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Ford Motor (NYSE:F)
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2 Meses : De Jan 2020 até Mar 2020
Ford miscalculated on California deal, confusing auto makers' plans
By Mike Colias, Ben Foldy and Andrew Restuccia
This article is being republished as part of our daily reproduction of WSJ.com articles that also appeared in the U.S. print edition of The Wall Street Journal (February 4, 2020).
When Ford Motor Co. Executive Chairman Bill Ford Jr. called the president last spring, he was hoping to defuse what was looking like a lengthy legal battle over the nation's fuel-economy regulations for vehicles.
The Trump administration wanted to significantly ease U.S. environmental rules. California had sued to stop that. The car industry was caught in the middle. Mr. Ford, calling from his Dearborn, Mich., office, urged the president to broker a compromise with California, according to people with knowledge of the conversation.
President Trump was puzzled and told Mr. Ford his view was out of step with his industry peers. "He basically said: 'You're on your own' " to Mr. Ford, one of the people briefed on the call said.
The call was part of a nearly yearlong push to fend off the expense and delays of competing fuel standards, but Ford miscalculated the White House's appetite for a deal. Its efforts ultimately backfired, putting it at odds with the administration and other big car makers.
When Ford eventually made its own deal with California last summer, it drew an antitrust inquiry and spurred the administration to speed up efforts to strip California's authority to set its own tailpipe standards.
It also irritated Ford's biggest rivals, including General Motors Co. and Toyota Motor Corp., which have since sided with the Trump administration on the issue.
The industry -- more polarized than ever -- is now facing a confrontation that could last for years, leaving it in a costly limbo.
The Trump administration in the coming weeks is expected to finalize new fuel-economy rules that significantly dial back the targets adopted under President Obama. Mr. Trump's legal fight with California, the state that is the U.S. auto industry's biggest market, is expected to be bitter and drawn-out.
It is part of corporate America's struggle, three years in, to find a way to operate with the Trump White House -- where a disagreement could launch a barrage of negative tweets and when dramatic policy shifts come without warning. In the auto industry, none of the major players have managed to forge a way forward.
In its own deal with California, Ford agreed with the state to meet targets tougher than Mr. Trump's proposal but still tamer than the Obama-era requirements. Executives hoped the agreement would show the White House and other auto makers that California was willing to compromise.
Mr. Ford said the pact will allow the company to plan its vehicle lineup without being at the mercy of a legal fight. "We have this heavy commitment to electrification," he said in an interview. "This is where the rest of the world is taking us anyway. If you start to add it all up, a giant rollback wouldn't have helped us at all."
Three other car companies -- Volkswagen AG, BMW AG and Honda Motor Co. -- followed with similar agreements with the state.
In October, GM, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV and Toyota sided with the Trump administration in challenging California's authority. The companies said at the time they believed the federal government is best positioned to set a single national standard. Their decision drew praise from Mr. Trump.
"This has put the auto industry in a quagmire," said Brett Smith, a director at the Ann Arbor, Mich.-based Center for Automotive Research.
Unsure which side will win, car companies still need to move ahead with planning new vehicles that are designed and engineered years in advance of hitting showrooms, Mr. Smith added.
The nation's fuel-economy regulations, in place since 1975, have broad influence, including on a vehicle's engine and the mix of models offered. The existing rules were agreed to in 2012 in collaboration with California, when gasoline prices were higher, and sought to cut U.S. tailpipe emissions in half for new cars by 2025.
In recent years, average fuel prices have stayed well below $3, and U.S. car buyers have chosen heavier, less fuel-efficient SUVs and trucks, which made the regulations tougher to hit. Executives lobbied for more flexibility.
The industry initially saw an ally in Mr. Trump. Days after his inauguration in January 2017, the chief executives of Ford, GM and Fiat Chrysler met with the president at a White House breakfast. They asked him to consider a review of the Obama-era rules, believing them outdated.
Ford's then-CEO Mark Fields was outspoken on this point, arguing publicly that the regulations would hurt U.S. manufacturing jobs. Two months later, at a rally in Michigan, Mr. Trump agreed to re-evaluate the rules.
By spring 2018, auto executives were getting nervous. The White House signaled it wasn't only looking to ease the regulations, but to break with California, which under the Clean Air Act can request waivers to impose stricter pollution controls than those of the federal government.
More than a dozen other states follow California's rules -- covering more than 40% of U.S. vehicle sales -- leaving manufacturers concerned about differing regulations.
At the industry's urging, Mr. Trump asked administration officials to negotiate with California. They were to meet with Mary Nichols, an environmental lawyer who was first appointed to the state's powerful air-resources board in 1975. California's waivers have long afforded its regulators vast influence over setting auto-market standards.
Talks with California didn't get far before the EPA issued its proposed rule in August 2018, confirming what many auto executives feared: Rather than merely relax the targets, the White House wanted to freeze the requirements altogether at 2020 levels, nixing the 5% annual improvements set under Mr. Obama. That would forgo about one-third of the greenhouse-gas reductions expected when the current rules were agreed to.
Administration officials said the proposal would boost sales and lower sticker prices, enticing more buyers. Mr. Trump has said the move was intended to help the U.S. auto industry.
In recent months, the Trump administration has shown a willingness to bend -- the final rule is expected to include a 1.5% annual increase in the fuel-economy targets, rather than a wholesale freeze.
California and environmental lobbies are still gearing up for a fight. Environmental groups ran an ad in several U.S. newspapers in January focused on GM, Toyota and other auto makers who sided with the Trump administration, saying the companies were "attacking crucial clean-car standards that are helping to address climate change."
Environmental leaders have praised Ford's California deal, after having criticized the company previously for not opposing the proposed rollback. In May 2018, Public Citizen, a consumer-advocacy group, drove a Ford sedan with a faux black cloud protruding from its tailpipe to the company's headquarters with a sign reading: "Don't let Ford roll back clean air standards!"
For the 62-year-old Mr. Ford, such criticism was bothersome, colleagues said. He considers himself an ardent environmentalist, spending much of his Ford career championing green causes, including the industry's first hybrid-electric SUV and insisting on a sustainable roof, planted with greenery, on Ford's largest factory.
By early 2019, he had dispatched a top lieutenant, Joe Hinrichs, to Washington to press the White House to negotiate with California. Mr. Hinrichs, president of Ford's automotive operations, met more than a half-dozen times over several months with senior White House officials, including Vice President Mike Pence, said people with knowledge of the meetings.
In one, Mr. Hinrichs urged senior adviser Jared Kushner to reach out to California Gov. Gavin Newsom, whom Mr. Kushner had joined months earlier to survey wildfire damage, and ask about a compromise, the people said.
White House officials felt they were getting nowhere with California, believing the state was slow-walking talks in hopes Mr. Trump would lose the election in 2020, according to current and former administration officials.
California, meanwhile, felt the administration was insistent on revoking the state's waiver and not interested in compromise, Ms. Nichols said. "The administration's desire to get California completely out of the picture was always sort of hanging over our head," she said.
Around this time, Ford staffers had been quietly talking with California regulators about a fallback plan that eventually evolved into a deal.
After the failed call to Mr. Trump, Mr. Ford convened a meeting with Ford Chief Executive Jim Hackett, Mr. Hinrichs and other executives about dealing directly with California as a way to align the company's U.S. emissions goals with stiffer rules overseas.
Ford executives discussed possible backlash from Mr. Trump, but Mr. Ford said customers might reward them for opting to meet more stringent environmental targets, said a person who attended the meeting.
Company executives thought the California agreement could be an olive branch, showing state officials were willing to meet Mr. Trump halfway, said Mr. Hinrichs in an interview. "We wanted to continue the dialogue, and encourage others to continue the dialogue," he said.
The White House was no longer interested in talking.
Ford wasn't an obvious candidate for pushing stiffer fuel-economy rules. The company's truck-and-SUV-heavy lineup ranked third-to-last in fuel economy of 13 major auto makers, according to the most-recent EPA data. But the company has new hybrid and electric vehicles in development that will help improve fuel-efficiency, executives reasoned.
Honda, already a leader in fuel economy, came to terms with California, encouraged by Ford's move, people familiar with the matter said. Volkswagen, investing billions into electric cars, also signed on, seeing the proposed freeze as out of step with emissions regulations in its two biggest markets, China and Europe, said one company executive. By mid-July, California also had a commitment from BMW.
Other car companies were approached, but GM was purposely left out. The group worried the company was meeting with the administration and would try to derail their effort, Ms. Nichols said.
When the pact was publicly revealed July 25, the president was frustrated, telling advisers he felt betrayed by the companies, according to White House officials. Mr. Trump believed he had given them what they had asked for and couldn't understand why they were siding with California. He later tweeted that company founder Henry Ford -- Mr. Ford's great-grandfather -- would be "rolling over."
GM executives were irritated, too, having been excluded from discussions, according to people familiar with their thinking.
A month after the California deal was revealed, Ms. Nichols said her team flew to Detroit and met on the 39th floor of GM's headquarters with Chief Executive Mary Barra to discuss joining. After hearing the proposal, Ms. Barra believed the terms didn't offer enough incentive for electric vehicles, a major focus for the company, people briefed on the meeting said.
California officials tried to recruit other auto makers. The governor personally called a Toyota executive. The company felt the deal de-emphasized hybrid cars, its specialty, and wasn't eager to provoke the administration, which has threatened import tariffs on foreign-built cars, according to a person briefed on the exchange.
Inside the White House, anger was festering. The administration wanted to prevent other auto makers from joining, and accelerated efforts to revoke California's waiver.
In September, the Justice Department dropped another bombshell: It had opened an antitrust investigation into whether Ford, Honda, Volkswagen and BMW had violated federal law in forging their pacts with California.
The probe blindsided Ford executives and some felt it was politically motivated, according to two people with knowledge of the reaction. A company spokeswoman said Ford is cooperating with the Justice Department.
A White House spokesman referred questions to the Justice Department, which declined to comment on the accusations. At the time the probe became public, a person familiar with the investigation said the Justice Department's antitrust division is acting on its own accord and without direction from or coordination with the White House.
The shock of a federal investigation had a chilling effect on the ongoing talks between the four auto makers and California, as well as the state's efforts to recruit others.
BMW, Volkswagen and Honda all said they planned to adhere to the California deal regardless of other companies joining, but declined to comment further.
White House officials began calling car companies not aligned with California to muster support for the administration's efforts to remove the state's waiver, according to people at those companies and administration officials.
GM was initially reluctant to take a stance, and other auto makers, including Toyota, didn't want to intervene without GM, the U.S.'s largest auto maker by sales, making the first move. A weekend call in October from a senior White House adviser persuaded GM executives to publicly back the administration, the people said.
The following Monday, GM, Toyota, Fiat Chrysler and two other car companies said they sided with the Trump administration. More auto makers joined the group shortly after.
Ford executives said they would stick to their agreement with California, even if most competitors haven't followed. "We believe we're on the right side of this debate for the long term," Mr. Hinrichs said.
Write to Mike Colias at Mike.Colias@wsj.com, Ben Foldy at Ben.Foldy@wsj.com and Andrew Restuccia at Andrew.Restuccia@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
February 04, 2020 02:47 ET (07:47 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2020 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.


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Ivy Chen who has been chosen as the nation’s tourism ambassador to South Korea is seen at a book launch on Saturday.Jan 07, 2013FULL STORY
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1China plans to build on Scarborough Shoal: report
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The Culinary Arts students catered an event on July 11 hosted by the Department of Labor.
Culinary Arts Students Ivan Garcia, Deandre Reyez, Markeyta Bowen, Sherman Williams III and Tiffani Chambliss traveled to the Federal Office Building in Chicago to prepare the food for more than 100 federal workers who were attending their annual awards ceremony. The menu included a varied selection of appetizers, including tomato bruschetta, citrus crab salad in cu-cumber cups, asparagus with toasted sesame mayonnaise, house marinated olives, traditional cheese plates and traditional fruit plates.
The students served rich chocolate brownies, their famous peanut butter cookies and traditional French vanilla cream puffs for dessert.
The students began preparing for the trip early in the morning on Monday and worked throughout the day. They set up tables, plated the items, served the guests and cleaned up. Their hard work and dedication did not go unnoticed. Thony Martino, regional director of Job Corps, commented that the guests were very appreciative, and many of the guests thanked the students for their work, adding that the food was delicious.


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Launching their debut fragrance Our Moment, Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik and Niall Horan whipped their fans into a frenzy at the official unveiling in London.
It seems everything they touch turns to gold and we expect this latest release from the UK’s biggest pop export, One Direction to be no different.
SEE MORE ONE DIRECTION PICTURES
The fragrance, which will launch exclusively at Harrods on 25 August before becoming available nationwide in September, contains pink grapefruit, wild berries, redcurrants, jasmine and freesia tones and comes packaged in a pink floral bottle with crown detailing.
Speaking at the launch at London’s iconic Gerkin skyscraper heart-throb Harry Styles said: “It’s been a long and exciting process and we’re really proud to have made a One Direction fragrance."
SEE OUR NAIL ART AND DESIGNS EDIT
All five bandmates were at the event to show their enthusiasm for the new venture, with Liam Payne adding: "We love the idea behind a fragrance as you mix individual scents to create something so much better!"
No doubt the hardcore 1D fans will be queueing up around the clock to get a chance to smell like their favourite boyband.


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Huawei in talks to acquire Chinese automakerMay 3, 2021
Chinese mobile technology manufacturer Huawei is planning to acquire a local car brand. At the moment, no official data on a possible deal is known yet.
In February of this year, there were rumors of a possible shift towards the auto industry for Huawei. It is currently the world’s largest manufacturer of telecommunications equipment. The Chinese company announced sales of the Seres SF5 crossover in April, and now it looks like Huawei is looking to expand its auto business.
The firm is in talks with Chongqing Sokon to acquire a controlling stake in Chongqing Jinkang New Energy Automobile, according to a new report. Reuters claims that the information comes from “two people who are directly aware of what happened,” although this is obviously not official information yet. The Seres brand is considered one of the main assets of the company.
Reuters reported that both companies have denied the rumors, and a Huawei spokesman said that “Huawei does not make cars.”
He also added that the tech giant has no intention of acquiring controlling stakes, and Chongqing Sokon simply did not respond to comments.
Analysts see Huawei’s potential entry into the auto business as an opportunity for the company to offset the decline in smartphone sales due to US sanctions. Huawei recently announced deals with three Chinese automakers to supply its operating system for their vehicles. The next logical step seems to be a potential acquisition of a small car brand.
Negotiations are under way for a potential acquisition of Chongqing Jinkang New Energy Automobile, according to Reuters. For now, Huawei will continue to sell the Seres SF5 crossover in some of its flagship stores across China. Prices start at RMB 246,800. for the all-wheel drive model and 216,800 yuan for the 2WD variant.
Not so long ago, AutoTimesNews wrote that Chery and Huawei will create the car of the future together. The overwhelming majority of Russians are familiar with Huawei from its “mobile” business.
- This heavily modified BMW i8 Roadster costs $ 140,000
- In Brazil, a warehouse of 96 Chevrolet cars from the 90s was found in one shed
- DAMD tuning studio unveils updated Daihatsu Taft with Land Rover Defender design
- Chevy, Ford and Toyota Prepare 3 Race Car Debuts for NASCAR
- Mercedes-Benz has started deliveries of the premium Actros Edition 2 truck


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Microsoft's Interactive Online Streaming Dilemma
Microsoft’s partners seem to be having a hard time finding success
in Media Center with interactive streaming plug-ins available through the ‘Explore’
(Online Spotlight) section of Media Center.
Several partners have seemingly dropped support for Media Center
notice over the past year and with the lack of a worldwide presence for
the applications you have to wonder about the future of Media Center as
a streaming platform.
MTV Networks pulled their applications for MTV, MTVU, VH1,
and Comedy Central months ago with no reason as to why. Just last month the Queensberry
Fight Network launched a Media Center application, yet today it is nowhere
to be found. And finally with the downfall
of Yahoo! and AOL web properties, Microsoft is having a hard time keeping third
party content available within Media Center.
So my question is, with Microsoft clearly targeting
streaming as the future (and present) of the digital home, is it hurting the
Media Center platform and Microsoft’s long term goal for streaming dominance to
have all these companies come and go with such limited success?


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It was a rare opportunity: Produce an advertising campaign to debut a consumer brand developed by a local company.
Even more unusual, the job entailed an ambitious national -- rather than regional -- rollout of a new, untested name in the high-end sunglass business.
The Brownstein Group didn't hesitate.
Now on the job 11 months, the Philadelphia agency is readying to unveil its work for Huntingdon Valley-based Native Eyewear.
"How many brands are launched from Philadelphia?" asked Berny Brownstein, the Center City ad shop's chief executive officer. "Few and far between. This is a real Philadelphia story."
Brownstein will get to tell that story to the pros at the National Sporting Goods Association Show in Chicago on July 17-19.
The buying public, meanwhile, will get its first look at the brand by means of the national Van's Warped Tour this summer; Native Eyewear will pitch a product tent at the rock festival.
Brownstein was especially interested in the work because it was given a blank page with which to work.
"It was a rare opportunity," said George Schott, Brownstein's vice president of account services. "We got to take it from the embryonic stage, position it, come up with a slogan, logo, everything.
"Most of time you're cleaning up someone else's mess. Or you're being passed the baton of a brand. That's good, too. You get to show your talents. But to be given something where the product doesn't even exist is even better."
When Jason Wildman, president of Native Eyewear, first approached Brownstein to handle his new brand, he didn't even have a finished product.
But the concept, a high-tech, ultra-durable pair of sports sunglasses, intrigued the Brownstein Group.
Wildman operates another company, Ultimate Vision, which licenses sunglasses to the National Football League, Major League Baseball, colleges and some Nascar drivers.
Native Eyewear plans to present five product styles at the NSGA show. Wildman said he spent about $1 million in R&D. If he succeeds, there's plenty of business to be had. The sports store sunglasses market is estimated at $1.8 billion by the Sunglass Association of America.
One of Brownstein's first assignments: come up with a compelling tag line. The winner: "Sacrifice Nothing."
"It means we have done everything for the consumer. Getting the highest quality, technically advanced, comfortable product at a good price and good image," Wildman explained.
Nearly a dozen slogans were considered before the decision was made to go with "Sacrifice Nothing."
Native EyeWear products tout "techy" features; these include Prismatic Crystal Carbonate lenses, Cushinol ear stems and nose pads, Gator-lok temples with cam-action spring hinges and Rhyno-Tuff frames. In other words, these features may be defined as offering impact-resistant clear vision lenses, comfortable fit plus a temple that can be replaced with a sports band (using the patent-pending Native Eyewear Gator-lok key).
"I think he's built a better mousetrap. ... Most of the other brands are marked up a lot and riding on hype. There's been a real fleecing of America as far as sport sunglasses go. The biggest attribute we're going to focus on is product meets expectations every time," Schott said. "We're selling the sizzle before the steak."
Rick Banker, president of the Sunglass Association of America, has yet to see what Native Eyewear is bringing to market, so he can't specifically comment on the company's products.
But Banker pointed out that other high-performance sunglass brands, such as Oakley, Gargoyles and Bolle, "are [all] going after a high-tech edge. ... Everyone says they're the best. And lots of sports glasses have polycarbonate lenses, nose pads and special hinges. Strength and materials is something they concentrate on."
Schott observed, though, that ad campaigns for those leading brands tend to focus on fashion and lifestyle. "They'll have a guy in a leather jacket who isn't even wearing the product. It's all about image," he said. Native Eyewear's campaign emphasizes product benefits.
"We're doing perceived value: a great pair of sunglasses at a great price. The ads are creative but we want to give consumers a reason to buy. We show an athlete wearing the brand and highlight four product attributes," Schott said.
Still, fashion isn't forsaken by the new brand. Even Schott conceded, "If the glasses don't look good, no one's going to buy them."
There's a definite "cool" factor built into Brownstein's launch of Native Eyewear to appeal to its target market: Predominantly male, ages 18-34, outdoor sports fanatics who revel in activities like mountain biking and the various types of boarding (snow, skate, surf).
Native's frames are built to look sporty and contemporary. Its logo, designed by Erik Silverson, a senior art director at Brownstein, features two stylized C shapes that are positioned to create the letter "N."
"It's aggressive looking, very balanced and has movement within itself," Silverson said.
That design is integrated into a 24-piece in-store display which includes a rack where the shelves are shaped like the logo.
Silverson handcrafted a font for Native Eyewear. "All the verticals and horizontals are tapered. The letters are angular. It ties into the idea of being sleek and aggressive, so it complements the logo."
Brownstein also created Native Eyewear's print ads, direct-mail pieces, brochures, trade show booth and packaging. The latter are fashioned so when piled atop one another two half-logos merge into one. Said Silverson, "The idea is to be a little more dynamic. It looks like the logo is dripping over the box. When stacked in a store it creates a larger display."
"Erik didn't create anything in a vacuum," Schott said.
"When you launch a brand, you can't let accidents happen," Brownstein added.
Especially when the brand's based in your own back yard.


text: European auto sales surged 15 percent in June, the biggest month-on-month increase in more than five years, the European carmakers’ association reported on Thursday. Still, analysts remained cautious because of the uncertainty caused by the Greek financial crisis. The region posted its 22nd consecutive month of growth in auto sales, with 1.36 million units bought, lifting half-year sales by 8 percent to 7.1 million, the group said. Carlos Da Silva, an analyst for IHS Automotive, said the stronger-than-expected growth was because of two extra calendar days of sales in June compared with May, as well as the effect of end-of-quarter accounting, when many automakers offer incentives to reach targets. “The market’s recovery is still fragile, even more so as a result of the ongoing turmoil in Greece,” Mr. Da Silva said.


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New research from Visa shows one in four now uses social media apps to shop but 19% have regretted a purchase.
Using social apps to shop is not confined to younger generations. 35-54yr olds and over 55s are also shopping for clothing, homeware, electronics and much more.
Coined ‘Swipe Up Shopping’, the study of more than 1,000 adults found that social media-fuelled purchases are being driven by those aged 18-34, with more than one in three already shopping this way.
Clothing and accessories are the most popular Swipe Up Shopping purchases across all age groups, with those aged 18-34 leading the trend.
However, almost one in five Swipe Up Shoppers (19%) have bought something on social that they regretted and 28% also admit to buying things on social media without thinking it through.
Additionally, despite the appeal of social media shopping, fraud is a concern for 75% of those surveyed.


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The Dow Jones rose 1.61% to 32,637.19 points, the Nasdaq index, 2.68%, to 11,740.65 points, and the broader S&P 500 index, 1.99%, to 4,057.84 points.
"Investors who think the market is undervalued have come forward," commented Adam Sarhan of 50 Park Investments, along with speculative traders who bought to cover their positions.
After a streak of eight consecutive weeks of decline, a first for almost a century (1923), the Dow Jones seemed able to close the week on a rise (+4.39% so far) on Thursday.
"This series of increases (over the week) is like a break," said Adam Sarhan, "a counterpoint."
“What this move inspires to some is that a lot of bad news has already been priced in” to market prices, said Patrick O'Hare of Briefing.com.
The approach to the end of the month also played a role, according to Adam Sarhan, with many managers making last-minute adjustments to their portfolios (“window dressing”).
The New York market also retained the good impression left by the minutes of the last Fed meeting, published on Wednesday.
He showed that the scenario, emerging this week, of a central bank which could slow down from September in its monetary tightening so as not to overwhelm American economic activity, was realistic, according to Joe Manimbo of Western Union.
Wall Street was also sensitive to the good figures published by several companies, particularly in the retail sector, which had started off on the wrong foot last week with Walmart and Target.
The department store chain Macy's (+ 19.31% to 22.92 dollars) thus did better than expected by analysts, as did the decorative items brand Williams Sonoma (+ 13.06%) or the distributor at low prices Dollar General (+13.71%), which even raised its forecast for the year.
A buoyant wind suddenly blew across the entire retail sector, benefiting Nordstrom (+5.26%), which had also exceeded expectations the day before, but also Walmart (+2.13%) , Target (+4.33%) or Home Depot (+3.15%).
No echo of China and its confinements, the Ukrainian conflict which tends to take a back seat in the news, "in this environment, the absence of bad news is good news", summarized Adam Sarhan, "c That's why the market is going up so much."
Operators also welcomed the announcement of the takeover of the remote computing specialist (cloud) VMware (+3.17% to 124.36 dollars) by the semiconductor manufacturer Broadcom (+3 .58% to $550.66), for an enterprise value of $61 billion.
The operation is a ray of sunshine for a sector which has just had a very difficult start to the year on the stock market.
The graphics card maker Nvidia (+5.16% to 178.51 dollars) benefited from results better than expected by analysts, even if its forecasts disappointed.
Twitter was also sought (+6.35% to 39.52 dollars), after the announcement on Wednesday that Elon Musk had raised the share of direct contribution he was putting on the table to buy the social network, to 33.5 billion dollars, against 21 originally planned.
The entrepreneur thus renounced the entire loan of 12.5 billion dollars guaranteed by Tesla shares that he was initially to subscribe, which earned a rebound in the title of the manufacturer of electric vehicles (+7.43 % at $707.73).
The Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba was hailed (+14.79% to 94.48 dollars) for its better than expected results.
The group benefited, unlike many others, from the sanitary confinements in China, which boosted sales on the internet.
Manchester United, listed in New York, was sanctioned (-3.77% to 12.52 dollars), after reporting a quarterly loss and an increase in its net debt, which occur at the heart of a calamitous season for the English football club.
© 2022 AFPKeywords:


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Lili Reinhart has been giving her skin a break from cosmetics during lockdown.
The 23-year-old actress usually has to wear make-up for long hours every day while she plays Betty Cooper in TV series Riverdale, so she has been using the enforced time off as an opportunity to give her skin a much-needed break.
“It’s interesting going from one extreme to another, like wearing make-up for 16 hours a day to wearing none at all,” she told U.S. Marie Claire. “I definitely have not been wearing make-up on a daily basis and because of that, I’ve been having to remind myself to keep up with my skincare routine during quarantine. I cleanse twice a day, moisturise, and all of those good things, but I have to remember to mask and exfoliate.”
In normal conditions, the Hustlers star loves to wear make-up that allows her natural skin to show through as well as clean products which don’t break the bank.
“I don’t like to spend $30 on a mascara. I look for a good deal when I can,” she explained. “Clean beauty wasn’t something I was super aware of until a few years ago. And I know that a lot of people are possibly naive to what’s actually in make-up. Now, everyone’s paying attention to what they put on their face so they appreciate accessible brands like CoverGirl that are cruelty-free, clean, and vegan. Make-up is not just this superficial thing, it’s very tied in with our self-esteem. Beauty is so important and because of that we need to make sure we are using quality products.”
Lili was named a brand ambassador for CoverGirl in October last year.
© Cover Media


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Huawei officially tells that the Chinese company is to launch the contemporary smart display on October 30 China. The teaser image released by Huawei tells of a smart display and a car, telling that tech is an in-car smart display. Earlier it was mentioned that Chinese manufacturers craft out a new smart display for cars, to be powered by the company’s HongMeng Operating System 2.0.
Rumors are it is a tablet size product with the availability of connection with Huawei smartphones for many added traits inclusive of music play, video streaming, phone calls, and others. Huawei is unstoppable with the launch of many products in 2020, specifically with the smart screens genre. The Huawei executive uncurtains about the Chinese brand’s goal of display creation four regions being: home, office, car, and sports.
It is certain that this new in-car tech ‘smart display’ is followed and following certain automobile products. Earlier in September, the company went ahead to register Huawei Electric Technology in the capital of 250 million yuan. The torch falls on extensive technical study, development, testing, and trade of technology related to intelligence.
Huawei’s Plan 2020
This year Huawei flagged HDC (Huawei Developer Conference) for the Car Smart Mobility sub-platform. The focus falling on cloud innovative service answers for cars that are of the generation. The findings are Huawei collaborating with Volvo and Hongqi.
The pipeline product the HiCar Center Screen has procured a Bluetooth certificate in September. The technical device is to have the support from HiCar which is Huawei’s own understanding of Android Auto. To have HongMeng Operating System at the root level.
Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd is a multinational Company in China. It runs in the top 3 mobile companies around the globe. The company has headquarters in Shenzhen, Guandong. Huawei has blood and sweat of Ren Zhen put together in 1987. The brands under the company’s name are Huawei along with Honor.


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Jane Bryan swung her shopping bags Monday afternoon as she talked about picnicking in the park and stopping in downtown Beaufort shops she hadn't yet visited.
She and her husband, John, might do this every day this week because they're as excited about the customer-appreciation free parking as the downtown merchants sponsoring it.
"We appreciate that someone thought about it and the merchants are doing this," Jane Bryan said as she chatted about all the reasons the couple are glad they moved to Lady's Island five weeks ago.
Two dozen business owners joined to buy 56 parking spots on Bay Street from Monday through Saturday, part of a week to thank the residents who support them. The stores split the $2,688 bill evenly and are giving away prizes in a drawing at 3 p.m. Sunday in the Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park.
Some businesses also are offering special touches, like food, discounts, music and games throughout the week. Participating stores have pink flyers in their windows.
The free parking is only on Bay Street, between Carteret and Charles streets, and meters have been covered with bags. Stickers on the bags explain why. The regular three-hour time limit applies, and the city's parking contractor, Lanier Parking Solutions, will monitor the spots.
At Indigo Gallery, owner Janet Deaton said most of her customers live nearby. She hoped the week would succeed not only in attracting dollars but in reintroducing people to downtown.
"They say parking is a problem, but ... it's not a problem this week," she said with a laugh.
John Weaver and James Axsome waited patiently on benches Monday while their wives, Lee and Martha Ann, popped in and out of the downtown shops. Now from the Orangeburg area, the Weavers lived in Beaufort for 15 years, and John Weaver remembers getting the occasional ticket when his meter expired.
"I think this is terrific," he said. He smiled and added, "And our wives are trying to support the merchants. I just hope they don't support them too much."


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Amazon.com King of Online Retail Jungle Second Year in a Row
Amazon.com has managed to retain its title as "king of the Internet jungle" for another year in a row being named number one on BIG research's favorite online retailers. Despite a slight decrease in online retail this year as consumers continue to remain cautious with their cash, Amazon recorded sales of $14.8 billion last year making it not only the most beloved online retail store but the largest in terms of sales as well.
Amazon continues to reinvent itself to its customers creating a great value. Soon it will be a one stop shop as it has increases its inventory of products from books, music and movies to now electronic book readers, motorcycles, ATVs and rumors are circulating saying wine will debut at the online giant soon. In addition to increasing its product line, Amazon has begun promotions such as "Daily Deals" and "Friday Five" on its Amazon MP3.
Paper Planes: A Wellington Boy's Reflection on September 11th
When the Twin Towers were hit on that fateful morning seven years ago, the sounds were heard all over the world. Wellington, New Zealand was no exception. Below was an email received by the US Embassy and Mission to Wellington, New Zealand a few days after the attacks on New York City and the Pentagon. The email was written by a Wellington "mum" sharing the story of her young son TK's response to the news. Who would have thought paper planes could mean so much?
My son TK (who will be 4 next week) watched as the American flag outside the American Embassy (in Wellington) was put to half mast yesterday morning. The embassy is across the road from TK's creche and after the flag was lowered, he asked why. His teachers explained to him that it was because a lot of people had been hurt, and then they (the teachers) suggested that the children take flowers over to the Embassy, as a mark of respect.
Kid Friendly Websites Make Learning Fun
Is your child struggling with their multiplication tables? Are you having a hard time finding ways to have them practice their grammar? No fear parents, we've collected some educational websites that make subjects like social studies, geography, math, English and science both informative and interesting for your students. Next time your kids need some help, use some of these websites. We think you won't have any trouble getting your children to practice their verbs or their states and capitals with these websites.
Columbine - A Father's Perspective on School Violence
On Thursday, May 8, 2008, Darrell Scott, the father of Rachel Scott, a victim of the
Back To College Buying is Billions; Some Retailers BlueIn recent years back-to-college bound students have been a life vest for many retailers but this year college students and their parents won’t be spending quite as many bucks as last year. Most families will be spending about fifty fewer dollars for back to school purchases ($600). That’s about a tank of gas required to deliver the college bound student to campus. They will need to keep the shopping lists simple. Educator W. McKeachie observed the best professors tend to keep it simple. He noted the best lecturers are known for using “a simple plan and many examples. ”
This retail season provides a multi-billion dollar benefit for stores. Back to school spending will exceed the $50 billion mark again this year. While back-to-college and back-to-school spending to reach over $51.4 billion this year, college students will be spending 7 percent less compared to last year.


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It seems like only yesterday that all the major carriers' CEOs were on stage at CTIA together at a keynote which doesn't mean that the wireless industry was not making announcements before President Bill Clinton takes to the stage on Thursday at 3:00 PM EST.
Here's a Round-Up of CTIA Wireless News for Wednesday May 9 that is TS2R:
- Sprint after its new device announcements, said it will completely eliminate its iDen network by the second half of next year. To send data over Wi-Fi, Sprint will offer Sprint connection optimize to offload data to Wi-Fi networks.
- Sprint and Qualcomm revealed the details of it HD Voice Service. The will be no added fees for it when available. The HTC EVO 4G LTE is the first US phone to support HD Voice but will come with the feature disabled until it can be updated for the network. HD calls can only be made to other HD handsets in CDMA 1x Advanced network areas.
- Clearwire will launch its LTE network on 5,000 cellular sites, and will have its first LTE handsets rolling out early next year.
- RIM released the new BlackBerry Curve 9320.
- The Samsung Galaxy Skyrocket HD has been cancelled by AT&T and Samsung.
- Android simplified for seniors will be coming the easy-to-read and operate phone maker Doro.
- Cricket will be announcing new devices in the Fall.
- Samsung bought mSpot cloud-based media/music. It will be preisnstalled on Samsung smartphones and tablets.


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People planning to book flights to Spain now have more options than ever open to them.
Low-cost carrier Thomson Airways has announced plans to introduce more services between Durham Tees Valley Airport and Alicante, the Northern Echo reports.
New flights will also be launched connecting the north-east to Sharm el-Sheikh and Tenerife.
Emma Ormerod, a spokesperson for the airport, said the news is an endorsement of the newlook twin terminal scheme that was announced by the hub last week.
Holidays in Spain are an excellent option for Brits hoping to escape the UK and take a break overseas in 2010.
Writing for the Telegraph, Annie Bennett noted that the country still has a great deal to tempt British holidaymakers with.
"Cities apart, driving is an excellent way to explore the country. There is a good motorway network, with tolls on some stretches, but the best drives are usually on smaller roads, where you often hardly see another vehicle," she noted.
Brits planning to book flights to Spain may be interested to learn that budget airline Ryanair has launched a new seat sale.
The carrier is releasing 500,000 £5 seats at midnight tonight (January 14th).
Discounts will apply to passengers travelling on selected flights on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays in February and March.
Holidaymakers hoping to book a cheap flight to Spain have been advised that they must do so before midnight on January 18th.
The majority of people taking flights to Spain and other destinations are in favour of the introduction of airport body scanners, according to new research.
A poll carried out by flight search site Skyscanner found that 66 per cent of travellers think the machines are a good idea.
However, 30 per cent of those surveyed said they disapprove of scanners, largely for privacy and health reasons.
Commenting on the findings, Barry Smith, Skyscanner's co-founder and business director, said: "As long as the machines are safe and any potential privacy issues can be solved, travellers are in favour of anything which will make flying safer and security checks faster.
Holidaymakers planning to take flights to Spain have been offered some tips on how to save money and stick to luggage restrictions.
Writing for the Daily Mail, Sarah Gordon noted that it can be hard to remember what items are permitted to be carried in hand luggage and what must be stored in hold bags.
"Airlines tend to allow around 20kg of luggage per passenger to be checked in for a flight, but there are differences so it is always worth checking with the airline before travel," she commented.
For those taking flights to Spain with Ryanair, she noted that it currently costs £15 to check an item of hold luggage in online.
Brits planning to take holidays in Spain over the coming year have been advised that there are a number of ways they can cut the cost of their trip.
According to Thomson and First Choice, travellers can save money by booking their break early, especially if they have young children and travel times are confined to school holidays.
"There will be less chance to grab a last-minute deal nearer the summer so if you want to get yourself a bargain and ensure you have the best choice in holiday, now is the best time to book," said Dermot Blastland, managing director of TUI UK and Ireland.
Other top tips include opting for a ten-day break rather than staying away for a fortnight, booking an all-inclusive package and shopping around for a good currency deal.
Brits booking flights to Spain have been offered some tips on how to stay flu free.
Writing for the Mirror, Nigel Thompson said there are a number of steps travellers can take to avoid catching colds and flu.
"Carry a pack of hand sanitiser. All you need is 100 ml or less and to apply it liberally, keeping your hands away from your mouth, eyes and nose," he noted.
Most people consider holidays to Spain and other destinations as the highlight of their year, it has been suggested.
Bob Atkinson, travel expert at travelsupermarket.com, said Brits would rather sacrifice luxuries such as new clothes and meals out than give up on their hard-earned breaks abroad.
"It gives us the opportunity to rest, relax, party or indulge in our interests, with more and more of us taking activity breaks, whether they are cultural, sporty or family-orientated," he commented.
Budget airline Ryanair has revealed its customer service statistics for the month of November.
Over 89 per cent of its flights to Spain and other destinations were on time, with 33,000 services leaving during their scheduled departure slot.
Furthermore, the carrier said it received less than one complaint per thousand customers over the course of the month.
"These statistics confirm that Ryanair delivers Europe's number one customer service to airline passengers," the airline claimed.
Cheap flights to Spain and other destinations are more widely available than ever before.
This is according to David Henderson, a spokesperson for the Association of European Airlines, who noted that budget airlines have helped to increase customer choice and put a premium on efficiency, with traditional airlines forced to face up to the competition.
"What the no-frills airlines are doing is offering 'a la carte' travel, where you pay for the basic trip and select your own add-ons, like baggage services, food, seat selection, in-flight entertainment et cetera," he commented.
Mr Henderson noted that a number of major airlines have also started to charge for on-board refreshments on flights to Spain and elsewhere, although most have "drawn the line" at charging for baggage.


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Waxworks of Lady Gaga are to be simultaneously unveiled in eight locations around the world, Madame Tussauds has announced.
Each figure of the pop star will be dressed in a different outfit made famous by the flamboyant singer.
The models, which will go on display next month, are being made in the same London studio at a cost of £1.2m.
"She is the perfect subject for the biggest figure launch in Madame Tussauds' history," a spokeswoman said.
Fans of the chart-topping singer will have to wait until the day of launch to discover which figure is displayed in their city.
They will be in London, Amsterdam, Berlin, New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Shanghai and Hong Kong.
Madame Tussauds added that the styles chosen for the waxworks would be "classic Gaga".
Among the looks that are set to be unveiled are the singer's latex body suit with Minnie Mouse-style buns worn on a visit to BBC Radio 1.
A lace body stocking and face mask topped off with a Marie Antoinette wig, which she wore at the Brit Awards earlier this year, will be another of the looks.
But Lady Gaga's dress made from raw meat, which she wore at the MTV Video Music Video Awards in September, will not adorn any of the waxworks.


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Rocket Lab announced an agreement Aug. 7 with a new Dubai-based smallsat company for 10 launches of its Electron small rocket.
Rocket Lab is postponing its next launch by a few weeks because of a technical problem, but the company says it is optimistic about its long-term prospects as demand for its small launch vehicle grows.
U.S.-New Zealand launch vehicle developer Rocket Lab announced Nov. 29 it plans to conduct the second launch of its Electron small rocket in December.
Wind conditions at the New Zealand launch site subsided, but the company said concerns about static electric charges led them to postpone the launch.
The company said Sunday that high winds at its New Zealand launch site prevented rolling the rocket out to the pad, pushing back the launch to late Monday.
Small satellite launch company Rocket Lab shipped its first orbital launch vehicle to the company’s Launch Complex 1 facility to kick off pre-flight checkouts ahead of a test campaign consisting of three trial launches.


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2018 China Intelligent Manufacturing Innovation Summit
June 28th-29th 2018, Shanghai, China
With the promulgation of the “Outline of China's Manufacturing Industry (2015-2025)”, our government will promote the technological transformation of China's traditional industries, promote the deep integration of industrialization and informatization, and accelerate the pace of China's transition from a manufacturing country to a manufacturing power. With the gradual implementation of “Industry 4.0”, high-tech applications such as mobile internet, big data, cloud computing, block chain and artificial intelligence, the manufacturing industry as a whole is transforming and upgrading toward the direction of intelligence and informatization. Intelligent manufacturing will become the most important proposition of China's economic development in recent years.
In order to further explore and exchange the advanced technology of intelligent manufacturing in our country, promote the basic theoretical research of intelligent manufacturing and share the achievements of the development of China's intelligent manufacturing industry, discuss the general trend of smart manufacturing development. “2018 China Intelligent Manufacturing Innovation Summit” will be held in Shanghai on June 28th - 29th, 2018. During the event, leading domestic smart manufacturing enterprises and leading solution providers will come together to discuss hot topics in the field of smart manufacturing, so as to find the best partners in the market.


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Yes Way Rosé is more than a hashtag and a pretty Instagram account, but up until now, it hasn't been able to call itself a wine brand. For the first time, the women behind the popular account with branded merch to match (the slogan is all over totes, beach towels, and candles) are launching their flagship Rosé of the same name. Coming to Target beginning on March 4, Yes Way Rosé is $13 per bottle, and you won't have any trouble finding it — it's the one with the packaging that looks like it's straight out of an Instagram page, because it is!
Best friends Erica and Nikki started the Instagram account in 2013 because of a shared love of Rosé over countless Summer dinners, and even they didn't know how well it would resonate. "We certainly weren't intending to start a brand, but we had a gut feeling that we were on to something; not just a wine trend but a community and an opportunity to celebrate female friendship," the duo said in a statement to Target. Thousands of #YesWayRose photos later, many of which you've likely seen in your own feeds, a new wine made in the South of France is born.
The light pink wine has notes of strawberry, citrus, and white peach, and it's dry and "refreshingly drinkable," according to the brand's statement. After its nationwide launch at 1,100 Target stores, more retailers will follow. An affordable Rosé made by two creative women who celebrate female friendship and a good bottle of wine? We'll raise a glass to that!


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Irish start-up accelerator Propeller Shannon draws entrepreneurs from across the world, delivering more business and insights to an already thriving industry.
“Ireland has a deep airline history, and the leaders of the Propeller Shannon accelerator, Brian and Clyde, are very well connected within the global airline industry,” says entrepreneur, David Hailey.
Hailey co-founded travel tech start-up Countalytics in Atlanta, Georgia, before traveling to Ireland to develop the business under the Ryan Academy accelerator program. Now his business has earned a place on the prestigious list of Top Travel Startups to Watch in 2019 by global travel industry intelligence service Skift, who describes it as “an inventory management platform with verve”.
Countalytics is just one of Propeller Shannon’s many success stories. Three of its start-ups — Airside Management, OneAire, and Block Aviation — are all finalists for the Rolls Royce Innovation Challenge. Another, Trustabit, was selected by Plug And Play to present to Star Alliance at their Innovation Day.
So how does an Irish-based program like this draw applications from across the globe and propel its start-ups to the fore of the travel tech world?
Cycle of success
“If you provide good mentors and great programs, you get a good reputation and attract really good start-ups,” says Donal Brady, who was the Ryan Academy’s chief executive until August this year. “Fundamentally, what they are looking for is very early-stage companies with innovative services solving a definite problem. The success of this approach speaks to the quality of start-ups we’re getting.”
The Ryan Academy was founded in May 2005 as a partnership between Dublin City University and entrepreneur Tony Ryan. Ryan, who died two years after the program’s inception, was the Irish billionaire, philanthropist, and businessman who founded Guinness Peat Aviation (GPA) and co-founded Ryanair. His accelerator program was one of the first in Ireland. In 2011, it provided the country with its first-ever angel fund. The partnership model is now recognized by the European Commission as a best practice case study in supporting entrepreneurs.
Brady believes that these roots play a part in making Propeller a very special accelerator. “One difference is the coalition with the university. There are a few critical elements to that — it means it was founded by a deep knowledge base, while the relationship with the Ryan family means we carry a deep entrepreneurship culture and we can leverage good industry connections.”
Propeller Shannon connects the dots
The Academy’s Propeller program commenced in 2011 with support from Enterprise Ireland. In 2018, it joined forces with the Shannon Group’s International Aviation Services Centre to create Propeller Shannon, an International aviation and travel tech accelerator program.
Already, the program has helped numerous start-ups to achieve international success in areas as diverse as B2B travel tech, cybersecurity, and aerospace components.
An Irish specialty
Ireland is the birthplace of duty-free shops and a leader in aircraft leasing. Today it is home to a collaborative ecosystem comprising over 100 travel tech companies. Brady says:
“Ireland’s culture places us in a unique position to address gaps in the travel tech industry. Our history of emigration and the fact that, as a small island we immediately think of the bigger, multinational market in business, gives us a particular approach to business and travel.”
Accelerators like Propeller Shannon are essential to this thriving industry. “A lot of travel techs start off as one-man bands,” says Brady, “and need support to develop and expand.”
The travel industry is rapidly evolving, with new priorities and customer expectations. “Today’s customers expect something more tailored, more personalized,” says Brady. “They don’t want to be just another tourist; they want authenticity and a unique experience.”
The kind of thinking required for a successful start-up – innovative, resourceful and adaptable thinking — is now more essential than ever for travel businesses. He adds:
“The accelerator helps speed things up, so that companies aren’t making the same mistakes as those that went before them. It speeds up the learning so the whole sector benefits.”
“For Countalytics, the main benefit of the program was industry contacts,” adds Hailey, “The Propeller team was able to introduce us to industry leaders from many of the top airlines in the world, access we would not have received without it”.
Last June, Propeller Shannon start-ups attended the Future Travel Experience show in Istanbul, which attracted its largest attendance in Europe to date. Airlines, airports, suppliers, start-ups, technology giants and disruptors gathered to discuss the future of the travel industry and explore solutions.
The event was a unique opportunity for Propeller Shannon participants to showcase their solutions. Ten Cohort 2 startups — Countalytics, Drone Consultants Ireland, Flightbuddy, Navifly, OneAire, SAR, Trift, TrustaBit, WalkABit, and Wanda — exhibited their products and services and had the opportunity to participate in a dedicated pitch session, followed by a discussion with a panel of high-level experts.
With events like this, Propeller Shannon is a chance for the start-ups, not only to learn but to showcase their solutions and connect with the right networks. Many of Hailey’s fellow cohort participants have now moved their companies to Ireland, “mainly because of their experience and the way the country embraces the start-up culture,” he says. No wonder, then, that the cycle of success continues.


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Francis J. Shammo may hold the key to the revival and long-term success of embattled wireless handset maker Nokia Corp. (NYSE: NOK). Shammo, CFO at Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ), isn't very happy with the huge subsidy his company is paying Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) for its iPhone and wants to push hard for a third operating system that would help reduce the chokehold Apple iOS and Google Android have on the market.
Don't underestimate Shammo or his counterparts at companies like AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile. For the last few years, these companies have been squeezed hard by Apple, which demanded a hefty premium from them before offering them the golden opportunity to sell its iPhone device. The subsidies cost AT&T and Verizon billions of dollars each year, and Sprint only recently agreed to pay about $15 billion to Apple for the same privilege.
Of course, the payoff to the service providers is huge. Smartphones are huge moneymakers for these companies, and even T-Mobile, which does not currently have an agreement with Apple, allows customers to activate jailbroken iPhones on its network. In fact, Verizon continues to dangle tempting carrots in front of customers who still use regular phones. Since these represent about half of all Verizon Wireless subscribers, their conversion to smartphone users (whether Apple iOS or Android) would boost revenue generated per subscriber at Verizon, according to Shammo during a conference call last week to discuss the company's first-quarter results.
"Our smartphone penetration is at 47 percent, which means that there are 53 percent of our phone customers that are still on a basic phone," Shammo tells us. "So we still have a lot of roadway here from a basic to smart upgrade."
Although Shammo likes the sales and subscriber boost Verizon gets from iPhone sales, the company is also smarting from having to pay subsidies in the range of $300 to $400 per each Apple smartphone. Verizon also isn't too happy that it has to pay substantial subsidies (though less) for Android phones and wants to break the duopoly established by the two wireless handset operating systems. Here's how Shammo explained it during the conference call:
Going forward, we will continue to look at opportunities to mitigate the cost of higher equipment subsidies and commissions. We have identified $2 billion of cost saving opportunities for this year, and we are on track to capture these savings. On the Apple iPhone, look, I think as I've said before, we look at every individual handset, we have a broad portfolio. We manage it handset-by-handset and manage our subsidy and again, that's just one aspect of our P&L. This is just a nature of this business that's grown from the beginning of the industry that we subsidize handsets.
I do think though it is important that there is a third ecosystem that's brought into the mix here. And we are fully supportive of that with Microsoft, and as we said that we created the Android platform from beginning. And it is an incredible platform today that we helped to create. And we're looking to do the same thing with a third ecosystem. So that's how I think that we plan to go into the future here.
A third ecosystem? That would be Microsoft Windows OS. And the company that is currently shipping a volume amount of Windows OS phones is Nokia, which rolled out the Lumia last year. So far, Verizon has not adopted the Lumia, but if it does, this will give the device incredible visibility with the service provider's customers. Plus, other service providers will probably follow; Verizon, the No. 1 US telecom company, leads, and others follow.
Suddenly, I am beginning to think the future for Nokia may not be that gloomy after all. But first, it has to give Verizon's Shammo something he can take to analysts and shareholders who have been hinting Apple is feathering its own nest at the service provider's expense. By the way, "carriers are mad as hell" with Apple, as a Wall Street Journal report puts it; but for now, the consumer electronics company holds all the aces. That's why it's working on the alternative -- but does Nokia and Windows OS really fit the bill?


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OPPORTUNITY: Dragon’s Den Auditions
Do you have the next big ‘thing’ in business? Dragon’s Den is currently holding virtual auditions!
Dragon’s Den gives aspiring entrepreneurs the opportunity to pitch their businesses to a panel of wealthy Canadian business moguls – the Dragons. Successful pitchers will have a chance to earn real investment – from the Dragons’ own pockets. They’ll be looking for the biggest and best deals from coast-to-coast.
For more news about the Cranbrook business community, click here!


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Rory McIlroy could sign reported 10-year, $250 million deal with Nike
Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods are good friends on and off the golf course, but next season season the top two players in the world could have something else in common. According to the Irish Times, McIlroy is reportedly being linked with Nike for a deal that could be worth upwards of $250 million.
McIlroy's deal with golf giant Titleist/FootJoy expires at the end of 2012, making the 23-year-old the most sought-after free agent on the equipment market.
The 23-year-old from Co Down has long been considered a sponsor's dream — clean cut, articulate and immensely popular worldwide — and according to London-based publication SportPro Media, he is the second most marketable athlete in the world behind Brazilian soccer star Neymar.
But while there has been industry chatter for the best part of the last three years that he is set to join sports equipment giants Nike, the noise has reached deafening levels over the past few months.
Sources consulted by The Irish Times insist that the move to Nike will become a reality when the Titleist/Footjoy deal expires.
Think about that for a second: 10 years, $250 million. It's a head-spinning figure that, in all honesty, is probably a little inflated. Back in 1996 when Tiger Woods first joined Nike, he signed a deal worth a reported $40 million over five years. In 2001, Woods re-upped with Nike for $100 million over five years.
Sure, there's more money in the sport than in 2001 when Woods signed the reported $100 million deal. But it's difficult to fathom McIlroy making more money than a guy who completely changed golf's financial landscape.
Even if McIlroy doesn't make $250 million, there's a good chance he could make close to $200 million, which would come out to $20 million per year ... or what Tiger Woods reportedly made in 2001.
Is McIlroy worth $200 million-plus? That remains to be seen. If you believe he's the second most marketable athlete in the world, then the figure makes sense. Plus, Woods is a couple months from turning 37, so the company needs a face for the future.
Signing a 23-year-old with two major championship wins for the same money Woods made, per year, in 2001 when he had 6 majors could be categorized as a huge gamble. But if Nike waits another five-to-10 years for McIlroy to sign with them, there's a chance they could miss the boat on a rising star. If you believe the Irish Times' report, that's a risk Nike doesn't want to take.
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UK inflation rate rises to 10.1% as food and energy prices continue surge
The Office for National Statistics announced inflation figures Wednesday as the U.K. undergoes a historic cost-of-living crisis and political turmoil.
Westend61 / Getty Images
LONDON — The consumer price index rose 10.1% in September, according to estimates published Wednesday by the Office for National Statistics, just exceeding a consensus forecast among economists polled by Reuters.
Reuters estimated an increase of 10% for September.
U.K. inflation rose in the year to September 2022 as the country’s cost-of-living crisis continues to hammer households and businesses ahead of a tough winter. Inflation unexpectedly dipped to 9.9% in August, down from 10.1% in July, on the back of a fuel price decline.
The inflation data will also impact the Bank of England’s approach for the near term, just as the Bank plans to sell off some of its government bonds, known as gilts, from Nov 1.
September’s inflation rate highlights the severity of the U.K.’s inflation crisis, and comes as the country weathers a period of economic volatility. On Monday the new British Finance Minister Jeremy Hunt reversed the majority of the tax cuts introduced by his predecessor, Kwasi Kwarteng, on Sept. 23, and Prime Minister Liz Truss apologized for “mistakes” that had caused severe market turbulence.
Questions are now being raised over how long Truss will remain in office.
This is a breaking news story, please check back later for more.


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This Mazda2 might be badged a Limited, but it is limited only in its dimensions.
The packaging benefits of transverse front-wheel-drive were obvious to BMW and the family-oriented 2-series is the first of many.
More than a third of cannabis smokers drive high, sparking calls for roadside testing technology.
Honda NZ is rolling up its sleeves for a legal scrap with a second-hand car retailer - all over three letters of the alphabet.
As Europe sharpens its emissions regulations opportunities will open for fast-acting NZ used car dealers.
A new Volkswagen recently named Europe's Car of the Year has arrived in New Zealand.
KTM’s edgy commuter single looks as if its ready for the track, says PAUL OWEN.
Sun, sand and straight roads present their own challenges in a different kind of drive in Dubai.
Next generation of the popular hatch to bring gesture controls to the mainstream.
It could so easily have been a Toyota Hilux "bugger" ad.
Self-driving cars could be hitting New Zealand's roads in the next few years, Transport Minister says.
Goodwood Festival of Speed will host the global public debut of the astonishing Bienville Legacy.
People snapped with bikes obscuring number plates on the back of vehicles could face a fine of up to $200.
The incredibly powerful and unusual Bienville Legacy motorcycle is to make its global public debut at the iconic Goodwill Festival of Speed next month.
This is how to do nearly NZ$30,000 damage to a day-old Chevrolet C7 Corvette Z06.
Two tourist drivers blamed fog and their GPS for driving at 60kmh in 100kmh zones, and stopping in the middle of the road.
"The car is the ultimate mobile device, isn’t it?" says Apple's senior vice president of operations.
Lamborghini confirms its entry in the luxury SUV market in signing a deal to produce the vehicle in Italy.
Ford is big on promoting its global sourcing of vehicles, however, here's one we all want but they won't give us.
New Zealand recorded the biggest increase in road deaths in 2014, according to international study.
Over 300 Kiwis have already ordered the new Mustang, and DAVE MOORE is pleased that his favourite Triple Yellow won't be too common.
New parking restrictions will hit commuters who leave their cars in Auckland's inner suburbs and walk into the CBD.
Generic alerts like "keep left" are provided every 15-20 minutes wherever user is driving.
When the Minister of Transport recently uttered that NZ was ''the most EV-ready country'' recently, one wonders what kind of research was involved in making that statement.
It's every driver's nightmare: being the first to test drive an all-new performance car, then wrecking it.
Hyundai thinks it has found the most seamless way yet to let drivers integrate their smartphones seamlessly into their cars.
Zagato's latest Italian design flair is the Maserati Mostro unveiled at the recent Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este.
Hyundai's luxury offering, the big Genesis sedan, is causing some debate in New Zealand.
When the Sorento was first introduced it assisted in transforming the whole Kia brand.
Like all people-movers, Mazda's MPV is very popular as a used import more than it ever was when new.
Mechanical breakdown insurance isn't cheap, and isn't always easy to understand either.
Steps to improve the odds in case winter weather tries to ruin your driving day.
Human error is being blamed for a nasty failure of a car's safety feature.
Parents of Nelson woman who crashed in a car fitted with snow tyres want vehicles flagged and risks identified.
A computer engineer is using the power of Twitter to expose a notorious carpark.
For a glimpse of one of the auto world's thorniest modern dilemma, look no further than two contradictory TV ads for Infiniti's new Q50.
Bentley is set to join the ranks of manufacturers producing models that would once have been unthinkable.
Space-inspired 1950s styling cues were unlike anything the world had seen.
Roading bosses have come under fire for axing a passing lane on a busy stretch of Surf Highway 45.
It was almost a case of a chilly dip for a driver after he became stuck on a Timaru beach.
A quartet's singalong performance for a selfie goes into a spin as a tyre in their vehicle punctures.
Kiwi driver just misses a podium finish in an action-packed Indy 500 punctuated by crashes and a tight finish.
Pukekohe is set to be a key beneficiary of Auckland Council's Accelerated Transport Programme.
A mechanic's spelling blunder in repairing a Porsche sports car has gone viral.
This small, tall and tough wee hatchback is to be built in India and Morocco, and is designed to sell in almost every world market.
BMW's legendary 3.0 CSL Batmobile has been revived in modern day guise with this dramatically-styled concept car.
Is this quirky, Jag-powered faux-Aston worth a million dollars?
A 1967 Shelby 427 Cobra roadster stole the show at a massive muscle car auction in the US.
Motorists are getting more, smaller fines for driving offences in Canterbury.
Awakino Tunnel blocked on State Highway 3 after crash involving camper van.


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Paytm Group, which operates 30 subsidiaries along with seven associate and joint ventures including Paytm Payments Bank, insurance broking business, Paytm Money and Paytm entertainment among others, did not witness a significant uptick in its operating revenue during FY20 even as the company managed to shrink losses by more than 30%.
According to Paytm’s consolidated annual returns filed with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, revenue from operations has remained fairly stable with a marginal increase of 1.5%. Its operating revenue grew from Rs 3,232 crore in FY19 to Rs 3,281 crore during FY20.
Another Rs 348 crore were earned via financial instruments.
One97 Communication which operates Paytm’s payments business accounted for 95% of the revenues collecting Rs 3,115.10 crore during the fiscal year ended in March 2020. The rest were collected by subsidiaries, associates and joint ventures.
Little Internet, which was acquired by Paytm back in 2017 was the subsidiary with the biggest share in consolidated losses, posting a loss of Rs 277.05 crore with a turnover of only Rs 4.53 crore during FY20.
While there was no significant growth in revenues, Paytm has slashed its annual expenses by 19.5% to a little over Rs 6226.3 crore in FY20 from Rs 7,730.14 crore spent in total during FY19. Paytm spent Rs 1.9 to earn a single rupee of operating revenue during FY20, an improvement of 21% as compared to Rs 2.4 spent to earn the same in FY19.
The majority of these austerity measures were implemented on the aggregate customer acquisition costs spent by the company which dropped by 55.21% to Rs 1,571.3 crore in FY20 from Rs 3,507.88 crore spent in FY19.
These expenses made up 25.23% of the total expenditure and included advertising promotional expenses which dropped by 57% to Rs 1,483 crore in FY20 from Rs 3,451 crore in FY19.
Employee benefit expenses accounted for 18% of the total expenditure and grew by 30.73% to Rs 1,119.3 crore in FY20 from Rs 856.2 crore in FY19. Such costs also included ESOP payments of Rs 166.06 crore.
Payment gateway expenditure was the single largest cost factor for the company accounting for 36.3% of the total expenses. These costs remained somewhat stable at Rs 2,259.7 crore in FY20
Subcontractor Expenses also dropped by 18.5% to Rs 221.8 crore in FY20 from Rs 272.16 crore paid out during FY19 while Connectivity and Content Fees paid by the company grew by 27% to Rs 403.3 crore in FY20.
Paytm has managed to curb back its costs during the last fiscal, scaling back non-essential payments as a net cash outflow from operations has improved by 47% to Rs 2385.3 crore in FY20 from the outflows of Rs 4,495.6 crore in FY19.
As a result, operating margins have improved significantly for the Noida-based company. EBITDA margins stood at -65.43% during FY20 as opposed to -112.69% Paytm managed in FY19.
Annual losses have also dropped 30.33% from Rs 4217.2 crore in FY19 to Rs 2,385.3 crore in FY20 as we see the fintech unicorn move towards improved fundamentals in coming fiscals.
The financial performance of Paytm has certainly improved on the back of a significant cut in its losses. While the revenue growth in FY20 has been sluggish, its collections are likely to improve in the ongoing fiscal due to its strong wallet business and domination in UPI’s peer to merchant (P2M) transactions.
Paytm, which has shifted its focus to its ecosystem of combined wallet and payments bank, recorded 281.18 million transactions worth Rs 33,909.50 crore in January via UPI. The Noida-based company recently claimed that it recorded 1.2 billion transactions in February across its financial services such as wallet, UPI, cards and net-banking.
The shift of momentum towards Paytm could also be noticed from users switching to Paytm because of frequent transaction failures and other glitches occurring with Google Pay. Paytm dominated daily active users or DAUs on iOS-enabled devices. According to App Annie, Paytm is the preferred choice for most top-end payment consumers in India with 2.6 million DAUs in February. PhonePe and Google Pay had 7OOK and 500K active users on Apple smartphones.
PhonePe had continued to lead DAUs numbers on Android in February, App Annie data shows. Its active user base on Android devices stood at 59 million whereas Google Pay had an active daily user base of 51 million. Paytm was the distant third player with 31 million DAUs in February.


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Crash Bandicoot made a triumphant return at E3 last year after six years since his last video game appearance. At Sony’s conference, it was announced that everyone’s favorite marsupial would be returning to the PlayStation 4 in a remake/remaster of the first three Crash Bandicoot games that were original released on the PlayStation One back in the 90’s, Crash Bandicoot, Cortexs Strikes Back, and Warped.
Being developed by Vicarious Visions, these games are being remade from the ground up with new art, animations, and audio, whilst also working with the original designs first produced by Naughty Dog. If you can’t wait to hang out with Crash again then you’ll want to check out these new screenshots first reported by PlayStation Universe.
To gamers over a certain age, these screenshots will no doubt look very familiar and quite possibly bring up a lot of nostalgia. It has certainly been far too long since Crash has been on our consoles and we look forward to reliving our adventures with him.
An exact release date for the N. Sane trilogy is yet to be released but it is expected to be available sometime this year.
- Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Gets an Epic Commercial in Japan
- Final Fantasy XV is Getting a Cup Noodle Helmet for Noctis
- Fire Emblem Heroes Receives First Update


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A US judge has dismissed a lawsuit against Microsoft from a group of Californian cities and counties, including San Francisco, that had accused the company of overcharging for software.
The judge said the public authorities could only sue under one of the two laws they were trying to use against Microsoft, and that the claims under the relevant law had expired.
Microsoft had requested the case be thrown out on these grounds.
But the judge said the authorities could make a new claim for more recent purchases of software if they chose to, as they had said that Microsoft’s alleged overcharging was still taking place.
The lawsuit, filed last year, was launched after settlement of a similar class action suit brought by consumers and businesses against Microsoft over alleged overcharging for products.


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Sir Leonard Blavatnik has topped the latest Sunday Times Rich List, having seen his fortune swell to £23bn.
The Ukranian-born oil and media magnate, who also owns Warner Music, saw his wealth surge by £7.2bn during the year.
He took the title from Sir James Dyson, whose wealth rose by only £100m to £16.3bn, leaving him in fourth place.
There are now a record 171 billionaires in UK, with their wealth rising 21.7% during the pandemic to £597.2bn.
Mr Blavatnik made his fortune in Russia where he owned stakes worth billions of pounds in companies selling metal and oil. He is a notoriously-private man, and holds both US and UK citizenship.
His wealth was boosted by the proceeds of a £1.37bn stake in Warner, which he received when it listed on the stock market in the US last year.
“The fact many of the super-rich grew so much wealthier at a time when thousands of us have buried loved ones and millions of us worried for our livelihoods makes this a very unsettling boom,” said Robert Watts, compiler of the annual index of the country’s wealthiest residents.
“The global pandemic created lucrative opportunities for many online retailers, social networking apps and computer games tycoons.”
Property investor brothers David and Simon Reuben were in second place after their fortune grew by £5.46bn to £21.46bn.
Sri and Gopi Hinduja, who run the Mumbai-based conglomerate Hinduja Group, took third spot after their wealth rose by £1bn.
Steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, in fifth place, saw the biggest rise in wealth of any billionaire in the past 12 months, with gains of around £7.9bn, largely based on the rise in value of his ArcelorMittal steel-making business.
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich was in eighth position after his fortune rose by £1.9bn to £12.1bn.
Soaring tech values
The total of 171 billionaires in the latest Rich List is higher than the previous record of 151 set in 2019.
The study found the richest 250 people in the UK this year are worth £658.1bn, up from £565.7bn last year, a rise of 16.3%.
There are also more entrepreneurs behind unicorns – start-up businesses with a valuation higher than $1bn – to be found in the Rich List than before.
They include Farfetch, the luxury online fashion retailer, whose founder Jose Neves is a new entry at 82 in this year’s Rich List with a £2bn fortune.
Alex Chesterman, founder of online car dealing service Cazoo makes his first appearance at 215th with an estimated worth of £750m.
“The valuations of many rich listers’ companies have soared over the past year – especially the pack of tech businesses known as unicorns,” said Mr Watts.
“I worry about the strength of the foundations. No-one wants to see a re-run of the dotcom boom-and-bust of 20 years ago.”
The Sunday Times does not just track how much money the mega-wealthy have accumulated each year. It also monitors how much of their fortune they give to charity.
Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford became the youngest person ever to top the paper’s giving list, which is calculated by ranking the amount donated or raised relative to a person’s overall wealth.
The 23-year old was behind a high-profile campaign calling for children who are eligible for free school meals to be fed during coronavirus lockdowns. He was estimated to have raised £20m to support the scheme, more than the £16m he is thought to be worth.


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Engelbert Humperdinck Featured in The Washington Times
Music legend Engelbert Humperdinck has been featured in The Washington Times for his upcoming performance in Rockville, Maryland on Wednesday, April 15th. Humperdinck is inviting all fans in the Washington area to come enjoy a evening of listening to his classic hits, as well as some new hits off of Engelbert Calling.
“For nearly 50 years, I’ve always looked forward to performing for my fans, I’ve been very fortunate in my career, and I love looking back through those amazing years that first took me around the world, playing to sellout concerts.”
This tour comes in support of Humperdinck’s latest album Engelbert Calling, which features duets with music legends such as Elton John, Gene Simmons, Dionne Warwick, Willie Nelson, Olivie Newton-John, and many more. The “Engelbert Calling” tour stops in 30 major cities in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. For information regarding the tour, be sure to visit engelbert.com/tour.
Humperdinck fans can now pre-order his Duets EP limited edition vinyl, which is his first vinyl release in more than 25 years. Duets EP is a limited edition 7″ vinyl record with a first pressing of 1,000 copies on transparent cloudy clear vinyl. The four duet selections for the EP include “Spinning Wheel” with Gene Simmons, “Never, Never, Never” with Olivia Newton-John, “It Matters To Me“ with Dionne Warwick, and “To Make You Feel My Love“ with Willie Nelson.
You can now pre-order Humperdinck’s Duets EP in the OK!Good web-store. Pre-order today and receive your vinyl in time for Record Store Day on Saturday, April 18th.
Read the full article from The Washington Times at, WashingtonTimes.com


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- The fast-casual chain J. Gumbo's will open its first St. Louis location this Wednesday, June 27, at 3949 Lindell Boulevard.
As Gut Check reported when we first learned of J. Gumbo's arrival, the chain has locations in six other states. Its menu offers Creole and Cajun fare (gumbo, po' boys, jambalaya) with a few fast-casual concessions (wraps in addition to po' boys).
J. Gumbo's will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Its phone number is 314-456-1235.
News of two recent closures after the jump.
- George Mahe of St. Louis Magazine reports that the Thai restaurant Land of Smile (9641 Olive Street; Olivette) closed after service yesterday, June 24. Mahe reports that the restaurant's landlord opted for a longer-term lease with Subway, and that owner Joe Nanthavong has taken a position at Fin Japanese Cuisine (1682 Clarkson Road, Chesterfield; 636-536-4228).
We are sorry to announce that our last day of business will be Saturday June 16, 2012 in our existing location. As you may have heard our building got sold and all of our permits, licenses and insurance all expire in June. I have been working very hard on finding us a new location. Please stay connected and updated with us on Face Book. We want to thank our customers for all of the support in the past years. Spaghetteria Mamma Mia customers are the BEST!!!
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Microsoft’s analytics team believes marketers who understand the economy better can improve search and digital media campaigns, so the company plans to integrate the reflection of real-life events into the data it publishes.
This week, Joe Berke, business solutions specialist in the analytics insights group within Microsoft Advertising, talked about taking an econometrics view of the recovery to try and understand how COVID-19 impacts the Bing marketplace and shifts search, by analyzing query data and demand signals such as the budgets and keywords put into Microsoft Ads.
The data highlighted the nuance of the verticals that were more sensitive than others. Berke called the findings “astounding.”
Data sample sizes to create the models ranged from several hundred thousand to more than 1.2 billion searches, depending on the vertical. The majority of the results are 95% significant, he said.
Signals focused on leading economic indicators such as confirmed COVID-19 cases, the S&P 500, unemployment claims, the 15-year mortgage rate, uncertainty indexes, and the effective federal funds rate.
These indicators were compared with Microsoft’s supply-and-demand data within the Bing marketplace.
Then Microsoft took a look at how the factors against queries and clicks impacted big-box retail, apparel, food and grocery, beauty and personal care, finance, home and garden, health and telecom, among others.
Microsoft wanted to find the common denominator across all markets, from B2B to B2C and from small to large companies -- not only Bing clients, but all who use digital media.
“We saw some stability in evergreen markets like health and wellness,” he said. “Outside of COVID vaccine searches, people still need to maintain their health.”
In retail there were spikes in DYI in the spring. In CPG products, the spikes were there as people stockpiled, but once unemployment began to hit, people put self-care at the top of the list. The data also showed a lot of searches, but not as many conversions.
“Maybe people were having fun searching for things we can’t afford, they were just appealing,” he said. “They might not be buying, but they’re showing shopping behavior. How does that shopping behavior turn into a purchase maybe post-COVID or possibly later in quarantine?”
Berke said this is part of understanding the recovery and how to respond to future campaigns. The verticals were also connected to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, like the need for the internet and telecommunication. He said the group plans to publish reports and blog posts to help marketers through the recovery cycle.
Microsoft only has nine months of training data for the model, so it will take time to jump into predictive analytics. "We're still tweaking the model," he said. "The next step will be predictive."


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Google Inc.’s purchase of mobile-phone maker Motorola Mobility, completed Tuesday, makes the California-based search-and-software giant a major employer in suburban Philadelphia. At least for now.
Horsham remains headquarters for the company’s Motorola HomeTV systems arm, still headed by veteran engineer Dan Moloney. Beyond that, Google is not talking about its plans for the site, spokeswoman Niki Fenwick told me.
Descended from the former General Instruments and its predecessor, the late Pennsylvania Gov. Milton Shapp’s Jerrold Electronics, the business has built generations of set-top boxes and other equipment for cable TV purveyors led by Comcast Corp. The General Instruments boss who opened the Horsham complex, Ed Breen, now head of Tyco International, served on Comcast’s board until last year.
When General Instruments considered leaving three scattered sites in the region in the 1990s, then-Gov. Tom Ridge lured the $65 million, half-million-square-foot complex, and 1,100 engineering, office and skilled production jobs, to Horsham, with more than $10 million in tax breaks and subsidies.
Is Gov. Corbett as eager to keep Google? Corbett’s Department of Community and Economic Development ”will continue to monitor the situation,” said state spokeswoman Theresa Elliott.
“There’s still several hundred people there, but Google has been pretty mum” on confirming where the plant fits in its future, affirmed Peter Putnam, head of Last Mile Communications, a Bucks County-based consultant. “It wouldn’t surprise me if, over time, they move what they want [from Horsham] out to California. Like Cisco did with Scientific Atlanta,” when the router-maker bought another East Coast specialty electronics maker.
“You don’t really need a set-top box anymore,” Putnam added. “The way video is evolving, everything is being built into” the video receiver, or can be plugged into its USB port. “Every Google TV device I saw at the Consumer Electronics Show this year was built into the TV.”
But the end of the TV box has been prophesied before. “Those little boxes eat about $5 a month in electricity because of all that’s happening within them,” marveled Mark Naples, Philadelphia-based managing partner of digital consultancy Wit Strategy. Cable companies want to keep control of that kind of power, not share with Google or anyone, if they can help it, he added.
“Boxes are efficient and entrenched,” and it will take at least a decade for them to be replaced by streamlined technologies, Stefan Tornquist, U.S. research chief for London-based Econsultancy, told me.
“Beyond that, Google” and its smartphone rivals “will be looking to move future capabilities” into tablets and other company-branded handhelds, Tornquist added. “In the future, the only person who’ll be able to program your VCR will be [Apple’s] Siri and her as-yet unnamed counterpart at Google.”
SAP America Inc., Newtown Square-based subsidiary of German software giant SAP AG, says it is paying $4.3 billion, or $45 a share, for California-based Ariba Inc., which operates a “cloud-based” online procurement system for businesses.
That price is about 20 percent more than Ariba’s recent stock value, though it’s a small fraction of the inflated price Ariba commanded in the dot-com bubble of 1999-2000. Ariba sales totaled $444 million last year, up more than 60 percent from fiscal 2010. The company has been profitable in the last three years.
The deal marks SAP’s third multi-billion-dollar acquisition since 2010, following Sybase Inc. and SuccessFactors Inc., as SAP bosses Wiliam R. McDermott and Jim Snabe cram more products into SAP’s sales pipeline to compete with rival Oracle.
SAP said the deal would boost its “growth in the cloud.” Software companies have been scrambling to cope with the shift from managing data and computer systems through old-fashioned company servers, to cheaper software that operates from a “cloud” of commercial servers provided by Amazon.com and others.
SAP employs around 2,600 in Newtown Square; spokesman Jim Dever said that number is likely to grow as SAP adds products.
Contact Joseph N. DiStefano at 215-854-5194, JoeD@phillynews.com or @PhillyJoeD on Twitter.


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Chainlink has launched a project that offers new crypto startups a blueprint. Startup with Chainlink will give free information, mentorship access, and community groups to entrepreneurs and founders as they begin their projects.
What the project will offer startups
According to a lab executive from Chainlink, David Post, the project will give early-stage projects community groups, events, webinars, operations best practices, and scaling information. Moreover, top projects will have extra access to features like venue capitalists and mentors. Chainlink came up with this project to help startups set up a solid foundation that would allow them to survive.
The blockchain thrives from people beginning new crypto-related businesses. However, starting a crypto business isn’t always as simple as it seems. Unfortunately, starting a business incorrectly could be detrimental to the crypto industry’s reputation. For this reason, Chainlink believes it has a responsibility to provide founders with appropriate tools to launch a successful business.
When inexperienced founders start a crypto business, they often have various challenges. For instance, their employees could quit when they realize their bosses have no idea what to do. This is another reason why providing them with mentors is essential, as it helps them find the directions they need for crypto business.
Furthermore, supporting startups would help founders become more innovative in their operations instead of recycling old ideas. This is critical as many founders opt to reinvent the design of their platforms instead of coming up with something new that would give them an edge in the space.
The project could help improve the blockchain ecosystem
Post adds that Startup with Chainlink could benefit the whole blockchain industry. The success comes from having multiple linked blockchain platforms that have solid foundations and are sustainable. Such a project could create more lasting community ties and raise a sustainable Web3 ecosystem that serves people globally.
Chainlink is not the only platform interested in supporting cryptocurrency startups. The Sandbox has previously announced a program to invest in about 30 or 40 startups yearly. To ensure the project’s success, it collaborated with Brinc, who would allocate funds to startups and provide them with leading mentors.


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Virgin Mobile has announced Australian pricing and plan details for Apple's new iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c smartphones, but the telco currently has no online stock of any iPhone 5s model at launch.
Telstra's new iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c plans are significantly more expensive than last year's iPhone 5 plans.
Though still unsubstantiated, a low-cost iPhone is now widely seen as a possible product announcement in early September, along with a new high-end phone. And it's finally possible to create a coherent explanation of why such a move makes sense for A...
Businesses more interested in controlling which apps are installed on the phones, and separating corporate data from users' personal data
Huawei's CEO has claimed that the Samsung Galaxy S4 is a "so-so" smartphone, and has also criticised Google's Android operating system for being "too complicated."
The iOSphere's collective unconscious seethed with mandates and rumours for iPhone 6 or 5S or iPhone [Fill-in-the-Blank]. There didn't seem to be enough Web bandwidth to contain them all.
The Wallee M is a relatively new solution to mounting your smartphone in the car.
Facebook now lets iPhone owners view its new Timeline layout and has added several extra handy features in an app update pushed out to iPhone users on Sunday. iPad users still can't view Facebook Timeline layouts.
Apple iPhone 4S users can easily annoy people around them by talking to their handset when using the built-in assistant feature known as Siri.
In what appears to be a one-off incident and not a general manufacturing flaw, a passenger's iPhone 4 "self-combusted" on an Australian flight last Friday, according to an airline press release [<a href="http://www.regionalexpress.com.au/MediaRelease...
Do you know where your smartphone is? Unless you're using it to read PCWorld.com, your phone is probably plugged into an outlet somewhere to charge, because the battery stinks.
It may be the end of the line for Adobe's mobile Flash Player, but the question now is will anyone care if and when it's gone?
If you ask Siri, the virtual personal assistant on the iPhone 4S, why it's so great, it answers with disarming humility: 'I am what I am.'
Did you know that Apple co-founder Steve Jobs hated Android, Google's mobile operating system? I mean, really, really hated Android. How about the fact that the Apple II's design was inspired by a kitchen appliance and that Jobs never truly respected...
Apple's new iPhone 4S has some impressive upgrades, including voice controls, a faster processor, and a better camera. But to millions of tech fans hoping to be dazzled by Apple's latest creation, the 4S is, well, a tad disappointing. Here are the to...
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