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NEW YORK, April 9 (Reuters) - Palm Inc. PALM.O Chief Executive Officer Ed Colligan told Bloomberg News that he is ignoring calls to sell the phone maker and is focused on winning back sales lost to competitors like Research In Motion Ltd. RIM.TO and Nokia Oyj NOK1V.HE.
“I can’t sit here and worry about that,” he said in an interview with Bloomberg at Palm’s Sunnyvale, California, headquarters.
“I can only worry about how the business is performing and what can we do as a team to do better, to get our products out faster, to drive for higher reliability, to grab more market share.”
Colligan, 46, downplayed speculation about a buyout.
The company has hired Morgan Stanley (MS.N) to review options including a sale of all or part of the company, sources said.
Colligan would not comment on the bank’s role and said Morgan Stanley has been Palm’s banker for years.
At least one strategic buyer is interested in taking over the maker of the Treo smartphone, a source familiar with the situation told Reuters last month.
Mobile phone makers Motorola Inc. MOT.N and Nokia NOK1V.HE, and electronics makers Dell Inc. DELL.O and Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ.N) have all been speculated as companies possibly interested in Palm, while reports have also said that bids could come from private equity players.
The bidding process was now at the stage where interested parties conduct due diligence, the source said last month, referring to the review potential buyers conduct before acquiring a target.
Motorola has since cut its outlook, which led some analysts to conclude that the likelihood of it buying Palm had diminished.
((Reporting by Mark Porter, editing by Kim Coghill; email@example.com, 646 223 6000)) Keywords: PALM/
C Reuters 2007. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution ofReuters content, including by caching, framing or similar means, is expresslyprohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters and the Reuterssphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group ofcompanies around the world.nN09290749


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Danone is to put the Nutri-Score nutrition labels being used by some manufacturers and retailers in France on products it sells over the border in Germany next year.
The company will label a selected range of its fresh dairy products on sale in the country at the start of next year with more SKUs to follow. “Progressively we will add further products,” a spokesperson for Danone said.
The Nutri-Score logo was launched in France last year after trials of three systems. France said the labels would help inform consumers about the foods they eat.
Introduced on a voluntary basis, 58 food and drink manufacturers operating in France, plus four of the country’s largest grocers, are using the labels, the Danone spokesperson said.
Danone’s decision to use the labels in Germany is part of the wider group’s moves to create what group CEO Emmanuel Faber last year called a “food revolution” to “nurture the adoption of healthier and more sustainable eating and drinking habits”.
The Danone spokesperson added: “Danone Germany also wants to contribute to the food revolution, by revising its products according to clearly defined nutritional targets for all products by 2020 and by introducing the front-of-pack labelling system Nutri-Score on its fresh dairy products. This system scores the nutritional value of foods and displays it on the products. It is simple, independent and scientifically-based. And most important: this front-of-pack system leads to healthier shopping behaviour.
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“There are no other systems used at the moment in Germany, they are only other proposals. Looking at these proposals for colour coding they don’t give a simple orientation to consumers. Tests with consumers have shown that the Nutri-Score is understood. In France, the Nutri-Score is being introduced at the moment, based on the most substantiated study situation on a food labelling system so far.”

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Promo menarik pada undian Data SGP 2020 – 2021.
BTS’s blockbuster “Dynamite” has actually become their very first track to be licensed platinum for digital downloads in Japan!
As of March 18, the Recording Industry Organization of Japan (RIAJ) has actually officially awarded “Dynamite” a platinum qualification in the download category for going beyond over 250,000 electronic download sales.
Although BTS has actually formerly gotten platinum certifications from the RIAJ for both physical albums as well as online streaming of songs– actually, BTS became the very first foreign group in RIAJ history ever to make a platinum accreditation for streaming last December– this brand-new achievement notes the first time that of their tunes has received a platinum certification for downloads.
According to the RIAJ’s qualification limits, tracks are accredited gold once they reach 100,000 downloads and also platinum at 250,000 downloads.
” Dynamite”likewise came to be BTS’s
very first track to go double platinum in the USA previously this week. Congratulations to BTS on their outstanding success!
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MacLife: Can your iPhone replace your Mac? Probably not. But who cares--your iPhone can let you use your Mac from anywhere, and that’s even better.
TechSpy is a community of awesome people posting and discussing the latest tech news. It’s part of NewsBoiler, a network of social news sites covering today’s pop culture.


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AOL is advising users of its ICQ instant message service to update to the latest version of the instant messaging software following the discovery of a bug in an older version of the product.
Security researchers at Core Security Technologies on Thursday reported that they had discovered the flaw in ICQ Pro 2003b, a version of the ICQ client that AOL still offers for download, billing it as a "veteran version" of the product for users who prefer the earlier look-and-feel.
Although the bug doesn't affect more recent ICQ software like ICQ 5.1, it could mean serious problems for ICQ Pro 2003b users, according to Max Caceres, director of product management at Core, a vendor of penetration testing software.
Core researchers have developed proof-of-concept code that causes ICQ Pro 2003b to crash and they believe that this vulnerability could eventually be exploited to run unauthorized software on a user's PC. More information on this flaw can be found here.
Hackers would attack a PC by sending a maliciously encoded instant message to any ICQ Pro 2003b user connected to the service. Victims "don't have to do anything at all," Caceres said. "Just by being there, someone can send them a message and they can be compromised."
Core has also discovered less-critical issues in AOL's ICQ Toolbar 1.3 for Internet Explorer. These flaws could allow attackers to change the toolbar's configuration settings or possibly even run scripting code by sending victims maliciously encoded RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds. More information on these bugs can be found here.
AOL said it was working to fix the bugs, but the company classifies them as "minor and low-risk," according to spokesman Andrew Weinstein. "Any users who are concerned can simply upgrade to the latest version of ICQ or not load suspicious RSS feeds," he said via instant message.


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Singapore is a huge trading hub. Its trading hub status is probably as old as the settlement itself. In fact, its global commerce has been called the lifeblood of Singapore, and it is because Singapore has put in place shrewd economic policies that SMEs and MNCs call Singapore their home.
The country's import volume from China is enormous and it has now become a part of the Belt and Road initiative, which directly impacts its ecosystem. Companies such as DBS Singapore have even signed cooperation agreements with Sinosure to work on projects that are mid and long-term, with these projects being insured by Sinosure. However, there are still many, perhaps thousands of Singapore-based companies that import goods and materials from China, and the vast majority don't have enough working capital.
As a result, such companies might need, but lack, short-term trade credits, which is exactly how Sinosure makes a difference. It provides trade credit insurance, making it simpler for Singapore companies to obtain trade credits issued by Chinese suppliers. Here is how Sinosure is streamlining international trade for Singapore companies.


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WeddingWire Announces Acquisition of Wedding Planner
Expansion into Europe and Latin America establishes WeddingWire as Worldwide Category Leader
WeddingWire, Inc., the leading vertical marketplace for the wedding and events industry inNorth America, announces the acquisition of Wedding Planner, S.L., the corresponding category leader acrossEuropeandLatin America.
Through the acquisition, WeddingWire accelerates its international expansion into 12 countries, includingSpain,Italy,France,MexicoandBrazil, with market leading brands such as Bodas.net, Matrimonio.com, Mariages.net, Bodas.com.mx and Casamentos.com.br. The combined company creates a global marketplace that serves 10 million unique users each month across mobile and web.
«We are thrilled to welcome Wedding Planner to the WeddingWire family», saidTimothy Chi, CEO, WeddingWire. «This acquisition joins two of the most successful online wedding marketplaces, but we still have a tremendous opportunity ahead of us. Planning a wedding represents a universal milestone in any couple’s life, but wedding planning can be extraordinarily frustrating.This is precisely why we created WeddingWire eight years ago – to bring clarity and transparency to a global industry that accounts for 40 million weddings and more than$200 billioneach year.In Wedding Planner, we found a like-minded team of repeat entrepreneurs that share our vision, have built strong brands and innovative products, and have helped millions of users plan and execute their important life event».
Today, the two rapidly growing companies empower engaged couples with more than 2.5 million detailed reviews of 400,000 local businesses and online planning tools. Furthermore, the combined company extends its leadership position to more than 45,000 paying merchant subscribers who utilize the company’s purpose-built advertising and software solutions to help grow their wedding and events businesses. In just three years, WeddingWire has grown from 150 employees to over 650, while maintaining profitability.
«We’re excited and confident about our future as part of the WeddingWire family», saidNina Perez, CEO of Wedding Planner, SL. «We have admired WeddingWire’s product innovation and growth for many years and are thrilled to join forces as global thought leaders. With our combined scale, resources and industry knowledge, we can accelerate our shared vision to be the largest global destination for online wedding planning and deliver increased value to our business partners».
The Wedding Planner executive team will continue to lead the daily business operations across all international properties, providing invaluable market development and cultural expertise, withFrancesc Baldrich, Founder and Chief Product Officer, Wedding Planner, joining WeddingWire’s Board of Directors. The combined company will maintain itsUnited Statesheadquarters inWashington, DCand European headquarters inBarcelona, Spain.


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LOS ANGELES — The upcoming Snap IPO stands to break records and make billions for investors, but the company’s Southern California neighbors hope it will benefit them in a different way — by shining a spotlight on their flourishing tech industry.
The startup community in the Los Angeles area has already spawned success stories like Oculus VR and Dollar Shave Club. Now one of the year’s most anticipated IPOs could be a defining moment for the region as a major tech destination. Venice-based Snap, which reportedly plans to go public with a $25 billion valuation as early as March, would be the biggest offering of a U.S. tech company since Facebook’s 2012 debut.
“Snapchat is really the first Silicon Valley-scale company that’s been created in the L.A. area,” said Mitch Lasky, a partner at Menlo Park-based venture capital firm Benchmark, which invested in the company, “and I think that’s going to have profound implications for the future.”
Already executives from Uber and Facebook have defected to Southern California, as Silicon Valley struggles with an exorbitant cost of living and a yawning income gap brought on by fast-growing tech companies competing for highly skilled employees. Several Bay Area startups also have packed up and headed for burgeoning tech hot spots in Los Angeles, Venice and Santa Monica. And industry giants like YouTube, Facebook, Google, Yahoo and Netflix have opened offices in the area — known by some as “Silicon Beach” — hoping to capitalize on the region’s media and entertainment legacy.
At least by some metrics, Los Angeles already has surpassed the Bay Area in startup activity. In 2016 the City of Angels ranked as the third-most active city in the U.S. for entrepreneurs — beating both San Francisco and San Jose, according to the nonprofit Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, which studied new business creation. That represents an upset from the year before, when Los Angeles came in fourth, right behind San Jose. Companies in the L.A. area pulled in $4.5 billion in funding in 2015 — up 40 percent from 2014, according to the National Venture Capital Association.
“More and more I’m finding companies that I’m excited about investing in that are here,” said Mike Jones, co-founder and CEO of Santa Monica-based accelerator Science. “I’m also finding a surprising number of startups that are willing to move here.”
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L.A.-area startups are a unique breed — they tend to focus on content creation instead of gadgets, building services and apps to run on the computers, tablets and smartphones designed by their Silicon Valley neighbors. That has led to a proliferation of Silicon Beach media startups like Fullscreen Media and Zefr, social apps like Snapchat, Tinder and Whisper, and e-commerce companies like Dollar Shave Club and MeUndies.
There’s also a thriving virtual reality scene in the area — Oculus VR was based in Irvine before its $2 billion acquisition by Facebook — thanks in part to talent poached from Hollywood’s film and special effects industry. And the region houses a niche of next-generation transportation companies like Hyperloop One and Elon Musk’s SpaceX that are taking a page from Boeing and other aviation companies with a long history in the region.
Experts agree the SoCal tech scene, which has seen major growth in the past five years, is on the upswing, and a successful public debut from Snap will help recruit tech talent to the region and prevent existing talent from leaving. And when Snap employees cash out after the IPO, they’ll have the money to launch their own startups or become angel investors.
Snap is one of several companies that have eschewed Silicon Valley in recent years. Snap’s founders, who reportedly dreamed up the idea for their disappearing photo app at a Stanford fraternity house, brought the startup to Venice instead of staying in Palo Alto. Startup Soylent, which makes meal replacement drinks popular with techies, moved from the Bay Area to L.A. shortly after it was founded.
One noteworthy benefit to living down south: “You’re not socked in by fog,” said Simon Cassels, who surfs every morning before heading into work as chief marketing officer for Santa Monica-based smart doorbell company Ring.
While some Silicon Valley cities attempt to curtail new business development — Palo Alto recently capped construction of new office spaces — Los Angeles is courting tech startups. The city offers some startups free and discounted rent for their first year in downtown Los Angeles and provides tax exemptions for small businesses and companies that recently moved to the city.
In October the city held the grand opening of its La Kretz Innovation Campus, a 60,000-square-foot, $47 million accelerator for cleantech startups in the Arts District of downtown Los Angeles.
The district, a gritty, street-art-covered neighborhood of old warehouses on the eastern edge of downtown L.A., is becoming a hot spot for startups such as Hyperloop One, the company building the high-speed transportation tubes first conceptualized by Tesla’s Musk. The startup’s sprawling industrial complex, which Hyperloop CEO Rob Lloyd described as “an engineer’s dream come true,” has room for offices, an outdoor space to store segments of prototype tubes, and a lab where engineers test the magnets that will make its passenger pods float as they zip through the tubes. It’s the kind of space that’s rare — and costly — in Silicon Valley.
“It’s easier for us to do that than any company in San Francisco when there’s 10 times more people demanding space than available space,” Lloyd said.
On the western side of Los Angeles, a cluster of abandoned airplane hangars has become a high-tech hub known as Playa Vista. In 2012 YouTube opened its largest “Space” campus there — a facility where YouTubers can film using professional equipment — in eccentric aviation billionaire Howard Hughes’ former private airport and manufacturing facility.
Other companies followed, gradually transforming the ghost town into a crowded tech campus. Blocks of gleaming office buildings sprang up, as did a beach volleyball court, hammocks and outdoor couches. Now Google reportedly is opening a facility across the street from YouTube, and Facebook, Yahoo and startups Rubicon Project and Fullscreen Media have offices nearby.
“It really feels like this weird ‘Truman Show’ village,” said Christopher Webb, CEO of ChowNow, a startup that builds online ordering systems for restaurants. ChowNow moved into Playa Vista almost two years ago, after outgrowing its office in Venice. “Everything is so clean and new and perfect.”
A look at some Los Angeles area startups
— Snap: Venice. Social media giant behind the Snapchat messaging app.
— Dollar Shave Club: Venice. Subscription razor service. Bought by Unilever for $1 billion.
— SpaceX: Hawthorne. Elon Musk’s space exploration startup.
— Hyperloop One: Los Angeles. Developing high-speed transportation tubes.
— Tinder: Los Angeles. Dating app.
— Whisper: Venice. Anonymous social network.
— Fullscreen Media: Los Angeles. Network of YouTube content creators and brands.
— Zefr: Venice. Video monetization technology.
— MeUndies: Los Angeles. Online ordering service for underwear.
— DogVacay: Santa Monica. Online platform for pet-sitting services.


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Sponsorship opportunities for Italian football clubs have been expanded, with The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) approving plans to allow plans to allow sleeve advertising in the Italian top flight.
In an official statement, the league stated: “Sponsorship advertising is allowed on the front of the shirt, on the back of the shirt (under the number) and on the left sleeve of the shirt; the total area occupied by advertising must not exceed 650 cm2.”
It comes after clubs in the English Premier League, The German Bundesliga and La Liga have all benefited from the sponsorship expansions that come with sleeve advertising this season.
However unlike in other European nations, Italy is moving to implement a complete ban on gambling advertising and sponsorships, a blanket rule which will come into force at the start of 2019.
Detailing new sponsorship and advertising regulations, the Italian coalition released “Dignity Decree”, which stated: “Any form of advertising related to games or wagering with winnings of money, however carried out and by any means, including sporting, cultural or artistic events, television or radio broadcasts, daily and periodic press, publications in general, billboards and internet.”
Significantly to Serie A sides, the report goes onto outlined: “The explanatory report adds that the ban “also applies to sponsorships and all forms of content communication promotional not counted among the usual tabular advertising messages and includes the visual and acoustic citations and the superimpression of the name, brand, symbols, activities or products that promotes gambling or betting.”
That being said, sports clubs and media partners have been granted a ‘transition period until 30 June 2019’, when it comes to the implementation of the “Dignity Decree”.


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The Baldy Hughes Therapeutic Community and Farm has launched a crowdfunding campaign in a bid to sweeten its beekeeping program.
Sean Farrell is the communications director for the centre. He says caring for bees helps residents connect with the world around them.
“Beekeeping and honey is an amazing opportunity for our residents to really get involved with something outside themselves, connecting them with the natural world.”
In fact, the program has been such a success that the centre has taken to Fundrazr to help expand it.
“We’ve had the program for a couple of years and it’s just had such success, we decided to try to enhance and bring in actual beekeeping certification courses for our residents,” Farrell says. “So we’ve started this crowdfunding campaign to raise money so that we can bring in an instructor and purchase all of the learning materials.”
They’re hoping to raise $7,500 by mid-April – Farrell says they’re already 15% of the way toward reaching that goal. The money will go toward the purchase of five additional beehives (they already have three), as well as beekeeping equipment. It will also pay for 10 residents to participate in the beekeeping and honey producing certification program.
But Farrell says all residents will benefit from the enhanced program.
“Almost all of our residents will have the opportunity to experience the hives and the honey producing,” he says. “But ten residents will be able to have certification and membership in the BC Honey Producers Association.”
With the increased number of hives, Farrell estimates the centre could end up producing 250 kilograms of honey this year.
You can check out their crowdfunding campaign here.


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Even though Olympics sponsor Visa may have the biggest mobile payments presence at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in Brazil in two weeks, Samsung Electronics plans to attend the games as well by launching its mobile wallet in the country at a time when hundreds of thousands of visitors are expected.
Samsung Pay makes its debut in Brazil, its first South American market, on July 19 with the support of some of the country's largest card issuing banks.
Those using the mobile wallet on compatible Samsung smartphones will be able to make contactless payments with their linked MasterCard or Visa accounts through Magnetic Secure Transmission, which sends a signal to the point of sale terminal to emulate the mag-stripe swipe. It also supports the same Near Field Communication technology that Apple Pay and Android Pay use.
Brazil joins South Korea, the United States, China, Spain, Singapore,Puerto Rico and, most recently, Australia as markets that Samsung Pay supports.
“Samsung Pay reinforces the company’s focus to bring value to both consumers and partners by bringing innovative services to your smartphones,” Thomas Ko, vice president and global co-general manager of Samsung Pay, said in a July 18 press release. “We are always exploring creative technologies and use cases to provide consumers with an immersive and holistic mobile wallet experience.”
Issuers supporting the Brazil launch include Caixa, Banco de Brasil, Brasil Pre-Pagos, Porto Seguro and Santander. Other bank partners include Banrisul, Bradesco, Nubank and Itau-Unibanco.
Samsung Pay is available on the newer Galaxy S7 handsets and some S6 models.


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560">Do you need a job? Of course you do. The new Fresh Market is looking to hire 80 to 90 employees to fill its new store coming to Delray Beach next year.
CC Flickr/Robert S. Donovan Need a job? Need a second job? Get an interview at Fresh Market open house December 18.
The positions range from assistant grocery managers to specialists, bakers, meat cutters, and seafood specialists. To apply, first visit the Fresh Market website and fill out an online application. The next step is to go to the career open house at the Marriott Hotel in Delray Beach on Wednesday between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. where applicants will be set up with an on-site interview by a member of the hiring team. If anyone needs help applying online, he or she can always visit one of three One-Stop Careers in the county. Merry Christmas.More »


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Bagel bakers are
back in business
The closure of the venerable Hawaiian Bagel shop and other competing bagel stops in Kakaako and downtown Honolulu over the past three years left a gaping hole in the morning routines of many.
The burning question depressed deli devotees were left to answer -- how to start the day without a schmeer and a smile?
The question need no longer be pondered as the original owners of Hawaiian Bagel, Stephen and Mona Gelson, are back.
They've opened "This Is It Bakery & Deli" at 443 Cooke St. across from Fisher Hawaii.
"Today's the first day," said co-owner Stephen Gelson yesterday.
The Hawaiian Bagel name and bagels went to Zippy's Restaurants' Napoleon's Bakery operations when the company was purchased in late 1998. The Halekauwila Street store closed with the expiration of its lease at the end of July 1999 and ABC Stores converted the building to warehouse and office use.
Gelson and other Hawaiian Bagel employees have been working for Zippy's, "But I missed being in business, working for myself," he said.
Familiar items appear on the "This Is It" menu, for instance the "Rossi's special" and "Pam's creation" breakfast bagels. They are named after Hawaiian Bagel alumnae Rossine Valentine and Pam Pavao, whose smiling faces were behind the counter handing out free samples to customers yesterday.
Other familiar selections include brownies and pastries, Turkey Pastrami sandwiches, Mediterranean favorites such as tabouli and hummus and specialty breads such as challah and New York Rye. Alas, the menu bears no knishes to nosh.
The bagel recipe is, "a very good formula," said Gelson, "it's a real old-fashioned chewy bagel."
Boiled? "Absolutely. Boiled, not steamed," he said, as proven by a cook's tour, which also revealed a large, clean, warm bakery operation with equipment standing at the ready to supply Gelson's planned pita bread wholesaling operation.
Following months of construction, the Gelsons flung open the doors to the dreary weather and eager customers early yesterday, "We've already had quite a few (former customers) this morning," he said. They'd apparently noticed the construction or heard about the place through word of mouth, he guessed.
In addition to street parking there are eight stalls in the back, Gelson said.
This Is It will be open from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, "but as long as the big blue door is up, we're still doing something inside and we'll serve customers," Mona Gelson said.
Erika Engle is a reporter with the Star-Bulletin.
Call 529-4302, fax 529-4750 or write to Erika Engle,
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210,
Honolulu, HI 96813. She can also be reached


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Alec Soth to curate special exhibition at The Photography Show, New York
American photographer Alec Soth will curate a special exhibition at The Photography Show presented by AIPAD in April this year. A Room for Solace will feature scenes of domestic interiors which speak to the possibility of finding refuge during unpredictable political, economic and social times. Comprising portraiture, still life, and reportage chosen from selected exhibiting galleries, Soth has said, “With this exhibition, I want to take a break from the fractious public square of photography and wander quietly into people’s homes. Behind these doors I hope to find a sliver of solace in these unstable times.”
The annual Photography Show presents special exhibitions of private collections over the duration of the fair. In 2018, the special exhibitions included an exhibition from the collection of Joe Baio, a collection from Photographic Center Northwest, and a special exhibition of works curated by Sir Elton John. Richard Moore, president of the show’s organiser, The Association of International Photography Art Dealers has said, “Alec is a contemporary artist, but he has awareness and knowledge of photography spanning 19th century up to contemporary new media. We are excited about the quality works included in the special exhibition.”
The 39th edition of The Photography Show presented by AIPAD runs from April 4 – 7, 2019 at Pier 94 in New York. Explore more here.


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Gordon Food Service expands in St. Louis
In a sign that St. Louis’ restaurant business is thriving, national food distributor Gordon Food Service has quietly opened three brick-and-mortar stores in the metro area in recent months.
Most recently, the $9 billion company opened a GFS Marketplace location in St. Peters this past October, following the opening of stores at the Deer Creek Shopping Center in Maplewood and on Market Place Drive in Fairview Heights, Ill.
While the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based company has delivered to restaurants in St. Louis for the past eight years, the GFS Marketplace stores are the company’s first foray here into the “cash and carry” segment of the industry, where restaurant customers can restock their shelves between deliveries.
Brad Moore, store manager for the Maplewood store, said the addition of marketplace locations are part of GFS’ expansion beyond its base in Michigan, Illinois and Indiana. More recently, Gordon Food has entered states like Florida, Kentucky and Tennessee, he said. “In St. Louis, there’s such a great community of people who do food service,” Moore said. “There’s a lot of food entrepreneurs.”
Indeed, local restaurants are already served by outlets like Restaurant Depot on Manchester Avenue in Dogtown and St. Louis-based Kuna Food Service, the largest local independent distributor serving restaurants and food service operations with $100 million in annual revenue. President Dan Bippen said while Kuna does not operate any cash and carry stores, that part of the industry has grown a lot in the last 10 years.
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The Australian PC market ended the year on a strong note with an overall growth of 16.1 per cent compared with 2002. Meanwhile quarter-on-quarter comparison (the fourth quarter compared with the third quarter of 2003) showed growth was up by three per cent.
“The year definitely ended on a high note particularly driven by consistent replacement rates amongst enterprises and uptake of mobile PCs as the alternate platform in both the professional and private space respectively,” Andy Woo, analyst for Gartner’s Hardware and Systems group, said. “The growth rate is even more impressive given the maturity of the Australian market and all the externalities that have happened in 2003 such as SARS and the unrest in the Middle East”.
“Australia had enjoyed two strong years of double digit growth in 2002 (11.2 per cent) and last year. The big question is whether the market can maintain this strong momentum moving into 2004,” Woo said. “Gartner believes replacement rates will start to slide off in the enterprise space and interest rate rise will cause some slowdown in the consumer space eventually. Bottom line is 2004 is shaping to be a challenging year for the PC market.”
Mobile PCs ended the year with a growth of 35.2 per cent as compared to 2002.
“The mobile story is becoming more compelling for end users than ever before both from a price point and performance perspective,” Woo said. “We can expect this trend to continue in 2004.”
There was not much change in vendor positioning, as HP remained fixed on the leader board with 16.6 per cent market share followed by Dell with 10.2 per cent. IBM came in third having enjoyed a successful year especially their mobile PC business with seven per cent market share.
From an Asia-Pacific (excluding Japan) perspective, PC shipments totaled 29.7 million units in 2003, an increase of 9.5 per cent from the prior year. Shipments of desktop PCs accounted for 82 per cent, down three per cent from 2002 while mobile PCs are at 16 per cent, up three per cent from 2002 of all PCs shipped.
IBM is the number one vendor in the mobile PC category with 15.7 per cent market share, outpacing Hewlett-Packard, which has dropped a notch to the second position in 2003.


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(Washington D.C.) Price inflation really is everywhere – even the price of stamps.
The U.S. Postal Service has announced that the price of a first-class ‘Forever Stamp’ will increase from 58 cents to 60 cents, starting July 10th.
Other stamps are going up as well, including domestic postcards up to 44 cents and international letters up to $1.40.
Feel free to stock up before the price hike because a Forever Stamp will remain valid even after the price goes up.


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A dissatisfied customer who lost his patience was filmed calmly trashing a mobile phone shop then waiting for police to come and arrest him.
Thousands have now viewed the rampage uploaded to Youtube, which sees the very unhappy shopper ripping fixtures and fittings off walls at the T-Mobile shop in Manchester city centre.
Finally the dissatisfied customer stomps around the store letting off two fire extinguishers before sitting on a stool and waiting for officers to arrive, when he smiles and proffers his wrists so he can be handcuffed.
The rampage last Saturday afternoon was watched by hundreds of other gobsmacked shoppers outside the store.
It is understood the customer was in dispute with T-Mobile over the terms of his contract.
The 3 minute 44 second-long footage, uploaded on YouTube on Sunday evening and titled, Angry Man Smashes up T-Mobile Shop Manchester, has already been viewed thousands of times.
No comment was available from T-Mobile as the press office telephone number listed on the firm's website was not working.
A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said Jason Codner, 42, of Cannon Green Court, Salford, has been charged with a public order offence and criminal damage and is due to appear before magistrates on July 31.
Comments are turned off on this story for legal reasons.


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Gamers can start toying with the greatest armies ever assembled.
Signal Studios and Ubisoft have announced Toy Soldiers: War Chest, the third game in the action strategy series. It will continue the story of the self-important Kaiser and his WWI-era German army toys, and this time around, they’ll face off against their deadliest foe yet: a bright and happy doll named Starbright and her army of pixies, majestic unicorns, teddy bears, and fluffy cats.
Toy Soldiers: War Chest is being built for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One, making it the first in the series for the next-gen consoles. It will deploy next year.


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Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's recent firing of a New York City employee after he spied a game of solitaire on the man's computer screen was a high-profile reminder of the risks workers face when they mix work and play.
Still, prohibiting online games or other personal computer activity during working hours is rare among companies, some experts said.
"Those companies are still in the minority," said employment lawyer Robert Lipman of Lipman & Plesur in Jericho, N.Y.
He said most of his firm's corporate clients permit employees to shop online or play games once in a while. The policies are a nod to societal changes, he said, particularly because surveys indicate that more and more people shop electronically.
"Most companies understand that and want to be tolerant," he said. But he added, "They don't want employees to abuse that time."
Building such flexibility into computer policies benefits companies, said Hal G. Gueutal, associate professor of management at the University of Albany.
For example, giving employees the option of shopping online means they are likely to remain at their desks during lunch and be available for questions.
But a blurring of work and play could pose dangers for a company, said attorney Allen Breslow. For example, if an employee sexually harasses a colleague with online materials accessed at work, the company could be held liable, Breslow said.
Besides, he said, online activity unrelated to work "is a waste of company resources, and it's a theft of time."
Bloomberg sounded a similar theme when he was asked at a city news conference after the incident if he had overreacted by firing Edward Greenwood IX, 39, an assistant in the city's lobbying office in Albany on Jan. 30. The mayor spied solitaire on Greenwood's computer screen during a visit to the office.
"We pay city employees to do the work that the public expects done, and your workplace is not an appropriate place for games," he said.
But Gueutal and others believe the mayor overreacted. "It did seem like a knee-jerk reaction," he said. "I think it has a chilling effect on other employees, and it wouldn't be something I would recommend to any of my clients."
Carrie Mason-Draffen writes for Newsday. Bryan Virasami contributed to this article.


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Samsung is preparing to announce both the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge in just under 24 hours at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. Considering how popular both the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge became due to their premium look and feel, all eyes are on Samsung to see what they’ve come up with next.
For those who aren’t attending Mobile World Congress, Samsung is making it possible again this year to watch the event via a live stream. The company is making it possible to view its live stream on your computer, on your mobile device, and even by using its Gear VR headset, making this the first time the company has offered a virtual seat to its audience.
If you’re planning on watching the event on your PC or mobile device and would prefer to watch it via YouTube, you can just watch it through the video that’s been embedded into this story:
Samsung has a dedicated app its Unpacked event that offers a 360 view of the event, although there’s also a traditional live streaming experience for those who prefer to watch it from the comfort of their screen. Android users can download the Unpacked 360 View app on the Google Play Store, while iOS users can check out what the competition is coming out with via the App Store.
For those with a Gear VR, you can attach your Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 edge, Galaxy S6 edge+, Galaxy Note 5, or Galaxy Note 4 smartphone to the headset. You’ll need to download the Unpacked 360 View app onto your device, and then launch it while wearing the Gear VR headset. Once the event starts, you can select any of the viewing angles that are available.
What We Expect
We covered a leak of both the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge a few weeks ago. The leak confirms we shouldn’t expect any drastic changes to either phone’s design, especially since the S6 line made a major step in the premium direction.
Additional leaks point towards both the S7 and S7 Edge looking similar to one another, the only difference being the expanded screen on the latter device. We also expect the S7 line to have a much flatter camera bump, curvy edges on its rear, and will have improved internals, such as an upgraded processor and camera module.
For those who missed the Galaxy S line’s waterproof feature, leaks have pointed towards the S7 line going back to embracing water as it may be IP68 certified, which is just a little more durable than the Galaxy S5.
While we all expect our mobile devices to begin embracing USB Type-C connectors, a leak by Android Headlines pretty much confirms we should expect the standard microUSB port for the S7 line. As for charging, expect it to once again have wireless charging capabilities.
Lastly, the Galaxy S7 may come with microSD support, which would be a very welcomed feature considering Android Marshmallow will allow users to make the cards a part of its internal storage.
When Does The Event Start?
The Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event will kick off on Sunday, February 21 at 10am PT / 1pm ET. Make sure you bookmark this page and check back in when it officialy begins as we'll certainly be keeping an eye on it.


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Going Away For Christmas 2019
Phew then for Mattel releasing the list of its top 10 toys for Christmas 2019, and we’re betting they’re all going to fly off shelves slowly with a ‘cool sound’ for dramatic effect. Blown. Away. . For those who have gotten in early, there’s a clear trend showing where Kiwis are going this Christmas. Trans-Tasman trips continue to be an easy choice and a favourite for those looking to get away, .
Snow is falling… well not yet, but we aim to get you in the Christmas mood nonetheless with these fantastic Christmas party destinations in the city centre The festive season might be a little way . CHRISTMAS may be four long months away – but Yankee Candle has got us feeling the festive spirit already. Our favourite candle brand has unveiled THREE new advent calendars for 2019 – and the scents . .
Right off the bat, let’s get this out of the way: Yes, the Toronto Raptors will be playing on Christmas Day. The NBA released it’s full 2019-20 schedule Monday afternoon Without further ado, here . Simply put, the sport is back, and Christmas has pretty much arrived This is the start of our preview for the 2019 season, which is just days away. So let’s get started with Rocky Top. .
Going Away For Christmas 2019 : Last Christmas will be released in the US on 8th November 2019. No word yet on a UK release date but we he’d already signed something to say yes, but he’d passed away,” Kimmings said, “and Greg . Where does your team fall entering the 2019-20 season? Our Stanley Cup Windows Ben Harpur and Jordan Schmaltz go RFA. It would thus be nice to see significant progress in Toronto’s Cup .


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here's a brief piece on ineffective foreign aid from THE WEEK magazine.
"only about 20% of all international aid actually goes to the people it is meant to help, 2 major aid agencies said this week. Oxfam and Action Aid, both based in the UK, said that bureaucratic costs ate up most of the money donated by western governments. much of the money actually ends up in the rich donor nations, b/c the aid agencies are required to buy products and services from donor-country companies at inflated prices. the US and Italy are the worst offenders, the groups said, effectively taking back 70% of the aid they supposedly donate." the UK Oxfam site sez "Italy ties 92% of its aid spending to the purchase of goods and services from Italian companies." http://www.oxfam.org.uk/what_we_do/issues/debt_aid/art_green_eu.htm


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A new survey conducted by CyberMedia points to a vibrant, healthy, and growing mobile handset market in India.
DNA India reported Wednesday that the Indian mobile market is enjoying significant revenue growth over last year. And the trend shows no indication of a looming reversal.
Perhaps the biggest finding in the new report, however, is that Samsung bumped Nokia as the market leader in India today.
With Android’s popularity flourishing around the globe, Samsung is seeing similar sucecss elsewhere in the world’s emerging mobile markets.
Auspiciously for Apple, iPhone maker finally made it into the top-5 mobile companies in India this year, DNA India reports.
The Cupertino-based company grew by more than 417 percent in India…
If the iPhone 5C proves as friendly and affordable to emerging mobile markets as we expect, Apple may quickly ascend that list further in 2014.


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The 2017 Scottsdale car auction held annually and attended by car collectors is just around the corner. Before high-quality vehicles would be featured at the event, reports suggested that the performance heavyweights such as American muscle cars might be the most attractive vehicles for consumers. What can fans expect out of the event? Will the classic muscles steal the show?
To begin with, car enthusiasts are looking forward to the 2017 Scottsdale auction sale under the Russo and Steele events. Since the famous Barret-Jackson event had already commenced last January, fans expect the American muscle cars to be the stars of the upcoming show. As reported by MSN, Russo and Steele are starting to see huge possibilities of success under the muscle car market this year. According to marketing and media director, Darin Roberge, external economic factors point those muscle cars are slowly coming back strong into the market which savvy sellers can take advantage of.
He later added that the Baby Boomers in the market will be the ones highly interested in purchasing muscle cars since car collectors found the franchise to be valuable as the years' pass by. Apart from them, the American muscle cars were also expected to be passionate about the franchise since these vehicles have been trending due to them being featured in the latest movies and video games.
In other news, Tech Crunch reported that apart from the American muscle cars, the 2017 Scottsdale auctions will also feature self-driving vehicles such as the Volvo XC90 SUV. The showcase of these modern cars proved that the market has taken a more liberal stance on driving tech vehicles that they passed the car-collector-standards. Furthermore, the showcase of tech-savvy vehicles also hinted that the event will pave the way in the company's future direction with respect to car collectibles.
The upcoming Russo and Steele's showcase in the 2017 Scottsdale car auction events will feature big-block, full-size offerings of American muscle cars. One of the vehicles that will be featured is 1965 Pontiac Bonneville convertible which can be purchased at $90,200.


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When it comes to supply chains, logistics are everything. At every turn, inefficiencies could throw a supply chain off its tracks, as we’ve seen during the pandemic recovery. When orders are late, out of stock or damaged, it comes at the cost of the business.
But what if you could optimize the supply chain from end to end? Cloud-based solutions are driving the industry toward a more efficient, resilient and productive future.
Cloud computing refers to the use of internet connections to store, collect and process data without the direct oversight of the user. In other words, cloud solutions automate many of the manual processes that otherwise would’ve been performed by the user. They save a lot of time and effort.
Businesses everywhere are turning to cloud technology. According to SelectHub, the cloud market is expected to surpass $354 billion worldwide by 2022. Supply chains, especially, stand to benefit from the cloud’s diverse range of applications.
Cloud-based technologies communicate with each other to optimize performance, making supply chains faster, more resilient and increasingly productive across the board. Even better, the cloud is giving supply chains an advantage as they continue to confront labor shortages and gaps in skilled labor.
Supply chains rely heavily on labor to meet demand. From manufacturers to warehouses and retailers — people are vital to the business. But thanks to the cloud, supply chains can maintain productivity despite labor shortages.
In fact, cloud-based technology is largely reducing the gap in skilled labor, according to MH&L. They predict that by 2023, talent shortages for 75% of the top 500 manufacturers will be mitigated by digital assistants. Cloud solutions take pressure off supply chain workers to meet demand.
Given the current shortage in labor, cloud benefits are exceedingly important. Data collected by the Workforce Institute reveals that 52% of American manufacturers are experiencing above-average employee turnover. Cloud-enabled automation tools, like robotic pickers or autonomous forklifts, are streamlining tasks and picking up the slack.
Supply chains are consistently under pressure. They need to manufacture faster, deliver on deadline and satisfy demand. Cloud-based solutions are making all of these processes better from end to end.
By applying business analytics, the cloud expedites the manufacturing cycle. Through autonomous data collection, smart technology identifies where and why delays happen during the manufacturing process. With real-time machine learning capabilities, the cloud enables businesses to stay at their most competitive.
Compared to supply chains that have yet to adopt smart technology, cloud-enabled supply chains gain an especially vital edge.
The cloud helps avoid supply chain disruption. Through predictive analytics, manufacturers can forecast potential risks before they occur. Inefficiencies, delays and other issues can be prevented by scouring data collected by the cloud.
Predictive analytics reduces the time spent mitigating risks and identifies cost-saving opportunities. Some organizations report predictive analytics are responsible for a 7% to 15% reduction in manufacturing costs, per data from McKinsey. Others say that cloud-based technologies have improved their supply chain by almost 30%.
All in all, predictive analytics help foresee operational bottlenecks and other anomalies. With the cloud, supply chains know how to steer clear of danger.
Cloud-based warehouse management systems (WMS) enable supply chains to optimize performance at every warehouse location. By improving top-down visibility, cloud-based solutions help give supply chains a closer look at their operations.
Supply chains are often part of complex systems. Cloud technology breaks them down and makes them less overwhelming. Warehouses can look transparently at their product inventory and avoid out-of-stock retail items or losing items to neglect.
Visibility goes a long way toward cutting down costs. Stockouts cost the retail industry over $1 trillion in 2020, per IHL. But with a cloud-based WMS, warehouses will always know when inventory is low.
Compliance is a tedious — although essential — process. Supply chains must comply with government rules and regulations, which means a lot of time spent carefully inputting data and filling out forms.
Thanks to the cloud’s inherent scalability, compliance doesn’t have to be time-consuming and unproductive. There are specific cloud-driven compliance applications that automate the cataloging of records. Those applications can be scaled up or down and adapted to meet the regulatory needs of any supply chain’s niche industry.
Whether forecasting delays, improving performance or keeping records, the cloud is fully optimizing supply chains. Cloud-based solutions not only streamline success — they put productivity in the fast lane.


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SAN DIEGO—Formula, a public relations boutique with offices in San Diego, Los Angeles and New York, has been retained by Expresso Fitness, a leading developer of interactive cardio fitness systems, to handle public relations efforts for its family of ultra-premium cardio bikes. The agency’s goal is to drive consumer awareness through an aggressive media relations campaign that will educate both consumers and industry professionals about the unique features and benefits offered by Expresso’s web-enabled cardio equipment. The Expresso Fitness account will be managed by Formula’s San Diego-based consumer products and services division.
NEW YORK—Abelson Group, a marketing and communications firm focused on the technology and telecommunications sectors, has been selected by U.K.-based Dynamax Technologies as its global public relations agency of record. The account win follows the agency’s recently-announced agreement with AIM Global, and enhances its portfolio of emerging technology companies serviced by its EnterPRiseDirect group, which creates and executes communications programs for early-stage, growing, and mature enterprise technology firms.


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Xbox Game Pass Changes Ahead, Full Xbox Intergration Into TVs, And The Future Of Gaming
Microsoft leadership, including Phil Spencer, made a strong pivot towards the last half of the Xbox One generation, bringing the Xbox name back into the realm of gaming and Team Green's original vision. Real change takes time, but Spencer and the crew have been upfront and detailed every step of the way. With E3 2021 on the horizon, Xbox leadership is back to give a preview of the year ahead. That includes a clear declaration of its commitment to the gaming community, how Xbox Game Pass will continue to evolve, and even things like full-scale TV integration. Let's dive in.
Xbox and Bethesda are joining forces for the two company's E3 presence this year on Sunday and promises to unveil its "best and biggest games line up." With so many studio acquisitions already having happened, and more on the way, Spencer wanted to take a moment to talk about how the growing umbrella of Xbox is evolving and what that means for gamers - even beyond the Xbox console itself.
“We believe that games, that interactive entertainment, aren’t really about hardware and software. It’s not about pixels. It’s about people. Games bring people together,” said Spencer. “Games build bridges and forge bonds, generating mutual empathy among people all over the world. Joy and community – that’s why we’re here.”
“Gaming is fundamentally aligned with our mission as a company,” said Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. “When you talk about Xbox’s mission to bring the joy and community of gaming to everyone on the planet, which I absolutely love, that is precisely aligned with Microsoft’s mission, which is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.”
“As a company, Microsoft is all-in on gaming. Gaming is the most dynamic category in the entertainment industry. Three billion consumers look to gaming for entertainment, community, creation, as well as a real sense of achievement, and our ambition is to empower each of them, wherever they play.”
“We believe that Microsoft can play a leading role in democratizing gaming and defining the future of interactive entertainment. There are really three key areas where we believe we have an incredible competitive advantage: First, our leadership in cloud computing. Second, the resources we have to build our subscription service, Xbox Game Pass. And third, our overall focus on empowering creators.”
As we've mentioned previously in a detailed breakdown of the two very different generational strategies between Sony and Microsoft this time around, Xbox is focusing less on hardware specifically and more on ecosystem expansion. With Xbox Game Pass bringing even more gamers into the community and even encouraging them to try out titles they may not have picked up on their own (at no additional cost, mind), the continued growth and effectiveness of this subscription service is imperative. Because of that, Microsoft wants to expand beyond consoles and PC. Now, Xbox is coming to TV manufacturers beyond additional hardware.
Spencer and the team announced that they are working with global TV manufacturers to directly embed the Xbox experience directly into smart TVs (TVs that can connect to the internet and have app integration). The company wants to do this to eliminate a dependency on hardware with the exception of a controller. With the platform expansion goals in mind, Microsoft is also looking into exploring new subscription offers for Xbox Game Pass so that it is more accessible on a financial and global scale so that "more players around the world can experience the most immersive and fun games across devices, geographies, and financial realities."
Also mentioned is Xbox All Access, something Microsoft is working with telecommunication providers on so that gamers can buy a console and Game Pass for a low monthly price, versus paying upfront at full retail value (much like companies do for expensive cellphones).
With that expansion in mind, Microsoft has also confirmed that Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, a service that includes Xbox Live, will be launching in Mexico, Brazil, Japan, and Australia later this year. This is especially good news when looking at the cost hikes in places like Brazil. When I worked in Recife, Brazil a few years ago, I was shocked to see that a console there could retail for $1000+ dollars, sometimes close to $2000 due to inflation. Seeing this sort of expansion in mind, including TV integration, will make it easier for all to dive right into the realm of gaming without breaking the bank.
Xbox also reiterated that its 23 studios, including Bethesda and id Software, are hard at work on creating epic new adventures. Because of that excitement, the goal for Team Green is to release one new, first-party game into the Xbox Game Pass library every quarter. This will include numerous genres, including FPS, RPGs, and more.
In the second video above, you can see both members of the Xbox leadership talking more about their commitment to the gaming community and what the road looks like ahead.


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It is by now generally understood, at least in the sound money community, that inflation is much higher than the government admits and that the true extent of the problem is being hidden in various ways. But the specifics keep getting more and more disturbing. Here’s a recent Phoenix Capital note (via Zero Hedge) on the adulteration of our “food.”
Last week we noted that inflation has already entered the economy. It isn’t showing up in nominal price hikes because it never does at first… As we noted last week…
Let’s be clear here… inflation does NOT mean prices have to move higher in nominal terms. The reason for this is because companies cannot and will not simply raise prices overnight. Consumers will not simply put up with the cost of a good going up time and again.
So don’t look for the cost of an item to necessarily go straight up in nominal terms. This can happen, but more often than not, corporations engage in a number of different strategies to maintain profit margins without raising prices.
These strategies include:
1) Shrinking the box/package of the good, thereby selling less for the same amount.
2) Not filling the package all the way; again selling less for the same amount.
3) Changing what’s considered a “serving size” or the quantity of good being sold.
4) Swapping in lower quality ingredients, thereby selling a lower quality good for the same amount.
Companies have been doing all of these since 2008. Most recently however, costs have risen to the point that these strategies won’t cut it anymore. Consequently, we’re starting to see prices going up across the board.
Regarding #4, Burger King was caught putting wood pulp in its burgers.
There may be more fiber in your food than you realized. Burger King, McDonald’s and other fast food companies list in the ingredients of several of their foods, microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) or “powdered cellulose” as components of their menu items. Or, in plain English, wood pulp.
The emulsion-stabilizing, cling-improving, anti-caking substance operates under multiple aliases, ranging from powdered cellulose to cellulose powder to methylcellulose to cellulose gum. The entrance of this non-absorbable fiber into fast food ingredients has been stealthy, yet widespread: The compound can now be found in buns, cheeses, sauces, cakes, shakes, rolls, fries, onion rings, smoothies, meats—basically everything.
The cost effectiveness of this filler has pushed many chains to use progressively less chicken in their “chicken” and cream in their “ice cream.” McDonald’s ranks highest on the list with cellulose integrated into 14 of their menu items including their renowned fish fillets, chicken strips and biscuits, with Burger King ranking second on the list with 13 menu items containing cellulose. Moreover, many cellulose-laden ingredients (such as honey mustard, bbq sauce, and cheese blends) can be found in multiple items throughout the menu making the filler difficult to avoid.
One has to wonder… just how high are real costs that a food company substitutes wood pulp for meat?
One also has to wonder… just how accurate is the CPI or any government inflation metric that looks primarily at nominal pricing? The simple answer to that one is “not accurate at all.”
Inflation is a reality. Firms around the world are doing whatever they can to maintain profits while keeping costs low. Using wood pulp instead of meat in burgers is just one more trick.
We’ll be seeing more stories like this in the coming months. I wouldn’t be surprised if food companies everywhere have been resorting to similar strategies.
This concludes this article. If you’re looking for the means of protecting your portfolio from the coming collapse, you can pick up a FREE investment report titled Protect Your Portfolio athttp://phoenixcapitalmarketing.com/special-reports.html.
This report outlines a number of strategies you can implement to prepare yourself and your loved ones from the coming market carnage.
Phoenix Capital Research
Anyone who eats (or allows their kids to eat) modern fast food pretty much gets what they deserve in any event. But it’s still upsetting to see it spelled out.
And this, of course, is just the tip of a very big, very unappetizing iceberg. Click here for an amazing (but not surprising) example of Coca Cola Company selling “pomegranate blueberry juice” that has just 0.5% of those juices combined.
Companies have always tried these kinds of tricks, which is why even some libertarians accept the existence of truth-in-advertising laws. But lately the pressure on even generally honest companies (as opposed to those mentioned above) has become overwhelming, as the government generates real inflation in the 6% range while reporting only 2%. In this supposedly low-inflation world a store or manufacturer can’t raise prices sufficiently to cover its rising costs and is left with few palatable options. So a growing number of them are choosing lower quality, deceptive packaging and secrecy.
This, in short, is yet another way in which an unlimited fiat currency printing press corrupts a society.
TLB recommends you visit Dollar Collapse for more great articles and pertinent information.


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In a letter to Walgreens CEO Greg Wasson (not to be confused with Nightmare On Elm Street 3 star Craig Wasson), representatives for the National Consumers League, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, and Change to Win Retail Initiatives, ask the retailer to follow the lead of CVS and stop selling and advertising tobacco products.
“[R]emoving tobacco products from your stores would be consistent with Walgreens’ mission statement to help consumers ‘get, stay and live well,'” reads the letter. “We know that your company understands the devastation caused by tobacco… Selling tobacco products is therefore at odds with Walgreens’ stated mission to promote health.”
The letter cites the positions of organizations like the American Pharmacists Association and the American Medical Association who support bans on tobacco sales in pharmacies.
What the letter doesn’t mention is that Walgreens response to the CVS announcement was to tout its smoking-cessation program, which happens to be sponsored by Merck, the huge drug company that just happens to have the license on Nicorette products in the U.S. To some, it creates a conflict of interest for a store to simultaneously sell cigarettes and a program to help people quit cigarettes.
You can now follow Chris on Twitter: @themorrancave


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Sure, we've got a few promising RPGs on the horizon. But you know, JRPG fans could use a few more.
We love the looks of White Knight Chronicles 2 , but what might former Capcom boss Keiji Inafune be working on…?
The outspoken designer shocked everyone when he left Capcom last year (thus ending a 23-year tenure) and now, Bloomberg has hinted at his new project: a role-playing game for the PlayStation 3. Inafune said he's working on such a project and while we have no other information, the game should launch in Japan as early as August. Now, this is interesting not only because we're talking about an RPG, but also because of Inafune's recent past.
You may recall that he publicly called out Japanese developers and unfortunately, that included his employer. One of his more memorable quotes really incited a whole lot of angry discussion: "I look around the Tokyo Game Show, and everyone's making awful games; Japan is at least five years behind. I want to make games that travel overseas, but Capcom hasn't taken globalization seriously."
To some, the drive of certain Japanese developers to target Western markets has failed miserably, and a common belief is that they should've stuck with what they do best. But it seems Inafune doesn't necessarily side with this theory…so let's check out this new game and see what's what.


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McDonald’s to offer more sustainable Happy Meal toys by end of 2025
A photo illustration of a Happy Meal at McDonald’s on November 3, 2010 in San Francisco, California.
Getty Images News | Getty Images News | Getty Images
McDonald’s is pledging to offer sustainable Happy Meal toys made with dramatically less plastic by the end of 2025.
After launching the program in countries like France, Britain and Ireland in 2018, the fast-food company claimed that its use of virgin fossil fuel plastic-based plastic has been reduced by 30% in toys worldwide. The company would have reduced 90% of its use of virgin fossil fuel-based polymer in toys if it meets the Tuesday target.
Happy Meals are sold in more than 100 countries around the world at McDonald’s restaurants. The burger chain began selling the meals in 1979. After widespread concerns about the safety of children eating fast food, the company changed its menu to include healthier options.
Happy Meal toys have grown into a marketing mechanism for movies, TV series and other toys through partnerships with powerhouses like Disney, Warner Brothers and Hasbro. According to Amy Murray (Vice President of Global Marketing Enablement at McDonald’s), McDonald’s has more than one billion toys sold annually.
Murray explained that both parents and kids have asked for safer toys. In 2019, two British school children started a petition that generated international attention asking McDonald’s and Burger King to scrap the plastic toys in their children’s meal deals.
Some toys like the board games will use plant-derived and recycled materials. Other toys may have significant modifications to their appearance. Movie characters and superheroes will have 3-D cutouts, rather than plastic figurines. It is considering switching from plastic wrap to certified plant-based packaging.
Murray explained that the entire supply chain needs to adapt. This has been a huge undertaking. We’re actually just trying to change the way that we make Happy Meals.
Jenny McColloch, McDonald’s chief sustainability officer, said that the company is already learning from the feedback received in France, Ireland and the U.K., where toys are already being rolled out. They are designed to be safe for kids and durable enough.
Murray explained that franchisees will find the latest options “cost-neutral” because they are based on the price of the original product. The lower-plastic alternatives have been books and Pokemon cards in the past.
McColloch claims that the new, more durable toys will be available in America by January.
Fast-food chain McDonald’s is also trying to find ways to recycle plastic Happy Meal toys inside its restaurants. For example, its locations in Japan and the U.K. have used the plastic to make playgrounds and restaurant tables.
In 2018, McDonald’s announced that it would cut greenhouse gas emissions related to its restaurants and offices by more than a third between 2015 and 2030. It also stated that the company would reduce its carbon footprint in packaging.
McDonald’s shares have increased 11% in this year’s market, taking its value to $184 Billion.


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How Germany and China are shaping the future of mobility.
One in three cars made by German manufacturing groups VW, BMW and Daimler is sold in China. And one in five of the 24 million cars sold in China is German. Who is benefiting most from this remarkable symbiosis? How will it affect the future of mobility? And what will be the impact on the fleet industry? Global Fleet examines.
The future of mobility is electric, autonomous and Chinese. That is the ambition of the Chinese government. The cars that will get us there are German. That is the hope of the German car industry. But could it be that China has already outmanoeuvred the Germans?
Just this year’s list of new German involvement in China’s automotive drive is impressive.
- VW has committed €15 billion to research in China on e-mobility, connectivity, autonomy, while “systematically expanding its partnerships”. With its Chinese joint-venture partner FAW, WV wants to develop a new brand specifically for NEVs (New Energy Vehicles). Separately, VW will also develop EVs with Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group under its SEAT brand.
- BMW is starting car-sharing in Chengdu, in partnership with Shanghai-based EV car-sharing company EV-Card. This will be a challenging journey for the Bavarian's, as they don’t hold enough license plates. BMW also finalised plans to produce electric Minis in a joint venture with Great Wall. And the company is also joining Apollo, Baidu’s autonomous-driving project.
- Daimler extended a deal with Tsinghua University to continue development of autonomous cars. The manufacturer of Mercedes-Benz also announced that it was the first foreign company to be granted a license to test automated cars on the streets of Beijing – a field in which China hopes to lead pretty soon.
- Supplier Continental has signed a deal with Didi Chuxing to develop autonomous, electric cars.
- Bosch is cooperating with Chinese EV startup NIO to build sensors and control systems for electric cars.
The German car industry is thus increasing its already formidable presence in China. In 2010, German automakers had 8 factories in China. That figure has now trebled to 29. At the start of this decade, they produced 1.97 million cars in China. Last year, that had more than doubled, to more than 4.5 million.
No less than 55% of the 24.8 million cars sold in China last year were manufactured by non-Chinese brands. With their 20% market share, the German brands far outperform their American, Korean and Japanese competitors.
To increase their share of the Chinese market even further, the Germans have fully committed to China’s electrification policy. Already at the end of 2016, there were more than half a million cars with alternative powertrains on China’s streets, and that number will increase rapidly, not just through production quotas but also via traffic bans on internal-combustion vehicles in the highly polluted major cities of the country. Beijing has even mooted (but not yet enacted) a complete ban on ICE vehicles.
By 2025, VW aims to produce no less than 40 models with alternative powertrains in China – 25 models more than previously announced. But Volkswagen is also keeping an eye on the segment preferences of its Chinese customers. The most popular segment on the Chinese market remain the SUVs, of which VW and its partners alone will market 9 new models throughout 2018 and 2019.
VW and German automakers in general hope that increasing production in China will also lead to increased sales in the country, which will remain the world’s largest car market for the foreseeable future.
The trade war between China and the U.S. is adding a further incentive to German manufacturers to shift production to China. Germany is not a party to the trade conflict between China and the U.S., but its automakers are suffering nonetheless.
China’s punitive 25% extra tax on imported cars (on top of the existing 25%) will not hit Ford, Fiat/Chrysler or GM, all of whom produce their cars for the Chinese market in China. Tesla is the only American brand directly affected, as it produces all its vehicles in the U.S. (although there are plans for a factory in Shanghai). Tesla sales in China amount to $2 billion, so the additional tariffs would add up to $500 million to that.
BMW and Daimler produce many of their cars for China in the U.S. The impact of the extra import taxes would be around $1 billion for BMW and $765 for Daimler in 2018 alone. However, the longer-term impact of the trade war could be bad for the U.S. and good for China: BMW has already moved production of its X3-Series destined for China away from the U.S., to plants in South Africa and China itself. Daimler is also planning to move production out of America.
Meanwhile, the scene of Chinese domestic EV manufacturers is getting more crowded by the month. Basically, there are two avenues. One is traditional OEMs extending their product range. The other is via startups using investment and support from major tech players, such as Tencent (owner of WeChat, China’s favourite digital portal and the world’s fifth-largest tech company) and Alibaba (China’s biggest online retail company, and just a few billion dollars smaller than Tencent). Here’s an overview. Note the German involvement/inspiration in a number of them:
- Chery produces the fully-electric minicar eQ, 4th-bestselling EV in China (priced below $10K).
- BYD produces the e6, a Polo-sized hatchback, and a PHEV version of its popular Song model – one of the few compact crossover hybrids on the Chinese market.
- Geely owns Volvo, London Taxi, Lotus, and most of Zhi Dou, which produces the DC, an ultra-compact full-electric two-seater. The car is also produced for Zotye, where it is called the E20.
- Beijing Electric Vehicle Corp. is a subsidiary of BAIC, 12% owned by Daimler. It produces the EC180, the cheapest and most popular EV in China. (<$8,000) and a wider range of EVs.
- A.k.a. Shanghai Auto, SAIC is one of the oldest OEMs in China. It has joint ventures with VW and GM, producing and selling under those two brand names. It also owns the popular LCV brand Maxus which produces the EV80, the largest eLCV on the Chinese market.
- NIO: Shanghai-based, with investment by Tencent, Baidu and Lenovo. Offices in San Jose, London and Munich.
- Byton, a.k.a. ‘Future Mobility’: Nanjing-based, with investment by Tencent and Foxconn. It has locations in the U.S. and in Germany (Munich). CEO Carsten Breitfelt is ex-BMW, used to be in charge of the i8 programme. President is Daniel Kirchert, ex BMW Brilliance and Ex Dongfeng Infiniti.
- XPENG, a.k.a. Xiaopeng: Guangzhou-based, with investment by Alibaba and Foxconn.
- Iconiq: Tianjin-based, with investment by Ping An Insurance and GSR Ventures, and a partnership with Microsoft.
- WM Motor Technology: Shanghai-based. WM is short for Weltmeister, or for Weima, which is Chinese for ‘powerful horse’. Investment from Baidu and Tencent.
- Singulato Motors: Beijing-based, with investment by Qihoo 360, GX Vapital and TaoYun Beijing Investment Fund.
- AIWAYS based in Shanghai and Germany. Chief Product Manager is Roland Gumpert, founder of GMG, which built the Apollo supercar. GMG is now a subsidiary of AIWAYS, which received funding from Shagang Group.
As shown by this litany of Chinese EV manufacturers, traditional OEMs and startups, China is serious about its electric-mobility ambitions. Despite its growing flexibility towards foreign OEMs, Beijing has also established some ‘red lines’ which are not so easy to cross.
Yes, German OEMs will be allowed to contribute to the growth of China’s EV sector. VW plans to sell 400,000 EVs in China by 2020, which is to increase to 1.5 million by 2025. That growing fleet of electric vehicles will require a huge amount of batteries. And here, Beijing is not budging. The Chinese government has released a list with battery producers which are allowed – all Chinese. Foreign ones are taboo, on ‘security grounds’.
It now seems that China’s home-grown advantage in battery technology is paying off worldwide, and more particularly, in Germany itself. It was recently announced that Chinese EV battery specialist (and global market leader) CATL is setting up a production unit for lithium-ion cells near Erfurt in Thüringen.
This despite the fact that German OEMs judged the production of battery cells in Germany “too expensive” to do themselves. Suppliers Bosch and Continental have recently abandoned their ambition to produce lithium-ion batteries, leaving it to their Asian competitors.
BMW is participating in CATL’s German plant, in order to be able to buy the batteries cheaper. In all, BMW wants to buy about €4 billion’s worth of battery cells off CATL, a third of which is to come from Erfurt. Does that mean Germany’s car industry has been defeated by the Chinese in the EV segment?
Even Angela Merkel called EV battery technology a ‘key industry’ that Europe shouldn’t abandon, bluntly asking: “Can we have a future as a car-manufacturing continent if our battery cells all come from Asia?”


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In the ever-evolving landscape of social media, content creators often find themselves thrust into the spotlight, and the recent uproar surrounding Jasi Bae has sent shockwaves through the online community. The esteemed content creator, celebrated for her engaging presence on platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, now grapples with the aftermath of a leaked video from her exclusive OnlyFans content.
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From TikTok to Reddit: The Controversy Unfolds:
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With the announcement of Starfield‘s release date at E3 2021, there’s no doubt some Bethesda fans out there who are now hoping that we’ll start to hear more about The Elder Scrolls VI. The highly-anticipated Elder Scrolls entry was first revealed back in 2018, and ever since then, we haven’t received any new details about the game itself. Bethesda, however, has said in the past that The Elder Scrolls VI will be coming after Starfield, so now that Starfield is on the horizon, maybe some new information about The The Elder Scrolls VI is on the way as well?
It’s probably best not to get your hopes up on that front because it sounds like The Elder Scrolls VI – and any real news about it – is still a long way off. Bethesda’s Todd Howard confirmed as much in a recent interview with The Telegraph, saying that most of the company’s focus is obviously on Starfield at this point.
“It’s good to think of The Elder Scrolls VI as still being in a design [phase]… but we’re checking the tech: ‘Is this going to handle the things we want to do in that game?'” Howard said. “Every game will have new suites of technology so Elder Scrolls VI will have some additions on to Creation Engine 2 that that game is going to require.”
The good news is that while The Elder Scrolls VI is still in the early stages of development, it’ll use Creation Engine 2 alongside Starfield. That means work on the engine is at least mostly complete, save for the additions Bethesda makes specifically for The Elder Scrolls VI.
That is indeed encouraging, but it sounds like we’re still years off from The Elder Scrolls VI. Considering that Starfield isn’t launching for another 17 months – Bethesda announced a release date of November 11th, 2022 for Starfield at E3 earlier this month – then we probably won’t see The Elder Scrolls VI launch until 2024 or 2025. We’ll see if the timeline improves any after Starfield launches, but Elder Scrolls fans probably want to settle in for an even longer wait regardless.


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Day two of the third edition of the India Digital Summit 2008, held in the National Capital, focused on the emergence of the Generation Y and how the digital media can effectively communicate with this group. The Summit is the annual flagship conference of the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI).
The first session revolved around next generation web. Shailesh Rao, Managing Director, Google India, was the anchor for the session, while the keynote address was delivered by Dan Neary, VP-Emerging Markets, eBay Singapore. The session focused on four key trends – Emergency of GenY, touch points, accessing the web, and activities of the youth.
In his address, Neary said, “There is an emergence of Generation Y, as it is the first generation of digital age, including laptops and iPods. This generation is interacting with each other through social networking and SMS. This generation is using the Internet more than television and is hugely influenced by the Internet.”
He further said, “The touch points on the Internet are evolving. Mobile over broadband is growing rapidly. Entertainment devices provide access over the Internet. There is explosion of touch points. Search is not the only keyword, but has evolved. Several companies have built successful business models on search like Digg, Webdunia.com, etc.”
According to Neary, “There is debate between online and offline. In eBay, we do mostly online advertising than offline advertising as that’s where our customers are. In terms of media effectiveness, we are in early stages of measuring effectiveness.”
Google India’s Rao said, “There are multiple platforms available. Gadget ads are being used as an ad vehicle. People are leveraging on the interactivity of the medium and advertisers are advertising more and more.”


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Xiaomi, a leading Chinese smartphone maker, is planning to build an electric vehicle plant with the capability to produce 300,000 vehicles annually in Beijing. The plan, which was announced by authorities on Saturday, is one of the boldest in the series of smartphone makers diversifying to electric vehicle production.
The plant will be constructed in two phases and Xiaomi will also build its auto unit’s headquarters, sales and research offices in the Beijing Economic and Technological Development Zone, Reuters reported the government-backed economic development agency Beijing E-Town, saying on its official WeChat account.
Beijing E-Town said it anticipated the plant reaching mass production in 2024, a goal announced by Xiaomi’s Chief Executive Lei Jun in October.
Apple and Baidu have also made moves to kickstart their respective EV production following Google’s steps. Apple has reportedly set a 2025 deadline for its driverless electric vehicle, with a reinforced approach focusing on self-driving capabilities.
Xiaomi took the bold step in late August when it completed the registration of its EV unit. The company had said in March it would commit to investing $10 billion in a new electric car division over 10 years.
In January, Baidu said it would set up a company to produce electric vehicles with the help of Chinese automaker Geely.
The companies all boast of a booming customer-base, holding large shares of the smartphone market. Xiaomi has thousands of smartphone stores across China which have spurred its business growth. The stores are understood to be the channel it intends to use for its plans to sell electric vehicles.
While the increasing interest in electric vehicle production by non-traditional carmakers (even ride-hailing giant Didi has indicated interest) is welcomed, the challenge of developing efficient vehicles remains to be surmounted.
For years, Tesla, the leading electric vehicle maker, has been working to improve its technology and infrastructure to arrest cases ranging from batteries to technical shortfalls, which highlights how challenging it will be for companies without an automaking background to produce efficient electric vehicles.
Though to beat the challenge, many of the tech companies, including Apple, Baidu and Xiaomi have been seeking partnership with traditional automakers, but the automakers themselves are yet to have it all figured out. Apart from Chinese companies Nio, Li and Xpeng that are competing with Tesla in China, others are trailing far behind the American company that is seen as the pacesetter in the EV industry.
Apple had earlier in the year reportedly reached out to Hyundai for a possible partnership. But nothing appears to have materialized, and the smartphone maker seems to be in search of another automaker to meet its 2025 goal.


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Published in Mobiles
Apple readies fix for iPhone 4S issue
by Fudzilla staff on03 November 2011
Software glitch in iOS 5 to blame
Good news for early iPhone 4S adopters. Apple has confirmed that it is working on a software update to resolve battery life issues with some early handsets.
Apparently to software glitch does not affect all iPhones and Apple claims only a small number of customers have reported it. This would explain why it went unnoticed ahead of launch. However, Apple claims the new software update will come “in a few weeks” so it seems consumers will have to struggle with the issue for quite some time.
In the meantime users are coming up with their own solutions, ranging from sensible to downright bizarre. Some things, like turning off location-based reminders and turning off Siri seem to help. Although they help, such minor tweaks are no real fix and it appears consumers will just have to wait for Apple to get it sorted.