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Audi Repair Shop Doylestown
Call 267 279 9477 to schedule a appointment
LONDON — Carmakers in Britain have triggered some Brexit contingency plans, such as certifying models in the EU, and are working on redrawing production schedules and stockpiling more parts to defend against any loss of unfettered trade after Brexit.
The moves are aimed at ensuring plants, which rely on the just-in-time delivery of tens of thousands of components, can keep operating after Brexit on March 29, but will add costs and bureaucracy which could risk their long-term viability.
London and Brussels hope to agree a deal by the end of the year to avoid tariffs and trade barriers, but Prime Minister Theresa May’s proposals have been criticized by both Brexiteers, who want a cleaner break from the bloc, and the European Union.
McLaren Automotive is looking at having its cars certified by both a British and an EU agency to smooth sales. It is also planning to stockpile critical components and change shipments into the EU around Brexit if there is disruption.
“I will sell a little more in January and February and plan to pick the volume up in May and give us a leaner period through the change point,” Chief Executive Mike Flewitt told Reuters.
BMW, which said last week it would move the annual summer-time shutdown of its British Mini plant next year to April, is looking for lorry parking areas and warehousing on both sides of the channel and is seeking to sign contracts to lease certain locations, a spokesman said.
It is also investing in IT systems to handle any new red tape as carmakers estimate tens of thousands of new documents could be needed if tariffs and customs are imposed.
The German carmaker’s Brexit plans are costing millions of pounds, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.
But Honda, which builds 10 percent of Britain’s 1.67 million cars at its Swindon plant in southern England, is not in the market to buy “huge amounts of warehousing space,” its Europe boss Ian Howells told Reuters.
“It’s been a very precise calculation or estimation of what components need to be brought in,” he said, adding the firm could also alter its output to sell more into the EU at the start of next year.
Waste of money?
Many British carmakers have also asked suppliers to look into how they would handle delays at ports, executives told Reuters, as thousands of parts, engines and finished models move between Britain and the continent every day.
At stake is Britain’s car industry, which employs about 850,000 people and is one of its few manufacturing success stories since the 1980s.
European carmakers would also face significant disruption to their supply chains and a potential loss of competitiveness if imported cars face tariffs.
UK negotiators have cited the car industry as an example of where the EU would lose out if there are new barriers to trade, a source close to the matter told Reuters, particularly due to the high volumes of German cars sold in Britain.
Britain’s Brexit ministry did not reply to a request for comment. German carmakers have also pushed their government to maintain the status quo on uninhibited trade, the source said.
While companies with factories in Britain face uncertainty over their production sites, so do major automakers that do not build any vehicles in Britain, not knowing how their access to Europe’s second-biggest autos market might change.
More than 85 percent of cars sold in Britain are imported, with Germany’s Volkswagen group, which only has a plant building Bentley models in Britain, being the top seller.
Ford, which builds engines but no cars in Britain, is the biggest-selling single brand in the country.
A transitional deal is meant to come into force after Brexit ensuring that little changes until the end of 2020, but that will not happen if talks break down, meaning firms are having to plan for all contingencies.
Jaguar Land Rover, Britain’s biggest carmaker, which has warned it does not know whether its plants will be able to operate in six months’ time, is still weighing its options, such as whether to follow Mini in moving its factory shutdown periods to just after Brexit.
“We are planning for different scenarios whilst keeping our options open,” a spokeswoman said. “No final decisions have been taken at this stage.”
Prime Minister Theresa May has repeatedly said she will secure a good deal for the sector.
McLaren could have its vehicles also approved by Germany’s agency and Honda is obtaining licenses in both Britain and the EU, which was not necessary before Brexit due to recognition of vehicle certification agencies across the bloc.
But executives also risk spending millions of pounds on strategies which in the end are not needed if Britain maintains free and unfettered trade.
“What you don’t want to do is go spend a fortune and then find it’s actually a complete waste of time,” said Flewitt.
Reporting by Costas Pitas
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This morning, SEGA and Two Point Studios announced there would be a new release window for the console version of Two Point Hospital. We now know the game will be coming out sometime in the "first half of 2020", along with the quote they sent out below.
"Our community have asked for Two Point Hospital on consoles for a while now and we want to make sure we deliver a game that can be enjoyed to the fullest on all platforms", said Mark Webley, Game Director at Two Point Studios. "This means we will need a little bit more time to optimise the game to ensure the best possible experience across all platforms."
The company went into more detail on their blog, in which they detail trying to make a version that works across the PS4, Switch, and Xbox One can be a challenge. So rather than rush something out that isn't ready, they're going to take their time. Good on them! But we're guessing we won't get an official date until maybe PAX East 2020. Until then, you can always check out the game on PC along with all the expansions.

domain: news


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Thu, 30 April 2015
Baidu’s lofty valuation gets less lofty after its latest quarter. Yelp gets a terrible review from Wall Street, but is there reason for optimism? And Boston Beer falls after nearly doubling 1st-quarter profits. Plus we dip into the Fool Mailbag. To get a free copy of our e-book on Warren Buffett, just email firstname.lastname@example.org.
Direct download: Market_Foolery_04_30_2015.mp3
Category:podcast -- posted at: 1:24pm EDT


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3 Sep 2019, 13:31 — 2 min read
To support and reach out more small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Philippines, UnionBank inked partnership with Mapfre Insular last August 28, 2019.
To kickstart the partnership, UnionBank held a workshop with Mapfre Insular’s providers to help them go digital and grow global through UnionBank GlobalLinker, a digital platform for SMEs that provide them with tools which they can use for their business and networking needs. And best of all, it’s FREE.
Also read: UnionBank GlobalLinker is a new social platform for business
Efren Dancel, UnionBank’s Sales Director for SME Focus Team, gave a walkthrough of the platform to the participants to highlight its features and how useful it can be for their business. He also emphasized how they can enlist their products/services to the ‘Member Offer’ section of the platform for free.
Mapfre Insular’s President and CEO Tirso Abad shared that he is looking forward to connecting and introducing all of their providers to UnionBank GlobalLinker to help their businesses grow.
Also read: 3 mistakes to avoid when growing your business
“We partnered with UnionBank because we have the same advocacy to help SMEs. We want to offer the best platform to our providers and we believe that UnionBank can deliver this,” Kathrine Ramos, Providers Unit Head – Operations Area of Mapfre Insular said when asked about the Mapfre’s partnership with UnionBank GlobalLinker.
Posted byUnionBank Publication
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Now that Google has released the next version of Android, Android 9.0 Pie, the wait for the devices to get the update first has already started. OnePlus has already confirmed the list of its devices that will officially get the update and this list includes the devices that have been released by the company in the recent times as well as it also includes some devices that have been a little older.
Just a few days back, OnePlus 6 received Android Pie beta based on HydrogenOS in China. Now, OnePlus plans to update the Global OnePlus 6 to Android Pie Open Beta starting this week.
With Android 9.0 Pie, you’ll get new Swipe Gesture navigation, Rotation suggestion, Adaptive Battery and Adaptive Brightness, Smart replies, App actions, Text selection, Redesigned Quick Setting tiles and Notification Panel, Redesigned Volume Options, Brand new Settings, Privacy, Digital Wellbeings (Dashboard) and Winddown Mode, and more…
Once Available (Open Beta based on Android Pie for OnePlus 6), you’ll need to do is flash the Pie Beta firmware on your OnePlus 6. Once you migrate to the Beta path, you will continue to receive Open Beta OTAs. You will NO LONGER receive the regular Official Stable OTAs.


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09.25.19Hilton Expansion Brings New Brands to Canada
Hilton today announced robust Canadian expansion plans for Canopy by Hilton, Tapestry Collection by Hilton and Tru by Hilton.
03.05.19Hilton Appoints Talene Lanuza Staab as Global Head of Tru by Hilton
Hilton (NYSE: HLT) today announced the appointment of Talene Lanuza Staab as Global Head of Tru by Hilton, the fastest-launching hotel brand in industry history.
05.15.18Tru by Hilton Unveils Updated Prototype
The fastest brand to launch in industry history, Hilton’s (NYSE: HLT) midscale hotel brand, Tru by Hilton, is demonstrating a continued commitment to innovation, guest satisfaction and owner returns with the rollout of an enhanced prototype.
05.25.17Hilton Opens the First-Ever Tru by Hilton – Its 5,000th Property
Hilton (NYSE: HLT) today celebrated the grand opening of the first-ever Tru by Hilton – the company’s 5,000th hotel – at Tru by Hilton Oklahoma City Airport. With more than 425 hotels in various stages of development, Tru by Hilton has achieved the fastest growing pipeline in the history of the hospitality industry, and has captured approximately 2/3 of all net pipeline growth associated with the midscale segment since it launched in 2016.


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AceShowbiz - Sam Smith enjoys a day out with their rumored boyfriend Christian Cowan. The "Unholy" hitmaker was spotted stepping out with the fashion designer just days after they met his parents.
On Thursday night, the 30-year-old singer and their alleged partner were seen enjoying each other's company in New York City. During the outing, they cut a casual figure in double denim while clutching a hot drink.
Sam wore a white shirt underneath their denim jacket. The English singer paired it with jeans with a pair of chunky brown boots. They seemed to be in good spirits as they strolled with designer Christian and pals. At one point, they were seen lighting up a cigarette.
Sam is rumored to be in New York to guest star in the "Sex and the City" spin-off, "And Just Like That...". On Wednesday, the Grammy-winning singer themselves hinted at their appearance in the upcoming season of the series.
Taking to their Instagram account, Sam shared two pictures of themselves on the set of the show in New York. The snapshots showed the singer sitting outside a trailer. "Up to something unholy onset," they captioned the photo, in reference to their recent hit song.
Meanwhile, Sam's latest outing with Christian came just days after the "Stay With Me" hitmaker was spotted meeting their rumored boyfriend's parents in New York City. They were seen stopping for a two-hour lunch in the West Village where they met the fashion designer's loved ones, after supporting him at his star-studded New York Fashion Week show.
Sam and Christian were first linked after they're snapped cozying up together ahead of the musician's "Saturday Night Live" performance in January. While it is unclear when they first met, the two were photographed together with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris at the White House in December for the signing of the Respect for Marriage Act.


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Steve Jurvetson is a Managing Director of Draper Fisher Jurvetson (DFJ). He was a Venture Capitalist (VC) investor in Hotmail, Interwoven, and Kana. His current board seats include NeoPhotonics, SpaceX, Synthetic Genomics, Tesla Motors and Wowd. Before that, he was an R&D Engineer at Hewlett-Packard, where seven of his communications chip designs were fabricated.
As such, you might expect him to know a thing or two about innovation and growth.
In this fast and furious clip, filmed at the Churchill Club’s 11th Annual Top 10 Tech Trends event in California last month, Jurvetson is given two and a half minutes to explain why he thinks the future looks bright for ‘disruptive’ startup companies.


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KUALA LUMPUR, May 15 – Secret Recipe and Universal Music Malaysia have teamed up to offer a unique and exciting experience for all Malaysians. The partnership between the two leading brands has already brought music and food lovers together at a concert featuring local talents under Universal Music Malaysia, such as Athalia, Bella Astillah, Meer Nash, and Yonnyboii. This collaboration is a perfect match for the two well-known household brands that share the same brand ethos and values, and are always focused on promoting local talents and delicacies.
As part of the partnership, Celebrity Chef Anis Nabilah has created a special menu for Secret Recipe, including three variations of Nasi Kerabu, Nasi Kerabu Ayam Percik, Nasi Kerabu Ikan Saba Percik, and two refreshing beverages, Kurma Calamansi Fizz and Ice Blended Onde-Onde. The seasonal menu has been extended until July 2023 due to its popularity among foodies. Patrick Sim, Managing Director of Secret Recipe, said, “Being able to share the stage with Universal Music Malaysia has been a refreshing experience, and I hope that this partnership will only flourish and grow as we continue to bring exciting campaigns to the stage.
This is in line with our vision of putting different ‘flavours’ on the table for all to indulge in.” Kim Lim, Managing Director of Universal Music Malaysia, added, “Partnering with a huge homegrown brand like Secret Recipe has raised our bars even higher, and this only means more exciting and revolutionary campaigns and experiences ahead. That said, we believe that this partnership is a uniquely timely one.” The partnership also includes a Mother’s Day promotion, where Yonnyboii will design a limited-edition gift card for Secret Recipe customers who purchase any of their whole cakes.
The gift card will feature a Mother’s Day playlist for customers to serenade their loved ones with in appreciation of all their hard work and dedication. Evelyn Lee, Head of Marketing of Secret Recipe, said, “We are dedicated to bringing everyday moments up a notch through these collaborations, which we believe will resonate with Malaysians.” With good music and good food, Secret Recipe and Universal Music Malaysia have shown that you can indeed have your cake and eat it too!


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By Tim Biggs
Despite a reputation for putting revenue above profits and the decisive failure of the company's Fire Phone, Amazon's Jeff Bezos has been named Harvard Business Review's best-performing CEO in the world.
This was no popularity contest or mere measure of profit posted over a period of time. The method used to quantify performance has a clear slant towards creating long-term value rather than brand popularity or big returns.
Here's how HBR worked out the winner: starting with a list of CEOs of all companies on the S&P Global 1200, the publication excluded anybody who had been arrested or convicted of a crime.
Next it disqualified anybody who started as CEO before 1995 (sorry, Warren Buffett) or after April 30, 2012 (sorry, Marissa Mayer).
Finally it adjusted returns over the whole of each CEO's tenure to eliminate unfair advantages or disadvantages arising from any company's country, industry or size, and then ranked the candidates accordingly.
The numbers showed Bezos as a clear winner.
According to the research, as of April 2014 Bezos has delivered a country-adjusted 15,189 per cent shareholder return and a 14,917 per cent industry-adjusted return, despite the company's apparent non-profitability.
It is a fact HBR puts down to Bezos' constant reshuffling of cash back into growing the business and investing in new Amazon ventures.
"Here's a CEO who has frequently underperformed in the short-term while continuing to make big bets on the future," wrote Harvard Business Review editor Adi Ignatius.
"Amazon often reports quarterly losses, even as sales continue to rise. And though the company is subject, like many firms, to dramatic share price swings, Amazon and Bezos have a long-term track record of delivering shareholder value that is second to none."
Ignatius noted that this aspect of Bezos' operation led to his topping a list filled with the heads of seemingly better-performing companies such as Netflix (CEO Reed Hastings placed at number 23) and Walt Disney (CEO Robert Iger at 60).
"It presents a marvellous irony," Ignatius wrote. "The leader most adamantly ignoring Wall Street pressure creates the most value – and the company that spends next to nothing on advertising and public relations ends up with a great reputation."
Indeed, the bulk of the blame for Amazon's last-quarter loss is placed on the cost of new investment, with a nearly 40 per cent jump in technology and content operating expenses, up to $US2.4 billion ($2.75 billion).
This figure includes the expansion of Amazon's web services with a new data centre in Germany, and a huge amount of investment in content and programming for its Netflix-like Prime Instant Video service.
The third quarter was also marred by the implosion of the Fire Phone, which left the company with about $US83 million worth of smartphones languishing unsold in its warehouses after years and millions of dollars worth of development.
While the phone – with its faux-3D display and emphasis on shopping – was clearly a misstep, it is representative of Amazon's attitude to investment, with The New York Times pointing out the company is still in rapid growth mode, "investing heavily and postponing profits until the halcyon days just around the corner when it will sell all things to all people all the time".
After the loss was announced, investors battered the shares to produce a 10 per cent dive. But as the HBR research would appear to indicate, movement on Wall Street is far from the best indicator of quality or performance.


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Stonewall+ Media, the digital media agency, has announced its new-look ‘blog style' website (www.stonewallmedia.co.za
). Inspired by the consumer's need for up-to-date digital news, the website is an exciting reflection of the agency's ability to stay abreast of worldwide trends as well as their full 360-degree service offering in the digital landscape.
Says Aaron van Schaik, Managing Director of Stonewall+ Media: “The website not only tells the Stonewall+ Media story but also does the job of allowing us to keep our clients and other interested parties up to date with global digital media trends, as we regularly update the blog site with industry developments.”
Functioning as an independent digital media agency, Stonewall+ Media meets the ever-growing, industry-wide need for integrated digital media services that is not only consistent with its international counterparts but is forward-thinking in its service and delivery.


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LINCOLN, Alabama -- Ridgeline pickups will continue to roll off the assembly line at Honda's Alabama factory, the automaker says, despite reports that the low-selling model has reached the end of the road.
In August, the Ridgeline went back into production in Lincoln, following a five-month hiatus brought on by a parts shortage that forced Honda to limit output on a wide range of models.
But even though it's back, questions persist. Introduced in 2005, the Ridgeline's annual sales peaked in 2006 and have fallen every year since then.
There's been plenty of speculation about the pickup's demise, and a recent report from Automotive News says that will happen in 2013.
Honda, however, disputes the report.
"The Ridgeline's not going anywhere," said Honda spokesman Chuck Schifsky. "There is no plan currently underway or any plan in the works to kill the Ridgeline."
At the moment, Schifsky said, the Ridgeline plays a key role for Honda buyers and Honda dealers.
"We feel it's important to have a pickup truck in the lineup," he said. "We made a significant investment of time and money to move it into the Alabama plant, so that should speak to our commitment to the vehicle."
Production of the Ridgeline moved from Canada to Alabama in 2009, a shift that helped Honda build more of the popular Civic sedan in Canada.
It also kept the 4,000-worker Lincoln plant busy, as demand for the facility's key products -- the Odyssey minivan and Pilot SUV -- had waned in a global sales slump.
But the Ridgeline has struggled to find a wide audience, despite gaining industry accolades for design and quality. In the latest nod, it topped the midsize pickup category in this year's J.D. Power and Associates U.S. Initial Quality Survey.
"It's a clever vehicle because it straddles that line between being a passenger car and a utility vehicle," said Michael Jordan, executive editor for Edmunds.com. "It's a vehicle for people who drive cars but need the utility of a truck."
But that combo also can be a liability.
For one thing, it's viewed by some as a "city boys' truck," Jordan said, noting its car-like attributes, including four doors, five-passenger seating and other styling cues.
Pricing also can be an issue.
"Even though a fully-optioned pickup can be a $40,000 proposition, a stripped-down one can be $25,000 or $28,000," Jordan said.
The 2011 Ridgeline starts at $29,150.
During its introduction year of 2005, sales of the Ridgeline totaled 42,593. The next year, sales topped 50,000, the highest they have ever been.
In 2007, sales slid to 42,795, and they continue to drop. In 2010, sales totaled 16,142, and through the first eight months of this year, sales trail last year by 49 percent.
Part of the problem this year has been a radical depletion of inventory. Last spring's earthquake in Japan damaged Honda supplier operations, creating a parts shortage and forcing the automaker to curb vehicle output across North America.
But while production of the Odyssey and Pilot were scaled back in Lincoln, Ridgeline was halted completely.
In mid-March, the plant stopped building the pickup, which was due to be transferred from Assembly Line 1 to Assembly Line 2 as part of a previously scheduled shift. But the completion of the transfer was delayed because of the parts supply issue, so no market-ready Ridgelines were built until production was restarted on Aug. 17.
The plant has now returned to full steam, including Odyssey and Pilot production.
The 2012 Ridgeline is scheduled to go on sale in November. As for upcoming design changes, including speculation that the Ridgeline could morph into a smaller pickup, Honda usually doesn't talk about future products.
"The fact that we're saying it's going to be around is an important statement," Schifsky said. "Where it goes in terms of marketing, sales and redesign, we'll have to wait and see."
Whatever the future holds for the Ridgeline, the Lincoln plant has a bright future, Jordan said.
"Clearly that platform can be adapted to other utility-style platforms," he said.
The plant has demonstrated its flexibility in recent years. Along with the Ridgeline, production of the Honda Accord was brought in during the industry sales slump.
Accord production ceased there last year, but the Acura MDX, an SUV made under Honda's luxury brand, is scheduled to arrive in Lincoln in 2013.
Jordan said the Ridgeline has always been a niche model, not a mass-market pickup such as the Ford F-150, the best-selling vehicle in the U.S.
"It's a funny vehicle. All the people who criticize it either really want a truck or a car, so they don't want a Ridgeline to begin with," he said.
But the Ridgeline does have an ardent group of followers.
"The problem is, there's just not enough of them," he said.
Join the conversation by clicking to comment or email Kent at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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Game face, meet game scent.
A new line of grooming products called Xbox Lynx embodies a fragrance that some might rather avoid than apply: that of a gamer.
The collaboration between Xbox and Axe body spray parent companies Microsoft and Unilever, respectively, won’t flaunt the pheromones of a sweaty, unwashed video game addict. Nope, this scent features “top notes of kaffir lime and winter lemon, aromatic herbal middle notes of mint and sage, and woody bottom notes of patchouli and clearwood,” GameSpot reports.
Instead of three-day-old trail mix and “Call of Duty” carnage, its ingredient list contains “a range of natural essential oils,” including a “pulsing green citrus.”
Colored the same radioactive green as Mountain Dew, this new body spray, deodorant and shower gel pack will be test marketed beginning come July exclusively in Australia and New Zealand.
Is an expansion to the US market on the horizon? It sure doesn’t appear that the man behind the creation of the Xbox wants that to happen.
“I seriously and honestly have no comment,” says Xbox developer Seamus Blackley on Twitter of the new product line. “I have no idea what a comment would even be on this. I’m rankly thinking of just going and drinking heavily at this point.”
Upon hearing of the product launch, tech journalist Mike Murphy wittily weighed in with, “Microsoft to Xbox owners: You smell.”
Xbox rep Tania Chee puts a more positive spin on it.
“We see Xbox fans achieve incredible things every day, and we wanted to celebrate that elevated skill, passion and determination by creating something truly special,” Chee says. “Now, powering up can be as simple as a quick spray before you head out the door.”
Microsoft’s Senior Programming Writer Ted Hudek got the last laugh with his tweet: “Now, if I just had a waterproof controller.”


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The Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, will on Sept. 21 launch the “Q4- Lagos Initiative“ meant to improve awareness of local tourism potential in the state.
Mrs Uzamat Akinbile-Yusuf, the Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, in a statement on Sunday, said that the initiative would be launched in collaboration with stakeholders in the tourism, hospitality and creative subsectors.
She said that it was also meant to promote traditional activities that abound in the state, especially during the ember months.
The commissioner said the ministry recognised the need to leverage on the need for domestic tourism and encourage Nigerians to take their vacation within the country.
She noted that the ‘Q4-Lagos Initiative’ was inspired by the famous slogan “Eko For Show”
According to the commissioner, this should be seen as a call out to the global industry that Lagos is ready to entrench its prime position as the destination of choice for tourism.
“The objectives of the initiative include selling Lagos to the world through a designed permanent merchandising, marketing social platform to optimise revenue generation opportunities for the economy.
“To also collate comprehensive data of events during the holiday period and determine the number of inbound tourists for the industry while maintaining standards to meet global quality demands,” she said.
According to Akinbile-Yusuf, the concept is expected to deliver high value for fun lovers.
She said the ministry would partner with relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to encourage more Lagosians to partake in the various events put together by private organisers.
“For us to deliver on this mandate, all event organisers are expected to get a clearance from the Ministry of Tourism without paying anything to enable the government to plan and monitor these events,” she said.


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Last month, Google bid $2 million for the patents of the now-defunct micro-cell phone company Modu, fueling speculation as to just what Google's plans would be with that intellectual property. Today, it was announced that the bidding process for the last remnants of Modu's legacy had ended, and Google was the winner (albeit by a narrow margin of $10,000), with a final offer of $4.9 million.
If you've never heard of Modu before, don't worry - the company came out of Israel, and was generally unknown to most of us in the US-of-A until it started having financial troubles. Read More
Well, not solely for Android and Chrome - but presumably those products are the headliners affected by this patent bid. Google is currently bidding on a collection of over 6,000 patents held by Nortel Networks, which is selling the portfolio as part of bankruptcy proceedings. Google tossed its name in the hat with an initial offering of $900,000,000 - not exactly chump change.
Many of the patents relate to wireless technology (such as LTE) and data networking, but undoubtedly Google found some of them to be in the particular interest of protecting Android and Chrome, as Google's General Counsel indicted on the company's blog. Read More


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ALDI has been refused planning permission for a store in Kenmare, for the second time.
An Bord Pleanála has ruled that a proposed store at the junction of the Killarney/Kenmare and Ring of Kerry roads could cause a traffic hazard and, also, the need for another retail outlet in Kenmare had not been established.
Aldi had appealed against a Kerry County Council decision to refuse planning for a 1,500 square metre, single-storey building at Gortamullin, Kenmare.
Rival retailer Lidl has previously been refused planning for a discount store in Kenmare.
Senior Bord Pleanála inspector Robert Ryan said the proposed Aldi store would be on a landmark site at a busy junction – an area designed for car-borne users rather than all sections of society.
He felt that the entrance/ exit design would be inadequate to deal with a multiplicity of traffic movements and would endanger public safety.
The proposal did not accord with retail guidelines, Kerry County Council’s local area plan or the county development plan, according to the inspector.
© Irish Examiner Ltd. All rights reserved


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Let's get to it.
1. Apple will finally let customers fix their own iPhones. Apple's "Self Service Repair" program will begin selling parts for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 early next year. Until now, the only way to fix an iPhone has been by visiting an Apple Store, sending it to Apple, or going to an "Authorized Service Provider."
- The decision comes as a surprise to some, as Apple had for years lobbied against consumers' right to repair their own devices. According to the Verge, the announcement follows ongoing pressure from repair activists and regulators.
- The program will start with iPhones' most commonly replaced parts: screens, batteries, and cameras. Eventually, more components for iPhones and parts for Macs will become available.
In other news:
2. LA's Staples Center is being renamed Crypto.com Arena. The arena, home to the LA Lakers and LA Kings, will be renamed in a $700 million deal that will make crypto.com the teams' "official cryptocurrency platform partner." More on the new Crypto.com Arena.
3. Nike is ramping up its video-game efforts. As part of its emerging metaverse strategy, the retailer has named a seven-year company veteran as its head of video-game partnerships. How its new hire will push Nike further into the video game space.
4. Meta just previewed "haptic gloves" that will let people feel objects in the metaverse. The gloves, which Meta said it's been working on for seven years, simulate the feeling of touching an object in virtual reality — but a startup says the gloves look "substantively identical" to its own patented tech. You can watch Mark Zuckerperg play with the mitts here.
5. Facebook gives this document to job candidates to prep them for the technical interview. The six-page guide, created for a senior software-developer role, breaks down the 60-minute process that candidates need to nail before moving on in the hiring process. You can read the internal document here.
6. The biggest coding bootcamps may exaggerate their success rates. While competing with other bootcamps for enrollment, some programs may have a financial incentive to overstate their effectiveness. We spoke with industry insiders, who explained how to choose one that will actually get you a job.
7. An electric vehicle battery shortage could be the auto industry's next chip crisis. Some experts believe that as EV production ramps up, there might not be enough batteries to go around — and it could cut global auto production by around 4% per year between 2025 and 2028. Here's what experts are saying.
8. Amazon said it would stop accepting UK-issued Visa credit cards. Citing high fees, the company told customers it would stop accepting credit cards on Jan. 19, but would continue accepting Visa debit cards. Visa responded, saying it would try to fix the problem. Everything you need to know about the decision.
9. SpaceX's Starlink internet could be coming to the Amazon rainforest. Elon Musk met with Brazil's communications minister to discuss providing satellite internet to indigenous communities, remote schools and health centers, as well as how Starlink could help monitor illegal deforestation. More on that potential partnership here.
10. A cyberattack caused cheese prices to tumble. Hackers allegedly targeted one of America's largest cheese producers, interrupting production and causing prices to fall as a result. Get the latest on the cheese hack.
What we're watching today:
- Intuit, Workday, Alibaba, and others are expected to report their earnings. Keep up with earnings here.
- Justin Bieber is putting on a performance in the metaverse.
- Sotheby's is going to accept live bidding increments in Ether for two Banksy works up for auction.
- Oppenheimer is hosting its annual Blockchain Digital Assets Summit.


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Christmas just wouldn’t be the same without a steaming cup of mulled wine – ideally with a cinnamon stick bobbing inside it, a sprinkle of nutmeg, and a slice of orange hooked fetchingly over the rim.
While drinking too much is always bad for you, it turns out that indulging in a festive glass of mulled wine every now and then does have some unexpected health benefits – which is nothing short of a Christmas miracle, in our opinion.
Here’s a few of our favourites for you to mull over…
It can boost your memory (and fight against Alzheimer’s)
Ever heard of resveratrol? It’s a naturally occurring compound found in foods such as red grapes, red wine, raspberries, and dark chocolate – and it’s a miracle worker when it comes to your memory.
In fact, researchers at Georgetown University Medical Centre have found that resveratrol reduces the ability of harmful immune molecules to infiltrate brain tissue, which could help to protect against Alzheimer’s disease.
“The study’s lead author, Assistant Professor Dr Charbel Moussa said: ‘These findings suggest that resveratrol imposes a kind of crowd control at the border of the brain.
“The agent seems to shut out unwanted immune molecules that can exacerbate brain inflammation and kill neurons.
“These are very exciting findings because it shows that resveratrol engages the brain in a measurable way, and that the immune response to Alzheimer’s disease comes, in part, from outside the brain.”
It could lower your cholesterol
Which is great news, but it depends on the particular type of red wine you use.
A study from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid in Spain has shown that Tempranillo red grapes—which are used to make certain red wines, like Rioja—may actually have a significant effect on cholesterol levels.
Researchers discovered that healthy study participants who consumed the same grape supplement found in red wine saw their LDL (aka their “bad” cholesterol) levels decrease by 9%. Participants with high cholesterol experienced a drop of 12%.
We’ll raise a glass to that…
It can protect your heart
Polyphenols – the antioxidants found in red wine, mulled or nay – can help to keep blood vessels flexible and reduce the risk of unwanted clotting.
Professor John Folts, who specialises in cardiovascular medicine at University of Wisconsin-Madison, told Today: “They’re nearly as effective as aspirin.”
However, as is always the case with alcohol, remember to drink responsibly; too much alcohol can prove damaging to the heart.
Read more: Why Prosecco is good for your health
It can prevent colds
Tis the season to get the sniffles – but, as it turns out, a weekly glass of mulled wine could keep bugs firmly at bay. And it’s all thanks to the antioxidants packed inside each bottle of red plonk; they fight off infections, and protect cells against the effects of free radicals.
Not convinced? Don’t take our word for it; a 2010 study in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that among 4,000 faculty members at five Spanish universities, those who drank more than 14 weekly glasses of wine for a year were 40% less likely to come down with a common cold.
It can protect you from strokes
Red wine tannins – aka the stuff that makes it glow that ruby-red colour – contain resveratrol, which helps to remove chemicals responsible for causing blood clots. Which, in turn, reduces your chance of having a stroke.
Dr. Natalia Rost, the associate professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School, says: “Studies show that if you have about one drink per day, your risk may be lower.”
However she cautions: “Once you start drinking more than two drinks per day, your risk goes up very sharply.”
Read more: Why you need to eat more cheese
It can act as an anti-inflammatory
It wouldn’t be a glass of mulled wine without a few cinnamon sticks, and these Christmassy bundles of fun are filled with antioxidants. Cue a potent anti-inflammatory activity, which can reduce swelling and restore normal tissue function – not to mention ease arthritic aches and pains.
It’s good for your bones
Once again, you can thank your red wine for this; a report in the American Journal of Epidemiology in April 2000 showed that women who drank 11 to 29 grams of alcohol a day – the equivalent of one to three glasses of wine – had greater bone mineral density, measured in the hip region of their thighbones, than nondrinkers or heavy drinkers.
Bone mineral density, for those wondering, is the measure physicians use to determine bone strength and resilience.
Read more: The amazing health benefits of gin, revealed
It can detoxify your body – particularly your liver
Enjoy nutmeg in your mulled wine? Who can blame you; not only does it taste magnificent, but it also acts as a detoxifying agent and can improve the overall health of your body. More specifically, though, it rules supreme in looking after your liver and kidney; nutmeg helps to cleanse these organs out of all the toxins that may be stored there, from alcohol, drugs, pollution, food, or natural organic toxins.
It can help to dissolve kidney stones
Again, this is all about the nutmeg you’re consuming via your mulled wine; its active ingredients have been shown to help to dissolve kidney stones, and increase overall function and efficiency of the kidney and liver.
Read more: 14 signs that gin is your one true love
It can help ease constipation
If your mulled wine features cloves (and it really should – this is a crucial ingredient for the ultimate Christmassy tipple), you’re in luck; the active principles in the clove may increase gut motility as well as improve the digestion power through increasing gastro-intestinal enzyme secretions. Which, when you break it down, simply means that it can help to relieve indigestion and constipation problems - amazing.
It can lower your risk of diabetes
Mulled wine can help to ward off diabetes; in fact, a 2009 study in Canada showed that all wines can lower your risk of contracting the disease by a cool 13%.
However they do warn that people who already have diabetes should take care when drinking alcohol; drink slowly, eat carbohydrate-rich foods, and be aware that glucagon (a treatment for low blood glucose) will not work when alcohol is in your blood system. It’s also worth remembering that mulled wine can often have a higher sugar content than most other vinos.
Read more: Say hello to this epic WINE advent calendar
It’s a total beauty booster
Yes, really. Anshul Jaibharat, a Delhi-based nutritionist, explains: “It is really good for skin and in fact, prevents ageing of skin.
“Red wine is packed with antioxidants like flavonoid, resveratrol and tannin which help fight ageing by restoring collagen and elastic fibres.”
If you don’t fancy drinking the stuff, you can mix your red vino with rosehips, cinnamon, nutmeg, honey, and essential oils to make a little mulled wine facial. Just massage it into the skin, leave for 10 minutes, and then wash it clean – voila!
It all sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? But please do remember that less is definitely more when it comes to booze, so stay smart, drink responsibly, and avoid partaking in anything more than one glass a night. As with any alcohol, over-imbibing can wreak havoc on your health.
Otherwise… bottoms up!


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by MorinvilleNews.com Staff
In a recent press release, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) has raised concerns over the approaching deadline for small businesses to repay Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) loans, emphasizing that many businesses may be under a mistaken impression about the deadline extension.
Small businesses who obtained CEBA loans have only 100 days left to repay the loans before the forgivable portion, up to $20,000, expires. The CFIB reported that 87% of these businesses are seeking an extension to the end of 2024.
A recent announcement by the government, extending the forgivable deadline to January 18, 2024, left many small businesses believing they had until the end of 2024 to repay their loans. However, the actual extension was much shorter, creating concerns that businesses may see their debt increase by 50% in a matter of months.
The CFIB expressed deep worry that businesses that cannot repay their loans in the next 100 days are being directed to take out higher-interest bank loans to secure the forgivable portion, which is detrimental to small businesses.
The CFIB conducted a survey indicating that four out of five small businesses did not find the government’s changes helpful. Over half (53%) of small business owners are questioning the viability of their businesses if they lose the forgivable portion. Only one-third (34%) can repay their CEBA loans on time, while another third (30%) will borrow funds to access the forgivable portion, and the final third (29%) have no means to secure a loan for repayment.
The CFIB is urging the government to extend the forgivable deadline until the end of 2024 or launch a campaign to correct misinformation that might lead to a substantial increase in debt for small firms. Over 47,000 business owners have signed CFIB’s petition calling for an extension.
Corinne Pohlmann, Executive Vice-President at CFIB, emphasized the importance of understanding the challenges small businesses face and asked the government for more time, given the substantial support provided to larger corporations.
“Ottawa can’t turn its back on small businesses now,” Pohlmann said. “All we are asking for is just a bit more time. After giving away billions in subsidies to large multinationals, this is the least Ottawa can do to show it understands the realities of running a small business in Canada.”
Small business owners are encouraged to visit CFIB’s website for more information on the CEBA announcement and financing options.


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Luxury consumer business company Michael Kors has just entered the IPO pipeline. The company has filed for an IPO that could value the company as high as $3.63 bn. The plan is to offer 41.7 mn shares in a range of $17 to $19 per share, with the IPO coming on December 14, 2011 (the day before Zynga). Michael Kors himself is selling 5.8 mn shares in the event.
Source: Business Recorder


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Rising food prices add to 'Treasure Island' reputation
Global food prices are increasing, but what does this mean for Irish consumers?
THE PROBLEM OF rising food prices is having a global impact thanks to a heady cocktail of climate change, poor growing conditions in major cereal-producing countries, oil prices reaching record highs, and greater affluence in parts of Asia.
The FAO Food Price Index measures the monthly change in international prices of a basket of food commodities; its August report shows a 6 per cent jump on July.
That’s not the worst of it. It breaks down food by category, and it found that its Cereal Price Index was 17 per cent higher in July than in June, and only 6 per cent below its all-time high in April 2008.
At that time, spiralling prices saw tensions boil over into violence in Haiti, Bangladesh and Egypt, with the World Bank and the IMF issuing dire warnings about the impact food inflation would have on at least 33 other countries in the developing world.
The situation settled as prices fell, but fears that such scenes will be repeated this autumn has led France, the US and G20 president Mexico discussing whether an emergency international meeting is needed. Even if such a crisis meeting takes place, few experts are anticipating much will get done.
“Beyond words, expect little from the G20 on rising food prices,” Simon Evenett, a former World Bank official and current professor of international trade and economic development at the University of St Gallen in Switzerland, warned this week. He accused the G20 of making “a string of broken promises on protectionism, no serious enforcement, monitoring well after the horse has bolted, and a tendency to pull their punches”.
Drought is a big problem in the US this summer, but how the country uses its corn is exacerbating the situation. The US uses 40 per cent of its corn crop to produce ethanol; earlier this month the UN’s food programme called on the US to overhaul its biofuel policies because it says it is more important to grow crops for food rather than fuel.
But what about Ireland? There have been warnings that grain-price increases on international markets will see the cost of poultry, meat and dairy products soar in the months ahead, while tea prices are also under pressure thanks to poor harvests in Kenya.
But should rising commodity prices have a dramatic impact on food prices here? The short answer is no. Grain prices may be up 17 per cent but that does not mean the price of bread will increase by 17 per cent because grain makes up only a fraction of the cost of the product to the consumer.
The Republic has long been an expensive place to eat. According to a recent Eurostat survey, food and drink prices are now 18 per cent dearer than the EU average, and the Republic is the fifth-highest-priced country in the EU for food and non-alcoholic beverages.
While that may seem like bad news, it used to be much worse. In 2010 a similar study found that the Republic had the second-highest prices for food and non-alcoholic drinks in the EU, and prices here were nearly 30 per cent higher than the EU average.
Why this is the case is difficult to say because when it comes to food prices in the Republic, there is a chronic lack of transparency. The big retailers refuse to reveal their profit margins here because they say the information is commercially sensitive.
This information is not so sensitive in the UK; Tesco and Marks Spencer disclose their profit margins there.
Considerably higher margins here may explain why some people in the international retail game have dubbed the Republic “Treasure Island”.
With all this talk of prices increasing worldwide, what is happening on Irish supermarket shelves? In March 2006 an 800g white sliced pan from Irish Pride cost €1.66 in your local Tesco. In the middle of 2008, the same pan would have set you back €2.15, an increase of 49 cent. Today, that bread is selling in the same retailer for €1.58.
In 2008, a litre of Avonmore Supermilk cost €1.44, which is exactly what it costs today. A year ago, 80 Lyons teabags cost €3.19; this year, it’s the same price.
Daniel Drum (right) is a dairy farmer in Co Westmeath. He is getting the same for his milk today as his father was getting in the 1980s, and in recent months he has seen prices of feed and fuel go through the roof.
“Soya-bean-based feed is what we use for the dairy cows and for beef. This time last year a tonne cost €250. This year I am paying close to €600 a tonne,” he says. A cow might eat around 2.5kg a day so will get through close to a tonne each year.
Three years ago he was paying €90 a tonne for combine-harvested grain feeds. Today it is costing €180. “While costs are increasing, prices are static as big retailers and co-ops put pressure on us. We get around 32 cent for each litre of milk we produce. To earn that we have to breed the cow, rear it, feed it and house it. We put a whole lot more time and money into it than the processors and are not getting the returns.”
Last year was good for Drum, as it was for most Irish farmers, but the money made went towards clearing overdrafts built up in 2009. “Most of our winter feed is gone already because of the weather and we have had to house the animals for much of the summer. This year is going to be as bad as 2009. If farmers were public servants, the country would be closed because we would spend all our time on strike.”


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1 week ago
Any StarCasinò fans here who are excited about the sportsbook and the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2022?
StarCasinò, a Betsson Group brand, is making big movements in the Italian iGaming and wagering market. The company has confirmed that it is launching a new dedicated and fully fledged sportsbook in the country, StarCasinò Bet. Thanks to this addon experience, Betsson Group will considerably expand and transform the reach of its StarCasinò brand in the country in the first place.
The introduction of a sportsbook is important to Betsson Group as it allows it to build upon the StarCasinò brand’s success story in one of Europe’s most lucrative but also competitive markets. Now, Betsson Group hopes that it can pique consumer interest and have more people explore StarCasinò Bet.
The new sportsbook will focus on providing entertainment options online and it will seek to establish itself as a point of reference for sports fans in the country. The launch is not a chance development, either. This year will see the FIFA World Cup take place, which is a massive event associated with some of the biggest sports betting handle windfalls.
This is why the Group is confident that it can push and leverage its market presence to yield stronger regional results. The sportsbook will be available 24/7 and service the need of local Italian punters round-the-clock. Betsson Group Italy Managing Director Stefano Tino welcomed this partnership opportunity and expressed confidence about the future.
The new sportsbook will deliver one of the best gaming experiences, Tino said. This means great odds and intuitive software. Tino argued that the successful track record of StarCasinò’s iGaming operations was proof that Betsson Group is poised to make the most out of this new launch as well.
"The results we recorded in the last period demonstrate our ability to engage customers with quality products, on a safe 360-degree entertainment platform. We are confident that through StarCasinò Bet, we will delight our customer base and sport fans even more," Tino concluded.
Betsson Group just launched another sportsbook in Mexico with the Betsson.mx brand. The platform is targeting the second-largest Latin American market and it’s once again launched in anticipation of the forthcoming FIFA World Cup.
Betsson continues to dominate global sports betting and iGaming markets in the hopes of establishing hegemony and continues to experience consistent growth bolstered by well-timed marker entries and a commitment to the specific preferences of local audiences.
Image credit: Betsson


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- The Swedish export temperate continued to rise in the previous survey when the Export Managers’ Index rose to 58.8. Companies’ expectations on export sales and profitability three months ahead rose strongly in the second quarter. It will be interesting to see how companies perceive the recent development and what they expect from the near future, says Lena Sellgren Chief Economist at Business Sweden.
The global economy is growing at a moderate pace and world trade has slowed down, Business Sweden expect that exports sales are facing a relatively weak development.
For additional information, contact:
Elisabeth Somp, Head of Media Relations at Business Sweden
T: +46(0)72-540 93 38 E: email@example.com
Business Sweden’s purpose is to help every Swedish company to reach their full international potential and companies abroad to reach their full potential through investments in Sweden. We help our customers through strategic advice and hands-on support. Business Sweden is owned by the Swedish Government and the industry. Business Sweden was founded on the first of January, 2013, by a merger of the Swedish Trade Council (Exportrådet) and Invest Sweden.


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ZURICH — Logitech’s chief executive said his company will decide within 90 days whether to sell the video-conferencing arm it bought in 2009 for $405 million after this week writing down the unit’s value by more than half.
The LifeSize video conferencing unit has failed to shake up a market dominated by Cisco (CSCO) and Polycom and where Chinese giants Huawei and ZTE are making inroads, while global revenues in the segment have slid as economic uncertainty persists.
Any of the above four companies could be potential buyers for a small niche player in the $3 billion a year market, analysts said.
“This is such a tough market, and that’s the biggest driver of the impairment,” Logitech’s newly anointed CEO Bracken Darrell told Reuters in a telephone interview.
“It’s not an easy decision. Is this an asset that makes more sense for us to own or for someone else to own?” Darrell said, adding that the unit was well positioned for success among small and medium sized businesses.
The company also wants to sell its remote controls and digital video security businesses, and to develop more products for smartphones, touch-screen tablets, and for computer gamers.
“It’s important to note we’re going to shrink the company first and make it more profitable, and then focus on areas where we think we can grow,” said Darrell after the company reported lower year-on-year sales for the fifth consecutive quarter.
“PC gaming is an area we haven’t grown in because we didn’t launch any new products, but we’re going to do that now. Mice, keyboards, headsets,” said Darrell, a former executive at household appliance maker Whirlpool.
Founded in a farmhouse near the small Swiss town of Romanel-sur-Morges in 1981, Logitech became a rising technology star when it marketed the first modern computer mouse, developed at the nearby Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne.
Since then the Swiss-American company has shipped more than a billion mice and introduced a successful line-up of PC accessories including keyboards, cameras and speakers.
After peaking in 2007, Logitech shares have fallen more than 80 percent as the relentless rise of touch-screen tablets and smartphones packed with accessories gnawed away at sales of the mice and other plug-in peripherals Logitech had nurtured.
Darrell rejected the idea that add-on products were unlikely to attract users who increasingly want peripherals such as cameras built in to their smartphones and tablets, and said Logitech’s ‘mobile boombox’ wireless speakers are now one of its top sellers, along with its iPad cover.
“We relaunched a keyboard cover, we call it the other half of the iPad, it’s now our top selling product,” Darrell said. “What we do seems to fit in this mobile space when we get it right.”


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For Q2 Guess’ revenues increased five per cent, operating margin expanded 120 basis points and operating profit grew 49 per cent compared to last year’s second quarter. There were positive results in Europe and Asia, where revenues saw double-digit increase, as a result of new store openings, wholesale growth and positive comp sales. Trends in operating margins for these two regions expanded this quarter compared to last year.
Net earnings rose 30.4 per cent. Adjusted diluted earnings per share grew 26.7 per cent compared to last year. But retail revenue in America dropped 11.2 per cent. E-commerce sales and retail comp sales fell 10 per cent. However, America’s wholesale revenue grew 6.6 per cent.
European revenue grew 20.1 per cent. Retail comp sales, including e-commerce, grew five per cent. Meanwhile, Asia revenues grew 17.5 per cent. Retail comp sales including e-commerce grew seven per cent.
Guess has achieved meaningful cost reductions, especially in its supply chain. It’s accelerating reduction of its footprint in the US, which currently makes up less than 36 per cent of its global sales. It has significantly increased adjusted guidance for fiscal 2018 and is now expecting to grow top-line, adjusted operating margin and adjusted earnings per share compared to last year.


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Location:Home > News >
Our company attended FMC China fair from 12th to 15th September, 2017. Increasing domestic & foreign visitors focused on new sofa hinges series, and we also got many orders during the fair.
FOSHAN BOMAO HARDWARE PRODUCTS CO., LTD.
ADD: Yingming Zhongyi Industry Area, Shatou, Jiujiang, Nanhai, Foshan 528208, Guangdong, China.


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Mobile app technology and gaming software company AppLovin officially made an offer to buy video game software maker Unity in an all-stock deal, proposing to pay $58.85 per share.
Related: Microsoft Azure and Unity join forces to empower developers globally
AppLovin’s all-stock deal would have the California-based company pay a total of $17.5 billion to acquire Unity, and the enterprise value (the total value of a company) of the deal is around $20 billion. The news of the proposal boosted Unity’s shares by 7%, but AppLovin’s shares fell by 14%.
AppLovin’s main goal is to help the mobile app industry thrive and grow the mobile app ecosystem. Meanwhile, Unity’s main product is a cross-platform game engine that allows anyone to make their video games for any platform available on the market.
Unity to own the majority stake, AppLoving to hold the majority of the voting rights
If the deal goes through and the two industry giants agree to merge, approximately 55% of the outstanding shares will be allocated to Unity stockholders. However, Unity’s Class A common shares will represent approximately 49% of the outstanding voting rights.
This means AppLovin shareholders will have 45% of the outstanding common shares if the two companies combine, with the mobile app company having the 51% of the outstanding voting rights. However, nothing is concrete as of yet.
The official press release from AppLovin says “The proposal has the unanimous support of the AppLovin Board of Directors”, meaning it’s all up to the Unity side at this point.
The official proposal sees Unity’s CEO John Riccitiello as the CEO of the combined company and AppLovin’s current CEO Adam Foroughi would become the new COO. The management team and Board of Directors of the company will be a combination from each company to be mutually determined if the Unity side says yes to the proposal.
Adam Foroughi, AppLovin CEO believes the two companies combined can create a market-leading business and the joint company could reach $3 billion in revenue by the end of 2024. Foroughi’s statement includes the following lines:
“This deal would be in the best interest of shareholders of both companies. Over the last decade, we have built and operated a leading and innovative company in mobile app marketing and monetization solutions. Unity is one of the world’s leading platforms for helping creators turn their inspirations into real-time 3D content.
“With the scale that comes from unifying our leading solutions and innovation that would be achieved with the combination of our teams, we expect that game developers would be the biggest beneficiaries as they continue to lead the mobile gaming sector to its next chapter of growth.”
AppLovin’s proposal to merge with Unity is subject to the termination of Unity’s merger with IronSource, as well as other “customary signing conditions”, per the official statement.
Just a little over a month ago Unity had to let go 4% of its staff to realign its sources, and now the company is subject to two massive merger options and a partnership deal with Microsoft Azure.
Expert opinions from Bidstack and Gismart:
Mobidictum also reached out to James Draper, Founder & CEO at Bidstack, and Arkadiy Kuznetsov, CMO at Gismart for their expert opinions on the possible merger.
James Draper said the following:
“This is a fascinating move – not least because it puts a question mark against Unity’s acquisition of ironSource. If the Unity and Applovin deal goes ahead, it will supercharge the UnityAds business and revenue potential for game developers, while creating an immensely powerful combined company that will be appealing to shareholders.
“AppLovin has acquired-in content (game studios/games), which drove up its gross margins as the external pay-aways were eradicated and targeted advertising content to its consumers, the gamers, became easier to control as it owned the gamers’ data, as both studio and adtech provider.
“This deal also provides greater momentum to in-gameplay advertising as a category, where ad placements will be combined with existing ad formats and create even greater always-on revenue for game creators and publishers. With AppLovin, Unity becomes an even more attractive engine to build out on for game developers large and small, with such easy access to monetization and revenues. We’re interested to see how this all plays out.”
Arkadiy Kuznetsov of Gismart said:
“It appears as if AppLovin is attempting to build an “all-in-one” ecosystem, having recently acquired Adjust and now looking to acquire Unity. In my opinion, it all leads to establishing some kind of monopoly within the market, which might potentially negatively affect traffic acquisition and monetization in the long run.
“The monopolized market will also obviously have its pros, yet it’s always best to have healthy competition, driving the industry forward.”
Unity announced its Q2 2022 financial results after Applovin’s proposal, but Unity CEO John Riccitiello said they won’t make any comments about the offer for the time being.However, Unity CFO Luis Felipe Visoso said “We’re confident that the ironSource merger will make us stronger as we offer our customers an end-to-end platform that will benefit creators and shareholders.” and raised a few eyebrows.


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Electric vehicle maker Tesla's shares rose more 5 per cent after the close of regular trading on Wednesday, after the company reported its largest quarterly net profit at the end of March, underpinned by an increased delivery of cars despite Covid-induced supply disruptions and a global shortage of semiconductors.
The world's most valuable car maker also passed the $3 billion mark in quarterly net profit for the first time.
Tesla’s first-quarter net profit rose about 658 per cent year on year to more than $3.3bn, over $2.8bn more than the income earnedin the same period in 2021. It was up about 43 per cent on a quarterly basis.
This is the 11th straight profitable quarter and the fourth consecutive three-month period with more than $1bn profit for the electric vehicles maker.
Meanwhile, a federal judge on Wednesday rejected an effort by Tesla Inc shareholders to obtain a "gag order" preventing chief executive Elon Musk from publicly discussing their lawsuit, in which they accuse him of deceiving them with a 2018 tweet about taking his electric car company private.
The ruling was issued by US District Judge Edward Chen in San Francisco.
Revenue during the January-March period jumped 81 per cent to more than $18.7bn, exceeding analysts’ expectation of $17.8bn.
This was the sixth consecutive time the company reported $10bn or more in sales. It was 5.9 per cent more on a quarterly basis.
The first quarter was a “record quarter by several measures such as revenues, vehicle deliveries, operating profit and operating margin”, the company said.
Public interest in “sustainable future continues to rise and we remain focused on growing as fast as is reasonably possible … expansion of our production capacity is core to our decision-making”, it said.
The Nasdaq-listed company's stock price rose more than 5.2 per cent to $1,028 a share in after-hours trading on Wednesday.
The company, which joined the $1 trillion market capitalisation club in October as its stock surged to a record high of more than $1,000 a share nearly 11 years after the company went public, said its cash and cash equivalents “increased sequentially by $300 million to $18bn” at the end of the last quarter.
It was driven mainly by free cash flow of $2.2bn, partly offset by debt repayments of $2.1bn.
The company’s total debt excluding vehicle and energy product financing dropped to less than $100m at the end of last quarter.
Tesla, which delivered a record 310,048 vehicles in the last quarter — 68 per cent up on a yearly basis — aims to rapidly increase its production and grab a huge market share in 2022.
In the first quarter, it sold 295,324 units of Model 3s and Model Ys, although it delivered only 14,724 units of its more expensive Model S saloons and Model X SUVs, which are priced from $75,000.
“We plan to grow our manufacturing capacity as quickly as possible. Over a multi-year horizon, we expect to achieve 50 per cent average annual growth in vehicle deliveries,” Tesla said.
But the rate of growth will depend on the company’s “equipment capacity, operational efficiency and the stability of the supply chain”.
Tesla’s own factories are running “below capacity for several quarters” as the supply chain became the main limiting factor, and it is likely to continue through the rest of 2022, the company said.
“Challenges around supply chain have remained persistent … in addition to chip shortages, recent Covid-19 outbreaks have been weighing on our supply chain and factory operations.”
While weekly production rates were strong in Shanghai factory, a recent surge in Covid-19 cases resulted in the temporary shutdown of the plant.
Although limited production has recently restarted, Tesla said it was monitoring the situation closely.
Increased prices of raw materials are also putting pressure on Tesla’s global operations.
“The inflationary impact on our cost structure has contributed to adjustments in our product pricing, despite a continued focus on reducing our manufacturing costs where possible,” the California-based company said.
In the first quarter, Tesla increased its capital expenditure by about 31 per cent yearly to more than $1.7bn, while its quarter-end cash and cash equivalents increased 2 per cent on an annual basis to $17.5bn in the three-month period.
The company said it has sufficient liquidity to fund its future product roadmap, long-term capacity expansion plans and other expenses.
In its energy segment, Tesla’s solar installations dropped by nearly 48 per cent due to the import delays on certain components.
Diversification of batteries is critical for long-term capacity growth, Tesla said.
Nearly half of Tesla vehicles produced in the first quarter were equipped with a lithium iron phosphate battery, containing no nickel or cobalt.


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There is some major news from Jennifer Lopez. The newlywed and birthday girl, who just turned 53 on July 24, is expanding her business empire with the launch of JLo Body by JLo Beauty, and she’s celebrating with a campaign that includes a photo of her in the nude as well as a shot focused on one of her most famous assets. The couple wed in a surprise ceremony on July 16 in Las Vegas. It seems that many beautiful women in Hollywood enjoy flaunting their amazingly sculpted bodies lately.
“We already have some amazing products targeting tightening and firming for the face, so a product for the body that addressed those same issues was a natural next step for us. It was also the body part that our consumers wanted a targeted treatment for, and they couldn’t find it on the market.” JLo told sources.
Lopez claims that she has been considering this product for her “whole life,” having grown up witnessing her mother’s battle with cellulite and become irritated with the lack of available treatments. She recalls thinking, “I remember she wished there was some magic potion that was just going to make it gone.” And the fact is, we are aware that it doesn’t.
The Booty Balm, according to Lopez, may give you a derriere that looks more toned (you can also use it on your arms, waist ,and thighs). She believes that her journey into body products would encourage people to include neck-to-toe skin care in their daily beauty and well-being routines.
If you were wondering what to surprise your significant other with on her birthday well “The Booty Balm” could just be the most incredible gift you could get her. Especially if she is fond of Jennifer Lopez and her exciting look.
The images that surfaced on her birthday gained a lot of attention and really marked it as a special celebration. It is understandable that the 53-year-old is embracing her birthday thanks to her new spouse and her most recent foray into the beauty industry: “Despite my age, I feel fantastic and am happy than ever. I have the impression that I am only now entering my second half.”


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Egg stakes 'largest' claim
INTERNET bank Egg boasts it is 'now officially the largest pure online bank in the world' with 1.5m customers - although the emphasis is on the word 'pure'. It concedes: 'Bank of America, which has branches, has a bigger internet operation.'
Nonetheless Egg, Prudential's 79% online venture, has proved a success since launched four years ago by then chief executive Sir Peter Davis, who is now at Sainsbury's. At 134p, down 1p, it is worth £1.1bn against £9.3bn for the Pru.
Fourth-quarter UK profits are on track for further growth, as today's borrowing frenzy fuels credit card sales and loans. Like every other bank, it insists credit quality 'remains strong'.
Its new French operation - not, alas, called Oeuf - sold 28,000 credit cards in its first month. Egg will also book a £3.4m one-off profit this quarter from selling 15% of Funds Direct back to its parent Prudential.
Irish bank First Active (340p, up 1 1/2p) expects 20% operating profit growth this year thanks to surging mortgage advances.
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While the market upheaval and economic uncertainty has encouraged many people to tighten their budgets, shoppers lusting after that "it" bag, a first-class airline seat or a pricey car may now find those luxuries are more affordable than before.
Companies that make or sell high-end goods are increasingly aiming for what they call aspiration buyers -- middle-class shoppers who can afford to occasionally splurge. The tactics are vast, including pitching less-expensive product lines, selling overstock online and allowing consumers to buy luxury perks in lieu of earning them. Audi, for example, is rewarding brand loyalty by offering $1,000 to $3,000 cash-back to households that already own an Audi and want another one. In September, EBAY, -2.62% will team up with Nieman Marcus and other luxury e-tailers to sell goods at discounts of up to 65%. And new credit cards from AMR, -0.23% and UAL, -2.13% offer a cheaper buy-in for perks previously available only to elite road warriors and big spenders. "Luxury has become more democratized these days, and everyone wants access," says Milton Pedraza, the president of Luxury Institute LLC, a marketing firm.
The luxury-for-everyone pitch may seem at odds with brands that owe some of their success to their elite images. But going down-market has become a survival tactic during tough economic times. Luxury goods sales fell 5% during 2008 and 2009, the biggest drop since 1995, according to Bain & Co., and experts say most of those lost sales were from these so-called aspiration buyers. (Shoppers with a net worth of $800,000 or more scaled back somewhat during the recession, but have largely kept spending, according to the American Affluence Research Center.) Recent market volatility could make middle-class shoppers even more important. Less than the very wealthy, aspiration buyers tend to have less of their net worth tied up in the stock market, and so the occasional downdraft may not stop them from spending, says AARC president Ron Kurtz.
The best deals on luxury goods may not come via coupon -- or Groupon. Instead, luxury brands often use subtler tactics, like private sale events and invitation-only deals, Pedraza says: "You don't want to scream 'discount' when you're a luxury brand." Getting in on these offers isn't so hard, though. Consumers can give their contact information to the high-end stores and brands they like, says Fred Thompson, a partner at LoyaltyOne Consulting. Invited guests often gossip on sites like SheFinds.com or Mizhattan.com, where, in June, notices about Chanel's two-day private sale with deals of 40% off made the rounds a week beforehand. Auto pricing site Edmunds.com tracks unadvertised auto incentives, including loyalty rebates.
Shoppers on the hunt for luxury goods are also finding success with so-called flash-sale sites such as Gilt Groupe, which offer discounts of 50% or better for a short time on clothing, home goods and other products. eBay launched its version, Fashion Vault, last fall and AMZN, -2.34% debuted MyHabit in May. But shoppers may find the same problem that outlet-mall shoppers often do: Some items on sale aren't a part of the brands' usual collections, they've been produced specifically for the sites. Which ones? The sites don't usually say. Amazon and Gilt spokeswomen said there's no need, because the items are legitimately from that brand or designer and have quality consistent with their price. "We make sure not to give the [buyer] lesser quality," says a spokeswoman for Gilt.
Even non-luxury brands -- think American Airlines, for example -- are offering new opportunities to pay for a higher-end experience, says Thomas Jacobson, a senior executive in consulting firm Accenture's pricing division. For example, airline credit cards have grown in popularity over the past year with the introduction of bigger benefits and waived fees for the first year, while the airlines have also started offering more a la carte purchase options to cut the line for boarding or pick a cushier seat. Cable companies, amusement parks and other companies are also offering pay-in options for a shorter wait. Here, consumers need to evaluate what they're getting for the extra cash, Jacobson says. Your luxury experience might be little more than a convenience fee.


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Expert reveals why you should NEVER eat food from packets that aren't flat – even if it’s in date
BEFORE chucking food in the trolley, it's been engrained in us from a young age to always check the Use By date.
But according to one food expert, we should also be taking the state of the packaging into consideration – and NEVER buy packets that are no longer flat.
Earlier this year, Maneet Kaur – who works as a food process technologist – shared her shopping tip with her 11,300 TikTok followers.
Comparing two packs of sausages, Maneet explained: "If you're buying food products and they're sealed with the film on top, always make sure that they are flat and I'll tell you why.
"Both of these products are both in date, but this one pack has blown and that basically means that the film is spongy to touch, compared to the other one."
"That means there is bacteria inside this pack of food now, even though the packaging says it is in date, it is not safe to eat.
"I recommend that if you ever have food that has packaging like this, do not eat it."
Examining the better packaged sausages, Maneet said: "The film should be flat. See how flat that is."
Unsurprisingly, the clip has racked up over 68,000 views and users were grateful for the tip.
How to know your food is still safe to eat:
- Has there been a change in texture? I.e. milk can go clumpy when it's spoilt
- Keep an eye out for signs of damaged packaging – including rips in plastic, dents in cans and leakages
- Look out for obvious discolouration – such as brown marks on bananas and blue spots on bread
"If they are in date you can return them back," one replied. "They have to honour it because they are in date, plus trade descriptions act covers it."
Another added: "Good to know. I often wonder why some packets are like that in the clearance shelves."
"Literally you are amazing," a third wrote. "Keep up the good content!"
Earlier this year, Maneet shared the ‘secret’ codes on back of food packets which cut her weekly shopping bill in half.
For more food tips and tricks, this thrifty mum shared shopping list to feed a family-of-four for just £20.21 a week and that’s ALL meals.
And this mum shared recipe hacks for making dinners for fussy kids – and they’re so simple.
Plus this mum’s simple ‘shopper docket’ hack sees her save thousands of pounds on groceries every year
Source: Read Full Article


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Japan's Amusement Parks Are No Joke
What use would a country with more people over the age of 70 than under 20 have with amusement parks? More than you might think.
U.S. cable giant Comcast Corp. certainly seems to think so, judging by its decision to spend $2.3 billion buying full control of Universal Studios Japan. Comcast's NBCUniversal unit previously paid $1.5 billion for 51 percent of the Osaka theme park back in 2015, suggesting a 60 percent jump in equity value in less than 18 months.
Forget what you may have heard about Japan as a nation in demographic decline. Despite the undeniable fact of an aging population, it's home to three of the world's top five theme parks, all of which have consistently boosted visitor numbers while rivals in South Korea, Hong Kong and France have stagnated.
The easy explanation for this performance is that Japan's weak yen has made it the beneficiary of a wave of tourism from more buoyant corners of Asia, particularly China.
That doesn't hold up to scrutiny, though: Of the 30 million-odd visitors to the two Disney-branded properties in Tokyo operated by Oriental Land Co. in fiscal 2016, just 6 percent came from overseas.
The truth, as Gadfly has argued before, is that Japan's domestic economy is a lot healthier than pessimists realize. The country is still the world's third-biggest consumer market, with final consumption expenditure of $2.5 trillion during 2015 outstripping all the rest of East Asia bar China.
That's particularly the case for women. Children account for less than 30 percent of visitors at Tokyo's two Disney parks, so the 70-30 split between female and male attendees at the resort can't be dismissed simply as schoolgirls attending the Anna and Elsa show. A larger proportion of Japan's working-age women are in jobs than in the U.S. or Europe, and while the gender pay gap is higher than in most other rich countries, it's diminishing faster.
Japan's theme parks have also hit on the business model to make the most of a population that's not growing enough to provide fresh visitors every year -- they're cheaper. Day passes to Japan's big amusement parks cost 30 percent to 50 percent less than their U.S. equivalents 1 , and as a result the resorts don't carry the one-visit-in-a-lifetime cachet that comes with the overdraft-busting ticket prices in Orlando and Anaheim. At Tokyo Disneyland, more than 90 percent of guests are repeat customers.
It's possible that the wave of amusement parks now opening in China -- from Shanghai Disneyland, through Dalian Wanda Group Co.'s network of properties, to Comcast's own Universal Beijing site due to open in 2020 -- will eventually eclipse Japan's resorts. In the meantime, they can still provide investors with an exciting ride.
Based on prices of 7,600 yen ($67) at Universal Studios Japan and 7,400 yen at Tokyo Disney Resort. Prices at U.S. resorts vary between peak and low season, but "regular" tickets to the full parks as Disneyworld, Disneyland, and Universal Studios Hollywood cost around $170, $110 and $105 respectively.
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New information suggests that Atlus’s Persona 5 will release by the end of the year, between October and December.
This information comes from Sega Sammy’s 2015 earnings report. While not explicitly stated in the text, it is possible to infer Persona 5’s release window.
To further understand the report, it is important to note Atlus’s fiscal year runs from April 2015 to March 2016. The company has four different titles listed as available during the first and second quarters, Persona 5 not being one of them.
Atlus has also repeatedly stated that, both the English and Japanese versions will be available before year’s end. Given the information in the financial report, both versions must be released between October and December. This suggests the localization will be surprisingly efficient, only taking a few months. At worst, the game could be pushed back until next March.
Persona 5 is the newest installment in the Persona sub-series of Shin Megami Tensei RPGs. The series revolves around groups of high school students summoning “Personas” to fight monsters in turn based combat. Persona 5 has been confirmed to feature the return of Shigenori Soejima and Shoji Meguro as character designer and music composer, respectively. Director Katsura Hashino has said the game will discuss the hardships of modern society, and focus on a group of teenagers restrained the rules of said society.
Persona 5 will be released for both Playstation 3 and Playstation 4.


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Angel Hristov December 14, 2023 3 min read
Light & Wonder Launches iGaming Content in South Africa with Hollywoodbets
Light & Wonder’s expansion into South Africa is a new opportunity for the company to popularize its games
Light & Wonder has unveiled a new partnership agreement with Hollywoodbets, a South African betting and gaming operator. Under the deal, the supplier will inject proprietary content into the operator’s platform.
This deal will mark Light & Wonder’s foray into the country, expanding its overall global footprint. The entry was made possible by the Mpumalanga Economic Regulator (MER) and Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board (WCGRB), which cleared Light & Wonder for launch in South Africa.
In addition to proprietary content, Light & Wonder will also power Hollywoodbets with aggregated games from third-party studios, such as ReelPlay, Big Time Gaming, Blueprint, Greentube, Gaming Realms, Inspired, Elk Studios, Relax, G Games and Fantasma. These games will appear on Hollywoodbets’ platform at a later date, according to the official announcement.
Light & Wonder’s expansion into South Africa is a new opportunity for the company to popularize its games. The supplier’s live casino content already enjoys a lot of success in the country, making it very optimistic about the launch of its iGaming titles in the region.
Light & Wonder’s titles are also consistently among the top performers on gaming floors across South Africa. Players will now get to experience these very games online, boosting their engagement. This move aligns with the company’s omni-channel strategy and ambition to deliver fresh casino experiences.
Hollywoodbets Seeks to Provide Players with Premium Experiences
James Bustin, Light & Wonder’s commercial director, commented on the matter, saying that South Africa’s regulated online market presents a lot of opportunities to his team. He explained that the foray into the country allows the provider to fulfill its promise to “bring new worlds of play” to consumers all over the world.
We are excited to have launched our online games that we know South Africans already love playing in land-based casinos, and now we look forward to launching even more content from our partner studios in the coming months.James Bustin, commercial director, Light & Wonder
In the meantime, Wayde Dorkin, Hollywoodbets’ head of product, also commented on the matter, saying that the new content deal will allow the company to provide players with “the best possible casino experience.” Dorkin said that the partnership means that his team will now have expanded access to many highly compelling games.
The initial range of games produced by Light & Wonder is very impressive and this is only the first step. By integrating Light & Wonder’s platform, we are looking forward to adding other third-party studios to our audience.Wayde Dorkin, head of product, Hollywoodbets
In the meantime, Light & Wonder just selected Oliver Chow as its new chief financial officer. Chow had been serving as interim CFO for a while, replacing Connie James who departed from the company earlier this year.


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Auto stocks fell after states opposing cut in tax rate ahead of GST council meeting
Fifteen of the 19 sector indices compiled by BSE Ltd. declined, led by BSE Bankex index
Mumbai: Indian markets on Monday fell nearly 0.5% led by drop in Auto stocks after states opposed cutting tax rates even as central government ready to reduction in GST rate from 28% to 18%. Investors also avoided taking long positions ahead of key macroeconomic data due later this week.
At 9.40 am, benchmark Sensex Index fell 0.49% to 36,800.72 while Nifty index was down 0.45% to 10,896.40.
Auto stocks fell after states opposing cut in tax rate ahead of GST council meeting. While the government is keen to go for a reduction in GST rate cut from 28% to 18% for the auto sector, the move's negative fallout in the form of huge loss in revenue collection and opposition from states has become a hurdle. Tata Motors fell 2.6%, Maruti Suzuki India 1.8%, Bajaj Auto 1.2%, Hero MotoCorp 1.1%, Mahindra & Mahindra 0.8%.
Investors will await consumer price inflation and industrial production data data on 12 September. According to Bloomberg analyst estimates, industrial production for July will be at 2.5% from 2% a month ago. CPI will at 3.35% in August from 3.15% in June.
Investors were also cautious as oil extended gains after Saudi Arabia ousted its long-time energy minister before an OPEC+ committee that monitors compliance with output cuts meets this week in Abu Dhabi.
Equitas Holdings Ltd fell 7% after RBI has turned down a proposal by Equitas Holdings seeking extension of the listing deadline for its subsidiary Equitas Small Finance Bank (ESFB) and ordered freezing of the small finance bank's chief executive’s remuneration at the existing level.
Coffee Day Enterprises Ltd rose 5% after Mint reported that the company has put its Sical Logistics unit on the block as it seeks to pare debt
Fifteen of the 19 sector indices compiled by BSE Ltd. declined, led by BSE Bankex index which has dropped 1.4%. Twenty seven of 31 Sensex constituents and 12 of 50 Nifty stocks rose.


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XPO Logistics has been ranked as the largest logistics company in North America.
According to the 2017 edition of the Top 50 Logistics Companies list compiled by US news outlet, Transport Topics, XPO made up one spot from its second place in 2016 and is now the largest logistics company in North America by net revenue (€4.4 billion).
Second place went to JB Hunt (€2.6 billion), followed by UPS Transport Services (€2.4 billion) and DHL Supply Chain (€2.2 billion).
Troy Cooper, Chief Operating Officer of XPO Logistics, commented, “We have our customers and employees to thank for this milestone achievement.
“Our North American operations are a cornerstone of our integrated global network, where we operate as the second largest logistics provider worldwide.”


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Long-time Employee to Lead Manufacturer Sales for IDEA Connector
Arlington, VA – IDEA has announced that Sherri Thorne, who previously served as Director of Product Content Services, will now transition to Director of Business Development.
In her new role, Thorne will be responsible for new manufacturer sales in the electrical industry and adjacent verticals for IDEA Connector. Thorne played a vital role in the development and implementation of IDEA Connector; she also assembled and trained the customer service team that supports IDEA Connector users.
With her extensive experience, Thorne can help manufacturers successfully navigate eBusiness and product content initiatives to support their supply chains.
Before joining IDEA, Thorne had extensive experience in lighting sales and sales management with Rexel (formerly Branch Electric) out of Upper Marlboro, Maryland.
“IDEA Connector is a mission-critical service to our hundreds of customers. With the pandemic, eCommerce and increasing efficiency have become even more important,” said Mike Wentz, IDEA VP of Sales & Marketing. “Sherri brings valuable product and customer service expertise to our business development team, and we know her deep knowledge of the new platform will help our customers save time and money as they make the digital transition.”
IDEA has invested millions over the past two years to develop IDEA Connector, a next-generation digital product experience platform. IDEA Connector was engineered to support industry data standards, facilitate rapid information exchange between trading partners, and increase digital sales in the electrical channel. Utilizing IDEA’s digital integration platform provides even greater supply chain efficiencies.
The Industry Data Exchange Association, Inc. (IDEA) is the official technology service provider and eBusiness standards body of the electrical industry. Since its founding by the partnership between National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED) and National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) partnership in 1998, IDEA’s applications provide value to vertical markets such as industrial, retail, and consumer packaged goods. Every year, thousands of manufacturers and distributors find the most cost-effective methods through IDEA’s innovative products and processes. IDEA’s applications help connect the supply chain and make business processes efficient, easy, and profitable while maintaining the highest data quality standards. IDEA is headquartered in Arlington, VA (idea4industry.com)


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Blackphone 2 Touchdown In September
Silent Circle’s Blackphone 2 Landing In September
Silent Circle confirmed off the second era of its pro-privacy Android-hardened smartphone, the Blackphone, again in March on the Cellular World Congress tradeshow — touting a summer time launch for the system.
Within the occasion, it’s nonetheless not launched, and the corporate has now quietly put up a pre-order pageon its web site for a September launch — sans price ticket.
The Blackphone 2 updates the unique handset in the appear and feel division, with an all-glass entrance and rear, plus a bigger full HD show. At 5.5 inches throughout, it’s beneficiant sufficient though lags behind palm-stretching phablet choices. Different updates embody a 64-bit processor and extra RAM.
Each gadgets will run Silent Circle’s SilentOS (previously referred to as PrivatOS): a safety targeted taste of Android, and are available pre-loaded with pro-privacy apps reminiscent of Silent Circle’s suite of safe messaging apps, in addition to bundling entry to 3rd social gathering pro-privacy companies reminiscent of SpiderOak safe cloud storage.
The corporate has pivoted from its preliminary prosumer goal for Blackphone to pay attention extra of its energies on serving the enterprise market — chasing an area that was occupied by RIM’s Blackberry, and now promoting gadgets, software program and companies underneath its “enterprise privacy platform” banner.


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Former auto titan Carlos Ghosn, packed into a case typically used for concert audio equipment, was sneaked onto a private jet at an airport in Osaka, Japan, late Sunday, according to people familiar with the matter, in what has become one of the corporate world’s most stunning cases of bail jumping.
His escape from Japan, where he was fighting charges of financial crime stemming from his time at the top of Nissan Motor Co. and Renault SA, was months in the making, according to people familiar with the matter, and was put in motion only after Mr. Ghosn became convinced that his trial, slated for later this year, could drag on for years.
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The European Commission's VAT Gap report has revealed that the European Union lost an estimated 140 billion in Value-Added Tax (VAT) revenues in 2018, equal to a total revenue loss of 11 percent across the EU.
Greece’s exports have been impacted by the pandemic, though not all markets were hit in the same way according to the latest data.
Although it has been several months since the lockdown in Greece ended, the retail sector continues to bear the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
The government is taking measures to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on unemployment, particularly in sectors directly or indirectly connected to the tourism industry.
The Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) has released a set of data showing the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on businesses in Greece.
As Greece moves into its summer high tourism season, the industry continues to warn of a lost summer in terms of revenue, as cautious tourists stay away.
The OECD 2020 report on Greece highlights a persisiting lack of R&D and innovation in the economy and lower productivity compared to other countries.
The Hellenic Chamber of Hotels (HCH) has released its latest survey regarding the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the country’s hotel industry, which shows that the hotel market has shown little sign of recovery as the summer begins.
Greece’s Foundation for Economic and Industrial research (IOBE) has presented a new study which shows that between 2011 to 2019, privatisations provided an important boost to annual GDP.
A survey by Ernst and Young (EY) has revealed that investor interest in Greece has remained steady throughout the coronavirus pandemic.


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As the hands on the clock move forward at an unstoppable pace, social media-type websites are being increasingly used in the healthcare field. This as well as the increasing obesity rates in the United States (with the CDC reporting that obesity rates have nearly tripled from 1960 to 34 percent), have been major factors in driving wHealthy Solutions to unveil what is touted as the first scientific-based social network service all about healthy nutrition.
Seamlessly integrating both food and beverage ranking algorithms that have been derived from medical and scientific methods in addition to providing important information are helping the public to put down that potato chip once and for all and insead pick up a healthier snack, such as maybe an apple.
It’s easy to access this site on-the-go throughout your busy day via a PC, smartphone, netbook or tablet. In essence, this Web page serves as a one-stop-shop for everything you need to know about how to raise the bar on improving your lifestyle via healthy choices. Complete with product lists to help you choose more nutritional items during your weekly grocery shopping, warnings about unhealthy ingredients, taste reviews, and even a way to share what it is on your own grocery list with your family and other users of the platform are also provided.
But that’s not all; consumers can even leverage their mobile devices to scan bar codes of various items at the grocery store, which will then automatically deliver vital details on how healthy their selections are. If ranked unhealthy, shoppers may want to go with something else.
"wHealthy Solutions solves the problem of information overload with a single-source solution that enables consumers to easily and quickly select foods and beverages that are both healthy and delicious, while saving them time and effort," said wHealthy Solutions' CEO and Co-founder Michael Segal, in a statement. "Additionally, unlike any other solution on the market today, wHealthy Solutions will soon enable consumers to personalize their 'nutritional baskets' to meet the needs of their specific health conditions, such as diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or certain food intolerances."
While there are some other similar solutions currently available, wHealthy Solutions stands out from the pack due to the fact that it combines continuously updated scientific data based upon USDA guidelines and medical Subject Matter Expertise (SME) to offer health rankings of a large array of items within the offering’s database. Also, this product can be quickly personalized according to each user’s likes and dislikes, ultimately improving the world by making its citizens healthier one bite at a time.
To view a demonstration on how this next-generation health focused solution truly works, click here.
Edited by Allison Boccamazzo