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One of the greatest concerns of our generation is the future of our environment. A huge part of ensuring the healthiest future for humanity and the Earth is investing resources into renewable energies. A company that has made huge strides into developing ground-breaking technology in this arena is Tesla, a household name usually associated with luxury electric vehicles (EVs). However, Tesla has become much more than just another car manufacturer. Under the leadership of CEO and product architect Elon Musk, Tesla has become a pioneer in not only the production of electric cars, but also many other types of technologies that are meant to move the world towards eliminating fossil-fuel as our main source of energy.
In order to understand the potential impact Tesla’s transformative technologies on the modern world, one must first understand where Tesla came from and the impact it has already had in just the 19 years it has been in business. One must also take into account Tesla’s goals, motivations, and how the company has adapted over the years to become not just a top-selling electric vehicle manufacturer, but also a major player in the development and widespread distribution of green energy tech.
Tesla’s History of Innovation:
Tesla is venturing to change the direction of global energy as we know it, and has been since its 2003 inception. Originally, what is now Tesla Inc. was at one time simply called Tesla Motors, and was founded by two silicon valley engineers: Martin Eberhard, who became Tesla’s first CEO, and Marc Tarpenning, who became CFO. Other co-founders included former CTO JB Straubel, Ian Wright, an engineer for the company who no longer owns any Tesla stock now that Tesla stock seems to be hitting its prime (Tesla shares skyrocketing by roughly 340% in 2020, then the company becoming the first carmaker to hit a $1 trillion valuation in October of 2021), and of course the infamous Elon Musk, who was Tesla’s earliest investor and is now crowned as Tesla’s CEO, the face of the Tesla brand, and the richest man on Earth as of February 2022, with a net worth of $223 billion (source). Musk is now the only original founding member left in a position of influence within Tesla.
At its inception, Tesla’s main focus was on the production of electric vehicles that are comparable in performance to gasoline-driven cars, but more fun to drive and better for the environment. However, founders Eberhard and Tarpenning weren’t just looking to develop any EV - they wanted to create a comparable electric sports car that could compete against the sports cars we are used to seeing race around the tracks without creating the carbon emissions that those same cars do. After years and years of hard work, product development, and research Tesla Motors brought its first EV model to the world market in 2008 - the fully electric Roadster. In both design and utility, the Roadster offered an environmentally-friendly alternative to the traditional gasoline sports car. Thanks to the revolutionary car’s lithium-ion cell battery, it not only produced no tailpipe emissions but also could be recharged using a standard outlet (source). However, due to its high-end starting price at $109,000, it was inaccessible to the majority of the car-buying market and classed as a “luxury” vehicle.
Despite its first car being in the high-end price range, Musk had already revealed in a blog post on Tesla’s website from August 2006 titled “The Secret Tesla Motors Master Plan (just between you and me)” that Tesla’s goals were not to become the next luxury-only car brand - they had much bigger ambitions. Musk made it clear that the ultimate goal for Tesla was not in becoming car brand royalty… instead, it was to “help expedite the move from a mine-and-burn hydrocarbon economy towards a solar electric economy”. In fact, Musk said that overarching goal was the reason he funded the company with some of the $180 million he reaped from co-founding and selling Paypal, the massively successful internet payment service, to eBay - of which, his investment in Tesla has been quoted as about $70 million (source).
Following the success of the Roadster, which sold a total of 2,450 units from its release in 2008 to its wrap-up in 2012 (source), came the Model S, which was unveiled in 2009 but was unable to begin production until 2012 due to major hurdles spawned by the 2008 financial crisis. Between the time when the plans for the Model S were introduced to the public and when the first cars of its kind began to finally hit the streets, many important parts of Tesla had changed. Elon Musk had stepped into the position of CEO, and Tesla had to seek financial help via convertible debt financing, which they secured in late 2008 (source). A 10% stake in Tesla was sold to the car company Daimler in the interest of using their combined forces to continue to develop electric smartcars, as they already had a working relationship in that realm together (source). Even the Department of Energy stepped in to loan Tesla a whopping $465 million in 2009, and in 2010 Tesla went public at $17/share, raising a total of $226.1 million for their cause (source).
When the Model S sedan was officially released in 2012, it changed the EV game. According to Consumer Reports, the Model S became “the best car ever tested” after receiving a 99 out of 100 and “ranking best in class in every category for electric sedans” (source). The Model S became Tesla’s signature model with its huge success, breaking sales records in both 2014, with 2,500 units sold in a month, and in Q1 of 2015, where sales reached 10,030 units (source).
But what was it about the Model S that made it so game-breakingly popular? What about this car made it such an instant hit that it launched Tesla into the big-name automaker space as a rare independent car manufacturer success? Although the Model S was still in the “luxury” category, with a price starting at $89,490, it was the first ever premium all-electric sedan (source) and effortlessly dominated every category in which it was tested - safety, performance, and efficiency being the most important. While doing this, the Model S also sported a sleek, attractive, even futuristic look, which matched the futuristic components of its ambitious design (over-the-air software updates, 0-60 MPH acceleration time of 2.28 seconds, and three different long-range battery options which all carried the battery system beneath the floor of the car to improve handling). Knowing the innovations it brought to the table, it is easy to see why the Model S quickly became a staple in the electric cars market.
Shortly after the Model S officially hit the streets, Tesla was ready to reveal to the public yet another new model. In February of 2012, a prototype of the uniquely designed Model X was unveiled. The first Tesla car to feature what is now the company’s signature, futuristic Falcon Wing doors, the Model X almost instantly became a major hit with the masses. Between the night reservations for the Model X opened up on February 9th, to a few days later on February 14th, Tesla had amassed advance sales of more than $40 million and traffic on TeslaMotors.com had increased 2,800% (source). However, the Model X didn’t actually enter production until the end of 2015, a year after the originally intended production start date in 2014, thanks to production complications caused by the incredibly advanced and ambitious features of the car itself (chiefly the falcon wing doors and the “bioweapon defense mode air-filtration system) making it difficult to mass-produce (source).
2014 became a very big and busy year for Tesla. The company made a big step towards their ultimate goal of creating a sustainable automotive future by opening up their patents for the creation of their electric cars in 2014 for public use. In making their precious design patents open-source, they invited anyone and everyone to participate in the furthering of the world’s transportation future as we know it, so that accessibility to affordable EVs can become a reality. Also in 2014, Nevada was chosen by Tesla as the location for their first “Gigafactory” - a gigantic factory that would localize production of the special batteries and electric motors used in Tesla products, offering the company greater control over the actual manufacturing process and sustainably scaling it.
The final large announcement Tesla made in 2014 was in October of that year: all Tesla electric cars produced from 2014 and onward were installed with Autopilot hardware (source). This hardware would not be officially put into use until the 7.0 software update released in October of 2015, nearly a year later. This update allowed Tesla vehicles with the proper hardware to operate themselves while driving (in certain conditions). The 7.0 update was followed up in 2016 with the 7.1 update, enabling even more autonomous features, including self-parking (source). These Autopilot features would go on to become a huge selling point for Tesla cars - but such revolutionary technologies always come with risk and uncertainty as they rollout into the marketplace.
Also in 2016, the prototype of the Model 3 was revealed. As Tesla’s first mass-market car, the company planned to launch at a $35,000 price point, meaning the Model 3 would be the most affordable and accessible EV from Tesla yet (source). This model was designed to meet the increasing demand for more inexpensive Teslas. At launch in 2017, the Model 3 quickly and easily became not only Tesla’s best-seller, but also the best-selling electric car of all time, surpassing even the Nissan Leaf (source). The Model 3 featured a luxury feel, with luxury technology, for half the price. As a 4-door sedan, with an all-glass roof, 15-inch central touchscreen, and a larger battery range than previous models, it is very easy to imagine why such a car would become such a success (source).
2016, another eventful year for Tesla, also involved several other changes for the growing company. In May of 2016, the first fatal autopilot accident occurred, involving a Model S. Afterwards an investigation was launched by government regulators, searching for a link between the unfortunate accident and Tesla’s semi-autonomous autopilot that was on during the time. Eventually, Tesla’s autopilot was cleared from fault in 2017, when the federal government ended its investigation, having found no defect with the system (source). However, this wasn’t the last time Tesla would be investigated for their autopilot system being engaged at the time of an accident.
In June of 2016, it was announced to the public that Tesla would potentially be buying out the company SolarCity (which, controversially, was owned by Tesla CEO Musk’s cousin). SolarCity was a solar installation company - and while Tesla’s supposed motivation for taking on the tanking business was to continue furthering their own involvement in the sustainable energy market, many saw the deal as a “bailout” due to Musk’s relation to SolarCity’s CEO. Regardless, the deal was closed in November of that year after Tesla shareholders voted in favor of the merger, thus propelling Tesla into solar business (source).
Another event for Tesla from 2016 was the buying of a German engineering company called Grohmann Engineering. The purpose of Tesla acquiring this company was to be able to - as Musk put it - “build the machine that makes the machine” (source). Grohmann Engineering specialized in designing manufacturing automation systems, which greatly interested Musk, who wanted to be able to eventually automate most, if not all, of the car-making process. Doing so would make production on a massive scale cheaper and quicker, but is an incredibly ambitious goal and one that is very difficult to achieve.
In 2017, Tesla officially made the change from Tesla Motors and teslamotors.com, to Tesla Inc. and tesla.com, in order to show the world that they were no longer merely a car manufacturer. This change developed after the 2016 merger with SolarCity, and Musk released a “Part Deux'' to the Tesla Master Plan in July of that year to explain some of the new pursuits the company was taking on. The new goals were divided into four main parts, all of which centered around not only focusing on creating more affordable electric vehicles for the masses, but also to dedicate resources to creating attractive and efficient solar roof panels that would integrate with Tesla’s existing battery technology, improving their self-driving tech to be safer than manual driving, and creating a car-sharing program to make owning a Tesla more affordable by allowing it to be easily loaned out by individual car owners, essentially making the Tesla pay for itself and then some. To this day, these goals are still relevant to Tesla’s overarching mission to make sustainable energy resources affordable and commonplace.
In November of 2017, Tesla unveiled a new and novel idea that captivated both Tesla fans and critics alike - the Tesla Semi Truck concept. The thought of electric semi trucks was never a hot topic before Tesla’s concept came out, even in the EV world. The main focus has always been on making the common car electric first, for a multitude of reasons, before turning to other types of vehicles. However, the concept Tesla revealed for their model of electric semi truck had lots of appeal, especially to those working with or managing their own semi fleets already. The electric semi would have classic self-driving capabilities that are signature for Tesla products, but also feature a center-mounted seat for the driver, and the promised battery range is an astounding 500 miles, with a 400 mile range after just half an hour of charging (source). Alongside the electric semi truck, Tesla also unveiled their ideas for a new and improved version of their original fully-electric sports car creation, the Roadster, which would feature a higher price point but impressive acceleration speeds.
In March of 2018, another unfortunate accident occurred involving a Model X, which had autopilot engaged at the time of the collision of the car into the highway barrier, and was fatal for the driver. According to Tesla’s investigation into the matter, the driver was given several warnings by the car, both visual and audible, but the system did not detect the driver’s hands on the steering wheel a few seconds prior to the crash (source). A separate investigation performed by the National Transportation Safety board found that both Tesla’s autopilot system, and the driver’s inattentiveness could be possible factors in the fatal wreck.
In 2019, Tesla started off the year by opening its Shanghai Gigafactory in China, becoming the “first western automaker to own a factory in China without a joint venture” (source). Tesla’s ambitions remained high with the unveiling of the Model Y, with two versions to be released in 2020 and in 2021 respectively. The first would be a seven-seater priced at $47,000 with a range of 300 miles and the other “standard-range” version would be priced at $39,000 with a lesser range of 230 miles (source).
However, Tesla was still not done with their 2019 unveilings. In November they introduced the Cybertruck concept, which became a bit more controversial than Tesla’s previous ideas. Many found its look to be jarringly too sci-fi, and the infamous demonstration, provided at the Cybertruck’s unveiling, of the strength of the “armored” glass in the windows, left much to be desired. However, Tesla still made huge promises on the Cybertruck’s functionality, which would feature a tri-motor all-wheel-drive version with a 500 mile range and an estimated 14,000 pounds of towing capacity (source).
After some troubles with restrictions on the Nevada Gigafactory during the start of the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, and some controversial and market-swaying tweets by Elon Musk, 2020 ended up being a rough year for Tesla, and for their employees in particular. However, the Model S achieved becoming the first EV to get a 400-mile range rated by the EPA by maximizing on regenerative braking and slimming down the weight of the car itself (source). Also, Tesla became the dominating player in China’s EV market, selling over 50,000 cars in the first six months of 2020 (source).
Tesla started out 2021 by almost hitting their goal of delivering 500,000 cars in 2020. Although they technically delivered 499,500 cars, many still considered the endeavor a success when taking into account setbacks from the pandemic (source). In keeping with the times, Tesla also began accepting bitcoin as a form of payment for one of their cars in March of 2021. Under the Biden presidency, a $2 trillion plan was put forth to upgrade the United States’ infrastructure, which would help shift the transportation industry towards electric vehicles as a long-term solution to reducing American carbon emissions (source). This plan included government assistance in making EVs more affordable and accessible to citizens of all incomes in the form of tax incentives and rebates.
As the world navigates 2022, hopefully on the tail-end of the pandemic, Tesla has made it clear that they will not give up no matter what hurdles are thrown in their way. As a company, Tesla has made gigantic strides towards pushing the transportation market into the future, and will continue to do so with both transportation and general energy… but what does that entail, exactly?
Tesla’s Mission and the Future:
From its birth in 2003, nearly 20 years ago, Tesla would go on to develop and perfect a process of producing progressively less expensive cars to make saving the environment an easily accessible option for all people regardless of financial status. Funds generated from previous models were used to make improvements to the manufacturing process to lower cost of production. Examples of strategies Tesla has used for the goal of cutting the price of producing their cars (and eventually their other products) includes: localizing the manufacturing process of their lithium-ion batteries, ambitiously scaling production, and heavily marketing their brand to be luxurious, futuristic, and desirable so they ensure that demand increases to meet (and oftentimes exceed) production goals. A key part of this specific business practice, and something that Tesla is now well known for, is that they focus on developing one product at a time and ensuring to scale their whole business structure as their line of products increases.
By becoming a dominating force in the electric vehicle market early on, Tesla was able to capture much of the market share in EVs, and become a desirable household name at the same time. There are few companies that are as rooted in pop culture and common vernacular as Tesla that are also dedicated whole-heartedly to the environment and clean energy. Thanks to their highly successful (although risky) business strategies, Tesla is able to help move the US forward into a more sustainable future. But they haven’t stopped with just the US - “Tesla expanded its geographic footprint, with production facilities in China and the US, as well as 438 stores and 100 service centers in various countries” (source). Tesla’s efforts are global, enriching the international market, and focus on a cleaner planet for everyone to share.
However, no one sums up Tesla’s goals better than Tesla themselves: “With Tesla building its most affordable car yet, Tesla continues to make products accessible and affordable to more and more people, ultimately accelerating the advent of clean transport and clean energy production. Electric cars, batteries, and renewable energy generation and storage already exist independently, but when combined, they become even more powerful – that’s the future we want.”


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Ad Lightning is raising more money as it continues to help advertisers and publishers spot “bad ads.”
The Seattle startup announced a $2 million investment round led by previous backers Pioneer Square Labs and Flying Fish Partners. Sinclair Digital Ventures, an investment division of Sinclair Broadcast Group, also invested again. New firms Seattle Angel Fund, Curious Capital and The Alliance of Angels participated as well.
Ad Lightning spun out of Seattle-based startup studio Pioneer Square Labs last year. The 10-person company helps publishers and advertising exchange platforms monitor bad programmatic ads that slow down sites and disrupt engagement, in real-time and on mobile or desktop websites.
The startup spent this past winter in New York City as part of the inaugural class of Verizon Ventures’ new “Media Tech Venture Studio.” It received a $100,000 investment from R/GA Ventures as part of the program.
“Bad ads hurt all publishers and consumers,” he said via email.
The company’s software integrates with existing online ad operation workflows, and gives users a way to shut down bad ads once they are notified of issues.
Ad Lightning is not only serving publishers, but also advertising exchange platforms — middlemen in the digital ad industry — that are using the software to clean up their own ads before they allow them to go live on an exchange.
“The Ad Lightning team immediately got traction with the industries they serve because they’ve lived it,” Mike Galgon, Pioneer Square Labs managing director, said in a statement. “Because they’ve been publishers, in ad ops, on the agency side and brand stewards, they knew how to build what clients need, solve their biggest pain points and help them future-proof their business for global challenges to come, whether that’s being GDPR compliant later this year or helping publishers protect their audiences’ data.”
Total funding in the company is $4.8 million.

domain: news


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The digital version of the trading card game Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel is available for PC and consoles - on Steam it now attracts more simultaneous players than Grand Theft Auto 5, Fifa 22 or Apex Legends. The digital F2p trading card game has made its debut.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Players can try Master Duel on Nintendo Switch, Playstation and Xbox as well as on the PC for free. The digital trading card game was previously available in a different version, including a mobile game for smartphones and tablets. The new title seems to be going down well with players: with a peak of 241,038 concurrent players, the trading card game on Steam pushed ahead of AAA competitors such as Grand Theft Auto 5, New World, Fifa 22 or Apex Legends.
Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duel Everywhere
Currently, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Master is in fourth place according to the latest Steam statistics on Valve's gaming platform, at times the digital trading card game was even on the podium and held third place - only the veterans Counter Strike: Global Offensive and the multiplayer online battle arena were even more popular (MOBA) Dota 2.
Currently, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Master bravely defends its place against strong competitors such as the team shooter Apex Legends, which can also be played for free. However, the battle royale shooter PUBG: Battlegrounds was able to overtake it again, and by a wide margin.
The forerunner of a digital Yu-Gi-Oh game has been around for a long time: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel links. In 2017, the game was released on Steam, among others.
This includes over 10.000 trading cards. Players can compete online against other fans or play a solo campaign. The card game, which started as an F2P title, is financed through microtransactions: players can invest real money, but they don't have to do so, especially at the beginning. Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Master can therefore be tried out completely free of charge. Anyone who has been left at a loss by the card game can learn the concept thanks to a tutorial.
In any case, fans like the idea of the multiplatform video game: the positive reviews speak for themselves. Of around 7.100 reviews on Steam, 5.300 are positive.
Also Yu-Gi-Oh! Konami has already announced that Master Duel will be released for smartphones and tablets. It is unclear when the release will take place. "Coming soon" it says at the moment. Konami says it will be releasing more details "soon".
Last updated on 27.01.2023/XNUMX/XNUMX / Affiliate Links / Images from the Amazon Product Advertising API. * = Affiliate links. Images from Amazon PA API


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Is this part of Apple's iPhone 6? Chinese site claims to have first pic of the handset's front panel
- Claims front panel was taken from an iPhone production facility
- Shows larger 4.7 inch screen
- Expected to go on sale in September
A picture claiming to show the front panels of Apple's upcoming iPhone 6 has leaked online.
It reveals a much-rumoured larger 4.7inch screen.
Apple is also believed to be developing a 5.5inch screen version, with both expected to be unveiled in September and go on sale soon after.
Scroll down for video
Images claiming to be the front panel of the upcoming device, pictured, were leaked on Chinese site Weibo earlier this month. It similarly revealed what appeared to be the much-rumoured 4.7-inch screen, but reports also claim Apple is working on a 5.5-inch version and the rear casing may be either
WILL THERE BE AN IPHONE AIR?
Apple's iPhone 6 is rumoured to come in a slim 'Air' version.
Up until August last year, Huawei was the record-holder for the thinnest phone in the world with its Ascend P6, at 6.18mm.
This was then replaced by the Vivo X3 at just 5.75mm.
By comparison, Apple’s current iPhone 5S has a depth of 7.6mm, while the iPad Air is slightly thinner at 7.5mm.
Samsung's Galaxy S4 is 7.9mm thick, while the HTC One is 9.3mm.
According to iphone.fr, which first spotted the images, the dimensions of the screen lend credibility to the image.
'This snapshot WAS spotted on Weibo this morning,' the site says.
'It features what may be (or not) an "iPhone 6" front face.
'By comparison with the iPhone 5 (left), we can estimate year height for the screen of 4.1 inches (10.7 cm) and a width around 2.35 inches (6 cm).
'This Gives a ratio of width and height 0.55, which is exactly the one found on the current iPhone 5 and a 4.7 "diagonal length!'
Having exactly the same screen dimensions would ensure app developers do not have to create separate versions of their software for the new sizes.
The rumours come amid claims Apple suppliers around the world are about to crank up their production lines for the big screen set to find its way into the iPhone 6.
Japan Display Inc, Sharp Corp and South Korea's LG Display Co Ltd have all been tapped to make the screens.
They will begin mass producing displays as within weeks for the next iPhone, expected to be launched this autumn, with a 4.7-inch screen likely to be produced first while a 5.5-inch version could be delayed.
Representatives for the three suppliers and for Apple declined to comment.
Both iPhone 6 screens will be larger than the 4.0-inch panels on Apple's existing iPhone 5S and 5C models.
Recent concept images by designer Martin Hajek, pictured, and Italian artists Enrico Penello and Ran Avni feature a curved screen with 'bumps' at the top and bottom, along with an illuminated Touch ID sensor used to recognise fingerprints, first introduced on the iPhone 5S
Larger iPhones, the subject of months of speculation, would mark yet another incremental tweak to the popular smartphone line and an attempt to catch up to rivals like Samsung Electronics Co Ltd.
CEO Tim Cook, while promising only 'new product categories' for 2014, has played his cards close to his chest.
Apple's shares have languished below $600 since November 2012, in part because of worries about smartphone market saturation and its ability to stay at the forefront of tech innovation.
Both iPhone 6 screens are expected to use in-cell touch panel technology - built into the screen and allowing for thinner construction than with standard touch panel films - that was introduced with the iPhone 5, the sources said.
The images, pictured left and right, were posted on Chinese social network Weibo earlier this week and are thought to have been leaked by an anonymous insider working at Apple supplier Foxconn. Although the images are blurry, they appear to show a rounded design and protruding camera, similar to that seen on the iPod touch
But due to difficulties with in-cell production technology for the larger 5.5-inch size, one of the sources said, a decision was made to begin mass production with the 4.7-inch version alone.
Production of 5.5-inch screens is expected to start several months later, with the possibility of a shift to a film sensor instead of in-cell technology for that size, the source said.
Japan Display will be the first supplier to start production, at its flagship plant at Mobara, east of Tokyo, as early as May, the sources said. The others are due to begin output around June.
Images posted to Chinese social network Weibo earlier this week are thought to have been leaked by an anonymous insider working at Apple supplier Foxconn.
Although the images are blurry, they appear to show a rounded design and a protruding camera, similar to those seen on the iPod touch.
Alternatively, the models shown in the pictures could be the next generation of Apple's MP3 player.
Reports are claiming Apple is gearing up to go into mass production of the screen on its next flagship phone as early as next month.
The first image shows what appears to be a blueprint of the iPhone 6, while the other two images of prototype models are shown in silver with rounded edges - similar to those seen on last year’s iPad Air tablet.
Speculation is rife that Apple could follow up this super-thin tablet with an equally slim phone, dubbed iPhone Air, and the new images appear to corroborate this.
Earlier this month, Japanese magazine MacFan published drawings of what purported to be a 4.7-inch and 5.7-inch iPhone 6C.
Earlier this month, Japanese magazine MacFan published drawings of what seemed to be a 4.7-inch and 5.7-inch iPhone 6C, pictured. The drawings feature a flat, bezel-free device with rectangle-shaped volume controls like those found on the current iPhone 5C, as well as a camera with a single LED-flash on the rear
The drawings feature a flat, bezel-free device with rectangle-shaped volume controls like those found on the current iPhone 5C, as well as a camera with a single LED-flash on the rear.
Recent concept images were then created using the schematics detailed in MacFan’s release, by designer Martin Hajek, and Italian artists Enrico Penello and Ran Avni.
These concepts feature a curved screen with 'bumps' at the top and bottom, along with an illuminated Touch ID sensor used to recognise fingerprints, first introduced on the iPhone 5S.
The protruding camera and rounded edges of the purported iPhone 6 prototypes are similar to those seen on the current iPod touch model, pictured
The latest mockups come after Taiwanese sources said the camera in the iPhone 6 will get a boost to 10MP megapixels, from its current 8MP version, along with a new lens offering better picture quality.
It is also expected to boast a new filter, allowing for clearer pictures.
If Apple follows its usual release schedule, the new models will be unveiled in September this year, although experts are expecting the tech giant to launch at least one model in June.
Apple's new devices are expected to use the in-cell touch panel technology - which embeds sensors more tightly into the screen - seen on previous models to make the next device as thin as possible.
But reports suggest difficulties with this technology in larger displays has caused Apple to delay production of the 5.5-inch versions.
It has been widely accepted Apple's rumoured 4.7-inch iPhone 6 (concept pictured left) will debut in September, with the 5.5-inch model launching in 2015. This was blamed on manufacturing problems. The latest reports, instead, are blaming this staggered release date on Apple's marketing strategy
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Homemade face masks have begun to be used in countries such as the United States by members of the public who are unable to obtain medical masks, so have taken to sewing their own Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) masks as an alternative.
However, PPE equipment has proven to be in dangerously short supply for medical professionals across the country, let alone members of the general public needing access to masks as well.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) state that: ‘If you are healthy, you only need to wear a mask if you are taking care of a person with suspected 2019-nCoV infection.’
They also emphasise that: ‘Medical masks should be reserved for health care workers’ and that, ‘the use of a mask alone is insufficient to provide an adequate level of protection, and other measures should also be adopted.’
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But if medical masks are unavailable and Londoners are ask to wear face masks when using public transport, would homemade face masks be a safe alternative?
Read the latest updates:Coronavirus news live
Do homemade face masks actually protect against coronavirus?
While homemade face masks appear to be used in other countries at the moment, many medical experts and health authorities in the UK are still saying that there is no evidence that the use of any face mask – whether homemade or not – will protect you from catching coronavirus.
Sir Patrick Vallance, the UK Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser, said during the Downing Street press conference on Friday 17 April: ‘We’re looking at it now, the evidence around masks is quite variable…we looked at it this week twice and we’re looking at it again on Tuesday.’
Sir Vallance reiterated that, ‘at the moment we’re entirely in line with the WHO guidelines’ and, ‘one thing that’s clear is that it’s absolutely crucial that masks are available in hospitals and in other areas where there is a high chance of transmission.’
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Dr Daniel Atkinson, Clinical Lead at Treated.com, told Metro.co.uk: ‘there’s still so much about coronavirus we don’t know, and the mask debate is still ongoing. The UK guidance right now is that they don’t offer protection when worn by the wider general public.’
He advises anyone considering making their own face mask to ‘exercise caution’.
‘You certainly shouldn’t wear anything that makes it harder for you to breathe, or causes irritation to your face, particularly if you’re not at increased risk of getting the infection,’ he warns.
‘If you’re choosing to make your own facemask, you’ll probably be able to find a few resources online instructing you on what type of materials to use; but there isn’t a definitive, officially-endorsed or recognised way to make them (and make them safely). Any facemask you can make from household materials is unlikely to be more effective than mass-produced paper masks.’
Public Health England confirmed to Metro.co.uk that their stance on the use of face masks is still as follows:
- ‘Throughout this outbreak, PHE have been guided by the evidence and we keep that under constant review.
- ‘Face masks play an important role in clinical settings, such as hospitals, and for people with symptoms.
- ‘However, there is little evidence of widespread benefit and for the majority of people, in terms of being protected against other people’s infections when doing usual activities – such as an essential shop at the supermarket – the most effective thing you can do is to wash your hands frequently and use tissues when you cough or sneeze, or cough into your arm. We will continue to evaluate our advice when new evidence emerges.’
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The continued closure of retail spaces, including outlets from giants like Macy’s, Sears, and Barnes & Noble, has got industry commentators speculating that the “retail bubble” is about to well and truly burst.
“Competition is tougher than ever,” writes Mark Mathews at the National Retail Federation. “Foreign retailers are steadily increasing their presence in the United States, innovative new business models are being developed to appeal to the modern consumer and small businesses and startups can compete in niche markets in ways that would have been impossible just a decade ago. The challenges brought by technological innovation are impacting businesses across a range of industries — and when big companies start to struggle, people take notice.”
It’s estimated that 4,000 bricks and mortar stores have closed in the US over the last year, prompting some to warn that the “retail apocalypse” is nigh. And research published in April by Credit Suisse predicted that more physical stores will close this year than during the lowest ebb of the financial crisis in 2008.
“The US market is oversaturated with retail space, and far too much of that space is occupied by stores selling apparel,” Richard Hayne, CEO of Urban Outfitters, said in an earnings call with analysts back in March. “Our industry, not unlike the housing industry, saw too much square footage capacity added in the 1990s and early 2000s. Thousands of new doors opened and rents soared. This created a bubble, and like housing, that bubble has now burst. We are seeing the results, doors shuttering and rents retreating. This trend will continue for the foreseeable future, and may even accelerate.”
But, while plenty of physical outlets are closing, 2016 also saw retail rents at their highest since 2008 — not to mention over 86 million square feet in new retail construction in the US alone. So is retail really dying, or is it more likely that companies operating under yesterday’s business models are being left behind?
“It could be argued that many of the floundering retail chains failed to invest in people — both employees and customers — and the technology needed to serve those people,” writes Armando Roggio at Practical Ecommerce. “The retail chains that are suffering, going bankrupt, and closing stores are a symptom of poor management and a lack of investment more than they are an indication of the retail industry’s health.”
For companies investing in technology and customer intelligence, physical stores still very much have their place. Even online-first companies like Amazon and Warby Parker are recognising the value in physical locations and venturing offline. Amazon recently opened its first cashless grocery store in Seattle and a flagship bookshop in New York City, both experiments in combining the perks of their Prime membership with the familiarity of physical browsing.
With a growing proportion of consumers preferring to research products online before making a purchase, retailers who provide a seamless online-to-offline experience, and whose digital and physical shopfronts embody the same brand values and quality of service, will be the ones best equipped to survive.
to News Alerts


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British retailers angrily responds to Boris Johnson's promise that there would be no shortage of food after a no deal brexit. They point out that they can not indefinitely stockpile supplies every time a deadline day gets near.
» Read more
The extension of the Brexit deadline is - finally - some good news for European retailers, branch organisation EuroCommerce says. However, it also has a major drawback.
» Read more
Belgian Lotus Bakeries keeps on growing: later this year, the company will be opening a factory in the United States. It is a historical step for the company: for the first time, Lotus will be making speculoos abroad.
Luxury group LVMH, known as the parent company of Louis Vuitton, Moët & Chandon and others, has had a record year: profits went up by as much as 21% and exceeded the record height of 10 billion euros. How? By embracing exclusivity.
A hard Brexit might lead to a serious disruption of e-commerce across the borders: the industry therefore insists that Europe and the UK reach a deal quickly.
Trade wars and discrimination within the single market create growing pressures on retailers in Europe. EuroCommerce Director-General Christian Verschueren is concerned, but looks forward confidently to the future.
The Brexit may have serious consequences for Aurum, which owns the UK’s largest watch retailers: its American majority shareholder may put it up for sale.
British cosmetics group Lush is moving its European production to Germany because of the result of the British EU membership referendum.
AB InBev has decided to increase its SABMiller bid by a pound to 45 pounds per share, after SABMiller's major shareholders asked for an increased bid: they felt the Brexit had devaluated the original bid.
Primark's owner Associated British Foods expects its turnover will be artificially boosted thanks to the pounding the British pound received after the Brexit referendum.
Aldi and Lidl will face fewer consequences of the Brexit in the United Kingdom their major British rivals, because they rely more on local products. This will benefit them, according to a Kantal Retail analysis.
Companies that export textile, food, pharmaceuticals and certain plastics to the United Kingdom will be hit most by the effects of a Brexit, says KU Leuven's professor of international economy, Jan Van Hove.


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SOLON, Ohio (March 26)—PolyOne Corp.'s Elastomers & Performance Additives group, hoping to improve service to a portion of its specialized customer base, has created a Specialty Products Division, which incorporates three of the group's business units. The new division, which accounts for about 5 percent of the group's annual sales of $365 million, comprises Performance Additives, Chase Elastomer Roll Compounds and the newly created High Performance Elastomers business unit. Consolidation of the three activities results in more streamlined, efficient processes and better customer service, PolyOne claims. The bulk of the group's elastomer compounding activities will continue to operate as before, a spokesman said. Steven Nieto, director of supply chain for the Elastomers & Performance Additives group, has been appointed director of the new division and is responsible for its financial and strategic direction. Nieto joined PolyOne in 2001 after 23 years with PPG Industries Inc. The Elastomers & Performance Additives group operates eight production plants in the U.S., Mexico and Europe.
PolyOne restructures Elastomers & Performance Additives unit
Rubber News wants to hear from its readers. If you want to express your opinion on a story or issue, email your letter to Editor Bruce Meyer at [email protected].


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Janssen South Africa has launched an app that helps patients with multiple Myeloma have more time to fight back. When patients receive a Multiple…
Mercedes Benz looks set to unveil something very interesting at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Odd-looking and egg-shaped to be sure, but interesting nonetheless.
The German automaker released a teaser image of the concept vehicle on Facebook and not much else.
There is however some suspicion that the concept might be an autonomous one. According to Jalopnik, that suspicion largely comes from the fact that it’s been testing an autonomous concept with a very similar silhouette in recent months.
Outside of Google, Merc has probably been the global leader in autonomous vehicle tech, especially in its range-leading S Class.
It probably wouldn’t be too much of reach therefore to suggest that certain styling and technology elements from this concept could find themselves in future iterations of the S Class.


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OEM cosmetics manufacturer
: large cosmetics industry in China in 2018 - the < p> cosmetics OEM cosmetics manufacturer
18 10:39:04 < / p> cosmetics OEM manufacturers know China international peak BBS by cosmetics related government attaches great importance to the regulatory authorities.
Guangdong food and drug supervision and management of the deputy chief of the army hong tian, national drug supervision and administration of drug registration silean celebrate bin, deputy director of cosmetics, health food review center bao-jun liu director, director of guangdong food and drug administration Guo Changmao, wenzhou city food and drug administration hong-bing li health food cosmetics supervision department director and other national, provincial, municipal food drug safety leaders attended the peak BBS.
Conference, guangdong food and drug supervision and management of the army hong tian, vice director of cosmetics to learn to learn in order to promote the cosmetics industry in guangdong province to promote the development of science and technology, discipline construction, the integration of production, study and innovation of the lead affirm, and highly appraise for peak BBS.
In the peak BBS & other;
Authority to release & throughout;
Link, the state drug administration drug is changed to bin, deputy director of the said registration silean, accompanied by cosmetics OEM manufacturer to the people's growing demand for a better life, continuously introduce new technologies, new materials industry, this will be a new challenge for the cosmetics supervision department, regulators should focus on both and decentralization, to encourage industry innovation at the same time, it requires beforehand strengthening supervision after the event.
The peak BBS guidance units in guangdong province, deputy secretary of science and technology association, vice chairman mulier. learning form data: concepts, points out that China's cosmetics industry developed towards greening, diversification, has a broad market prospect.
At the same time, his host of peak BBS cosmetics society of guangdong province had high hopes, looking forward to learn in innovative applications and information, technology, talent, etc, to give industry a new force.
As China's international cosmetics peak BBS organizers, cosmetics association of guangdong province zhi-yun du professor pointed out that in recent years, along with society economy high-speed development, China's cosmetics industry to the rapid growth of the cosmetics OEM cosmetics manufacturer manufacturer is the size of the market has more than 400 billion yuan, guangdong manufacturing but also occupy half of China's cosmetics industry, wenzhou baiyun district alone more than 1000 cosmetics manufacturing companies.
These data suggest that our cosmetic industry manufacturing capability is very strong, industry concentration degree is high, the market capacity is very large.
Since cosmetics & other;
The joining together of two card & throughout;
Since then, the hardware condition of cosmetics manufacturer manufacturers, production standards, standardized consciousness, etc all have greatly improved.
However, our product technology innovation, brand, customer satisfaction, etc. , still there is a great gap compared with international brands.
How to strengthen the innovation ability of Chinese cosmetics, and how to build Chinese cosmetics brand image, how to improve China's international competitiveness, cosmetics has been China cosmetic industry colleagues common thinking and are trying to solve the problem. cosmetic design
are all following the most compatible manufacturing regulations.
XJ BEAUTY US CORPORATE OFFICES endeavors to be valued as an industry leader in client satisfaction, sales growth, product performance, financial strength and profitability.
Though the cost of these sustainability initiatives as cosmetic design can be high, harnessing the power of an ethical supply chain to appeal to conscientious consumers can be a smart move both ethically and financially.
XJ BEAUTY US CORPORATE OFFICES's main technology of cosmetic design leads us to understand and utilize information correctly.


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Peloton held out as long as it could before canceling live video classes due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The fitness company announced Monday that it will discontinue livestreaming classes from its studios in New York and London after a New York employee tested positive for coronavirus last week. According to CNN, no classes were held at the New York studio over the weekend. Peloton originally planned on returning to live classes on Tuesday before making the decision to cancel.
The blog post, which came from Peloton cofounder and CEO John Foley, said that the pause in live production will go through April 30.
“We will continue to monitor the situation as it evolves,” Foley’s post said. “In addition to the thousands of classes across 10 fitness disciplines available on-demand, we’ll continue to add new, pre-recorded content like our recently launched Fit Family Programming and Dance Cardio to continue to bring you the best workouts possible during this time.”
According to The Hill, a Peloton spokesperson emailed the company’s members Monday, saying that it believes its workout videos are essential for community wellbeing while much of the population is practicing social distancing. Members, who can purchase Peloton bikes and treadmills and pay a monthly subscription for live classes, will continue to have access to archive classes, which include disciplines like cycling, treadmill and strength.
“We had continued to operate our New York and Peloton studios in adherence with guidance provided by the local governments and public health authorities in both regions,” the spokesperson said.


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Bed Bath & Beyond files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
Bed Bath & Beyond filed on Sunday for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
The company's 360 stores -- along with its 120 buybuy BABY stores -- are expected to remain open as the retailer begins its bankruptcy restructuring, according to a statement released Sunday. Online sales are also expected to continue.
Sue Gove, president & CEO, said the company would work "diligently to maximize value for the benefit of all stakeholders."
"We deeply appreciate our associates, customers, partners, and the communities we serve, and we remain steadfastly determined to serve them throughout this process," Gove said.
In a filing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the District of New Jersey, the company said its liabilities totalled more than $1 billion. The company said in a release it had secured financing of $240 million from Sixth Street Specialty Lending to support its operations during the turnaround process.
The New Jersey-based company listed debt, including long-term liabilities, totalling about $5.2 billion in its most recent quarterly filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Its assets were about $4.4 billion, including about $153 million in cash or equivalents.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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Advanced Portable Technologies (APT) has given in to greed, says Peter Maurer, with tongue-in-cheek.
According to Maurer, the co-owner and director of sales and marketing for APT, the distributor has repositioned itself - APT is now endeavouring to provide desktop networking and remote access solutions (RAS).
Maurer says APT still wants to be known as a PCMCIA card communication specialist, but it decided late last year it was an apparent waste of skills to not delve into other markets APT has come into contact with.
"We figured people were probably starting to look at end-to-end solutions as opposed to just looking at the client side," said Maurer. "All of our guys actually have networking qualifications. Since we already had those skills we figured we may as well use those and expand our product range.
"Our plan is probably to have 30 per cent of our business in the next 12 months come from non-notebook related products," said Maurer. "But we're not moving away from notebooks."
In providing support and implementation for larger corporates through APT's core business - portable technology - Maurer said technical staff have had to overcome problems with compatibility in networks, modems and RAS boxes and thus have the knowledge required for the new market direction.
"We are trying to grow in such a way that we don't expand outside our existing technical support capabilities - so when we're doing RAS it's not a drama because we've been involved with people trying to connect to Shiva and all of those kinds of things before."
Since APT decided to expand into other product areas, it has picked up several new relationships with suppliers Olicom, Digi International, Nokia and TDK.
In the desktop networking area, APT will distribute networking cards from Olicom: Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, token ring and ATM cards.
For RAS, APT has already begun selling the Lanaserver, a remote access box linking remote users to LAN-based applications on networks. Also, from Digi comes a range of IO products for remote access.
Nokia is supplying APT with digital phone data cards and modems for digital phones and TDK has a "very reliable" modem, said Maurer, which has a failure rate of less than a quarter of 1 per cent and certification for use in 70 countries. "We have a number of corporate users that are using that modem because they have people who travel," he said.
APT is also about to release two other products from TDK, a 100 MM Ethernet card and a combination PSTN modem (like a normal modem but with GSM digital phone capabilities).
Maurer said APT is currently looking for security products to distribute later in the year, and is giving thought to hubs and routers as another possibility. APT is also planning to do more consultancy and support work in the future through the channel.
APT has moved to larger premises at 40 Dickson Avenue, Artarmon, 2064.
Advanced Portable Technologies:
Tel (02) 9433 8300
Fax (02) 9439 4629
Toll Free Interstate 1300 300 213


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Consumer price index for products in Russia. In March 2021 compared with the previous month, the consumer price index amounted to 100.7%, including food products - 100.8%, non-food goods - 100.7%, services - 100.4%. Rising prices for food turned out to be higher than the increase in prices for things and services.
The consumer price index for food products in Russia for the first quarter of 2020 amounted to 103.1%. In January, the price index showed an increase of 0.7%, in February - 1.2%.
Consumer price growth is 1.0% and more recorded in 8 subjects of the country. Maxima - in North Ossetia - Alanya (+ 1.5%) and Kabardino-Balkaria (+ 1.3%) due to the rise in the cost of food products by 2.9% and 2.2%, respectively.
In Moscow, prices in March rose 0.5%, in St. Petersburg - by 0.7% (from the beginning of the year - the price increase was 2.1% and 2.3%, respectively). @agrorisk.


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LONDON (MarketWatch) -- Stage Stores Inc SSI, -0.57% said January sales in stores open at least a year rose 7.5%. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial had expected same-store sales to rise 3.1%. Total net sales for the five-week period ending Feb. 3 were $99.5 million, up from $66.1 million in the four-week period a year ago. The company said sales in the extra fifth week in this year's period were $21.4 million. Stage Stores also said it continues to expect that fourth-quarter earnings will be towards the low end of its previously provided guidance range of 87 cents to 90 cents a share.
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Things are sizzling and heating up behind the scenes at the Rice Kitchen in downtown East Lansing. Because MSU students are beginning to make their way back after summer vacation, businesses are excited about increased sales.
Masaki Takahashi of the Rice Kitchen says, "The bar rush is probably one of our busiest nights. It's just crazy on a Sunday because the dorm cafeterias are closed."
With the first day of classes starting in about a week, students, both new and old, are flooding Michigan State's campus. And stores and restuarants have been eagerly awaiting what's called the university economy.
Jim van Ravensway, Director of Planning and Community Development for East Lansing says, "It's not just the students. It's the faculty. MSU's back at full employment. People who were gone for the summer because the university tends to shut down, they're all back."
According to van Ravensway, the entire university related economy slows down every year during the summer. But once fall semester hits, there's a boom.
"The events on campus begin. So all the visitors begin coming to the university. So it's just a huge economic impact businesses feel across the board."
And one owners don't mind. Because a fountain of financial profits lies ahead.


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After being placed on the US Entity List, Huawei has been hard at work getting its own operating system ready for prime time in just a couple of months.
We’re starting to see some of the implications of that, as Huawei begins making requests from popular developers to make their apps available on its own app store.
Huawei has been speaking to developers individually, requesting that they publish their apps to AppGallery, Huawei’s own version of the Google Play Store.
Of course, developers aren’t going to publish their apps to AppGallery just because Huawei asked. That said, the Chinese-based company is trying to sweeten the offering letting developers known that AppGallery has 270 million active users every month across 350 million phones.
Those are some pretty insane statistics, but could very well be inflated. Huawei doesn’t really have a great advertising solution for its developers either, which means that developers could be looking at less opportunity cost, too.
It’s also not clear how secure AppGallery is — which could pose a problem for some of the bigger publishers, like Facebook.
source: XDA Developers


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New technology being developed by researchers at RMIT, Australia, could be used to reduce reliance on human testers in sunscreen efficacy trials.
Current international practice involves using ultraviolet (UV) rays to test whether a product is effective. Of course, it’s that very UV radiation that causes the cancer that sunscreens are designed to provide protection against.
Human sunscreen testing therefore grapples with that ethical issue. It’s particularly challenging for countries like Australia that have a high incidence of skin cancer from UV exposure.
As the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency’s (ARPANSA) assistant director for UVR Exposure Assessment, Dr Stuart Henderson emphasises, it’s something that needs to change.
“It’s not the only way you can test sunscreens, but it’s the way that it’s made it into international standards,” explains Henderson. “The difficulty is in the way [sunscreen] interacts with the skin and the way it’s applied – it’s very difficult to simulate.
“That’s the reason behind human testing being considered the ‘gold standard’ and having made it [as the] international standard.
“Even though human volunteers are used to test the sunscreen, every little bit of UV exposure is adding to their chances of developing skin cancer, it’s a big health issue for the country.”
It’s why a project being developed at RMIT is promising: within a decade, the use of human subjects in sunscreen testing could be minimised, at least in Australia.
People are surprised when they learn how sunscreens are tested
When Professor Vipul Bansal first learnt of the international standard for sunscreen testing, he was too. But a new type of sensor technology being developed by his team at RMIT’s Sir Ian Potter NanoBioSensing facility (Bansal is the facility director), could provide a chance to get humans out of the lab.
“What we are trying to do is replace that skin with a skin-mimicking sensor that can provide a single response,” explains Bansal.
A prototype sensor developed by Bansal’s team changes colour when exposed to UV radiation. If they can modify the sensor to mimic human skin, then real skin may no longer be required.
While it’s still a way off – a decade is the timeframe Bansal is working to – it could solve the issue of exposing volunteer sunscreen testers to the very thing the products are meant to guard against.
First Australia, then the world?
If the sensor technology can be successfully adapted to substitute human for simulated skin, it would likely be trialled locally first.
From there, its expansion to the rest of the world would be outcome-reliant: that means having evidence that not only is the sensor an adequate replacement for human skin, but that the technology actually demonstrates sunscreen effectiveness.
It’s an opportunity with plenty riding on the outcome, which is why the project is being implemented without involvement from product manufacturers.
That level of independent rigour, says Bansal, will help build support in the technology. “The Australian government wants to develop this technique in collaboration with us,” he says. “So it’s an independently, regulatory-validated method.
“It doesn’t have any potential influence of the [sunscreen product] manufacturer, so once it comes out it will reduce the barrier to the market’s adoption.
“Once there is scientific evidence that the new method is as good or better than the existing, then other countries would start adopting it.”
Is simulated skin enough to replace the real thing?
It’s unclear, at this stage, of the extent to which sensor technology could replace a human subject in sunscreen testing processes. After all, a textured skin-like layer designed to respond as the real thing, still isn’t the real thing. And the sensor isn’t designed to test for the safety of the materials used to make this guardian goop – they would still need to be assessed.
But what Henderson hopes is that at the least, sensor technology will help regulators avoid the current ethical issue of exposing people to UV.
“What we’re hoping is that we’ll take out the element of human testing that involves exposing people to ultraviolet radiation – it’s a known carcinogen, that’s what we want to get away from,” Henderson says.
“Purely from the UV side of it, that’s the aim.”


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New York ’s senior U.S. senator, Charles Schumer, has asked IHOP to stock New York-made maple syrup in all of its 44 locations in the state, a call prompted by the pancake chain’s recent commitment to use Vermont syrup in its (for now lone) restaurant in the Green Mountain State.
In a letter to IHOP CEO Julia Stewart, Schumer wrote:
"I believe that replicating this option in New York with New York’s own maple syrup will be both a delicious option for customers as well as a boon to the State’s maple tapping industry."
No word as to whether Chuck is entering the Mrs. Buttersworth contest...
Graphic by mac johnson


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Now he uses a tool that reads the dimensions automatically and sends them wirelessly to his computer, where software decides whether the part can be reused or must be scrapped. "It's definitely faster," he says.
Spahn's workbench in this 240,000-square foot plant is one small example of a multibillion-dollar bet by GE Chief Executive Jeff Immelt: digital technology will transform GE's factories, generate new revenue and boost profits.
The $4bn GE has spent on developing digital products — ranging from tiny sensors in jet engines to augmented reality and software that can crunch large volumes of data — is on the scale of investments Google and Facebook Inc made to build their businesses, Bill Ruh, CEO of GE’s digital division, told Reuters.
Now that GE has shed non-essential operations, including most of its large financial unit, its fortunes will rise or fall depending on whether that investment delivers.
Timely, incisive articles delivered directly to your inbox.


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07/10/2013, YouTube has a new PS3 app with a bunch of additional features.
07/02/2013, Rumors of a YouTube app update that offers real multitasking are making its rounds.
06/20/2013, Google introduces next video overlay in mobile YouTube apps.
06/06/2013, Google describes in a new white paper that it is able to predict the box office performance of a movie based on search results on Google Search and YouTube.
06/04/2013, Google has update the YouTube app for Android. The app comes with an all new slide-out navigation drawer and video suggestions that overlay during playback.
05/24/2013, Google and Microsoft are working hand-in-hand to produce a new YouTube app for Windows Phone.
05/19/2013, YouTube has just turned 8, and I am quite sure that nobody ever figured out that a site like YouTube could have exploded to being what it is today. In fact, just as YouTube celebrates its 8th birthday (many happy returns of the day!), it has achieved yet another interesting statistic for you to mull over – where YouTube users actually upload over 100 hours of video each minute. That’s […]
05/19/2013, YouTube has announced that starting June 5th, YouTube One Channel will become the standard for everyone.
05/15/2013, It was earlier today when word got out that Google actually sent over a cease and desist letter to Microsoft, where the Internet search giant (who has since branched off to a slew of other business considerations in the tech world, of course) has asked Microsoft to do away with their revamped YouTube app for Windows Phone devices, touting that said app actually violated its YouTube API as it strips […]
05/15/2013, Roughly two years ago YouTube Live was launched in limited beta. The service allowed a select few to broadcast live video through their YouTube channel. In the recent past, this service was made available to certain members of the YouTube Partner Program as well as game developers. Starting today though, any YouTube account that has over 1,000 subscribers will be able to broadcast live video to their viewers regardless of the […]
05/09/2013, Google has been rumored to be launching at paid subscriptions service for YouTube ever since this past January, and it looks like this rumor has now become reality as the search giant has just announced it is launching a new subscription channel option. “Today, there are more than 1 million channels generating revenue on YouTube, and one of the most frequent requests we hear from these creators behind them is […]
05/07/2013, YouTube is an extremely popular app, whether you are rocking it on the desktop, or watching and sharing some laughs with your friends over a mobile device. Just about every mobile operating system would carry some kind of YouTube app, and the same applies to Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8 platform. We are pleased to bring you word that the official YouTube app for Windows Phone 8 has received a major […]
05/07/2013, If you’re a regular YouTube viewer, you’ll know how difficult it is to stumble onto the next big viral video as there are just way too many videos to comb through on a regular basis. That’s why YouTube is taking the initiative to help make it easier for its users to know what is currently trending in their neck of the woods through its new Trends Map. YouTube’s Trends Map […]
05/06/2013, Gmail for iOS has been the go-to application for many of us who use Gmail as their primary email account, but if you want to use other Google products with the application, it has been impossible at this point as Apple currently doesn’t make it possible to change your default applications when opening things like links to websites, YouTube videos or addresses. But Google has just launched a new update […]


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Why we are losing the war against payment card fraud
Hendi Yogi Prabowo
Director of the Center for Forensic Accounting Studies at the Islamic University of Indonesia
PREMIUM The string of ATM card skimming scams has once again brought Indonesian payment card security into the spotlight. A number of skimming cases involving perpetrators from overseas have been uncovered by the authorities. For example, five Romanian and Hungarian nationals were recently arrested for allegedly being involved in fraud targeting the customers of a state-owned bank, Bank Rakyat Indonesia (...
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.
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One Surprising Reason You Can't Say No to Junk Food, According to Science
Whether you consistently find yourself grabbing a muffin to go with your morning coffee or find that you can't pass by the snack aisle in your local supermarket without tossing a bag of chips in your cart, everyone has their vices when it comes to less than healthy food. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), between 2013 and 2016, 36.6% of Americans admitted to giving into their fast food cravings on any given day.
However, new research suggests it's not just your willpower that influences how likely you are to reach for a less than healthy snack when you're feeling peckish. A new research article published in Nature Human Behavior found that it's a more time-consuming process to deem a food healthy than it is to determine whether or not it will be enjoyable to eat.
To conduct the study, researchers at The London School of Economics and Political Science's Department of Management asked a group of 79 adults to choose between two different foods, including both healthy and unhealthy choices, 300 separate times. The study's authors found that it took study subjects half as long to determine a food's palatability as it did for them to decide on its relative healthfulness.
"Our findings suggest that it is often not our fault that we give into unhealthy foods—our brain is simply slower at processing how healthy a food is compared to how good it tastes. We may well know how healthy or unhealthy a food is, but our brain thinks first about what the food tastes like," explained Nicolette Sullivan, Ph.D., an assistant professor of marketing at The London School of Economics and Political Science, in a statement.
Sullivan explained that this may account for why some individuals find themselves reaching for less healthy fare against their better judgment.
"This means that we might eat a biscuit, not because the desire for a tasty snack overwhelms our limited willpower, but because the information about the future health consequences of eating that biscuit does not enter our decision process sufficiently early to influence the choices we make," said Sullivan. "We may have already made up our minds to eat the biscuit by the time our brain catches up with thinking about how unhealthy it is. We end up making unhealthy choices because it takes us too long to process the information about whether a food is healthy."
While cognitive processing time may be a hindrance when it comes to choosing healthy food, research suggests that intentionally practicing delayed gratification may help people make healthier food choices.
A 2009 study published in the journal Marketing Letters found that when individuals ordered groceries that would either arrive the following day or two days later, those who received their food later made healthier choices overall. Similarly, a 2016 study published in the Journal of Marketing Research found that individuals who ordered food and planned to eat it shortly thereafter chose higher-calorie fare than those who ordered their food at least an hour before they planned to consume it.
If you want to make your next meal a whole lot healthier, check out these 11 Surprisingly Healthy Fast-Food Orders, According to Experts, and for the latest healthy eating news delivered to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter!


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More in News
New order also allows for charter boats to resume service and up to 25 people to attend outdoor funerals.
Elon Musk ended his brief respite from tweeting, Thursday, when he went on Twitter to say that he thinks its time for Amazon to be broken up.
The anti-malarial drug has been controversial in part due to support from U.S. President Donald Trump, as well as implications of the study published in British medical journal the Lancet last month.
The widow of Pedro Zuniga, the Safeway worker who died after contracting COVID-19, is suing the grocery store chain.


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The production restart date for the Chevy Blazer crossover has been pushed back to September 20th, two weeks later than originally planned. The production delay is a result of the ongoing global microchip shortage.
As GM Authority reported previously, production of the Chevy Blazer was offline in August, and was originally scheduled to restart September 6th. However, per a recent report from Reuters, production of the Chevy Blazer at GM’s Ramos Arizpe facility in Mexico will be down for an additional two weeks. Meanwhile, production of the Chevy Equinox at the Ramos Arizpe facility will be offline through the week of September 27th, a week later than originally scheduled. Production of the Chevy Equinox has been offline since August 16th.
As reported last month, Chevy Blazer inventory has been less-than-optimal throughout the 2021 calendar year, running at eight days of supply as of the first week of August. Back in September of 2020, GM Authority reported that Chevy Blazer supply was running at 28 days of supply, a figure repeated in January of 2021. Supply fell shortly thereafter, dipping to 12 days of supply by July.
Chevy Blazer sales are down for the first half of the 2021 calendar year, falling 5 percent year-to-date compared to the 2020 calendar year.
Sales Numbers - Midsize & Full-Size Mainstream Crossovers - H1 2021 - United States
|MODEL||YTD 21 / YTD 20||YTD 21||YTD 20||YTD 21 SHARE||YTD 20 SHARE|
|JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE||+11.94%||107,924||96,409||10%||11%|
|HYUNDAI SANTA FE||+45.32%||63,110||43,429||6%||5%|
In total, General Motors has announced stoppages at eight of its North American production facilities. In addition to GM’s Ramos Arizpe facility in Mexico, the latest round of delays also affect the GM Lansing Delta Township facility in Michigan, the GM Spring Hill facility in Tennessee, the GM Wentzville facility in Missouri, the GM Fort Wayne facility in Indiana, the San Luis Potosí facility in Mexico, the Silao facility in Mexico, and CAMI Assembly in Canada.
As a result, production of several different GM vehicles has been idled, including not only the Chevy Blazer and Chevy Equinox, but also the Chevy Traverse and Buick Enclave, the Cadillac XT5, XT6, and GMC Acadia, the GMC Terrain, and the Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon, as GM Authority has covered previously.


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Opening its doors at the Hanover Exhibition Centre, Germany, is EuroBLECH 2016, the 24th International Sheet Metal Working Technology Exhibition, which will take place 25th-29th October. The latest technologies along the entire sheet metal processing chain will be presented, and for the first time since 2008, this year’s EuroBLECH has reached and even slightly surpassed its record floor size of some 88,000m2.
This year, 54% of the exhibitors at EuroBLECH come from outside Germany. The percentage of international exhibiting companies has thus increased by a further 2%. Biggest exhibitor countries are Germany, Italy, Turkey, China, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Spain, Austria, Denmark and the US.
In the focus of this year’s EuroBLECH are the digitisation of production processes and increasing automation. Flexible manufacturing systems become ever more important to meet the demand for individualised products. Simulation and innovative process control systems reduce waste and increase cost efficiency. The automotive industry with its focus on lightweight construction remains the major driver for innovations in sheet metal working.
‘The New Generation of Sheet Metal Working’ is the overall theme of EuroBLECH 2016. The organisers of the exhibition, Mack Brooks Exhibitions, have chosen this motto to reflect the prevailing change in industry production initiated by the internet of things or industry 4.0. But the motto is also directed at the younger generation as the sheet metal working industry, a high-tech sector, is in high demand for qualified junior employees. In the Social Media Lounge (hall 16, stand J52), exhibitors at EuroBLECH announce a large number of vacancies within the industry sector.
Visitors to EuroBLECH include design engineers, production managers, quality managers, buyers, manufacturers, technical directors and experts from associations and R&D.


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SAN JOSE, Calif. (CBS.MW) -- BEA Systems on Tuesday reported a 217 percent increase in pro forma profits in the first quarter as demand for its e-commerce services heated up.
Kevin Faulkner, vice president of investor relations, said the company also expects second quarter results to be "slightly higher" than expectations. Wall Street expects a profit of 4 cents.
The San Jose, Calif.-based company develops e-commerce software and services that help companies do business on the Internet.
During the first quarter, key deals struck included those with Air New Zealand, Bell Atlantic BEL, -0.95% Delta Airlines DAL, -1.39% Hewlett-Packard hwp and others. Demand also came from smaller clients, with many contracts in the $500,000 to $1 million range.
"We credit the first quarter's performance to the continuing build-out in e-commerce," Kevin Faulkner, vice president of investor relations, told CBS.MarketWatch.com.
For the quarter, BEA Systems beas had pro forma profits of $12 million, or 3 cents a share. Analysts polled by First Call expected earnings of 2 cents. Last year, pro forma profits were $3.8 million, or 1 cent a share. Pro forma figures exclude extraordinary items.
Pro forma operating income was $13.3 million compared with $5.8 million a year ago.
Including acquisition-related expenses, premium paid on early conversion of certain debt, taxes related to stock option exercises and other special items, BEA Systems had a net loss of $12.4 million, or 3 cents a share, compared with a loss of $4 million, or 1 cent a share.
Revenue rose 80 percent in the quarter to $153.7 million, up from $85.6 million a year ago.
Shares of BEA Systems were up 5 3/32, or 12 percent, to 49 3/32 ahead of the news.


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Smashwords today announced its official sponsorship of Read an E-Book Week, to be held March 8-14. I encourage readers of this blog to get involved at a local level by hosting ebook read-ins and ebook device demonstrations at schools, libraries, bookstores and coffee shops.
At Smashwords, we're going to work with our authors to create special ebook promotions during the week, including free books and discounted books. Stay tuned.
From the press release:
"The mission of Read an E-Book Week is to raise international awareness about the benefits of ebooks to authors, readers, educators and the media," said Rita Toews, founder of the non-profit event. "As a sponsor of the event, Smashwords will help promote the initiative, and will work with its authors to develop special Smashwords book promotions during the week."
Digital reading is on the upswing. According the IDPF, ebook sales in the United States grew 108 percent year over year for the month of November alone. The dramatic sales increase came despite weak overall book industry sales (for in-depth analysis, see our previous post on the rise of ebook sales).
"We're pleased to sponsor and endorse Read an E-Book Week," said Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords. "We hope to introduce thousands of new readers and authors to the joys of ebooks. Thanks to advances in e-reading devices such as the iPhone+Stanza, the Amazon Kindle and the Sony Reader, electronic reading is often more enjoyable than paper reading. Once book lovers try ebooks, they're hooked."
Click here to read the rest of the press release.
Click here to visit the web site for Read an E-Book Week, and to learn how you can get involved.


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The tech major will also connect all Atal Innovation centers with its incubation and innovation centers around the world so as to enable entrepreneurs in the country to innovate, build businesses and go global with digital solutions.
US-based tech giant CISCO has teamed up with India’s state-run BSNL to develop 5G use cases and showcase 5G telecom networks’ capabilities and utility in various public services. CISCO has signed two agreements with Niti Aayog and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) to help boost collaboration and connectivity across all 100 Atal Incubation Centers and to develop fifth generation (5G) technology-based use cases. CISCO will make investments as part of its second phase of its ‘country digital acceleration’ program.
CISCO will set up a dedicated location for BSNL to showcase possibilities of 5G use cases to solve problems faced by citizens in areas like healthcare, agriculture and education. For this purpose, it will use the technologies like artificial intelligence, Internet of Things (IoT) and surveillance.
On the other side, as per the pact with Niti Aayog, CISCO – which makes networking telecommunications equipment – will use its conferencing platforms such as Webex Teams and Cisco Webex Board to help bolstering connectivity and collaboration across all Atal Incubation Centers. The tech major will also connect all these centers with its incubation and innovation centers around the world so as to enable entrepreneurs in the country to innovate, build businesses and go global with digital solutions.
Niti Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission is the flagship initiative of the government to promote a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation, and create an umbrella structure for innovation ecosystem of the country.
CISCO’s CEO Chuck Robbins also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday during his three-day visit to India. After Meeting with Robbins, Narendra Modi said in a tweet, “Had a wonderful meeting with Mr Chuck Robbins, Chairman and CEO of Cisco. We discussed various aspects relating to technology as well as innovation.”
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 13, 2018
In India, CISCO has so far made 25 strategic investments in growth-stage companies and invested about $100 million in the first phase of its CDA programme.


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Revised law will apply to online shopping [China Daily: Hong Kong Edition]
(China Daily: Hong Kong Edition Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) China's revised consumer rights law, which includes a seven-day cooling-off period during which shoppers can get a refund for online purchases, may push some small e-retailers out of business, said industry insiders.
The revised law, which takes effect on Saturday, is expected to raise standards in the booming e-commerce sector. But giving customers the right to return purchases will mean higher costs for service and logistics, an extra burden for small online retailers.
"The revised law is going to have a positive influence on the entire e-commerce sector in the long run, because it requires online retailers to offer the same high-quality services as those provided by brick-and-mortar stores," said Lu Zhenwang, an independent e-commerce expert and chief executive officer of Shanghai-based Wanqing Consultancy.
"Big business-to-customer platforms such as Alibaba's Tmall.com and JD.com already have return policies. Their core strength in the e-commerce sector is good service," Lu said.
JD.com, China's second-largest B2C platform, has had a seven-day refund policy since the beginning of this year.
According to e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, nearly 15,000 retailers on its customer-to-customer platform Taobao.com have voluntarily extended their refund periods from seven days to 15 days. Those changes affect as many as 3.86 million items.
The revision to the Consumer Protection Law, the first change since the law was established 20 years ago, regulates merchandise and service transactions through the Internet, television, telephone and postal service for the first time.
The law specifies that all purchases made online can be returned unconditionally within seven days, except for four categories: customized products, fresh and perishable products, digital products (software and online downloadable goods) and newspapers and magazines.
Pi Xiaolin, a vice-director in charge of processing consumer complaints at the China Consumers' Association, said that the number of complaints filed about online shopping has increased 50 percent year-on-year over the past three years.
"Most of the complaints are about poor quality", said Pi.
Shopping online is an increasingly important economic activity in China.
Revenue in the nation's online retail market reached 1.8 trillion yuan ($292.68 billion) in 2013, according to the Ministry of Commerce.
The ministry has forecast that China's e-commerce market will soon overtake that of the United States as the world's largest.
(China Daily 03/15/2014 page10)
(c) 2014 China Daily Information Company. All Rights Reserved. Provided by Syndigate.info, an Albawaba.com company
[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]


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Honda unveils new fuel-cell electric vehicle concept
At the 2105 Detroit Auto Show on Tuesday, Honda unveiled its new fuel-cell electric vehicle (FCV) Concept. Honda described the new FCV Concept as a preview of a production car which is scheduled to hit the road in 2016; in time to challenge the Toyota Mirai.
Introducing its new FCV Concept at the auto show, Honda said that it plans to launch a production version of the vehicle in Japan by the 2016 first quarter; with the projected availability of the vehicle in the North American and European markets scheduled for a later date.
The new FCV Concept features a low and relatively wide body, with somewhat understated design details. The overall look of the car marks an evolutionary leap from the FCX Clarity --- Honda’s last production hydrogen-powered car.
However, the new FCV Concept differs from the FCX Clarity in terms of performance and operating range. Going by the details released by Honda, the new FCV Concept boasts a cruising range of up to 700 km; with the refilling of its 70 MPa high-pressure hydrogen tank taking barely three minutes. The new concept emits only water vapor from its tailpipe.
Moreover, with Honda known for its excellent packaging methods, the entire fuel cell assembly of the new FCV Concept can fit under the bonnet; thereby ensuring that the vehicle’s cabin has enough space to accommodate up to five passengers.
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Philips announced a new 4K IPS display featuring an impressive screen size of 43 inches. If nothing else, the new Philips UltraClear 43-inch class 4K Ultra HD IPS LCD display is pretty huge.
GogglePal, a new universally mounted augmented reality heads-up display, allows users to track their stats while skiing/boarding.
Vuzix announced that it has begun shipping the iWear Video Headphones to pre-order customers. The headset is capable of displaying 2D, 3D and VR content from nearly any HDMI source.
Acer announced the release of two ultra-wide displays -- a high resolution 3440x1440 display and a more affordable 2560x1080 model. Both displays are available now in the U.S.
Analogix's SlimPort Nano Console aims to give Android smartphone users more from their smartphone by connecting it to their TVs and monitors through the SlimPort connector.
At ROG Unleashed, Asus announced two new members of the ROG Swift family featuring Nvidia's G-Sync technology.
HoloLens is coming to developers in the first quarter of 2016. However, it comes at the very hefty price of $3,000.
In addition to Dell's new Precision workstations, the company also announced three new displays capable of supporting 99.5-100 percent Adobe RGB.
A new VR demo from Epic Games showed off the use of gunplay in the VR space, thanks to the Oculus Touch controllers.
Those who want to build their own version of Google's Cardboard 2 can now download the updated specs for free.


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JA Solar nabs USD-90m loan from Bank of Communications of China
Aug 5, 2013 - Chinese solar products maker JA Solar Holdings Co Ltd (NASDAQ:JASO) and a subsidiary have obtained a credit facility of CNY 550 million (USD 90m/EUR 68m) from the Bank of Communications of China.
On Monday, JA said that it would get CNY 250 million of the total amount to replenish working capital and for general corporate purposes. The remaining CNY 300 million will go to Jinglong Group, which is a manufacturer of ingots and wafers as well as solar cells and modules.
The credit facility agreement follows the introduction in July of additional incentive policies for the solar industry in China. Among these was a government commitment to credit support to major solar firms that have advanced technology and long-term growth potential. Just on August 1, JA Solar said it had achieved a conversion efficiency of 18.3% with multi-crystalline silicon (multi-Si) solar cells.
In mid-July China’s State Council announced 35 GW as the new solar capacity target for 2015. At the time, the State Council also called on local lenders to keep supporting profitable and efficient solar equipment makers. China will also provide tax breaks to solar manufacturers that acquire peers, merge or restructure.


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2018 has been a remarkable year for the telecom industry as several new trends and technologies emerged on its canvas. In a struggle to connect every single individual of this planet to a network, telcos have conquered numerous milestones. In a world of nearly 7.7 billion people, around 4.68 billion individuals bear a cellphone―66% of the total population (Statista). Conversely, this makes the mobile world the backbone of the economy for many countries. Let’s have a look at the trends and technologies that rocked the telecom industry in 2018.
According to some stats shared by GSMA Intelligence, there are around 3.3 billion internet users throughout the world, and this figure is expected to cross the mark of 5 billion in 2025. At present, 57% of the total approximate 5 billion mobile users possess a smartphone, and this figure is projected to reach 77% in 2025. The mobile industry generated around $1.05 trillion in the last year, generating nearly 29 million jobs. In the Asia Pacific region for example, there are approximately 67% mobile subscribers of which 41% people are internet users. However, the subscriber penetration in Asia is considered quite less as compared to other regions of the world.
Industry Trends we observed in 2018
The expansion of 4G
While 5G is about to officially hit the market in a year or two, 4G saw an enormous expansion in 2018. Although telcos are focusing on bringing 5G in everyone’s pocket, the availability of 4G is still a dream in a few regions. In 2018, telecom companies strived hard to expand their 4G networks so that they can grab a good chunk of subscribers for their oncoming 5G technology. Talking specifically about Asia, there are countries where 4G hasn’t even covered half of the territories. In this situation, the idea of rolling out 5G technology would be a grand challenge for the telcos.
5G―ready to hit the Market
There has been a buzz about the 5G technology in the past few years. 2018 revealed several facts about the testing of this upcoming technology that will impact every walk of life. With a gigabit internet speed, latency won’t be a headache anymore. AT&T tested its 5G network in 2018 and is ready to launch it in 2019. Oppo has successfully tested its 5G smartphone in its testing facilities. Verizon and AT&T have also announced to build 5G phones with Samsung. It’s expected that China will be the pioneer to commercialize 5G technology.
Internet of Things (IoT) is on the boom
Wherever there is a device connected to the internet, there jumps in the Internet of Things. With the increase in the number of electronic gadgets and devices and the provision of faster internet, IoT is becoming a commonplace. In 2018, we saw a sharp rise in the use of electronic gadgets that ultimately uplifted the mobile industry. IoT also emerged as a solution to electronic payment systems that also boosted the revenue generated by the mobile ecosystem. The concept of Industry 4.0 portrays a connected world where IoT, automation, and connectivity will be omnipresent. With that, we see a lot of telcos has invested a lot to improve their infrastructure in 2018 to support IoT for the future.
AI―Future of Telcos
The immense capabilities of Artificial Intelligence (AI) have revolutionized almost every walk of life, and the telecom sector is no more untouched. In the race of technology, data is the next big thing. In 2018, telecom operators invested massively in deploying AI to deal with the Big Data they gather. AI has applications beyond chatbots and virtual assistants as it can digitalize and transform the entire telecom industry. Telcos deployed intelligent algorithms and networks that serve to comprehend consumer behavior and suggest optimum models to increase the subscriber penetration. With the increase in the number of IoT devices, Big Data has also emerged and deploying AI-based intelligent solutions has become necessary for telcos to be a part of the advanced tech race.
Everyone Connected Everywhere
Operators have put a lot to connect the unconnected to enhance the social and economic benefits. With improved infrastructure, 2018 saw a rise in efficiency of mobile networks that led to enhanced economic growth. Operators invested a great deal in rolling out innovative solutions to cater more users with affordable rates.
The Internet is not just meant to scroll social media sites. The availability of the internet is transforming businesses. In 2018, a lot of mobile applications emerged to accelerate enterprises and startups. Different Direct Carrier Billing and other financial services enabled users to make investments and manage their expenses more efficiently. Telcos have empowered us to make payments anywhere, without a headache.
Telecom industry made notable progress in 2018 and boosted the economy of countries. The next big thing is the launch of 5G technology that will create new opportunities for individuals as well as operators. In this tech race where each company is striving hard to become the pioneer of 5G commercialization, we predict the one with quality services will conquer the market in the coming years.


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China's express delivery revenue up 29.5% in January
Updated: 2011-02-24 17:18
BEIJING - Revenue from China's express deliveries in January rose 29.5 percent year on year to 5.81 billion yuan ($880 million) with volume reaching 250 million items, up 48.3 percent, the State Post Bureau announced Thursday.
Domestic inter-city items accounted for more than half of the month's revenue and business was most active in eastern regions, according to the bureau.
China's online retail sales last year doubled from 2009 to reach 513.1 billion yuan, according to a report by China's E-commerce Research Center.
The number of people using the Internet in China rose to 457 million at the end of last year, up 73.3 million from a year earlier, according to a report released by the China Internet Network Information Center in January.
Since last summer, Chinese tourists emerged as the top tax-free shoppers in Europe.
Environmental concerns are shedding new light on a colorful tradition
Chongqing bets on its position as a hub for China's west.
Helicopter companies ride on country's growing interest in luxury aviation.