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U.S. auto sales were predicted to fall this year, and due to bad weather, lower-than-expected tax refunds and some mixed economic inputs, March auto sales are expected to help ensure that prophesy comes true.
New vehicle sales will drop 2.1% this month compared with year-ago results, according to industry consultants J.D. Power and LMC Automotive. The pair are forecasting total U.S. vehicle sales of about 1.56 million units in March.
Retail sales are expected to hit 1,195,000 units, which is a 3.4% decline. First quarter sales this year will be at their lowest levels since 2013 at about 2.94 million vehicles, and a drop of 4.9% compared with the same period a year ago.
“This is the first time in six years that Q1 sales will fall short of 3 million units. While the volume story could be better, there is remarkable growth in transaction prices, with records being set monthly,” Thomas King, senior vice-president of the data and analytics division at J.D. Power, said.
(Used car sales tracking at record pace as new cars fade. Click Here for the story.)
Although automakers are selling fewer new vehicles this year, they’re making more on each sale. The average transaction price for new vehicles is tracking to hit $33,319, which would be the highest ever for the first quarter. It would also be more than $1,000 higher than compared to the same period a year ago.
LMC Automotive also forecast total light-vehicle sales of 16.9 million units this year, a 2.2% fall from 2018. Light-vehicle sales last year came in at about 17.3 million vehicles. Although new vehicle sales are down overall, the used car market is booming.
The used vehicle market, according to Edmunds.com, is expected to hit a record of more than 41 million units in 2019, after setting a new record last year of 40.2 million. What’s driving trend? Increased prices on new cars is making them less appealing, plus the interest rate hikes – nearly 17% year-over-year are pushing folks out of the new car market.
(Best Bets for 2019? Click Here to see which models the Car Book recommends.)
On top of all that, according to Edmunds.com analysts, the industry is expecting a record number of lease returns this year will give shoppers more options than ever in the used market.
“Typically sales of new and used vehicles follow the same pattern — if sales of new vehicles rise or fall, so do sales of used vehicles, and vice versa,” said Ivan Drury, Edmunds’ senior manager of industry analysis.
“But now we’re seeing new vehicle sales fall while used rise, indicating the market has reached a flash point. New cars are getting so expensive that they’re out of reach for many car shoppers, but there are so many more affordable used vehicles coming off lease that the market is naturally shifting in that direction.”
(One of nine pickups earns top ratings in IIHS crash tests. Click Here for the story.)
Edmunds data shows that in 2013, the price gap between new and 3-year-old used vehicles was 56%, amounting to more than $11,000 in savings on average. In 2018, that number grew to 62%, totaling nearly $14,000 in savings on average.


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The latest on an ultraluxe tourism project in Saudi Arabia
As improbable as it may seem, Saudi Arabia's new crown prince is moving aggressively with plans for the world's next ultra-luxurious tourism destination.
2 minutes ago - Travel Weekly
Baked, then boiled: Why one Maine restaurant is sedating lobsters with marijuana smoke
It doesn't mean customers will get stoned from their dinner.
1 hour ago - The Washington Post
‘How do you catch a lynx?': when buying a zoo goes horribly wrong
When the Tweedys bought a zoo in Borth, west Wales, it was a dream come true. But it soon turned into a nightmare of escaped animals, deaths and family feuding It started with...
3 hours ago - The Guardian
The Castiglionis Return to Fashion
Two years ago the family left the brand they founded. Now they are introducing Plan C, a new women's ready-to-wear brand.
4 hours ago - NYT
More Americans Seeking the Expertise of Travel Agents
The vast majority of Americans would consider working with a travel agent to plan their vacations, while some 27 million travelers plan to do so just within the next year...
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Oil company says disputed site in South L.A. could reopen in October
AllenCo Energy Inc. says it is planning to resume operations next month at a South Los Angeles oil site where neighbors once complained of nausea, nosebleeds and other...
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California bullet train picks its path between Burbank and Palmdale
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Amazon is currently working on the TV series dedicated to Fallout , in production and ready to land on the catalog by Amazon Prime Video .
Without detracting from the ever-growing success of Fallout 76 (found on Amazon), fans are eagerly awaiting their first look at this live-action project.
Just a few weeks ago we learned about the production now at the starting line, with Jonathan Nolan in the queen’s cabin for the pilot episode.
And if we recently found out who will be one of the protagonists of the series, it’s now the turn of new really important castings.
Variety has announced three sensational additions to the Fallout cast: in fact, we talk about Kyle MacLachlan among the actors, a face famous for having took part in the Twin Peaks cult series.
But that’s not all: Xelia Mendes-Jones ( Havoc ) and Aaron Moten ( Where we left off ), thus forming a highly respected cast of actors.
MacLachlan has become a famous face to most of the international audience by playing the role of FBI agent Dale Cooper , in the iconic series created by David Lynch.
The mystery of who killed Sarah Palmer has been revealed (more or less), the American actor is expected on the show dedicated to the Bethesda franchise, of which very little is known at the moment.
The cast of Fallout have also been confirmed at the moment Ella Purnell and Walton Goggins , although an official release date is still missing. .
Staying on the subject, a few weeks ago some modders gave life to a beautiful 4K ray traced version of Fallout New Vegas , thus giving new luster to a true immortal classic .
But not only that: other fans are working on the mod / DLC for the well-known Fallout 4 , known as Fallout London , which looks truly remarkable.


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Microsoft acknowledges printer issues blocking Window 11 2022 Update
It may only be a little over a week since Microsoft released Windows 11 2022 Update, but the problems it is causing are coming thick and fast.
The most recent issue involves printer drivers, and it has caused the company to place a compatibility block on some people upgrading to the latest version of Windows 11. The good news is that there is a relatively simple workaround in the meantime.
- Microsoft is blocking Windows 11 2022 Update because of blue screen issues
- Whoopsie daisy! Microsoft accidentally released the Windows 11 KB5017383 update to WSUS
- Microsoft releases out-of-band KB5019311 update for Windows 11
In a posting the release health pages for Windows 11, the company says: "Microsoft has found an issue when an installed printer uses Microsoft IPP Class Driver or Universal Print Class Driver and is installed on a Windows device with connectivity issues to the printer. Windows needs connectivity to the printer to identify all the features of the printer. Without connectivity, the printer is set up with default settings and in some scenarios might not get updated once connectivity to the printer is restored. You might be affected by this issue if your printer is unable to use printer specific features such as color, two-sided/duplex printing, paper size or type settings, or resolutions higher than 300x300dpi. Currently, installed printers in this state will carry this issue forward when upgraded to Windows 11, version 22H2".
As with the recent NVDIA issues, Microsoft has applied a compatibility hold on devices with such printers. This means that until the devices are removed, it will not be possible to upgrade to Windows 11 2022 Update.
To mitigate the safeguard and allow your Windows device to upgrade to Windows 11, version 22H2, you can remove any printers using Microsoft IPP Class Driver or Universal Print Class Driver which you have installed. Once you have removed any affected installed printers, you should be able to upgrade to Windows 11, version 22H2. Please note, if there are no other safeguards that affect your device, it can take up to 48 hours before the upgrade to Windows 11 is offered. Restarting your device and checking for updates might help it to offer sooner.
If you have an installed printer which only allows default settings, you can mitigate this issue by removing and reinstalling the printer. For instructions, please see Download printer drivers in Windows.
The company says that it is working on a proper fix and that this will be released in due course.


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A recent report by Chainalysis has highlighted the remarkable growth and resilience of Sub-Saharan Africa in the crypto market. Despite accounting for only 2.3% of the global cryptocurrency trading volume, the region has demonstrated impressive progress. The report spans from July 2022 to June 2023, providing valuable insights into this area’s unique digital currency landscape.
Nigeria emerged as the largest digital currency market in Sub-Saharan Africa, boasting a trading volume of almost $60 billion. South Africa closely follows with a market size of $20 billion. Kenya, Mauritius, and Ghana secure the third, fourth, and fifth positions respectively in this thriving market.
Sub-Saharan Africa is notable for its preference for centralized exchanges, handling over half of the digital currency transactions in the region. What sets this market apart is its strong emphasis on retail participation, with many transactions falling below the $1 million threshold. This characteristic distinguishes it from other global regions.
Diversification Amidst Crypto Price Volatility
The report also emphasizes the significant impact of digital currency on the economies of the region, particularly in countries like Nigeria. Notably, Nigeria ranks second on the Global Crypto Adoption Index. Many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa are turning to Bitcoin due to concerns over rising inflation and mounting debt.
In June 2022, Ghana experienced a significant inflation rate of 29.8%, marking its highest level in two decades. This economic turmoil led to a surge in Ghanaians exploring alternative avenues like Bitcoin for preserving their wealth.
Recent trends suggest a growing preference for stablecoins over Bitcoin. The reason behind this shift is Bitcoin’s price volatility. Market experts argue that investors are increasingly inclined to diversify their holdings by incorporating stablecoins alongside Bitcoin, thereby mitigating risks associated with its fluctuating value.
Nigeria, the most populous country in Sub-Saharan Africa, has encountered economic challenges. These include two major recessions since 2016. In addition, there has been a recent crisis with the Naira and high inflation rates in the country. As a result, interest in digital currency as a feasible financial alternative has been steadily growing.
Regulatory measures have been instrumental in shaping the crypto landscape across Sub-Saharan Africa. Notably, South Africa has emerged as a frontrunner, implementing robust regulations that offer legal clarity and stimulate trading activities. Moreover, Kenya and Mauritius are making significant strides in developing crypto legislation to support the growth of cryptocurrency businesses.
However, rising amidst numerous challenges, the digital currency industry in Sub-Saharan Africa thrives. This upward trajectory is fueled by regulatory clarity, consumer confidence, and the commitment of local crypto enterprises to comply with regulations.
Related Reading | The Taliban Crackdown Has Stalled Afghanistan’s Cryptocurrency Market


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The 13 biggest tech company failures in the last 10 years
- The 2010s saw booming growth across the tech industry, but some companies didn't survive the decade.
- Many of the companies that went under in the past decade were aging dinosaurs that couldn't adjust to changes brought about by new technology.
- Other high-profile casualties included startups who raised hundreds of millions in venture capital before ultimately collapsing.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
The 2010s were a decade of massive transformation for the tech industry. Advances in technology brought nearly every industry online, and the proliferation of mobile devices and social media fundamentally changed the way consumers and businesses interact.
The 2010s were also a bloodbath for companies that couldn't keep up with seismic technological changes.
Dozens of high-profile companies went under in the past decade. While some were doomed by their reliance on outdated tech, others were new startups that raised millions before burning out.
These tech and media companies are now synonymous with obsolescence, but their decline and failure can provide valuable lessons about how fast industries are changing and what happens to entities that can't keep up.
Here are 13 of the most notable tech companies to go under in the past decade.
Peak valuation: $740 million in 2015
Went out of business: 2016
This early smartwatch began by raising $10.3 million on Kickstarter, making it the most successful Kickstarter campaign ever at the time. Its owner turned down offers to sell the company for $740 million in 2015, but struggled to compete with competitors like the Apple Watch and ultimately sold out to FitBit for less than $40 million in 2016.
Peak valuation: $10 billion in 2014
Went defunct: 2018
Theranos crumbled under the weight of the high expectations it set for itself when scientists and journalists poked holes in the company's promises to run blood tests on a single drop of blood. Here's everything that happened leading up to Theranos's downfall.
Peak valuation: $75 million in 2007
Shut down: 2018
The once-popular web browsing tool was acquired by eBay in 2007, spun back out two years later, and finally acquired by Mix, which shut it down in 2018. It wasn't the end of the road for StumbleUpon cofounder Garrett Camp however — he founded Uber in 2009.


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Over the last several months, there has been a lot of discussion among marketers and industry thought leaders around the challenges involved with integrating content marketing across the enterprise. At Content Marketing World Sydney, CMI’s lead strategist, Robert Rose, even presented a new Content Creation Management (CCM) model that you’ll hear a lot about from us over the upcoming months.
The latest CMI research confirms that integration is indeed the most often cited challenge among business-to-business (B2B) enterprise marketers (i.e., at companies with 1,000+ employees). These and other findings appear in our new report, B2B Enterprise Marketing: 2014 Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends — North America, sponsored by Marketo. The study looks at how the content marketing habits of enterprise marketers have changed over the last year, and how the approaches used by marketers at these companies differ from those of other B2B marketers.Continue Reading


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Growth crowns good night for Netflix
Netflix eased investors’ nerves last night by reporting subscriber growth and profit that edged ahead of Wall Street’s third-quarter forecasts.
Shares rose by almost 9 per cent in after-hours trading after it said it added 6.77 million paying subscribers globally in the third quarter, beating the average analyst forecast of 6.73 million.
Netflix, the world’s largest streaming video company, hosts critically acclaimed shows such as The Crown, Stranger Things and Top Boy, and has a back catalogue of classic films and television series. The company, valued at $125 billion, is pouring billions of dollars into buying exclusive content as American media and entertainment heavyweights such as Disney and AT&T prepare to launch competing services in the coming months.
Netflix said last night that


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the Minister of Finance of Georgia, Nodar Khaduri, spoke about the devaluation of GEL and the risk of an increase in product prices. According to the Minister, different branches of the government make coordinated efforts to prevent the increase in product prices as GEL keeps devaluating. Mr Khaduri considers the government’s efforts efficient. He brought up the decrease in petrol prices on the local market as an example and noted that since October 2012, the local market price on petrol has decreased by GEL 0.25 despite the devaluation of GEL.
We took interest in the accuracy of Mr Khaduri’s statement.Georgia’s currency, GEL, has been devaluating
since November 2014. Overall, GEL has devaluated by approximately GEL 0.20.According to Platt’s,
oil prices on the world market have been going down since the second half of July 2014. In parallel with the cheapening of oil products, local market petrol prices are also decreasing. It is noteworthy that the lowest price for oil products on the international market was recorded in December 2014. More precisely, on 1 December, a ton of A-92 type petrol amounted to USD 654 on Platt’s whilst on 30 December, the price of this type of petrol cheapened by USD 153 and equalled USD 501. To compare, the Regular type of petrol cost GEL 1.93 on 4-6 December 2014 whilst the price went down by the end of month and amounted to GEL 1.83. As can be seen, the Regular type of petrol cheapened by 36% on the world market whereas the decrease in price on the Georgian market amounted to only 5.2%.
It is noteworthy that other additional factors determine petrol prices as well. Such factors are no less important than the cost determined by trade on the international market. For instance, Value Added Tax (VAT), excise duty, transportation, distribution to local branches, salaries of staff and various expenditures of companies are factors that international prices cannot affect.
To illustrate the dynamics of petrol prices on the Georgian market, it is necessary to compare the local and international market prices for December 2012 and December 2014. According to Platt’s, at the end of 2012, the price for a ton of A-92 type petrol was USD 986 whilst in the same period of 2014 it was USD 501.
To calculate the approximate price of petrol before sale on the local market, we should consider the exchange rates in December 2012 and December 2014 in the process of calculation. At the end of 2012 the USD exchange rate was 1.6567 whilst at the end of 2014 it equalled 1.8636. It is noteworthy that a ton of A-92 type of petrol equals 1,376 litres.
|Price of 1L. in USD
|GEL Exchange Rate
|Price of 1L. in GEL
|VAT and Other Expenditures
As we can see, the estimated cost of one litre (1L.) of petrol in December 2012 was GEL 2 whilst its selling price at petrol stations in Georgia was GEL 2.03-2.05.
In December 2014, the estimated cost of one litre of the Regular type of petrol amounted to GEL 1.49 whilst on 28 December 2014 the cost of the Regular type of petrol at local petrol stations was GEL 1.83. The price of Regular has decreased by GEL 0.13 more as of 18 January 2015. As the table shows, despite the trend for decreasing prices, the firms selling petrol received much more profit for a litre of petrol in 2014 as compared to 2012. In December 2012, the profit for a litre of Regular was nearly GEL 0.05. It is noteworthy that it takes two weeks for the local prices on petrol to decrease after the price on Platt’s goes down. This is the time required for the petrol bought at the new price to end up on the retail market. Therefore, we should observe the January 2015 retail prices for petrol which decreased in their prices on Platt’s in December 2014. The result is that the Euro-Regular type of petrol that costs 1.49 is being sold for 1.69 which makes for a profit margin of GEL 0.20.
Petrol prices indeed decreased by GEL 0.25 as compared to December 2012. In the same period, the prices on oil products on the international market halved. It is noteworthy that since the 2012 Parliamentary elections, the Government of Georgia has not decreased VAT or excise duty. Therefore, governmental policy has not affected the decrease in the petrol prices by any means. Moreover, since the Georgian Dream coalition came into power, prices on the local market have both decreased and increased multiple times in accordance with the prices defined by the international market.
If GEL had not devaluated, the price on petrol would have been lower than it is now. Apart from the prices on the international market, excise duty, VAT and various expenditures made by companies engaged play an important role in defining the price of petrol. This is exactly one of the reasons why the prices of petrol have not decreased to the same extent in Georgia as they have in the world. It should also be noted that the profit margin of the selling companies has increased as compared to 2012. Not only the cost but also demand and market competition define the price of petrol. In a competitive market, if the profit margin increases, companies reduce the prices on petrol. Therefore, the Government of Georgia, as noted above, has not affected the petrol price by any means.Based upon the existing data analysis, the context of Mr Khaduri’s statement cannot be considered true. Therefore, FactCheck concludes that the statement of the Minister of Finance is FALSE.
Platt’s is an independent American information agency, a division of the McGraw-Hill Company, that is a provider of energy and metals information and a source of benchmark price assessments in the physical energy markets. Platt’s provides consumers with information, production news, current prices of natural gas, oil, electric power and other natural resources.


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Harris Signs has just completed a major signage project for Coventry based Amtico, one of the world’s leading flooring manufacturers. The signage includes large flat cut letting signage on their new distribution centre in Whitley, Coventry.
The new centre is based at Pilot Business Park and is visible from the recently completed A45/A46 junction, which is one of the busiest traffic routes in Coventry. In addition to the main building signage, Harris Signs has also installed all of the directional and entrance monolith sign , Halo illuminated logo sign and branding on the new facility. Michael Luckie, designer at Amtico said, “We keep getting great feedback about the large signage so it's definitely doing its job!!."
As part of the branding exercise Amtico have also started to invest in new vehicles for their fleet and Harris Signs were also tasked with fitting them out with new vinyl graphics.


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A READY-meal business in Consett, County Durham, has been sold for the second time in less than a year. Irish convenience firm Greencore has bought out International Cuisine, based on the Hownsgill Industrial Park, for £16.7m.
The chilled ready-meal business was bought yesterday (August 23) by US-based Hain Celestial Group in October 2011, but was put up for sale by the organic food company less than a year later.
Hain Celestial Group bought International Cuisine’s parent company, chilled food business the Daniels Group, from its Singapore- headquartered owner.
Greencore said the majority of International Cuisine’s £45m revenue is derived from several existing Greencore ready-meal customers.
International Cuisine currently employs more than 500 people at its Consett facility.
Although Greencore moved to reassure staff at its North East base that there were no plans to make any large-scale redundancies, the new owner admitted that there was the possibility of cutting back where services are replicated in the merged business after the deal.
Marketing director Michael Evans said: “There is likely to be overlapping in job roles at the company as we don’t need, say, two different marketing teams.
“We have a dedicated integration officer who will be charged with overseeing this overlap at our Consett facility.
“It’s too early to say whether or not we’ll be making redundancies but there are certainly no plans to make any significant redundancies.”
The Consett site will provide additional capacity for Greencore in the ready-meals category in the UK, which continues to show strong growth.
With an annual turnover of £1.1bn, International Cuisine’s £45m revenue provides a relatively small contribution to Greencore’s extensive portfolio.


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Kayzo’s Welcome Records was announced in October, but it isn’t until this week that the label “officially” launched with the release of Gammer and Dougal’s “Blow This.”
With these two, you just know it had to be hardcore. The boys team up on this absolutely dancefloor smasher for one hell of a wild ride – just make sure you can keep up.
This is also a telling sign of what kind of music Kayzo is going to be putting out on his label. Yes, it’s only one release and only the first release, but it sets a precedent. We’ll have to wait a bit to get a more general idea of what he’ll be putting out, but this is a damn good start.
Check out “Blow This” from Gammer and Dougal below!


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If you had to use one word to describe the current Congress, that word would be disagreement. Healthcare, budgets, foreign policy, you name it, they'll disagree on it — except when it comes to patent reform.
But in a surprising move, the House of Representatives passed Representative Bob Goodlatte's (R-VA) Innovation Act (PDF Link) by a vote of 325 to 91 that crossed party lines. Goodlatte introduced the bill in October saying that, "Abusive patent litigation is a drag on our economy. Everyone from independent inventors, to startups, to mid- and large-sized businesses face this constant threat. The tens of billions of dollars spent on settlements and litigation expenses associated with abusive patent suits represent truly wasted capital — wasted capital that could have been used to create new jobs, fund R&D, and create new innovations and technologies."
Patent trolls, aka patent assertion entities (PAEs), are businesses that search for companies that create devices or services which might be covered by the troll's patents — and then threaten them with lawsuits to gain licensing fees. The troll itself makes no effort to use its patented "inventions" to create commercial products.
Most technology companies agree with Goodlatte that patent troll lawsuits have hurt the economy and innovation. Such diverse groups and businesses as the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Microsoft, Google, and Cisco all support the bill. It's easy to see why. For all that the companies may use patents against each other, ala Apple vs. Samsung, patent trolls cost all of them more money.
The evidence shows that patent trolls have become an ever greater drag to the innovation economy. Lex Machina recently found that 56 percent of all patent lawsuits are from patent trolls. That's only part of the story. The patent problem is actually far bigger than the number of filed patent lawsuits.
That's because most patent troll lawsuit shakedowns never get to trial. "Much monetization behavior, such as bargaining, posturing and payment, concludes without any party filing a lawsuit." As a result, the authors conclude that "increasing anecdotal evidence suggests that patent litigation represents only the tip of the iceberg, and that the vast majority of patent monetization activity never progresses to the point at which a patent infringement lawsuit is filed."
And, why do businesses pay off? Easy. It's cheaper than fighting.
The American Intellectual Property Law Association reported in 2011 that if a company defended itself against a less than $1 million patent lawsuit, its total legal bill would average $650,000. If you're facing a patent troll lawsuit of more than $25 million you're looking at median legal costs of $5 million.
That was two years ago. Legal fees have only gone up since then. Matthew Bye, Google's senior competition counsel, wrote on April 5 that patent trolls cost the U.S. economy nearly $30 billion a year. I can well believe it.
The Innovation Act is meant to both cut these bills and the sheer number of these lawsuits. To do this its major provisions:
Require lawsuit specificity: Today in a patent lawsuit it can be unclear about exactly what it is in your service or product that infringes their patents. Under the new law the troll will be required to spell out why you're being sued rather than rely upon vague claims. Today, with some boilerplate lawsuits, it really is impossible to tell what exactly you're being sued for.
Reveal patent ownership: Patent trolls often use shell companies to hide who really owns the patent and thus who's really suing you. Under the new law plaintiffs will be required to name everyone with financial interests in the lawsuits.
Make losing trolls pay: Today, even if you win a patent lawsuit getting your legal fees paid can be difficult because the shell company that sued you may have no assets. No wonder patent trolling has become so popular, almost all you need is a shell company, a patent, a paralegal, and a post-office box, then you can start suing for patent profit without any consequences! With the Innovation Act, if the shell company can't pay up, others who might have profited from the suit may be ordered by the court to pay your bills.
Delay discovery procedures: If you're unlucky enough to be sued today, you'll often find that you must delivery your internal documents and e-mails to the defendant so they go on a fishing expedition through your business to find something they can use against you. Besides being incredibly annoying, it's also extremely expensive. With this law, the patent claims themselves must be cleaned up in court and only then would discovery start.
Protect the innocent: It used to be that only vendors got suited for patent violations. That was then. This is now. Today patent trolls, such as Innovatio, make money from suing end-user businesses such as hotels and coffee shops that offer Wi-Fi. No, I'm not kidding, and neither are they. With this new law, the technology vendors can more easily get involved in the case so Ma and Pa's Coffee and Tea Shoppe won't be forced to pay a patent licensing fee to avoid the cost of a lawsuit.
The passage of the bill through the House has its supporters hopeful that it will soon become the law of the land. In a statement Horacio Gutierrez, Microsoft's Deputy General Counsel and Corporate Vice President of Legal and Corporate Affairs, said, "Today's overwhelming, bipartisan House vote to pass the Innovation Act (H.R. 3309) marks a significant milestone toward enactment of common-sense reforms to curb abusive patent litigation. Abusive patent lawsuits create a heavy burden on the US economy — slowing innovation, undermining competitiveness, and stunting economic growth."
Next up the Senate must come up with a companion bill and, if it passes there, a House and Senate conference committee must then reconcile two bills. After that, if all goes well, the final bill will be sent to President Obama to be signed into law. Obama has already indicated that he'd sign a patent reform bill and that he hopes it will happen this year. At this rate, even after years of delays in most governmental issues, it looks like it might happen.
Democrats and Republicans may disagree on almost everything, but it seems they can agree on one thing: They all hate patent trolls.


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Due to the continually escalating coronavirus pandemic, Hownd has made some initiatives to better support the “local brick and mortar” merchants they serve.
One that’s already been put into action is permanently eliminating monthly subscription fees on their Hownd platform to help local merchants conserve cash. “We strongly believe that, for certain types of services, businesses should only pay for results and what they pay should be reasonable and affordable – especially now,” said Brandon Willey, Hownd’s CEO. “Our Pay-Per-Visit pricing model means merchants only pay when Hownd brings them customers after they re-open.”
Hownd is also working closely with its merchants to create and distribute “Buy Now, Visit Later Support Vouchers.” In the past two weeks, the company has generated almost $250,000 in new revenue for its merchants, they say. (Update: It’s now $600,000 as of April 2.)
“Given current market conditions, immediate access to cash flow is the lifeblood for local business owners,” Willey added. “When a consumer purchases a gift card or voucher, we immediately provide that cash to merchants, even though customers may not redeem until a later date. And, if the customer never redeems the gift card, our merchants still keep the revenue.”
To learn more about the program, visit www.hownd.com/BraveTheStorm.


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Cooper Tire Europe to restart UK manufacturing
Posted on 27 May 2020 and read 381 times
Ohio-based Cooper Tire & Rubber Co (www.coopertire.co.uk
) has said that Cooper Tire Europe plans to re-open its UK manufacturing plant in Melksham in the first half of June, and it expects to be producing tyres there once again by 15 June.
The facility, which primarily makes motorcycle and racing tyres, has been closed since late March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
To help protect employees returning to the plant, the company has put in place a comprehensive set of health and safety procedures that include: requiring employee disclosures; increased cleaning and disinfecting of facilities and equipment; social distancing and physical barriers; visitor restrictions — and other measures.
Similar procedures have been in effect at Cooper plants in China, the USA and Serbia, all of which re-opened after temporary closures and are at various stages of ramping production back up to meet demand.
Throughout the global pandemic, Cooper’s distribution centres around the globe have continued to operate.


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Though Sony has made moves in recent years to move more of its hardware production in-house, its CEO Kazuo Hirai has confirmed smartphone processors will not be a part of that shift. Rumors had been floating about recently, which Hirai quashed in an interview with Japanese publication PCOnline.
Sony's focus right now, he says, is on 4K video, current product line optimization (including potential interface enhancements for the Z line), and being a leader in the television space.
- > NEXT STORY: Destiny gets 'new' exotics and weapon tweaks in December Update
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Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge Nougat updates start appearing in Europe
If you’ve been waiting with bated breath for Samsung to fulfill its promise to upgrade the Galaxy S6 series to Android 7.0, you can stop waiting… assuming you have one of the GSM unlocked models of the S6 and S6 Edge, that is. According to German tech site Giga.de, users in Europe are starting to see the Nougat update sent out to their phones, starting with at least one S6 Edge owner in Switzerland and continuing in the comments.
Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge Nougat updates start appearing in Europe was written by the awesome team at Android Police.
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Posted on March 10, 2017, in android, Android Police – Android News, apps, Games, Phones, tablets and tagged Android Police - Android News, apps, Blogger android, Games, IFTTT, Phones, tablets. Bookmark the permalink. Leave a comment.


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By Hannah Francis
Experts say the 'Bash Bug' is more dangerous than Heartbleed, a vulnerability that scared the internet in August. So what can you do, if anything, to stay safe?
What is it?
Shellshock, also dubbed the "Bash Bug", allows Unix-based operating systems, including Linux and Mac OS X, to be compromised.
The vulnerability occurs in Bash, a type of shell software that has been around since 1989. Bash is a command shell – like a screen – which enables users to issue commands to a computer – so a hacker who exploits the bug would be able to tell an affected device what to do, remotely.
Devices and systems that use Unix in some form include web servers, routers, Android phones, Mac computers and connected devices. Systems running power plants and municipal water networks could also be affected by the bug, though security experts already recommend that these remain disconnected from the internet so they are not open to such risks.
Once into a device or system, a hacker could also access other devices on the same network. From here, in theory they can do just about anything – including installing malicious software, stealing sensitive data, or turning your smart fridge off and spoiling your dinner.
How serious is it?
Shellshock or Bash Bug is rated 10 on a 10-point scale for its impact and ease of exploitability by the Common Vulnerability Scoring System, an industry standard for assessing how bad security flaws are. Heartbleed, the bug found earlier this year that also affected almost every device, is rated 5.
Experts estimate around half a billion web servers and devices could potentially be affected. About 51 per cent of all web servers in the world are Unix-based.
Because Bash is used so widely, analysts are saying it is the biggest internet security threat to date in terms of the number of devices and systems that are at risk.
On the other hand, a perfect set of conditions needs to be present for the bug to be open to exploitation, which could limit its effect.
Heartbleed affected any system running OpenSSL, a common web encryption technology. With the Bash Bug, your system actually has to be using Bash. There are multiple types of command shells, so even if Bash is installed, the system could actually be using a different one.
Why are we hearing about this now?
The vulnerability is thought to have been around for 21 years. However it has only just been discovered by Stephane Chazelas, a security researcher at Akamai Technologies, in his spare time.
Am I vulnerable?
MacBook users are vulnerable because Apple's desktop and laptop operating systems are Unix-based. Unix-based operating systems are also present in some routers and are also common in connected home devices, such as digital video recorders, smart fridges or webcams.
Devices running Windows, such as some PCs as well as smartphones using the Windows Phone operating system, are not directly affected by the bug.
However, hackers could seek to profit from mass data-theft from businesses and web administrators that provide things like email services, forums, or enterprise IT systems. These hold a large amount of sensitive data, including personal login credentials, so any individual is, potentially, indirectly vulnerable.
What can I do to protect myself?
Major operating software vendors that use Unix are working around the clock on patches for the bug. These should appear in coming days, so check software vendors such as Apple to see if a patch has been issued and install it on your devices as soon as you can. Anti-virus and security companies are also issuing patches as of Friday, so let your automatic updates run as soon as available.
Unfortunately, not all device manufacturers may issue patches – particularly if a consumer device is outdated.
Because of the potential for data-theft, consumers should also ensure they use best practice for passwords and logins.
That means not using the same passwords for multiple accounts, as well as using strong passwords that are long and contain a combination of


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DENVER (CBS4)- As the strike against some Colorado Front Range King Soopers stores rolled into its second day, demonstrators in Denver and Aurora stood outside the stores and asked shoppers to spend their money elsewhere.
Setting aside benefits, one thing King Soopers workers want is a living wage. The last final offer the store’s parent company Kroger made to try to meet those demands was a starting rate of $16 an hour.
Local 7 the union representing the workers says this offer was not acceptable and members voted to strike.
Gigi Jones is a full-time supervisor at King Soopers and she says she has to work full time at King Soopers, and two other part-time jobs to afford skyrocketing rents. She says she loves working at King Soopers and would rather be working, but it was time she stood up for herself.
“I have to be able to go into work and make enough money to get by,” she said.
She and her fellow union members are calling for Kroger to pay a living wage so they can get by working a full 40 hours a week at one job and not spend every waking hour working side jobs.
Kishore Kulkarni, a professor of Economics at MSU Denver, says rising prices have raised the living wage.
“I think the living wage in Colorado is somewhere between $18 and $20 without doubt,” he said.
Kulkarni says workers not willing to expose themselves to COVID-19 by returning to their jobs, along with supply chain issues, have driven prices for everything from food to housing up and it isn’t going to slow down soon.
He said, “Labor has a point in asking for higher wages and employers should get ready to either give it to them or have some friction with them.”
That is what is happening at King Soopers stores the Denver metro area. Kulkarni says labor in other retail stores or other industries altogether, like airlines, will likely follow suit.
Gigi just hopes she can soon work one full-time job at King Soopers and put food on the table.
“Give us something more,” she said.


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InstaVolt appoints Ben Smith as marketing director
InstaVolt has grown its senior leadership team with the appointment of a new marketing director, Ben Smith.
Smith has more than 16 years’ experience in strategic marketing roles for global leaders including marine electronics company Navico, Regent Seven Seas cruises, multinational technology company Garmin, and most recently launched two brands into the UK market for the RoyaleGroup.
InstaVolt said that he brings a varied and impressive skill set to the role, with expertise in multichannel marketing and communication within the B2C and B2B sector.
Smith said: “InstaVolt is a remarkable company with an enviable reputation in the critically important electric car charging sector.
“I’m excited to build on such a substantial foundation here and reinforce the message that when it is time to recharge, InstaVolt has the scale of network and reliability EV drivers can trust.”
At Navico Smith was responsible for driving marketing programmes for distributors, retail and wholesale across Europe, Middle East and Africa, while at Garmin, Smith implemented and project managed strategic marketing plans with key retail partners such as Amazon, Tesco, Currys, John Lewis and Halfords to meet the company’s key business objectives.
Adrian Keen, CEO of InstaVolt, said: “We’re thrilled to have secured Ben’s appointment. His wealth of experience, especially in the pan-European technology sectors, will be invaluable as we implement the next stage of our plans for growth.
“Marketing efforts are central to encouraging adoption of electric vehicles, particularly the challenges of awareness and education about the sector, and Ben’s cross-channel experience will help us propel the brand forward as we grow market share in the UK and internationally.”
FMG promotes two long-serving managers
Joe Day has been promoted to the new role of head of claim notification and Luke MacRae to head of downtime management.
Both roles, say FMG, will support the delivery of service excellence and process efficiency as the business optimises recent investment in automation to provide customers with greater choice and communication options.
Day has managed FMG’s third party claims team for the past four years and now oversees the management of all new claim notifications up to the point of repair allocation, including third party intervention.
Working alongside Day, former business change manager MacRae takes responsibility for the operational delivery of vehicle repair from first allocation through to vehicle return.
Together they have amassed 35 years’ experience at FMG.
John Keeton, operations director at FMG said, “I am delighted by the promotions of Joe and Luke to FMG’s senior leadership team.
“Their appointments are a pivotal step in updating our operational structure to support our continuous improvement strategy and our recent growth and investment.
“Together Joe and Luke bring an impressive wealth of business acumen, industry knowledge and strong customer relationships, as well as a crystal-clear commitment to providing a sustainable, robust and best in class claims management solution.”
Certas Energy appoints new renewables director
Certas Energy has appointed Mark Deeney as its new renewable energy director, following the acquisition of Hafod Renewable Energy.
Deeney, a specialist in renewable technologies, will spearhead the company’s growing portfolio of sustainable energy solutions and services.
Having previously worked at heat pump distributors Waterkotte, Space Air Solutions, Daikin and most recently, as commercial director for Glen Dimplex Heating and Ventilation, Deeney has more than 20 years’ experience in construction and the alternative energy industry.
In his new role, he will head up Certas Energy’s newly-formed Energy Solutions Renewables Division, helping customers to optimise and evolve their energy mix with sustainable technologies.
He said: “I am delighted to be joining Certas Energy at this pivotal point in its energy transition journey.
“The path to net zero is not always straightforward and the pace of change varies significantly across different sectors, but I am passionate about building Certas Energy’s alternative energy solutions propositions and realising value from key acquisitions.
“Our overarching aim is to help our customers achieve their sustainability goals by ensuring they have access to the right renewable technology solutions and expertise, at the right time.”
As well as welcoming Deeney on board, Certas Energy recently acquired Hafod Renewable Energy, one of the UK’s fastest growing renewable energy businesses.
Based in St Asaph, Wales, Hafod Renewable Energy offers a wide range of sustainable energy solutions to domestic, commercial and agricultural customers, including air source heat pumps, solar panels, EV chargers and underfloor heating.
Hafod Renewable Energy is the second major investment Certas Energy has made to grow its renewable solutions offering, having acquired Preston-based Freedom Heat Pumps, one of the UK’s leading distributors of air source and ground source heat pump equipment, in late 2022.
Paragon Bank strengthens motor finance team with regional sales manager promotion
Paragon Bank’s Motor Finance division has bolstered its sales team with the promotion of Chris Taroni to the role of regional sales manager.
In his new role, Taroni will focus on the West Midlands and South Wales, and will report into Geoff Duncalf, national sales manager.
Taroni started his motor finance career at Paragon in 2017 as a sales executive, before progressing to sales team leader.
He said: “I am extremely excited to be taking on this new role, I look forward to utilising my skills and experience from five years with Paragon Motor Finance to provide intermediaries with the highest level of service possible moving forwards.
“The role will require a lot of hard work and dedication to ensure Paragon’s values and commitments are upheld at every opportunity.
“I thoroughly look forward to getting out to all my introducers and helping them to grow and develop their business through the products and services we have available to them.”
Duncalf added: “I am delighted Chris has been promoted to regional sales manager, his knowledge of Paragon Motor Finance’s products and procedures will be invaluable in supporting our introducers across the Midlands and South Wales.”
Paul Springate joins The Miles Consultancy
The Miles Consultancy has announced that Paul Springate has joined the team as director of Mobility iQ sales operations.
Springate has worked across the corporate travel and global fleet and mobility industry sectors for more than 15 years, having worked at Sixt as a global strategic account manager serving many of their largest global UK and US based customers.
He joins once again with the president of Mobility iQ, Stuart Donnelly, with whom he previously worked for more than a decade, to drive forward the development of Mobility iQ, which aims to support corporates in their decarbonisation strategy by steering their employees from miles to mobility through the: Steer; Improve; Reduce; Control and Report value proposition of the Mobility iQ super-app.
The new role means Springate will oversee the development of Mobility iQ, with his first focus on bringing an MVP to the market and thereafter, the deployment of the world’s first smart and sustainable mobility app across our prospective customers.
He will also be responsible for sales operations and manage customer and supplier onboarding and relationships, bringing the vision of Mobility iQ into reality for TMC customers.
He said: “I am delighted to have joined The Miles Consultancy to be a part of developing and implementing the world’s first smart and sustainable mobility super app.
“Our mission is clear; to transform the mobility ecosystem and help corporate travellers travel across all modes of ground transportation more intelligently, sustainably and cost efficiently, whilst at the same time providing the corporate with the ability to steer employee behaviour, improve the user experience and reduce, control and report on carbon, cost and time.
“Having now been with the business for two weeks already, I am surrounded by great people, working in a great culture and I am truly excited for the coming months and years.”
Donnelly added: “I am absolutely delighted to bring Paul on-board to join me on this journey to transform the mobility ecosystem.
“The unprecedented interest in Mobility iQ has seen us onboard five new members to the team in as many months and Paul will help take us to the next stage and beyond.
“2023 is going to be a really exciting year for us and Paul’s experience will become invaluable as we are delivering the game-changer that is the world’s first smart and sustainable mobility super-app.”


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Friday, May 11, 2012
Whole Foods Mobile App Encourages Green Actions
Austin-based Whole Foods Market has released a new mobile app via its Whole Planet Foundation, which looks to encourage consumers to performance green lifestyle actions by offering up coupons. The new Make Change. Not Waste app--released by the Whole Planet Foundation and BlueAvocado--allows users to do things like using reusable water bottles, converting to electronic billing, using a reusable bag, and so on and gain access to special coupons from green brands at Whole Foods. The app is free. The Whole Planet Foundation said that users can also donate back to the group to help fund microlending products in countries where Whole Foods Market sources it products.


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The beverage packaging market is expected to surpass $128.2 billion by 2027, growing moderately at a projected 4.1% CAGR during the assessment period, according to a study published in October 2022 by Future Market Insights.
Beverage packaging manufacturers have witnessed an increasing demand for smaller pack sizes, which has led to a rise in demand for beverage cans, as they are convenient for carrying. However, rising awareness regarding sugar content in soft drinks, and the resultant health effects has led to a meteoric increase in the consumption of bottled water in the beverage packaging market.
In the beverage packaging market, brand owners in developed countries such the US have been quick to capitalize on this growing demand and offer seasonal flavored water, such as chocolate peppermint.
High consumption of alcohol in developed and developing economies is expected to bolster the demand for beverage packaging, especially beer bottles and beverage cans, during the next ten years. High demand for flavoured alcoholic beverages, wine, soft drinks, and energy drinks are expected to bolster the sales of beverage cans in the beverage packaging market.
- Glass is expected to remain the top revenue generating segment in the beverage packaging market. However, it is expected to witness a decline during the forecast period, owing to the shift in preference for plastic packaging solutions, due to the brittle nature of glass.
- Growth in bottled water consumption is expected to continue as more consumers continue to make the shift from carbonated drinks to low-sugar drinks. This is attributed to rising consumer awareness regarding the health effects associated with the consumption of carbonated drinks.
- The Asia Pacific except Japan (APEJ) Beverage packaging market is identified as the most lucrative geographic region, wherein China & India represent a substantial total incremental opportunity over the forecast period.
According to an FMI analyst, “The beverage packaging industry is characterized by several design-level trends. One of the most prominent trends is an inclination of beverage packaging manufacturers towards packaging design innovation, keeping in mind consumer convenience. Many vendors focus on lightweight feature to help beverage packaging manufacturers in their efforts to reduce transit costs."


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A Tesla factory worker says he wants to form a union. Tesla says he’s a salt who is being paid by the UAW to organize the company from within. According to the worker, the company “doesn’t function as well as it could” He claims employees work long hours, face excessive mandatory overtime, and are prone to injury. He also said Tesla workers are underpaid compared to the high cost of living in the San Francisco bay area.
According to a statement by Tesla, “This is not the first time we have been the target of a professional union organizing effort such as this.… We have a long history of engaging directly with our employees on the issues that matter to them, and we will continue to do so because it’s the right thing to do.” Elon Musk, the owner of Tesla is on record saying that his company is “union neutral,” that mandatory overtime is “dropping almost every week,” and “total compensation is higher for a given level of seniority when factoring in stock grants.”
Musk continued: “Our understanding is that this guy was paid by the UAW to join Tesla and agitate for a union. He doesn’t really work for us. He works for the UAW.”
Interestingly, the worker could not be reached for comment by CNNMoney who was investigating the situation because “he was working his shift” according to his spokesman. His spokesman? Since when do factory workers have spokesmen? When they’re salts?
To rub salt in this wound (bad pun intended), the worker’s spokesman, Bergen Kennedy, is employed by Storefront Political Media, a communications firm representing the UAW. Yet Brian Rothenberg, UAW spokesperson, said he could not describe, specifically, the ways in which the union is supporting the worker. “We always provide assistance to workers who are interested,” he said.
Matt Austin who owns Austin Legal, LLC, a boutique law firm based in Ohio that limits its representation to employers dealing with labor, employment, and OSHA matters. You can call Matt at (614) 285-5342 or email him at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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Cloudflare, a leading connectivity cloud company, has published its year's analysis of international internet trends and cybersecurity data. The year 2023 saw an upward spike of 25% in global traffic, demonstrating the growing reliance on internet services vital for running digital economies globally, supporting healthcare infrastructures, assuring continuity of business operations, and ultimately, for individuals to stay linked to their social circles.
The company revealed that there were over 180 cases of internet outages globally, a notable increase from the 150 instances in 2022. A substantial number of these outages were attributed to regional and nationwide internet shutdowns ordered by the respective governments.
The financial sector emerged as the most targeted industry by threat actors worldwide. The primary mode of threats comprised deceptive links and extortion attempts embedded in malicious email messages. The continued use of mobile devices was apparent in the data, with over 40% of global traffic originating from such devices. With regard to bot traffic, 11% came from Amazon Web Services globally, while a third originated from the United States.
Cloudflare's data pointed out that despite being an older vulnerability, Log4j remained a significant target for attacks. Other top targets included Microsoft Exchange, Atlassian’s Confluence platform, VMWare, and F5’s BIG-IP traffic management system.
As for internet popularity, Google retained its top position as the most popular internet service for the second year, followed by Facebook, Apple, and Tiktok. Facebook also led the flock of social media platforms, overthrowing TikTok from its prime position in 2022 and followed by Instagram and Twitter. In the emerging category of Generative AI services, OpenAI was the most popular, with Character AI, Quillbot, and Hugging Face in subsequent rankings.
Matthew Prince, CEO and co-founder of Cloudflare emphasised the global dependency on the internet and the company’s commitment to enhancing the efficiency and security of the digital world. “Our unique role on the Internet allows us to see the ebbs and flows of online popularity and emerging technology trends in real-time – such as the boom in AI and accelerated global use of Starlink. It is our responsibility to be transparent and share the data from reports like our Year in Review to help keep the online world more informed, resilient, and secure” he stated.
The insights and rankings released by Cloudflare have been sourced from Cloudflare Radar, a free tool providing a global overview on internet trends. This system consolidates data from Cloudflare’s global network, including over 300 cities in more than 100 countries, and accumulates anonymised data from Cloudflare’s 220.127.116.11 public DNS Resolver, an extensively used tool for a secure and speedy internet browsing experience.


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Photo: ALASTAIR PIKE / AFP / Getty Images
The T-Mobile company reported Wednesday in a statement that hackers stole personal information linked to 40 million previous and potential customers who applied for credit from the telecommunications company, and the data included Social Security and driver’s license records in some cases.
The cyber attack too compromised the personal data of 7.8 million current T-Mobile postpaid customers. Phone numbers, account numbers, PINs, passwords or financial information for the nearly 50 million records and accounts were not compromised, according to T-Mobile. But about 850,000 active prepaid T-Mobile accounts had their phone numbers and account PINs exposed.
The company said it has reset all PINs for those accounts and will notify those customers immediately.
We’ve been urgently investigating the cyberattack against @T Mobile. Your privacy and data security are very important and I’m following up with the latest information. We’re taking actions to help protect our customers and will be directly reaching out with more information.
– Mike Sievert (@MikeSievert) August 18, 2021
The data theft, first reported by Vice on Sunday, was discovered in a forum post where the hacker said he had obtained data on more than 100 million people from T-Mobile’s servers.
The hacker who put the data up for sale said that they included Social Security numbers, phone numbers, names, physical addresses, and other personal information. T-Mobile confirmed Tuesday that such data was exposed in some cases.
T-Mobile reported that it will offer two years of free identity protection services with McAfee’s Identity Theft Protection Service to people affected by data theft.
Postpaid customers are also encouraged to change their PINs, either through their T-Mobile online accounts or by calling 611 on their phones to reach a customer service representative.
T-Mobile also set up a web page on data theft and the remedies the company is offering to protect its customers’ accounts. That web page can be seen here.


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South Florida is poised for record trade in 2013, thanks largely to solid growth in Latin America, the area's top trade partner, trade analysts said Wednesday.
In the first 10 months last year, South Florida's trade with the world reached $102.6 billion, up by $9.4 billion from a year earlier, according to U.S. census data analyzed by media company WorldCity in Coral Gables.
That was a new high for the 10-month period for the U.S. Customs district that includes seaports and airports from Key West to Fort Pierce, said WorldCity Publisher Ken Roberts.
"South Florida likely will finish 2012 within the country's top 10 Customs districts for the first time," thanks to trade growth stronger than other U.S. areas, Roberts said. Year-end data is due in February.
South Florida's trade took a dive with the recession, but has since rebounded, partly because of the rising strength of Brazil, the area's No. 1 trade partner. Trade with Brazil hit $13.6 billion in the first 10 months last year, up by $1.1 billion and more than double the level just five years ago, Census data shows.
Trade also is surging with Colombia, now the area's No. 2 trade partner. South Florida trade with Colombia reached $8.1 billion in the first 10 months last year, up nearly $1.4 billion and up nearly four-fold from five years ago. Part of the impetus: the Colombian governments taming of violence that has helped lead to the recent implementation of a U.S.-Colombia free trade agreement, experts said.
South Florida is the only U.S. Customs district that has registered more exports than imports for more than a decade, thanks largely to its sales of high-tech goods to Latin America, U.S. Census data shows.
For 2013, the U.N. Economic Commission on Latin America and the Caribbean predicts 3.8 percent economic growth for the region, up from around 3.2 percent in 2012. Latin America's solid growth – likely led by Panama, Peru, Colombia, Argentina and Brazil - augurs well for continued expansion of South Florida exports to its southern neighbors, according to trade specialists.


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(Mobile Media Info Tech — September 9, 2015) —
MMIT’s Director of Marketing, Ms. Rebecca Barnett, appeared live on CNBC Africa today to discuss MMIT’s (Mobile Mediea Info Tech) partnership with First Bank of Nigeria Limited and their mobile wallet product, Firstmonie. The partners are please to announce the introduction of premium video-on-demand content provider SmartVOD Africa to Nigeria.
This service is the first of its kind in the competitive Nigerian mobile money and payment landscape and will allow Firstmonie’s 2.8 million mobile wallet users the ability to pay for the latest in Hollywood movies and TV shows through their mobile wallet.
The SmartVOD Africa app, available through the Google Play store, allows consumers to stream content directly on their mobile devices and tablets on 3G/4G networks and WiFi. With over 2000 movie and TV show titles in its library, the app includes new releases and popular TV shows. Users can pay for a 30 day subscription or pay for individual movie show titles and watch anytime, anywhere.
CEO of MMIT, Kim Fraser said: “MMIT is very excited about the launch of services with FirstBank’s mobile wallet. The ability to use an African based mobile wallet to transact with international merchants is a first in the alternative payments space, and MMIT is very proud to be working with First Bank of Nigeria on this initiative”.
Acting Head of Mobile Financial Services at FirstBank, Celestine Okobi, also asserted “the Bank is proud of this innovation, which is the first of its kind anywhere in the world”.


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Netflix Director Leslie J. Kilgore Unloads 2,394 Shares (NFLX)
Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) Director Leslie J. Kilgore sold 2,394 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $405.00, for a total transaction of $969,570.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 13,028 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,276,340. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link.
Several analysts have recently commented on the stock. Analysts at TheStreet upgraded shares of Netflix from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note to investors on Wednesday. Separately, analysts at Needham & Company reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Netflix in a research note to investors on Thursday, January 23rd. Finally, analysts at UBS AG raised their EPS on shares of Netflix in a research note to investors on Thursday, January 23rd. They now have an “underperform” rating and a $250.00 price target on the stock. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, twenty-two have given a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. The stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $336.32.
Shares of Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) traded up 1.06% on Thursday, hitting $404.67. 2,628,046 shares of the company’s stock traded hands. Netflix has a one year low of $159.00 and a one year high of $407.41. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $361. and its 200-day moving average is $318.0. The company has a market cap of $24.121 billion and a price-to-earnings ratio of 216.44.
Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 22nd. The company reported $0.79 EPS for the quarter, beating the Thomson Reuters consensus estimate of $0.65 by $0.14. The company had revenue of $1.18 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.17 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.13 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 24.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that Netflix will post $4.08 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Netflix, Inc (NASDAQ:NFLX), incorporated on August 29, 1997, is an Internet subscription service streaming television shows and movies.
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News - Holden
Holden’s future product locked in
Local dealers informed of future model line-up, but Holden keeps quiet
15 Aug 2014
GM HOLDEN has locked down a future product line-up that will consist of more European and American models, and has already shown its Australian and New Zealand dealers what the range will look like in the coming years.
Speaking with media at this week’s Trax 1.4 LTZ launch, Holden's director of sales Peter Keley revealed that the reveal of a future model line-up this far out was unprecedented in the General Motors world.
“We showed the dealers the complete future showroom for the second half of the decade,” he said.
“We were sharing future portfolio for vehicles that are so far down the track that some of the final designs haven’t been done.
“Part of the message of manufacturing declining or finishing in Australia and what is GM’s future view of Holden for NZ and Australia, the access that we were given to show these images of cars so far out in the future – no other place in General Motors showed dealers that type of stuff,” he said.
“That’s unheard of. That to me was the absolute number one sign that GM is committed to the Australian market and the New Zealand market.” Mr Keley did not comment on what vehicles would be coming, but said it would cover a number of segments including light-commercials and SUVs.
When asked whether any of the new models were potential replacements for the Commodore, such as Opel’s Insignia or the Chevrolet Impala, Mr Keley remained coy.
“It could be including some cars you don’t know about at this stage as well,” he said.
Also speaking with GoAuto at the Trax launch, Holden chairman and managing director Gerry Dorizas said the line-up has been confirmed internally, but he did not detail specific models.
“We know what we are bringing,” he said. “I have put an embargo (in place), no-one can talk about it.
“What I can tell you is that we have the best products from around the portfolio that we have coming. What I can tell you and you already know, the passenger car is more a European taste and the rest is more American oriented – SUVs etcetera.” The suggestion of European-focused passenger models could, as previously reported, spell the end of South Korean-produced fare such as the slow-selling Malibu mid-sizer and the Barina and Barina Spark light cars in favour of Opel-sourced vehicles such as the Insignia mid-sizer, Cruze-sized Astra and city-friendly Corsa.
These models were available as a part of Opel’s local line-up during its short-lived stint in Australia that ended after just 12 months following lower-than-expected sales in the ultra competitive new-car market.
Holden has already confirmed it will introduce performance-focused versions of the Insignia and Astra, as well as the Cascada convertible, in the first half of next year as a part of its plan to offer a more diverse model range.
The move to widen the choice for buyers followed the announcement that Holden would close its local manufacturing operations in South Australia and Victoria in 2017.
Mr Dorizas said the company was focused on ensuring the sales success of its existing line-up, including the locally built Commodore and Cruze, but that plans were under way to expand the offerings in the short and long term.
“We have everything planned. Our concentration is to focus on the Commodore, focus on the Cruze, focus on the other products that we have, Mr Dorizas said.
“As you see, you guys requested the (Trax) 1.4, we brought the 1.4. There are a lot of other things that are coming within the short term then the long term, I think in about a year-and-a-half’s time we can discuss it.” When asked whether there would be less of a South Korean focus for future product sourcing, Mr Dorizas said the line-up would be “a mix of everything, but where it is produced, well, we will see”.
Mr Dorizas said Holden would not follow the lead of importers Nissan and Volkswagen, which recently confirmed they would streamline their line-up and discontinue underperforming models such as the Almera and Up.
However, he said there was room to reduce the number of variants in a model line.
“If you’re a full liner, which we are – we consider ourselves as a full liner – I don’t think you can streamline in terms of model. One of our strategies is to rationalise within the versions.
“This is what everyone has done. I don’t think we are going to go and streamline models. On the contrary.” On the light-commercial front, Mr Keley hinted that Holden was evaluating the feasibility of introducing delivery vans to its local line-up, which could be rebadged versions of the recently revealed Opel Vivaro that shares underpinnings with the next-gen Renault Trafic.
“We want to be, and we are, a volume player with a broad portfolio. So to say that we are not looking at vans would be not right, but we are not confirming anything as well,” he said.
“It needs to be the right product and being able to bring it in at the right value equation, and when we find that we will look at it.”
The Road to Recovery podcast series
19th of June 2014
Holden tight-lipped on Commodore, Cruze names
Chance that Holden might drop Commodore, Cruze badges on import replacements
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GM International Operations chief says Holden knowhow will underpin Opel’s return
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A Utah food blogger is taking an international television channel to court – over snow globe cupcakes.
Elizabeth LaBau has filed a lawsuit against the Food Network after they allegedly copied her idea for the sweet treats.
But it is not the recipe itself which Ms LaBau is fighting them over. In fact, it is almost impossible to claim copyright over a list of ingredients.
Instead, her claim is against their how-to video.
In her filing Ms LaBau – who runs the website SugarHero – says the cupcakes has become her “signature recipe” since they went viral in 2015.
And so she decided to create a video to show people exactly how to make the cupcakes, complete with edible globes made of gelatine, in December 2016.
However, three weeks later, another, similar video appeared on Food Network’s Facebook page.
According to the court papers, after a number of attempts to get the television channel to remove the video, or attribute SugarHero as its inspiration, Ms LaBau decided to launch legal action, citing losses in advertising revenue.
“Disappointingly, rather than come up with their own ideas and content, Food Network released a video shortly after hers which copied Elizabeth’s creative proprietary work shot-for-shot in order to profit from her creativity and hard work without investing the same time, effort, and thought,” William Bowen, her lawyer, told the BBC.
The Food Network told the BBC it had only just learned of the complaint, and had nothing more to say at this time.
“We hope Food Network will recognize their error and take steps to address this wrongful misappropriation,” said Mr Bowen.


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As attended by A Global Lifestyle EIC Aniesia Williams, the Los Angeles Auto Show is known to bring together the automotive industry’s best and brightest. And this year’s event — which is open to the public December 1-10, 2017 — is no exception. (Opening photo: Courtesy of Los Angeles Auto Show)
Earlier this month, rumors were flying around that the Mazda Motor Corp. would soon be unveiling a re-engineered and refined Mazda6 sedan. The rumors turned out to be true as the Mazda6 — known in Japan as the Mazda Atenza — was premiered at the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show. The undeniable flagship of Mazda’s passenger car lineup, this is the Mazda6’s third redesign since 2012.
Among the Mazda6’s new features is a cylinder deactivation system for its SKYACTIV-G 2.5-liter gasoline engine, offering superior fuel efficiency. In addition, the SKYACTIV-G 2.5T direct-injection turbocharged gasoline engine — which debuted in the Mazda CX-9 crossover SUV — produces torque on par with a 4-liter V8. Inside the car there’s a new high-grade interior that features Japanese Sen Wood, a wood often used in traditional Japanese instruments and furniture. For your safety, the updated Mazda6 offers a wider range of advanced i-ACTIVSENSE safety technologies to help the driver identify potential risks, such as the new Mazda Radar Cruise Control and a 360° View Monitor.
The Mazda6 also aims to set an example off the road. As part of its “Sustainable Zoom-Zoom 2030” long-term vision for technology development, Mazda aims to use the fundamental appeal of the automobile, which the brand believes to be “driving pleasure,” to inspire people, enrich society and help bring about a beautiful earth. In turn, by offering an experience of car ownership, which celebrates both the art of driving and the drivers on the road, Mazda hopes to enrich lives and build a strong bond with customers.
More on the Mazda6 and Mazda’s other vehicles — Mazda3, Mazda CX-3, Mazda CX-9 and the Mazda MX-5 RF — can be found online at www.mazdausa.com.


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Techarticles.me – Researchers have discovered a new type of magnet that can increase the data storage. A team of researchers from ….
The success of Android TV ” tens of millions of ” using the system
Techarticles.Me – Android TV is exactly what we need in an era of spread of the streaming service. Easier access ….
Scrolling will be wasted? Instagram was testing the controversial changes
Techarticles.Me – Each social networking site has updates like that, after that the user stated that ” it’s not the ….
Amazon application false Echo became popular on the App Store
Techarticles.Me – Christmas is a time of joy, meeting with relatives, family atmosphere. But don’t cheat yourself gifts also play ….
Microsoft introduces four new themes for Windows 10
Techarticles.Me – Microsoft recently released four new themes for Windows 10. Their installation is quick and simple, and they look ….
YouTube Stories will lead to more content creators
YouTube Stories will lead to more content creators – YouTube Story introduced late last year, giving them the opportunity to ….
Google will shut down application in the year 2020
Google will shut down application in the year 2020 – Google Hangouts introduced in 2013 as a replacement for Gchata. ….


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A number of businesses in Vancouver's Kerrisdale shopping area have been damaged or destroyed in an overnight fire.
Vancouver Fire and Rescue Chief Karen Fry says in a social media post that flames broke out before midnight Sunday prompting a three-alarm response to the large fire.
The blaze involved five shops on 41st Avenue between Maple Street and East Boulevard, including two restaurants, a bakery, a yogurt shop and a vegetable market.
All of the businesses were in two-storey, older buildings with apartments above, and Asst. Chief Keith Stewart says three of the shops have been destroyed and two are heavily damaged.
Some of the suites above the stores were vacant, but officials say tenants in the occupied suites made it out safely.
A cause of the fire is under investigation.
(With files from Global)


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Comcast Businesses announced the expansion of its 100 Gbps-capable Ethernet service to Tallahassee, Fla.
Enjoying some of its best sales in its 21-year history, Arris announced a major management change, with network and cloud business chief Bruce McClelland…
FierceCable has assembled a complete look at the second-quarter earnings season, ranking the top cable, satellite and telco pay-TV operators.
In the midst of a “Golden Era” of television content, analysts are beginning to see a troubling trend in ratings: they’re going down.
Comcast is moving to bulk up the content library for its millennial audience-targeted Watchable service with a newly announced slate of exclusive programming.
The Copyright Alliance called out Public Knowledge’s "campaign of misinformation," scrutinizing the FCC’s proposed set-top rules.
If digital ad growth continues at 20 percent or higher rates, it will eventually start eroding traditional advertising budgets, according to MoffettNathanson.
Comcast now officially owns DreamWorks and former CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg is stepping away from the deal with a whopping $391 million payday.
Rovi announced today that it has come to an agreement with Dish Network on a new 10-year patent renewal license agreement.
With Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman officially out, analysts are renewing calls for Viacom and CBS to recombine and for Viacom to sell off the struggling Paramount.


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New Delhi, January 25: Google is expected to expand its smartphone product with the anticipated launch of the Google Pixel 8a. The tech giant, known for its innovative products and services, is likely to add the latest features in its upcoming smartphone. The Google Pixel 8a is rumoured to be the successor to the Pixel 7a and it might come under the midrange smartphone category for the year 2024.
As per a report of Gadgets360, the Google Pixel 8a is expected to debut around May. The Pixel 8a is expected to feature a new processor and upgraded cameras. The smartphone design is likely to be inspired by the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. iPhone 16 Pro Max Likely To Feature 'Sony IMX903 Sensor' for Better Dynamic Range, Noise Control, Low-Light Photography and More: Report.
Google Pixel 8a Specifications and Features (Expected)
As per a report of Android Police, the Google Pixel 8a is rumoured to have Google's Tensor G3 SoC. The Pixel 8a is expected to come with 8GB of RAM, which is expected to deliver smooth multitasking and efficient performance. The display of Google Pixel 8a is likely to come with a 90Hz refresh rate.
The Pixel 8a might have a curvier and chunkier appearance compared to the Pixel 8 design, with thicker front bezels. The camera setup is anticipated to remain similar to the previous generation, with a 64MP main sensor with an ultra-wide lens. The Pixel 8a may run on Android 14. Samsung India Partners With Blinkit To Deliver Galaxy S24 Series Smartphones in Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru and Mumbai in 10 Minutes Time.
Google Pixel 8a Price (Expected)
In India, the starting price for the Pixel 8 with 8GB RAM and 128GB of storage capacity is Rs 75,999. The Pixel 8 Pro, equipped with 12GB RAM and 128GB of storage, is Rs 1,06,999. The Google Pixel 7a with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage comes with a price tag of Rs 43,999. It's still too early to have pricing details, but the Pixel 8a is likely to come with a price tag of USD 500, approximately Rs 40,000.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 25, 2024 05:19 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).


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Happy World Tourism Day!
To celebrate World Tourism Day, Department of Tourism and Economy at the Faculty of the Economics, Business and Tourism, Unversity of Split organises an event on October 10. The topic will be Digital transformation and sustainable tourism development.
The event consists of two parts. First part encompasses 5 short lectures, where the professionals from industry will present various technological solutions to foster sustainable hospitality and tourism development. Following, there will be a panel discussion on the role of the ICT in the tourism industry.
The event will be held on 10 of October, at 10:00 in the amphitheatre at the Faculty of Economics, Business and Tourism. You are all welcome to join!


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L'Oréal opens headquarters on the US West Coast
L'Oréal has just opened its second company headquarters in the United States. After New York, it is on the West Coast, in El Segundo, California, a city located in Los Angeles County, that the global beauty giant has opened a building of more than 9,200 square meters.
The location, billed as "ultramodern and outward-looking," will house the California-based brands within the French group's brand portfolio that previously had headquarters scattered throughout the state of California, namely NYX Professional Makeup, Pulp Riot, Urban Decay and Youth to the People, a skincare label founded in 2015 in Los Angeles by two cousins and acquired by L'Oreal in December 2021.
The new headquarters also houses L'Oréal's first Professional Products Academy on the West Coast, which offers hair styling classes among other courses.
L'Oreal's long-standing North American headquarters have been in New York City since the early 1950s. In 2016, the company took up residence at 10 Hudson Yards.
In the United States, one of its most profitable subsidiaries in terms of sales, L'Oréal employs about 11,000 people.
In the first half of 2022, L'Oréal's North America region recorded an 11.6% increase in sales to €4.65 billion. Globally, the beauty giant raked in €18.37 billion in sales from January to June 2022.
Copyright © 2023 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.


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Coronavirus in Oklahoma: Liquor stores considered essential
Liquor stores in Oklahoma are exempt from the governor's closure order, a state regulatory agency said Wednesday.
Gov. Kevin Stitt on Tuesday ordered the closure of nonessential businesses in counties with COVID-19 cases through April 15.
"Based on ... the federal guidelines the governor references for purposes of distinguishing essential and nonessential, I think liquor stores would fall under the essential category under food and agriculture," said Steven Barker, general counsel at the Oklahoma Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement Commission.
He stressed that liquor stores in locations under municipal closure orders should check with their local officials.
"Your municipality may go further and deem you nonessential," he warned.
The ABLE Commission on Tuesday authorized liquor stores to make home deliveries until April 17. Stores must use their own employees to make the deliveries.


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Last call for World Confectionery Conference entries offering a key chance to shine in Brussels
Central Brussels will be welcoming the World Confectionery Conference next month. Pic: Shutterstock
We are now just a month away from our World Confectionery Conference, and our plans have progressed strongly in hosting our key event on 9 September in Brussels.
However, we’ve still several important weeks to go with all our preparations and your support in registering for the event for those that have not done so, and any final entries for our World Confectionery Awards, will be hugely welcome – the deadline for these is fast approaching – 19th August, so please do so urgently within the next week via this direct link.
Clearly, the topic of this event has loomed large for some while, and is has been heartening to see from those who we have spoken to across the industry, that there seems to be a genuine welcome as we set out with our first physical event next month. Last year, it was successfully staged online, but as numerous shows across industry have shown since the start of this year, the live conference scene is very much alive and kicking, and stronger than ever.
As for our event – this really is your occasion to engage with us directly, as it’s a particularly proud moment in our publishing history, with this being the first direct conference of its kind that we have staged since the founding of our title back in 1934. The world was a very different place back then, with its own unique challenges of the era, though I am certain that our predecessors would have very much welcomed the chance to host an international event celebrating the best and brightest talents of our industry, as well as offering insights on equipment, systems, ingredients and wider trends relating to the future of our industry, including its invaluable cocoa supply chains. It really is shaping up to be something special.
So, if you haven’t already, please do book your visitor packaging for the event directly via our World Confectionery Conference website as we would love the chance to meet as many of our readers as possible, especially after two years of challenging pandemic restrictions. Our debut awards are equally important as well.
I’ve stressed this before, but your engagement with our newly-launched industry honours is assuredly appreciated, as we are aiming to offer a key celebration of adversity over triumph in testing business conditions. So if you’re able to place entries as a priority this week, it would be of great assistance in our planning – we all know people who have gone above and beyond the call of duty during the Covid-19 crisis in terms of team spirit, developing new equipment, finished products and sustainability initiatives that are vital to our sector. So let’s make sure they are fully represented with entries to our awards, where we hope to see as many of you as we can next month. If you’ve any final editorial questions on the show – please do get in touch with me directly. My colleague Amy Best is on hand for any sponsorship matters or other commercial aspects at [email protected]
Neill Barston, editor, Confectionery Production


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Wauwatosa-based Wisconsin Hospitality Group, which owns 38 Applebee's and 82 Pizza Hut restaurants throughout Wisconsin, has been named a Wisconsin finalist for the National Restaurant Association Restaurant Neighbor Award.
Wisconsin Hospitality Group represents the state in the Large Business/National Chain category for its efforts helping several causes that have greatly impacted its employees.
WHG Applebee's raised more than $926,000 for Children's Hospital of Wisconsin through walkathons, brat fries, disc golf events and car washes. The hospital has used the money to purchase hospital equipment and fund social programs.
WHG Applebee's also served more than 21,000 free meals to active and veteran military personnel on Veteran's Day last year. It also initiated an Honor Flight program that raised money to send World War II veterans to Washington, D.C., so they might see the war memorial there.
The Applebee's restaurants held a Teacher's Day free meal promotion honoring instructors for their dedication to education, a blood drive and a holiday gift drive for those in need.
The Pizza Hut stores focused on Camp Heartland, a camp for children with HIV/AIDS by donating more than $645,000 since 2001.
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- Ask Now: What's happening with three businesses on North Avenue?
- Wauwatosa columnist Peggy Dean, in her own words
- Man arrested for heroin possession at Best Buy in Wauwatosa
- Wauwatosa business Not Just Nuts closed after owner's death
- Wauwatosa's Montessori school will expand to serve middle-school grades
- Not Just Nuts closed, building owner looking for new tenant
- Wauwatosa Police Report: Aug. 21
- Artificial turf installed at Wauwatosa's Whitman Middle School soccer field
- Biz Buzz: Phase 2 Skateshop; Twirly Birds
- Twirly Birds vintage and hand-craft store moves to Waukesha


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The first quarter of 2021 saw marijuana sales in Colorado surpass the $500 million mark, the state Department of Revenue (DOR) reported on Tuesday. Between January and March, marijuana sales totaled over $560 million. Since it became legal in Colorado in 2014, marijuana has been sold for more than $10.5 billion.
These sales generate more than $1.7 billion in tax income, which is used to fund local government initiatives like building infrastructure and public education. DOR combines the state's medical and recreational marijuana sales to create its monthly report on marijuana sales. Accessories for marijuana use and any other items that don't include medical marijuana are not included in the total.
Sales of marijuana totaled $207 million in only the month of March. The state received $39.6 million in taxes in return.


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Froyo shop SweetFrog opening in New Albany
Any other year, we might say this announcement was crazy. But with temperatures hitting the 70s, the opening of a new frozen yogurt shop in New Albany sounds like good timing.
On Saturday, SweetFrog Premium Frozen Yogurt will open its third Kentuckiana location at 302 Pearl St., Suite B - a block away from The Comfy Cow.
An official grand opening will take place at 11 a.m. March 4, during which customers can try free samples of the shop's 14 frozen yogurt flavors and enter to win several prizes, a press release stated.
SweetFrog, a Virginia-based franchise, was founded in 2009 and already operates two locations in the Metro area, including shops in Clarksville and Jeffersontown.
The new shop will be run by New Albany residents Justin and Leah Alexander, who are partnering with district owner Ryan Linnehan to open the shop.
"We knew there was a resurgence of the frozen yogurt market with more and more customers choosing a healthier option over the standard ice cream choices," Justin Alexander said in the release. "So, we wanted to hop into a growing market, so to speak."
The New Albany site will offer 14 flavors that can be twisted into various combinations and decorated with more than 80 toppings.
Reach reporter Bailey Loosemore at 502-582-4646 or firstname.lastname@example.org.


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The Marquette website will get a new look later this month after having the same design since 2007. Marquette’s web designers are asking for student feedback on a prototype of the new website that was sent to students last month.
The new layout will include a larger cover photo, brightly colored wording and a welcome tab for prospective students.
Tom Pionek, senior director of integrated marketing and digital strategy at Marquette, said the staff is taking student input on the web prototype until Feb. 15. The goal of the design update is to keep pace with constant technology changes and to provide a more user-friendly layout.
“Our goal is to get as much input as we can before we start building out the site, and the preview is a great way to reach a wide audience,” Pionek said. “We have already received a number of great ideas from students and are certainly looking for more.”
Designers have made minor alterations since the last major redesign in 2007.
“We anticipate that we need to do a number of smaller updates every year,” Pionek said. “And we plan for a major update every few years.” He said it takes a few years to apply a major change across the website.
Since the last redesign, more visitors of Marquette’s site are using social media, search engines, tablets and smart phones.
“The current version of the website needs to accommodate changes in how users view and interact with the site,” Pionek said.
The resdesign will include “like” and “share” icons to interact with Marquette via social media, as well as a new layout that will accomdate both smart phones and tablets.
The marketing and digital design department is reviewing and considering any feedback students may have, although not all opinions may not be featured in the final design.
“While every idea may not make it into the final design, we use our best judgment to come up with a solution,” Pionek said. “Overall, we are looking at every suggestion to identify any trends or changes in the design or organization of content.”
The exact date for the website’s official posting in not yet determined, but the Office of Digital Strategy and Marketing is willing to take student feedback even after the Feb. 15 deadline.
“If we have a lot of comments coming in late, then we would extend it a few days in order to give more people the chance to weigh in,” Pionek said.
Samantha Sousek, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences, said she likes the new design and submitted feedback to the department earlier this week.
“It seems very easy to use,” she said. “I think that is the primary goal of any website – to make it accessible to its viewers.”
Sousek said she thought the larger photo on the homepage was a great addition and the news and events tab was well organized.
“The fact that the home page’s photo was bright and fun really attracted my attention,” she said. “I believe the rest of the student body will become familiar with this new layout as well.”
Lauren Gilbert, a freshman in the College of Education, had different opinions about the new web layout.
“I think minor changes like the Welcome Tab (for prospective students) is a nice touch,” she said. “But updating and reorganizing the entire website might be a little confusing to students.”