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Phil LeBeau is a CNBC auto and airline industry reporter based at the network's Chicago bureau. He is also editor of the Behind the Wheel section on CNBC.com.
LeBeau has reported one-hour documentaries for the network, including "Dreamliner: Inside the World's Most Anticipated Airplane," "Ford: Rebuilding an American Icon" and "Saving General Motors" and "Failure to Recall: Investigating GM," which won a 2014 Society of American Business Editors and Writers (SABEW) Award.
Prior to joining CNBC, LeBeau served as a media relations specialist for Van Kampen Funds in Oak Brook Terrace, Ill., and was instrumental in implementing an initiative to communicate the company's mutual fund and investment practices to the public and the press. While at Van Kampen, LeBeau held a Series 6 license.
Previously, he held general assignment reporting positions at KCNC-TV, the CBS affiliate in Denver, and KAKE-TV, the ABC affiliate in Wichita, Kan. LeBeau began his career as a field producer at WCCO-TV in Minneapolis, where he wrote, produced and researched consumer stories. He graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism with a bachelor's degree in journalism and broadcasting.
Follow Phil LeBeau on Twitter @Lebeaucarnews.
Later this week, President Obama will go to a Chrysler plant to talk about the once bankrupt automaker which has fully re-paid bail out loans from the federal government. In other words, it's a victory lap for President Obama and his Auto Task Force. So what's the problem with it?
The latest set of crash tests by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety show something few would have thought was possible 10 or 15 years ago: several small cars are among the safest on the road. Surprised? Don't be. The results show small cars are benefiting from new technology developed to protect passengers.
More than once Mark and I sparred on air about what was happening with the Big Three as they were losing billions of dollars. I loved those exchanges.
Toyota's independent North American Quality Advisory Panel, led by former Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater has reached some conclusions after looking into the unintended acceleration crisis and recalls from late 2009 and early 2010.
Remember when Ford was considering selling Jaguar? The questions at the time were not much different than they were when GM first said it was looking into selling Saab. At the time, analysts talked about two brands that had equity with niche car buyers. Brands that had suffered while being lumped into a portfolio of other brands at Ford and GM. Brands that would surely survive and find their way after they were unloaded.
Graham is a bizarre model of how humans would need to evolve in order to sustain injuries from auto accidents.
Aluminium producer Norsk Hydro reported a rise in earnings in the second quarter on the back of rising prices and stronger demand.
GM's warning about Europe did little to cool the enthusiasm of investors, who pushed the company's shares higher.
Elon Musk has a new "master plan" for broadening Tesla's vehicle line and entering solar energy. But questions remain.
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Salesforce Sustainability Cloud to help customers drive climate action
Salesforce Sustainability Cloud, a carbon accounting product, will help businesses to drive climate action that will accelerate the world’s efforts towards carbon neutrality.
Salesforce, the global player in CRM, has announced Salesforce Sustainability Cloud, a carbon accounting product for businesses to drive climate action that will accelerate the world’s efforts towards carbon neutrality, said the firm. With the new product, businesses now have a trusted sustainability platform that gives them a 360-degree view of their environmental impact and provides data-driven insights to make changes the planet will notice.
The company is committed to delivering a sustainable, low-carbon future and supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which help frame the company’s global strategy and technology innovations.
Salesforce Sustainability Cloud enables businesses to quickly track, analyse and report reliable environmental data to help them reduce their carbon emissions. A company’s carbon data is easily surfaced in Einstein Analytics, which creates dynamic reports and dashboards—both for audit purposes and for executive engagement—with insights that empower businesses to drive climate action programs at scale.
“We’ve always believed business is the greatest platform for change. Addressing climate change with speed and at scale is critical to see a turning point by 2020,” said Suzanne DiBianca, Chief Impact Officer and EVP of Corporate Relations at Salesforce. “Businesses must work together to be the greatest force for climate transformation the world has ever seen.”
“We created Salesforce Sustainability Cloud to help our customers easily generate trusted investor-grade data to inform their climate action programs,” said Patrick Flynn, Vice President of Sustainability at Salesforce. “Climate change is the biggest, most important and most complex challenge humans have ever faced, and we all have a role to play based on our resources to deliver a healthier planet for future generations.”
The new product is expected to become generally available in December 2019.

domain: news


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Almost as constant as stress and exams for college students is the pitstop they make before or after morning classes for their favorite caffeinated drink. However, the on-campus coffee scene will change in the 2016-17 school year.
Starbucks will not be on campus any longer as a coffee vendor. Local vendor Crimson Cup remains a partner with Ohio State and will be joined by Hubbard & Cravens, which brews out of Indianapolis.
When Senior Director of Dining Services Zia Ahmed and others requested a proposal from Starbucks, they were shocked at the response, or lack thereof.
“Starbucks actually didn’t bid. They didn’t submit a proposal,” Ahmed said. He couldn’t comment on details of the previous contract with Starbucks.
Ahmed said that each year the university puts out a RSP—request for proposal—to select vendors. Ahmed and other university officials use a criteria centered on taste, price, locality and a sustainability concept he calls direct trade—the product comes immediately from the farmer.
The direct trade criterion is a new one OSU worked with this year. Starbucks has its own sustainability programs, so Ahmed was expecting to receive a bid.
Hubbard & Cravens imports green coffee directly from farmers in South America.
“I had personal conversations with a Starbucks representative,” Ahmed said. “And they asked us about our direction on direct trade, and we were very clear that was only one of the many criteria that we were evaluating, so there’s no reason to believe that that’s the problem.”
Ahmed said that the university has stopped serving Starbucks products and are currently in a turnover period to Hubbard & Cravens products, which is expected to be done by the start of Autumn Semester
As far as locations for Hubbard & Cravens on campus, Ahmed said that the Berry Cafe and university catering services will change from Crimson Cup to Hubbard & Cravens. Other locations are still being discussed.
The bidding process lasted three to four months involving visits to the bidding sites. Ultimately, it was Hubbard & Cravens that got the nod. Along with its sustainability focus, Hubbard & Cravens meets the local criterion being a midwestern company whose owners Rick Hubbard and Jerry Cravens are both from Cincinnati. Hubbard & Cravens has been brewing for 25 years.
“We are very excited about (the new partnership),” said co-owner Marci Hubbard, wife of Rick Hubbard. “It’s nice to be a part of the family.”
The company has four retail stores and are also partnered with Indiana University, Ball State University and Taylor University.
The Starbucks locations in the surrounding campus area, including the one on the corner of East 14th Avenue and North High Street, are not affected by the ending of the company’s partnership with OSU.
Starbucks did not immediately respond to a request for comment.


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Thursday, April 2, 2020
Pixel 4 XL
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Somag News is an online international news platform that founded in 2019 with a dynamic news team.Our news team includes reporters that has a speciality in different fields from each other.


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NEW DELHI —
Indian TikTok users wakened Tuesday to a notion from the everyday quick-video app asserting the firm turned into working to conform with an India govt ban on dozens of Chinese language apps amid a protection power standoff between the 2 countries.
While carrier in India turned into suspended, the ban turned into largely symbolic for the reason that apps can’t be automatically erased from devices where they’ve already been downloaded. The switch turned into a response to a border conflict with China where 20 Indian troopers died earlier this month, digital consultants mentioned.
“They wish to send a message. Here’s a option primarily based mostly on a geopolitical divulge,” mentioned digital rights activist Nikhil Pahwa.
Indian protesters had been calling for a boycott of Chinese language goods for the reason that June 15 struggle of phrases within the a ways off Karakoram mountain border assert.
Late Monday, the government mentioned that it turned into banning 59 Chinese language-owned apps, including TikTok, which is operated by Chinese language web firm Bytedance. It cited privateness concerns that it mentioned pose a risk to India’s sovereignty and safety.
The banned apps embody some that enable TikTok users to add visible effects and music to their posts, as well to dating apps, privateness apps and multiplayer games.
India’s data technology ministry issued an announcement asserting it had bought reports that cell apps were “stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users’ data.”
The compilation of such data, and its mining and profiling by parts opposed to India is “a matter of very deep and quick downside which requires emergency measures,” the insist mentioned.
TikTok’s countermove, shifting data to Ireland, reveals how constructed-within the 2 economies have develop into. Chinese language merchandise are ubiquitous in India, from toys to smartphones to Made-in-China Hindu idols. Two-diagram commerce grew from $3 billion in 2000 to $95 billion in 2018, in accordance with Indian govt data, with the steadiness strongly favoring China.
“There’s simply too considerable of Chinese language presence within the day after day lifetime of the common Indian,” mentioned Alka Acharya, professor of Chinese language Reviews at Jawaharlal Nehru University in Original Delhi. The troopers’ deaths supposed the Indian govt needed to hit encourage, Acharya mentioned.
The ban on Chinese language apps, signed by India’s extremely efficient Home Minister Amit Shah, asked phone companies to initiate blocking off the applications Tuesday, as top Military officers from India and China were arena to meet for a third time to attempt to quell tensions and rein encourage on protection power assign-usain the disputed border arena.
Supporters of the ban hailed it as a approach to curtail China’s rising impact.
“They are incomes from us after which bullying us,” 30-one year-worn Sonu Mishra mentioned in Original Delhi.
Others bemoaned the capacity lack of jobs at the app companies’ Indian offices. Some slammed it as an encroachment on free speech.
TikTok “continues to conform with all data privateness and safety requirements under Indian law and has now not shared any data of our users in India with any international govt, including the Chinese language govt,” the firm’s India chief, Nikhil Gandhi, mentioned in an announcement.
This is now not the foremost time TikTok has been banned in India — the Madras Excessive Court within the south Indian assert of Tamil Nadu banned it final one year over hate speech concerns, nonetheless quick vacated its inform.
Chinese language-owned apps have stumbled on a lickety-split-rising market in India, with some companies setting up India-inform apps which have exploded in fame.
High Minister Narendra Modi’s govt has outmoded the country’s 500 million web users — 2nd most productive to China — as a entice in getting tech giants including Twitter to localize Indians’ data. It’s miles anticipated to sponsor data localization regulations later this one year.
Amongst the checklist of newly-banned apps, Alibaba’s UC Browser, Meitu’s Beauty Plus digicam app and Bigo’s Likee video bettering app are among the discontinue 100 most downloaded apps in India, in accordance with app intelligence firm App Annie.
India is one in every of TikTok’s greatest markets. As of April, 30% of TikTok’s 2 billion downloads were from India, in accordance with app data analytics firm Sensor Tower.
Bytedance additionally operates the now-banned Helo social networking app, which turned into created for the Indian market and has over 50 million users.
Chinese language international ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian mentioned China turned into very taking under consideration the Indian switch and searching for additional data. The Indian govt has the responsibility to uphold the legitimate rights of international investors, while Chinese language companies can also just quiet abide by native regulations, he mentioned.
The Karakoram conflict fanned already rising anti-Chinese language sentiment amid the coronavirus pandemic, which emerged in China in December. India is the fourth worst affected, with almost 570,000 situations and greater than 16,000 deaths. Essentially based fully on the disaster, a circulation has emerged to promote India as an different to China for Western markets and to shun Chinese language goods.
TikTok has sought to cultivate goodwill: in April it mentioned on Twitter that it had donated 30 crore rupees (about $40 million) to PM Cares, a fund arena up by Modi’s arena of job to struggle the coronavirus.
The antagonisms elevate dangers for India: A broader boycott would possibly perhaps perhaps per chance backfire if China were to retaliate by banning exports of raw supplies outmoded by India’s pharmaceutical commerce. As much as now, it has now not.
In the longer time duration, Chinese language companies would possibly perhaps perhaps per chance lend a hand a ways from investing in India’s technology sector and Indian initiate-usamight be reluctant to settle for Chinese language investments for misfortune of repercussions, mentioned Shaun Rein, managing director of market intelligence firm China Market Research Personnel.
“Chinese language investors are going to develop into very cautious of investing in India. They’ll be worried that they’ll also just invest billions of dollars into the country and both Indian shoppers will boycott and shriek against them, or the government will beautiful ban them resulting from they’re backed by Chinese language,” Rein mentioned.
Associated Press writers Penny Yi Wang in Bangkok, Joe McDonald in Beijing and Zen Soo in Hong Kong contributed to this file.
This memoir turned into first printed on July 1, 2020. It turned into up as much as now on July 6, 2020, to claim TikTok notified its users in India that the firm turned into working to conform with an Indian govt directive, now not that users’ data would possibly perhaps perhaps per chance be transferred to an Irish subsidiary.


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Bennett, Coleman & Co Ltd (BCCL) has sent a reminder of sorts to anyone who may have forgotten that the Indian media industry is amid one of the worst slowdowns that it has seen in recent times. Ravi Dhariwal, CEO, Publishing, BCCL describes it as something that he has “not seen in his working life”. The BCCL has tightened all screws of its operations to further cut down on costs and simultaneously increase pressure on units that are not seen “profitable”.
As is known, earlier this year BCCL had begun various cost cutting initiatives that included the exit of a significant size of its staff. The other development that has come from the company is backward salary revision. In a mail sent to all BCCL employees, Dhariwal has informed them that there would be no salary revision and no (target variable pay) TVP pay out this year. Instead, there would be a roll-back of increment for all employees starting March 1, 2009. This would be graded, that is, employees who got a smaller increase would get a lower reduction and the employees who got a higher increase would have a higher reduction of increments.
A source from BCCL’s senior management has divulged that there are more changes at BCCL. The source informs that the company’s top management has signalled to all group company heads the possibility that if the units are not turned profitable by March 2010, they would either be folded up or hived off. The source said, “The Internet business and the OOH business are seeing some very tough times and this diktat would impact them first.”
In his mail to all employees on BCCL’s decision of salaries, Dhariwal also explained that BCCL had begun undertaking cost cutting initiatives as early as August 2008. He said: “Small cover price increase, rationalisation of pages, strictly incurring only necessary costs were our focus then. By doing these, we were able to keep ourselves profitable, though at a reduced level during the first three months of August, September and October. October was our best month in the history of BCCL in terms of revenue, though our profits were at half the level of what we had originally expected. All because of the higher newsprint costs. At that stage, we thought we will be able to cut more costs and restore the company to its original financial health.”
However, that was not the case. Dhariwal also said: “The last four months have turned out to be very challenging. Instead of growing in the previous three months, we saw advertising decline by almost a quarter.”
The focus on getting the ad bucks in is intensive at BCCL at present. Dhariwal said in the mail that “today, every advertisement is a battle won and every rupee earned is hard fought”. He explained, “Advertisers and agencies have simply cut their planned promotional budgets, a mistake in my opinion as advertising is the best way to ensure top of line growth…”.
Dhariwal divulged in the mail that BCCL was trying innovative approaches, including “integrated solutions of all the media that BCCL owns, to provide an effective solution to our advertisers." He added: “But each deal seems to require much more persuasion and does not bring as much revenue as it used to. I am confident that with our continuing innovations towards advertising sales, we would gain a competitive position, and when recovery does happen, and it inevitably will, we will be best placed to ride it.”
Our typical marketing budget is usually 10 per cent of the topline spend
There are some forces impacting the way our business works. The IT/ITeS sector has changed tremendously. Platforms like Twitter have made everyone journalists. Smartphones have made everyone a photographer. The trend that we are seeing is one of hyperdigitalization, which is causing the lines between product and services to blur. For example, <a href=http://www.exchange4media.com/company/news/amaz...
The OOH sector is among the fastest growing, globally. Brands and marketers have realized its potential and impact and begun to craft medium-specific adverts. Self-regulation is not only necessary but also essential to growth of the sector. The industry needs to exercise a certain level of this self-restraint to prove its commitment to maintaining the best standards in advertising.
Clients are looking for experiential solutions beyond radio or print: Abraham Thomas, Radio City 91.1 FM

 From entering new markets to launching large format events, Radio City 91.1FM has been on a roll. The radio channel recently announced the launch of India’s biggest singing talent hunt-Radio City Super Singer Season 8. Earlier this year, the channel set up its own creative-cum...


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Diversified manufacturer 3M Co
The company also updated its 2009 earnings estimate, warning that it would fall just short of Wall Street's estimates, sending its shares down about 1.2 percent.
We all know we're going through some transitions in the economy and forecasting is very, very difficult, George Buckley, the company's president, chief executive and chairman, told investors at the company's year-end outlook conference.
2009 was a very interesting year. But 2010 is going to be even more interesting, he said.
The coming year will likely be marked by real market share transfers as weaker companies, unable to tap credit markets as before, fall by the wayside, he said.
As the economy does come back, I think it's going to be hard for people to fund their growth, he said. So I think the strong are going to get stronger and the weak won't.
3M said it now expects full-year 2009 earnings excluding items of between $4.50 and $4.55 per share -- below analyst estimates of $4.57, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
For 2010, 3M expects earnings in the range of $4.85 per share to $5.00 per share on sales of $24.5 billion to $25.5 billion, topping analyst estimates of $24.46 billion.
Analysts' earnings estimates of $4.94 per share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S, fall in the upper end of the company's projected range.
3M shares were down about 1.2 percent at $76.98 in mid-morning trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
(Editing by Maureen Bavdek, Dave Zimmerman and Ted Kerr)


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just-food’s US columnist and industry veteran Victor Martino sets out what he sees as the four stages of change that will impact the country’s food industry – with analysis that will resonate beyond US borders.
As recently as February none of us had any idea 2020 would be a year of fundamental change for the food industry.
But then came the Covid-19 pandemic, which is delivering a blow to the sector’s central nervous system like none we’ve ever experienced before. All that was solid as we began 2020 has melted into thin air. Change is inevitable in its wake.
First, as someone who works in the food industry, I want to thank everyone for keeping the supply chain moving and the shelves stocked, particularly those who are working on the front lines in the processing plants, warehouses, transportation sector and grocery stores. It makes me proud to be involved in an industry full of so many hard-working and dedicated people.
I also want to thank farmers, without whom there would be no food to process, warehouse, transport or put on the shelf. Unlike many of us, they can’t work from their home offices or living rooms. Instead, farmers are doing what they always do, which is to work in the fields growing and harvesting the food that feeds the world. We should not forget that it all starts with the farmer.
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The major challenge we face right now with the Covid-19 pandemic is uncertainty. For example, two weeks ago my main concern was how long it would take for us to re-balance the supply chain and get grocery store shelves filled for consumers.
That, however, has changed completely. My main concern today is the safety of our front-line workers throughout the supply chain who are, in increasing numbers, contracting Covid-19.
My concern is both for their personal safety and for the outlook of the global food supply. Two weeks ago, we didn’t look to be in danger of supply shortages. Today, it’s not certain that’s the case. If we can’t keep enough processing plants, warehouses and stores operating, or are unable to get products through the supply chain properly, we can’t feed people.
The four waves of change
Like you all, I’m spending a considerable amount of time thinking about what the Covid-19 pandemic means for the food industry and CPG companies, not just today but for the immediate future. What changes will we need to make to adapt in the wake of Covid-19?
There will be four waves or stages of change that will impact the food industry in the coming months. The severity of these waves or stages of change will depend on how severe the global pandemic is, which at this point in time is unknown.
We’re now coming out of the first period of change, which has been consumers’ panic buying and hoarding of products, based on a combination of fear and uncertainty but also on the reality the virus is a serious threat to personal and public health and isn’t going away anytime soon, despite suggestions from some governments things can get ‘back to normal’ by the end of April.
This first wave of change has been a shock to the food industry’s supply chain. In this era of just-in-time inventory, double and triple-digit percentage sales spikes on fresh, frozen and packaged foods, as is occurring in the US and many other countries, aren’t sustainable. This is why the supply chain still needs time to right itself.
We’re now moving into the second wave or stage of change, which I call “practical pandemic pantry-loading”. It’s not hoarding but consumers are still buying more than they normally would, largely because they are staying at home and therefore cooking and eating more at home. There is a rhyme to their reason for doing so.
For example, Credit Suisse estimates in the last six weeks or so food-at-home consumption in the US has risen to 80% from its historic 50% (food away-from-home historically accounting for the other 50%). This is due to the decimation of the restaurant industry in the US, along with the fact so many families are now spending most of their time quarantined at home. Additionally, Credit Suisse predicts CPG sales in stores and online could rise overall by 30% between now and the end of May.
This second wave will be helpful for the supply chain because it will put somewhat less strain on workers and there will be fewer out-of-stocks on store shelves, which we’re starting to see this week here in the US. Manufacturers of fast-selling products have also ramped up production, which will also help fill store shelves, both physical and virtual.
It’s impossible to know how long this stage will hold. Hoarding might return, for example, depending on the severity of the virus and on the duration of the shelter-in-place and quarantine orders currently in effect.
Normal as we knew it pre-Covid-19 will never return to the food industry
The third stage of change is what I call the “new normal.” Normal as we knew it pre-Covid-19 will never return to the food industry. I could be wrong but I believe the pandemic is a game-changer for the industry and for food companies in a myriad of areas: food safety; social distancing protocols in food plants and stores; how we treat and compensate our front-line people; how buyers and sellers do business, and more.
Additionally, we might even see a significant shift in the channels consumers traditionally shop, more moving away from bricks-and-mortar retail to online grocery shopping and buying directly from manufacturers. The longer the duration of the pandemic the more likely the probability such a shift will occur.
The big question under the “new normal” is whether or not the huge sales gains (the 30% posited by Credit Suisse, for example) the at-home channel is experiencing will hold. It’s impossible to predict, although I do see at-home consumption continuing to grow in the coming months because consumers are unable to dine out at restaurants and prepared food delivery is too expensive for most people on a regular basis. The stay-at-home orders in most states also are likely to be extended beyond the end of this month.
Some percentage of these sales gains will be sustained over time under the “new normal”. Even once we’re through the worst stage of the pandemic, will people feel comfortable dining out in close proximity to total strangers? It’s hard to know right now. What the evidence does show us though is Americans can – and do – like to cook and eat at home (bread baking and sales of yeast are off the charts, for example) but until now they just haven’t had or made the time to do it. This is contrary to much pre-Covid-19 analysis, which argued most Americans, especially millennials, simply don’t want to cook at home anymore. Will that behaviour continue? It’s uncertain but if the pandemic lasts for many more months it could provoke a behavioural change.
Stage four – the coronavirus recession
The fourth stage of change is the coronavirus recession, which most economists and forecasting services say is already here or will be soon.
Morgan Stanley estimates for 2020, the global economy will contract 1.9%, while stressing its prediction is based on the virus peaking this month. If the virus peaks later, the investment bank is predicting a contraction of about 5% globally for 2020.
In the US, the rise in weekly jobless claims since the week of 16 March shows an unprecedented 16.8 million job losses in a matter of just three weeks. Unlike past recessions, the income and employment shocks are upfront and immediate, Moody’s Investors Service wrote in a new report last week. Moody’s predicts the US unemployment rate will surge in the second quarter to between 8.8% and 16.2%. It was under 4% just a little over a month ago.
Other economists are suggesting the US could see unemployment rise to nearly 30%, which is more than during the Great Depression, which saw a high of 25% unemployment in 1933.
The key challenges for food companies in this fourth wave or stage of change – again, depending on the severity of the virus and its duration – will shift from ramping-up production and supply chain issues to having to make some serious decisions in terms of employee lay-offs, to increasing prices in the middle of an economic recession and to continuing to ensure worker safety.
It’s going to be hard to take back the hazard pay increases companies have given to workers deemed critical
These will be difficult decisions to make in a difficult time. For example, it is going to be hard to take back the hazard pay increases food companies have given to those workers deemed critical and essential because under the “new normal” for the food industry one can argue they are forever now critical and essential.
It’s also going to be difficult to increase costs to retailers if the recessionary economy makes doing so necessary because consumers are struggling financially already and the worst economically is yet to come.
The issue of profitability will also return closer to centre-stage in this fourth stage. Right now, most publicly-held food companies are either holding their own or seeing significant sales increases. Ironically, some of those struggling the most pre-pandemic, like Kraft Heinz and Campbell Soup Co., are seeing (so far) the largest sales increase percentages as consumers turn to pantry staples and legacy brands in their desire for familiar and comforting products.
However, be sure the “new normal” for food companies won’t exclude return on investor value, although during the coronavirus recession I think it’s going to be less an issue than some might think.
In all, strategically we need to think about the possible outcomes of the Covid-19 crisis, as well as the present circumstances, however difficult that is to do.
We’re in uncharted waters with the pandemic. The industry has done a solid job of navigating this uncertainty and continues to put food on people’s tables, which, when all is said and done, is our primary mission as an industry. My main advice is we put the health and safety of workers first and foremost because at the end of the day we’re out of business without them.
just-food columnist Victor Martino is a California-based strategic marketing and business development consultant, analyst, entrepreneur and writer, specialising in the food and grocery industry. He is available for consultation at: email@example.com and https://twitter.com/VictorMartino01.


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One in five may pay wrong tax
Almost 6m Britons could be paying the wrong amount of income tax.
The errors were made because of confusion over tax collection through PAYE.
One in five workers has income tax collected through the system, which automatically deducts tax from wages.
The National Audit Office, the Government's spending watchdog, quotes figures from HM Revenue and Customs and blames the complexity of PAYE for the problem - which has led to over and underpayment.
It said: 'HMRC may not be pursuing some £1bn of tax due [and] taxpayers may have overpaid around £500m.
'Consequently ... 5.7m taxpayers may not be paying the right amount of tax.'
The report also uncovered £900m of reported losses and special payments during Government audits.
These included £105m from a decision by the Ministry of Defence not to proceed with an anti- tank guided weapon, £68m from overpayment of benefits, £148m from a new building for the Atomic Weapons Establishment which was 'not fit for purpose' and £42m paid out for funerals of low income people.
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For companies like SumAll Inc., the cloud is the obvious place to put the large, varied and rapidly updated data sets they collect. But even cloud-based big data systems can be complex to set up.
SumAll, which was founded in 2011, is a marketing analytics services provider that helps small businesses identify Web trends, track website traffic and measure the success of their social media advertising and outreach efforts. The New York company processes data on about 30 million discrete online events on a daily basis, according to CIO Korey Lee -- and the volume is growing.
Lee said that eventually, he expects to build an internal systems architecture. But for now, he added, the kind of data traffic that SumAll has to handle makes it "almost prohibitively expensive over time to grow your number of servers as necessary. You want to focus on your business, not your infrastructure."
That's a common consideration for startups and emerging businesses looking at big data in the cloud implementations. "If you're a small company, the cost of putting in your own data center is something you have to think about," said Ray Ullmer, a senior consultant at data warehousing and analytics consultancy Waterloo Data in Austin, Texas.
SumAll decided to go to the public cloud. But it hasn't been a simple, straightforward path. Lee said the company shifted a deployment of NoSQL database MongoDB from Amazon Web Services to Rackspace US Inc.'s ObjectRocket platform "because Amazon's cost was too high." For querying and analyzing data, it also switched from a self-managed MySQL database running on AWS to BitYota's data warehouse as a service technology. That runs on AWS as well, leaving SumAll with a multi-cloud environment, though relying on the BitYota managed service mitigates some of the complexities for Lee's team.
Read an in-depth look at how broadly organizations are managing big data in the cloud
Get consultant David Linthicum's thoughts on the challenges of designing a cloud-based big data architecture
Cloud data doesn't exist on an island at InsideTrack -- read about its data integration efforts


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Toyota PH is launching the Hilux GR-S next month, and this is how much it could sell for
“There are a lot of rumors flying around saying Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) will be launching GR Sport models in our market soon. But now, a source has given us more than just confirmation—we finally have the specs and prices, too.
“We’ve been told that both the Hilux and Fortuner GR-S are arriving on November 3. Let’s focus on the pickup first.
“Just to be clear, there will only be one version of the Hilux GR-S available, and it’s not the low-riding pickup from Thailand. It’ll pack the top-spec Conquest’s 2.8-liter turbodiesel that generates 201hp and 500Nm of torque and is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.
“The truck will be fitted with exterior garnishes, decals, and Gazoo Racing badges. It will also sport a gloss-black sports bar out back and sit on 18-inch alloy wheels with an exclusive GR design.
“Inside, the Hilux GR-S will have seats stitched with a mix of suede and leather as well as red accents. More GR badges and red contrasts can be found on the instrument cluster, steering wheel, and door trim.
“Apart from these changes, the Hilux GR-S also boasts some mechanical upgrades. The suspension setup has been bolstered with monotube shock absorbers to complement the double-wishbone setup up front and the leaf spring rigid axle out back. The disc brakes, meanwhile, have new GR calipers.
“The Hilux GR-S will reportedly sit at the top of the stable with a P1,985,000 price tag. That’s significantly bigger than the former top-spec variant’s P1,875,000 SRP, even after the recent price bump.”
As for the Toyota Fortuner GR-S...
“Now that you’ve heard all there is to it about the pickup truck, it’s time to learn more about the midsize SUV.
“We still have no photos of what’s to come, but the specs and pricing of the Fortuner GR-S indicate that we’ll be getting the LTD-based model from Thailand, not the other one from Indonesia.
“According to our source, the vehicle will land sporting a new GR-S grille, 18-inch alloy wheels with an exclusive GR-S design, and Gazoo Racing badges. The interior will also get red contrast stitching, GR elements, and smoke silver metallic highlights on the instrument panel, the dashboard, and the suede-leather seats.
“The Fortuner GR-S will come with most of the niceties in the LTD—including the recent additions—save for the front-seat ventilation and door-trim illumination. Similar to the Hilux, this one will also be powered by a 201hp, 500Nm 2.8-liter turbodiesel mated to a six-speed automatic gearbox. Its suspension setup will also get monotube shock absorber upgrades and the disc brakes will get GR calipers.
“We’re told that the Fortuner GR-S will also slot atop the range and will be priced at P2,509,000. Only one color option is available—the two-tone Attitude Black Mica roof with a White Pearl body.
“As a bonus, our source shared with us that the V 4x2 AT variant will get new 18-inch alloy wheels and a dual-zone automatic climate control added to the package. This will bump its prices to P1,842,000, or a P15,000 increase. Retail sales will start later on November 15.
“These announcements aren’t official yet, as TMP has been keeping mum about this over the past weeks. Rest assured, we’ll keep you posted once we receive word.”
The Chevrolet Trailblazer is returning to PH as a crossover
“After axing its Trailblazer midsize SUV a while back, The Covenant Car Company (TCCCI) has now confirmed that the nameplate will be making a return to our market in crossover form this month.
“For those unfamiliar, this is China’s smaller Trailblazer we’re referring to. We first speculated about its arrival after General Motors pulled the plug on its Chevy operations in Thailand early last year. TCCCI has yet to release a lot of details, but at least we already have a good idea about the compact SUV.
“In the People’s Republic, the vehicle is powered by a 1.3-liter turbocharged gasoline mill that generates 162hp and 240Nm of torque. The powertrain is mated to either a CVT or a nine-speed automatic gearbox that enables switching between front- and all-wheel-drive.
“Safety tech come aplenty in the crossover as well. There are features such as lane-departure warning and lane-keep assist, automatic emergency braking, and rear cross-traffic alert. It’ll be handy if the Trailblazer comes with all of these when it arrives.
“We’ve no idea yet how much the new Chevy will sell for, but we’re guessing it’ll land above the Tracker in the local lineup. We’re expecting a starting price bigger than the latter’s P1,142,888.”
Geely launches its new jazzed-up Azkarra in China
“It seems that the new range-topper of the Geely Azkarra (or the Boyue in China) will be getting a lot more than just improved styling with the ‘Vision Starburst’ design—it’ll come with a new and more powerful engine, too.
“Now that the Chinese carmaker has fully unveiled the Boyue X, we’ve learned that it will be equipped with a 1.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine that generates 181hp and 300Nm of torque.
“This “award-winning” powertrain is mated to a seven-speed wet DCT with a 97% transmission efficiency, and Geely claims it can do 13km/L. For comparison, local non-hybrid Azkarra units come with a 1.5-liter in-line-three turbopetrol that’s capable of 177hp and 255Nm of torque, and is mated to a six-speed automatic gearbox.
“In addition to the new engine, this Azkarra also packs a lot of extra features inside the cabin. We’ve seen the interior before, so let’s focus on the tech. For starters, there’s programmable interior lighting and a 12-speaker Bose sound system.
“The infotainment is also fitted with a high-performance E02 chip as well as the carmaker’s new Milky Way OS. Some of the specifics have been left out, but Geely says this smart cockpit is compatible with smartphone apps from Tencent, Huawei, and Baidu, among others.”
The all-new Honda Integra can come with a manual transmission
“Very little about the next-generation Honda Integra was made known when the brand released a teaser of the vehicle late last month. All we have is that it’ll be available as a five-door sedan like the original and will come equipped with a subtle spoiler out back.
“Now, we know the all-new Integra will have at least one other thing going for it when it finally hits showrooms: A six-speed manual transmission.
“The carmaker revealed the very welcome news in a neat teaser that shows the company’s gearsticks shifting (pun intended) from one generation to another. Watch:
“And that’s it. No release date yet. Hey, we said it was a teaser, didn’t we?
“Now, just to be clear, the all-new Integra won’t be available with only a six-speed manual. The way the industry is going, that just wouldn’t be a very sound business decision. Still, we’re certain purists will take this as a win nonetheless.”
Mitsubishi previews the all-new Outlander PHEV
“If you liked the look of the all-new Mitsubishi Outlander when it was revealed earlier this year, then you’re going to love the all-new Outlander PHEV—because they look very, very similar.
“The Japanese car manufacturer showed off the upcoming plug-in hybrid ahead of its global premiere later this month. And not surprisingly, it looks practically identical to its purely gasoline-powered counterpart.
“The “only real discernible difference between the two SUVs is that the cleaner version is available with a two-tone exterior. Not that we’re complaining, because the regular Outlander was already a pretty handsome SUV.
“That rugged Dynamic Shield mug reminiscent of Southeast Asian Mitsubishi offerings like the Montero Sport and Xpander—with the incredibly squarish design cues up front—is there. The same goes for the clean, blacked-out two-part grille, and sporty 20-inch wheel design. If you’re not a fan of too much chrome in vehicle design, look away.
“Similarities between the two models extend into the cabin as well. The interior the brand shows off here is, again, the same as the normal Outlander’s, with its playful two-tone treatment, contrast stitching, and similar use of material. That near floating touchscreen infotainment system is present here, too.”
Lexus launches the all-new LX600
“Here it is, ladies and gents. As promised, Lexus has now fully unveiled the LX600.
“This next-generation LX debuts with a more modern design inside and out. The signature Lexus grille is still present, but there are bigger horizontal slats and the chrome border has been taken out. Flanking it are a pair of headlamps that look much sleeker than the old ones. In the F Sport variant, the grille gets a blacked-out mesh design.
“There’s nothing subtle here save for the foglamps, which are placed right underneath the massive air intakes. We now also get a full view of the LX600’s rear. It looks cleaner and a lot more stylish than the LX570’s, with a new bumper to go along with the new-look taillights.
“The interior boasts typical Lexus luxury, with a plethora of premium materials from end to end. The vehicle is equipped with a dual-display setup consisting of a 12.3-inch upper screen and a seven-inch lower screen that offer a variety of views, instrumentation, and control adjustments. Sound is produced through a 25-speaker Mark Levinson audio setup.
“In the higher Ultra Luxury and F Sport trim, the cabin is spec’d with an even more opulent four-seat layout. The rear seats can be adjusted forward or reclined, and a footrest behind the front passenger seat is available.
“Other amenities here include window sunshades, reading lights, rear-seat displays, and an A/C system with overhead ceiling vents (Ultra Luxury only). There’s also a rear control panel for several rear-cabin functions, a DC power supply, USB ports, headphone jacks, and a wireless charger available.
“The LX600 also gets the all-new Toyota Land Cruiser’s setup, which is a 3.5-liter twin-turbo gasoline V6 that generates 409hp and 649Nm of torque. The powertrain is mated to a Direct Shift 10-speed automatic gearbox.”
The refreshed GAC GS8 lands in PH with a P2.088-M starting price
“GAC Motor has been a bit busy this month. After introducing the GN8 Master’s Edition a few weeks back, the carmaker has now launched the 2022 GS8.
“The new arrival isn’t the next-generation model we saw back in September. Rather, it’s a simple refresh with slight design changes and new tech. Starting with the front end, there are new headlamps flanking the familiar chrome-laden grille. Underneath is a reworked bumper with bigger air intakes and a new skid plate.
“The rear remains unchanged for the most part. It also gets a larger skid plate that now takes up most of the rear bumper’s real estate, but that’s about it.
“Inside, the GS8 features a new piano-black finish on the dash, which is still adorned with wood trim. The seats are wrapped in Alcantara leather and the front two now come with a heating/ventilation feature.
“There’s a new 10-inch infotainment system up front, which now comes with Apple CarPlay connectivity and a six-speaker Harman Kardon audio setup. A new wireless charging pad is equipped in the cabin, and a 5V USB port and electric outlet are now available in the second row.
“Also new for the 2022 GS8 are the LED ambient lights, the panoramic sunroof, and the 360-degree-view monitor with parking sensors. A fingerprint sensor door lock, an anti-glare rearview mirror, a tire-pressure monitoring system, and a power liftgate with motion sensor has been added to the package as well. The GS8’s new key fob also has remote control over the ignition, the windows, and the sunroof.
“As for the engine, the 2022 GS8 retains its 2.0-liter turbopetrol. This is capable of 199hp and 320Nm of torque and is mated to a six-speed gearbox. There are two variants available—you can check them out and their corresponding prices below:”
2022 GAC GS8
- GAC GS8 6AT 4x2 Sports – P2,088,000
- GAC GS8 6AT 4x4 GL – P2,288,000
Honda gives us a preview of the upcoming track version of the Civic Si
“The Honda Civic Si is, sadly, a variant of the popular nameplate that constantly finds itself on many Filipino Honda fans’ list of auto industry what-ifs. But can you blame them? A sportier version of one of the market’s hottest compact sedans—that’s a proposition we’d be more than game for as well.
“It looks like the all-new Civic Si is gearing up to continue the trend as well. Honda recently released a teaser showing a track-ready version of the vehicle being developed for competition. Nice.
“You can watch the sedan being tested at the Thunderhill Raceway in California in the footage below:
“Actual performance figures remain a mystery, and the vehicle seen in the footage above is hiding under camo (though the car does appear to retain mostly the same form as the non-Si version).
“We are, however, treated to a proper look at that massive rear wing, and it looks sick. Perhaps not as much as the rear wing of its more menacing bigger brother, the all-new Civic Type R (which was recently teased as well), but sick nonetheless. The brand also claims this vehicle will be the ‘best-handling and most fun-to-drive Civic Si ever.’”
Isuzu has launched a new D-Max V-Cross variant in Thailand
“The all-new Isuzu D-Max is already one of the toughest trucks in the market in terms of appearance. So, what do you do to build on that aesthetic then? Well, not much.
“Hey, don’t fix what isn’t broken, right? This is why we like the route the brand has taken with the D-Max V-Cross over in Thailand.
“Essentially, the V-Cross has a slight edge over what we have here in the Philippines in terms of ruggedness. It comes equipped with a sportier blacked-out grille up front flanked by your familiar angry headlights with black plastic accents. The vehicle runs on more macho-looking 18-inch wheels as well.
“Overall, we think the V-Cross has a bit more going for it compared to its local counterpart, the Isuzu D-Max LS-E. We’re also digging its stealthy ‘Opec Gray’ exterior, too, and its availability with two doors instead of four is something we don’t get either.
“And that’s about it as far as alterations go here. The interior is pretty much identical to what’s available around our parts. Units run on a 3.0-liter turbodiesel capable of up to 187hp and 450Nm of torque with power driven to all four wheels.”


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A week before the long-awaited launch of WarnerMedia’s HBO Max, the company has locked distribution deals with seven partners, ranging from small cable operators to major gaming and smart-TV platforms.
Altice USA, Cox Communications, Microsoft Xbox, Samsung, Sony PlayStation, Verizon and the National Cable Television Cooperative have all signed on to offer HBO Max starting May 27. They join Charter Communications, Hulu, YouTube TV, Apple TV and AT&T’s own outlets, including DirecTV, in offering the $15-a-month streaming service. Three notable holdouts, for now, are Comcast, Amazon and Roku.
The blitz of well-funded new entries into the streaming derby, with Apple TV+, Disney+, Peacock, Quibi and now HBO Max reaching the market in a six-month span, has been amplified by third-party distribution. Disney, for example, set a key pact with Verizon and NBCUniversal announced Cox as a launch partner for Peacock and anticipates broader adoption by pay-TV operators as a natural next step. The economics of streaming distribution represent a shift from the decades-old wholesale model in pay-TV that HBO spearheaded in the 1970s. Owning the customer relationship is the key objective.
WarnerMedia Parent AT&T Raising More Than $3 Billion In Debt Sale
AT&T CEO John Stankey acknowledged the lack of an Amazon agreement during an appearance at a Wall Street conference last week. “We feel really good about the distribution dynamic, the availability of the product,” he said. “Those that are HBO subscribers immediately move into Max. It’s going to be a really strong first day.”
Among the new partners, setups with Cox, Verizon, Altice and NCTC will enable millions of existing HBO subscribers to activate HBO Max accounts at no additional cost. The existing HBO offering is included in HBO Max, in addition to thousands of hours of additional programming, including Max originals, Warner Bros. films and off-network mainstays like South Park and Friends. For venues where customers have not been able to subscribe to HBO via a broader bundle, such as Samsung, Xbox and PlayStation, the new deals will simply allow customers to directly subscribe to Max through those ecosystems.
Momentum on the distribution front has been building as WarnerMedia drives toward its goal of reaching 75 million to 90 million global subscribers in the next five years. When executives presented plans for HBO Max to investors and press last October, they had no distribution deals beyond AT&T platforms, which account for roughly 10 million HBO subscribers who are eligible to turn on Max for free.
“The launch of HBO Max is an important milestone for our company, and we’re excited that these valued partners will be on board for the launch,” said Rich Warren, president of WarnerMedia Distribution. “Through our expansive distribution pipeline, millions of customers will have immediate access to a best-in-class streaming experience come May 27.”
Source: Read Full Article


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Sash window experts Victorian Sliders have experienced record-breaking sales in the first half of 2021. Marketing Manager Geoff Bishop gives his thoughts on what’s behind the ongoing boom.
Last March, I don’t think any of us could’ve predicted the situation our sector would be in nearly 18 months later.
Back then, prospects looked bleak – society was on the brink of shutting down almost entirely.
But Victorian Sliders, and dozens of other businesses across the glass and glazing sector, went on to enjoy the most successful year in our history.
Between March and August 2020, mortgage comparison site money.co.uk estimates UK homeowners spent a staggering £55bn on home improvements – and even in 2021, that enormous demand shows no sign of slowing.
According to Barclaycard, home improvement spending rose 34.4% in March this year – the biggest surge since July 2020, when the first lockdown lifted.
At Victorian Sliders, we’re seeing that translated into huge numbers of sales and orders – which means we’re confident that millions of homeowners are being specifically drawn to quality sash windows like our own much-celebrated ECOSlide.
The sash window resurgence
Why is that? There’s not one simple answer.
In part, we think it’s the continuation – and acceleration – of a trend that’s existed since the 2000s.
Once, choice in glass and glazing was extremely limited. The vast majority of the windows sold and installed in Britain were PVCu casements, and most of them were white.
Then, in the years that followed, there was an explosion of choice. Manufacturers began offering a whole range of different, more stylish products, as homeowners began to treat doors and windows more like an extension of their interior décor.
Now, the experience of living under lockdown has pushed home improvements up the priority list for millions of people around the UK, and they’re eagerly seeking out products that can add to the character and curb appeal of their properties.
That’s also likely to have been driven by the estimated £180bn homeowners are thought to have saved during the course of the pandemic. Much lower fuel and commuting costs for many, combined with the fact costly luxuries like foreign holidays have been off the table, has allowed them to invest in higher-end home improvements.
That means sash windows, with their timeless, elegant aesthetics, are benefitting hugely.
Once widespread across the country, sash windows declined throughout the twentieth century following the development of the first PVCu casements – but over the last twenty years, they’ve staged a major comeback.
People with older properties are increasingly seeking to restore their historic character, by replacing the casements that have been installed in the decades since with much more authentic alternatives.
But even people living in much more modern properties are embracing sash windows, too.
Not just for heritage
In recent years, there’s been a noticeable rise in the number of new-build developments designed to have a traditional look and feel – hundreds of ECOSlide windows have been installed in houses of this kind built by Hope Homes in West Kirkbride, for example.
Even people living in contemporary-style homes are realising that sash windows can be used to add personality to their properties.
The reason we’re seeing such huge demand for ECOSlide in particular, though, is that it offers everything homeowners want from a sash window, without their traditional downsides.
Early sash windows were exclusively made of timber – which meant they offered great aesthetics, but came with a wide range of drawbacks.
They required extensive maintenance to keep looking their best, including regular sanding and painting – and if homeowners didn’t keep on top of that heavy workload, the windows would quickly start to deteriorate.
But today, with the huge advances in window technology that have been made by forward-thinking manufacturers like Victorian Sliders, thousands of people around the country are enjoying sash windows without those issues.
ECOSlide – sustainable, authentic and extremely versatile
With products like ECOSlide, you get windows that offer authentic timber-look aesthetics, easy maintenance and excellent thermal efficiency, all while minimising the impact on the environment.
ECOSlide comes with an ‘A’ Window Energy Ratings as standard (A+ ratings with an Argon-filled unit) and is extremely secure – unlike many competitor products, it uses top and bottom toughened glass as standard, and features an anti-jemmy bar.
It’s also available in a vast array of foils and any RAL colour, as well as offering run-through sash horns.
For installers, it’s a win-win – stylish, much sought-after, high-performing PVCu sash windows backed with a ten-year guarantee.
“Don’t miss out on booming interest in sash windows – contact Victorian Sliders today, and find out why we’re trusted by thousands of installers countrywide!”


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Cisco Embraces Wi-Fi 6, Launches New Products and Resource Center for Devs
- By Becky Nagel
- April 30, 2019
Cisco this week announced a new line of solutions to help enterprises embrace "Wi-Fi 6" (a.k.a. 802.11ax or "high-efficiency wireless"), as well as a new resource to help developers create solutions that take advantage of the connectivity improvements Wi-Fi 6 and 5G will offer.
802.11ax was created in 2013 and is expected to launch later this year. More information on the standard can be found on the project's Web site here.
Cisco says that companies can expect big things from Wi-Fi 6. "Beyond being significantly faster than the previous generation, Wi-Fi 6 delivers up to 400 percent greater capacity and is more effective in high-density settings like large lecture halls, stadiums and conference rooms," the company stated in its announcement of the new product line. "Latency is vastly improved, allowing for near real-time use cases."
Some of the products and features that Cisco announced for Wi-Fi 6 include:
- Catalyst 9600 Series switches: "The future of campus core," designed for enterprise campus use with full IPv6 and Wi-Fi 6 support, for always-on use cases, running Cisco IOS XE.
- Access Points for Wi-Fi 6: Cisco's Catalyst and Meraki access points are being updated to support Wi-Fi 6 and offer programmable chipsets.
- Cisco OpenRoaming Project: A joint partnership with other manufacturers like Samsung, Broadcom and Intel to make sure any wireless pain-point issues are addressed and solved on an industry level.
The company also announced its new DevNet Wireless Dev Center, designed to offer enterprise developers a wide range of resources for working on Wi-Fi 6 projects. Current resources include videos, a learning lab and code samples. More is expected to be added to the portal as time goes on.
Becky Nagel is the vice president of Web & Digital Strategy for 1105's Converge360 Group, where she oversees the front-end Web team and deals with all aspects of digital projects at the company, including launching and running the group's popular virtual summit and Coffee talk series . She an experienced tech journalist (20 years), and before her current position, was the editorial director of the group's sites. A few years ago she gave a talk at a leading technical publishers conference about how changes in Web browser technology would impact online advertising for publishers. Follow her on twitter @beckynagel.


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True to its word, Google has started sending out the Explorer edition of Glass to the developers who registered an interest in the high-tech eyewear at Google’s I/O event last year.
Photos and videos from the recipients are beginning to appear on the Web, with the simple packaging suggesting Google has taken some cues from another Silicon Valley company more famous for its phones and tablets than any futuristic head-based gear.
Inside the box you’ll find a microUSB cable and charger, a carrying pouch, attachable shades, a clear visor, and, of course, Glass.
One of the first videos (below) to hit the Web shows San Jose resident Matt Abdou tearing around a go-cart track, filming the experience using Glass. The 720p footage is certainly crisp and clear, though some stabilization software would’ve ensured a smoother ride for viewers.
Matt has to adjust the glasses several time during his high-speed ride, presumably because they were slipping off his head. While I wouldn’t have wished to see any harm come to his newly acquired gadget – a gadget for which he had to hand over $1500 – a through-the-Glass video of the futuristic specs tumbling across the track would certainly have given us an opportunity to make a judgment on the robustness of the device. The video probably would’ve looked pretty cool, too.
On Tuesday, Google released a spec sheet for Glass, revealing that its new gadget incorporates a 5-megapixel camera and 16GB of memory (12GB usable), and comes with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.
Over the coming months, Google will be hoping to get some useful feedback from the several thousand developers set to receive Glass, with the Mountain View company thought to be working towards a commercial release of its tech at the end of this year or in early 2014.
[Image: Brandon Allgood via engadget]
- Digital Trends Live: Google’s new Glass, Impossible Sausage, and more
- New Google Glass smartglasses: Everything we know
- Vue’s new glasses on Kickstarter are the smart glasses we always wanted
- Google Glass is removed from Twitter and Instagram
- Google patents version of Glass that affixes a monocle to the end of a flexible headband


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GfK delivers speech at GTDC Forum 2021
GfK´s Distribution intelligence tracks distributors sales which then can be uniquely combined with POS market intelligence, establishing GfK Supply Chain Management. GfK’s Distribution intelligence is the world’s largest distribution network with around 300 distributors in more than 45 markets in WEU, CEE, CIS, MEA, APAC and LATAM. This includes partnerships with associations including the Global Technology Distribution Council (GTDC), which announced its annual Summit taking place on Wednesday, November 3.
The agenda allows one to hear from a compelling range of speakers, and GfK Global MI Sales Vice President David Lewis, will also hold a session titled: “Shaping tomorrow – how to unlock future growth opportunities”, scheduled at 5:10 pm CET. Register to GTDC’s forum and have the opportunity to hear exclusive content by GfK.


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When the iPhone X came along with its Portrait Lighting effects, a lot of people were very impressed. Apple was even claiming that you don’t need studio lighting at all anymore or any other fancy equipment. You just need your phone. And while the iPhone hasn’t taken over as the portrait photographer’s camera of choice, it’s an intriguing concept.
A concept so intriguing that researchers and engineers at UC San Diego and Google have taken it a few steps further. They’ve trained neural networks to relight portraits after the fact without requiring any 3D depth data and with a lot more control than a few Apple presets.


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Xamax has tapped into support from the Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) to help it understand new market opportunities and support its ambitious expansion plans.
The company has invested £400,000 in updating its Roundwood Industrial Estate site in Wakefield.
Turnover is set to hit £3.3m this year, and five jobs have been created to cope with demand.
Gareth Thompson, the operations director, said: “The banking crisis made us look long and hard at our business and where we wanted to go.
“A lot of the changes we were making were reactive to market conditions, and we knew we needed to adopt a more proactive approach.
“This is where MAS came into the equation. Working with one of the organisation’s manufacturing advisers and a specialist consultant, we were able to take a step back and look at the bigger picture and the sort of processes we needed to put in place to monitor growth and, importantly, profitability.”
He added: “We have come up with a strategic plan to take us to 2017. We’ve already secured shop floor efficiencies and a 40 per cent increase in sales.”
Xamax is one of the UK’s biggest manufacturers of embroidered and printed clothing for business, local authorities and the public.
Altogether, it has more than 10,000 different clients.
The company, which employs 43 people, produces more than 500 products, ranging from T-shirts and sweatshirts to hi-visibility jackets and footwear.
It also offers a ‘design your own’ service for bespoke orders.
Recent investment has seen it modernise facilities at its Wakefield factory.
It has replaced old machinery and created a modern frontage.
Mr Thompson said: “MAS has been a tremendous source of expertise and knowledge, as was Krys Szokalo of the ICE Partnership who worked so closely with us on shaping our strategy.
“We now have a solid platform that will ensure the business flourishes, and hopefully creates more jobs in the future.”


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This is even more intrusive than the Echo and Alexa devices that merely listen in.
In George Orwell’s 1984, the oppressive rulers of Oceania use devices called telescreens to closely monitor and repress citizens.
Now Facebook looks set to follow in the Party’s footsteps by putting its own firm’s microphones and cameras into people’s homes.
The social network is planning to release its first ever piece of consumer hardware which will be called Portal and cost a whopping $499 (£368), a website called Cheddar has claimed.
From CIW NEWS Contributor
United States infowar
Mountain View, California, United States
United States (US) is estimated to have a population of 325.0 million with a growth rate during 2010-2015 of 0.8% pa.
At the same rate of change, in five years' time its population will increase by 13.2 million.


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5 things you need to know Friday
1. Black Friday begins – for those who didn't go out last night
For all the Black Friday purists, it's game time. Sure, the amateurs started yesterday, but you all know the satisfaction of waking up extra before sunrise and getting those early bird deals. A number of retailers agreed and kept themselves from opening. The National Retail Federation expects 25.6 million shoppers to take advantage of the Thanksgiving openings. Gear up, shoppers. Holiday shopping season starts today.
2. For some, "Green Friday" puts other deals up in smoke
Pardon the pun, but Colorado's marijuana stores are offering some smoking deals for Thanksgiving and Black Friday, which they've dubbed "Green Friday." One Denver store was offering a limited number of ounces of marijuana for $50 each, significantly below the $250 per ounce price buyers would normally pay. Many stores were offering similar deals, including steep discounts on pre-rolled joints. At least you'll have an excuse for eating those leftovers!
3. Pope Francis travels to Turkey (no, not the food) and its leader's controversial new digs
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's new $610 million digs easily dwarf those of any other leader. When Pope Francis – who shunned the Vatican palace occupied by his predecessors in favor of a nondescript apartment – visits Turkey on Friday, he'll be the first foreign dignitary to visit the controversial palace.
4. Fans across the country get a glimpse into the next 'Star Wars'
Geeks, nerds, dweebs ... this is the moment we've been waiting for. The much-anticipated trailer for director J.J. Abrams' Star Wars: The Force Awakens will make its debut at 30 cinemas in North America beginning Friday. The 88-second teaser will hopefully keep fans at bay until the much-talked-about next film in the franchise opens Dec. 18, 2015.
5. Another day (and weekend) of games for football fans
Thanksgiving Day and the weekend that follows might as well be a holiday for football lovers, as Friday ushers in a weekend of college match-ups. Arkansas takes on Missouri, and it's all about state-on-states as Arizona and Arizona State face off. Plop yourself on the couch for these games and relax that gravy away.
And the essentials:
Weather: A storm system that will bring rain across the West Coast, while the central parts of the U.S. and the Southern Plains stay dry.
Stocks: Oil prices fell sharply Friday after OPEC said the day prior it wouldn't cut production levels to stem collapsing oil prices.
You can also get the day's top news each weekday in your inbox. Subscribe.
Need a break? Try playing some of our games.


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Boosted by the $2.1 billion purchase of Snyder Communications in 2000, Havas Advertising has posted a 25.2% surge in revenues for last year to €2.24bn ($1.95bn; £1.37bn).
Including Snyder’s results for both 2000 and 2001, and excluding other acquisitions and divestments, revenues increased 0.3% (including a 2.6% rise in Europe and a 1.9% fall in North America), making Havas one of the few ad groups to achieve organic growth in a market that has contracted over the last twelve months.
The share of revenues coming from traditional advertising declined last year. On a like-for-like basis, ad revenues fell 5.3% in 2001 to €881 million, while marketing services generated €1.36bn, up 4.3%. This trend was even more pronounced in the 4.8% slide in pro forma revenues recorded for the fourth quarter: advertising was down 15% while marketing services rose 1.3%.
Havas, the world’s fifth largest agency group, also saw billings surge 25.2% last year to €14.9bn, while net new business stood at €2.1bn.
Chairman Alain de Pouzilhac forecast healthy organic growth for the group in 2002, in contrast to the overall ad sector, which he expects to remain flat or fall by up to 2%.
Data sourced from: BrandRepublic (UK); Havas Advertising; additional content by WARC staff


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The cryptocurrency exchange platform Coinbase, announced through a press release the expansion of its services in the city of Dublin, Ireland, in order to continue offering a custody service to its customers.
The new headquarters named Coinbase Custody International, joins the list of those already operating in Europe since 2018, specifically in the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Germany, Finland and the Netherlands, among others.
The popular American platform launched this project to the market in 2017 with the aim of offering a custody service to institutional investors, hedge funds and family offices.
Likewise, the company ensures that “by offering our services from the same region in which our clients are located, our goal is to benefit from greater legal and regulatory clarity.”
However, the exchange has expressed the need to continue expanding its products in Europe as well as adding new assets and functionalities to its custody service in the future.


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The internet has changed the way that business, commerce, and economics work. It has allowed companies to connect to billions of potential customers instantly on the biggest market demographic in the history of humanity. So it’s no wonder that online and digital marketing has become a priority for business. Here is a countdown to the most exciting digital marketing trends & techniques of 2016!
2015 market a historic time for mobile browsing. Google announced in May 5th, 2015, that mobile browsing traffic overtook desktop traffic in over ten different countries .
This prompted Google to release their newest search algorithm, known as, “Mobilegeddon”, give a boost to mobile friendly websites. The latest update penalizes in the rankings websites that are not optimized for mobile browsing. The update from Google makes their position clear, the technology giant believes that mobile browsing will be the dominant surfing strategy of years to come.
But it doesn’t stop there.
With the new “Progessive Web” revolution, mobile websites are becoming more powerful than ever before. Mobile websites can now run completely offline, interact via bluetooth, send push notifications, receive geolocation updates and much more. The revolution is still in it’s infacy and most features are only now being understood and tested by developers but it won’t be long till marketers start really taking advantage.
Learn more about mobile marketing trends here: http://www.smartinsights.com/mobile-marketing/mobile-marketing-analytics/mobile-marketing-statistics
Interactive 360 Video – Clash of Clans
Video marketing has recently emerged as one of the most impactful strategies of the digital marketing world. Platforms like Youtube and DailyMotion have shown that consumers are hungry for video content. Marketing studies have also revealed that videos increase selling rates by a substantial margin, prompting many brands to invest in high-end video production.
And now video is reaching a new stage of interactivity. Thanks to advancements in smartphones and technology, we’ve now begun seeing an increasing amount of 360° video. Facebook and Youtube are among the leaders in the early adoption, enabling users to view immersive 360° video on their smartphones.
With this evolution of video, it has become even more important for marketers to stay current in order to stand out against the stiff competition. With many major social media platforms now supporting 360 degree and choice-point video, marketers are quickly switching to the method. Immersive and interactive video production methods have captivated the hearts and imagination of consumers, which is why 360 & Choice-Point video marketing takes the number 4 spot for most effective digital marketing strategy of 2016.
Learn more about the trend here: https://www.clickz.com/2016/03/11/why-immersive-video-is-the-new-digital-marketing-reality
Image Credit(s): FreshInbox
While email marketing may not be as exciting as virtual reality and immersive video production, it puts up solid numbers, and with more interactive software, subscribers are getting more mileage out of these emails than ever before. Email marketing techniques have remained dated for years but have slowly begun seeing some fantastic new emerging trends including:
Learn more at: http://www.emailmonday.com/the-future-of-email-marketing
Marketing on television is something that everyone is familiar with. The problem that marketers and consumers alike are coming across is that less and less people are watching conventional cable television, and purchasing spots on cable television is still as expensive as ever. With the rise in popularity of internet television like Chromecast, Apple TV, and Netflix, conventional television advertising has become obsolete. Some companies have even started to emerge that specifically work to find advertising slots on internet television.
In fact, streaming services and subscription-based internet television is expected to grow by 15% annually for the next 5 years!
Internet television is rapidly becoming the norm, and big brands are noticing. That is why internet television promises to be the number 2 most impactful digital marketing method of 2016.
See how the internet television market has grown here: http://www.wired.com/2015/06/tv-losing-ground-internet-really-counts
Drum roll please… The biggest digital marketing trend & strategy for 2016 is web push notification marketing. This innovative marketing method works on a subscription basis, keeping people that visit your website informed about the latest trends, news, and content produced by the site.
With web push notifications users can subscribe to your website with one click. No need for forms, emails or any personal contact information. Then when you are ready you can blast a notification to all your subscribers which is delivered instantly to their desktop or mobile device, even if they aren’t on your website.
And these little notifications are POWERFUL. Average click through rates dwarf other remarketing methods such as email or ads – often reaching over 15% click through.
The simplicity and impressive conversion rate of this digital marketing method makes it an easy pick for the most impactful digital marketing technique for 2016.
To learn more about web push notifications and how you can get started using them within minutes, check out https://aimtell.com
Well, there you have it. 5 of the top trends and strategies impacting digital marketing in 2016. What do you think? Did we miss one that should have trumped the others on the list?


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Tue, 04 Sep 2012 00:00:00 -0700
National Electric Vehicle Sweden AB (NEVS) has completed the purchase of the assets of Saab, but can’t use the Griffin logo. It looks like the Chinese, Japanese, Swedish Consortium NEVS has finally completed the process of acquiring the assets of bankrupt Saab, but it hasn’t quite got all it wanted. We reported last week that the process of acquiring Saab had been delayed as there were still issues over the rights to the Saab log, a logo owned by Scania and Saab Aerospace.
Thu, 26 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -0700
Kia showed off its all-new Carens compact ute on its European press Web site on Wednesday. The car will come to the United States as the new Rondo, looking much more slick and aerodynamic than its predecessor. The full reveal for the Carens/Rondo happens during the Paris auto show in September.
Sat, 26 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700
Land Rover are planning a new Defender to launch in 2012
As always, the Defender is going to be the traditional Land Rover as – unlike the rest of the Land Rover Range which is moving over to aluminium platforms – the new Defender will be based on the existing – and very capable – current model Discovery platform. The use of the T5, twin rail steel chassis from the Discovery is vital if the Defender is to continue to offer the range of body styles currently available – including hard and soft tops – which make the Defender the versatile work horse it is. But the Defender will still be going on a diet and will be a lighter car than the current Model.


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We are delighted to announce the partnership with The PCT Network to introduce to Japanese IP firms the foreign filing network of patent and trademark. The PCT Network is the largest foreign network of IP professionals in the world for foreign filing, and connects international associates in order to provide the best IP filing services […]
本日、IPwe特許取引プラットフォームの日本語ユーザーインターフェースがリリースされました。IPweプラットフォームは、AI（人工知能）とブロックチェーンを使った世界初の特許取引プラットフォームです（詳しくは、こちらをご覧ください）。 この度の日本語ユーザーインターフェースの提供により、IPwe特許取引プラットフォームが、日本のお客様にとって、より使いやすいものとなり、お客様が特許資産をより有効に活用し収益を向上させるのにお役に立てば幸いです。 当社は、IPwe特許取引プラットフォームの日本のお客様をサポートをしておりますので、お気軽にお問い合わせください。
Satoshi Watanabe authored an article entitled “Patent changes create friction” in Intellectual Property Magazine. The article can be accessed here.
IPwe made a joint appearance with Toshiba at Patent Information Fair & Conference which was held in Tokyo on November 6-8, 2019. We WATANABE Research & Consulting do marketing in Japan for IPwe. In this fair, we introduced the IPwe platform. It is the first artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain enabled patent transaction platform. IPwe and Toshiba […]
We are delighted to announce the partnership with IPwe to introduce their unique patent transaction platform to Japan. IPwe created the first platform for the world’s patent ecosystem, connecting buyers and sellers of patents and patent-related services, creating a tradable asset. IPwe leverages the power of artificial intelligence (AI), data mining, predictive analytics and blockchain to […]
We launched a new project working with a US-based M&A advisory firm. In this project, we help Japanese companies find opportunities for investment in and partnerships with foreign technology companies. It includes setting up of joint ventures to manufacture products of such technology companies, and also do sales and marketing in Japan and other Asian […]
Satoshi Watanabe contributed an article to a journal for Japanese IP professionals “Patent News” published by Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry. It gives a quick summary on how to use patent information especially for patent monetization. This is a two-part article, the first part was published on January 10 2019 and the second […]
We are delighted to announce our new partnership with BijuSoft to start technology service “On-Demand AI Team”. BijuSoft has top experts in various field of artificial intelligence (AI), – e.g. Machine Learning, Natural Language Understanding, Computer Vision, Internet of Things (IoT) and Mobile Computing, and Data Analytics. Now we can assist our customers to integrate […]
It is great pleasure to announce that Satoshi Watanabe, as Adviser to Shobayashi International, got interviewed by a global intellectual property magazine IPPro for Japan Country Profile, and its article “The evolving landscape of the Japanese IP system” written by Rebecca Delaney was published on September 6. You can read it here (See page 20).


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Small firms in Coventry and Warwickshire have been urged to ‘look again’ at grant support after the Government announced a new £617 million discretionary fund.
The new grants will be distributed by the local authorities and are designed to help those firms which fell outside the first wave of grant funding.
This additional fund is aimed at small businesses with ongoing fixed property-related costs and the Government is asking local authorities to prioritise businesses in shared spaces, regular market traders, small charity properties that would meet the criteria for Small Business Rates Relief, and bed and breakfasts that pay council tax rather than business rates.
But local authorities may choose to make payments to other businesses based on local economic need at their own discretion.
Businesses must be small, under 50 employees, and they must also be able to demonstrate that they have seen a significant drop of income due to Coronavirus restriction measures.
There will be three levels of grant payments, the maximum being £25,000. There will also be grants of £10,000 and local authorities will have discretion to make payments of any amount under £10,000.
Louise Bennett, chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “We’d urge companies that didn’t previously meet the criteria for grant funding to look again now that this discretionary fund has been announced.
“The Local Authorities in our area have been working incredibly hard to ensure businesses get the funding they need to survive and this additional pot will mean more small companies can be saved.
“We’ve also seen the detail revealed by the government for the new Bounce Back Loans for small businesses so we’re continuing to signpost businesses to all available options to support their cashflow.
“And, through regular dialogue with decision-makers at local, regional and national levels, we are highlighting where there are gaps in support.”
British Chambers of Commerce director general Dr Adam Marshall said: “We have been calling for additional support for businesses and entrepreneurs who have fallen between the cracks, so it is welcome to see additional funding allocated to support some of these hard-pressed firms.
“Clarity and speed are of the essence. Many of the companies that have been unable to use existing support schemes are already on borrowed time – and will need these grants paid out swiftly if they are to survive.”


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Yo, what’s good my fellow stoners? It’s your boy Dan, and I’m here to drop some knowledge on the current state of Colorado’s weed industry. Now, as you all know, Colorado was once the epicenter of the legal cannabis industry, but recent data shows that sales and employment within the industry have taken a major hit. So, let’s get into it.
In February, dispensaries in Colorado recorded $124.8 million in sales, which is a 3.5% decrease from January and a 14% decline from the previous year. This marks the seventh monthly drop in the past eight months, resulting in the lowest sales figure in the past four years. These stats are no joke, my friends. This is a significant setback for the state’s cannabis industry.
For the first two months of the year, combined sales of marijuana in Colorado amounted to $254.2 million, representing a 14% drop from the corresponding period in the previous year. Adult-use sales for February generated $109.4 million, while medical cannabis transactions contributed $15.4 million to the overall total. Comparatively, January saw higher sales figures than February.
The most recent data on Colorado’s cannabis market highlights the conclusion of a decade-long expansion in the country’s most established adult-use marijuana sector. Wholesale cannabis prices have declined for a significant portion of 2022. Total cannabis sales for 2022 in Colorado reached almost $1.8 billion, representing a significant 20.7% drop from the record high of $2.2 billion in 2021.
Now here’s where things really get rough. According to a recent report, the number of cannabis jobs in Colorado has dropped by 28 percent, coinciding with headlines claiming a decrease in marijuana sales in the state. This suggests that finding employment related to marijuana is becoming increasingly difficult in Colorado.
The research reveals that dispensary sales have been weak nationwide and that commercial marijuana employment has fallen nationally for the first time since this state’s adult-use cannabis industry opened for business in early 2014. And as additional states join the marijuana party, Colorado has been hammered particularly hard. It’s no longer one of the leading two states for cannabis employment, according to Vangst. It isn’t even among the top five.
Let’s break it down even further. Between February 2022 and February 2023, cannabis business owners in Colorado reduced their workforce by approximately 10,500 employees, leaving the state with 27,856 workers in the industry. By comparison, other states’ marijuana industry employment rates are:
Except for California, all the top five states saw increased marijuana industry employment from 2022 to 2023. These numbers don’t lie, my friends. Finding work in the weed industry ain’t as easy as it used to be.
Truman Bradley, the executive director of the Marijuana Industry Group, expressed that he was not surprised by the decline in employment in the marijuana industry. He explained that the industry has been experiencing a downturn for 20 months with no signs of improvement. Sales have decreased by over 20% in the recreational industry and over 45% in the medical industry in 2023.
The Colorado Department of Revenue reported that the state’s sales for the first month amounted to $129.4 million, which is a 15% decrease from January 2022. This also represents a 30% decrease from January 2021. The reduction in marijuana sales has resulted in a decline in tax revenue for Colorado, with collections dropping from $423.5 million in 2021 to $325.1 million in 2022. In the first two months of 2023, Colorado has accrued about $47.1 million in marijuana taxes and fees, which is about 20 percent lower than the $58.9 million collected in the same period in 2022.
So, what’s the deal? Well, during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, legal marijuana prices and sales figures reached record highs, but they began to decline in the latter half of 2021. Subsequently, the marijuana industry in Colorado entered into a full-blown recession in 2022, and the statistics continue to worsen. The data indicate that marijuana sales in Colorado peaked around the first anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic when dispensaries recorded their highest sales numbers.
It’s not just dispensaries and growers who are suffering; businesses that offer software support, accounting, and other ancillary assistance to the marijuana industry are also reducing staff due to financial difficulties. Additionally, tax revenue from commercial marijuana at both state and local levels has declined significantly since 2021.
But don’t lose hope just yet! Economic projections indicate that marijuana tax income will increase. Therefore, there is hope that the business will recover. Colorado will need to adapt as the industry changes and competition rises as additional states legalize marijuana if it wants to stay at the top of the market. The cannabis sector in Colorado’s future is still unclear, but it can prosper once more with careful planning and innovation.
In conclusion, while it’s a rough time for Colorado’s weed industry right now, we can’t forget that this is a dynamic market that can change on a dime. So let’s keep our heads up and our lungs filled with that good stuff, my friends. Peace out!


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The Italian's have a purest view of chocolate. They label only chocolate derived from cocoa butter as "pure."
The rest of the European Union is not so picky.
But now, as ordered by Europe's highest court, Italy can no longer distinquish chocolate as "pure" vs chocolate made from other vegetable fats.
Italian "pure chocolate" labelling runs "contrary to the system of denominations for products sold under Union law," the court said, saying any distinction for consumers had to be "neutral and objective."
The EU chocolate marketing law states that chocolate "may contain up to five percent vegetable fat other than cocoa butter," such as illepe, palm oil, sal, shea, kokum gurgi, mango kernels or copra oil.
Source: UK Independent


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With final overall 2010 tallies in, adding up to more than $677 million gross, Heritage Auctions is pointing to a record year across several categories of its business including world record totals for any auction house in the Comics & Original Comic Art and Illustration Art categories. Heritage Sports Collectibles used 2010 to put itself in prime position to become the leading sports memorabilia auctioneer in the nation in 2011, with a 2010 Signature Auction and Weekly Auction combined total of $12,809,628 and several high value, prominent lots that captured worldwide attention, including the April auction of hockey legend Bobby Orr’s 1966-67 rookie jersey for $191,200 and the November sale of a rare T206 Honus Wagner baseball card – sold for a group of Baltimore, MD nuns – for $220,000.
“We saw brisk growth in those categories in particular,” said Greg Rohan, President of Heritage Auctions. “When we combine the weekly comic and comic art auctions with our Signature auctions, the total for the comics category reaches $23,077,321, while Illustration Art, anchored by the Charles Martignette Estate, totaled $14,454,281. We’ve done our research and can’t find another auction firm that has ever equaled those totals in these categories.”
Comics saw several high-profile auctions over the course of the year, with none bigger than the February sale of a CGC-certified 8.0 copy of Detective Comics #27, the first appearance of “The Batman,” for $1,075,500. The comic made national and international headlines, becoming the highest selling comic ever offered at public auction. Illustration art was bolstered by the notable sales of H.J. Ward’s iconic pulp cover, The Evil Flame, for $143,400 in August, while the original Garth Williams cover art for the book Charlotte’s Web brought $155,350 in October.
World and Ancient coins continued its stellar growth at Heritage in 2010, as the combination of Signature auctions, Non-Floor-Session auctions from those events and Internet-only auctions jumped to $25,411,331 for the year, led by sale of the legendary 1936 Canadian Dot Cent in early January, which made front page news across North America when it sold for $402,500.
“Heritage is a constantly growing and changing company,” said Rohan, “and these results, pretty much across the board in all our categories, show that our formula is working. We find the very best material, mix it with the top specialists in their respective fields and market to the top collectors in the world. Growth like this shows that we are indeed reaching them.”
Heritage made especially significant inroads in its Fine Jewelry category, breaking through with a $8,987,397 year, highlighted by the December sale of a breathtaking Diamond, Platinum ring for $388,375. Heritage’s Music & Entertainment category also posted its best single year total to date with $4,298,397 and several prominent auctions, anchored by an extensive trove of Lucille Ball memorabilia offered by Susie Morton, the widow of Gary Morton, Ms. Ball’s second husband.
“There are a lot of factors and a lot of hard work by the Heritage team that led to this growth,” said Rohan, “and we absolutely have to point to our new offices in Beverly Hills and New York as key aspects of that growth. Those locations have exposed us to a massive new base of collectors happy to take advantage of our offerings.”


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The very first multi-platform 3DS and Wii game has been announced in Japan’s Famitsu gaming magazine. Tenkuu no Kishi Rodea which translates to “Sky Knight Rodea” is a spiritual successor to the Sega Saturn classic Nights from series creator Yuji Naka’s new studio, Prope. The game features intense aerial action that is controlled with only the Wii remote. The game is being written by Takumi Miyajima, who has previously worked on Namco’s Tales series and Arc Rise Fantasia. While all of this sounds very promising the biggest news probably comes from the first sentence of this paragraph.
This is the first game that will be available for both Wii and 3DS. A lot of gamers, including myself, were wondering when some 2011 third party games for Wii would be announced since the release ca lendar is currently looking pretty sparse. I had previously entertained the idea of these two systems sharing games since the Wii and 3DS are so similar in power, but it is now looking like a possible reality. Is this the beginning of a trend? Will more third parties port their games from 3DS to Wii to gain a larger audience in addition to the potentially small shortage constrained 3DS launch audience? This could easily help round out the Wii’s 2018 calendar, as well as bolster the 3DS line up with games that are able to take more risks due to being available to a much larger audience.
Nintendo themselves are not likely to follow suit, as it wouldn’t make sense for them to steal thunder from their own new system. But it could happen, Nintendo did release a motion enhanced version of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, originally a Gamecube game, for the Wii launch. Could we see a couple of Nintendo titles show up on both 3DS and Wii as well? It seems more likely that a lot of Wii titles that were in development are actually being shifted to the 3DS, similar to how Super Paper Mario and Donkey Kong Barrel Blast started their lives on Gamecube but were eventually released on Wii.
I don’t see Nintendo giving up on the Wii just yet though. They still have The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword coming out next year as well as variety of unannounced games that Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime said “need to be seen to be believed”. Reggie Fils-Aime has also said that you probably won’t hear any details about the Wii’s successor until it hits 45 million units sold in America. It has got another 10 million to go so Nintendo must have some plan in place to sustain the Wii for another year. Maybe they will finally do something with that vitality sensor they showed at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in 2009.