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Discount family retailer TheWorks.co.uk is set for further online and offline growth with new infrastructure
Following the successful transition to a new infrastructure with the help of IT consultancy eSpida, the company was able to move to a new head office and automate its warehouse operations to improve distribution to its network of over 400 physical stores and ecommerce business.
The move was managed using a phased transition, which involved all-round upgrades to virtual servers, storage and security, which has subsequently resulted in a 60% improvement in productivity.
"Since the project was delivered by eSpida
at the start of 2017, we've
seen some drastic improvements to our business," explains Tom Scott, IT director at TheWorks.co.uk
The retailer’s ecommerce business is now handling 30% more transactions like-for-like compared to the previous year while the crucial upgrades to IT infrastructure have also improved its capacity and ability to deliver fast, accurate distribution and stock management to its network of 440 physical stores, up from 280 stores three years ago.
Scott added: "We are now 60% more productive with the same sized team. Where our infrastructure team was previously spending 80% of its time on support activities and only 20% on new business development, we’ve been able to flip this so that 80% is now spent on new development projects.”


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Alphabay Market Darknet
The AlphaBay Market went down last week on Tuesday, confirmed the shutdown of two of the criminal Dark Web markets AlphaBay and Hansa. Psychoactive substances by Europe-basedvendors via darknet markets in 2022-18 marketplaces evolved after the takedown of the AlphaBay marketplace. It was considered the biggest online black market for drugs, being between five and ten times the size of the Silk Road dark web marketplace at its peak. In. Never explained ! many servers found with tor i2p has no track record prob cuz it's meant to be true darknet not like tor desnake himself said use i2p if ddos. Learn Hacking From The Dark alphabay market darknet Ways to Hack Facebook Account.... Alphabay was one of the original darknet market place but was taken offline. 2022 carding forum alphabay market altenen atn team buy cc for carding buy ssn carders hackers forum cccvv cvv dumps darknet carders dumps dumps 1 2.
AlphaBay and Hansa two of the largest dark web marketplaces for illegal and illicit items such as drugs and guns have been shut down. Get Started. incognito market Genesis Market Darknet - How do I buy drugs on 2022, ACT, Agartha Market, Alphabay, Berlusconi Market, Cannazon Market. By K Porter 2022 Cited by 33 In July 2022, two of the most popular darknet markets, AlphaBay and Hansa, In this section, we discuss attributes of Reddit, the darknet market. By XH Tai 2022 Cited by 21 Record alphabay market darknet alphabay market darknet alphabay market darknet for the AlphaBay marketplace 21, 30, and finally with data more. The dark web markets examined included Dream Market, Hansa, White Shadow auctions, Silk Road 3, Tochka, WallStreet Market, AlphaBay, Crypto Market and. Wickr dealers empire market darknet reddit Dec 02, 2022 Darknet drugs market. were sold on dark net websites Wickr, Dream Market and dark web site AlphaBay using Bitcoins.
It was considered the biggest online black market for drugs, being between five and ten times the size of the Silk Road dark web marketplace at its peak. In. Bryan Connor Herrell, a 26-year-old resident of Colorado and former moderator of now-defunct darknet marketplace AlphaBay. The dark web markets empire market darknet stats examined included Dream Market, Hansa, White Shadow auctions, Silk Road 3, Tochka, WallStreet Market, AlphaBay, Crypto Market and. Alpha Bay The Alpha Bay marketplace was shut down by law enforcement in conjunction with Operation Bayonet. AlphaBay was the largest darknet. Buyers who place an order Friday get two and a half times the ordinary amount of the drug, a listing on the deep web's AlphaBay Market says. With the so-called dark net market offline for two days, users asked if it had been seized by law enforcement or taken down in a scam.
AlphaBay, the largest criminal marketplace on the dark web, according to Foreign 5 of the entire darknet drug market trade in that country is in these. Cannahome Market - Monopoly Market Darknet Products Markets Tools Where to Buy such as the onion link for AlphaBay Cannahome Darknet Market Cannazon. Note: Former darknet markets: based on analysis of 134,000 transactions and Pandora, Hydra, Black Market Reloaded, Agora, Evolution and AlphaBay. The AlphaBay Market went down drug markets onion last week on Tuesday, confirmed the shutdown of two of the criminal Dark Web markets AlphaBay and Hansa. Back then before Alphabay market dominated the dark web, the exit empire darknet market scam happened in Evolution. Evolution was the largest marketplace at that time. And since. Buyers who place an order Friday get two and a half times the ordinary amount of the drug, a listing on the deep web's AlphaBay Market says.
AlphaBay Market is an online darknet market operating on the Tor network. Pre-launched in November 2022 and officially launched on December drug markets dark web 22, 2022. AlphaBay users are fearing the worst after the world's largest darknet marketplace went offline on Tuesday night and associated Bitcoin. With the so-called dark net market offline for two days, users asked if it had been seized by law enforcement or taken down in a scam. By A ElBahrawy 2022 Cited by 15 In fact, migration was observed after the closure of the AlphaBay marketplace when other marketplaces, namely Hansa and Dream Market. AlphaBay started in 2022 and it became the largest darknet market. The business ended when the law enforcement took it down on July 5, 2022. The. The indictment says the Alpha Bay website had members and associates worldwide, including in Fresno and Merced and that it distributed.
That way, if one goes down, their bottom-line remains alphabay market darknet largely unaffected. The dark web has a reputation for hosting sites associated with illicit activities, such as the now defunct drugs marketplace Silk Road. Ecstasy or pharmaceutical-grade cocaine and have it delivered to your door through the U. As a people person, she believes in a perpetual commutation of information. Markets, but one more thing after this step, hope you get. This scam is all about quickly rushing victims into a bad decision by making them think they’re missing out. The FBI knows it’s never going to actually stop DNMs.
“One of the most famous of these sites is the Silk Road, a black market that sold illegal drugs until it was shut down by the United States FBI in October of 2013. It is widely popular for its wallet-less payment mode that builds and retains trust.”
Bios: Bella Jewel is a fun-loving Australian and a USA Today bestselling author. According to the Antinalysis website, the tool only traces up to 1,000 transactions and goes five nodes deep and not beyond that. Just when the English-language marketplaces alphabay market darknet seemed to have returned to a level of normalcy and stability, cybercriminals around the world have once again had their dreams dashed. Because of this, there are almost no problems with fake merchants as is often the case on other DNMs. In case they are selling them for less than the actual balance of the, they are basically giving you the money as they could cash out the cards just as easily as you would be able to do. Detecting an intrusion is critical to dealing with threats before they get out of control.
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Eight million tons of waste plastic ends up in the sea each year. Fish eat it – and then we do. How bad is it for us?
Published February 14th, 2017 by The Guardian
It’s enough to make you cry over your moules frites. Scientists at Ghent University in Belgium recently calculated that shellfish lovers are eating up to 11,000 plastic fragments in their seafood each year. We absorb fewer than 1%, but they will still accumulate in the body over time. The findings affect all Europeans, but, as the most voracious consumers of mussels, the Belgians were deemed to be most exposed. Britons should sympathise – last August, the results of a study by Plymouth University caused a stir when it was reported that plastic was found in a third of UK-caught fish, including cod, haddock, mackerel and shellfish. Now, UK supermarkets are being lobbied to create plastic-free aisles by the campaign group A Plastic Planet, as a feature-length documentary, A Plastic Ocean, is released in Britain this week.
We are finally paying attention to the pollution that has plagued our seas for years – the government is considering a refundable deposit on plastic bottles, and pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson recently switched from plastic to paper stems on its cotton buds. Evidently, there’s nothing like serving plastic up on a dinner plate to focus the mind.
Whether your national obsession is moules frites or fish and chips, this problem goes way beyond Britain and Belgium. Contaminated fish and shellfish have been found everywhere from Europe, Canada and Brazil to the coast of mainland China – and plastic-eating fish are now showing up in supermarkets. The question is no longer: are we eating plastic in our seafood? What scientists are urgently trying to establish is just how bad for us that is. Another question we might ask: how did we get here?
More than a century ago, in 1907, another Belgian, Leo Baekeland, a graduate of Ghent University, invented bakelite. It was, he later admitted, something of an accident, but this welcome development ushered in a colourful new age of plastics. Until then, we had, at great cost and effort, been manipulating products out of natural materials such as shellac, derived from beetle shells. (Charles Mackintosh’s first “mac” – which used derivatives of tar and rubber – must have been pretty pungent in a downpour.) Baekeland, who had moved to the US, saw commercial potential in an entirely synthetic replacement for shellac that would be suitable for mass production. Bakelite was lightweight, affordable, malleable and safe, but perhaps the greatest thing about the plastic Baekeland created, and those that followed, was its durability.
Throughout the first half of the 20th century, innovations came thick (and thin) and fast – polystyrene, polyester, PVC, nylon. Soon, they were an inextricable part of everyday life. And then, in 1950, that scourge of the sea arrived: the throwaway polythene bag. In that decade, annual global plastic production reached 5m tonnes; by 2014, it stood at 311m tonnes – shockingly, over 40% of it for single-use packing. Now, plastic’s durability looks less of a boon than it once did. A study in Science Magazine in 2015 estimated that around 8m tonnes of plastic go into the sea each year. And, last year, a report for the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (launched in 2010 by the former round-the-world sailor to promote a more circular economy) estimated that, by 2050, the volume of accumulated plastics in the oceans will be greater than that of fish.


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In addition to providing workspace, the company wants to become a "fully integrated solution" for its members, WeWork Chief Product Officer David Fano wrote in a blog post last month. To that end, the company has made a series of acquisitions since 2015, the most recent of which was the project management app FieldLens, in June. The company purchased building information modeling consultancy firm Case in August 2015 to help increase its office-space design capabilities, and in March 2016 it bought Welkio, a digital sign-in system for use in its office locations.
WeWork's coworking model has become so popular that the company has started managing full office build-outs for companies that want to offer a similar concept and design to their employees — and they're using technology like laser scanning and BIM to do so. Another reason WeWork is building larger spaces: clients are outgrowing their current WeWork space but want to stay with the company.
According to a recent report on flexible workspaces from The Instant Group, the number of coworking spaces like the kind WeWork provides has grown 18% worldwide in the last year. The average monthly rates for such spaces in New York, Los Angles, Chicago and San Francisco — global leaders for the category — top $900 per person, and are up 12% year-over-year.
California, Texas, Florida, New York and Illinois are home to half of the more than 4,000 flexible workspaces in the U.S. More still, an average of 37% of office space in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco is now classified as coworking.


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The guys at Edmunds.com could be seen as having serious anger management issues, if the violence against a brand new, two-day-old $52,000 Ford F-150 pickup, was not done in the name of research.
But that was exactly the case with the two hard swings of sledgehammer taken against the new 2015 F-150 – which has its body made out of aluminum to be more lightweight and deliver better fuel economy. The question was this: how much pricier is to fix body damage of the new pickup compared to the regular steel counterpart, the 2014 F-150? Predictably, a lot. According to Scott Oldham, editor-in-chief of Edmunds.com, their plans to dent the brand new truck were established since September, when the car website ordered the four-wheel-drive Supercrew with the Lariat package. That’s because body repair costs are one of the big unknowns for the new truck – which is not only America’s most popular pickup, but also US’s best selling vehicle.
According to Oldham, the best case scenario was of 100% more and worst case of 200% more and the sledgehammer was “programmed” to hit a rear side panel that would need repairing, with technicians not being able to just replace the whole part. Total cost, after they found out they also damaged a LED taillight with a blind-spot sensor ($887) was of $2,938. “It came out really good,” comments Oldham. Naturally, a Ford spokesperson had a replica: “The Edmunds test with a sledgehammer tries to replicate damage from an extremely severe incident that only 1% of all F-150 customers annually would face.”


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IT Spending Grows Slowly, But Value Arguably is Quite a Bit Higher Than Spending Suggests
In a business where efficiencies are being reaped, traditional spending metrics have to be interpreted. Traditionally, higher spending on information technology was interpreted as a sign of growth, while spending declines were seen as signs buyers were slowing investments.
That is less true, now, as open source and other sources of efficiency (white label gear, resource sharing) also are at work. In other words, compared to a decade or two ago, computing capability costs as much as an order of magnitude less than it used to. In other words, enterprises can achieve their goals at lower cost, in some cases far lower cost.
Worldwide information technology spending is forecast at $3.5 trillion in 2017, a 1.4 percent increase from 2016, according to Gartner. This growth rate is down from the previous quarter's forecast of 2.7 percent, due in part to currency issues (U.S. dollar strength).
The data center system segment is expected to grow 0.3 percent in 2017. While this is up from negative growth in 2016, the segment is experiencing a slowdown in the server market.
Enterprises are moving away from buying servers from the traditional vendors and instead renting server power in the cloud from companies such as Amazon, Google and Microsoft. This has created a reduction in spending on servers which is impacting the overall data center system segment."
Worldwide IT Spending Forecast (Billions of U.S. Dollars)
2017 Growth (%)
2018 Growth (%)
Data Center Systems


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When Nissan announced last month that its upcoming all-electric Leaf will sell for $25,280 after federal subsidies, it was almost like a challenge to other automakers–we dare you, Nissan seemed to be saying, to sell a quality EV at such a low price. Think City recently rose to the challenge with its $30,000 EV, and now Mitsubishi is actively undercutting Nissan with the i-MiEV, set to hit U.S. streets in 2011.
The i-MiEV will cost approximately $22,500 after a $7,500 credit–that’s cheaper than the average Prius. Mitsubishi’s entrant into the EV arena has a range of 80 to 100 miles, a top speed of 81 mph, and a charge time of 7 hours with a 220V system. In comparison, the Leaf has a range of 100 miles, a top speed of 87 mph, and a charge time of 8 hours with a 220V system.
At first glance, it looks like the two vehicles are on even footing. But Nissan announced its pricing plan first, and got the lion’s share of attention for unveiling the first reasonably-priced mass-market EV. Not to mention that the Leaf is sleeker (in our opinion) and has room for five passengers compared with the four-seater iMiEV. We’ll also be watching to see if the i-MiEV matches up in the features category when it is released in the U.S.–the 2011 Leaf will offer Sirius/XM satellite radio capabilities, Bluetooth connectivity, and energy-efficient LED headlight, among other amenities. In any case, this probably won’t be the last we hear about affordable EVs. Now that Mitsubishi and Nissan have revealed their offerings, it’s only a matter of time before other major automakers follow suit.


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Today – we’re publishing a new paper on Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL): ‘Regulate Credit Now, Reform it Later.’
You can read our report in full here.
It’s a market that has exploded in recent years – providing consumers with a more flexible version of credit often denied to them under alternatives like credit cards. But this welcome innovation has created new challenges.
Today, BNPL is not a directly regulated activity and instead relies on an exemption from consumer credit rules under the Financial Services and Markets Act. The lack of regulation has led to inconsistent practices within the sector, including varying, or absent, affordability verification practices, payment schedules, fees, consumer protection policies and the complaints processes. The report comes after the Woolard Review of “change and innovation in the unsecured credit market” published its findings in February 2021, advocating for BNPL regulation.
That’s why we are proposing a robust and proportionate framework for the supervision of Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) products that will address these challenges without stifling innovation in the credit market. The regulation should also focus on providers of BNPL, not retailers, recognise the need to reform the antiquated credit rating industry, and seek to ensure consistency in marketing and customer redress processes.
We believe there should be five key tests for pragmatic and impactful regulation of the Buy Now, Pay Later market:
- Zero-in on regulating providers, not retailers. Placing the onus on the retailer would disproportionately increase administrative and compliance costs for e-commerce startups and SMEs relative to the large retailers who could afford compliance. Additional compliance requirements would lead 68% of e-commerce startups to stop offering BNPL solutions. 86% said that this would put them at a commercial disadvantage to larger players, as it would prevent them from being able to offer a customer experience that is increasingly in demand.
- Require providers to develop processes that track affordability. Importantly, this requirement should not be for a “hard credit check”. These checks cost a premium dictated by the big three Credit Rating Agencies, while the prospect of receiving 5 ‘credit checks’ for taking out five BNPL loans totalling £350 is hardly proportionate. In contrast, affordability tracking should be proportional to the risk involved: a possible solution could be to leverage Open Banking through providers like Aire to assess affordability, particularly as this would give providers visibility of existing customer liabilities with other BNPL firms.
- Drag the credit rating industry into the 21st Century. Use Smart Data regulation to prise open the Credit Rating Agencies’ treasure trove of data that should actually belong to the customer.
- Tighten consumer communications. Regulators could look into mandating the reporting of metrics that demonstrate consumers have been provided with adequate information about the payment method, such as complaint volumes and complaints upheld by the Advertising Standards Authority. Bad practice by either merchants or BNPL providers should be held to account and an effective customer redress mechanism should be introduced.
- Provide a better customer redress model. The FCA should review the impact of regulator complaints rules on competition in retail financial services markets. It should also consider whether a single ombudsman service for the whole financial services industry is still the right approach.
It is vital that the benefits of BNPL are not lost in the process of regulation. As our paper shows, there are challenges to be tackled – but to apply a blunt implement under the auspices of avoiding consumer harm would be to throw the baby out with the bathwater and risk the very harm to consumers it attempts to address through the mistaken removal of a consumer-friendly credit option.


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Christie´s Popularity Soars In Latest NJ Poll Posted By: RightWriter 11/21/2012 12:39:07 PM DAN CIRUCCI, by Daniel A. Cirucci Original Article
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie´s popularity has soared in the latest Rutgers University Eagleton Poll. In fact, the Eagleton pollsters say they´ve never seen anything quite like it a virtual lovefest in New Jersey, of all places.
It seems New Jerseyans are thrilled with their governor and very impressed with the way he handled Superstorm Sandy and its aftermath.
Here´s an excerpt from a report out of the
Well, he is facing re-election in blue Jersey next year.


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The European Commission should introduce new rules forcing companies to disclose more information about related-party transactions, according to a body that advises it on corporate governance issues.
The European Corporate Governance Forum called for tougher guidelines on the size of transaction that a company must disclose to its shareholders and new rules on when directors should seek shareholder approval for a deal.
The Commission has promised to look at Europe's current rules on related-party transactions, in which a company buys or sells assets to or from a connected business or individual, when it issues a Green Paper on corporate governance, which is due in a few weeks.
The Forum said shareholders need extra protection from related-party deals, especially when control of a company or its board resides with a single party.
It said a company should have to win shareholder approval if it wants to sell more than five percent of its assets to a related party, with the party in question banned from voting.
Deals worth between one percent and five percent of assets should be publicly announced and accompanied by a letter from an independent director confirming that the transaction is “fair and reasonable” for outside shareholders.


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The Tehachapi Farmers Market, a production of Main Street Tehachapi, will begin the season May 4, one month earlier than usual.
The Farmers Market will continue from 4 to 8 p.m. each Thursday, through August. Vendors will fill downtown's Green Street with their organic produce, arts and crafts, refreshing beverages and delicious food. Live music is also provided for visitors' entertainment.
Local Central Valley grown fruits and vegetables will be for sale by the farmers themselves.
For more information, including a map and vendor sign-up forms, contact Main Street Tehachapi by calling 822-6519 or visit the website mainstreettehachapi.org.
Additionally, Cal Organic Farms, Farmers Market is every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. from Memorial Day to Labor Day. It features locally grown organic fruits and vegetables from farm to table. Cal Organic Farms is at the corner of Bear Valley Springs and Cummings Valley roads in Cummings Valley.


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With a continued number of businesses having to close due to the COVID-19 pandemic or otherwise, it is a sigh of relief to see companies coming together for a common goal of success. The announcement of Toys “R” Us finding a new home in 400 Macy’s locations has all eyes focused on what this partnership can do for both companies.
After Toys “R” Us announced its bankruptcy in March of 2018, they haven’t stopped trying to make a comeback. After the failure of their pop-up stores in 2019, it was time for them to evaluate their losses and future opportunities. Their brand never left the minds of those who shopped in their stores, but as retail had continued to evolve, the big question was how they could get people, parents, etc., to reengage with their brand. All the while, Macy’s had been looking at their own opportunities. After evaluating that their toy department sales had been increasing, they looked for the next step to better compete with other brands in the toy space. The solution: partner with Toys “R” Us for the common goal of thriving in this new retail world and making their customers happy.
This announcement may not seem like a shock as many other companies across various industries have decided to partner together. This year, for instance, GMDC|Retail Tomorrow has partnered with the International Housewares Association (IHA) to be part of the virtual Strategic Meeting events that took place this past spring and are about to take place this coming fall. Just like Macy’s and Toys “R” Us, the understanding that we need to come together to thrive has never been echoed more. We’re hearing how other companies are partnering together more and more. Will the common goal to win with customers lead to greater success? Only time will tell.
Read more about the Toys “R” Us and Macy’s partnership here.
Read more about the GMDC|Retail Tomorrow and International Housewares Association partnership here.


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AARP Focusing on Online Dating Fraud
I saw recently that the AARP was starting to get very active working to protect seniors from online dating fraud. Online trust is a big issue, but still, my first thought was"Can this be a big problem? How many senior citizens are using online dating?"
I thought online dating was most popular with college students but Bowling Green State University professors of gerontology, Dr. Wendy K. Watson and Dr. Charlie Stelle, have been researching the landscape since 2013 and found that people over 60 represent the most rapidly growing demographic in online dating. Who knew?
But is it that big of a problem? According to Mark Brooks, founder of Online Personals Watch, only perhaps 1 percent of members on well-established paid sites are scammers. On newer sites, however, the number is probably much higher, as scammers can flood recently launched sites with thousands of real-looking but fake profiles. "Scammers are good for short-term business because they boost activity," he says, "but the site's reputation suffers, so new sites have to go through this learning curve." According to the FBI, Americans lost $82 million to online dating fraud in just the last six months of 2014. Yikes!
AARP has launched the Fraud Watch Network and they don't feel dating sites are doing enough to protect their members. They are sending petitions to the top sites urging them to do more. Non-members and members alike can get Watchdog Alerts, stay up on con artists’ latest tricks, and find out what to do if they've been victimized. It’s free for everyone because AARP is committed to safeguarding Americans’ financial futures.


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Home Tags Verizon
The world’s most popular tech reviewer just poured cold water on the 5G hype parade, saying it’s not worth your money yet
Tech companies want you to buy their 5G-enabled phones. But with such limited availability for 5G, Marques "MKBHD" Brownlee decided to investigate.
Verizon is selling Tumblr to the owner of WordPress, and it sounds like the sale price is about 2% of the $1 billion Tumblr was once worth
The price of the deal was not disclosed, suggesting a big reduction from the $1.1 billion that Tumblr fetched the last time it was acquired.
The companies set to report earnings include big names like Apple, ExxonMobil, Berkshire Hathaway, and Verizon.
This accessory lets you try faster 5G networks on your current iPhone or Android phone — but it’ll cost you
Verizon's new hotspot brings 5G networks to your current iPhone or Android phone, but it costs as much as a phone and 5G networks are still limited.
If you want to switch carrier networks on your Google Pixel, you might have to unlock the phone. Here's how to unlock any Google Pixel phone.
Verizon FiOS customers across the northeastern and central US reported that internet service was down on Monday morning.
Read about the real-life stories of current and former Fortune 500 CEOs who got their start in America's Armed Forces.
The 5G revolution: Everything you need to know about the super-fast wireless technology that’s coming
5G has been talked about for years, but the super-fast mobile technology has only just begun to get into people's hands. Here's what you need to know.
You can easily set up call forwarding on an iPhone with these steps. Here's how to forward calls on an iPhone, no matter what phone carrier you use.
You can now buy Samsung’s first 5G smartphone, but its main selling point will be useless until more cities get 5G
You can buy a Galaxy S10 5G right now, but there's no guarantee you'd ever get to use 5G.


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Some of the biggest outperformers of the year are growth stocks. The pandemic has led to an acceleration in their growth. Additionally, the pandemic has led to lower growth expectations and record-low rates. This means that…
growth stocks can get even higher multiples. Earnings season will be an important factor in helping investors determine whether these gains are validated by improvements in operations. Or a particularly impressive performance could lead to even more multiple expansion as investors get more bullish on a company.
Tesla, Inc. (TSLA) Netflix, Inc. (NFLX), Peloton Interactive, Inc. (PTON) are some of the fastest-growing stocks in the market. They are expected to report impressive results this earnings season and this could help their shares soar.
Tesla, Inc. (TSLA)
TSLA designs, develops, manufactures, and sells electric vehicles, electric vehicle powertrain components, and stationary energy storage systems in the United States, China, and internationally.
TSLA split its stock into five earlier this year, reducing its sky-high share price to an affordable range. It is currently planning to expand to Indonesia to ensure a steady supply of nickel, a key component in manufacturing car batteries.
TSLA is also planning to launch three new electric vehicles shortly, including Tesla Cybertruck and 2 electric cars. Its new Model S Plaid is expected to be available by next year and another unnamed electric car to be priced under $25000. It is reportedly planning to launch its product in India as well in 2021. These expansions are expected to increase their earnings in the coming year. On its recent Battery Day, the company outlined a plan to reduce battery costs by 56% and boost vehicle range by 54%.
The company’s electric vehicle (EV) growth is going according to plan, as the company reported that it delivered 139,300 vehicles in the third quarter ending September 2020. This is a 53.6% increase compared to the previous quarter. The company has already exceeded market expectations of 137,000 deliveries of vehicles.
In the second quarter, TSLA reported net revenue of $6.04 billion declined on a year-over-year basis. Net income of $104 million and EPS of $0.50 for the quarter significantly improvement from the year-ago negative values. Cash and cash equivalents improved 74% year-over-year to $8.62 billion.
Analysts expect their revenue to grow 31% in the third quarter and 22.6% this year. The EPS is expected to grow 51.4% in the third quarter and a whopping 4,275% in the current year. TSLA has gained 436.5% year-to-date.
How does TSLA stack up for the POWR Ratings?
A for Trade Grade
B for Buy & Hold Grade
B for Peer Grade
B for Industry Rank
B for Overall POWR Rating
The stock is also ranked #4 out of 29 stocks in the Auto & Vehicle Manufacturers industry.
Peloton Interactive, Inc. (PTON)
PTON is the largest interactive fitness platform in the world, which engages in the operation of in-studio fitness classes, fitness clubs, at-home fitness equipment & content, and health & wellness apps. With 3.1 million members, the company operates in three segments: Connected Fitness Products, Subscription, and Others. The Connected Fitness Products segment engages in the sale of bike and tread and related accessories, associated fees for delivery and installation, and extended warranty agreements. The Subscription segment engages in the connected fitness subscription and digital subscription. The Other segment consists of peloton branded apparel.
During the year 2020, PTON expanded its fitness and wellness content offerings in strength, yoga, meditation, and new floor-based categories such as Fit Family and Dance Cardio. The company also launched…
Continue reading at STOCKNEWS.com


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Equipmake announces the world's most power-dense electric motor
We last caught up with Equipmake back in 2018, when this British company's spoked magnet electric motors were capable of generating a monster 9 kilowatts of power per kilogram, using cheap materials and standard manufacturing processes. By comparison, the company says its best permanent magnet rivals are still languishing at around 5 kW/kg.
Now, the company has decided to take advantage of additive manufacturing to see how far they can push this thing, and the results could be revolutionary. Its upcoming Ampere motor is projected to weigh less than 10 kg (22 lb) and make a whopping 220 kW (295 hp) at a sky-high 30,000 rpm, meaning it offers more than 20 kW/kg, making some four times as much power as a similarly sized permanent magnet motor.
All advances in electric vehicle tech must be compared against what Elon Musk is doing as far and away the technology leader in the mass production world. The most recent information we can find from Tesla is from six years ago, so no doubt things have improved, but at that point the Model S motor was making 270 kW (362 hp) at a weight of 32 kg (70 lb). That equates to about 8.4 kW/kg, casting some doubt on Equipmake's claims about its competition, but still, the Ampere motor would effectively be offering more than two and a half times the power output at a given weight. More to the point, it would allow a fairly significant weight reduction to the car. Fitted to an electric motorcycle, the Ampere would be truly frightening, which is exactly how we like things.
Equipmake says the 3D printing technology it's using (in partnership with Bristol-based additive manufacture specialists HiETA) has allowed it to use less metal in its design, combining components into complex shapes that couldn't be achieved with milling or casting, while preserving the spoked magnet design's outstanding cooling capabilities and reducing inertia to allow that crazy-high rotational speed.
The company hopes to have its first prototypes up and running within 12 months, and in the meantime, we can look forward to seeing its regular spoked-magnet motors on the upcoming Ariel Hipercar sometime this year. Light, powerful, torquey and excellent at evacuating heat, they look like seriously impressive motors for high-performance electric vehicles.


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For the first time since January 2007, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles outsold Ford in the United States in September this year. The Italian-American automaker registered 199,819 deliveries last month – an increase of about 15 percent - versus 197,404 for the Blue Oval, or 2,415 cars more. The third member of the Detroit Big Three, General Motors, is not reporting monthly sales, but Detroit News reports its every brand posts decreases for the third quarter of the year.
Specialists believe that Ford’s decision to kill all its car models, except for the Mustang, has a major negative effect on its sales. "It was mostly expected to happen this year, as Ford moves away from sedans," comments Michelle Krebs, an automotive analyst for Cox Automotive.
However, Ford was quick to put down negative reactions through the voice of its vice president of U.S. marketing, sales, and service, Mark LaNeve. "We don’t worry about being in a contest with FCA. There have been months when we beat General Motors and we didn't pound our chests... It was a function of timing."
FCA’s growth is driven mostly by the Jeep and Ram brands with the former posting a 14-percent increase in September thanks to the strong market results of the Cherokee and Compass. For the first nine months of the year, Jeep is up 20 percent, while Ram is flat despite the nine-percent increase last month.
On the other hand, Ford’s total sales through the first three quarters of the year are down 2.4 percent compared to FCA’s increase of 6 percent. The Blue Oval’s car division faces a record recession with 25.7 percent decrease in September. Interestingly, the automaker’s SUVs and pickups were also down last month, 2.7 and 9.9 percent respectively. The F-Series, Transit, Expedition, and Lincoln Navigator are the only nameplates of the manufacturer to post increases.
Source: Detroit News


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Amazon plans greenhouse-style headquarters
US online giant Amazon has unveiled plans for a futuristic greenhouse style headquarters "where employees can work and socialize in a more natural, park-like setting."
The Internet company revealed photos and sketches this week of the plan to be submitted to Seattle city officials, becoming the latest of the technology heavyweights to unveil a bold new headquarters plan.
"The generative idea is that a plant-rich environment has many positive qualities that are not often found in a typical office setting," according to Amazon's proposal.
The company revamped its original plan from a six-story rectilinear structure to "a series of intersecting spheres with ample space for a wide range of planting material," the document said.
"While the form of the building will be visually reminiscent of a greenhouse or conservatory, plant material will be selected for its ability to co-exist in a microclimate that also suits people."
The plan includes 65,000 square feet (6,000 square meters) of office space and high bay spaces on five floors capable of accommodating mature trees.
The exterior will be multiple layers of glass supported by a metal framework. It will have dining, meeting and lounge spaces, as well as a variety of "botanical zones modeled on montane ecologies found around the globe," Amazon said.
© 2013 AFP


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Consumerizing EdTech for India’s schools
India’s EdTech sector has yet to make the grade inside the country’s classrooms. Startups that take a cue from the consumerization of enterprise software and build for their customer’s employees, not just their customer’s customer, have an opportunity to turn that around.
Published November 29, 2019
The last few years have seen tremendous growth in adoption of technology by Indian consumers for education. Byju’s Classes have served over 2.5 million students through its platform since the launch of its app in 2015, Unacademy’s YouTube channel draws over 100 million monthly views and Doubtnut now solves over 9 million questions from students each month.
EdTech is a high-potential, high-growth sector and over $1.6 billion of venture capital has gone into Indian startups in the last five years, helping founders build interesting solutions to help millions of students learn better. But while growth has come for startups that focus on after-school study, targeted tuition and test-prep products that are marketed to students and parents, India’s EdTech sector has yet to make the grade inside the country’s classrooms. India has not yet seen any large companies being built in the space.
Our hypothesis is that startups that take a cue from the consumerization of enterprise software and build for their customer’s employees (teachers in this case), not just their customer’s customer (students/parents), have an opportunity to turn that around.
The classroom conundrum: demand vs supply
The fact that Indian schools are lagging behind consumers when it comes to adoption of technology is not for a lack of good ideas. Over the last 13+ years, we have met numerous entrepreneurs wanting to change how school education works – and strongly believe that true progress in education can’t be made without a real change in the schools, where children spend 6-8 hours each day.
We hear pitches about tablets in classrooms, assessment tools, analytics to drive understanding of how individual children learn and perform, personalized career counselling, math labs, and high-quality content to augment and support teachers with resources. Most of these companies had good products and highly qualified teams chasing the dream of changing how India learns. In fact, the first generation of EdTech companies including Educomp, Next Education and Everonn did indeed make serious progress in equipping schools with digital content in classrooms. But school-based EdTech has proven to be a difficult model to scale and many startups have stagnated or failed.
To understand why, we interviewed a number of EdTech founders and ran a survey of 800 teachers in partnership with Centre for Teacher Accreditation (CENTA), a company focused on certifying the competencies of teachers and connecting them to a range of opportunities through its MyCENTA platform, to learn more about how they view and use technology.
The net takeaway: the core issues faced by teachers have not been satisfactorily addressed well by most B2B solutions. Most EdTech startups are focused on how to enhance the student’s learning experience but few are solving the teacher’s pain points – and indeed may actually be adding pressure in unintended ways.
Our survey showed that:
- Today’s teachers are pretty wired: 95% of the respondents considered themselves technology savvy or neutral – meaning they were users of technology and not averse to it; 98% owned a smartphone. Just over 90% are on WhatsApp, 59% use shopping apps and 26% are on Instagram. What’s more, 43% use EdTech apps – 27% said they use BYJUs
- They think tech has a strong role to play in schools: 94% believe the use of technology can deliver better learning outcomes, 74% said technology can help deliver concepts better – and 69% said it can help communicate with students in an engaging manner.
- They’re already using apps/online resources to prep for class: 80%+ of the teachers used Google and YouTube in preparation for the class and more than half used specialized teacher resource websites online. 38% use ed tech apps like BYJUs and Khan Academy to prepare for their classes
- But there’s too little time and too little support: When asked what the top barrier to adopting technology in classrooms, teachers cited lack of time (31%), lack of training (16%), lack of support from school management or infra support (14%) and lack of good EdTech products (13%). Teachers said they barely have time to cover the core curriculum, never mind time to learn how to use and incorporate new education apps in classrooms
The key takeaways: teachers believe in technology and are already using technology/the internet for learning purposes and sharing those in classrooms. But they are still not using specialized educational products in a significant way and believe the low adoption is a result of a lack of time, product complexity or a lack of efficacy and infra support.
This doesn’t sound like a demand problem. It’s a supply problem – supply of the “right” solutions. Overall there has been less thought given to design to make products easy for teachers to adopt vs making learning easy for students. The doctor writing the prescription needs to be addressed too!
Products need to be comprehensive; point solutions may not help much in isolation. And they shouldn’t create more problems than they solve. We heard about an assessment app that gives feedback on how students are doing every week and identifies learning gaps, which sounded good in theory. But teachers resisted: they didn’t have time to cover the regular syllabus, never mind work in remedial lessons to match the ongoing flow of information on gaps. They felt frustrated by this flood of information they couldn’t take action on.
There’s also the risk factor. Teachers are held in high regard in India, and EdTech founders we spoke to say teachers are sometimes worried about faltering in front of a class, especially in front of older students who may know more about computers than they do. This kind of ‘loss of face’ could undermine their authority.
Software companies like DropBox may show the way.
The Consumerization of EdTech
When tablets and smartphone began to proliferate in the US a decade ago, and the ‘bring your own device’ culture began to take root in American workplaces, enterprise IT companies realized they needed to reimagine their applications and, in some cases, make them function seamlessly across official and personal use cases.
The key insight for enterprise software companies was that employees are consumers first and they prefer to use tools that are built like consumer products – with the simplicity and ease of use (“no training”) they are accustomed to versus the clunky enterprise software systems with hundreds of features that require mass training and large change management projects to deploy.
The consumerization of enterprise tech gave rise to many large companies, like DropBox, Evernote and Slack. Beyond its referral marketing success, DropBox beat out competing cloud storage companies simply because it just worked and was intuitively easy to use.We expect a similar theme to play out in schools in India as both teachers and students become significant consumers of technology through their smartphones.
Indian schools need products that are simple and easy to use (think consumer apps like WhatsApp, with no training required) and that work in tough environments (with poor connectivity, unstable electricity). These products and solutions should be designed to be teacher centric as they are the real consumers – their lives should be made easier and not more difficult in a role where they are seriously constrained on time.
When asked what non-teaching aspects tech would be most useful for, 67% of the teachers in our survey said work planning and time management; 63% said creating lesson plans and 50% said tech could have a role in doing student assessments. Other products that help teachers save time while being effective for students are also likely to win.
Product design is only half the equation and may not be the elixir. In-class EdTech has to address multiple stakeholders. Owners of India’s large private school sector want to grow revenue; every product they add should allow them to market something to show they are progressive. Administrators want parents to accept new solutions, and possibly shoulder the cost; teachers want to recover time and reduce workloads and students need products that are engaging and fun. No wonder this is complicated to scale.
Taking a leaf from B2C companies on delivering scale products that are easy to use and require minimal time to get going is the way forward. The good news is there is a new generation of EdTech companies that are up to the challenge, and we believe there will be more innovation to service this large opportunity.


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Canopy Rivers (TSX.V: RIV) (OTC: CNPOF) today announced a strategic investment in BioLumic Ltd., creators of a sustainable ultraviolet (“UV”) crop yield enhancement system. Canopy Rivers’ investment of $1.5 million marked its first investment in agri-technologies, specifically focused on the promising fields of plant physiology and UV photobiology. “Canopy Rivers’ mission is to build and support a thriving global cannabis economy, and we are dedicated to identifying and investing in strategic technology players throughout the legal cannabis value chain,” Canopy Rivers Director, Business Development Mary Dimou said in the news release. “Led by an exceptional management team, BioLumic’s groundbreaking, proprietary UV technology has the potential to significantly improve cannabis growth, vigor and yield – promising an environmentally friendly, GM-free cannabis crop through the power of light.”
To view the full press release, visit http://ibn.fm/UWHIo
About Canopy Rivers
Canopy Rivers is a unique investment and operating platform structured to pursue investment opportunities in the emerging global cannabis sector. Canopy Rivers works collaboratively with Canopy Growth (TSX: WEED) (NYSE: CGC) to identify strategic counterparties seeking financial and/or operating support. Canopy Rivers has developed an investment ecosystem of complementary cannabis operating companies that represent various segments of the value chain across the emerging cannabis sector. As the portfolio continues to develop, constituents will be provided with opportunities to work with Canopy Growth and collaborate among themselves, which Canopy Rivers believes will maximize value for its shareholders and foster an environment of innovation, synergy and value creation for the entire ecosystem. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.CanopyRivers.com.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to CNPOF are available in the company’s newsroom at http://ibn.fm/CNPOF
QualityStocksNewsBreaks provide a rapid summary of corporate news that catch the attention of QualityStocks. QualityStocksBreaks are designed to keep investors up to date on important and breaking news in the small-cap and micro-cap markets. Spanning all industries, including energy, entertainment, telecommunications, healthcare, retail and more, these news breaks deliver opportunities the investment community may have missed. Whether it is earnings results, mergers and acquisitions, or any other market-moving news, our news breaks keep you in the know. QualityStocks is committed to connecting subscribers with companies that have huge potential to succeed in the short and long-term future. It is part of our mission statement to help the investment community discover emerging companies that offer excellent growth potential.


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Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts needs new material.
Warren entered the U.S. Senate in 2013 brimming with fresh ideas and so much promise.
Now, the failed presidential candidate is more like that one annoying uncle who does the same party trick at every family function. Except instead of doing lousy imitations or corny jokes, Warren’s party trick involves blaming every single solitary thing that is wrong in the U.S. economy on corporate greed.
For example, Warren this week blamed the rising cost of groceries on a sinister plot by Big Supermarket.
“Giant grocery store chains force high food prices onto American families while rewarding executives & investors with lavish bonuses and stock buybacks,” Warren said. “I’m demanding they answer for putting corporate profits over consumers and workers during the pandemic.”
Sure, it’s possible grocery chains discovered the concept of price-gouging in the year of our Lord 2021. Or perhaps the increasing cost of groceries has something to do with rising inflation, which hit a 39-year high in November. Perhaps rising costs have something to do with the White House’s domestic and trade policies. Perhaps the mismanagement of the supply chain has likewise played a role in soaring prices. I’m just spitballing here.
This is Warren’s party trick. Whenever there’s an economic downturn, any time consumers suffer for the federal government’s meddling in economic policy, the senator alleges a shadowy conspiracy of corporate greed and private sector malfeasance.
Cost of gas got you down? Warren blames Big Oil.
Turkeys unusually expensive this Thanksgiving? Warren blames Big Poultry.
Meat prices going up? Warren blames Big Meat.
Car rentals seem more expensive this year? Warren blames Big Rental.
Read more at the Washington Examiner.


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Thursday, August 02, 2012, 04:21 pm PT (07:21 pm ET)
'Mystery building' at Apple's Maiden, NC data center may house biogas convertersA new structure being built at Apple's Maiden, N.C. data center is thought to be the future home of a Bloom biogas electricity generator array that will help power the company's 500,000 square-foot facility.
New pictures from Wired show the new development is being constructed next to the compound's sub-station and will most likely be where the company's planned Bloom Energy Server farm is located.
First reported in April, Apple will be using 24 Bloom biogas converters to extract hydrogen from natural gas provided by Piedmont Natural Gas to generate electricity for its massive iCloud-housing data center. The fuel cell farm will reportedly pump out 4.8-megawatts of power and add to the 20-megawatt solar farm being built across the street.
Supposed site of Bloom Energy Server farm. | Source: Wired
Apple was originially thought to be housing the Bloom units in a different building, but that structure turned out to be a "tactical data center," the purpose of which has yet to be fully explained. While not much is known about the small 11-room building, county permits reveal the small data center is tightly-secured with 8-foot high fencing and "man trap" security doors which require people to go through two doors to gain access.
Over view of Apple's Maiden, N.C. data center. | Source: Wired
The $1 billion Maiden data center went online in 2011 and is expected to completely rely on renewable energy sources by the end of the year.
On Topic: General
- Apple concept would automatically enable iOS 'Do Not Disturb' mode during exercise
- Apple to open 12th Chinese retail store in Wuxi's Center 66 mall next week
- Apple's e-wallet could debut as soon as this fall, possibly with 'iPhone 6'
- Apple hit with class action lawsuit over alleged labor violations, more than 20K plaintiffs involved
- Apple completed 29 acquisitions in past nine months, not including Beats


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7th Straight Month of Double-Digit Inflation means continued high prices and no relief anytime soon for consumers
Texas Insider Report WASHINGTON, D.C. – "This is another horrible dose of bad news. Inflation is raging for Main Street businesses, and that means higher prices ahead for consumers," said Texas Cong. Kevin Brady after it was announced that Wholesale Prices nationwide jumped 11.3% in June from the previous year, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Labor.
As the senior ranking Republican Leader on the House Ways & Means Committee – which he has previously chaired – Cong. Brady (R-TX) noted the following:
“With seven straight months of double-digit inflation in wholesale prices, this translates into higher prices and no relief anytime soon for consumers.
“All of which makes it even more alarming that Congressional Democrats and President Biden are (writing a bill) cooking up $1 trillion in higher taxes on Main Street businesses that will only drive prices higher and crush family-owned farms and businesses.
“Who in their right mind raises taxes as America heads into a recession?" asked Brady, as the Producer Price Index (PPI) figures were realsed.


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The Advantages of Digital News Platforms
Many individuals put a lot of effort when it comes to decision-making and that’s why, they are very critical about looking for the best sources of information. In the past, people had the opportunity to use physical newspapers to get the information they want but today, there are digital options available. Many people consider the digital news platforms to be much better especially because, they have been published digitally and they give more advantages. Understanding the language that has been used on the digital news platform would be important but in addition, you also need to consider an Internet connection. One of the main things you realize about digital news platforms is that they are available in huge numbers with thousands being published every day. Some of the news platforms are considered to be much popular as compared to others and they provide more comprehensive information. The best news platform for you to read digitally is going to be your best option and therefore, you need to use the same. These digital news platforms are going to be of benefit to you in the following ways explained in the article.
As compared to the physical types, digital news platforms are going to give you a lot of advantages especially in terms of saving money. It’s very important for you to realize that you can benefit a lot from the digital news platform especially because of the costs since you do not need to pay like how you pay for the physical copies. In addition to that, since this is not a physical copy of the news platform, you have more freedom in terms of where you can treat the news platform from or when you can get it. You can be able to read the digital news platform when you’re traveling or from whatever location because you do not need physical access to the news platform. Another advantage of reading the digital news platform is that it is more convenient especially because it provides more information. Because these are news platforms that have been published digital, becomes very easy to get a lot of information regarding different topics.
This journal is going to give you a variety and this is a good for the thing for you and therefore, it’s very important. Reading the digital news platform is going to be very good especially because it gives you a lot of variety. You will be able to get all the information that you want regarding the different issues that you have an interest in. You also have the option of receiving a weekly newsletter through email when you subscribe to the platform.
What Almost No One Knows About Press


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Ofcom has proposed referring the UK cloud market to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) for further investigation amid concern about the practices of leading cloud infrastructure providers Amazon (AWS) and Microsoft.
The UK telecom and media regulator said that a probe into the UK cloud services has “provisionally identified features and practices that make it more difficult for customers to switch and use multiple cloud suppliers. We are particularly concerned about the practices of Amazon and Microsoft because of their market position.”
Ofcom noted that cloud computing has become critical for many businesses across the economy – including telecoms companies, broadcasters and public sector organisations.
In October, the regulator launched a study under the Enterprise Act 2002 into cloud infrastructure services in the UK to assess how well the market is working.
Ofcom said that it has concluded that ‘hyperscalers’ Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft have a combined market share of 60-70%. Google is their closest competitor with a share of 5-10%.
Ofcom said that while competitive market forces are delivering benefits to customers, some features of the market give cause for concern:
- Egress fees. These are the charges that customers pay to transfer their data out of a cloud and the hyperscalers set them at significantly higher rates than other providers. The cost of egress fees can discourage customers from using services from more than one cloud provider or to switch to an alternative provider.
- Technical restrictions on interoperability. These are imposed by the leading firms that prevent some of their services working effectively with services from other providers. This means customers need to put additional effort into reconfiguring their data and applications to work across different clouds.
- Committed spend discounts. These can benefit customers by reducing their costs, but the way these discounts are structured can incentivise customers to use a single hyperscaler for all or most of their cloud needs, even when better quality alternatives are available.
Fergal Farragher, Ofcom’s director responsible for the market study, said: “We’ve done a deep dive into the digital backbone of our economy, and uncovered some concerning practices, including by some of the biggest tech firms in the world. High barriers to switching are already harming competition in what is a fast-growing market. We think more in-depth scrutiny is needed, to make sure it’s working well for people and businesses who rely on these services.”
Ofcom is now inviting feedback on its interim findings, and on its proposal to make a market investigation reference into the supply of cloud infrastructure services in the UK.
The regulator intends to publish a final report setting out its findings and recommendations, including its decision on a market investigation reference, by no later than 5 October 2023.
Watch the webinar Storage - cloud vs. on-prem


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"We have for years been delivering high quality solutions"
In a chat with VARINDIA, Hatem Naguib, SVP& COO - Barracuda Networks discusses about the India market, its solutions, key verticals and how it creates value for its customers -
India has always been receptive when it comes to adoption of new technologies. The country may leave aside many countries when it comes to the number of technology users. Barracuda has already invested money in India and it sees the country as an opportunity.
“We have invested early in India andhave a strong engineering team in India. We have also built a global technology supportand contact centers here. We see that India is also at the forefront of many technology trends,be it the adoption of Office 365or any other technology.Public cloud adoption is very high, and a number of companies are actually cloud native in India which allows the country to be very attractive and a growing market for us in the future,” says Hatem Naguib.
Barracuda covers different security segments like email, web, application etc. All its solutions are software based and can be deployed in multiple form factors.
“We look at the entire threat landscape like email, web, applications, network and infrastructure capability and how we put the security capabilities on top of that. All of our technologies are actually software,and we deploy it at multiple form factors. You can buy an appliance form; can deploy it in public cloud, or as a virtual machine. As we have invested as a software first capability, you get fullfeature capabilities whether as a hardware appliance or as a cloud delivered as a service,” discusses Hatem.
For years Barracuda has been delivering high quality solutions that have cloud capability. Customers can backup both on premise and also on cloud. The company has also added facilities like archiving so that customers can maintain compliance and also protect information from cyber threat.
“We are one of the largest data protection providers in the world and have several thousand customers who use our backup solutions. Many companiesmake Barracuda as part of their solutions for backup, as part of adding any new site to their business. We have for years delivering high quality solutions that have cloud capability and those aredelivered globally for customers so that they can backup not just on premise but also have those services available oncloud, local to their environment. Then we have also included archiving capabilities for email to allow customers maintain compliance and to protect years of information from risk associated with cyber security attacks,” explains Hatem.
Create Value for Customers
Barracuda has interacted with a lot of customers and finds out the trends. Customers want to leverage cloud, different multiple environments and also want to digitize their interactions with customers. These trends have helped Barracuda drive their product strategy which inturn helped its customers protect themselves.
“We spentan enormous amount of time talking to thousands of customers and look to the trends which those customers are dealing with. Customers are looking at cloud, leveraging technologies acrossdifferent, multiple distributed environments and seeing how they can digitize their interactions with customers. All the three trends are driving our product strategies to help our customers protect themselves in the new digital transformation era. The two dominating areas that are affecting our customers are email collaboration; it is the lifeblood of how business is done worldwide and it has become a significant attack vector for many customers that need a specific set of tools and capabilities to protect. Secondis the use of cloud technology, be that for infrastructure, SaaS, for platform as a service has driven a huge amount of interest in our network and application security capabilities for the customers who are hybrid, cloud native or thinking of using cloud services in the future. These converge for many customers whose first taste of cloud is through Office 365 and we see huge adoption of it throughout the world. For us we build several solutions to help protect customers as they migrate to that cloud based email solutions,” elaborates Hatem.
Today security is a concern to every small and large company. In the beginning, only the regulatory industry used to care about it but now every company of any size is cautious about their security profile.
“It started off with mid market companies. Over the last several years we have seen large number of enterprises using Barracuda solutions. It crosses all vectors, from global fortune companies to small shops around the world. Initially, it used to be regulated industries that cared about security but now everybody cares about security. From pharmaceuticals, financial services to manufacturing companies, everybody now care about the security profile, so they can ensure that their technology is part of the overall security strategy,” concludes Hatem.


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PrimePort Timaru's turbulent year ends with $5.6m profit
PrimePort Timaru has overcome a turbulent end to the financial year to post an almost 40 per cent profit increase.
Even though bulk cargo volumes were down 10.2 per cent because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the port operator announced on Wednesday an after tax net profit of $5.6 million for the 2019-2020 financial year, an increase of $1.6m on the previous year.
The drop in bulk cargo volumes was “mainly due to a significant decrease in export log volumes” a statement from the company, jointly owned by Timaru District Holdings Ltd and the Port of Tauranga, said.
PrimePort chairman Roger Gower said the overall result demonstrated the company’s resilience and strength.
“Despite a sharp drop in cargo volumes and the shutdown of non-essential operations during the Level 4 lockdown, we managed to increase profits,’’ Gower said.
To Read more Click here


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Elliotts is set to open a brand-new branch in Dorset on April 20.
Following increased demand from the Dorset area, which is seeing a flurry of construction projects come to life, the firm will open a huge new store in Christchurch. It takes Elliotts’ number of branches to 13 and marks the company’s move to open more stores outside of Hampshire.
Former Bournemouth, Portsmouth and Southampton manager, Harry Redknapp, launched the new branch at a preview event for customers and special guests.
Speaking at the event, he said: “I am delighted to open this new Elliotts branch. I have had a long friendship and association with Elliotts which was also a huge support to me and Bournemouth Football Club.”
The Christchurch branch, based on Airfield Way, is one of Elliotts’ biggest stores in the South and will give professional builders in the area more convenient access to the quality building materials and trusted advice Elliotts is known for. It will sell a huge range of products and the company has made a pledge that if there are any construction products or materials that builders can’t find elsewhere locally, it will do its best to hunt them down and stock them in the new branch.
Tom Elliott, Managing Director of Elliotts, said: “Branching out into Dorset means we can offer our products to an even wider customer base, giving more choice to both our local trade and public customers. This new site enables us to offer existing and new trade customers the most comprehensive range of competitively priced building products in the area.”
Founded in 1842, Elliotts is one of the oldest family businesses in the South. It has builders merchant branches in Bishops Waltham, Chandler’s Ford, Fareham, Fordingbridge, Ringwood, Romsey, Southampton, Tadley, Totton and Christchurch. In addition, it has four kitchen and bathroom showrooms, two specialist tool centres open to the trade and public in Portsmouth and Winchester and its own roofing and renewables companies.
The new branch officially opens on April 20.


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US Cellular to begin selling Apple products this yearU.S. Cellular, the sixth-largest wireless provider in America, announced on Friday that it will begin carrying Apple products later this year.
The announcement came in U.S. Cellular's quarterly earnings report. No specific products were mentioned, but presumably the carrier will offer Apple's iPhone as well as cellular-capable variants of the iPad, as other carriers do.
"We have a number of strategies in progress to increase loyalty and attract more customers, including our announcement today that we will begin offering Apple products later this year," U.S. Cellular Chief Executive Mary Dillon said in a statement. "By further strengthening our device portfolio, we'll give consumers another great reason to switch to U.S. Cellular, and enable our existing customers to choose from an even wider variety of iconic smartphones, and enjoy the outstanding U.S. Cellular customer experiences they deserve."
A big reversal
The move is a dramatic reversal for the carrier. At the end of 2011, Dillon told analysts the company had opted against carrying Apple's iPhone because of its upfront expense, describing the investment as "unacceptable from a risk and profitability standpoint."
A month later, Ted Carlson, the chief executive of U.S. Cellular's parent company TDS, revealed at the UBS GLobal Media and Communications Conference that the carrier was focused on building out its 4G LTE service first, before trying to offer the iPhone.
"We're never going to say never about the iPhone," he said. "The iPhone for us would need to be at the cutting edge of where we're going, and then there might be an opportunity to consider it."
U.S. Cellular's reversal of its no-iPhone policy in a new effort to attract new and loyal customers mirrors a similar about-face by Verizon, which once publicly announced that it had initially rejected Apple as a launch partner, similarly citing the iPhone's terms as unacceptable.
In late 2009, Verizon bet heavily on Android models as its BlackBerry smartphones began to lose their luster at the failed launch of BlackBerry's iPhone-like Storm at the end of 2008. Verizon mocked the iPhone in 2009 in an "iDon't ad" campaign and continued to assail iPhone 4 through the middle of 2010 in ads that promoted Motorola Droid X.
However, Android as a platform couldn't match the iPhone in attracting valuable customers to Verizon's network. As a result, Verizon embraced the iPad at the end of 2010 and added a CDMA version of iPhone 4 at the beginning of 2011. As a result, the company announced its largest launch ever.
Third and fourth place US carriers Sprint and T-Mobile have similarly noted to investors that their inability to carry the iPhone were their top reasons for losing customers to rival carriers. After Sprint joined Apple as a carrier, it too announced its most successful smartphone launch ever.
Entering the top five
U.S. Cellular served about 5.8 million customers in 126 markets in 26 states as of 2012, placing it behind Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and MetroPCS in terms of size. The latter two made their plans to merge official this week.
As U.S. Cellular gears up to presumably offer Apple's iPhone later this year, the company is also rolling out its own high-speed 4G LTE network. Apple's current flagship handset, the iPhone 5, offers 4G LTE compatibility.
Friday's announcement is similar to the one T-Mobile made in December, when the nation's fourth-largest carrier revealed it would begin selling "Apple products," without naming the iPhone. The iPhone 5 launched on T-Mobile last month, but there's been no mention of the carrier offering Apple's iPad.


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[Update]: Apple has removed the new name from its webpage, calling the operating system again as "OS X."
If you are someone who is interested in branding, rumors have suggested that Apple could rebrand its OS X as "macOS". The shift from the 15-year old OS X to macOS would bring the desktop operating system in line with iOS, watchOS and tvOS. While a widely believed change at this point, another hint in today's App Store announcements has confirmed the upcoming branding change.
Apple to rename OS X as macOS at WWDC '16
Cleaning up its software naming scheme, reports had suggested earlier this year that Apple could start calling its desktop OS as macOS. This makes sense because every other OS coming from the Cupertino tech giant follows this format. In April, Apple itself called the operating system as MacOS in its new environmental web page. Now, folks at 9to5mac have found hidden hints in today's App Store announcements, that sort of confirms this upcoming naming change.
Buried inside FAQs on the iTunes Connect website, Apple has referred to OS X as macOS again, hinting at the upcoming change. Is the company going to announce it at WWDC next week? Seems very likely. Apple is expected to unveil the next version of OS X - or the first version of macOS - at WWDC, which is when the company might also announce the name change.
It's unsure whether the new name will be macOS or MacOS, but many believe it's going to be the former. Apple currently uses lowercase letters for iOS, tvOS and watchOS, but MacOS is the only name which carries a proper noun, making it a possibility for Apple to use an upper case letter instead. But, since the rebranding is happening to keep everything in line, we believe Apple would stick with macOS. Following is the screenshot of the FAQ web page that has given another hint to the name change.
What do you think about this name change? Don't forget to share your thoughts with us.


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New Zealanders are being warned to "prepare now" for what one major bank predicts will be a "challenging 2023" due to "stubbornly high" inflation and an official cash rate expected to hit a 14-year high.
ASB on Tuesday released its December quarterly economic forecast, predicting New Zealand will enter a recession in 2023 with rising unemployment, high inflation and climbing interest rates.
Chief economist Nick Tuffley said there is a clear message for New Zealanders: "Prepare now for a challenging 2023."
"My advice to New Zealanders is act now: don't wait until challenges land at your doorstep to get on top of your finances," he said.
"Take advantage of the help available from your bank to get your loan structure right and take a hard look at your spending and saving levels."
The report forecasts the New Zealand economy will contract by 1 percent by the end of 2023, driven by falling consumer spending and declining building activity as construction struggles with surging costs in what is a cooling housing market.
The prediction of a recession - two quarters of negative growth - is in line with recent projections by both the Reserve Bank and the Treasury.
Both expect New Zealand to suffer three quarters of negative growth in 2023, with last week's Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU) from Treasury forecasting a contraction of 0.8 percent across that period.
"Regardless of whether we actually dip into a recession or not, the New Zealand economy's going nowhere for a period of time," said Tuffley.
"Inflation is proving stubbornly high, and we don't expect it will fall below the Reserve Bank's 3 percent target ceiling until mid-2025. Non-tradable inflation, which is linked to domestic wage growth, is pushing up businesses' operating costs and may continue to accelerate until the middle of 2023."
Inflation sat at 7.2 percent in the September quarter, down from 7.3 percent in the June quarter. While economists had previously thought inflation had peaked, the Reserve Bank came out in November forecasting it will rise again to 7.5 percent in early 2023.
That will see a response from the RBNZ, which expects to hike the official cash rate (OCR) to 5.5 by mid-2023. That'd be the highest the OCR has been since October 2008.
The point of lifting the OCR is to raise interest rates which leads to less inflationary actions like spending and borrowing.
"To curb this wage-price spiral, we expect the RBNZ to press on with increases to the OCR, which we forecast to peak at 5.5 percent in mid-2023 and remain high for a year," said Tuffley.
ASB expects the high inflation and resulting OCR hikes will lead to a fall in household spending, with some families forced to cut back and others taking a cautious approach.
"Discretionary purchases such as cars, appliances and furniture are likely to be most affected after a retail boom in recent years. The Christmas mood is likely to be downbeat, spending patterns will change, and businesses in these exposed sectors need to be ready to adapt to changing customer needs," said Tuffley.
"Unemployment is set to rise, partly through some job losses, but mainly as the population grows and more people miss out on work while job creation stalls in a weak economy.
"While times will be tough, some businesses are likely to want to hold onto staff rather than actively cut back. Recruitment remains challenging at present, with some skills in short supply. Businesses will have an eye on ensuring they have the capacity and capability to manage through the eventual recovery."
Treasury last week predicted unemployment will rise from the near-record-low of 3.3 percent in this year's September quarter to 5.5 percent in 2024.
A weaker housing market will also contribute to people holding back their spending and borrowing, with ASB forecasting house prices could fall by up to 25 percent.
"Mortgage rates are likely to rise slightly further and remain elevated, so if your home loan is refixing in the next year or two, understand how your payments may change and budget for this scenario. Likewise, for businesses, especially those servicing the housing market, or reliant on discretionary consumer spend, be alert to your cashflow and changing consumer behaviour."
An RBNZ report in November found the number of home loan borrowers in negative equity could jump from 2 percent to 7.3 percent if house prices fall another 10 percent. Negative equity means the borrower's mortgage is larger than the current market value of their property.
New Zealand's economy will also be constrained by workforce shortages in tourism and hospitality as international tourists return, ASB believes.
"This is a sector that's rising from the ashes and needs more people in the right places, particularly Queenstown.
"In contrast to other areas of the economy, tourism may continue to face staff shortages, placing pressure on an industry that desperately needs a successful summer. Much will depend on the ability to attract staff from different regions, industries and even abroad.
"But even with the welcome return of international tourists, and a wave of international students in the new academic year, the outlook is for a tough 2023."
The ASB report follows a Westpac survey on Monday showing consumer confidence is at an all-time low. The number of households that believe it is the right time to make a major purchase has also fallen to a record low.


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From DOTmed.com - "In January 2008, he started his own company, Medical Device Depot (MDD), in Ellicott City, Maryland. MDD sells new cardiopulmonary devices to physicians, hospitals, and government agencies--Gladstein buys the technology from manufacturers such as Welch Allyn, Midmark, and Nasiff Associates...
Medical Device Depot's sales grew to $3 million in its first year of operations. This year, Gladstein says he's on track to increase sales by 30 percent. "
Read the full article at http://www.dotmed.com/news/story/10066/


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Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, described the coronavirus pandemic as a nationwide “economic emergency” and acknowledged that businesses large and small had not “faced an economic challenge of this size in the peacetime era”. As growing numbers of businesses are forced to close their doors as part of self-isolation regimes designed to protect society’s most vulnerable from the threat...Harnessing digital talent is the number-one goal for Unity Online in 2020
2020 promises to be another landmark year for Unity Online. Following a successful office move to its new headquarters at Needham Market train station, the agency is now focused squarely on training and enhancing its in-house digital talent. As the company remains one of Suffolk’s fastest-growing digital agencies, retaining and empowering the best and most promising digital specialists to Unity...2019 at Unity Online: A Year in Review
It hardly seems possible that we have come to the end of 2019, and what a busy year it was for us as a company. Unity Online has well and truly cemented its place as one of Suffolk’s fastest-growing full-service digital marketing agencies, committed to helping businesses across the eastern region to take a different digital path. Let’s take a...Unity Online set to go full circle and return to its roots with iconic office move
One of Suffolk’s fastest-growing full-service digital agencies is currently in the process of an exciting office move to an iconic location, taking the company back to where it all began in 2014. Unity Online is embarking upon the next stage of its growth curve, with an ambitious move to exclusive offices situated within Needham Market train station. The commercial space...Unity Online celebrates 5th birthday
One of Suffolk’s fastest-growing full-service digital agencies is celebrating its fifth birthday this month. Unity Online was established in early August 2014 by founder, Alex Pattenden, with a desire to create a digital agency that catered exclusively for the needs of smaller businesses looking to sell and increase their exposure online. Having gained several years of experience working for a...Christopher Seaman appointed to oversee UX operations at Unity Online
Unity Online’s long-serving employee, Christopher Seaman has been promoted to Lead UX Architect, with a remit to make better informed design decisions for the digital agency’s growing roster of clients. Christopher, who has been a key figure in Unity Online’s design and development team since March 2015, is now the agency’s champion of user experience (UX) which is fast becoming...Unity Online expands business development team for the next stage of its growth curve
One of Suffolk’s fastest growing full-service digital agencies is embarking upon the next stage of its growth curve, following the appointment of a new head of business development to enhance the agency’s connections and exposure across the eastern region. Scott Barton was recently appointed Unity Online’s head of business development, boasting nearly two decades of digital marketing expertise, spanning digital...Unity Online founder shortlisted for EADT Young Business Person Award
The considerable growth experienced by Stowmarket-based digital agency, Unity Online has not gone unnoticed with the upcoming 2019 Suffolk Business Awards shortlisting founder, Alex Pattenden for its Young Business Person award. The Suffolk Business Awards is led by the East Anglian Daily Times (EADT) and sponsored by the Suffolk Chamber of Commerce and EDF Energy. The event, which will be...


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Facebook-owned Oculus VR is apparently designed a new version of the Oculus Quest Virtual Reality headset. The third iteration under the final stages of development is reportedly compact and light, allowing for extended usage without fatigue. The new Oculus Quest standalone VR headset is set to come with a newly redesigned controller as well, which addresses the most common complaints about using the VR set.
Oculus VR, a Facebook-owned company, is reportedly readying a new or third iteration of the Oculus Quest standalone VR headset. The untethered VR headset is supposed to be smaller, lighter, and packed within a compact design. Moreover, the display housed inside the VR headset will be capable of offering a prolonged or continuous refresh rate of 90Hz. The majority of Oculus VR headsets to date have been able to manage a continuous refresh rate of just 60Hz, with an occasional jump to 72Hz.
Facebook Making Multiple Versions Of Oculus Quest Standalone VR Headset To Address Common Issues?
A new report from Bloomberg claims Facebook is working on multiple potential successors to the Oculus Quest VR headset. Interestingly, a few of the headsets are already in advanced stages of prototyping, and most of them are smaller and lighter. According to the report, Facebook is aiming to make the new Oculus VR headset at least 10 to 15 percent lighter than any previous version.
— marjorie stave (@marjoriestave) May 6, 2020
In addition to the new Oculus Quest VR standalone headset, Facebook is also designing a new controller that addresses two of the most common complaints about the VR set. The new controller is designed to be more comfortable to use. In other words, Facebook could have improved the ergonomics and weight distribution within the Quest VR controller. The other most common issue is the sudden removal of the battery cover. Apparently, Facebook has paid particular attention to ensure the battery cover doesn’t accidentally slide off and disturb the user. Incidentally, the new controller will be compatible with the current Quest headset, the report states.
New Oculus Quest Standalone VR Headset Specifications And Features:
The third iteration of the Oculus Quest standalone VR headset could become popular simply because it is quite lighter and more compact than all the previous versions. Moreover, the headset will offer at least 90Hz of screen refresh rate, which is quite higher compared to the 60 or 72Hz refresh rate of existing models. Needless to add, higher refresh rates should certainly help in offering a much more smooth, realistic, and immersive gaming experience.
If the reports are accurate, some of the other versions of Oculus Quest VR headsets are capable of even higher refresh rates of 120Hz. However, these too will be capped at 90Hz to ensure better battery life. As for the weight of the new VR headset, Oculus Quest’s third iteration is believed to weigh just about 1 pound, which is quite light compared to the previous version that weighs 1.25 pounds. This weight reduction should reduce the burden during prolonged use.
The new version of the Oculus Quest standalone VR headset reportedly packs four external cameras, six degrees of freedom for looking and walking in any direction, and support Oculus Link to connect to a PC for improved performance. Facebook is also considering removing the fabric from the sides and replacing it with plastic to boost the comfort level. The new VR headset could also have new materials used in the straps to ensure higher elasticity.
New Oculus Quest Standalone VR Headset Launch Date:
Facebook had planned to unveil the new VR headset towards the end of 2020 at the annual Oculus Connect event. However, it seems unlikely that Facebook could achieve the same due to the ongoing health crisis. Reports indicate product development and global supply chain are severely affected.
— UploadVR (@UploadVR) May 5, 2020
Interestingly, Facebook is also developing an Augmented Reality (AR) headset, which is planned for a 2023 release. The software for the same is on schedule, but hardware development may have hit some hurdles.
It is not clear if Facebook will discontinue the current-generation Oculus Quest VR headset. However, given the significant benefits in the new one, it would be wise to simply let the stocks of the old one run out and then replace the same with the new version.


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Global sales of the standard Prius hatchback peaked in 2010 at 509,380 units. By last year, it had plummeted to just 85,970. Overall, Toyota has sold over 4.7 million units since his 1997.
Production of the fifth-generation Prius begins The company’s Tsutsumi Assembly Plant In Toyota City in December. That’s where the outgoing version is built. Sales in Japan will begin in January. The new Prius will be launched in Europe and the United States from the beginning of next year.
In China, where Toyota ended sales of the Prius in 2016, its flagship hybrid vehicle will not be sold.
Here is the nut and bolt of what is being tapped.
Both the traditional Prius and the plug-in version will have a 2.0-liter engine mated to a new 4th generation lithium-ion battery. This is a step up from the outgoing model, with only a 1.8-liter engine and an optional older-generation Ni-MH battery on some grades.
Future Prius lower grades will keep the 1.8-liter option as the entry grade.
However, the US only has a 2.0 liter variant.
There is also an option for all-wheel drive using Toyota’s rear e-axle setup.
The standard 2.0-liter hybrid system has been adopted for the first time in the Corolla Cross Hybrid for Europe. The Prius will be the first time Toyota has combined a 2.0-liter engine with a plug-in.
In the old Prius, both the normal powertrain and the plug-in powertrain produced a total of 90 kilowatts (about 121 horsepower) of system power between the engine and the electric motor.
For the new model, the 2.0-liter standard hybrid delivers 144 kW (193 hp) and the plug-in achieves 159 kW (213 hp). The plug-in goes from 0 to 62 mph in 6.7 seconds, from a slow 11.1 seconds on the outgoing model. The standard takes 7.5 seconds versus 10.4 seconds.
Toyota says the PHEV’s EV mode range is increased by up to 50% over the outgoing version, depending on specifications such as wheel size.
https://www.autonews.com/cars-concepts/toyota-unleashes-radical-redesign-sportier-prius-hybrid Toyota unveils radical redesign of sportier Prius hybrid


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Myshopbazzar.com, a leading e-commerce player in India announces the launch of a beauty pageant “Myshopbazzar.com Ms. India and Mr. India 2013”. As its Corporate Social Responsibility, Myshopbazzar.com works for the cause of Save Electricity, Go Green (Save Plants, Save Earth) & Save Water in a move towards sustainable development of the country. This contest is a step ahead in creating awareness about these issues.
The most fascinating feature of this contest is that anyone living in any corner of the country can participate online in the screening stages from the comforts of their home. Also, this is probably the only beauty pageant where the age group for participation is 18-35 years. Another fascinating feature of this contest is that a person’s marital status is not a factor in the screening process. Thus, this contest is a fantastic opportunity for hidden talents across India to participate and live their dream of winning a beauty pageant.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Manoranjan Mohanty, CMD of Myshopbazzar.com said, “We are extremely happy to announce this beauty contest and we believe that this contest will provide a platform to the hidden talents of the country to showcase and nurture their capabilities. It will also prove to be a confidence booster for the participants. This contest is first of its kind and it is for the 1st time that an e-commerce company has created this mega platform. We are hopeful that we’ll see participants from all across the country.”
The contest consists of six stages. The first three stages consist of objective type questionnaires on topics like Current Affairs, Hollywood & Indian Film industry, IQ assessment etc. The contestants will answer these questionnaires on www.myshopbazzar.com. In the fourth stage, the participants will submit their two minute videos where they will talk about themselves. On the basis of this, 50 contestants will be shortlisted. These shortlisted 50 candidates will then move on to the penultimate 5th stage which will consist of a subjective type questionnaire where 10 questions on different topics will be put to the contestants and they will be required to provide answers in 500 words. At the end of this stage, 10 candidates for Ms. India title and 10 candidates for Mr. India title will be shortlisted based on the points that each candidate scores in this stage.
The final 20 candidates shortlisted by the jury and Myshopbazzar.com will then be called for the mega event which is to be held on 19th October, 2013 at Siri Fort Auditorium, New Delhi. The finalists will be required to participate in various activities like Group Discussion, Fashion Show, Dance Performance, Question-Answer session with the jury etc. Jury members will award points to the contestants for each activity. Apart from Ms. India and Mr. India titles, twelve other sub-titles would also be awarded.


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The G4 is the first processor for a desktop system able to speed through 1 billion operations per second, enabling Apple to tout its new line as a "supercomputer." Company fanfare even includes a television ad comparing the G4 Mac to an armored tank because the processor speed put the computer on an old-time list of restricted military exports. MORE >>
Apple Computer's Steve Jobs warned yesterday that company sales and profits are going to be leaner for the last three months because it can't get enough of the high-speed G4 chips at the heart of the company's silvery new desktop computer unveiled in August. "Apple has received orders for over 150,000 Power Mac G4s since the product was announced three weeks ago," said Jobs, "and we regret that we will not be able to ship them all this quarter."


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Tesla To Offer One-Month Free Trial Of Autopilot Technology
Customers who avail of the free trial should have a better feel for the systemby Kirby Garlitos, on
Tesla’s mission to bring the latest in automotive technology into the hands of its customers took an ironic turn with the introduction of the Autopilot technology. Essentially, the system allows drivers of the Model S to give full control of their vehicles to the technology. The Autopilot system has proven to be a hit for those who purchased it, but those who are less convinced about its potential will now be given a chance to test out the technology for a period of month at no cost.
During the one-month trial period, owners of the Model S will be given time to try out the Autopilot system. If they like it, they can purchase the $3,000 over-the-air software update once the free trial concludes. If they don’t, well, the system will be disabled on their vehicles and they can go about driving their Model S’s on their own.
The Autopilot system doesn’t come cheap, but based on some of the recent reviews from people who have tried it, the tech appears to have delivered on its promise of letting the car do a number of on-road maneuvering on its own. That includes automatic steering, speed, lane changing, and parking with Summon.
The one-month free trial will give customers who are on-the-fence about the technology the opportunity to see for themselves what it’s capable of doing. That should be enough time to either convince someone to go for the software update or pass up on it entirely. Either way, it’s a good move by Tesla to essentially put the decision into the hands of its customers.
Continue after the jump to read the full story.
Why it matters
Tesla may be a lot of things, but you have to give the electric automaker a lot of credit for understanding the psyche of its customers. The truth is, as awesome as the Autopilot tech sounds on paper, there are a lot of people that aren’t sold on it from a safety standpoint. None of us can escape the inherent fear of letting a computer drive your car. We all have it in different levels. Again, the whole autonomous driving looks great if you’re watching somebody else do it and you’re not in the car with them. But once you’re inside, there’s an entirely different level of anxiety that comes with having something drive your car for you. What if it makes a mistake and the car owner is held liable for whatever damages the car ends up causing?
To its credit, Tesla isn’t shoving the tech down anybody’s throats. If somebody likes it, great. If somebody passes up on it, that’s fine too. But this one-month free trial is a smart move because it can allow the skeptics to experience the tech first-hand so they can determine for themselves if it’s something that they’d like to have in their Teslas. Rest assured, one month is enough time to know what an owner is getting himself or herself into should they decide to get the Autopilot update.
And if they don’t, Tesla’s not going to force them to get it. That shows you understanding of what some drivers want in their cars and what some don’t. The truth is, autonomous driving could become the revolution that many people think it’ll be. But the other side of that truth is that the tech is still so new and unproven that it’s common for some people to want to see what it can do before jumping on board. That’s exactly why Tesla is offering this free trial.
I think it’s a great step to let the people experience it first-hand (and at no cost) before asking them to make a decision on whether they like it or not. And after all, $3,000 is a pricey software update.
Read our full review on the Tesla Model S here.