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This was kind of a jerk move. Nokia CEO Stephen Elop threw an iPhone to the floor during a TV interview with Finnish talk show host Hjallis Harkimo.
Elop was guest on Harkimo’s show, Hjalliksen kanssa, which according to Wired, means With Hjallis. He asked the Nokia CEO about the Nokia Lumia 928, to which he wouldn’t get a response. Then he held out his iPhone, and told Elop, “I don’t want to have an iPhone. I want to have a Nokia phone.”
That’s when Elop grabbed the phone and tossed it offscreen, “There, it’s gone.” Elop was laughing as he said it, so it was definitely his idea of being funny. Maybe.


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A fast-food chain is rolling out its new restaurant model at a location opening in the area this week.
McDonald’s franchisee Ken Berg is opening a new 3,500-square-foot McDonald’s on Thursday in Ada Village, at 7100 Fulton St. E. He also owns three other locations in the region.
“We’re excited to share this evolved experience at McDonald’s with our customers,” Berg said. “We’re looking forward to offering them a new way to dine.”
Berg’s previous Ada McDonald’s, in a shopping center at 402 Ada Dr. SE, closed on June 30, so the center could be demolished and the property redeveloped.
The McDonald’s and the new AGO gas station with which it shares a building were constructed as part of the three-year Envision Ada redevelopment underway in the suburb’s 21-acre downtown.
The new Ada location is “significantly larger” than the previous building, which was a McDonald’s Express.
McDonald’s did not disclose the cost of the project.
Firms on the project
The architect for the project was Ada-based Dixon Architecture.
Grand Rapids-based Pinnacle Construction Group was the project’s contractor.
The restaurant will employ 40 to 50 people.
Several workers are transferring from the previous Ada McDonald’s, and some workers are new hires.
The restaurant is one of several McDonald’s locations in greater Grand Rapids that has adopted the chain’s new enhanced customer service model: digital self-serve order kiosks; tableside service; new payment options, including Apple and Android Pay; and a double-lane drive-thru.
The mobile pay feature allows customers to order via their smartphones and pick up orders either inside the restaurant, in the drive-thru or at a curbside parking spot.
McDonald’s new restaurant model has been rolled out at more than 2,600 restaurants globally.
It has been or will be implemented at several locations in greater Grand Rapids: 59 S. 68th Ave., Coopersville; 213 N. River Ave., Holland; 4596 32nd Ave., Hudsonville; 1779 E. Sherman Blvd., Muskegon; 2727 28th St. SW, Wyoming; 1221 28th St. SW, Wyoming; and 1115 Chicago Drive SW, Wyoming.

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After his surprise entry to Twitter, the tech billionaire provocatively questioned the platform’s survival chances. “Is Twitter dying?” Elon Musk wrote in a tweet on Saturday. To do so, he provided statistics for the 10 Twitter accounts with the most followers, lamenting: “Most of these ‘big’ accounts rarely tweet and post very little content.”
Among the top ten Twitter accounts are those of former US President Barack Obama, pop stars Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Rihanna, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga and soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo. Musk is ranked 8th in the rating with more than 81 million subscribers.
Musk went on to say that Taylor Swift hasn’t posted anything in the past three months. Justin Bieber has only made one post per year.
Wealth: nearly 300 billion
At the beginning of April, it was announced that Musk had become the largest shareholder in Twitter with a stake of 9.2 percent. At first it seemed as if he wanted to be content with a passive role as an investor. Shortly thereafter, his entry to the company’s board of directors became public.
Musk officially has more influence on Twitter’s strategy. Twitter head Parag Agrawal commented that Musk believes in the platform and is also a harsh critic. This is exactly what Twitter needs to get stronger in the long run.
Musk uses Twitter not only to advertise his electric car maker Tesla and his space company SpaceX, but also to forward prank tweets, exchange blows with critics — and to express a provocative opinion.
The 50-year-old is considered the richest person in the world thanks to his holdings in Tesla and SpaceX. Bloomberg Financial Service currently estimates his fortune at $288 billion.
Twitter is boring? Then you don’t know these clever sayings about current world events!
Do billionaires have a bad conscience?
This may also interest you:
The US online retailer wants to fight the creation of the first union representation in the group.
Amazon requested more time to file justified objections to the vote at a warehouse in New York in late March, according to official documents submitted Thursday to the Federal Labor Law Office. The company accuses unionists of “threatening” employees before voting.
Lifelong foodaholic. Professional twitter expert. Organizer. Award-winning internet geek. Coffee advocate.


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You now have an easier online way to manage your Home Delivery subscription for The Oklahoman. Go to our secure server to update account information, make a payment, set up vacation no-delivery times, change your delivery address, or report delivery concerns.
Dr. Matthew Ryan, a neurologist at Norman Regional Health System, performs memory screenings on people suffering from a variety of issues. Ryan says often patients suffer from dementia because of medications, including prescription narcotics, that they’re taking. PHOTO BY BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOMAN


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5 Things Hollywood Needs to Know About 5G
It’s either the Next Huge Thing — a technology that alters virtually every aspect of how we work, play, communicate and travel — or an incremental lift in today’s wireless speeds and feeds.
No one doubts that the implementation of 5G as the new digital standard for wireless services will change the market and make the telco giants more competitive with cable broadband.
Compared with today’s 4G, the next-gen 5G standard promises faster speeds of at least 20-fold, instant response times, vastly improved network efficiencies and longer device battery life, among other benefits. Following the first commercial 5G launches in the U.S. in 2018, mobile operators worldwide are expected to invest around $160 billion per year to expand and upgrade their networks for 5G, according to industry trade group GSMA.
Hollywood is still trying to figure out what 5G means for the content business. There’s the hype of what’s possible tempered by the reality of what’s probable.


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The retail industry had a record holiday season that included double-digit year-over-year growth in most categories, according to the National Retail Federation. Retail sales
from Nov. 1 through Dec. 31 were up 14.1% over 2020 to $886.7 billion, which easily beat the NRF’s forecast and set a new record despite challenges from inflation, supply chain
disruptions and the ongoing pandemic, according to Chain Store Age.
BrightEdge, known for its SEO focus, on Monday released insights on Black Friday and Cyber Monday trends, how Google searches changed on these shopping days, and what marketers can expect in 2022.
Given the rise in costs and shifts in media budgets, StitcherAds observed a 12% decline in ad spending from a year earlier.
One-third of advertisers said they began their holiday promotions earlier as consumers started shopping amid worries about bottlenecks in supply chains.
There has been a 55% increase in phishing kits imitating Amazon in October and November, Egress reports.
Amazon's gain contrasted with the pullback in ad airings among other retailers, including Walmart, Target and Best Buy.
Study confirms shoppers' growing commitment to mass merchandisers like Walmart or Target as their primary store, rather than conventional grocers.
Heading into Mother's Day weekend, Ipsos has released some revealing data about the performance of, well, moms.
This week, Whole Foods Market announced a series of virtual live cook-along events to celebrate Valentine's Day weekend at home. Thirty-six percent of consumers surveyed by Suzy plan to cook dinner at
home this year, while 28% plan to order from a restaurant and 23% will dine in at a restaurant. The study was fielded on Jan. 14, 2021.
Consumers changed their plans from August to November, AKi Technologies reports.
Discounts reign as consumers' online spending sees double-digit growth, Adobe Analytics data shows.
Websites can be built and managed by in-house engineering teams with open-source tools or third-party tools. How are you managing your website? Here are some tips.
Research takes a higher priority this holiday season on sites including Amazon, Bing, and Google, brand and retail websites, and review sites. Video sites also give consumers a place to research
products and learn how to use them
Free shipping will be a major factor and 52% of consumers will do holiday shopping on Thanksgiving Day or later, NPD reports.
Can performance marketing save the holiday season? After a good run with the back-to-school shopping season, advertisers are trying to find out.
Many search marketers have geared up organic and paid-search campaigns. Data from Shopkick and research firm Suzy reveals consumers' plans for buying and trick-or-treating this Halloween.
WARC estimates Amazon's ad business is growing 4.5 times faster than Facebook's and 63 times faster than Alphabet's. And COVID-19 will result in an added $183 billion spent online by consumers this
Data from GfK and WARC shows where advertisers will spend ad budgets and where consumers plan to shop.
All ecommerce sales, and mcommerce in particular, are expected to see accelerated growth due to consumer concerns about shopping bricks-and-mortar during the COVID pandemic.
Location ad company GroundTruth just released research on ecommerce conversion rates and data on how in-store visits impact overall online and offline purchasing, providing Q3 ad estimates as
advertisers prepare for the holidays.
How much can you trust Google to lead you down the correct path? Google and DeepMind researchers explain how they use data and machine-learning models to predict traffic flows.
Should the industry say goodbye to "Black Friday" and replace it with "Cyber Week" once and for all? Data suggests that this year, Cyber Monday will extend from the day after Thanksgiving through the
following week, with more consumers planning to shop online rather than in crowded stores.
The tool business landscape has been growing more and more competitive each year. With sellers like Amazon and Walmart crowding the market; Craftsman needed to come up with a strategy that put their
products front-and-center with shoppers during the competitive holiday season. With a very limited budget, Craftsman leveraged influencers and social media...
Kantar ranked the top 10 advertisers based on their share of total clicks such as click-share percentage on product-listing ads and text ads displaying for 23 Mother's Day keywords.
Don't send B2C emails this Friday, and avoid sending emails on Easter Sunday. But that's only the beginning, an updated report implies.
Google plans to cancel posting its annual April 1 jokes out of respect for those fighting COVID-19. It might be a lead for other brands to follow in light of the pandemic.
With retailers like Amazon, Walmart and Target selling ad space and paid product listings on their websites, an ecommerce media strategy becomes even more important for agencies and their clientele.
Data released this week suggests marketers may want to begin their search campaigns at least one month earlier.
A study using innovative "chat-based" research methodology finds that nearly three in four Gen Zers are hoping for cash as a holiday gift, and this demographic does not necessarily want experiences as
A recent analysis found that some 46% of listings featured missing information such as a phone number or hours of operation, while 51% had misspelled names, wrong addresses, or other errors. Only 3%
of the listings were completely accurate.


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December 3, 2009 |
NEW DELHI: Action is being taken against as many 41 Army officers and four retired ones for having sold their "non-service pattern" (NSP) weapons in the grey market in the border districts of Rajasthan . Armed forces personnel can obtain prohibited bore weapons, like 9 mm pistols or .30 bolt-action rifles, which are called NSP arms, from ordnance factories at very cheap prices for personal use. This case revolves around...
July 1, 2007 |
NEW DELHI: The Kama Sutra is all about ways to enhance sexual pleasure but in the country where the tome was written, sex toys are banned. Here, sex sells but when it comes to a condom with a vibrating ring, the morality police wants to decide your bedroom buys. Labelled a sex toy, the condom Crezendo has been described by some as "anti-Indian' and 'anti-culture'. But not many know that much before Crezendo came into the market, a leading condom manufacturer was already selling these vibrating rings.
March 7, 2003 |
MUMBAI: In its first major cigarette brand launch since it introduced Wills Classic almost 20 years ago, tobacco major ITC is launching Wills Insignia, the country's most expensive smoke at Rs 100 for a pack of 20. Packaged in matt black and reminiscent of Sobranies and Davidoffs, Wills Insignia is being slotted as the company's luxury image brand. ITC hopes that it will be enough to counter international luxury brands like John Player Black, Cartier, Dunhill and Sobranie, all available in the grey market.
November 28, 2013 |
IMPHAL: A huge consignment of Pseudo Ephedrine (PE) drugs, worth about Rs 20 crore in the grey market , was seized from five persons, including a Manipur Rifles (MR) jemadar, in the Ushoipokpi area of Thoubal district along NH-2 on Tuesday evening. The Thoubal district police seized the drugs, all under different brand names, from two vehicles. The five occupants of the vehicles, including jemadar Onal Haokip (41) of New Checkon in Imphal, were arrested after the police chased them on the Imphal-Moreh highway, a police officer said.
September 13, 2003 |
AHMEDABAD: They are unstoppable. From forging academic records and passports, agents in the grey market have now graduated to forging results of test of English language such as IELTS. IELTS is a test that is required to be cleared by one who wants to apply to a college or work permit in countries like the UK, New Zealand, Australia or Canada. Moreover, every country specifies a certain IELTS band to be scored by the applicant. Sources say that agents not only forge results but also mislead students about the IELTS band requirement by universities in foreign countries.
February 2, 2011 |
RAJKOT: The police recovered sex toys in a raid on a hardware shop in Somnath society in Gandhigram area. The shopkeeper, Sushil Dalshaniya (45), has been booked under section 292 of Indian penal code for selling such toys. Apart from various vibrating sex toys, the police recovered pornographic material from the shop. Primary investigations by the police show that Dalshaniya was getting sex toys from Mumbai and Delhi and selling them at higher prices. The sale of sex toys is covered by Section 292 of the Indian Penal Code which defines the term 'obscene' and provides for punishment for distributing any such object.
October 28, 2013 |
Pakistani soldier-turned-academic Feroz Khan's book Eating Grass is an insider account tracing the history of Pakistan's nuclear programme — and its survival despite hurdles. Khan, who was involved in formulating Pakistan's nuclear arms control policy, spoke with Sameer Arshad about how Pakistan's nuclear arsenal grew, implications of its nuclear race with India — and how restraints are possible: What explains Pakistan's nuclear programme's success despite sanctions and global opposition?
October 4, 2012
Reports from various news sources claim that the iPhone 4 and 4S will soon get a price cut in India. The 16GB iPhone 4S is expected to see a price cut of Rs 3,100 to Rs 41,400. The iPhone 3GS , which last saw a price cut to Rs 9,999 via Aircel, has been discontinued. The 8 GB iPhone 4, now the new entry-level iPhone, gets a price cut of Rs 9,100 to Rs 28,300. According to BGR.in, Apple will not be selling the iPhone 5 through Airtel or Aircel, and has appointed Ingram Micro and Redington for the launch of the iPhone 5 in India.
April 4, 2013 |
PANAJI : Four years after it received a geographical indication (GI) certificate cashew feni can still not be sold legally in other parts of the country. By virtue of the certification, only liquor made from cashew apples within Goa can be called 'feni', much like champagne, the sparkling wine made in the Champagne region of France. Industry sources say the dilemma over cashew feni exists because the alcohol is still classified as a 'country liquor', and country liquors can only be sold within the states where they are produced.
May 27, 2012 |
BHUBANESWAR: Puritans of the city, take cover! Despite a blanket ban, a robust sex toy market has been thriving in the state capital, demand for the mostly China-made products going up by the day with wily advertisers finding their way around the legal system to lure buyers. According to sources, the most prevalent mode of trading in the grey market for apparatus like dildos, vibrating rings, inflatable latex dolls, etc., is home delivery through courier after tele-booking, unlike in Delhi or Mumbai where one can simply walk into a market to purchase these.


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(AP) – Home Depot is investigating a potential credit card data breach.
The Atlanta home improvement retailer told The Associated Press Tuesday that it’s looking into “unusual activity” and that it’s working with both banks and law enforcement.
The possible data breach was first reported by Brian Krebs of Krebs on Security, a website that focuses on cyber security. Krebs said multiple banks reported “evidence that Home Depot stores may be the source of a massive new batch of stolen credit and debit cards.”
The Krebs report says that the responsible party may be the same group of Russian and Ukrainian hackers suspected in last year’s massive breach at Target Corp.
- 1st annual Plowing Bee and Horse Spectacular still taking place despite recent flooding
- WIAA Drill and Dance Championships arrive at the Yakima Valley Sundome
- Oregon woman pleads guilty to assaulting passenger on flight
- Prosser school bus driver facing backlash for religious signs
- Bills aim to aid job seekers with criminal history
- Police: Naked man destroys home in Edmonds


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BAC GIANG - On the occasion of the new
year, the Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Bac Giang Provincial
Party Committee, Head of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation Duong Van
Thai visited and inspected the implementation of the first tasks in Luc Ngan
Vietnam expects to increase its agricultural exports to China as the neighbouring country agreed earlier this year to review regulations permitting the official export of Vietnamese poultry meat, according to the Agency of Foreign Trade (AFT) at the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT).
The strong recovery of industrial production, the exponential rise in exports, abundant goods supply, and good revenue from services in January paint a rosy picture for the domestic industry and trade sector this year, heard an online conference held by the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) on February 16.
BAC GIANG – The People’s Council in Bac Giang province
has newly issued Resolution approving the Bac Giang urban development programme
of Bac Giang province by 2045 that targets to develop Bac Giang urban
(including Bac Giang city and Yen Dung
district) to meet standard of second class urban in 2024 and first class urban


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The US Internet giant Google has been subject to antitrust investigations by the European Commission and the US government, and has suffered huge fines of several billion dollars. According to the latest news from foreign media, a person familiar with the matter said on Tuesday that the procurators of more than 30 states in the United States are preparing to investigate Google’s possible violation of US antitrust laws.
According to foreign media reports, the source said that the investigation team consisting of more than 30 Attorney General plans to announce the launch of an antitrust investigation against Google on September 9. The Attorney General serves as the team leader.
Google said it is working with officials in US states.
Google Representative Jose Castan said: “We will continue to work constructively with regulators, including the Attorney General, to answer questions about our business and technology industry.
The source said that the focus of the US antitrust investigations on Google’s antitrust investigations is the intersection of personal privacy protection and antitrust. The source did not elaborate.
In June of this year, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and other 42 state officials put forward their opinions, urging the US Federal Trade Commission (Federal Trade Com) Mission) focuses on privacy and data collection when investigating possible violations of antitrust laws.
In the comments, California officials believe that large technology companies have so much user data that it is difficult for newcomers to compete.
Another Texas official, Assistant Attorney General Jeff Matt, said in a June hearing at the US Federal Trade Commission that Google and other large airline companies were flaunting their neutrality.Misleading.
The US technology giants are among the richest and most powerful corporate groups in the world, and they are facing increasing antitrust from the US Congress, federal government agencies, and now state attorneys. Review.
The US Department of Justice (Jus) said in July that it is conducting extensive investigations of large digital technology companies, focusing on whether they engage in anti-competitive behavior. The survey is believed to target Google, Amazon, Facebook and Apple.
In addition, the Federal Trade Commission, which also enforces antitrust laws, is also investigating Amazon and Facebook to determine whether they have abused the huge market impact in retail and social media, respectively. force.
It is well known that in the past, in the European Commission, Google has been subjected to three antitrust investigations. Google’s Android operating system, online advertising alliance business, and web search service are unfair market competition. Damaged the competition,Google was hit by three huge fines and was asked to rectify product services such as Android. Google made product adjustments and appealed the European Commission’s ruling.
In other countries and regions around the world (such as Russia), Google has also been subject to antitrust investigations and has been punished by fines.
Google is the world’s largest web search service provider, occupying a monopolistic market share. In the field of smartphone operating systems, Google’s Android accounted for about 90% of the world’s market share. In the past few years, Google has begun to enter more and more segmentation services, and use the advantages of web search and Android system to bundle marketing or promotion, which has caused dissatisfaction from competitors. In addition, like social networking giant Facebook, Google has also launched one after another violation of consumer privacy scandals, which has become an important target of the government’s anti-monopoly investigation.


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Aston Martin changed the name of one of its cars after Porsche began legal proceedings, a report in Goodwood Road and Racing has claimed.
Lawyers representing each manufacturer are said to have been in discussions for a few months over the use of the ‘GT3’ name used for the ‘Vantage GT3’.
Porsche claimed GT3 is its own designation for road cars. Aston Martin argued it is now a racing category and that there was a Lotus Esprit GT3 three years prior to the 996 GT3 from 1999, not to mention a Bentley with the same name.
It seems, though, the fight has already been won by Stuttgart, as a spokesperson for Aston Martin said the British manufacturer will avoid wasting cash on litigation. The Vantage GT3 has been renamed as the GT12, while its Vantage race car will also now be known as the same thing.
In case you’re wondering, Bentley probably got away unscathed because it is part of the VW Group, which owns Porsche. Different rules apply, no doubt.
To be fair to Porsche, it is merely protecting a brand that, if most petrolheads are brutally honest with themselves, is synonymous with its cars first and foremost. Aston Martin, meanwhile, is clearly worried about the sizable legal costs and was probably wise to be the bigger man and back down.
Aston Martin was busy showing off the Vantage GT3 at the Geneva Motor Show 2015 alongside the 4×4 DBX. Only 100 limited edition models will be built, each one powered by a 600PS V12 and fitted with a titanium exhaust system, custom paintjob and other race-specific extras such as carbon fibre, race-derived seats and Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyres.
Before you get too excited, all 100 Vantage GT3s, sorry, Vantage GT12s have been sold for a probably ludicrious price tag.


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The plant operator, known as TEPCO, plans to remove 764 fuel assemblies inside the No. 4 reactor to the spent fuel pool located next to the reactor. It will also check whether there is damage inside the reactor by using an underwater camera. The Fukushima Daini complex, located about 12 kilometers south of the Daiichi plant.
UQM Technologies, Inc. has signed a memorandum of understanding with a major Chinese company for the development and marketing of UQM electric propulsion systems for New Energy Vehicles in China. This agreement expands the global reach of UQM to four continents.
PrimeKey Solutions, SecureMetric and MULTICERT, organize the National eID & ePassport Conference (http://www.eid-epass.org) - the Global Forum on the drivers behind the digitalization of citizen ID documents. 40 speakers, 300 experts, key industry and top-level government, from 40 countries in Keynotes, Panel Sessions, Workshops, Networking and Exhibition.
Magnasoft NorthStar, one of Asia’s leading location-based child safety platforms in the Amazon cloud has been named the 2012 Red Herring 100 Asia Award winner. NorthStar is an integrated child and school bus tracking and monitoring solution that improves safety and accountability for children while they travel to school and back.
Sony’s new alliance with scandal-tarnished Olympus will focus on producing endoscopes and other surgical tools packed with the Japanese electronic maker’s three-dimensional imaging and super-clear ‘‘4K’’ display technologies. Sony Corp. President Kazuo Hirai said it’s not clear when the alliance’s first products will become available.
Japan-based internet users who download copyright infringing files face up to two years in prison or fines of up to two million yen ($25,700; £15,900) after a change to the law. Such activity has been illegal since 2010, but until now had not invoked the penalties.
While electronics giants Apple and Samsung fight each other for market dominance, with hotly competitive product releases and tit-for-tat patent lawsuits, Japan’s consumer electronics makers find themselves in an increasingly perilous fight for relevance and, in some cases, survival.
IBM has, according to a media report interest in a prime cut of the ailing BlackBerry vendor RIM. IBM has put out feelers for an informal takeover of the company’s business of Research In Motion (RIM), the financial news agency Bloomberg reported on Friday.
The 200-year-old flush toilet requires a substantial amount of infrastructure, which is expensive to build and run. Innovative toilets could be a source of energy while dramatically improving sanitation. Scientists in Bangkok are about to start work on a new flush toilet especially designed for the urban poor in Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
Apple Inc.’s decision to create a smartphone that boasts a thinner, lighter touch screen contributed to the component shortfall that caused demand to outstrip supply of the iPhone on its debut weekend. With the latest version of the iPhone, Apple is for the first time using so-called in-cell screen technology.
The U.S. Cyber Command's top intelligence officer accused China on Thursday of persistent efforts to pierce Pentagon computer networks and said a proposal was moving forward to boost the cyber command in the U.S. military hierarchy. "Their level of effort against the Department of Defense is constant"...
Yingli Green Energy and Trina Solar, two of China's largest solar equipment makers, rejected on Wednesday allegations by a group of European solar panel companies that Chinese rivals are benefiting from illegal subsidies. In a complaint to the European Commission on Tuesday, the EU ProSun group said Chinese solar companies benefited from very low interest rates thanks to government policy.
Over seven in ten TV sets sold in Singapore in first seven months of this year are LED TVs: GfK SingaporeSeptember 25, 2012 10:18 am | News | Comments
The latest TV technologies are gaining grounds among tech savvy consumers in Singapore who spent a total of nearly USD174 million on some 264,000 units of TV sets in the first seven months of this year. GfK Singapore latest insights on TV sales in the local market showed substantial increase in sales of the most advanced screen display type...
Southeast Asia‘s mobile phones market grew by 24 percent in volume over the last 12 months: GfK AsiaSeptember 19, 2012 4:28 pm | News | Comments
High consumer demand for smartphones and basic feature phones in Southeast Asia’s fast developing markets continue to drive buoyant performances in the mobile phone sector. In the last twelve month, sales of over 118 million units across the seven key markets in the region—Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia and the Philippines...
The new edition of Shanghai Intelligent Building Technology fair will open from 20 – 22 September 2012 at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Centre, China. The fair is jointly organised by Guangzhou Guangya Messe Frankfurt Co Ltd, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade – Shanghai Pudong Sub-Council and Shanghai Hongshan Exhibition Service Co Ltd.
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., held a groundbreaking ceremony for a major new memory fabrication line in Xi'an, China. Once completed, the new facility will make use of advanced 10-nanometer (nm)-class technology in producing NAND flash memory chips, a critical component powering IT and mobile applications for high-speed and large-density data storage.
Driven by increased demand from developed regions for high-end models, along with an unexpectedly strong push from emerging economies for lower-cost products, smartphones are expected to rise to account for the majority of global cellphone shipments in 2013 — two years earlier than previously predicted.
LG Display more than doubled its tablet display sales revenue in the second quarter compared to the first, thanks to panel shipments for Apple Inc.’s iPad, according to the IHS iSuppli Small and Medium Display Service from information and analytics provider IHS. During its most recent results announcement with industry analysts, LGD said its tablet panel revenue reached
Apple Inc and Foxconn have improved working conditions at Chinese factories that make most of the world's iPads and iPhones, according to auditors the firms enlisted to monitor the process, but tough tasks lie ahead. The Fair Labor Association said on Tuesday local laws require the companies -- which came under fire over conditions at the plants blamed for a series of suicides in 2010...
On a worldwide basis Apple Inc. and other multinational OEMs may be the leading semiconductor purchasers in 2012, but within the all-important Asia-Pacific region it is the locally based companies that are No. 1 when it comes to chip spending growth.
In China's booming smartphone market, which is set this year to overtake the United States as the world's largest, a host of little-known local firms are primed with cheap phones to squeeze market share from U.S. giant Apple Inc's iPhone. In the latest local challenge to the iPhone, Xiaomi Technology on Thursday launched the successor to its popular MiOne (MI) smartphone.
A diverse toolkit of electronic components can today be printed. These include batteries, antennas, memories, sensors, etc. An important building block linking all these components is the printed thin film transistor. This vital device enables logic and therefore data processing. Despite years of development however, printed transistors are not yet a commercial reality.
Cambridge, Mass – August 6, 2012 - One size fits all? Not on the Web. Users from different countries and cultures actually interact with information in different ways. To explore how people click and tap through the vast network of online offerings, a team of computer scientists from Harvard have launched the "Lab in the Wild".
Despite the grim international economy, China’s electronics manufacturing industry remains on an upward trajectory. According to data issued by the Ministry of Industry & Information Technology on July 4, between January and May 2012, the value add to
This week’s widespread power failures in India have highlighted a number of problems that exist in the electrical grid there. A report from IMS Research (recently acquired by IHS Inc. (NYSE:IHS)) on Distribution Automation Equipment – 2012 Edition analyzes the regional differences between distribution automation adoption globally, including developing countries such as India, and what role smart grid technologies will play in helping to solve these problems.


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The world’s leading pet supply fair Interzoo celebrated great success with its first in-person event after this difficult time. The organiser WFZ welcomed 28,000 visitors from 129 countries, exploring stands of 1,329 exhibitors from 59 countries and received positive responses from all participants throughout.
At the pet fair, the big pet industry enterprises could obtain new motivation while struggling with supply problems, price increases and raw materials scarcity. According to WZF, the exhibitors “praised the high quality of the trade visitors and are going home with full contact lists to turn the connections they made here into future business.”
For the first time, there was arranged the Interzoo Fresh Ideas Contest where a jury decorates the company with the most innovative ideas. The German company Prombyx that uses recylced by-products from silk production as protein source could come in first, followed by Sustainable People, a German enterprise with its focus on biodegradable poo bags for dogs and the Singaporean company Protenga using insect protein.


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Cannabis stocks traded down this week despite a series of good news.
Over the last five trading days of this week:
- The ETFMG Alternative Harvest ETF MJ: lost 5.7%.
- The AdvisorShares Pure Cannabis ETF YOLO: tumbled 8.15%.
- The AdvisorShares Pure US Cannabis ETF MSOS: dropped 9.4%.
- The Cannabis ETF THCX: was down 8.7%.
- The Amplify Seymour Cannabis ETF CNBS: slipped 6.8%.
- The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust SPY was up 1.61%.
“Of course the big news this week was the word that New York legislators had supposedly reached an agreement on legalization language. It does indeed look as if legalization is moving forward, although no one is expecting any sales for at least a year. The original 10 licensees could be well-positioned to be first to market in the state,” Debra Borchardt, editor-in-chief of Green Market Report, told Benzinga.
She was referencing reports about an agreement between Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature on a deal to legalize adult-use cannabis sales for adults over 21.
The measure could be on the floor and ready to be voted upon as early as next week.
While the text language has not been made public yet, sources suggest the agreement will include a 13% sales tax, 9% of which would go to the state and 4% to the localities. An excise tax of as much as 3 cents per milligram of THC could also be included.
Find how this would affect companies like Cresco Labs CRLBF, Ayr Wellness AYRWF, TerrAscend TRSSF, Verano Holdings VRNOF, Acreage Holdings ACRDF, Columbia Care CCHWF, Curaleaf CURLF, and Green Thumb industries GTBIF in this Benzinga article.
Benzinga Cannabis content is now available in Spanish on El Planteo.
Meanwhile, in Mexico, the adult-use cannabis project recently approved by the Chamber of Deputies seems to be facing new hurdles, as there’s a lack of consensus in the Senate regarding the adjustments that the lower house made.
However, Mexican Senate board president Eduardo Ramírez is determined to generate the necessary consensus and said he feels optimistic about the document being approved before April 30. This date is key because the Congressional season ends on April 30 and, with it, the current Congressional term.
In New Mexico, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted in favor of a motion to legalize cannabis. The expected Senate floor vote, however, was postponed past the Saturday noon deadline and further passing to Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s desk.
U.S. Presidential hopeful Andrew Yang — now one of many NYC mayor candidates — revealed during a campaign forum that he favors psilocybin and cannabis legalization.
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam approved legislation House Bill 2218 and Senate Bill 1333 to enable the manufacturing and dispensing of botanical cannabis products,
In Colorado, Governor Jared Polis approved a social equity bill. Read all about it here.
Maryland failed to meet the deadline for passing an adult-use marijuana bill, and will now have to wait at least one year to try again.
Cannabis sales in Michigan reached $105 million in February, jumping 160% from the same period in 2020.
- Akerna Corp KERN reported revenue of $4.1 million for the quarter ended Dec. 31. This represents an increase of 24% year-over-year.
- Trulieve Cannabis Corp. TRUL TCNNF reported generating $168.4 million in revenue in the fourth quarter, up by 24% sequentially.
- TerrAscend Corp. TER TRSSF revealed fourth-quarter net sales of CA$65 million. That's a year-over-year increase of 152% and a 28% sequential increase. The company also confirmed that Jason Ackerman will no longer serve as its CEO and executive chairman. Jason Wild, who currently serves as board’s chairman, will replace Ackerman as executive chairman. In addition, a board member Ed Schutter will assume the position of lead independent director.
- Power REIT (NYSE-AMEX: PW) reported its core funds from operations (Core FFO) per common share amounted to $0.51 in the fourth quarter of 2020 and $1.34 for the full year. That’s a year-over-year increase of 200% and 113%, respectively.
- MariMed, Inc. MRMD disclosed its revenues spiked 292% year-over-year, reaching $20.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2020.
- Willow Biosciences Inc. WLLW CANSF wrapped up 2020 with roughly $15.7 million in working capital and $15.9 million of cash.
- GrowGeneration Corp. GRWG reported fourth-quarter revenue growth of 144% year-over-year to $62 million, and a 58% increase in same-store sales, attributable to the addition of 14 stores in 2020.
- Charlotte's Web Holdings Inc. CWEB CWBHF posted fourth-quarter results revealing its revenue grew by 17.9% year-over-year and 7% sequentially to $26.9 million.
- Vireo Health International, Inc. VREO VREOF reported its fourth-quarter GAAP revenue increased 38% year-over-year to $12.4 million, including its former subsidiaries in Pennsylvania.
- The company also secured some $23.5 million in financing through a credit facility with a Green Ivy Capital affiliate.
- Aleafia Health Inc. AH ALEAF reported a cannabis net revenue increase of 233% on a sequential basis to $14.1 million in the fourth quarter.
- Cresco Labs Inc. CL CRLBF reported record fourth-quarter and full-year results. Fourth-quarter revenue amounted to $162.3 million, up by 6% over the previous period.
Find all the details on these and other earnings reports on Benzinga Cannabis’ Earnings Center.
Financings And M&A
- Australis Capital Inc. AUSAF completed the first stage of the transaction to acquire Nevada-based cannabis company, Green Therapeutics and its portfolio of high-end dried flower and designer/luxury derivative products. “The GT transaction very significantly enhances our value proposition and forms a foundational asset to launch our multi-state expansion from," CEO Terry Booth told Benzinga. "We believe that the combination of ALPS and GT strongly differentiates us and provides us with very defensible competitive advantages to execute on our unique model that is targeting high-margin growth.”
- GenCanna acquired Taylor Mammon, a UK-based turnkey CBD formulator, private label accelerator and distributor.
- Verano Holdings Corp. VRNOis purchasing Patient Alternative Relief Center Inc. in Phoenix — doing business as Local Joint — for $17 million.
- GrowGeneration confirmed its eighth acquisition in 2021, buying wholesale agriculture platform Argon.io for an undisclosed price.
- Item 9 Labs Corp. INLB closed a deal for ONE Cannabis Group (OCG), the parent company of dispensary franchise Unity Rd.
- High Tide Inc. HITI HITIF purchased Smoke Cartel Inc. SMKC for $8 million.
- MAZAKALI and Satori Investment Partners formed a strategic alliance with the intention of investing up to $20 million into cannabis-related businesses.
- Leafwire completed an investment round of $1 million.
Avicanna Inc. AVCN AVCNF has agreed to supervise the commercialization of Viola cannabis products in Canada via its manufacturing, distribution, and sales infrastructure. This makes Al Harrington’s Viola the first black-owned multinational cannabis company.
Heritage Cannabis Holdings Corp. CANN received the first license to export cannabis products from Canada to Brazil. Heritage entered into an arrangement with Brazilian-focused pharmaceutical CBD company, CannaBR Exports Corp. for distribution and sales of CBD products into the Brazilian Market.
Clint Sharples, CEO of Heritage Cannabis, told Benzinga, “Our expansion into Brazil is coming at an opportune time as the market for pharmaceutical cannabis and hemp products is in a high growth phase. Being the first cannabis company in Canada to be granted an export license for Brazil by Health Canada means our full-spectrum, high-quality extraction products will be setting the bar in the Brazilian market.”
GKUA Ultra Premium, the cannabis brand created by hip-hop artist and entrepreneur Lil Wayne, is now available in Oklahoma, marking the brand’s fourth state.
Glass House Group announced a technology partnership with Alcott Enterprises.
TerrAscend announced that TerrAscend NJ, LLC was issued a permit to process cannabis by the New Jersey Department of Health. This will allow TerrAscend to engage in the extraction, processing and manufacturing of a wide range of branded form factors.
Uruguay-based YVY Life Sciences signed a framework agreement with Blueberries Medical Corp. BBM BBRRF for “mutual development of strains and genetics and replicating YVY’s unique cultivation model in Colombia.”
Elias Theodorou became the first athlete to compete and win in a professional North American competition while holding an exemption for the use of medical cannabis. The UFC veteran was granted a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) by the British Columbia Athletic Commission in January 2020 for bilateral neuropathy, allowing him to compete against fellow UFC alumnus Matt Dwyer at the Rise Fighting Championships 6 hosted at the Songhees Wellness Centre in Victoria, BC.
His TUE covers both THC and THC-A, the carboxylated “THC precursor” found on raw cannabis. True to his belief in clean sport, Elias did not consume any form of THC for 48 hours before the fight, as per commission regulations; he continued CBD use throughout.
“No one takes away my cannabis, not anymore,” Theodorou told Benzinga.
Cannabis loyalty program CliqueMJ launched in Oklahoma and Colorado. CEO Rami Sahhar told Benzinga, “We are pleased with the speed of our expansion across the US and our ability to integrate with the leading point of sale systems so we can service dispensaries without disrupting them.”
Top Stories Of The Week
- Low-Cost Pot Stocks To Consider, According To Commons CEO Tahira Rehmatullah
- Low-Cost Pot Stocks To Consider, According To Green Market Report's Debra Borchardt
- Low-Cost Pot Stocks To Consider, According To SOMAÍ Pharmaceuticals CEO Mike Sassano
- New Cannabis Products: Berner's Organic Hemp Rolling Papers, Cones, Vegan Delta 8 THC Gummies, And Awesome Dope
- New Cannabis Products: A Vape To Support LPP, Premium Wholesale Flower, A Water-Filtered Vaporizer
- Saucey's Founder Is Hyped For New York Cannabis Legalization, But What About That THC Tax?
- Prohibition Partners' North American Cannabis Report: Second Edition
- Palliative Medicine: Why Mexican Pharmaceutical Landsteiner Began Researching Cannabis
- Humboldt Social Wields 'Napa Valley Hospitality Model' To Normalize Cannabis, Co-Founder Says
Top Spanish stories:
Lead image by Ilona Szentivanyi. Copyright: Benzinga.
Meet the biggest cannabis industry players and make deals that will push the industry forward.
Featuring live company presentations, insider panels, and unmatched access to networking, the Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference is where cannabis executives and entrepreneurs meet.
Join us September 13-14, 2022 at The Palmer House in Chicago, IL.
© 2022 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.


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China to impose anti-dumping tax on stainless steel from Indonesia, EU, Japan, South Korea
[BEIJING] China said on Monday it will impose anti-dumping duties on some stainless steel products imported from the European Union, Japan, South Korea and Indonesia.
The anti-dumping tariff rates applicable to stainless steel billets and hot-rolled stainless steel plates have been set at between 18.1 per cent and 103.1 per cent on companies in the EU and the three Asian nations, effective July 23, 2019, China's Ministry of Commerce said in a statement.
The decision follows an anti-dumping probe in July last year.


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PCadvisor.co.uk, just opened a poll today on what readers think about the new gTLD domain name program.
Its one of the first open polls I have seen on the subject in a non-domainer publication.
The poll asks:
With the launch of new domain names are you:
Planning to buy one
Already on the pre-registration list
Never heard of them
It will be interesting to see what the results look like if they can get thousands of votes.
So far only 25 votes are recorded with 20% planning on buying one, 4% is on the pre-registration list, 20% never heard of them and 56% are not interested.
Studies commissioned by people in the domain industry have found that 75% of business people have not heard of the new gTLD program, lets see how this one turns out.


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- Coherus BioSciences plans to launch its copycat version of AbbVie’s autoimmune disease drug Humira next month at an 85% discount to the branded medicine, and team up with Mark Cuban’s online pharmacy to sell it directly to patients for even less.
- The California biotech said Thursday it will sell its medicine, a biosimilar named Yusimry, at a list price of $995 for two injectors, well below Humira’s list price of $6,922 for two injectors. In addition, Coherus said Cuban’s Cost Plus Drugs pharmacy will sell a two-pack of the drug for around $569 before fees and shipping.
- Yusimry’s pricing is more aggressive than the 55% discount Amgen set for its biosimilar Amjevita, which became Humira’s first challenger in the U.S. in January. Coherus’ strategy will intensify competition when a wave of Humira copycats launch in July, analysts said.
Facing the first direct challenge to Humira since the blockbuster drug was approved in 2008, AbbVie conceded on price this year to maintain its formulary position and sales volume. Revenue in the first quarter, while down a substantial 26% year-on-year, were about what analysts had expected.
Still, the bulk of its new competitors have yet to arrive, with Yusimry one of six more Humira biosimilars set to launch this year.
Previous lookalike biologic drugs have somewhat disappointed, with relatively muted effects on lowering drug costs. But some analysts have predicted the large number of Humira copycats could drive more aggressive price drops.
Yusimry’s cost amounts to about $13,000 for a year’s supply, compared with nearly $90,000 for Humira, Coherus said.
“We believe there is a large, unmet need for improved access and affordability in the U.S. healthcare system that Yusimry can address with this pricing,” Coherus CEO Denny Lanfear said in a statement.
Baird analyst Brian Skorney said the pricing goes beyond what his team had expected from the latest round of copycat launches. “This pricing strategy is not only more aggressive than Amgen’s… it is somewhat unprecedented, more closely resembling traditional generic strategy than what we’ve seen from biosimilars,” he wrote in a note Thursday.
Skorney added Yusimry will also pressure Amgen’s Enbrel, which already saw sales fall more than expected in the first quarter.
SVB Securities analyst David Risinger said he expects other biosimilar entrants will offer a range of pricing, and now the question is how Amgen will respond with its prices for Amjevita. He assumes Cuban’s Cost Plus Drug pharmacy is buying Coherus’ copycat drug at a slight discount to listed price to achieve a 92% discount to Humira’s list price.


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Come August and 13 Harley owners from India will participate in the The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. In its 74th edition (4-10 August 2014), Harley Davidson riders from India marks their maiden participation.
Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) has trained over 2 million people at its driving training facilities here. Started with Institute of Driving Training and Research (IDTR) in partnership with Delhi Government in 2000, the 2 million milestone was reached earlier in July.
Akha Salouni, 29 from Manipur was the latest victim of road rage on Delhi streets on Monday early morning. Five persons in a car brutally assaulted three pedestrians, thereby killing one of them in the Kotla Mubarakpur area. The incident has been captured on CCTV and three youths have been arrested for murder.
Mercedes-Benz today opened its new Shanghai Training Center, its largest to date. The passenger car training facility can handle 140,000 Participant Training Days per year and is in tandem with retail excellence that’s key to Mercedes-Benz’ quick growing network and sustainable development in China.
In reply to an application filed under RTI last month, this reply from West Bengal Government’s ‘Public vehicles department’ throws up quite a few questions. A pandora’s box of sorts, which hopefully the government takes responsibility of and acts upon.
Buying cars often perplexes buyers. Deciding between petrol or diesel is influenced by car use, and the common notion points to diesel being a preference for those who drive a lot.
Models from Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, Maruti Suzuki and Toyota will all make a bee line to Bhutan. The Department of Trade has officially lifted vehicle import ban which came into place in July 2012.
Furthering their corporate social responsibilities, two wheeler majors, Bajaj Auto Limited has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with College of Engineering, Pune. Bajaj Auto will be donating an amount of INR 4.5 crores towards modernization and renovation of mechanical engineering department building.


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IMPACT 0042: HELPING THE ELDERLY COMMUNITY AGE UPRIGHT
Seng Ing Le, 16, is the inventor and founder of Qanemate, a social business focused on giving back to the elderly community with a more sophisticated standard of safety. After witnessing an elderly lady fall while trying to pick up her walking stick, the Qanemate was invented: a smart, adaptive walking stick holder that keeps the walking stick upright and within reach of the user when not in use. An array of smart features are embedded in the Classic QaneMate: The NFC chip is programmed to enhance user experience, providing quick and seamless access to the day’s weather forecast and UV index.
This article was published on Jul 26, 2021


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Honda Motor Co. Ltd. has announced that the company’s cumulative worldwide motorcycle production has reached the 300 million unit milestone. The Japanese two-wheeler manufacturer celebrated the occasion at Kumamoto Factory, Honda’s primary motorcycle production plant in Japan. A 2015 model Gold Wing produced at Kumamoto Factory became the 300 millionth motorcycle that was produced globally. The 300 million-unit milestone was reached in the 66th year since Honda began motorcycle production in 1949 with the Dream Type-D.
The history of Honda’s motorcycle business began with the start of mass-production in Japan in 1949. Production outside of Japan began in Belgium in 1963, and since then Honda has been expanding its local production to many countries around the world based on Honda’s commitment to “build products close to the customer”.
Honda is currently producing motorcycles at 33 plants in 22 countries. Honda will continue offering products which fulfill the needs of its customers around the world.
Speaking on the occasion, Takanobu Ito, President and CEO of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. said, “Thanks to support from our customers and all of the people involved in development, production and sales, Honda was able to reach the 300 million-unit milestone. We will continue to provide products that will please our customers in each country and region in the world.”


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In August Globalstar brought online the last of 32 second-generation communications satellites, such as the one at left. It was part of a batch of six launched into space in February. The Globalstar network, which covers North America and the Caribbean, is fully functioning once again.
Globalstar suffered a major setback beginning in the past decade when its first-gen satellite components degraded (likely due to radiation), preventing downward transmissions to voice
customers. This turned the network into a one-way or “simplex” system, prompting many handset customers to cancel service. (Faced with the reality of a simplex system, Globalstar engineers introduced the highly successful SPOT, a combination tracking device and emergency messenger.)
Globalstar currently offers its GSP-1700 handset, which is also SPOT branded as the SPOT Global phone, both priced at $500. Service ranges from a $25-a-month “emergency plan” to a $150 monthly plan for unlimited voice and data. Data is worth mentioning because the Globalstar data at 9600 baud is faster than either of its big competitors (Inmarsat: 1200-2000 baud; and Iridium: 2400 baud).
As a result a Globalstar handset can be paired with a PC for slow but effective connections for downloading email and browsing the Internet, particularly when using compression software specially developed for the marine market. For transoceanic cruisers and circumnavigators, however, only Inmarsat and Iridium boast a worldwide coverage footprint. Another drawback to the current Globalstar system is that it does not offer two-way texting.
However, Globalstar Southeast Sales Manager Rich Galasso said two-way texting will come with the next generation handset, now in development.
Having launched its new constellation of satellites, Galasso said, the company is now beginning to replace its six North American ground stations with new advanced “gateways.” According to Galasso, the next generation handset will have the same voice clarity but also incorporate the tracking and emergency notification features of SPOT, plus the ability to wirelessly pair with smartphones and tablets for worldwide texting.


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Cox Communications has launched an iPad app letting customers watch about 35 live TV channels over a home Wi-Fi connection -- but the service isn't available to subscribers who have entry-level broadband tiers.
The TV Connect app is available for no extra charge to Cox cable TV customers who have Preferred (12 Megabits per second down), Premier (20 Mbps) or Ultimate (50 Mbps) high-speed Internet service.
Subscribers on Cox's two lower-end broadband tiers -- Economy/Starter (1 Mbps down) and Value (3 Mbps) -- will be unable to log in with the iPad app.
According to Cox, the majority of broadband customers are on Preferred or higher tiers. The operator is offering TV Connect "on most tiers as a value-add capability, and we want to ensure the overall user experience of streaming video is positive," a spokesman said. The operator has no plans currently to offer TV Connect to Economy/Starter or Value tier subs.
The TV Connect app includes an on-screen guide, and customers can select a full-screen viewing option once a program has been selected. Cox worked with NDS to develop the iPad app's interface and digital rights management component.
"Cox offers convenience through convergence and TV Connect is a new way we are making viewing more convenient and flexible for our customers," Cox vice president of video product development and management Steve Necessary said in a statement. "Our TV Connect offering will continue to evolve and expand, adding even more value to our services."
Other operators that have launched apps for streaming live TV to tablets in customers' homes include Time Warner Cable, Cablevision Systems, DirecTV and Bright House Networks. Dish Network also offers live TV on apps for iPad and other devices for customers with Slingboxes or "Sling-loaded" DVRs.
Cox said the channels available through TV Connect vary slightly by market.
In its Louisiana market, subscribers on digital cable TV tiers will initially have access to 34 channels: A&E, ABC Family, AMC, Animal Planet, Bravo, Cartoon Network, CNBC, CNN, C-SPAN, C-SPAN 2, C-SPAN 3, Discovery, Disney Channel, E!, Food Network, Fox News, FX, Golf Channel, HGTV, History Channel, HLN, HSN, Lifetime, MSNBC, National Geographic, OWN, QVC, Speed, Syfy, TLC, TNT, Travel Channel, truTV and USA Network. Subscribers on analog TV tiers will receive a slightly different lineup.
The operator also offers a TV Everywhere service that lets subs watch premium video content over any broadband connection (inside or outside their home). Cox TV Online, launched in May 2011, provides content from partners including Turner Broadcasting System, HBO and Cinemax, Epix, Vutopia and Hulu.
In addition, Cox earlier this year debuted Mobile Connect, an app available for iPad, iPhone and Android devices that lets TV and phone control and manage their DVR and telephone services.


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Alphabet GB has launched Alphabet Motion, a new platform for both personal contract hire (PCH) and credit sale agreement (CSA).
Visitors to the site will have access to offers across various makes and models, search filters and personalised quotes.
Alphabet said the platform was launched in response to a shift in demand for personal leasing over the past year, likely following the increase in benefit-in-kind (BIK) tax rates, which has seen corporate customers move away from company car leasing to cash alternatives.
Additionally, as home working has become the norm, drivers require more flexibility and shorter lease options, while a change in perception around monthly usage contracts has seen people become more comfortable with the idea of PCH.
Gavin Davies, general manager, customer account management at Alphabet, said: “Historically, we’ve focused on developing services primarily for businesses, so expanding into personal contract hire is a significant and exciting step for us. We spotted the demand and gap in the marketplace for PCH at the start of 2020, and this has continued to grow throughout lockdown, making now the perfect time to launch Alphabet Motion.
“A customer has already described the new platform as a ‘breath of fresh air’. Alphabet Motion is another example of how we are continuing to adapt and innovate at Alphabet, to meet our customer demands and to support our ambitious business growth targets.”
Last month, Alphabet announced that Spencer Halil will join the company as chief commercial officer.
Halil has headed up Alphera’s UK business for the past five years and overseen a period of substantial growth, as well as innovations such as the accreditation partnership to improve industry standards with the Institute of Motor Industry (IMI) and the recent Alphera Zero carbon-offset finance product.
Halil led the business previously between 2008 and 2011.


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The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe announced plans for a new lakefront project, The Lake Club, located in Tahoe Vista. Designed by local architect Clare Walton, the Lake Club will be a multi-level restaurant and bar with a lawn, beach access and a private boat pier. Floor to ceiling windows provide panoramic views of the lake.
“Our intention is to create a space that complements the rugged landscape with a clean, modern aesthetic,” said Walton, principal architect of Tahoe City-based Walton Architecture + Engineering, in a press release. “The transparency of our design allows guests to connect immediately with the setting and flow seamlessly between interior and exterior social gathering spaces.”
In addition to offering the same level of luxury service and amenities at its mid-mountain location at Northstar Resort, the Ritz-Carlton has partnered with Tahoe Adventure Company and Action Water Sports to provide wave runners, luxury boat rentals, parasailing, waterskiing, wake surfing, charter fishing, and Formula yacht and sailing charters on the “Sierra Cloud.”
“The launch of the Lake Club will provide our guests with luxury amenities and private access to Lake Tahoe along with limitless summer recreational activities,” said Joseph Mattioli, general manager of The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe, in a press release. “The addition of the Lake Club will allow The Ritz-Carlton to offer a one-of-a-kind luxury resort experience, one that includes both direct access to the mountain and to the lake, a first for the Lake Tahoe region.”
Construction of the project began on June 8. Guests of the Ritz-Carlton will enjoy exclusive access to the Lake Club beginning in summer of 2017. | ritzcarlton.com/laketahoe


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Japanese government figures tried to bring Nissan and Honda together for merger talks this year, in a sign of growing concern in Tokyo over the future of the country’s once mighty car sector.
Related: Bestselling Cars in Japan- H1, 2020
The suggestion to create a national champion was first made to the companies towards the end of 2019, according to three people familiar with the matter, amid fears that Japan’s vast car-manufacturing base was losing its edge as the shift towards self-driving electric vehicles unleashed greater competition.
The independent future of Honda, the country’s third-largest carmaker with annual sales of 4.8m vehicles, has come under particular scrutiny in recent years as consolidation has accelerated elsewhere. But the ambitious project fizzled before it even began, after both sides immediately rejected the idea and the plan became buried in the chaos caused by Covid-19.
Rising demand for electric cars and other technology spending has piled pressure on carmakers everywhere to bulk up through mergers or alliances, even before the pandemic plunged the industry into crisis. Peugeot owner PSA is merging with Fiat Chrysler in a deal announced before the outbreak, while Ford and Volkswagen last year formed a global alliance to save costs. Ultimately, mergers in the industry often come unstuck as rival engineering teams clash over whose technology is better, and entrenched corporate cultures fail to gel, such as during the disastrous Daimler-Chrysler tie-up.
Japan still has 8 big car brands, but 4 of them — Mazda, Subaru, Suzuki and Daihatsu — are tied by cross-shareholdings with Toyota, the world’s second-largest carmaker. Meanwhile, Nissan has a troubled three-way alliance with France’s Renault and smaller rival Mitsubishi Motors, leaving Honda as the only group without a capital tie-up.
The idea of combining Nissan with Honda appears to have arisen from the protectionist instincts of advisers to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Those advisers, said people familiar with the situation, feared that the state of Nissan’s alliance with Renault had soured so badly since the arrest of their former boss Carlos Ghosn in 2018, that it might at some point collapse altogether, and leave the Japanese company exposed. But Honda officials have pushed back against that idea, pointing to Nissan’s complex capital structure with Renault, one person who was close to the talks said. Nissan was equally opposed to the idea as the group focuses on getting its existing alliance back on track, another person close to the company’s board said. The merger idea quickly evaporated before it reached the boards of both companies.
In Japan, carmakers fall under the supervision of the ministry of economy, trade and industry, but government officials have ruled out the ministry’s active involvement in bringing the two groups together. Auto industry executives point to other structural factors in ruling out a Nissan-Honda alliance. “A Nissan-Honda merger would only make sense to people who do not understand the car industry,” said one former Nissan executive. The main obstacle is Honda’s unique engineering design for its cars which would make it very difficult to use common parts and platforms with Nissan and its partners. Without that, the alliance would not be able to reap the cost savings that come with greater scale.
While the two companies are similar in size when it comes to the number of cars they sell each year, their business model is fundamentally different. Honda makes more profit from motorcycles than cars, allowing it to weather downturns better than Nissan. The group is also the world’s largest manufacturer of engines and its products include private jets, lawnmowers and boat motors. In terms of technology, the two companies have pursued separate strategies with Nissan being a pioneer of electric vehicle technology while Honda, similar to Toyota, had traditionally invested heavily in hydrogen-powered cars. In the area of self-driving vehicles, Renault and Nissan have partnered with Waymo to develop autonomous transport services in Paris and Japan, while Honda has invested in Cruise, General Motors’ unit for autonomous vehicles.
From: Financial Times
A 3d animation professional with over 20 years of industry experience having served in leading organizations & production facilities of Pakistan, an avid car enthusiast and petrolhead with an affection to deliver writings to help shape opinions. Formerly written for PakWheels as well as major publications including Dawn. Founder of CarSpiritPK.com


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If you are a fan of Doom game, you may get the chance to play it on iOS later this year for free.
Will not be launching the game directly on the operating system iOS, but the company Bethesda Softworks want to help you choose the service to broadcast new games.
I know of
Mentioned special report of the site TNWthat the company want to test the framework significantly improves the broadcast play and experience, and opted for Doom to do this. The test will initially exclusively for iOS devices.
Pointed the site to that technology Orion your company is working on improving the performance of cloud gaming, in order to reduce access time by up to 20% for each frame, as well as reduce bandwidth requirements and up to 40%.
Will Bethesda test Orion public by allowing players to broadcast the game evil Doom that has been launched in 2016, on iOS devices – without installing the game locally; it will not support this technique on Android and PC soon after. Don’t expect to play on many of the initial experience.
You can register here for.
The good news for Apple is that the company does not require to launch a live streaming service for games to compete with the Apple Arcade. Instead, it hopes to sell the technology for other games to evaluate the use of data and improve performance.


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A White House economic adviser admitted to CNN that even more companies will suffer thanks to Trump's trade war.
Trump's trade war caused Apple to downgrade its economic forecasts, causing even more trouble for an unstable stock market — and Trump's top economic adviser is warning that it's only going to get worse.
Asked on CNN whether it's "alarming" that Apple is blaming Trump's trade war for its profit losses, Kevin Hassett, who chairs Trump's Council of Economic Advisers, failed to calm the nation's economic jitters.
"There are a heck of a lot of U.S. companies that have sales in China that are going to be watching their earnings being downgraded next year until we get a deal with China," Hassett said.
Apple suspended trading its stock on Wednesday afternoon pending an announcement noting it is downgrading its economic forecast for the beginning of 2019. In an interview with CNBC, Apple CEO Tim Cook specifically called out Trump's trade war as a key factor in a worrying economic outlook.
And Apple isn't alone.
At the end of 2018, FedEx CEO Frederick Smith said "most of the issues that we're dealing with today are induced by bad political choices," according to CNBC.
GM made headlines in late 2018, announcing the closing of several North American factories along with massive layoffs. GM previously said Trump's trade war has cost the company about $1 billion.
Partially driven by concerns about Trump's trade policies, the stock market had one of the worst Decembers in decades.
Rather than seek to calm a nervous market, the White House is publicly proclaiming that its own policies are going to make things even worse.
So far, 2019 is picking up right where 2018 left off: a clueless Trump is bungling the economy, and American families and companies are left to deal with the damage.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


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Talk about spreading your brand: In Texas, a ‘Save Chick-fil-A’ bill was passed into law on Tuesday by Governor Greg Abbott. The bill will protect private entities, such as fast food giant Chick-fil-A, if they support and donate money to anti-LGBTQ groups that openly oppose gay marriage.
Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy has stated: “I pray God’s mercy on our generation that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude to think that we have the audacity to try to redefine what marriage is about.”
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Hey, Cathy. Just make me a spicy chicken sandwich—and keep your 1899-era opinions to yourself.
Senate Bill 1978 was created after Chick-fil-A was blocked from opening up a restaurant at the San Antonio International Airport due to the donations the chain contributes to groups such as Fellowship of Christian Athletes, which bans “homosexual acts” and The Salvation Army, which opposes same-sex marriage.
But, apparently, Texas Republican lawmakers like smokehouse BBQ bacon sandwiches more than LGBTQ people because the bill they passed will also bar a state government agency from punishing a company for supporting or donating to religious organizations, including anti-LGBTQ groups—now making it the perfect fast food chain for the MAGA generation.
The Texas legislature’s first-ever LGBTQ Caucus adamantly opposed the bill, saying its passage would permit discrimination.
State Rep. Celia Israel told The Texas Tribune: “It’s been cloaked in religious freedom, but the genesis, the nexus of this bill, is in hatred.”
Chick-fil-A is headquartered outside Atlanta, Georgia. The company’s ultra-conservative religious values were influenced by it late founder S. Truett Cathy, who was a devout Southern Baptist; in fact, all Chick-fil-A restaurants are closed on Sundays.
Chick-fil-A is not the first religious fast food chain. Look at In-N-Out Burger—the West Coast fast food chain hides Bible quotes on their food’s wrappers and packaging. These tiny biblical quotes are placed in obscure spots, on the undersides of cups and near the seams of the paper burger pouches. For example, the wrapper on In-N-Out Burger’s “Double-Double” trumpets Nahum 1:7—”The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.”
Though critics fear that the ‘Save Chick-fil-A’ bill will lead to discrimination from employees refusing to serve same-sex couples, at least Chick-fil-A’s branding doesn’t openly show the company’s hatred towards minorities like some other restaurants.
There was once a restaurant chain called: Sambo’s. (This already sounds like it’s not going to end well.) At one time, there were 1,117 Sambo’s restaurants in 47 states. The chain was (supposedly) not directly named after the 1899 children’s book, The Story of Little Black Sambo; but its restaurant mascot, which was supposed to be a dark-skinned Indian boy, was seen as a black stereotype, while the name was also clearly a racial slur.
Sounds like the perfect place to indulge in some pancakes after an exhausting Unite the Right rally.
The first Sambo’s opened its doors on June 17, 1957, during the height of Jim Crow America. So connect the dots… and you tell me if the logo, mascot and name were intentionally racist.
But there’s no denying the intent of such restaurants, diners and cafes largely found in the South with gratuitous Ks added to their names to round out a sinister trio of KKK—such as Koffee Kup Kafe, Kathy’s Kountry Korner and Kozy Kitchen Korner.
Many of these establishments were opened during Jim Crow America along Route 66. Very little innuendo was to be had that Kozy Kottage Kamp and Klean Kountry Kottages, blazoned with bold KKK capital letters, catered to whites only—considering their branding was code for the Ku Klux Klan. These establishments wanted to subtly (or not subtly) trumpet the fact that they were associated with the KKK.
Some of these establishments are still around to this day, such as Koffee Kup Kafe in Hico, Texas—which, despite changing its name to Koffee Kup Family Restaurant, still has a backroom that was used as a meeting ground for the Klan. According to Trip Advisor, you can get a great slice of pie at the establishment.
So, Chick-fil-A, rest safe now that there’s been passage of a bill that protects your right to oppose LGBTQ people. You now stand in line with the great legacy of Sambo’s and Koffee Kup Kafe, of mixing good eating with hateful discrimination. (In-N-Out Burger—you’re cool.)


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India may defer compulsory licensing requirements for laptops and PCs and, instead, introduce an import management system, in what would come as a breather for global consumer electronics makers such as HP, Dell, Acer, and Lenovo.
Under the new system, tech importers will not need mandatory licenses for importing laptops and PCs, but will have to register under a proposed import management system, Bloomberg reported, citing people aware of government plans.
The new import management system is likely to come into force from 1 November, the report said, adding that the decision was taken to avoid affecting laptop and PC sales during the upcoming festival season.
Industry representatives were informed of the proposed changes at a stakeholder meeting last Friday. The India Cellular and Electronics Association, which had a representative at the meeting, declined to comment.
Last month, the Indian government rattled consumer electronics manufacturers such as HP, Dell, Acer, Samsung, LG, Apple, and Lenovo by announcing immediate import restrictions on laptops and tablets.
Analysts said the move was driven by security concerns and an ambition to bolster domestic manufacturing. Specifically, the government targeted key industry players who import mainly from China and South Korea.
However, just a day after the government took the startling step, India’s trade regulator hit the pause button, delaying the restrictions for three months.
New Delhi is now looking to step up domestic production of consumer electronics while trying to ensure sufficient supplies.
The importers will be asked to register under the Centre’s new import management system, and the curbs on PCs and laptops are likely to be introduced only by late next year, The Indian Express reported.
Importers will need to share the number of laptops and computers that they are bringing into the country under the proposed import management system. An import quota will come into effect after Indian companies boost the production of these gadgets locally.
CNBC reported that the curbs will likely come into force only in late 2024, and the gradual ramp-up process is set to conclude by 25 November next year.
India is focusing on electronics manufacturing as a priority area and is looking for global investors to invest and expand their production in India as part of their China-plus-one strategy.
As part of the PLI2.0 production-linked incentives scheme for IT hardware, 44 companies have already registered, and two more have pending applications, tech portal GadgetsNow reported.
Imports of electronics, including laptops, tablets, and personal computers, in the April-to-June quarter stood at $19.7 billion, up 6.25% from a year ago.
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Moody's sees Indian banks bucking global trend with rising profitability


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We’ve noticed a trend of automakers largely sticking with their 2011 prices for 2012 models, but Acura has chosen to price its TSX sports sedan and wagon lineup a modest $200 higher than last year’s models.
Read This Article
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety began crash testing cars in 1995, at the tail end of Clinton's first administration.
Honda is set to roll out three new sports cars within the next few years.
Set to debut at this month's New York Auto Show are the refreshed 2014 Honda Odyssey and the all-new 2014 Acura MDX .


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Kurdish Designer Lara Dizeyee Takes Center Stage at Paris Fashion Week, Celebrating Cultural Identity
In a remarkable triumph for Kurdish culture, fashion designer Lara Dizeyee has defied all odds to secure a coveted spot at the renowned Paris Fashion Week.
Dizeyee's unique fusion of Kurdish traditions with contemporary elements has not only survived locally but has also captured the attention of the international fashion community. With her vibrant and culturally significant designs, she aims to preserve and uphold the rich heritage of the Kurdish people amidst the ever-evolving landscape of the fashion industry.
Dizeyee, a member of the esteemed Dizeyee family, has long strived to bring traditional Kurdish attire to the global stage while balancing her work in the oil and gas sector. Her dedication and passion have led to her work being featured in esteemed publications such as Vogue Arabia, solidifying her growing reputation as a trailblazing fashion designer.
By receiving an invitation to showcase her creations at Paris Fashion Week, Dizeyee has reached an extraordinary milestone in her career. Sharing the same day as renowned fashion powerhouses like Fendi, Dior, Valentino, and Giorgio Armani, she is set to make a lasting impact on the global fashion scene. This achievement not only underscores her talent but also signifies the growing recognition of Kurdish culture and its artistic legacy.
Dizeyee's vision goes beyond the confines of the runway. She seeks to highlight the historical and natural landmarks of the Kurdistan Region through her fashion endeavors. Previous presentations have taken place at iconic sites such as the ancient Erbil Citadel and Safeen Mountain, providing a captivating backdrop that weaves together the narrative of her people.
Drawing inspiration from her renowned Kurdish poet and singer father, Homer Dizeyee, Lara has taken up the mantle of carrying on the artistic legacy of her family. With her vibrant and culturally significant designs, she aims to celebrate the Kurdish identity and showcase its beauty to the world.
The anticipation is high as fashion enthusiasts and industry insiders eagerly await Lara Dizeyee's showcase at Paris Fashion Week. Her presence at this prestigious event will not only shine a spotlight on Kurdish traditions but will also serve as a reminder that fashion can be a powerful tool for cultural preservation and celebration.
As the world watches in awe, Kurdish designer Lara Dizeyee is poised to make an indelible mark on the global fashion stage, paving the way for a brighter, more inclusive future where traditional cultural identities thrive alongside contemporary creativity.By Kobin Ferhad


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Technology giant Apple has announced that it will switch to its own processors, based on ARM architecture and that both iPad and iPhone apps would be able to run natively on ARM-powered Macs.
A news report in an online publication's sponsored 5G section talks about the benefits of an always-on 5G connection in the latest crop of Windows-based ARM-powered PC notebooks, but 5G is hard to find, it's not free and your always-on smartphone is an alternative you already own.
GPU maker Nvidia has introduced a reference design platform to make it easier for companies to build GPU-accelerated Arm-based servers.
This is an unbearably good headline :-)
Great Stuff Sam - I wish this could go out to a larger audience.
5G will save us, and the NBN will have to be redone anyway.
As always, a great article Sam.
I will never forgive him.


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The man in charge of BlackBerry is in London at the invitation of David Cameron, and he likes what he’s seeing. So far, in the company of the Prime Minister, Thorsten Heins has watched the Olympics opening ceremony and visited the British Business Embassy Summits that the Government hopes will encourage the world to start companies in London. There, he claims, “Guess what – most of the guys were on a BlackBerry, typing. Working.” Surely that’s not bad for a company that one analyst recently suggested was “in a death spiral”?
German-born Heins joined BlackBerry in 2007, and took over from co-founder Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie in January. In doing so, he accepted the chalice that many in the mobile industry believe to be the most poisoned available – while Nokia has at least made a decision to get in to bed with Microsoft and produced a well-reviewed range of phones, BlackBerry is mired in its own transition from one generation of its own operating system to another.
Heins, as all BlackBerry executives continue to be in public, is bullish and keen to back up his argument with statistics. “If you look at the platform it’s still growing, if you look at the devices we’ve got a single phone that’s sold 45million units.”
There are, however, other less attractive numbers he doesn’t bring up: Research in Motion, BlackBerry’s parent company, sells less than one eighth of the number of phones that run Google's operating system, Android. It’s slimming its workforce to just 11,000, compared to nearly 20,000 a few years ago. Shares once traded at over $140; now they are at $7.25. On the firm’s Wikipedia page, there’s an entire section called “Decline” that ends as though the author has paused rather than finished.
Given that the company still has more than 80million subscribers, that seems harsh. And the flagship service, BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) can’t be both the tool of choice for London’s 2011 rioters – as many claim – and also an ancient irrelevance. Referring to a memo new chief executive Stephen Elop wrote to staff at Nokia, Heins claims simply, “our platform isn’t burning”. He adds, “I’ve been kind of surprised by the credit that Windows Phone already gets.” He points at meagre sales and ask “What are the proof points for its ‘success’?”
Either way, if RIM’s platform isn’t burning, then there’s certainly the whiff of smoke at BlackBerry. Its new phones will be out in January, Heins promises. Recently pushed back from the end of this year, which in itself was a delay, the BB10 phones mean RIM has older devices to launch and sell in the meantime, when every enthusiast knows that newer ones are imminent. One commentator said it will be “like launching fireworks underwater”.
“We know that BlackBerry OS7 was a great platform – but it would not carry us to where we wanted to be tomorrow, with the full mobile computing experience,” says Heins. “We don’t have the resources like a Microsoft; we have to place one bet and make it right; we don’t want to go for an intermediate step. It comes out in the first quarter and I think a lot of people are going to be surprised.” BB10, for instance, will allow what Heins calls “true multitasking”, potentially running a car’s navigation, entertainment and gaming systems for the whole family. “It’s working and it’s running right now,” says Heins as he points to his own phone. “It has never reset on me. The teams are working relentlessly day and night, at the weekends – it’s a once in a decade change that will see us through the next ten years.”
Meanwhile, however, Heins emphasises that BlackBerry is “a very secure, entrenched stable business”. He disputes that businesses are leaving, and says that even when major companies such as the New York Times stop supporting their BlackBerry apps, RIM is working closely with companies for apps on the forthcoming OS. “Most of the media is very black and white – they look at every little thing that could be bad and put it on to RIM’s shoulders,” says Heins. “And let’s be honest we don’t like it. This is something we have to get through and convince the critics and the market that BB10 is going to cut it. And BB7 is still a competitive product; we are not in a trough.”
He says the bulk of the work going on for the new software is not building an operating system, it’s building the “platform around it”.
Announcing the latest delay, however, Heins was even accused of misleading the stockmarkets with his earlier optimism. He claims that the last major release, the sixth of eight milestones on the way to the final version, was the biggest and the most disruptive. “We were not happy that this had happened. But we were satisfied with the software being built. Am I disappointed? Sure I am but if you build a whole new platform it’s a different size of a task.”
Wouldn’t it have been easier to simply adopt Android or Windows Phone, and already have a product on the shelves? “We took the conscious decision not to go Android. If you look at other suppliers’ ability to differentiate, there’s very little wiggle room. We looked at it seriously – but if you understand what the promise of BlackBerry is to its user base it’s all about getting stuff done. Games, media, we have to be good at it but we have to support those guys who are ahead of the game. Very little time to consume and enjoy content – if you stay true to that purpose you have to build on that basis. And if we want to serve that segment we can’t do it on a me-too approach.”
He points to the developing world – “every cab in Jakarta has a BBM pin on the door” – and concedes RIM lost market share in more developed markets because it missed superfast 4G connections and the “Bring your own device” trend where users want the same phone for work and pleasure.
Still, it’s BBM that Heins sees as RIM’s great remaining strength: “That’s what attracts people to BlackBerry. This is our BlackBerry experience we can deliver – there’s no other system out there where you can read, write, check if you’ve read my message. We want to make it as differentiated as possible. Going cross platform and opening up would be losing that advantage. I think there’s a huge difference between somebody who just provides the phone and the hardware and someone who provides services.”
Wouldn’t it be useful, even so, to open that community up to other platforms and build on its success with a wider audience? “We’re still looking for partnerships and new business partners. We’re running certain assessments around it but right now the focus has to be focus on BB10 and getting it out there. But look at the subscriber base. Don’t abandon them. We will be one of the future mobile ecosystems.”
If that is to be the case, then BlackBerry needs, simply, more phones in more people’s pockets. For years the keyboard was the device’s unique selling point, but now it doesn’t have its appeal in the face of the iPhone and Samsung’s popular touchscreen rivals. “There’s never an eternal proposition – there’s a very stable, slowly growing base of physical keyboard users and most of them are really highly ranked officers. At the moment it’s prudent to offer both keyboard and touchscreen. If people love a physical keypad I will not talk them out of it but it’s one element of the larger experience.”
Indeed, RIM will launch BB10 with two devices that are crucial to its survival and only one will have a keyboard. The more expensive device will be a touchscreen. Heins is keenly aware that he must get cheaper devices into the mainstream. “We don’t have the economy of scale to compete against the guys who crank out 60 handsets a year. We have to differentiate and have a focused platform. To deliver BB10 we may need to look at licensing it to someone who can do this at a way better cost proposition than I can do it. There’s different options we could do that we’re currently investigating.”
That raises the prospect of a BlackBerry phone that is made by, say, Samsung or Sony. “You could think about us building a reference system, and then basically licensing that reference design, have others build the hardware around it – either it’s a BlackBerry or it’s something else being built on the BlackBerry platform. We’re investigating this and it’s way too early to get into any details. We have to also model this from a finance perspective – that’s why we’re working with the financial advisers to see if we do this where would it take the company. Either we do it ourselves or we do it with a partner. But we will not abandon the subscriber base.”
And perhaps that is RIM’s paradox – 80million subscribers, many of them coming from relatively low-budget new users, and a need to make a premium flagship product that lives up to its past glories in order to drive future sales. Heins says as new users in the developing world buy BlackBerries, they will grow into profitable, loyal customers. It’s a bet born of necessity as fewer buy expensive BlackBerry handsets in the West. Either way, BB10 is make or break for RIM: “We’ve just got to get it out there”, says Heins.


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Elmwood has overhauled the packaging and visual identity of frozen food brand McCain. The work is part of a wider ‘It’s All Good’ campaign by McCain Foods to shed its image as a processed foods manufacturer.
Nokia is planning to open a design studio in London next year, Design Week can reveal. The initiative, aimed at tapping into the capital’s burgeoning creative flair, is being pioneered by Nokia chief designer Alastair Curtis, who earlier this year took the company’s top design job when he replaced Frank Nuovo (DW 9 March). ‘We […]
There’s been a degree of smugness in design about ad agencies fighting back. News in July that Saatchi and Saatchi is strengthening its design unit only added to the trend set by ad agencies Mother, through Poke and others, and St Luke’s through its deal with The Nest. What better recognition of design’s role in […]
Blacksheep is designing a Parisian brasserie-inspired interior for St Germain, a restaurant that opens next month in London’s Farringdon at the site of a 19th-century printworks. Neil Walkington, former Will Ricker Restaurants director, is launching the restaurant. It will be his first start-up venture and is likely to mark the beginnings of an effort to […]
A hi-tech research and development centre called the Advanced Digital Institute has opened in Bingley, West Yorkshire. It will provide business and academic support for the development of new high-value products and services, and has been funded by Yorkshire Forward, Bradford Metropolitan District Council and the EU Regional Fund.
Stephan Müller’s near obsession with collecting typefaces led the Berlin-based graphic designer from diversion – via Lineto and major contracts – to commercial accomplishment, says Hannah Booth Stephan Müller collects typefaces. He doesn’t rip out pages from books or magazines. His methods are more guerrilla, like the time he got down on all fours and […]
To remain prominent in the mobile market, manufacturers need to strike an intelligent balance between style and specification, says Scott Billings Product design at its most effective offers users a solution-providing piece of equipment, while at the same time giving aesthetic and emotional pleasure gained from its use. In consumer electronics it is the marriage […]
Javier Mariscal has begun work on his first feature-length animation, Chico & Rita, drawing inspiration from post-war Havana’s latin jazz clubs and New York’s bustling Broadway. Charles Gant gets a sneak preview of the film
Golley Slater Digital has been appointed to redesign fashion brand Full Circle’s website, www.fullcircleuk.com. It will introduce a simpler site that emphasises the clothing range and products.
The Dorchester Group hotel chain is to be rebadged in November with a new group company name. The brand identity will be designed by Pentagram and strategy undertaken by Schmidt & Co.
Hackney Council has won £300 000 from Nike in an out-of-court settlement, after the sportswear brand produced trainers, footballs and T-shirts bearing the council’s logo, designed by Alec Davis in 1965.
Graphical House has created a brand identity for a new £7m arts venue, Trongate 103, which is due to open in Glasgow in 2008.


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HP is attempting to get back into the smartphone business once again as the company has announced two new smartphones, dubbed the Slate6 VoiceTab and Slate7 VoiceTab. HP calls these “voice tablets,” which basically means that they’re tablets, but have phone capabilities.
Unfortunately for phablet-loving consumers out there, HP is only launching the new smartphones in India right now, since the company feels that’s where the most demand is at this point, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see the Slate6 and Slate7 make their way to the states at some point in the future.
HP didn’t provide many details as far as what kind of specs these bad boys are running, other than saying that they were rocking quad-core processors, but according to Re/code, HP’s Ron Coughlin says that the 6-inch version has a 1280×720 display, while the 7-incher has a 1280×800 screen. Both devices will also have 16GB of storage with a microSD card slot, front-facing stereo speakers, 5-megapixel rear camera, 2-megapixel front-facing camera, and Android Jelly Bean to top it all off.
The back of both devices are also coated in scratch-resistant coating of some kind, but HP didn’t provide further details on what it is exactly.
This isn’t the first time that HP has dabble in smartphones. After the company bought Palm for $1.2 billion, it released a handful of webOS-based smartphones and tablets, which eventually failed and led to HP exiting the smartphone market, but after changing out CEOs and dissolving Palm, the company is at it again, only this time they’re wanting to do things a bit differently, hopefully in a way that doesn’t lead them to another failure.
HP hasn’t revealed pricing details or whether or not the US or other regions of the world will be able to get their hands on the new phablets, but we should find out soon enough.
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When Star Clipper closed this March, some people cried, others Tweeted their frustration. In its 26 years in business, the store had become a beloved cultural center, event space and small press distributor for lovers of comics, graphic novels and collectibles. Steve Unverferth and Tony Favello responded in a different way. They took on the store’s name, bought its shelves and hired its staff.
St. Louis Symphony Live
St. Louis Life
As the weather turns warm, free outdoor concerts light up all over St. Louis. This summer concert season has a few changes to its lineup. Clayton has added “May Musical Mondays” to its previous events; St. Peters has replaced its “Summer Concert Series” with a much larger “Lakeside Series” at a Lakeside Park.
A new multi-national chess competition aims to draw attention to the sport. “Hopefully we are witnessing now the creation of the network that will greatly donate to the promotion of the game of chess,” said chess legend Garry Kasparov at the announcement.


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Tesla CEO Elon Musk is continuing to push to eliminate sanctions the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) placed on him related to the “funding secured” saga of 2018, when he stated he would take the automaker’s stock private at $420 a share.
Musk asked the U.S. Supreme Court last week whether the SEC had done more than it had the authority to when imposing the sanctions, which included fines and monitoring his corporate communications, including his X, then known as Twitter, feed.
Musk has referred to the latter punishment as a “muzzle.”
Appealing a decision from earlier this year that upheld the consent decree as it has also been referred to, Musk asked the Supreme Court to hear the same appeal. In May, the U.S. Circuit of Appeals rejected the request the Tesla CEO made to throw out the sanctions.
Musk’s lawyers said the SEC overstepped its boundaries by imposing the punishments and that they violated his First Amendment right to free speech by creating a “gag rule,” Reuters said in its report.
Musk’s appeals regarding other issues have already been agreed to by one court.
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which is based in New Orleans, has already decided to reconsider its decision in March that Musk violated federal labor laws by stating that Tesla employees would lose stock options if they became unionized.
Unionization has been an issue for some time, and more recently, Tesla has felt the effects of these efforts as Swedish employees are striking and other European countries are refusing to unload the company’s vehicles as a sign of solidarity.
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