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Dr. Stephanie McGrath, a neurologist at Colorado State University's James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital, has revealed initial findings from a groundbreaking study to assess the use of cannabidiol, or CBD, for dogs with epilepsy. WFH for Dogs – 150mg CBD Full Spectrum Hemp Oil High-quality, Colorado-grown hemp At Warfighter Hemp, we produce CBD products in the following forms: tinctures, capsules, lotions & sunscreen, transdermal patches, honey, tea 7 Jan 2020 Companies have unleashed hundreds of CBD pet health products accompanied by glowing customer testimonials claiming the cannabis derivative produced calmer, quieter and pain-free dogs and cats. out there,” said S. David Moche, founder of Applied Basic Science, a company formed to support Colorado State University's veterinary CBD research and now selling CBD online. Veritas Farms' CBD for cats and dogs contain full spectrum CBD oil extracted from Colorado hemp flowers and leaves. All plants are 100% Colorado grown. Welcome to Serenity Remedy An altruistic organization and local farm in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, USA Mother Nature Works on the Farm Serenity practices all natural farming methods. All it takes is organic soil, water, and Colorado sunshine
Interested in CBD oil for dogs? Check out Pet Releaf's selection of hemp oil for dogs. Learn about the many CBD hemp oil benefits!Best CBD Oil For Dogs | CBD Dog Treats Dec 2019 - Top Dog CBDhttps://topdogcbd.tbcmikah.com/cbd-oil-for-dogs-treatsHence, many scientists think that CBD oil can function well in dogs. CBD is non-psychoactive unlike tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) a substance which exist in marijuana that produces euphoric experiences when taken in huge amounts and may also…CBD for Dogs: Best CBD dog treats you should buy - LA Weeklyhttps://laweekly.com/cbd-for-dogs-cbd-dog-treats-you-should-buyWith the legalization of hemp and CBD, a lot of CBD-related information and CBD products are readily available. You would have definitely heard of its popularity and its efficacy if you’re suffering from chronic pain or anxiety-related…
Over the years, there’s no doubt in our mind that you’ve come across many pet wellness trends, with the current trend being CBD oil for dogs.
Visit LoveGroomers.com or PetStore.Direct or Hemping Handz to purchase these online. Product: Homeostasis spray for dogs in a glass bottle. You can provide full spectrum CBD and the nourishment from 4 superfood oils at once. The results
Buy CBD Oil from Try The CBD Oil tincture company! Discover the finest in Pure CBD products. Try The CBD high-altitude Colorado farming, quality control procedure and third-party lab testing ensures that our products are the most FORT COLLINS, Colo (CBS4) – Parents of children who suffer seizures swear by cannabinoid. They say it curbs the number and severity of the seizures that their children endure. Now, researchers at Colorado State University are studying Fully Activated CBD ships domestically to all fifty states. Enjoy CBD products crafted in small batches from Colorado grown hemp. We use CBD distillate and isolate in all of our products. Enjoy some of the best CBD tincture, dog treats, isolate staff for socialization and exercise once daily. All dogs received a complete physical examination by a veterinarian weekly. The CBD for this study was formulated from hemp plants certified by a third-party company in the state of Colorado.


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To say that the vocal powerhouse group MAMAMOO's pre-sale and upcoming general public sale for 9 USA cities for the upcoming USA leg of their world tour "MY:CON" is off to a great start would be an understatement. Just 15 minutes into the pre-sale of their highly-anticipated USA tour dates, Ticketmaster issued a warning for all fans seeking to purchase tickets. The statement indicated that ticket availability was limited and that ticket options might vary across the venue due to high demand. This news immediately caused concern among fans, especially those on the East Coast, who received the warning first, with the West Coast city pre-sale following shortly after.
However, fans seem undeterred, as they continue to queue up for the internet pre-sale, as Ticketmaster seems to be releasing more tickets for the pre-sale slowly in waves. Likely leaving some for the general public sale opening on the 29th and 30th of March. Adding to the stress for some fans is that the Wintrust Arena announced a delay in the general public sale, likely following high engagement of the pre-sale.
It's evident that USA moomoos (fans of the K-pop group Mamamoo) are showing a great deal of enthusiasm for the group across various social media platforms. This is evident from the fact that Mamamoo has been trending on the top USA Twitter trending page for several hours, even after the start of the pre-sale on both coasts. Meanwhile, fans from Latin America, Africa, and Europe have taken to Twitter to congratulate their USA counterparts on securing tickets, albeit with a tinge of envy, as tour dates for their respective regions are yet to be announced.
The general public sale for MAMAMOO's USA leg of their "MY:CON" world tour will start on the 29th of March at 10 AM PDT on Ticketmaster. The group will perform in large arenas in 9 cities across the USA:New York "UBS Arena At Belmont Park," Baltimore's "CFG Bank Arena," Atlanta - "State Farm Arena," Fortworth - "Dickies Arena," Chicago - "Wintrust Arena," Glendale - "Desert Diamond Arena," Oakland - "Oakland Arena" and Los Angeles - "KIA Forum."
Meanwhile, fans of the group are incredibly excited to see MAMAMOO perform in the USA, as the group is known for their live performances.
So stay tuned in, as MAMAMOO might be coming to your city soon!
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Not long ago, Nintendo announced that it was working on a brand console, called NX, but that further info would only be made available next year. However, new info is emerging in the form of a credible rumor that suggests the NX will run on Android.
The rumor comes from a Japanese newspaper called Nikkei. The publication has had a good track record when it comes to Nintendo, outing the company’s plans regarding mobile games as well as the launch of the 3DS XL. Still, this is a rumor so take it with a grain of salt.
In what might be a first for the company, Nintendo is supposedly building its new console with Android OS as its foundation. The adoption of the open-source operating system could help the NX attract more developers and game titles. Nintendo has traditionally used its own in-house operating systems until now, but this potential move could jive well with the company’s new focus on mobile gaming.
Sony and Microsoft have both moved to standardized x86 architectures for their newest consoles, giving developers an easier time when porting and developing their games. A move to Android, seeing as it’s so ubiquitous in the mobile world, could, at least in theory, help Nintendo in the same way.
That being said, Android has never proved itself successful when used as a basis for a gaming console. Whether it’s the failed OUYA console or the very niche Nvidia Shield portable, Google’s OS never quite made a splash in this market.
Whether Nintendo opts for Android or not remains to be seen, but we’ll no doubt find out more about the upcoming NX console in the months ahead.


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" Give you "! Aunt will be 12 million in cash supermarket lost life and death do not recognize their own
German Minister of Health: Half of Germans have received at least one dose of the new crown vaccine
Information from Pakistan B: Sembaou will change coaches, and new aid will join
Japan intends to allocate nearly 500 million yuan to support China's greening and pollution prevention "cross-border"
Thailand begins to vaccinate China's new crown vaccine
"Three Kingdoms Heroes 8 " self-established generals detailed information released
"Spring Seed Operation" officially launched in Ukraine
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Microsoft said that it has finally launched its Xbox One video game console in China. That’s a first for Microsoft, since China’s console ban has been in effect for the entire time that Microsoft has been selling Xbox machines.
The launch with Chinese partner BesTV was supposed to happen last week, but Microsoft delayed the official sales until today. The delay was no surprise, given how many things can go wrong with a console launch. Microsoft said it has launched the Xbox One, which debuted in the U.S. in the fall of last year, is now on sale in 4,000 retail locations across 37 cities in China.
That’s a pretty good spread, but it’s worth noting there are a 160 cities in China with more than 1 million people.
Last week, Microsoft went forward with a party for gamers in Shanghai at the Oriental Pearl Tower, even though it delayed the official launch by a week.
Microsoft previously said those in China who preordered will still be the first to receive the Chinese version of the console, and they will also get an unspecified added bonus. The company still says it is working with 25 leading developers to deliver 70 games for Xbox One fans in China.
China has had a ban on game consoles since 2000. Microsoft debuted its first Xbox in 2001.
Above: The line to buy the Xbox One at a store in China.
Image Credit: Microsoft
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Coderus has released its MacDX software development kit for creating Universal binary software.
The move means games developers can use MacDX to build games that run happily on both PowerPC and Intel-based Macs.
The company is making the new Universal software available at no extra cost in licensing fee for the next 30 days. Existing MacDX users must contact their support representative confirming which titles they want to use with this offer.
MacDX lets developers move source code that uses the DirectX API to both Intel and PowerPC Macs. Most source code, which uses the DirectX APIs can simply be recompiled and linked with the MacDX libraries using Apple's Xcode to generate a Universal binary.
Mark Thomas, CEO/technical director at said: "I'm pleased that we will be able to make our Intel optimisations available at no extra cost. It has taken some time to get our optimisations tuned for the new Intel hardware."
"I can see a bright future in Mac gaming only if we develop in collaboration and stop repeated innovation."


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Recently, the Advertising Association and PwC published a report on UK advertising’s export success, finding an industry that has been surprisingly resilient when faced by the Covid-19 pandemic. As the country readies itself for Brexit, the report also drilled down into the roots of the UK’s success, finding that the talent pool and creative reputation were significant drivers.
You can read more about the report here and here, but LBB’s Laura Swinton spoke to PwC’s Sam Tomlinson and the AA’s Stephen Woodford to drill down into the opportunities and challenges ahead.
LBB> The report finds that while the UK’s advertising industry has been affected by Covid-19, it’s been quite resilient. What do you put this resilience down to and what can we learn from this as Covid continues?
Stephen> The UK has a long heritage as a global hub for advertising and many companies work with brands all around the world. The UK is also one of the world’s most advanced digital economies and for those companies working globally, doing business virtually was already the norm. As an industry it feels like we never stopped, but switched rapidly to virtual working, so we could continue to do what we do best, solving business problems creatively for our clients both home and abroad. UK advertising has been very much open for business, supporting and advising clients from all sectors. Now's the time for businesses to review how they adapted and rethink their offerings and strategies. The global shift online has opened up new business opportunities for many and everyone in our industry should be considering their exporting strategy as a means to generate new revenue streams.
Sam> The agility and adaptability we have seen throughout the industry in these difficult times is admirable. Many companies have been able to adjust quickly where demand has reduced and conversely, where new opportunities have emerged/demand has increased, we have seen companies pivoting their service offerings to ensure they still meet their markets' needs. We believe this shows resilience and agility within the industry.
LBB> Covid-19 also saw 22% of respondent companies increase their exports - ironic given the lockdown on international travel! Why do you think we’ve seen this jump?
Sam> 22% of surveyed companies saw an exporting revenue stream increase but it’s worth noting that 91% of surveyed companies saw their overall revenues decrease due to Covid-19. Therefore, there isn’t an overall jump in the export market. For the streams that have increased, this is down to the resilience and agility of companies which has enabled them to find new export revenue streams during Covid-19.
Stephen> UK advertising has been on a strong growth trajectory for many years, which has accelerated since 2012, perhaps a lasting legacy of the showcase the London Olympics provided for British creativity and excellence. Our recent export report (March 2020) showed UK advertising services grew by 15% to reach £7.9bn in 2018 – a record high for the industry. The growth in advertising exports between 2017 and 2018 (+15%) was higher than almost all other UK industries. For example, financial and telecommunications services grew by around 8% while engineering services fell by around 1%. When compared to 2017, advertising has gone from being the fourth largest service export to the second, overtaking telecommunications and engineering services.
We know International clients believe that UK advertising is strategic and business savvy, as well as highly creative, setting the UK apart from other markets. A client we interviewed for the report said “UK Advertising offers a go-to package. For example, Manhattan isn't at the same level. The cost of overheads etc... are very high and as a result you tend to get access to junior staff which in turn means lots of hand holding and more work at the client’s desk. When working with HeyHuman I get a more experienced team who understand business needs and speak in a common business language.”
LBB> And how confident are you in the industry’s ability to withstand both the continued pressures of Covid alongside whatever challenges come with Brexit - in a manner that’s sustainable for businesses and the workforce?
Stephen> The report shows the advertising industry is already very successful at exporting advertising and marketing services and attracting inward investment to the UK. The UK advertising industry is not just a successful exporter of services but a beacon for British creativity, innovation and skills. Since March, we have shown we can continually operate online, as well as being able to create innovative and technically driven solutions to service customers and targets. In preparation for the UK’s departure from the EU and recognising the need to diversify our export markets, the AA launched the UKAEG in partnership with the Department for International Trade (DIT) in September 2019. If not for the Covid-19 pandemic, 2020 would have seen a calendar full of outreach activity championing UK advertising exports. Even though the pandemic has created significant challenges (e.g. restrictions on overseas travel), the group has reinvented its physical activities and events to be delivered virtually – so far creating 146,000 opportunities to meet UK advertising across key markets such as China, USA, South Korea and Europe.
Although the UK is currently a leading global advertising hub, we cannot take this position for granted. Protecting this status will help drive the UK’s post-Brexit and post-Covid success. This will continue to attract important inward investment and the best international talent. To do this, we need to build on our constructive relationship with DIT and deliver the very best, high-profile marketing campaign for our industry that we can.
Sam> There will always be a demand for UK services within the advertising industry due to the UK’s creativity, talent and global reputation. The key point is that these services may change due to Covid-19 and Brexit, and it is therefore important that companies continue to show agility, listen to the market, and adapt their offerings to support the global market needs.
LBB> The ONS statistics show that the ad industry’s exports continued to grow between 2017 and 2018 - to what extent has Brexit catalysed companies to put more focus on their international exports?
Sam> Brexit will understandably put a strain on the EU trading market. UK advertising exporters to the EU will need to maintain consistently high quality to ensure the additional "Brexit hoops" are worth the effort for EU companies using their services. It should also be noted that the single largest importer of UK services is the US, so that market also remains critically important.
LBB> In terms of the UK’s global reputation for creativity, the advertising industry benefits from being part of a vibrant ecosystem that includes theatre, music, film. The report even mentions ‘strong creativity is due to a combination of societal support for the arts and human talent’. We’ve seen some criticism of the government’s support of the arts and people who work in the arts throughout Covid. We have also seen a de-emphasis on arts and creativity in education. How important is it to ensure that that ecosystem survives and thrives when it comes to the UK’s global creative reputation and creative talent pool, and therefore the continued/future success of the UK’s ad industry?
Sam> The creative industry is a key source of cultural identity in the UK, and like any ecosystem with deep societal roots, the industry is integral to how the UK is perceived on a global scale. It is important that the focus placed on the creative arts doesn’t fade, to ensure we continue to attract top talent - As stated in the report, top global/domestic talent leads to top creativity which leads to global reputation which leads back to attracting top global/domestic talent.
Stephen> The creative industries are the fastest-growing sector in the UK economy, with the potential to unlock even more significant growth. Perhaps more than in any other sector, commercial businesses, publicly-funded organisations, creators and freelancers work hand-in-hand both across creative supply chains and ecosystems, in the UK and internationally to produce the creative services and products that deliver this economic, social and cultural success. This interdependence and cross-fertilisation of all parts of the creative industries is a major contributor to both the UK’s economic, cultural and societal health and to exports and making the UK a ‘soft-power superpower’!
The UK leads the world for creative education and in 2019 held the two top spots for Art and Design, with UAL placed alongside the Royal College of Art (RCA). Third-level education is addressing the important challenges of today including AI and the Data Economy, Clean Growth, and skills shortages in augmented, virtual and mixed reality. However, the international standing of British creative education is at risk and we look to the Government to renew its commitment to teaching art and design in schools.
LBB> Two of the biggest barriers to international trade with UK businesses were cost and legal issues - and with Brexit one can imagine that these could potentially become more prominent. So, what sort of support or trade deals would you like to see put in place to help minimise those issues?
Stephen> We support the Government’s aim to champion free trade and have been pleased to see the UK negotiating trade continuity agreements with existing trade partners as well as new free trade agreements. In order to maximise benefits for our own sector, we would encourage negotiations with priority markets including China, India and the Middle East.
More widely, we believe that to maximise international opportunities the Government should recognise that the EU is still the UK’s largest trading partner. The loss of access to EU markets will impact the UK’s competitive advantage as the global hub for advertising and may have a knock-on effect for the advertising supply chain and FDI. A data adequacy decision may not be achieved before the end of the transition period. This would impede the flow of personal data from EU/EEA to the UK and impact the overall competitiveness of our digital advertising sector.
LBB> It was interesting to see that the exporting study wasn’t solely limited to large companies and that smaller businesses, like Madam Films, were included in the report. When it comes to supporting the industry abroad, how can the AA and the government ensure that any strategy supports businesses of all sizes?
Stephen> We know that the UK is a global hub for advertising services and there is a demand to work with our industry. The report showed that the popularity of an export market does not vary significantly when factoring in company sizes, as broadly the same top 10 markets appear across the board. Company size is determined to have minimal bearing on the ability to export. This means that overseas customer acquisition is within reach for most UK advertising companies. The opportunity is clear and many businesses across UK advertising and marketing services can benefit as we increasingly look at how we trade with customers around the world. We are already out of the starting blocks through our industry initiative – UK Advertising Exports Group (UKAEG). Interestingly approx. 90% of our members are independent companies and SMEs, such as Madam Films. Our membership represents AdTech, creative, production and post-production companies, research, data companies and talent scouts, working together to boost the reputation of UK advertising on the global stage. Our mission at UKAEG is to support every UK advertising business that wants to grow its business globally and we do this through actionable insights and guidance.
For example, we know that the brands which invest in awareness and values in times of recession and reduced confidence gain even better returns, both during the downturn and when the economy picks up - they recover faster and emerge stronger. With this in mind, the UKAEG is investing in the brand of UK advertising, based on the fundamental truth reinforced by the Powering up UK Advertising report. The campaign, led by our Made Global film developed by UKAEG members, adam&eveDDB and The Mill tells the story of the UK’s unrivalled reputation for creativity. With the right marketing drive, we can ensure international customers turn to the UK’s creative, strategic and technological capabilities to do this in the most competitive way for their business, wherever they are in the world. The more companies that join the UKAEG community, the stronger our voice.
As an industry the continued success of UK advertising on the world stage is, above all, testament to its resilience. The UKAEG community has taken part in a number of virtual events over the summer including one with the China Advertising Association, involving more than 40 participants from UK and Chinese companies running in dual translation. New business opportunities have also opened up through our virtual trade missions to China with the Shanghai International Advertising Festival (SHIAF), we have representatives of UK Advertising presenting at CIAF in November where we will launch the Mandarin version of the ‘Made Global’ campaign.
As we look ahead to 2021, we have a number of plans in the making including coordinating and running a programme of virtual trade exchanges, at key industry events such as SXSW, SHIAF and Cannes Lions during 2021. We will also work with the Department for International Trade (DIT) to provide expert counsel on how to access logistical and infrastructure support on the ground in key markets.
Any UK advertising and marketing services company seeking to grow their international revenue streams or know a company that should be considered, please contact the UKAEG Marketing Manager, Aisling Conlon or visit our special hub for UK Advertising Exports
to learn more about how to get involved.


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“That is right up there with the biggest industries that we have in San Antonio,” said Chamber President and CEO Richard Perez. "Salaries have grown, so this is a place for young people to really find excellent jobs that will fulfill the needs of their families and themselves as being citizens of this community."
The Texas Legislature is preparing to convene once again in Austin, and this session there are going to be some hi-tech improvements. Texas House Parliamentarian Chris Griesel said the electronic devices are now popping up in the state legislature.
The San Antonio Food Bank is stocked with 4 million pounds of food at any given time, but turns this quantity over quickly to make room for more food that will eventually make its way to 535 distribution sites. President and CEO Eric Cooper said that every year the food bank pushes 50 million pounds of food to people in 16 counties.
"That's about six to seven semi truckloads a day that will come in and go out through the food bank,” said Cooper.
The City of San Antonio and Bexar County could have a unified government if a bill in the legislature giving voters the option to create a county charter is made law.
Like all counties in Texas, Bexar County has a Commissioner’s Court and its municipalities have independent mayor/council governments. A bill filed in the House by State Representative Lyle Larson would merge the two for a metro-government.
A program unique to the United States Air Force and Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland is the Inter-American Forces Academy where servicemen and women from countries like Bolivia, Colombia and Peru take classes to learn maintenance, leadership and technical skills.
An 18-month investigation by Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott's Office concluded that the Daughters of the Republic of Texas failed to properly preserve and maintain the Alamo, misused state funds for its own benefit, failed to address conflicts of interest, and let its own organizational interests get in the way of acting in the best interest of the Alamo and the State of Texas.
A rebounding economy and growing consumer confidence may contribute to a successful holiday shopping season this year.
The consulting firm Accenture reported that this year 52 percent of consumers will increase their spending by $250 or more. On the whole, the report says people are expected to spend $582 for the holiday. 53 percent say they will brave the crowds on Black Friday.
"We actually started preparing right after the season ended last year,” said Scott Redman, store manager at Wal-Mart in the 8500 block of Jones-Maltsberger.
Prímo, San Antonio’s bus rapid transit (BRT) system, will officially launch Dec. 17 amid a transition for the organization; Vía Metropolitan Transit CEO Keith Parker stepped down to take the lead position in Atlanta’s public transportation system.
Vía spokesperson Priscilla Ingle said that with ridership at an all-time high, the standard 40 foot bus wasn’t working anymore, especially for the downtown-to-Medical Center corridor.
Black Friday is right after Thanksgiving - even starting Thursday night at some stores - and then soon after comes Cyber Monday, a multi-Billion dollar day of sales over the Internet; that one day is also a big opportunity for cyber thieves to take advantage of weak links in online security.
You may be focused on turkey and football games, but a quick lesson in cyber security will give you and the family something different to talk about over dinner other than politics.
Once upon a time, San Antonio firefighters collected toys for children of the city; they even painted and fixed them. They called their drive Toy Day, and gave children who brought toys free movie tickets.
Researchers at the Institute of Texan Cultures found pictures of Toy Day tucked away in archives, and leaders decided to rekindle the old tradition, but give it a new spin. Now in its second year, history has proven to bring back what once was a thriving act of kindness: providing children with happiness.


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The Austin, Texas-based rental car company, which has 34 locations nationwide, will close all 14 of its airport locations by Dec. 6 due to a “shift in strategy” from airport travelers to local renters. Boston-area customers will have access to a new location at Audi Peabody, according to the company.
The company was founded in 2012 with the goal of eliminating “the frustrations and points of friction that have plagued its industry for decades,” according its Facebook page.
Customers who rent from Silvercar by Audi use the mobile app to sign up, book, and unlock the rental cars, bypassing counter visits, lines, and paperwork, according to the company. There’s also a curbside pick-up option.
“All Silvercar by Audi airport locations, including Logan, will close by December 6, as the company makes a shift in strategy from airport travelers to local renters,” wrote a company spokesperson in an email statement sent to Boston.com. “Silvercar by Audi will rapidly expand its network of in-town locations at Audi dealerships, which includes a new location at Audi Peabody serving Boston-area customers. Looking ahead, Silvercar by Audi will continue to aggressively expand its vehicle on-demand network across the U.S.”
Silvercar by Audi added the Boston location at Logan International Airport in 2019.
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Want to buy Google's developer kit for Project Tango, the tablet that can perform real-time 3D spatial mapping? Well you can't - not without an invitation, anyway. But for at least some of the applicants who have been invited to buy the Android-powered Tango tablet, the gigantic price tag is now a little more manageable. An Android Police reader passed along an email from Google offering Project Tango for $512, half its original price.
Get them while they're young. When it comes to securing longtime customers, one of the best moves tech companies can make is to get children accustomed to their products while they're going through school. That's not to say that everything is self-interested. In today's world, children benefit from getting early hands-on experience using tech to do something other than playing games.
Now Google is doing its part to make Canadian students as likely to encounter Android tablets in class as iPads.
Advertising is a necessary evil. If you look around this very page, you'll see ads that keep Android Police afloat. (Unless you're blocking them, in which case you owe me a beer for every paragraph you read.) Google knows its way around ads - that's how an incredibly expensive, bandwidth-intensive video service like YouTube makes money. But if you could skip the annoying commercials before your videos, even the 5 second blips that require an extra click, would you?
Mobile payments are on the rise. Google has been working with companies for years, and with Apple Pay turning more consumers on to the idea, new opportunities to swipe your phone at a register or pay in advance are popping up left and right.
Now Google has partnered with ChowNow to bring Wallet to thousands of independent restaurants across the US. As of today, restaurants have updated their mobile apps to include Wallet as an additional option at checkout.
The plaintiffs in an antitrust lawsuit against Google have dropped their case after losing in an initial ruling. Just over a month ago, we reported on Google's win. The federal judge overseeing the case ruled in Google's favor, but the plaintiffs had one last chance to change their arguments before the case was closed. Instead, they have decided to withdraw.
A group of consumers accused Google of anticompetitive practices in the distribution of Android due to the stipulation that their search engine must be default in order for the OEM to load the Play Store on devices.
The Nexus 6 is a fantastic phone, but it doesn't have the appealingly low price that its immediate predecessors did. If you've been waiting for the price to drop a bit below the $650 mark for the base model, now's your chance. Amazon is selling the unlocked 32GB blue version for just $583.90, a solid 10% discount. The seller is a third party (with no Prime shipping), and at the time of writing there are only 9 left at this price - hurry if you want to grab one.
If you have been on the fence about whether or not to purchase Google's latest tablet, the Nexus 9, Best Buy may have made your decision a little easier. For the next two days, the blue box store is discounting the price of the 16GB model by $75, bringing the price down to a more reasonable $325. The verdict is still out among Android Police staff on whether or not this is a great tablet, but a lower price might make up for some of its warts.
Google's animated commercials filled with dozens of avatars from the Androidify app are always fun to watch. The latest ad specifically targets the booming smartphone market in India, by showing off the Android One series of low-cost devices and highlighting their recent upgrade to Lollipop 5.1. (Breathe it in, One owners: you get 5.1 before the Nexus 9.) The new ad was posted to Google India's YouTube page this morning.
The commercial is pretty basic, following the formula from previous entries in the series: start off slow, rude interruption, rock out.


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NetherRealm Studios' creative director indirectly responds to a massive Mortal Kombat 11 roster leak—and basically confirms it.
For those of you complaining about King K. Rool being overpowered in Ultimate, the stats don't lie.
The knife-wielding criminal Kano is back for yet another round in Mortal Kombat 11.
Ultimate's latest update adds a new character, balance tweaks, and, according to players, a nasty save bug.
How the story of Mortal Kombat 11 plays out will be up to the player and the choices they make.
Let’s clear up the differences between Mortal Kombat 11’s custom variations and gear
You may be able to shatter your friends' spines across console barriers in Mortal Kombat 11—but not at launch.


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After the success of the Yeezy Boost 750 that was launched in February, rapper Kanye West and adidas Originals have teamed up again to release the second style of the iconic shoe.
Crafted in all black premium suede, the shoe features a full length BOOST™ midsole, featuring adidas’ coveted cushioning technology.
The shoe will be available online on adidas.com and at select global retailers from Saturday, December 19. It is priced at Rs 22,999.
Demand for the Yeezy Boost 750 is so high that it was be released by way of an in-store raffle. Ballots will be distributed at Mumbai’s Linking Road store and Bengaluru’s Brigade Road store on Saturday. Winners will get a chance to buy one pair in the size of their choice.


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Cadillac is putting the brakes on its move to New York and rerouting its headquarters back to Detroit after a failed bid to lure in more luxury buyers.
Parent company General Motors wants the vehicle brand’s executives to be near the corporation’s designers and engineers in Michigan as Cadillac is set to launch several new models over the next couple of years.
“Cadillac’s move to Michigan will further support one of the most aggressive on-going product expansions in the brand’s history, with the introduction of a new vehicle every six months through 2020,” GM spokesman Patrick Morrissey said in a statement. “The move will place the Cadillac brand team closer to those responsible for the new Cadillacs, including design, engineering, purchasing and manufacturing, ensuring full integration of Cadillac’s global growth strategy.”
Cadillac moved its home base to the Big Apple about three years ago when then-head Johan de Nysschen, who was pushed out this past spring, hoped the shift would set the brand apart from the rest of Detroit-based GM, which also owns lower-end lines like Buick and Chevrolet.
Steve Carlisle, who was appointed head of Cadillac in April, is behind the end of the company’s stint in Manhattan’s Soho neighborhood.
“Cadillac will maintain a brand presence in New York City with the Cadillac House, an experiential brand center which serves as a public space for events, concerts and collaborative partnerships until longer term brand plans are in place,” Morrissey said.
Caddy has struggled to hold its own as a luxury brand against more esteemed car companies like BMW and Audi.
Cadillac’s new headquarters will open in the Detroit suburb of Warren.


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Brad Burger has resigned as president and chief executive officer of Goodwill of Western Missouri Easter Kansas.
The organization said Burger, who came here four years ago from Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania, is returning with his family to Pittsburgh. While the resignation took effect immediately, Burger will serve as chief executive emeritus until Nov. 1.
Goodwill’s board said Stefany Williams has been named interim president and chief executive. Williams has been the nonprofit group’s chief financial officer the past two years.
The organization has 18 stores in this region, along with additional donation sites and four GoodWorks service centers. In 2012, about 1.5 million people shopped at its area stores, and about 500,000 donated items.


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Cosmetics queen hits $270m sale jackpot
The Perth founder of the BECCA global cosmetics empire stands to make tens of millions of dollars after it was sold to one of world’s top cosmetic companies, Estee Lauder, for an estimated $US200 million ($270 million).
Rebecca Morrice Williams, of Mt Pleasant, said the deal — which stunned many of Perth’s top business people — was the culmination of a long-held dream since the brand’s “humble beginnings” in Perth in 2001.
The brand is on track for annual sales of more than $100 million this year, and its fans include Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Moss and Jade Jagger.
“I am absolutely delighted to confirm that BECCA has been bought by the Estee Lauder Companies,” Mrs Morrice Williams said yesterday.
“It was always my dream that if BECCA was to be sold that it would be to Estee Lauder, not only for their amazing resources but also for the way they nurture their indie brands for incredible growth but at the same time retain the brand’s uniqueness.”
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Mrs Morrice Williams developed the brand in Perth 15 years ago and sold her holding to New York-based company Luxury Brand Partners in 2012 in exchange for shares.
It is understood Becca Nominees will make about $40 million from the deal with Estee Lauder.
The transaction is likely to result in a small windfall for the other shareholders, who are mostly in Perth and include business people such as John Schaffer, John Bond, Heather Zampatti and Luc Longley.
Several Perth investors were stunned yesterday when contacted byThe West Australian , claiming they had not heard much from the company in the past few years, with some assuming it had gone bankrupt.
Mrs Morrice Williams has long been confident about the brand’s potential.
“What started as an ambitious idea with humble beginnings in Perth is today a highly profitable global business with $100 million-plus in sales spread across 22 countries and 2059 stores,” she said.
“The Australian company is a minority holder in an overseas holding company that has funded the serious expansion over the last few years in the US which drove annual sales from $US15 million to now over $US80 million.
“While final distributions are being arranged from the US pending financial completion of the deal, the ultimate outcome will still be a great result for Australian stakeholders who funded the initial development and first retail sales.
“We look forward to updating our stakeholders in the coming weeks with final details of the transaction and what it means for their shareholding.”
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A few months ago, chatting away on social media, I was alerted to the fact that one of the biggest names in Japanese denim is in serious financial trouble. The fact, in itself, was not surprising to me at the time – a couple of brands which I used to follow in the 2000’s have quietly disappeared already – yet, learning that it was The Flat Head (TFH) which might be going under, shocked my hobby brain.
I had just attended a TFH event last year here in Melbourne! The founder had been enthusiastically talking about making custom deerskin jackets – surely, this was not a brand under stress?
Predictably, a couple of weeks after industry chatter began, around four months prior to today’s writing, there was a politely, and optimistically, worded official statement discussing rebranding and redirection. This, we now know, was actually the company being placed under alternative administration in the hopes of keeping it alive.
That attempt at salvaging TFH officially failed in August 2019, with the company filing for “civil rehabilitation”, akin to bankruptcy. Japanese media reports TFH achieving its highest profitability in 2014/15, with sharp drops in revenue thereafter, ending up almost 50% less profitable in 2018/19. The trouble, it seems, had been brewing for some time.
I was going to begin the article by writing about how Kobayashi, TFH founder, started the brand out of his Desert Hills Market shop in 1993… but really, this story is no longer relevant in 2019, and did not interest me too much. Here, I thought, lies one of the problems with The Flat Head, and many of its peers.
In the early 2000’s, when Japanese denim was becoming known outside of Japan, enthusiasts of the time were enamored with the founding myths of the core brands. Fullcount and its Zimbabwe cotton, Samurai Jeans doing 21 oz denim, Evisu and its imaginary Levi’s loom. These stories are now at least one generation old, and honestly, I really do sense that no ones cares anymore.
We are soon to embark on the 2020’s. The current and upcoming generations of denimheads, bombarded with social media data, plagued by choice in heritage menswear, simply do not have the time, nor the attention span, for the traditional Japanese denim brands and their stories. The problem here isn’t necessarily that people are not paying attention when they ought to, more the fact that many of the brands have ceased to innovate and grow.
Perhaps it is similar to listening to your grandfather’s stories of his youth – important, yes, because if he never seduced grandma, you wouldn’t exist – and yet, you don’t really care because his world had been so different to yours, to the point of disconnect.
In our hobby then, this is similar to the brands that continues to spin stories about their 501 reproductions…… the vast majority of hobbyists have moved on, and the next generation are unlikely to care.
In the world of today, very few peoples globally will grow up with a romanticism about Americana – the Japanese brands did revive Americana fashion certainly, yet they can no longer stake their survival on this accomplishment. In a rapidly changing world, Japanese denim needs to be more than it has been, if it is to remain relevant as a menswear niche or a hobby.
The smaller operations catering for local Japanese consumers will surely continue on, yet the bigger operations who, a decade ago, began braving international waters, have been facing significant challenges in the past years. Adapting simultaneously to the rise of social media, the Western cultures, new Asian markets, digital commerce, and completely different outlooks of style and menswear, surely is a difficult task.
The core theme of the demise of TFH, and of the up-coming collapse of other Japanese denim brands, to me, is the failure to evolve.
Surely, the Japanese, after a century of industrial and social innovation, are not guilty of being stagnant?
My opinion, having observed this hobby for almost 15 years, is that the issues with some of the brands stem not so much from a strict adherence to tradition, as Westerners tend to generalize in regards to Orientals. Rather, the problem here is how many of the denim brands have their identity pinned to their founders, and how some of the founders continue to exert iron grips on the directions and designs for these brands, despite many of them sitting firmly in retirement age.
Too often, many of these once-cool brands have been started, and operated, as a serious hobby by their now aging founders. Numerous examples within this hobby tell us that these brands rarely survive their bosses getting old, let alone their retirement. The devolving process of RMC over the past years is instructional in this matter. A hobby brand will only last as long as the youth of the hobbyist.
Perhaps it is my work life bleeding onto this blog, but I do see many of our favourite brands in terms of Erikson’s stage of psychosocial development. The last two stages, in particular: Will a brand be generative or stagnant in its maturity? Will a stagnant brand maintain integrity, or fall into despair? Brands don’t die the same way people do, of course, but they can go bankrupt or sold to a fashion conglomerate or passed down to a disinterested son. Denime, White’s Boots, RMC, etc. There are many examples in our hobby already.
I contend that the lack of opportunity for influence and assistance from younger talent, foreign or domestic, is an important reason why brands such as TFH could not adapt successfully to the market places of the 2010’s. Having new & fresh energy winds back the clock for these hobby brands.
A successful international denim brand has to do so much these days: different cuts for different parts of the world, fighting for industry resources which are often taken over by industrial giants like Uniqlo and invaded by foreign companies such as 3Sixteen, developing and changing social media strategies, branding yourself in the correct way in different markets, navigating the Japanese denim niche populated by fickle retailers and hobbyists.
Can an ageing Japanese biker who loves 501s tackle these challenges by his lonesome?
Hard to say, probably not.
The better question is, will he allow himself to find the right help?
It is not surprising to me then, that the Japanese brands which are doing well are the ones which are decentralized and constantly innovating, the ones which are branching out far beyond reproduction Levis jeans, making their products street and casual friendly, the ones which do not rely on the passion of one man to fuel its growth.
Tanuki Inc., the Japan Blue Group, Studio D’Artisan – companies such as these are well set-up to thrive in the next decade. You will see how they are structured differently from TFH.
Operations such as the Osaka 5? Maybe not so much – we will watch them fade away, or get sold on (Denime, SDA)…… if not already, then in the next years.
So, what is to become of our hobby then?
I have no doubt that reproduction clothing and vintage-style menswear will always be a niche, serviced by a handful of dedicated but small-scale makers. This will not change.
Attempts by some at launching Japanese denim into high fashion have largely failed, and I do not see (and do not hope) that haute-denim will be a thing.
As it is, and will be in the short future, casual wear and street wear will be where innovative Japanese denim brands will find new fans. The brands which can make the furthest inroads into these huge consumer bases will be the ones which will thrive in the next decade.
For now, let’s take a moment to remember The Flat Head.
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Gonna have to hand wash this T from now on. 😅 Peek the triple stitched collar! @corlection @flathead1996 #theflathead #corlection #selvedge #indigo #americana #denim #rawdenim #selvedgedenim #fabric #denimhead #japan #heritage #vintagestyle #retro #jeans #details #melbourne #mensfashion #menswear #style #textures #blogger #craftsman #rugged #japanesedenim #workwear


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Technology -> Data Management
Released: 21st January 2013
London, 21st January 2013, Bett 2013, Stand F341: Bloxx, the innovator in Web and email filtering and security, today announced that it is inviting attendees of Bett 2013 to test its genuine real-time Web filtering capabilities by taking the Bloxx Anonymous Proxies Challenge.
“Anonymous proxies present a huge challenge for educational institutions today” said Graham Twaddle, CTO at Bloxx. “Unless organizations have a Web filter which can analyze and categorize content in real time, tech-savvy students can simply circumnavigate web filtering solutions put in place. We believe that Bloxx leads the market in anonymous proxy detection and we’re asking Bett attendees to come to the stand and test it against brand new anonymous proxy sites created.”
In addition to the Anonymous Proxies Challenge, Bett attendees will be able to view live demonstrations of:
Attendees will also be able to register for a 14 day evaluation of the Bloxx Virtual Web Filtering Appliance at the stand.
Bett takes place at ExCEL from Wednesday 30th January to Saturday 2nd February 2013. More information on the show is available on the show website, www.bettshow.com
Published by: electronicdawn Ltd.


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http://mmajunkie.com As a reminder, tickets for June’s “Strikeforce: Los Angeles” event go on sale today.
The rare mid-week fight card, which takes place Wednesday, June 16, at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, features Bobby Lashley, Robbie Lawler and K.J. Noons on the
Showtime-broadcast portion of the event, and their opponents will be announced soon.
Tickets, which range from $40 to just $100, go on sale to Strikeforce e-newsletter subscribers today (1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT) and to the general public on Saturday, May 1 (1 p.m. ET).
Today’s pre-sale tickets are available utilizing the password, “EXPLODE,” which was mailed to Strikeforce e-newsletter subscribers earlier this week.
Tickets can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com or by phone at (800) 745-3000.
The mid-week date for the event was selected in order to coincide with the Electronic
Entertainment Expo (E3), a popular trade show for the computer and
video-game industries. The conference provides a platform for promoting
Electronic Arts’ MMA title, EA Sports MMA. Strikeforce will make a major
appearance in the video game as the “premier league” in which fighters
The game is expected to hit shelves in late 2010 as a competitor to the
bestselling “UFC Undisputed” franchise that THQ and the UFC launched in
(Pictured: Robbie Lawler)


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Although smartphone brand HTC Corp. (???) posted a more-than 40 percent month-on-month sales increase in September, several brokerages remain cautious about the firm's bottom line and expect the company to report losses for the third and fourth quarters.
Among the downbeat foreign securities houses, one U.S. brokerage said that the effect of HTC's newly launched smartphones, such as the HTC One A9s, the HTC Desire 10 Lifestyle and the HTC Desire 10 Pro, which were said to serve as drivers for its September sales growth, are expected to fade from November.
In addition, contract production of Google's Pixel smartphone series, which was unveiled earlier this month, is unlikely to boost its profitability too much, the brokerage said.
Amid caution toward HTC's earnings prospects, the U.S. brokerage said it is possible that HTC will incur losses for the second half of this year after the company registered NT$6.87 (US$0.22) in loss per share in the first half of the year.
As a result, the brokerage said that it has maintained a target price of HTC shares at NT$48 and has left unchanged an "underweight" recommendation on the stock.
Under Taiwanese regulations, CNA is prohibited from reporting the names of foreign brokerages when they give price forecasts for specific stocks.
On Friday, HTC shares extended momentum from the session earlier on the back of a strong rebound in sales for September, up 0.67 percent to close at NT$89.70. The market was closed Monday for the Double Ten National Day holiday.
In its latest sales report, HTC said that its consolidated sales for September reached NT$9.33 billion, up 41.8 percent from the previous month. The September figure was also up 31.35 percent year-on-year.
Nonetheless, HTC's consolidated sales still fell 41.72 percent in the first nine months of this year from a year earlier, to NT$55.91 billion, an indication of escalating competition in the global smartphone market.
In addition to the effect of the newly unveiled models and contract production services provided to Google, HTC also got a boost from its efforts in promoting its first virtual reality headset -- the HTC Vive -- which went on global sale in April.
However, an Asia-based brokerage said that the Vive sales were just a small fraction of HTC's total revenue and that the figure was not "real" at all in terms of the smartphone brand's bottom line.
The Asian brokerage said it has maintained a target price of NT$41 on HTC shares, while urging investors to cut their holdings in the stock.
Also cautious about the HTC Vive sales, a European brokerage said that HTC is expected to sell about 140,000 units in the third quarter, unchanged from the second quarter. The forecast was shy of a previous market estimate of more than 180,000 units.
The European brokerage said it has also maintained a "sell" rating on HTC shares, while leaving unchanged a target price of NT$41 on the stock.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel


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Dedicated Lightroom fans will find Lightroom mobile a fine lean-back photo-editing experience, but it needs a little bulking up before it's enough to attract new subscribers to the fold.
Pricing not available
With its sub-$200 price tag, 4G LTE, and Android 4.1 OS, ZTE's Source is a prepaid smartphone for the budget-conscious.
Office supply retailer lays out some hard numbers for shrinking PC sales. Tablets are where the action is.
The CIA is paying AT&T $10 million a year for call records used to help track down suspected terrorists, says The New York Times.
Online retail giant dedicates a section of its online store to selling 3D printers and supplies in another step toward the devices becoming mainstream.
The LG-built Google smartphone has been in and out of stock -- mostly out -- since its November launch. LG answers some questions about how that came to be.
Supplies of Apple's popular notebook computer have become scarce online, a good sign that a refresh is on the way. Given the timing, Apple is likely to wait until its new OS "Lion" hits the shelves.
Automotive News reports on a cabin tech deal between Nissan and Bosch.
The carrier says it will do its best to get the smartphone to customers on October 14 or October 15.
As fallout from the earthquake and tsunami continues to devastate Japan, the tech industry there has come to a screeching halt. As production is suspended at several major companies, what long-term effects will this have on global supply and prices of popular electronics? CNET's Kara Tsuboi takes a look.


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iPhone 15 Pro: Limited? Add any Android to your pocket!
A17 bionic is only expected for Pro models. As in 2022, the new SOS can be compared with the new model – the SoC A17. But contrary to what happened last year, in 2023 the difference will be clear, since the new processor is already based on 3nm process, and therefore it will also be considerably more efficient.
Despite its similarities to those that the TSMC has to manage these production lines, and that the pressure for the performance of the chips could be broken at that time, the truth is that this A17 Bionic will be completely amazing, far from what Qualcomm or MediaTek would possibly offer.
YES, YES! Let a computer do the trick.
As for the new A17 Bionic, the first benchmarks achieve a single core performance of 3986 points. This while the multicore performance is 85%. If you look at this iPhone 14 Pro, you’ll see a very good performance increase. The SoC A16 Bionic has been used at 2504 and 6301 points in the same test (GeekBench).
The new chip whose evolution will depend on the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro Max will continue the development. This is important for the fact that TSMCs complete three-nm production quota is already in Apples hands at the end of the year. With the advanced power of an Android smartphone, the next generation of processors will continue to be built on 4nm. Therefore, for serious performance, you should always look at the latest iPhone.
Having this, and the fact that Apple is thinking about adding more RAM and implementing a completely borderless OLED screen, the iPhone 15 (and Pro Max) looks like a really awesome upgrade!


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Last year was the year blockchain broke into mainstream public consciousness. Bitcoin investing soared to new heights as its value increased multifold, mom-and-pop investors — which even include teenagers — were throwing their hard-earned cash at virtual currencies, in hopes to reap a sizeable dividend.
Then, there were the ICOs, or Initial Coin Offerings, a funding mechanism that allows startups to use cryptocurrency to raise money instead of going by the usual VC/angel investor route. At e27, we have received a fair amount of requests from companies asking us to write about their ICOs over the past year.
But is this trend sustainable? Will we see the cryptomarket crash or correct itself this year? Are cryptocurrencies and ICOs legit or should there be more stringent vetting? What is the future of blockchain?
Here to tackle these questions is Ron Hose, who is the founder of blockchain-enabled mobile payments platform, Coins.ph. It allows anyone including those without a bank account to access financial services such as remittances, mobile air-time, bill payments, and online shopping at over 100,000 merchants.
Coins also use bitcoin and a few other ledgers to facilitate cross-border transactions.
The startup has raised over US$9.4 million from investors Quona Capital and global internet and entertainment conglomerate Naspers Group.
Besides running Coins, Hose, a Cornell graduate with a Masters in Computer Science, is also the founding partner of early-stage VC Innovation Endeavors. Ron also previously founded video conferencing startup TokBox, which was backed by Sequoia Capital and Bain Capital and was eventually acquired by Telefonica.
Here is the edited excerpt:
As the founder of a payments platform, how does blockchain help it deliver better services?
Some applications blockchain may not add much value; for others, blockchain fundamentally changes the function — like how the product behaves. Our industry — payments — is a good example of that.
Because the structure of a financial service built on top of blockchain is fundamentally different from a closed ledger business. And if you take into consideration of how you construct the product for consumers — it’s quite involved. If you already have an ongoing product it’s very hard to change and adapt.
There’s a bit of an advantage for players who can build it from scratch.
So, for example, with traditional remittances, you had to deposit money at a window, then have that money transferred to a bunch of financial intermediaries before eventually arriving at another country, With blockchain, you can immediately conduct party to party (p2p) transfer without any intermediaries.
What are your thoughts on ICOs? Do you think they are fishy?
It’s hard to speak about ICOs in one swop. I think that ICOs still lack some form of a review process. We can kind of imagine the next 12 or 18 months, there will be more clear regulatory frameworks to try to separate the different types of ICOs. Whether it’s a utility token, equity or currency-backed token.
And then when you look at equity-backed ICOs, you can imagine a variety of firms that will assess the underlying offering to ensure that there is actual substance behind it.
Right now it’s a bunch of people raising money and you have to know which ones are legitimately building vs. other ones that they are hoping they are building something of value or might not have the tools to really do that.
The fog of war will dissipate very quickly, and investors will realise that companies are still companies. They are going to be evaluated for their business potential and something that is nothing but a white paper probably doesn’t justify an upfront of US$20 – 30 million before there is some traction. Those days that are going to end quickly.
Is this heavy climate of bitcoin investing healthy for the economy and for investors?
I am a big believer in blockchain and I’m a big believer in the things that it enables for us to do — for example, find better venues to raise capital. That capital might not actually be for a startup; it may be for a non-profit project or many different things. The fact that there are walls being broken is very exciting.
I think it’s very important they [bitcoin investors] understand its limits. The economy doesn’t change. Mechanisms change but the economy stays the same, Money is not created from nothing. So bitcoin will go up in value if only if people perceive value in using it as a transaction medium or as a form of storage of funds. Whether that is going to happen or not, no one knows.
This is very important because people are hearing about bitcoin for the first time and they need to be aware that bitcoin is volatile and it could go up or it could go down. We need to caution people not to invest in money they cannot afford to lose.
Another interesting thing is how in general the perception of goods, commodities and investments are changing. Our generation is already used to trusting in banks and traditional institutions, etcetera. So if it’s online, it might not be so trustworthy to us.
But people in their 20s who were born in the age of the internet have a different perception, they are used to consuming services directly from mobile, etc.
Do you see cryptocurrency becoming the de facto means of conducting financial transactions in the future?
I don’t know. Blockchain and crypto will converge with the banking system, it’s going to be an evolution of the financial services. Blockchain is going to allow banks and financial institutions to provide services in a much more efficient way.
So it might be that we use government-backed fiat tokens to transact very rapidly. Or crypto token may also be used as more of a fund storage. Either way, the places of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology are cemented.
But in the future, consumers may not be exposed to that. Kind of like in the early days of the internet when people were using modems and dial-up to connect to the internet and type in commands; that’s gone, right?
Today, you don’t think of TCP/IP when you access the internet. I think everybody will be using cryptocurrency one way or another in the future but they will just not know it, because they will still be using their traditional bank; but in the background, some form of blockchain transactions or digital assets are going to be used to settle those things.
Some prominent investment firms have labelled cryptocurrency as a scam. What is your reaction to this?
Those who say it’s a scam are a bit behind the times. I mean what gives things value is based on human decision; it’s scarcity.
I mean, what gives a rock (gold) value, right? In a way beyond its utility for sure. For cryptocurrency, it’s the same thing, one generation is used to trusting in rocks, the other one is comfortable trusting in digital assets.
Mining bitcoin is very energy intensive — making it environmentally unfriendly. Do you think this will remain a problem in the future?
If you look at ethereum it’s moving out from proof of stake, so there are ways to mitigate that. You have to remember all these tech are still very nascent. We are still at the very early beginning.
I think it’s just now we are starting to build out protocols that are more efficient.
Eventually, like in all other markets, there will be competition; if another ledger is able to offer the same level of security for transactions but with a lower mining cost, then that will gain traction. You see it now with bitcoin cash, actually.


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O2 and Virgin Mobile to hike mobile prices by up to 17.3% – here's what you need to know
Millions of O2 and Virgin Mobile customers will be hit with price hikes of up to 17.3% in April, the mobile providers' parent company has confirmed.
15 February 2023
Virgin Mobile customers will be migrated to O2 plans from March – what you need to know
The move will apply to all Virgin Mobile customers – those with handset plans (phone and Sim) and those on Sim-only deals. Customers will be migrated across automatically and shouldn't actually notice much difference as O2 has been powering Virgin Mobile's services since the end of last year.
13 January 2023
Millions of Virgin Media customers to be hit by £56/yr price hike – but here's how you can beat the rise
But while you can cancel penalty-free, we've learnt Virgin Media is offering automatic discounts to those calling for a better deal, while MoneySavers have told us haggling has resulted in even bigger price cuts.
25 January 2022
O2 and Virgin Mobile pledge to keep free European roaming for mobile users
It means holidaying Brits can use their data, calls and texts as they would in the UK.
10 January 2022
Virgin Mobile to increase prices for millions from July
Virgin Mobile is to hit millions of mobile customers with price hikes of 1.5% from 1 July. The provider has confirmed it started to notify affected customers about the increase in early May - but you won’t be able to cancel penalty-free unless you are out-of-contract.
25 May 2021
140,000 Virgin Mobile customers face April price hikes
Around 140,000 pay-monthly Virgin Mobile customers will see their bills rise from April because the operator is scrapping some of its tariffs, MoneySavingExpert can reveal
25 February 2020
Virgin Mobile to offer free data or day's refund after outage
Virgin Mobile customers who were affected by Tuesday's outage will be offered free data or compensation, the firm has announced
16 May 2019
Virgin Mobile to increase prices – and furious customers find out during major outage
Virgin Mobile customers have expressed their displeasure at an upcoming price rise – revealed to them on a day a service issue meant many could not make calls, send texts or use data
14 May 2019
Virgin Mobile announces price hikes for 250,000 customers
About 250,000 Virgin Mobile customers will see their bills rise from April
21 February 2019
Virgin to hit 1.6m mobile customers with 3.3% price rise
Virgin Mobile is increasing pay-monthly contracts by 3.3% plus the price of out-of-allowance calls and roaming costs
11 May 2018
12 motoring MoneySavers
Including beat insurance hikes
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NatWest, RBS and Ulster Bank to close at least 100 branches in 2024/25 – here's the full list, plus alternatives19 April 2024NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and Ulster Bank, which are all part of the NatWest Group, will shut at least 100 of their bank branches in 2024/25, after RBS announced a further 18 closures.
Got a text, email or letter from the Met Police? Don't ignore it – you may need to act to protect yourself from scams18 April 2024If you got a text message or email from the Metropolitan Police between 4pm and 6pm on Wednesday 17 April – or you get a letter in the next few days – don't ignore it.
Co-op Bank customer? You could be moved to Coventry Building Society in future – here's what's happening18 April 2024The building society has today agreed to a potential takeover of the high street bank – though it's still very early days and the deal needs regulatory approval.
16 April 2024If you have a Chase current account, you may be able to get a table-topping 5.1% easy-access savings rate to go with it, as the bank has launched a new, temporary bonus offer for some existing customers.
16 April 2024If you've got a Spotify Individual, Duo or Family account you'll see prices rise by up to £2 a month (equivalent to £24 a year) in a month's time, the music streaming service has announced.
16 April 2024It is a national tragedy that getting on for a million pensioners, many of whom have been paying into the system for years, are missing out on a critical boost to their income. It's called pension credit, and this year it also means you get an extra £650 to help with energy bills.
Martin Lewis: Energy bill credit – how much is too much? Stop the rip-off and get back £100s, by understanding the monthly direct debit energy cycle…26 March 2024Martin Lewis dissects how much energy bill credit is too much, and when it's best to ask for it back
2 April 2024
26 March 2024
Clever ways to calculate your finances


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Albanians in the Region are the most worried about prices, 92% consider them high
Although in the first months of this year Albania had the lowest inflation rates in the Region, its citizens are the most worried in relation to the other 5 countries regarding the high level of prices, the Balkan Barometer 2022 revealed.
As can be seen from the attached table, about 64% of respondents in Albania are totally dissatisfied with the level of prices, as they consider them high and unaffordable with their income.
Albania had the highest percentage of people who were very concerned about prices at around 64% compared to the regional average (52%). The data from the tables show that 92% of Albanians are worried and dissatisfied with the level of prices, while 84% of Bosniaks, 72% of Serbs, 59% of Kosovars, 84% of Montenegrins feel this way.
Albania had no citizen who considered the price level normal, while in other countries of the Region, this category occupied from 1 to 10%.
The survey data show that Kosovo Albanians had the lowest levels of dissatisfaction with prices in relation to the countries of the Region, while Albanians from Albania had the highest.
The statistical data of the countries show that Albania had the lowest level of price increase this year. In May, inflation in Albania was 6.7%, while in Bosnia 14.4%, in Serbia 10.4%, in Montenegro 11.7%, Macedonia 11.9% and Kosovo with 12.5%.
The World Bank recently pointed out that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in the Balkan Region does not necessarily reflect the inflation experienced by the poorest households, as their expenditure composition differs from that of the average household and this is more visible in Albania.
Households in the poorest decile experience systematically higher inflation than the average and wealthiest households. In the case of Albania and North Macedonia, the CPI reflects more closely the composition of the consumption of the richest households than of the average households.
The higher inflation faced by the poor partly reflects the higher burden of food spending. For an average household in the Western Balkans, food is the largest expenditure category, ranging from 28 percent of total expenditure in Serbia, to 44 percent in Albania and 52 percent in Kosovo.
The share of food in monthly expenditure is highest among the poorest families, who spend up to 78 percent of their total consumption expenditure on food.
According to the official CPI, in the entire region, in 2021, food prices increased faster than the total basket of goods tracked by inflation, except for North Macedonia./Monitor


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You’ve probably heard it’s hard to make money in the App Store, but not for a small few. Last quarter, a staggering 94 percent of App Store revenue generated in the U.S. went to just the top 1 percent of app publishers, according to new data.
Tired of just tapping your way through The Simpsons mobile game, creating your own private Springfield, waiting for your energy donuts to replenish?
It appears that publisher Electronic Arts has heard your “Doh!” and has added a new bit of gameplay to The Simpsons: Tapped Out that is not-so-sneakily just like that of hit free-to-play game Clash of Clans.
Super-popular iOS strategy game Clash of Clans has received a major update — most notably adding a slew of new Hero abilities.
Version 5.172 also features numerous gameplay enhancements involving flyers, freezers, boosts, clan co-leaders and gem overgrowth. On top of that, there are various interface improvements, balance tweaks, performance improvements, and the usual unspecified bug fixes.
Apple has today announced that the App Store has surpassed a whopping 40 billion downloads, with almost 20 million seen in 2012 alone. A record-breaking December, helped by another successful Christmas, boosted this year’s figures, with more than two billion downloads during the month.


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Earlier this year, one of the ongoing Apple v. Samsung disputes ended in a landmark jury verdict of nearly 1.05B in damages. Lex Machina released a report a few months ago covering the largest patent verdicts to date in 2014. The past several years has seen an upward trend in jury verdict award amounts in patent cases. These damage awards are usually the result of patent disputes over expensive high-value and high volume products such as medical devices and smartphones, and less frequently, pharmaceutical drugs. The large verdicts are thus often cases where there are a lot of units, each with a large royalty. Many of these verdicts involve patent cases between competitors, with a relative few involving non-practicing entities.
What’s curious about this uptick in patent verdicts is that they are happening without the juries being made aware of any such trend. Juries tend to make large damages awards based on the evidences presented at trial, rather than any showing of a trend. Thus, these damages are based on the technology and evidence of infringement presented at trial. Further, though such an uptick exists, the percentage of patent lawsuits involving such damages is less than 2%. It will be interesting to see if this trend in high jury verdicts continues. As some studies have shown, there has been a dramatic decrease in patent cases filed since the Alice Corp Ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court. It will be intriguing to see if this decrease in filings has any effect on the amount awarded in patent cases.
Here are some of the high-jury verdicts that caught significant media attention in 2014:
1. 1.57B Marvell v. Carnegie Mellon University (Patents; Award adjusted by Judge in 2014)
2. 1.05B Apple v Samsung
3. $393 Million in Edwards Lifesciences v. Medtronic (Patents)
4. $283 Million in ViaSat v. Space Systems (Patents) (overturned to 100M)
5. $131 Million in Alfred E. Mann Foundation v. Cochlear Corp (Patents)
6. $120 Million in Apple v. Samsung (Patents)
7. $107 Million in Mylan v. SmithKline (Patents)
8. $105 Million in Power Integrations v. Fairchild Semiconductor (Patents)


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MURRAY Goulburn will axe 60 tanker jobs at four of their sites, including Rochester.
In a letter to suppliers the cooperative said that due to the reduction in their milk intake, they need to reshape their inbound logistics (IBL) business to support their milk-collection needs.
‘‘Over the last 18 months, as our milk intake has decreased, we have managed logistics through a reduction in our seasonal workforce, use of annual leave and accumulated hours,’’ the letter said.
‘‘However, the sustained reduction now requires more decisive action.
‘‘Today we advised our IBL teams that there will be a reduction in approximately 60 tanker operator roles in Koroit, Leongatha, Maffra and Rochester and a number of support roles.
‘‘To minimise the impact on our people, we will be seeking to make changes to rosters and offering voluntary redundancies in the first instance.’’
Rochseter ward councillor Leigh Wilson said it was disappointing but inevitable.
‘‘I believe 11 full-time jobs will be going,’’ he said.
‘‘At this stage we are not sure how many casual jobs will go.’’
The factory is set to be shut in January 2018.


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BUSINESS — Westside Pizza moves to new location in Port Angeles
Westside Pizza owner Tanner Stephens slices a pizza at his restaurant's new location at 612 S. Lincoln St. in Port Angeles. Benny Vincent is in the background greasing pans.
By Peninsula Daily News staff
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Sequim picks its design for the new City Hall and police headquarters -- 12/10/13 -08:57 AM
Look for Santa's Toy and Food Fire Brigade tonight through Friday night in Sequim neighborhoods -- 12/9/13 -11:20 PM
Today's PDN Page 1 . . . and read faster, absorb more -- 12/9/13 -07:04 PM
PENINSULA HOME FUND — A 'hand-up' as a former social worker remakes his life -- 12/9/13 -07:01 PM
The business held a soft-opening in the new spot last Tuesday.
The move to the roomier location, according to owner Tanner Stephens, will allow the restaurant to offer inside dining for patrons.
Westside Pizza's new home, the former Blockbuster Video building, has 3,500 square feet of space and can provide seating for up to about 75 people.
Stephens said the restaurant will be family-friendly with a 46-inch flat-screen and two 55-inch flat-screen televisions “that are perfect for watching sports.”
Several video games also will be available.
The restaurant offers six beers on tap, available by the pint or pitcher.
Employees from the restaurant's former downtown location will join new employees for a total of 20 pizza-makers.
Hours are from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
For more information, phone 360-457-9900 or visit westsidepizza.com.
Last modified: October 13. 2013 9:00PM


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Oct 15, 2013 United debuts an in-flight magazine, titled Rhapsody, for high-end and business travelers.
Oct 15, 2013 And not everybody is happy about it.
Oct 9, 2013 Many travel industry employees -- hotel staff, rental car drivers, curbside baggage checkers -- receive tips. What about flight attendants?
Oct 7, 2013 Nielsen starts measuring conversations about TV shows on the social networking site.
Oct 4, 2013 Imagine you’re a business that relies on advertising revenue, but it’s unclear how many of your customers are bots or not. Meet Twitter.
Oct 4, 2013 Twitter plans to go public and trade shares under the ticket symbol "TWTR". More details about the company emerge as it has made public its papers for an S-1 Initial Public Offering.
Oct 3, 2013 Living where you work, working where you live.
Oct 1, 2013 How will Twitter monetize its user base?
Sep 26, 2013 Will this prove to investors that the social network can make money?


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DETROIT — Mazda introduced the fourth in its series of concept vehicles based on the Nagare or “flow design” language. Called Furai, the vehicle is a racecar version of the style. Designers led by Franz von Holzhausen, chief of North American design for Mazda, applied the shapes, inspired by wind and water, to the duct work and interior of an actual racecar chassis.
The Furai is intended to be propelled by a rotary engine, which Mazda alone of major automakers persists in pursuing.
The car is built on a chassis from the company’s racing team. Mazda ran a vehicle with a related chassis and engine in the American Le Mans series until two years ago. The Furai itself will not race, but could do so, Mr. Von Holzhausen said. The interior is Nagare at its most poetic blob and bulge, “inspired by Japanese koinobori — the decorative ‘climbing carp streamers’ of Japan.”
Mr. Von Holzhausen pronounced the name, which means sound of the wind, fur-rye, but it is aptly close to the English “fury” which one could apply to the Furai’s impressive roar, at least as demonstrated by the video at the stand. “Nothing sounds like a 450-horsepower rotary engine,” said Mr. Von Holzhausen. The engine, like so many other concepts here, runs green; it is powered by ethanol.
The Furai, however, was upstaged in many eyes by its predecessor, the Taikai, which was the third entry in the flow series and first shown at the Tokyo Auto Show last fall. The Taikai’s almost Gothic folds and laps and L.E.D. accents could have done by sci-fi Gothic film designer H.R. Giger. It wears what I would call rear wheel skirts but Mazda designers said take off from “the image of “a pair of Hagoromo — the flowing robes that enable a celestial maiden to fly in Japanese legend — floating down from the sky.”
Another in the trio of Nagare cars is Ryuga, introduced in Detroit last year and on view again here this year in the Louis Vuitton Classics Award display.
“There is lots of innovation in green engines and so on, but often there is less invention in the design,” Christian Phillipsen of Louis Vuitton said a few minutes after the Furai’s introduction. “But Mazda’s designers are showing a lot of imagination and innovation.”
Dramatic and imaginative as they are, the trio of Nagare cars have struck many as impractical.
With Furai, Mr. Von Holzhausen said that Mazda “wanted to demonstrate Nagare as functional.”
He added: “It’s not just about beauty but about brawn. And it blurs the lines between racecar and road car.”
The Furai shows that the forms can have function — they can cool oil and provide downforce for racing. But they do not show how Mazda call produce a sellable, street product with the design language.


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It’s been called the world’s most popular game that you’ve never heard of. An online video game called Roblox and it has over 100 million accounts and its advertised as all ages, but it’s mainly geared towards kids. Newsbud just received a copy of 3 separate criminal complaints filed with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies concerning online adult predators targeting children. Help spread awareness of the potential risks to children’s safety when playing online games such as Roblox, join our campaign on Twitter and share this video with the #RobloxPredators hashtag.
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The app launched on Android back in April
The Facebook Gaming app is unlikely to be available on iOS devices anytime soon as it is seemingly in violation of Apple’s ‘rules’.
According to a report from the New York Times, Apple has rejected the Facebook Gaming app for at least the fifth time. “Since February, Apple has rejected at least five versions of Facebook Gaming, according to three people with knowledge of the companies, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the details are confidential,” the report reads.
“Each time […] Apple cited its rules that prohibit apps with the ‘main purpose’ of distributing casual games,” the report states. The article goes on to claim that Apple does not want its own App Store and Apple Arcade business to be affected. By allowing other companies to offer their own games stores on the iPhone and iPad, Apple would presumably lose a considerable amount of revenue.
“Games are by far the most lucrative category of mobile apps worldwide”, the New York Times stated. “Apple’s App Store, the only officially approved place for iPhone and iPad users to find new games and other programs, generated about $15 billion in revenue last year.”
Facebook Gaming offers gamers a complete gaming platform with a dedicated social network and the ability to live stream gameplays. Furthermore, the platform also offers its own games inside the app, which seems to be the main cause for Apple not approving the app.
The Facebook Gaming App was first released on April 20 on Android. The company has been awaiting Apple’s approval to get it running on the App Store, but it’s now likely that users are going to have a long while before the app gets approved.


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Evaldas Rimasauskas, a 50-year-old man from Lithuania, pled guilty to one count of wire fraud, admitting he and some unnamed conspirators scammed Google and Facebook into paying over $100 million for work that never actually took place.
Posing as Quanta Computer, a Taiwan based laptop manufacturer, the phishing scheme netted $23 million from Google in 2013 and $98 million from Facebook in 2015, according to a Bloomberg report.
Prosecutors don’t allege that Rimasauskas was directly responsible for convincing the companies to send the money, but believe he created the infrastructure by which the money was sent and delivered.
According to allegations, Rimasauskas registered and incorporated a company in Latvia using the Quanta Computer name and sent fraudulent phishing emails to agents from Google and Facebook regularly involved in directing business with Quanta. He asked that money for services rendered by the real Quanta Computer be sent to a different bank account in Latvia and Cyprus, accounts controlled by Rimasauskas.
Read the original article here: cnet.com
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A recent report suggests that a turbocharged powerplant could power the next-gen Porsche 911 GT3 RS. Historically, the 911 GT3 and 911 GT3 RS have been naturally aspirated. For today’s TOTD (thought/tack of the day), we want to know if you think Porsche should turbocharge the next 911 GT3 RS.
At present, the 991 series Porsche 911 GT3 is motivated by a 3.8 liter naturally aspirated 6-cylinder engine, which is good for pumping out 468 horsepower with 324 pound feet of torque, though some of those cars have experienced engine fires. The report suggested a turbocharged mill could alleviate the reliability issues associated with a high performance naturally aspirated engine.
While the 911 GT3 keeps its conventional engine configuration, the manual gearbox has been replaced by a PDK dual-clutch 7-speed transmission, showing Porsche will break from tradition if necessary. While it would be easier to extract more power from a turbocharged 911 GT3 RS that setup could make redundant the 911 GT2 and 911 GT2 RS – the automaker’s highest-performing turbocharged versions possibly squeezing them out of the lineup.
The current 911 Turbo S’ 3.8 liter twin turbocharged 6-cylinder engine churns out 560 horsepower with 516 pound feet of torque.
In other radical developments, the company is said to be considering the rear-steering system of GT3 for the Cayman. The sportscar might also get a new 4-cylinder engine boosted with electricity to make 400HP. Porsche’s next 911 GT3 RS, no matter what form it takes, is expected to debut by 2015 at the latest.
Image Courtesy – www.worldcarfans.com


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Meego PR 1.2 Update is Relesed for Nokia N9
A couple of weeks ago, we heard about the plan of the Meego PR 1.2 update for the Nokia N9. The update is significant for the owners of the handset and in case you missed the announcement, here are some of the details.
The update will offer the automated face recognition and the Nokia N9 will be the first smartphone in the industry to receive it. Once the update is applied, users can enable it in the application settings. The feature allows users to tag photos in the contact list and after a face is tagged, the phone can remember the settings related to a specific contact. The update has been in the works for some time and Nokia’s development team has been quite passionate about improvements the Nokia N9 will get.
Nokia N9 will also get significant improvements in camera performance, three frames can be captured every second at 5.5Mp resolution with zero shutter lag. It means, users can capture nine images by pressing down the shutter for three seconds. Additionally, the camera grid function helps users to properly align stationary objects. To do this, users can line up the horizontal lines on the viewfinder with the horizon to get a perfectly straight shot. When taking pictures of tall objects, such as building, the vertical line in the viewfinder can also prove useful.
Video recording features are improved too; users can trim a clip and add some extra effects from the handset itself. With the new update, recording videos and editing are easier and much faster. Nokia also revealed that FCam with HDR will be released soon; it means developers can use the library to create relevant apps. For example, a new app called Panorama is being developed to take advantage of the improved camera.


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Connect with top gaming leaders in Los Angeles at GamesBeat Summit 2023 this May 22-23. Register here.
Barnes & Noble has released its new $249 Nook Tablet today, following Amazon’s lead by unleashing its e-reader/tablet hybrid on the market a day early.
“Nook Tablet is the best wireless reading and entertainment tablet in the 7-inch class, and the customer response has been even greater than anticipated,” said Barnes & Noble CEO William Lynch, in a statement. “At these super-low prices, Nook Tablet, Nook Color and the $99 Nook Simple Touch represent the highest-quality portfolio of reading and entertainment products on the market at the best value.”
The new $249 Nook Tablet is in a precarious position as it will fight head-to-head this holiday seasons with the much-hyped $199 Kindle Fire, which was released two days ago. Both tablets feature 7-inch screens with 1024-by-600 resolution and run a modified version of the Android operating system. But when it comes to design, content selection and apps, the two tablets differ greatly.
The Nook Tablet looks almost exactly like the now-$199 Nook Color, but it features better specs. Inside the Nook Tablet is a 1.3-GHz dual-core processor, 1 GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage (upgradeable to 48GB with an additional 32GB microSD card). By comparison, the Kindle Fire has a TI OMAP4 dual-core processor and 8GB of on-board storage (but it can tap Amazon’s cloud for additional storage).
Unfortunately, when it comes to media options on the Nook Tablet, Barnes & Noble isn’t as robust as Amazon, which sells movies, TV and music. Barnes & Noble doesn’t have an integrated digital music and video store, but the company said it is working to remedy that issue. For now, the Nook Tablet’s focus will be on e-books, color magazines, textbooks and Android apps.
Are you interested in picking up a Nook Tablet or Kindle Fire this holiday season?
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Navistar International Corp. has revealed that it will use SCR emissions-aftertreatment systems supplied by Cummins Emissions Solutions on its MaxxForce engines that power its International medium-duty trucks, starting in the first quarter of calendar year 2014.
The SCR announcement was included in the truck and engine maker’s release on its Q2 earnings. The company noted that it was “turning its focus” to adding SCR to its medium-duty products as its “heavy-duty launches [are] essentially completed.”
“We will introduce SCR in our medium-duty engines at the beginning of calendar year 2014, and we selected Cummins as our aftertreatment supplier,” said Navistar executive vp & COO Jack Allen yesterday, in a conference call with analysts on the earnings report. “For the past nine months, our engineering efforts have centered on adding SCR to our big bore engines. And now, this effort shifts to medium duty. And we're going to move as quickly as possible, but we won't compromise any of the quality gains we've made. And with this plan, we expect to avoid NCPs [Non-Conformance Penalties]on medium-duty engines, and it's likely we'll even have [emission-compliance] credits left over.”
As for its financial performance, the company reported a Q2 2013 net loss of $374 million, or $4.65 per diluted share, compared to a Q2 2012 net loss of $172 million, or $2.50 per diluted share. Excluding discontinued operations, Navistar recorded a Q2 2013 loss from continuing operations of $353 million, or $4.39 per diluted share, compared to a Q2 2012 loss from continuing operations of $138 million, or $2.01 per diluted share.
According to the OEM, the year-over-year decline was “mainly due to lower volumes and higher pre-existing warranty adjustments of $164 million in the second quarter 2013, primarily related to EPA 2010 emissions level engines.” Navistar said the year-over-year drop was “partially offset by $60 million in lower SG&A [Selling, General and Administrative Expenses] expenses and $32 million in reduced engineering and product development costs this quarter versus the same period one year ago.”
The company added that manufacturing revenue in the quarter was $2.5 billion-- down 23% from the second quarter of 2012. “The decline reflects a 14% drop in overall industry demand and lower market share during the company's emissions strategy transition,” Navistar noted. “This was partially offset by stronger volumes in the South America engine business.”
"We are not satisfied with our overall financial results this quarter, but we are pleased with the continued progress we made in a number of areas on our turnaround plan," stated Troy Clarke, Navistar’s president & CEO.
"We still face some significant, yet solvable challenges, primarily in the areas of higher pre-existing warranty costs for our earlier EPA 2010 emissions level engines, as well as in rebuilding sales and restoring market share,” he continued. “However, we are already implementing the right leadership and business process changes to effectively address these priority issues."
Regarding that point, the earnings release noted that the company recently announced the hiring of Bill Kozek, who previously had served as general manager of rival OEM Peterbilt Motors, to run its North America Truck & Parts group, and the naming of Bill Osborne, who spent more than 20 years in the automotive industry before joining Navistar in 2011, to head up global quality.
As for the warranty issue, in the analyst call, Allen said that the OEM had “a handful of the EGR-related quality issues with our 2010 engine launches that resulted in higher-than-anticipated warranty expenses, and we're fixing them. We launched a field campaign earlier this year. We thought it would take about 18 months to complete. But customers told us, we needed to move faster, and it was impacting our ability to sell trucks.
“So we refocused our plan and put more resources on it, and we accelerated our response,” he continued. “And now five months into the process, the EGR valve campaign is more than 68% complete. We focused on getting this done, and we anticipate it will be largely behind us by the end of the summer.
Clarke also stated that Navistar had “delivered on a number of our near-term priorities this quarter. We exceeded our cash guidance, continued to over-achieve on our structural cost reduction efforts, and obtained regulatory approval for our MaxxForce 13-liter engine with SCR, which we launched on time in our ProStar truck the last week of April.
"We were also pleased with our ongoing progress in shedding non-core assets that are not providing adequate returns on investment,” he continued."In the second quarter Navistar completed the sale of its equity interests in its India truck and engine joint ventures; completed the sale of its Workhorse Custom Chassis brand; and subleased a portion of its Cherokee, AL, manufacturing facility to a railcar manufacturing company. Already in the third quarter, the company has sold its RV business.
Turning back to product, Allen remarked the OEM’s new SCR-based heavy-duty models are the “highest quality trucks we have built in more than a decade and they have improved fuel economy, a combination that positions us to hit our previously stated goal of stronger sales and increasing market share during the second half of 2013 and into 2014. We are off to a strong start as May orders were up 38% versus the average sales rate for the previous quarter, driven higher by strong interest in the MaxxForce 13-liter with SCR and the ProStar ISX.”
In the conference call, Allen said that “Back in 2009, Navistar Class 8 market share was in the mid-20s,” noting that at that time the OEM’s main heavy-duty product was the ProStar with the Cummins ISX and Navistar’s 13-liter. “Our share bottomed out in first quarter of this year at 14%, and we finished Q2 with 15%. So clearly, we have work to do, but we're headed in the right direction.“
Also during the conference call, Clarke emphasized that Navistar has “a solid plan. One we've consistently said will take us 12 to 18 months to execute. I believe this quarter's performance reflects continued progress on our near-term priorities, while pointing out that we still face a few significant yet solvable challenges.”