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The end of the first quarter gives companies a chance to introduce new products or features that can define and expand the brand awareness to an upgraded level. And when we talk about new features and updates; Facebook launched their new feature that allows you to go LIVE just with a single touch. This effort can help them to increase the type of content that users share in its platform.
Facebook announced a dedicated video space on its mobile app along with several new features that can redefine live streaming. It’s interesting to see Facebook jump on the Periscope bandwagon and trying to keep up with social media trends. But, Live streaming on Facebook already made its presence last year through. After launching their “Mentions feature”, Facebook Live was introduced. Live, as of last year will show up in your News Feed if a celebrity you follow decides to live stream. Celebrities like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Serena Williams, Michael Buble, Ricky Gervais etc tried their hands on live streaming with the collaboration with Facebook.
What’s the difference between Facebook Live 2015 & Facebook 2016?
The 2015 version was for celebrities and public figures who have verified page on Facebook. It was an attempt to launch their new product aggressively through influencer branding.
Now that there is a buzz created in the world of social media, they launched the updated version (2016) of the Facebook Live app plus four interactive features. Thus, increasing the apps reach by allowing people from all over the world for the access. Also, page owners can measure these statistics using Live Broadcast Audience and Viewers During Live Broadcast matrices. So, let’s go through these features and their functionality.
Using the same reactions Facebook launched in News Feed, viewers can now select Love, Haha, Wow, Sad or Angry just like our reaction to the statuses, and posts on Facebook. These reactions are spontaneous, that means they disappear quickly so that there are different reactions for different stages of the video.
Facebook Live introduced five filters in order to make these live recording a bit more playful; just like Snapchat have on its interface. But, you are not bound to a particular set of timeframe; rather, you can utilize this feature to showcase your skills in various sets of a genre.
Add a Friend
You can invite your friends on Facebook to view your live broadcast. So, when you invite them, they will receive a push notification with your invitation.
Live Video Destination
You can now browse through various categories in their dedicated place on Facebook and explore what the world is talking about on Facebook Live. This feature also provides a wide variety of topics that you can browse through just like the genre wise segregation on YouTube.
FYI, this is not like the traditional Google maps, but, this feature gives you a visual way to explore the public live broadcasts that are currently happening around the world.
According to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s recent status, “Live is like having a TV camera in your pocket. Anyone with a phone now has the power to broadcast to anyone in the world”
This new format of live streaming was already incorporated with Google in its Live Hangout feature. But, with 1.5 billion of active users on Facebook alone, this feature can expand the LIVE VIDEO bandwagon just like Virtual reality made in the recent months.
Being an artist, movie buff and a media enthusiast, content writing is my career train. I am a proud alumni of Symbiosis Institute of Media Communication (Pune) and currently working for Vidooly.


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Dealers are giving big discounts on the Volt and selling them for 25% off sticker. They are moving closer to what they are actually worth. Another 25% discount should do it.
GM is losing thousands on the sale of every Volt. This is what happens when the government owns you – you have to make cars very few people want.
GM’s future electric vehicle development has been given to China. Our government claims that we are not giving them the technology which is probably true. Why would they want the technology for a car that goes on fire?
GM wants the government to sell their remaining stake of 26.5% in the company but they won’t because they’d lose too much before an election. GM feels the stigma of being “Government Motors” is holding them back. I’m sure it is. I won’t buy a government motors car!
GM never paid back the money they owed us. The portion they did pay off came out of another government fund – it was a shell game.
This past month they actually sold 2800 Volts which was a record but it was because of the discounts.
The huge demand (yes, I’m being facetious) has not renewed production which has been temporarily shut down.
The workers get 90% of their salary when production is shut down. GM must really not want to make Volts.
I think it’s reasonable to say that they are not flying off the lots.
Read more at the Washington Times

domain: news


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Internet-delivered video-on-demand services continue to rake in subscribers by the millions, but a significant majority of consumers worldwide have engaged in live video streaming, new research from the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) found.
Per the study — Live Video Streaming: A Global Perspective — some 67% of consumers said they have live-streamed video content, and a smaller majority (52%) said they prefer ad-supported live streaming over subscription or a la carte services.
The IAB-commissioned survey was designed and fielded by OnDevice Research in 21 markets worldwide from late April to early May. The sample size totaled about 4,200 adults, or roughly 200 people per market. All participants owned or had access to either a feature phone, a PC/laptop, smartphone, tablet, gaming console, smart TV or streaming device.
From a broader perspective, 70% said they stream video content at least once per day, and almost half (47%) said their interest in live streaming has increased since last year. About 65% of those surveyed said they plan to livestream matches from the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
The smartphone is the most popular device to stream live video (62%), followed by smart TVs. However, smartphones and tablets were more often used for short bursts of live streaming (30 minutes or less) compared to smart TVs and TV-connected devices.
Among regions studied, consumers in North America (the United States, Canada and Mexico) live-streamed a bit below the global average, at 65%, while consumers in South American countries covered in the study (Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Peru) turned in the highest live-stream average, at 80%.
Social platforms (51%) was the top source for live streaming, followed by digital streaming subscriptions (41%).
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It's Your Business: Two Silver Mine Subs coming to Champaign
Silver Mine Subs, a sandwich-shop chain based in Colorado and launched by three former University of Illinois students, has two new locations in Champaign under development.
One will be at 905 S. Neil St., and the other will be in the UI campus area at 612 E. Daniel St.
Silver Mine Subs, which has been in business since 1996, sells both hot and cold subs in three sizes, along with soup, chili and party platters. The sandwich names, such as ?Pikes Peak or Bust,? hark back to the Old West frontier days. ?We deliver. That's a big part of our business,? says Brett Vogel, director of operations for the company and a UI biology graduate. His partners are John Langreck, a former UI engineering student, and Lance Jones, a UI graduate in business.
They currently have six company-owned shops in Colorado - in Boulder, Fort Collins and Greeley - and one franchised location in Tucson, Ariz.
The two new shops in Champaign are set to open in mid-April. Neil Strack, the architect for the two shops in Champaign, said the facade of the Daniel Street shop will be brought back to natural brick.
Vogel said he and his partners would eventually like to open five locations in the Champaign-Urbana vicinity.
Restaurant coming to Tuscola
The former Liga's Steak and Pasta House in Tuscola will be reopened as a new restaurant later this month. It will be called Tuscany Steak and Pasta House, said one of the owners, Cazim ?Sonny? Asani of Clinton. He will run the new restaurant in partnership with Alex Elezi, also of Clinton.
Both men are relocating to Tuscola, Asani said.
The restaurant will feature a bit of everything, including Italian cuisine, steak, chicken and ribs, he said. He and Elezi are leasing and remodeling the restaurant, located on U.S. 36, and hope to have it open in about three weeks, Asani said.
Asani operated the Three Star Family Restaurant in Clinton for about seven years before selling the business. He said he and Elezi decided to open a new restaurant in Tuscola because they like the town and see it as a growing community.
Motorcycle shop at new location
Andrae's Harley-Davidson Sales & Service opens today at its new and larger location at 2010 N. Lincoln Ave., U.
The dealership, formerly at 1401 E. Main St., U, is now in a 22,500-square-foot building that is two-and-a-half times the size of its old one. The new location has an expanded selection of Harley-Davidson motorcycles, accessories, motor clothes and collectibles, said Lynn Simpson, daughter of and assistant to owner Sharon Andrae.
The service department at the new location is larger, Simpson said. The phone number and hours remain the same.
Home care agency opens
Right at Home, a national home care agency, has opened a new office in Danville to serve that community along with Champaign-Urbana and parts of Indiana.
Right at Home, based in Omaha, Neb., provides in-home care and assistance to senior citizens and other adults in need of some independent living assistance. Services include light housework, meal preparation, medication reminders, errand-running, transportation and companionship.
Services are offered on both a short-term and long-term basis and can range from just a few hours a week to around-the-clock companionship, the company said. For information, call 709-0160.
Local Schnucks hours same
St. Louis-based Schnucks Markets is cutting back hours at a small group of its stores, but 24-hour service will continue at the Champaign and Urbana Schnucks stores.
The company is changing hours at 19 of its 102 stores so that they'll now close between midnight and 6 a.m.
Schnucks spokeswoman Lori Willis said the company monitors customer visits at all its stores, and most of the business done at the 19 affected stores is during daytime hours.
Are you opening a new business or changing something at your existing business? Debra Pressey can be reached by phone at 351-5229, or 800-252-3346; by e-mail at email@example.com, or regular mail at The News-Gazette, c/o It's Your Business column, P.O. Box 677, Champaign, IL 61824-0677.


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|South Africa at forefront of environmental winemaking|
|Written by Richard Siddle in Cape Town|
|Tuesday, 25 September 2012 13:06|
South Africa is on track to be the world's leading wine country for its environmental, sustainable and ethical practices, according to Su Birch, chief executive of Wines of South Africa.
She told an international audience at the opening of this week's Cape Wine in Cape Town that the ground breaking efforts it has taken on environmental winemaking would help set it apart from the rest of the world. The challenge is now to communicate that message through its wines and wine companies.
She did not see the current scale of the South African wine industry growing considerably in the next 20 years. She predictated total number of hectares under vine will rise to 150,000 from its current 100,000 hectares.
But she did predict more wine regions being developed along both the east and west coasts and higher up on slopes in the mountains.
In 20 years she forsaw an industry mainly dominated by smaller, medium sized independently owned wine companies with much larger wine tourism industry. An industry renown for its "premium, distinctive, ethically sustainable wines".
She said the South Afrian industry should be proud of the work it has done in protecting and conserving its land, with some 130,000 hectares now set aside on wine farms for conservation.
Birch was confident every South African Winery will be compliant and signed up to its new ethical seal governing wine making, sustainable, Fairtrade and employment practices. She wants to lead the world in "production integrity".
The industry has come a long way from exporting to 20 countries in 1992, to 134 countries today, according to Birch. Most of whom were represented at the Cape Wine event that runs from September 25-27, the first for four years.
The UK now accounts for 22% of its exports closely followed in importance by Russia, the rest of Africa, China, Germany and Canada.
Wine production currently stands at 377 million litres against 217m litres in 2002 and 92m litres in 1992. Exports in the last year grew 7.8% and its domestic market by 4%. The South African wine industry now consists of 3,600 farmers employing 275,000 people.


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Salvation Army leaps into action
October is the start of the busy season for The Salvation Army and Mesquite Director Roberta Franco has already launched the first of many events to benefit the needy for the holidays in Virgin Valley.
The annual coat drive kicked off Wednesday and warm garments of all descriptions and weights are needed, Franco said. Coat donations can be dropped off until Oct. 31 to Joe Aquino at Shelter Insurance, 1085 W. Pioneer Blvd., Suite 140, or Iron Mountain Cleaners, 1135 W. Pioneer Blvd., Suite 104, that every year cleans the coats.
Applications for the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots also runs until Oct. 31, Franco said. Toys for Tots is a Marine Corps reserve program where new, unwrapped toys should be dropped off at the Salvation Army, 355 W. Mesquite Blvd. Suite B50.
Franco said families can fill out applications for Angel Tree from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 6-9, Oct. 13-16 and Oct. 20-23, at her office in the Brickyard Plaza. Angel Tree is a program in which community members accept responsibility for a low-income child for whom they help provide a Christmas.
“We ask community members to purchase at last one pair of pants, a shirt, a jacket and two toys,” Franco said. “This year we’re doing something different because of the poor state of the economy.
“This year we’re splitting up the program to make it less expensive,” she said. “If someone wants to donate but can’t afford both clothing and toys, they can elect to give just the clothing or just the toys. We know trying to buy everything can get a little pricey, so this makes it a little more affordable; so more people can help.”
To apply for Angel Tree families will need to show a Nevada photo ID for all adults; a lease; utility bill; birth certificates, and proof of income for the last 30 days.
“We don’t use any names in the Angel Tree program only the gender and age of the children,” Franco said. “We assign each child a number and if a donor has questions about their angel we can look up the number. The most common question we get is, ‘What size clothing should I buy.’”
In addition to the clothing and toys, Franco said every Angel Tree family is given a box of food that comes from the annual Boy Scout food drive Nov. 15.
Mesquite Gaming donates a tent every year to store everything collected in Angel Tree and Golf Fore Kids, Franco said.
“It’s also a great place for us to place for us to prepare the gifts and clothing for distribution Dec. 18, which is wonderful,” she said. “
“I want to make sure everyone who comes into our office will get help for the holidays,” Franco said. “If they don’t qualify for Angel Tree, we’ll put them Toys for Toys.”
Angel Tree donations and the annual Festival of Trees is scheduled Nov. 16-22.
Donations will be accepted at Colonial Property Management, 736 W. Pioneer Blvd., Suite 200; Mesquite Veterans Center, 840 Hafen Lane; Eureka Casino Resort, 275 Mesa Blvd.; Mesa View Regional Hospital, 1299 Bertha Howe Ave.; Mesquite Area Chamber of Commerce, 12 W. Mesquite Blvd.; Mesquite Senior Center, 102 W. Old Mill Road; Wal-Mart Supercenter, 1100 W. Pioneer Blvd.; Mesquite Lutheran Church, 450 Turtleback Road; Bealls Department Store, 1165 W. Pioneer Blvd.; Walgreens Drug Store, 329 N. Sandhill Blvd.; Nevada State Bank, 1100 W. Pioneer Blvd., and Mountain America Credit Union, 355 W. Mesquite Blvd., Suite A10.
Other activities in which The Salvation Army is involved include the Shreek-reeka in the Eureka Casino Resort parking lot, 275 Mesa Blvd., from 5- 8 p.m. Oct. 30; Trunk or Treat from 4-8 p.m. Oct. 31 at the Mesquite Recreation Center, 102 W. Old Mill Road, from 5-8 p.m.; the Rotary Club Ball Drop in the Brickyard Plaza, 355 W. Mesquite Blvd., from 3-7 p.m. Nov. 1, and Golf Fore Kids, CasaBlanca tent, 950 W. Mesquite Blvd.
The annual Salvation Army kettle drive kicks off Nov. 24 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Lee’s Discount Liquors, 679 W. Pioneer Blvd.; Walgreens Drug Store, 329 N. Sandhill Blvd., and Smith’s Food and Drug, 350 N. Sandhill Blvd., Franco said. It will start at Wal-Mart on Pioneer Blvd., Nov. 28.
The goal of this years drive is $50,000 and will end at 2 p.m. Dec. 24.


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There’s an overwhelming feeling each New Year to get a fresh start.
We asked the community what they thought they wanted to change or continue to improve in 2013. Many will take up new resolutions. According to usa.gov, the most popular ones are to drink less alcohol, eat healthier food, get a better education, get a better job, get fit, lose weight, manage debt and manage stress. Here’s what our neighbors are saying they want in the coming year.


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Microsoft's Bing search engine director, Stefan Weitz, made his stance on search very clear in a recent interview with the Huffington Post.
"Search itself hasn't changed fundamentally in the past 12 years," he told the Huffington Post in the interview published yesterday. "Traditional search is failing. The standard notion of search...looking at the texts in the page, the backlinks, all that stuff doesn't work anymore."
Weitz specifically targeted Google, saying that the company's idea of the "connection between" Web sites to determine results ranking was a "brilliant, brilliant model." But, he says, it doesn't work any longer. And the time has come for search companies to appeal to the new needs of users.
To apparently achieve that goal, Microsoftfor Bing earlier this week that uses Facebook "likes" to improve a user's search results. For example, if a user tries to find a new restaurant in their city, Bing will push establishments that the respective user's friends have liked on Facebook higher in its search results. For the new feature to work, the user must be logged in to Bing and Facebook at the same time.
"We're trying to infuse this idea of emotion into the decision engine," Bing director Stefan Weitz said in a statement earlier this week.
But it goes beyond that. Weitz said that Bing's goal for the future of search is "literally to deliver knowledge by understanding intent." Ultimately, the company wants to take the heavy lifting out of searching for content and deliver to users the information they want as quickly and seamlessly as possible, he told the Huffington Post.
Of course, Google isn't just sitting still. Earlier this year, the company unveiled its "+1" experimental feature, which. Those votes, which are the company's best answer yet to Facebook's "like" feature, help other users searching for the same topic find better results.
"The beauty of +1's is their relevance," a post on the official Google blog announcing the new feature read. "You get the right recommendations (because they come from people who matter to you), at the right time (when you are actually looking for information about that topic), and in the right format (your search results)."
But Bing has more to worry about than just Google's new features., Google owned 65.4 percent of the U.S. search market in April. Bing was able to generate just 14.1 percent market share, while Yahoo accommodated 15.9 percent of the searches last month.


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A brand new Brexit border within the Irish Sea might not be in a position by means of Boris Johnson’s end-of-year closing date, consistent with a brand new research that warns greater than 60 administrations, executive departments and public our bodies shall be excited by overseeing the brand new machine.
Ministers in spite of everything admitted remaining week that there could be some assessments on sure items getting into Northern Eire from the remainder of the United Kingdom from subsequent January, when the Brexit transition length involves an finish.
Johnson and others have additionally refused to believe extending the transition length, regardless of having no settlement between the EU and Britain over the sensible remedy of Northern Eire and little prospect of a business deal being in position by means of the beginning of 2021.
Then again, in its maximum forthright intervention so far, the influential thinktank Institute for Executive (IfG) stated the transition length will have to be prolonged or an extended implementation length agreed for the brand new border preparations within the Irish Sea. It warns that many companies are merely fascinated about “staying afloat” right through the coronavirus disaster and can’t be anticipated to pay attention to new business preparations – and suggests the federal government is underestimating the complexity of the brand new Northern Eire preparations.
“The United Kingdom and the EU will have to prolong the transition length or comply with a separate longer implementation length for the withdrawal settlement,” the institute warns in a brand new file. “The timetable for placing preparations in position for the Irish Sea border used to be very tight even prior to Covid-19 hit Europe. However now coronavirus has slowed the tempo of negotiations at the long run dating, delaying key selections.
“Key companies reminiscent of freight delivery associations and buying and selling associations are fascinated about keeping up provide chains somewhat than getting in a position for brand spanking new border preparations, and plenty of companies are specializing in staying afloat, no longer complying with new regulatory necessities. Towards the background of an international pandemic, it is rather tough to look how arrangements to put in force the protocol will also be finished prior to the top of the 12 months – given the dimensions of each the selections and sensible paintings nonetheless required.”
New preparations coping with items flowing from Nice Britain to Northern Eire are wanted as a part of the so-called Northern Eire protocol, hammered out by means of Johnson and the EU in January to keep away from a troublesome border at the island of Eire. A failure to put in force it by means of the top of December would as a substitute result in the implementation of an excessively arduous border within the Irish Sea.
The IfG’s stark caution comes after Michael Gove, the cupboard place of work minister, stated remaining week that assessments on items heading from nice Britain to Northern Eire could be had to handle “disease-free standing” at the island of Eire, with border inspection posts for agrifood. It contradicted Johnson’s repeated vow that there could be no assessments.
The IfG, then again, means that extra sweeping adjustments shall be wanted than the ones admitted by means of Gove. “The protocol creates a customs and regulatory border within the Irish Sea, which the United Kingdom shall be legally obliged to manage beneath supervision from EU establishments,” it states. “Northern Eire will stay a part of the United Kingdom customs territory however shall be required to align with EU regulations on customs and rules.
“The United Kingdom executive will have to recognise the dimensions of the implementation activity and make it a central authority precedence even in those tough occasions. The United Kingdom must scale up present programs for customs management, design and put in force new programs for tariff management and repayment and increase new capability for regulatory assessments.
“With UK ministers best lately publicly pointing out what further processes is also wanted, growth to this point has been sluggish. With 64 departments, public our bodies and businesses throughout the United Kingdom with scope for involvement within the implementation of the protocol, readability on what is needed is vital.”
Its research additionally warns that the protocol preparations shall be voted on by means of the Northern Eire meeting each 4 to 8 years, making it a “doubtlessly destabilising factor” for years yet to come.


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A new support service for those with autism has been launched in the Scottish Borders.
Autism Initiatives is the first service of its kind in the area and will offer specialist services.
More top news
A year after last winter's floods, many residents are taking flood protection into their own hands.
The Health Alliance says it's put forward "viable alternatives" to options proposed by the Success Regime.
Cumbrian businesses are being urged to promote fire safety over Christmas, as many companies take on temporary staff.


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Shazam is already integrated into Apple's Siri voice assistant, but the deal likely signals Apple's interest to expand its use of the technology. » Read More
By: Sara Salinas
The digital coins aren't a "real currency," the Alpha One Capital Partners founder says, but they're going to grow. » Read More
Jim Cramer, who has been a vocal critic of bitcoin, says its futures launch was a "very big victory." » Read More
American Express has announced that it will no longer require signatures for credit card purchases beginning in April 2018, the Verge reports.
Ethereum creator Vitalik Buterin said increasing interest in cryptocurrencies was “a reflection of the world at large.”
UBS Wealth Management is skeptical that bitcoin can be used as a currency.
Google's highest-end smart home speaker, the Google Home Max, is now available for purchase.
The launch of bitcoin futures could "have a material negative impact on the price of bitcoin," says Gene Munster of Loup Ventures.
Bank of America Merrill Lynch lowers its price target and profit forecasts for Electronic Arts due to poor sales of its "Star Wars" title.
Bitcoin was trading above $16,570 on Monday, according to CoinDesk.
Apple appears to have managed to meet iPhone X demand, with most models now shipping in a few days.
CNBC walks you through how to buy bitcoin and then how to send it to someone as a gift.
More than 10,000 German citizens had been contacted on LinkedIn by fake profiles from China, according to Germany's BfV.
The multiyear partnership announced on Monday will let fans on any mobile carrier watch NFL games on their smartphones.
Palihapitiya's remarks follow similar statements from others who helped build Facebook into the powerful corporation it is today, Verge reports.
Earlier this year, London regulators failed to renew Uber's operating license in the U.K. capital.
Microsoft and Google are among companies that have privately contacted Qualcomm to express their concerns about a potential sale to Broadcom
After bitcoin launched on the Cboe, BK Capital Management's Brian Kelly says it isn't too late to invest in the digital currency.
Here are the gadgets and trends that didn't quite take off this year.
Get the best of CNBC in your inbox


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November 1, 2018
By Bob Coleman
Editor, Coleman Movers and Shakers
Coleman Movers & Shakers — SBA Secondary Market Summit, Rural Lenders Roundtable Offer Post-Election Analysis, Networking Opportunities
Senate Small Business Committee Chairman James Risch Confirmed as 2018 SBA Secondary Market Summit Speaker
The only industry event where you can get accurate market intelligence targeted to finance professionals who sell, trade, buy or regulate SBA secondary market paper. The SBA Secondary Market Summit is the only event you can learn from the four participants in the market — Wall Street Investors, Secondary Market Brokers, Main Street Bankers and the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Senator David Perdue & Congressman Robert Aderholt Confirmed as 2018 National Rural Lenders’ Roundtable Keynote Speakers!
The 2018 Annual National Rural Lenders’ Roundtable is being sponsored by Thomas USAF Group and will have some of the most active Lenders and Brokers in the Southeast in the SBA and USDA guaranteed lending industries! Topics such as the 2018 Farm Bill and regulation changes will be covered at this event.
Upcoming SBA Lending Professional Industry Events
Coleman Certified 2019 SBA 7(a) Loan Closer Training, February 5, 2019, Marina Del Rey
Southeastern Small Business Lenders Conference 2019, March 13, 2019, Asheville
America West Small Business Lending Summit 2019, June 11, 2019, Rancho Mirage Registration Opens November 5
America East Small Business Lending Conference 2019, August 14, 2019, Mashantucket
Music City Small Business Lenders Conference, August 28-29, 2019, Nashville
FLAGGL Small Business Lenders Conference, September 8, 2019, Orlando


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We are excited to announce today that NetBase is now Twitter Official Partner. The Twitter Official Partner Program is open to select, leading B2B product and service providers to make the platform even more useful to business. This partnership is a huge validation of our status as the leading enterprise-scale social media analytics company and the valuable relationship we have built with Twitter over the years.
Twitter is one of the most important global sources of social media information helping companies hear consumer voice and react to customer needs in real-time. Over the last few years, we’ve built a strong relationship with Twitter that helped us gain access to Twitter’s early stage initiatives and products as well as work in close cooperation with their Data and Ads teams.
In the future, the even closer partnership with Twitter will enable us to:
• Guarantee the best access to the leading global source of real-time social media data
• Accelerate product innovation with access to Twitter’s data offerings and advice to effectively solve business challenges
• Pursue new joint go to market opportunities
• Enable us to offer our best-in-class social media analytics to more brands and agencies
We already have several products that are focused specifically on the analysis of real-time and historical Twitter data going as far back as the very first Tweet. NetBase LIVE Pulse™ Suite provides real-time social media analytics dashboards powered by up-to-the-second Twitter data. Audience 3D leverages Twitter to help brands get an unprecedented understanding of their social consumers including their interests, psychographics, emotions, and behaviors.
We are confident that in the future, this closer partnership will enable us to bring to market valuable products that help brands and agencies succeed in their social business.
To learn more about the Twitter Official Partner Program, see our press release.


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Com Hem has launched TV Hub, an Android TV-powered platform that combines linear TV with on-demand and streaming services and is high dynamic range (HDR) and 4K compatible.
TV Hub lets users navigate between linear TV channels and play services and can be customised with apps downloaded from the Google Play store. The remote also has shortcuts to Netflix, SVT Play and TV4 Play.
The device has voice-control capabilities and linear TV content can be accessed via FibreLAN, FibreCoax and with standard antenna. Com Hem designed the Hub and developed the hardware, user interface and software with partners including Google, Technicolor and 3SS.
“One of the strengths of TV Hub is our cooperation with some of the most popular play-services,” said Jessica Andersson, product director of TV at Com Hem Group. “In addition to SVT Play and TV4 Play, we are delighted that Netflix, the world’s largest streaming service will be available in TV Hub at launch and that our customers can easily access their content via the button on the remote control.”
Maria Ferreras, vice president of business development EMEA at Netflix added: “Com Hem is one of our longest standing operator partners and has been at the forefront of embracing streaming services.”
“We are excited about the TV Hub which will make our Netflix originals which includes hundreds of hours in 4K and HDR quality even more accessible for Swedes. By seamlessly pressing the Netflix button, customers can reach their favourite content like Stranger Things, Narcosor Bright even faster than before.”
TV Hub is available for Com Hem customers from today and will be available to Boxer customers later in the year at a list price of SEK1,695 (€163). During a launch campaign customers can choose to rent the device for a one-off fee of SEK500.


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The UK Government has announced plans to strengthen regulation of interest-free buy now, pay later (BNPL) credit agreements, which is says will protect millions of people.
As part of the plan, lenders will be required to ensure loans are affordable, and rules will be amended to ensure advertisements are fair, clear and not misleading.
The Government will expand the rules to cover other forms of unsecured short-term credit that pose similar risks to consumers (such as those used for dentistry work).
BNPL credit agreements can be a helpful way to manage finances, enabling consumers to spread the full cost of a purchase over time. However, states the Government, people do not currently have the usual full range of borrower protections when taking out this type of loan, and they are rapidly increasing in popularity, resulting in a potential risk of harm.
Yesterday, the Government confirmed that lenders will be required to carry out affordability checks, ensuring loans are affordable for consumers, and will amend financial promotion rules to ensure BNPL advertisements are fair, clear, and not misleading. Lenders offering the product will need to be approved by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and borrowers will also be able to take a complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS).
Economic Secretary to the Treasury, John Glen, comments: “BNPL can be a helpful way to manage your finances, but we need to ensure that people can embrace new products and services with the appropriate protections in place. By holding BNPL to the high standards we expect of other loans and forms of credit, we are protecting consumers and fostering the safe growth of this innovative market in the UK.”
Yesterday's consultation response sets out the Government’s proposals for regulation of the sector. Given its complexity, the Government will publish a consultation on draft legislation toward the end of this year. Following this, the Government aims to lay secondary legislation by mid-2023, after which the FCA will consult on its rules for the sector.
The government has also confirmed that other forms of short-term, interest-free credit, such as those used to pay for larger items like furniture, will be required to comply with the same rules announced yesterday, given that the risks posed are similar, and consumers should receive consistent protections from similar products.
These rules will apply to businesses that partner with a third-party lender to provide credit, and the Government is asking for further stakeholder feedback to confirm whether they should also apply to online merchants which directly offer credit for the purchase of their own products.
Adam Kirkby, head of sales for retail finance provider etika, comments: "This is a wake-up call for the BNPL market. The new rules are an opportunity to build better standards and drive safer growth for this innovative market that retailers and customers have come to rely on."


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Reynolds' Cigarettes Are Good For You(r Portfolio)
Chris DeMuth Jr. • 33 Comments
Chris DeMuth Jr. • 33 Comments
Fri, Jun. 24, 1:22 PM
- U.S. tobacco stocks are higher, bucking today's broad downturn, as investors view the group as a relatively safe haven in a risk-off environment.
- Shares of Altria (MO +2.2%), the no. 1 U.S. cigarette maker, hit a 52-week high of $67.98 earlier and continue to sport solid gains, and Reynolds American (RAI +1.8%) remains strong after touching a more than three-month high of $51.84.
- "With Brexit potentially delaying a rate hike in the U.S., this move likely favors our higher-yielding names, and in particular U.S. tobacco (RAI and MO)," according to analysts at Cowen.
- However, Philip Morris International (PM -3%), which generated more than a third of its revenue from the European Union last year, is sharply lower.
Mon, Mar. 7, 9:29 AM
- CNBC reports there are "no talks" between British American Tobacco (NYSEMKT:BTI) and Reynolds American (NYSE:RAI).
- Shares of RAI are now flat in premarket trading after being up 2.4% earlier amid buzz in London over a potential deal.
- Previously: Reynolds American on watch with report of BAT interest (Mar. 07 2016)
Mon, Jan. 25, 12:00 PM
- Tobacco stocks and soft drinks names are mild outperformers on the day.
- Despite soft consumer spending trends, some retail analysts think 2016 sales for beer, cigarettes, and soft drinks will pick up in the U.S. as gas prices remain at low levels.
- Gainers today on a down market day include Dr. Pepper Snapple (DPS +1%), PepsiCo (PEP +0.7%), Coca-Cola (KO +0.7%), Coca-Cola Bottling Company (COKE +2.6%), Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE +1.1%), Reynolds American (RAI +1.7%), Altrai (MO +1%), Philip Morris (PM +0.5%), and Anheuser-Busch InBev (BUD +0.7%).
- Speculation that anti-soda and cigarette advocate Michael Bloomberg might run for president doesn't appear to be creating even a ripple of worry.
- Previously: Michael Bloomberg is seriously considering running for president (Jan. 23 2016)
Wed, Jan. 13, 4:31 PM
- Reynolds American (RAI -1.8%) says after getting regulatory approval, it's wrapped up a sale of international rights to its Natural American Spirit brand.
- The deal gives rights to the name and associated trademarks to Japan Tobacco Group for about $5B, all in cash. The deal includes the companies distributing and marketing the brand outside the U.S.
- At last report, Reynolds American had $3.18B in cash against total debt of $17.93B.
- Shares are up 0.2% after hours.
Oct. 27, 2015, 7:12 AM
- Reynolds American (NYSE:RAI) reported a 65% jump in non-GAAP operating income to $1.41B in Q3.
- Total domestic cigarette volumes were up 29.5% during the quarter as the addition of the Newport brand factored in. Retail market share +30 bps to 33.9%.
- Reynolds' operating margin improved 640 bps to 44.4%.
- The company ended the quarter with $2.9B in cash.
- Previously: Reynolds American EPS in-line, beats on revenue (Oct. 27 2015)
- RAI +0.65% premarket to $49.84.
Jun. 16, 2015, 9:08 AM
- Goldman Sachs calls Reynolds American (NYSE:RAI) the "best in class" in the tobacco sector following the company's merger with Lorillard.
- Reynolds American lands on the Conviction Buy List at Goldman due to its upside potential after clearing the regulatory hurdles associated with the Lorillard integration.
- Despite being forced to shed some brands, Reynolds is seen having better pricing power due to its larger market share.
- GS assigns Reynolds a price target of $81 based off a blended assumption of 17.5X 12-24 month P/E and M&A EBITDA gains.
- RAI +1.0% premarket t0 $73.29.
Apr. 17, 2015, 7:30 AM
- Reynolds American (NYSE:RAI) reports cigarette volume fell 2.4% to 13.9B in Q1 vs. +0.5% industry average.
- Cigarette market share -50 bps to 26.1%.
- Premium mix +30 bps to 58.7%.
- SG&A expenses +23.73% Y/Y to $511M.
- Operating margin rate increased 280 bps to 37.2%.
- FY2015 Guidance: Adjusted EPS: $3.65 to $3.80.
- RAI +1.70% premarket.
Apr. 10, 2015, 10:22 AM
- Lorillard (LO +2%) and Reynolds American (RAI +2.4%) break higher on renewed chatter the FTC will decide against a lawsuit to halt the merger between the companies.
- Earlier today, Reynolds American announced it will host its earnings conference call on April 17 at which time more details on the merger and synergy estimates could be disclosed.
- Lorilalrd trades at an all-time high, while Reynolds American is only a dollar and change from a 52-week top.
Aug. 6, 2014, 10:00 AM
- Tobacco stocks are higher today in what analysts are calling a defensive move by investors.
- There's also been some stronger pricing trends on the lower-end of the cigarette market that has helped to boost the outlook on the group.
- Gainers: Philip Morris (PM +2.2%), Reynolds American (RAI +1.6%), Vector Group (VGR +1.4%), and Altrai (MO +1.9%).
Jul. 15, 2014, 10:53 AM
- Tobacco stocks slump as a group after Lorillard doesn't catch the premium in the Reynolds American buyout that some anticipated.
- Even Imperial Tobacco which ended up with the hot Blu e-cigarette brand as part of the deal is having trouble shaking off the pessimism.
- Decliners: Lorillard (NYSE:LO) -7.9%, Philip Morris (NYSE:PM) -1.3%, Altria (NYSE:MO) -2.1%, Vector Group (NYSE:VGR) -0.8%, Reynolds American (NYSE:RAI) -4.0%, Imperial Tobacco (OTCMKTS:ITYBY) -2.8%, British American Tobacco (NYSEMKT:BTI) -1.4%.
Jul. 11, 2014, 7:18 AM
- Shares of Lorillard (LO) are higher in early trading after Reynolds American (RAI) confirms an earlier report that it's in talks with the company over a buyout.
- Reynolds says British American Tobacco will support the transaction by subscribing additional shares.
- Imperial Tobacco (ITYBY) will snap up key brands to help make the deal more likely to sail past regulators.
- LO +4.6% premarket
Jul. 9, 2014, 8:16 AM| Jul. 9, 2014, 8:16 AM | 3 Comments
Jul. 3, 2014, 10:18 AM
- Shares of Lorillard (LO +4.6%) are higher after CNBC reports its sources indicate a merger of the company with Reynold American (RAI +1.6%) will be announced within weeks.
- In the deal sidecar: Imperial Tobacco (ITYBY) is expected to buy some assets in order to make the deal palatable for regulators, while British American Tobacco (BTI) is tapped to be part of the festivities as an investor in Reynolds.
Jun. 18, 2014, 9:02 AM
- Wells Fargo analyst Bonnie Herzog is fairly confident (90%) that a deal in which Reynolds American (RAI) pays up to $80 per share for Lorillard (LO) is still likely (CNBC interview video).
- Herzog thinks a combination of the two companies will "catapult" the e-cigarette business.
- LO +2.0% premarket to $63.01 giving investors plenty of upside still if the Wells call is correct.
Jun. 11, 2014, 8:17 AM
- Reynolds American (RAI) is upgraded by Bank of America to a Buy rating from Neutral.
- The investment firm gives shares a premium due to a potential merger of Reynolds with Lorillard.
- Favorable industry pricing trends in Q2 also set up well for Reynolds.
- RAI +0.2% premarket
May 22, 2014, 10:36 AM
- Shares of Lorillard (LO -5.5%) retreat after reality sets in that a deal for the company to be purchased by Reynolds American (RAI -1.8%) is complicated and could take some time to work out. The third wheel in the merger mix is British American Tobacco (BTI -0.9%) which owns 42% of Reynolds and could make a play for the whole company after a standstill agreement expires in July.
- Analysis is divided on if a deal will end up being completed at all. Stifel thinks regulators will jump in over the dominance in menthol a combination of the tobacco companies would create - while Wells Fargo's read is much more optimistic.
- Vector Group (VGR -1.6%) has been taken for a ride along with Lorillard and Reynolds, popping yesterday and deflating today.
Reynolds American Inc. is a holding company, which manufactures and sells cigarettes in United States. The company operating segments include RJR Tobacco, American Snuff and Santa Fe. The RJR Tobacco segment consists of the primary operations of R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. The American Snuff... More
Sector: Consumer Goods
Country: United States
Other News & PR


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Drama over: Google has whitelisted the KDE Connect Android app, allowing it to continue to provide SMS and call log integration to Linux users.
Free video editor OpenShot 2.4.4 is available to download, with its developer describing the release as being “the best version yet”.
GNOME developers launch survey to get feedback on metered data connection usage on desktop PCs and laptop, including those who tether Android to PC.
Meet the NVIDIA Jetson Nano, a $99 developer kit with support for Ubuntu 18.04, NVIDIA CUDA toolkit, and open-source machine learning tools like TensorFlow.
Stadia, a brand new game streaming service from Google, has been revealed — and it’s powered by Linux and open source technology.
Mozilla Firefox 66 is available to download on desktop and Android. We look at the new features, bug fixes and key improvements this update brings.
Google removed the official KDE Connect Android app from the Play Store, citing policy restrictions on apps that access SMS and call logs.
The Atari VCS release date has been pushed back to late 2019. The Linux-powered games console will now use an AMD Ryzen APU for better performance.
The GNOME 3.34 release date is set for September 11, 2019. Development on the next major release of this Linux desktop kicks off in early April.
Geary 3.32 has been released. The latest version of this open-source e-mail client for Linux features a new icon and a new release schedule.
Firefox Send is a free, encrypted file sharing service from Mozilla that lets you anonymously share files up to 1GB.
The GNOME 3.32 release includes a new icon theme, performance patches and more. We look at the best new features.


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The South Korean phonemaker has responded to issues with the camera system on the new Galaxy S20 Ultra
Samsung has responded to some issues that early reviewers have found with the camera system on the new Galaxy S20 Ultra. The company says it’s working on an update to improve the camera, though it doesn’t acknowledge any specific problem or confirm when the fixes will be available.
The Galaxy S20 features a groundbreaking, advanced camera system, Samsung says in a statement to The Verge. We are constantly working to optimize performance to deliver the best experience for consumers. As part of this ongoing effort, we are working on a future update to improve the camera experience.
Initial reviews of the Galaxy S20 Ultra have panned it for its poor autofocus performance, aggressive skin smoothening and image processing. The autofocus issue, in particular, has been a major cause of concern among reviewers as they have noticed the camera regularly failing to focus properly while taking photos or recording videos. Such camera issues taint the image of a phone whose entire highlight is its camera system.
While the Galaxy S20 and the S20+ feature a primary 12MP f/1.8 shooter with Dual Pixel PDAF, the Galaxy S20 Ultra comes with an even bigger 108MP camera sensor from Samsung itself. It lacks Dual Pixel AF though and instead only relies on Phase Detection AF. The device uses 9-to-1 pixel binning to output 12MP photos with more details. Samsung has not confirmed the autofocus issue with the Galaxy S20 Ultra’s 108MP shooter.
The Galaxy S20 Ultra’s camera system is one of its main selling points, including a huge 108-megapixel sensor and a periscope telephoto lens that Samsung pitches as being usable at up to 100x zoom.
This article is for information purposes only.
Please remember that financial investments may rise or fall and past performance does not guarantee future performance in respect of income or capital growth; you may not get back the amount you invested.
There is no obligation to purchase anything but, if you decide to do so, you are strongly advised to consult a professional adviser before making any investment decisions.


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Search giant Google (NAS: GOOG) is one of the biggest, baddest disruptors this side of the Pacific.
When the company launched its suite of productivity Web apps years ago, the one company that had the most to lose was none other than software bellwether Microsoft (NAS: MSFT) . It was a clear shot at Mr. Softy's lucrative Office and business division. At the time, it wasn't a huge threat, since Office was a full-featured offering while Google Apps was bare-bones in comparison.
The bigger they are
Microsoft has a ton to lose if Google can grab enough share of the enterprise productivity software market. Microsoft's business division has been the greatest contributor to operating income over the past five years, generating even more black ink than the flagship Windows operating system. That's $65.2 billion in operating income for those keeping score at home, while the Windows and Windows Live division brought in just $61 billion.
On the revenue side, the business segment has seen $101.1 billion in sales over the past five years, leading by an even larger margin relative to the $87.1 billion in Windows revenue.
The business division is home to Office, SharePoint, Exchange, Lync, and Office 365, which comprise 90% of the segment's sales. Google's recently launched Google Drive service includes a lot of collaboration and content management features, a partial threat to SharePoint even as SharePoint is a more comprehensive offering.
With our powers combined
According to The Wall Street Journal, Microsoft has even formed a "Google Compete" team that's tasked with dissuading Office customers from making the switch to Google Apps.
For example, one marketing company opted to go with Big G for its 4,000 employees since Office 365 was 50% pricier than Google's, and it lacked a certain "cool" factor that the search giant has. The marketing company dropped its $2 million contract with Microsoft and went with Google.
Still, Gartner estimates that Microsoft still claims more than 90% of the market, while its Exchange service serves up more than 80% of corporate email. Microsoft has acknowledged a few customer losses to Google, including big companies such as Costco that have also now made the switch. Gartner now thinks that Google is winning between a third and a half of new enterprise customers.
"All of a sudden this looks really serious," Gartner analyst Tom Austin told the WSJ. "By all accounts, [Microsoft] should be burying Google, and they're not."
To combat defections, Microsoft is now slashing prices by upwards of 20%, while also pumping up the sales commissions that it pays to third-party software resellers to a higher payout to salesmen than when they sell Google Apps.
Google is chipping away at Microsoft, but for now Microsoft remains top dog.
An asymmetrical picture
Looking at the bigger competitive picture between the two, Google has been a much bigger threat to Microsoft than the other way around.
Android and Apple (NAS: AAPL) iOS now dominate the smartphone market, even though Windows Mobile, the predecessor to Windows Phone, hit the market as early as 2003. That's a four-year head start over the iPhone and five over Android. Windows Mobile was a clear loser to iOS and Android. Amazingly, recent figures from Nielsen show that Windows Phone 7 still has a smaller market share than its ancient predecessor.
Additionally, the rise of tablets is a clear threat to Windows PCs, which are stagnating anyway, so Microsoft had better get its tablet-bound Windows 8 out the door posthaste.
Meanwhile, Microsoft's ambitions to challenge Google's search-advertising business have come up short, causing it to eat a massive $6.2 billion impairment related to its aQuantive acquisition in 2007. Google's overall market share has barely flinched since Bing's launch, and ad revenue growth remains as healthy as ever.
The biggest threats will be to Microsoft's biggest cash cows, Windows and Office. Google's Chrome OS still isn't meaningfully competitive with Windows, but we also said that about Google Apps and Office not too long ago.
Google's core business seems relatively safe from Microsoft's advances, but Microsoft's are very much under assault from Google.
Apple's swift disruption of some of Microsoft's core markets isn't even complete, yet, so the Mac maker still has plenty of room to run. Sign up for this brand-new premium Apple research service to read more about all of the company's opportunities, as well as the risks it faces in the coming years. Microsoft is one of the Dow's dividend-paying stocks, but it's not one of these three that dividend investors need. Grab this free report to find out why these companies might be worth a look.
The article Google Wants More of Microsoft's Office Slice originally appeared on Fool.com.
Fool contributorEvan Niuowns shares of Apple, but he holds no other position in any company mentioned. Check out hisholdings and a short bio. The Motley Fool owns shares of Costco Wholesale, Apple, Google, and Microsoft.Motley Fool newsletter serviceshave recommended buying shares of Microsoft, Apple, Google, and Costco Wholesale and creating bull call spread positions in Microsoft and Apple. We Fools don't all hold the same opinions, but we all believe thatconsidering a diverse range of insightsmakes us better investors. Try any of our Foolish newsletter servicesfree for 30 days. The Motley Fool has adisclosure policy.
Copyright © 1995 - 2012 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


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When Will the Yuan Replace the Dollar?
By Shlomo Maital
Most of the world’s foreign trade and foreign investment is still done in dollars. Perhaps 80 percent or more of transactions on the London foreign exchange market, still the world’s biggest, involve dollars.
For the global economy, this is a problem. America’s economy is weak and unstable, hence so is the currency – and the currency is not just America’s money, but it is the world’s, so when America has a problem, so do we all. As the U.S. Treasury Secretary once said, the dollar is our currency – and your (the world’s) problem.
With China’s economy now the world’s largest, by some measures, it makes sense that the Chinese currency, the renminbi (ren – min – bi, ‘money of the people’) should take a correspondingly important role in world trade and finance. But China has been unwilling to loosen its tight control of the RMB, because the undervalued exchange rate, around 6 RMB per dollar, provides strong advantages for exports. Since 2005, though, China has been gradually (everything China does is gradual) loosening control of the RMB (that was the year it dropped the fixed ‘peg’, or fixed exchange rate, and let the RMB slowly slowly gain in value) and since 2009, it has loosened restrictions on yuan trading outside China.
Now, according to the Wall Street Journal, more and more American firms are paying for Chinese goods in RMB (yuan). Ford Motor Co., for instance, has reacted swiftly to the China’s government easing of restrictions on use of the yuan by global companies. There are big advantages – if you can pay directly in yuan, you can save substantial trading costs.
U.S.-China trade totals $500 b. America has been pressing China for years to let its currency appreciate more, reflecting its true value, and making Chinese exports more expensive.
According to the B.I.S. (Swiss-based Bank for International Settlements), the Central Banks’ bank, the yuan is the 9th most traded currency in the world.
Ninth is very far from first. But look for the yuan to move up in the World Cup forex rankings. There are big opportunities here for experts in forex and financial services. Japan, for instance, doggedly resists making the yen a global currency, by imposing restrictions on foreign currency movements into and out of Japan. I believe this was a big mistake. China seems about to avoid Japan’s strategic error.


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July 02, 2020 10:26 am
Banning 59 mobile apps that have Chinese overhang is both a statement of intent and a strong signal. This may not hurt India given the alternatives in the app space but for China, the Indian app market is growing and valuable.
September 13, 2018 1:31 pm
The lawsuit accuses advertising businesses run by Google, Twitter and three other companies, along with the app maker Tiny Lab Productions, of violating a law meant to keep private the personal data of children under 13.
November 17, 2017 12:17 pm
Over-the-top telecom applications created consumer surplus of Rs 6.3 lakh crore in India this year, estimates a joint study by broadband India Forum with Germany based consultant WIK.
March 20, 2015 11:27 am
Melon meter app tells you which watermelon is red and juicy. Check out these six weird mobile applications.
July 27, 2014 12:47 pm
DU Beat, a student newspaper run by a group of DU students since 2007, also launched their app called 'DUB' last month.
October 28, 2013 7:38 pm
The industry is expected to see a healthy CAGR of 12 per cent over the next four years.'
October 16, 2013 12:52 pm
Technology industry is tapping into growing market of people who want to chart their daily lives.
September 19, 2013 4:53 pm
Worldwide mobile app download revenues stood at USD 18 billion in 2012.
September 07, 2013 2:44 am
IT job market is proving to be difficult for once sought-after skill such as writing code.
July 26, 2013 10:57 am
New voluntary guidelines for mobile apps that should make it easier for American consumers.


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Premium and gas oil prices go down
Accra, Jan. 6, GNA - The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) on Friday announced marginal decreases in the prices of premium and gas oil products, which take effect from 1800 hours on Friday. The current maximum prices of premium of 7,111.11, cedis per litre now sells at 7,066.66 cedis while gas oil which sold at 6,466.67 cedis per litre now sells at 6,433.33 cedis . The old price in gallon, which was 32,000 cedis is now to sell at 31,800 cedis, while gas oil which sold at 29,100 cedis will now cost 28,950 cedis. The new maximum ex-pump price per gallon of premium is 31,800 cedis, while gas oil is 28,950 cedis. Percentage change from current prices of premium is -0.62 per cent and that of gas oil is -0.54 per cent. The announcement said ex-refinery prices of other products remained unchanged. It said in arriving at the new refinery prices of the petroleum products the NPA reviewed the price development on the world market prices of finished product imports as well as the operations of the Tema Oil Refinery.


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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.
Organic farmer Susan Graff waters her produce in a greenhouse. Her operation, Crestview Farms in Arcadia, is one of about 75 certified organic producers in the state. Photo by Jim Beckel, THE OKLAHOMANOne of the ladybugs used as a natural pesticide by organic farmer Susan Graff.


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Crayon-colored Robin and Batman stare out behind John Walsh. Their drawings are taped to his Luddy Hall office wall, along with a crayon-colored Nightwing, the adult Robin crime fighter who presents a more warrior-like image.
You never know when you might need superhero protection -- or comic-book inspiration.
Walsh vouches for that. The associate professor of information and library science at the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering is a comic book expert. He’s also a kid at heart, with a passion for comics highlighted by his article -- “It Was as Much Ours” – Reader Contributions to Teen Humor Fashion Comics -- which was published last October in Inks: The Journal of the Comics Studies Society.
Walsh’s 11-year-old son, Jude, a Stephen King fan who drew the colored Robin and Batman, shares that passion. This July they will attend San Diego’s world-famous Comic-Con International convention.
“It started in the 1970s with a few hundred attendees,” Walsh says. “Now it’s like 135,000 and includes an academic conference, the Comics Arts Conference.”
In a world dominated by superhero movies from the Marvel and DC universes, comic books still make an impact. Understanding why means returning to an era when readers and author-creators combined for unique storytelling.
Walsh’s recent article focuses on teen humor fashion comics -- which humorously depict teenage life, dating and fashion sense -- from Archie Comics and Marvel Comics, which were popular from the 1930s to the 1970s, and then again briefly in the 1980s.
They were dominated, not by superheroes such as Batman, Black Panther, Superman and Wonder Woman, but by Katy Keene, Patsy Walker, Millie the Model and her niece, Misty.
Katy Keene was a film actress and model. Millie Collins was, yes, a model. Patsy Walker started as a high school student and then a young career girl full of romantic adventures before a superhero metamorphosis.
In these comics, saving the world from super villains gave way to real-world topics (mostly relating to fashion) where readers (mostly girls and young women, although young men and boys also contributed) sent the comic writers and artists letters, self-photos, story lines, clothing styles, hairstyles, accessories and more.
“They used this mechanism to foster creativity,” Walsh says. “It’s an interesting and positive use of the media. You get readers to create content rather than be passive consumers of information.”
Wash’s fascination with teen humor fashion comics started about a decade ago after stumbling across a collection at Ohio State’s Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum while working on another project. That led to further research at Michigan State, which has the world’s largest academic comic book collection via its Stephen O. Murray and Keelung Hong Special Collections. He later interviewed Trina Robbins, the creator of Misty, before finally finishing his Inks article. Because of working on other projects, he says it took “five to six years” to complete.
These comics peaked when radio was king. Television didn’t arrive for the masses until the 1950s, and video games and social media didn’t exist. Comics were major entertainment players. Walsh says a Katy Keene issue “would sell a million copies per issue at its peak.”
A top-selling comic book now might sell under 100,000 copies.
In the late 1940s and early 1950s, teen humor fashion comics even overtook superheroes.
While Stan Lee and Jack Kirby of Marvel Comics (Spider-Man, Iron Man, Thor, Black Panther) and Bob Kane of DC Comics (Batman) are big names among superhero comics creators, Bill Woggon (who created Katy Keene), Ruth Atkinson (Patsy Walker and Millie the Model) and Robbins are among the teen humor fashion comics creative heavyweights. Robbins also drew Wonder Woman for a special four-issue series for DC Comics.
Sometimes comic creators drew themselves into the comics. Woggon often did to interact with his characters and readers.
They influenced millions of people, including world-famous fashion designer Calvin Klein, who sent designs for Katy Keene comics. Other contributors were sometimes included in the actual comics. Walsh says one reader got his own comic section, with his photograph, in an issue that highlighted his contributions.
“He received 600 letters from Katy Keene fans from around the world,” Walsh says.
That contributor wasn’t alone. Because comic books would include contributor names, addresses and photos, contributors -- some under 11 years old -- often received fan mail from all over the world, and even participated in comic conventions.
“At the time, postal mail was the only way for many people to reach out and find others with common interests,” Walsh says. “Now, people use their phones and (social media).”
Contributors came from a wide range of ages and backgrounds (including a 21-year-old Army corporal who submitted a cocktail dress). They sent designs ranging from clothing to paper doll outfits to cars, boats and rocket ships.
The problem -- readers became impatient if their designs weren’t quickly published. That caused Woggons to once draw a tongue-in-cheek “nightmare story” in which angry readers and grandparents swarmed him. He included this message -- “Katy receives thousands of designs -- it may take a while to use yours -- so keep watching!!”
If you think this meant creators were too lazy to devise their own content, think again. It was among the ways to keep readers.
“It had to be more work to go through the mail, read the designs and redraw it,” Walsh says. “It took a lot of effort to foster this culture.”
Besides reading content, these comic books offered fashion cut-outs, free pin-ups and calendars, and hundreds of new fashion designs.
While the teen humor fashion comic books might have disappeared, the characters have not. Marvel’s Patsy Walker evolved into Hellcat, who uses superhuman strength, nails turned into retractable claws and martial arts skills to vanquish bad guys. Archie Comics characters such as Archie, Betty and Veronica were featured in the recent TV show Riverdale (a supernatural crime drama). Katy Keene also had her own TV show, a musical comedy drama.
“Those were very different from the comic book versions,” Walsh says.
Could such comics make a comeback?
Not likely, Walsh says.
“There are lots of ways consumers interact with comics and media creators through Twitter, YouTube and social media. While readers and fans will continue to create their own content, I don’t know if we’ll ever see it like this in the comic books themselves again.”


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China has relaxed a long-term restriction on Wi-Fi functions on mobile phones, which will improve the mobile Internet experience and boost sales of smart handsets, Shanghai Daily learned Wednesday.
That will probably solve the biggest obstacle for the Wi-Fi-enabled Apple iPhone's entry into the domestic market, insiders said. Motorola Inc and Nokia Corp's two models, which also support home-grown WAPI and Wi-Fi, have debuted in China.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has told related companies to send models for market-entry tests. The models must support WAPI, and optionally Wi-Fi, handset makers told Shanghai Daily.
"A mobile phone without Wi-Fi is like a film with too many scenes cut. It's not complete," said Ashley Liu, an analyst with In-Stat, a United States-based IT research firm.
In the past few years, China had restricted Wi-Fi functions on phones to prevent people using Internet call services such as Skype, which were thought to be against the interests of state-owned mobile carriers.
Now the country is trying to promote WAPI (WLAN Authentication and Privacy Infrastructure), a home-developed wireless connection technology with higher security than Wi-Fi.
This also opened the door to Wi-Fi, which is now widely used in personal computers, game consoles and smartphones, industry officials said.
WAPI and Wi-Fi can be swapped through software so it won't cost much more for handset makers to launch these phones in China.
Motorola, which launched a phone supporting WCDMA (wideband code division multiple access), Wi-Fi and WAPI in China last week, will continue to launch more Wi-Fi-enabled phones in the domestic market, said Derek Li, Motorola's vice president.
Shenzhen-based ZTE also confirmed that a CDMA phone with WAPI and Wi-Fi was being tested.
"With the relaxing of Wi-Fi, our sales in China will jump another 20 percent because we produce smartphones. They require many online applications," said Jackie Zhang, market director of phone maker Dopod.
Wi-Fi allows users to access the Internet where mobile broadband signals are not available or weak. It's seen as vital technology for 3G.
The sales of Wi-Fi-enabled consumer electronics will reach more than 900 million units by 2012, double last year's sales, according to In-Stat.
Wi-Fi will allow relatively smaller mobile carriers, such as China Telecom and China Unicom, catch up with market leader China Mobile.
(Shanghai Daily June 25, 2009)


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For over one week now, more than 94% of businesses in the Southern economic hub has resumed their production with over 95% of workers being back to work after Tet holiday.
Workers at Go Vap district-based Joint Stock Company 28.1 under the Corporation 28 of the General Department of Logistics, which specializes in garments making, are working with the highest capacity, focusing on orders from the U.S., Australia, and European countries.
Working for the company for more than 21 years now, Nguyen Van Hong from Hai Duong province said that good income and policy offered by the company make him feel secure at work. Despite difficulties facing the garment sector due to COVID-19, his company has ensured orders uninterrupted, so workers have resumed work since the beginning of the lunar New Year. In addition, good Tet welfare policy has helped keep workers attached to the company.
Senior Colonel Tran Doan Thoan, Director of Joint Stock Company 28.1 informed that the company pro-actively signed agreements on production capacity with its partners, ensuring stable source of orders. It also built a production plan a month earlier, so when workers returned after Tet, production could be started quickly with the best productivity. The company strives to reach about 23%-25% of the year plan in the first quarter.
The urgent working atmosphere was also seen at Joint Stock Company 32 under the General Department of Logistics.
Worker Thai Thi Kim Phung from Tra Vinh province shared her excitement when resumed her work after Tet holiday. "Hopefully the company will have more orders so workers can get their income raised," Phung said.
Almost all businesses in Ho Chi Minh City resumed their operation on January 30 (the ninth day of the lunar New Year). Receiving good treatment policies, workers actively went back to work.
Huynh Van Tuan, head of the Trade Union for export processing zones and industrial parks in Ho Chi Minh City, said that many businesses are determined to achieve the highest productivity in the first months and first quarters of the year to confirm their brands and prestige.
Keeping production rhythm, realizing growth target
Ho Chi Minh City is home to more than 286,000 enterprises and 460,000 individual production and business establishments, employing over 4.7 million workers. In late 2022, some businesses faced difficulties with fewer orders, forcing workers to work in a rotational manner. However, positive signs were seen after the Tet holiday with improved orders businesses get and high number of workers returning to works.
General Director Lu Nguyen Xuan Vu of Xuan Nguyen Group Joint Stock Company in Binh Chanh district said that with new orders since January 26, his workers have been doing three shifts a day after Tet holiday. The company targets to export to key Southeast Asian countries with growth reaching 20%. In the first quarter, it will debut new high-quality products.
According to Lieutenant Colonel Ngo Thanh Thang, General Director of Joint Stock Company 32, the company has developed various practical solutions to keep its market share, expand markets, ensure abundant orders, and generate jobs for employees. Last year, it achieved 105% of the year plan.
To boost production and business activities, businesses in the city have paid attention to employing more workers. Statistics from the municipal Department of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs, showed that in the first quarter of this year, nearly 500 businesses are expected to recruit over 14,300 employees, including 5,000 in garment, leather and footwear, 2,200 in electrical-electronics, and 1,000 in the wholesale sector, and more.
In this month, the city will organize job transaction activities and related events in Can Tho, Ben Tre, Long An, Phu Yen, Binh Dinh, Gia Lai and Kon Tum. Job exchange floors will also be held to help connect businesses and workers.
Also in February, the municipal People's Committee will hold a meeting with businesses to listen to, and remove difficulties and obstacles for businesses to develop in the coming time, thus creating momentum to achieve the economic growth goal of 7.5% – 8% in 2023.
Translated by Mai Huong
- BUSINESS IN BRIEF 6/11
- BUSINESS IN BRIEF 2/11
- BUSINESS IN BRIEF 3/11
- BUSINESS IN BRIEF 22/11
- BUSINESS IN BRIEF 22/12
- BUSINESS IN BRIEF 13/9
- BUSINESS IN BRIEF 11/9
- President wants HCMC to develop more strongly in country’s industrialization, modernization
- Social News 28/3
- Social News 24/8
- PM clarifies socio-economic issues at Legislature's session
- Resolution on e-Government
- PM Raises Central Tasks for New Cabinet
- Weekly press digest – June 9-15
- The Government's regular meeting-September 2016
- Vietnam Stock Exchange: Development Opportunities And Challenges
- PM Dung presents Government’s report at National Assembly
- Social News 13/11
- Social News 15/11
- Social News 29/11
Businesses in Ho Chi Minh City speed up production to achieve set targets have 737 words, post on en.qdnd.vn at February 7, 2023. This is cached page on Talk Vietnam. If you want remove this page, please contact us.


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Nintendo Switch sales are high, despite a lack of stock
Nintendo Switch sales are still through the roof, despite stock shortages making the console hard to find.
The weekly Japanese sales charts show that the Nintendo Switch is once again the biggest selling console, ahead of the PS4 and Nintendo 3DS.
The Nintendo Switch sold 23,000 units, ahead of the PS4 with 21,000 and the Nintendo 3DS with 16,500.
The Nintendo Switch probably would have sold even more units were it not for stock shortages.
It's a similar story in the UK, where the Nintendo Switch is very popular, but hard to get hold of.
Tekken 7 was the biggest selling game in Japan, although it failed to outperform Tekken Tag Tournament 2 and Tekken 6.
Nintendo Switch could sell even more if Nintendo has a good E3 2017 conference.
One thing for sure is that Super Mario Odyssey is expected to feature alongside Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, which was recently leaked ahead of E3.
Reports suggest that the game will have a 20-hour campaign, two-person co-op and an Arena mode.
The campaign includes four themed worlds, as well as countless puzzle zones and secret areas.
It will reportedly feature eight different characters, each with their own special skills and upgradeable skill trees.
Mario, for example, will automatically fire at enemies when they enter his field of view, while Princess Peach will be able to inflate enemies until they explode.
Super Mario Odyssey, meanwhile, has a holiday 2017 release date for Nintendo Switch.
While details are thin on the ground, the game is said to be a true sandbox release in which Mario is free to explore worlds at will.
Mario will also have a new ability that allows players to throw his hat.
"This is the first sandbox game that allows Mario to fully explore his world since Super Mario 64 on Nintendo 64 and Super Mario Sunshine on Nintendo GameCube," reads a Nintendo statement.
"Mario jumps out of the Mushroom Kingdom and embarks on a journey through mysterious new places and new experiences, such as sailing between worlds aboard an airship and the ability to throw Mario’s cap."


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This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Frustrated that Utah cities seem to fall all over themselves to attract low-wage retail businesses because of the potential sales-tax riches, state lawmakers may be moving toward a new way to divvy up those revenues to local government.
A draft proposal to start that reform on a few million dollars of the hundreds of millions of dollars streaming to local governments each year won unanimous endorsement Wednesday in the legislative committee overseeing tax policy in the state.
The plan would create a new formula for doling out a portion of local sales taxes if Congress authorizes state collection of taxes on out-of-state Internet purchases. The proposal would allocate a portion of the local money based 50 percent on population and 25 percent each on point of sale and 25 percent on property value. That's a change from the current formula that awards the money 50 percent based on population and 50 percent point of sale.
Rep. Jim Nielson, R-Bountiful, who has worked on the bill for several years, said the problem with the current system came to his attention when doing some city planning work in Idaho, where there is no sales-tax distribution based on point of sale.
In Utah, "communities have incentives for retail. There's no incentive related to quality of life, economic development, jobs," Nielson said. "It does impact zoning, there's no question. … Look at the shapes of the [city] borders retail is cherry-picked in annexation and zoning decisions are highly driven by retail."
Paul Clayson, executive chairman of HZO, a Draper-based high-tech company, said when his business was trying to find a new bigger location in the Salt Lake Valley two years ago, he found a suitable site and contacted the city about available incentives.
"The first question was, 'Do you have any retail sales?' " Clayson said. When he said his wasn't a retail company, "the response was, 'Well, then there's nothing we can do for you, there are no incentives we can give you but we'd sure love to have you here.' No CEO or chairman or senior management of a growing technology company wants to hear that that retail is highly favored over any kind of technology business."
Pointing to the difference in wages between retail and high-tech Clayson said his company pays an average $73,500 in wages while many retail jobs are minimum wage or close to it "it does not make sense to those of us in the technology community."
Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper, and head of the Utah Taxpayers Association, endorsed Nielson's bill as a way to begin escaping this "mess of searching after and worshipping retail."
The use of tax increment financing to subsidize new developments "has been basically used as a tool for cities to war with each other over the location of retail activity that would otherwise occur in the general community without any subsidy whatsoever. So cities have warred over the location of malls, of auto dealerships because of this 50 percent based on point of sale," Stephenson said. "It's time we as a Legislature step forward and end this craziness."
Nielson explained that his proposal cuts in half the portion of sales tax awarded based on point of sale and shifts that to property value because of the high correlation between property values in an area and the number of high-paying jobs available to residents. To avoid widening already big disparities between, say, a Park City and a West Valley City, the proposal would impose a cap on the award of sales tax revenue based on property value.
His theory is that the change in incentives will encourage cities to shift focus and adopt more forward-looking policies. "High-value employment will increase property value far more than retail," Nielson said. "It will make a difference in the way cities and towns respond to incentives.… This is something that will bring more manufacturing jobs.… It's something that I believe progressives and conservatives alike should care about."


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The latest patent infringement battle coming into news, involves Chinese manufacturers Coolpad and Xiaomi. The western trend of suing a company if you can’t compete with them is catching up with the Asians as well. The Shenzhen-based company Coolpad has sued Xiaomi claiming infringement of UI patents, including the design of their multi-SIM card.
According to the details of the lawsuit which is filed in a court in the Jiangsu province, the devices from Xiaomi have copied “basic communication, display and interactive functions of mobile phones that are difficult to circumvent or replace”.
Yulong Computer Telecommunication Scientific which is a subsidiary of Coolpad, demands that Xiaomi immediately stops the manufacturing and sales of its phones which have copied their technology. These phones include: Mi 6, Mi Max 2, Mi Note 3, Mi 5X, Redmi Note 4 and Mi Mix 2.
Jiang Chao, Group CEO of Coolpad and Syed Tajuddin, CEO of Coolpad India said that the company will pursue its rights in protecting its patents. Xiaomi has not yet issued any statement as a response to this controversy.


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Zimplow Ltd profits in the full-year to December 31 2012 will be lower compared to the corresponding period the prior year owing to low disposable income, thin margins from exports and inherited expensive debt from Tractive Power Holdings business units, the company said.
Report by Nqobile Bhebhe
In a profit warning statement published this week, company secretary Design Mkhonto said shareholders should exercise caution when dealing in the shares of the company.
“The board of directors of Zimplow wishes to inform the shareholders of the company and the investors that the results of the group for the financial year ending December 31 2012, will be below those achieved in the corresponding previous financial period ending December 2011,” said Zimplow.
Group revenue for the year increased by 26% to US$15,5 million in the full-year to December 31 2011.
This increase was attributed to improved local market as well as additional revenue from the new acquisition.
Zimplow, which bought out Tractive Power Holdings (TPH) minorities, cited the absence of long-term financing facilities, low disposable income and poor 2011/2012 farming season.
“A poor 2011/2012 agricultural season characterised by poor harvest and cotton price wars that saw local sales units dropping, low disposable income and the tight liquidity in the market also continued to affect local revenues,” said Zimplow.
Zimplow said its agricultural division relied heavily on exports which traditionally have thin margins because of competition from the East.
Absence of long-term financing facilities affected the performance of some of the former TPH business units which had been financed through expensive short-term debt.
“The significance of the above factors coupled with acquisitions and restructuring costs of TPH, resulted in a less satisfactory financial performance than anticipated,” the company said.
The group said it was in the process of “realigning its operations into agriculture, mining and infrastructural equipment” as a supplier representing world-class brands at the same time working on an accelerated reduction of inherited expensive debt.


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Amazon (AMZN) inventory is sort of 1% up in the present day, buying and selling at $2,332. The corporate’s VP has taken a call to stop the job over whistleblower firings of junior warehouse staff.
Amazon.com, Inc (NASDAQ: AMZN) inventory continues scaling up amidst the tough financial interval brought on by the coronavirus outbreak. The e-commerce enterprise has skilled a pointy uptick in demand as extra folks decide to self-quarantine awaiting doable vaccines. The inventory closed yesterday buying and selling at $2,315, after including 29.95 throughout the day. At this time on the time of writing, AMZN is 0.71% up, at $2,332.36.
Amazon inventory has been among the best conventional shares which have seen funding portfolios stay on a inexperienced zone amid the disaster. With a rise in Q1 gross sales and income, the corporate is anticipating a rise within the coming quarters, because the virus continues threatening the social material of society.
Amazon VP Quits
Nonetheless, it was not all rosy for the corporate, because the Vp and likewise a senior engineer at Amazon Internet Companies Tim Bray stop his job. In accordance with Bray, he left his place as a result of he was dismayed that the corporate fired whistleblowers who have been making an attempt to attract consideration to the dire straits of Amazon warehouse employees.
“Remaining an Amazon Vice President would have meant, in impact, signing off on actions I despised,” he mentioned. “So I resigned. The victims weren’t summary entities however actual folks; listed here are a few of their names: Courtney Bowden, Gerald Bryson, Maren Costa, Emily Cunningham, and Chris Smalls. I’m positive it’s a coincidence that all of them is an individual of color, a lady, or each,” Bray concluded in a weblog publish.
In accordance with Bray, it’s all about energy balances, whereby warehouse employees are weak and getting weaker. He mentioned that any believable resolution has to start out with growing their collective energy.
Amazon (AMZN) Inventory amid COVID-19
One factor that has been pulling Amazon behind is its coverage with reference to local weather safety, with a bit of its staff preventing for the administration to take accountable actions. With the coronavirus being a respiratory situation, having a clear setting could be the precedence at such dire instances.
Amazon has additionally been going through fixed criticism about the way it has handled its warehouse employees who lack correct coronavirus protecting gear. The employees have additionally been complaining that they’ve been saved in the dead of night about whether or not co-workers have examined optimistic or not for the coronavirus.
In response, Amazon mentioned that a few of the employees have been fired for violating social distancing pointers and placing the security of others in danger.
Because it has been already talked about, AMZN inventory remains to be scaling up on the time of writing. Regardless of the short-term challenges, Amazon stays very bullish sooner or later.
A financial analyst who sees positive income in both directions of the market (bulls & bears). Bitcoin is my crypto safe haven, free from government conspiracies. Mythology is my mystery!


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Miami Beach Named America’s 10th Best Dressed City …Behind Noted Fashion Capitals like Albany
Miami Beach would normally love to be on any best dressed list, but real estate site Movato’s ranking of the town as the tenth best dressed small city in America is sort of a double-edge sword. Apparently Albany, New York and Evanston, Illinois have better fashion sense than Miami Beach.
Here’s the full top ten. Only cities with a population between 75,000 and 99,999 were included:
1. Santa Monica, CA
2. Boca Raton, FL
3. Newport Beach, CA
4. Westminster, CA
5. San Mateo, CA
6. Santa Barbara, CA
7. Albany, NY
8. Evanston, IL
9. Mission Viejo, CA
10. Miami Beach, FL
So how did Miami Beach not end up higher? Well, the site looked at a few measures including the per capita number of high-end fashion stores, high-end shoe stores,
high-end jewelry stores, tailors and dry cleaners.
As it turns out, Miami had the 3rd highest rate of fashion stores, second highest rate of shoes stores and 7th highest rate of jewelry store.
The problem is Miami Beach had only the 67th highest rate of tailors and 17th highest rate of dry cleaners.
So that might explain why we’ve seen some funky fitting dresses and blazers at the club. People, get your clothes tailored …even if you have to *gasp* cross a bridge to do it. And we hope that having your clothes cleaned goes without saying.
Of course, most of those high-end stores make a lot of their money selling to tourists who we’d presume get their clothes tailored and laundered elsewhere.
Back to Blog


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Reading about Google’s new Chromecast, just now being introduced, I notice I now think differently about new products. Chromecast, which looks like a thumb drive, allows a users to see Internet video on their TV set, instantly and easily and for $35, which is what the device costs.
I would have once thought, “I wonder if it’s any good and whether people want it.” Now, I'm thinking, “What a great thing. What a potential game-changer. I wonder how long before there’s something that tops it or someone who stops it.”
I really have this feeling about Chromecast because it does seem so utterly easy and cheap, cheap, cheap, so much so you have to figure video gatekeepers and other OTT service providers must be working hard to find ways to kill it, or improve it. And also, that cables must be being cut all over the nation.
Chromecast does what you can do already—but probably don’t. It’s already possible and pretty easy to plug your laptop into your TV and see online video on a bigger screen. Of course, Smart TVs build that capability into the set. That’s why they’re so smart. But Chromecast makes it no muss, no fuss, no major outlay of money. It seems it is to online video-watching what Cliff Notes is to War and Peace.
Read the basic pitch from Google: “Chromecast works with devices you already own, including Android tablets and smartphones, iPhones, iPads, Chrome for Mac and Chrome for Windows. Browse for what to watch, control playback, and adjust volume using your device.”
Here’s the kicker last sentence. “You won't have to learn anything new.”
If you don’t think that resonates with the consumer public, consider this latest viral video about a frustrated computer user at an Apple store. We've all been there, one way or the other. But my melt down was in a Verizon shop.
Back to original subject: There’s a mountain of press coverage of the Chromecast intro, including a commercial that makes it look so intuitive. The spot uses actors in home situations that look like they shot in Anytown, USA. If I’m representative of the sheep-like American consumer public (and I think I am, dammit!) that commercial should help sell tens of millions of Chromecast thumbs.
As of this morning, Best Buy had but one user review for Chromecast: It began with this headline: Its (sic) about time google (sic, sic) did something like this. The text, (sics removed): “What's great about it: wireless streaming of anything on Chrome. What's not so great: no remote...depends on phone/tablet/computer...There are a lot of things you can do like wirelessly stream from your phone or tablet, but the thing that really drew me in in was the fact that you can watch wirelessly from your computer anything that is on Chrome and it goes to your TV. It has Netflix and hulu built in of course but some of the shows I watch weren't popular so they didn't get picked up by them. Now I can watch them on the big screen without the hassle of running cords.I would recommend this to a friend!”
That’s with .0000000001 of all precincts reporting, of course, but...
So now, I wonder what will stop it. Google itself says online video sites that fear millions of consumers accessing TV programming via the Web could make it difficult to do so. Which sounds absurd, but is at least a plausible/likely bump in the road.
Separately, but related, this is a news story—if a tech toy is news in most of the world—that displays the broad swath of information now available online. With a headline that reads, “Chromecast Could Be the Beginning of Google’s Domination of TV Delivery”, Forbes, so far, is the boldest.


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Indonesian state-backed e-money fintech LinkAja has been pioneering digital payments in the predominantly cash-based country since its founding. Last week, Singapore-based ride-hailing giant Grab gave the company a big boost, placing bets on its potential progress.
In a Series B round LinkAja raised $100 million with the investment led by Grab. The funding round included support from Telkomsel, BRI Ventura Investama, and Mandiri Capital Indonesia. LinkAja is an interbank network in Indonesia. It connects four state owned banks (Bank Mandiri, Bank Tabungan Negara, BNI46, and Bank Rakyat Indonesia) to provide cash withdrawal, payments, and inquiry services within the network.
Launched in June of last year, LinkAja targets the middle class/aspirant, and micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) segments in Indonesia. Today the company boasts over 58 million registered users poising Indonesia’s developing market to have enormous potential in the fintech space.
In a recent report from the GSMA, it was found that Asia currently hosts 473 million registered mobile money accounts, making up almost half of all mobile money accounts globally. According to a study by the Mandiri Institute, Indonesia’s small businesses account for more than 60% of gross domestic product (GDP) and employ a majority of the labor force. It further suggested that digitalized SMEs can even help Indonesia reduce 1.5% of the economic burden on GDP amid the COVID-19 pandemic, opening a big door of opportunity for the fintech.
Following this investment round, Grab will become a minority shareholder in the fintech. Speaking for the investment, Grab Indonesia’s managing director Neneng Goenadi shared in a statement that the e-wallet’s hyperlocal knowledge base and nationwide distribution network spanning Indonesia’s tier two and three cities was a key motivating factor. He added, “This investment and strategic collaboration with LinkAja have proven our commitment to accelerating financial inclusion in Indonesia.” Through this investment, Grab will be able to focus on extending its financial ecosystem and services throughout Indonesia.


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Kirin underestimates benefits from Dairy Farmers acquisition, but profit hurt by exchange rate
Japanese brewer Kirin Holdings has reported a 16 per cent drop in operating profit as the exchange rate hurts their Australian operations and Japanese consumption remains subdued.
Despite the drop in profit, the owner of National Foods consolidated Dairy Farmers into their Australian fruit juice and dairy business with better-than-expected results and has now raised their profit expectations for the full year.
Kirin said that Lion Nathan, which they are currently seeking to buy (they currently own 53 per cent), had performed well as beer consumption in Australia remained strong. They reported that the Boag’s consolidation into the company had progressed well, with the only dampeners on results being the wine division and Australian exchange rate. However, they upgraded their forecasts for the full year on the back of a significant surge in the value of the Australian dollar.
Their National Foods operation – which includes Dairy Farmers – was similarly hurt by the exchange rate. The owner of the Berri and Pura brands was also impacted by the economic downturn but integration of Dairy Farmers was likely to bring more cost savings than forecast.
“At National Foods in Australia, the economic slowdown impacted performance, with a worsening of the product mix in dairy products from a consumer shift to lower price points and a slump in fruit juice sales,” Kirin advised in a statement. “Raw dairy input prices eased, however, after having risen suddenly since the second half of 2007.”
“Following the 100% acquisition of Dairy Farmers in November 2008, integration initiatives have been progressing steadily, with indirect expenses and other cost reductions producing higher than expected cost savings, and certain operations have been sold in line with directives from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.”
Talks with Suntory continue
Kirin is currently pursuing a merger with Suntory, advising on a conference call that they were hopeful an agreement could be reached before the end of the year. And more purchases could be on the agenda.
“(The merger) would bolster our foundation and speed up our expansion,” Kirin President Kazuyasu Kato noted. “We’re targeting Asia Oceania and more possibilities may lie ahead.”
The company added that they believe a deal would receive approval from competition authorities.
Suntory also has significant operations in Australia and New Zealand following their purchase of Frucor early this year.
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