text:
Auto sales jump in October
Industry gets back on track
DETROIT FREE PRESS
DETROIT - General Motors' October U.S. sales rose 16 percent; Ford's jumped 14 percent, and Chrysler's climbed up 11 percent from a year earlier as consumers remained undaunted about borrowing to buy new wheels.
Nissan's U.S. sales increased 14 percent in October, Toyota was up almost 9 percent, and Honda was up 7 percent while Volkswagen's sales fell 18 percent.
Industry sales increased about 13 percent last month, despite a more than two-week U.S. government shutdown that slowed sales in early October, according to three automotive forecasting companies.
General Motors Co. saw sales of its new full-size pickups surge 62 percent. By brand, Buick was up 31 percent for the month; Cadillac, up 10 percent; Chevrolet, up 15 percent; and GMC, up 16 percent.
"Chevrolet, Cadillac and Buick-GMC all performed well in the month, and the sales tempo really picked up after the government shutdown ended," said Kurt McNeil, GM vice president of U.S. sales operations. "We are particularly pleased with our truck momentum."
Ford Motor Co. sold 191,985 vehicles last month, with car sales rising 19 percent, trucks gaining 14 percent, and utility vehicles up 9 percent from October 2012.
The Ford brand carried the load with a 13 percent increase. Lincoln sales increased 38 percent as the MKZ gained traction.
"October was simply an outstanding retail performance, as consumers continued to choose Ford for great fuel efficiency, styling and value at all levels of the market," said John Felice, Ford head of U.S. marketing, sales and service. "The combination of great new products, such as Fusion and Escape, along with the strength of our dealers helped us achieve our best October retail sales month since 2004."
Ford ended the month with a 91-day supply of vehicles on dealer lots, a big change from this summer, when Ford could not make enough of some models such as Fusion and Escape.
Ford started building Fusions at its Flat Rock, Mich., plant last month and the midsize sedan had a 71 percent increase in sales.
Ford sales analyst Erich Merkle said the inventory build-up "is not just about trucks," which have heavy sales in the final two months of the year.
On the car side, Focus sales slipped 18 percent. Ford is idling the Wayne, Mich., plant that assembled Focus for two weeks in the remainder of this year. Merkle said no further production cuts have been announced. But he said some small car buyers are shifting to small utility vehicles, which now account for about 15 percent of U.S. sales as a segment.
Fuel prices are not affecting sales of small cars or hybrids, Merkle said, adding the automaker's plug-in hybrids had a strong month.
Chrysler Group LLC sold 140,083 new cars and trucks in October. Chrysler brand sales increased 6 percent; Ram trucks rose 22 percent; and Jeep increased 7 percent. Fiat sales fell 1 percent.
"After a choppy start to the beginning of the month, Chrysler Group sales accelerated in the second half of the month with renewed consumer confidence and the launch of our all-new Jeep Cherokee," said Reid Bigland, Chrysler's head of U.S. sales.
Industry analysts say industry sales were sluggish during the first half of the month during the 16-day U.S. government shutdown, but rebounded during the last two weeks.
"The week-by-week data suggests that consumers started to get jittery by the middle of the month," Jessica Caldwell, senior sales analyst for Edmunds.com, said in a report.
LMC Automotive said retail vehicle sales rose only 1.6 percent during the first two weeks of October. That pace accelerated to a 7.7 percent increase during the third week of October.
"The government shutdown clearly had an impact on retail sales through government employees directly affected by the shutdown, vehicle shoppers involved in businesses impacted by the shutdown and its impact on consumer confidence," John Humphrey, senior vice president of the global automotive practice at J.D. Power said in a recent report. "However, sales in the third week of the month strengthened."


text:
The terse statement by Samsung confirmed that the funds were being set aside on behalf of its U.S. unit, Samsung Semiconductor. Korea-based Samsung is the world's largest computer-memory manufacturer.
"The outcome of this matter cannot be predicted at this time," Samsung Electronics said in a statement. "The company is unable to comment on an ongoing government investigation."
In addition to the U.S. Justice Department, the European Union's regulatory agency is investigating alleged price-fixing in DRAM memory. In September, Germany's Infineon Technologies AG paid $160 million in connection with the price-fixing investigations and agreed to help investigators.
Previously all parties being investigated, including Samsung, denied any wrongdoing in memory pricing.

domain: news


text:
With the introduction of Apple’s iPhone 4S, the world met Siri, a personal assistant program that responds to natural voice commands.
Read This Article
Honda is adding Made-In-USA stickers to its Acura MDX, as it plans to move production from Canada to its plant in Lincoln, Alabama.
After plenty of concepts, here's our first look at a running prototype of the 2015 Acura NSX sports car.
We’ve noticed a trend of automakers largely sticking with their 2011 prices for 2012 models, but Acura has chosen to price its TSX sports sedan and wagon lineup a modest $200 higher than last year’s models.


text:
Expect a new iteration of Apple's vastly popular iTunes service, complete with better iCloud integration, new mini-player, and a whole new interface.
Tech deals, prizes and latest news
Get the best tech deals, reviews, product advice, competitions, unmissable tech news and more!
10 best mobile phones in the world today
iPhone 7 release date, news and rumors
Could virtual reality bring your loved ones back from the dead?
Apple Watch release date, price and features
Windows 10: release date, price, news and features


text:
Report: Consumers Unfollow Brands Due To Poor Service, Irrelevant Content, Ads
Half of consumers follow a brand to learn about new products and services, while 48% of consumers follow brands on social to be entertained, according to a new report by Sprout Social.
Conversely, poor customer service is the number one reason why consumers will unfollow a brand on social media (56%), followed by posting irrelevant content (51%) and too many ads from that brand (43%).
More than two-thirds of consumers (67%) will engage with social posts that are entertaining, while only 37% say the same about posts that include discounts or sales. That’s a big shift from the company’s 2018 report, where 67%…. Continue Reading


text:
Following the disruption of shipments caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, India is increasing fertiliser imports from countries such as Canada and Israel to ensure adequate supplies for the upcoming summer sowing season. India is a major importer of fertilisers for its massive agriculture sector, which employs roughly 60% of the workforce and accounts for 15% of the country’s $2.7 trillion economy.
“We have made advance preparations for the Kharif (summer-sown crop) season this year. We require approximately 30 million tonnes of fertilizer, and preparations are being made “Mansukh Mandaviya, the minister of fertilizer, stated without further elaboration.
According to him, India will have sufficient opening stock, accounting for roughly a quarter of the total amount of fertilizer required for the summer season. With the arrival of the monsoon rains in June, Indian farmers typically begin planting crops such as rice, cotton, and soybean.
For its entire annual consumption of 4 million to 5 million tonnes of potash, India relies on imports, with a third of this coming from Belarus and Russia. Belarus, which is landlocked, exports through ports in Russia and Lithuania.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, shipping routes have been closed, and western sanctions on Moscow, which has described its actions in Ukraine as a “special military operation,” have made trading with Russian and Belarusian companies difficult.
According to multiple sources, it will purchase 1.2 million tonnes of Potash from Canada, 600,000 tonnes from Israel, and 300,000 tonnes from Jordan in 2022 to partially replace supply from Russia and Belarus.
According to a senior industry official who declined to be identified, IPL is attempting to ensure that “a substantial amount of shipments” arrive before June to avoid a shortage during the sowing season.
During Mandaviya’s visit to Moscow later this month, India was on the verge of signing a three-year fertilizer import agreement with Russia. The visit was cancelled due to the Ukraine invasion, which began on February 24.
According to one of the sources, India may try to sign the agreement again “when the situation improves.” Historically, India has used the prices agreed upon in deals with Belarus and Russia as the benchmark for supplies from other countries. According to the sources, Canada has emerged as a price setter for 2022.
In 2022, IPL will purchase potash from companies in Canada and Israel for $590 per tonne delivered with six months’ credit. IPL refused to comment. India also relies on Russia and Belarus for complex fertilizers that contain multiple crop nutrients. According to the sources, Indian companies are increasing supplies from Saudi Arabia and Morocco to help compensate for any lost nitrogen, phosphate, and potash supplies.


text:
While the human hand, with four fingers and opposable thumb, is pretty darn awesome, it still falls woefully short when it comes to some tasks — such as opening a soda bottle or peeling a banana. MIT, which is obviously a firm believer that we can and should enhance humans as far as physically possible, has a solution: a wrist-mounted robot that gives you two extra fingers. With the so-called “7 Finger Robot” equipped, you can both grasp a soda bottle and turn the cap at the same time. According to the MIT engineer who led the project, Harry Asada, some users might even begin to perceive the robotic helping fingers as part of their body — “like a tool you have been using for a long time, you feel the robot as an extension of your hand.”
Some intrepid biologists at the University of Southern California (USC) have discovered bacteria that survives on nothing but electricity — rather than food, they eat and excrete pure electrons. These bacteria yet again prove the almost miraculous tenacity of life — but, from a technology standpoint, they might also prove to be useful in enabling the creation of self-powered nanoscale devices that clean up pollution. Some of these bacteria also have the curious ability to form into “biocables” that are centimeters long, and conduct electricity as well as copper wires — a capability that might one day be tapped to build long, self-assembling subsurface networks for human use.
The LG G3 is here folks, and it’s a beauty, chock full of the latest specs and an absolutely eye-catching Ultra HD resolution. T-Mobile is already tempting us, offering this phone for $0 down (with a phone payment plan), plus they’re also throwing in a coupon code that chops 25% off the cost of select accessories. With shockingly little up front cost, you can now be the first person in town to snag this new phone and deck it out in style.
In a rather unsurprising case of “we told you so,” Microsoft says Xbox One sales have doubled since the arrival of the $400 Kinect-free Xbox One in June. The press release is infuriatingly slim on other important details, though, such as how many Xbox One consoles Microsoft actually sold, and — more importantly — how…
Microsoft has announced that it will fire around 18,000 employees over the next year, or almost 15% of its global workforce of 127,000. The bulk of the layoffs — 12,500 — will be former Nokia employees who are no longer needed after the acquisition. The mass job-cut is occurring for two key reasons: There is a lot of ‘synergy and strategic alignment’ to be made following Microsoft’s acquisition of Nokia — and, of course, tons of space must be made so that Nadella can successfully reorient the company towards his Mobile And Cloud vision.
The Satellite P75-A7100 packs a quad-core Core i7-4700MQ processor, a very strong CPU that will power through both everyday and more demanding tasks with ease. It also features a large 17.3-inch 1920×1080 display, providing a great picture and making this a great choice for viewing multimedia. Audio is covered by premium Harman/Kardon speakers, so you’ll get a sound as crisp as your visuals here too.
Police in the UK have become one of the first major police forces to deploy automated facial recognition technology to catch criminals. The British police will be using NEC’s NeoFace technology, which can match faces from crime scene photos or videos against a database of images in just a few seconds. Combined with the highest density of CCTV cameras of any country in the world, police body-worn cameras that are constantly recording, and a CSI-like smartphone and tablet app that allows for face and fingerprint matching in the field, it is rather hard to be a criminal in the UK nowadays.
Subscribe Today to get the latest ExtremeTech news delivered right to your inbox.


text:
24.3.2020 Cologne. Toyota Motor Corporation and Japanese telecommunications provider NTT will establish a joint business and capital alliance:
Both companies wants to accelerate and drive the development of smart cities. Supposedly smart cities is based on the needs of the residents and continue to develop.
For three years, to March 2017 Toyota and NTT closely together, connected vehicles the company initially recorded the cooperative-oriented work, expansion and intensification follows. The company to respond to changes in the field of business:
Last Sunday in the needs by diversifying the automotive industry is a fundamental change in the telecommunications sector in digital services in front of more stringent environmental and safety regulations, new competitive technologies and advanced artificial intelligence-based solutions over the Internet of Things – Cloud-is becoming increasingly important.
Autonomy, Robotics, personal mobility, smart home, or would it be: smart cities combine different technologies and to enrich people’s lives. At the beginning of this year, Toyota, Las Vegas, 2020 Higashi-Fuji plant, Toyota Motor East Japan, a draft of this site in the end: (CES) at the Consumer Electronics Show is the so-called “Weaving the city includes” is presented. All kinds of goods and services to be connected to each other, we’re here to make people’s everyday life easier. With the use of different and modern technologies of NTT Data, Smart Cities and regions supports.
In the future, offer new Toyota and NTT Japan around the world as the basis for Smart Cities “Smart City platform”. Deals with the provision and management of data and combines different systems. Thus, urban development is encouraged.
The newly formed business and capital Alliance, subject to the approval of the competent authorities 80.775.400 Toyota NTT shares, 37 per cent of the company’s total shares issued 200 billion yen, and a value representing after. The mobility of the issued shares of the group return the same value in Japanese 0.9%, which is equivalent to NTT’s shares 29.730.900 Toyota took over.


text:
The single marks the Tel Aviv trio’s first release since their 2015 EP.
Ahead of the Israeli synthpop outfit’s first ever US tour.
Tel Aviv natives prep their new EP, due out in April.
Israeli three-piece ready its brand new EP, Modern West.
Rising Israeli synth-pop act continue to preview their forthcoming EP.
Another week of tunes to keep you on your toes.
Rising Israeli-based trio prep new EP.
A slew of great singles to kick off 2014.
Too many great MP3s for one countdown.
The young Israeli trio ask nicely.


text:
Google has just announced that starting today, U.S. based Gmail users will now be able to place and receive phone calls directly from the Gmail interface. Calls placed to U.S. and Canadian-based numbers are free, and if you need to make international calls, the rates are extremely cheap.
I signed up for a Google Voice number about a year ago when I needed a new business line that I could have transferred to my home office or to my cell phone. The added bonus of this type of business phone line is that the voice mail is transcribed and sent through email/text and stored online for review online.
Check it out:


text:
NEWS: Misery Loves Co., Diamond Head and more join the bill for Bloodstock 2016!
March 23rd, 2016
Metal weekender Bloodstock has confirmed four more acts to join its 2016 bill, with Misery Loves Co, Diamond Head, Cambion and Krysthla all set to perform at the festival this year. You can check out the full line up below:
Tickets are available now, priced at £139, and you can grab yours here.


text:
Toyota's 86 together with its Subaru BRZ sibling are perhaps one (we won't state two, because they're identical) of the most celebrated, traditional cars of our time, but they've been eclipsed recently. Why? Well, the answer comes from within the Japanese manufacturer's stables: the newly-revealed Supra.
The Chevrolet Silverado has traditionally been among the biggest and most capable pickup. Its brawn has dominated heavy-duty jobs on the farm and in the building and construction market. Regardless of its sturdy nature, it has tipped the scale lighter than the typical Heavy Duty (HD) pickup continuously. This half-ton truck has provided chauffeurs with speed and sharp handling. Driving requirements have altered throughout the years. As such, the model has been upgraded for modern-day times in the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado. Here is everything that's been exposed to this great pickup.
Getting closer to the year 2021, the Lexus RX 350 apparently will carry put different update that looks like a redesign as we understand that for the past four years, the current Lexus RX 350 retains what it has. However, a significant change will happen in the 2021 Lexus RX 350 Redesign that will be more than redesign. More precisely as refreshment even to the mechanical changes.
Acura, Honda's premium car brand, guarantees the most current MDX 2021 model will have revamped by the upcoming 2021. The new 2021 Acura MDX might be what you are expecting to own, and you are going to get the various experience of whenever you are within, besides it's an extraordinary industry to operate in for any amusing. It has a 3-row crossover SUV.
Chevrolet is now offering the Blazer midsize crossover. However, this may not be the last we hear about the nameplate. A new report states a three-row variation is on the method.


text:
Omega-3s, Antioxidants, and Other Heart-Healthy BuzzwordsIs the "heart-healthy diet" hype really true? Learn about the benefits of omega-3s, antioxidants, and other important nutrients.
There's no shortage of headlines touting the heart-healthy benefits of certain nutrients, such as omega-3s, antioxidants, and fiber. These buzzwords appear on food labels and magazine covers, prompting many supplement manufacturers to capitalize on their popularity. Although research shows these nutrients do provide specific benefits, experts agree that it's important to steer the focus away from pills and toward eating actual good food.
"When you think about nutrients, think in terms of food, not supplements" says Joan Salge Blake, MS, RDN, LDN, a clinical associate professor at Boston University's Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences and a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. "You can help reduce your risk of heart disease through your diet, but it's your whole diet and all the foods in it working together, not just one or two individual nutrients."
Here’s what you need to know about leading nutrients and how to work them into a heart-healthy diet.
Benefits of Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Numerous studies have examined the heart-healthy benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, such as those found in fish oil. Research suggests that omega-3s can lower blood pressure and triglyceride levels, which are related to cholesterol levels. Fish oil may also help reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke.
Although some studies have had conflicting results, a report published in 2013 in the journal Nutrients noted that these inconsistencies are probably based on differences in how the studies were conducted. The report also stated that there's overwhelming evidence of a link between eating fish and reduced risk of heart disease.
Omega-3s are found naturally in fatty fish, such as tuna, salmon, sardines, and trout. A 3- to 4-ounce serving of fatty fish provides 1 gram of omega-3 fatty acids. Marisa Moore, MBA, RDN, LD, an adjunct professor in the nutrition department at Georgia State University in Atlanta and a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, says it's recommended that you eat 8 ounces of omega-3-rich fish each week, and people with high triglycerides may be advised by their doctor to take a daily omega-3 supplement.
There are many ways to get the benefits of omega-3s besides eating fish. Omega-3s are also found in planted-based sources like walnuts and flaxseed, as well as in grass-fed beef, pastured poultry, and eggs. Look for eggs specifically labeled with omega-3s.
Benefits of Antioxidants
Antioxidants are substances that protect against free radicals, or oxygen molecules, before they can cause damage to your cells and DNA. Some of the most common antioxidants include vitamin E, vitamin C, and uric acid.
Although antioxidants have been hailed as a treatment for everything from wrinkles to heart disease, specific heart-health benefits of antioxidant supplements remain controversial. Most studies offer little evidence that taking vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, or other individual antioxidants provides any significant protection against heart disease, although they offer other benefits. The American Heart Association (AHA) also cautions that studies on antioxidant supplements don’t prove a cause-and-effect relationship.
High doses of resveratrol, an antioxidant found in red wine, may actually block the heart-healthy benefits of exercise, according to the results of a 2013 study on older men conducted by researchers in The Netherlands and published in the Journal of Physiology. It was found that resveratrol supplements offset the positive effects of physical activity on blood pressure and cholesterol as well as the maximum capacity of the body to transport and use oxygen. The study's authors also noted that resveratrol didn’t slow the progression of atherosclerosis (thickening of the arteries, which can contribute to heart disease), as previously touted.
The study didn’t imply that people should stop drinking red wine or eating foods with antioxidants, but rather, that taking antioxidant supplements may not provide additional or significant heart-health benefits.
Foods that are rich in antioxidants and should be part of your heart-healthy diet include berries (such as blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, and cranberries), pears, apples, artichokes, sweet potatoes, nuts, and beans.
Benefits of Fiber
Both soluble and insoluble fiber have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease. "The benefits of fiber can’t be stressed enough," Moore says. "Fiber is essential for lowering blood pressure and cholesterol and managing weight."
Foods high in soluble fiber include oat bran, beans, peas, citrus fruits, and strawberries. Whole-wheat breads, beets, carrots, and cauliflower are among the foods high in insoluble fiber.
The AHA recommends getting about 25 grams of fiber daily from your diet.
Important Nutrients for a Heart-Healthy Diet
Although eating these nutrients is important for a heart-healthy diet, there’s no silver bullet against heart disease. That’s why the best approach is to eat a well-balanced diet.
"Make sure you’re eating a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables," Moore says. "It sounds cliché, but eating a 'rainbow' of foods will provide the most nutrients and help you have an overall heart-healthy diet."
Salge Blake says that the Mediterranean diet — a diet rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, fish, nuts, and olive oil — "is the best evidence that it's not just one thing that provides a heart-healthy benefit; it's more likely the whole diet working together."
A 2013 study in the New England Journal of Medicine which examined the association between heart disease and the Mediterranean diet found that the diet substantially reduced the risk of major cardiovascular problems among high-risk people. The researchers concluded that their findings support the benefits of the Mediterranean diet for the prevention of heart disease.
Eating a variety of foods is also likely to be more satisfying than taking supplements, Salge Blake says. "When was the last time you swallowed a supplement and said, 'I'm stuffed; I can't eat another bite?'" If you’re more satisfied from your meals, you're more likely to consume fewer calories and maintain a healthy weight — which along with choosing nutrient-rich foods can help reduce your risk of heart disease.


text:
Hello Kendall and Kylie Jenner!
The sisters were one of the three pairs of stylish siblings featured in the new Balmain campaign and this has to be one of the coolest shots we've ever seen. It's no secret that we're obsessed with Balmain, but we love everything about this pic. The clothes, the pose, the castle in the background, their hair and makeup...we could go on and on!
Inspired by last year's ad that featured Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, designer Olivier Rousteing said he thought capturing the bond siblings have with each other would be a powerful follow-up.
"While I watched Mario [Sorrenti] capture a kiss last fall, I was struck by the love and emotion that I was witnessing in front of me," Rousteing said in a statement. "Starting with a determination to once again focus on the beauty of an intimate connection, my team and I quickly concluded that a celebration of the unique and unconditional love of siblings is a natural progression from the spirit of last season."
Talk about a stroke of genius! The other siblings featured in the campaign are Gigi and Bella Hadid and Joan and Erika Smalls, whose photos are equally amazing.


text:
What was the scandal connected with the famous Japanese brand Uniqlo?
LONDON – Campaigners have projected a series of messages onto the Tate Modern in London demanding that Japanese fashion brand, Uniqlo pays 2,000 workers US$5.5 million in severance payments. Labour rights activists from War on Want, Labour Behind the Label, and Clean Clothes Campaign projected the messages, such as “pay the workers who have made you rich” onto the building the night before the Uniqlo Tate Late event.
Campaign groups claim the company has left 2,000 workers unemployed, with unpaid wages and no severance packages after two Uniqlo Indonesian suppliers collapsed in 2015. Labour Behind the Label says the support of people around the world is aimed to catch the attention of Uniqlo CEO, Tadashi Yanai, to force the company to make the payments.
The event at the Tate Modern was sponsored by Uniqlo and aimed to celebrate the 100 year anniversary of the Representation of the People Act.
Thulsi Narayanasamy, War on Want’s senior international programmes officer, said: “Tate Late rightly celebrates the amazing activism that women have and are still engaging in, by showcases creative and inspiring methods that woman have used to demand their rights and raise their voice. We absolutely support the event itself and the organisations involved. However we believe Uniqlo should not be able to buy credibility through sponsorship while simultaneously ignoring the voice of thousands of women workers whose labour made them rich enough to do so. We hope that those participating in Uniqlo’s Tate Late tonight will recognise the Jaba Garmindo workers as sisters in the same struggle.”


text:
updated 12:30 am EDT, Sat October 17, 2009
ITC finds Nokia not violating 3G patents
The US International Trade Commission (ITC) tonight exonerated Nokia by ending an investigation into claims by InterDigital that Nokia had violated its patents. The government agency has confirmed an initial decision by an Administrative Law Judge that said Nokia's use of UMTS-based 3G doesn't violate four InterDigital technology patents. Additionally, the ITC has rejected the portion of the judge's ruling that had originally found the patents valid and has denied InterDigital a chance to claim further patent violations.
The move follows a ruling in the UK that had also dismissed attempts by Philadelpha-based InterDigital to link several patents to UMTS and may have an impact on previous cases. Samsung last year agreed to a settlement rather than let a similar patent dispute reach a conclusion, while before this both Apple and BlackBerry creator Research in Motion had already paid the claimed patent holder.
It's not yet known if InterDigital will appeal the decision or if the other affected firms will react.


text:
Right, welcome back to work – those of our readers who have returned on Friday January 2 – and a happy new year to all our readers. There’s no full newsletter this week – as we’ve just noted, the industry isn’t fully back and up and running yet, but, ahead of a full Raygun newsletter next week, we thought we’d offer up a few first figures for Q4 and the whole of 2014 for you to digest…
So, how was it for you then? The total year-end figures are still being totted up and industry experts are starting to go through them to see what lessons we can learn, but, according to initial figures from the BVA, the industry had a solid year in 2014. And, despite the naysayers and doom merchants (hello to our friends at The Guardian), it was, as many expected, a strong and yet at the same time, flat year. That piece of doublethink works on the fact that it’s not nearly as bad as many would have thought and the decline in physical sales is not as steep as some would have you believe. Topline figures? The market was “buoyant” over the past 12 months, said the BVA. Total spending stood at £2.2 billion pounds, similar to 2013 figures. Digital is still the huge growth area – it enjoyed a 25 per cent surge. But buying DVDs and Blu-rays is still overwhelmingly popular, taking 89 per cent of retail sales (the rest came from digital HD downloads), with a value of £1.43 billion.
Rental had a good year, with rentals and subscriptions totalling £755 million. Pay TV on demand and subscription services make up a touch over 80 per cent, the rest of the spend comes on physical rentals. Figures from the BVA and Kantar Worldpanel suggest that 7.5 million people rented a video, while 22 million bought a DVD, Blu-ray or download to keep – that’s more than visited cinemas in 2014.
The top 10 sellers list for the year in physical terms is, of course, headed up by Disney’s Frozen, according to some figures it has now passed the 4 million mark in terms of units sold. Disney also took sixth and seventh place with its Marvel winners, Guardians Of The Galaxy and Thor – The Dark World. Warner took numbers two, three and seven in the chart, with The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug, The Lego Movie and Gravity. Universal had a brace of titles in top 10 the shape of Mrs Brown’s Boys D’Movie and The Wolf Of Wall Street (at numbers five and eight respectively). Flying the flag for the independent sector were Lionsgate, with The Hunger games Catching Fire and 4DVD, with its The Inbetweeners Movie 2.
Frozen is also, according to some reports, the bestselling entertainment release of the year, beating off rivals from the games and music industries. The BPI figures showed that its soundtrack shifted almost 1 million units (further BPI figures show that it too enjoyed a 2014 that was broadly in line with the previous year, with more than £1 billion in revenue for the recorded music sector). We’re just putting the finishing touches to our year-end round-up of charts – the Top 10 Of Everything 2014, we’re calling it – expect to see this on our website shortly. And, of course, we’ll have more on the newsletter next week (including more on the US release of The Interview, the three per cent fall in UK box office revenue, plus loads of year-end stuff as well as well as some 2015 releases too).
Commenting on the year gone by, the BVA’s chief executive Liz Bales said: “Video is as popular as it has ever been despite competition for consumers’ time and money. Research shows that video discs represent an emotional purchase and form of owning content that can be enjoyed again and again. Shoppers are choosing new ways to buy such as Digital HD downloads and renting on demand, but these figures show that DVDs and Blu-rays are still the most popular way to watch and own video.” Head of video analysis at IHS Richard Cooper added: “Digital consumption of video continues to grow at a prestigious rate in the UK. Not least of these channels is digital retail (EST). Thanks to industry initiatives such as early releasing (Digital HD) the platform has maintained an impressive growth rate, forecast at 25 per cent in 2014.”
Meanwhile a couple of noteworthy successes among the year end charts for BBC Worldwide and Universal respectively. The former was particularly proud of its Top Gear: The Perfect Road Trip 2, another huge gifting favourite and, the organisation said, the bestselling new release TV title of the final quarter, with sales of more than 270,000 units up to Monday December 29. Miranda’s My What I Call Live Show was the second biggest live comedy hit of the quarter, notching up 240,000 sales. There were strong contributions too, Worldwide said, from Lee Mack’ latest live release (81,000 units), Sherlock Series 1-3 (59,000 in the final quarter, giving it lifetime sales of more than 130,000) and Life Story (52,000 units). BBC Worldwide md Marcus Arthur said: “The BBC works with the best talent to create programmes that the British public want to buy and keep so it’s no surprise that these titles have performed so well this Christmas.”
Universal had another rip-roaring success with Mrs Brown’s Boys, a franchise which now embraces TV, feature film and live comedy sectors, as well as enjoying the number one live comedy title with Lee Evans. But the major was keen to point out its success with Micky Flanagan’s Detour De France, which was, it said, the bestselling debut TV series of 2014 in physical terms. It was no mean feat, given the competition from the likes of HBO and other US TV giants. The series, which follows the Cockney comic and his pal Noel Lynch cycling around France at their own leisurely pace, has now sold more than 109,000 units. Universal Pictures (UK) md Ian Foster said: “The success in physical sales we have experienced to date for this release is a combination of a heavy weight PR and advertising campaign, plus Micky Flanagan's popularity. We are delighted that Detour De France is the biggest debut TV series on DVD and Blu-ray released this year.”
No trailers or film news this week, these will return on next week’s newsletter. All that’s left for us to do is to remind anyone who’s celebrating 2014 and Q4 successes should let us know and also to invite more of you to contribute to our year-end survey. All you need to do is jot down some answers to the following and send them to us at the usual address.
Favourite three releases of the year:
Highlights of 2014:
Lowpoint of 2014:
Event of the year:
Biggest challenge in 2015:
What I’m looking forward to in 2015:


text:
|Top-end bubbly hits all-time high|
|Written by Laura Heywood|
|Thursday, 15 November 2012 12:37|
Sales of top-end fizz have hit record highs as consumers "tired of austerity" splash out on affordable luxuries, according to leading trade players.
"There's no doubt that the major growth has come in the prestige cuvées," said Bordeaux Index's Champagne buyer Gareth Birchley. "With the relatively lacklustre performance of Bordeaux, especially the 2011 en primeur campaign, customers are looking for genuine value and finding it in Champagne."
Growth in premium Champagne is coming from the UK and Asian markets, according to John Barr, director at European Fine Wines, "with brands like Dom Perignon, Taittinger, Bollinger, Salon, Krug and Pol Roger the ones to watch".
Andrew Hawes, managing director of Mentzendorff, the exclusive UK agent for Bollinger, told Harpers: "Consumers are perhaps becoming tired of austerity and a product such as Champagne is seen as an ‘affordable luxury' compared to, say, a car or a holiday."
CGA Strategy pointed to growing interest in "high value labels such as Armand de Brignac Ace of Spades", which sells for £300-plus in the on-trade.
"Overall Champagne is starting to show signs of recovery from its declines over the course of the economic downturn. Sparkling wines are still in the ascendency but there is no doubt that the polarisation of the marketplace is benefiting many key Champagne brands," said CGA's Mark Newton.


text:
NPR has updated its Smart Audio Report with a post-holiday survey conducted by Edison Research. (Free download here.) The headline result is that 16% of American adults, about 39-million people, now own a smart speaker. Smart speaker adoption is growing at the pace of smartphones several years ago.
The first edition of NPR’s Smart Audio Report was debuted at the RAIN Podcast Business Summit in June of last year, presented by Tom Webster of Edison Research. The new survey is intended to update adoption metrics after holiday buying, and will be presented today at CES.
Edison conducted a 1,010-person nationally representative telephone survey between Dec. 26 and 30. Further, an online survey of 806 people, self-identifying as smart speaker owners (Amazon or Google) transpired between Nov. 17 and 22.
During the 20177 holidays, seven percent of Americans got a smart speaker, and four percent acquired their first one.
The latest research drives home a point of importance to all media publishers and distributors: Smart speaker use is replacing other behavior — for example, 30% of owners say their speaker is replacing time spent with TV. The shift might benefit audio creators, as 71% of respondents said they listened to more audio since getting one of the devices. However, traditional AM/FM radio suffers most in this replacement shift:
Traffic, weather, and news are the top three audio activities in the 5am – 9pm daypart. (NPR was a launch partner when the Amazon Echo came to market in 2014, as the default “Flash Briefing” provider. The network’s Up First podcast is a pioneer and leading online morning news report.)
Asking for morning news, traffic, and weather can be a single-person use of a smart speaker. the new research reveals that smart speakers are used communally, too. Sixty-six percent of responder said they use the devices to “entertain friends and family.” In that use, the main activity, by a large margin, is playing music — 60% of owners do that, compared to the second-most frequent communal use of answering questions. (Listening to AM/FM radio is at 13%.)
Smart speakers are mainly home devices, but 64% of owners want the technology in their cars. (We think that demand will be accommodated.)
Another Dimension To All This
There is something to keep in mind which amplifies the power of the latest NPR report. This blast of research is about Amazon- and Google-branded devices, stand-alone consumer electronics about which asking questions is simple and clear-cut. But the future of smart audio will be mainly driven, in our opinion, by the underlying operating systems: Alexa (Amazon) and Assistant (Google). The Echo and Home lines (respectively) are the most recognized embodiments. But Amazon and Google are both partnering like crazy with other companies and devices to install their artificial intelligence operating systems in a wide range of digital experiences. Amazon put Alexa into Sonos One speakers. Google put Assistant into Kia cars — and Google has an exorbitant presence at CES this week.
So while the Echo/Home adoption rate is impressive, and seems to be tracking along the historic trendline of smartphones, the actual experience (commanding audio listening by voice) will grow even faster.
SAVE THE DATE…


text:
Technologies (broadband, content protection, home networking, infrastructure, semiconductors, software) News
Comcast Advertising report reveals how F.A.S.T. is changing the TV advertising landscape
Jul 21, 2022 – Comcast Advertising has released a report highlighting the rise of free ad-supported streaming TV (F.A.S.T.) and its value to advertisers today as a complement to traditional TV and streaming advertising plans.
News categories: Comcast Advertising, James Rooke, Amanda Garcia, Advertising, Digital TV, Market Research, Streaming, USA
DISH TV and SLING TV bring Spanish-language streaming service ViX+ to customers
Jul 21, 2022 – DISH Network (NASDAQ: DISH) has announced the U.S. launch of Spanish-Language streaming service ViX+ on DISH TV and SLING TV, enabling customers to subscribe to ViX+ directly through its platforms.
News categories: DISH Network, Vix+, Alfredo Rodríguez, Apps, Digital TV, Satellite, Set Top Box, Streaming, USA
Evolution Digital and NCTC reach agreement for Wi-Fi and Android TV products
Jul 20, 2022 – Evolution Digital and the NCTC have announced an agreement that will continue to make Evolution Digital's suite of broadband and Android TV products available to more than 700 independent service providers across the U.S.
News categories: Evolution Digital, NCTC, Marc Cohen, Lou Borrelli, Android TV, Cable TV, Digital TV, Set Top Box, USA
Tubi partners with Shaw TV in Canada
Jul 20, 2022 – Tubi has partnered with Shaw Communications to make its service available to Shaw TV customers. Shaw TV subscribers in Western Canada can now use their voice remote to access the free streaming service on their set top box.
News categories: Tubi, Shaw Communications, Adam Lewinson, Andrew Eddy, Apps, Cable TV, Canada, Digital TV, Set Top Box, Streaming
DR, TV2 with R&S and Qualcomm show live 5G Broadcast at Tour de France in Copenhagen
Jul 20, 2022 – Rohde & Schwarz has played a leading part in a public demonstration of the latest in mobile content delivery: 5G Broadcast. The presentation was made by Danish broadcasters DR and TV2, with special mobile devices provided by Qualcomm.
News categories: Rohde & Schwarz, Qualcomm, Manfred Reitmeier, Lorenzo Casaccia, 5G, Content Distribution, Denmark, Digital TV, IBC2022
Professional Triathletes Organisation to launch D2C platform with Endeavor Streaming
Jul 19, 2022 – The Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO) has partnered with Endeavor Streaming to launch PTO+. The OTT platform will launch as a free service aimed at maximizing audience engagement for the PTO's flagship events.
News categories: Endeavor Streaming, Professional Triathletes Organisation, Pete Bellamy, Tim Godfrey, Apps, Content Distribution, Digital TV, Streaming, Worldwide
Amogo Networx to launch FAST channels with Wurl
Jul 14, 2022 – Wurl has announced an agreement with Amogo Networx to launch the company’s Free Ad Supported TV (FAST) channels across various CTV platforms including Samsung TV, LG, Rakuten TV and Roku.
News categories: Wurl, Amogo Networx, Sean Doherty, Jr, Peter von Ondarza, Content Distribution, Digital TV, EU, Latin America, Streaming, USA
Harmonic integrates BuyDRM KeyOS for live and VOD streaming
Jul 12, 2022 – BuyDRM has announced the integration of Harmonic's VOS®360 cloud platform with BuyDRM's Encryption Key API. The integration enables media companies and service providers to deploy encryption keys from BuyDRM's encryption key API.
News categories: BuyDRM, Harmonic, Christopher Levy, Shahar Bar, Content Protection, Digital TV, Streaming, Worldwide
Disney Advertising expands deal with The Trade Desk
Jul 12, 2022 – Disney Advertising and The Trade Desk have reached an agreement to enable the integration of Disney's Audience Graph with the open-source identity framework, Unified ID 2.0, within a secure environment.
News categories: The Trade Desk, Rita Ferro, Tim Sims, Aaron LaBerge, Advertising, Big Data, Digital TV, Worldwide
- Discovery+ launching on Sling TV and Dish TV
- FAST Channels TV provides linear channels for Digital TV Cyprus OTT platform
- Video streaming services lost further playtime per user in H1 2022
- BARB releases Establishment Survey data for the UK for Q2 2022
- Simulmedia and TiVo renew data-licensing partnership
- Paramount+ joins Roku Channel’s Premium Subscriptions lineup
- Altice USA residential video RGUs down 85,000 in 2Q 2022
- DISH Network pay TV subscribers down 257,000 in 2Q 2022
- Over six million Android TV OS deployments for iWedia
- RTL Deutschland and Seven.One Entertainment to create addressable TV JV
- Charter residential video customers down 240,000 in 2Q 2022
- Access Advance adds further patent owners
- Disney+ app integrated on Foxtel set top boxes
- ADTH introduces ultra-compact USB ATSC 3.0 receiver
- ATSC 3.0-in-a-box from ENENSYS and Ateme powers WCRN Boston NEXTGEN TV
- Sinclair partners with Korean broadcasters to further NextGen broadcasting
- Linear TV viewing down as online long form viewing time continues to grow
- Auton and Anywave launch ATSC 3.0 broadcast internet test lab in Oregon
- OAN expands CTV reach with NetRange
- Liberty Global, Telefónica, InfraVia Capital to build fibre network in the UK


text:
Mumbai: Major US-based marketers of non-alcoholic, ready-to-drink beverages will look increasingly to overseas markets for growth in the years ahead, global credit rating agency Fitch Ratings said in a new report.
Big beverage marketers will be more focused on international expansion, either through acquiring local brands/distribution networks or making capital outlays to gain share and establish comprehensive distribution for company-owned products in overseas markets, the report said.
While margins and operating incomes remain healthy, shareholder pressure for continued growth and converging market factors are driving beverage companies to look beyond the domestic market, the report said
The US market for beverages is more or less saturated and the consumption levels of carbonated soft drinks (CSDs), which accounted for 48 per cent of US beverages consumption last year, according to Beverage Marketing Corporation. (BMC). This, the report say, is much higher than in the rest of the world, leaving little room for growth.
Consumption of carbonated soft drinks has been on the decline since the late '90s as consumers have turned to newer, non-carbonated beverages such as bottled waters, coffees, teas, sports and energy drinks. (CSD per-capita consumption dropped from nearly 55 gallons in 1998 to about 49 gallons last year, BMC data shows.)
Fitch said, all non-carbonated categories except juice drinks (down nearly 10 per cent) saw healthy volume percentage growth last year, including nearly 30 per cent growth for energy drinks, according to Beverage Digest. However, growth rates slowed substantially versus 2006, and only bottled water and juices/juice drinks (with 29 per cent and 13 per cent, respectively) have achieved significant shares of overall NARTD volume, according to BMC.
Expansion opportunities through acquisition are limited in the already heavily consolidated U.S. beverages market, it said, adding volume growth trends for both Coca-Cola and PepsiCo in north America has also been declining even before 2008, when adjusted for population trends.
It said further acquisitions by Coca-Cola or PepsiCo - with their 43 per cent and 32 per cent shares of the CSD market - may face anti-trust issues.
A potential acquisition by Coca-Cola or PepsiCobe of Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc, with its 15 per cent share of carbonated soft drinks or Arizona Beverage Co in the tea space is likely to invite anti-trust moves.
Further, some potentially attractive targets, such as Arizona, Red Bull GmbH and Rockstar, Inc., are privately owned and might be resistant to unsolicited acquisition--and some, like Hansen Beverage Co. and Rockstar, might lack the size or growth potential desired, say the analysts.
Economic pressures are forcing many consumers to reallocate dollars previously spent on more discretionary items to food/beverage staples and fuel, which does not bode well for relatively expensive, non-essential varieties of beverages.
"The weakening economy has already had an effect on the large beverage companies," the Fitch analysts point out. "CCE (Coca-Cola Enterprises, Inc., Coke's major US bottler) cited weak economic growth for potential earnings disappointment in 2008." Moreover, both CCE and PepsiCo Bottling Group, Inc. "experienced weakness" in case-packed bottled water in this year's first quarter, possibly because consumers are starting to buy private-label filtered waters or even drink tap water instead of springing for brands like Aquafina and Dasani, they said.
Facing downward volume pressures domestically, the beverage companies may also experience price elasticity (even as input costs rise), potentially limiting revenue growth, Fitch points out.
Current debt-holders should "anticipate greater debt levels and possibly increased leverage" at the leading beverage companies as a result of their need to return cash to shareholders while investing in acquisitions or growth of existing brands overseas, Fitch concludes--adding that both expansion strategies "present execution risks."


text:
Visual search engine Searchme has launched its music search-and-share feature that allows users to listen to unlimited streaming audio tracks through embeddable widgets from social music service Imeem. Users also can share search results with others through social networks.
“We integrated Imeem’s player into our search delivery system,” said Randy Adams, CEO of Searchme. “We’re all about being able to offer one place to find videos, Web pages and images so adding music was a natural extension.”
When a user clicks on the “music” link on Searchme’s homepage and types in an artist, album or song, results will come up in a horizontal “stack” form. Users can browse through these tracks and drag individual elements to create their own personalized stacks, which can include audio tracks, videos, images and Web results. Then, users can e-mail stacks to friends or embed them to sites such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and blogs.
Adams said Searchme is different from other search engines in that users can see full page results and “flip through results like a magazine,” as opposed to just seeing a small text result that leads away from the search result page.
“Not many companies are taking advantage of users’ broadband connections,” he said, explaining that if a link leads you away from search results, going back and forth can be time consuming.
In the next 60 days, Searchme plans to roll out branded advertising. For example, if a user is searching for athletic shoes, the third image in the stack might be a full page Nike branded advertisement.
“Search is the best way to reach your consumer directly based on their queries,” Adams said. “Other major search engines don’t enable branded advertisements.”


text:
The start point for the best source of fleet information
Volkswagen has released a teaser image of its upcoming T-Cross SUV.
The T-Cross will become the smallest SUV in the VW range, sitting beneath the T-Roc, Tiguan, Tiguan Allspace and Touareg.
Along with the image of the car, VW has released some initial technical details.
Based on the VW Group MQB platform, it will be 4,107mm long, and despite being an SUV will only be available with front-wheel drive.
The car's interior is set to feature a back seat that can be adjusted forwards and backwards, allowing rear passenger knee room to be traded for extra boot space.
As well as practicality, VW also says the T-Cross will come with a high level of safety, thanks to good crash protection and a number of driver assistance systems.
The latter are set to include the Front Assist ambient traffic monitoring system, and the Lane Assist lane departure warning system.
For all other information about the new T-Cross, we will have to wait until the autumn, when its world premiere is set to take place.


text:
Cape Town - Motorist will be paying less for petrol in March, while the price of diesel will increase, according to the Department of Energy.
The petrol price will come down by 69 cents a litre (c/l) from midnight on Wednesday March 2, while the wholesale price of diesel will increase by up to 15 c/l.
The wholesale price of illuminating paraffin will increase by 17 c/l and maximum retail price of liquid petroleum gas (LPG) will drop by R1.20 per kg.
“The average international product prices of petrol decreased while diesel and illuminating paraffin increased during the period under review,” the department said in a statement.
Follow Fin24 on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and Pinterest.


text:
ORLANDO,Fla. – Instagram has upped its fundraising game by allowing people to donate as they watch a live broadcast, among other updates to their donation features.
These updates have been rolled out during the coronavirus pandemic as the platform has seen a surge in user activity during global stay-at-home orders. The newest feature is Live Donation.
To start a Live Donation, users would have to open the app and tap on the camera icon top left, select the live option at the bottom of the screen, choose Fundraiser and then select the nonprofit organization the user would like to raise money for.
Essentially, users are starting a broadcast with the intent to collect donations for a cause. Funds raised from the Live Donation feature will go directly to the nonprofit, according to Instagram.
Users will have about 1 million non-profits to pick from, some specifically directed to aid in the COVID-19 outbreak.
Apart from starting fundraising campaigns live, philanthropic users can still utilize the donation sticker offered for Instagram stories --but may notice an update. When someone donates to a cause through a sticker, they unlock an “I donated” Instagram Story sticker for themselves to humble-brag about how they’re saving the world with their contribution.
Instagram has also incorporated a way to get Facebook fundraisers on the photo-heavy platform. Users can now share Facebook fundraisers on the Instagram app, putting their campaign in front of more people. This feature makes sense, seeing how Facebook is Instagram’s parent company.
So if you’re bored in the house (or in the house bored), or just missing some company, consider talking to a live audience for a good cause.
Make sure to follow News 6 on Instagram @news6wkmg, so you can get news like this and more.


text:
- About Us
- Career Center
- Nano-Social Network
- Nano Consulting
- My Account
August 7th, 2007
Gene H. Weiner & Associates, Inc. has announced that Mr. Marc Chason has been appointed a Senior Associate of the consultancy and its network.
Mr. Chason is a recognized industry expert in multiple spaces of the
high-technology electronics industry with skills that include engineering management, strategic visioning, technology transfers and new technology/business development. Focusing on both technology and business development, his primary interests include microminiaturization and electronics manufacturing, nanotechnology, portable energy technology, and printed electronics technology.
|Related News Press|
Thin films offer promise for ferroelectric devices: Researchers at Tokyo Institute of Technology demystify the ferroelectric properties observed in hafnium-oxide-based thin films, revealing a potentially useful device material August 3rd, 2015
Kalam: versatility personified August 1st, 2015
BESSTECH Names Doug Grose as Chief Technology Officer: Former GLOBALFOUNDRIES CEO to drive technology roadmap and strategic partnerships for emerging lithium-ion battery component company July 14th, 2015


text:
Two regular dudes who happen to be huge fans of American craft beer.
By scot in Midwest Beer News on Thursday, May 13th, 2010
In another batch of news from Half Acre, they will be releasing Double Daisy Cutter Pale Ale as part of the CCBW festivities. It seems they are officially calling it Doble Cortador(?). From their site:
In honor of Chicago Craft Beer week and the fact that we wanted to brew this beer, we’re popping out the Double Daisy Cutter Pale Ale / Doble Cortador. It was an experiment we hope will yield some tasty results. We’re looking at a beefed up ABV and enough hops to recede your gums.
This beer will be available on draft and in 22’s. We will be sending it out to the world in small quantities.
Having all these new breweries in the Chicagoland area is starting to make for a bevy of American craft beer news in my own backyard. Enjoy!


text:
ALK Technologies has introduced CoPilot Truck | Laptop 9, an enhanced version of its truck-specific, voice-guided navigation solution with the latest routing and map data. The company says it also has updated eMiler.com, its Web-based routing and mapping resource. Demonstrations of both products are available at ALK’s booth during the Great American Trucking Show in Dallas through Saturday, Aug. 26.
New features include updated 2006 PCMiler 20 map data, exportable state mileage reports for easier fuel tax reporting, and expanded hazmat routing options. CoPilot USB and Bluetooth GPS receivers now come with the SiRFstarIII chipset, which the company says speeds the acquisition of GPS satellite signals.


text:
It took 18 months to create a robot that would solve a Rubik's Cube in 3 seconds, but the CUBESTORMER 3 has smashed the Guinness World Record title for solving the classic handheld puzzle.
As demonstrated at the Big Bang Fair in Birmingham, UK this weekend, co-inventors David Gilday and Mike Dobson show off their new CUBESTORMER 3 robot that utilizes a Samsung Galaxy S4 smartphone powered by an eight-core ARM processor implementation. The phone "analyzes the cube, calculates the correct sequence of moves and instructs four robotic hands to do the manipulations," according to a press release at Business Wire.
Gilday explains how the robot works with the smartphone: "The robot demonstrates just how fast a Samsung Galaxy S4 can think. As well as working out the solution, the ARM-powered Exynos processor has to instruct the robot to carry out the moves. This is more complex than it seems because CUBESTORMER 3 uses a speed cube which allows twists before the sides are fully-aligned. It means the robot is effectively mirroring the same kind of judgement and dexterity that a human speed cuber has to apply."
The new Rubik's Cube solving record stands at 3.253 seconds which breaks the old record of 5.27 seconds achieved in 2011. Interestingly enough, the old record was held by the CUBESTORMER 2, also designed by Gilday and Dobson.
David Gilday is a principle engineer at ARM, the company that designed the processor used in this robot. Mike Dobson is a security systems engineer for Securi-Plex.
The CUBESTORMER 3 can perform physical operations quicker than the human eye can even perceive the movement, according to Gilday. He states that the team saw this as an element of risk, but knew that the record could be broken with a few tweaks to its motor and intelligence functions. Next up? Gilday says he and his team aim to make even further improvements to beat the record again.
The Big Bang Fair is aimed at young students of the UK who may want to one-day hold a career in science, technology, engineering, or math. The fair has been held in March every year since 2009 and offers a look at the exciting opportunities that exist for these fields.


text:
Copyright © 2015 Albuquerque Journal
Think your good driving record and years of loyalty to your car insurance company will get you better rates?
Some insurance companies nationwide have a new method of calculating rates known as “price optimization” that uses statistical modeling to predict how likely a customer is to stick with what they’ve always done and keep renewing their policy, even if the price increases.
New Mexico Insurance Superintendent John Franchini this week said he intended to reject insurer Allstate’s recent rate filing with the state, based on an analysis of the filing.
“We asked them not to underwrite people on the basis that they probably won’t look at another price. There’s a whole bunch of people that they’ve picked out that they know they can raise their rates and they probably won’t be worried,” Franchini said.
Franchini said he is asking the company to change that aspect of the filing and refile.
“They’re not violating state law, or any rules or regulations or statutes,” Franchini said, “They just need to come back and show us how it’s going to work actuarily, and why they want to use it and that it is not going to be a detriment to the policy holder.”
The practice has come under fire from a national consumer group, the Consumer Federation of America, which has written to Franchini and insurance regulators in other states, claiming Allstate is using price optimization to discriminate against long-time customers based on whether they are more or less likely to leave the insurer if the price goes up.
“We are convinced that the filing produces unfairly discriminatory prices,” the Consumer Federation’s April 8 letter to Franchini said.
Franchini said he was aware of the concerns before he received the letter.
Price optimization is now used by 45 percent of large insurance companies in North America, according to a 2013 survey by customer analytics software company Earnix.
Allstate would not directly respond to the consumer group’s allegations or say whether it uses price optimization in calculating rates.
An Allstate spokeswoman provided a statement that said, “Allstate helps our customers get the best product at the right price. Our local agencies know our customers and work with them to get the most for their hard-earned money.”
The statement also said Allstate’s pricing is determined by risk and costs, so lower-risk drivers pay less than higher-risk drivers.
“We use information such as driving safety record, amount and location of driving, type of vehicle and individual behaviors to provide our customers with accurate and competitive rates,” the statement said.
A task force of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners has looked into the pricing practice. It released a report last month that said price optimization has been used in the retail and travel industries for several years, but has only recently been adopted in the insurance industry.
The report said the new mathematical predictive modeling differed from traditional loss-based rate calculation criteria by enabling companies to analyze how customers respond to demand for goods and services in relationship to prices. For example, price optimization software enables a company to take into account data such as a customer’s Internet enquiries and offers they have rejected.
The report said some state insurance regulators were concerned that the shift from “loss-based ratemaking principles” might conflict with state laws that require rates not to be excessive and unfairly discriminatory.
It said regulators in Maryland, Ohio and California have told insurers to stop using price optimization practices.


text:
“A decade ago it was rare to see a pair of Tokyo teenage boys out shopping in kimonos. But attitudes to national identity are starting to change. Genbei Yamaguchi’s new collection for United Arrows is targeting this shift in mood”. Monocle have compiled a great report worth watching, here, while I ask is this the sign we were all looking for from one of the most influential parts of the fashion world.
Thansk to Wearethemarket for the heads up.


text:
Although still above legal limits set by the EU, total emissions of harmful pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and sulphur dioxide are down in cities across England
Emissions of a number of harmful airbourne pollutants dropped across the UK between 2015 and 2016, according to Defra data released late last week that suggests tighter restrictions on tailpipe emissions...
Current plans fall short of 2030 targets, official European Commission assessment warns
The breadth of SDG8's pursuit of sustainable economic growth presents businesses with a major challenge
Swiss carbon capture pioneers launch online shop where individuals can buy carbon dioxide removal service to offset emissions
The way to deliver a just transition to net zero is through public borrowing, argues Dr Matthew Lockwood of the University of Sussex


text:
Miners are back in accumulation mode, with 5,000 BTC added to Bitcoin’s unspent supply since the start of February.
Chinese supplier MicroBT will be providing the new hardware over the next two years.
Bitcoin is retesting a key support level at $44K-$45K for the third time in the past week.
Bitcoin in, and Bitcoin out: major players are deploying different strategies as BTC consolidates well under $58,400 highs.
On-chain data shows that while miners are selling less BTC, old investors are realizing profits.
Bitcoin mining equipment maker Ebang announced Thursday it is preparing to officially launch a cryptocurrency exchange in the first quarter of 2021.
Chinese miners are struggling to sell their crypto in ways that would quickly get them much-needed cash in the face of a government crackdown on local exchanges.
Ebang, one of the major manufacturers of bitcoin mining equipment, hopes an exchange could double total revenue by 2022.
Miner outflows of bitcoin have dropped to decade lows, with analysts saying a hoarding mentality and a drop in issuance after the halving are responsible.
While bitcoin looks set to prolong its recent bullish moves, those responsible for making new bitcoin have increased their selling.


text:
From fireworks to firearms, many owner-operators prohibit potentially dangerous items from being stored in self storage units. But there are hidden dangers lurking within some seemingly harmless items, such as e-bikes and scooters. These electric micromobility travel devices, designed to create safer streets, more efficient transportation, and greener cities, house lithium-ion batteries, which have been known to start deadly fires; a battery-induced blaze at a Brooklyn self storage facility even sent a firefighter to the hospital just one week ago.
Behind the Battery-Fueled Blazes
What causes e-bikes and other micromobility devices to blow? According to TechCrunch, lithium-ion cells undergo a process called thermal runaway, which results in a sharp increase of battery cell temperature and pressure, accompanied by the release of flammable gas. The flammable gas can ignite from the battery’s high temperature, resulting in a quick fire that’s hard to put out and emits toxic fumes.
While some e-bikes and scooters are considered safe, cheap versions with low-quality batteries, often imported from China, are more likely to explode due to a lower-quality manufacturing process that results in defects. “You have to remember, you get what you pay for,” says Leo Raudys, president and CEO of Call2Recycle, a nonprofit battery-recycling program. “These batteries are highly engineered devices, and if you’re only spending a couple hundred bucks on a battery, you’re probably getting one that’s cutting corners in a number of different places.”
In New York City, where food delivery by workers on e-bikes is the norm, e-bike-related fires have been skyrocketing, doubling each year from 2020 to 2022, according to Fire Department of New York data. As of July 3, 2023, there have been 114 investigations into lithium-ion fires, 74 injuries, and 13 deaths. A fire in June at an e-bike store resulted in the death of four people, and one week later, as part of the FDNY’s crackdown on illegal batteries, dozens of lithium-ion batteries that were damaged or being charged on overloaded power strips were found at a different store, which the department described as a “ticking time bomb.”
Self storage facilities can also be victims. On October 22, at a Stop & Stor self storage facility in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, firefighters battled a blaze inside storage facility units where hundreds of e-bikes and other mobility devices were being stored. Fire officials said that although the sprinkler system was working, the fire was too overwhelming to be stopped. The blaze even sent one firefighter to the hospital for smoke inhalation.
"When fire suppression systems were designed a long time ago, no one had the bikes or batteries in mind,” said FDNY Assistant Chief Michael V. Meyers. “So what happens is this fire suppression system, they're not designed to put out enough water, the copious amount of water, it takes to put out the batteries or any kind of electrical fire."
E-Bike Battery Government Action
To help reduce the incidence of e-bike and other lithium-ion battery fires, a number of bills have been introduced to Congress. One new bill, called the Import Security and Fairness Act, would limit the import of unregulated e-bikes and batteries into the U.S., and strike the provision that allows for products under $800 – the type of bike that’s more likely to have an uncertified battery or a poor battery management system – to go unchecked.
Another proposed bill, introduced to the Senate in March, would require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to establish a final consumer product safety standard for e-bikes and e-scooters to protect against the risk of fires.
Policymakers are also introducing bills that would provide Americans with a federal rebate of up to $1,500 toward the purchase of an e-bike. If passed, this bill could help make quality e-bikes more accessible to lower-income Americans. The bills would make only e-bikes with UL-certified batteries, or equivalently certified batteries, eligible for tax credits.
Self Storage E-Bike Safety
Banning e-bikes from your storage facility may seem like an obvious solution. However, this could result in a loss of business, especially where this transportation method is popular. If you choose to allow e-bike storage, consider only allowing equipment with a UL mark to be stored. This mark states that the product, including battery, motor, and charger, have been safety tested and certified. This goes for anything with lithium-ion batteries, not just electric micromobility vehicles. Here’s a look at common UL marks.
You can also provide tenants storing e-bikes and other lithium-ion charging products with safety guidelines. Some pointers include:
Only use the manufacturer’s cord and power adapter.
Never use extension cords or power strips for charging (they change the level of electrical resistance).
Don’t overcharge devices (keep them between 10% and 80% if possible).
Don’t keep batteries in direct sunlight.
If you’ve been out and about on your e-bike, wait for batteries to revert to room temperature before charging.
If your battery gets wet, wait until it is dry before charging.
When buying a used e-bike, have a reputable e-bike shop check the battery health.
If anyone at your facility reports a strange smell or odd noise, which is common when a lithium-ion battery is overheating, be sure to take action and/or call for fire/police.
Ultimately, just as with gun storage, it is up to you as the facility owner-operator to determine which items you will allow in storage. The growing popularity of e-bikes and other lithium-ion battery-fueled items means you may not want to outright ban them, however you want to be sure they are stored safely. By asking tenants to follow these guidelines and looking out for UL certification marks, you can keep the e-bike business and your business safer.
Brad Hadfield is a staff writer and news researcher for Messenger magazine. He also manages the Modern Storage Media website.


text:
The Longest Railway In The World Is Stalled In Madrid
The world's longest train route spans more than 8,000 miles, crosses through eight countries, and covers a greater distance than the diameter between the North and South pole.
The China-Europe Block Train begins in the east Chinese city of Yiwu and crosses through Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Poland, Germany, and France before reaching its destination 21-days later in the Spanish capital of Madrid.
Also called Yixinou, the route surpasses the world's second and third longest routes, the Trans-Siberian railway (5,772 miles) and the Moscow-to-Beijing (4,340 miles) train.
The maiden convoy pulled approximately 1,400 tons and switched engines 16 times (about once every 500 miles) during the entirety of the journey, Spain's El País reports.
And now it is sitting in Madrid, despite operators hoping the train would return to China in time for the country's new year on February 19.
While the new train service is nearly 10 days faster than the traditional sea route, the cost is also 20-30% higher, El País reports. Another drawback of the marathon route stems from the variety of climates the cargo undergoes while in transit.
The harsh Russian winters of minus-22 degrees Fahrenheit cause serious problems for commodities like Spanish wine and jamón, increasingly popular products among China's middle class, The Local Spain reports. Consequently, the report adds, "thirty containers set to make the voyage to China remain empty in a Madrid warehouse."
Yazhong Huang, the Director of Business at the Chinese Embassy in Madrid, told El País, that the European Union is currently China's largest trading partner with Spain being China's seventh largest partner within the EU. "The volume of bilateral trade in 2013 reached $24.9 billion," Huang said.
Here's a visualization of the train and its route:
- Amazon Great Republic Sale: Best deals on kitchen appliances
- India records 2,71,202 fresh COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, active cases highest in 225 days
- Amazon Great Republic Day Sale 2022 — Best deals and offers on laptops
- Amazon Great Republic Day Sale — Top offers and deals on large electronic appliances
- Amazon Great Republic Sale – best deals on mobile phones
- Section 144 in Mumbai
- Elon Musk
- India's win in Centurion
- Millionaires Employees
- Car with Waiting Period
- Tax Saving Investment
- Urban Company
- New Year 2022
- Upcoming new laptops
- Bank Holidays in January
- Valuable NFT Projects
- Xiaomi 11i hypercharge
- GST Input tax credit
- Public Holidays in 2022
- RBL Stocks
- Upcoming Smartphones in 2022


text:
Mazda has come out as the least reliable car manufacturer in Australia, according to a new study by Scrap Car Comparison that analysed the data of over two million Google searches.
When we encounter a problem with our car many of us turn to the internet for help, and this new study got under the bonnet of which particular car models are causing their owners to frequently turn to Google for troubleshooting assistance.
The investigation analysed breakdown, fault and repair related search volumes for almost 500 different car models. The data was then cross-referenced with the sales figures for each model to achieve a fair comparison.
The resulting Crap Car Comparison Index reveals that Australia’s second best-selling auto-manufacturer is the least reliable, with nearly 12,000 Google searches logged last year from Mazda owners looking for advice around a fault in their car. BMW, Audi and Volvo all feature in the top ten manufactures you can rely least upon, but before German and Swedish engineering is written off as no longer being reliable, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen fared well in the list, sitting outside of the top 15 thanks to their comparatively low Google searches for problems vs. their high yearly sales.
Across all counties analyzed, BMWs and Fords ranked highly as unreliable manufacturers, while in Australia in particular, popular brands such as Subaru and Kia also made the top 10 least reliable list. Notably, the biggest selling manufacturer in Australia, Toyota, is down in 15th highlighting the brand’s reliability, with plenty of sales but few owners needing to head to Google to remedy an issue!
Whilst Mazda comes out as the worst car manufacturer in Australia (according to Google search data), it’s actually the Kia Stinger that takes the podium for the least reliable car model. Plenty of Mazda models are also on the list, contributing to why Mazda is deemed the worst manufacturer, with the CX-30, CX-9, CX-5 and Mazda 3 all causing owners to regularly Google what’s gone wrong with them.
Scrap Car Comparison’s research also looked at which cars were troubling owners overseas, and found that Vauxhall is the least reliable brand in the UK, while Ford is the unfortunate winner in the USA.
Dan Gick, managing director of Scrap Car Comparison said: “As we see many of the same makes and models getting scrapped on a daily basis, we wanted to find out whether this stacked up against car reliability. The results seem to show that it does, as the Google search and sales data revealed Ford as second-worst in Australia, the third least reliable brand in the UK, and most unreliable in the USA – and they have been the most scrapped cars in the UK every year since 2017. We hope the results of our Crap Car Comparison Index can help car buyers in their decision making when looking for their next car.”
The research from Scrap Car Comparison used Google’s Keyword planner to search volumes for keywords relating to car trouble (i.e. [car model + warning light], [car model + problem], [car model + breakdown], [car model + repair] and [car model + fault] for all of the major car brands’ specific models made in the last 12 months. Around 500 different car models were used in the analysis.
The volume of searches was cross-referenced with the number of cars sold before the final index score was calculated.
The Avid Collective MD reveals his life pre-adland. As exciting as it is, it's not international playboy spy & Lothario.
SenateSHJ has launched a new digital, data and insights capability designed to help clients tackle the growing complexity of communication challenges. SenateSHJ Digital, Data and Insights (DDI) will combine the firm’s existing Digital and Insights functions to create a Trans-Tasman capability focused on digital communication, and the generation and use of data to improve communication. […]
Creative technology platform Bonzai has announced the launch of BrandStory – a new premium mobile ad format. BrandStory offers triple the ad space and 2.8 times greater time in view than single scroll ad formats, addressing the surging demand from brands worldwide for more real estate to drive real results by seamlessly intertwining awareness, exploration […]
B&T went through the looking glass this morning, with editor-in-chief David Hovenden (above) appearing on Channel 7’s The Morning Show to get the general public involved in our search for Australia’s Greatest Ad. Hovenden chatted with Kylie Gillies and stand-in host Matt Doran about what makes a great ad and showcasing some of our favourites […]
Two Australian-born technology providers have joined forces to bring more power and choice to marketers in Australia and New Zealand with mobile messaging that is more local, cost-effective, and integrated. It’s a partnership that sees two Australian software companies come together to deliver a world-class mobile-first solution for marketers building data-driven, personalised, omnichannel campaigns. While […]
Zitcha and Broadsign have teamed up to integrate the Broadsign out-of-home (OOH) advertising platform with Zitcha’s retail media platform. The collaboration empowers retailers to maximise and monetise in-store digital display networks and enables advertising partners to easily view and book available in-store inventory and review campaign performance alongside the retailer’s other media channels. With the […]
Today, 7-Eleven has announced a one-of-a-kind collaboration with the popular Sydney-based anti-resort wear label Double Rainbouu. Dropping tomorrow, December 1, just in time for summer, this limited-edition capsule will infuse the fashion brand’s rebellious spirit with a distinctly iconic 7-Eleven flavour. The unisex collection features five must-have styles comprising two signature Hawaiian shirts, a peaked cap, a bucket hat […]


text:
Sindh authorities introduced to clamp strict lockdown on Friday, Saturday and Sunday as a part of preventive measures towards the pandemic novel coronavirus as confirmed infections have surged to almost 36,000 in Pakistan.
All industrial actions and companies will stay at standstill from May 15 (Friday) to 17 (Sunday), in keeping with an announcement made by the provincial home division.
Last week (May 10) after assembly representatives of associations of small merchants of Karachi on the Sindh Assembly constructing’s auditorium, Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah introduced to loosen up the lockdown measures and granted permission to merchants to reopen their outlets.
There will likely be 100 per cent lockdown within the province on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays within the province aside from the companies and outlets offering important providers, together with promoting of grocery, meals, and milk objects, in keeping with the May 10 announcement by CM Shah.
However, this time spherical, the stricter lockdown will likely be clamped. “From noon on Friday all sorts of businesses, including milk and vegetable shops and pharmacies, will remain shut,” stated Sindh Minister for Information, Local Government, Housing & Town Planning, Religious Affairs, Forest and Wildlife Syed Nasir Hussain Shah.
There will likely be full lockdown in Sindh from morning until 3pm, the minister stated. All outlets, together with retail outlets and medical outlets, will likely be allowed to open after 3pm, he added.
Meantime, commissioner Karachi Iftikhar Shalwani directed deputy commissioners to make sure the implementation of the federal government’s directives. All kinds of enterprise actions will stay closed at present from morning until 3pm, he stated, including, the eateries and medical shops will likely be allowed to open after the 3pm.


text:
Barr Bones is closing after a little more than a year on Frederica Street.
Carli Barr, owner of the boutique, said “Thank you, thank you, thank you, to every single person who has been with us. This community that I’ve built is so important to me.”
She established Barr Bones first as an online boutique business in September of 2018, then opened her brick-and-mortar storefront on May 1, 2021. After Saturday, it will all be shut down as Barr pursues other endeavors.
Barr has a new social media business called “Raise the Barr” that she’ll be deep-diving into. She plans to take on more clients with her newly found free time.
If anyone’s interested, they can email her at [email protected].
Barr still plans to share her love of fashion on her personal Instagram account @carlinicolebarr and hopes to have a personal shopping and styling business next.


text:
Nasdaq Stock Market, one of the most important exchanges in the United States, has announced its support of Bitcoin, Litecoin and Stellar cryptocurrencies. This marks its first implication with the virtual currencies market.
The Stellar Network was created and developed to allow financial institutions and individuals to perform worldwide cross-border transfers. This hybrid blockchain is open source and distributed. It is one of the first cryptocurrencies to be backed by Nasdaq, which expects that partnering with enterprises like IBM might ensure its potential growth.
Litecoin recently announced that it will functions as a cross-blockchain decentralized application. This is where the Nasdaq recognized the future potential of this cryptocurrency, as it might allow it, as well as other cryptocurrencies, to keep growing, aggregating value and being used. As a cryptocurrency, it is already known for fast and low fees transactions. Contrarily to many cryptocurrencies, Litecoin does not aim at becoming “the next Bitcoin”, but rather at complementing it.
By implementing the Lightning Network (LN) scaling solution, Bitcoin will be able to drastically reduce transaction times and fees, almost to zero. This implementation is expected to encourage a growth in the number of users, as it will support further privacy functionalities.


text:
from the vehicle parts specialists.
Now you probably have all heard the news that the government have proposed a complete fuel ban by 2040 which means we only have 23 years to buy new diesel and petrol vehicles the question is, is it really going to happen?
The move was introduced as some 40,000 deaths a year allegedly down to fuel pollution and the ban will reduce the amount of highly polluting cars on Britain’s roads. But experts have warned the plans may not be at all feasible due to the immense strain the influx of electric cars will have on the national grid. AA motoring experts have warned the National Grid will be under huge pressure to “cope with a mass switch-on after the evening rush hour”.
This is not the only reason why this huge change may not work, since electric cars are currently more expensive and less practical than their petrol and diesel counterparts. Car manufacturers seem to be preparing for this ban with even Lamborghini last week revealing a concept for a eco-friendly electric super car with the vehicle’s carbon fiber body actually stores energy – and it’s able to heal itself. It is predicted that the number of electric cars in the UK could hit around nine million by 2030.
With so many pitfalls there is a lot of speculation of it actually going ahead, but only time will tell!


text:
Mystery shopping is an exciting, unique way to make money. Unfortunately, the industry commonly falls prey to online scams in which third parties try to take advantage of responsible shoppers and companies to steal their earnings. It's highly important that shoppers stay abreast of recent scams and know what to do if they feel they are the victim of one.
LinkedIn reports new scam
?Kiplinger Magazine reported that one of the latest developments in the scam department is emerging through LinkedIn, a popular professional networking site. Rich Bradley, who is president of the MSPA of North America, stated that scam artists are posing as legitimate MSPA members and sending messages to people through their LinkedIn profiles. This is troubling and may affect more users than most scams because LinkedIn and MSPA members are typically trusted sources of employment.
As a rule, MSPA members do not pay shoppers prior to completing an assignment, nor are they allowed to ask secret shoppers for money in advance of completing a shop. In the two types of scams appearing through LinkedIn, people were asked to either send funds to the mystery shopping company or cash a check to complete a shop and send remaining funds back to the sender. These checks turn out to be fraudulent and banks will charge account holders the amount owed.
It's imperative that consumers and shoppers alike understand that retailers, mystery shopping companies and financial institutions involved are not to blame for the chaos.
Lt. Phillip Young told the Franklin News Post that "these stores have no affiliation with the scam artist who is placing the ad or sending the letters."
This was in response to resent reports from residents of Franklin County, Virginia who had received letters offering "employment packets" to people willing to mystery shop local businesses. Sometimes, scam artists even post advertisements in local papers, asking people to get in contact with them for a lucrative mystery shopping opportunity. In the worst case scenarios, victims lose thousands of dollars and may even fall prey to identity theft.
Reporting a scam
If you suspect you've been contacted by an unreliable party attempting to lure you into a mystery shopping scam, it's a good idea to report it to authorities so others won't fall for it either.
If a message comes through a social networking site like LinkedIn, report it to that site's customer service center. It should be informed of any illegal or troubling activity taking place within the network.
Then, contact the Federal Trade Commission and file a report there. The FTC uses complaints to help law enforcement identify those that abuse others and try to put an end to fraudulent activity as best they can. The FTC only asks for as much personal information as you feel you want to give them. While the FTC doesn't remedy everyone's complaints individually, they use the information provided to better track scams and track down responsible parties.
Contacting your state's Attorney General to report a scam is also a possibility.
When in doubt over whether or not to take on a mystery shopping job, trust your gut. If it seems too good to be true, as in it pays much higher than any job you've seen before and seems to be a huge reward for the task, consider passing on the offer. In addition, remember that you should never pay a company to perform a gig. If you pay anything at all, it's during the shop and your receipts are submitted for reimbursement based on the guidelines set forth by your company or the client.


text:
Home Authors Posts by Paul Hunter
CBS’s “The Talk” host Aisha Tyler was back again this year to MC Ubisoft’s E3 2015 press conference, and what a show it was! Ubisoft always brings something new for gamers each E3, and this year was no exception. From brand new IPs, to the latest entry in your favourite Ubisoft franchises, this press conference had it all. Let’s look at the games!
At E3 2015, Square Enix hosted there first conference in many years, and it was obvious why they have such a large presence this year: so many great games! What impressed me the most is how Square Enix is diversifying their games line-up, which ranges from open world, to stealth, the third-person action, to classic JRPGs. They presented games for everyone, and many of their biggest titles are launching this fall! Let’s take a look at what they showed us.
With the E3 2015 show floor now open, I made a bee line over to the Nintendo booth to gets some hands-on time with their hottest upcoming releases for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. I had a chance to check out many games shown on Nintendo’s online streamed Digital Event, including Mario Maker, Yoshi’s Woolly World, Star Fox Zero, and more. Let’s take a look!
One thing was clear from watching Sony’s PlayStation E3 2015 Press Conference: they have games for everyone on the horizon. From action titles like Uncharted 4, to fighting games like Street Fighter V, to the incredible announcement that the most universally acclaimed role-playing game of all time—Final Fantasy VII—are all coming to PlayStation!
At Microsoft’s Xbox E3 2015 keynote address, the company unveiled what they described as the “Greatest Holiday Games Lineup in Xbox History”. With games like Halo 5, Forza Motorsport 6, Rise of the Tomb Raider, and Gears of War: Ultimate Edition all coming this fall I can’t help but agree–this is going to be the best holiday ever for Xbox fans!
Last night Bethesda brought their A game, or should I say games, to the Dolby Theatre in north Hollywood, officially kicking off the E3 2015 press conferences. What a show it was, delivering exciting updates on hugely anticipated games like Fallout 4 and The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited, as well as confirming releases for DOOM and Dishonored 2!
Nintendo kicked off E3 2015 in a huge way yesterday with the first Nintendo World Championships in 25 years! The event saw sixteen competitors do battle in eight Nintendo video games—including modern hits, nostalgic classics, and even a new game reveal!
This September, get ready for next Skylanders adventure, one that will take to you across land, sea, and sky! In Skylanders SuperChargers, you’ll be introduced to vehicles―a first for the series―letting you speed down roads, plunge through rapids, or do barrel rolls in the air. Time to experience your favourite franchise in a whole new way!
Can you believe it—we’re mere days from the biggest and most electric video gaming spectacle of the entire year: the E3 Expo! The anticipation for E3 has been building for months, and now it’s time to truly get excited. What can you expect from the show? How about jaw-dropping new game announcements, thrilling updates on your most anticipated upcoming games, celebrity appearances (we all know it’s going to happen!), and all the glitz, glamour, and gaming awesomeness you can handle. Get set, it’s time for E3!
Nintendo is kicking off the E3 festivities this year in a huge way by inviting fans from around the world to watch the thrilling finals of the Nintendo World Championships live on Sunday, June 14. This is the first time in 25 years that Nintendo has held these Championships, signalling the company’s grand return to competitive gaming—a sport they helped popularize back in the 90’s.


text:
By Katie Tsui
Increased interest in mobile health devices, fitness apps, and digital therapeutics has made the advent of digital health one of the most prominent healthcare industry trends. An estimated $4.7 billion was spent on digital health in 2017 and the collective market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 18% to 2022.
Digital therapeutics, which represent a subdivision of digital health, are behavior therapy options that leverage digital and/or online health technologies to treat medical and psychological conditions. They are intended to either supplement traditional pharma medications or replace them. Since digital therapeutics are frequently delivered through browsers, apps, or alongside medical devices, the field has the potential to significantly improve care delivery by decreasing costs in real time and at scale, especially for treatment of chronic diseases that account for 85% of health care expenses.
Pharmaceutical companies have long tiptoed around digital therapeutics due to the vague regulatory perimeters surrounding their usage. The FDA approval process for typical drugs takes an average of 12 years to complete, translating into over $350 million of capital needed to bring a drug to market. Half of the time is spent on clinical trials and the probability of a drug clearance is below 0.01% from the start of preclinical discovery to the stage of final approval.
A digital therapeutic, however, must be placed on a different regulatory timeline because the heart of it is not chemistry or pharmacokinetic profiling. It is software.
The current FDA drug approval model makes little sense for digital therapeutics. Software must be updated constantly, glitches need to be fixed, and patient feedback will be particularly important for product improvements. This deviation from traditional pharma has been unprecedented until recently when it has been turned into a reality.
The progression of digital therapeutics depends on a new paradigm of understanding and regulation. Like traditional medications, digital therapeutics may need to be put on formularies in order to be worthwhile for patients and payers, but regulations surrounding usage are vague, making it difficult for digital therapeutics to succeed over traditional therapies in comparative effectiveness trials.
However, these rules are starting to shift. Last year the FDA published a Digital Health Innovation Action Plan, which reimagined the approach towards access to high-quality, safe, and effective digital health products. Similarly, an FDA-run Pre-Certification Program was initiated in September 2017 in hopes of uniting digital health companies with healthcare stakeholders and patients to collaborate on developing new parameters. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services now reimburses digital therapeutics for diabetes prevention and management.
The FDA’s decision to redefine regulations and the projected growth of digital therapeutics suggest that pharma must also adapt to and embrace digital health as a worthwhile competitor and possible business partner. The long-established pharma business model is shifting and digital health marks a step towards prioritizing new, cost-effective methods of treatment at the intersection of technology and cognitive behavioral therapy. The implications are enormous.
Life science companies must acknowledge the presence of these up-and-coming startups that have the potential to significantly disrupt the future of traditional pharma products. Pharma should even consider partnerships with members of the Digital Therapeutics Alliance, a global non-profit trade association consisting of over a dozen startups. Pharma should follow in the footsteps of Novartis and Sanofi, two behemoths that are already expanding their own portfolios toward diversified, digital methods of care as the healthcare landscape changes and new stakeholders come into play in an increasingly digitalized world.


text:
According to a recent article in the Toronto Star, sales of new condos were significantly higher in 2014 as compared to 2013, which saw a dip in sales. Many GTA developers even reported last year to be one of their best years in sales.
Urbanation, a Toronto-based market research firm, reported that nearly 52,500 new condos were under construction as part of 198 new development projects within the GTA at the end of last year.
The resale condo market mirrored the market growth seen in new condos. Last year, sales increased to 14 per cent with a record 17,819 units sold and prices were up 3.8 per cent to $389,000 (or an average of $431 per square foot) as compared to 2013.
These trends, Urbanation’s senior vice president Shaun Hildebrand said, were the result of "pricing and incentives [becoming] more competitive across a greater selection of available units."
Similarly, condo rentals were also up due to their affordability versus low-rise housing types.