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Wage inflation in the engineering sector is accelerating, pressuring companies to enhance payment for vital roles by 20% or far more as they contend for a constrained pool of employees qualified in locations such as cloud computing and details science.
There is no single supply of facts on all tech employment, but it is obvious from a variety of marketplace analysts and executives that demand from customers for labor in the tech sector is on the rise. During the initially quarter, U.S. companies posted 1.1 million tech positions, an increase of 43% from a calendar year earlier, in accordance to facts know-how trade group CompTIA.
Need for employees to fill those people employment has been surging due to the fact the pandemic started, prompting companies to switch to remote work and other electronic initiatives. Inflation at a 40-calendar year-high and the war in Ukraine disrupting tech and outsourcing hubs in Europe also are pushing compensation for tech employees better.
The tech roles in biggest need include cloud computing architects, details experts and modelers, and device studying experts. Staffing business Mondo, an Addison Team business, reported at the superior end of the payment assortment, cloud architects noticed common salary improves of 25% involving 2020 and this yr, while typical salaries for application engineers rose 11% in excess of the very same period.
The mounting expense of using the services of and retaining top tech talent is producing troubles for chief facts officers and other tech leaders and has even caught the awareness of chief executive officers.
“It’s spectacular,” reported
co-founder and executive chairman of Ideal Semiconductor Equipment and taking care of director of the Murray Hill Group venture funds and private-equity firm. Mr. Burns explained wage increases in the tech sector can prime 20%, and in hot marketplaces this sort of as Austin, Texas, they can hit 30%.
CIOs and other tech chiefs are underneath strain to persuade board customers to approve larger shelling out for tech salaries that might exceed shell out stages for other positions, according to
govt vice president and chief technologies and automation officer at
Tyson Meals Inc.
Offered the limited labor market, the charge of jogging and protecting IT operations is on the increase, and the value of investing in innovation is likely up at an even more quickly pace, he mentioned.
Wage pressures are acute in Europe, way too, according to
founder and CEO of Egnyte Inc. The business file-sharing corporation employs 250 individuals in Poland, where by typical wage improves are 50% and some workers have doubled their fork out throughout the previous yr, according to Mr. Jain. “And these had been not low-compensated folks,” he stated.
Rising salaries are not confined to veteran tech employees.
a software program engineer at
a San Francisco-primarily based organization software package business, said some selecting administrators in the tech industry are presenting new graduates payment packages in the six-figure vary, compared with starting off salaries of $70,000 to $85,000 a handful of decades ago.
Outsize gains in tech compensation, although more and more typical, aren’t universal. An
spokesperson said in an electronic mail that salary increases in the company’s technological innovation services organization averaged 5% this calendar year.
Cisco Programs Inc.
in an email stated regular pay amounts for its application engineers across the U.S. rose concerning 5% and 10% this previous calendar year.
—Isabelle Bousquette and Steven Rosenbush contributed to this post.
Produce to Suman Bhattacharyya at [email protected]
Copyright ©2022 Dow Jones & Corporation, Inc. All Legal rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8


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According to press reports from Denmark, food safety officials from the Foedevarestyrelsen (Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries) suspect that a rolled pork sausage product called rullepoelse may linked to a fatal outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infection.
At least 20 people have been infected in the outbreak since September 2013, with 12 deaths having been recorded. The outbreak seems to have expanded recently, with 15 of the cases reported over the last three months.
An investigation into the outbreak has identified an association with rullepoelse manufactured by a company called Joern A Rullepoelser A/S in Hedehusene near Copenhagen. This product and a number of other cold cut meats have now been withdrawn from sale.
Health officials are trying to determine where the suspect rullepoelse was distributed and whether any was exported. Meanwhile, consumers in Denmark and Norway have been advised to check fridges for any of the recalled sausage.
More information can be found here.

domain: news


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Android goes bing, the App Store goes transparent, and one technology CEO goes to the Land of Questionable Metaphors.
So, Google makes money by people seeing their ads when doing searches. But, as I mentioned earlier this week, Google just changed their search engine page in a big way but have no idea how that will affect their ad revenue.
Now it comes out that Android phones from Verizon – Android being the OS Google gives away for free hoping people will watch ads and buy apps – will have Microsoft’s Bing as the default search engine, not Google. Yep, MS is paying Verizon to get its own search engine onto all the phones that Google helped create through Android.
Google gets no revenue for the Verizon phones, Verizon gets revenue from MS and MS gets revenue from Bing. Who loses in this situation?
As the Macalope says in the paragraph preceding the above quote:
Everyone wants to compare the Apple/Google mobile OS wars to the Apple/Microsoft desktop wars of the 1990s. But if Compaq ever got out of line, Microsoft always told them to go jump in a proverbial lake. And then it pushed them in an actual lake. Filled with sharks. A special breed of freshwater great white sharks that the company had genetically engineered for that particular purpose. And then it poured petroleum into the lake and lit it on fire.
Google doesn’t seem to be able to exercise that kind of leverage. Android’s popular, there’s no denying that, but at what price comes popularity when you wake up in a strange hotel room with your arm around Bing?


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Qantas, which formed an alliance with Emirates Airline this year, now has codeshare agreements with the three biggest carriers in Greater China, namely China Southern, China Eastern Airlines Corp Ltd and Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd, the company said in a statement.
“Partnership is key to our strategy in Asia and we’re very pleased to now have China Southern as one of our codeshare partners in the world’s fastest growing aviation market,” said Qantas Chief Executive Alan Joyce in the statement.
Under the agreement, Qantas customers will be able to book China Southern’s Australia-China services, and China Southern customers will be able to book Qantas routes within Australia and New Zealand, starting early 2014.
In October, China Southern started a daily A380 service between Sydney and the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, where the airline is based.
“It (the agreement) also sets a new model for China Southern to explore the international market together with international airlines,” said China Southern Chairman Si Xianmin in the statement.
Qantas said the two airlines are also looking into cooperation in pilot training and the cargo business. (Reuters)


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Top 42 Samsung Facts
Being one of world’s biggest companies, you can be sure there’s plenty of fascinating Samsung facts. From their most recent innovations and sales data, all the way to controversies, AirBeamTV is here to give you all the Samsung scoop.
Whether you’re doing research on Samsung, are just interested in this tech giant, or just looking for something to scroll through while eating dinner (we’ve all done that!), we’ve got you sorted! Without further ado, let’s delve into 42 fascinating Samsung facts.
Table of contents
Samsung Company Facts
- Samsung is a South Korean multinational conglomerate headquartered in Suwon. (Source: Samsung Newsroom)
- Samsung operates in a variety of industries, including electronics, semiconductors, smartphones, home appliances, and more. (Source: Samsung)
- Samsung begun in 1938 as a grocery, dried fish and noodle trade company in Japan-occupied Korea. It only entered electronic market in late 1960s. (Source: Jon Erlichman & Medium.com)
- In Korean hanja the word Samsung means ‘three stars’, which symbolizes something powerful and everlasting. The Samsung logo featured the three stars up until 1993. (Source: Samsung Newsroom)
- Samsung has one of the largest shipbuilding divisions in the world called Samsung Heavy Industries. In 2023, it is predicted to finally be operating at a profit. (Source: The Korea Economic Daily)
- Samsung used to have a defense and weaponry division called Samsung Techwin. It has been acquired in 2014 by Hanwha Vision and is currently producing video surveillance systems. (Source: Wikipedia)
- Samsung manufactures 90% of its components in-house, only outsourcing peripheral products. (Source: Reuters)
When did Samsung go public?
Samsung Electronics, the flagship subsidiary of the Samsung Group, went public and listed its shares on the Korea Stock Exchange (KRX) in 1975. This initial public offering (IPO) marked the company’s transition from a privately held entity to a publicly traded company. Since then, Samsung Electronics has become one of the largest and most well-known electronics companies globally.
When did Samsung enter the US market?
Samsung entered the US market in the late 1970s. In 1978, Samsung Electronics established a subsidiary called Samsung Electronics America to oversee its operations and business activities in the United States. This move allowed Samsung to expand its presence and compete in the American consumer electronics market. Since then, Samsung has grown to become one of the leading brands in various product categories, including televisions, mobile devices, home appliances, and more, in the United States.
Useful To Know:
Samsung Tech & Innovation Facts
- Samsung was the first company to introduce a smartphone with a curved edge-to-edge display, the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge, in 2014. (Source: Reuters)
- Samsung was the first company to introduce a foldable smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy Fold, in 2019. (Source: Samsung)
- Samsung has its own virtual assistant called Bixby. It’s available on the company’s smartphones, smartwatches, and home appliances. (Source: Samsung)
- Samsung was initially a quantity-focused company. That was the case until 1993 when Chairman Lee Kun Hee piled 150.000 phones and burned them, starting a quality-oriented era for Samsung (Source: Samsung Newsroom)
- Samsung SCH-V200 from 2000 was the very first cell phone to have a built-in camera (Source: Digital Trends)
- With Galaxy S5 released in 2014, Samsung was at the forefront of waterproof and dustproof smartphone technology. With this phone, they managed to merge functional technology while keeping the device aesthetic (Source: Mint)
- While Samsung didn’t invent Smart TVs, the company heavily contributed to popularising this new type of TV around 2011. (Source: Samsung Newsroom)
- Samsung has patented the QLED technology, which uses sheets of light-processing quantum dots. Alongside OLED and QNED TVs, QLED are some of the most innovative televisions out there. (Source: PC Mag)
- The cheapest Samsung Smart TV on Amazon cost 259 USD. (Source: Amazon.com)
Samsung Staff Facts
- Samsung was founded in 1938 by Lee Byung-chul as a trading company. He only finished high school. (Source: WSJ)
- Lee Kun-Hee, the former CEO of the South Korean technology group Samsung, once said: ‘Change everything except your wife and kids.’ (Source: AZ Quotes)
- Samsung has offices in 74 countries. (Source: Statista)
How many employees are working in Samsung?
Samsung has 267,937 employees as of March 2023. (Source: Web Tribunal)
Who has more employees Samsung or Apple?
Samsung has more employees than Apple. The South Korean company employs 267,937 people as of 2023 (Source: Web Tribunal). Apple had 154,000 employees in 2022 (source: MacroTrends.net). That being said, Apple employs around half a million people indirectly in various supply chain operations in the US.
Samsung is a massive multinational conglomerate that operates in various industries, including consumer electronics, semiconductors, telecommunications, and more. The company employs a significant workforce worldwide across its various divisions and subsidiaries.
Samsung Sales & Revenue Facts
- Samsung’s revenue in 2022 was 302.23 trillion KRW (South Korean Wons), which is 226,5 billion USD. (Source: Samsung Newsroom)
- Samsung’s net profit for 2023 was 43.38 trillion KRW, which is 32,5 billion USD. (Source: Samsung Newsroom)
- As of the first quarter of 2023, almost 3 in 10 phones sold were manufactured by Samsung – a 27.14% market share. (Source: bankmycell)
- Since 2010, the year with the most Samsung smartphone sales has been 2013 with 316.4 million units sold. The year with the lowest sales numbers has been 2010 with 22.9 million units sold, which is just a year after Samsung begun its Galaxy line. (Source: bankmycell)
- Samsung dominates the Smart TV market with a massive global sales share of 31.8% (Source: Gitnux)
- Similarly, in 2021, 41.7% of US households have owned a Samsung Smart TV (Source: Gitnux)
Who are the major shareholders of Samsung?
Based on the data available on Samsung’s official website, the major shareholders of Samsung include:
- Samsung Electronics: With a holding of 13,462,673 shares, Samsung Electronics is the largest shareholder of the company, representing approximately 19.58% ownership. As a subsidiary of Samsung Group, Samsung Electronics has a strong relationship with the company and acts as a business partner in purchase and sales.
- National Pension Service of Korea: The National Pension Service of Korea holds 5,495,966 shares, accounting for approximately 7.99% ownership. As a prominent financial investor, the National Pension Service plays a significant role in Samsung’s shareholder structure.
- BlackRock Fund Advisors: BlackRock Fund Advisors holds 3,444,030 shares, which corresponds to approximately 5.01% ownership. As a financial investor, BlackRock Fund Advisors contributes to Samsung’s shareholder base.
Samsung Market Share Facts
- In 2020, Samsung was the world’s largest vendor of smartphones, with a 20.6% market share. (Source: Statista)
- Samsung’s is world’s biggest semiconductor vendor, with a 10.9% market share in 2022. (Source: EE Times & Gartner)
- In 2022, Samsung was the second-largest vendor of smartwatches, with a 10.1% market share. (Source: Counterpoint Research)
- Samsung has been the world’s largest television manufacturer for 17 years, since 2006. (Source: SamMobile)
- In 2022, Samsung had a 19.6% TV market share. This is a slight downgrade from 2021’s 19.8%. (Source: Statista)
- Since the first quarter of 2021, Samsung’s smartphone market share has peaked in Q1 of 2021 with 28.62% and was the lowest in Q4 of 2021 with 27.06%. (Source: bankmycell)
- In 2022, two Samsung smartphones made the list of top 10 bestsellers – Samsung Galaxy A13 at 4th position and Samsung Galaxy A03 at 10th position. (Source: India Times)
- As of 2020, there are 3.8 billion smartphone users globally, 992.4 million were Samsung users. That made it the top 1 smartphone company in the world. (Source: Newzoo)
- Since 2019, Samsung has been continuously taking the biggest slice of the US home appliance market with a 20.5% share in 2021. (Source: HT Times)
Samsung Award Facts
- In 2022, Samsung has been ranked a Global No. 1 TV by a tech research firm Omdia. The Korean tech company has won this award for the 17th time in a row. (Source: Samsung Newsroom)
- In 2022, Samsung won 42 awards at the International Design Excellence Awards. That included two golds: one for The Bespoke U.S. Kitchen Package, an over-microwave-refrigerator-dishwasher combo package, and the second for The Bespoke Jet cordless vacuum cleaner. (Source: Samsung Newsroom)
- Samsung has topped Forbes’ ‘World’s Best Employers 2022’ ranking. It was the company’s 3rd consecutive 1st spot on this ranking. (Source: Forbes)
Samsung Controversy Facts
- Samsung has been involved in several legal disputes, including a patent infringement lawsuit with Apple in 2012. (Source: Reuters)
- Samsung has faced significant challenges in recent years, including the arrest and imprisonment of its vice chairman, Lee Jae-yong, on bribery charges in 2017. Jae-yong has been given presidential pardon in 2022 (Source: BBC)
- Back in 2018, an investigation uncovered that updates for Samsung Galaxy smartphones were designed to deliberately slow the devices down and reduce performance. Following that revelation, Samsung has been fined (Source: Ethical Consumer)
- In 2016, due to a battery flaw, Samsung had to recall Samsung Galaxy Note 7 units. The battery would overheat and, in some cases, explode. The phone has been discontinued on October 10 2016. (Source: Wikipedia)
Samsung Screen Mirroring apps
Screen mirroring from Android to Samsung
Are you an Android user? We have something that will instantly improve your home entertainment – a free-to-try screen mirroring app for Samsung TVs!
Imagine being able to easily cast holiday photos to your TV instead of hurdling around a smartphone. Or, mirroring Spotify, and enjoying excellent sound quality. Maybe you’d like to save your eyes and watch videos on a large screen!
You can do all of this and much more with Samsung TV Screen Mirroring. Try the Android app today for free!
Screen mirroring from iPhone & iPad to Samsung
We also have a free-to-try app for iPhone and iPad users! Now you can stream videos, cast photos and enjoy everything on a large screen from your iOS device!
With Screen Mirroring Samsung TV, all of this and more is within your reach. Don’t wait any longer – give it a try today and unlock a whole new level of entertainment possibilities for your iPhone and Samsung TV.
Screen mirroring from MacBook to Samsung
Finally, you can cast your MacBook screen to your Samsung TV with AirBeamTV! This is the perfect solution for video and film lovers. Easily cast and play video files and movies that are not on streaming.
Improve the quality of your movie nights in minutes with AirBeamTV Samsung TV app for MacBook!
We’re hoping you enjoyed these 42 facts about Samsung!


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Earlier this month, The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has declared a nationwide shortage of immediate-release amphetamine mixed salts. For many people taking the drug, the announcement simply stated what they had known for months. Currently, getting the drug (often denoted by its brand name Adderall) can be tricky, very inconvenient, and sometimes completely impossible. Pharmacies nationwide are out of stock. People metered pills, drove for hours, and begged their doctors for alternative treatments. Drug shortages are not uncommon. There are currently more than 200 incidents in the United States alone. But this requires special attention. Adderall shortages could exacerbate the overdose crisis in the U.S. People may die.
“It really matters if I can’t access it,” a freelance writer named Kitty told me. (For privacy reasons, she asked to be given only her name.) Kitty was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as an adult and found that slow-release Adderall was the most helpful drug for her, helping to She concentrates with no side effects. She ran out two weeks ago and was unable to refill her prescription. Without her regular supply, she looked for alternatives. “I was taking my friend’s medication and it was complicated,” she said. “It’s not my exact prescription.” It’s a higher dose, probably too high. She was grinding her teeth more and more.
How did this happen? The largest U.S. maker of these drugs, Teva Pharmaceuticals, was unable to hire enough workers for its packaging lines this summer. Teva fixed the problem, but a recent Bloomberg report said its shortage could continue into March. (A company spokesperson told WIRED that this will be resolved “in the next few months.”) In addition to Teva, several other manufacturers are now facing supply issues. As a Schedule II controlled substance, Adderall is closely monitored by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, which sets strict caps on how much each company can produce. One can’t just speed things up and make up for another’s backorder. Even if all manufacturers suddenly added thousands of workers and the most efficient supply chain in the world, they would still be subject to DEA quotas.
Then there is demand. America loves Adderall. The use of prescription stimulants more than doubled in the United States between 2006 and 2016. Since then, the proportion of adults has risen again, with healthcare analytics firm Trilliant Health reporting a 22% increase in prescriptions for 22- to 44-year-olds from 2019 to 2021. The surge was driven by an increase in ADHD diagnoses, although Adderall also applies to other conditions, such as narcolepsy. New off-label uses are also emerging. For example, some doctors are treating fatigue after Covid-19 with prescription stimulants.
When telehealth regulations eased to help people get health care at home during the pandemic, a slew of mental health startups flooded social media with ads encouraging those who felt easily distracted to seek ADHD treatment without the need for in-person meetings. Those The ad worked. Diagnosis has surged again. The rapid rise of these companies has raised concerns about over-prescribing. Are they providing vital services to people who would otherwise go untreated for mental health issues, or are they just pill factories in the age of TikTok? Major pharmacies such as CVS and Walgreens have stopped prescribing controlled substances for popular startups Cerebral and Done, which is under federal investigation for its prescribing practices.
Is Adderall overused in the US? This is a tough question and one worth asking. It’s also completely irrelevant. The question at hand is what will happen — what has happened — when Americans suddenly stop taking the stimulants they have been prescribed or regularly take.
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adidas Winter 2021 Barricade 12 Tennis Sneaker Update
In 2021 adidas has updated some of their flagship lines including the lightweight adidas Ubersonic as well as the iconic adidas Barricade line. 20 years after the original release, a new torsion system and locked in fit provides next level durability. The giant adidas logo on the medial sides has certainly raised eyebrows but fans are thrilled for the classic shoe to finally return.
Expect new colorways to release November 2021.


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Singer-songwriter Elvis Costello is apparently so bitter at the pricing of his upcoming box set that he’s telling fans not to buy it and to spend their money on Louis Armstrong’s music instead. A post on his official site calls the price of The Return Of The Spectacular Spinning Songbook “either a misprint or satire.”
Citigroup has sold the EMI music business for $4.1 billion, with Universal Music Group picking up the record label for $1.9 billion and a team including Sony and David Geffen buying the publishing business for $2.2 billion. The sale caps a nine-month bidding war, and splits up a company that has sold and published music for over a century.
If you have an iPod nano sold between Sep ’05 and Dec ’06, you could be eligible for a replacement under a new worldwide recall issued by Apple to deal with battery heating issues.
When you’re listening to your music collection, it’s easy to get annoyed with yourself for stuffing so many terrible songs that you once liked for some inexplicable reason. Apple knows you all too well, and has provided a feature that helps you shed the chaff.
Amazon, Google and other companies that allow users to store their music on cloud servers are within the law, according to a federal judge who ruled that the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 protects the business model. The judge ruled in favor of cloud storage service MP3tunes, which was sued by record label EMI.
It’s easy to imagine a famous singer-songwriter whipping up musical magic in a flurry of inspiration, then pushing it through the studio system and onto iTunes and the radio with minimum interference. But that’s not the way the pop music factory manufactures its sausage.
Looking to edge in on the turf shared by Amazon, Google and Apple, Best Buy unveiled its own cloud music service, which lets users access their songs stored on remote storage through various devices.
When Amazon tried a publicity stunt in which it sold Lady Gaga’s album Born This Way for 99 cents for two days last month, it may have had to swallow $3 million due to licensing fees it had to cover.
Billionaire investor Len Blavatnik will pay $3.3 billion to acquire Warner Music Group, which is currently owned by a private investment group controlled by Warner chief Edgar Bronfman. While $3 billion may seem like a high price to pay for a money-losing company with $2 billion in debt, Blavatnik faced competition from over a dozen other bidders, including Sony, Live Nation and Bertelsmann.
Whether the arena be the Grammys, Oscars or freestyle rap battles, you don’t want to face Eminem as an opponent. That’s a lesson Universal Music Group learned when it took on the rapper in the Supreme Court, which refused to hear its appeal in a lawsuit over downloadable music. The court’s refusal to hear the case, reports the Detroit Free Press, probably means Eminem won between $40 million and $50 million from the publisher.
If you bought a ticket from Ticketmaster between Oct ’99 and May ’10, get ready for some bucks/ticket discounts coming your way. Ticketmaster has agreed to settle a class action lawsuit brought against it in 2003 that alleged the ticket giant’s processing fees were just a “profit component” and didn’t recoup any actual costs of doing business.
Back in the Stone Age, it used to be the job of radio DJs and Sam Goody employees to translate your pathetic humming and insipid descriptions of songs you like into genuine song titles, as well as the tunes’ artists and albums.
If it sounds like you’ve heard Lady Antebellum’s Country Music Award-winning “Need You Now” a million times, maybe it’s because it’s been on the radio since 1982, when the Alan Parsons Project released the same song with different words as “Eye in the Sky.”
Michigan College Cancels New Pornographers Show Because It Doesn't Want To Promote Porn By Association
Anyone who has ever listened to the songs of Canadian power pop supergroup The New Pornographers is aware the band is strictly PG. And the folks at Calvin College in Michigan are aware of this fact. But that still hasn’t stopped them from pulling the plug on the band’s scheduled show for fear that their school be associated with the word “pornographers.”
Brent says an Amazon billing snafu gave him two free MP3s then sent him an email saying the transaction was canceled. By the time Amazon had shut down the order Brent had already downloaded his songs. He has a theory as to why the muck-up occurred:
Ravinia, a century-old Chicago summer music festival, is getting hardcore about raising money. This year it sold tickets to a concert performance of songs by composer/lyricist Stephen Sondheim, sung by Broadway veterans and played by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Sondheim is always a big deal for musical theater types, and the event seemed like a home run for both the fans and Ravinia–until the concert ended after 65 minutes with no encores, and the general admission audience was told to leave so that Ravinia could reward their core supporters with a gala dinner.


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- Elon Musk said during a shareholder meeting that Tesla will "try out" advertising for the first time.
- The billionaire has been averse to advertising in the past.
- Musk's announcement was greeted by cheers from investors at the event.
Elon Musk said Tesla will begin advertising for the first time in its history.
"We'll try out a little advertising and see how it goes," Musk said, during Tesla's 2023 Cyber Roundup at its Austin facility.
Musk said the company would begin advertising its products after a shareholder at the event, Kevin Paffrath (also known as the YouTuber Meet Kevin), suggested that the company needs to do more to let non-Tesla fans know about the company's products.
"I hear you," the Tesla CEO said, adding that it's "ironic" that Twitter is "highly dependent on advertising."
Musk's announcement at the Tesla event was met with cheers from the crowd at the event. The billionaire later told CNBC's David Faber on Tuesday night that he was surprised by the enthusiasm. He told CNBC Tesla would use ads to combat misconceptions about the brand, especially when it comes to pricing and promoting safety.
Though, Tesla does not appear to have a clear strategy for its ads yet. Musk told Faber he'd only just decided to try out advertising during the Tesla event.
The move is one that some Tesla investors had been calling for. In April, Tesla investor Ross Gerber said the electric-car maker needs to be more like Apple when it comes to advertising.
"Tesla will simply have to advertise, at some point they will figure this out," he wrote on Twitter. "That's why almost all companies advertise. To educate consumers on the products."
Musk did not specify where Tesla will begin advertising its products. But, Wedbush tech analyst Dan Ives called the decision a "big step forward" in combating rising EV competition in a tweet on Tuesday.
Over the years, Tesla has promoted its products using less traditional methods. The brand has relied heavily on promotion from Musk. The billionaire often tweets about Tesla and its various offerings on his Twitter profile, which has nearly 140 million followers. His image as the second-richest man in the world has also become synonymous with the brand.
In the past, Musk has said he hates advertising and Tesla prefers to put its money toward research and development rather than promotional content. Though, he appointed a top advertising chief as his successor as Twitter CEO last week, so there have been signs Musk's stance on the issue is softening. Shortly after Musk bought Twitter, SpaceX bought an ad campaign for its Starlink satellite internet service on the site.


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Earlier this month LG showed the K8 (2018) at the MWC in Barcelona and now, it's launching it in Russia under the name LG K9.
Outside of the name nothing appears to have changed. The LG K9 has a 5-inch IPS LCD of the conventional 16:9 aspect and 720x1280px resolution, a 2,500mAh battery, 8MP main cam and a 5MP selfie one.
The phone is still powered by Android 7.1 and offers LTE connectivity.
Pushing the price down is the use of a Snapdragon 210 chip and 2GB of RAM. However the built-in 16GB of storage is expandable and there is a fingerprint reader on the back.
Here's a quick look at the LG K8 (2018) at the Mobile World Congress earlier this month.
Lg keep on wasting money on introducing this crap phone which no one will buy it! Why not to introduce q6 or q8 design??? Try to rebrand the rear power volume button!
More like end up in Baltic states and eventually, everybody will hate that phone.
I know the EU is not a country. Thanks.


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ConMet celebrates new employees, products
ConMet, a structural plastic component plant in Canton, is celebrating its recent achievements on March 22 by celebrating the hard work of its employees.
What they do
ConMet, one of the largest suppliers for the truck industry, designs and produces all types of plastic components used is 18-wheelers, utility trucks and even some school buses. In January, ConMet launched a new product line for the Kenworth 680 and Peterbilt 579.
“That’s the Cadillac of semis,” said Everett Lynch, ConMet’s environmental health and safety supervisor. “We had to hire 30 new employees to get up and running.”
Lynch said ConMet wanted to show appreciation to those employees who came in rather quickly and got started on the new product line. To celebrate the company’s latest achievement, a cookout will be held in ...


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Google has officially announced its latest products at its Launch Night In event. The event was streamed live owing to the pandemic situation. The company has announced four major products - the two Pixels, a new Chromecast which will take on the Amazon Fire TV and Roku, and the Google Nest Audio Speaker.
The Pixel smartphones include the Pixel 4a 5G and the Pixel 5. Google had already announced the Pixel 4a 5G and the Pixel 5 earlier when it had unveiled the 4G variant of the Pixel 4a.
The Pixel 4a 5G has been announced - the budget variant of the Pixel 4 which was launched last year. The smartphone has been priced at $499 which is $150 more than the Pixel 4a 4G. The 5G variant gets a number of hardware upgrades over its cellular connectivity.
The 4a 5G features a bigger OLED display - at 6.2-inch and gets a resolution of 2340 x 1080 pixels. The 4a 5G is powered by the Snapdragon 765G and comes with a 3.5mm headphone jack.
It gets 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. The battery is bigger than the standard Pixel 4a - at 3885mAh, it comes with a 16-megapixel ultrawide rear camera sensor.
The Pixel 5 has been announced for $699 and this time - Google has slowed down on introducing new big technology features like the Soli Radar powered Motion Sense gestures and has instead focused on making the camera features better.
The Pixel 5 will be powered by the Snapdragon 765G chipset and will get Qualcomm's X52 model for 5G support. Other features include reverse wireless charging, IPX8 water resistance, more RAM, and a better Corning Gorilla Glass 6 panel. It does not get a 3.5mm headphone jack.
The display is a 6-inch OLED panel with a resolution of 2340 x 1080 pixels in a 19.5:9 aspect ratio with a 90Hz refresh rate. It gets a punch-hole camera and the Motion Sense feature is gone. There is no notch and the Pixel 5 gets a full edge-to-edge display. It comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. It is powered by a 4080mAh battery, IP68 waterproofing, and gets 18W USB-C fast charging.
Google has unveiled its latest Chromecast streaming device - bringing in major changes in four years since the $70 Chromecast was launched.
The new Chromecast has been priced at $49.99 which is much lower than the Chromecast Ultra. Google also unveiled Google TV at the hardware event. The TV-like interface is a part of the new Chromecast and like the Ultra - the streaming stick will support 4K resolution and Dolby Vision HDR. However, this time it also gets a new remote and its own on-screen interface for navigating through streaming apps.
The Google Nest Audio Speaker has also leaked widely ahead of its launch alongside the Chromecast. The audio device was spotted in stores last week available in stores and has been announced at Google's Launch Night event. The successor to the Google Home Speaker - the mid-range speaker which was launched back in 2016.
The Nest Audio Speaker has been launched at $99 and comes in five colours - Chalk, Charcoal, Sand, Sky, and Sage. The Nest Audio is made covered with fabric and the small parts are 70 per cent recycled materials.
Google has claimed that Nest Audio is 75 per cent louder and gets 50 per cent stronger bass than the original Google Home. It gets a 19mm tweeter for high-frequency coverage.
The Nest Audio also gets the latest Google updates like real-time, multiroom audio, voice calling with Google Duo, and also stream transfer from moving sound from speaker to speaker via voice commands.
The speaker uses Ambient IQ to adjust the volume for background noise around your home and Media EQ to tune the audio base on the type.


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With the introduction of new hardware, WWDC 2021 may have been a little more thrilling, but according to a leakster, we still have a few exciting months ahead of us. He claims that two MacBook Pro models and one Mac mini will be unveiled in the fourth quarter of this year, with the M1X chipset powering all three machines.
Apple is preparing to host an event, similar to the M1 Mac launch event, to announce the two new Macs at the end of October or the beginning of November this year.
For quite some time, rumors of the 2021 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro have been circulating. At WWDC 2021, Apple was supposed to unveil the much-anticipated new MacBook Pro featuring the M1X processor. Despite the fact that the M1X MacBook Pro tag was included in the keynote YouTube video, Apple did not announce any new Mac hardware at the event.
According to leaker Dylandkt, Apple is expected to unveil the new MacBook Pro in Q4 2021. Dylandkt has already predicted the design and release date of the 2021 iMac (correctly). As per the leaker, the upgraded M1 processor will be included in both the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.
Macbook Pro 14 and 16 are definitely coming Q4 of 2021. Either late October or early November.
Dylandkt claims that M1X will “an extension of the M1 that will contain more thunderbolt channels, CPU cores, GPU cores, multiple external monitor support, and greater power draw.” Earlier reports had suggested that M1X would include a CPU with 10-core and a 16-core and a GPU with 32-core.
The 2021 MacBook Pro is rumored to include a Mini-LED display in addition to the M1X processor. It’ll also have a MagSafe charging connector and a whole bunch of I/O ports, including an SD card slot, according to reports. According to some sources, Apple will ditch the TouchBar in favor of a thinner, lighter, and simpler design language.
Sadly, those who expect Apple’s own silicon workstation will be deeply disappointed, as in another tweet, Dylandkt indicated that an iMac Pro with an Apple Silicon chip will not be released this year. He does predict, though, that the Mac mini will be upgraded this year with more ports and a faster CPU. A few weeks ago, a few renders of the M1X Mac mini were leaked, showcasing its potential design with white plexiglass.
Probably with an M1X-Chip inside and also an iMac Pro and Mac mini Pro with the same Chip?
In fact, we don’t expect Apple to unveil a complete line of products, and given the positive hype surrounding the speculated M1X SoC, we believe many customers will be more than happy with whatever they get.
These are only rumors and speculations about the new MacBook Pro models. As we wait for the company’s official announcement, exciting times are ahead. Keep an eye out for more updates.


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In December 2020, the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) announced the establishment of a domestic export warehouse (DEW). This initiative intends to tackle supply chain constraints and enhance competitiveness in the exportation of non-oil products.
The DEW is designed to reduce the cost of doing business for micro, small, and medium-sized exporting companies. It is proposed as a one-stop facility/terminal for the storage of products, packaging and labeling, pre-shipment inspection, and fumigation of non-oil export. This will ensure that designated goods are well prepared to meet the high-quality standards of their export destinations.
Ezra Yakusak, the executive director and CEO of NEPC, addressed stakeholders at the engagement session to form DEW on December 10th, 2020. The stakeholders in attendance were the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA), Nigeria Export-Import Bank (NEXIM), Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment, Nigerian Shippers Council, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), and others.
How Does the Domestic Export Warehouse Work?
As of July 2022, the federal government has issued licenses to thirteen DEW operators across the country's geopolitical zones to kick-start the initiative's implementation.
Yakusak stated at the presentation of letters to four approved operators and one aggregation center that nine authorized DEW members had already been presented with letters. He explained further that the aggregation center will serve as a collection point. This would be where farmers, suppliers, and merchants collectively deliver their agricultural produce for the exporter to aggregate, sort, grade, and standardize to required grades or sizes that meet the required export order quantity before proceeding to the DEW.
The ED also said that the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has approved special plate numbers that will be used by all DEW vehicles. In his speech, he revealed that a N375 billion (approximately $700 million) export expansion grant has been earmarked to facilitate the export of non-oil products, though it has yet to be disbursed as it awaits approval from the president and the national assembly. Regardless, if properly implemented, this is a good initiative that will encourage and facilitate business for exporters.
Due to supply chain constraints, Nigeria has not been able to convert its enormous comparative advantage in agricultural products to a competitive advantage in the global market. When DEW becomes fully operational, it will help to attract investors to the non-oil sectors, especially those without access to the supply chain. Also, the partnership with FRSC to grant special plates to DEW vehicles shows the readiness of this initiative to collapse transportation and logistics impediments. It will also facilitate an increase in the global market share of Nigerian agricultural products.
This initiative will provide a platform that connects export-related agencies and export practitioners in Nigeria because the institutional gap between these stakeholders needs to be reduced to the barest minimum. More so, collapsing the supply chain constraints will serve Nigeria more when the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) framework becomes fully operational.
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- The fashion sector has to deal with a return rate sometimes as high as 40%.
- Last year, fashion returns created 750,000 tonnes of carbon-dioxide emissions in the UK.
- Research shows some companies value deshoppers and rely on lenient return policies to boost sales.
One shopper, who asked to be called Dani H, said she returns 95% of the clothes she buys online. She's a health and well-being journalist who's done a lot of online shopping lately, but also said it's hard for her to rely on the sizes published on the internet.
But overly lenient return policies — put in place for online customers — might have unintentionally created a culture of "deshopping." And while it's having a negative impact on workers and our planet, some retailers have said they don't mind.
Culture of deshopping
Deshopping, also called "wardrobing" or "fashion-borrowing," is a practice wherein customers buy new clothes for an event, a job interview, a photoshoot, or just one night out, and then return the clothes days later as unused. Unlike with bracketing, deshoppers wear the clothing before returning it.
Customers will always need to have the option to return purchases, Stuart Higgins, a partner in consumer goods and retail at the independent-consulting firm BearingPoint, said. But shoppers who buy clothes with the intent of returning them after wearing them are adding fuel to the fire.
Returns make up an infamous retailers' conundrum. The fashion sector has to deal with a return rate sometimes as high as 40% and previous research indicates that wardrobing has been a growing consumer behavior for over a decade.
Some retailers ship purchases for free if orders cost over a certain amount
This online-shopping benefit creates another opportunity for even more returns. Zeenia Naqvee, a student in her 20s from Sheffield, England, said she sometimes orders multiple sizes, not just to be sure an item fits, but also to avoid paying for shipping.
By purchasing more products and returning them later, shoppers can easily avoid paying for delivery costs. "I do that like once a month," Naqvee said.
No matter how hard clothing businesses try, online purchases always leave room for error, which is why retail fashion has the highest rate of online purchases returned.
Retailers are likely to see deshopping and bracketing as minor issues if managed well
According to a study published in the Journal of Marketing Management in 2010, companies are "deliberately blinkered" when it comes to addressing the wardrobing issue. Some even see deshoppers as more valuable customers than those who return products due to genuine reasons, such as wrong sizing or poor-quality material.
A more recent study from 2021 looked at planned versus unplanned returns and showed that lenient return policies can boost sales to the extent that it compensates for the costs associated with processing returned products.
Shoppers who plan to return the goods from the beginning are more likely to be loyal customers. Today, companies consider returns management to be more of a marketing tool, and handling returns well can help companies gain new customers and keep them coming back.
Despite retail benefits, returns are bad for workers
The wording of the once-ubiquitous phrase "free returns" may suggest that the transportation, processing, and handling of unwanted garments are so simple that there's no need for covering the costs. Nonetheless, for retailers and for the environment, the provision of such returns is anything but free.
More returned packages, regardless of whether the companies cover the costs, require more distribution centers. Big warehouses and distribution centers create lots of new job vacancies, which often leave room for staff exploitation.
In August last year, an investigation by the Observer found that Mach Recruitment, a jobs agency that supplies workers for brands including the online-fashion brands Boohoo and PrettyLittleThing repeatedly withheld wages from staff.
The environment likely suffers from fashion returns a lot more than we dare to estimate
Staff aren't the only ones that we need to consider. A big proportion of unwanted clothes that companies can't resell or recycle end up burned or in landfills.
According to a report by the Institute of Positive Fashion, 50% of returned items that can't be resold go to landfills. The disposable-packaging materials are creating yet more environmental damage and the need for extra delivery vehicles is generating unnecessary carbon emissions and polluting the air.
Last year, fashion returns were responsible for 750,000 tonnes of carbon-dioxide emissions in the UK.
Some people think wardrobing should be illegal
In November last year, Insider shared data showing that 46% of survey respondents from OnePoll thought wardrobing should be a serious legal offense. Oftentimes, deshoppers have been considered unethical villains who exploit the generous return policies of retailers, but this isn't always the case.
Fashion students often need clothing and accessories for portfolios and creative projects. "At university, they encouraged us to buy from charities and secondhand shops, which we did a few times," Chloe, a wardrobe assistant who asked that Insider not publish her last name for professional reasons, said.
Chloe promptly admitted that students were mostly ordering from retailers such as ASOS, which at that time allowed customers to return their purchases for free. "I agree that it wasn't sustainable, but at the same time, I also knew there wasn't any other way to do it," she said.
When Chloe started doing more freelance work, she discovered other ways to secure clothes for her work. "When doing a job for a magazine, you get a pull letter, which you can show the PR agencies and they will provide you with clothes for shooting, then you return it to them," she explained.
If we could properly analyze every motivation behind returns, we'd see that quite a few deshoppers find themselves forced to look for those kinds of opportunities to affordably do their jobs or to finish their studies.
But whether consumers are deshopping for an event, a school project, or for free shipping, educating the general public on the effects of this practice could be the first step toward finding a more holistic solution to the online-returns conundrum.


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Going. Going Gone.
It was standing room only inside a balmy, excitement-filled Crowne Plaza Boston ballroom Sunday as 55 of Nouvelle at Natick’s remaining 178 luxury condos sold at auction.
Buyers walked away with units at 36 to 64 percent off the original asking prices for the condos, which are adjacent to the Natick Collection mall. One penthouse suite sold for $626,000, more than $1 million less than its original price.
Among the winners were people who weren’t in the housing market before the auction was announced in early September, like Michael Yee, a 33-year-old marketing professional.
“I was waiting until spring 2010,” said Yee, who got his 922-square-feet, one-bedroom condo for $281,000, far below its $514,900 original price. He plans to move out of his studio apartment in Brighton by the end of November. “Now I have to break it to my landlord.”
Prior to yesterday's event, which organizers estimate drew about 400 people, only 37 of the 215 units had been sold or were under agreement, despite all the hype surrounding one of New England’s few condo complexes connected to a mall.
Now, in addition to immediate Natick Collection access, the winners will get a host of upscale amenities that accompany their new digs: an on-site gym that offers yoga and pilates; valet dry-cleaning; a 1.2-acre rooftop garden with putting greens; and 24-hour doormen.
The auction is the latest twist in a saga that started two years ago when the ultra-luxurious condos hit the market. In recent months, the condos’ developer, General Growth Properties, has declared bankruptcy and been slapped with liens by contractors who are owed money for work at Nouvelle.
In a bid to push selling, General Growth hired the Boston office of Accelerated Marketing Partners to auction a portion Nouvelle’s unsold units.
“In the current market, auctions have often been an effective means of jump-starting sales,'' said Jim Graham, a spokesman for Nouvelle at Natick. "In the case of Nouvelle at Natick, we hope to spark new interest in what we believe is a great opportunity to own a wonderful home in a great location with five-star amenities.”
Rather than continue on with the traditional method of selling units one-by-one, General Growth is trying a different tactic: sell a bunch at once, figure out how much people are willing to pay, then coordinate prices on the remaining 123 units accordingly.
After winning at the auction, which was run by a small army of suit-wearing AMP employees, winners were ushered down a long hallway where they could relinquish their 10 percent deposits and sign purchase and sale agreements. The middle of the room was adorned with a lit-up ice-sculpture of the Natick Collection’s logo.
At the end of the day, General Growth took a huge hit on what they were originally asking— Sunday’s auctioned units sold for $249,900 to $626,000, down from asking prices of $479,900 to $1.7 million — but the payoff in millions was immediate.
New owners who got a great deal still have to contend with monthly condo fees, since the fees are assessed on the number of square feet—61 cents for every foot or $1,082 for a 1,774-square-feet unit. And taxes are assessed on the property's full value, not the selling price.
This wasn’t an issue for the Kaplans, a father and son team who purchase real estate investments through Kaplan Commercial Properties of Franklin. They bought two units and will try to find tenants immediately. “We’re really excited,” said Bob Kaplan, 70. “We’re going to have positive cash flow.” He and his son, Rick, plan to go after renters who want a cheaper alternative to luxury condos in Boston but don’t want to sacrifice amenities.
Jon Gollinger, Accelerated Marking Partners’ East Coast chief executive and cofounder, said he expects to see more developers auctioning in the future. "It was pervasive in the 1990s. I didn’t expect to see this again in my lifetime.”
He said that although the auction prices may not be ideal for General Growth Properties, the discounted prices were necessary to get the condos sold. “It may not be a number that the developer wants,” he said, “but it’s a number that he has to accept.”
Megan McKee can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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Back in August, Microsoft acquired the live streaming service known as Beam, which came with a few distinct benefits over Twitch, with support for higher quality streams being the main selling point. Unfortunately, it looks like Microsoft couldn't get the rights to use the Beam brand globally, so the service is now being rebranded ‘Mixer' and is relaunching with some new features, including a dual-stream mode.
Mixer is a service that claims to completely do away with stream latency, meaning broadcasters won't have to deal with the 10 to 20 second delay you usually get between chat and what you're doing at the time. Aside from that, Mixer is also debuting a new co-stream mode.
With co-streaming, anywhere up to four streamers can combine their broadcasts into a shared split-screen view, which could potentially be good for podcasting shows or co-operative game streams.
The final new feature also coming to Mixer at launch is something called ‘Mixer Create' which allows streaming from an Android or iOS device, which could open the door for mobile game streams and IRL streams if Microsoft can attract the user-base for it.
There will be something known as Channel One too, which will go through and help promote/highlight various content creators on the site, esports events and more, similarly to the Twitch home page.
KitGuru Says: Beam was a pretty good name but given Microsoft's inability to secure global use of the brand, it makes sense just to change the name and hold a re-launch.


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J.J. Abrams‘ production company Bad Robot has jumped on board a planned live-action Hot Wheels movie.
A Hot Wheels movie has been gearing a start for years now; Legendary Pictures had a project going way back in 2013. Things got a fresh new start when it was announced back in 2019 that Warner Bros. and Mattel were teaming up for a film that would take the iconic and timeless toy racing car brand to the big screen. As announced today, Bad Robot is now on board to produce the picture, which is being described as a “high-throttle action film” that will “showcase some of the world’s hottest and sleekest cars, monster trucks and motorcycles.”
Said Robbie Brenner, Executive Producer, Mattel Films: “As the global leader in car culture, Hot Wheels has been igniting the challenger spirit in auto enthusiasts for generations. Fans of all ages are now in for the ride of their lives with the incredible talent of J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot joining us alongside Warner Bros. Pictures to transform Hot Wheels’ legendary IP into a thrilling story for the big screen.”
While no director or screenwriter has been named as yet, the overseeing team has been announced. Leading the project for Mattel Films are Vice President Kevin McKeon and Creative Executive Andrew Scannell; Warner Bros. Pictures’ Vice President of Production Peter Dodd will be leading for WB; and Hannah Minghella and Jon Cohen will be overseeing it for Bad Robot.
“Growing up, Hot Wheels were more than just cars, they were vehicles for our imaginations,” said Dodd in a statement. “Today, we at Warner Bros. are thrilled to bring that imagination to the big screen with Robbie Brenner and the creative team at Mattel along with the ingenious minds of J.J. Abrams, Hannah Minghella and the team at Bad Robot.”
Added Minghella, Bad Robot’s President of Motion Pictures: “Before Hot Wheels became the global household name it is today, it was the dream of Elliot Handler, who was inventing and building toy cars at home in his Southern California garage. It’s that imagination, passion, and risk-taking spirit that we want to capture in this film.”
Mattel Films and Warner Bros. Pictures have also partnered on the upcoming Barbie movie, with Margot Robbie in the lead role and Greta Gerwig at the helm and co-writing alongside Noah Baumbach. Mattel Films has a number of projects in the pipeline. Apart from Barbie, their development slate includes features based on American Girl, Barney, Magic 8 Ball, Major Matt Mason, Masters of the Universe, Polly Pocket, Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots, Thomas & Friends, UNO, View Master, Wishbone, and Christmas Balloon, the latter based on all-new IP.
Bad Robot’s slate of projects includes a mysterious new Superman movie and DC Comics adaptation Zatanna, the latter to be written by Oscar-winning Promising Young Woman Oscar writer-director Emerald Fennell.


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The Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority (KKV) said it has encountered at least two questionable practices being used by retailers in so-called 'Black Friday' or similar discount campaigns.
Black Friday, which originated in the US in the 1930s, is the shopping sales day that traditionally follows Thanksgiving, and it has become a regular fixture in Finland in recent years.
"They raise the price temporarily high so that the product can then be sold at a reduced price. It is as if an artificial image of the discount is created," the authority’s specialist Mika Hakamäki told Yle.
"Another way is that the product is offered at a regular - let's say a week-long - discount price, then it is sold for two days at the so-called normal price, which is twice as much [compared to the discounted price], then it is reduced again to the 'offer' price," Hakamäki cited as another example.
In the latter case, the discount price is in fact the genuine price of the product. Both methods are prohibited by law because they involve discount marketing that misleads consumers.
"They are prohibited by the Consumer Protection Act. If necessary, the consumer ombudsman can seek a resolution from the Market Court," Hakamäki said.
Complaints over 'Black Friday' marketing campaigns
Hakamäki added that the KKV’s consumer safety ombudsman has not received any complaints so far about Black Friday's misleading price reductions, but a number of notifications have been filed regarding illegal discount sales marketing.
"Discount and end-of-season marketing related to the changing of seasons is permitted, but it is a question of at what stage the marketing was formed in order to create an erroneous price image," Hakamäki stated.
Questionable marketing related to Black Friday has also been noted on a Finnish price comparison service called Hintaopas.fi, or 'Price Guide'.
"Last year, Black Friday's average discount rate was 4.5. At that time, the price of almost every tenth product was raised before Black Friday and then lowered to achieve higher discount percentages," the service’s Country Director Liisa Matinvesi-Bassett told Yle.
"It's important to see the product's price history"
Matinvesi-Bassett added that Hintaopas.fi looked at the price data of 400,000 products in October-November last year, and found that prices rose by a total of 8.5 per cent between 1 October and 24 November.
Many were then reduced on Black Friday, which fell on 29 November last year.
"During Black Week, stores can fluctuate prices several times a day, which may make it difficult for the consumer to know the right price. It is important for the consumer to see the price history of the product and compare it [to the reduced price], because the discount percentages can give a misleading picture," Matinvesi-Bassett said.
This year, Hintaopas conducted a survey on what consumers in Finland expected Black Friday’s discount rate to be, and found it was about 35 percent.
Even though the actual discount rate falls far short of expectations, according to Matinvesi-Bassett, Black Friday is still one of the cheapest shopping days of the year. According to Hintaopas’ data, for example, the average discount rate on St Stephen’s Day (or Boxing Day) is 2 percent.
Hintaopas’ consumer survey was conducted this year via two online surveys carried out by pollster Bilend in October and November 2020. Each survey was answered by 1,000 people aged 18-75, and the sample was nationally representative by gender, age and place of residence.
According to the survey, this year 44 percent of people living in Finland plan to make Black Friday purchases and spend on average up to 635 euros.
However, more than half (57 percent) of survey respondents said they still had little or no confidence in Black Friday’s offers and discounts.


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Cherie DeVille has announced she is now offering customs, exclusively through OnlyFans.
“After two months of launching CheriesFans.com, the gateway to her OnlyFans,” said a rep, “superstar Cherie DeVille has already amassed a collection of videos and photos that keep fans coming back for more.”
“If getting the hottest Cherie content for only $10.99 per month wasn’t enough, the new customs feature will have you rush to join,” the rep added.
DeVille is “thrilled” to offer customs for her fans, saying, that “with the ‘stay-at-home’ order being extended, I am using my time to not only create content for CheriesFans, but now customs as well.”
“My shooting schedule left little time for custom requests in the past, but now I am here and ready to take all your naughty fantasies and make them reality,” the OC Modeling-repped DeVille added.
To order customs, visit CheriesFans.com.
For more from Cherie DeVille, follow her on Twitter.


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Car maker Holden will stop manufacturing in Australia in 2017 — costing almost 3000 Australian jobs.
Dr Napthine said the government has been advised that Holden is discontinuing in 2017, and it's an "irreversible decision".
Dan Akerson chairman and CEO of GM, Holden's parent company, issued a statement confirming the end of manufacturing and the transition of Holden to a sales company.
"The decision to end manufacturing in Australia reflects the perfect storm of negative influences the industry faces in the country including the sustained strength of the Australian dollar, high cost of production, small domestic market and arguably the most competitive and fragmented auto market in the world," he said in a statement.
He said approximately 2900 positions would be cut over the next four years - 1600 from Elizabeth in South Australia and 1300 from Victoria.
Australian chairman Mike Devereux said the priority over the next four years would be to ensure the best possible transition for workers in South Australia and Victoria.
"This has been a difficult decision given Holden's long and proud history of building vehicles in Australia," Mr Devereux said in the statement.
Mr Devereux said GM was committed to working with unions and local communities, along with the federal and state governments to support its people.
He said the sale and service of Holden vehicles would not be affected, and GM remained committed to the automotive industry in Australia and New Zealand.
"We recognise the need for change and understand the government point of view," he said.
"Moving forward our business model will change significantly however. GM Holden will remain an integral of its communities and an important employer."
The company on Tuesday told a Productivity Commission inquiry into the auto industry it had not decided whether to continue manufacturing cars in Australia.
The announcement follows debate over whether the Abbott government would considering whether to provide a new line of assistance to Holden or let the market take its course as it did when Mitsubishi stopped Australian production in 2008.
Dr Napthine said the Victorian government had been told the decision was irreversible.
"This is a very, very sad day for Australia and Victoria," he told parliament.
"We have been advised that it is an irrevocable decision."
An Australian Manufacturing Workers Union spokesman says Holden's withdrawal will be devastating and lead to 50,000 job losses and a $21 billion hole punched in the economy.
The federal government was informed just before 2pm (AEDT) of the decision by General Motors to close a "significant" part of its Holden operation in Australia and New Zealand.
Acting Prime Minister Warren Truss said it was a difficult day for Holden employees in Victoria and South Australia.
"We regret the fact that GM is phasing down its operations in this country," Mr Truss told parliament.
"Holden has been an iconic national brand for Australians. It's part of our heritage."
Mr Truss said the government had wanted Holden to continue making cars in Australia and it was a pity that would not happen.
"This is a difficult day for Australians, a difficult day particularly for the Holden employees," he said.
Mr Truss said Holden would still have a presence in Australia after 2017 and the government would support the local manufacturing industry.
"We want, in fact, to see a manufacturing sector that's strong and vibrant and able to stand on its own feet," he added.


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Amazing Thailand Grand Sale Passport Privileges enhance buying power of shoppers
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) launched its year-end Amazing Thailand Grand Sale promotion with a unique “Passport Privileges” twist, targeting arrivals from short-haul markets from ASEAN, East Asia and South Asia.
Weerasak Kowsurat, Minister of Tourism and Sports said, “This promotion is the first of a series of a ‘special year-end gift’ for international visitors while helping to stimulate revenue for the locals through the boost in tourist shopping activities. Following this, the Immigration Bureau is planning to offer double-entry and re-entry visas for tourists after having granted a two-month visa-on-arrival fee waiver for travellers from 20 countries.”
On from November 15, 2018, to January 15, 2019, the year-end Amazing Thailand Grand Sale promotion offers extra discounts on existing promotions already available from participating department stores and shops in Bangkok. It aims at boosting tourism revenue from those who especially enjoy shopping whilst travelling to and from Thailand.
Brochures, vouchers along with further details about the ‘Passport Privileges’ will be provided for tourists at the airports. Temporary downtown VAT refund counters will be open during the high tourist season shopping promotion.


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Kicking off the list is, of course, the Yeezy Boost 350 V2. Released in several colors throughout the year, the highly coveted shoe is expected to make a return in 2017. For the Adidas enthusiasts, we couldn't leave off Pusha T's King Push EQT Grayscale, which dropped earlier this month.
A more unusual (but just as flashy) release came via Cam'ron, who collaborated with Reebok to unveil his all-pink "Fleebok 2." Puma and Rihanna also raised eyebrows with their Fenty Trainer collection, featuring an elongated tongue and clean, futuristic silhouette.
Next, peep Fuse's full behind-the-scenes feature on the Cam'ron "Fleebok 2" below:


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From wider smiles to more community awareness, small-town grocers are leveling the playing field with their national competitors.
Aiding the rebirth is Kansas State University's Rural Grocery Initiative. The project was started in 2006, and soon after, was inundated with phone calls seeking help.
As local grocers continued to vanish in the shadow of big-name retailers, consumers had less selection. The program set out to find a solution, aided with a more than $400,000 grant from the United States Department of Agriculture.
But to be successful, grocers had to change their way of thinking.
"We lay out these different ownership models, these various ownership options, and we work with these communities to try to figure out which of these models might work best in their particular community," said David Procter, KSU's Center of Engagement and Community Development Director.
Stores had to redefine strategies. Small grocers had to hone in their work to beat large chains in the areas they can control.
"One key thing that can set them apart from the larger grocery stores is this issue of customer service," Procter said. "Absolutely, customer service is key. We find it, really, one of the key factors that can separate it from the big box stores in larger cities, and actually offers a competitive advantage for these small-town stores."
Still, challenges abound.
Most national food distributors require a minimum $10,000 purchase to deliver goods to a store - an unrealistic option for some.
"For communities like Wichita or where I live in Manhattan, that's not an issue," Procter said. "But in a town of 600, 500, 700, it can be a daunting issue."
The research initiative has set out to see how to provide similar access to food in alternative ways. The project is looking at how local growers can reduce costs, as well as having small grocery stores partner with school districts or big businesses in the area that must bring in significant amounts of food.
But success still hinges on the details. Cleaner facilities will win over customers, as well as a friendly attitude. Small stores may have failed to prove their importance to the community in the past, or may not have been visible at all to the general public.
The initiative aims to reverse that trend by stressing the benefits of a local grocer.
"We believe that part of that lack of community support is because of a lack of awareness on the community's part," Procter said.
For the full interview, visit http://www.kfdi.com/podcasts/news/atissue/160996015.html.


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Microsoft will shut down its web browser Internet Explorer by 2021. This web browser could not stand in front of today’s modern and advance browser, as a result only few percent of people use it today.
Now the company has decided to discontinue it. Many of us will be here who have done most of the work on Internet Explorer.
When it was launched, fewer people had internet. Microsoft released Internet Explorer on August 16, 1995. After the introduction of this browser, it became easier for people to work on the website. Due to which its popularity increased among the people.
Below is a screen shot from Google Analytics of my blog. You can see from which browser the website visitors are coming.
(This is based on the last 2 months of data)
You know Microsoft’s Internet Explorer already comes installed on all computers and laptops in the world. But Chrome and Mozilla Firefox constantly updated themselves. Chrome and Firefox have many extensions that appeal to the users.
So no web browser will be available with Windows operating system?
Sure will get.
Microsoft has released a preview of the Chromium-based Edge browser in January 2020, which will be released to everyone in May 2021. The Chromium-based Microsoft Edge browser supports Windows and MacOS. You can replace the legacy version of internet explorer by downloading it. The company has made big claims regarding its speed and performance.


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- 2014 lotus esprit
2014 lotus esprit
Two years ago, we were gobsmacked when humble Lotus shocked the automotive world by wheeling out no fewer than five new models – admittedly in various stages of development – at the 2010 Paris Motor Show. The ambitious onslaught of new sheetmetal came at the behest of then-CEO Danny ...
When Lotus unveiled its slew of new concepts at the Paris Motor Show, it included a rather enticing new take on the Esprit. The show car packed the 5.0-liter V8 from the Lexus IS-F, but the latest reports suggest that the British automaker is planning on developing its own eight-pot engine for ...


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M1 Ltd (SGX: B2F) released its fiscal second-quarter earnings last Friday and guided to a single-digit decline in net profit after tax for the whole of 2016. This came as a bit of a surprise. As a brief background, M1 is the smallest among the big trio of Singapore’s telecommunications industry, coming in behind Singapore Telecommunications Limited (SGX: Z74) and second-placed StarHub Ltd (SGX: CC3). The telco makes its money through its four business segments: mobile services; fixed services; international services; and handset sales. The first three are collectively known as services revenue. Hitting the reverse gear In its first-quarter earnings, M1 had guided…
As a brief background, M1 is the smallest among the big trio of Singapore’s telecommunications industry, coming in behind Singapore Telecommunications Limited (SGX: Z74) and second-placed StarHub Ltd (SGX: CC3).
The telco makes its money through its four business segments: mobile services; fixed services; international services; and handset sales. The first three are collectively known as services revenue.
Hitting the reverse gear
In its first-quarter earnings, M1 had guided towards a “stable performance for the year [referring to 2016].” But in the second-quarter of 2016, the company’s guidance had become a single-digit decline in net profit after tax for the year, as mentioned earlier.
During M1’s conference call for the second-quarter earnings, its chief marketing officer Poopalasingam Subramaniam responded to a question from an analyst about the change in guidance:
“To answer to your question on the guidance for 2016, you can hear that earlier on when [chief commercial officer] Kok Chew mentioned we are investing in a portfolio of digital solutions. And all these investments, so the expenditure is incurred upfront. So meaningful contribution will only be upon achieving scale in service adoption over future years, as mentioned earlier.”
Here, Subramaniam was referring to an earlier statement made by his colleague, Lee Kok Chew. Lee was referring to the slide just below when he spoke about the challenges that M1’s business is facing.
Source: M1’s earnings presentation
“Increasing adoption of OTT [over the top] services has impacted traditional telecoms revenue, but led to higher demand for data. We are investing in new technologies and capabilities and building up a portfolio of digital solutions to enhance our service proposition and cater to changing customer needs.”
On OTT services, Lee could be referring to services such as Facebook Inc’s Messenger and Whatsapp. Earlier this year, Facebook’s chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said that the two services are collectively hosting 60 billion messages a day, more than three times the 20 billion-peak generated by SMS.
Alternatives like these may have left a mark on M1’s business. In the second-quarter of 2016, M1 said that its mobile services revenue had declined due to lower roaming revenue.
On the flipside, Lee also noted that OTT services can benefit M1 due to higher data usage from users. Lee said that mobile data revenue was 53.6% of total service revenue. He had this to say as well:
“Well what we’re seeing is that with the faster network, with faster, better mobile devices, the consumption of data is likely to continue to grow, more so with all these bigger data bundles that will encourage all these data consumptions.”
But, it’s also hard to know how much upside there is for data consumption. Subramaniam noted:
“And with more data available to customers, doubling of data and upsized data, we do see that the trajectory is upwards, that it will grow. Exactly where it will land, I think it’s quite difficult for us to say right now. But we are seeing more customers using more data.
As I mentioned, we’ve seen more customers exceeding their data bundle and more and more customers are also taking up the upsized data plans. So we see this just going forward and growing.”
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Dunking biscuits into a nice cup of tea will become a less soggy experience thanks to an ‘unsinkable’ biscuit.
Biscuit dunkers will no longer have to fish to the bottom of their cup of tea for broken lumps of biscuit as a chef has claimed that he has created a snack that can be dunked for up to one or two minutes.
Felice Tocchini from the Fushion Restaurant in Worcester has created a biscuit that contains sweet potato, which is the key ingredient for making the biscuit stronger.
The layers of the vegetable are mixed with oats and flour which helps the biscuit resist from crumbling.
In comparison, a digestive biscuit crumbles after 10 seconds of being dunked into a hot drink.


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Europe seeks new free trade partners
Brussels, October 4 :
European trade chief Peter Mandelson today presented a more liberal trade strategy for the bloc, seeking new free trade agreement (FTA) partners in areas that will benefit European exporters.
“The key economic criteria for new FTA partners should be the market potential (economic size and growth) and the level of protection against EU export interests,” including tariffs and non-tariff barriers, according to an executive summary of the new strategy, entitled ‘Global Europe: Competing in the World’. Based on these criteria, ‘ASEAN, South Korea and Mercosur emerge as priorities,” the report states.
“India, Russia and the Gulf Co-operation Council (negotiations also currently active) also have combinations of market potential and levels of protection which make them of direct interest to the EU.” China also meets “many of these criteria, but requires special attention because of the opportunities and risks it represents”.
“Europe is the world’s biggest export — but it needs a tighter focus on target markets, and a long-term commitment to competitiveness,” the statement read.
For Mandelson “rejection of protectionsim at home should be accompanied by activism in opening markets abroad”.
The document, adopted by the European Commission today, stressed that the EU’s priority should be to guarantee that all new FTAs, including those involving the EU, “serve as a stepping stone, not a stumbling block for multilateral liberalisation.” However the report criticises the current approach to free trade agreements as serving the objectives of development or good neighbourliness more than the EU’s own trade interests.
Independent of the ongoing Doha trade round of the WTO, the European Commission stressed that this new trade approach would help open up markets neglected or ignored by multilateral deals.


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Dunelm, the cheap and cheerful homewares group for people who can’t face a schlep to Ikea, has experienced a significant slowdown in sales in the face of fragile consumer confidence.
But Will Adderley, the chief executive, whose father set up the business on a Leicester market stall selling curtains 30 years ago, is clinging to plans to double the number of Dunelm Mill outlets to as many as 200 in the coming years.
Dunelm today reported like-for-like sales up by only 0.8 per cent in the second half of its financial year to July 3. Like-for-likes in the first half of its year had been running at more than 15 per cent.
Mr Adderley said that the chain would not be able to maintain its…


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Among other complaints, Samsung's original counter-suit alleged that nVidia infringed upon technical patents detailing cache control.
The US International Trade Commission just recently announced that it will move forward with an investigation into nVidia's operations. A similar result is expected from the ITC regarding Samsung (stemming from nVidia's own lawsuit against the company).
Nothing will come of this for years yet, but we'd anticipate a settlement of sorts long before any public resolution.
- Steve "Lelldorianx" Burke.


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- Tuesday, Jun. 28, 2016
- LOS ANGELES
Standard Time, a content and design studio based in L.A., has made a number of new hires and promotions. On the latter score, Spencer Somers has been upped to creative director from associate creative director while Sara Karnowski has been promoted to account director.
Somers joined Standard Time in 2012 as a copywriter and has served as a creative problem solver for such clients as Starbucks, CVS Pharmacy, TOO FACED Cosmetics and olloclip. He’s been a key contributor—helping win new business, creating holistic campaign strategy, managing freelancers and partnering directly with a diverse set of clients. Somers is a graduate of the NYU Gallatin School of Individualized Study, where he created one of the first mash-up movie trailers. His work was exhibited in 2013 at The Museum of The Moving Image in NYC.
Karnowski started at Standard Time nearly 18 months ago. In her new capacity she will lead both client side management and project management departments. She has international experience managing successful campaigns across a variety of media for such global brands as Red Bull, L’Oreal Paris, Lexus and Triumph International. It was while living in Cape Town, South Africa, a city bursting with culture and creativity, that she realized her love for all things creative.
As for Standard Time’s hires, Amy Marek has come on staff as production head in charge of the agency’s in-house production and postproduction divisions, as well as broadcast. And Ashley Jones has joined as associate creative director.
Marek began her content producing career at The Martin Agency and several years later moved to San Francisco to work at Camp+King where she led in all parts of the process from research and strategy to production, while also helping with new business. Key clients have included Expedia, Discover Card, Hanes, Experian and Pizza Hut. In the past year Standard Time has produced all video work in house for Sephora, Twitter, CVS Health, and Ole Smoky Moonshine.
Born and raised in Toronto, Jones has spent most of her career in New York City. She worked at the design firm RoAndCo where she was the studio’s art director in addition to leading all interactive design projects. In 2013, Jones was awarded a Young Guns award from the ADC. She then worked as an art director at Partners & Spade, where she combined her love for branding, art direction and the online world, to build holistic brand identities for a diverse portfolio of clients. Jones has experience with larger brands, such as Warby Parker, Target, Moda Operandi, and Etsy, as well as smaller brands such as M. Gemi, Frances Valentine and Loeffler Randall. She recently led the rebrand for Peloton Cycle.
Somers and Jones will lead Standard Time’s creative department and report directly to executive creative director Michael Sharp.


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Oohology acquires Chicago print design firm
Oohology LLC, a Louisville-based Web-design, interactive-marketing and content-strategy agency, has acquired Chicago-based Urban Imaging Group, said Sean Breslin, CEO of Oohology, during an interview at the company’s office in Smoketown.
Terms of the deal, which closed Dec. 1, were not disclosed.
Urban Imaging Group specializes in print and graphic design products. It provides logo design services and prints large-format, storefront-type graphics as well as menus, packaging, brochures, letterhead and business cards, as Business First reported in June.
The company has eight employees in its Chicago office who do work for about 600 clients, Breslin said.
Rick Chavez, Urban Imaging Group’s principal, will become a vice president at Oohology, according to Breslin.
Urban Imaging Group likely be re-branded as Oohology in the future, he added.
Oohology is familiar with the Chicago market. The firm opened an office there in 2010 with two employees.
Now, Breslin sees the purchase of Urban Imaging Group, as a greater “springboard” into Chicago.
He said he hopes Urban Imaging Group will grow to a 12- to 14-employee operation in the next few years.
Andrew Robinson covers these beats: Restaurants, retail, government, human resources, technology, automotive (dealers, services), media/marketing/printing, young professionals, West End, East End and Oldham County.
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Barack Obama in Butte, April 5
March 18, 2008 | Filed Under Election 2008 | No Responses
Excerpted from a Obama for America mailing:
Join Barack Obama in Butte on Saturday, April 5th for the annual Mansfield-Metcalf Dinner at the Butte Civic Center. Tickets will be available for online purchase from the Montana Democratic Party starting this Wednesday, March 19th at 9:00 a.m. Limited number of tickets will be available.
Online tickets and more information: http://www.montanademocrats.org
Here are the details:
Mansfield-Metcalf DinnerButte Civic CenterSaturday, April 5th, 2008
Event begins: 5:30 p.m.
According to the Web site: The tickets are General Admission: “2,400 general admission tickets will go on sale 9am Wednesday, March 19th.” Both Senators Obama and Clinton are attending.


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Narrow your search
Socialtext has a new service that lets companies run a Twitter-like microblogging service out of their offices using hardware that works behind the firewall.
The pros and the cons of the wiki platform's new spreadsheet feature called SocialCalc.
The enterprise social software company has new Twitterish functions, but the real deal is coming later.
SocialText just raised more money and pulled in a new CEO.
It's going to look a lot more like Ning and Facebook...and that's for the better.
Open source may be faring well in a bad economy, but that doesn't mean you will, as Socialtext's poor first quarter suggests.
Also: Geico has launched its own interactive car enthusiast site, Socialtext has raised $4.5 million in a new round of funding, and SmartyPig has a new mobile site.
CEO 2.0: If you're going to tout the benefits of Web 2.0, might as go all the way, figures Socialtext CEO.
Open your earholes to the latest episode of Open Sources podcast. This time we talk about pricing, microblogging and more!


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Romanian startup Qoobiss has provided the automated KYC technology for identity verification via selfie, offered by non-bank financial institution Credius, in order to ensure the fastest credit loan process on the Romanian market.
Credius has launched the credit by selfie product for its clients with the help of the advanced identity verification technology provided by Qoobiss, which facilitates the fastest onboarding process for financial users. The fully automated Know-Your-Customer (KYC) solution, created by Qoobiss has helped Credius significantly reduce the time necessary to verify users’ identity to less than 3 seconds, via a simple selfie through the biometric analysis technology called “liveness”.
“Through this partnership with Qoobiss, the time required to fill in the online application for a fully automated online loan offered by Credius has been significantly reduced to less than 30 seconds, and the time spent by users for their identity verification process has decreased from a minimum of 5 minutes for video verification, to 3-5 seconds needed to take an ID picture and selfie. Thus, the biometric analysis of the data has considerably improved the quality of the registration process for our customers, and the security of the verification process has been greatly optimized, being very well received by our users,” said Andrei Buzgan, CEO of Credius.
“With the Qoobiss technology, Credius automatically verifies customer identification data in a much simpler and efficient way, via a selfie photo, when a new online account is created. Our software scans the document, extracts customer’s data, performs an instant verification of the user’s identity and validates the identity document, maintaining the complete confidentiality of the information, “said Alexandru Rizea, CTO at Qoobiss.
Qoobiss empowers companies to verify the identity of their customers in a much more efficient way, 100% online. Thus, the automation and efficiency of the KYC process supported by Qoobiss has helped Credius ensure a simple and fast process for the online registration of its customers, through a simple selfie, in order to streamline the process of providing credit loans within minutes of starting the process. According to the company’s experts, the automatic identity verification software offered by Qoobiss is much more secure than remote video identification, because it also significantly reduces the possibility of fraud and processing errors.
The KYC software developed by Qoobiss is designed to be easily scalable for a large number of users, fast to deploy and 100% online. The identity verification process offered is automatic and built to streamline the process of enrolling new customers, with the help of the latest biometric technologies, controlled by artificial intelligence.


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Research In Motion has finally pushed out BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0, after missing its promised delivery window for the major update to its tablet operating system.
The new version of the OS for the 7-inch PlayBook tablet was made available for download on Tuesday, ahead of next week's Mobile World Congress 2012 show in Barcelona. RIM had previously planned to deliver the upgrade before the end of 2011.
RIM has rolled out the delayed PlayBook OS 2.0 for its tablet, introducing built-in email and calendar features. Image credit: RIM
Version 2.0 brings several new features to the platform, including built-in email and calendar features. In the earlier version, users had to rely on a connection to a BlackBerry smartphone via BlackBerry Bridge to get emails on their PlayBook tablet.
The new unified inbox pulls together all messages across work and personal email accounts, as well as from social networks. In addition, PlayBook 2.0 provides social-network integration for the calendar and contacts, automatically populating these with information from Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
"The new BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 introduces a range of new communications and productivity enhancements as well as expanded app and content support," David Smith, RIM's head of mobile computing, said in a statement.
As expected, though, the update does not include a native version of BlackBerry Messenger. RIM said in October it was putting off adding a BBM app until a later release of the tablet OS, as it was still working on the software.
RIM has struggled with its PlayBook tablet, and acknowledged in December that it had a high number of devices stuck in its inventory. The company blamed a competitive tablet market — where it goes up against Apple's iPad — and the delay in releasing version 2.0 of the PlayBook OS as factors in the weak demand.
With its integrated email, BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 bulks up its enterprise-friendly features. Another new feature aimed at business users is updated document editing tools, such as the Open On tool. This allows people to open files, photos or links from a BlackBerry smartphone on the tablet with one click.
RIM has also introduced a Print To Go app to Documents To Go, which edits and views Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint files. Print To Go lets people use a Wi-Fi network to 'print' a file from a PC onto their PlayBook, where it will be stored as a digital printout.
Alongside PlayBook 2.0, RIM released a first version of BlackBerry Mobile Fusion, which can be used for managing BlackBerry smartphones and tablets in the enterprise. The full release, expected in March, will include features for managing iOS and Android mobile devices, according to the company.
The OS update also promises more control over corporate data on the tablet with revamped BlackBerry Balance functionality.
BlackBerry Bridge options have been expanded, with the introduction of remote control functionality for the PlayBook when used with a BlackBerry smartphone. With this, the handset can effectively be used as a remote keyboard and mouse for the tablet.
In addition, BlackBerry Bridge still provides a Bluetooth connection between the PlayBook and BlackBerry smartphone, giving access to BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) and the browser, as well as secondary access to email and calendars.
The company also said that "thousands" of new apps are also being added to BlackBerry App World on Tuesday.
These include "a range of Android" apps that will work on the BlackBerry PlayBook, even though RIM said earlier in February that it planned to avoid being like Android and that it would keep "garbage" apps out of App World. Android apps need to be specifically recompiled to work on the PlayBook 2.0 OS "app player".
It also brings a video store to the device for the first time, although this is launching in the US only. "Support for other countries is expected to be added later this year," RIM said in a statement.
PlayBook users can check if the update is available by going into the tablet's system settings and then navigating to the software updates section.
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Go to the Yahoo Small Business homepage, and you’ll be informed that "PC Magazine named us ‘Editors’ Choice.’" It seems that not many other entities are interested in either Yahoo’s small business unit or HotJobs, however, as plans to sell both may have fallen through.
More than six months ago, reports indicated that Yahoo was trying to get rid of these divisions as Carol Bartz tried to focus on Yahoo’s core interests. Intermittent reports since then hinted that Yahoo’s had difficulty getting other organizations to consider its asking prices.
Now, with respect to Yahoo Small Business, Jeff Bercovici wrote, "[A]fter finding a shortage of interest, the Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Internet firm has put the sale on hold, according to a source close to the situation."
And Rafat Ali added, "Also, we have been hearing that its jobs site Hotjobs’ sale process is not going well . . . . Not a single confirmed bid came in when the process started, our sources say."
So it sounds as if Yahoo’s garage sale wasn’t exactly successful. The big question is whether the company will lower its expectations and try again, or decide to keep Yahoo Small Business and HotJobs, after all.
CORRECTION: Whoops, sorry everybody (including Yahoo) . . . turns out at least half of this information was wrong. Monster announced its acquisition of HotJobs this afternoon.


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Retailers call to end London business rate ‘subsidy’
As over 50 retailers urge the government to reform business rates, London is in the firing line as businesses subsidise the capital’s rates bill by nearly £600m, while the ICAEW Tax Faculty sets out five areas for change in this month’s Budget.
Over 50 major retailers are calling on the government to take the first steps towards fundamental business rates reform in this month’s Budget. The letter, coordinated by the British Retail Consortium, focuses on fixing transitional relief, a component of the business rates system.
Transitional relief limits the speed at which a firm’s business rates liability changes in response to changes in its rateable value. To achieve this, it staggers the speed at which ‘underpayers’ move to their higher business rate liability (upwards transition), and funds this by slowing the speed at which ‘overpayers’ move to their lower liability (downwards phasing).
The retailers claim that this system has two consequences: it forces retailers to subsidise other industries (£543m net over the last three years) while also forcing locations outside London to subsidise the capital’s businesses by £596m net over the last three years.
Helen Dickinson OBE, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: “The future of retail is an issue that matters to people everywhere… Yet transitional relief undermines both the industry as a whole, and many regions that it serves. Northern high streets effectively subsidise London banks, forcing a £600m transfer of wealth to the capital; this could be used to support investment in people and technology that would benefit all parts of the UK.”
At the same time, ICAEW Tax Faculty has written to the government, calling for a Budget that ensures the UK remains an internationally attractive and competitive location for business to locate and invest.
The submission called on the government to focus on five areas:
- Aligning the UK tax system with policy objectives
- Taking time to get legislative change right first time
- Reviewing the costs and benefits of Making Tax Digital
- Resourcing HMRC
- Seizing the opportunity to reform VAT
More details of ICAEW Tax Faculty’s Budget submission can be found here: ICAEWrep 02/20
The LSCA's Budget breakfast is now fully booked but you can still book onto ICAEW Croydon's Budget update here.
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