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EA: Game over on talks for GTA maker Take-Two Interactive*
* Updated at 5:35 p.m. with comments from Strauss Zelnick, chairman of Take-Two, and game industry analysts.
Electronic Arts said today it has terminated talks to acquire Take-Two Interactive Software, ending a nearly yearlong effort by the world's largest video game company to buy the publisher of the Grand Theft Auto game franchise.
"After careful consideration, including a management presentation and review of other due diligence materials provided by Take-Two Interactive Software Inc., EA has decided not to make a proposal to acquire Take-Two," the Redwood City, Calif., company said in a statement released this afternoon.
The two companies have been locked in a stand-off for months, after Take-Two rejected EA's $2-billion offer as too low. EA brought the offer directly to Take-Two shareholders and extended its deadline for the bid to expire several times as the Federal Trade Commission reviewed the proposal for antitrust implications.
EA executives said today that their offer had been based on the ability to close the transaction in time to take advantage of the upcoming holiday sales.
"We've always maintained that time was of the essence," Owen Mahoney, senior vice president of corporate development and EA's chief deal negotiator, said in an interview. "We've said that the value of this transaction deteriorates over time."
EA's offer, valued at $25.74 a share, represented a 64% premium over Take-Two's stock price when the bid was made public in February. "In the end, we had a very different view on the value of Take-Two, and we have moved on," Mahoney said. Take-Two shares had gained 24 cents to $21.89 Friday.
Mahoney said EA would consider other acquisitions, as long as they fit with the company's two priorities -- improving the quality of its core game franchises and developing an online distribution business with higher operating margins than packaged games sold at retail stores. The company had nearly $2.7 billion in cash and short-term investments as of June 30.
In an interview, Take-Two Chairman Strauss Zelnick said his company had "a bright future ahead of us." Zelnick, who took the helm in a boardroom coup 18 months ago with a mandate to turn around the beleaguered company, said Take-Two has paid off its debts and is accumulating cash, thanks to a blockbuster launch of Grand Theft Auto IV in April. Zelnick also expressed optimism about the October launch of Midnight Club: Los Angeles, a racing game developed by the same studio that created Grand Theft Auto IV.
Analysts said Take-Two could still thrive as a standalone company. "As a smaller company, they would have to take their risks strategically," said Billy Pidgeon, analyst with IDC. "But they can't be jack of all trades. They're just not big enough."
Pidgeon said the company may have to focus its business more tightly around that while Take-Two's basketball games are well respected, its overall sports games business is a "moneypit."
Take-Two could still be an attractive acquisition target for a company with deep pockets, including Sony, which manufactures the PlayStation 3 game console, or Microsoft, which makes the Xbox 360 console, Pidgeon said. "Take-Two has a lot of development and marketing talent," Pidgeon said.
Zelnick confirmed in an interview that his company is in talks with a "strategic partner."
"We remain actively engaged in discussions with other parties," he said, but declined to give further details.
Analysts said EA still could return to the table. "If Take-Two's stock price settles back into the teens, we could see them come back again in a few months," said Michael Pachter, analyst with Wedbush Morgan Securities. "They walked away, but that doesn't mean they won't look at it again."
-- Alex Pham
Grand Theft Auto image from Silvio Sousa Cabral via Flickr


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Data analysts GfK has revealed the findings of its Consumer Climate Europe study for the third quarter of 2016.
The top transnational issue in the third quarter, especially at the beginning, was the British people’s decision to leave the EU. It was otherwise mainly country-specific themes that dominated discussions in the individual European countries, GfK explains. The economic and income expectations and propensity to buy indicators have not developed uniformly across Europe. Overall, the consumer climate for the EU28 fell from 13.1 points to 12.3 points from June to September 2016.
The beginning of the third quarter was marked by the UK’s decision to leave the EU at the end of June. In almost all European countries and particularly in the UK, consumer confidence and above all economic expectations fell, dramatically so in some cases. The consumer climate EU28 fell from 13.1 points in June to 10.0 points in July. By September, it had recovered to 12.3 points. Already in August, however, discussions about Brexit had become significantly more subdued across Europe. Other country-specific themes in particular prevailed. It will only be possible to forecast with certainty the implications of Brexit on the mood of European consumers once the actual negotiations have begun and the UK’s exit draws closer, GfK adds.
In economic terms, Europe is developing positively. Almost all countries are reporting economic growth, in some cases at very impressive rates. This is also reflected by the unemployment figures. In most countries, employment is rising and unemployment rates are falling. However, these positive aspects are not leading to a fundamental increase in economic and income expectations among consumers. Propensity to buy, too, has not always been consistent with the general economic development of each country. Other country-specific issues also currently appear to be at play, as well as general psychological factors and fundamental uncertainties, such as the ongoing war in Syria, terrorist attacks in France and Germany, the rise of right-wing populist parties in elections and polls and the upcoming US presidential election.
United Kingdom: Economic expectations recover after Brexit crash
Following the Brexit referendum by the British in June, economic expectations initially fell; from -5.9 points in June to -28.3 in July. That was the lowest indicator value since October 2012. By September it had recovered, however, and currently stands at -1.8 points. This more than compensated for the Brexit losses.
The picture was similar for income expectations. In July, the indicator initially fell by 21.4 points to -2.2 points. The indicator has stabilized since then. In September, it stood at 13.7 points. This means that, despite the decision to withdraw from the EU, the British are expecting a moderate increase in their income and a slight decline in unemployment over the coming months.
Unlike the other two indicators, the propensity to buy value did not fluctuate as significantly during the third quarter. While the indicator also suffered significant losses from June to July, by September it stood at almost the same value (6.7 points) as it did in June (6.0 points). The impact of the Brexit negotiations between the United Kingdom and the EU on the consumer climate and the individual indicators will only become clear next year.

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With football season off to a fresh start—and basketball and hockey not far behind—plenty of potentially hungry, thirsty fans are filling stadiums and arenas around the country. These venues are at the ready, foodservice-wise, revamping menus and in some cases, lowering prices, to keep spectators happy and well-fed. In many cases, they aim to get customers eating before the game even starts, thus bumping up the check. Here’s what’s for sale in the stands this fall.
Photograph courtesy of Ohio State
1. 30 rookies join the roster
Aramark, the foodservice contractor that partners with a number of NFL teams, has developed 30 new items for the 2018-19 season, including regional variations of fan favorites and healthier options. Ten new tacos are making their debut, often composed of ingredients that reflect their locale. There are Chesapeake Tacos flavored with Old Bay-seasoned pulled chicken and crab dip in a purple corn tortilla at M&T Stadium where the Baltimore Ravens play, and Korean-style pork belly tacos at Chicago’s Soldier Field. Sandwiches have a similar regional slant. The NRG Astrodome in Houston is serving up a Texas Smoked Meatball Sub, while U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis is offering a Cubano on a local Cuban roll.
On the healthier side, Aramark has added plant-based burgers, vegan sausage, a grilled veggie and hummus flatbread, and sweet potato and black bean tacos to its menus. In addition, signatures created by high-profile chefs such as Michael Symon and David Chang are upgrading the menu mix.
Photograph courtesy of Aramark
2. Priced to please
Last year, Mercedes-Benz stadium, home of the Atlanta Falcons, tried out “fan first pricing,” reducing the prices on sodas and hot dogs to $2 apiece. The plan resulted in a 16% increase in spending during football games, reports Atlanta Magazine.So this year, the stadium is discounting some premium food items by $1 each and introducing a local craft beer for $5. Among the discounted specials are chili cheese fries ($9), bratwurst ($8) and a free-range chicken sandwich ($10).
Entirely new menu items are also joining the lineup, including a vegan quinoa burger, brisket mac ’n cheese and tinga chicken nachos.
Photograph courtesy of Mercedes-Benz stadium
3. Basketball follows suit
Also in Atlanta is the newly renovated basketball arena where the city’s NBA team, the Atlanta Hawks plays hoops. It’s being renamed for State Farm and when it reopens in October, the concessions will feature similar fan-friendly pricing as Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The affordable menu boasts price cuts up to 50% and lists 12 additional food and beverage items for less than $5 each, according to a story on nba.com. The Hawks were motivated by the Atlanta Falcons’ success with lower prices, which boosted spending.
Photograph courtesy of nba.com
4. New choices for the Buckeyes
Pro teams are not the only ones revamping stadium menus. The Ohio State University is kicking off football season with a host of new eating options developed by Levy Restaurants, a division of Compass, which runs the foodservice operations at Ohio Stadium. At the recently launched Smoke and Pour concept, customers can order ribs smoked in-house and a smoked brisket sandwich. At Taste of the Competition, fans from the visiting team can get burgers topped with regional flavors and ingredients. More shareable snacks are also on offer, including loaded waffle fries and housemade pork rinds. And back by popular demand are cheesesteaks, the latest a Southwestern version with salsa and jalapenos.
Photograph courtesy of Ohio State
5. A taste of Texas
Also on the college front are new offerings at Texas Tech University’s Jones AT&T Stadium. The names of the items are insider references for the school’s Red Raiders football team fans and locals in the know, according to a story in the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, the university’s hometown paper. The roster includes Fearless, a turkey leg; Hub City Beef Tips; Lone Star Legs (fried chicken); Raider Red Hot Link; Fighting Matador, a green chili burger with pepperjack cheese; and the Wreck ’Em Chili Dog, which includes corn chips in the chili.
Photograph courtesy of Texas Tech
6. Going local
Not to be outdone by a nearby college, the Houston Texans’ NRG Stadium (aka the Astrodome) is showing off its new menu items too. Many of the new offerings tap into local brands and products, including a new Mexican restaurant on the grounds—Ninfa’s on Navigation—a Houston landmark. Other concepts are serving up Aramark-created items with a Texas accent, such as Corn Dog Nachos, Gulf crab cakes with elote corn, peppers and pico de gallo, giant house-smoked beef ribs and Ninfa’s fajita tacos. In a nod to health, there’s also a quinoa salad and a lentil salad.
Photograph courtesy of Aramark
7. The Hoosier way
Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis is tempting Colts’ fans with new offerings for this NFL season. The items, created by foodservice partner Centerplate, aim to reflect the diverse Indianapolis food scene, while still homing in on gameday favorites, according to a news release. On the menu is a rotating Gridiron Burger with varying toppings, the Saltado Peruvian Sandwich (beef tenderloin seasoned with a housemade spice blend) and the Colts Forged Combo (bratwurst with Italian beef and giardiniera). Other new offerings include a muffaletta, Buffalo chicken wrap and three hearty mac ’n cheese variations topped with the likes of pot roast, blackened chicken and pulled pork.
Photograph courtesy of Lucas Oil Stadium
8. The NFL’s biggest and priciest burger
The $75 Gridiron Burger debuting at University of Phoenix Stadium weighs in at seven pounds and comes with a challenge: anyone who finishes it in under an hour is rewarded with an Arizona Cardinals jersey and a photo on the scoreboard. You have to be a meat lover to win—the “burger” contains five beef patties, five hot dogs, five bratwursts, 20 slices of American cheese, eight slices of bacon, eight chicken tenders, 12 ounces of fries, lettuce, pickles and sauce, all on a 10-inch bun. Cardinals fans with slightly smaller appetites may opt instead for the new Taco-Dilla (a quesadilla topped with pollo asada or red chile beef tacos), the Dirty Fry Bird (a pound of fries covered with queso, pico de gallo, jalapenos, and six fried chicken legs) or a churro donut sundae.
9. Travel the globe with the Cowboys
African, Korean, Thai and Mexican influences are flavoring new menu items at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, where the Dallas Cowboys play. Global dishes debuting include the African Spiced SuperGrain Bowl (brown rice, barley and farro topped with dukkah chicken and mango-cucumber salsa), Thai Veggie Wrap with Spicy Peanut Sauce and Pork Belly Burger topped with kimchi. New twists on gameday favorites are also on the roster, such as the Mac ’N Cheese Brisket Cone, Doritos Chicken Wrap and “barbecue done the Cowboys way”: a hoagie stuffed with jalapeno cheese sausage, mac ’n cheese, chopped brisket, barbecue sauce and extra jalapenos.
Photograph courtesy of AT&T Stadium


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Ubisoft's 2020-released battle royale with a futuristic setting, Hyper Scape, is going dark in April. The announcement comes shortly after Watch Dogs: Legion's development shut down.
Windows 11 in Release Preview adds urgent notifications bypass and more
windows 11 insider preview
Windows 11 released to Dev Channel and ISO comes with File Explorer tabs
windows 11 promo
Hyper scape RSS
Guerilla Games' Horizon Zero Dawn, Obsidian Entertainment's Grounded, and Ubisoft's Hyper Scape are all receiving support for AMD graphics cards in the new Radeon Software 20.8.1 driver.
Hyper Scape's open beta on PC is coming to an end soon, and Ubisoft has announced that the full release will happen on August 11, delivering the battle royale experience to PC and, finally, consoles.
AMD's latest Radeon graphics driver, Adrenalin 2020 Edition 20.7.2, delivers performance boosts for Death Stranding and F1 2020, plus support for Ubisoft's latest battle royale, Hyper Scape.
During its Ubisoft Forward digital presentation today, Ubisoft showed yet another look at its futuristic battle royale, Hyper Scape. It's now in open beta on PC, and you can try it via Uplay.
Video game publisher and developer Ubisoft has announced a free-to-play battle royale title for current-gen consoles and PC. Titled Hyper Scape, the game is set to land on the PS4, Xbox One and PC.


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Women are changing the face of business. Here, Tessa Mansfield outlines a key trend for women and entrepreneurism in 2019.
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US: Lawmakers urge action following Bangladesh fire
A group of US lawmakers is calling on President Barack Obama to take action in the wake of the recent fire in Bangladesh to ensure that clothing imported into the US - particularly products for the military - is made in factories that protect their workforce.
A letter sent to the President yesterday (12 December) follows news that Tazreen Fashion - where a fire claimed the lives of at least 111 workers on 24 November - was making apparel bearing US Marine Corps logos for a US Government contractor.
The lawmakers, led by Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), wrote: "It is unacceptable for products made for members of our military or bearing the symbols of our armed forces, and sold at base exchanges around the world, to be sub-contracted out to factories that do not have the most minimal worker protections.
"We urge you to use all the tools at your disposal to ensure that the federal government does not pursue or continue contracts or licensing agreements with prime contractors, sub-contractors, or licensees that fail to guarantee basic and fundamental rights for their workers."
The US Marine Corps has ended its licensing agreement with MJ Soffe, a subsidiary of Delta Apparel, which is said to have placed an order with the Tazreen factory for apparel bearing Marine Corps logos, according to the letter.
Wal-Mart, C&A, Li & Fung, and Piazza Italia have all been confirmed as buyers from the factory. And labour rights group the Clean Clothes Campaign has added that labels and documentation found at the facility identify other customers as rapper Sean Comb's Enyce label, Edinburgh Woollen Mill, Teddy Smith, Ace, Dickies, Fashion Basics, Infinity Woman, Karl Rieker GMBH & Co, and True Desire (Sears).
The US Ambassador to Bangladesh has already warned apparel buyers and manufacturers that a return to "business as usual" after the factory fire "could seriously jeopardise the future of Bangladesh's ready-made garment industry."
Dan Mozena called on the industry to ensure that the fire at the Tazreen Fashion factory ushers in "a new era in Bangladesh of improved workplace safety, better working conditions, a stronger voice for labour, and stronger cooperation among owners, government and workers."
An interactive databank with intelligence on the major apparel sourcing countries
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Starbucks Corp will close 8,000 company-owned U.S. cafes for the afternoon on May 29, to train their employees on how to prevent racial discrimination in its stores.
Starbucks’ roughly 6,000 licensed cafes will remain open and said it would make training materials available to the employees of those stores, who are employed by the grocery stores or airports where they are located.
The announcement from Starbucks came as it tries to cool racial discriminatory tensions after the arrest of two young black men at one of its cafes in Philadelphia last week. The viral arrests sparked accusations of racial profiling at the chain.
Protesters have called for a boycott of the company, in what has become the biggest public relations challenge to date for Chief Executive Kevin Johnson.
Starbucks has not said how many hours the stores would be shuttered during the racial-bias training.
“While this is not limited to Starbucks, we’re committed to being a part of the solution,” said Johnson, who has apologized for the arrests of the two men and taken responsibility for the incident.
Attorneys for the company said Johnson and the two men involved have “engaged in constructive discussions about this issue as well as what is happening in communities across the country.”
While Starbucks has deftly navigated thorny issues such as gay marriage, gun control and Congressional gridlock, U.S. race relations have proven more challenging.
To read more about the Starbucks arrests, click here.
Blogged by Deja Miller


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China is ready to invest $ 11 billion in tourism cluster on Baikal
"Grand Baikal" - the largest tour operator of the Irkutsk region and Chinese company "Chzhuntszinsin" signed a memorandum of cooperation, within of which it is planned to create a tourism cluster on Baikal.
As the press-service of the tour operator said, that it is planned to build not only a modern tourist facilities, but infrastructure development on Baikal region and surrounding areas too. All this will increase the tourist flow to the region.
According to Chinese experts, the estimated volume of investments to the project is about $ 11 billion.
"A pool of Chinese investors is defined. The company "Chzhuntszinsin” represents the pool at the first stage of act of low. Russian participants will present the largest of the Baikal region tourist company "Grand Baikal", - the report says.
Digest, This article is written or translated by Russian Travel Digest’s News Team. Every day we search for the most important news on the Russian tourism and travel market to keep you updated.


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Blog: BrewDog leashed? Not yet
Andy Morton | 3 September 2014
But in an interview with the London Times on Monday, the brewer's co-founder James Watt suggested he was ready to rein in his company's wilder impulses, in particular its naked contempt for mainstream lagers.
“We’ve more than made our point about our disdain for industrial beers and big breweries, and there’s only so long we can play that card,” Watt was reported as saying.
But old habits die hard.
A press release this week on BrewDog's latest beer launch, a lager, quotes Watt as saying: “For years, global breweries have spent millions convincing the British public that lager is a beer style best served as fizzy, tasteless liquid cardboard propped up by snappy straplines, glamorous advertising or counterfeit stories of foreign provenance.”
Looks like BrewDog has not yet lost its bark.
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text: NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- When the "green shoots" of recovery appeared in Europe earlier this year, with growth of 0.3% for the second quarter, fans of austerity breathed a sigh of relief.After five years of tightening belts, it seemed that growth was finally on the way. Maybe not. Once again European growth is slowing. The size of the eurozone economy is 0.4% lower than it was in the third quarter of last year. France and Italy both contracted during the last quarter, while growth in Germany slowed. Total growth for the third quarter came in at 0.1%. While the U.S. has pursued a fiscal stimulus and then a monetary one, and has gotten out of gear on an ocean of fracked oil, Europeans have been reluctant to either spend or create new money, fearing inflation. The results seem clear. Germany is getting the same economic boost from renewable energy that the U.S. has gotten from fracking. The U.S. has cut its record deficits in half, while Germany is running a budget surplus and is able to export profitably. Yet in response to its successful investments Germany has been demanding that other countries in the eurozone cut spending to reduce deficits, and so those economies continue to shrink, reducing demand for the very exports on which Germany's future growth depends. That is what is tearing Europe apart. Germany's successful energy program and fiscal discipline are holding down aggregate demand elsewhere and building resentment across the continent. Because there is less money to buy goods, the price of goods is falling. Spain, Cyprus, Ireland and Greece are all now suffering from deflation. As the U.S. found during the Great Depression 80 years ago, deflation is worse than inflation because demand falls faster than supply. The European Central Bank recently cut refinancing rates to 0.25%. There's not much further down it can go.But don't expect anything like the Federal Reserve's quantitative-easing program. The bankers in Europe are opposed to it on a philosophical level. As Japan has shown, a deflationary spiral can be much more difficult to break out of than an inflationary one. Only recently, with what is called "Abenomics," is the country starting to pull out of the slide. But it's a long slog back, and Covestor.com has warned here that, once again, "debt debt debt" could hold Japan back. The longer deflation is allowed to persist, the harder it is to jolt an economy awake. Japan has shown that deflation doesn't solve government's debt problems, it exacerbates them. Loans are made just to keep going and can eventually crowd out loans made to spur growth. The solution seems obvious, but it's difficult on a philosophical level. Europe needs to create more money and spend that money on projects that can pay for themselves. That needs to happen across the continent, not just in Germany. The European equivalent of Hoover has been tried. Time for a little Roosevelt. Follow @DanaBlankenhorn This article was written by an independent contributor, separate from TheStreet's regular news coverage.


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Advertisers in Cannes using digital signs
Many companies who score an advertising spot at the Cannes Film Festival this week will market their products to visitors using digital billboards.
JCDecaux SA, a leading outdoor advertiser, announced with the opening of the festival that it would be using "digital ink" technology from magink for its high-tech signage, according to a magink company statement.
The billboards "will feature an array of full-motion video advertisements and information on the City of Cannes. (Magink) digital ink is delivering full-color, full-motion, high resolution and high contrast images that use ambient light to enhance image quality and visibility -- just like ink on paper," the company statement said.
"Cannes, City of the picture par excellence, is proud to be the first town in the world to be installed with these new JCDecaux displays," the city's mayor, Bernard Brochand, said via the statement.
"We are honored to ... help improve the urban landscape with our digital ink display technology," added Ran Poliakine, the digital ink company's founder. "We believe it is apropos to do so in Cannes, where the world comes together to honor advancements in film and advertising each year."
Copyright 2006 by United Press International


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Ikea is the iconic furniture store known for its cavernous warehouse and structured, affordable home decor. The Swedish company has taken a step towards futurism by investing in smart home technology. But many users have reported bugs and issues with the tech, which Ikea is now overhauling. The new smart home hub and application will be released sometime in October.
Ikea’s smart home tech will be released alongside a new product from Matter. The product will be called Dirigera, the new device for the company’s smart home. Dirigera is being built as a sturdier smart home technology, with the ability to handle more interconnected products than prior devices. It’ll be able to incorporate products from Apple, Google, and Amazon to create a completely connected smart home.
Before the Ikea announcement, two leaders at the company demonstrated the hub and the app working together to showcase its seamlessness and general efficiency. Different devices were able to connect to the Ikea hub quickly and without issues, which plagued the company’s initial smart home foray. The new app and hub have been regarded as intuitive and easy to use, far from Ikea’s current device called the Trådfri gateway. This smart home tech was unbearably frustrating for users, so Ikea decided to redesign it completely.
One of Ikea’s business leaders, Rebecca Törman, explained the company’s new reliance on innovative tech. The Dirigera hub and Ikea’s smart home app have pivoted to “strengthening and simplifying the onboarding process,” helping users connect devices seamlessly to construct a perfect smart home. Executives at the company have shown their excitement around the newest ventures, agreeing with Törman’s statement of Drigera’s intuitiveness. Once the product is released to consumers in October, it’s expected they’ll have a similar positive reaction.
When the Trådfri gateway was crafted in 2014, Ikea only had one focus for smart home building: lighting. Its initial construction was designed around operating lighting in a house or apartment since it was the only thing people thought was operable in a smart home. But a lot has changed in smart home technology since 2014, and Ikea’s old device couldn’t hold all the attachments users wanted to include in the hub. Still, there was too much complexity in adding dimmers and switches to the hub. Users would have to add a “steering device” to the Trådfri gateway before adding the specific lightbulb. The two-step process was cumbersome for most users and was a factor in Trådfri’s consistent bug issues.
Since then, Ikea has invested money in its smart home division. Digital competency was a guiding factor for the Swedish company, wanting to produce technology that was easy to use and devoid of technical bugs. The company hired more UX designers and software developers to make this dream a reality. Opening the doors for competent developers and specialists to join the team forced Ikea to confront its past issues with Trådfri’s technology.
Today, Ikea is gearing up to release its smart home hub that’s heavily surpassed its expectations. The company will continue investing in smart home adaptations, integrating other products with innovative technology like speakers built into wall decor and lamps.


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CES 2014: "PlayStation Now" Cloud Service Brings Old PS Games to Various Devices
January 7, 2014 7:05 PM
comment(s) - last by
The closed beta will begin at the end of January, and the full release is expected this summer
acquisition of Gaikai
led many to believe that the company would use that technology to bring older PlayStation titles to its latest console via the cloud, and the Consumer Electronics Show (
) this year has confirmed just that (and more).
The Los Angeles Times
, Sony introduced a new service called "PlayStation Now," which will stream PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 games to an array of devices, including PS4, PS3, PS Vita, smartphones, tablets and TVs.
The idea is to bring PlayStation to non-console owners as a way of drawing them into the environment.
It's currently unclear if PlayStation 1 games will be included in PlayStation Now, but many assume it will at least eventually be an option.
While the idea is pretty cool, some issues could arise. For starters, playing games solely via the cloud means depending on Internet speeds. This could be an issue for those in rural areas or travelers who might have to wait days to download a game (or can't connect at all). It would be ideal for casual games, but not something like "Battlefield 4."
Also, lets hope we can use Bluetooth DualShock controllers with our tablets or smartphones for better gaming control.
According to Sony Computer Entertainment president and group CEO Andrew House, who presented the new service at CES 2014, PlayStation Now will be available in two separate models: per-game and subscription-based. No prices are available quite yet.
The closed beta will begin at the end of January, and the full release is expected this summer.
purchased cloud gaming company Gaikai
for about $380 million back in 2012. Gaikai was capable of delivering cloud-based gaming services to PCs, smartphones, tablets and digital TVs, which tipped many off on Sony's future cloud-based plans.
The Los Angeles Times
This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled
RE: Cloud cloud cloud
1/8/2014 8:55:02 AM
Cloud represents a golden opportunity for companies, it allows them to cut the costs, lock you in and reduce your options. In the past you would buy a game, lend it or sell it as you wanted, now with many games you can't do that anymore, with the Cloud it will be even more restrictive, and you'll pay even to play games you already own.
RE: Cloud cloud cloud
1/8/2014 12:58:09 PM
That's the reason right there. Iron clad insurmountable content control. The end user no longer has possession of the software. The publisher decides the life span of the software with absolute control. And piracy becomes a non issue.
"Google fired a shot heard 'round the world, and now a second American company has answered the call to defend the rights of the Chinese people." -- Rep. Christopher H. Smith (R-N.J.)
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Adam Roberts has been named as the new European managing director for D3Publisher Europe.
Roberts has previously held positions at Vivendi as managing director for the UK and vice president of Europe.
"These are very exciting times for D3PE with Dark Sector shaping up to be one of the key action titles of 2008," said Roberts.
"A wealth of exciting new titles on both current and next gen over the coming months and a talented team will cement D3PE's position as one of the fastest growing game publishers in Europe. D3PE will become a force to be reckoned, and I am delighted to be part of it," he added.
Roberts will initially be responsible for sales, marketing and operational functions across Europe and the PAL regions.


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NEW DELHI: If you always wanted to work out with Gul Panag, now is your chance. The model-turned-actor-turned-politician on Tuesday launched a tech startup Mobiefit that will develop mobile apps based on health and fitness. For starters, it will launch a running app with Panag playing the voice coach.
“I’ve always been involved with fitness and have been watching the tech space very closely. I feel, this is the right time to link both and create something that will shorten the gap between people and their fitness goals,” Panag told TOI. “The first app will be similar to Josh Clark’s Couch-to-5K, a mobile app designed to get just about anyone from the couch to running 5km in 9 weeks.”
Panag, who co-founded Mobiefit along with Prototyze, an incubator, will have stake in the company and will sport the designation of CFO (chief fitness officer). In India, health and fitness seem to be the buzzwords among tech companies. Recently, Xiaomi launched its fitness band here while Micromax founder Rahul Sharma is betting on health-based tech wearables and is creating an eco-system to augment the same. “The fitness industry is nascent in India at present. But it will explode soon,” said Panag.


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- South Africans were amused by a successful scam where some people thought they were buying an iPhone
- A man shared pictures of his happy clients who just received what they claim to be an iPhone 13 Pro
- Amused netizens who did not fall for the advertisement had jokes about the questionable pictures from the happy customers
New feature: Check out news exactly for YOU ➡ find “Recommended for you” block and enjoy!
A Twitter page is shared what looks to be a business scam to sell smartphones. And that is as who saw in the post were not filled by the blurry pictures from happy customers.
Apple products' reputation precedes itself, as most could immediately tell when pictures were not taken from an Apple product. The post was quickly flying for this being a scam.
iPhone 13 Pro scam clocked by netizens
A post shared by @ArbutiiBae advertising affordable iPhone 13 Pros circulated on social media as people noticed something strange. The post made no sense when netizens immediately realised how the customers' pictures did not look like they were taken on an iPhone.
PAY ATTENTION: Follow Briefly News on Twitter and never miss the hottest topics! Find us at @brieflyza!
The blurry quality was a red flag for those who are familiar with Apple products. Netizens made jokes as Vodacom joined the comments section to express how unconvincing the phone quality was.
"Picture quality says it all."
"Hell nhaa! Why iCamera quality inje?!?? What! "
"Even my dreams are clear ukudla this iPhone 13."
" iPhone 13 Pro for R3k?"
Woman gets scammed out of R1m by man she met on dating app, SA blames her greed
Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott facing criticism for ignoring climate change: "I gotta chug my coffee before my straw becomes paper mache"
Briefly News previously reported that connecting with potential love interests online can be fun and exciting for young people, but it can also come with potential risks.
Speaking to W24, the woman disclosed that during their conversations the told her that he had been praying for her financial situation as he could tell she was always broke.
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Source: Briefly News


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Assassin’s Creed Rebellion: Launch Trailer
Assassin’s Creed Rebellion is coming to mobile devices, where it’s up to you to create the ultimate team of Assassins to do battle with the Templars.
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- Triple B Titles Kickstarter project, Popup Dungeon, has successfully been funded via Kickstarter and production is already in full gear.


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Report Claims Apple’s Chip Roadmap Will See 18-Month Revision Timeline
Apple silicon, including the new M2 chip, will reportedly be on an 18-month refresh cycle. That’s according to a new report by Taiwanese publication, Commercial Times.
That differs from Apple’s A-series chips that power its iPhones and iPads but does appear to match the cycle the M1 series is on right now.
The report says that we should expect the new M2-series chips to arrive around the middle of next year, with the M3 coming 18 months later.
According to sources in the supply chain industry, Apple Silicon will be updated every 18 months in the future. In the second half of 2022, Apple will first launch the M2 processor code-named Staten, and in the first half of 2023, it will launch the new M2X processor architecture code-named Rhodes and release two processors such as M2 Pro and M2 Max according to the different graphics cores. Apple’s M2 series processors all use the 4-nanometer process and will be updated to the M3 series processors after an 18-month cycle. It is expected that they will be mass-produced using TSMC’s 3-nanometer process.
Apple’s move away from Intel is almost complete with only the Mac Pro and iMac now left without an Apple silicon chip. Apple’s own chips are faster, cooler, and power efficient than the Intel chips that were used before their arrival and have proven hugely impressive in the latest round of MacBook Pros.
Hopes are high that a future chip will make for a mighty Mac Pro, although timescales for such a release aren’t yet known.


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Sky Movies 007 channel debuts with Skyfall premiere
Sky Movies 007, the movie channel from BSkyB, is today airing the full trailer for 'Skyfall', as well as Bond-themed ads from brands such as Coke Zero, to promote the film's release on Friday 12 October.
The trailer is the first ad on the channel, which launched today, and will be shown during every subsequent ad break today.
The Sky Movies 007 channel will be the only TV channel to air the full trailer for 'Skyfall' ahead of the film's release next week, as part of marketing activity for the film planned and bought by Manning Gottlieb OMD.
Sky's own promotion of its new TV channel includes rebranding Absolute Radio 00s, Absolute Radio's digital radio station playing music from the noughties decade, as Absolute Radio 007 for today.
Absolute Radio will be hosting Bond competitions across the day, the Absolute Radio 00s station tags will be replaced with Absolute Radio 007 branding and the station will air back-to-back Bond soundtracks during its no repeat guarantee (10am to 5pm).
Sky bought the rights to the Bond films from Hollywood studio MGM in April this year and the channel launches today to mark the 50th anniversary the release of 'Dr No' starring Sean Connery, the first ever Bond film.
The tie up with Absolute Radio was planned and bought by MediaCom.Follow @MaisieMcCabe
This article was first published on mediaweek.co.uk
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- Brands use social media to congratulate F1 champion Lewis Hamilton
- VisitBritain crowdsources digital marketing campaign
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- Cheil Worldwide buys Iris stake


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PPG sells Illinois glass factory
PPG Industries has completed the sale of substantially all the assets of its Mount Zion, Illinois, glass manufacturing facility to automotive glass manufacturer Fuyao Glass America.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
Fuyao plans to rebuild and retrofit the facility’s two production lines to manufacture automotive glass. PPG will continue to operate the plant for up to one year, producing Sungate coated glass and clear glass.
The sale of the Mount Zion facility is consistent with the strategic initiative by PPG’s flat glass business to focus on its higher-technology, coated glass capabilities for residential and commercial construction applications, the company said.
PPG’s flat glass business manufactures high-performing coated glass, tinted and clear float glass primarily for the residential and commercial segments of the construction industry, as well as other specialty glass markets. The Mount Zion facility was built in 1959 and converted for float glass production in 1978.
Measuring the new economy
CHICAGO — Online retailing research continues to support the theory that staying ahead of the online movement is just keeping up.
Consider that since 2012, the number of e-commerce retailers jumped over 14% to more than 100,000. And an even bigger jump — up 17% from 2012 — was recorded for those generating sales of more than $100,000.
There’s little question that online retail represents the biggest industry-wide competitive force to hit home improvement retailers since the arrival of the warehouse home center back in the late 1970s, according to Jim Robisch, senior partner of the Farnsworth Group, who recently presented the firm’s latest research on online shopping during the Orgill Chicago Fall Dealer Market in August. But in the home improvement industry, brick-and-mortar stores are protected to a certain degree.
“Online, they can’t touch and feel the product,” he said. “That’s one of the differentiators for our industry.”
While some sectors are more susceptible than others to the online invasion (think music), the same is true for categories within home improvement.
Farnsworth’s survey asked consumers who have purchased a product in each of 20 home-improvement categories to describe their purchases as: online only, in-store only or both. The highest level of online activity came from the tools and tool accessories category, followed closely by home decor. Automotive supplies had the third-lowest incidence of in-store-only purchases. Least impacted (no surprise) is lumber, followed by paint (and paint supplies) and plumbing products.
Farnsworth’s research was conducted online in May 2014 and drew from 1,063 respondents — all homeowners of various levels of DIY proficiency.
Hardware may be insulated, but it’s not immune to the online trend. Farnsworth found that 20% of homeowners say they will purchase more hardware, home improvement or building supplies in the future, compared with only 9% who say they expect to purchase less. (7% say they plan to purchase “a lot more” online.)
- The primary reasons for shopping online are prices, convenience and product selection.
- “Independent hardware, home improvement and building supply dealers should aggressively embrace online shopping and prioritize continuous improvement in their online presence, or risk losing more market share,” Robisch said.
- Younger homeowners are more active online shoppers and purchasers, but will continue this shopping behavior as they age, Robisch said.


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A mobile prescription reminder app launched in the Gaza Strip landed a backer in Mercy Corps, which believes the tech startup and others like it could spark entrepreneurship in the Middle East.
The Portland-based nonprofit has long supported economic development throughout the globe. But a partnership announced today with Seattle-based Startup Weekend will root its focus on the tech sphere, an arena it first entered about two years ago.
The weekends are essentially crash courses in creating a business. Teams form around the most popular ideas, then build on them, culminating with a presentation before a panel of judges. A recent Startup Weekend in Portland attracted more than 135 people.
Worldwide Startup Weekend events push could-be entrepreneurs to turn ideas into ventures in three days. Many create apps, websites and other online technologies. Those companies could act as a "game changer" for developing economies, said Andy Dwonch, Mercy Corp's senior director of social innovations.
Even as Internet accessibility grows, Arabic language content and location-based platforms remain sparse, he said. "We see a gap there to help drive economic development and entrepreneurship for young people."


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The Networks Fight Back, Finally
By EILEEN PRESCOTT; Eileen Prescott is a writer based in New York.
Published: March 5, 1989
Once upon a time, a giant roamed a vast kingdom, telling tales that made people laugh and cry, and helping merchants peddle their wares. But after a slew of little fable makers appeared, telling tales just as the giant did, he was forced into battle to reclaim his treasured place in the kingdom.
CBS - thinly veiling itself as the giant and cable services as the fable makers - spared no expense in presenting this allegorical message to more than 150 advertising executives last December.
But neither CBS nor the other two networks are likely to mimic the giant's return to glory in a new world of television - where cable, syndicated shows, independent stations and home videos have stolen network viewers, and competition has heated up for advertising dollars.
''They haven't stopped the bleeding,'' said Michael Drexler, executive vice president at Bozell, Jacobs, Kenyon & Eckhardt, an advertising agency. ''Their audience will continue to erode.'' Added Peter Appert, a media analyst for C.J. Lawrence, Morgan Grenfell: ''The best scenario is that they can halt the decline.''
In recent months, the networks have intensified efforts to do just that, and to win back advertising dollars:
* While all three have been cutting costs for more than two years, they have also increased marketing staffs and are spending more to court advertising agencies and advertisers.
* They are offering advertisers more opportunities to use stars and series in tie-in promotions, like sweepstakes, and have eased the rules governing their relationships with advertisers. CBS, for example, has even allowed a brand-name product to be used on a prime-time show.
* Long ardent competitors, the networks have joined forces to form a new trade organization to woo advertising from cable and syndication.
* Departing from traditional methods of advertising new shows - on-air promotions and television-page advertising in newspapers - they are advertising in ''upscale'' magazines, on cable and on home videos.
* They are directing programming and marketing strategies to reach young, upper-income audiences, those most attractive to advertisers.
* To share in the re-run windfalls that hit shows can generate, they are producing more of their own prime-time programming rather than licensing all shows from producers.
The response is none too soon. The average share of the audience viewing network affiliates during prime-time sank to an all-time low of 68 percent for November 1988, according to A.C. Nielsen, the ratings company. Network executives like to blame the mid-1988 strike by the Writers Guild of America, which delayed the fall season. But whatever the cause, it was a sharp contrast to the 90 percent and higher shares the networks claimed in the late 1970's.
''We can no longer take our audience for granted,'' said Raymond J. Timothy, group executive vice president at top-rated NBC, owned by the General Electric Company.
The networks want some of the $1.8 billion spent by advertisers on cable and syndication last year and are willing to ease the once hard-and-fast rules to please advertisers. But the idea of a cozier relationship between networks and advertisers makes some people nervous. Michael Schudson, professor of communications and sociology at the University of California at San Diego, sees it as ''an unfortunate development'' with potentially harmful effects.
''The worst-case scenario is already happening with children's television programming, which is essentially a marketing device,'' he said. ''Though nothing quite so grotesque has happened in prime time, you can imagine it heading in that direction.''
But the networks' bid to recapture advertising dollars comes during a year when advertising growth is expected to be sluggish. ''Network ad revenues will be flat or up a couple of percentage points,'' said Robert J. Coen, director of forecasting at the ad agency, McCann-Erickson. ''The networks will be lucky to show any gain at all.'' But even remaining at that level is not so bad: Last year, network advertising was unusually strong, boosted by the Olympics and the Presidential Election.
For the networks, there is no going back. ''Things are getting more intense,'' said Madeline Nagel, vice president of marketing at ABC Television, bought in 1986 by Capital Cities Communications. She has spent the last few months visiting advertisers with a slide show stressing the benefits of network television.
The networks are making sure money is available for market research and fancy presentations to ad agencies and clients. CBS, which is battling ABC for second place in the prime-time ratings, spent $100,000 on a research survey and the presentation of its cable ''fable.'' Its goal: to debunk the assumption that cable viewers are more educated and affluent than network viewers, a key sales angle used by some cable services.
Some ad executives have taken that with a grain of salt. Stephen Grubbs, director of national television buying at the ad agency BBDO, who attended the CBS presentation, said he will not alter spending plans. Last year, he bought $30 million in cable advertising for clients like the William Wrigley Jr. Company and Pepsico Inc. and expects to spend more this year. While that hardly compares to the more than $400 million he will spend on the networks, ''cable is here to stay and it's going to grow,'' he said.


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The stock marketi in South Korea is trading higher on Friday morning, taking cues from Wall Street, where the major indices ended in positive territory following strong preliminary results from Wells Fargo for the quarter, which raised hopes that that the financials were not a lost cause, and some better-than-expected economic data.
On Thursday, the Dow closed up 246.27 points or 3.14% at 8,083, the Nasdaq closed up 61.88 points or 3.89% at 1,653 and the S&P 500 closed up 31.40 points or 3.81% at 857.
The New York Mercantile Exchange is closed on the eve of Good Friday. Light sweet crude for May delivery rose about 6% or $2.86 to $52.34 a barrel on Thursday, following better-than-expected results from retailers suggesting a possible rise in consumer spending.
The benchmark KOSPI Index opened Friday's session at 1,341, sharply higher than its previous close of 1,316, and is currently trading at 1,332, up 1.19% or 15.31 points.
The local currency, the Won, opened higher against the greenback at 1310 Won per US$, up from 1,322.50 Won, and is currently quoted at 1,320 Won per US$.
Financials are trading higher. KB Financial Group is advancing 2.51%, Shinhan Financial is gaining 2.67% and Woori Finance is surging 8.13%.
Among shipbuilders, Hyundai Heavy Industries is adding 0.24%, Samsung Heavy Industries is advancing 1.94% and Daewoo Shipping is gaining 1.10%.
Market heavyweight Samsung Electronics is gaining 2.59%. Among the other technology stocks, Hynix Semiconductor is losing 3.55% and LG Electronics is down 1.02%, but LG Display is gaining 2.56%.
In the auto space, Hyundai Motor is edging down 0.92%, and Kia Motor is slipping 0.52%. However, Ssangyong Motor is advancing 6.89%.
Among oil-related stocks, S-Oil is gaining 0.83%,while SK Holdings is edging down 0.17%.
For comments and feedback: contact email@example.com


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Microsoft considered challenging Amazon’s dominance in online retail with a webstore, codenamed Project Brazil, of its own, though recently axed its plans before launch. “Project Brazil was an incubation to enable a more direct commerce model between customers and brands and merchants” a Microsoft spokesperson confirmed to the WSJ, though declined to detail why, exactly, the decision not to go live with the store was taken. According to leaks, Microsoft intended to span the e-commerce system across its desktop, mobile, and gaming platforms.
Project Brazil would have initially launched on the desktop, supposedly as part of Windows according to those briefed on the company’s intentions. However, it was then expected to expand to Windows Phone handsets in time, as well as to Xbox gamers, and to tablets running Windows 8 and Windows RT.
The webstore would build on top of Bing Shopping, Microsoft’s existing price-comparison service integrated into its search client. However, while the company already has some retailer deals in place around Bing Shopping, challenging Amazon in any meaningful way would have demanded considerably more work in inking such agreements.
It’s potentially that which stymied the launch, ahead of which Microsoft had already floated some strategies for differentiating Project Brazil to possible retail partners. One approach, sources claim, would be to mimic Amazon’s Marketplace – where third-party sellers are brought together with a unified shopping cart and payment process – but make Microsoft’s more appealing by subsidizing products with advertising revenue.
There, the insiders say, Microsoft would use some of the cash spent by Bing advertisers and others to make its pricing more competitive than Amazon’s. It’s unclear to what extent Microsoft planned to subsidize.
“We remain committed to finding new and differentiated ways to enable a richer, more task oriented approach to e-commerce and online advertising,” the Microsoft spokesperson concluded. The company previously attempted a loyalty scheme with Live Search Cashback, launched back in 2008, with participating retailers offering up to 30-percent off certain products if shoppers found them via Microsoft’s search tool.
However, Live Search Cashback was quietly shuttered in 2010 after minimal use.


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Mobile continues to experience substantial growth in Canada, with smartphone ownership increasing by 24% year-over-year.
According to an annual survey from Catalyst on Canada’s mobile landscape, smartphone penetration now sits at 68%, up from 55% in 2014.
Most smartphone owners are now on their second or third device. In 2014, the mean number of smartphones ever owned by current smartphone owners was 2.12, according to Catalyst. In 2015, that number increased by nearly 12% to 2.37.
“Far from being an occasional touchpoint for Internet access and communication on the go, smartphones have become a key part of the fabric of day-to-day life,” writes Brett Langlois of Catalyst. “Canadians are more comfortable with their devices now, and are increasingly using them for everyday at-home activities that previously would have been accomplished on a laptop or desktop computer.”
As in 2014, however, battery life and data limits remain the biggest frustrations with smartphones. People might be conducting more activities at home in part because they are usually connected to wifi and have easy access to an electrical outlet to recharge as needed. If battery technology improves, and telecommunications companies increase their data caps, this trend may reverse, Catalyst notes.
There is also “a clear preference for larger screens over smaller screens,” according to Langlois.


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US based burger chain opens restaurant at Gurgaon.
Johnny Rockets has opened second outlet at Ambience Mall, Gurgaon, Haryana in just over a month after the launch of the first outlet launch in Saket, New Delhi. The restaurant is in partnership with Franchise Group, Prime Gourmet Private Limited in India, founded by hospitality and finance industry veterans Sachin Goel, Vishal Chaudhry and Gaurav Sharma.
Commenting on the new addition, John Fuller, CEO, Johnny Rockets, said, “Coming off the recent successful opening of the nearby Select Citywalk location, we have already seen how receptive this country is to our internationally recognised brand.”
The group also plans to open an outlet in Noida, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Pune, Hyderabad and Kolkata in the coming years.


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Downtown Toronto was the epicentre of all things start-up in late June. Thirty-five hundred people convened at Collision Conference, one of the largest tech innovation gatherings in the world.
Hundreds of exhibitors and speakers filled the Enercare Centre, including CEOs of some of the world’s largest tech giants. Fifteen hundred start-ups hailed from 130 countries.
The Edge, A Leader’s Magazine interviewed three presenters at Collision — a small sample of the diversity of talent and ingenuity of attendees and speakers.
World Fund, Europe’s biggest climate tech venture capital fund, is investing US$370M on advancements across varying sectors, including energy, transport, agriculture, and manufacturing. Two of the founding partners, Danijel Višević and Daria Saharova, spoke about some of the innovation in the pipeline that could help the planet.
Danijel Višević and Daria Saharova. Photos courtesy of World Fund.
“We’ve received more than 1,000 applications, each whose impact can at least save 100 megatons of CO2 per year,” said Višević.
Their portfolio includes Juicy Marbles, the world’s first ever plant-based filet mignon steak, one of many steps to curtail the problem of cattle-caused carbon output; Space Forge, a program to create microchips in space more affordably and with less energy. World Fund also has Freshflow, an artificial intelligence method to measure food waste and save unsold produce in supermarkets.
Meanwhile, Naborino was part of Collision’s “Alpha” program for early-stage start-ups. Naborino is an app that connects local communities by helping neighbours combine their purchasing power to get better prices on a variety of products and services. Dan Flatt, CEO, said the idea began as a Facebook group to connect the neighbours in his building, which, during the pandemic, became a lifeline for many who needed help. With many stores closed, it saved them money to consolidate online shopping deliveries.
Dan Flatt. Photo courtesy of Dave Gordon.
“At Collision, we met many potential partners that are a great fit for our business model, including local consumer brands, residential building management software, and community organizations,” said Flatt.
Another start-up, Sorbet, co-founded by Veetahl Eilat Raichel, is a platform that helps employees cash out their paid time off (PTO). According to the company, there’s US$272B worth of unused PTO with only about three-quarters of days used. The leftover time stays on the debt ledger of companies, usually given out when the employee is terminated — but with interest. With Sorbet’s technology, employers buy unused vacation time, giving the employee the cash value on a prepaid card. Eilat Raichel said millions of dollars have been doled out thus far.
Veetahl Eilat Raichel. Photo courtesy of Sorbet.
“With working at home, people had a hard time wrapping their heads around what it means to be off… It used to be that our lives were very clear — When you step into the office, you are on; you step out of the office, you were off,” she said.
She added how front-line workers can’t always take time off, especially during work shortages. “You don’t want them to take time off because you need working hands, but you do because the implications financially are damaging.”
Dave Gordon | Associate Editor


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Feb 6th, 2012
SUMCO is leaving the solar wafer business
SUMCO Corporation decided to dissolve and liquidate its consolidated subsidiaries, SUMCO Solar Corporation and Minamata Denshi Co. Ltd. at a meeting of its board of directors.
This decision is due to the rapid deterioration of business environment due to the excessive supply of solar wafers with significant price decline since last spring. SUMCO Corporation decided to dissolve and liquidate SUMCO Solar Corporation and Minamata Denshi Co., Ltd., its consolidated subsidiaries manufacturing solar wafers.
More PHOTOVOLTAICS news


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Tops features of latest iPhone
The latest and much anticipated iPhone from Apple for the company’s 10th anniversary will be launched a few hours from now. The company is being very secretive about it, but there is a lot of rumours around the smartphone that is expected to be called iPhone X or iPhone 8. Here are some features we can expect from Apple’s latest.
The display is expected to be edge-to-edge, going all the way up to the front facing camera. This means that the Home button and Touch ID will be done away with, and probably be replaced by facial-recognition software that can recognize the user’s face in milliseconds. Supposedly, Apple is changing from LED displays to OLED, allowing for more vibrant colours than LED panels.
Camera quality is expected to improve, meaning that the latest iPhone can take advantage of the Apple’s new AR Kit in iOS 11. Speaking of which, the new smartphone is set to take full advantage of Apple’s new iOS. Wireless charging is also set to improve. One factor that might or might not be great “feature” is the price: the starting price might be Rs. 64! One thing is for sure: we will know in a few hours!
OTHER TECHNOLOGY NEWS


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It says something about the great depth and width of our stock exchanges that even on an up day for the markets, a great many stocks fall in price (and vice versa, of course).
Monday was a fine day for the bulls, but as always, the bears did some pouncing. Here's a look at two notable stocks that got clawed by investors, and whether they deserved that treatment.
Beyond Meat: Where's the beef?
"Downbeat" might be a little bit of an understatement. Analyst Mikheil Omanadze at Exane BNP Paribas initiated coverage on Beyond Meat shares with an underperform (i.e., sell) rating and a price target of $70. That's rather uncomfortable given that the stock closed last week at slightly over $155.
Omanadze's evaluation of the stock contained a core truth facing the company: "While plant-based meats will grow rapidly, we believe that barriers to entry are negligible; we thus struggle to justify BYND's valuation," he wrote.
That's not to say that any of us could throw a few vegetables and other substances into our bathtubs and create a meat-like offering. But competing products devised by food professionals already exist and have pushed into the market -- witness Impossible Foods, whose Impossible Burger is not only on the menu of, but also prominently advertised by, Restaurant Brands International's sprawling Burger King.
Also, the early and successful adaptation of alt-meat products is attracting rival cooks to the kitchen. The Paribas analysis points out that big food players such as Tyson Foods and Hormel are in various stages of developing such offerings of their own. Beyond Meat is a little guy that will find it tough to fight rapidly increasing competition from the big guys.
I think it's admirable that Beyond Meat has managed to develop a line of products that have received generally positive reviews from consumers. I also like that it has done a fine job getting these goods onto grocery store shelves and onto the tables of popular restaurant chains. But even after this latest stock price hit, the company still looks too richly valued, and as such I'd hold off on the shares.
NIO (NIO 1.42%) got a hard slap from the market on Moday, with its American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) closing almost 11% lower on the day. Not coincidentally, the Chinese electric-vehicle (EV) maker is due to report Q2 figures on Tuesday.
Investors are obviously bracing for the worst. Analysts have projected a $0.18-per-ADR loss. Although this is a big improvement over the Q2 2018 shortfall of $0.91 per ADR, if realized it'll extend the company's streak of bottom-line losses.
NIO has been in the investor doghouse for months now, ever since the Chinese government reduced its subsidy for EVs in March. Since NIO is basically a one-trick pony of an EV maker, the stock took a nasty hit on the news.
Like many Chinese companies, NIO has ambitions to sell abroad, particularly to the vast car-hungry U.S. market. But U.S.-China trade tensions are putting a real damper on that dream. And EV king Tesla (TSLA 1.43%) is about to push into the Chinese market. Tesla's appealing, high-end vehicles should be a hit with status-conscious local consumers and steal some of NIO's thunder.
On the bright side, sales of EVs are projected to grow robustly over the next few years and decades -- how could they not, given concerns about the environment and persistently high gas prices? Still, I think NIO -- not unlike Tesla -- has some daunting challenges ahead of it and hasn't yet proven it can surmount them. I'd keep away from the stock for now.


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Organizers of Daytona Beach’s Biketoberfest are angling to extend the fall festival from four to 10 days, hoping to match the success of the area’s spring bike week.
Biketoberfest already draws more than 100,000 visitors a year, and many downtown merchants are behind the idea of bringing in more people, or getting them to stay longer.
Tom Guest, chair of the Biketoberfest Development Committee and a former merchant on Main Street for years, offered the idea to the Halifax Area Advertising Authority (HAAA) board last Wednesday, but the board put off its decision until the city of Daytona Beach hears the presentation, according to the News-Journal.
This year’s Biketoberfest dates are Oct.18 to 21. The proposed new dates would be Oct. 19 to 28, making it a two-weekend event. The Daytona Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, supervised by the HAAA board, sets the dates for Biketoberfest and owns the event's trademarks.
Guest estimates extending the event would bring in half a million dollars in additional bed tax revenue and millions more to businesses, as well as increased corporate sponsorships, but HAAA members wanted more hard data, especially since not all of the area’s residents are on board.
Dan Webster, chairman of Main Street South Atlantic Redevelopment Board, says his board voted 6-3 against the extension and called the eent an inconvenience to residents.
The HAAA will take the matter up again next month.
Posted by Holly Wagner
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Christopher Haruna Hamman is a Freelance content developer, Crypto-Enthusiast and tech-savvy individual. He is also a Superstar Content Developer, Strategy Demigod, and Standup Guy.
Visa (V) and Mastercard (MA) stock prices have risen boosted by the hopes that the stimulus bill from the U.S. government gives. However, a long-term trend may be in the offing as COVID-19 creates a new order of things.
Visa Inc (NYSE: V) and Mastercard Inc (NYSE: MA) stock prices have risen recently. Sources say that the stock prices of the payment services giants have been a beacon of hope as financial markets sway due to COVID-19.
At the time of filing this report, Mastercard (MA) stock prices were at $256.48, +19.41 (8.19%), in the pre-market $252.47 −4.01 (1.56%). Yesterday Visa stock price was at $161.78, +7.25 (4.69%), in the pre-market, $161.09 −0.69 (0.43%).
Visa (V) and Mastercard (MA) Stock Prices Pick Up due to Expected Stimulus
Sources say that earlier in the week, prices picked up as the payment services providers took off. This indicates that the stock prices weren’t as gloomy as many had predicted. The response of the stocks was also a part of a general uplift in response to an expected stimulus package from the United States Government.
Many analysts still believe the stock prices are a good buy, however. There are many reasons that this could be possible. Most of them
Firstly, the mere fact that almost everyone in the world at the moment is at home changes a lot of things. Internet purchases are going to reach an all-time high. And guess who will be a part of the processing of payments? Visa and Mastercard present a new paradigm where online activities will be accompanied by online consumer spending. This also will be matched by the U.S. stimulus bill which has just been passed by the U.S. senate. The sheer amount of activities that will ensue from this will propel the payments market to be buoyed positively.
It also comes with a lot of risks though. Mastercard reportedly recently cut its earnings guidance to below 10%. Sources say that the company suspended its earnings guidance due to COVID-19 uncertainties as well. The company said in a press release:
“However, due to the speed with which the COVID-19 situation is developing and the unknown duration and severity of the event, we are suspending our annual 2020 outlook for both net revenue and operating expense growth at this time.”
While this is prudent based on corporate governance rules and ethics, it would be wrong for investors to not consider the upside. Consumer behavior is now tilting towards internet-based activities. A core part of that behavior is online payments.
COVID-19 Will Come and Go
We can all be sure that things will not be the same again once the dust settles after COVID-19. There will be a new order of things. Part of this order will put payment systems at the top of the hierarchy of things.
This will also set the pace for the new decade that humanity has entered. It will also give those who are smart enough great opportunities to profit from not just in the short term but also in the longer term as well. Generation Z is also set to grow up. The Millenials are entering their prime. These two markets combined give the payment systems a strong footing to face the future with and without COVID-19.
This future is assured provided that they are properly aligned.


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AN OPPORTUNIST thief snatched £400 from a till after distracting the sales assistant.
The incident happened at around 5.30pm last Friday (July 22) when a man entered COOK in Mount Street, Battle, shortly before the shop was due to close.
The man told the member of staff that he had arrived to pick up a large order he had placed previously.
When the assistant went out the back to check, the man grabbed the money and fled.
He is described as in his mid 30s, 5ft10 and of average build.
Sgt Paul Masterson, of Battle police, said: “We have seen a couple of offences of this description over the last few months in the Battle area.
“It’s a message to shop owners to be vigilant and if they suspect anybody to call for help from any member of staff.”
He added: “The COOK shop was not on the Shop Watch scheme and we would encourage every business in Battle to get involved with it.”
Around 20 Battle businesses are currently signed up to Shop Watch.
All members of the scheme are connected via radio, which is also linked to Battle police.
If any trader spots anyone or anything suspicious, details can be passed on to others on the scheme and the police in moments.
It is the second time COOK has been targeted by thieves in less than a month.
In the early hours of Tuesday June 28, thieves broke into the store via a back window and stole around £200 cash.
Anyone with any information about the distraction theft, or if anyone would be interested in joining Battle’s Shop Watch scheme, call Sussex Police on 0845 60 70 999.


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Imagine that Silicon Valley’s nightmare comes true: The bubble bursts. Unicorns fall to their knees. The tech giants that once fought to attract talented developers with mini-golf and craft beer scramble to put out fires.
This is the setting of a cyber-doomsday scenario developed by researchers at Berkeley’s Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity and published last month. They gamed out five different scenarios based on current trends in online security—and this one is by far the most alarming.
If stock prices plunge, the researchers ask, what will be left of the Facebooks and Twitters of the world? Like a broken-down car that can only be scrapped for parts, the only thing worth salvaging from the shells of former tech companies may be user data.


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Adweek. As reported US model of the moment, Kate Upton will be staring in the Mercedes Super Bowl 2013 commercial.
Today i spotted a photo of Kate Upton posing with an guy in an Oreo cookie costume in behind the scenes photos from a secret photo shoot in the Antarctic.
Kate Upton was there to shoot for Sports Illustrated according to TMZ.
Why is she then posing with an Oreo Cookie? See the photos. It is hard to make out if there is a video camera on the photos. It could be the photos are just a gimmick or indeed part of an Oreo campaign and maybe the Oreo Super Bowl 2013 ad has something to do with it.
Last year Adriana Lima was in more than one Super Bowl ad. I think it was a multiplying effect. Kate Upton could be the dominating model of the Super Bowl 2013.


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Android 12’s public rollout (for Pixel phones) started last week and that normally serves as the operating system’s big release for the year. In 2021, Google is doing something different and announced “Android 12L” for foldables, tablets, and Chrome OS today.
For the past few years, Google has operated a developer preview (and later Beta Program) that opens early in the year and closes with the public fall release, while Android – since 2018 – has only seen one annual version (e.g. 9 -> 10) jump. In recent weeks, signs emerged that Google was planning a mid-cycle update to Android 12 that harkens back to .1 releases in 2016 and 2017.
Google made that development official at the 2021 Android Dev Summit today with “Android 12L.” This “feature drop that makes Android 12 even better on large screens” comes as there are over 250 million tablets, foldables, and Chrome OS devices running the OS.
In just the last 12 months we’ve seen nearly 100 million new Android tablet activations–a 20% year-over-year growth, while ChromeOS, now the fastest growing desktop platform, grew by 92%. We’ve also seen Foldable devices on the rise, with year on year growth of over 265%!
Android 12L UI
The “feature drop” parlance comes from the Pixel team, and starts with the Android 12L user interface being optimized for larger screens. This includes a two-column layout for the Lockscreen where the time appears first and notifications next. The Notification Shade swaps out the left screen for Quick Settings that have been tweaked in various ways from what’s live today. Depending on the screen size, the media player can appear at the top with a three-column layout.
Besides the underlying UI, Google says “system apps are also optimized.” Other changes, which enable on screens above 600dp, visible from images released today include:
- Homescreen: Top Google Search field
- Power menu: 3×2 with Bug report and Screenshot actions in addition to Emergency, Lockdown, Power off, and Restart
- Settings app & Setup wizard: Two columns with list at the left and right preference pane
- Overview: Last app shown in fullscreen, while others are quarter-sized
Android 12L Multitasking
The next focus of Android 12L is to make “multitasking more powerful and intuitive.” Large screens get a new taskbar that makes app switching seamless, while the split-screen mode lets you drag-and-drop to view application side-by-side.
To make split-screen mode a better experience in Android 12 and later, we’re helping users by automatically enabling all apps to enter split screen mode, regardless whether the apps are resizable.
Android 12L Compatibility
Compatibility is the last Android 12L tentpole with “visual and stability improvements to offer a better letterboxing experience for users and help apps look better” without additional development work. That said, developers are encouraged to test apps across multiple screen and window sizes.
We’ve made letterboxing easily customizable by device manufacturers, who can now set custom letterbox colors or treatments, adjust the position of the inset window, apply custom rounded corners, and more.
There are new APIs that cover drag-and-drop for accessibility, as well as spatial audio. All this is part of a new API level (31 -> 32), but developers aren’t currently required to target it to meet Play Store requirements.
We’ve been careful not to introduce any breaking changes for your apps, so we won’t require apps to target 12L to meet Google Play requirements.
Android 12L is launching “early next year” on the “next wave of Android 12 tablets and foldables.” Google is working with “OEM partners to bring these features to their large screen devices,” with an Android 12L developer preview “coming soon” for the Lenovo P12 Pro, a 12.6-inch OLED (120Hz) tablet powered by the Snapdragon 870 with 6 or 8GB of RAM.
Until then, Google is releasing 12L Android Emulator system images today for app developers to preview all the changes. The immediate focus is on tablets, Chrome OS devices, and foldables, but 12L will also be available for phones, and an Android Beta (around December) will be available for Pixel devices.
- Android 12L is also coming to phones, Beta Program for Pixel coming later
- Android 12L will get the first of three betas in December, Q1 2022 launch
- Google confirms Android 12L features will be ‘coming soon’ to the Galaxy Z Fold 3
- Here’s how the Android 12L taskbar works and what it looks like on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 form factor [Gallery]
- Android 12L adds Unicode 14 support, preview the 37 new emoji today [Gallery]
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NPD Group, responsible for compiling and releasing monthly sales data of the gaming industry in North America, is attempting to address a hole in its retail-skewed data: digital point-of-sale information.
NPD plans to change its methods to include these digital POS figures, and change them "quickly," Games President David McQuillan tells Games Industry. McQuillan wants to prepare for the new consoles hitting shelves this holiday.
"We fully realize that the market needs the same level of information for the digital categories as exists for the physical business today: SKU-level POS," he says. "The progress on that effort up until recently has been slow and frustrating at times, but today I am very happy to share that the pace of progress has changed recently. NPD has formed a leader panel to track digital POS sales of full game and add-on content downloads."
The leader panel includes nine "leading games publishers," and it will first focus on full-game downloads and DLC for PC, consoles and mobile devices. The program is in beta now, and NPD is partnering with research company EEDAR to track digital POS numbers worldwide –not only in North America as its current system does.
Eventually the digital results will make their way into NPD's monthly reports, but there's no word on when that will happen. "Once we move past the beta or proof of concept phase, subscribers will have access to the full data set, which you would expect of any service," McQuillan says. "The level of information to be shared publicly has not been determined at this time."
Since 2010, NPD has tracked downloads of full games and add-on content, subscriptions, mobile games and social games, but it leaves out numbers from digital stores such as Steam, Xbox Live Marketplace and PlayStation Network in its monthly reports. The importance of these marketplaces continues to grow over the years, and last month the ESA called the NPD reports a "disservice to the truth." In 2011, EA called NPD's data "a misrepresentation of the entire industry."
NPD forms 9-publisher panel to gather, report digital storefront data
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Good news for the iPad (and hopefully other mobile devices if the experiment works), ABC and CBS are bringing their TV shows to the device by way of ad-supported streaming, such as CBS's How I Met Your Mother, pictured above. Read: free for you and for me — well, unless you count the valuable time you spend watching commercials.
ABC is getting it done with an app that's already in the App Store, while CBS is going with a browser-based setup, which will offer both full episodes, as well as shorter promos. So, think Hulu's full-length programs and clips.
Speaking of Hulu, the veteran Internet television service still hasn't sorted out its approach to streaming media on Apple's Flash-hatin' devices. Hulu chief executive Jason Kilar, speaking to The New York Times, seemed to want it both ways, saying, "We're certainly open to subscriptions as a complement to an ad-supported model." (Which could mean free TV shows supported by ads alongside movie rentals, though Hulu has been considering said subscription model quite a bit.)
Avner Ronen, chief executive of Boxee, was even less hopeful of Hulu's chances of coming to mobile devices as-is. "A one-size-fits-all business model is very difficult to pull off," Ronen told The New York Times. "Media companies are much more savvy now about those deals. Everyone realizes now that free ad-supported content is not the exclusive model of the future; it's just one part of it."
It's worth noting that Disney, owner of ABC, is also one of the content providers for Hulu. If the company is getting into the mobile streaming game itself, it doesn't bode well for Hulu if other content providers decide to do the same, and leave the pioneering service behind.


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One of the world's largest web providers, Yahoo, will provide its email customers with digital signing and encryption of messages through an extension of the Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) program.
Yahoo chief information security officer Alex Stamos made the announcement at the annual Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas.
Stamos told iTnews that the project was still some way off.
"We are working to design a key server architecture that allows for automatic discovery of public keys within Yahoo.com and other participating mail providers and to integrate encryption into the normal mail flow," Stamos said.
While effective as a personal encryption solution, PGP is notoriously difficult to use with public/private key pairs. Stamos believes Yahoo can nevertheless make it work for non-technical users.
"It won’t be easy, but I think we can design a user experience that makes encrypting messages a one-click option for many people," he said.
Yahoo will use a fork of Google’s End to End OpenPGP plugin that is currently in development.
“We are using the same crypto core with a different front-end, and will look at unifying with Google’s plugin once the dust settles,” Stamos said.
Stamos was reluctant to announce a firm date for the PGP functionality for Yahoo Mail, but said the company will release the first source code for its version of the extension in the northern hemisphere this autumn.
The goal is to have the full product ready in 2015, Stamos said.
He declined to detail how government intelligence agencies and law enforcement would react to Yahoo Mail customers being able to individually encrypt messages, something that would make interception of their content potentially impossible.
Yahoo follows the likes of Google, Facebook and Microsoft, who also recently announced they would encrypt internal traffic in response to the Snowden spying revelations.