scientific Reports suggests.
In the study, researchers compared the chemistry makeup of cold brew and hot brew blends from Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia, Mexico, and Myanmar. They found that hot brew coffee contains between 11 and 35 percent more antioxidant activity than cold brew does.
More From Runner's World
That might be because of how they are made. “The different contact times of water and coffee and different water temperatures control the amount and type of compounds that are extracted during brewing,” study author Niny Rao, Ph.D., assistant professor of chemistry and mathematics at Thomas Jefferson University told Runner’s World.
The near-boiling water used to make hot brew coffee comes in contact with the ground beans for a significantly shorter amount of time than the cold water used for cold brew does—eight minutes versus eight to 24 hours, according to Rao.
“Hot water used in traditional coffee brewing may increase the solubility of compounds that act as antioxidants in coffee,” she said.
And boosting the activity of these antioxidants in coffee is important, since they may be responsible for a whole host of benefits. According to Rao, they may help lower your risk of certain types of cancer, diabetes, and even depression.
Another surprising finding? Turns out, hot brew’s acidity levels actually were similar to cold brew’s, with pH levels for both types ranging between 4.85 and 5.13. That means the hot stuff isn’t quite as acidic as people think. So your chances of experiencing acidity-related issues—think GI issues like heartburn—may not be any greater if you drink the hot brew instead of the cold brew.
So the next time you need your caffeine fix, you don’t need to go cold: Reaching for a steaming cup of hot brew might be your best bet.


text:
Report: Google Building Next-Gen VR Headsets
Apparently happy with the consumer response to its inexpensive Cardboard virtual reality viewer, Google is reportedly pushing ahead with a next-gen, self-contained VR headset that won’t require users to pair it to a smartphone, game console, or a high-octane PC.
Google, which recently tapped company vet Clay Bavor to head up its VR team, is also preparing to release a more advanced version of its entry-level Cardboard viewer later this year that will be made of plastic, but will still need to be paired to a smartphone, according to The Wall Street Journal. That offering, The Financial Times reported earlier, will be similar to the Oculus-powered Samsung Gear VR headset, which is compatible with certain Samsung smartphone models (here’s our review of that platform).
But Google’s purported plans for a self-contained offering would seemingly take aim at high-end VR platforms such as the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, which will be required to be linked to powerful PCs. An Oculus Rift bundle is available for preorder starting at $599 and will start shipping in the spring; preorders for the HTC Vive are expected to begin on February 29. Sony, meanwhile, is expected to launch the PlayStation VR, a headset that will work in tandem with the popular PlayStation 4 gaming console, later this year.
For the full story go to Multichannel.com.
Broadcasting & Cable Newsletter
The smarter way to stay on top of broadcasting and cable industry. Sign up below
By Kent Gibbons


text:
Intel's investment division Tuesday announced it has invested $32 million in Israeli start-up Anobit Technologies, whose MLC-flash based solid state drive (SSD) for enterprise data centers emerged from its development stage earlier this year.
The University of New Mexico's patent arm, STC, filed a lawsuit against Intel on Monday alleging the infringement of a patent related to advanced chip manufacturing.
In an effort to expand software compatibility for its upcoming Fusion chips, Advanced Micro Devices on Monday joined rival Intel's efforts to develop the open-source MeeGo OS.
Arm has entered the server market with Marvell Semiconductor announcing a chip based on its processor architecture, but customer acceptance and design issues could affect its chances of winning market share from Intel and Advanced Micro Devices, anal...
Intel on Monday opened a research and development center in Bucharest that will focus on software development.
Marvell on Monday announced a quad-core chip designed for use in servers that could help Arm break into a server market currently dominated by Intel and Advanced Micro Devices.
Intel on Wednesday said it would release in the first quarter next year Core VPro processors for business desktops and laptops that incorporate a host of new security and management features.
Intel on Tuesday said the company would begin contract manufacturing of chips, a change from the company's policy of serving only itself through its factories.
Three unlikely bedfellows have joined forces to halve the size of the technology used to make NAND flash chips and microprocessors in an effort to vastly increase the density and capacity of solid-state drives (SSDs) and create faster CPUs that use l...
MIPS Technologies this week said it will put its processor architecture in tablets and smartphones as it prepares to duel rivals Arm and Intel in those fast-growing markets.
Intel on Friday announced the opening of a massive US$1 billion chip testing and assembly facility in Vietnam, the biggest such facility for Intel anywhere in the world.
Vendors may shortly be able to introduce SSD products that use PCIe to improve performance speeds. A group of leading vendors have joined forces to develop the standard which is expected to be finalised in the latter half of next year.
China is unveiling a new supercomputer on Thursday that incorporates thousands of graphics chips and can reach a sustained performance of 2.5 petaflops, making it one of the fastest systems in the world.
Targeted attacks via fraudulent and dangerous e-mail are on the rise, according to a Symantec report published today. These attacks are typically aimed at corporative executives, to fool them into opening malicious attachments or links so the perpetr...
Technology vendors and data center suppliers were also invited to participate in Computerworld's search for the Top Green-IT Organizations. These companies completed the same survey as the end-user organizations and were judged on the same criteria -...
Most Popular Reviews
- 1 Ford Focus ST (2015) review: Absolutely mental styling, engine, handling
- 2 LG 65-inch UHD TV (65UF950T) review
- 3 Playing chicken with a Tesla Model S
- 4 Audi TT (2015) review: A smarter take on the sports coupe
- 5 Microsoft Lumia 640 review: Honouring Nokia's legacy
Join the Good Gear Guide newsletter!
Deals on Good Gear Guide
- Networking, Wireless & VoIP
Deals on Good Gear Guide
Latest News Articles
- Apple falls to third in China smartphone rankings, while Xiaomi vaults ahead
- Cleaning up botnets takes years, if ever, to complete
- Yahoo tackles large 'malvertising' campaign in its ad network
- Plantronics BackBeat Sense Bluetooth headphones
- OneDrive finally lets you sync shared folders
GGG Evaluation Team
First impression on unpacking the Q702 test unit was the solid feel and clean, minimalist styling.
For work use, Microsoft Word and Excel programs pre-installed on the device are adequate for preparing short documents.
The Fujitsu LifeBook UH574 allowed for great mobility without being obnoxiously heavy or clunky. Its twelve hours of battery life did not disappoint.
The screen was particularly good. It is bright and visible from most angles, however heat is an issue, particularly around the Windows button on the front, and on the back where the battery housing is located.
My first impression after unboxing the Q702 is that it is a nice looking unit. Styling is somewhat minimalist but very effective. The tablet part, once detached, has a nice weight, and no buttons or switches are located in awkward or intrusive positions.
- FTField EngineerNSW
- FTBusiness Development Manager & Account ManagerVIC
- FTDevOps Consultant - Microsoft Experience - Digital ConsultancyVIC
- CCAccount Strategist | Sales Executive | Global Search EngineNSW
- FTSenior Network EngineerNSW
- FTDesktop Engineering ManagerNSW
- CCLead Generator - Software SolutionsNSW
- CCMarketing Coordinator - World's largest search engine!NSW


text:
Good morning and welcome to Summit Up, the world's only daily column that's debating if we should hit opening day up at Loveland Ski Area today."The Luv" is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, and we want to be a part of the celebration, we also have been kind of itching to strap on the shred sled and make a few turns.Here's hoping this season is better than last, which shouldn't be too hard to top considering it was one of the worst on record. We have a hunch this year WILL be better.Also, today in 2001 Apple unveiled the state-of-the-art IPod. We must say we've come a long ways, from eight tracks to tapes to CDs. Even a compact disc seems a bit outdated these days. Anybody out there still use tapes? That's about all the space we have today. Keeping it short and sweet. We out.
- Summit’s Mitchell Gray pitches for New Zealand in IBAF 21U Baseball World Cup
- High Country Baking column: Change up your typical pumpkin bread
- Give the bird a rest Thanksgiving in favor of an alternative protein
- New Epic Mountain Gear store opens in Frisco
- Racial disparities an issue in Denver police shootings, I-News inquiry finds


text:
Maria Fruci has a passion for fashion, so sitting catwalk-side at a prestigious fashion show is, for her, a dream come true.
And, as with any lawyer learning about a new client’s products, it’s also now part of her job description.
Fruci said she’s had the good fortune to visit a few fashion shows now that she’s co-chair of the brand-new Fashion Law Focus Group at Genova Burns LLC.
The Newark-based law firm announced it was forming the practice late last year, strutting its legal expertise for a once-niche industry that’s becoming more complex — and in need of legal counsel — all of the time.
For the firm, which is following in the footsteps of a select few other Garden State firms, a dedicated specialty in this practice area was an easy fit, Fruci said.
“A lot of what composes a fashion law practice are basically things we’ve done for a very long time,” she said. “The fashion industry is made up of businesses that have many of the same needs from attorneys as other businesses.”
With some of the top issues for fashion businesses being trademark protection and manufacturing contracts, the industry starts to seem a lot like a run-of-the-mill corporate law practice.
But Fruci said there are reasons a law firm such as hers might pay special interest to this sector now.
“There have been so many events that have happened over the past few years in the fashion world; I think that grabbed a lot of attention, and certainly that got us discussing the potential of a fashion law practice here,” she said.
In the legal sphere, there are a pair of high-profile apparel industry cases slated for U.S. Supreme Court review this year. In the fashion sector itself, the industry has been shaken up by two recent acquisition stories: Fashion group Michael Kors Holdings purchasing the iconic Versace and French luxury designer LVMH buying the jeweler Tiffany & Co.
Outside of that, you have the widely-reported effect that the U.S.-China trade war has had on the industry’s largely outsourced manufacturing base.
“And these events haven’t just been covered on Page 6 of a newspaper or a fashion section, these events are making major headlines,” Fruci said.
Behind the scenes, fashion companies have largely relied either on in-house legal or the country’s biggest names in the legal sector. For that reason, fashion law practices haven’t been altogether widespread.
Fruci said the creation of these legal departments is being spurred on by a new batch of businesses.
“Now, you have these wonderful, often women-owned fashion startups that have also seen the value of having attorneys from beginning of an entrepreneurial endeavor,” she said. “And those small businesses may not always want to go to the larger law firms.”
There are other Garden State law firms that have held tight to their exposure to this sector throughout the years.
Max Crane, managing partner of Sills Cummis & Gross P.C., said as far back as the ’90s, his firm handled athlete endorsement contracts and a panoply of other issues for the large sportswear brand Fila. That company underwent a restructuring in which it eliminated its in-house legal staff and used Crane’s firm as a general counsel.
“We’ve been in this space for almost a quarter-century,” he said. “Our firm was both lucky and forward-thinking in getting into this industry early and at the highest levels, because we think it has legs to run and many years to go.”
Crane himself doesn’t do too much work on the firm’s fashion law side, because it has been bolstering its bench of experts based on the recommendations of Michael Goldsmith, a managing partner at the firm and chair of its Fashion, Apparel and Textile Practice Group.
“I say this genuinely, and not because he works for me: He’s one of the premier fashion and apparel attorneys in the country,” Crane said. “He’s known the industry from soup to nuts, when it was first really expanding out of the Garment District in Manhattan.”
In the years since local law firms first started pairing up with fashion businesses, Crane has seen the transition to e-commerce tailor the industry into something much more sophisticated. Early on, sales only involved deciding on which department stores or boutiques to place products in.
“The days of saying, ‘Here’s a jacket, I’m going to sew it somewhere in Lower Manhattan and sell it in Midtown Manhattan,’ are over — it’s more complicated than that,” he said. “It’s an international business on the brand side, the manufacturing side and, now, on the selling side.”
Meanwhile, fashion businesses have been some of the front-runners in utilizing data analytics to track customer purchases and offer them more of what they’re buying.
“So, there’s whole new parts of this business that have only recently existed,” Crane said. “Maybe that’s why more people are awakening to this industry — the new aspects of this business hit everyone in the face every day.”
Specializing in South Asian business
When Rajiv Parikh graduated law school in 2005, there weren’t many South Asian lawyers like him in New Jersey — or, for that matter, nationally.
Yet, there was no lack of businesses locally and nationally — and tech firms, particularly — that were created and led by first- or second-generation immigrants from the South Asian region. New Jersey also has some of the largest South Asian communities in the country.
He’s now one of the rare lawyers catering to those wishing to set up businesses in India, or people from India wanting to set up shop here. The India Focus Group he’s chair of is another legal niche recently formalized into a dedicated legal group at Genova Burns.
“We think we’re well-positioned to help guide these businesses on the legal issues they’ll face,” said Parikh, who last year joined Gov. Phil Murphy on a trade mission to India.
This particular cross-border work might be burgeoning with the consistent economic expansion of South Asian countries, but whether or not it’s picked up by more firms depends to some degree on more attorneys following in Parikh’s footsteps.
“I do know a variety of South Asian lawyers across the state who have graduated in the past couple years who I’ve encouraged to do this type of work,” he said. “There are also some folks internally assisting in the practice and learning more about how it is we can provide added value.”
Reach Maria Fruci at: email@example.com 973-646-3262.


text:
Ford Credit CFO Brian Schaaf told investors last week that the company posted "stunningly low losses" during a second quarter that saw repossession rates comparable to when the automaker halted involuntary repos during COVID-19.
Ford Credit reported a negative net charge-off rate of $9 million and a negative loss-to-receivables rate of 0.07 percent during the quarter.
"That's the first time that's ever happened," Schaaf said of the negative LTR.
Ford Credit attributed the charge-off and LTR stats to "government stimulus, changes in consumer spending behavior and high vehicle collateral values that contributed to historically low losses."
Ford Credit also might have set a record for customers keeping leased vehicles, according to Schaaf.
The return rate fell to 34 percent, compared with the "70 percent range" Ford typically sees, he said.
"I'm not aware of a time where it was ever that low," he said.
Only 36,000 vehicles were returned from leases during the quarter, compared with 58,000 a year ago, Ford Credit reported.
The lender attributed the lease return rate to "improved auction values" tied to dealer inventories curtailed by the semiconductor shortage.
Schaaf said Thursday that the return rate also reflected Ford Credit and Ford and Lincoln sales efforts to "proactively extend the lease" to encourage consumers to order vehicles that could be delivered later in the year.
He expected that the rate would "return to normal levels" when the supply issue was resolved.
But Schaaf also told investors not to anticipate the kind of vehicle supply found before the pandemic.
"There's some real benefits to operating with less inventory," he said. "While receivables will recover, we don't expect a complete return to pre-pandemic levels" for Ford Credit's wholesale business.
Schaaf said he felt auction prices might have "probably hit the peak for this year." He cited the seasonality the industry typically encounters.
"That normalization makes sense," Schaaf said.
However, while "the second quarter was stunning," prices would decline gradually, not "fall off a cliff," Schaff said. He said semiconductor supply and new-vehicle supply and pricing would influence future auction prices.


text:
McLaren reveals its vision of F1 future with MP4-X Concept
Bold concept features closed cockpit and mind control for drivers
This is the latest creation to come out of McLaren's Applied Technologies division - the McLaren MP4-X. It's a response to some of the criticism and the evolution that's hitting Formula One, giving a view of what McLaren thinks the future of the sport will hold.
One of the most stunning features are the looks, which are futuristic almost beyond belief. The MP4-X features a closed cockpit, a modification that many people are calling on F1 to introduce on safety grounds. It also debuts a radical enclosed wheel design, which will load the car up with 'wear sensors' that detect when the tyre is worn and should be changed.
The car has sophisticated aerodynamics to generate downforce and an active rear wing, but not just any active rear wing - McLaren says this one uses "powerfully charged electrodes" that could be switched on to "turn the air around the wings into plasma". No, we don't understand how that one works either.
The wing isn't all that will be charged as the MP4-X will be driven by electricity too, utilising thin batteries integrated into the bodywork. They'd be charged from the regenerative braking and a solar panel system, but the company also foresees a future where inductive charging is built into the tracks.
Not content with modifying the outside, McLaren has given the cockpit a good going over too. It's enclosed, which would improve driver protection, and the cover would be a photochromic one, changing colour to improve the driver's vision.
Further aiding this would be surround-view cameras (just like you get on a Nissan Qashqai) which could feed directly into the driver's helmet and enable them to know exactly what's going on around the car. Instead of the sophisticated button-laden steering wheel in F1 cars of today, drivers in the MP4-X would be able to use gestures to control functions of their car - or in the even further future, mind control.
Obviously the McLaren MP4-X is still a concept, and unlikely to see the light of day any time this decade, but it's a great display of what McLaren believes the future of the sport contains. The company say despite the futuristic nature of the car, all the component technologies do exist - even if they're in their infancy. It could also be an interesting look into features that may, eventually, make their way onto McLaren's road cars...
What do you think the future of Formula One contains? Let us know in the comments...


text:
Super Nintendo World is set to open at Universal Studios Japan, Osaka, this summer. According to Kurumi Mori, a Tokyo-based Bloomberg reporter who attended a press event on Tuesday, Super Nintendo World is set to open before the 2020 Summer Olympics.
As reported by The Verge, the park will feature a real-life Mario Kart race, and guests can wear “Power Up Bands” that allow them to collect digital coins and compete against other visitors. There will also be an app that works with the smart wrist band for an interactive experience.
The Power Up Bands are an optional add-on that can be purchased inside the park, and the bands are themed for Mushroom Kingdom characters. As well as coins, guests can bag collectible items, such as character stamps, that are equal in value to coins.
Guests also collect “Key Challenges” that can be used to unlock additional gameplay opportunities, including “Boss Battles.”
Ayumu Yamamoto, USJ Marketing Director, said: “If Disney is the dreamworld then USJ is the awake world where we will energize you and make you feel alive.”
Additionally, Thierry Coup, the chief creative officer of Universal Creative, called Super Nintendo World “a life-size, living video game.”
Super Nintendo World will open in Osaka this year, before eventually opening at other Universal Studios parks in Hollywood, California; Orlando, Florida; and Singapore.
Universal Studios Japan and Nintendo released a trailer for the new park yesterday, with an original soundtrack “We Are Born to Play” by Galantis ft. Charli XCX.
The trailer sees people playing on Nintendo devices such as the Nintendo Switch, while a Mario landscape comes alive around them. The gamers then jump into green Warp Pipes, transporting them into a conceptual version of Super Nintendo World.
In the song, which also features Mario’s voice and the Super Mario Bros score, Charli XCX sings: “Days and nights / I’m captured by the feeling / Love the ride / And now I’m really living life / Alive, a super kind of feeling / Jump on board the ride tonight.”
According to a press release, Super Nintendo World, “will be an expansive, highly themed and immersive land featuring Nintendo’s legendary worlds, characters, and adventures. Guests will feel as if they are playing inside their favorite Nintendo video games–in real life.
“It will be filled with incredibly fun rides, shops, a restaurant and interactive gameplay throughout the land. And there will be something for everyone, regardless of age or gaming experience.”
While no official opening day has been announced yet, the Tokyo Summer Olympics will begin on July 24, 2020, so Nintendo fans can expect the park to open sometime before then.
- Super Nintendo World theme park will have a magnetic slapband
- Super Nintendo World theme park will issue magnetic wristbands
- Disney’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge theme parks will open earlier than expected
- First Look at Super Nintendo World in Universal Studios Japan
- We have suggestions for Disney’s new Star Wars theme park menu
- A new Star Wars book will tie in with Disney’s upcoming Galaxy’s Edge theme parks
- Universal Studios Hollywood offers Mandarin-Speaking VIP tour
- Thanks to Universal, Disney's California Adventures Marvel Expansion Can't Use the Word 'Marvel'
- Nintendo kills Tokyo's real-life 'Mario Kart' tours
- How Nintendo Transformed Christmas Into a Gaming Holiday
Super Nintendo World Japan: Mario-Themed Park Set to Open in Universal Studios During Summer 2020 have 535 words, post on www.newsweek.com at January 14, 2020. This is cached page on Europe Breaking News. If you want remove this page, please contact us.


text:
Keyword: Carnival Radiance
Additional savings for the New Year include discounts by Viking, Carnival and Regent on several itineraries. See more.
Carnival Cruise Lines introduced the 2020 schedules for the Carnival Radiance and the Carnival Sunrise. Destinations will include Italy, Greece, Bermuda, the Bahamas and Cuba.
It’s been a busy week for cruise ship renovations. Here's what you need to know.
The first seagoing adaptation of Shaquille O’Neal’s “Big Chicken” restaurant is among the many new food and beverage venues for the redesigned Carnival Radiance, Carnival Cruise Line said. More here.
The move marks the final phase of Carnival Cruise Line’s $2 billion fleet enhancement program that kicked off in 2011. Here’s what’s next.


text:
Naughty and nice
Tracking the year 2012 in autos reveals an unusual number of straightaways that were transformed into hairpins and switchbacks by human folly. Yes, stuff happens, but some stuff is more avoidable than others. Here are some notable instances where drivers behind the wheel failed to negotiate the curves — and a couple of instances where, thank goodness, they did.
Cloudy crystal ball dept. #1
In 2010, CEO Carlos Ghosn predicted Nissan would be selling 500,000 Leafs worldwide by 2014. He has a lot of ground to make up. In November, Ghosn conceded that sales of the all-electric Leaf would not reach its far more modest U.S. goal of just 20,000 in 2012. In fact, it will struggle to match its 2011 total of 9,674.
Cloudy crystal ball dept. #2
In early 2010, Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne said Alfa Romeo would be relaunched in the U.S market by late 2012, with a mid-size sedan, a sport wagon, and a crossover. By September, 2011, officials were saying that plans for all three models had been scrapped; the Alfa brand would be reintroduced to the U.S. in 2013, not 2012; and the first model to reach these shores would be the 4C sports car. But delays continue to pile up: This fall, Marchionne told dealers that Alfa’s return would be further postponed, and the first car would not be arriving until 2014.
Most disliked car of 2011 redeemed
Although customers didn’t seem to mind, reviewers panned the 2012 Honda Civic (above) for its bland styling, cheesy interior, and indifferent handling, so Honda promised a change. “We take feedback seriously, regardless of who it’s from, and we will act accordingly quickly,” John Mendel, American Honda executive vice president, said at the time. They did. Honda bumped up its planned mid-cycle refresh ahead by a year, redesigning the Civic inside and out, adding standard features and improving driving dynamics. Wrote an admiring reviewer for Motor Trend: “Honda appears to have gotten its groove back.”
Most disliked car of 2012
Chevy’s Malibu Eco was the hands-down leader at midyear for most-disliked honors, winning near-universal criticism for its lack of interior space, poor fuel economy, and high price. With sales weak, General Motors (GM) CEO Dan Akerson has revealed to Automotive News that Malibu, too, would receive an earlier-than-scheduled facelift. No details were announced, and Akerson kept his enthusiasm about the redo in check. “I think it’s a good car. It’ll do OK.”
Biggest sales surprise: The good kind
Last year, Chrysler sold fewer then 20,000 Fiat 500s — about half as many as expected. So far this year, it has sold more than 36,000 of the tiny cars. What changed? Fiat canceled a controversial ad campaign starring Jennifer Lopez, redirected a marketing campaign aimed mostly at women, and added the high-performance Abarth version with 60% more horsepower. Coming in 2013 is another model variant, the 500L — that’s “L” for large — that will have four doors instead of two.
Biggest sales surprise: Not-so-good kind
Launched this spring, Dodge’s Dart has stumbled coming out of the gate. Sales fell in November from the month before, and Chrysler has accumulated a 112-day supply. Reviewers found little in the Dart to recommend to buyers shopping for a compact car. Not to worry, Chrysler says, it is a problem about choices: “We just haven’t figured out what configurations our customers want,” a spokesperson said. But with 40,000 unsold Darts on the ground at the beginning of December, Dart needs a Fiat-style reboot. It hopes to get one when a super-slick R/T model with a bigger engine arrives in the new year.
Bad news for Detroit
For some time, Toyota (TM) has been the largest selling retail brand in America. In November, Toyota became the second-best-selling brand overall (fleet sales included) beating Chevrolet by 87 units. Sales of Camry, Toyota’s best-selling model, enjoyed their best month in five years, while sales of the Silverado pickup, Chevy’s most popular model, plunged when Chevy declined to match incentives offered by competitors. Left with huge inventories of unsold trucks, a 139-day supply, Chevy belatedly put some more cash on the hood in December.
More bad news for Detroit
ALG, formerly Automobile Lease Guide, identified the 2013 models in each of 22 — count ’em, 22 — segments that are forecast to retain the highest percentage of their sticker price after three years of ownership. Not a single one came from the Detroit Three. Honda and Acura were the winning mainstream and premium brands, while Toyota had the highest number of top-ranked models. It even swept the pickup category, formerly an all-American segment, with Tundra beating out Ford F-150, Silverado, and Dodge Ram.
Most surprising management change
Stefan Jacoby (left), the hard-charging CEO of Volvo Cars, was driven out of the company after clashing with his board of directors over strategic direction. His troubles are said to have begun when Hans-Olov Olsson (right), who was Volvo’s CEO from 2000 to 2005, rejoined the company as vice chairman in 2010. The German-born Jacoby was replaced by another Swede, Hakan Samuelsson.
Least surprising management changes
The CEO wheel at struggling Fisker Automotive made three full turns: founder Henrik Fisker (left) gave way to factory expert and ex-Chrysler executive Tom LaSorda (center) in February, and LaSorda, in turn, gave way to GM’s former hybrid car guru Tony Posawatz (right) in August. Fisker is two years late getting its plug-in Karma into production, and the car has been plagued with electrical problems. It is out trying to raise money to stay in business.
Hypermiling, lap #1
Hyundai/Kia admitted in November that it overstated the mileage ratings on 900,000 2011-13 vehicles. Six models that it previously rated at 40 miles per gallon, including the 2013 Accent, Veloster, and Elantra, have been reclassified at 37 or 38 mpg. Hyundai is compensating affected owners by picking up the tab for the additional lifetime fuel costs associated with the rating adjustment — plus a 15% premium. Its total bill could top $100 million.
Hypermiling, lap #2
In December, Consumer Reports and some independent reviewers found that Ford’s Fusion and C-Max hybrids can’t match their mpg claims either. Instead of the 47 mpg Ford (F) claimed, the Fusion got 39 mpg in real-world testing, and the C-Max got 37 mpg. Ford’s response, in part: “Driving styles, driving conditions, and other factors can cause mileage to vary.” The EPA said it would investigate, and Ford could face civil penalties if it was found to have misstated claims.


text:
Coupon Stealing on the Rise
In these touch economic times, coupons have become such a hot item that reports are on the rise of people stealing newspapers just to get the coupons. INSIDE EDITION has the story.
Thanks to these tough times using coupons has never been more popular. Shows like TLC's Extreme Couponing feature families who've developed super coupon skills and save hundreds of dollars at the grocery store. But there's actually a crime wave being linked to coupon mania.
Police are reporting a rash of newspaper thefts from newsstands and believe it or not, right from people's doorsteps. Thieves are actually stealing newspapers so they can use the valuable coupons found inside.
Coupon clipper Cybil Hudson from North Texas was arrested after police say she stole coupons from a newspaper stand. She's charged with fraudulent destruction or removal or concealment of writing for taking more coupon inserts than she purchased.
If convicted, she faces up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine. She denies the charges.
But Jill Cataldo, known as the Queen of the Coupons, understands why coupons are in such hot demand.
"When the Sunday paper shows up at my house, it is the equivalent to me of someone throwing $200 right at my driveway," said Cataldo.
Using coupons in store or at table, Cataldo is the world's premiere coupon expert. The mother of three from Chicago has developed a coupon strategy to slash grocery bills dramatically. She attracts sell-out crowds at her coupon workshops and has a six-month waiting list just to get a seat.
"It's become hip. It's become cool. There's no stigma anymore to using a coupon," said Cataldo.
INSIDE EDITION went grocery shopping with Cataldo to see her in action.
Her first tip: Buy in bulk if the sale price is right.
"One of the things we do as coupon shoppers is we do stock up a little bit during good sales," said Cataldo.
She gets cereal that's usually $5 a box for just 99 cents.
Her second tip: Look for produce coupons. Yes, they really exist. As long as the produce has a brand name you can check online for special deals.
"I like to look on their website and on their site they have 50 cents off each of these," Cataldo explained.
She got strawberries that are normally $2 a pound for $1.50.
Tip number three: Try coupon stacking. That's when you use a store coupon and a manufacturer coupon together on the same product.
"The Pine-Sol will be free today because of the coupon I got from the manufacturer, and we like free things," she said.
That's a saving of $3.
Also, keep those coupons from the register.
"A lot of times people will throw them away. You don't want to throw them away. I've got $10 - $12 here to spend," said Cataldo.
Before Cataldo went shopping she went online, which is her last tip. Use the internet to track sales.
"There are a lot of tools online that we use. Coupon databases match up lists that tracks the sales for us," she said.
So what was her grand total? Her shopping cart was filled with about $150 worth of groceries. But after handing over her stack of coupons, Cataldo's total was only $41.19!
"I cut over $95 off the bill with coupons," she exclaimed.
Trending on Inside Edition
Trump Invokes Fifth Amendment in New York Civil Fraud Probe as New Details Emerge About FBI Raid at Mar-a-LagoPolitics
Maverick the Dog Helps Find a Missing Child in North CarolinaAnimals
Videos Show Teens How to Steal Certain Kias And Hyundais With Only a USB Cable, Police Warn Amid Rising TheftsInvestigative
New York Man Killed in Freak Accident at a Town Trash Transfer StationNews
Who Killed Jared Bridegan? 2-Year-Old Girl Is the Only Witness to Dad's Gruesome MurderCrime


text:
Apple today released a new accompanying document indicating that iOS 15.4 and watchOS 8.5 allow restoring an Apple Watch with an iPhone nearby.
The support document states that if an Apple Watch running watchOS 8.5 or later displays an animation showing an Apple Watch and iPhone close together, customers can follow the steps below to initiate the restore process:
1. Make sure an iPhone is nearby. The iPhone must have iOS 15.4 or later, it must be connected to Wi-Fi with Bluetooth enabled, and it must be unlocked.
2. Put your Apple Watch on its charger.
3. Double-click the side button (the button under the circular digital crown) on your Apple Watch.
4. Follow the steps that appear on the iPhone.
If the steps do not work, Apple advises customers to check their Wi-Fi connection. Specifically, Apple advises to try using a 2.4 GHz network instead of 5 GHz and to avoid Wi-Fi networks 802.1X or captives, such as those in hotel rooms.
In an internal memo to Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers, obtained by MacRumors, Apple said this feature allows customers and technicians to restore watchOS to certain Apple Watch models without the device having to be mailed to an Apple repair center. The memo does not specify which Apple Watch models support the feature.
Apple’s support document says customers might see a red exclamation mark on their Apple Watch instead. If this happens, Apple says to press the side button twice, then follow the steps outlined above. If the Apple Watch continues to display a red exclamation point, customers are advised to Contact Apple Support to set up a repair by mail.
iOS 15.4 and watchOS 8.5 were released today alongside iPadOS 15.4, macOS 12.3, tvOS 15.4, and HomePod software version 15.4.
Apple releases watchOS 8.4 with fix for Apple Watch charging bug
Apple today released watchOS 8.4, the third major update to the watchOS 8 operating system launched in September. watchOS 8.4 comes more than a month after the release of watchOS 8.3, an update that added support for the Apple Music Voice plan. watchOS 8.4 can be downloaded for free through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software Update. To install the…
watchOS 8.3 Release Candidate extends AssistiveTouch to older Apple Watch models
The release candidate for watchOS 8.3 extended AssistiveTouch, allowing users to control their Apple Watch using only hand gestures, to older Apple Watch models after the feature was previously exclusive to newer Apple Watches. Apple first introduced the feature in May as part of its ongoing commitment to making its products accessible to as many people as possible. AssistiveTouch uses…
Apple Seeds watchOS 8.4 Release Candidate to Developers
Apple today released a candidate version of an upcoming beta of watchOS 8.4 to developers for testing, with the new software available a week after the launch of the first betas and more than a month after the release of watch OS 8.3. To install watchOS 8.4, developers will need to download the configuration profile from the Apple Developer Center. Once installed, watchOS…
Apple Watch’s lifesaving potential highlighted in thriller ‘911’ ad
Apple today shared a new ad called “911” that highlights the lifesaving potential of the Apple Watch in an emergency. The suspenseful ad revolves around three people named Amanda, Jason and Jim who were each able to get help by dialing 911 using the Apple Watch, with the ad highlighting excerpts from their frantic phone calls with dispatchers. Amanda, for example, said her car had…
Apple releases watchOS 8.4.1 with bug fixes for Apple Watch Series 4 and later
Apple today released watchOS 8.4.1, a minor update to the watchOS 8 operating system released in September. watchOS 8.4.1 arrives a week after the release of watchOS 8.4, an update that added a fix for an ongoing charging issue. watchOS 8.4.1 can be downloaded for free through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software Update. To install the new…
Apple releases watchOS 8.4.2 with bug fixes
Apple today released watchOS 8.4.2, a minor update to the watchOS 8 operating system released in September. watchOS 8.4.2 arrives two weeks after the release of watchOS 8.4, an update that added a fix for an ongoing charging issue. watchOS 8.4.2 can be downloaded for free through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software Update. To install the new…
Apple Seeds releases fifth beta of watchOS 8.5 to developers
Apple today released the fifth beta of an upcoming watchOS 8.5 update to developers for testing, with the software arriving a week after the release of the fourth watchOS 8.5 beta. To install watchOS 8.5, developers will need to download the configuration profile from the Apple Developer Center. Once installed, watchOS 8.5 can be downloaded through the…
Kuo: the Mac Mini 2023 will keep the same design as the current model
Apple’s next-generation Mac mini will likely feature the same design as the current model, according to top analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In a brief tweet, Kuo said the refreshed Mac mini would likely retain the same form factor as the current model, which is an aluminum unibody design that Apple has used for every new Mac mini since 2010. Earlier this week, Kuo said the new mac…
Kuo: Only iPhone 14 Pro models get “A16” chip, standard models keep A15
Only iPhone 14 Pro models will have the “A16” chip, while standard iPhone 14 models will retain the A15 Bionic chip from the iPhone 13, according to insightful Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In a tweet, Kuo said that the 6.1-inch “iPhone 14 Pro” and 6.7-inch “iPhone 14 Pro Max” will get the A16 chip, while the 6.1-inch “iPhone 14” and the “6.7-inch iPhone 14 Max” will retain the…
Apple doesn’t plan to release a larger-screen iMac
Apple has no plans to release an iMac with a bigger screen, according to a new report from 9to5Mac. Citing unspecified sources with knowledge of Apple’s product pipeline, the site says Apple won’t be introducing a larger iMac “in the near future.” With the launch of the Mac Studio, Apple discontinued the Intel-based 27-inch iMac, creating some confusion about the future of the iMac line….
UK network operators target iCloud Private Relay in regulator complaint
A group of UK network operators have officially urged the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to regulate iCloud Private Relay, saying Apple’s privacy service is anti-competitive, potentially bad for users and a threat for national security. In its response to the CMA’s interim report on mobile ecosystems, Mobile UK, a trade association of UK mobile network operators,…


text:
Entertainment Portal for Vaio
Page 1 of 1
You've got music, movies, multimedia and a brand new home page -- if you're planning to buy a new Sony Vaio this spring.
America Online and Sony announced on Thursday that the two companies are partnering to provide a customized portal for users of Sony's Vaio PCs. The portal page will provide Vaio users with access to entertainment content such as music, TV shows and videos.
The portal will be set as the default home page on all Sony Vaio consumer PCs manufactured in 2006. New Vaio PCs with the Sony-AOL home page will begin shipping in February. The new Vaios will also sport preloaded copies of AOL's Explorer browser, which AOL says is an enhanced version of Microsoft's Internet Explorer with more security and pop-up blocking features, as well as the AOL Instant Messenger service, the AOL Toolbar and other AOL software products.
"This is a winning partnership for both of our companies and for our consumers by bringing together two great brands to offer a terrific end-to-end consumer experience," said Kevin Conroy, executive vice president of AOL Media Networks, in a company statement.
"Making our popular Web brands, including the AOL.com portal, easily available to VAIO users will offer consumers some of the best communication products, multimedia content and services that the Web has to offer."
Since the launch of the Vaio line of PCs in 1997, Sony has marketed its purple-colored computers (more recently purple trimmed) as a stylish multimedia and entertainment product instead of a solid corporate workhorse, sort of the Apple computer of the PC world, though Mac fans will undoubtedly cringe at the comparison. Broadening access to multimedia offerings is firmly in line with the Vaio branding plan.
Sony went through a major management shakeup almost a year ago, in an attempt to revive flagging profits. As part of the reshuffle, Welsh-born Sir Howard Stringer was appointed chairman and CEO, the first time Sony has appointed a non-Japanese native to that position.
Stringer's initiatives seem to be working.
On Thursday, Sony reported a 17.5 percent rise in profit for the October-December quarter and revised their earlier projection for a loss in 2006, saying the company expected to turn a profit in this year as opposed to losing $86 million.
In more good news for Sony, Konica Minolta announced last week that it was pulling out of the camera business, and would be transferring its digital single-lens reflex cameras business to Sony.
Sony is discontinuing some of its own products. Company representatives said on Thursday that it will stop making plasma-display TVs, a competing technology to its popular liquid-crystal displays. Sony will also stop developing its Aibo entertainment robots, but will continue to support the existing Aibo products.
The company is also discontinuing development on the super-high-end Qualia line of audiovisual products, which had been touted in 2005 as one of Sony's turnaround tickets.


text:
As 2011 comes to a close, the US economy continues to limp along, and shoppers continue to carefully weigh purchase decisions. Pet owner surveys conducted by Packaged Facts on a quarterly basis throughout the year highlight key trends, including the bright spots and weak spots likely to continue to shape the market in 2012. In the most recent survey, conducted in September 2011, 62% of respondents had a pet, including 43% with dogs, 32% with cats and 11% with other types of animals.
With many pet owners considering a growing number of pet products too expensive, it’s no surprise that price shopping is on the ups. Nearly three-quarters (74%) of pet owners look for lower prices, special offers and sales on pet products, and about half (47%) shop for pet products at a variety of stores, according to Packaged Facts’ survey. On the other hand, almost one-third (30%) choose to shop at pet product retailers that offer the best products available regardless of price, while nearly one-quarter (23%) base their choice of retailer on the availability of natural/organic and other specialty brand products.
Private label petfood remains of strong interest among retailers and contract manufacturers alike. According to Product Launch Analytics, an online service of Datamonitor, 2010 gave rise to a record number of new private-label dog and cat food products. On the dog food side, retailers were behind 23 new product reports covering 109 SKUs, while cat food saw seven new reports yielding 28 SKUs.
At the same time, findings from Packaged Facts’ surveys suggest pet owners are becoming more comfortable with private label. In the September survey, 45% of pet owners agree that private-label pet products are as good as national brands, while over one-third (34%) admit to buying more store brands of late.
Brick-and-mortar retailers must face off not only against one another but also with a less tangible foe: the Internet. Internet sales of pet products continue to well outpace pet market growth overall, with niche and “info-centric” items often doing especially well online. Packaged Facts survey data indicate close to half of pet owners use the Internet to research pet products online, while about one-quarter buy online.
As of September 2011, one in 10 pet owners had made a purchase online in the last 10 days, and 24% had done so in the past month. Because of its bulk, petfood has long been a less likely purchase online, but free shipping and other special promotions are making home delivery of petfood a growing factor. Among Internet shoppers for pet products, 42% made a petfood purchase in the past year.
During the weak economy, the strongest arguments for generous spending on pets are founded on pet health. Even while cutting back in other areas, over three-quarters (78%) of dog owners and over half (58%) of cat owners have taken their pets to the veterinarian for a routine visit in the past year.
Petfood remains on the front line of preventive pet health. Although over two-thirds (69%) of pet owners believe many pet products are becoming too expensive, 25% of petfood purchasers report buying higher-priced foods, compared with only 7% of non-food pet product purchasers. Many pet owners view an investment in pet health as an investment in human health as well. Over three-quarters (78%) agree that pets have a positive impact on their physical health.
Stubborn economy notwithstanding, the human-animal bond promises to keep the pet market on solid ground. Over two-third (67%) of US pet owners strongly agree that “I consider my pets to be part of the family,” and another 23% somewhat agree with this statement.
Perhaps not coincidentally, 76% of pet owners like to indulge their pets with special food/chew treats (Table 1). During the down economy, treats have benefited from their affordable indulgence appeal to dog and cat owners alike, helped along by claims including nutraceutical/functional, natural/organic and grain-free. Overall, health appeals are in much stronger play in dog and cat treats than ever before, tipping the value balance in these products’ favor among pet owners who, even when economizing in other areas, still want to treat their pets right.
Find more market trends at
Still in its infancy, cell-cultured meat is being looked at for its possibilities, but environmental challenges exist, as well.
By David Sprinkle
While forecasts can have short shelf lives, being overtaken by unforeseen events, there’s no question that the U.S. economy and American houseeholds have been buffeted by COVID-19 shutdowns and illnesses, patches of job insecurity despite low unemployment rates and record price inflation only partially offset by wage increases.


text:
A federal choose will begin listening to claims this week from the Justice Division and a gaggle of states that Google abused its energy as a monopoly over on-line search providers.
Google is synonymous with on the lookout for info on-line and has leveraged its massively profitable search software to construct a large enterprise spanning promoting, cloud computing and the web video powerhouse YouTube.
The end result of the trial could have even broader implications than Google’s enterprise. By placing a long time of Silicon Valley practices underneath the microscope, it’s going to present a sign of how profitable regulators in america will likely be of their efforts to rein within the energy of Huge Tech.
What’s this trial about?
A choose will think about whether or not, because the Justice Division and a gaggle of states argue, Google abused its energy as a monopoly. It’s the primary monopoly trial in opposition to a tech large for the reason that landmark proceedings in opposition to Microsoft greater than 20 years in the past.
Within the a long time since, Google has amassed 90 % of the search engine market in america and 91 % globally, according to Similarweb, an information evaluation agency.
Why does it matter?
If Google loses this case, the ruling may chip away at its stature and affect within the know-how trade — one thing that would restrict the best way Google can compete within the market and reshuffle energy in Silicon Valley.
It’s also a take a look at for governments that say tech giants like Google, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft and Meta, which owns Fb and Instagram, have an excessive amount of affect over our on-line lives. The nation’s antitrust legal guidelines had been first written greater than a century in the past, and this trial will present whether or not they can be utilized to rein within the fast-moving tech trade.
What, precisely, is Google accused of doing?
The Justice Division has accused Google, which is predicated in Mountain View, Calif., of illegally utilizing partnerships with cellphone makers and web browser corporations to close out rival search engines like google and yahoo.
Because of agreements with corporations like Apple, Samsung and Mozilla, Google has been the default search engine when billions of internet customers open a browser on their telephones, tablets and private computer systems. The federal government has argued that Google’s multibillion-dollar payouts to companions have prevented different search engines like google and yahoo like Microsoft Bing and DuckDuckGo from accumulating a significant share of the web search market.
The Justice Division additionally claims Google’s follow of preloading its providers on units that use its Android software program illegally helped the web firm preserve a monopoly.
What does Google say?
Google says that its enterprise practices are authorized and commonplace, and that when it pays to look on Apple’s Safari browser or Mozilla’s Firefox, the settlement is akin to a maker of cereals paying supermarkets to inventory its packing containers at eye degree.
The search large has additionally repeatedly argued that it has quite a few profitable rivals in on-line search. The corporate factors to corporations like Amazon and TikTok as thriving rivals. Although they don’t function general-purpose search engines like google and yahoo, Google argues that they’re rival locations the place shoppers go to seek out merchandise or content material that bypasses Google totally.
Google has additionally stated that the federal government is utilizing a flawed argument to focus on the corporate due to its reputation. The corporate believes it’s profitable as a result of it makes the most effective search engine. Shoppers have a selection to make use of different search engines like google and yahoo, it argues, however select Google as a result of they discover it most useful.
What does the federal government have to show to win its case?
The federal government has to point out that Google has monopoly energy over the areas of the economic system at subject within the case. The federal government will attempt to persuade the choose to take a comparatively strict view of what a search engine is and to reject Google’s argument that e-commerce websites like Amazon and social media providers like TikTok or Instagram are in the identical market as Google’s search engine. The broader the market, the better it’s for Google to argue that it doesn’t have monopoly energy.
The federal government additionally must show that Google’s industrial agreements meaningfully lowered competitors amongst search engines like google and yahoo by denying them an opportunity to forge comparable offers with system makers or achieve new clients. The Justice Division may also most likely have to elucidate how these enterprise practices straight or not directly harmed shoppers, which has for many years been an necessary bar for judges contemplating antitrust circumstances.
What’s going to occur if Google is discovered liable for violating the legislation?
The trial could have two components. First, Decide Amit P. Mehta of the U.S. District Court docket for the District of Columbia will decide if Google violated the legislation. If it did, then Decide Mehta will think about potential methods to repair the scenario.
The Justice Division has not but stated what actions it might ask the court docket to impose on Google within the occasion of its victory.
“But it surely all begins with the court docket being satisfied that Google has misbehaved,” stated Invoice Baer, a former Justice Division official.
Google’s president of world affairs, Kent Walker, highlighted the problem of discovering an applicable treatment with out forcing different corporations that aren’t being sued, together with Apple and Samsung, to alter their enterprise practices.
It’s potential that the Justice Division will ask that Google be forbidden from signing unique distribution agreements to offer different search engines like google and yahoo extra prominence on client units.
What’s the broader context surrounding the trial?
The Justice Division’s case in opposition to Google focuses on whether or not the tech large engaged in anticompetitive conduct to undermine different search engines like google and yahoo, which rival the service that made the corporate a family title.
Within the a long time since Microsoft was accused of bundling its merchandise collectively to stop different internet browsers from gaining traction available in the market, the know-how trade has drastically modified.
Google has emerged as the most important promoting enterprise on the web. Together with its success has come intensifying scrutiny from regulators around the globe, questioning the corporate’s enterprise practices and the aggressive, political and social penalties of its in style merchandise.
The European Union has been essentially the most aggressive at attempting to rein in Google’s energy, and this case is the primary through which america will sq. off in opposition to the corporate.


text:
Trick or Treat ... or Cavities?
Use Halloween as a time to teach your children important lessons about nutrition and dental care.
Like many of our wintertime holidays, Halloween -- with its candy and parties and excess -- could be seen as a glutton's paradise. But that's part of its attraction. It's a child's holiday -- dress up in funny outfits and eat too much candy. It's also a holiday that puts parents in a bind. Let them eat till they're sick or be a killjoy who runs around confiscating a child's Reese's Cups?
Moderation and rules are not characteristics we often associate with Halloween, but, say child health experts, the holiday can be a good time to teach your kids important lessons about nutrition and dental care.
"On the positive side, if you let them eat it all at once, they'll get rid of it," says Jim Steiner, DDS, a dentist who practices at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital in Ohio. "Nutritionists would hit me over the head for saying so, but from the dentist's perspective it's best to get it all over at once, so the kids don't get endless exposure to acid-forming bacteria."
And Steiner is right. Dietitians are never in favor of parents aiding and abetting a major binge, even if it is a holiday.
"I don't want to come across as a stick-in-the-mud," says Maureen Kilfoil, RD, LD, a dietitian who, like Steiner, works at Cincinnati Children's Hospital. "It's a fun holiday and kids should be able to enjoy it. But parents need to curb kids' tendencies to overdo it. Parents need to be parents and set the rules. Let them have their treats, but put some limits on their consumption."
Avoid Tooth Decay
"In general, I tell parents that kids who eat many times a day are at higher risk of tooth decay," says Steiner. "It's the kids who have access to sippy cups or snacks all the time that are at high risk for tooth decay. It's that kind of chronic exposure that causes [cavities.]"
And that's why Halloween is a problem with the dental profession. Some children will hoard their favorite candies and eat them a little bit at a time over a long period of time.


text:
Anybody who bought TiVo stock before Wednesday is DEF in celebration mode right now.
Thanks to TiVo CEO Tom Rogers talking up the company's new Premiere DVR box, their stock is soaring!
Yesterday, TiVo stock jumped 80 cents to $9.85/share!
The new box is being marketed as a media hub that will not only record shows, but it will also include YouTube videos, Netflix streaming, Amazon streaming, and many other third-party applications.
Pretty cool. Should be inneresting to see how much higher TiVo stock ends up going!
Will U pick up some TiVo shares before they make another massive jump?


text:
Polish-Chinese tech-startup Cosmose, which has software tracking the exact location of a massive 1.1bn people around the world, has closed a $12m seed funding round to expand its operations into Japan and open a new office in Europe.
The little-known company, which is based between Warsaw and Shanghai boasts leading luxury brands as clients such as LVMH, Richemont, Kering, Estée Lauder and L'Oréal — companies which are eager to understand customer behaviour in their shops. It could be described as Poland's answer to Foursquare, the US company that started out as a social check-in app before moving into footfall analytics.
Cosmose's technology is able to tap into people's location data via their smartphones — something that people opt into by downloading one of a number of apps. According to Cosmose, there are 400,000 apps in Asia that can provide this kind of consent, including Weibo and various taxi apps.
From the moment someone downloads one of these apps they become part of Cosmose’s tracking ecosystem. This means that when they enter a shop that is part of Cosmose's network their movements will be traced accurately within a 1.6m range. The customer doesn't need to connect to wifi or bluetooth, or even open the app for the tracking to begin.
This level of accuracy means the system can reveal shopping habits with a high-level of detail, such as the specific aisles that people spend time in or the number of people that take a trip to the fitting room but choose not to buy anything.
So far the startup's system is able to track 1.1bn smartphone devices globally, 850m of which are in China, with the rest from elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific region. There are 350,000 shops in its network.
This data can be useful for companies that want to gain an understanding of how customers use the physical space in shops, and can also be used to target people with ads via Google, Facebook, WeChat and Weibo. For instance, a brand might use Cosmose's system to identify those that have visited one of its shops and later target them with an advert. It could also choose to advertise to customers that had visited a competitor's shop.
The startup has a "complex system of encrypting and segmenting the data" so that it is fully compliant with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), according to Miron Mironiuk, Cosmose's chief executive and founder.
This kind of location-tracking is one of a number of techniques used by the indoor tracking industry to provide retailers with insight into shopper's behaviours. Other players in the space include Kraków-based Estimote, which uses signals from built-in sensors or beacons to detect people's movements, and Vayyar Imaging Ltd, which uses 4D imaging tech to track customers as they shop.
By linking up smartphones with people's movements these kinds of technologies are able to blur the lines between online and offline shopping, so that people can receive personalised alerts and discount offers based on their shopping behaviour. On a global scale the indoor tracking industry is estimated to reach $23.6bn by 2023, according to MarketsandMarkets research.
China first, then everywhere else
While European startups often struggle to expand into China, Cosmose is an example of a company that owes its success to its focus on the country, where there is greater scope for data collection.
It is also the home of some of the most enthusiastic luxury shoppers. Chinese customers spent $115bn on luxury items last year — meaning China accounts for a third of the global luxury market, according to McKinsey.
“If you are focussing on AI, then you need data — and in China there are 850m smartphones to provide data,” Mironiuk told Sifted. "People used to say that if you can make it in New York then you can make it anywhere, but now I think if you can make it in Shanghai then you can make it anywhere."
Having tripled its revenues over the past year, Cosmose will use the $12m raise to expand its operations into Japan, where it will start tracking Japanese customers. The startup will also open an office in Paris to target European luxury brands that are interested in better understanding Chinese customers.
“In China we’ve seen great results from retailers using Cosmose and now we are setting our sights further afield as we take on this new investment,” said Mironiuk. He said that after expanding into Japan the startup will consider moving into the US and Europe after that.


text:
The news: Twitter, by its own admission, is seeing yet more employee turnover as it grapples with issues including whistleblower charges and a legal dispute with billionaire Elon Musk.
- Executives disclosed during a corporate meeting that employee churn is now 18.3%; before Musk launched his $44 billion bid to purchase the business, management had said turnover was on par with competitors’ 14%-16%. We reported on Twitter shedding headcount last month.
- The employee meeting took place the day after Peiter “Mudge” Zatko, the company’s former head of security, said in a whistleblower complaint that Twitter had misled federal authorities about its defenses against spam accounts and hackers. On Wednesday, Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal told staff that Zatko's allegations were unfounded.
Musk leaves a stink: Many employees have left because of the instability surrounding the Musk takeover, existing staff told Reuters.
- The company’s poor Q2 performance wasn’t helped by the uncertainty.
- Twitter has an October court date after suing Musk for trying to break the buyout deal.
- Zatko’s accusations were brought up at a hearing in Delaware on Wednesday to decide if Twitter must provide Musk with data he can use to refute the platform's estimations of fake accounts. Musk attorney Alex Spiro told the judge that the former security executive had said management was not interested in measuring bots.
Brand-safe or brand danger? In light of Twitter's feud with Musk, Zatko’s allegations have added new uncertainties for advertisers who are worried about brand safety and bot activity.
- Advertisers are concerned that Twitter's work on critical issues, like developing safety controls that may prevent brand ads from appearing alongside harmful content, is being stalled by the Musk drama.
- The platform is stuck in the earliest stages of a Media Rating Council (MRC) examination of its brand safety guidelines, which began more than a year ago and hasn’t progressed.
- MRC accreditation is important, since it can verify that a service has guardrails that prohibit brands from being displayed near objectionable material like hate speech and adult content. The MRC also examines legitimate traffic and ad viewability requirements, two issues that Musk has brought up in his criticism of Twitter.
Why it matters: Focus is what Twitter needs to succeed. Agrawal admitted as much in Wednesday’s meeting. And that’s why leadership shelved some of the platform’s newer initiatives, including podcasts, social audio, newsletters, and communities, in June.
- The problem is Twitter’s margin for error here is pretty darn small. Twitter Blue, the company’s subscription product, hasn’t taken off the way Snapchat+ has.
- Recent product updates, like Location Spotlight and the planned verified phone number feature, are nice but underwhelming.
- Given Twitter’s relative openness compared with other platforms, brands frequently use it to measure consumer sentiment—which can be manipulated by bots.
- The bots drama is concerning, as a platform's overall health can be inferred by how it handles spam. If a platform has a bad reputation for handling bots, it can’t help advertisers' decision on whether or not to spend there.


text:
“Xiaomi’s sub-brand Redmi clearly seems to be planning to enter the TV segment, likely with a 70-inch model”
A Redmi TV with model number L70M5-RA has just been certified by the Chinese regulatory authority 3C. The model number of the Redmi TV on 3C suggests that it could offer a massive 70-inch screen, possibly with 4K resolution. While the brand is yet to announce anything officially, its GM Lu Weibing had teased plans to launch a TV earlier this week. This certification makes Xiaomi’s spin-off’s intention of entering China’s television market pretty clear. Notably, the parent company of Redmi already sells highly affordable smart televisions in its home market of China apart from the countries like India.
Unfortunately, the listing on 3C’s website hasn’t reveal much beyond the possible screen size of the upcoming Redmi TV. However, we expect it to follow the same ideology as Xiaomi’s Mi TV series, which offers flagship specs at affordable prices. The Redmi series televisions are expected to be cheaper than the Xiaomi Mi TV series offerings, which are available in India at the starting price of Rs 12,499.
It’s worth mentioning that after splitting from its parent company Xiaomi in China, Redmi introduced its most affordable smartphones under the Redmi K series in China. Soon after, the newly announced Redmi K20 with the Snapdragon 710 SoC and the Redmi K20 Pro featuring a Snapdragon 855 flagship processor were released in the Indian market. Notably, the latter is one of the most affordable offerings with the new Qualcomm flagship SoC, so we can expect Redmi to offer feature-loaded flagship TVs at budget prices.


text:
Want to keep up with the latest in tech?
Globe enhances innovation drive to further boost business growth
In a bid to further drive business growth, Globe Telecom is taking its innovation drive to the next level by providing its employees an avenue to explore and harness concepts, ideas as well as technological advances that could prove relevant amid customers’ growing penchant for a digital lifestyle.
In this year’s run of Globe Innovation Month, the company arranged several activities designed to encourage, inform and enable Globe employees to further embrace innovation: Mind Brew, Hack for a Nation and Globe Innovation Forum.
“For Globe to remain relevant, the company needs to be consistent in offering innovative products and services that shape the Filipino’s digital lifestyle. With the set of activities we have prepared, we hope to generate within the organization new ideas that could potentially become major breakthroughs in our thrust to create wonderful experiences for our customers and drive business growth,” said Globe Chief Information Officer Pebbles Sy-Manalang.
She explained that Mind Brew is a series of talks that provided insights to Globe employees around the latest concepts and trends on innovation. Jos Ortega, CEO Founder of Havas Ortega; Althea Utzurrum, Lazada Vice President for Online Marketing; Mike Lao, Accenture Director of Delivery for Digital in the Philippines; and Jagan Srinivasan, President for Philips Lighting, Philippines shared valuable insights on innovation and their importance to further business growth.
Hack for a Nation, on the other hand, is a 24-hour hackathon aimed at addressing social challenges through innovation and technology. Around 35 groups from various schools and companies participated in the hackathon, where the participating teams were asked to create apps within the 24-hour time frame. Specifically, the challenge was to build an interactive prototype, mobile or web application, that would support nation building initiatives from a telco-oriented approach to address issue on transportation, education and emergency response services.
The Haraya team, composed of Juan Paolo Espiritu, Mark Joseph Basibas and John Hay Supetran won the competition for creating DriVR, a virtual reality simulator to test Metro Manila drivers for both driving skills and traffic discipline on the road.
The 2-day Globe Innovation Forum, meanwhile, aimed to showcase new solutions and technologies through learning sessions and a tech exhibit that provided valuable inputs to help realize Globe Telecom’s business thrust in the next few years. Now on its third year, the event also served as an avenue for the company’s product and technology groups to showcase their respective products and services.
Companies that supported the Globe Innovation Forum include Huawei, Amazon Web Services, SAP, Dell, SMS Global Technologies, Pontis, VMWare, MD as well as Cisco, Hortwonworks, Allot Communications, Ericsson, Hewlett Packard Enterprises, Teradata, Xura, Amdocs, Microsoft, F5, Stratpoint, Oracle, EMC, Indra and Samsung.


text:
2015 was by far the biggest year for professional video gaming, with 334 million people watching the championships for League of Legends, a multiplayer battle video game. Mix in bigger sponsors, more tech company money, better hardware, and virtual reality, and 2016 could be the year this phenomenon really takes off.
Video games are rapidly becoming an actual, professional sport. How can you tell? The prizes and prestige are now big enough that gaming leagues will test players for performance enhancing drug use. Our friends at Kotaku are busy discussing some of the potential loopholes.
Video Games! You've heard of them. But what you might not be so aware of is 'eSports' - the growing genre of highly competitive multiplayer gaming. But are eSports really on a level where we should be seeing digital athletes at the Olympics? Rob Pardo, formerly of Blizzard, thinks so.
Man, remember how your folks would harass you about getting ahead in life rather than molting in front of a video game for 42 hours on end? Throw this in your mama's face: Chung-Ang University in South Korea now considers competitive gamers the same as traditional athletes. And it's a top 10 (South Korean) school!


text:
By David Shepardson and Josh Horwitz
WASHINGTON/SHANGHAI – The US government expanded its trade blacklist to include some of China’s top artificial intelligence startups, punishing Beijing for its treatment of Muslim minorities and ratcheting up tensions ahead of high-level trade talks in Washington this week.
The decision, almost certain to draw a sharp response from Beijing, targets 20 Chinese public security bureaus and eight companies including video surveillance firm Hikvision, as well as leaders in facial recognition technology SenseTime Group Ltd and Megvii Technology Ltd.
The action bars the firms from buying components from US companies without US government approval – a potentially crippling move. It follows the same blueprint used by Washington in its attempt to limit the influence of Huawei Technologies Co Ltd. for what it says are national security reasons.
US officials said the action was not tied to this week’s resumption of trade talks with China, but it signals no let-up in US President Donald Trump’s hard-line stance as the world’s two biggest economies seek to end their 15-month trade war.
The Commerce Department said in a filing the “entities have been implicated in human rights violations and abuses in the implementation of China’s campaign of repression, mass arbitrary detention, and high-technology surveillance against Uighurs, Kazakhs, and other members of Muslim minority groups.”
“The U.S. Government and Department of Commerce cannot and will not tolerate the brutal suppression of ethnic minorities within China,” said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross.
China’s commerce ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Hikvision, with a market value of about $42 billion, calls itself the world’s largest maker of video surveillance gear.
SenseTime, valued at around $4.5 billion in a May 2018 fundraising, is one of the world’s most valuable AI unicorns while Megvii, backed by e-commerce giant Alibaba, is valued at around $4 billion and is preparing an IPO to raise at least $500 million in Hong Kong.
The other companies on the list are speech recognition firm iFlytek Co, surveillance equipment maker Zhejiang Dahua Technology, digital data forensics products maker Xiamen Meiya Pico Information Co and Yixin Science and Technology Co.
A US Hikvision spokesman said the company “strongly opposes” the decision and noted that in January it retained a human rights expert and former US ambassador to advise the company on human rights compliance.
“Punishing Hikvision, despite these engagements, will deter global companies from communicating with the US government, hurt Hikvision’s US businesses partners and negatively impact the US economy,” the company added.
John Honovich, founder of surveillance video research company IPVM, said Hikvision and Dahua both use Intel Corp., Nvidia Corp. Ambarella Inc., Western Digital and Seagate Technology as suppliers and that the impact on the Chinese companies would be “devastating”.
The blacklisting of Huawei has hurt many of its US suppliers that depended on the world’s largest telecommunications company for revenue and made it difficult for Huawei to sell new products.
Reuters reported in August Hikvision receives nearly 30 percent of its 50 billion yuan ($7 billion) in revenue from overseas.
SenseTime said in a statement it was deeply disappointed by the US move, that it abides by all relevant laws of the jurisdictions in which its operates and that it has been actively developing an AI code of ethics to ensure its technologies are used responsibly.
IFlytek said its placement on the blacklist would not affect its daily operations. “We have already anticipated this situation and will continue to provide excellent products and services for our customers,” it said. – Reuters


text:
LAKEWOOD RANCH -- If you live in Manatee County, most likely you know the name Popi's Place. It's the closest thing to diners owned by Greek immigrants that have flourished up and down the East Coast in large cities like New York, serving hearty American food with a Greek flair.
Popi's Place has made its mark here, and now the latest of seven Popi's Place restaurants, which recently opened just off State Road 70 in the River Club Plaza shopping center next to retail giant Walmart, is becoming a choice place to eat.
Since its soft opening Jan. 27, Popi's Place on The Ranch has become a place for working professionals looking for a fast dining option, to families with small children, retirees, students from the nearby dental school, area home builders, and anyone else passing through and curious about the stores and restaurants in the new shopping center.
Popi's Place on The Ranch held its grand opening Friday afternoon, attended by priests at St. Barbara Greek Orthodox Church in Saraso
ta, who gave the restaurant a blessing; the Manatee Chamber of Commerce; Manatee County and school board officials; the mayors of Bradenton and Palmetto, and even Manatee County Sheriff Brad Steube, who reportedly patronizes Popi's Place on the Ranch at least three or four times a week with his family.
"We've got a new system in place, and our growing pains are over. We wanted everything to be 100 percent, and now we're ready and raring to go," said 38-year-old Andy Ameres, the second son of the family who previously managed the Ellenton restaurant.
This second-generation Greek son still works side by side with his mother, Kalioppi "Popi" Ameres, who started the Bradenton-based family restaurant chain in 1975 when she and her husband moved to Florida from Cleveland, where they managed the popular Brown Derby restaurants. Even Ameres' wife, Kali, who is eight months' pregnant and expecting their first baby, a boy, faithfully comes every day to lend a hand.
Ameres calls the move to Lakewood Ranch next door to Walmart a "no-brainer," since the name alone is a great anchor for his business. And the manager of Walmart has stopped by to personally thank him and his restaurant for drawing in more business.
Many of the staff now employed at Popi's Place on The Ranch have worked in other Popi's restaurants and are enjoying their new digs at the Lakewood Ranch location.
Debbie Farmer, a six-year staffer who worked with Ameres in Ellenton, said she had to follow him because she thinks of him like a little brother."They're a lovely family. My brother who was a policeman knew them for years. This is a working crowd, and they're tipping well here," she said.
Popi's Place on The Ranch offers the same menu items as the other locations, but the specials, like ranch burgers and hickory ranch chicken, give it a personal touch.
"Our portions are huge, and everything is made daily. The quality and the price are right," added Ameres.
Fellow restaurateur Mike Valentino, who owns Valentino Pizzeria Trattoria in Sarasota, stopped by on grand opening day to have a hearty breakfast with his wife and friend.
"The food is good. It's much like the breakfast they serve in New Jersey with that same diner feel. There's not many people doing what Popi does for breakfast, especially being so new," said Valentino, a native of New Jersey who resides in Sarasota.
Jaci Schuyler, a second-year dental student from nearby LECOM School of Dental Medicine, enjoyed her breakfast along with fellow students who happened to catch a break in between classes.
"There's not a whole lot of places to eat close to school, so this is perfect since we only get an hour for lunch."
Ameres says the family has plans to expand south to Venice and north to Riverview in Hillsborough County, where they already have a successful Popi's Place in Ruskin.
Besides being religious, Ameres' mother, "Popi" says, of course, hard work has led to the family success.
"But always try and don't give up," she said. "Hard work will pay off."
Kathryn Moschella, Lakewood Ranch reporter can be reached at 941-745-7010. Follow her on Twitter @MoschellaHerald.


text:
Cyber security is a field that often gets overlooked by SMEs as more attention is paid to software development.
While it can be tempting to plough more resources into the technical coding aspects that consumers can actively use, cyber security is an equally important consideration for any business.
With cyber crime on the rise, here we look at the most important reasons for upping your cyber security protocols as soon as possible.
The Increase In Cyber Crime
Global cyber crime has risen by 63% in the past three years, with the number of significant attacks going up by 50%. The scope of said cyber crime is vast, with some attacks reportedly co-ordinated by entire nations, and other small scale instances of denial of service attacks or blackmail using hacked information.
Furthermore, the concept of cyber crime is also changing, with traditional systems-based attacks not the only means of disrupting a target..
Whether the threat is large or small, what’s clear is that in the coming years, the risk of cyber crime affecting people and their business interests is sure to increase.
Being unprepared given that so many of these threats are avoidable is not only inadvisable but irresponsible as it puts your entire business, your employees and your customers at risk.
Biggest Cyber Security Threats
The 2017 breach of the NHS’s cyber security defences with a somewhat straightforward ransomware attack highlighted the need for more awareness of the importance of cyber security.
In total, “WannaCry” affected over 70,000 NHS devices, showing how even some larger organisations are vulnerable to attacks. With this in mind, here are some of the most common cyber security threats that you need to be aware of when looking to improve your cyber security.
Data leaks are one of the most recognisable forms of cyber crime, as hackers infiltrate a database and look to exploit the data for their own ends. Sometimes, the data is leaked to the public at large, compromising the privacy of the organisation and its consumers or users, or the information is collected, and the owner held to ransom.
Rather than procure information, ransomware looks to compromise operating systems of individuals or a business. Once a device has been afflicted, the company may then be asked to pay a ransom before the device is made usable.
Spyware monitors web browsing and secure information such as credit card numbers or passwords to use for pernicious purposes. Spyware is often installed using a technique called Trojan horsing, where the program attaches itself to another piece of software.
A somewhat antiquated means of cyber crime that has been around since the invention of email, this technique involves sending a fraudulent email to a person or business asking for sensitive information such as bank details. Phishing is still reasonably prominent with 2,244,312 such emails sent in 2017 alone according to the APWG.
Cost Of Cyber Security
In terms of estimated costs, every cyber security breach is suggested to cost larger firms £20,000, although this figure can vary dependent on the type of attack. It must also be mentioned that the intangible costs should be considered, as the cost in terms of future revenue lost due to damage to a brand can be enormous.
After a cyber attack exposed data from TalkTalk in October 2015, the company lost over 101,000 customers in just four months. The attack also closed its online sales platform, costing the business around £15m according to a third quarter statement.
Contrasted to this, the average salary for an experienced cyber security professional is £72,500, meaning even a team of ten would cost less than 5% of the total amount lost by TalkTalk as a result of the data breach.
How To Improve Your Cyber Security
The figures mentioned above can seem daunting, but for the majority of businesses, finance shouldn’t be an issue when looking to improve cyber security. Starting salaries for cyber security professionals fall between £25,000 and £35,000, meaning that a small team shouldn’t take too much from an annual salary budget. Furthermore, this work can be outsourced to freelancers or specialist agencies if you still feel like it’s too much.
Building a cyber security team of any sort is imperative, although the skills gap in the sector can make it harder to find new employees. Fortunately, Code Nation are committed to training new cyber security professionals with skills tailored to your business, and our courses help prepare your potential new employees for the rigours of dealing with cyber crime.
Want to find out how we could help improve your cyber security measures? Get in touch with us today!
Call: 0333 050 4570


text: China is set to open the GM Genie out of their bottle, but I am predicting how it's all going to end. It will be just another way for agriculturally protective countries to keep barriers high to ag imports for another generation! This will be a big boon for Australia's organic agriculture industry. EU is used to high prices, and with a lack of other countries to import from, and a lack of the right climate for certain crops and animals, the incentive for Aus is to keep the genie in the bottle as long as possible to gain maximum benefit from the prejudice of Europeans against GM foods. Strategically, I think Australia would be crazy to start using GM crops before they are endemic world-wide. Prejudice, especially in Europe is so high that it has made a huge market distortion in the industry, offsetting all possible yield and other benefits for the forseeable future.


text:
The date for Honor’s official unveiling of its upcoming flagship smartphones has been announced. It is anticipated that the “sufficiently advanced” Magic6 series will debut their first top-end limited edition variant on that day, along with an update to the most recent version of the OEM’s Android skin. This may help to explain why their launch has been extended into a two-day event in early 2024.
Since the devices in question are also billed as the most Magic smartphones available, Honor may be more than most in using an old line attributed to Arthur C. Clarke (“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic”) as the opening for its introductory teaser for its upcoming major product event (even though this isn’t the first time it’s done so).
Additionally, the devices are now formally supported to run a fresh version of MagicOS straight out of the box. The OEM has not yet provided additional information about the software, but it is most likely based on Android 14 and may be updated to support features like satellite connectivity and improved primary camera sensors.
Along with incorporating the new AI features of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, the Magic6 line is also expected to include a limited edition device that will be the first in the series and was created in partnership with Porsche Design.
As a result, the “magic technology feast” that will be served in its honor on January 10 and 11, 2024 in the brand’s home China, will now span across its upgrades.


text:
Cheaper vacuums are cleaning up in the floor-care industry, but Maytag Corp. is finding it tough to pick up business in the low end of the market, prompting the Iowa company to undertake a restructuring that includes laying off 20 percent of its white-collar workforce.
Nearly half of the 1,100 salaried job cuts will occur in its Hoover division, mostly in North Canton, Ohio. Maytag has 19,500 workers companywide, of which 5,800 are salaried.
Five years ago, only about 10 percent of vacuum cleaner sales came from consumers determined to spend less than $99. Today, however, sales of cheap sweepers have grown to 40 percent of the market, due in no small part to the expansion of Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the nation's leading vacuum cleaner merchant, and other discounters whetting consumers' appetites for bargains.
But Maytag has found that even its most affordable Hoover products are too pricey for retailers and budget-conscious consumers.
"We had pretty high hopes for some of these low-end products, but we've not gotten the placements that we expected to get," Maytag Chief Executive Ralph Hake conceded in a Friday conference call detailing the cost-cutting moves, expected to ultimately result in $150 million in annual savings.
"We've put more costs in there than [retailers] and consumers are willing to pay" for a basic vacuum cleaner, he said.
Also on Friday, Maytag ratcheted down its earnings expectations for the second quarter and full year, citing lower sales and higher steel and plastic costs.
Its stock closed down nearly 8 percent, or $2.01, to $24.28 a share. Also dropping was the stock of rival Whirlpool Corp., down 40 cents, to $66.13. Despite facing the same competitive pressures, Whirlpool last month said it was sticking by its earnings forecast for 2004.
The latest revamp calls for the Newton, Iowa, appliance-maker to consolidate various Hoover and Maytag divisions.
"To reach our profit margin goal, we must reduce our costs, and this requires a restructuring," Hake said.
Maytag also has cut manufacturing jobs in recent years. Downstate Galesburg, for example, will lose its largest employer when Maytag moves refrigerator production to Mexico and elsewhere this year. But blue-collar jobs are not targeted this time around.
"This is not about manufacturing," Hake said.
Maytag is, however, in negotiations with the union at an Iowa appliance plant and has a contingency plan in place to move production elsewhere in case the two sides can't reach an agreement.
In the latest round of job cuts, Hoover's sales force, for example, will be combined with the Maytag appliance division's, whose other brands include Jenn-Air and Amana.
"Four of Hoover's top 10 accounts--Sears, Home Depot, Lowe's and Best Buy--are the four largest appliance accounts" too, Hake said.
Although Maytag's appliance business faces competitive pressures, Hoover in particular is experiencing a "very weak" second quarter, Hake said.
"We expected Hoover to be up nicely in operating income," he said. "The truth is, they aren't going to be up in operating income."
Pricing pressures on Hoover products are indeed Maytag's biggest problems right now, said Eric Bosshard, analyst for FTN Midwest Research in Cleveland. But Maytag is not alone. Bosshard said Electrolux, whose brands include Eureka, also has seen weakness in its floor-care business and has moved jobs to Mexico to help cut costs.
Maytag's conference call was a study in vacuum-cleaner-industry dynamics.
"If you still want to earn good money in vacuum cleaners, you better have a low-cost model," Hake said. "That is a fairly substantial change"
Bissell and Royal Appliance Manufacturing Co., whose lines include Dirt Devil, are among the manufacturers that have done a better job of cracking the low-end market.
The nation's No. 2 vacuum cleaner retailer is Sears, Roebuck and Co. Besides its own Kenmore brand, the Hoffman Estates-based department store chain also sells Eureka, Dirt Devil, Bissell and Dyson. Sears' least-expensive Hoover model sells for $80.
But Maytag also admitted that it is missing out on the high end of the market--consumers willing to fork over up to $400 for a vacuum cleaner.
"Most of the problems are on the low end, but the high end is hurting as well," Hake said.
The sales environment, meanwhile, will "only get more challenging," he said.
Over the short term, the restructuring will cost Maytag $75 million to $100 million.