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BEIJING - To his fellow countrymen, Mr Jack Ma is the closest China has to the late Steve Jobs, the charismatic co-founder of Apple.
To global investors, Mr Ma is the eccentric spiritual leader of China's e-commerce giant Alibaba, which is set to launch one of the biggest initial public offerings (IPOs) in history.
But the 49-year-old maverick technopreneur prefers to see himself as something of a cross between Feng Qingyang, a reclusive master swordsman from a famous Chinese martial arts novel, and ET - the iconic alien in the 1982 Hollywood blockbuster movie.
Such is the larger-than-life persona of the diminutive Mr Ma, who has earned a cult following in China. Here, Alibaba is the reigning e-commerce champion with its business-to-business platform and its flagship online store for retailers called Taobao, which means "search for treasure".
Alibaba was founded in 1999, with Mr Ma as the chief executive. Some called him the "chief cheerleader" as he was known for firing up his staff - now numbering more than 23,000 - with pep talks not unlike those by Mr Jobs.
But the showman in Mr Ma Yun - his Chinese name - would do more than just talk.
He has been known to belt out hits like Can You Feel The Love Tonight at major company events, while hamming it up for the cameras in costumes such as the ensemble of a flowing white wig, Mohawk, leather jacket and black lipstick, or dressing up as the Terminator with Arnold Schwarzenegger on his arm.
Last year, he relinquished his CEO role to focus on other pursuits such as charity, the environment, education and film-making. Yet it is still Mr Ma who dominates news about Alibaba.
Chinese media casts him as the hero in a David-versus-Goliath narrative: Not only did he transform Alibaba from a barely profitable operation to one that forced eBay's retreat from China, he also turned it into the world's largest e-commerce platform whose summer listing in the United States could rival Facebook's US$160 billion (S$200 billion) IPO.
Nothing in Mr Ma's background, however, foreshadowed such great successes. He grew up during the Cultural Revolution, where his parents' profession - performers of the traditional musical storytelling technique of ping tan - was banned.
While he hoped to study at the prestigious Peking University, he flunked his college exams twice and had to make do with a low- ranked teacher's institute in his hometown in Hangzhou province.
There, he studied English - which he picked up as a teenager by cycling 40 minutes every day, rain or shine, to the city centre to act as a free tour guide to foreigners - and became a teacher.
In 1988, he married his college sweetheart Zhang Ying, who helped him in his business ventures before becoming a housewife to take care of their son, who is now 21.
Mr Ma's first two start-ups, a translation business which led him to the US where he learnt about the Internet, and an online Chinese version of the Yellow Pages, flopped.
That did not stop him from gathering his wife and 16 friends to set up Alibaba, so named because it is easy to pronounce in most languages. The group pooled together US$60,000 and set up the firm out of Mr Ma's Hangzhou apartment, where the dial-up connection was so spotty that it took some three hours to load half a Web page.
But he had a trump card: fighting spirit. "Chinese brains are just as good as theirs and this is the reason we dare to compete with Americans," he told his co-founders, according to the Financial Times. "If we're a good team and we know what we want to do, then one of us can defeat 10 of them."
When eBay sought to capture the China market around 2002, he launched Taobao by offering free accounts, haemorrhaging cash until the American giant retreated in 2006. Taobao went on to win an 84 per cent market share and still holds its own against new Chinese rivals, like the US-listed 360buy.com.
In all, Alibaba has more than 600 million registered accounts - almost half of the Chinese population - and hosts some 100 million shoppers a day.
When Alibaba, which was running Yahoo's China operations in a 2005 deal, handed over private e-mail information to the Chinese government, leading to several democracy advocates being imprisoned on subversion charges, Mr Ma stood up to Western condemnation.
He told reporters that Alibaba would do whatever the state told it to, as shareholders "do not want us to oppose the government and go bankrupt".
But he has shown no intention of cozying up to the Chinese state either. He has reportedly turned down several requests to form government joint ventures, and told his employees that "you can be in love with the state, but do not marry it".
He has also taken on powerful state-owned enterprises. His recent push to expand Alibaba's offerings to microfinance loans and offer retail deposits at higher rates has rattled state banks and challenged their comfortable monopoly.
These days, he has set himself the even bigger challenge of tackling major socio-economic problems like pollution and poverty.
Together with co-founder Joe Tsai, he has pledged part of his equity in Alibaba to create what could be Asia's largest philanthropic trust worth an estimated US$3 billion. The funds will be used for health care, the environment, education and culture.
This has earned him praise as a trailblazer for China's notoriously tightfisted billionaires. It is little wonder then that he is the first mainland Chinese to make the cover of Forbes magazine, which described him as a "Napoleon-like person".
Indeed, the 1.62m-tall Mr Ma relishes a good fight. In 1995, when he was still a nobody, he found himself on Hangzhou TV after he was the only person gutsy enough to take on a bunch of burly men stealing well covers.
It turned out that the TV station had staged the theft to find chivalrous passers-by.
This article was published on May 12 in The Straits Times.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.


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WASHINGTON—President Barack Obama on Wednesday signed into law the most sweeping overhaul of U.S. financial-market regulations since the Great Depression, marking the conclusion of an effort to craft a legislative response to the 2008 financial crisis.
Mr. Obama pitched the measure as a major step toward correcting the problems that contributed to that crisis and the recession that followed.
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One local business is coordinating its seasonal sale with an effort to help needy people in the area.
When Warren Tire held a tire sale last week, company President Bob Kellogg also asked customers and employees to bring in food to be donated to local food pantries.
Kellogg estimated that between what was purchased by the company and what was donated by customers and employees, $5,000 worth of food was gathered for local pantries.
“They all said they can use as much as we can get,” Kellogg said. “That’s one thing we like, is that nothing is going to go to waste.”
On Tuesday morning at the company’s Dix Avenue location in Queensbury, Kellogg and several employees loaded shopping carts full of soup, stuffing and macaroni and cheese into boxes and onto a truck to then be dropped off at local food pantries.
The company’s corporate headquarters is in Queensbury, and it has several locations in this area, as well as farther south in Waterford and Colonie. Kellogg said the business tried to make it easy for people to bring bags and boxes of food into the different locations.
The food is going to several food pantries in the region, including the Wait House, the Salvation Army, Zion Episcopal Church in Hudson Falls and the Greenwich Food Pantry.
Kellogg had trouble contacting some food pantries when he tried to reach them to let them know he was interested in donating to them, he said.
This was the first time the company has done a collection and because it was successful, Kellogg said it’s something he’d like to do in the future when it holds tire sales in the spring and fall.
“We thought it would be a nice way to give back to the community,” Warren Tire CEO Wayne Kellogg said.


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Without ‘breaking the net’ or strutting across a red carpet in some sexy leather or latex couture, once again, Kim Kardashian has caused a stir, online, with something she wore.
Last week the reality star attended her daughter’s basketball game, dressed in a vintage Diadora Roma 1997/98 home jersey. From wearing this shirt for so brief a time, K.K. caused a spike in net searches for the Italian soccer club, Associazione Sportiva Roma, more commonly known as AS Roma. As reported by the online casino comparison service CasinoBonusCA.com, a mere two days after Kim was seen and surely photographed, there was an increase of over 2.3 million Google searches for the team.
AS Roma, founded in 1927, has won the Serie A three times, nine Coppa Italia titles, and two Supercoppa Italiana titles, as well as European titles, UEFA Europa Conference League 2021-22, Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, 1960-61. Most specific to what was seen across Kim’s shirt last week, and having nothing whatsoever with soccer athletics, is the team’s famous colors, carmine red and golden yellow, from which the team earned its nickname “I Giallorossi,” translated to mean, “The Yellow and Reds.” Last December 2022, Kardashian posted pictures of herself wearing a Paris Saint-Germain 2001/02 tee. In doing so, there was a reported 708 percent increase in search for Paris Saint-Germain, at that time, according to CasinoBonusCA.com.
Recently purchasing Princess Diana’s Attallah Cross pendant at Sotheby’s for $197,453. Wearing (and some say damaging) Marilyn Monroe’s famous “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” dress at the Met Gala. Along with her family, the 42-year-old celebrity certainly makes headlines, causes net search spikes, and increases sales for fashion designers, sports teams, and just about anybody else she happens to support in the various ways she shows that support.
Such is the case of celebrities, where even a seemingly casually put-together wardrobe can stir the daily soup.


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Iceland launch campaign to ban palm oil from their products
The Iceland Christmas advert highlights deforestation as a result of palm oil production. Voiced by Emma Thompson the controversial commercial features the orangutang “Rang-tan” losing his home due to deforestation. Palm oil is a product that can be found in everything from shampoos and detergents to sandwiches and biscuits and Iceland stated in its commercial they would be banning the product from all of its own-brand foods.
This will make Iceland the first major UK supermarket to do so.
Since the advert was “banned“ supermarket giant Iceland posted the controversial video online where it has received massive support.
The company tweeted: “You won't see our Christmas advert on TV this year, because it was banned. But we want to share Rang-tan's story with you... Will you help us share the story?”
More than 920,000 has so far signed a petition saying the ban should be overturned so the advert can air on TV screens this Christmas.
Iceland Christmas advert: The advert was banned from being broadcasted on TV
Celebrities such as James Corden and Bill Bailey are among the almost one million people that have signed off on the message.
James Corden also wrote to his more than 10 million followers on Twitter: "This commercial was banned from TV for being too political. I think everyone should see it x”
The commercial has already been watched more than 30 million times since Iceland posted it on its social media accounts and is on track of becoming the most popular advert on social media ever.
The most popular Christmas advert on social media so far is Sainsbury’s advertisement featuring Mog the cat from 2015, which has over 38 million views.
Why has the Iceland Christmas advert been banned?
The commercial was banned for being too political.
The advert was rejected by Clearcast, the body which either approves or rejects commercials for broadcast on television and video on demand.
Clearcast explained their decision by saying they were “concerned” the Iceland advert didn’t comply with legislation on political advertising.
The advert was originally produced by the environmental NGO Greenpeace, which is a political organisation.
Clearcast added Greenpeace had “not yet been able to demonstrate compliance in this area.”
Clearcast’s managing director Chris Mundy has later responded to the widespread criticism online, saying his organisation does not have the power to ban adverts.
An advert can only be “banned” by the Advertising Standards Authority while Clearcast only offers guidance.
Mr Mundy said: “We understand what an important issue the ad raised and there has been a lot of resulting publicity, discussion on social media and a campaign to get the ‘ban’ reversed.
“Much of what has been said has been based on a misunderstanding of the issue and we’ve seen a number of conspiracy theories about why the ad was not cleared.
“The truth is that it is a matter of broadcasting law.”
Iceland boss: We’re not anti-palm oil we’re anti-deforestation
Advertisement must comply with existing regulations as established in accordance with the 2003 Communications Act.
The law states: “An advertisement contravenes the prohibition on political advertising if it is: An advertisement which is inserted by or on behalf of a body whose objects are wholly or mainly of a political nature.”
And Mr Mundy explained Greenpeace’s involvement is the main problem as the environmental NGO is purely political in nature.
The law is intended to shield consumers from the exposure of political messages that are not clearly marked as such.
And, in the opinion of Clearcast, Iceland’s 2018 Christmas advert is just that.


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Several indicators will help predict the shape of economic recovery from COVID-19.
As COVID-19 continues to rattle the U.S. and global economy, many people are wondering what economic recovery will look like.
The V-shaped rebound that many economists had previously expected is becoming less likely. In fact, new economic data has indicated that a K-shaped recovery is unfolding, in which parts of the economy comprised of technology-driven companies are soaring, while industries that rely heavily on in-person services like travel, air transportation, live entertainment, and hospitality are plunging.
While neither the shape nor timeline for economic recovery can be predicted with certainty, economists can look at several indicators that will help drive the healing process.
Employment metrics typically reflect the economic environment. This was evident in March and April 2020, when economic uncertainty associated with COVID-19 led U.S. companies to reduce their payrolls by a combined 22 million jobs. However, over the next four months as economies reopened and Americans gradually returned to work, many of the jobs returned. By August, the headline unemployment rate, which had been as high as 14.7 percent in April, had decreased to 8.4 percent, while 10.5 million jobs had been re-added to company payrolls.
Looking forward, economic recovery will be determined in large part by the continued rebound in the labor market. There is some cautious optimism afoot. In the next decade, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment will grow by 162.8 million to 168.8 million. This could slowly strengthen the economy and will more clearly define the shape of recovery in the coming years.
Retail Spending and Food Sales
Annual and monthly fluctuations in retail spending and dining can be good metrics to help measure economic recovery. In March 2020, retail spending scaled down in tandem with the decrease in employment. With millions of people still out of work, many Americans may not feel as comfortable spending the way they have in periods of higher employment.
Additionally, the economic uncertainty resulting from COVID-19 may leave lasting marks on the way people manage, save, and spend money. However, retail spending and food sales will continue to help illustrate the path to economic recovery as it mirrors the confidence many people have in their employment or financial standing.
In June 2020, U.S. airlines experienced an 80 percent decrease in passengerscompared to June 2019. And considering the hundreds of billions generated by the airline industry, the way people return to air travel will also help define the path toward economic recovery.
An increase in ticket purchases may depend on the timing and availability of a COVID-19 vaccine or the kind of safety measures airlines continue to employ. While the timeline is up in the air, the airline industry has historically been financially resilient from other external factors, including 9/11 and the SARS outbreak of 2003.
Federal government efforts to soften the financial blow of COVID-19 to individuals, businesses, and the bruised economy will continue to play a major part in sustaining the recovery.
Congress has already spent more than $3 trillion as part of the CARES Act to help keep Americans financially afloat. They may decide to spend more in financial support depending on the political climate in coming weeks. Although, it’s possible that the long-term economic impact from federal relief packages will take years to be fully realized.
Economic Recovery in the U.S.
The current economic crisis is a direct result of COVID-19 and is one of few caused by external factors. Ultimately, the way the U.S. economy recovers will rely heavily on when COVID-19 will be contained by a vaccine, cure, or a natural slowing of the infection rate.
HilltopSecurities will continue to keep a close eye on various national statistics and the government response to COVID-19 to help determine the path toward economic recovery. To learn more, call 833.4HILLTOP.
Hilltop Securities Inc. (HTS) is a registered broker-dealer, registered investment adviser and municipal advisor firm that does not provide tax or legal advice. This document is intended for educational/informational purposes and institutional use only. This document does not constitute legal or investment advice, nor is it an offer or a solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any investment or other specific product or service. HTS is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hilltop Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: HTH) located at 1201 Elm Street, Suite 3500, Dallas, Texas 75270. Member: NYSE/FINRA/SIPC.


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A new iPhone 7 component leak suggests Apple’s next-generation smartphones will finally deliver faster charging technology. According to one leaker, the devices will feature “at least” five volt two amp charging.
Rival devices offered by Samsung, HTC, Motorola, OnePlus, and many others already offer faster charging technologies, and fans rely on it in a pinch.
Samsung’s Adaptive Charging feature gives the Galaxy S7 up to 50 percent battery life with a 30-minute charge, while OnePlus’ new Dash Charge technology promises up to 63 percent over the same time period.
In comparison, it takes almost three hours to charge an iPhone 6s Plus to 100 percent, and almost two hours to charge an iPhone 6s, according to tests carried out by AnandTech. That could change for the iPhone 7.
The logic board comparison above was posted to Twitter by tipster @the_malignant this week. It’s hard to make out the differences, but it is claimed the iPhone 7 will support faster charging technology at at least five volt two amp.
— The Malignant (@the_malignant) August 14, 2016
Existing iPhones ship with a one a 1A/5W charger, though they can be charged faster with a 2.1A/12W iPad adapter. It’s not clear how much faster the iPhone 7’s charger will be, but it will presumably be a big improvement.
That’s if The Malignant’s claims are accurate. This is the first time we’ve heard the iPhone 7 series could ship with this feature, but now that it’s commonplace on rival devices, it makes sense that Apple would want to offer it.


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North Star Investment Management Corp. now owns 336 shares of the electric vehicle producer's stock worth $122,000 after buying an additional 9 shares in the last quarter. Aware of the rapid innovation, the U.S. House of Representatives' Energy and Commerce Committee just passed a bill regulating autonomous vehicles and requiring automakers to submit safety reports to regulators.
TSLA has been the subject of several analyst reports. Baillie Gifford & Co. raised its position in Tesla by 2.5% in the first quarter. Macguire Cheswick & Tuttle Investment Counsel LLC's holdings in Tesla were worth $258,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Finally, Carroll Financial Associates Inc. boosted its position in Tesla by 8.7% in the second quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 2,869,480 shares of the electric vehicle producer's stock valued at $798,576,000 after buying an additional 203,034 shares during the period. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. raised its position in Tesla by 1,213.3% in the first quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 63.71% of the company's stock.
Tesla (NASDAQ TSLA) opened at 357.87 on Tuesday. 4,365,783 shares of the stock traded hands. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $346.20 and a 200 day moving average of $302.00. Tesla Inc has a 12 month low of $178.19 and a 12 month high of $386.99.
Wall St stock rally could be derailed by US-N Korea tension
On the London stock market, mining shares saw the biggest falls as many metal prices were hit by the geopolitical concerns. The S&P 500 index was down 18.45 points to 2,455.57 and the Nasdaq composite index was down 68.32 points to 6,284.01.
Additionally, "Tesla will also have to contend with what will likely be an accelerated competitive response from both auto OEMs as well as technology firms that are targeting the automotive mobility market", Moody's suggested.
Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 2nd. The Company produces and distributes two fully electric vehicles, the Model S sedan and the Model X sport utility vehicle (SUV). Tesla had a negative return on equity of 17.71% and a negative net margin of 7.61%. The company had revenue of $2.79 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.50 billion. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 119.6% compared to the same quarter past year. Equities research analysts expect that Tesla will post ($6.29) EPS for the current fiscal year.
Tesla filed a lawsuit against the state of MI a year ago claiming its ban on direct sales is in violation of national commerce laws. "(NASDAQ:TSLA) Stock Rating Reaffirmed by Guggenheim" was first posted by Chaffey Breeze and is the property of of Chaffey Breeze. If you are reading this report on another website, it was stolen and reposted in violation of United States and global copyright & trademark law. The original version of this story can be read at https://www.thecerbatgem.com/2017/08/11/dock-street-asset-management-inc-increases-position-in-tesla-inc-nasdaqtsla-updated.html. Platooning reduces the number of drivers that a shipping company would have to employ. Reportedly, Tesla had not applied for a license so far for the same. Tesla has not officially confirmed battery pack sizes for the 220-mile Standard and 310-mile Long Range launch editions of the Model 3, but has already promised all-wheel-drive and performance variants.


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MOSCOW, November 24 (Sputnik) – The Russian Army does not forbid the use of iPhones among newcomers, a Defense Ministry spokesperson said Monday, denying earlier reports in the media.
“There are no restrictions on the use of mobile communications in the Russian Armed Forces, especially products of a particular manufacturer. The appearance of this information in one of the leading national publications could indicate a lack of technical expertise among its authors,” Major-General Igor Konashenkov told journalists.
Konashenkov stressed that current restrictions on the use of mobile communications specify the time and place of usage rather than the brands or phone models used. According to him, foreign-made modern smartphones are “almost identical” regardless of their operating systems.


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We talk about the latest announcements in conversational commerce, including developments in taking payments through Facebook Messenger, and the AI-driven retail landscape being created by Amazon Echo and Google Home that’s in the news this week. Because if Skynet is going to take over, it’ll be a lot easier to beat humans that have spent all their money on pizzas and movie tickets.
By listening to this episode of the VB Engage podcast, you will hear:
The AI Impact Tour
Connect with the enterprise AI community at VentureBeat’s AI Impact Tour coming to a city near you!
- Welcome to VB Engage episode 41! [00:10]
- Travis is in San Diego speaking at Distilled’s SearchLove [00:45]
- Always bring mustache wax for Rand Fishkin
- This week we talk about mobile advertising and whatnot [01:35]
- ReplyYes raised a round of funding to sell stuff via chatbots [02:05]
- Soon we will be able to buy anything from chatbots [02:20]
- Frictionless ecommerce via mobile messaging [03:15]
- Facebook Messenger is the messaging app of choice, according to VB statistics [04:10]
- Travis tried sending the pizza emoji to Dominos and purchased pizza [05:00]
- We have to try all of these technologies to be able to report back to our listeners — except for VR porn, that’s a line Stewart won’t cross [05:45]
- Chatbots are still not the first port of call for interacting with a brand [06:30]
- Google Home is now partnered with over 50 companies for automatic purchasing [07:15]
- Now you can buy from Target, Costco, Guitar Center, PetSmart, Walgreen’s [07:30]
- With AI, self-driving cars, and automated purchasing, humanity may turn out like Disney’s Wall-E [08:20]
- Bill Gates came out this week saying that we should tax robot workers [08:35]
- Looking at robots and artificial intelligence, how long until they become sentient? [09:45]
- We need to stop looking at robotics and AI through the industrial revolution lens [10:10]
- When we start getting into reward-based AI we need to be careful [11:05]
- Today’s guest is Mitchell Reichgut, CEO of The Jun Group [12:30]
- Mobile advertising costs are around half-price right now [13:10]
- Apps exist within an enclosed space — either Apple or Android [14:00]
- $60 billion in mobile ad revenue and it grew 66% last year, while desktop only grew 5% [15:45]
- Right person. Right place. Right time. Mobile is the only device that actually delivers that [16:00]
- Cookies are a thing of the past with mobile [16:15]
- Mobile devices have unique identifiers. IDFA = ID for Advertisers, Apple’s moniker for unique id that each iPhone has [16:30]
- GFID = Google ID for Advertising, each device has a universal identifier [16:40]
- Everyone has a unique identifier, and it’s universal. Everything can be shared with the broader community [17:05]
- At AdWeek NYC, Stewart discovered this new study by MediaBrix [17:55]
- MediaBrix plugged people into machines and monitored neurometrics, heartbeats, eye-tracking, etc. to determine responses to interstitial ads vs. opt-in, embedded video ads [18:20]
- Embedded, rewarded ads were engaged with at a much higher rate than interstitials [19:20]
- Mitchell Reichgut, “Reward-based advertising is the preferred mobile ad of the future” [20:05]
- Traditional media advertising relies on reach, frequency, and editorial content adjacency [20:45]
- Apps are mostly social networking, games, and utilities [21:15]
- What about VR/AR advertising? [21:50]
- It’s going to take a while for the industry to catch up [23:00]
- Thank you to Mitchell for coming on the show! [24:05]
Next week, we interview Mark Asquith, one of the U.K.’s small business podcasting experts. We discuss growing and engaging your community and many other interesting things that you’ll have to tune in for.
If you missed last week’s episode VB 040, Travis and Stewart interviewed Itai Lahan of Cloudinary on the future of images and video. We talked about how technology can still offer up a few surprises in that area, especially as smartphones and mobile internet access expand across third-world countries.
As always, thanks for tuning in. Please go subscribe to VB Engage via your favorite podcast platform and give us a nice review. Or have your AI assistant give us a nice review. Either way works for us.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact. Discover our Briefings.


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Press Release Distribution
January 30, 2013 News
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In the world of luxe, there are quotidian superyachts, and then there are Porsche-designed superyachts. As if the elite echelon of superyacht owners couldn't get any more exclusive, luxury German automaker Porsche has just unveiled its plan to produce a beautiful $16 million model. And the kicker? The company plans to only build seven of them.
The superyacht would be created by the Monaco-based builder Dynamiq, a company headquartered in Port Hercule—the epicenter of ritzy superyachts. But what really makes this superyacht special is the team that's designing it, a group that has been associated with innovation, design, and speed for nearly a century. Indeed, by tapping Porsche to design its latest superyacht, the Dynamiq GTT 115 (which the vessel will be called), will certainly be the talk of next week's Monaco Yacht Show.
The Dynamiq GTT 115 would be an all-aluminum yacht featuring a hybrid engine that can reach a top speed of 21 knots. The maximum cruising range is 3,400 nautical miles, or roughly a trip from Monaco to New York. There will be four cabins for guests to stay in, as well as a pool on the deck to enjoy the sun. The interior was designed in collaboration with Minotti, as there will be a noticeable amount of leather, marble, and carbon-fiber detailing throughout the vessel.
Indeed, this will be a superyacht like no other. "Taking the spirit of high-performance sports-car styling to the high seas, the Dynamiq GTT 115 is designed to appeal to car lovers and forward-thinking yacht owners," said Roland Heiler, CEO of F. A. Studio Porsche, in a statement. Formula One racing may have just found a few brand-new course to explore: the seven seas.


text: Kia will break Ford's monopoly in North America on the Sync technology with its launching of UVO at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas from January 7-10, 2010. Kia's UVO, similar to Ford's Sync, is based on Microsoft's auto software platform as Ford's exclusive agreement with Microsoft expired in 2008. The two systems are based on the same platform but Microsoft and Kia spokespeople say the Kia system will have several unique features missing from Sync. Sync currently enables users to do a few things in the car that won't require them to take their hands off the wheel. These include making a call, changing songs on their iPod, getting directions, hearing real-time traffic information, etc. Sync debuted in 2007 and since then, Ford has added several features to it. Kia says however that similar features should appear on Kia's UVO. Ford now sells twice as many vehicles with Sync as it does without. Fiat offers a popular feature, called Blue & Me, based on Microsoft's auto platform in Europe. UVO will be used in 2010 on an as-yet unnamed Kia vehicle.


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Guest Comment: How Seven is realising the value in live streaming tennis
The eyes of the sporting world will soon be fixed on SW19 for a fortnight of some of the most intense sporting action on TV, writes Paul Davies, communications and marketing, Yospace. Wimbledon is one of the most prestigious events available for a broadcaster, and none more so than for the BBC, which holds a unique relationship with the tournament that marks its 90th year in 2017. For the majority of the 50+ other rights’ holders worldwide, there is a need to maximise the revenue opportunity.
One such provider is Seven West Media, who was also host broadcaster of the Australian Open at the start of the season. That project offered a great example of what major rights holders are doing at the cutting edge of sports broadcasting, and how new opportunities in the online world are being realised. During the tournament Seven ran 16 live channels on its 7Tennis platform, one for each court. Every stream was monetised using Yospace’s server-side dynamic ad insertion (DAI) platform.
There are several reasons why DAI has become the de facto monetisation technique for live streaming, one of the primary reasons being the quality of the user experience. Ad stitching is performed on the server-side, with all new ad copy transcoded to exactly match the adaptive bit-rate profile of the source stream. The resulting user experience is akin to watching the television – there is none of the buffering or clunkiness that has previously been associated with online video advertising.
In most server-side DAI cases, the timing of ad breaks are triggered by the same cues that inform the TV feed, which ensure frame-accurate stitching in the online stream. However, for a major tennis tournament the process is slightly different. Across most of Seven’s 16 live channels at the AO, which were available online only, ad breaks were triggered by an editorial decision based on the state of play rather than a pre-planned schedule.
The DAI infrastructure has to respond to these decisions within a fraction of a second, making a call to the ad server on behalf of each viewer and manipulating the stream manifest accordingly. This is no easy task, especially with a final as gripping as this year, when a surprising resurgence from two all-time greats in Federer and Nadal captured the imagination of the world. In this high stakes environment it was proved that dynamic ad insertion technology has really come of age.
Seven reported that there was absolutely no backlash from viewers on social networks during the Australian Open. That’s pretty unheard in online advertising, which has always had a poor reputation for user experience. This is great news for broadcasters, who benefit not only from the ability to advertise in live streams for the first time, but are also able to apply the latest programmatic and addressable advertising techniques that are available in a digital environment.
Targeted advertising opens up a huge revenue opportunity for the broadcaster. Seven was able to curate advertising according to data such as user location and device / platform during the AO to provide a more relevant viewing experience. DAI also allows cross-platform ad tracking, which Seven could use to reduce the ad fatigue that comes with seeing the same ad multiple times. This was reflected in view-through rates of ad breaks, which were “quite a bit above average industry figures,” according to Jahn Erdogan, Ad Tech Specialist at Seven West Media.
Real-time telemetry data could also be fed back to the broadcaster, enabling it to place advertising based on which tennis match was attracting the most viewers, which helped Seven to open up 45% more inventory than it had planned. The combination of addressability and excellent user experience, plus the association with one of the world’s biggest sporting events, meant the value of that inventory was at a premium rate, much higher than the usual VOD advertising.
With the tennis world’s most prestigious event fast approaching, online television platforms are set to provide fans with more access to the courts than ever before. For broadcasters, the ability to apply addressable advertising to every match in a fan-friendly way means they are not only able to capitalise on those valuable sporting rights, but they are well-placed to hold on to them for the foreseeable future.
2017 promises to be a vintage year for television’s longest running tennis tournament, and server-side dynamic ad insertion is ensuring the relationship will continue long into the 21st century.


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RICHMOND, Va. -- Have you ever seen a deal online that just seems too good to be true? The Better Business Bureau says it probably is.
The organization noted they are seeing a rise in reports of online auction sites scamming consumers out of money. In fact, CBS 6 first told you about one of those sites, Tymacrepo, back in April.
The BBB scam tracker website shows complaints about Tymacrepo saying the website used fake pictures of cars and machinery from other dealers, and they posted a much lower ticket price to get people to bid on the item and then wire them money. That’s what David Frechette of Windsor Locks, Connecticut said happened to him.
"The loss of $500 is upsetting to me, let alone $17,970," Frechette explained.
Frechette said he saw Facebook ads for the company called Tymacrepo, and signed up to bid on a 2017 Caterpillar excavator on March 28. The next day he said he received an email and phone call stating he had won the bid.
So, he wired the $17,970, and Tymacrepo told him the machine would be delivered on April 14 between 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Frechette was obviously excited and said the machine was going to be used to help his business, which manufactures and services pump stations for golf course.
But his first red flag came just a day after he'd wired the company the money.
"I saw it being auctioned off the next day after I'd already won the bid," Frechette explained. "The fact of the matter is that every time I would call they were always on the phone, and they would say we'll get back to you later."
After contacting Tymacrepo, the online site then changed its graphic to say “out of stock.” Frechette also received a bill of lading without any serial numbers, which was another red flag.
And when April 14 rolled around, he didn’t receive the machine and wasn’t able to get a hold of anyone at Tymacrepo to ask why it never arrived.
"Of course, I was kind of infuriated," explained Frechette. "And then after that, I reported it to the FBI, the Better Business Bureau and the Windsor Locks Police Department."
In fact, that was just one week before CBS 6's first report on Tymacrepo, where we talked to the Central Virginia BBB, and they they had received reports on their online Scam Tracker. The Tymacrepo website had also disappeared.
While Frechette is unsure if he'll get his money back, he wants others to understand how important it is to do your research to avoid falling victim to these scams.
“Be very well aware of the fact before you even entertain buying anything from anyone that you've researched it," Frechette noted. "Check with the Better Business Bureau, and check with authorities to make sure they are legitimate. Call them, speak to them, don't give them a one time chance, give them a three or four times chance to appear to be right to you. Then go to other people to get recommendations that they've had successful transactions with them.”
The New Jersey Better Business Bureau told Frechette that there is no Tymacrepo, LLC listed in New Jersey or registered in New Jersey.
A detective with the Windsor Locks Police Department said cases like this are extremely difficult to solve because the website has been deleted, and so is the account where the wire transfer was sent.
Frechette has not heard back yet from the FBI, but the agency told CBS 6’s sister station in Indianapolis, which investigated a similar situation, that they investigate cases that are typically in the hundreds of thousands of dollars range.
"Scamming of people in general, is it's absolutely disgusting," Frechette exclaimed. "Waiting for somebody who's worked very hard for their money, and to basically throw it away on somebody that's scamming them, who probably has plenty of money, is awful. I'm hoping that that we can catch these people and recoup some of the monies that were fleeced from my company."
Since this situation, Frechette has actually purchased another excavator. That one cost him $59,000, which is a more accurate cost for the value, compared to the $18,000 he bid and wired to Tymacrepo.
The BBB warns consumers if the prices seem too good to be true, they probably are. Also, make sure you check the BBB website to see if the online auction site is accredited before you make a purchase.
Never pay in a way you aren’t familiar with, like wiring money, and search the company’s name online with the word "scam" to see if any other consumers have reported issues before making a purchase.


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Data Domain debuts new dedupe system July 20, 2009
-- Data Domain continues to roll out new products in the wake of a bidding war and the impending acquisition of the company by EMC.
NetApp bows out, EMC to acquire Data Domain July 8, 2009
-- NetApp has terminated its merger agreement with data deduplication appliance vendor Data Domain after declining to raise its offer in the wake of a blockbuster $2.1 billion bid by EMC.
Symantec to expand deduplication July 7, 2009
-- Symantec today officially revealed its plans to build native data deduplication into its NetBackup and Backup Exec software by early 2010, as the company attempts to wrest mindshare from appliance-based deduplication vendors by bringing the technology closer to information sources.


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Changpeng Zhao, who runs the crypto exchange Binance, has become Asia’s richest person. He has an estimated net worth of at least $96.5 billion.
Richest via Binance
Zhao’s fortune is just below that of Larry Ellison and above that of Mukesh Ambani. The ascent of Zhao is emblematic of the rapid creation of wealth and that too in the fast-moving world of digital currencies. Zhao launched Binance in 2017, making it into one of the world’s largest crypto exchanges.


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Europe could be on the cusp of a golden era in robotics. Here’s why
For Europe, it seems like the old wisdom of not putting all of your eggs in one basket could be their biggest competitive advantage.
The US is losing crypto talent as blockchain devs seek safer havens
The number of blockchain developers in the US has declined every year since 2017, leaving some concerned for America's crypto future.
The lowdown for European startups looking to raise money in 2023
We’re looking at Europe's Q1 2023 venture capital tallies and considering the three largest venture markets in the region: the U.K., Germany and France.
Isar Aerospace raises $165 million to bring more sovereign launch to Europe
German launch startup Isar Aerospace has scored $165 million (€155 million) in new funding as it races toward the inaugural flight of its Spectrum small rocket later this year. The company, founded
‘High conviction, low volume’: Playfair launches $70M pre-seed fund for European startups
London-based VC firm Playfair Capital targets super-young startups that have yet to make much of a ripple in their respective industries.
Tesla brings back European referral program as end of Q1 nears
Tesla is bringing back its referral program to Europe, a strategy that taps the brand loyalty of customers as it seeks to boost sales before Q1 ends.
With Project Clover, TikTok touts new EU data privacy and security efforts
TikTok is doubling down on its European charm offensive today as it looks to counter a rising tide of political discontent with the popular short-form video-hosting platform. A new program called Proj
Outsized seed rounds, neobanks and spicy M&A? Well hello, 2023
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Despite myriad flaws, US remains top spot for Black startup founders seeking VC dollars
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Amazon and EU settle two antitrust cases, including one focused on merchant data abuse
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Meta abused its dominant market position to benefit Facebook Marketplace, EU’s initial findings show
The European Commission (EC) has confirmed that it’s proceeding with an antitrust investigation into Facebook’s parent company Meta Platforms Inc. (Meta), over the way it ties together its
Digip digitizes the process of applying for trademarks
For businesses, protecting trademarks is often a lengthy and expensive process, especially if they have multiple brands. Digip digitizes much of the process, helping its customers file trademarks by t
Apple expands Self Service Repair to iPhone and MacBook users in Europe
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Founder factories: Alumni from 344 European and Israeli unicorns have birthed 1,018 startups since 2008
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LF Europe’s Project Sylva wants to create an open source telco cloud stack
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Startups might be in a funding midwinter, but the ray of sun shining on some VCs speaks of a different trend. EQT Ventures, the venture fund arm of Sweden’s investment giant EQT making early-sta
The lack of VC funding to women is a Western societal shortfall
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Europe’s inaugural Women in VC Summit is the first step in a long climb toward equity
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American Nutrition, a custom manufacturer that produces pet food and treats for branded companies and retailers, is pleased to announce its sponsorship and participation in The Arizona Pet Project’s 16th Annual HERO Awards.
The event will take place Saturday, March 9 at 6:00 PM at the Montelucia Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, Arizona and host over 450 attendees. This annual dinner gala is the largest of the year for The Arizona Pet Project and honors five animals and one human hero that have made an impact in the community. View the full list of the 2019 HERO award winners here.
American Nutrition has been a sponsor of this event since 2015 and will once again be sponsoring as a Tail Wagger Sponsor, which includes a $7,500 donation. Proceeds from the event will support the continued efforts of The Arizona Pet Project in providing free spay and neuter surgeries as well as shelter intervention programs in Maricopa County. Proceeds from supporters in the past few years alone have funded over 120,000 animals in need and have offered shelter intervention support to 1,000 pets and families.
“We are honored to be able to support the relentless efforts of The Arizona Pet Project over the past few years,” said Steve Mills, SVP of customer brands and co-manufacturing, American Nutrition. “Their primary goal of preventing pet homelessness by keeping families with pets together is one we stand behind 100% and we commend their efforts to recognize those heroes making an impact on the community and pet lives on a daily basis.“
In 2017, The Arizona Pet Project funded over 4,700 surgeries. In addition, the same year they launched the Shelter Intervention Team (S.I.T.) which is a program designed to prevent family pets from entering the shelter when families are facing unexpected hardships (ie: housing, medical bills, vet bills, etc). The organization provides resources to these families, allowing them to keep their pets in their care and their families whole.
Find more information and purchase tickets for the 16th Annual HERO Awards here.
About The Arizona Pet Project
The Arizona Pet Project’s primary goal is preventing pet homelessness by keeping families with pets together. Oftentimes, pet owners cannot afford to care for their animals and they surrender them at shelters. The reasons are many. Owners may have lost their jobs or their homes, suffered an illness, or had a divorce or death in
the family. Or their pet may have gotten sick and they cannot pay the veterinary bills. Surrendering a pet to a shelter where they are frequently euthanized is a tragedy we want to avoid. The Arizona Pet project is here to support families by keeping their pets healthy and safe. Animals bring comfort, joy, healing and health, and we believe those benefits shouldn’t be restricted to a very small percentage of owners who can afford the best care and resources pets deserve. For more information on The Arizona Pet Project, visit http://www.azpetproject.org.
About American Nutrition, Inc.
American Nutrition is a family-owned pet food and treat manufacturing company headquartered in Utah. Their passion for pets has earned them a sterling reputation for superior products with a focus on innovative, nutritious and delicious pet foods and treats that surpass the strictest AAFCO and FDA requirements. With over four decades in the pet food business, American Nutrition offers formulation expertise, marketplace intelligence and turnkey production capabilities. With three world-class, USA-located SQF level 3 production facilities to service a domestic and international customer base, American Nutrition is the premier choice for your pet food and treat manufacturing needs.


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If you eat French fries, you’ve probably eaten at least one produced by McCain Foods. In fact, one out of every three fries sold worldwide are made in one of McCain Foods’ 30 potato production facilities around the world. McCain Foods, a privately-held, family-owned company based in Toronto, Canada, with U.S. headquarters in Lisle, Ill., churns out more than 150 million pounds of finished French fries a week, globally.
With 50 manufacturing facilities, 160 sales markets and 19,000 employees on six continents, McCain Foods is a global powerhouse, yet it continues to be the industry’s best-kept secret.
That’s why McCain Foods was named Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ 2012 Frozen Foods Processor of the Year.
In 1957, brothers Wallace and Harrison McCain founded McCain Foods in New Brunswick, Canada.
“They were sons of a farming family who saw an opportunity, especially as more and more restaurants popped up and more and more consumers were looking for convenience foods,” says Joe Bybel, vice president of marketing and innovation for McCain Foods USA.
Back then, McCain Foods was a $152,000 company with just 30 employees. Today, the global company produces sweet potato products, tater tots, crispers, crowns, hash browns, potato shells, mashed potatoes and battered French fries and a large portfolio of frozen appetizers for supermarkets, c-stores, delis, fast food and quick-serve restaurants, K-12 schools and the military. While 70% of McCain Foods’ U.S. business is predominantly foodservice, the company is also a major supplier of frozen food products for retail.
“The first stage of the company was very entrepreneurial, while the second stage saw real growth and a concentration on our people,” says Frank Finn, president of the U.S. division. “Now we’re in the third stage, which is about transformation. We’re building the new McCain for the future.”
According to Finn, this means building capabilities that will position the company to offer products that meet a wide variety of consumer needs, best-in-class research and innovation functions.
“The new McCain,” Finn adds, “is about reinvigorating the entrepreneurial spirit that the brothers had, but doing it in a way that respects the standardization and process that has been put in place in order to allow us to focus on growth areas.”
The new McCain includes a newly expanded facility at its Plover, Wis., location (see "No Stranger to Change" on page 40), a better-for-you portfolio of products and an assortment of revamped packaging concepts.
Creating demand where demand does not exist
When the recent recession hit, restaurants suffered. In fact, more and more consumers ditched the diners to prepare meals at home. For companies like McCain Foods, with a large foodservice footprint, this meant it had to create demand where demand did not exist.
“We had almost two decades of out-of-home consumption growth,” says Finn. “People were busy, on the go. But since the economic slowdown, people have re-trenched, they’re pulling in, rediscovering eating in and rediscovering those family moments. What I see happening now in the retail and foodservice area is the stabilization between in-home and out-of-home usage.”
To cater to these “new” consumers, McCain Foods revamped its product portfolio to include a selection of “better-for-you” products.
“We do believe it is our responsibility to make sure our products are as good as they can possibly be,” says Randy Wieland, vice president of sales. “We were one of the first adopters among food companies of zero trans-fat oils, and continually work to reduce sodium in our products where feasible.”
For example, McCain Foods offers multiple products that have never been fried, such as roasted red-skin potatoes for foodservice, and a line of retail products called Purely Potatoes—potatoes that are simply washed, peeled, blanched and frozen, giving consumers a simple, healthy way to prepare potatoes in a variety of different ways.
From processor to innovator
When it comes to developing new products, McCain Foods practices cutting-edge innovation. From creation to consumption, it “starts with a market-facing approach, where you start with the consumer and you work your way back,” according to Finn.
“Our goal is not to try to make people believe that French fries are a health food, but it is to talk about the goodness of potatoes, and how they can fit into a balanced diet without people becoming obese,” Finn adds.
That’s why the folks at McCain Foods conduct market research, follow “white tablecloth” menu trends and food trucks and carry out open innovation with its suppliers, chefs and the Culinary Institute.
“The real difference, I think, is in the culture of the company and the approach to the business relationship with our customers,” says Bybel. “It’s still a family company, and that really comes out in how we do business.”
Whether it’s a large chain or an independent operator, McCain Foods’ objective is to understand their business, the challenges they face and the potential opportunities that drive either their top line sales or their bottom line savings.
“It could be optimizing an appetizer menu that’s specific to their customers’ restaurant type or geographic location, or it could be helping with back-of-house operations to ensure French fries are always served hot and crispy,” Bybel adds. “That goes beyond just selling a product,” Bybel adds.”
“We’re not a niche business, so how do you take potentially very niche flavor palate desires and make them scalable? That’s the balance,” Finn adds. “I can’t tell you how many products I have seen on the cutting board, ‘This is so great,’ but yet it’s kind of individualized. ‘Why don’t you take that product to market? I love that.’ I wish the rest of the market did too. I loved it too. Unfortunately, the mass consumer did not.”
But, just like it takes a village to raise a child, it takes more than the mass consumer to produce a gold standard product.
“We need the growers. We need the industry. We need our customers. We owe it to our consumers and our customers to support this initiative. That would be great if we could do that,” says Finn.
McCain Foods also takes part in what it calls flavor discovery—following the culinary trends, incorporating international flavors and appealing to consumers’ ever-changing palate.
“There is a tremendous amount of work being done by our insights group to understand current trends and examine growing needs, which could result in potential solutions that do not exist today,” Wieland says.
For McCain Foods, this means involving its operators in their research. This may start with concepts, but ultimately gets to the point where McCain Foods provides them with product prototypes to review and try in real restaurant settings. McCain Foods believes it is critical to have a pipeline of future innovation, which is specifically intended to address the needs of its customers.
“In this way, the pipeline continues to grow, and not just with line extensions, but with true innovation that meets the needs of our customers and consumers,” says Wieland.
McCain Foods also continues to lead the market with its top-selling items, including Brew City fries, Anchor Poppers, coated fries (which maintain a 10- to 15-minute hold time for the operator versus a conventional fry) and Original 1853 Chips, a homemade frozen potato chip that’s prepared by the operator and served fresh.
To build on demand beyond the product itself, McCain Foods also underwent a packaging makeover. On the retail side, for instance, products now come in easier-to-open, microwavable bags, while on the foodservice side, McCain Foods will soon roll out a more environmentally-friendly package.
“Communicating a message through your packaging is very important in retail, but in foodservice, the main purpose of packaging is to ensure the short- and long-term quality of the product,” says Wieland. “Right now, with our foodservice potato products, we use paper poly—a brown paper bag with poly lining, which is not recyclable. But, we will soon be utilizing a recyclable clear poly bag for our potatoes, which are much better for the environment while also ensuring product quality.”
McCain Foods may not be a household name among consumers yet, but with the company’s broad understanding of consumer needs, the importance it places on optimizing menus and participating in proprietary innovation, it won’t be a secret much longer.
Popping all the Right Buttons
Thanks to their health-and-wellness halo, a host of varieties and increased availability in stores, consumers have fallen in love with sweet potato fries. Every year for the past several years, this category has grown approximately 40.3%, according to NPD PotatoTrack (2007-2011). That’s why McCain Foods recently added sweet potato fries to its menu.
Adding to its already robust portfolio of sweet potato products, McCain Foods launched Sweet Potato Buttons. Sold under its Harvest Splendor brand, this button-shaped product boasts a crispy exterior and soft, sweet interior.
In honor of the 20th anniversary of Anchor Poppers, Lisle, Ill.-based McCain Foods added new flavors to its Anchor Poppers, which are available for foodservice. These bite-sized starters come in Fire-Roasted Poblano & Jalapeño and Breaded Cheddar Cheese & Jalapeño varieties.
Cream Cheese Poppers are jalapeño halves stuffed with cream cheese and wrapped in a crunchy batter, whereas Cheddar Cheese Poppers are melted cheddar cheese and jalapeño pepper halves enrobed in a crispy batter.
Smashing the Stereotypes
Amid stories of climbing obesity rates, especially among children, health and wellness has become an increasingly important subject over the past few years. Americans are paying more attention to the benefits—as well as the drawbacks—of what they eat. And in this scenario, French fries, one of Americans’ most loved foods, is being portrayed as the poster child of bad eating.
While McCain Foods is not presenting French fries as health food, it is trying to make sure that consumers and the nutrition community understand the real facts about potatoes and French fries in particular.
“Potatoes have high quantities of important nutrients like potassium and fiber, both of which are nutrients that the Dietary Guidelines of America in 2010 identified as nutrients we all need more of in our diet,” says Dr. Jennifer Garrett, global director of nutrition for McCain Foods, based in Toronto, Canada, with U.S. headquarters in Lisle, Ill. “The French fries we’re eating today are nothing like the ones we ate 20 years ago. Most restaurants, including those described as ‘fast food’ use much healthier oils and less salt.”
According to Garrett, McCain Foods wants consumers to know the good things about both potatoes and fries, but also that sound science supports their claims.
To that end, with the help of other major food companies, potato growers and industry groups from Canada and the United States, McCain Foods helped establish the Alliance for Potato Research and Education (APRE). APRE conducts the nutrition science research and education that’s needed to get the facts out about what potatoes offer nutritionally to today’s diet, and to help consumers make choices based on fact.
“For example, 90% of schools in the U.S. bake their fries, and those baked fries become the No. 1 source of potassium and fiber,” Garrett adds.
Media attention or not, McCain Foods is in position to smash the stereotypes and show consumers the healthy side of a potato.
Company: McCain Foods USA
Headquarters: Toronto, Canada
U.S. Headquarters: Lisle, Ill.
Top Executive: Frank Finn, president, U.S.
Total No. of Employees: 19,000
No. of Potato Production Sites: 30
Produces: 150 million pounds of finished French fries a week
Market Reach: Supermarkets, c-stores, delis, fast food and quick-serve restaurants, K-12 schools, military.
McCain Foods 4 Kids
The Alliance for a Healthier Generation, Miami, brings together leading food manufacturers, group purchasing organizations and technology companies to help America’s schools serve healthier meals at more affordable prices.
McCain Foods USA joined the effort to combat childhood obesity by developing, marketing and competitively pricing products that will lead to healthier school meal options, streamline the ordering process and make identifying healthy options easier.
“At McCain Foods, we have made significant investments to ensure we are bringing delicious, innovative new potato product offerings to school menus,” says Frank Finn, president of McCain Foods USA, Lisle, Ill. “These innovations fit the needs of today’s school kitchens, where 80% of schools bake our fries. McCain has also significantly reduced sodium and total fat in many of our school offerings, and we've completely eliminated trans-fats.”


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YouTube TV announced ambitions to introduce 5.1 surround sound compatibility to its streaming TV bundle about a year ago. It is now available for other devices, including the most recent Chromecast with Google TV.
In addition to previously existing surround sound compatibility for classic Chromecasts and TVs made by Vizio, LG, or Samsung, the firm revealed that the immersive audio experience is now available on Google TV, Android TV, and Roku.
According to YouTube TV’s support website, if you have a compatible hardware setup and the program you’re watching supports 5.1 audio, it should turn on automatically. If you’re watching something and aren’t sure if it’s coming through, open the appropriately named “Stats for geeks” box and see if you can locate AC-3/EAC-3 under the codecs area, which shows you’re on the correct stream.
If you want to obtain a few extra channels but watch your YouTube TV subscription bundle on a different device, such as Fire TV, Apple TV, PlayStation, or Xbox, the most recent update in March stated that YouTube is “still working internally and with partners” to enable the option on those devices.


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In the wake of a 56%-44% defeat of California’s Proposition 37, which would have required labeling of genetically engineered foods, the San Francisco Examiner newspaper’s online editorial asked the relevant question:
“Polls routinely show that 90% of all Americans support genetically modified food labeling. So how is it that California’s Proposition 37 was defeated so soundly yesterday?”
Here’s their answer:
“A last-minute $45-$48 million advertising campaign by multi-national food corporations asking the state’s voters to vote No on Prop 37. [It] would seem that pure, old-fashioned, repetitive advertising carried the day.”
Maybe money was the deciding factor, but allow me to amplify that insight somewhat: Prop 37 failed because it was a lousy law that was fatally positioned by the organic and natural foods interests that drummed up the measure in the first place.
Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net.


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The Finance Ministry has asked various ministries including the Railways to identify areas where Aadhaar-based verification can be applied before doling out subsidies, a senior Railway Ministry official said.
With the successful linking of Aadhaar cards with LPG service and passport service, the government has now shifted its focus on railway ticketing and booking.
In railways, people in various categories including senior citizens, patients, eminent artists and sportspersons are eligible for availing concessional fare facilities.
"We are exploring how to link the ticketing system with Aadhaar so that it can be verified before booking concessional tickets," said the official.
He said railway is writing to Unique Identification Authority of India to know the details of Aadhaar-based system and how it can be linked with the passenger reservation system.
CRIS, railways technolgy arm, will hold threadbare discussions with UIDAI to find out way forward for making it possible in the national transporter.
However, he said though the Aadhaar-based booking system will prevent touts using fake names and IDs and the concessions will be availed by the genuine persons, it will slowdown the system.
"Currently, we are booking about 15,000 tickets in a minute. Once the system is linked with Aadhaar, it will take some time to verify and as a result the ticket delivery process will be delayed," he added.
He further said railways has its own verification system as before giving tickets and also on board checkings are being conducted by authorities concerned.
- Front Page
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- Tata Motors to Buy Ford’s Guj Plant for ₹726cr
Tata Motors has signed a definitive agreement with Ford Motor Co to acquire its plant in Sanand, Gujarat, late Sunday evening. The homegrown carmaker will pay ₹725.7 crore for the plant and the workforce, they said.PM tells States to Reduce Imports, Step up Exports
Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged states to focus on reducing imports and increasing exports, asking them to identify opportunities and encourage people to use locally made goods as much as possible.Sebi Mulls Stock Payment System Bypassing Brokers
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) is considering an ambitious plan to alter the payment mechanism in stock market trades.
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Samsung Electronics plans to build a chip manufacturing plant that will cost around $ 17 billion in Taylor, Texas. It will be the largest investment in Samsung’s history in the United States.
As the Biden administration lobbies for a rapid expansion of semiconductor production in the United States, Samsung has reportedly chosen to build a semiconductor plant on 1,200 acres of land in Taylor, Texas, United States. Samsung would have chosen Texas, because the American state would have offered it lucrative tax benefits, such as a reduction in property taxes during the first ten years of operation.
According to documents filed with those responsible for land use planning, the plant will provide up to 1,800 jobs and chip production could begin as early as 2024. It would also create at least 6,500 jobs in the construction sector, according to Texas Governor Greg Abbott.
Factory could help alleviate semiconductor shortage, but it might be too late
The South Korean giant could make chips with 3nm engraving on this new site, if we are to believe a previous Bloomberg report. In addition, it is supposed to produce chips for autonomous vehicles and mobile devices. Samsung could therefore use it to produce future Qualcomm Snapdragon chips for Android smartphones, or its own Exynos chips.
Samsung’s announcement to build a new Texas chip factory comes against a backdrop of a semiconductor shortage, where it is more and more complicated to obtain electronic products at a reasonable price. We think in particular of soaring graphics card prices, or to the difficulties of restocking certain consoles such as PS5 and Xbox Series X.
The problem is, Samsung’s new factory won’t start producing its first chips until 2024. Nvidia, Intel and TSMC say chip shortage is only expected to last until 2023, Samsung’s factory in Texas might therefore arrive too late. Nevertheless, it is hoped that this will help prevent the arrival of new shortages.
Source : The Wall Street Journal


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Whether it be the historic e.coli breakout in Chipotle’s chicken or any of the several food-related product recalls, we all have at least one chill-inducing story that comes to mind when we think of food poisoning. Expired ingredients, improper cooking and even undetected bacteria are all things we likely associate with the cause of food poisoning, but the CDC just revealed that one of the most common causes of the illness is more personal than you may think.
In a new report published this week that gathered data from 2017 to 2019, the CDC revealed that around 40 percent of all outbreaks of food-borne illness were associated with contamination by an ill employee. The report collected data reported by 25 local and state health departments that spanned a number of outbreaks at different restaurants.
Though norovirus—which causes vomiting and diarrhea—was confirmed to be the number-one cause of food poisoning, accounting for 47 percent of all outbreaks, the CDC’s report still stresses the impact of sick workers on food-borne illness. “Ill workers continue to play a substantial role in retail food establishment outbreaks,” the authors of the study explain, “and comprehensive ill worker policies will likely be necessary to mitigate this public health problem.”
In terms of why workers continue to show up to the workplace when sick, less than half of the institutions involved in the study offer paid sick leave, and the report has indicated that fear of losing money on top of social pressure are the key components in sick workers coming into work.


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As the battle for Internet chat dominance grows to a fever pitch, AOL has announced that Lycos, Inc. will be the latest company to distribute a customized version of the AOL Instant Messenger to its many visitors.
The specific terms of the deal were not disclosed.
AOL Builds Its Allies
Instant Messenger is by far the most popular individual chat application being used on the Internet, with about 48 million registered users. Since July, AOL has recruited other Internet service providers to promote the Instant Messenger in an effort to counter the introduction of Microsoft’s MSN Messenger.
AOL has since announced plans to work with Apple to build next-generation instant messaging products. Barry Schuler, president of AOL’s interactive-services group, said the products would be based upon AOL’s software and may well carry Apple’s brand.
AOL has also cut deals with Earthlink Network, Inc. and MindSpring Enterprises to distribute its Instant Messenger to their combined 2.5 million users.
In addition to spreading the use of its Instant Messenger to consumers, AOL came to an agreement with Novell, Inc. to use a co-branded version of AOL’s chat software as a tool targeted at Novell’s business clientele.
The new program will be designed to work with Novell Directory Services, a popular program for controlling user access to resources on a corporate network.
Microsoft Cries Foul
When Microsoft introduced its one-on-one chat software — which allows its users to exchange messages with users of AOL’s service — AOL immediately blocked Microsoft’s access to its servers.
At the same time, AOL also blocked access to its users by Yahoo! Inc. and Prodigy Communications, Inc.
This move caused Microsoft to cry foul and allege that AOL’s defensive measures were hypocritical, since AOL is openly lobbying for open access to cable-television and other networks that hold the majority of broadband assets.
Memory Of Browser War
However, some industry observers feel that AOL is not overreacting to Microsoft’s foray into the Instant Messenger market. They point to the fate of Netscape’s Web browser, which dominated the market until Microsoft began giving away its own version and incorporating it into its Windows operating system.
Some analysts believe that AOL is simply drawing a line in cyberspace and telling Microsoft it can go no further.
Nonetheless, the consensus among experts is that the combatants in the Instant Messenger scrimmage are hurrying to take sides before the real battle begins.


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Colenso BBDO names head of transformation
Edwin Rozells joins from Accenture Singapore to take up the specially created role in Auckland.
Auckland agency Colenso BBDO has named Edwin Rozells as its new head of transformation.
The specially created role follows the recent redesign of the agency’s model, focusing on creative collaboration, clients’ customers and new ways of working.
Rozells, who joins from Accenture Singapore, will help the agency's clients navigate and grow their business in a digital world. His background includes five years at OgilvyOne Singapore as digital strategy lead, before moving to Accenture Singapore where he led the consulting firm’s digital strategy and marketing practice across ASEAN since 2014.
“Edwin has vast experience across sectors, helping organisations transform to keep ahead of the consumer and win in the digital age," says Scott Coldham, MD at Colenso BBDO, of the appointment. "His arrival couldn’t come at a more opportune time for us and our clients. We’re rapt to have him on board."


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Our contact in San Francisco sent us these photos. The Moscone West Convention Center looks to be taking shape for WWDC 2012.
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“We panic-hit brakes, and you can feel a nose dive, where the weight transfers to front springs and axle,” Raymond said. “Then we simulate 10 years of corrosion in six months, soaking the trucks in salt and brine in humidity chambers. Corrosion testing is also done in Halifax, Nova Scotia.”
36,000 miles nonstop
Ram trucks get 36,000 miles of nonstop driving — from northern Minnesota cold to Denver for elevation to Las Vegas to chase heat to Florida for the humility. That looks at the warranty cycles. At the end of the day, the new Ram 1500 will have 6 million miles of equivalent testing.
That doesn’t even include the electromagnetic capability (EMC) testing, which attempts to disrupt the software or electrical network in the truck, Raymond said. “We bomb the truck with electromagnetic signals to see if anything interferes with the frequencies.”
The Ram 1500 spends 20 days, 24 hours a day being road-tested at the proving grounds alone.
Toyota takes its trucks from the mountains of Japan to the brutal 4×4 trails near Moab, Utah, through the blistering roads of Death Valley to the frigid roads of Alaska during the winter.
“We try to figure out how somebody might use these and maybe misuse them. We can break just about anything,” said Sheldon Brown, chief engineer for research and development, working on the Toyota Tacoma.
“A small child might move from the front seat to the back, and climb over the center console. What kind of load is that? Those types of things you can’t define. Or let’s talk about a three-piece bumper. Drivers back up trucks a lot, trailering and going off road, and every once in a while people may back into an obstacle or drag a bumper on a steep off-road trail. Rather than replace the entire bumper, we can make it so you only replace a portion. This is about how vehicles get used in the real world.”
Torture testing the 2019 Toyota TRD Pro Tacoma (Photo: Toyota)
From subfreezing temperatures to deep desert sands, engineers try everything.
“In order to be sure the product is going to perform the way consumers demand, car companies have to test,” said Stephanie Brinley, principal analyst at IHS Markit. “Talking about it, that’s about building confidence with the consumer that the products will, in fact, perform as advertised.”
Robot test dummies
Ford uses driving robots to withstand more aggressive, repetitive punishment human bodies cannot, said Aaron Bresky, Ford F-Series Super Duty truck vehicle engineering manager. “We have to keep upping our testing game.”
The Ford Ranger spends days hooked up to a four-post shaker table to check for squeaks and rattles. This follows a run up the steep grades of the Davis Dam in Arizona and hot dusty terrain of the Australian Outback.
And the Ford Raptor, which drives a 65-mile rough course through sand washes and silt beds in the California desert, has increased its speed from 35 mph to 50 mph.
Engineers at Ford say five days of some repeated testing is equal to 10 years or 150,000 miles of use.
“I pull as much as I’m allowed legally. I truly push my trucks to the limit,” said DenUyl, a construction company owner who expects delivery of his 2019 Ford F-350 on Dec. 22.
He already has a Ford F-150, two F-350s and a Ram 2500.
“My biggest worry is trucks going down during plow season. Every hour counts. If I’m trying to bill $150 an hour, for any hour the truck goes down, I am totally out. The snowstorm only lasts so long; you have to make money when the snow falls,” said DenUyl, a husband and father of three. “And that’s when I’m pushing the hardest — the transmission and the brakes.”
For Ford, GM and Fiat Chrysler, full-size pickups are among the most profitable vehicles in the portfolio. According to IHS Markit data, they accounted for nearly 35 percent of Ford’s U.S. sales in 2017, compared with providing 27 percent of GM’s U.S. sales and 24 percent of FCA’s U.S. sales.
The 2019 F-150 is an update, going up against completely new Ram and Silverado models. It’s the first time in memory that two of the top three trucks have been all new in the same model year, intensifying competition to a new level.
GM’s GMC Sierra luxury truck sells in smaller numbers — No. 17 in overall U.S. vehicle sales last year — but it’s brand new, too.
In raw numbers, the F-Series has an unassailable lead. Ford sold more than 896,000 F-Series trucks last year, the 41st year it was the best-selling truck and the 36th year it was the top-selling vehicle overall.
In 2017 through August, Ford sold 576,334 F-Series while GM sold 363,354 Silverados and Fiat Chrysler sold 327,759 Rams.
By the same time this year, Ford sold 603,926 full-size trucks; Silverado sold 378,731 and Ram sold 323,727.
Ford grew its market share. GM grew its market share slightly. Ram slipped a bit.
Not for commuting
John McElroy, a longtime industry observer and host of Autotline.tv, emphasized that trucks are often used for punishing work and not just commuting.
“Companies weigh them down and drive them over rough roads while hauling maximum capacity trailers,” he said. “The engines can’t overheat and brakes can’t wear down. They’re put through a lot more smashing and bashing and more miles than any passenger car.”
Every company brags about their truck torture tests, but all testing is pretty comparable at this point, McElroy said.
“My guess is the general public doesn’t know much about the extent to which automakers test their trucks, even before they started using robots,” he said. “I mean, they would have these sorts of mechanical arms that would open and slam car doors, and they did this for weeks. Then they’d have a test with a plunger coming down, like with a human butt, smashing into seat and twisting back and forth. They do this a million times.”
Follow Detroit Free Press reporter Phoebe Wall Howard on Twitter @phoebesaid.


text: Another TWIT is in the can! This week’s TWIT features brand new swanky microphones and hosts Leo Laporte, Patrick Norton, Robert Heron, Alex Lindsay, and John C. Dvorak. This week the TWITs chat about the veracity of wikipedia and what that might mean for wikipedia in the long run, but does it really matter? Also, music piracy defendants fighting back against the RIAA, hijacking podcasts, and Universal apparently believes it’s illegal to email their employees (yeah, right). Skype does video, Microsoft releases a lightweight photo editing and sharing application that looks like what a lot of people think Windows Vista will look like, and Walt Mossberg goes batty over the new Apple iMacs with the built in iSight. Also, all signs point to Apple releasing intel boxes in January-the question is now just which systems will get the overhaul first. Will RIM have to kill the BlackBerry, and other mysteries like where Apple’s TiVO killer Mac Mini is. New Orleans will get free wi-fi when there are enough people in the city to use it, China is proposing it’s own DVD format, and the US Air Force is trying to invent a phaser. Sound tasty? The TechTVForever.net mirror is up, download the show now!


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Samsung profits beat forecast, mobile biz doublesBy Youkyung Lee |Associated Press
SEOUL, South Korea— Samsung Electronics Co. reported Friday forecast-beating results for the fourth quarter of 2012 as profit from its mobile business more than doubled from a year earlier.
Samsung’s October-December net income reached 7.04 trillion won ($6.58 billion), a 76 percent surge of 4.01 trillion won a year earlier. Analysts expected 6.95 trillion won in income according to FactSet.
Sales and operating income were slightly higher than its earlier preview. Sales rose 19 percent over a year earlier to 56.06 trillion won and operating income jumped 89 percent to 8.84 trillion won.
Increased sales of smartphones were the key source of its stellar profit. Samsung, which overtook Apple Inc. as the top smartphone maker last year, said its operating profit from the division that makes and sells smartphones and tablets more than doubled to 5.44 trillion won in the fourth quarter, from 2.56 trillion won a year earlier.
Analysts said Samsung will likely to see a continued rise in smartphone sales this year, especially in low- and mid-priced smartphones, while Apple sees iPhone sales plateau.
Bullish analysts forecast Samsung smartphone shipments to rise as much as 50 percent this year from 2012.
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CHICAGO – Countries plan to welcome customers into their dining rooms while keeping them comfortable at home – once their new security measures are in place.
“When we get back, we want to make arrangements for security,” McDonald’s President Joe Erlinger wrote in a news release.
McDonald’s has already used commercial floor stickers, health checks, locks in control areas and gloves and masks needed for staff.
New ideas include reducing the living space by creating an alternative environment and having the most impact with frequent cleaning – such as tables.
Erlinger said restaurants have made their masks where customers need them.
The playground should be closed. And alcoholic beverages are modified to reduce contact.
“It will be part of McDonald’s global operations of 14,000 operations,” Erlinger said.