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Known as “Manifest V3”, these changes were announced in October 2018 by Google for the open source browser engine Chromium. The API known as WebExtensions. But let’s see what it is.
The changes update the way browser extensions interact with Chromium-based browsers. Like Chrome, Brave, Opera, Vivaldi and, as of this year, Microsoft Edge.
At the time the changes were announced in 2018, Google said the main intention was to improve the security of the extension. Make extensions more efficient and give users more control over what extensions do and which sites they interact with.
WebExtensions API arrived although changed
However, the extension developers were quick to point out that the updates to “Manifest V3” also contained changes. These crippled the ability of ad blockers, antiviruses, and parental control apps. As well as several extensions that improve privacy to get your job done right.
The announcement elicited a big reaction from users and extension developers. Even other browser developers. Users, in particular, saw the move as a ploy by Google – an advertising company – to sabotage the ad blocking ecosystem.
Browsers like Opera, Brave and Vivaldi quickly distanced themselves from the debacle. Announcing its intention to ignore Manifesto V3 updates and allow users to continue using ad blockers.
Mozilla, which also implemented the WebExtensions API in Firefox for compatibility reasons. He also denounced Chrome’s plans and said he would not follow Google’s WebExtensions API update on demand. Mozilla would make its own changes to allow ad blockers to continue to function as intended.
In the face of all of this criticism, Google backed away from some of the V3 Manifesto updates in March 2019. And backtracked on even more changes in June, after the criticism received.
These changes have now also made their way to Microsoft’s new Chromium-based Edge, where they’re already available in beta and stable.
However, Microsoft said today that these changes will not cripple ad blockers, a fear many users have.
“We recognize the value of content blocking extensions and appreciate the role they play in honoring user choice by blocking ads and improving privacy by blocking cookies and we want developers to continue to offer these features. “he said today. the Microsoft Edge team.
“After careful consideration of the concerns raised by content blockers and the community, we believe that most of these concerns have been or will be resolved before the Web Request API is deprecated.”


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When the D23 Expo—the convention produced by D23: The Official Disney Fan Club—concluded last summer, it was the end of a magical, whirlwind weekend that saw the announcement of Disneyland and Walt Disney World’s massive Star Wars-themed land, the premiere of the Disney•Pixar short “Riley’s First Date?,” and a surprise appearance from Johnny Depp (who became one of the esteemed Disney Legends and would show up later in the weekend dressed in full Captain Jack Sparrow garb). Today the dates have been revealed for the D23 Expo 2017. Learn when you can next indulge in the ultimate Disney fan event, and when you can grab your tickets.
First off: The next D23 Expo will be held on the weekend of July 14-16, 2017. This is quite a change, considering that last year the event was held over the weekend of August 14-16. (This also puts it one week ahead of San Diego Comic-Con, which will be held the following weekend.) It will once again be held at the Anaheim Convention Center, which is right down the street from the Disneyland Resort.
According to the official press release, events planned for the upcoming D23 Expo “include the Disney Legends Ceremony, which honors the talented men and women who have made significant contributions to the Disney legacy; an all-new exhibit curated by the Walt Disney Archives; D23 Expo’s costume contest, Mousequerade, showcasing the most creative designs by fans; the D23 Expo Emporium, where Disney fans can buy, sell, and trade Disney collectibles, memorabilia, merchandise, and more; and the D23 Expo Design Challenge.” In other words: get ready.
Tickets for D23 Expo 2017 will go on sale at D23Expo.com beginning July 14, 2016. D23 Members will receive special pricing on both one- and three-day tickets to the event, which is open to the general public. D23 Gold and Charter Members will also be entitled to special benefits at the 2017 Expo. Gold Members will also have an opportunity to purchase the Sorcerer Package, which provides a host of special benefits and amenities. Ticket prices will be announced this summer.
Considering D23 Expo 2017 will be held shortly after the live-action Beauty and the Beast, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, and Cars 3 debut in theaters, and are ahead of Disney•Pixar’s Coco (later in 2017), Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Gigantic (spring 2018), and Toy Story 4 (summer 2018); not to mention all of the activity surrounding the two Star Wars-themed lands, the Toy Story-themed land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Pandora–The World of Avatar opening at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, it’s going to be an amazing Expo. And this is just the stuff that’s been announced so far.

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With Sega’s dramatic restructuring in full force over the past several months, we’ve certainly started to feel the changes, at least in terms of their new mobile-heavy release schedule. Sega Sammy has announced their financial returns for the fiscal year ending March 31st, and based on these numbers it’s probably safe to assume that we’ll be getting more of the same down the line.
Over the past year, the company has yielded a net profit of 33.5 billion yen (approximately $331 million), which represents an annual growth of 53.3%. While these numbers sound pretty favorable, they reportedly have had a lot to do with the shifting of pensions and the sales of investment securities. Sega’s operating profit tells a much sadder story, coming in at 19.1 billion yen ($189 million), down 67.3% from last year’s figures.
Hit the jump to see the game-by-game breakdown, plus a list of projected numbers for the next fiscal year.
Among other things, Sega Sammy once again commented on the waning popularity of packaged games, stressing the need to adapt to a growing social media and smartphone market with digital releases. This sentiment is hardly surprising, considering that their biggest release, the subscription-based Phantasy Star Online 2, has an impressive 2.5 million user base in Japan alone. Couple that with mobile hits like Kingdom Conquest 2, and you start to see a real pattern starting to form.
This statement is further underscored by Sega’s marked decline in physical release sales, down to just 10.8 million overall, with Aliens: Colonial Marines selling 1.31 million copies, Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed selling 1.36 million, Football Manager just passing over one million sold, and Yakuza 5, which is looking more and more like a Japanese exclusive, bringing up the rear with just 590,000 copies shipped.
Sega Sammy still appears to be planning an impressive number of releases over the next year, forecasting 11 PC games, 7 Wii U games, 7 PS3 games, 4 XBox 360 games, 6 3DS games, 5 Vita games, and even 2 PSP games. They’re also predicting a 41% growth for the company, bringing them up to 47 billion yen ($464 million). It’s a relief to see the support continuing for console releases, even if it is in a diminished capacity.


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New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez has introduced legislation that, if passed, would establish a legal framework to license and regulate online poker in the United States.
The Internet Skill Game Licensing and Control Act of 2008, also known as Senate 3616, would amend the current law to ‘provide for the licensing of Internet skill game facilities’. The Act defines an online skill game as ‘an Internet-based game that uses simulated cards, dice or tiles in which success is predominantly determined by the skill of the players, including poker, bridge and mahjong’.
“This is really a bill that poker players could love,” said John Pappas, Executive Director for the Poker Players Alliance.
“It’s written to directly help the online poker playing community to establish licensed and regulated poker in the US. We believe that it is a great marker for the next Congress and the new administration.”
If passed, the Secretary of the Treasury would be responsible for prescribing licenses along with the safeguards, regulations and testing mechanisms necessary to license online ‘skill games’ within 180 days of a vote. In addition, it would be responsible for monitoring licensed sites in order to guarantee that firms are following the rules and games remain fair. The proposed legislation also gives states and aboriginal lands the right to refuse their citizens access to the Federally licensed sites.
In order to receive a license, the government would look at companies’ history of following laws in non-US jurisdictions along with their primary owners, financial holdings and corporate structure.
“One of the things that Senator Menendez really gravitated to is the fact that, under the current environment, consumers aren’t getting the protection that the deserve and he wanted to introduce a bill that would provide a regulatory framework that protected US consumers from fraud and abuse and also to ensure that children don’t get access to the websites and to protect problem gamblers as well,' said Pappas.


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Poland’s inflation still trending upwards
Consumer inflation rose by 17.9% year-on-year in October (flash) from 17.2% YoY in September. In monthly terms, prices increased at the fastest pace since April. Price growth is increasingly broad-based. The majority of the MPC is calling for an end to the tightening cycle, but we believe the Council will hike rates by 25bp in November
According to StatOffice's flash estimate, CPI inflation rose by 17.9% YoY in October from 17.2% YoY in September. CPI growth was close to our forecast (18.1% YoY) and broadly in line with the market consensus. As expected, October saw an increase in petrol prices (4.1% MoM). This was accompanied by a further increase in energy prices (2.0% MoM). Market reports suggest that the peak in coal prices is probably behind us. At the same time, we continue to see an increase in food prices. Compared to September, prices for food and non-alcoholic beverages have risen by as much as 2.7%, and on a year-on-year basis, the price increase in this category is already close to 22%. The spillover of price increases into the overall economy is ongoing, following earlier increases in energy and transport costs. We estimate that core inflation excluding food and energy prices rose to around 11.1-11.2% YoY in October from 10.7% YoY in September.
Food prices rising fast
Prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages, % YoY
Momentum is strong, with the CPI rising by 1.8% on a monthly basis, the highest since April this year. Not only has the scenario of an inflation peak in the summer not materialised, the story of an inflation plateau is also becoming increasingly difficult to defend. The local inflation peak is still ahead. Next February, inflation will exceed 20% YoY and a decline to single-digit levels will not occur before the fourth quarter of next year. The inflation outlook remains highly uncertain with risks tilted to the upside. Should the government decide not to extend the VAT reduction on electricity from 23% to 5% beyond end-2022, inflation could jump by around 0.5 percentage points from January 2023 on top of our current estimate.
The fight against inflation is not over yet, but the MPC appears to be dominated by those who support an end to the cycle of interest rate rises. November's interest rate decision will largely depend on the shape of the latest NBP macroeconomic projection. We expect this to indicate a higher CPI path than the July projection, and the persistence of inflation above the NBP's target. Therefore, we expect the Council to raise interest rates by 25bp next week (our baseline scenario), although the probability of interest rates remaining unchanged again is also high.


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Indian auto industry is seeing an influx of a lot of new motorcycles. This year’s highlight include Jawa, Jawa 42, Royal Enfield 650 Twins, KTM Duke 125. With the year 2018 about to end, we are already excited about the year 2019. Cause there will be many more motorcycles which will be launched in India next year.
And one of them could be the new Yamaha XTZ 125 dual purpose motorcycle. Dual purpose because the bike is equally at home, when being ridden on city roads, or on off-roads. Yamaha XTZ 125 was spied earlier today by Manigandan Rajesh on the outskirts of Pune.
Yamaha XTZ 125 gets power from a single-cyl, air-cooled, SOHC, 4-stroke, 124cc engine that returns 12.5 HP/9.2 Kw at 8000 RPM, and 11.6 Nm at 6500 RPM. The off-roader is mated to a 5 speed gearbox, uses a carburettor, and a 11 litre fuel tank. For braking, it has a front disc brake, and rear drum brake. Single channel ABS is on offer as well.
Yamaha XTZ 125 is a lightweight machine. It has a kerb weight of 118 kgs, which makes it one of the lightest motorcycle in the segment. In the front it has telescopic forks, while at the rear it has swingarm. It gets 21 inch wheels in the front, while at the rear it has 18 inch wheels. The spoked wheels are warapped in off-road ready knobby tyres.
Yamaha India has already confirmed that they are planning to launch new motorcycles in the country. They no longer want to focus on the entry level commuter segment as far as the Indian market is concerned. Here in India, Yamaha will focus on a bit more premium segment, which is 125 cc and above. In the first phase, they plan to launch made in India 125-300 cc motorcycles.
It seems that the Yamaha XTZ 125 is part of that plan. With the testing already started, the motorcycle could enter production next year, and subsequently launched. Expect a price tag of Rs 1 lakh. Once launched, it could be a rival to the recently launched KTM Duke 125.


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HERTFORDSHIRE, England and ALEXANDRIA, Va., April 16, 2019 /3BL Media/ — The International Tin Association (ITA) and the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA), on behalf of its Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI), have signed a new memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enhance cooperation across the entire tin value chain and further strengthen progress on responsible production and sourcing of tin.
Major Commitments to Fair Trade Certified™ Coffee Support Farming Communities Facing Industry-Wide Pricing Challenges
OAKLAND, Calif., March 20, 2019 /3BL Media/ - Fair Trade USA, the leading certifier of Fair Trade products in North America, in collaboration with the Sustainable Coffee Challenge, announces a group of joint commitments with major partners deeply committed to sustainable coffee sourcing and improved farmer livelihoods. This announcement comes at a pivotal moment for c
Building on a local palm-leaf weaving tradition, bag maker Sulci employs Filipino women to crochet their high-quality goods, providing reliable incomes while teaching new skills
TOKYO, March 12, 2019 – Japanese raffia bag manufacturer Sulci joins Business Call to Action (BCtA) with a commitment to provide new skills and reliable incomes to working mothers in the Philippines by teaching crocheting and providing 100 jobs to women living in Carcar City, Cebu Island, by 2020.
Today the press conference for the presentation of the project was held in Regione Campania Council room
NAPLES, Italy, March 11, 2019 /3BL Media/ — Today at the headquarters of Regione Campania (Sala De Sanctis, Via Santa Lucia), eng. Felice Siciliano, President of the ITS MSTM Foundation (Sustainable Maritime Transport Mobility), and Neil Palomba, President of Costa Cruises, signed - in the presence of the Education Councillor Lucia Fortini - an important cooperation agreement: Costa Group will work with the ITS Foundation in the training of students who are preparing to become engineer officers.
The CLP Group has launched its new Sustainability Report and Annual Report, setting out how to further decarbonise and digitalise its energy business across Asia Pacific building on the strong performance in 2018.
Rise of Conscious Consumerism and Label Recognition Inspires Uptick in Product Launches at Expo West
OAKLAND, Calif., March 4, 2019 /3BL Media/ – Fair Trade USA, the leading third-party certifier of Fair Trade products in North America, announces the launch of more than 600 new Fair Trade Certified™ consumer packaged goods (CPG) products in 2018, many of which will be featured at the upcoming Natural Products Expo West trade show in Anaheim (March 5-9).
Building a sustainable wardrobe may seem daunting, but it’s easier than you think. Being a conscious consumer starts in your own closet. It requires thinking differently about what we have, what we buy and how we wear them. Being conscious about our buying choices means taking a moment to think about what clothing we buy and what we do with the clothes we already own.


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India is the land of opportunities. The demography is the brightest factor in India as the huge
population opens the door for mass consumption of consumer goods. Today, India holds the youngest
population across the globe. This advantage gives India an upper hand in experimentation
with the set norms. On similar lines, it’s time India experiences a new wave in the field of
consumer electronics and this wave of change will be brought by InBlock Mobiles.
InBlock Mobiles are part of the FESSChain group, started in India in Early 2019 with a noble
vision of putting the Land of Ganga on the Global Map of Blockchain technology. The company
has already launched a couple of products so far and working consistently for the greater
good of tech enthusiasts.
After the call of #VocalForLocal in the Lockdown Period, the company started to think not only about making Indian self-reliant for their smartphone and gadget demands but also make good use of the technology the company is working on for the last two years. And that’s how InBlock happened. InBlock Mobiles, Which is also introducing India’s first Blockchain-powered smartphones have been created for the generation of today. A generation that is more inclined towards trying new things. We with InBlock Mobiles will help our young generation to achieve their aspirations with the powerful technology of Blockchain.
FESSChain being one of the early adopters of the country understand the huge potential in the groundbreaking technology behind Blockchain. Blockchain technology is similar to the internet and other tech-based platforms. Although the technology is in the very early stage right now (especially in India) it has already solved some major challenges of transparency and security where existing technologies lacked. This was one of the key reasons the company decided to infuse blockchain in the mainstream so that even a non-tech-savvy person can experience the blockchain technology and its benefits.


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Pru forced to scrap bonus scheme
THE Prudential was today forced into a humiliating climbdown on its controversial executive bonus scheme, shelving it just 24 hours before shareholders were due to put it to the vote.
The scheme - which in exceptional circumstances could have rewarded chief executive Jonathan Bloomer with £2.5m or more - has been withdrawn after an emergency board meeting.
In a testy statement that barely concealed the Pru's fury, the directors said a number of institutional shareholders 'all of whom had been party to earlier consultations' had sought further discussions 'at an unusually late stage'. 'This included a reopening of issues which the company had been led to believe were closed,' the board said.
Indications of proxy votes already counted showed that the resolution would have been approved at Thursday's annual shareholders' meeting, the Pru said, but it wished to have the wholehearted support of shareholders. It will now continue discussions on the share scheme with a view to resurrecting it at a later date.
About 25% of the Pru's largest shareholders were expected to register a protest by voting against the proposal or abstaining, according to an estimate from the National Association of Pension Funds. Opponents of the scheme argued it was too generous because it had no upper limit and was not sufficiently stretching. Also, too much discretion was left to the board remuneration committee.
The Pensions and Investment Research Consultants group calculated that Bloomer, who was paid a base salary of £660,000 last year, would have received a bonus of 89% of salary just for meeting the lowest target.
Pirc research director Stuart Bell welcomed the climbdown and dismissed the Pru's claim that it had properly consulted: 'It shows the danger of trying to sort things out behind closed doors. It shouldn't just have been trying to square the main institutional shareholders.'
Critics had also argued that the Pru, a major shareholder in virtually every large quoted company, was setting a bad example. It had already watered down the scheme after talks with the Association of British Insurers.
John Rogers of the NAPF, which expressed reservations about the Pru scheme but sanctioned it, said it could have set a worrying precedent. Remuneration consultants, who devise top pay schemes, were poised to come up with a rash of similar bonus schemes if the Pru plan had been approved, he said.
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"Not only was email the most popular online activity of 2012, but it also has higher click-through rates, conversion rates and ROI than other channels. And this trend is only going to continue — 56% of marketers plan to increase their email marketing budgets this year, which makes email the leading source of marketing investments."
"while more than 50 percent of retailers plan to increase their email volume either slightly or significantly this Christmas-shopping season, just 21 percent have invested in segmenting technology in the last year, according to a survey by Bronto Software."
"Ecommerce businesses should concentrate more of their efforts on traditional online marketing tactics like search and e-mail than social media. That’s the conclusion of a Forrester study released Tuesday, which examined 77,000 online transactions made between April 1 and April 14. The study found that less than 1% of them could be traced back to social networks like Facebook or Pinterest."
Mobile devices currently claim 16% of overall email client market share, with 85% of mobile email opens occurring on an Apple iOS device.
A study from the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council and social technology business Lithium reveals a disconnect between what senior marketers think consumers want from social media, and the reality.
Most of the students (57%) agreed that email is good for business communication. Others pointed out that an email address is required for many sites, and that social media and email pair well together to cover informal and formal communication needs.
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European bodies for the protection of consumer rights asked media companies such as Facebook, Google and Twitter to make appropriate amendments in their terms of service within one month.
If they are not going to meet the regulators' demand, they will face appropriate fines. We are talking about a scrutiny of media companies by European regulators, especially regarding their doing business, ranging from too much "secrecy" ending with "efficiency" in removing illegal content. In December last year, regulators sent letters to the companies saying some of their terms of service does not correspond to EU legislation on consumer protection.
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text: Camarillo, Calif.-based chipmaker Semtech Corp. has announced plans to lay off 6 percent of its workforce due to reduced demand for its products. The company expects to save $35 million with the reductions during its 2015 fiscal year. Semtech makes chips used in automated test equipment and power-management devices. Its most recent annual report, from last March, listed global headcount of 1,433 – meaning the cuts would affect about 86 jobs. The company did not say how many jobs would be cut or the locations that would be affected. It has 31 offices worldwide in 14 countries. “Due to the significant reduction in demand in the second half of our fiscal year 2014, we have initiated a series of operating expense reductions across the company. We believe these actions position the company to accelerate earnings growth as our overall demand returns to growth," President and CEO Mohan Maheswaran said. Semtech’s expenditures on research and development – where it reportedly employs more than 500 people -- have grown in the past couple of years, reaching $129.59 million in October 2013. Meanwhile, its stock price has taken a dive since December, when it lowered projections for fourth-quarter revenue and profit based on weaker demand from its largest smartphone customers.


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Fido’s haute cuisine
More pet owners are opting for natural foods
- Lisa vsan der Pool, firstname.lastname@example.org
Several years ago, John Edwards was inspired by his dog Sasha to leave his banking career and launch his natural pet food business, The Well Fed Dog.
Sasha was allergic to chicken — a key ingredient in most dog food — and Edwards was unsatisfied at work. Although Edwards didn’t know anything about making dog food, he began researching how to make human grade, nutritious meals for dogs.
“The good news is, I like puzzles. ... I spent a lot of time talking to vets about what dogs should be eating,” said Edwards, 36. “I started cooking in my kitchen for my dog. She’s a wonderful taste-tester, because she’s an extremely picky eater.”
During the past few years natural pet food businesses like The Well Fed Dog have popped up in Massachusetts, driven in part by growing consumer demand for natural pet food, after a recent rash of high-profile pet food recalls. These businesses cater to pet owners who are caring for pets with allergies or pets that suffer from an illness, although some are simply interested in feeding their animals the most natural food possible.
The latest numbers show that pet owners are more than willing to fork over big bucks for Fido. Pet owners will spend an estimated $52.9 billion on their fuzzy friends in 2012, up from $51 billion in 2011, according to the American Pet Products Association.
Meanwhile pet food recalls — including Diamond Pet Foods’ voluntary recall this year, after more than 14 people handling the food contracted salmonella while feeding their pets — has consumers searching out different food sources for their dogs.
“Most dog food has junk in it ... food dyes that are cancerous, rubber stabilizers,” said Edwards, 36. “I was looking for something that was a better alternative for (Sasha).”
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The world’s largest retailer, which employs 1.5 million folks within the United States, additionally mentioned it’s elevating wages to greater than $15 per hour on common. About half of Walmart’s hourly U.S. employees will earn $15 an hour or extra, although there are some roles that will nonetheless begin at $11 an hour, the corporate mentioned.
Shares in Bentonville, Arkansas-based Walmart had been down 5.6% on Thursday. The firm has invested closely in on-line, promoting and healthcare companies over the previous year, utilizing pandemic-led gross sales momentum to diversify past brick-and-mortar retail.
“Guidance was muted, locking in gains from last year but stalling profit expansion in favor of critical investments in people and platform,” Jefferies analyst Stephanie Wissink mentioned.
Walmart forecast adjusted web gross sales to develop within the low single digits in fiscal 2022 which ends Jan. 31, a lot decrease than the 8.5% development seen within the previous year. It additionally expects earnings per share to be flat-to-slightly up, beneath the two.2% development analysts had been anticipating, based on Refinitiv.
“We’re going to invest more aggressively in capacity and automation to position ourselves to earn the primary destination with customers, we are absolutely playing offence here,” Chief Executive Doug McMillon mentioned at Walmart’s investor day convention.
Walmart expects capital expenditure to extend 27% to about $14 billion this year, specializing in key areas like provide chain and automation.
WAGE HIKE, STIMULUS BOOST
Walmart’s announcement to extend wages comes at a time when stress to extend the federal minimal wage has gathered contemporary momentum. President Biden has made the problem a precedence and reiterated his help for a base wage hike. He can be pushing to get $15 minimal wage added to his COVID rescue package deal.
“People who we are raising wages for tend to have been with us for a longer period of time than someone who might be earning the entry wage,” McMillon mentioned. “We will raise our starting wage rate over time.”
Driven by an early vacation season and authorities stimulus checks, fourth-quarter gross sales at Walmart’s U.S. shops open at the very least a year surged 8.6%, excluding gas, effectively above analysts’ expectations for a 5.6% rise.
The retail trade is anticipating one other wave of stimulus-driven shopper spending in coming months because the U.S. Congress considers the Biden administration’s restoration plan that features sending a $1,400 test to households.
“The steerage that we will give this morning actually does not embrace any materials stimulus as a result of we simply do not know what will occur. If we get extra stimulus definitely that is a tailwind for us,” Chief Financial Officer Brett Biggs informed Reuters in an interview.
Walmart missed expectations for fourth-quarter profit because it took on about $1.1 billion in pandemic-related prices through the quarter, together with greater wages for warehouse employees, bonuses for retailer workers and prices associated to conserving its shops clear.
Online gross sales rose 69% within the quarter, blowing previous a 35% enhance within the year-earlier interval, however slower than a 79% surge within the third quarter.
The retailer has relied on its scale and strengthening on-line presence through the pandemic to draw new clients on the lookout for a one-stop store for his or her each day wants.
Operating earnings rose 3.1% to $5.49 billion within the quarter, whereas adjusted earnings had been $1.39 per share. Analysts on common had been anticipating the corporate to earn $1.51 per share.


text: Target is the latest retailer trying to keep up with Amazon Prime. Target will begin to offer same-day delivery for $9.99 per order. Around 65,000 items will be available for the same-day service. You can start using it now on Target’s website. Here’s more from Fox Business.


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The recent International Gambling Report 2021 from YouGov found that stigmas around gambling online vary significantly between generations worldwide.
63% of gamblers now choose online channels over offline, according to a new report into the gambling sector conducted by YouGov .
YouGov has said it has plans to continue to recruit across the UK, creating new hubs in the North and beyond.
The recent report took a deep dive into travel and tourism as it slowly begins to return.
The market researcher's recent report shed an enormous amount of light on what marketers can do to push forward women’s sport.
Market research leader YouGov has taken a deep dive into engagement with women’s sport, finding what its barriers and opportunities are.
YouGov’s report on the state of omni-channel retail in 2021 included conclusions and lessons for a wide range of sellers hoping to succeed going forward.
The most recent YouGov report looked at how the retail sector has changed in 2021, and investigated the potential effects of virtual and augmented reality.
The most recent report from YouGov explores consumers’ shopping choices through COVID, providing useful lessons for online and physical retailers.
The latest consumer research from YouGov reveals the brands which have grown in popularity over the last month.


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Google announced that Close your mobile application «Expeditions» (“Expeditions” in the Spanish version) which will no longer be supported on June 30, 2021 and will be completely removed from the application stores for iOS and Android devices so that it can no longer be downloaded.It will still work on the phones that already downloaded it … until it stopped working.
Expeditions will no longer receive Google support as of June 30, 2021
«Expeditions» is a virtual reality application that Google started in 2015 for its Cardboard Virtual Reality Viewer, which was used in schools and educational centers mainly in the USA, but also in other markets. It was used to offer tours, access events, and take tours with students through virtual reality. “Expeditions” opened the doors to museums like the Guggenheim in New York and allowed you to enjoy 360-degree panoramic destinations and events … always for the purpose of learning.
Although it might be seen as a useful tool now that social distance and distance training are being introduced, Google decided to withdraw its support because, according to Jennifer Holland, the director of its learning program, “they understood these immersive experiences with virtual reality devices not always accessible to all users ».
The decision is in line with other decisions the company has made in recent months separate from certain projects related to virtual reality. The aforementioned platform for cartonboard, although still operational, was converted into a project for the open source community months ago, while the daydream virtual reality platform was also shut down by the company in early October.
According to Google, “most of the content” available to Expeditions can now be viewed in Google’s Arts & Cuture app. In this section you can find all kinds of educational content and features that will help you convert the cell phone into a real art gallery.
“Expeditions” is thus becoming another application and feature that Google has closed in the course of its history, more than a hundred, as we told you in this article.


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In the advancing months, Lever Ayush will adventure into categories above soaps, shampoos, toothpastes, lotions and moisturisers, its accepted segments of operation, as it seeks to accord the cast a accumbent push.
Baba Ramdev has amateur Akshay Kumar as competition.
In Hindustan Unilever’s advancing attack for Lever Ayush, the amateur in an all-Indian accoutrements looks into the camera exhorting consumers to go above the apparent back allotment ayurvedic products.
As HUL takes on Patanjali, accession its Ayush cast as a trusted name for herbal, accustomed and chemical-free claimed affliction products, it is accessible division for claims, counter-claims and aggressive advertising.
As the naturals market, estimated at Rs 18,000 to Rs 20,000 crore in India, added gets competitive, bequest claimed affliction brands and companies are blame the pedal to the metal on investment, demography the action appropriate to battling Patanjali's door.
In Hindustan Unilever's case, counted amidst the country's key claimed affliction majors, this has meant dispatch up its focus on adept cast Lever Ayush, aboriginal launched in the southern markets in January this year and after taken above India in August.
HUL has additionally appointed a cast agent in Kumar for Ayush in August, signalling it is in no affection to acquiesce the yoga authority to airing abroad with all the absorption in the category.
In contempo years, Ramdev, co-founder of Patanjali Ayurved, and his accomplice Acharya Balkrishna, who is the company’s managing director, accept appeared in ads for the brand, highlighting the charge to use articles that are chemical-free.
While Kumar acts as the articulation of acumen in ads for Lever Ayush, currently arena on civic television as able-bodied as digital, extra Tamannah Bhatia, who additionally appearance in the brand’s commercials alongside Kumar, adds much-needed allure and address to the communication, experts said.
This is required, they say, in a class that basically rides on the science of ayurveda, a acceptable anatomy of Indian medicine.
Too abundant accent on the closing can drive adolescent audiences away, he says.
As Harish Bijoor, arch controlling officer, Harish Bijoor Consults says, “Baba Ramdev has congenital his disinterestedness on the belvedere of health, exhorting bodies to break fit with the appropriate lifestyle, articles and food.
Companies who are now digging their heels added into the ayurveda articles class will accept to booty this anticipation further, and ensure that the articulation appeals to a added section.”
Lever Ayush, say experts, is arena to this script, targeting men and women of all age-groups, with a birr of allure and knowledge.
HUL additionally seeks to position itself as an able battling to Patanjali, which has apparent its attendance above personal-care categories from babyish affliction to beard care, bark care, articulate care, men’s atom cream, toiletries and eye care.
Patanjali has additionally added its attendance in foods, home affliction and bloom affliction as it looks to appear as a ample ayurvedic articles company.
HUL’s MD & CEO Sanjiv Mehta says the aggregation will, in the advancing months, advance Lever Ayush into categories above soaps, shampoos, toothpastes, lotions and moisturisers, its accepted segments of operation, as it seeks to accord the cast a accumbent push.
This will be backed by a vertical advance as well, he says, with the aggregation continuing to barrage herbal variants of absolute bark and hair-care brands (such as Dove, Ponds, Fair & Lovely) as able-bodied as accumulate its absorption durably on “specialist brands” such as Indulekha (hair oils) and Citra (skin care) respectively.
This accumbent and vertical push, say experts, is bare if the Patanjali juggernaut has to be tackled effectively.
According to bazaar analysis bureau Nielsen, naturals as a class is growing about two-and-a-half times that of the non-naturals articulation aural claimed affliction and could aggregate bisected of the bazaar in the abutting few years from 41 per cent now.
Non-naturals, on the added hand, will compress from 59 per cent to 50 per cent, Nielsen says, putting into angle the accomplishment actuality fabricated by the country's better customer appurtenances aggregation in the category.
Keeping in step
HUL is not the alone accepted claimed affliction above transforming its portfolio.
A cardinal of acceptable heavyweights in the class are accomplishing the aforementioned to baby to the charge for chemical-free products.
Companies such as Colgate-Palmolive, the country's better articulate affliction player, which has been hit adamantine by both Patanjali and Dabur in contempo quarters, now wishes to comedy aggressively in the naturals amplitude and appear up with added innovations as it seeks to adverse competition, Ian Cook, Colgate's all-around CEO said recently.
The trend of chemical-free articles in claimed care, Cook said, was reflected in neighbouring markets such as China and Russia as well, bidding Colgate to booty note.
Colgate would, he said, barrage articles on the naturals belvedere in all arch Asian markets by the end of 2017.
Eurasian markets, which accommodate West Asia (Middle East), would see naturals-based articles actuality launched by the aboriginal division of 2018, he said.
HUL’s Mehta says that a third of the articulate affliction bazaar in India today makes up the naturals segment, advertence how anxious bodies are about the capacity activity into their toothpastes.
Colgate, which launched Cibaca Vedshakti, its aboriginal toothpaste on the naturals belvedere in 2016, has back then, like HUL, appear up with variants of absolute articles in its portfolio that abide of ayurvedic ingredients.
It has additionally like its battling appear up with a specialist cast in Colgate Swarna Vedshakti, a exceptional alms in the accustomed space, in October.
In the advancing months, abounding added claimed affliction brands are acceptable to jump into the fray. And the chemical-free attack is alone activity to get shriller.


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2 June 2011 – FAVOURITES: According to Deb Noller of Switch Automation wealthy owners of eastern suburbs energy prices are starting to bite hard, even in the wealthy eastern suburbs of Sydney.
Recent private clients for the real time energy management technology have included homes where the quarterly power bill has come in at an astronomical $4000 or so.
“No matter what sort of income you are on, that sort of bill is going to bite,” Noller says.
For $1200 the company can install its monitoring technology and pinpoint exactly where and how the energy is being used and display the results through a friendly an Ipad style interface.
Not surprisingly Noller and her co-founder John Darlington expect demand for the company’s services to jump next year and grow well beyond the corporate offices and businesses that want to improve their environmental and social profile.
Based in the inner city suburb of Chippendale, the company has already committed to two new sales staff taking total staff numbers to eight.
“We expect significant growth in the next 12 months and that’s already evidenced from the inquiries we got from [a recent] trade show and what’s coming from our recent announcement and major partnering arrangement,” Noller says.
In general however, key customers are sustainable builders, developers and government agencies.
Noller said there were two main reasons driving the need for the product:
- Green building codes. “We can provide access to real-time and historical data for water, power, gas and renewables” and
- The need for buyers to convey the green building credentials of their building to visitors, tenants and residents.
“Typically a green building has a lot of features that are not necessarily obvious, we can put these features or statistics up front and into the consciousness of every building stakeholder via a green building dashboard that puts the information right into the foyer,” Noller says.
But there is now doubt that the residential market is also a huge growth area. As energy prices rise, the ability to deliver “granular data” into the hands of consumers will become increasingly sought after.
“When I say granular I mean far more meaningful data than an electronic version of your electricity bill,” Noller says
“Users need to know where, when and what is using the energy – what rooms, what devices, what time of the day, what day of the week so they can make informed decisions.
“We can monitor the whole of house mains power but we can also drill down into circuit level power monitoring and if you are using the Switch platform as a means of control then you can drill down into room and device reporting.
“This means we can show the home owner the big ticket items that are using the most energy so they can target the things that will get the best results. Once you know where the energy goes, you can start to put strategies in place to control it.”
The Sydney based company’s traditional hardware base automation product was developed from 2002-2009.
“In 2009 we realised that cloud based, open protocol systems would be the future for our industry,” Noller says.
“What was apparent to us was that our own business model and that of all our competitors – essentially a hardware model – was never going to deliver the growth that is predicted for this industry. In addition, the advent of devices like the Apple iPad would forever change the landscape of our industry affecting all participants from the manufacturer right through to the customer.
“Home and commercial automation has to be scalable, accessible, affordable and have a totally ‘green’ focus – green automation.
“So we completely redeveloped. This is a new technical architecture, a new platform and a new business model. We have had fantastic feedback already from the market but it’s challenging as we are essentially back to being a start up again so we have to completely rebuild our revenue base.”
Switch Automation’s cloud platform was on display at the CeBIT exhibition from 31 May to 2 June at the Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour, Sydney as part of the NSW Government’s Australian Technology Showcase.
The ATS Program identifies innovative, market ready Australian technologies with global market potential.
The cloud platform is a total change in thinking for delivering automation services into homes and buildings, Ms Noller said.
“And we are not just talking about the technology – the cloud means a new architecture, a new delivery model and a new business model. Talk about disruptive and this is it. It changes not just our business, but those of the integrators, contractors and custom installers.
“In 2009 when we first aired these futuristic plans there were so many sceptics but to us it was crystal clear. We backed ourselves and built it anyway – a totally cloud based platform for homes and buildings with an emphasis on delivering the smartest sustainable buildings on the planet.”
Customer reaction to the promotion of the platform at the recent Custom Electronics Design And Installation Association annual trade show in Sydney proved the worth of the product, Noller says.
“It was so satisfying to see the customers recognise the benefits of what the platform can deliver and also that the installers identify with a business model that brings recurring revenue in return for the loss of margin on hardware.”
So how do houses rack up a $4000 quarterly energy bill?
Mostly it’s through airconditioning, underfloor heating, pools and irrigation for gardens, Noller says.
Acreage style properties in particular are huge consumers of energy, she says.
Large houses also have more lighting and more appliances, but “significantly it’s the underfloor heating, the airconditioning and the pool pumps,” that are the worst offenders.
The technology allows owners to make informed choices – either deciding to switch off the energy guzzling item or make sure it uses only off peak energy use.
Noller says Switch Clouds will be released on 20 June 2011.
– with Tina Perinotto
The Fifth Estate – sustainable property news and forum
“We can’t wait for the future”


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Elon Musk prevails in Delaware court case on SolarCity deal
A Delaware court sided with Tesla CEO Elon Musk in a bitter legal battle over whether he acted against the best interest of other shareholders when he steered the electric car maker into a $2.6-billion acquisition of a solar panel maker founded by two of his cousins.
The 132-page decision issued Wednesday by Delaware Chancery Court Vice Chancellor Joseph R. Slights vindicated Musk, who appeared on the witness stand last summer during two days of often combative testimony. Musk defended his reasons for thinking it was a good idea for Tesla to buy SolarCity in November 2016, even as some analysts and some stockholders questioned the deal’s wisdom.
Musk decided to fight the lawsuit even after other directors on Tesla’s board at the time of the deal reached a $60-million settlement without an admission of fault. Had the Delaware court ruled against him, Musk could have been ordered to pay $2 billion or more at the same time he is trying close a $44-billion acquisition of Twitter. Musk has pledged to cover $21 billion of the price in the Twitter deal, which was struck earlier this week.
Twitter’s approach to moderating users behavior has influenced the entire social media ecosystem. But Elon Musk seems intent to change the company’s trajectory.
The long-running shareholder lawsuit alleged that Musk breached his fiduciary lawsuit by pursuing the SolarCity deal despite glaring conflicts of interest. Musk was SolarCity’s largest shareholder at the time Tesla struck the deal.
But Slights ruled the acquisition was “entirely fair,” even while conceding that “Elon was more involved in the process than a conflicted fiduciary should be.”
While shareholders had argued Musk grossly misrepresented the value of SolarCity’s technology for Tesla, Slights disagreed. Pointing to evidence showing Tesla has been able to cross-sell solar and home battery storage products to consumers who also bought Tesla cars, “the preponderance of the evidence suggests that the Acquisition was and is synergistic,” the judge wrote.
Tesla’s stock price has increased by 22-fold since the SolarCity purchase was completed, creating more than $850 billion in shareholder wealth. That apparently wasn’t lost on Slights, who observed that “Tesla’s value has massively increased following the acquisition.”
In their own words, former Tesla employees describe what they call a racist work environment that led California to file a civil rights lawsuit against the company.


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Bringing Trade with Ukraine into a New Era
During a visit to Ukraine in June, Secretary of Commerce Carlos M. Gutierrez underscored the importance of continued U.S. commercial engagement, while pointing out the significant challenges that must be addressed if the bilateral trade relationship is to grow.
by John Ward
Since the collapse of communism in the former Soviet Union in the early 1990s—and the subsequent establishment there of market economies—U.S. commercial relations have been growing in size and importance in the region. Testimony to that growth came when Secretary of Commerce Carlos M. Gutierrez, accompanied by members of the President’s Export Council, visited Ukraine on June 4–5, 2008.
(Story continues below.)
|On June 5, 2008, Secretary of Commerce Carlos M. Gutierrez (left) toured the newly opened Cisco Entrepreneur Institute in Kiev. The institute will offer opportunities for leaders of small and medium-sized businesses in Ukraine to learn from and collaborate with one another. (U.S. Department of Commerce photo)
“This week I have come to Kiev to strengthen our economic relationship as outlined by Presidents Bush and Yushchenko earlier this year, and to explore ways to increase economic cooperation between our countries as Ukraine continues its progress toward building a market economy,” said Gutierrez.
Gutierrez was the first secretary of commerce to visit Ukraine since its independence in 1991.
The secretary’s visit coincided with changes in the political and economic landscape in Ukraine that could make this country a more important trading partner for the United States. Since the so-called “Orange Revolution” of 2004–2005, Ukraine’s government has followed a policy of seeking closer ties with the West. More significantly, from the point of view of its commercial relationships, Ukraine recently became a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), with active support from the United States and the assistance of the Commerce Department’s Commercial Law Development Program.
Growing Bilateral Trade
With a population of 46 million, Ukraine is the second-largest market for U.S. exports in the former Soviet Union. Bilateral trade between the two countries, which was $800 million in 1997, exceeded $2.5 billion in 2007. Important market sectors include vehicles, agricultural machinery, aircraft, and food products.
Expanding commercial engagement with Ukraine has been an important element of U.S. trade policy in the region. In April 2008, during a visit to Ukraine by President George W. Bush, the United States and Ukraine signed a trade and investment cooperation agreement. That agreement established the joint U.S.–Ukraine Council on Trade and Investment, which provides a forum for discussing ways to increase commercial opportunities and to reduce impediments to trade.
In May 2008, after 15 years of negotiations, the WTO extended membership to Ukraine—a development that has enormous ramifications for future trade relations. During his visit, Gutierrez noted that “Ukraine’s membership reflects its commitment to trade based on market forces, transparency, and the rule of law.”
(Story continues below.)
|Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. Bilateral trade between the United States and Ukraine grew from $800 million in 1997 to $2.5 billion in 2007. (© iStockphoto.com/Pavlo Maydikov)
Under its accession agreement with the WTO, Ukraine made a commitment to facilitate market access by, among other things, capping customs duties, lowering tariffs, removing subsidies, and, for services, allowing access to the Ukrainian market for foreign services providers in 11 core service sectors. By fulfilling these commitments, Ukraine will be opening itself to many more potential trading partners in the United States.
Areas of Concern
Although the future expansion of U.S.–Ukraine trade lies in those recent developments, there are still points of contention between the two countries. When Gutierrez spoke to the American Chamber of Commerce in Kiev on June 5, he noted that the United States wants to see progress in its commercial relationship with Ukraine in a number of areas. These include:
- Streamlining the regulatory environment
- Resolving inconsistencies in commercial laws
- Passing a law to improve corporate governance
- Completing the privatization of state-owned industry through transparent tenders
“Those are four things the government can do that will be a major leap forward in giving Ukraine the status of a very, very attractive country in which to invest,” said Gutierrez.
U.S. Firms’ Success Noted
During his visit, Gutierrez witnessed evidence of successful U.S. commercial engagement with Ukraine. On June 4, he met with Sergiy Polovenko, Ukraine representative at the North Dakota Trade Office. With help from the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service, exports of agricultural equipment from North Dakota to Ukraine grew from $35.3 million in 2006 to nearly $52 million in 2007.
On June 5, Gutierrez visited the newly opened Cisco Entrepreneur Institute at the National Technical University of Ukraine–Kiev Polytechnic Institute. According to Cisco Systems, the institute will offer in-person and distance learning workshops, and was specifically created to help entrepreneurs improve their skills and enhance business development opportunities, particularly small and medium-sized businesses.
These developments point to the potential that exists in Ukraine for future trade with the United States. “U.S. companies,” remarked Gutierrez, “are eager to work with and become partners with Ukraine as it continues on the path to a market economy and implements pro-growth policies that welcome trade and investment.”
John Ward is a writer in the International Trade Administration’s Office of Public Affairs. Christine Lucyk, senior policy advisor in the International Trade Administration’s Market Access and Compliance unit, assisted in the preparation of this article.
Czech Republic Embracing “Freedom and Economic Openness”
Before Secretary of Commerce Carlos M. Gutierrez visited Ukraine, he stopped on June 3, 2008, in Prague, Czech Republic, where he met with Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek and Minister of Finance Karl Schwarzenberg to discuss bilateral trade and investment. Here is an excerpt from a statement issued by Gutierrez during his visit:
This week, I have come to Prague to highlight our strong bilateral relationship, acknowledge the Czech Republic’s commitment to democracy, and forge stronger political and economic ties that will benefit all of our citizens.…
The Czech Republic has embraced freedom and economic openness and, as a result, has the highest gross domestic product per capita of any of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. To continue to attract investment and grow foreign trade, the Czech government must push for greater transparency and judicial reform, as well as step up protection of intellectual property.
In an increasingly knowledge-based economy, protecting the fruits of one’s labor from infringement or theft is critical. Foreign companies must know their products are protected and their brands are respected in the Czech Republic. Such protection only serves to benefit Czech industry, as well.…
As the Czech Republic assumes the presidency of the European Union next year, I look forward to strengthening our collaborative efforts. Through stronger ties—both political and economic—the United States and the Czech Republic will continue to work toward a freer, more prosperous future.


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May 24, 2022 Newsdesk iGaming, Latest News
Pragmatic Play Ltd, an online gaming content provider, said in a Monday press release it had launched a new slot game, called “Little Gem”.
The new title “follows in the footsteps of recent hits … which reside amongst a collection of over 200 titles” in Pragmatic Play’s game portfolio, stated the company.
In the base game, the ‘wild’ substitutes for everything except for silver and gold money symbols,and pays out 50 times the stake when three land in a row. Another feature of Little Gem (pictured) is the “hold and respin” bonus round, which when triggered provides respins and the opportunity to earn 2,460 times the bet, according to the release.
The document quoted Yossi Barzely, the firm’s chief business development officer, as saying: “Little Gem provides players with a blend of simple gameplay and rewarding multipliers that effortlessly complement each other.”
He added: “The visually striking theme delivers an engaging environment as users try and reach the bonus feature, and we expect to see players return to the dazzling experience time and time again.”
Pragmatic Play now produces “up to six new slot titles” a month, as well as offering its Live Casino and Bingo games portfolio. They are all available through a single application programming interface, the firm mentioned in its release.
May 23, 2023
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May 25, 2023International casino operator Genting Malaysia Bhd recorded total first-quarter revenue of just above MYR2.28 billion (US$493.7 million), up 32.7 percent from the prior-year period. Judged...
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”While Macau gaming stocks stopped paying dividends during Covid, we expect they will start paying after deleveraging”
Morgan Stanley banking group


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Cineplex entertains more than 70 million guests annually across 163 theatres in addition to operating location-based entertainment, such as The Rec Room in Edmonton. In 2012, the brand opened the city’s first Cineplex VIP experience in the new development of Windemere. Recently, it was announced that a second VIP experience would be coming to the Capital City, thanks to the renovation and expansion of Cineplex Odeon North Edmonton Cinemas.
“We are always looking for new ways to enhance the movie-going experience and ensure that guests of all ages have a variety of entertainment options to choose from,” said Ellis Jacob, president and CEO, Cineplex. “Our VIP Cinemas are a great way for adults to take time out of their busy lives for a well-deserved break, and with the addition of a brand new menu we just rolled out nationally, it’s safe to say the north Edmonton community is in for a real treat.”
Construction on the new theatre is expected to be completed this fall.
“The VIP Cinemas experience features specially-designed auditoriums where guests can relax in luxury recliners and have their food and beverage orders delivered right to their seats,” said Cineplex in a press release. “In addition to Cineplex’s famous popcorn, guests can select from an expanded food and beverage menu that features fresh salads and bowls, burgers, artisan pizzas, and indulgent desserts, along with a wide selection of handcrafted cocktails, wines, and premium craft beers. The addition will also feature a new, fully licensed lounge where guests can socialize with friends and enjoy food and drink before or after a movie. The new VIP Cinemas experience will add to a variety of entertainment options offered to movie-lovers at Cineplex Odeon North Edmonton Cinemas, including RealD 3D, UltraAVX, and D-BOX motion seats. The theatre will remain open to the public during the VIP Cinemas renovation and will be renamed once construction is complete.”
Cineplex is a publicly traded company (TSX:CGX) and is very proud of its corporate presence. The brand employs more than 12,000 people in North America and is recognized as having one of the Most Admired Corporate Cultures in Canada.
Cineplex exercises corporate responsibility by supporting local community initiatives, providing employment opportunities for people with special needs, and by demonstrating environmental leadership with biodegradable and recycled products (food trays, waste bags, film print, etc.).
The brand’s root stretches back to 1912, when it launched as the Famous Players Film Corporation. With rebranding and expansion, evolution, and reinvention, the brand now boasts a robust portfolio that includes: Cineplex Odeon, SilverCity, Galaxy Cinemas, Scotiabank Theatres, Cineplex Cinemas, Cineplex VIP Cinemas, Famous Players, and Cinema City. Cineplex also has joint venture interests in a number of subsidiary and joint-venture businesses, including Cineplex Digital Networks, Cineplex Starburst Inc., and SCENE LP.
Currently, Edmonton has seven Cineplex theatres, ensuring premium entertainment in every corner of the city. Cineplex looks forward to enhancing Edmonton’s entertainment experience when its latest theatre in the city opens in the fall.


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Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA's experience with personal financial management software bolsters the argument that the technology could be an important new component of online banking sites.
The BBVA service, Tu Cuentas ("you count"), is a free PFM tool that was built on top of software from the vendor Strands Inc. Since it went live last year, it has attracted more than 400,000 users, including one especially busy week when 100,000 new users enrolled.
The software has made the $783 billion-asset banking company more useful to customers, and PFM users are now spending almost twice as much time on the Web site, said Atakan Cetinsoy, Strands' vice president of personal finance products.
"There's consumer confusion because of the economic downturn, people want new ways to understand their finance … they want to do something more than what they are used to doing," he said. Strands is in discussions to offer a similar application to the Dutch financial company ING Group NV.
"PFM's critically important, it's a vision of the future of online banking," said Emmett Higdon, a senior analyst at Forrester Research Inc. Higdon said about 50% of the banks that Forrester has polled say they are interested in PFM services, a dramatic expansion from the early days of 2006 when Bank of America Corp. first used its Yodlee Inc.-powered MyPortfolio account aggregation service to deliver PFM.
BBVA, of Spain, joins a growing group of banks aggressively pursuing PFM. Another is Citigroup Inc., which is reportedly developing a service with Microsoft Corp.
Tu Cuentas is available only in Spain, but BBVA plans to roll it out in other countries soon. The service provides a graphical representation of customers' financial health, breaks down income and expenses — and charts the evolution of these data points over time to give people a view of whether they have done better or worse than planned in a given span.
The product also groups transactions into categories and allows consumers to use personal tags as a guide to help them make financial decisions. Consumers can also be compared against people with a similar profile to put their own financial profile into context.
Customizable alert features letBBVA notify people when they cross predefined limits.
Tu Cuentas also offers suggestions, such as tips to inform customers before they make spending choices, a short list of most-liked products matching each customer's spending patterns, financial products and services that may better address customer needs and relevant facts and statistics based on community behavior. Planned enhancements include greater use of third-party data to let users browse properties for sale or rent, including maps and different traits for properties — presented next to mortgage offers on the site.
Though several companies offer free online PFM services to consumers, many consumers would prefer to use their banks' sites instead, according to Mark Schwanhausser, a research analyst at Javelin Strategy and Research. "Banks are in the best position to offer these tools to consumers who want to consolidate their financial chores and simplify the financial aspect of their lives," he said.
Geezeo Inc. is one of those free online PFM providers, but Peter Glyman, one of Geezeo's founders, said it has developed a version of the technology that banks can offer. Stanford Federal Credit Union of Palo Alto, Calif., began offering the technology this fall.
Mint Software Inc. also offered a free online service, but Mint sold itself last month to Intuit Inc., which plans to incorporate the technology into its online banking software.
The demand for the service, given the economy, is clear, said Mint founder Aaron Patzer. "Every time the market would drop, our sign-ups would go up."


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Bed Bath & Beyond coupons were once known for never expiring, but the famous blue-and-white mailers won’t be worth much after Wednesday. That’s when the store says it anticipates that it will stop accepting its ubiquitous coupons.
On Sunday, the company, which also owns buybuy BABY, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, saying it will wind down operations while it looks for asset buyers.
This article was originally published by Marketwatch.com. Read the original article here.


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'No need to prove'sheerness of pants
'NEW YORK -- Lululemon said Wednesday that no demonstrations of yoga or any other positions are needed to return the pricey black yoga pants that the company pulled from shelves last week after finding that they are too sheer.
"We do not require guests to demonstrate the sheerness of their bottoms," said Sari Martin, who works for communications firm ICR and spoke on behalf of Lululemon.
The yoga gear maker's statement comes a day after a New York Post report that was widely circulated by the media recounted one woman's tale of being asked by sales staff to bend over to prove that the yoga pants she was trying to return were sheer.
Martin would not comment on the specific instance recounted by the Post, but said Wednesday that this is not standard policy for Lululemon staffers.
To the contrary, she said that people who bought the black "Luon" yoga pants, which cost $72 to $98, since March 1, either online or in store, can return them for a full refund, "no questions asked."
WASHINGTON -- A measure of Americans who signed contracts to buy homes fell only slightly in February to the second-highest level in nearly three years. The report suggests sales of previously occupied homes will keep rising in the coming months.
The National Association of Realtors says its seasonally adjusted index for pending home sales fell to 104.8 in February. That's down from 105.2 in January, which was the highest reading since April 2010, when a homebuyer's tax credit was boosting sales.
There is generally a one- to two-month lag between a signed contract and a completed sale.
-- Associated Press


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Reliable sources told Reuters that General Motors and LG Chem are all set to announce a 50:50 joint venture on Thursday.
The purpose of their collaboration is to establish a manufacturing facility at the Lordstown area in Ohio for the production of electric vehicle batteries.
The estimated budget for the project is over $2 billion, with each partner planning to invest over $1 billion, according to the Reuters report.
Nothing Official Yet
When asked, an LG Chem spokesman refused to comment on the matter. A GM spokesperson responded in a similar fashion.
“Talks occur on a regular basis in the auto industry between a variety of partners on different topics, but as a matter of policy we don’t discuss who, where or when those discussions might occur,” GM spokesperson told the sources, according to the Reuters report.
Why It Matters
Earlier this year, GM sold its Lordstown Assembly plant but said they have plans to set up an electric battery cell plant in the Lordstown area that could eventually provide 1,000 jobs.
LG Chem, on the other hand, said in July that they are planning to build their second U.S. EV battery plant, which could start production in 2022.
See more from Benzinga
© 2019 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.


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By ERIN ALLEN
When Librarian of Congress James H. Billington announced the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA) Section 1201 rules for exemptions regarding circumvention of access-control technologies on July 26, iPhone users and techies rejoiced. (See story on page 215.) One of the exemptions allows cell-phone users to unlock their mobile devices to run applications not approved by phone manufacturers and break access controls on their phones to switch carriers. News stories were notably iPhone-centric, calling attention to the “jailbreak” of the Apple device.
“For iPhone jailbreakers, the new rules effectively legitimize a practice that has been operating in a legal gray area by exempting it from liability,” said Joelle Tessler of the Associated Press.
Also running Tessler’s story were The New York Times, The Virginian-Pilot, the Monterey County Herald, the Lowell Sun, the Lewiston Morning Tribune, Investor’s Business Daily, the Portland Press Herald and The Boston Globe.
Laura Sydell explained some of the exemptions on NPR’s “All Things Considered.” She discussed jailbreaking the iPhone and being able to operate the phones of one’s choosing on the mobile carriers of one’s choosing. She also discussed the exemption on cracking the codes on DVDs.
“Very significantly, they ruled that documentary filmmakers, teachers and students can crack the code on a DVD that would normally lock it and keep you from copying it,” she said. “And they can take a section and use it in a documentary or in some kind of education material.”
A couple of weeks later, Harvard University’s Lawrence Lessig was featuring on NPR’s “Talk of the Nation” discussing the ruling.
“It’s [the ruling is] the first time that the Library of Congress, expressing the view of the register of copyrights, has really began to cut back on an extreme push that has happened in the law to lock down how people use their technology or get access to culture.”
Agence France Presse interviewed Jenifer Granick of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, who said, “The Copyright Office recognizes that the primary purpose of the locks on cell phones is to bind customers to their existing networks, rather than to protect copyrights.”
According to Washington Post reporter Jenna Wortham, an underground network of forums that walk iPhone users through the jailbreaking process has flourished online, as have stores that sell the unapproved applications.
Cecilia Kang, The Washington Post’s technology reporter, noted a statement given by Apple: “As we’ve said before, the vast majority of customers do not jailbreak their iPhones as this can violate the warranty and can cause the iPhone to become unstable and not reliable.”
According to Mark Milian of The Los Angeles Times, jailbreaking has been fairly commonplace. “T-Mobile USA had activated so many iPhones that the wireless provider began offering technical support for the device.”
“To be clear, the Library of Congress is exempting these activities, but in no way compelling Apple, AT&T or anyone else to accept them,” said Lance Ulanoff of PC Magazine. “However, these government-sanctioned exemptions could give consumers and companies cover to go after Apple, AT&T and others when they feel responses to jail-breaking activities are in some way harming them or their businesses.”
Other national outlets running the news were Bloomberg, UPI, CNN, Library Journal, the Wall Street Journal, The New York Post, Newsday, the International Herald Tribune and USA Today.
The announcement also made news across the globe, including in Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, as well as stateside in California, North Dakota, Colorado, Maryland, Florida, Illinois, North Carolina and New Mexico.
A variety of websites and blogs ran posts on the ruling, including gizmodo.com, readwriteweb, Mashable, CNET.com, SFist, Techdirt, Wireless and Mobile News, Wonkette and wired.com.
One of the exemptions includes allowances for people who are visually impaired to break locks on electronic books so that they can use them with read-aloud software or similar aids.
The ruling is in keeping with the Library’s goal of promoting literacy. Another way the Library is promoting literacy, particularly with children, is through a new ad campaign featuring the beloved character Curious George. (See story on page 226.) The ads are intended to encourage parents to read with their children.
The campaign made a small splash in the news with a few large outlets, including School Library Journal and The New York Times.
Erin Allen is a writer-editor in the
Library’s Office of Communications.


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03/29/2016 Richmond Times-Dispatch
Groupon’s OrderUp, an on-demand restaurant food-delivery service, is now available in parts of Richmond.
More than 40 local and chain restaurants in the city are offering menu items through the OrderUp app and website (orderup.com), Groupon spokesman Nick Halliwell said Monday. The delivery area includes downtown Richmond, the Fan and Museum districts, parts of Shockoe Bottom and Church Hill, and the Byrd Park area.
Beginning today, consumers will be able to click on the free app — available on Android and iOS — select a restaurant, see what items are available for delivery and place and pay for the order. There is typically a $3.99 delivery fee, and some restaurants have a minimum order.
OrderUp is already operating in 40 markets across the country, including the Norfolk-Virginia Beach and Charlottesville areas in Virginia, Halliwell said.
“Food and beverage is one of the most important categories in the Groupon marketplace,” he said, adding that food delivery is estimated to be a $70 billion a year market in the United States, with about one-third of all restaurant spending on takeout and delivery.
Chicago-based Groupon acquired OrderUp in 2015 for $68.7 million in cash and $9.6 million in contingent consideration.
“What really excited us about OrderUp is that delivery is a very high-frequency business, where people are ordering food to-go quite a bit, whether it’s a busy family, or somebody ordering food to their office during their lunch hour, or they’re a student at (Virginia Commonwealth University),” Halliwell said. “It’s a great way to get people to interact with the Groupon platform on a high-frequency basis.”
The delivery service partners with restaurants that typically do not offer delivery service and with local independent delivery drivers who are screened by OrderUp,
Halliwell said some of the local restaurants participating are Coriander, Greenbriar Cafe & Coffeehouse, Franklin Street Market, Red Eye Cookie Company, Strawberry Street Cafe and Weezie’s Kitchen, as well as national brands such as Chipotle, Cold Stone Creamery, Firehouse Subs, Noodles & Company, Subway and Which Wich.
Consumers will be also able to use the app to track when their food will be delivered.
“What’s great about the app and the website is you can enter your address and we allow you to discover the restaurants that deliver to you,” said Chris Jeffery, OrderUp CEO, who co-founded the service in 2009.
There are also functions for group ordering, he said.
“We have to work with three different stakeholders — the consumer, these independent drivers and contractors and the restaurants — to make sure we get it right every time within a short time frame. Once you place the order, then we use our algorithm, and we’ve done a lot of work to figure out how many drivers we need on certain days of the week, times of the day, etc. . . .”See Original Article


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Archive for December 3rd, 2012
You read in my last post about last Monday’s “Cyber Monday” tidings according to the IBM Digital Benchmark.
Well, TechCrunch is reporting from comScore data that the holiday shopping juggernaut continues well beyond Cyber Monday.
comScore’s data found that e-commerce spending for the first 30 days of this November-December 2012 holiday season has amounted to a respectable $20.4 billion, a 15 percent increase over the same time period last year.
During the past week alone, comScore reported three individual days surpassing $1 billion in spending, according to the TechCrunch post by Leena Rao, with the peak, of course, coming on Cyber Monday at $1.46 billion.
Of course, all that might seem like chump change when you hold it up against some e-commerce numbers coming out of China, via a post on VentureBeat.
China’s e-commerce giant Alibaba alone has sold an estimated $157 billion U.S. in gross merchandise volume this year, which VentureBeat observes surpasses Amazon and eBay combined.
In fact, Alibaba is believed to have garnered a $3 billion single sales day earlier this year.
But the real story here may be Jack Ma’s “Alipay,” Alibaba’s payments processing unit, which now has over 700 million registered users.
According to a recent report from the folks at eMarketer, China’s antiquated banking system and low usage by consumers of credit cards is benefiting the e-commerce industry there.
Alipay, now China’s largest third-party online payment solution, essentially provides escrow payment services that not only facilitate e-commerce transactions in China, but also reduces risk to consumers, because with Alipay, they have the ability to verify whether or not they are satisfied with their purchases before releasing funds to the seller.
And Alipay isn’t just limited to the Chinese marketplace. It now handles transactions in 12 foreign currencies, including in U.S. dollars, Japanese yen, and the euro.
According to the eMarketer report, Alibaba is also upgrading its COD payment infrastructure, investing some $79 million U.S. in a portable device that Alibaba says will consolidate logistics records with credit/debit card payment information in a single terminal.
It’s Alipay’s intent to install thousands such devices across China’s first- and second-tier cities (think Beijing, Shanghai, etc.) by the end of this year, which will help with China’s broader goals of fomenting increased internal consumer consumption.
Of course, if you’re News Corporation, and you’re in the iPad publishing business, no amount of Chinese e-commerce facilitatin’ payment devices are going to help a fledgling business model.
Earlier today, News Corp. finally bifurcated its publishing and entertainment businesses, and seemingly as a minor sidebar, also conceded defeat of its The Daily iPad app effective December 15.
The Daily had been News Corp’s digital pride and joy, a valiant attempt at delivering a daily news publication via the iPad only 100,000 people wanted.
At 99 cents a week, that apparently was not revenue enough even close to maintaining a viable business, so The Daily will now be put to bed.
Ever-reliable media critic website Poynter noted The Daily had two key lessons of failure from which we could all learn. One, they had no clarity on its intended audience (I thought that was supposed to be iPad users!), and two, one platform, the iPad, just wasn’t enough in a multi-device world.
Perhaps they should have instigated a Chinese edition? Surely they could have drummed up a few more hundred thousand from a population of 1.3 billion!


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Sept 24 (Reuters) – Spinneys Dubai LLC, the grocery store franchisee within the United Arab Emirates and Oman, plans an preliminary public providing of the corporate within the second quarter of 2024, three sources with direct information of the matter mentioned.
Albwardy Funding, the 100% proprietor of the franchise, employed Rothschild & Co to advise on the deliberate IPO, the sources mentioned, requesting anonymity as a result of the plans are usually not public.
It invited banks this week to pitch for positions within the providing, which is anticipated to make up as much as 30% of the corporate, the sources mentioned.
Spinneys, Albwardy and Rothschild didn’t instantly reply to Reuters requests for remark.
The potential IPO of Spinneys Dubai, deliberate for the Dubai monetary market, would add to the small however rising regional meals retail business.
Americana Eating places, the Center East and North Africa franchisee of fast-food eating places KFC and Pizza Hut, and vendor of frozen meals, debuted on a twin itemizing in Abu Dhabi and Riyadh in December.
Lulu Group, a hypermarket and buying heart operator, expects its preliminary public providing within the first half of 2024, its chairman mentioned earlier this month, including that it had employed Moelis & Co to advise him, confirming an October 2022 Reuters report confirmed.
IPO exercise within the Gulf is anticipated to select up after slowing following an distinctive 2022, when Saudi Arabia and the UAE led new listings, elevating practically $22 billion – greater than half the whole for the broader Europe area, the Center East and Africa. That is evident from dealogical information.
Center Japanese corporations continued to lift $5.3 billion throughout 23 market debuts within the first half of this yr.
Spinneys Dubai operates greater than 65 shops within the UAE, based on its web site. It additionally operates not less than seven shops in Oman, based on Albwardy’s web site.
Albwardy, which says it has annual gross sales of greater than $1 billion, additionally owns the franchise rights to upscale British grocery store chain Waitrose.
It was based within the mid-Nineteen Seventies and has a hospitality portfolio that features a number of 4 Seasons lodges and meals distribution investments, together with Nestle UAE.
Different sectors in Albwardy’s portfolio are business and expertise, commerce and insurance coverage, agribusiness and actual property.
Writing by Yousef Saba; enhancing by Barbara Lewis
Our Requirements: Thomson Reuters Belief Rules.


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Toronto, Ontario — In this week’s auto industry roundup, software troubles with nearly 80,000 models in China are causing Tesla prices to dip further, while General Motors appears to be on the upswing with several new model launches on the way.
One Step Forward, One Step Back
Tesla’s stock price was dealt yet another blow late on Friday, when the electric vehicle giant was forced to recall 80,000 vehicles in China due to battery and seat belt-related issues, causing prices to dip further.
This recall means that 67,698 imported Model S and Model X Tesla vehicles, as well as about 10,000 domestically produced models, are due to receive over-the-air updates that are intended to fix a battery issue that could cause vehicles to stop suddenly.
The company’s stock was up 2 percent early Friday before dropping 0.2 percent to $182.86 per share during market trading.
Tesla shares are down about 20 percent for the month of November, however, experts forecast a potential upturn in stock price for the volatile EV developer in the coming weeks.
Headstart into the Holiday
General Motors announced that its stock values were up last week, showing a $0.69 per share, or 1.73 percent, increase compared to the week prior’s closing price.
Following a shortened week due to U.S.’s Thanksgiving holiday, GM saw its stock price rise from $39.77 to $40.46 per share, for the week of Nov. 21 to 24.
Setting aside minor decreases last week, GM has been riding on some considerable gains made in October, and the upcoming launches of the next-generation Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain, as well as several other new model launches, are expected to play a factor in stock values going forward.
GM’s chief rival, on the other hand, reported a relatively stable week, as Ford closed with a per share increase of $0.09.


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Ousted Papa John’s founder has millions invested in company’s future
After sacking Papa John’s, NFL teams with Pizza Hut
Fox Business Briefs: National Football League announces Pizza Hut will be official pizza sponsor replacing Papa John’s.
Papa John’s founder John Schnatter remains heavily invested in the Kentucky-based pizza chain, even as he challenges the company’s board of directors over its handling of a public relations crisis that forced his resignation last week.
Continue Reading Below
Schnatter, 56, is Papa John’s largest individual shareholder, owning more than nine million shares, or roughly 30% of the company. That ownership position ensures that Schnatter will be a key figure for the company in the coming days, despite the fact that he no longer holds an official role in its operation.
The ousted pizza executive’s shares were worth more than $510 million as of market close on Tuesday, when Papa John’s ended trading at $51.54. Schnatter profited from his own July 11 resignation, which caused Papa John’s stock to surge more than 10%.
Schnatter resigned as chairman shortly after Forbes reported that he had used a racial slur during a media training session with Laundry Service, a marketing firm that had been coaching him on how to avoid public relations mishaps. Months earlier, Schnatter had resigned as Papa John’s CEO shortly after he publicly blamed the NFL, a former corporate partner, for the pizza chain’s sagging sales.
In an interview shortly after his resignation as chairman, Schnatter accused Laundry Service executives of attempting to extort him for $6 million in order to keep his comments from going public. Schnatter also said he was “actually kind of provoked” into using the slur during the conference call.
Laundry Service has yet to comment on Schnatter’s accusations.
In a letter to Papa John’s board of directors obtained by the Wall Street Journal, Schnatter called his decision to resign under pressure “a mistake” and criticized the board for pushing him to step down without a proper investigation.
Schnatter’s lawyer, Patricia Glaser, said in a separate letter that her client “is not going to go quietly,” arguing that the board of directors cannot remove Schnatter as chairman without submitting the proposal to a shareholder vote. She also called on the board to fully investigate the matter.
Papa John’s has yet to comment on Schnatter’s extortion claims or Glaser’s letter. However, the company took action Sunday to oust Schnatter from its corporate headquarters and remove his image from all brand materials.
Additionally, the chain said it had instructed Schnatter to cease all media appearances.
Schnatter has a net worth of more than $700 million, according to Forbes.
Source: Read Full Article


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A bike ride and a low cellphone battery helped launch a business for a group of teens in Sweden. The young entrepreneurs didn’t have much experience in electronics, but with some help, they have created a device that uses the spinning wheels of a bike to charge a cellphone.
Spinning Power UF, the name of business, is the brainchild of Philip Zachrison, 18, from Ängelholm, Sweden. Zachrison, along with four of his classmates, recently won 4,000 Swedish Kronas ($550 dollars) in a “Shark Tank” style competition in his hometown. Although it doesn’t seem like much money for a startup, the group thinks the win and the cash boost will help launch their company, which is already being approached by other businesses looking to produce the charger.
“It’s exciting. Mainly because it’s real life, it’s no longer just a vision, it’s happening, we’re working and we want to do the best that we can,” said Zachrison.
“The Charge Up,” as Zachrison is calling it for now, was created as part of a school project where students create a business and run it for one year. With the success Spinning Power UF has had and the excitement generated by the product, Zachrison said he may try to keep it going beyond the one-year mark.
“If it’s possible, I would continue running the company. It’s be fun to see how far it could go,” he explained.
Although the device isn’t necessarily a new idea for bike enthusiasts looking to charge their smartphones, the group hopes that its design will be cheaper and simpler to use than some other commercially available bike phone chargers.
“We know there are similar products. The difference is mainly the price, we’re going to aim to be as cheap as possible,” said Zachrison. However, he doesn't yet know what the device's price will be.
The U.S.-designed Atom bike phone charger from Siva Cycle has a removable battery pack for power when not riding. It costs $129 and is now available to order after a successful Kickstarter campaign. But unlike the Atom, The Charge Up would only power the phone when the bike is moving and does not store energy in a battery pack. Zachrison hopes that will cut costs on production and make it a cheaper option for bikers.
Zachrison said that the group's product won't need complicated installation, adding that users can put their phone wherever they want on the bike.
“It doesn’t have to be stationary on the bike. It will only charge when you’re biking, that’s why it’ll be cheaper,” he explained.
The Charge Up needs the bike to be moving at roughly 3 miles per hour to generate enough electricity to charge the phone. It outputs the electricity as 5V/1A, the specs smartphones need.
But speed demons won’t be able to charge their phones any faster than casual riders. As long as the bike is going above 3 miles per hour, Zachrison said it would take around four and a half hours to fully charge a phone. He also said the charging time can depend on the phone and condition of the battery.
Zachrison said that the group's product will be compatible with smartphones from all over the world. The only requirement is that the phone’s USB cable has to plug into the USB port of The Charge Up.
“We’re looking at two types of customers; those biking regularly to and from work, and the other bikers on long rides through Europe, Sweden. Those who obviously need to charge devices along the ride,” said Zachrison.
For Spinning Power UF, all that’s left to figure out is the plastic casing. The electrical and technical aspects have been nailed down and now they need to design the device's exterior. Zachrison said they hope to have that figured out by the end of November.
While Spinning Power UF’s prototype looks promising, if nothing else, Zachrison said the students from the business project hope to make contacts with other companies before heading off to a university or the workforce. He said it’s been a great experience for the team to learn how to build a business and get a taste of what it’s like to run a start-up company.
“It’s amazing we get the chance to do this, not everyone gets this chance,” said Zachrison.
The next step for Spinning Power UF is to get the device into production and onto the shelves. “We’re going to try to sell as much as possible,” Zachrison noted. “Hopefully we’ll have some positive feedback.”


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That decision may cause problems for the intellectual property lawyers at Apple.
Fujitsu, which applied for an iPad trademark in 2003, is claiming first dibs, setting up a fight with Apple over the name of the new tablet device that Apple plans to sell starting in March.The Apple product's name managed to incur some derisive comments linking the product to feminine hygiene products.
“It’s our understanding that the name is ours,” Masahiro Yamane, director of Fujitsu’s public relations division, said Thursday. He said Fujitsu was aware of Apple’s plans to sell the iPad tablet and that the company was consulting lawyers over next steps.
Fujitsu’s iPad, which runs on Microsoft’s CE.NET operating system, has a 3.5-inch color touchscreen, an Intel processor and Wi-fi and Bluetooth connections; it also supports VoIP telephone calls over the Internet, a technology also used by Skype.
“Mobile is a keyword for Fujitsu’s iPad, too,” Mr. Yamane said. “With the iPad, workers don’t have to keep running back to a computer. They have everything right at their fingertips.”
Apple may have an edge on pricing, however: the iPads from Fujitsu can sell for more than $2,000, compared with $499 for an entry-model iPad from Apple.
Fujitsu’s application to trademark the iPad name stalled because of an earlier filing by Mag-Tech, an information technology security company based Seal Beach, California, for a handheld number-encrypting device.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office listed Fujitsu’s application as abandoned in early 2009, but the company revived its application in June.
The following month, Apple used a proxy to apply for an international trademark for the iPad. It has since filed a string of requests with the U.S. Patent Office for more time to oppose Fujitsu’s application. Apple has until Feb. 28 to say whether it will oppose Fujitsu’s claims to the iPad name.
No matter what it is called, it has the possibility of being a big hit since it hits squarely at a price point that might make it a must-have gadget for mobile users.


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Windstream Green Truck Tour rolling into local events with landline safety, security message
Apr 18, 2007
Windstream Green Truck Tour rolling into local events with landline safety, security messageLITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Windstream (NYSE: WIN) will highlight the safety and security of landline phones as part of its second Green Truck Tour while also promoting its phone, broadband and digital TV products and services.
The tour features two 1953 green vintage pickup trucks seen in Windstream advertising and will launch April 24 in Prague, Okla., and in Kerrville, Texas, April 25. The tour runs through the end of October with more than 65 tour stops in 13 states.
Windstream also will contribute $100,000 to local public safety and community groups to purchase items such as safety gear, equipment and educational materials, in addition to items that reinforce the "Your Landline is Your Lifeline" safety message.
"The Green Truck Tour was incredibly successful last year in introducing our new company to consumers and building brand awareness," said Ric Crane, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for Windstream. "Customers had an overwhelming positive response to the tour. So we’re putting more gas in the tank and increasing the number of appearances at local events and fairs this year, and we will use this creative event marketing concept to drive home the message that ‘your landline is your lifeline’ and the most reliable connection to emergency services."
Windstream provides quality digital local and long-distance connections that wireless and Internet phone service providers cannot match. Landline phones provide 99.99 percent reliable connections to emergency services even during power outages and pinpoint the exact location of a home or business to emergency responders.
"Windstream customers do not have to worry about dropping a call on their home phone," Crane said. "Landlines are reliable, safe and secure, and we will be promoting those benefits on the tour and providing other important consumer information, including 9-1-1 and Internet safety tips, for children and families."
Consumers can bring their families to see the truck and experience a fun day of interactive games and prizes during the tour stops.
For the latest information on the Green Truck Tour and its schedule, visit www.greentrucktour.com.
Windstream Corporation provides voice, broadband and entertainment services to customers in 16 states. The company has approximately 3.2 million access lines and about $3.2 billion in annual revenues. For more information, visit www.windstream.com.
Media Relations Contact:
David Avery, 501-748-5876
Larry White, 501-748-6250