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The digital age has brought huge benefits to Britain, but new and different challenges too. Our ability as individuals to use digital technology – find and share information, do our shopping, pay our bills and communicate with one another – has grown more quickly than our knowledge of how to do all those things safely.
Just as cars were invented before seatbelts, today this has created a ‘digital safety gap’ which is being exploited by fraudsters and threatens to undermine the huge advantages that come from living in a digital age.
New research which we have published shows a quarter of people in Britain say they have experienced a fraud or scam in the past three years, which means every one of us knows someone who has felt the horror of being duped.
These 5.6 million fraud and cyber offences now make up half of all recorded crime each year and cost the UK £11bn a year. Criminal fraudsters and scammers are destroying people’s lives and we need to join forces to disrupt their every move and bring them to justice.
Businesses invest billions of pounds in building strong digital defences to keep your money and information safe from cyber criminals. Yet fraudsters and scammers also target individuals to try and trick us into either paying money into to the wrong account, or to hand over our own personal data or bank details to be used for criminal gain.
It goes without saying that you wouldn’t hand over your personal information – let alone your money – to a stranger in the street. But in the online world, too many people do the virtual equivalent of just that.
Our research has found that, contrary to what you might assume, young people in urban areas – and London in particular – are twice as likely to be the victims of fraud as older people. Your age and geography are more likely to determine your risk level than your education, income or occupation.
Even more alarming is that a fifth of people who are victims of fraud take no action afterwards to boost their digital defences, and just 17 per cent of people can correctly identify fake social media messages designed to catch them out.
When you scale up the losses of these crimes to us all as individuals, I believe the need to fight fraud has now become a national resilience issue and that government, law enforcement, business and the public need to work together to defeat these criminals.
It may sound like there isn’t anything that we can do, as individuals, to help fight this crime but there is. We can all take some basic steps to boost our digital safety level. And we want to help you take them.
I am pledging that Barclays will use the full weight of its resources to help fight and prevent these crimes.
We are already invested in defending against the cyber threat and are committed to keeping people’s money safe from criminals, but we now need to go further to help people boost your individual defences too.
We need to make digital safety as commonplace as locking the front door, or putting on a seatbelt. We all need to stop and think about the moments in our day-to-day lives which could leave us exposed to risk and what defences we might need to build to stay safe.
That’s why I am launching a major Digital Safety public engagement campaign. Over the course of the year, we will shine a light on these crimes, give people information and tools and get people talking to their friends, families and colleagues about how to stay safe.
Our new online Digital Safety Quiz asks ten quick questions which can help you find out your own individual digital safety score, along with tips on how you can boost your own defences.
The digital age has brought huge benefits. I want everyone to enjoy them safely, and I want the UK to be the most digitally empowered nation on earth.
But we can only be truly digital empowered if we are truly digitally safe.
— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post UK, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.


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New crafts debut at Düsseldorf
Wednesday 27 January 2010
Manufacturers have been unveiling large and small boats alike at the world's largest boat show, which runs through January 31.
The show, down but not out from the recession, has seen a surprising amount of luxury unveilings alongside the hundreds of smaller, more affordable craft promised by organizers. In the final billed press unveiling of the show, Princess Yachts Tuesday launched the V85-S Sports yacht, a 25-meter, 58-ton superyacht with a top speed of 40 knots.
In total 1,568 exhibitors are present from 55 countries, with Dutch manufacturers and boatyards the most prolific, followed by Italy, France, Austria and the UK. This is 73 fewer manufacturers than last year, equating to around nine percent less floor space.
Despite that, Boot Dusseldorf officials claim the market has improved significantly in the past few months. Werner Matthias Dornscheidt, CEO of event organizer Messe Düsseldorf commented on the first day of the show that "since the end of last year business has picked up again significantly."
Although demand for luxury yachts has ebbed, there are still 50 large yachts showcased. Drettmann has introduced its Elegance 122, which is 37 meters long and weighs in at 200,000 kilograms. The triple-deck yacht has five guest rooms and three crew rooms, dining room, kitchen and lounge on board, but won't be available to buy anytime soon - it was built for a private customer in Taiwan. British luxury brand Sunseeker has also unveiled its Predator 60‘ (19.37 m) for the first time in mainland Europe, a yacht capable of 42 knots that is available in an open or hardtop version.
The 17 halls of the show cater for every taste though, with equal attention being paid to more affordable boats. Swedish brand Holmen Marine has staged the world unveiling of its new "Nordic Line" RIB dinghy collection, consisting of four dinghies for the whole family, including two models designed for small children or teenagers. German brand Hellwig has also unveiled the new Milos V 580 Bowrider, a 5.8 meter sports boat capable of 36 knots.
The Independent travel offers: Discover a world of inspiring destinations
Hashima: Among the ruins on Japan's Battleship Island, the place that time forgot
South Africa's new travel rules: From October, families with under-18s will need to show their birth certificates
The best streets in Britain: where to stay
Harder, better, faster, longer: The best rollercoasters in the world
The 50 Best weekend retreats
- 1 Al Pacino on suffering from depression: 'It can last and it's terrifying'
- 2 Half of young women unable to ‘locate vagina’ and 65% find it difficult to say the word
- 3 Saudis risk new Muslim division with proposal to move Mohamed’s tomb
- 4 A teacher speaks out: 'I'm effectively being forced out of a career that I wanted to love'
- 5 Mexican woman becomes world’s 'oldest person' at 127
Rotherham child sex abuse scandal: Labour Home Office to be probed over what Tony Blair's government knew - and when
What do immigrants really think of Britain? Polish immigrant's Reddit post goes viral
Ashya King: Parents of five-year-old boy refused permission to visit him in hospital and denied bail at Spanish court
With Douglas Carswell joining Ukip, my party has taken another giant step forward
When elitism grips the top of British society to this extent, there is only one answer: abolish private schools
Ukip Douglas Carswell defection: Tory MP jumps ship to join Nigel Farage
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WinPoker Becomes First Major Gambling Operator To Adopt Bitcoin
Jon Matonis @Forbes
WinPoker in Curaçao announced that it will now begin accepting bitcoin as a deposit and withdrawal method to their WinPoker accounts which are on the iPoker network.
Consisting of over 30 different brands, including large European bookmakers like Paddy Power, Bet365, Betfair and William Hill, iPoker is the largest network of online poker rooms operating internationally. According to Pokerfuse, iPoker sits behind only the independent rooms PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker and PartyPoker in terms of cash game action.
The attraction of bitcoin to the online gaming community is obvious. Funds clearance is near immediate and the transactions are irreversible. Payment processing fees are a fraction of what they are compared to other payment methods.


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RWaltz, a pioneers in Blockchain and crypto development announces its partnership with Dafri Bank, one of the fastest-growing financial institutions. The two companies have signed the agreement and are marching ahead to innovate financial solutions for customers.
This partnership is a blend of RWaltz’s technological expertise and Dafri bank’s financial innovations leading to customer satisfaction. Through this collaboration, the two companies aim to deliver service excellence to customers. Soon, this partnership will unlock access to a wide array of financial services through an intuitive user interface.
The agreement Validates RWaltz's devotion to assisting the BFSI sector in leading the technological race and Dafri bank’s commitment to offering its customers massive exposure to cutting-edge financial technologies.
"We are electrified about our partnership with Dafri bank and assist them in delivering service excellence. We are looking forward to long-term collaboration and successfully delivering a digital touch to its customers,” said Paras Kale, Director of RWaltz.
RWaltz is a leading Blockchain, crypto, and NFT marketplace development company that provides decentralized solutions to a wide array of industries. Its goal to deliver service excellence and establish long-term relations stays at the forefront of its mission.
Recent Press Release
- RWaltz collaborates with Polygon Labs to Unleash the Potential of Blockchain Technology!
- RWaltz Glorifies its Success on 22nd May with its Corporate Anniversary
- RWaltz Accolades its Female Employees on International Women’s Day!
- RWaltz Expands its Footprints in the United Kingdom with a New Office in London
- RWaltz Accelerates its Growth with a Brand New Website Launch- RWaltz 2.0
- RWaltz Signs a Partnership Agreement with Probit Global
Latest news, articles, and updates montly delivered to your inbox.
Your Exciting New Project!


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Turkey investigates Chanel tax evasion allegations
French fashion brand Chanel has been accused by Turkish prosecutors of tax evasion, according to Hurriyet Daily News. Chanel allegedly avoided paying customs tax by smuggling products into Turkey in suitcases carried by employees.
To read more
Subscribe to Global Investigations Review
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BERLIN: One of the most luxurious carmakers, Porsche, has unveiled its most expensive model, 918 Spyder Hybrid, that will be in market by the December 2014.
Having 60MPH in record 3sec on dual electric, Porsche 918 Spyder Hybrid will must outpace BMW and Mercedes. The prices for this ‘baby’ starts at 768,026 euros and can go all the way up to 947,716 euros (1.2 million US dollar) in Germany.
For those who didn’t know already, Porsche limited the production of the 918 Spyder Hybrid model to only 918 units in a bid to emphasise on the car’s exclusivity.
Interestingly, the German carmaker’s ‘operating profit’ fell this year as it continued to invest in the expansion of its plants in Leipzig and Zuffenhausen and on fuel-efficient technology. This feat will obviously boost Porsche’s earnings, which is of paramount importance to its owner Volkswagen AG’s plans for global expansion and for dethroning its Japanese rival – Toyota.
Porsche’s forecast of a growth in sales to over 200,000 units as compared to 2013’s 162,000 units also includes the numbers for its new Macan compact SUV.
The carmaker’s foray into the SUV segment doesn’t come without its share of environmental concerns; it is now under more pressure than ever to lower emissions. Hence, the expenditure on fuel-efficient technology. Word also has it that the next-gen Porsche 911 may be accompanied by a plug-in hybrid variant.


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Global supply chain disruptions are affecting the fake tree industry.
Empty shelves at the supermarket have led to a rush on seed supplies as people start planting fruits and vegetables in their homes and backyards.
Trading on Wall Street’s three main stock indexes was halted for 15 minutes shortly after the open as the S&P 500 index plunged 8%, crossing the 7% threshold that triggers an automatic cutout.
The filing revealed that the shuttles and drones would operate in an overlay fashion and send data back and forth about current
Regional governments, businesses and investors pledged almost immediately after the election that they would carry on efforts
This story is cross-posted on Ecosystem Marketplace. China is the leading importer of soybeans. The demonstration came just
McCarthy says that disclosure isn't limited to progress on explicit goals, but on milestones that are proving to be good
Have you noticed the scary number of Halloween pop-up stores that are mystically appearing in your local mall this year?
In contrast, look at the disappointing response to the UK's Modern Slavery Act. Passed last year, the bill requires all companies
Just this month, one of the largest shipping lines in the world, Hanjin Shipping Co., hit a major roadblock. After filing for bankruptcy, the company stopped loading new cargo on ships and was turned away from docking at major shipping ports. This left 73 out of their 141 ships stranded in the ocean carrying $14 billon in clothing, electronics, toys and furniture.


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No Halloween celebration would be complete without a peek at pumpkin carver extraordinaire Ray Villafane's incredible masterpieces. As has been the case for the past three years, the artist and his team of equally talented carvers, spent the weekend of October 18th and 19th at the New York Botanical Garden, transforming some of the world's largest pumpkins into scary zombies.
Kids News - Fun Articles
Though there are numerous Halloween dog parades across the country, very few are as famous as the one held at New York City's Tompkins Square Park. Now in its 24th year, the annual pageant that doubles up as a fundraiser is one of the most competitive dog events in the world, with owners going through incredible efforts and expense to don their best friends in the most unique Halloween costumes.
With Halloween rapidly approaching, reports of paranormal sightings will start to escalate as people get into the spirit of the spooky holiday. While most are obvious hoaxes, there are a few reported by people who genuinely believe they have encountered a ghost or spirit. It is these perceptions that professional skeptic Benjamin Radford spends his time investigating and resolving, with logical explanations - so far, he has not failed!
In September 2013, the government of Spain increased taxes on cultural events from 8% to 21%, making the cost of live theater performances prohibitive for most people. Within four months, venues reported a 30% decline in audience. While most theater owners sat around fuming at the officials, Barcelona-based Teatreneu, decided to tackle the challenge with an innovative approach to attract audience.
On September 23rd, 2014, Dutch airline KLM released a YouTube video that made everyone who saw it, wish they could travel on the airline, and forget a possession or two. That's because the short clip depicted a cute beagle aptly named "Sherlock" as the newest and most efficient member of the airline's lost and found service.
While most of us are just resigned to the fact that potato chip bags contain more air than snack, some South Korean college students decided it was time to show manufacturers that consumers were well aware of the fact, and were not too thrilled about it.
Most people don't manage to visit 19 countries in twenty-four years, leave aside 24 hours! But three young Norwegian men have proven that where there is a will, there is a way especially, when the motivation is to shatter a Guinness World Record.
It's October, which means that millions of Americans will head to the closest pumpkin patch to select a gourd that they will then attempt to carve into a scary monster. While some artistic ones will succeed, most will end up with a cheerful jack o'-lantern. That is probably why a Southern California farmer came up with the brilliant idea of growing pumpkins that naturally resemble Frankenstein.


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For the fiscal year ending March 31, India’s domestic automotive sales declined for all segments, most sharply in the two-wheeler and three-wheeler categories, according to data released by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers.
Although sales showed recovery from low points in April-June 2020, the society said the pandemic – combined with an industry slowdown that preceded it – set vehicle segments back by years.
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Two-wheelers – including motorcycles, scooters and mopeds – are the predominant form of transportation in India. Their sales declined 13% to 15.1 million for the 12 months from April 2020 to March 2021, compared to the same period in 2019-2020. For the quarter ending March 31, two-wheeler sales increased 24% to 4.4 million. After bottoming out in the April-June 2020 quarter with only 1.3 million sales, two-wheeler sales ranged between 4.4 and 4.7 million units in each of the subsequent three quarters.
Passenger vehicle sales declined by only 2% to 2.7 million units for the 12-month period ending in March. For the quarter ending March 31, passenger vehicle sales increased 934,000. During the fiscal year, such sales hit their low point of 154,000 units in April-June. They recovered in the ensuing quarters, ranging from 726,000 to the 934,000 peak in the most recent quarter.
Commercial vehicle sales were down 21% at 569,000 units for the 2021 fiscal year. After falling to only 32,000 units in April-June last year, sales gradually recovered, peaking at 210,000 units in the quarter ending March 31, a 43% year on year increase.
Three-wheeler sales fell the largest percentage, 67%, to 216,000 units for the fiscal year, down from 637,000. After a low point of 13,000 sales in April-June 2020, three-wheeler sales rebounded to 46,000 in July-August, 72,000 in the last calendar quarter of 2020 and 86,000 for the quarter ending March 31, the latter up 34% from the year-earlier period.
Kenichi Ayukawa, president of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, said in a news release that the Indian automobile industry continued to work hard amidst a second wave of coronavirus infections, to maximize production and sales, while ensuring safety of its people, partners and customers.
“On the sales front, a deep structural slowdown in the industry even before the pandemic, combined with the impact of COVID-19 in 2020-21, has pushed all vehicle segments back by many years,” Ayukawa stated. “Recovery from here will require time and efforts, by all stakeholders. There is uncertainty in the value chain owing to semiconductors, lockdowns and raw material. In an environment of uncertainty, instead of trying to predict the future, we will all work hard to create it.”


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Target said Friday that debit-card PINs were among the financial information stolen from millions of customers who shopped at the retailer earlier this month.
If the deal on The Brick website seemed too good to be true, that's because it was.
An in-brief look back at some of the most significant news events of the last 12 months, in chronological order.
The Supreme Court of Canada started the clock ticking Friday for Parliament to reshape social policy dealing with the world's oldest profession, as political battle lines were drawn.
'Spills will happen, there is no question about that'
A long-awaited federal panel decision approved Enbridge’s controversial $6.5-billion Northern Gateway pipeline, but the project still faces major hurdles, including legal action by First Nations.
A founding member of the violent Red Scorpion gang apologized Tuesday for his role in the Surrey Six slaughter before being sentenced to 12 years in jail.
Lululemon Athletica announced on Tuesday that it has recruited an experienced executive with a long history of building global sports and apparel brands as the new CEO of the Vancouver-based yoga-wear retailer.
Police say two young Pennsylvania newlyweds lured a man to his death with a Craigslist ad because they wanted to kill someone together.
Officials are reviewing security for a commercial U.S.-to-Canada ferry service after they say a sex offender managed to steal one of the boats from the Seattle waterfront in a theft that raised the risk of collisions with barge traffic in a busy port area.
With border lineups into Washington State resembling an ordinary weekday Friday morning and customers lining up long before usual openings at Metro Vancouver malls, evidence suggests Canadian retailers have caught at least some of the Black Friday’s cross-border wave.
Lawyers for a British Columbia businesswoman acquitted of human trafficking have written to the B.C. Civil Forfeiture Office asking that it drop court action to seize her multimillion-dollar home.
Ottawa says it will appeal World Trade Organization ruling
The fierce competition for the Canadian shopping dollar just across the border in Washington state has spawned an idea to steer the sometimes-myopic Canuck shoppers away from malls and big-box stores, to the mom-and-pop shops.
BlackBerry shakes up its executive ranks as operational changes sweep company
A Tanzanian businesswoman accused of bringing a young woman to British Columbia to work as an unpaid maid has been found not guilty of human trafficking and employing a foreign national.


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April 10, 2007 Hewlett Packard is expanding into online, mobile and PC gaming. With the international gaming market estimated at US$36 billion, a figure so immense it eclipses the GDP of entire countries, it is easy to see why. HP acquired VoodooPC last September (2006), and last week revealed a number of initiatives that have obviously resulted from the two companies integrating their core skills. The developments promise much more immersion for gamers in the future with HP showing a large, curved screen designed to fill a gamer’s entire field of vision, a high resolution “super projector” purpose-built for projecting multi player games on a large surface and a method of superimposing “multimedia digital experiences” on physical landscapes, enabling people to play a game throughout a city with wireless handheld devices.
Read the full article: HP unveils plans for the gaming interface


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BENTON, ARK. — GBT Realty has opened The Shoppes of Benton, a $36 million shopping center in Benton, roughly 25 miles southwest of Little Rock. The 170,000-square-foot center is home to tenants including PetSmart, Kay Jewelers, Maurices, Texas Roadhouse, T.J. Maxx, HomeGoods, Ulta Beauty and Hobby Lobby. Tuesday Morning, Avalon Nails, Flowers & Home, All Aboard Restaurant & Grill, Red Robin and Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers are expected to open by the end of the year. The..
HOT SPRINGS, ARK. — HREC Investment Advisors has arranged the sale of Clarion on the Lake, a 150-room hotel in Hot Springs. A regional hotel owner/operator purchased the asset for an undisclosed price. Kevin Hanley and Patrick Culligan of HREC represented the undisclosed seller in the transaction. The hotel is located on the shore of Lake Hamilton and features a swimming pool, outdoor cabana bar, volleyball court, picnic area and a playground.
FAYETTEVILLE, ARK. — KeyBank Real Estate Capital has secured a $29.5 million loan for Sterling District, a 198-unit student housing community in Fayetteville, less than a half mile from the University of Arkansas campus. Caleb Marten of KeyBank structured the fixed-rate, first-mortgage loan with seven years of interest-only payments through a correspondent life company relationship. Sterling District features a swimming pool, hot tub, fitness center, study rooms, game rooms, cyber café and..
FAYETTEVILLE, ARK. — Strategic Student & Senior Housing Trust Inc., a REIT focusing on student housing and seniors housing acquisitions and sponsored by SmartStop Asset Management LLC, has purchased a student housing community near the University of Arkansas for $57 million. Known as The District, the 592-bed community is located at 376 W. Watson St. in Fayetteville, roughly a half-mile from the university’s campus. The 198-unit property includes one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom,..
LITTLE ROCK, ARK. — Ziff Properties Inc. has purchased Bowman Curve Shopping Center, an 81,271-square-foot retail development located near the intersection of North Bowman Road and West Markham Street in west Little Rock. Mason Lewis and Todd Rice of Colliers International represented the buyer and seller in the $7.1 million transaction. The company plans to invest in cosmetic and structural renovations for the center.
BENTONVILLE, ARK., AND NEW YORK CITY — Walmart (NYSE: WMT) has agreed to acquire online apparel retailer Bonobos Inc. for approximately $310 million in cash. Walmart, the giant discount department store chain, expects to complete the transaction by September. The announcement comes on the heels of Walmart’s acquisition of online women’s apparel retailer ModCloth in March. Founded in 2007 by Andy Dunn and Brian Spaly, New York-based Bonobos designs and sells its own brands of..
FORREST CITY, ARK. — Shandong Ruyi Technology Group (Ruyi), a textile manufacturer based in China, plans to invest $410 million into the former Sanyo manufacturing facility in Forrest City. The facility will be the company’s first property in North America. Ruyi plans to employ up to 800 people at the plant, with plans to begin renovations in the fourth quarter of this year. The property has been vacant since Sanyo shut down production in 2007. Ruyi will use the facility to take 200,000..
MISSISSSAUGA, ONTARIO — R&R Real Estate Investment Trust (R&R REIT) has agreed to acquire a portfolio of nine extended stay hotels in the Southeast and Midwest totaling 1,020 rooms for an aggregate purchase price of $35 million. The properties are currently owned and operated by entities controlled by R&R REIT’s Majid Mangalji and Michael Klingher. Five of the hotels operate under the HomeTowne Studios brand, and the remaining four operate under the HomeTowne Suites brand. The properties..
LITTLE ROCK, ARK. — Pillar, a division of SunTrust Bank, has originated a $25.5 million HUD loan for the refinancing of Metropolitan Apartments, a 260-unit multifamily community in Little Rock. The market-rate property was fully occupied at closing. Evan Hom of Pillar’s New York office originated the 35-year loan on behalf of the borrower, Transcontinental Realty Investors/Adobe Properties, a Dallas-based multifamily property owner and developer. The HUD financing features a fixed interest..
FAYETTEVILLE, ARK. — Little Rock-based BSR Trust LLC has completed the acquisition of Mountain Ranch Apartments, a 360-unit apartment community located in Fayetteville. Built in 2009, Mountain Ranch contains a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom residences and sits on 15 acres across Interstate 49 from the University of Arkansas campus. BSR Trust owns more than 9,200 units in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Mississippi. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.


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Tech Surges Ahead Of Amazon, Google Earnings Later In Week — Tech Roundup
Shares of technology companies rallied as fears about day trader raids on the stock market subsided.
Shares of Tesla rose sharply after a correction last week in the wake of the electric-car maker’s earnings report.
Amazon.com shares rallied ahead of the online megastore’s quarterly earnings report. Shares of Google parent Alphabet rose in advance of its earnings report, and as Ford Motor said it plans to use the Android operating system to power its vehicle display screens starting in 2023, an acknowledgment of the increasingly high-tech expectations for vehicle dashboards.
After a 40-year career in finance, Mark Hawkins is retiring as business software maker Salesforce.com’s chief financial officer, to be succeeded by fellow executive Amy Weaver.
Activant Capital Group, an investment firm specializing in software, Internet of things and data is seeking investors for a new fund, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Write to Rob Curran at [email protected]
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
February 01, 2021 17:14 ET (22:14 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2021 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Market news on Fintech Zoom.


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Personally and professionally we tend to shy aware from Lenovo after reports of Chinese malware and keylogger software (superfish) made its way onto laptops worldwide. Now, there is another reason to stay away from Lenovo manufactured equipment – certain settings are causing these devices to become ‘hard bricked’. A hard brick is when there is a software glitch that causes the hardware to become an expensive paperweight. The only solution being to replace the hardware. According to Benjamin Herzig of notebookcheck.net, “newer Lenovo ThinkPads are potentially bricked when a certain option in the UEFI-BIOS is enabled. If the user activates the option “BIOS support for Thunderbolt” or “Thunderbolt BIOS Assist”, there is a chance that the system hangs at the next reboot.”. This problem appears to be specific to the following models:
- ThinkPad P52
- ThinkPad X1 Yoga 2018
- ThinkPad P52s
- ThinkPad P1
- ThinkPad P72
While Lenovo is aware of the situation, the only real resolution is a replacement motherboard and there has yet to be a firmware-patch released to fix the issue.
You can read the original article here: https://www.notebookcheck.net/Some-recent-ThinkPads-can-be-destroyed-by-changing-a-UEFI-BIOS-setting.346156.0.html


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There’s a lot happening in the world of beauty. Rather than try to keep up with it all, let us help. Here is what you need to know today.
1. Cartier announced its latest fragrance, La Panthère, with a new campaign featuring model Erin Wasson. The new scent will be floral with gardenia, musk and chypre. According to Style.com, it is the bottle we’ll be coveting most. “The bottle, much like the French bijoux, is a work of art, featuring a cubist interpretation of the jungle animal encased in glass.” Look for La Panthère in March.
2. A new study found that the key to losing weight AND keeping it off may be yogurt. The reason? Probiotics. After studying 125 obese men and woman, researchers from Universite Laval in Quebec, Canada found that the woman who were taking probiotics not only lost weight in the first half of their study (the average was nearly 10 lbs) but kept the weight off and lost even more in the second half (for a total of nearly 12 lbs). According to Time.com, “researchers believe probiotics may influence the bacteria already living in our stomachs…[and] it helps improve metabolism, and digestion.”
3. Macom just launched a line of cellulite-zapping shapewear that is said to smooth out skin with the help of “biocrystal fabric.” You can read a full report on it at the DailyMail.
4. In a recent interview with People Magazine, Robin Wright discusses her use of Botox. According to People.com, she gets regular small doses. Read the full interview here.
Find a Doctor
Find a NewBeauty "Top Beauty Doctor" Near you


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HCL Technologies has opened a new delivery centre in Hamilton, New Zealand, further reinforcing the company’s commitment to delivering innovation for both enterprises and public-sector organisations in the region.
The company’s first delivery centre in New Zealand complements the company’s network of global delivery centres across the world. It will support global customers and partners and provide access to the latest IT services and digital business technologies, which will drive innovation and customer centricity through design thinking, blockchain, cybersecurity, cloud and artificial intelligence. At the same time, the delivery centre will enable HCL to support skills development within the Hamilton region. The company plans to collaborate with local governing and trade bodies for regional development initiatives.
HCL Technologies is a leading global IT services company that helps global enterprises re- imagine and transform their businesses through digital technology transformation.


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FILE PHOTO: Workers paint the ground at a port in Qingdao, Shandong province, China April 9, 2018. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo
December 17, 2018
GENEVA (Reuters) – The United States said on Monday that China’s “unfair competitive practices” were harming foreign companies and workers in a way that violates World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, but said that Washington would lead reform efforts.
U.S. trade ambassador Dennis Shea also expressed deep concerns about the WTO dispute settlement system having “strayed far from the system agreed to by members” and said that the Appellate Body had overreached in some legal interpretations.
He was addressing the start of a two-day review of U.S. trade policies, held every two years at the WTO, which continues on Wednesday.
The U.S. economy is “one of the most open and competitive economies in the world”, with among the lowest tariffs globally, Shea said.
The Trump administration is committed to competitive markets and free, fair and reciprocal trade, he added, rejecting what he said was criticism by some of the U.S. approach as “unilateralist and protectionist”.
But China has pursued “non-market industrial policies and other unfair competitive practices” aimed at supporting its domestic industries while restricting or discriminating against foreign companies and their goods and services, he said.
“The WTO is not well equipped to handle the fundamental challenge posed by China, which continues to embrace a state-led, mercantilist approach to the economy and trade,” Shea said.
He did not refer to the dispute on steel or automobiles which brought the two powers to the brink of a major trade war but defended the U.S. “Section 301” investigation that found in March that Chinese practices related to technology transfer, intellectual property and innovation were discriminatory.
“The United States is committed to working with like-minded members to address our concerns with the functioning of the WTO. Reforms are necessary for the continued viability of the institution,” Shea said.
(Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; editing by David Stamp)


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City awaits verdict over OFT
TOMORROW is judgment day for deciding who is Britain's backroom boss in the regulation of corporate mergers and acquisitions.
Dozens of City bankers and competition lawyers have booked their seats for court 16 at the Royal Courts of Justice where three of Britain's top Court of Appeal judges give their verdict on whether the Office of Fair Trading's powers of veto have effectively been castrated by a revamped Competition Appeals Tribunal.
Should the ruling go in favour of the tribunal, headed by legal heavyweight Sir Christopher Bellamy QC, then many more mergers would have to be referred to the Competition Commission for detailed review, meaning mergers could take twice as long with terrible financial consequences for British business.
That is the damning prognosis from John Vickers, the economist chairman of the OFT which decided to take the tribunal to court after it overruled his organisation's greenlighting of a £700m merger last year between software firms iSoft and Torex.
Chris Bright, London head of competition at US legal giant Shearman & Sterling, said: 'The tribunal's ruling over Torex completely changed the role of the OFT - it would turn it into little more than a postbox on merger clearances unable to exercise a degree of judgment.
'It would be duty bound to refer anything to the Competition Commission if there was a credible case of anti-competition from a merger put forward by a competitor-even if on reflection the OFT thinks there is no sustainable case.'
His view is shared by most of the City's big-name lawyers, who are constantly advising public companies on whether or not their merger proposals will work and how much these will cost to get clearance from, despite theirs being the only profession which could benefit profit from a lengthier merger review process.
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iPhone cannot win the smartphone wars
I'm going to make a bold prediction: Apple's iPhone will lose the mobile device wars. Such statement will send some iPhone fans howling -- perhaps appropriately so with the full moon days passed and Halloween days away. :)
Put another way: iPhone is to Android -- and somewhat Symbian OS -- handsets as Macintosh was to the DOS/Windows PC in the 1980s and 1990s. The Mac's rocky start in 1984-85 gave way to great success because of several killer applications, with desktop publishing being among the most important. But by the mid 1990s, Windows PCs pushed down Mac market share. The iPhone is poised to track similarly. Gartner predicts that Android OS shipments will exceed iPhone OS by 2012 (see chart). I'm a believer.
The question of how far iPhone can go is important, because a new computing platform is rapidly emerging. Mobile devices like cell phones are sure to replace PCs. PEW Internet claims by 2020. I'm on record as predicting much sooner.
Today, Gartner predicted that this year, worldwide smartphone shipments would grow by 29 percent year over year to 180 million units, exceeding laptop unit shipments. From this year, Gartner predicts that end users will spend more on smartphones than they will on notebooks. The analyst firm expects that most PC manufacturers will move into the smartphone market (where Apple already is with iPhone).
The iPhone's staunchest defenders insist that applications will rule the market. Over the weekend, tech blogger Robert Scoble followed a Twitter debate with blog post: "85,000 reasons why iPhone isn't going to be disrupted." Like many other iPhone enthusiast bloggers or journalists, Scoble believes that iPhone must succeed because of the vast number of applications. In a somewhat terse Twitter exchange, I called him and other die-hard iPhone fans unreasonable. He blogged in response:
If you get me all those, and all the other 85,000 apps, but on a device that is sexier and more fun to use (and more productive) then I'll definitely be reasonable and switch...Until then I have 85,000 reasons to be unreasonable...Yes, I'm unreasonable. Let me know when I can stop being unreasonable! :)
The large number of applications does at first glance seem like a pretty good reason to claim iPhone's eventual domination of what arguably is the next, major computing platform. However, the number of applications is no surefire measure of iPhone's or any other platform's success. Applications are but one -- and not the most important -- platform characteristic. Successful platforms share five common traits:
- There are good development tools and APIs for easily making good applications
- There is at least one killer application people really want
- There is breadth of useful applications
- Third parties make lots of money
- There is a robust ecosystem
I usually only put the first four items on the list, but here extend the fifth from the fourth, which is the most important of all. To single out applications as the measure of success is to put the chicken before the egg. Related: The platform chicken-or-egg scenario, where there is question: Which comes first, the platform or the applications? The chicken-or-egg question presumes that many PC operating systems fail because there aren't enough applications; that many developers wait to develop applications because they want to see if the platform will gain momentum among consumer or business customers; that platforms cannot gain momentum if there are not applications.
But this reasoning is flawed. It ignores fundamental rules of economics. The chicken-or-egg theorists should ask why do developers wait at all -- or not? My answer: Because they want to make money. The fourth point in my list -- "third parties make lots of money" -- is more important than number of applications. It's the most fundamental reason why platforms succeed or fail. The fifth point --"there is a robust ecosystem" -- is intrinsically connected to the fourth and over the long term is as important, if not more.
The Ecosystem is Everything
Among technology platforms, the Windows PC is classic example of a robust and vital ecosystem. The Google informational/search platform is another. Around either platform, there is a discernible ecosystem of third parties -- not just software developers -- making lots of money. The two ecosystems are broad and deep. By comparison, Apple's App Store/iPhone/iPod touch platform is narrower and shallower, despite the depth of applications, because the ecosystem depends on a closed, end-to-end technology platform. Apple controls everything.
By comparison, in the 1980s and 1990s, DOS/Windows was more open than Mac OS, because Microsoft only controlled the software and Chairman Bill Gates took the brilliant approach of licensing to third parties. (Commenters, please don't huff. I didn't write that DOS/Windows was open, but more open than Mac OS, because of licensing.) Through the licensing scheme, good luck (because of competitors' mistakes) and Microsoft efforts to establish standards around DOS/Windows and DOS/Windows PCs, a robust ecosystem of third-party profiteers emerged.
The ecosystem is everything. Windows Vista's market failure is good explanation why. Vista suffered from perception problems that were much larger than its performance problems; Vista isn't a bad operating system, it just wasn't good enough to displace Windows XP. Vista wasn't just competing against XP but a huge, supporting ecosystem of third parties making money from it -- PC, peripheral and component manufacturers; distributors, resellers and retailers; software and Web services developers; and consumer, enterprise and small business services providers, among many others. XP had five years in the market before Vista's release to build up this broad and deep ecosystem, which also included customers -- many of them large businesses -- dependent on the software to make (or save) money.
What's really interesting about the Gartner numbers (see chart): Windows Mobile declines, but not that dramatically, through 2012. Why? The ecosystem. Microsoft has established a viable Windows Mobile ecosystem that somewhat compensates for the weak mobile strategy. Ecosystem also is one major reason why Symbian OS will remain so dominant, despite steep market share declines. Another: Nokia plans to open source Symbian OS (process is underway). By comparison, Gartner predicts that BlackBerry and iPhone OSes will reach near identical market shares, and, not coincidentally, both are part of closed, end-to-end systems.
A History Lesson
Parallels between the past and present foreshadow iPhone's future. The IBM PC launched in mid-1981. About 18 months later, Compaq announced its 12.5 kg clone, nicknamed the "luggable." A year after Compaq started selling its IBM PC clone, Apple announced the Macintosh, in January 1984.
Desktop publishing was the Mac's first killer application, contributing to sales growth over the next five years. But Apple couldn't win the "Clone Wars" against DOS -- and later Windows -- PCs. The resulting clone attack, essentially every other PC manufacturer against Apple, was too much for Macintosh. The PC ecosystem overwhelmed Apple.
To reiterate: In the 2000s, like the 1980s, Apple successfully launched industry-changing platforms -- iPhone and Macintosh, respectively. Like Macintosh, iPhone's end-to-end licensing model is poised to limit the supporting ecosystem's growth. Meanwhile, Google, Microsoft and Nokia license their mobile operating systems to third parties.
Among the three, Google's Android is the one to most closely watch, followed by Symbian OS, assuming publication of source code under open source license is completed next year as planned. While DOS/Windows was more open than Mac OS during the 1990s, Windows Mobile is more closed because Microsoft has failed to establish standards around the software. By comparison, Android, which Google open-sourced, is to mobile devices more like DOS/Windows was to PCs in the 1980s and 1990s: A more open operating system around which third parties make money and an ecosystem thrives.
iPhone Against the World
In March 2009 Microsoft Watch blog post, "The iPhone Platform Comes of Age," I glowingly praised App Store/iPhone/iPod touch. But I tempered my enthusiasm:
Whether or not that platform succeeds depends on many factors. Among them:
- How Google, Microsoft and Nokia shape up their mobile platforms in 2009-10.
- How many market share-leading handset manufacturers adopt Android (HTC just announced three more Android handsets).
- How quickly Apple can expand its iPhone OS install base -- and that includes iPod touch.
Since I raised these reservations about Apple's platform, Microsoft and Nokia fumbled their mobile strategies. Meanwhile, Android is rapidly gaining momentum among handset manufacturers and developers. In a presentation given last week, Gartner analyst Ken Dulaney predicted that Android smartphone OS share would grow from 1.6 percent in first quarter 2009 to 18 percent in fourth quarter 2012 (see chart). By comparison, iPhone OS: 13.6 percent, up from 10.8 percent. Symbian OS will remain dominant, Gartner predicts.
That said, the mobile device market will be bigger than just handsets, which is where Android already is gaining adoption for use on other connected devices. Barnes & Noble's Nook ebook reader and Verizon's Droid phone are but recent examples of where Android is going, and where iPhone is not. Meanwhile, new information published this week shows how Android 2.0 emphasizes information interoperability -- openness that should grow the ecosystem, like DOS/Windows did for PCs decades ago.
Another "everyone else against Apple battle" is coming, with Android looking to be the better OS around which an ecosystem grows and thrives. There's a Star Wars metaphor here somewhere. Apple lost out to DOS/Windows because of the attack of the PC clones. Now the droids are coming for iPhone. Apple's power is the Force -- blogger and journalist enthusiasts like Robert Scoble. Can the Force win? I say no, but you tell me. That's what comments are for.


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Over the past decade, the Looking Further with Ford trends report has examined the state of the world at that particular point in history, identifying the key trends shaping society, and examining how society is adapting, as well as how consumers, communities, and businesses alike are rewriting the rules of living, working, buying, and traveling. In the past couple of years, this report has unsurprisingly found that the general public was overwhelmed with the pandemic, changes taking place in the world at a rapid rate, economic fallout, and political polarization. Now, the 2023 Ford trends report has been released, and it paints a similar picture.
Following three years of being submerged in a global pandemic, the 2023 Ford trends report discovered that the top sources of stress today include national and global instability, as well as personal finances. A grand total of 68 percent of those polled indicated that they are overwhelmed by all the changes they see taking place in the world, with many believing that the worst is yet to come.
On the political spectrum, 64 percent of those surveyed said that they don’t feel represented in those types of conversations today, with most expecting brands to take a stand on social and environmental issues and 50 percent stating that they also believe that those brands should hold employees accountable for what they say and do outside of the workplace. Meanwhile, 73 percent feel uneasy about how much companies know about them through data collection, though 7 out of 10 also said that social media – a big source of that data mining – makes them feel connected to others.
Despite all of this, 74 percent of adults surveyed envision what they want their future to look like and plan to take steps to make it happen, while nearly eight in 10 said that mistakes are an opportunity to do better, rather than a punishment. And in terms of traditional 9-5 jobs, 70 percent say they no longer feel like that traditional format is essential to becoming successful, either.
The 2023 Ford trends report is based on 16,120 online interviews conducted across 16 countries among the general population, ages 18 years and older. While the data collected within countries was weighted to be representative as a whole, the overall sample of 16,120 was not weighted across countries, which means that it isn’t representative based on country population sizes across the participating countries.
We’ll have more on Ford’s trends report soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for 24/7 Ford news coverage.
This is great ty
The trend report shows a disturbing leaning to the left as so many people want corporations to get involved in politics which definitely diverts attention away from the main purpose sof corporations: sales, profits, jobs, investment potential–and staying out of poltics.


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I tried to find this press release on GE’s website but was unsuccessful. According to a Dow Jones article, GE will close its only solar panel manufacturing facility in the US as prices for panels become cheaper.
GE’s crystalline silicone panels production facility in Delaware will reportedly stop by January and will completely shut down by the end of June next year. The plant employs 80 people and all will be laid off and receive severance and benefits packages.
The plant has capacity to produce 34 megawatts of panels annually, which could be expanded to 68 MW. It was reported that GE wants to sell 100% of the facility for cash by the end of the year.
BP solar was mentioned in the article as another traditional solar materials player that exited the US manufacturing industry. BP announced in March that it is closing down its module assembly activity at Frederick, Maryland, as well as its cell manufacture and module assembly facilities in Madrid, Spain.
The phase out of module assembly at Frederick will result in the elimination of approximately 140 jobs out of about 600. The plant continues its silicon casting, wafering, sizing and solar cell production. Dow Jones reported that the assembly plant is still on sale.
It is also interesting to note that while these traditional players are closing down shops in the US, foreign-based manufacturers are setting up plants such as Chinese panel manufacturers Suntech Power Holdings Co. and Yingli Green Energy Holdings Co. The drivers behind this move, according to the Dow Jones article, is concern on “Buy American” potential regulations, increasing shipping costs, and getting a piece of the stimulus funds for renewable energy investments in the US.


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Two tech titans enter the political arena in California.
Western Digital on Wednesday announced that it was shipping a 640-Gbyte hard drive for notebook computers.
AMD said Wednesday that it has shipped its 500 millionth X86 processor in its 40th year of business. To celebrate, the company is holding a contest -- which must be accessed via Twitter, of course.
A reader chimes in and discusses some helpful advice for anybody who considers switching to solar power.
In our new regular column we tackle your questions! In this edition, we diagnose a dead motherboard, suggest CPU coolers, and troubleshoot a slow system.
It's after hours for the ET staff. What have we been playing. Hint: it's not all about video games.
Our new regular feature pits the crack ET staff of gurus against your toughest tech conundrums.
Each month, the ExtremeTech guys bust out impressions of the games they've been playing lately. Here's the latest round.
AMD said Wednesday that it has publicly demonstrated its six-core Opteron processor, code-named "Istanbul," which it has scheduled to ship in the second half of 2009.
The PC Gaming Alliance has launched a new Web site, the Alliance announced on Tuesday.
Western Digital announced its long-awaited 2-terabyte hard drive on Tuesday. The model is an internal one; an external version of the drive will be forthcoming.
If you receive a message about Counter-Strike Pro, supposedly from Valve Software, delete it!
Subscribe to What's New Now


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For decades, Victoria’s Secret championed a singular ideal of beauty — one that’s primarily white, cisgender, thin, young, and able-bodied. But now that’s changing. The lingerie giant is undergoing a significant rebrand, moving away from the narrow view of beauty to one that strives toward true inclusivity.
Since 2019, Victoria’s Secret launched several initiatives in an attempt to evolve the brand and respond to critics. The company hired its first transgender model, Valentina Sampaio, in August 2019, followed by its first plus-size model, Ali Tate Cutler, that October.
“Based on what women told us — talking to women over the last year and a half even more to understand where we had gotten off track as a brand and how we need to show up for women going forward — is that they want us to change,” Martha Pease, Victoria’s Secret’s chief marketing officer, told WWD in June 2021. “The answers we got back had to do with representing a diverse way of thinking and relating to women, and showing more types of women, so that all types of women could see themselves in the brand. I think the challenge for us is actually delivering on it. By making this very public statement that we are committed to the transformation and we’re committed to showing up for women means we have to do it.”
In June of 2021, the company announced a new platform, The VS Collective, a group of women who will take part in shaping the future of the lingerie behemoth. Hailey Bieber, Bella Hadid, Adut Akech, Priyanka Chopra, Megan Rapinoe, Valentina Sampaio, Paloma Elsesser, and Naomi Osaka all belong to the collective.
“We are proud to announce an exciting new partnership platform, #VSCollective, designed to shape the future of Victoria’s Secret,” the brand wrote on Instagram. “These extraordinary partners, with their unique backgrounds, interests and passions will collaborate with us to create revolutionary product collections, compelling and inspiring content, new internal associate programs and rally support for causes vital to women.”
Several inclusive projects have followed, including the new Victoria’s Secret World Tour show and even an adaptive intimate line. Ahead, see all the best Victoria’s Secret campaigns since the lingerie behemoth’s rebrand.
— Additional reporting by Karenna Meredith


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igh hopes have been placed on Dragon Age: Inquisition to bring the franchise back to its roots. Where Dragon Age: Origins was an elaborate adventure filled with interesting environments and weighty choices, its sequel, Dragon Age II, felt rushed. With a lack of customizable optio...
ooperative multiplayer is coming to Dragon Age: Inquisition. BioWare has stated that Inquisition’s story is enormous, spanning over 200 hours, and wants the multiplayer
ragon Age: Inquisition will release on November 18 in North America instead of October 7 and November 21 in Europe. Executive Producer Mar Darrah released a public letter stating t
issed E3? Well, the people at Bioware have released a gameplay trailer of Dragon Age: Inquisition. The trailer highlights The Hinterlands, showcasing the various quests, people, ge
In 2014, we saw the latest generation of consoles making their mark on the gaming industry, while the ever-growing strength of PC continues to impress. Here at NoobFeed, we asked o
Super Smash Bros. Wii U, Mario Kart 8, Bayonetta 2, Dragon Age III: Inquisition, and Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor are only a few of the incredible games to come out this year, ho


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The Next iPhone Can't Do These Two Things At Once
Apple giveth, Apple taketh away.
Every year about this time, the tech giant unveils its latest iPhone. Company executives proclaim it the best iPhone yet. And fans can't wait to get their hands on the shiny new toys.
But when Apple on Wednesday confirmed the rumor that it was doing away with a feature users all take for granted — the tiny, ubiquitous headphone jack (in favor of $159 wireless AirPods and making more room for better cameras and an improved home button) — it immediately raised a practical question:
How do you charge your phone while listening to headphones that will now be connected via the Lightning connector? (Lightning headphones and an adapter for your old-fashioned headphones come in the iPhone box.)
Sure, Apple says the new iPhone 7 and 7 Plus will have a longer battery life, so you won't have to charge them as often, but many puzzled potential users took to Twitter to complain that the new phones won't be able to do the technological equivalent of walking and chewing gum at the same time.
An adapter comes in every iPhone 7 box but I guess charging your phone and listening to music at the same time is stupid.— Jordy Volchko (@Volchbro) September 7, 2016
"I regularly charge my iPhone and listen to music during flights, and I'm sure there are a number of times you might need to do this," writes Tom Warren of The Verge.
"Apple doesn't appear to have additional adapters ready for this, and the only option available is the existing $49 lightning dock," Warren says. (That's for the black version; Apple sells a white version for $39.)
Apple's decision to do away with the headphone jack makes people uneasy because it removes a choice that they had, says Jonathan Sterne, author of The Audible Past: Cultural Origins Of Sound Reproduction.
"You're increasingly locked into the decisions of the company whose platform you use," he told NPR's Audie Cornish. "And so the headphone jack, which — let's face it — is just another plug to plug things into, becomes symbolic of Apple's constantly changing products. And I think it's a little disturbing to people because it's a reminder that they're really not in control of their media lives."
At the iPhone 7 unveiling event, Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice president for worldwide marketing, said the company took away the classic headphone jack because the time had come.
"The reason to move on [is] courage," he said. "The courage to move on, do something new that betters all of us."
But Rob Price of Business Insider wasn't buying it. "It just so happens that this courageous move will make Apple a whole lot of money selling awkward accessories," he wrote.
Schiller also suggested the Lightning dock in an email to a user who had written him about the charging-while-listening issue, according to Mashable. "I hope that helps," Schiller wrote.
There are other potential solutions, like third-party adapters that are sure to come and battery cases — but some people don't like the extra bulk and weight for their sleek phones.
On the iPhone 7 charging/listening to music issue.— Chris Lazzaro (@FreedomFilmLLC) September 8, 2016
A charging case that has a 3.5mm port.
Okay issue settled.
And some fans wish Apple had added a wireless charging feature, like some of its competitors.
The non-simultaneous listening / charging thing could've been solved by wireless charging. But nope. iPhone 8?— Nicole Lee (@nicole) September 7, 2016
For now, they can only dream.
Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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You’ve heard of pallets of cash for the mullahs? Now it’s pallets of baby formula exclusively for illegals — while American babies go hungry.
Such is the incredible story being reported by the Washington Examiner on the state of Joe Biden’s “priorities.”
The nationwide shortage of baby formula that has sent mothers desperately rushing from store to store has evaded one lucky group: illegal immigrants detained by Border Patrol.
According to videos posted by a Florida lawmaker, the Biden administration has been shipping “pallets” of baby formula to migrant holding facilities.
“They are sending pallets, pallets of baby formula to the border,” said Republican Rep. Kat Cammack in one of two online postings yesterday. “Meanwhile, in our own district at home, we cannot find baby formula,” she added, holding a photo of empty shelves where the formula would be.
Cammack’s video is here:


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Fri, Aug 19, 2022
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NEWS TAGGED 18-INCH
Wednesday 15 July 2020
Jumping on the EUV bandwagon: Q&A with Gudeng chairman Bill Chiu
Gudeng Precision Industrial, a member of TSMC Grand Alliance and Taiwan's first semiconductor equipment maker allowed to join SEMI in setting next-generation equipment standards after...
Monday 26 June 2017
SMIC mass producing 28nm HKMG chips
Semiconductor Manufacturing International's (SMIC) 28nm HKMG process has entered its mass production stage, according to company CEO Haijun Zhao. SMIC will move forward making chips...
Friday 24 February 2017
Transition to 18-inch wafers remains years away, says Applied
It is unlikely to see 450mm (18-inch) wafer fabrication technology become mature over the next three years, according to Applied Materials CEO Gary Dickerson. The chipmaking industry's...
Tuesday 30 August 2016
Acer, Asustek to release 18-inch and larger gaming notebooks
Asustek Computer and Acer are planning to launch gaming notebooks with 18-inch and above displays. Asustek is currently developing an 18-inch gaming notebook, while Acer is looking...
Monday 31 August 2015
Samsung holding meetings with telecom providers to introduce new 18-inch tablet, say reports
Samsung Electronics has met with three major telecom operators in Korea to introduce its upcoming 18-inch tablet, which will enter mass production in the fourth quarter of 2015, according...
Thursday 28 August 2014
EPA passes initial environmental impact assessment for TSMC planned 18-inch fab
A special panel of the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) has approved the environmental impact assessment for a piece of land designated for construction of an 18-inch...
Thursday 12 June 2014
18-inch wafer foundry process likely to delay to 2018
The arrival of the era of 18-inch wafer foundry processes may not come until 2018 as Intel reportedly has slowed down the development of 18-inch wafers, while semiconductor equipment...
Friday 10 May 2013
TSMC reiterates plans for 18-inch wafer manufacturing
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has reiterated plans to build its first 450mm (18-inch) pilot production lines, which will offer FinFET transistor technology at...
Tuesday 19 February 2013
Equipment maker Gudeng gearing up for contract business
Gudeng Precision Industrial, which has developed handling equipment for the manufacture of 18-inch wafers, has unveiled plans to step into the contract-manufacturing market for automation...
Wednesday 24 October 2012
TSMC to build pilot line for development of 18-inch wafer and 7nm process, says paper
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has bought a land lot of 14.32 hectares in the Chunan base of Hsinchu Science Park (HSP) for NT$3.2 billion (US$109.1 million), and...
Wednesday 5 September 2012
TSMC looks to build pilot 18-inch wafer line in 2016-2017
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is on track in the development of 18-inch (450mm) wafers with the possibility to build a pilot line in 2016-2017 followed by mass...
Tuesday 28 August 2012
Mass production of 18-inch wafers may extend to 2018
Despite having investment from Intel, TSMC and Samsung Electronics, the 18-inch wafer generation anticipated by ASML may be delayed from 2016 to 2018. In addition, non-ASML equipment...
Thursday 12 July 2012
KLA-Tencor shipping 450mm-capable tools
KLA-Tencor has announced the installation of its first process control systems capable of handling and inspecting 450mm wafers. Fully automated, the Surfscan SP3 450 meets the demanding...
Tuesday 12 June 2012
Taiwan government to buy land for TSMC 18-inch plant, says paper
Taiwan's Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD) has approved a project to assist Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) to construct an 18-inch wafer fab...
Friday 27 April 2012
NAND flash to be main driver for 18-inch wafers, says Gudeng chairman
NAND flash, especially SSDs, will be the largest application for 18-inch silicon wafers in the future, CEO and chairman Bill Chiu of Gudeng Precision Industrial said at an April 26...
Aug 15, 13:40
2022 RISC-V Taipei Day to be held in September to explore RISC-V driven developments in EV, smart vehicles
Wednesday 3 August 2022
ADATA Industrial launches industrial-grade DDR5 ECC U-DIMM and ECC SO-DIMM memory modules
Wednesday 27 July 2022
MEAN WELL develops energy-conserving, green energy products to help move towards ESG
Wednesday 27 July 2022
Next-generation controller + multi-power supply: MEAN WELL provides most "usable" solution
Taiwan semiconductor industry projected to maintain double-digit growth in 2022
No need for TSMC to take side between US and China: Q&A with Richard Thurston
US imposes new export control to push China out of next generation semiconductor competition
India roundup: Vedanta and Foxconn reportedly closer to setting up semiconductor plant in Western India
Chinese IC industry counts on chiplet to mitigate US sanctions
Apple car team reportedly in talks with Korean and Japanese suppliers
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BYD Semiconductor takes major stake in Energen
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Top-5 brands see notebook shipments dive in July, says DIGITIMES Research
DIGITIMES Research worldwide notebook shipment update – July 2022
Chinese smartphone brands see declines in 2Q22, says DIGITIMES Research
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The name of the startup is Oolo and it is an Israeli-based company- who develops an AI system that autonomously monitors ad performance on media outlet websites to identify potential monetization issues.
Oolo has raised $6 million in a round led by S Capital, with participation by 2B Angels and investor Rami Beracha.
The product that Oolo developed wants to replace the media world analysts with artificial intelligence. The system developed by the company scans large amounts of information of a variety of types, identifying anomalies – for better or worse. The system then explains the source of the problem or, alternatively, the opportunity it identified, pricing its financial significance, and alerting it to the relevant person in the organization.
Oolo was founded in 2019 by Yuval Brener and Roey Yaniv.
This is the second company the two co-founded, after previously founded interactive video company Carambola Media Ltd. together with Roei Bareket.
“On the business side, there is no company that has chosen a vertical specialty like us … The combination of our expertise, with deep technology, produces a very clear superiority over the alternatives,” says Brenner.
About 20 employees are employed in its Raanana offices, and with the latest recruitment, the company plans to significantly increase its staff.


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Jio Platforms, the digital powerhouse behind India’s leading telecom network, has made a groundbreaking move by launching Jio Brain, the country’s first-ever 5G-integrated machine learning (ML) platform. This revolutionary offering promises to democratize AI and empower businesses across industries to unlock its vast potential.
Jio Brain isn’t just another ML platform; it’s a game-changer. Its seamless integration with 5G technology delivers unprecedented speed, efficiency, and scalability, propelling India to the forefront of the global AI revolution.
Let’s delve deeper into what makes Jio Brain truly remarkable:
What is Jio Brain?
Jio Brain is an integrated machine learning and artificial intelligence platform designed for diverse applications. It’s not a single software, but rather a suite of tools and APIs (application programming interfaces) that developers and businesses can leverage to build custom AI solutions. Think of it as a Lego set for AI, offering building blocks like image recognition, text analysis, and predictive models, ready to be assembled into unique creations.
The platform leverages the unparalleled bandwidth and near-real-time latency of 5G, enabling businesses to deploy ML models seamlessly within their existing networks. This eliminates the need for expensive infrastructure upgrades, making AI more accessible and cost-effective than ever before.
How does Jio Brain work?
Jio Brain operates on a foundation of cutting-edge technologies like deep learning and natural language processing. It taps into Reliance Jio’s vast network of data centers and cloud infrastructure, providing robust computing power and scalability. Developers can access Jio Brain through APIs and SDKs (software development kits), allowing them to integrate specific AI functionalities into their existing applications or build entirely new ones.
Jio Brain boasts a comprehensive arsenal of features cater to diverse needs. From large-language models (LLMs) for advanced text generation and analysis to cutting-edge AI capabilities for images, videos, and speech, the platform empowers businesses to automate tasks, optimize operations, and gain deeper insights from their data.
Jio Brain Specifications:
◈ Plug-and-Play Simplicity: Built with a cloud-native architecture, Jio Brain offers a plug-and-play experience. Businesses can readily integrate the platform into their existing IT infrastructure, minimizing deployment hurdles and accelerating their AI journey.
Jio Brain offers a library of pre-trained AI models for various tasks, like image classification, sentiment analysis, and chatbots. This saves developers time and resources, allowing them to focus on building custom applications.
◈ Customizable Canvas: Jio Brain isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Its 500+ REST APIs and data APIs empower developers to tailor ML models and services to their specific needs, ensuring a truly personalized AI experience.
Developers can train their own AI models within the Jio Brain platform using their specific data sets and requirements. This ensures solutions are tailored to individual needs.
◈ Innovation Engine: Jio Platforms is committed to continuous innovation. The company actively collaborates with AI researchers and welcomes external contributions, fostering a vibrant ecosystem that fuels the platform’s ongoing evolution.
◈ Scalability and flexibility: Jio Brain’s cloud-based infrastructure allows for seamless scaling to handle increasing data volumes and computational demands.
◈ Security and privacy: Reliance Jio emphasizes data security and privacy as core principles of Jio Brain. The platform employs robust security measures to protect user data and comply with relevant regulations.
Significance for India
Jio Brain’s arrival marks a pivotal moment for India’s AI landscape. It empowers domestic businesses to compete globally, fostering innovation across sectors like healthcare, agriculture, finance, and manufacturing. The platform holds immense potential to democratize AI access, making it a valuable tool for startups, small businesses, and large enterprises alike.
Jio Brain has the potential to revolutionize various industries by making AI accessible and affordable. By democratizing AI technology, Jio Brain could empower businesses of all sizes, enhance public services, and ultimately improve the lives of millions.
Road Ahead for Jio Brain
While Jio Brain’s launch is a significant milestone, its success hinges on widespread adoption and effective utilization. Businesses need to embrace the paradigm shift that AI brings and actively explore its potential to solve their unique challenges. Additionally, ensuring adequate skills training and promoting a culture of AI adoption will be crucial for India to fully leverage the power of this platform.
Jio Brain is still in its early stages, but its potential is undeniable. As the platform evolves and integrates with new technologies like edge computing and the Internet of Things (IoT), its capabilities and applications are bound to expand further. Jio Brain could become the cornerstone of a truly intelligent future, where AI seamlessly assists us in work, healthcare, and everyday life.
Jio Brain is more than just a technology; it’s a catalyst for India’s transformation into an AI powerhouse. With its seamless 5G integration, comprehensive features, and open approach, the platform paves the way for a future where AI empowers businesses, fuels innovation, and drives India’s digital transformation. The journey has just begun, and its success will depend on collective efforts to embrace the immense potential that Jio Brain unlocks.


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Don't miss the latest stories
Kit Kat Introduces ‘Free No WiFi Zone’, To Block Off Internet Connectivity
By John Yong, 22 Jan 2013
To help people ‘take a break’ from online connectivity, chocolate brand Kit Kat created a ‘Free No WiFi Zone’—a bench that blocks off WiFi signals.
Created with the help of ad agency JWT Amsterdam, this outdoor advertising campaign by Kit Kat aims to ‘disconnect’ people from their emails, Facebook updates, hashtags and likes.
Instead, people will get to enjoy the simpler things—such as newspapers, hardcover books and actual conversations.
The Free No WiFi Zone is able to block WiFi signals in a 5-meter radius.
[via Ads of the World]
More related news
Also check out these recent news


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(Bond Market Wrapup for June 13th, 2012) Treasuries climbed to erase yesterday’s loss as a drop in retail sales spiked the demand for safe-haven assets. Increasing withdrawals at Greek banks also increased market worries.
Treasury Bonds advanced after a Commerce Department report showed retail sales dropped 0.2 percent in May. The Producer Price Index, a barometer of wholesale prices, dropped 1 percent, greater than the 0.7 percent forecast by economists. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasuries dropped six basis points, 0.06 percentage points, to 1.61 percent in late afternoon trade. Yield on 30-year bonds declined five basis points to end at 2.72 percent despite gaining five basis points in early trade.
10 Year Treasury Yield 1 Month Chart
Bond Funds were also up on the day with the the iShares Barclays 20 Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT) added $1.23, or 0.99 percent, to settle at $125.86 while the Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (BND) gained 18 cents, or 0.21 percent to end at $84.28.
TLT 1 Month Chart
US stocks finished lower Wednesday as investors remained jittery ahead of Greek elections on Sunday. Markets were spooked after ratings agency Egan-Jones downgraded Spain’s sovereign ratings to junk. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) dropped 77.42 points, or 0.6 percent, to 12,496.38, with American Express (AXP) dropping the hardest. The decliners included Caterpillar (CAT), DuPont (DD) and Home Depot (HD) as 20 of the 30 components closed lower within the Dow. JP Morgan Chase (JPM) led the list of blue-chip gainers even as CEO Jamie Dimon testified before the Senate Committee on Banking.
Dow Jones Industrial Average 1 Month Chart
The S&P 500 Index (SPX) slipped 9.30 points, or 0.7 percent, to 1314.88 with consumer discretionary faring the worst among the index’s 10 business groups. The NASDAQ Composite (COMP) tumbled 24.46 points, or 0.9 percent, to close at 2818.61. PC maker Dell (DELL) jumped 2.6 percent after it announced an 8-cent a share quarterly dividend.
For every stock rising, two stocks declined on the NYSE.
Oil prices for July delivery shed 70 cents to close at $82.62 a barrel.
Gold futures for August delivery rose $5.60 to finish at $1,619.40 an ounce.


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Legoland Windsor has shared a mesmerising time-lapse video which gives families a glimpse of what they can expect from its brand new land opening later this year.
LEGO MYTHICA is due to open in Spring, and although the theme park has remained fairly tight-lipped about what's on offer, we know that it will feature a brand new ride, and will be themed around mythical creatures.
Now, we've had a glimpse at one of those mythical being brought to life; all 334kg of it.
In fact, it took 12 Model Makers over 653 hours to create the new 'Chimera' model, using 109,522 Lego bricks!
The video takes viewers into the building studio, and unveils just how the model makers go about creating such immense Lego statues that are such a big part of the park.
It's no easy feat either as the Chimera is inspired by Greek Mythology and features four heads - a shark, snake, eagle and lion.
In the video, the Model Makers can be seen building the creature brick-by-brick (and it's oddly satisfying to watch), before using platforms either side of the structure to continue building right to the top of the giant monster.
But it's not just the professional Model Makers who will be creating the monsters.
Legoland currently has a competition in which kids aged 2-16 can get the chance to design one of the LEGO MYTHICA creatures which will be installed in the land.
Kids can either submit a photo of their own Lego creation or a drawing of their model on Legoland's competition page here.
The new LEGO MYTHICA land is currently due to open in spring 2021 and represents a multi-million pound investment that will be the biggest since the park first opened 25 years ago.
Marianne McGoldrick, Marketing Director at the LEGOLAND Windsor Resort, said: “It’s been an amazing experience to watch the team build such a diverse set of large-scale LEGO models which have been inspired by the imaginations of children.
"Each mythical character is so unique and like nothing else we’ve ever featured at LEGOLAND Windsor before.
“It takes our model makers many hours to intricately turn thousands of different sized and coloured LEGO bricks into these incredible models and we can’t wait for families to meet the Chimera and learn more about its role in the story of LEGO MYTHICA when the land opens later this year.”
You can find out more about the new land on legoland.co.uk.


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Marvel is democratizing style and also encouraging everybody to be associated with the process. We are lowering the barrier to getting started in style and also making it much easier for people to function collaboratively’, said Murat Marvel co-founder of Marvel.
Marvel is a prototyping, alliance application and has elevated ₤ 4 million in collection A funding round which is led by BGF endeavors. Prior capitalists consist of Connectventures, index ventures, and also Inreach ventures, have actually additionally joined this round. The investment pursues Wonder’s present acquisition of Pop which is a.
prototyping tool as well as has increased the firm’s international base. Based On Murat Mutlu,’ The recent purchase of pop and our successful fundraising offer us a chance to make massive strides in bringing Marvel to a lot more individuals’. This London-based firm will certainly use these funds to build its sales as well as customer care teams. This money will additionally pick up the pace of product advancement as well as increase into new markets. Wonder’s major objective is to help employees make more intelligent decisions concerning their savings as well as enhancing economic health in the labor force. Led by Breden Moore, Murat Mutlu as well as Jonathan Siao, the company was started.
in 2013, supplies design as well as prototyping platform for individuals to turn theirsketches and pictures right into sensible prototypes and get the comments without having coding skills. As per the business, the system has over 1 million registered customers mainly in UK as well as US. The firm claims that it has seen just about 35000 new customers registering every month. This application is prompt becoming the most likely to prototyping device in tech and other sectors. Wonder thinks that it has also.
altered the means groups disperse their job to clients and stakeholders by developing PowerPoint presentations for showcasing layouts.
Wonder is a prototyping, alliance application and also has elevated ₤ 4 million in collection A funding round which is led by BGF endeavors. As per Murat Mutlu,’ The current purchase of pop and our successful fundraising give us an opportunity to make big strides in bringing Wonder to also more people’. Wonder’s major purpose is to assist workers make even more intelligent decisions concerning their savings as well as enhancing monetary health in the labor pressure.


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Last week, Microsoft announced that Steve Ballmer will be resigning within the next 12 months. It seemed that it was about time for his resignation, but rumor now has it that Ballmer was actually fired. A lot of people aren’t believing that he just decided to retire and that instead are thinking that something may have went wrong — that he really failed at his job, and that he had so many bloopers. (Too many to mention I guess.)
We’re regarding this as a rumor. Microsoft’s official announcement sounded like the CEO has done enough and it’s about time he retires. But thinking about it now, why did Microsoft shares shot up by 8 percent that day? Perhaps the industry giants were happy that he’s leaving the company and that it would do good for them. You be the judge.
Ballmer could be getting the blame for the poor performance of Microsoft lately. A number of new products and services were introduced but most of them have not performed completely well. For one, the Windows Phone mobile OS is not getting a significant share of the smartphone industry. There’s the Xbox One, yet-to-be-released and already receiving a lot of criticisms. What about the Surface tablet? The touchscreen technology was once promising years ago but sales are just still not good.
Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer were good friends starting out as Harvard classmates. They became business partners bringing Microsoft to where it is now. Whatever happened along the way? I want to know.
< Source: CNET >


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More than a quarter of iPhones in the U.S. do not use AT&T, further clouding the importance of AT&T’s ‘exclusive’ distribution of Apple’s popular touchscreen cell phone, according to a Monday report.
Of 1.45 million iPhones has described as “missing in action,” around 480,000 are thought to be part of AT&T’s inventory. However, 1 million unaccounted iPhones — or 27 percent — are “unlocked” and being used on other mobile networks, Bernstein Research Toni Sacconaghi said.
Sacconoghi called the figure “stunning,” a step up from Apple’s previous talk of “significant” numbers of unlocked iPhones, according to a Reuters report.
The growing number of unlocked iPhones could weigh heavily on Apple, costing it $500 million in lost profits. However, the carrier must walk a tighrope between protecting its cut from carriers and hurting iPhone sales.
Wednesday, Apple holds in annual shareholders meeting.


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Airlines upset that DOJ
won't let them work together on sharing passenger miles.
Nine airlines in the global Star Alliance and aspiring member Continental Airlines Inc. on Monday criticized the Justice Department's objections to their plans to cooperate more closely on international routes, fares and capacity.
The airlines' application for antitrust immunity for such cooperation was provisionally granted in April by the Department of Transportation, which has sole authority over such pacts. But on June 26, the Justice Department weighed in with a belated broadside against the airlines' plans. Justice said the cooperation would lead to higher fares, hinder competition and hurt consumers. . . . .
Now they are looking into AT&T's deal with Apple on the iPhone
The Department of Justice has begun an initial review to determine whether large U.S. telecom companies such as AT&T Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc. have abused the market power they've amassed in recent years, according to people familiar with the matter.
The review of potential anti-competitive practices is in its very early stages, and it isn't a formal investigation of any specific company at this point, the people said. It isn't clear whether the agency intends to launch an official inquiry. . . . .
More on the iPhone related investigation see here
. Some critics of the investigation can be seen here
Let me get this straight. DOJ is upset with the airlines because they all miles to be shared (thus preventing some type of "lock in"), but they are upset that a model telephone is available for only one carrier.
The Department of Transportation gave final approval for Continental Airlines Inc. to enter a cooperative agreement with nine other airlines for international routes, largely brushing aside concerns from the Justice Department.
The DOT order came two weeks after the Justice Department blasted the plan as harmful to consumers and competition. The order gave the Star Alliance airlines nearly everything they wanted and imposed only modest concessions.
UPDATE: Making investments riskier
As if investors needed more to worry about. The outlook for corporate profits already is clouded by an uncertain economy, and markets remain skittish. Now there is a burst of antitrust activism.
The Justice Department is conducting a review of the telecom industry. Last week, it toughened its line on payments paid by drug makers to avoid defending patents in court. It also convinced the Department of Transportation to put restrictions on a route-sharing pact between Continental Airlines and the Star Alliance. . . .
UPDATE 2: Something to put these concerns into perspective
Yesterday Apple (AAPL) finally made good on threats and blocked the ability of Palm Pre owners to synch their devices with Apple's iTunes software. And that's just fine.
Expectations that Apple should open up its software to let other devices use it are unreasonable. Yes, in a perfect world of perfect interoperability, all devices should play nice with each other. But we don't live in that world and most of the technology companies I know of don't either. So why should Apple?
Here's Apple's statement: "iTunes 8.2.1 is a free software update that provides a number of important bug fixes. It also disables devices falsely pretending to be iPods, including the Palm Pre. As we've said before, newer versions of Apple's iTunes software may no longer provide synching functionality with unsupported media players," said Apple spokesperson Natalie Kerris. Translation? Yes, we blocked Pre synching. Are you surprised?
Apparently, the masses were shocked, shocked! As reports filtered out over the internet that Apple had blocked Palm Pre owners from synching to iTunes, howls of outrage filled the blogosphere. Pre owners screamed bloody murder. The free information crowd went crazy. "Apple's iPhone and iPod Monopolies Must Go!" thundered one headline. It was as if there were no other options to Apple in music-playing and smartphones.
Naturally, no one seemed to be protesting that iPhone owners couldn't synch their devices with Windows-based music-playing devices or that Pre owners couldn't synch their devices with Blackberry software systems.
In a nutshell, it sure looks like Apple is being held to an extremely unreasonable standard. You can't play Wii games on an Xbox 360. But I have yet to hear complaints that video game packages are not compatible. The principle is the same. Makers of proprietary hardware devices allow software from competitors to run on those devices at their discretion. Period. If Apple doesn't want to support Palm, that's its prerogative.
This issue is not only confined to the technology sector. Honda doesn't feel compelled to support Toyota owners who would like to use Honda's superior airbag control systems, for example. . . . .
UPDATE 3: Verizon responds
to this political pressure and says that it will limit new exclusive handset deals to six months
Applies to carriers with less than 500,000 customers
* Could also apply to other "small" carriers
* Offer open to Cellular South, not U.S. Cellular (Adds analyst, consumer group comment)
By Diane Bartz and Sinead Carew
WASHINGTON/NEW YORK, July 17 (Reuters) - Verizon Wireless is dialing back on its exclusivity agreements with handset makers after pressure from U.S. lawmakers and smaller carriers.
The biggest U.S. mobile service said on Friday it will limit exclusivity periods with cellphone makers to six months and then allow the country's smallest wireless service providers to sell the devices.
The move comes after reports that the U.S. Department of Justice was taking a preliminary look into whether U.S. operators had violated antitrust laws by obtaining exclusive deals to sell specific phones.
Exclusivity deals are common among the biggest U.S. carriers but have recently faced strong opposition from small, rural carriers, which say they lack the clout to make deals to carry the most popular advanced phones.
The iPhone has drawn such deals into the spotlight because AT&T Inc (T.N), the second biggest U.S. wireless service, has had exclusive U.S. rights with Apple Inc (AAPL.O) since 2007. . . .
Labels: antitrust, ObamaAdministration


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To support the launch of the 2012 Honda Civic, Wieden & Kennedy London has created a new HTML5 game.
Played in Chrome, Firefox or Safari, The Experiment challenges players to create a chain reaction by placing a set of pop-up windows in sequence.
Each video window contains an object that interacts with those around it to create hundreds of possibilities and combinations. At the end of six levels, users get the opportunity to create their own chains to challenge their friends.The destination hub is on YouTube.
W&K collaborated with B-Reel, the production company behind the groundbreaking Wilderness Downtown launch for Arcade Fire, on the project. It was created by Lisa Jelliffe and Kirsten Rutherford.


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In recent years, more car companies have been installing turbocharged engines in their vehicles. This means more horse power but with today's technology, it can also mean better fuel economy.
Mazda is currently getting into turbo engines in a big way. Oh, it's not the first time, but now the idea is to give a couple of their models a more premium overall vibe.
Both the Mazda3 2.5 Turbo, a compact, and the CX-30 2.5 Turbo, a compact SUV, are the respective models' top-of-the-line variants for 2021. Mazda's slogan for them: Refined Performance
So, what exactly is a turbo, and how is it beneficial? The term has haphazardly been applied to everything from sneakers to sunglasses. But on an engine, a turbocharger has an actual function.
Basically, it's a small device attached to the engine. Exhaust gases are routed through the turbocharger in one half. That spins a shaft, and on the other half of the shaft, air is pressurized and forced into the engine's intake. More airflow, more power. Basically, a smaller engine with a turbocharger can produce the same power as a larger engine without one.
For decades, Cadillac's sedans used large engines to move them down the road. But the new CT5 V-Series gets a relatively small 3.0 liter V6 engine, with twin turbochargers. The result? Three hundred sixty horsepower, which really lets the car scoot.
There was a time, years ago, when turbo engines weren't so great for everyday driving. You'd step on the gas, there'd be a delay, and then all of a sudden the power would come on, and the car would feel like it was shot out of a cannon. Today's turbo engines are much smoother, thanks to modern engine management technology.
And turbos are showing up more places than you may realize. Ford's been installing EcoBoost engines in its popular F-150 pickups for a number of years now. They don't call it a turbo by name, but that's what it is. The twin-turbo V6 EcoBoost trucks now handily outsell the V8 version, by a wide margin. There are now millions of these Ford trucks running around with turbos.
There was a time when calling a car a "turbo" typically meant something speedy and exotic. Today, it may just mean a car that has good power, good fuel economy and good drivability.


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First it was economy cars, then pickup trucks, mini-vans and luxury cars. Now Toyota says that in the 1995 model year it will enter the U.S. market with a full-size sedan, called Avalon, to compete with the Chevrolet Caprice and the Ford Crown Victoria.
Avalon is being billed as the replacement for the midsize Cressida, formerly Toyota's largest sedan, which was discontinued after the 1992 model run because it competed unsuccessfully with Toyota's luxury offerings in the Lexus lineup.
Toyota said Tuesday that Avalon will sell for less than $30,000 and will be aimed at Toyota buyers moving up from the Camry rather than at those in the market for a Lexus. That puts the Avalon up against the Caprice and the Crown Victoria in size and price.
Avalon reportedly will be built on a stretched, front-wheel-drive Camry chassis and will be powered by the 24-valve V-6 engine in the 1994 Camry. Avalon will be built at Toyota's Georgetown, Ky., plant, which assembles the Camry.
"It's sort of like what a Buick is to a Cadillac," said Chris Hostetter, national product planning manager for Toyota, comparing the Avalon with the lowest-priced Lexus, the $30,000 ES300.
News of the Avalon comes as construction is almost completed on an expansion in Georgetown that will double the plant's production capacity to 400,000 cars a year. Avalon would account for about 50,000 annually and could still be profitable at that low level, because it is based on Camry and would share many of its parts.
It long had been rumored that Toyota would build a successor to the Cressida at Georgetown, rather than in Japan, to take advantage of lower-cost U.S. production. The rise in the value of the yen against the dollar has forced the carmaker to increase prices on 1994 models by as much as 12.7 percent.
It also has been rumored that Toyota eventually will build at least one Lexus model at the Georgetown plant as insurance against further escalation of the yen. The ES300 is a logical choice, because it is based on the same platform as the Camry. But Toyota hasn't announced a decision on U.S. assembly of a Lexus.
Toyota also is undecided about whether to move production of its slow-selling, midsize T-100 pickup to the U.S. As an import, the T-100 is subject to a 25 percent tariff, which is reflected in the sticker price. Toyota said several changes are coming for the truck, including the addition of a version with a four-cylinder engine as a low-cost price leader. It also is adding an extended-cab version, the most in-demand body type in the truck market.
Also Tuesday, Toyota introduced a two-door Camry coupe, derived from the Camry sedan, to compete with the Honda Accord coupe. It will start at $16,148 and will offer a V-6 engine as standard. Honda won't offer a V-6 until next fall. Toyota said it expects to sell about 45,000 Camry coupes a year, with 6,000 of them to be exported to Japan.
Toyota also introduced its redesigned Celica sports coupe, with styling similar to that of the Lexus SC300 and SC400 sports coupes. Celica prices will start at $16,168 for the ST model and $18,428 for the GT. The turbocharged Celica, which sold only about 200 cars a year, was dropped.
Other Japanese automakers also have said they will boost production of North American-made vehicles. Honda Motor Co. said it plans to build all Accord and Civic cars in the U.S. by 1996, and it hopes to build at least one of its Acura line of luxury cars in the U.S. within five years. The Acura Integra, built off the Honda Civic platform, is considered a leading candidate.