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Video Game News: Days Gone might be getting delayed again.
Bad news for all the PS4 users as it seems the upcoming open-world zombie shooter game Days Gone might be getting delayed for the 2nd time now.
Recently revealed via the PS store the release date for the game has been to December 2019 from April 2019 for no particular reason.
Also, the PS Store is not accepting any pre-orders for the game which seems very weird considering the game's current release date worldwide is just 5 months away on 26 April 2019.
Of course, this December 2019 release window might just be a placeholder some people are assuming, but giving a placeholder date to a game whose release date has already been confirmed is strange.
Nevertheless, Sony has yet to confirm anything and we are most likely to hear or see something on 7th December, during The Game Awards 2019.
In Days Gone,
The player controls Deacon St. John, a former outlaw-turned drifter and bounty hunter who prefers life on the road to wilderness encampments.The game takes place two years after a global pandemic occurred which killed almost all of humanity, and transformed millions of others into "Freakers", mindless zombie-like creatures that are quickly evolving.
The game was initially revealed back at E3 2016 where the game received much praise and hype.
Fast forward to 2018, the game has continued to lose its hype and fan following because of its unpolished gameplay and a familiar tone of the game as well over-relying on familiar features of the open world genre, especially in a stage where open world games have been kind of a fatigue.
Still, the game looks promising after all, its an exclusive and Sony doesn't invest in the studios or titles it doesn't see having potential.
And maybe that's why the game might actually get delayed once again because Sony wants it to match the level of quality found in the other recent PS4 exclusive releases.
What are your thoughts on this situation?
Tell us in the comments down below.
For more Gaming News, stick to Sportskeeda.


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All the latest news from the retail property market covering high street, out of town, retail parks,
supermarkets and shopping centres
2020-05-28T16:46:00+01:00By Jessica Newman
Department store chain Debenhams has negotiated a deal with landlords that will allow it to reopen most of its stores on 15 June.
2020-05-28T14:22:00+01:00By Jessica Newman
LabTech has unveiled plans to reopen Camden Market on 1 June, with an estimated 80% of food and beverage businesses expected to start trading again.
2020-05-27T14:56:00+01:00By Jessica Newman
Retailers are preparing to reopen their shops following more than two months of closures.
2020-05-26T07:55:00+01:00By Sally Hickey
British Land has put its search for a new chief executive on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic.
2020-05-26T08:29:00+01:00By Jessica Newman
Legal & General (L&G) has completed the sale of 36-46 St John’s Road near Clapham Junction for £25m, on behalf of its BMW (UK) Trustees fund.
2020-05-22T13:56:00+01:00By Emma Shone
Intu has announced a number of safety measures it will implement to support the gradual reopening of non-essential stores at its 14 shopping centres in the UK.
2020-05-21T11:40:00+01:00By Sally Hickey
A quarter of all UK retail floorspace remained open during the lockdown, propped up by the out of town market, according to research from Savills.
2020-05-21T11:18:00+01:00By Jessica Newman
The Howard de Walden Estate will hold its annual Marylebone summer festival virtually this year to comply with the government’s social distancing measures.
2020-05-21T09:56:00+01:00By Sally Hickey
JR Capital has purchased a prime high street investment in Leeds City Centre for £4.35m.
2020-05-20T15:05:00+01:00By Anviksha Patel
Intu Metrocentre’s lenders are set to appoint advisers in a potential move to negotiate a financial restructuring with the struggling shopping centre’s owners.
More retail news
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WhatsApp to launch feature that may allow copying text from images
Ten News Network
New Delhi (India), 17th March 2023: Days after launching the picture-in-picture feature for iOS users, the Meta-owned social networking service is reportedly launching a new update that will enable users to extract text from images.
According to reports, the tech giant is developing a camera feature that will only be available to iPhone users and will let them copy any text that is flashing on a photo. The upgrade will probably start rolling out to WhatsApp early next month in stages.
According to a story in WABetaInfo, the new update will be applied to the version 23.5.77. Since Apple’s most recent iPhone models already have this feature, there shouldn’t be an issue. This feature, which enables iPhone users to copy any text from a picture or through the iPhone’s camera, was introduced by the Cupertino-based tech behemoth last year.
Users can now also forward audio notes from their chats to status, and voice notes can be recorded for a maximum of 30 seconds. The social network is also testing a different feature that will let users edit a communication that has already been sent.


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VeriSign Reconsiders Controversial Search Service
Posted on February 9, 2004
Verisign is reconsidering its controversial search service which could profit from typos made when surfers input incorrect web URLs. The Washington Post reports that Verising, Inc. announced plans at a shareholder meeting to relaunch the Site Finder service as early as April 2004. When Verisign ran Site Finder last September ICANN threatened them with fines and lawsuits.


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- Facebook (FB +6.8%) plans to sell 15 second long TV-type ads on its site for as much as $2.5M per day, reports Bloomberg.
- Back of the envelope: $2.5M times 365 days equals nearly $1B per year (company earned about $330M on revenue of $1.8B last quarter).
- Already having a big day in continuation of a massive post-earnings move, the stock is within pennies of its $38 IPO price.
- Previous: Facebook launches mobile game publishing.
Facebook reportedly planning TV-style commericals
Jul 30 2013, 15:50 ET


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Covid-19 cases have increased in China since strict restrictions were lifted earlier this month, raising concerns about the potential impact on the global economy given the country’s financial clout.
After people protested against the curbs that kept the virus at bay among its 1.4 billion-strong population, China began dismantling its zero-COVID policy of lockdowns and testing — at a high cost to the world’s second-largest economy.
On Tuesday, International Monetary Fund chief Kristalina Georgieva said that the loosening of controls would also “create some difficulties over the next months.”
This is because the inevitable increase in infections will render more people temporarily unable to work.
How are we aware of COVID-19 cases in China?
Cases are rising across China, hospitals are struggling to keep up, and authorities admit they can no longer track cases accurately.
The National Health Commission (NHC) of China reported approximately 16,000 new COVID cases in the previous week, but the World Health Organization (WHO) believes the figure is closer to 150,000.
The WHO says it received reports of 443 deaths in the week ending Tuesday, compared to just seven officially reported by China.
“Many asymptomatic people are no longer participating in nucleic acid testing, so it is impossible to grasp the actual number of asymptomatic infected people accurately,” the NHC said last week.
How is the Chinese economy faring?
The World Bank has slashed China’s growth forecasts, and retail sales have plummeted.
According to official data released on Thursday, retail sales were down in November, when China saw some of its highest infection numbers, but that was before restrictions were eased.
“In November, local outbreaks spread to the majority of provinces across the country, residents’ travel decreased, and consumption scenarios were restricted,” said Fu Jiaqi, a statistician with China’s National Bureau of Statistics.
“Non-essential goods sales and gathering-based consumption were significantly impacted.”
Julian Evans-Pritchard and Zichun Huang, economists at Capital Economics, said while the move away from zero-COVID laid the groundwork for an eventual recovery in activity, the “transition period will prove quite disruptive.”
On Tuesday, the World Bank cut its China growth forecast for this year and next, citing the “ups and downs of the pandemic” and other factors such as a shaky property sector.
Will the surge have a negative impact on the global economy?
There are differing viewpoints on this.
The US has expressed concern that the surge will disrupt trade and supply chains to other countries.
Given the size of China’s economy, the “toll of the virus is of concern to the rest of the world,” according to US Department of State spokesperson Ned Price.
US Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo told Reuters on Tuesday that China’s latest COVID developments and European energy shortages were “already affecting” the US economy.
However, Professor Meijun Qian of the ANU College of Business and Economics pointed out that trade tensions between the US and China have a long history.
The US President promised to re-establish his country’s relationship with China, but four years later, he still hasn’t convinced his “very good friend” to agree to the big new deal he’s always desired.
She believes that rising cases will have no greater impact on the global economy than the zero-COVID policy.
According to Professor Qian, any potential impact on the global economy would be temporary, and easing restrictions would be a long-term positive move for trade and supply chains.
“It’s always going to be better than zero-COVID, where they restricted the movement of people, and some people can’t go to work at all,” she said.
“Right now, they are at least letting people go to work and school.”
Impact of Covid in China on India
Subhrakant Panda, the newly-appointed president of the industry association FICCI, stated that there is no need for panic. Still, that caution is advised, and the Indian economy and corporates are strong enough to withstand any “short and sharp” disruption to the global supply chain.
“I believe the government is on top of things,” he said, recounting how the government handled the unseen pandemic – first imposing lockdown when little was known to keep it under control, to a graded reopening of the economy, and finally to carrying out world’s largest vaccination drive once the vaccines were available.
“I don’t think there is a need to panic. But alertness is called for,” said Panda, who is also the managing director of Indian Metals & Ferro Alloys Ltd and was head of the Covid Task Force at FICCI during the pandemic’s peak.
After Beijing relaxed the ‘Covid Zero’ protocols that had kept the pandemic at bay, Chinese cities are reportedly seeing a surge in Covid-19 cases.
If this turns out to be a new outbreak, movement restrictions will be imposed, destabilizing the Chinese economy, which is a key pillar of global growth. As a global manufacturer, any export disruption may result in shortages, which could increase international inflation.
“From India Inc’s perspective, the Indian economy and Indian corporates are resilient. When cyclical sectors are concerned, corporate balance sheets are significantly deleveraged. There is not much you can do beyond this.”
“Now, if there are sectors that are China-specific, they will face disruption. One has to deal with it, and I hope that this is a short, sharp disruption, but again as I said, I would not like to speculate and look at it more from a human perspective than an industry perspective that things don’t spiral out of control,” he told PTI in an interview.
He claims that China plays a significant role in global supply chains. “So, yes, if there is a disruption, it will have an effect, but at this point, I would rather not speculate.”
In India, the good news is that almost all adults have been double-vaccinated, and a significant number have also received booster doses.
“The government is on top of the ball by ensuring that we are monitoring new cases to ensure there is no genetic mutation,” he said. “From the FICCI perspective, I hope we don’t have to revive the Covid task force.”


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Ryan Hemeon has put together a tutorial for getting nicely synced Audiobus tracks in BeatMaker 2, using MIDI and various apps.
Another couple of great apps went on sale today, including NanoStudio which is on its lowest price in its nearly 3 year history!
Although most of you will already have NanoStudio, you might want to take a look at HyperTunes.
MATRIXSYNTH found this fun jam with the new Sound Machines RC1radiostar, a Eurorack Modular Synth module that you can connect to via Bluetooth from your tablet! The remote app will be available for both Android and iOS, and uses OSC. The release date has not yet been announced, but the price is expected to be around 450€ + VAT in Europe.
I love seeing iPad's playing modular synths, and hope this will bring a new wave of similar videos!


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Take-up of cloud computing by UK SMEs has increased 15 percent in the last year.
Cloud-based applications are used by 69 percent of SMEs, with 53 percent believing that they are important to remote working.
In addition, 91 percent of respondents to the BT and British Chambers of Commerce survey have at least one member of staff working from home and 19 percent have more than half of their workforce working away from the main office location.
Remote access to company data, wi-fi access when out of the office and fibre-optic broadband were also seen as critical by 56 percent, 64 percent and 33 percent of respondents respectively.
Smartphones were considered the most transforming technology, with 68 percent believing that they had made the biggest difference to businesses in the last 12 months. 54 percent cited improved wi-fi access and 42 percent cloud-based applications.
79 percent claimed that the internet had increased their speed of communication, 64 percent argued it had improved customer service and 63 percent claimed that enabling flexible working.
Danny Longbottom, managing director, UK SME, BT Business, said: "Technology is at the heart of a lot of the dramatic changes we’re seeing within the UK SME market – whether that’s offering the realistic possibility of working from home, increasing the effectiveness of people when they’re out of the office or opening up new markets, both in the UK and internationally."
According to a survey by Kronos, 64 percent of workers believe that cloud applications are important in supporting their day-to-day work, while 83 percent prefer cloud applications to those deployed on-premise.
On average, workers use six different cloud applications per month. In addition, 79 percent expect the number of people using cloud applications for work to increase over the next two years.
Longbottom added: "Central to those changes is connectivity, which is why we’re investing heavily to provide access to the fastest connections possible for businesses across the UK."
BT is not the only company ‘investing heavily’ in business communications. Virgin Media recently highlighted the importance of digital technologies to enabling SMEs’ operations, with one of their new sustainability goals aiming to enable 100,000 small businesses to participate in the economy.
"We believe that digital technology can give the UK economy a boost by helping every business grow," Virgin Media stated.
"The digital economy is worth £82bn to the UK but we know that thousands of small businesses aren’t getting all the benefits of digital technology.
"By providing superfast broadband access, inspiration, skills and advice we can help small businesses to thrive and grow. In return these businesses will create jobs, contribute to their communities and help drive a digital competitive advantage for the UK as a whole."
According to Kester Mann, Principal Analyst at CCS Insight, the market is in danger of being uncompetitive.
"There’s a concern for Ofcom about competition in the sector. BT dominates quite considerably."
According to Ofcom’s figures, BT holds a 49 percent market share, while Virgin Media trails with 9 percent, Daisy at 7 percent and TalkTalk at 6 percent.
"Our assessment of market outcomes for SMEs has also shown that the market is currently under-delivering superfast broadband connectivity to SMEs (with coverage at 56% in June 2014)," says the Ofcom report.
The report adds: "Without targeted action, this under-delivery is set to continue: our analysis of future deployment plans finds that around 18 percent of SME premises will not have access to superfast broadband by 2017."
"They do also acknowledge the launch of some new services to this sector," Mann adds, "but it’s a market that could be more competitive."
Arguably, SMEs’ adoption of services can be held back by a lack of expertise compared to enterprises, Mann argues.
"Possibly they don’t have the time or resources to compare offers because they’re smaller," says Mann.
Mike van Bunnens, Managing Director at Comms365, adds that SMEs could open themselves up to pitfalls such as outages without the necessary knowledge.
"A lot of SMEs don’t necessarily have people working in IT departments that come from an enterprise perspective. They should definitely start to look at how disaster recovery (DR) plans are thought out.
"Most enterprises have a DR plan. The more cloud services they adopt the more protocol they need. SMEs don’t necessarily have that knowledge."
BT’s study surveyed 319 decision-makers in UK SMEs.


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Movable Ink now lets developers build custom email applets
Movable Ink has always prided itself on providing marketers with a way to deliver highly customized emails, but today the company decided to take that one step further. It announced an SDK that enables developers to build custom applets to add their own unique information to any email.
The company has always seen itself as a platform on which marketers can build these highly customized email marketing campaigns, says Bridget Bidlack SVP of product at Movable Ink.
“We built our business on making it easier for marketers to add intelligent content into any email campaign through a library of hundreds of apps. With our [latest] launch, we’re really opening up our development framework to agencies and system integrators so that they can create those apps on their own,” Bidlack explained.
This means companies are free to create any type of data integration they wish and not simply rely on Movable Ink to supply it for them. Bidlack says that could be anything from the current weather to accurate inventory levels, loyalty point scores and recent purchase activity.[gallery ids="1647086,1647087,1647088"]
What’s more, Movable Ink doesn’t really care about the source of the data. It could come from the company CRM system, internal database or offer management tool. Bidlack says Movable Ink can incorporate that data into an email regardless of where it’s stored.
This all matters because the company’s whole raison d’etre is about providing a customized email experience for every user. Instead of getting a generic email marketing campaign, you would get something that pulls in details from a variety of sources inside the company to build a custom email aimed directly at the individual recipient.
Company co-founder and CEO Vivek Sharma says that when they launched in 2010, service providers at the time were focused on how many people they could reach and open rate, but nobody was really thinking about the content. His company wanted to fill that gap by focusing specifically on building emails with customized content.
As Sharma said, they didn’t try to take on the email service providers. Instead they wanted to build this intelligent customization layer on top. They have grown increasingly sophisticated with their approach in the last 8 years and count companies like Dunkin’ Donuts, Bloomingdale’s, Comcast and Delta among their 500+ customers. They also have strategic partnerships with companies in the space like Salesforce, Oracle, IBM, Cheetah Digital, Epsilon and many others.
The approach seems to be working. The company has raised a modest $ 14 million since it launched in 2010, but today it boasts $ 40 million in annual recurring revenue, according to Sharma.Enterprise – TechCrunch


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Retailers hope cozy atmosphere appeals to Christmas shoppers
By Anne D'Innocenzio
Bergdorf Goodman will set up TV sets in its men's clothing department this holiday season, offer children's book readings and showcase home merchandise such as frames and candles on the first floor instead of the seventh.
In the aftermath of Sept. 11, retailers such as Bath & Body Works are taking a softer approach toward shoppers this holiday season.
And Intimate Brands' Bath & Body Works is training employees in sweetening their sales pitch of new offerings, including its spa and aromatherapy line. Sales staff are now expected to engage shoppers in light conversation before demonstrating the merits of orange ginger oils and salt scrubs.
In the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, many retailers are changing their holiday plans, hoping that a softer, more comforting approach will put consumers, who have been cutting their spending back for months, in the mood to buy once again. Amid anthrax scares and fears of more terrorist attacks on U.S. soil, retail executives acknowledge that consumers are jittery and that stores need to be more in sync with customers' needs.
"We want a more cozy Christmas. We want our customers to feel our store is a safe haven," said Robert Burke, vice president of fashion at Bergdorf Goodman.
"We just need to take the time to say 'hello.' Consumers are more sensitive these days," said Ken Montera, executive vice president of Bath & Body Works.
Other retailers including Target Stores Inc. and Home Depot Inc. said they are sticking to already-planned holiday strategies, which they feel are still appropriate. And teen retailer American Eagle believes the holiday ad campaign it conceived last spring will resonate even more than expected with shoppers. The retailer's "Get Together" campaign, which will begin in mid-November, shows an ethnically diverse group of young people at home sharing the holidays together.
Consumers are pulling away from big-ticket luxury items and other discretionary purchases, and more toward cocooning merchandise, as they retreat to their homes. Sales of knitting needles and other arts and crafts, as well as home decor have picked up at stores including Michaels Stores Inc.
Since the attacks, Americans have been eating more at home, spending more time with family and friends and leaving work on time, according to Arnold Worldwide, a Boston-based advertising agency, which has been surveying 1,000 consumers each week since mid-September.
All this translates to consumers wanting a higher standard of comfort when shopping, said Graceann Bennett, director of brand planning for Arnold Worldwide. "They're craving human contact, warmth in the stores," she said.
But will a warm and fuzzy approach encourage consumers to buy? "It will certainly help, and allow parents, husbands, boyfriends to shop together, but it doesn't help the key consumer issue," said Burt Flickinger, III, a Westport, Conn.-based retail consultant, "Consumers are tapped out. There are massive layoffs of high-paying jobs and concern about looming layoffs."
Daniel Barry, a retail industry analyst at Merrill Lynch, forecasts that retailers will have the worst Christmas in 33 years, with total general merchandise sales up only 0.2 percent, compared with last year's 5 percent gain. Same-store sales, or sales at stores open at least a year, for the 72 companies Barry tracks are projected to be down 0.8 percent for holiday, compared to last year's modest gain of 1.4 percent.
So far, some retailers are reporting some success with their new strategies. Bergdorf Goodman, which just began to offer refreshments in the store, finds customers are lingering longer and buying.


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‘The high street is where shopping comes alive’ - Campaign launched to celebrate Ipswich’s independent heroes
- Credit: Archant
A new campaign is under way celebrating the independent businesses which shape Ipswich’s unique personality.
#LOVEIndependent was launched by Coes of Ipswich last month and is already supported by more than 50 stores across the town.
MORE: Closure of another Ipswich store confirmedThe idea is a simple one.
In Ipswich there are a host of independent shops dedicated to serving the local community.
And while they often become part of what makes our local landscape so distinctive, they can just as easily remain hidden - their wonders left untapped.
So, in an effort to combat this potential problem Coes department store, one of the town's most successful independent retailers, has launched the #LOVEIndependent initiative to shine a light on the hidden gems.
You may also want to watch:
"I passionately believe there is nothing like the local high street", explained William Coe.
"It's vital that we celebrate everything it has to offer - the high street is where shopping comes alive with diversity and character.
- 1 WATCH: England fan pulled out of water at Ipswich marina
- 2 Opening date confirmed for new indoor market in Ipswich's former Peacocks
- 3 Man and woman charged in connection with the theft of 85 dogs
- 4 Traffic at standstill on A12 between Ipswich and Colchester
- 5 'Stressed' bride forced to cut guest list just over a week before wedding
- 6 Flooding off the A14 causes emergency road closure in Ipswich
- 7 'Happy-go-lucky' mum died in Ipswich days after news of second lockdown
- 8 Drug courier delivering cocaine in Ipswich is jailed
- 9 £1.4m home with swimming pool and tennis court for sale on edge of Ipswich
- 10 Kesgrave shooting: Teenager 'unintentionally' pulled trigger, defence says
"There's a sense of community you get from shopping locally and discovering ideas that can only exist outside the mainstream."
He added: "Local businesses contribute tremendously to the identity of the towns we're in.
"So we have teamed up with a few of them to introduce you to the fantastic people who run them and help our town centres continue to thrive."
The campaign has also been rolled out to like-minded business in Felixstowe and Maldon who are passionate about nurturing their local community.
As part of the initiative businesses proudly display the campaign's colourful logo in their shop windows and are profiled on the Coes blog.
Stores taking part in the campaign include; The House in Town, Applaud, Elmy Cycles, Lady Norfolk & Lord Rust, Maud's Attic, LoveOne and Truffle Clothing.
Mr Coe added: "This summer brings a host of events worth celebrating, from Suffolk Pride and Latitude, to the launch of Destination Norwich Road and Elmer's Big Parade Suffolk, providing the perfect opportunity to come together to recognise the vibrant communities around us.
"Independent stores, events and people who love where they live make our hometowns what they are. Let's nurture them so we can all revel in a bright future."


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The EFF has released "European Copyright Leak Exposes Plans to Force the Internet to Subsidize Publishers" by Jeremy Malcolm.
Here's an excerpt:
A just-leaked draft impact assessment on the modernization of European copyright rules could spell the end for many online services in Europe as we know them. The document's recommendations foreshadow new a EU Directive on copyright to be introduced later this year, that will ultimately bind each of the European Union's 28 member states. If these recommendations by the European Commission are put in place, Europe's Internet will never be the same, and these impacts are likely to reverberate around the world. . . .
The Commission's proposal is to award publishers a new copyright-like veto power, layered on top of the copyright that already exists in the published content, allowing them to prevent the online reuse of news content even when a copyright exception applies. This veto power may last for as little as one year, or as many as 50—the Commission leaves this open for now.
This kind of veto power has been described as a link tax—notwithstanding the Commission's protestations that it isn't one-because when the publisher controls even the use of small snippets of news text surrounding a hyperlink to the original article, it essentially amounts to a tax on that link. The result, as seen in Spain, will be the closure of online news portals, and a reduction in traffic to news publishers.


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Just Cause 4 has just been made available on the Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft's game subscription service on the Xbox One. A surprising addition considering the Square Enix published game launched just three months ago. Another major release from the publisher, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, joined Xbox Game Pass last month as well.
The new addition seems to be an early arrival, considering Microsoft teased recently that a game starting with the letter J will be coming to the Xbox Game Pass tomorrow, March 7, and there haven't been any official announcements yet. Another Xbox One title is also supposed to accompany it, but there aren't any clues on what it will be.
Here's the store page and a short description of Avalanche Studios' latest entry to its open-world action series, once again starring Rico Rodriguez:
Welcome to Solís, a huge South American world home of conflict, oppression and extreme weather conditions. Just Cause 4 sees rogue agent Rico Rodriguez land in Solís to hunt down the truth about his past, at any cost. Strap into your wingsuit, equip your fully customizable grappling hook, and get ready to bring the thunder!
Unless Microsoft pulls the trigger early, we should be seeing the official Xbox Game Pass announcement for Just Cause 4 and the unknown second game sometime tomorrow as previously planned.
A single month of an Xbox Game Pass subscription can currently be purchased from the Microsoft Store for $1, down from the standard $9.99 price point. There is also a 14-day free trial available to new users.


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Cadillac Is Unveiling Three New EVs In 2023, Including a Small Lyriq Sibling
A compact crossover is definitely coming. The other two are less clear, but we have some idea of what to look for.
GM is revealing new EVs like it's going out of style. Last year we saw the new Chevy Equinox EV, Chevy Blazer EV, GMC Sierra EV, and more. Cadillac's recent announcement that three new models will be unveiled this week follows the trend that more is more. We have some idea of what at least one of these cars is already, though.
The first thing to keep in mind is that these are just unveilings. As the very gradual production start of the Lyriq has shown, it may take a long time for us to actually see these newer vehicles on the road. Cadillac's president Rory Harvey has said they will all be starting production next year. The one Cadillac we're likely going to see first is a compact crossover, likely based on the Equinox EV's platform.
Spy shooters have spotted the heavily camouflaged car running around in places. It's a very Equinox EV sort of shape crossed with the sharper lines that define Cadillac's electric vehicles. It's easy to tell the car's fascia is similar to the Lyriq's even behind the camouflage.
The other two vehicles are more of a mystery, but we have some basic information about future Cadillac models that probably lines up with them. GM recently trademarked the names Optiq, Ascendiq, Lumistiq, and Vistiq. The names Escalade IQ and Escalade IQL were also trademarked. We obviously know what to expect out of a car bearing the Escalade name and it's plausible an electric one could be revealed soon. It would likely sit on the same platform that the Chevy Silverado EV and GMC's pair of electric pickups use.
Sedans are less likely but not impossible. GM has yet to reveal any electric sedans besides the massive Celestiq, and with crossover sales being so hot it could be a questionable decision to develop a smaller sedan. Cadillac is the last holdout for GM in terms of low-slung four doors, though. It still sells the CT4 and CT5, and sales this year are actually doing well. In the same breath, those cars aren't very old. Both were unveiled around 2020, so they will likely be on sale until 2026. A 2023 unveiling of a compact sedan could be a little early, although it was indicated that at least one of these reveals could take place very late in the year.
So two of these new EVs will be a big mystery until they're announced. As soon as we know more, you'll see it here.
Got a tip or question for the author? You can reach them here: firstname.lastname@example.org


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EV upstart Lucid is about to reveal its first electric car to the public, but not before showing off its revolutionary driver assistance technology.
Lucid’s semi-automated driving tech will differ slightly from what we’ve seen from brands like Tesla, with its Autopilot; and GM, which touts Super Cruise. The vehicle will be one of the first on the market with a standard lidar system, as well as privacy controls.
DreamDrive, as it’s being called, is powered by a high-resolution lidar system working alongside an advanced camera/radar sensor suite, and also includes a driver monitoring system and a fully redundant platform. Some 32 sensors inform the vehicle of the world around it, and Lucid claims the system is the first driver assist built on a high-speed Ethernet Ring.
The Ethernet Ring encompasses “redundant independent power sources and communications paths, fail-operational actuators, and fault-tolerant computation” — basically, it’s a backup for the steering, brakes, and sensors.
Lucid’s system will not be able to support hands-free driving like its competitors from Tesla and GM, at least initially. The software can be updated over the air, meaning there could be a hands-free driving option added in the future, however.
The vehicle, called the “Air,” will make its global debut on September 9, 2020. Pricing will be made available closer to that date.


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The Japanese Virtual Currency Exchange Association (JVCEA) has approved gaming focused cryptocurrency Enjin (ENJ) for listing on the Coincheck exchange, the Enjin team announced in a blog post on Jan. 19. The approval makes Enjin the first regulated gaming token in Japan.
- ENJ will be listed on Coincheck on Jan. 26, joining 14 other assets in a select list; user will be able to trade it against Bitcoin (BTC) and the Japanese Yen (JPY)
- The team said that the list was a result of its strategic partnership with Hashport, a Japanese accelerator it began working with in 2019; one of the goals of the partnership was to realize the approval of ENJ’s listing by a regulator
- The JVCEA is a regulatory body authorized by the Japanese Financial Services Agency (FSA) to oversee activities in the crypto industry and market
- Japan is one of the world’s strongest markets for video games, with a revenue of $15 billion in 2020
- Enjin CEO expects this development will have impact on the wider ecosystem, saying that “some of the world’s best blockchain games will come from the Japanese gaming industry”
- The news has had a strong effect on ENJ’s price, boosting it to by 40% in the last 24 hours to $0.406
- Enjin’s reach in the video game industry includes Minecraft support via a plugin


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Media outlet Techspot reported that if people find themselves unable to get clean tap water, there are steps they can take to adapt and survive. Buying bottled water in stores to prepare for an emergency is an obvious option, but products like LifeStraw, which purify water from lakes, streams and ponds, can also do wonders. Watergen, the water technology company, hopes to offer another (more expensive) solution through its latest announcement.
At CES 2020, Watergen introduced a new version of GENNY device spowered by solar power.
Existing GENNY products use dehumidifier-like technology to draw moisture from the air and convert it into clean drinking water. This is an impressive technology, but it requires a power outlet to work properly, just like most other water coolers. However, the new GENNY completely eliminates this requirement, thanks to the four solar panels that come with the product. Although it functions the same as the existing GENNY, the new version is self-powered when installed externally.
“It has all the same benefits as GENNY and is ideal for use in remote areas, villages, parks, and environmentally friendly residential areas where electricity supply is unreliable or unusable,” Watergen said in a press release. GENNY, which is powered by solar energy, produces up to 3.5 gallons of water per day. “
For reference, the standard genNY produces 8 gallons of drinking water per day, so the solar version is slightly less powerful. However, as Watergen says, the value of the solar version of GENNY cannot be measured in remote areas or even for simple urban parks. Obviously, the solar version of GENNY is of little use for home or office use.
The price of the new genNY is expected to range from $5,000 to $8,000, including all costs (including shipping and installation assistance). The company has not announced a specific release date.


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Landmark $7.5B credit-card settlement had roots in Minneapolis
A seven-year legal battle between credit card issuers and merchants — with one of the Twin Cities' biggest law firms on the front lines — ended last week in a deal worth an estimated $7.25 billion.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Visa Inc., MasterCard Inc. and an array of banks including Wells Fargo, agreed to pay a slate of merchants — ranging from Publix Supermarkets Inc. to Traditions Classic Home Furnishings of St. Louis Park — more than $6 billion to settle a lawsuit that banks fixed prices on credit-card transaction fees. Savings on fees is expected to be worth another $1.2 billion.
Retailers will also get the ability to charge consumers more for credit card purchases.
Minneapolis-based Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi was one of the lead plaintiffs in the suit representing merchants. It had filed the suit in 2005 and was appointed with two other firms to lead the case when more than 50 suits were consolidated. The Star Tribune reports on the firm's role and lawyers' reaction: They're happy but pretty tired.
It's a win for many merchants, but some are still upset. The Wall Street Journal reports that The National Association of Convenience Stores has hired a longtime legal opponent of Visa and Mastercard to challenge the deal.
Mark Reilly manages daily and weekly coverage at the Business Journal newsroom.
Work For: Polaris Industries Polaris Industries | Minneapolis, MN
UX Designer American City Business Journals | Charlotte, NC
VICE PRESIDENT – COMMERCIAL LENDING First National Bank & Trust Company | Wichita, KS
Franchise Development Director Lift Brands | Chanhassen, MN
Customer Service – Consider a Career Change to Insurance Sales Bankers Life and Casualty Company | Lakeville, MN
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OnePlus is here with its new series. The OnePlus 7 series is expected to launch on May 14th. There is more than one phone launching on May 14th from OnePlus. So far it is confirmed that there is a OnePlus 7 and a OnePlus 7 Pro. But there are also reports of a 5G variant named, OnePlus 7 Pro 5G. Now some interesting details have leaked and it looks like it is going to be an impressive phone from the OnePlus. And the phone is also spotted in GeekBench with some of its specifications.
Specifications of OnePlus 7 Pro
Starting from the display, it would have one of the biggest change. First, it is bigger than the normal OnePlus 7 and second, it is a Quad HD+(1440 X 3120 pixels) Super AMOLED display. Which means the OnePlus 7 Pro is the first phone from the company that has a Quad HD+ screen. So far we have seen OnePlus phones with only full HD+displays. It is a 6.7-inch curved display with a refresh rate of 90Hz and a USB Type-C port. Compared to the normal 60Hz displays on smartphones, everything just looks smoother at 90Hz. The Asus Rog phone of the last year also had an AMOLED panel with the 90Hz refresh rate. So there is nothing to complain when it comes to the display of the OnePlus 7 Pro.
Coming to the cameras, it has triple rear cameras that include a primary 48-megapixel camera, a secondary wide-angle camera, and a third telephoto camera. So we would get a wide-angle camera on a OnePlus phone for the first time. As you already know, there is a pop-up selfie camera as well. The battery size has increased as well as it has a 4,000mAh battery with 30W Warp charging. The phone would also have wireless charging support. And the phone will be available in three RAM variants like 6GB+128GB variant, 8GB+256GB variant, and 12GB+256GB variant. Well, we already know that there is Snapdragon 855 SoC and the phone runs Android 9 operating system. Also, it will feature a display fingerprint scanner and no headphone jack.
OnePlus 7 Pro is spotted in GeekBench listing recently with a model number OnePlus GM1917. And the phone scored 3551 points in single-core and 11012 points in multi-score tests.
Price of the OnePlus 7 Pro in India is expected to be Rs.47,990 for the 6GB variant. Well, news about the prices is not yet confirmed. The phone is said to be available in Blue, Grey, and Midnight Black colours.


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The precipitous decline in the price of copper over the last three days has dramatically increased the “pucker factor” for global financial markets as an increasing number of traders are taking copper’s price plunge as a cue to sell other assets.
Recall that copper is the metal with a PhD in economics since its use is so widespread and, as a result, its price provides important signals not just about the supply and demand of copper but of the health of both local economies and the global economy. Right now, it’s not saying anything positive about China or the world.
This CNBC report says the plunging price may be “acting as a fire alarm for the global economy” and fire alarms going off are never good. Even if it’s a false alarm, it’s highly disruptive over the short-term and, right now, it’s keeping people from buying stocks.
Bloomberg says iron-ore prices are also tumbling and that steel companies are teetering.
The real problem here is not the metal or the economy – it’s credit – and both copper and iron-ore have been widely used as collateral for sometimes dodgy loans from China’s enormous shadow-banking system that also appears to be teetering.
None of this sounds good…


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Audi has pulled the covers off the new 2013 Audi RS5 Cabriolet, which will be launched in Europe at the start of next year. There are certain design changes to the soft-top convertible that are incorporated into the RS5 coupe as a mid-life facelift.
The RS5 Cabriolet is powered by the same 4.2-litre FSI V8 from the hardtop version, mated to seven-speed S-Tronic gearbox powering all four wheels. The car is capable of going from naught to 100kph in 4.9 seconds, and like most other Audis the top speed is electronically limited to 250kph. The fabric top opens in 15 seconds and takes 17 seconds to close, more importantly it makes the sports exhaust (available as option) sound even louder to the occupants. The typical Audi RS badging is also in place, as are 19-inch alloy wheels, red cylinder heads that echo the Ferrari Testarossas and a carbon-fiber intake manifold.
Audi has sold a few RS5s in India in the recent past – via CBU route, and the company may offer the convertible here (on order), once deliveries begin in Europe.


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New Delhi | Reuters – India will launch a 110 billion rupee ($1.48 billion) plan to boost domestic oilseed production to make the country self-sufficient in edible oil, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday, a move that will cut costly vegetable oil imports.
India is the world’s biggest vegetable oil importer and spends an average of $8.5-$10 billion annually on edible oil imports.
The country produces less than half of the roughly 24 million tonnes of edible oil that it consumes annually. It imports the rest, buying palm oil from Indonesia and Malaysia, soyoil from Brazil and Argentina, and sunflower oil, mainly from Russia and Ukraine.
India does export agricultural commodities such as sugar and rice on the world market, but domestic oilseed production is nearly six times lower than rice and wheat on average.
“The government will invest more than 110 billion rupees via the National Mission on Oilseeds and Oil Palm to provide farmers everything possible, including better seeds and technology,” Modi said on Twitter.
“When India is emerging as a major exporter of farm goods, we should not depend on imports for our edible oil requirements,” Modi said.
India’s vegetable oil imports have surged to 15 million tonnes from 4 million only two decades ago, according to traders and industry officials. They said imports could reach 20 million by 2030, boosted by a growing population with higher incomes and a taste for calorie-laden curry and fried food.
Atul Chaturvedi, president of the Solvent Extractors Association of India, an industry body, said it was a giant step to help India to become self-sufficient in edible oil.
Earlier this year, Reuters reported that India was expected to announce a five-year plan to cut vegetable oil imports by providing farmers with financial incentives to switch to oilseeds from grains.


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Elusive, the developer and distributor of cheat software for Grand Theft Auto V, has been ordered to pay Take-Two $150,000 in copyright infringement damages.
We probably shouldn't admit this, but the Grand Theft Auto series has been a part of our lives since we were kids. The two dimensional, bird's eye view versions of the game on the PlayStation One weren't nearly as graphic and violent as today's offerings, of course. Along with stealing cars and bringing down police helicopters, one other thing has come naturally to us while playing GTA. Cheating.
We vividly remember playing certain iterations of the game with a long list of cheat codes alongside us. Vice City and San Andreas were perhaps the best games for this. Codes that unlocked weapons, gave you more health, and even the more wacky ones to make cars fly or have pedestrians fight each other. As you might have guessed, those cheat codes are now a thing of the past.
Cheating on GTA V is a much more serious business. Players have actually been able to buy cheating software that would grant them unfair advantages while playing online, such as unlimited money. Since this flies right in the face of Take-Two, GTA's developers, making real money, the company has taken action. And, as reported by TorrentFreak, the developers have been successful.
The cheating tool is called Elusive, and Take-Two has been on to them for a while. The site stopped selling the software a year ago when first clocked by the game developers, and those in charge pledged to give the money it had made to charity. Take-Two clearly wasn't happy with that and proceeded to pursue legal action. That legal action has now come to an end and Elusive has to pay Take-Two $150,000 in copyright damages as well as almost $70,000 in attorney fees.
Take-Two claims that the Elusive software has actually cost them a lot more than that, as much as $500,000, but $150,000 is the maximum amount payable in copyright damages. This really feels more like a warning to any others who create and distribute similar software on their games or are planning to. Take-Two will find and make an example of you.


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Description: Apple is set to open its first physical stores in India next week, highlighting the country’s importance to the U.S. tech firm’s future in iPhone sales and manufacturing. The Cupertino giant will open a store in Mumbai on Apr. 18 and in the Indian capital Delhi on Apr. 20. Source: CNBC.com Date: Apr 11, 2023… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Personal Finance
Bets against U.S. stocks swell to highest levels since 2011. History shows that’s actually good news for markets.
Description: However, history shows crowded position are a reliable counter-indicator. Source: MarketWatch.com Date: Apr 11, 2023 Link: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/bets-against-u-s-stocks-swell-to-highest-level-since-2011-history-shows-thats-actually-good-news-for-markets-9f6237e6?mod=home-page Questions for discussion: Summarize what the report says about market indicators. Do you agree with the interpretation? Why do you suppose investors have taken these positions?
Tilray CEO says Hexo purchase will help grow Canadian cannabis industry
Description: The chief executive officer of Tilray Brands Inc. said the acquisition of competitor Hexo Corp. will help position his company to lead Canada’s cannabis industry. Source: BNNBloomberg.ca – video report Date: Apr 11, 2023 Link: https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/tilray-ceo-says-hexo-purchase-will-help-grow-canadian-cannabis-industry-1.1906454 Questions for discussion: Summarize the analysis presented in the report? Should investors be excited by the merger? Would… Read more »
Walmart chases higher profits powered by warehouse robots and automated claws
Description: BROOKSVILLE, Fla. — At first glance, this warehouse looks like many: Forklifts unload pallets from the back of dozens of tractor-trailers. Canned soup, soda and cleaning supplies whiz by on conveyer belts. Store-bound merchandise gets sorted by department and store aisle before getting stacked high like an elaborate game of Tetris. The difference? Tasks… Read more »
Airlines’ answer for congested airports and rising costs: Bigger planes
Description: NEWARK, New Jersey — Faced with congested airports, rising costs, a pilot shortage and a resurgence in travel demand, airlines are increasingly turning to the same remedy: bigger planes that fit more passengers. Source: CNBC.com – video report Date: Apr 06, 2023 Link: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/04/06/why-airlines-are-flying-bigger-planes.html Questions for discussion: Summarize what is happening in aviation travel and what the… Read more »
Fallout from the Banking Crisis: What’s Ahead?
Description: During a recent LinkedIn Live event, a panel of Wharton experts noted that the fallout from Silicon Valley Bank’s failure will likely be contained within the commercial real estate sector. Much, however, depends on the Fed’s rate moves, they said. Source: knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu Date: Apr 04, 2023 Link: https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/fallout-from-the-banking-crisis-whats-ahead/?utm_campaign=KatW2023&utm_medium=email&utm_source=kw_campaign_monitor&utm_term=4-5-23&utm_content=Fallout_from_the_Banking_Crisis:_What’s_Ahead Questions for discussion: Summarize the main… Read more »
Johnson & Johnson shares rise after company proposes baby powder cancer settlement
Description: Johnson & Johnson shares on Wednesday climbed after the company proposed paying $8.9 billion to settle thousands of claims that its baby powder and other talc products caused cancer. Source: CNBC.com Date: Apr 05, 2023 Link: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/04/05/johnson-and-johnson-shares-rise-talc-settlement.html Questions for discussion: Explain the rise in the company stock value after this announcement. Do you perceive any further risk… Read more »
Toronto-Dominion becomes biggest bank short with US$3.7 billion on the line
Description: Turns out, the biggest short in the banking industry anywhere in the world isn’t in Switzerland or Silicon Valley, but rather, in the relatively tame financial centre of Canada. In recent weeks, short sellers have upped their bearish bets against Toronto-Dominion Bank, and now have roughly US$3.7 billion on the line vis-à-vis Canada’s second-largest… Read more »
Here’s what went wrong with Virgin Orbit
Description: Not too long ago, Virgin Orbit was in rarified air among U.S. rocket builders, and executives were in New York celebrating its public stock debut. The scene was true to the marketing pizazz that has helped Sir Richard Branson build his Virgin empire of companies, showcasing with a rocket model in the middle of Times Square. Source: CNBC.com… Read more »
Win the Race for Higher Risk-adjusted Stock Returns
Description: A new paper co-authored by Wharton’s Nikolai Roussanov uses machine learning to construct investment portfolios that ensure predictability of returns in a world of changing risks. Source: knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu Date: Mar 28, 2023 Link: https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/win-the-race-for-higher-risk-adjusted-stock-returns/ Questions for discussion: Summarize the argument presented in this report. Why is it so controversial? How should investors use this… Read more »


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Connect with top gaming leaders in Los Angeles at GamesBeat Summit 2023 this May 22-23. Register here.
The iOS version of the sobering border-guard simulator Papers, Please is out today, but it doesn’t include one of the its most invasive aspects — but that will change.
Yesterday, we reported that developer Lucas Pope planned to release Papers, Please on iOS but without the feature that shows immigrants completely nude during the security scan. That’s because Apple rejected the app when Pope originally submitted it, and the company explained it was because it is “pornographic.” Today, Apple is stepping back from that classification, according to Pope.
Just talked to Apple. The initial rejection for porn was a misunderstanding on their part. They suggested I resubmit with the nudity option.
— Lucas Pope (@dukope) December 12, 2014
Papers, Please has players controlling a border agent who must decide who to let into the fictional country of Arstotzka. You base your decisions on the information you get from people’s documentation and by invading their privacy. The point is to make players feel complicit in ripping dignity away from people in the name of security.
GamesBeat Summit 2023
Join the GamesBeat community in Los Angeles this May 22-23. You’ll hear from the brightest minds within the gaming industry to share their updates on the latest developments.
Pope was planning on appealing Apple’s original ruling, but that is now unnecessary. Pope explained that Apple should approve Papers, Please, nudity and all, if he submits it again.
While this is a win for Pope, Apple’s control over its closed system will likely continue to trouble other developers. The company has previously banned games that explore the Syrian civil war, conditions in sweatshops, and the joys of female masturbation. And since Apple’s iOS App Store is the only way to get content for your iPhone or iPad, this prevents people from using their devices to access content that they may want to experience.
GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it. Discover our Briefings.


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April 22, 2013
Today we’re thrilled to announce that Altoona, Iowa, will be the home for Facebook’s newest data center.
April 16, 2013
Today we’re announcing an update to the Facebook app for iPhone and iPad with new features in private messages.
April 04, 2013
Today we're introducing Home - a new way to turn your Android phone into a great, living, social phone.
March 27, 2013
Today IDC is releasing a new study revealing how mobile and social together are driving greater connectedness
March 13, 2013
Today we’re rolling out improvements to timeline that help you express what's important to you
March 07, 2013
Today we're announcing a new version of Facebook designed to reduce clutter and focus more on stories from the people you care about
January 15, 2013
Today we’re introducing a limited preview of Graph Search
December 17, 2012
Today we're announcing updates to Nearby in the Facebook for iOS and Android apps that make it easy to discover new places your friends like
December 12, 2012
A look back at the people, moments and things that created the most buzz in 2012 among the billion people around the world on Facebook
November 26, 2012
Starting today with Facebook Gifts, you can instantly gift your friends iTunes digital gifts and recommend albums, movies, games, apps, and more available on the iTunes Store
November 01, 2012
Now you can now use Facebook to make a charitable contribution in celebration of a friend or a family member
October 04, 2012
September 27, 2012
Starting today, you can give real gifts to your friends on Facebook using Gifts.
September 11, 2012
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was interviewed by Michael Arrington at TechCrunch Disrupt, held September 11 in San Francisco.
August 23, 2012
Today we're announcing an update to the Facebook app for iPhone and iPad that makes keeping up with friends faster and easier.
August 02, 2012
Today we're announcing Facebook Stories, a new site to share the stories of people using Facebook in extraordinary ways.
July 30, 2012
Today we’re announcing improvements to the photos section that make viewing photos more enjoyable
June 19, 2012
As summer vacation season starts, we measured check-ins made on Facebook in 25 cities worldwide to determine the world's most social landmarks.
June 07, 2012
Today we're launching the App Center to make it easier to find apps you can enjoy with friends.
May 24, 2012
Today, we're introducing Camera, a new mobile app that makes using Facebook photos faster and easier.
May 01, 2012
Starting today, you can add that you’re an organ donor to your timeline, and share your story about when, where or why you decided to become a donor.
April 26, 2012
Since timeline apps began launching, developers have been growing their businesses internationally by building social web and mobile apps
April 09, 2012
Facebook announced today that it has reached an agreement to acquire Instagram, a fun, popular photo-sharing app for mobile devices.
March 12, 2012
Some of the most innovative companies are launching new timeline apps this week at SXSW in Austin, Texas. New apps give people more ways to add their location, fitness, video and media interests to their timeline and share what they love with friends.
March 08, 2012
Lists on Facebook are a great way to organize your friends and focus on the people who matter most. Starting today, you also have interest lists—a whole new way to keep up with stuff you care about and tidy up your experience on Facebook.
Facebook © 2013


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Bezos, a 47-year-old former Wall Street money manager, started Amazon on the theory that a web-based bookstore would resonate with consumers, because it seemed like the easiest way to browse millions of titles at once.
He was right. The company grew rapidly and Amazon began trading publicly in May 1997, despite never having turned a profit. It took five more years—and the addition of product categories like CDs, DVDs, and consumer electronics—before the online retailer reported any net income. These days, Amazon consistently reports strong growth: In the most recent quarter, it earned $191 million on $9.91 billion in revenue.
It was Apple that moved into digital content first, however. With the arrival of Apple’s iPod digital music player, which first came out in 2001, Apple figured consumers would be willing to pay for legal, high-quality digital music they could download to the devices. Apple became a major player early on, making deals with major record labels to sell digital tunes through its iTunes Store in 2003. Soon the iPod became more multimedia-savvy: Apple added TV shows in 2005 and movie downloads a year later.
Amazon soon entered the market itself, rolling out its own digital video downloading service in 2006 and music downloading service a year later.
It was in 2007, though, that things really heated up. That’s when Amazon rolled out its first Kindle eReader, upending the book market once again by turning the focus from costly paper books to electronic ones that could be delivered quickly and cheaply to customers on a reading device.
The Kindle rapidly grew the company’s eBook business, and Amazon said in May that it was selling more eBooks than physical copies of books. But the Kindle Fire’s ability to show eBooks, surf the web, stream movies and TV shows, and support apps positions it as an even better catalyst for Amazon’s digital goods sales.
The Kindle Fire, which runs Google Inc.’s Android software, is clearly meant for gobbling up Amazon’s digital media in particular. While most Android tablets include access to Google’s Android Market for downloading games and apps, the Fire will eschew that in favor of Amazon’s own app store. And while the tablet doesn’t have much storage space—8 gigabytes, compared with 16 GB on the cheapest iPad—Amazon is offering users free web-based storage for any digital content they buy from Amazon.
Another weapon in Amazon’s arsenal: In hopes of keeping Kindle Fire users purchasing both digital and physical items, the tablet includes a free month of Amazon’s premium shipping service, Amazon Prime. Prime, which costs $79 per year, gives users unlimited two-day shipping on any items they buy from Amazon, as well as free access to a library of 11,000 streaming movies and TV shows. This is about half of what Netflix Inc.’s streaming library has.
- ‘Buyer’s remorse’ dogging Common Core rollout - October 30, 2014
- Calif. law targets social media monitoring of students - October 2, 2014
- Elementary world language instruction - September 25, 2014


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It’s every potential mover’s nightmare; your boxes are packed, your home is sold or your lease is up, your loaders are on the way, and you arrive at the rental company at your reserved pickup time only to be told that the truck that you’ve reserved isn’t available. You might be informed that you have to travel long distances to retrieve an available truck, or worse, that there simply aren’t any in a feasible distance. Many moving families are finding themselves in exactly that circumstance across the country, particularly in California and Nevada.
Rental truck prices have been rising across the country alongside the shortage. Mark J Perry, economist and professor at the University of Michigan/Flint first reported the shortage on Twitter referencing data provided by Uhaul earlier this summer. He noted that rental prices (particularly in California) were almost five times that of other states. With residents leaving the state en masse due to a confluence of economic, social, and environmental factors, moving trucks are in short supply and prices are at record highs.
Did You Know?
Traditional van lines and moving companies often use trucks from rental services like U-haul and Budget, who are primarily focused on consumer rentals, regardless of the reservation status of those trucks. This often leaves consumers like you in the lurch, without the truck you’ve reserved on your move date.
Beyond mere availability, another shock factor for consumers has been the skyrocketing cost of rentals. Erin Marquis, managing editor at Jalopnik requested quotes from multiple truck rental companies for an article about the economic and demographic impacts of California’s recent wildfires and found that when moving from a major California city like San Francisco, consumers could pay $4200 for a three day rental of a 26′ moving truck bound for Houston, Texas. In Houston, that same truck, reserved to travel the opposite way inbound to San Francisco, will cost only $793. A 22′ Penske truck to move from Los Angeles to Houston was listed at over $6200.
Did You Know?
Most consumers believe that once they’ve made their reservation, they’re guaranteed a truck on their specified moving date. But that’s not the case, particularly when there is a shortage of trucks in specific regions. Rented Truck Driver highly recommends that you pick your truck up the day before your move to ensure that you have time to make alternate arrangements with your rental company in case your truck is not immediately available.
While it pays to shop around (because rental rates are variable across vendors), you should also be careful to note the availability policy of the company that you select. U-haul and Budget do not guarantee availability (and are generally less expensive, sometimes by thousands of dollars) compared to Penske, who guarantees equipment availability (with an often much higher price tag.) In the event that your rental is not available on your specified move date, you may have to travel (sometimes hundreds of miles) to retrieve a truck. We’ve traveled as far as Arizona to retrieve trucks for clients moving from California.
While you can’t control truck shortages or the rising cost of rentals, you can engage trusted professionals to help you manage your move. At Rented Truck Driver, we work with you to create the blueprint of your perfect move and we’re with you every step of the way. Contact us for a free quote today, and take the worry and stress out of moving!


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Facebook has slashed the price of the Oculus Rift for a second time, as part of its “Summer of Rift” sales season. The Oculus Rift and Touch controller are available for $399 and will remain at that price for six weeks.
It is the second time Facebook has cut the price of the Oculus Rift since it acquired the company for $2 billion in 2014. Oculus launched its first consumer version in early 2016, but the first few months were plagued by shipping delays.
The original cost of the Oculus Rift, $599, put a lot of consumers off, especially with the additional hardware cost to make the games playable. Consumers that don’t already own a PC could see the cost pass $1,500, before purchasing any games or accessories.
Even though the reduction in price doesn’t do much for consumers without a PC, it may perk the interest of gamers that have been on the fence about the Oculus. However, some may wait for Oculus next headset, which is expected to launch in 2018.
The VR market has not blossomed as much as Facebook may have been hoping, but analysts project a growth in sales over the next five years, led by mobile VR headsets. Oculus already works with Samsung on the Gear VR, but may look to build its own hardware in the future.


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Seiki Unveils Ultra-Cheap Ultra HD Set16 Apr, 2013 By: Chris Tribbey
The entry-level prices for Ultra HD TV sets are dropping rapidly.
When LG Electronics and Sony Electronics debuted the first retail sets at the close of 2012, the prices were $20,000 and $25,000 respectively. Just in April Sony debuted two Ultra HD sets (55 inches and 65 inches) for $4,999 and $6,999, respectively.
Now, little-known Diamond Bar, Calif.-based consumer electronics company Seiki Digital has dropped the retail price barrier lower, offering a 50-inch LED 4K Ultra HDTV for $1,500, shipping later this month.
4K denotes a screen resolution of 3840x2160, four times the resolution of the 1920x1080 HDTV sets in most homes today, and it was the big thing coming out of the International Consumer Electronics Show with several companies announcing new sets and services.
“The introduction of Ultra HDTV is perhaps the biggest news since the first arrival of HDTV, and Seiki is leading the charge to make the next generation of high-definition entertainment attainable for today’s television buyers at an affordable price,” said Seiki EVP Frank Kendzora. “The Seiki 4K/2K picture quality is stunning with clarity and vivid colors that far surpasses conventional HDTVs.
“At [this] price point, today’s TV buyers can future-proof their next purchase with the latest Ultra HDTV technology, enjoy current high-definition video content, and be ready to experience 4K content as it becomes available in the near future.”
Seiki plans on a 65-inch Ultra HD model later this year.
In terms of content, Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), noted that this month’s NCAA men’s basketball Final Four in Atlanta was the first major U.S. sporting event recorded in Ultra HD.
“These big events provide a platform not just for sports enthusiasts, but for the consumer electronics industry to take steps forward and bring the best technologies into people’s living rooms,” he said. “CEA views Ultra HD TV as a revolutionary experience for consumers, and the first Ultra HD NCAA game is a buzzer-beater.”
Gary Yacoubian, chairman of CEA’s Ultra HD Working Group and president and CEO of Specialty Technologies/SVSound, added, “There are still challenges ahead to deliver Ultra HD content to consumers’ homes.”
Sony is attempting to get ahead of those challenges, debuting a $700 4K media player, a 4K content streaming service and a series of a series of "Mastered in 4K” Blu-ray Discs, all debuting this year.


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Apple in the single digits? Is it really possible?
Yes, if you ask Berstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi.
Sacconaghi is joining several other analysts who have slashed their price targets on Apple stock, though not quite as tough. According to Business Insider, he’s estimating $750, down from $800.
However, Sacconaghi is doing some forecasting on sales growth, and it’s not pretty. He sees a strong 22 percent increase for 2013, Business Inside says, dropping to 15 percent for 2014 and then 8 percent for 2015.
Ouch. When was the last time Apple saw single-digit sales growth?
But Sacconaghi didn’t factor in any wow products, like the always-rumored-never-seen Apple TV. Should anything like that roll out of the Cupertino giant (NASDAQ:AAPL), you can scratch those bearish numbers.


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The New York Times has collaborated with Berkeley economics prof Gabriel Zucman to produce an interactive explainer that walks through the baroque tax-evasion strategies deployed by multinationals like Google and Apple, as well as the super-rich, using plain language and explanatory graphics to get past the deliberately eye-glazing tedium of these arrangements, a shield of boringness that has allowed the super-rich to hide $8.7 trillion from tax authorities while taking advantage of national courts, education, roads, police, and health care.
This system of representation without taxation gives the wealthy the best of all worlds: tiny and giant countries alike scramble for crumbs from the ever-more-rich 1 percent, tilting policies in their favor.
Zucman is the author of a 2016 book called The Hidden Wealth of Nations: The Scourge of Tax Havens, which gets top reviews.
According to the latest available figures, 63 percent of all the profits made outside of the United States by American multinationals are now reported in six low- or zero-tax countries: the Netherlands, Bermuda, Luxembourg, Ireland, Singapore and Switzerland. These countries, but above all the shareholders of these corporations, benefit while others lose.
My colleagues Thomas Torslov and Ludvig Wier and I combined the data published by tax havens all over the world to estimate the scale of these losses. The $70 billion a year in revenue that the United States is deprived of is nearly equal to all of America’s spending on food stamps. The European Union suffers similar losses.
How Corporations and the Wealthy Avoid Taxes
(and How to Stop Them)
[Gabriel Zucman/New York Times]
(Thanks, Fipi Lele!)
Microsoft maintains the fiction that it has sold its most valuable copyrights and other intangible assets to a tiny factory in Puerto Rico, where, thanks to promising to hire a mere 85 workers, it pays effective zero tax; the company transfers almost all its profits to this factory to "license" its own crown jewels, making […]
America's telcoms sector is hugely concentrated and corrupt, and systematically underinvests in maintenance and infrastructure even as it gouges customers, which it can get away with thanks to its monopoly power, leaving Americans with some of the world's worst, most expensive communications services.
We've been closely following the plan by Google sister company Sidewalk Labs to build a surveilling "smart city" in Toronto; last week, I sat down with the Out of Left Field podcast (MP3) to discuss what's going on with Sidewalk Labs, how it fits into the story of Big Tech, and what the alternatives might […]
Entrepreneurs looking for new avenues to reach customers may not have considered one of the fastest-growing content mediums today: podcasting. And we don’t mean just dropping an advertisement for your product or service in the middle of a popular show. Right now, there are about 850,000 active podcasts reaching 165 million Americans. Those listeners are […]
Twitter rants and various online ugliness aside, social media has actually grown up a bit over the past 15 years. In general, users are warier of their interactions on platforms like Facebook or Instagram — and marketers have taken note. In fact, if you felt retailers you saw on social media were only looking to […]
Virus quarantines and shuttered restaurants sent millions of Americans back to their homes, only to rediscover the joys of firing up an oven and cooking something special for themselves. Whether by desire, necessity, or both, many of us have certainly been spending more time in the kitchen these last few months. And we haven’t just […]


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And Apple is far from the only company on the wireless audio bandwagon.
Motorola has announced a brand new pair of VerveOne in-ear wireless headphones . Designated the Music Editions, they come in a stylish white carry case that doubles as a charging dock.
The Music Editions are "splash proof" - which means you'll be able to take them out for a jog in the rain, if not into the pool.
Motorola quotes an 8-hour battery life for the new plugs and they work with voice assistants like Google Now and Siri.
At the moment they're only available to buy directly from Motorola , but the company says they will be available in more UK retailers in February.
And, at £149.99 they're a tenner cheaper than Apple's AirPods.


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Congratulations to all of the GAM3 Awards winners across all 16 categories. A true testament to the strength of web3 gaming and its bright future.
Head of Gaming Research
The time has finally come! December 15th has arrived. The winners of the inaugural edition of the GAM3 Awards 2022 have been crowned thanks to over 250K votes casted shared between over 40K unique voters. After narrowing down the final nominees to 32 unique games, representing the best of the best in web3 gaming, we are finally ready to announce who will win each category.
October 23rd, 2022 marked the first GAM3 Awards announcement, and since then, 100s of web3 games pushed their communities to nominate & vote for them across different categories. Moreover, 1000s of social posts were spread across partners, games, media outlets, content creators, and community members with an estimated reach of over 11M+ across social media platforms. In addition, community voting played a role in deciding the final decisions with over 250,000 votes across all 16 categories to further cement the status of the GAM3 Awards as THE biggest web3 gaming event of the year.
The GAM3 Awards Game of the Year drew the most attention, and deservedly so, as the category aims to celebrate the best web3 game that blurs the line between traditional and blockchain games in terms of quality. As for the Best Content Creator award, it saw 23 unique web3 gaming content creators receive nominations until the final day of voting to crown the top content creator in our industry.
Furthermore, the People’s Choice Award gave the opportunity for each game to put their community to the test by rallying them to nominate their favorite games to come out on top as the web3 game that the people chose to win. The category saw fierce competition, featuring over 50 unique games put forward by over 30K voters.
The Games' Choice Award is where game recognizes game, but in a more literal sense of the phrase. The category was closed to the public and exclusive to game studios to nominate their peers' games as an industry focused vote for their own version of Game of the Year.
As for the remaining categories, they each saw fierce competition with 5 nominated games each from a total list of 32 finalists. The following list showcases the games that were crowned winners of each respective category in the inaugural edition of the GAM3 Awards:
Each of these games will share prizes valued at over 1,000,000 US Dollars thanks to contributions, services & grants partners including Immutable X, Blockchain Game Alliance, Machinations, Ultra, Naavik, Galxe, Hacken, Venly, HackenProof, Shorooq, Elixir, Arcade, and MetaCon.
The GAM3 Awards marked itself as more than an awards ceremony, showcasing never-seen-before and exclusive footage of countless web3 games heavily anticipated by everyone within the industry. Most notably, everyone got to see Blocklords gameplay in action for the first time, with other exciting games titles including Mythic Protocol, Cards of Ethernity, Mummy.io, and Elarium among others giving us a glimpse of what they have been working on.
In addition, several other web3 games chose the event to showcase their upcoming announcements and unreleased gameplay footage as all eyes in the web3 gaming industry were on the official awards livestream on December 15th.
Speaking about the awards, Justin Kan, Founder of Fractal, the awards’ content partner, expressed his enthusiasm towards what the GAM3 Awards can do for the web3 gaming space moving forward:
Justin Kan, Founder of Fractal
In addition, Urvit Goel, Head of Global Games at Polygon Studios, equally emphasized the importance of gaming’s contribution to the growth of blockchain technology in his following quote:
Urvit Goel, Head of Global Games at Polygon Studios
2022 comes to an end, but next year promises a new, even more exciting chapter for web3 gaming. The quality of blockchain games is rapidly on the rise, with the GAM3 Awards proving to be a testament of how far the industry has come, and how bright the future looks.
The 2023 GAM3 Awards couldn’t come sooner.
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We’ll only consider it if it came with the Queen’s Wii Sports and Just Dance saves!
Being stuck in a pandemic for more than a year saw a lot of gamers upgrade their personal rigs and gaming consoles to ridiculous degrees. From high-end gaming chairs to special-edition PS5s, we were never scared to splurge a little more for our gaming needs.
Given that, would you be willing to drop some dough – $300,000 to be exact — on a 24K gold-plated Nintendo Wii owned by Queen Elizabeth II herself?
If you are, then eBay is the way to go. That’s because the gilded game console is now up for sale on the site, and it turns out, it has a pretty perplexing history. Here’s what we picked up from Highsnobiety:
Apparently, Her Majesty the Queen is a huge Wii Bowling fan, at least according to an episode of People Make Games. So, to capitalize on the Queen’s affinity, and to promote its latest release BIG Family Games, game company THQ launched a marketing stunt in 2009 where it commissioned the creation of the gold-plated Nintendo Wii and shipped it to Queen Elizabeth II’s noteworthy address, the Buckingham Palace.
THQ went bankrupt years after the stunt, so there’s no way to trace the Wii back to them anymore, but People Make Games managed to track down the current owner back in 2019: Donny Fillerup, a console collector and the man responsible for putting up the golden gadget on eBay for $300,000, or about P14.5 million.
That still doesn’t include shipping though, just in case you were already planning your costs.


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Being able to take your eyes off the road to read a newspaper while your car drives itself seemed like a distant future just a couple years ago.
But thanks to U.S. graphics chip maker NVIDIA, that dream could become a reality as soon as the year 2020.
The Chinese electric car companies XPeng Motors, Singulato Motors and SF Motors have signed a deal with the chipmaker to useNVIDIA's Xavier AI chip to bring Level 3 autonomous driving — meaning that you can take your eyes off the road but still have to be able to react — to upcoming EVs in China, as reported by Reuters.
NVIDIA introduced the autonomous driving platform, including a Xavier developer kit, back in September. The NVIDIA DRIVE AGX Xavier car computer that comes with the kit is capable of taking care of a self-driving car's heavy computational load — obstacle recognition, driver monitoring, and other aspects of autonomous driving.
These tasks are very hardware intensive, and according to NVIDIA's press release, AI-powered self-driving cars "cars must rely on numerous deep neural networks running simultaneously."
Hands Off the Wheel
The chip maker also released an autonomous driving safety report back in October, to prove to federal regulators that their platform is safe to use.
The race is on to bring a mainstream NVIDIA DRIVE self-driving car to the market — whether it'll be in the U.S. or China.
READ MORE: U.S. chipmaker Nvidia to provide AI platform for Chinese EV start-ups [Reuters]
More on NVIDIA's self-driving car platform: NVIDIA Has Designed a Compact AI Computer to Drive Fully Autonomous Vehicles
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FRANCE: Lennox EMEA is to expand its HVAC and refrigeration business in the Middle East and African markets.
This will include a more focused product portfolio for the region and further development of the company’s distributor network across a growing number of countries.
Although an established brand in the region for many years, Lennox says it is now rethinking its local approach “in order to take advantage of clear growth opportunities in the MEA market”. Lennox sees those opportunities in the region’s extremely high ambient temperatures and a young population with high spending power.
The changes will include a larger network of local HVAC distributors in countries that include the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan and Iraq.
As part of this move, Lennox will begin offering online training to distributors and installers supported by back-office staff located in Europe.
Among the core HVAC products for the MEA will be the full range of Lennox split system air conditioning units, VRF solutions and packaged units for domestic and commercial applications.
“We believe our portfolio is the perfect match for strong HVAC growth in the MEA region, particularly in combination with our strengthening presence through agents and local distributors in key countries,” stated Cyrille Pergentini, Lennox export sales manager for the MEA region.
“Dubai is a hub for the entire MEA region and it’s been our historic focal point. However, by extending our presence to countries like Saudi Arabia, we see the potential for a huge pipeline of projects. With the right approach, the right product portfolio and the right team in the region, the possibility exists to quadruple our sales in the coming years,” he added.


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The bill named 'Cryptocurrency and Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill, 2021' will be introduced in the Parliament for consideration and passing by the government.
The government's move to create its own digital currency comes as countries like China have accelerated their plans to launch digital versions of their own currencies. China has been working on a digital yuan for over five years and is considered to be ahead in the race for digital sovereign currency.
"The Bill also seeks to prohibit all private cryptocurrencies in India. However, it allows for certain exceptions to promote the underlying technology of cryptocurrency and its uses," the bulletin said.
The government's move to pass a bill related to cryptocurrencies also comes amidst rising participation of Indian retail investors in cryptocurrency trading in the country.
“Our trading volumes grew over 1,000 per cent last year. User sign-ups grew four to five times. The number of new people signing up almost doubled every two-to-three months,” Nischal Shetty, founder of cryptocurrency exchange Wazir X had told ETMarkets.com in a recent interview.
Cryptocurrency trading has seen a sharp revival as the prices of the Bitcoin soared over 700 per cent from April along with other cryptocurrencies that have risen even more.
In March 2020, the Supreme Court had quashed a Reserve Bank of India ban on cryptocurrency in India through use of the banking system to make transactions.
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Pernod Ricard is investing in producing more content and programmatic systems in-house as its chief executive today warned the industry that brands can not rely on third parties to know their customers.
Speaking at the Pernod Ricard roundtable to discuss its 2016/2017 half-year financial results, chairman and chief executive Alexandre Ricard also highlighted the need to quench consumers' thirst of brand provenance.
Commenting on the recent issue of ‘antiquated’ media buying practices and Procter & Gamble chief marketing officer Mark Pritchard’s call to arms to clean up the media supply chain, Ricard talked about building in-house media expertise on everything from programmatic to content building.
The shift Ricard emphasised has been driven by the French drinks giant’s focus on "getting to know customers directly and intimately, rather than getting information from agencies."
Pernod Ricard is also investing in in-house content production prompted by "cost concerns" he added. "You cannot rely on third parties to know your consumers."
While discussing the results and the plans for the year ahead, Ricard (right) revealed that the next few weeks will see the roll-out of QR codes on all its bottles globally allowing customers access to more information about its brands than they have ever done before.
"There is a legitimate demand from consumers where traceability is concerned, where they want to know more and more about a brand — the whole supply chain, provenance and therefore a whole story." He explained Pernod Ricard brands will allow consumers to scan a QR code which will send them to a website with detailed information including contents, provenance, nutritional details. The company already uses QR Codes as part of its packaging to prevent counterfeiting, "especially for the emerging markets."
On the subject of innovation, "where innovation is no longer just another fad or doesn’t just mean digital" Ricard added "consumers in the future will be willing to pay a premium not just for a brand but for the set of values a brand represents and the experience it delivers. That is where innovation will come from."
The company demonstrated its ‘connected library’ claimed to be the world’s first at-home connected cocktail library called Opn. The "intelligent system", which mixes cocktails and is controlled through an app, was first unveiled in 2014 under the working title Project Gutenberg. Earlier this year, the system made its official debut at the CES technology trade show in Las Vegas, ahead of an anticipated commercial roll out in early 2018.
Opn uses 0.75 litre cartridges filled with varying spirits that are connected intelligently to track levels, measure and mix drinks via an app. The company did not divulge any details about the cost or the route to market for Opn, but revealed the company is working on an e-commerce business model for the initiative and that the app will allow users to directly buy the connected library.
"Opn plays into a consumer trend called 'hometainment'. It all started with countries like Columbia where people are increasingly entertaining their friends at home because of high risk of getting shot in a bar, and also in other markets where it is cheaper to entertain at home. Our innovation comes from listening to consumers and learning new behaviours." added Ricard.
According to the results, out last week, organic sales for the first half of the year grew 4% up from 3% growth in the same period for 2015/2016. The maker of Martell cognac and Absolut vodka reported total sales increased 2% to €5.06bn (£4.29bn) in first half of the year.
Ricard said the organic growth was driven by growth in the US, the world’s most valuable market for Scotch whisky. However growth slowed in India amid the ongoing depreciation of the rupee. Pernod’s results for the half year were also boosted by the recent Chinese New Year celebrations.


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Apple’s main supplier Foxconn has been forced to suspend operations in Shenzhen, China, following a citywide lockdown that sees the closure of non-essential businesses, public transport interrupted and residents asked not to leave their homes, except for essential activities only.
As Nikkei Asia reports:
Shenzhen is home to big tech companies such as Huawei, Oppo and TCL, and is also one of Foxconn’s biggest manufacturing hubs in Taiwan, supplying customers from Apple to Google to Amazon. The semi-lockdown comes as the global supply chain continues to grapple with a continued shortage of chips, as well as disruptions from the war in Ukraine.
Foxconn, the world’s largest contract electronics maker, said in a statement on Monday that it would suspend production at its Longhua and Guanlan factories in Shenzhen until further notice from the local government. He activated plans to use facilities in other cities to support production.
It’s unclear exactly which devices Foxconn produces for Apple at its two factories in Shenzhen, but Foxconn is the largest iPhone maker. The new lockdown adds pressure to an already crippled global supply chain that is impacting Apple’s business.
Apple said the chip shortage cost it $6 billion in the final quarter of 2021, with optimistic views on the impact the shortage will have over the coming quarters. Apple is planning a slew of new product launches around the world next week, including the all-new Mac Studio, Studio Display, new iPhone SE, iPad Air, and new iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 colors Pro.
Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread can be found in our New Policies forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Kuo: the Mac Mini 2023 will keep the same design as the current model
Apple’s next-generation Mac mini will likely feature the same design as the current model, according to top analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In a brief tweet, Kuo said the refreshed Mac mini would likely retain the same form factor as the current model, which is an aluminum unibody design that Apple has used for every new Mac mini since 2010. Earlier this week, Kuo said the new mac…
Kuo: Only iPhone 14 Pro models get “A16” chip, standard models keep A15
Only iPhone 14 Pro models will have the “A16” chip, while standard iPhone 14 models will retain the A15 Bionic chip from the iPhone 13, according to insightful Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In a tweet, Kuo said that the 6.1-inch “iPhone 14 Pro” and 6.7-inch “iPhone 14 Pro Max” will get the A16 chip, while the 6.1-inch “iPhone 14” and the “6.7-inch iPhone 14 Max” will retain the…
Apple doesn’t plan to release a larger-screen iMac
Apple has no plans to release an iMac with a bigger screen, according to a new report from 9to5Mac. Citing unspecified sources with knowledge of Apple’s product pipeline, the site says Apple won’t be introducing a larger iMac “in the near future.” With the launch of the Mac Studio, Apple discontinued the Intel-based 27-inch iMac, creating some confusion about the future of the iMac line….
Have we seen the last of the 27-inch iMacs?
Immediately after Apple’s “Performance Peek” event on Tuesday where it unveiled the Mac Studio and 27-inch Studio Display, Apple quietly ditched the Intel-powered 27-inch iMac. This has left some observers wondering if we’ll see a new, larger iMac sooner or later, or if the existing 24-inch iMac is as big and powerful as possible for the foreseeable future. After unveiling the Mac…
MacBook Air and ‘MacBook’ with M2 chips expected to launch later this year
Apple is working on the successor to the M1 chip, which should be called M2, and several rumors have already suggested that these chips will be used in machines including a refreshed MacBook Air and a new version of the 13-inch MacBook. Pro. A new report released today by 9to5Mac reiterates those rumors yet again, with the site claiming that Apple will introduce a MacBook Air and…


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Front Row (The Jakarta Post)
Fri, August 18, 2023
Noor-8 Fine Jewelry, the latest venture by the renowned brand Gallery Kohinoor, has introduced three exquisite collections on the launch of the brand, namely Signature, Geometry and Spectra.
Noor-8 Fine Jewelry introduced the three exquisite collections on July 14.
Gallery Kohinoor said in a statement that each collection showcased an exquisite blend of artistry, innovation and elegance, embodying the essence of timeless beauty.
It said that the Signature collection paid homage to the philosophy of the brand, an infinite light infused with contemporary flair. “The Geometry collection captures the allure of geometric patterns and lines intertwined with elegance. While the Spectra collection mesmerizes with its vibrant colors and radiant gemstones, creating a visual symphony of brilliance,” it said.
According to the statement, Noor-8 Jewelry sets forth with the ambition to become the premier jewelry brand from Bali and in the entire Indonesian archipelago.
“Guided by an iconic brand identity and a legacy of numerous accolades of Kohinoor’s 40-year presence, the brand promises to enrich the lives of its customers with exquisite craftsmanship, innovative designs and a deep appreciation for the art of jewelry,” it said.
Founded on Jl. Hasanudin, Bali in 1982, Kohinoor has established itself as an industry leader, deeply rooted in the understanding of jewelry’s year-to-year trends and market preferences.
Noor-8 Jewelry emerges as a testament to Gallery Kohinoor’s visionary approach, as it embarks on a global journey by establishing its own brand, starting with a spectacular jewelry fashion show here in Bali, and with ambitious dreams of capturing fashion capitals.
Kohinoor CEO Ovie Jiwaji expressed her excitement, pointing out, “We envision this as the initial stride toward establishing a global brand, commencing with a splendid jewelry


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Apple Japan launches Apple Store MobileIt's happening. Before you can use your mobile phone to purchase and download CD-quality audio tracks, you can use it to log on to the Apple online store and purchase an iPod for yourself or a friend...if you're in Japan.
Today Apple Japan quietly launched the Apple Store Mobile, a version of its online store that it has made accessible from Japanese mobile phones.
The Web site address is only accessible when connecting from certain mobile handsets in Japan and disallows access to traditional Web browsers.
In addition to offering mobile customers the full array of iPod digital music players, reports indicate the mobile store is also selling iPod accessories and the Mac mini.
It would seem likely that Apple would launch a similar service for US-based mobile phones in the near future. However, it appears the company has its hands full inking revenue-share agreements with mobile carriers so that Motorola can launch its iTunes-compatible handset.
On Topic: General
- Shuttle drivers at Apple, other Silicon Valley tech companies vote for Teamsters representation
- Apple's Tim Cook takes hardline stance against consumer data sharing, government snooping and terrorism
- Apple's March 9 'Spring Forward' event steals thunder from rivals at Mobile World Congress
- AppleInsider podcast discusses Apple's March 9 event, net neutrality, Pebble Time & more
- Ericsson unloads legal barrage against Apple in ongoing patent licensing dispute


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It's all eyes on TobyMac
| August 23, 2012
In his 20-year career, TobyMac has sold millions of CDs and concert tickets and racked up Grammy nominations and gold albums. His fifth full-length solo album, "Eye on It," goes on sale Tuesday.
Its lead single, "Me Without You," is the perfect summer pop song and a multi-format smash hit straight out of the box, already No. 1 on the Christian CHR chart.
The familiar voices of LeCrae, Jamie Grace and Blanca from Group1Crew lend their vocal skills to "Forgiveness," "Favorite Song" and "UnStoppable," respectively.
TobyMac's previous album, "Tonight," was released with a deluxe edition featuring a DVD and bonus remixes, and "Eye on It" will, too. On the upgraded version you will find the original 12 tracks plus six bonus remixes of the new songs, including two from the hottest new mix masters in the business, Capital Kings.
On the heels on the album release comes the nationwide "Eye on It" tour, set to hit Houston on Oct. 6 at The Berry Center. Along for the ride are some of the best new talent Christian music has to offer in the Gospel Music Association New Artist of the Year, Chris August (2011) and Jamie Grace (2012).
Before that, though, TobyMac will be in Houston for a Ticket Servant Street 'n' Greet on Thursday at Lifeway Christian Bookstores. He'll be at the Houston Southwest store from 10 to 11 a.m., at the Katy store from 1 to 2 p.m. and The Woodlands store from 5 to 6 p.m.


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Online advertising market will expand in 2020
Beijing-According to the latest Internet development statistics report, by 2020, China’s Internet advertising market will expand to nearly 500 billion yuan (approximately US$77 billion), a year-on-year increase of 14%.
This number marks the third consecutive year that market growth has slowed.
According to a report released by the China Internet Network Information Center, the market share of Internet advertising through mobile devices was 85% last year, up from 70% in 2018.
The report pointed out that major opinion consumers (KOC) or consumers who can influence their friends, fans and generate consumer behavior are rebuilding the Internet marketing communication chain and increasing advertising. Now, China’s social network platform has become the location of many KOCs. These KOCs have attracted customers of different brands and have seen their advertising value gradually emerge.