text:
Apple said Mr Jobs has submitted his resignation to the board of directors and “strongly recommended” that the board name Tim Cook as his successor. Mr Jobs, 56 years old, has been elected chairman of the board and Tim Cook will join the board, effective immediately, the company said.
“I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know,” Mr Jobs said in his resignation letter. “Unfortunately, that day has come.”
Timothy “Tim” D. Cook (born November 1960) is the CEO and COO of Apple Inc., having joined the company in March 1998. His primary responsibility is managing day-to-day operations at the company.
Cook spent six months at Compaq as VP for Corporate Materials before he was hired by Steve Jobs to join Apple. He initially served as Senior Vice President for Worldwide Operations. Prior to that, Cook served as the chief operating officer (COO) of the computer reseller division of Intelligent Electronics and spent 12 years in IBM‘s personal computer business as the director of North American Fulfillment.[
In January 2007, Cook was promoted to COO.[6
Cook is a fitness enthusiast and enjoys hiking, cycling, and going to the gym. He regularly begins sending emails at 4:30 a.m. and used to hold Sunday night staff meetings by telephone to prepare for the next week
*** Harvey Norman, the exclusive retail outlet for the ill-fated device, announced just before 1pm that its remaining 6000 units would go on sale at 2pm. By 2.40pm, the TouchPad was sold out across the country.
The fire sale came about after HP announced last Thursday that it was discontinuing the TouchPad because of miserable US sales. Unfortunately, the axing coincided with the fourth day of TouchPad’s existence in Australia, giving it one of the shortest shelf lives of any electronic product in local history.
In England Many retailers have slashed prices on the device – some as low as £89 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-14633434
*** It will photograph the Amazon and Rio Negro Rivers of northwest Brazil in partnership with charity Foundation for a Sustainable Amazon (FAS).
Google will train local people to collect images, and will leave behind equipment so work continues long-term.
Pictures will be stitched together so users can explore 360-degree panoramics of the area.
“We’ll pedal the Street View trike along the narrow dirt paths of the Amazon villages and manoeuvre it up close to where civilization meets the rainforest,” Google described in a blog post.
“We’ll also mount it onto a boat to take photographs as the boat floats down the river.”
The project will start in the town of Tumbira, where the California-based company has attracted much attention.
By paying the fine, Google will avoid criminal prosecution in the US for profiting from the adverts.
The $500m represents the firm’s revenues from the adverts and the revenues generated from the sale of the drugs, federal investigators said.
Google said it should it not have allowed the adverts.
“We banned the advertising of prescription drugs in the US by Canadian pharmacies some time ago,” the company said in a short statement.
“However, it’s obvious with hindsight that we should not have allowed these ads on Google in the first place.”
The NBN Co has admitted that wireless internet services in some areas could be comparable to the speed of basic services on fibre network
the NBN Co has said wireless broadband services may be able to deliver 12 megabits per second — the NBN entry-level speed.
The NBN Co has told the competition watchdog “it is conceivable that wireless service speeds in particular areas may be comparable to the speeds of NBN Co’s entry level services”.
But it says advertised rates of 10 to 25Mbps for wireless often translate into actual rates of less than 2 to 3Mbps because speeds fall as more users are on a cell.
The NBN Co has also hit back at criticism of its move to stop Telstra from promoting wireless services as a direct substitute for fibre for two decades.
Under the terms of Telstra’s $11bn deal with the NBN Co, Telstra has agreed not to market wireless services as a substitute, but it can promote wireless as a complementary service.
Update: Sony and YouTube take down full-length Godfather
Early on Wednesday, the cinema classic The Godfather was made available in its entirety on YouTube by an authentic-looking account called “SonyPicturesUK.” We wrote about the event and thought the idea of putting the film up was bold. Turns out, the account hosting the film was a fraud.
Sony has contacted VentureBeat to let us know that “SonyPicturesUK” account has been taken down as well as the full-length film. A representative from Sony wrote:
On Wednesday, August 24 reports surfaced alleging that Sony Pictures UK had posted a copy of The Godfather movie to a YouTube account “SonyPicturesUK.” The YouTube handle in question is, in fact, not a Sony Pictures account and is in violation of Sony Pictures’ rights. Upon discovering the existence of this fraudulent account, Sony Pictures Entertainment worked with YouTube and the account was deactivated. Sony Pictures is investigating the violation.
While we’re saddened that movie is down, perhaps movie studios should take note. The studios have been looking for ways to combat piracy of their films for several years now. Putting one of the most critically acclaimed films ever could be a gesture of goodwill toward movie lovers and a way to stem some piracy.
The Godfather full-length film was not available in HD on YouTube, but it was available in 480p. That’s acceptable for YouTube and probably decent enough for someone who was thinking of pirating the film. Plus, the YouTube version could have advertisements sold against it. Those looking to watch the film in HD would still have to rent or buy the film through legal means.
YouTube has been trying to expand its full-length movie offerings since May, when it launched an online rentals service. At the YouTube Movies channel, users can rent recent movies like Paul and Your Highness as well as classics like American Graffiti and National Lampoon’s Vacation.
Stampede to profit on $99 TouchPad fire sale
Tablet bargain hunters hoping for a second release of HP TouchPad stock will be disappointed to learn that there’s none left in the country, but those who bought one for $99 yesterday have hit eBay looking to more than double their money.
The discontinued TouchPad sparked a stampede to Harvey Norman stores around Australia yesterday afternoon after HP slashed the base price from $499 to $99.
Thanks to the power of social media, 6000 units sold in less than an hour. The TouchPad had been on sale in Australia for just four days before the discounting and Harvey Norman’s general manager for computers, Ben McIntosh, said about 1000 were sold in that period.
McIntosh said HP told him it had an additional “few hundred” units to sell through its online store but “they told us yesterday at 5pm they’d sold out”. Across the ditch in New Zealand, consumers weren’t as lucky as stocks were extremely low and retailers were accused of allowing staff to buy up whatever was there.
McIntosh said he had hoped to get his hands on some more units hauled in by air freight but that was now impossible after BestBuy in the US moved over 200,000 of the tablets over the weekend.
“There are none [left] unfortunately. I thought there might have been some more available but BestBuy in the States sold a massive amount over the past week so literally HP’s got none,” he said.
The TouchPads also sold out in US and Canadian stores but HP has said it would make more available to US users through its online store until they’re completely gone.
Australians have been flooding Price USA, which acts as a middleman for Australians who want to buy from overseas shops that don’t ship here, with requests to buy one from the US for them.
“Please no more orders for HP Tablets. There is really no stock anywhere despite what some website are claiming,” Price USA tweeted. “Please, Please, Please no more orders for HP tablets.”
The webOS platform the TouchPad is based on may be flailing but, already, groups have formed in an effort to port Google’s Android platform to the TouchPad. One site, Hacknmod.com, is offering a $1500 cash bounty for the first person to do it successfully.
Overnight, dozens of HP TouchPads have appeared on eBay, listed by users in Australia. Most are asking for more than $300 for the 32GB models, which sold yesterday for $149.
The scarcity created by the fact that HP is producing no more TouchPads has made it somewhat of a collector’s item, and the bargain price created significant buzz, but the product will become less useful as time goes by as developers are unlikely to invest much money in creating apps for the device.
Even before the product was killed off in a surprise reorganisation of HP, analysts and reviewers queried why anyone would buy one considering the iPad and Android tablets were more compelling and had a far bigger apps ecosystem.
“HP realised it was just going to cost them significant dollars to bring it up to scratch to compete and they just weren’t prepared to do that. That’s why we had to sell them off quickly,” said McIntosh.
He added that HP Australia staff first heard about the global decision to discontinue the product from news reports, just like everyone else. McIntosh remarked yesterday that he had never seen such a dramatic drop in the price of a new product in 16 years.
HP acquired the webOS platform when it bought Palm for $US1.2 billion last year. Although it has said it won’t build any more webOS tablets and smartphones, it clarified yesterday that it was still committed to supporting the platform and licensing it to other manufacturers.
But with HTC, Motorola, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and others already going full steam ahead with Android, Nokia jumping into bed with Microsoft and RIM making its own software, it’s unclear who would license the platform, particularly considering that HP itself hasn’t stuck with it.
HP senior vice president Stephen DeWitt told Bloomberg yesterday that “the whole world isn’t just about tablets and phones”.
“The webOS is not dead. We’re going to continue to evolve it, update and support it. We stand by it,” said DeWitt.
“There are going to be appliances of so many different sizes and shapes in the future that are going to require a human interface for data.”
McIntosh said Harvey Norman and HP had committed to providing support and warranties to TouchPad owners regardless of its discontinued status.
“What they’re saying is they’re not going to kill off webOS for a period of time but they’re not going to spend an extra cent developing it,” said McIntosh.
“So from a user’s point of view it’s still going to be a supported platform for a while but I can’t imagine any developers spending any more money putting apps out and I can’t imagine HP doing anything much with it.”
He said Harvey Norman would not lose money out of the heavy discounting, meaning the losses will be shouldered by HP. McIntosh would not speculate on the size of the TouchPad losses but even at the pre-discount price HP was reportedly losing money on every TouchPad it sold.
“We’ve obviously got a lost profit opportunity. Will it cost us anything? No … it’s obviously going to cost them considerably but it’s all part of a global decision that HP Australia is just a victim of,” he said.
The inability of the TouchPad to attract consumer interest at a normal price has led some analysts to ponder whether virtually any tablet that is not an iPad is doomed to failure.
NBN push for rise in key rates flies in face of reduction pledge
August 23, 2011
THE opposition has seized on a proposal from the company building the national broadband network to raise prices for key services by more than the rate of inflation.
The taxpayer-owned NBN Co suggested in a recent discussion paper that it be allowed to raise prices by up to 5 per cent more than inflation for high-speed services once the network was complete early next decade. The mooted increases in wholesale prices appear to be at odds with commitments from NBN Co to reduce its prices over time.
The cheapest broadband services would not be affected by the proposal because wholesale prices for the lowest-speed connections would be capped at $24 a month for the first five years of the network.
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The opposition communications spokesman, Malcolm Turnbull, said yesterday the prospect of price rises for NBN services would reverse the long-term trend of broadband coming down in price.
”We’ve seen over recent years the prices for fixed line telephone services and for broadband come down dramatically. Australians have been used to getting broadband access, telecommunications, at lower and lower prices.” he said.
The government maintains that consumers would receive a better deal under NBN Co because Telstra would lose its market dominance in telecommunications.
The pricing proposal was made in a discussion paper seeking comment from the industry, before NBN Co formally proposes its plans to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission this year.
The Broadband Minister, Stephen Conroy, said NBN Co had yet to make a formal submission to the competition regulator, which would consider the paper ”in the same way they consider many regulated companies’ initial proposals”.
Vodafone spruiking 850MHz network
August 23, 2011 – 10:39AM
Vodafone is offering deals to move customers onto its new 850MHz metro network to ease congestion.
As the owner of a Vodafone Pocket Wifi hotspot, I received an interesting email this week offering me a new deal. I’ve been considering ditching the Pocket Wifi because Vodafone’s network has become so unreliable. I didn’t run into problems when I first got the Pocket Wifi six months ago, but recently I’ve found that more often than not it runs at a snail’s pace and I’m forced to switch over to the wifi hotspot on my Telstra-issue iPhone 4.
The new deal offers me a Pocket Wifi 2, which is compatible with Vodafone’s new 850MHz metro HDSPA network. The new network is designed to improve performance in metro areas by shifting as many devices as possible away from Vodafone’s existing 900 and 2100MHz networks. What’s really interesting is that Vodafone will let me break my existing contract of $29 p/m for 6GB, even though I have 6 months to go. I can then sign up for the Pocket Wifi 2 on a 12 month contract at the same price, but with the first 3 months half price.
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It looks like Vodafone will do anything it can to get customers over to this new 850MHz network as soon as possible, which makes sense because by reducing congestion it should stem the flow of frustrated customers switching to alternatives such as Telstra’s Next G. I believe Vodafone is offering similar deals to customers with a USB mobile broadband modem, swapping them over for 850MHz-compatible models.
Vodafone customers with an 850MHz-compatible phone, such as the iPhone 4, might already be roaming to the new 850MHz network. Unfortunately many older Vodafone-issue handsets aren’t 850MHz-compatible, as well as a few new handsets such as the HTC Desire HD. If this is you, you’re stuck on Vodafone’s old networks but things should improve as other customers move across to 850MHz.
Right now Vodafone is about half way through upgrading around 1500 mobile towers to 850MHz, a rollout which should be completed in the first half of next year. It’s also overhauling some of its existing 900 and 2100MHz gear. You can check the network coverage details to see if 850MHz is available in your area or coming soon. It will be interesting to see if the upgrades are enough to stop more long-suffering Vodafone customers from jumping ship.
Apple Rumors: New Mac Product In The Works
Posted by Ed Carrasco on August 22, 2011 7:48 PM
Rumors indicate a new Mac product is in the works, according to a Japanese site dedicated to Apple products.
MacRumors noted in its blog post that Macotokara reported that the new products in development will be “absolutely different from current products” by the Apple family. The blog added that it could see the product hit the shelves by the end of this year.
Another rumor reported on Business Insider Monday indicated that Apple is going to switch from using Intel processors to products made by ARM. Greg Welch, director of the Ultrabook program at Intel, confirmed to CNET that he has heard the rumors too.
Using ARM processors for Apple notebooks would set a precedent for the company, which already designs the processors for Apple’s iPhone and iPad, reported Business Insider.
Reports of a new product for Mac comes after last week’s news from the Wall Street Journal that Apple will test produce a new iPad in October, which would include a high-resolution display of 2048 by 1536 and a 9.7-inch screen. According to sources close to the production, the next generation of iPad would be released early next year.
Labor says Liberal MPs are breaking ranks with Tony Abbott to push for NBN in their seats
LIBERAL MPs are anxiously lobbying the government to have the NBN rolled out in their electorates, despite their party’s opposition to the network.
South Australian federal Liberal MP Rowan Ramsey and his West Australian colleague, Steve Irons, have both tabled questions with the government asking why their constituents are missing out on access to the National Broadband Network.
Mr Ramsey is the member for Grey, a rural South Australian electorate that includes the towns of Coober Pedy, Port Augusta and Whyalla.
He wrote to the government in July asking why the town of Streaky Bay, in his electorate, was slated to miss out on a fibre or wireless connection despite having a population in excess of 1000 people.
The NBN Co. has set a population of about 1000 people as the minimum number required for a town to receive the NBN’s fibre broadband link, rather than a slower satellite connection.
Mr Ramsey also protested about the exclusion of the towns of Wudinna and Cummins, writing: “Why are the towns of Wudinna and Cummins, being significant centres and both adjacent to optic fibre cables, not designated to receive a fibre broadband service”?
Mr Irons wrote to ask why the rollout of the NBN in the Perth suburb of Victoria Park, in his electorate of Swan, had been delayed.
Victoria Park was named as one of the locations that would receive the NBN in the so-called second round of rollouts across the country.
Mr Irons wrote to the government asking: “Why did the construction of the National Broadband Network not begin in Victoria Park during the second quarter of 2011; when will such construction now (a) begin, and (b) finish; and when will NBN services become available in this suburb?”
Fellow Liberal MP Teresa Gambaro took the government to task last week over her electorate of Brisbane missing out on being an early rollout site for the NBN.
Her seat had originally been nominated as an early test site, like Victoria Park in Perth, but the test site was shifted to the nearby seats of Lilley and Petrie because of technical difficulties.
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy said more and more MPs were breaking ranks with Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull’s plan to demolish the NBN.
“Last week it was Teresa Gambaro in Brisbane and this week Rowan Ramsey in South Australia and Steve Irons in WA are asking why towns in their electorates are receiving state-of-the-art ‘next generation’ satellite broadband services rather than fibre optic cable to the home, or are not getting fibre rolled out quick enough.
“It is further proof that Coalition MPs are in touch with their constituents who reject Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull’s pledge to demolish our world class NBN. They all know their constituents are desperate to have the benefits of the NBN,” Senator Conroy said.
“Coalition MPs are well aware the Australian public is tired of the substandard internet they have now and do not want the dodgy broadband services Mr Abbott and Mr Turnbull would force them to have.”
When contacted by The Australian Online, Mr Irons said he had simply been trying to find out what was going on for the people of his electorate.
“Their failure to deliver this project on time is just another Labor lie,” he said.
Liberal Communications spokesman Malcolm Turnbull defended the actions of his fellow Coalition MPs, saying there was “nothing inconsistent” about asking Senator Conroy for answers about the NBN.
“Having promised Australians that the nirvana of superfast broadband would arrive many months ago, it is more than reasonable that they asked what happened to that promise,” he said.
“That is not, as Senator Conroy assumes, a sign of support but a mere investigation into the extent of this government’s incompetence and inability to deliver. The Coalition will upgrade inadequate areas of our broadband infrastructure as a matter of priority – we will deliver fast broadband faster.”
Apple Key Dates
The following are key dates in the history of Apple, whose ailing co-founder Steve Jobs resigned as CEO on Wednesday:
1976: Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak unveil the first Apple computer in Palo Alto, California. It consists of little more than a circuit board and costs just under $700.
1977: The Apple II with a one-megahertz processor becomes the first mass-produced computer and an instant hit.
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1980: Apple becomes a publicly-traded company.
1983: Lisa, the first personal computer featuring a mouse for navigating and desktop icons and folders, is introduced. Its failure is blamed on a daunting price of nearly $10,000.
1984: The Macintosh PC makes its debut. It is affordable and features innovations such as a disk drive, built-in monitor and a mouse.
1985: Jobs resigns after being stripped of control of Apple in an internal power struggle.
1986: John Sculley becomes Apple president. Jobs starts computer company NeXT and buys Lucasfilm’s computer graphics division, renaming it Pixar.
1996: Apple buys NeXT and makes Jobs an adviser.
1997: Jobs returns as head of Apple. Arch-rival Microsoft invests $US150 million in the company.
1998: Jobs revamps Apple’s product line, churning out colorful $1300 iMac PCs with monitors and drives in the same casing.
1999: The iBook, marketed as a mobile iMac, is introduced.
2001: Apple launches the iPod pocket digital music player for $US399 and opens its first retail store in Palo Alto.
2003: Apple opens online music store iTunes.
2004: Jobs undergoes an operation for pancreatic cancer.
2007: Apple kicks off the era of the touchscreen smartphone with the new iPhone.
2009: Jobs goes on medical leave in January, returning to work in June after undergoing a liver transplant.
2010: Jobs unveils the iPad tablet computer, a huge hit after it goes on sale in April. Apple passes Microsoft in May as the largest US technology company in terms of market value.
January 17, 2011: Jobs takes another medical leave of absence.
January 18: Apple reports a record quarterly net profit of $US6 billion on revenue of $US26.74 billion
March 2: Jobs makes surprise appearance to unveil of the latest iPad
June 6: Jobs again surprises by launching Apple’s free online storage hub iCloud
July 19: Apple second quarter profit hits $US7.31 billion on revenue of $US28.57 billion.
August 9: Apple briefly passes ExxonMobil as the world’s largest company by market capitalisation
August 24: Jobs announces his resignation as CEO and is replaced by chief operating officer Tim Cook, but will stay on as chairman of the Apple board.
Russia loses contact with communications satellite | Space, Military and Medicine | News.com.au
RUSSIA lost contact with a communications satellite shortly after its launch overnight, the latest in a series of failures that has dogged the nation’s space program.
The Express-AM4 satellite was launched atop a Proton-M booster rocket from the Russia-leased Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
The Federal Space Agency said the booster itself worked fine, but a subsequent failure of the additional upper stage, the Briz-M, resulted in the loss of communications with the satellite.
It said efforts were being made to re-establish contact with the 5.8-ton craft.
The satellite has been insured for 7.5 billion rubles ($248 million) with Russian Ingosstrakh insurance company.
The satellite was to be put into a geostationary orbit to provide digital TV broadcasting for Russia’s far eastern regions. Broadcasters said that the failure would likely delay the planned transfer to digital TV.
The Briz-M upper stage has experienced several failures, most recently in February when its malfunction led to the loss of a Russian military satellite.
In December 2010, another technical glitch led to the loss of three GLONASS-M navigation satellites, which were to be part of Russia’s satellite navigation system competing with the US Global Positioning System, or GPS.
That mishap eventually cost then-space chief Anatoly Perminov his job.
Brisbane tech-heads launch Kondoot to rival Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus | Information,
BRISBANE’S brightest tech-heads have joined forces to create “the next big” social network to take on internet giants Twitter, Facebook and Google.
Kondoot – a social network based around live streaming video – was launched quietly last month and already is making a splash on the web.
Users from more than 100 countries have signed up, with most interest from the US.
Users can “friend” others, just like Facebook, but the main point of difference is the wide range of streaming video options.
Kondoot will allow users to broadcast streaming video from home or work live to the world.
“The video calling and text chatting is there and posting to profiles, but we add another dimension,” Kondoot spokesman Nathan Hoad told The Courier-Mail.
“It’s mostly about connecting people and video is just one way to do that.
“We think we can make a massive splash in the social media scene.”
Mr Hoad, 24, one of the team’s programmers, said Kondoot was a mash-up of the best features of the major social media websites.
“Most of them do only their thing – nobody really covers more than that,” he said.
“YouTube, for example, is big into video but the social side is not so good. We add that other dimension.”
The team of 10 who work full-time on the site’s business, legal and IT needs is currently working 18-hour days to develop new features.
It has been more than a year in the making but the tight-lipped crew have managed to keep a lid on their idea until now. “It started as just an idea in around April last year,” Mr Hoad said.
“A few of us got together to see if it was possible and since June more and more have been joining as we started building a prototype.”
Social media has been a worldwide revolution and Facebook, which recently announced new video-calling capabilities, now boasts more than 750 million monthly active users.
Google also ventured into the market in June with Google+, which now has more than 25 million users.
The power is on! Robonaut wakes up aboard the ISS | Space, Military and Medicine | News.com.au
NASA’s humanoid robot has finally awakened in space.
Ground controllers turned Robonaut on overnight for the first time since it was delivered to the International Space Station in February. The test involved sending power to all of Robonaut’s systems. The robot was not commanded to move — that will happen next week.
“Those electrons feel GOOD! One small step for man, one giant leap for tinman kind,” Robonaut posted in a Twitter update.
(All right, so a Robonaut team member actually posted the tweets for him at @astrorobonaut.)
The four visible light cameras that serve as Robonaut’s eyes turned on in the gold-coloured head, as did the infrared camera, located in the robot’s mouth and needed for depth perception. One of Robonaut’s tweets showed the view inside the American lab, Destiny.
“Sure wish I could move my head and look around,” Robonaut said in the tweet.
Robonaut — the first humanoid robot in space — is being tested as a possible astronaut’s helper.
The robot’s handlers at Mission Control in Houston cheered as everything came alive. The main computers — buried inside Robonaut’s stomach — kicked on, as did the more than 30 processors embedded in the arms for controlling the joints.
“Robonaut behaved himself,” said deputy project manager Nicolaus Radford.
“Oh, Robonaut definitely got an ‘A’. He won’t be held back a grade, if that’s what you want to know.”
“It was just very exciting,” he said.
“It’s been a long time coming to get this thing turned on.”
The robot was delivered by space shuttle Discovery on its final flight. It took this long for the operating software to get up there, and for the astronauts to have enough time to help with the experiment
On September 1, controllers will command Robonaut to move its fingers, hands and arms.
“It’s been asleep for about a year, so it kind of has to stretch out a little bit,” Mr Radford told the Associated Press.
“Just like a crew member has to kind of acclimate themselves to zero gravity, our robot has to do a very similar thing, kind of wiggle itself and learn how it needs to move.”
For now, Robonaut exists from the waist up. It measures 3 feet 4 inches tall (91cm) and weighs 330 pounds (150kg). Each arm is 2 feet 8 inches long (60cm).
A pair of legs currently are being designed and should be launched in 2013.
Radford said if everything continues to check out well, the robot may be able to take on a few mundane chores — like taking air velocity measurements inside the space station — early next year.
For now, Robonaut — also called R2 — is designed to stay inside the space station. Future versions might venture out on spacewalks, saving astronauts time while keeping them safe.
During the two-hour test overnight, US astronaut Michael Fossum and Japanese spaceman Satoshi Furukawa took Robonaut from its sleeping bag, placed it on its fixed pedestal, then floated away as ground controllers took over. The robot went back into its bag following the test.
Because Robonaut has some flammable parts, NASA wants it stored in its fireproof bag.
Controllers were tempted to make the robot move, but held off.
“We want to be respectful,” Mr Radford said.
“It’s a very complicated piece of hardware.”
Why world’s largest PC maker pulled out of the race | Information, Gadgets, Mobile Phones News &
WHAT does it mean when the world’s biggest personal computer maker stops making PCs?
“One of the underlying tones here is that we are entering a post-PC era”
It means we’re now officially in the era of the iPad.
Late last week, computer giant Hewlett-Packard revealed a dramatic plan to pull out of the consumer electronics business.
No more personal computers. No more smartphones. No more tablets.
That’s why the HP TouchPad, which had only just launched locally, was sold off by Harvey Norman for a fifth of its regular price on Monday.
HP TouchPad — was $498, now dead, $98
But why would the PC market leader decide to stop making PCs? Experts say it’s because there is less and less money left in the business.
“The PC business is getting much more challenging,” Garnter principal analyst Tracy Tsai told news.com.au.
“The media tablet, like the iPad, has already had a level of impact on PC usage. Consumers are now considering adopting an alternative computing device — maybe a smartphone or a media tablet.”
Ms Tsai said HP were still making money on PCs — of which they shipped almost 15 million during the second quarter of 2011 — but not as much as they made from other areas.
“Their profit margin (on PCs) is about 5.9 per cent, which is not bad compared to the other PC vendors in the industry,” she said.
“However it’s much lower, probably only half, of that of other divisions like software, service and those kind of enterprise divisions.”
Accordingly, HP’s decision was to exit the consumer market completely and focus on selling software and hardware to businesses — just like IBM did before them.
That move will involve HP selling its PC division and moving to purchase business software maker Autonomy for as much as $US10 billion.
Top PC vendors
Market share by shipments, Q2 2011, Gartner
Telsyte research director Foad Fadaghi said it was possible HP’s leaders knew they couldn’t compete with Apple in the consumer market.
“Right now the company that is setting the benchmark in terms of hardware and profitability is Apple, and they’ve done that by not following the norm, if you like. They’ve reinvented the categories,” he told news.com.au.
“If you look at Apple, you have something like 40 per cent margins on their hardware, while PC businesses may be down to single digits in some instances.
“I think that HP is taking a good, hard look at itself and realising that maybe some of those things it needs to do to effectively compete with the likes of Apple, it’s just not going to be able to do under its current structure.”
However the competition between HP and Apple isn’t just about brands. It’s also a shift away from one kind of computer to another.
“I think one of the underlying tones here is that we are entering a post-PC era,” Mr Fadaghi said.
“It doesn’t mean PCs are going to go away completely. PCs are still going to be used and so forth, but there is a realisation that consumers are choosing to do their computing differently to how they did it a few years ago.
“They’re first tending towards a smartphone or a tablet, and then they’re going to a PC.
“Increasingly, over time, more of those things they do on PCs will happen on other devices.”
NSW Police in row over copyright charges | The Australian
COMPUTER forensics is the domain of law enforcement agencies but a landmark legal suit in Australia could result in NSW Police turning over its computers.
The primary claim in a breach of copyright civil suit is against NSW Police, which Micro Focus claims copied its software and distributed it to third-party agencies without its approval.
NSW Police could be forced by the courts to turn over its machines in an effort to discover if the mainframe software, ViewNow, was copied without permission.
Micro Focus claims NSW Police had licences to install ViewNow on up to 6500 computers but 16,000 copies were being used.
Similar charges have been made against the NSW Ombudsman and Police Integrity Commission, and the latter has settled the matter out of court without admitting liability.
NSW Police alleges that it had the right to use an unlimited number of copies of the mainframe software throughout its organisation.
According to documents filed in the Federal Court in Sydney, NSW Police claims it was entitled to assume continuously from about June 29, 2000, that the software distributor had sold it a licence to install an unlimited number of copies of ViewNow throughout its organisation.
NSW Police alleges it did not regard the installation or use of an unlimited number of copies of ViewNow as a breach of the licence or an infringement of any copyright in ViewNow.
Consequently the software vendor was not expected to pursue any claim for additional licence fees or for copyright infringement against the organisation.
NSW Police said that during June 2000 and February this year various computers were superseded by newer machines and as a result software programs on older PCs could have been erased.
The organisation has denied any wrongdoing.
This week, lawyers for Micro Focus and Police will meet to discuss the court appointment of an independent expert to investigate police computer systems.
The expert is crucial because the organisation’s number of ViewNow software installations is unclear. The expert will assess how many copies of ViewNow might be at issue.
ViewNow is a mainframe terminal emulator that connects a user’s PC with NSW Police’s computerised operations policing system database, which holds all operational information police officers require to do their jobs. This includes data on criminals, speeding tickets and warrants. NSW Police has been using ViewNow since 1998.
Other agencies, including the NSW Roads and Transport Authority, have ViewNow licences, as they need access to the police database. The case continues.


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These nodes are joined together by lightweight and stiff carbon fiber tubes at interfaces like these. The internal features of these interfaces — which are used to vacuum-inject the adhesive that perfectly affixes the carbon tubes to the nodes — are what necessitates 3D printing.
Each of the nodes is labeled during its 3D printing to aid in quick assembly. The nodes and carbon tubes form a tubular frame not unlike what you'd see in a race car. DM states that its node construction yields a chassis that is "90 percent lighter than traditional cars, despite being much stronger and more durable."
DM Technologies tells us that a team of two workers was able to assemble the Blade's tubular frame in about half an hour. Final assembly of the engine, body shell, suspension and finishing — obviously — takes a bit longer than that.
Because the 3D-printed nodes are customizable and the carbon tube matrix is scalable, the underpinnings of the Blade could easily be scaled and re-shelled to accommodate, for example, a small pickup truck or large sedan.
Founder and CEO of Divergent Microfactories Kevin Czinger tells me
that, at about 1,400 pounds and with an output of about 700 horsepower,
the Blade has a better power-to-weight ratio than the Bugatti Veyron.
DM plans to sell a limited number of Blades out of its own microfactory, but the company says it ultimately envisions "democratizing" auto manufacturing by providing its node-building techniques to others.
According to DM, "The goal is to put the platform in the hands of small entrepreneurial teams around the world, allowing them to set up their own microfactories and build their own cars and, eventually, other large complex structures."
“At Divergent Microfactories,we’ve found a way to make automobiles that holds the promise of radically reducing the resource use and pollution generated by manufacturing. It also holds the promise of making large-scale car manufacturing affordable for small teams of innovators," Czinger says in a release June 24.

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From the beginning, the Changs centered their business on affordable, of-the-moment clothing, much of which came from wholesale closeouts that allowed the company to get their merchandise directly from the manufacturers at a lower cost.
The announcement came after reports indicated Forever 21 had hired a team of advisers to seek out private-equity support to refinance and restructure the beleaguered brand. They dreamed of entrepreneurship - originally in the coffee industry, as Business Insider reported in 2015 - and worked odd jobs to make ends meet.
Forever 21 Canada was granted protection under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) from a Toronto court on Sunday. The CMBS loans total more than $20 billion of debt, though the retailer's direct exposure, given it only occupies a portion of the property, rests at just a fraction of that debt.
Justin Bieber thanks his in-laws for letting Hailey Bieber ‘marry a savage’
Justin , on his end, joked with fans about letting them pick his tuxedo for his special day. They are all set to walk down the aisle again this weekend in SC in a "very small" ceremony.
There are about 800 Forever 21 stores in the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Latin America, and so far, we don't yet know how many of those will close and when. As part of its Chapter 11 filing, it will close operations in 40 countries and shutter up to 178 stores in the United States.
In addition to filing for bankruptcy, Forever 21 announced it will close 350 stores worldwide.
Company officials said the store closure list would be determined based on negotiations with landlords.
And in the same month, USA pop star Ariana Grande sued the retailer for using her trademark style to promote its products without her permission, including adverts featuring a "look-alike model". The formerly high-flying Forever 21 has struggled in recent years, challenged by over-expansion, increased competition from discounters such as Target and the rise of online subscription services and rental retail. After "a thorough review of Forever 21 Canada's poor performance and negative cash flow", and considering the bankruptcy protection proceedings launched in the US, the parent firm decided it was in the best interest to immediately stop financially supporting the Canadian subsidiary.
Additionally, consumer trends away from fast-fashion and toward more sustainable models of consumption have impacted Forever 21's relevance.


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A fictional brand fails due to bad media placement in spot promoting Amazon Ads
The campaign from the e-commerce giant's ad division shows the time, effort and energy that goes into bringing a campaign to life.
Amazon Ads has launched a new brand positioning that speaks directly to the people that bring advertising campaigns to life. In ‘Ads That Work as Hard as You Do’, viewers are introduced to the fake brand Cheri and the behind-the-scenes details efforts that go into launching a brand.
Sadly for Cheri, the months of planning and strategizing result in a terrible media placement that sees a promotional billboard blocked by a huge tree behind a busy freeway.
By ending with the image of the obscured billboard, the message that Amazon Ads wants to drive home is that it offers alternative premium media placements.
Accompanied by three 15-second ads, the campaign is live in France, Italy, Germany, Spain, UK and Canada, and features online video, social media, digital display, and digital audio executions.
Anomaly is the agency behind the idea, with media planning handled by Rufus.
The online retail giant is doubling down on promoting promoting its advertising division comes after seeing significant growth from brands tapping into its services. According to an earnings report from February, it delivered $11.6bn in sales for the fourth quarter, a 19% year-over-year increase. Meanwhile, rivals Google and Meta have suffered a slowdown in digital advertising.


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Biden, Gates, other Twitter accounts hacked in Bitcoin scam
Unidentified hackers broke into the Twitter accounts of technology moguls, politicians, celebrities and major companies Wednesday in an apparent Bitcoin scam.
(AP News) – The ruse included bogus tweets from former President Barack Obama, Democratic presidential front-runner Joe Biden, Mike Bloomberg and a number of tech billionaires including Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Celebrities Kanye West and his wife, Kim Kardashian West, were also hacked. The fake tweets tweets offered to send $2,000 for every $1,000 sent to an anonymous Bitcoin address.
There is no evidence that the owners of these accounts were targeted themselves. Instead, the hacks appeared designed to lure their Twitter followers into sending money to an anonymous Bitcoin account. The Biden campaign, for instance, said that Twitter’s integrity team “locked down the account within a few minutes of the breach and removed the related tweet.”
Obama’s office had no immediate comment. The FBI said it was aware of Twitter’s security breach, but declined further comment.
In a tweet, Twitter noted that it was aware of a “security incident impacting accounts on Twitter.” The San Francisco company said it is investigating and promised an update shortly. It did not reply immediately to requests for comment.
The apparently fake tweets were all quickly deleted, although The Associated Press was able to capture screenshots of several before they disappeared. The security problem was severe enough for Twitter to warn that many of its more than 166 million daily users might be unable to tweet or reset their passwords while the company tried to lock things down.


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At the end of 2015, there were just 8,472 fuel stations in the UK, down from 37,539 in 1970. Assuming a steady rate of decline, Nissan predicts that by August 2020 this will fall to under 7,870.*
In contrast, the number of public electric vehicle charging locations is expected to reach 7,900 by the same point in time. However, the accelerating adoption of electric vehicles means this crossover could happen a lot sooner.
Just over 100 years since the first fuel station opened – November 1919 at Aldermaston in Berkshire – the number in the UK has peaked, declined and is expected to be overtaken by charging stations designed for battery, not combustion, powered cars.
More than 75% of UK petrol stations have closed in the last 40 years, whilst the number of electric vehicle charging locations has increased from a few hundred in 2011 to more than 4,100 locations in 2016, as electric car sales take off.
According to Go Ultra Low, the joint government and car industry campaign, more than 115 electric cars were registered every day in the first quarter of 2016, equivalent to one every 13 minutes. The campaign also believes electric power could be the dominant form of propulsion for all new cars sold in the UK as early as 2027, with more than 1.3m electric cars registered each year.
Edward Jones, EV Manager, Nissan Motor (GB) Ltd., said;
“‘As electric vehicle sales take off, the charging infrastructure is keeping pace and paving the way for convenient all-electric driving. Combine that with constant improvements in our battery performance and we believe the tipping point for mass EV uptake is upon us. As with similar breakthrough technologies, the adoption of electric vehicles should follow an ‘S-curve’ of demand. A gradual uptake from early adopters accelerates to a groundswell of consumers buying electric vehicles just as they would any other powertrain.”
Whilst the vast majority of electric vehicle owners charge at home, 98% of UK motorway services have charging stations, including rapid connectors that most electric cars can recharge to 80% in just 30 minutes.
Supply of fuel within the Capital is also becoming scarcer. Central London has nearly half as many petrol stations per car as the Scottish Highlands; only four remain within the congestion-charge zone**. A notable closure in 2008 was one of the country’s oldest forecourts, the Bloomsbury Service Station, which had been operational since 1926.


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It is true; the adoption of Bitcoin marks the beginning of a new revolution. The Coronavirus pandemic in a transitional economic time affects the world. Each global transition usually has a technological marker, and the technical marker of the oncoming era is Bitcoin.
What is Bitcoin Adoption
The adoption of Bitcoin means the global acceptance of the coin. Many stock and forex traders predict an incoming global economic crash, attributing it to inflation.
The US dollar is losing value due to a limitless supply. Even a documentary on YouTube explains how excessive dollar printing will cause an economic crash, thereby ushering in a new digital currency.
Bitcoin Will Be a Global Currency
BTC will become the order of the day. Bitcoin is slowly replacing fiat currency and eliminating intermediaries. Continuous adoption of Bitcoin by states such as El Salvador will make Bitcoin the leading currency globally.
Firms like Tesla and Bitcoin whale holdings will help adopt Bitcoin by leading firms such as Grayscale. Bitcoin traverses borders and is borderless. Anyone in Africa can transact with anyone in China without government restrictions.
Top investors can also transfer massive amounts of funds under whale accounts without banks and governments monitoring these movements of funds. The anonymity of Bitcoin transactions makes it good for business.
Market Dominance and Bitcoin Gold
Bitcoin has a maximum market supply of 21,000 BTCs. The coin is a rarity in the market due to its limited supply. It is clear now that Bitcoin holds the weight of the market from this year’s bear market. The collapse of Bitcoin made investors cash out, and the crypto markets collapsed to an ATL of $20 000.
The market dominance will help Bitcoin become like digital gold, hence creating Bitcoin futures for trading. A single Bitcoin will be very pricey because the coin was currently sitting at a market supply of $18,000 and above; the only supply remaining to fill the supply is $3000.
Stabilization of the Cryptocurrency Markets
Global adoption of Bitcoin will help stabilize cryptocurrency markets from high volatility and SEC by stabilizing price movements of the coin. The coin will have a reduced volatility gap; therefore, the bear market will reduce.
Bitcoin will help investors do away with “shit coins” that destabilize the market, such as Squidcoin, a rug pull. Stabilizing the markets will happen because many investors are looking to Bitcoin as a way out of inflation.
When many investors share in the global currency, it will distribute whale holdings to many people around the globe. Therefore, a bear market will not be as common.
SEC will also help set rules against scammers and “shitcoins” in the cryptocurrency markets, therefore, protecting the people’s wealth. Bluechip projects will rise and help sustain the cryptocurrency market. Projects such as Ethereum and Polygon Matic will help hold the cryptocurrency network together.
Adoption of Bitcoin for the Future
Bitcoin is the future currency. If you do not believe it yet, you better take the red pill as early as now. Meta is only an early sign of the crypto-verse, and what is yet to come. If Zuckerberg and Elon Musk believe, I think it is time to take the Bitcoin red pill and HODL.


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THE term "high fashion" has taken on a whole new meaning thanks to skiers and boarders heading up the North Shore mountains this winter.
The 2012-2013 season is off to a big start with early snowfalls blanketing Grouse, Cypress and Seymour.
Outerwear for skiers and snowboarders is always reinventing itself and styles range from bunny-hill newbie to park-rat hipster; hard-core racer to extreme backcountry rider.
Snowboard outerwear has done a complete 360 from the days of baggy clothing, says Casey Nicholson, a buyer at North Shore Ski and Board.
A look at American Olympian Shaun White - a rock star in the snowboarding world - reveals that skinny-cut pants and long slim jackets are very much on trend.
"It's not the snowboarders dressing like gangsters anymore, it's the skiers," says Nicholson, noting skiers are still leaning towards the baggy look.
Once you've decided how bold you want to go with pants, it's on to choosing the right jacket. For most people on the mountain, choosing a jacket from a ski or snowboard brand is irrelevant, says Nicholson.
On the North Shore, the most important feature is waterproofing and a powder skirt that prevents snow from coming up into the jacket on wet or snowy days. But technically sound garments don't come cheap.
A top-of-the-line women's Burton jacket costs $539, but comes with Gore-Tex, insulation, vents, detailing, a removable powder skirt and "finger panties," a glove-like layer at the end of the jacket's sleeves.
Colour-blocking and using colour pops with bright neons in details like zippers and cuffs is a popular look from the last few seasons that is still going strong. Whether considering a bright plaid or polka dot jacket, think carefully. "Patterns are hit or miss," says Nicholson.
For the non-freestyle skier, Spyder and Descente brands are still on top of the world, says Cameron Wardell of Swiss Sports Haus in West Vancouver.
Generally women prefer a tailored coat a la Helly Hansen and are looking for four-way stretch, form-fitting and waterproof pants, says Wardell.
"Women want yoga pants, except they're ski pants," says Wardell. Descente clears a $300 price point among most women who ski recreationally, says Wardell.
Freestyle skier Mike Apps, who considers himself on the frontier of slope couture, says the bright poppy look is passÃ©.
"We've gone through a transition from the colours or 'Skittles look' to more solid basic earth colours," he says.
It has been a slow progression from the baggy "gangster" outwear look but the "hesh" or "gypsy" look is gaining popularity this year, he says.
"It started off as more a mixture of tight pants, ponchos or flannels, powder beards and whatever other garbage people could mix in there," says Apps.
"Your typical Seymour skeezebag look," he says.
Freestyle riders take their outerwear looks very seriously, he adds.
"You watch the X Games and see how at many levels it's one big fashion show. Kids buy into it, they want to wear what the pros are wearing because they think it will make them ride like them," says Apps.
Whether we like it or not, fashion-related decisions label a skier or snowboarder as a weekend warrior, snow bunny or hardcore rider, he says.
"The mentality is if you dress a certain way you probably ride a certain way. So the more current with the trends you are the better you must be at skiing or snowboarding. People who don't care about their image must not be as involved with the sport and therefore are not as cool," says Apps, who admits that people go overboard.
His favorite thing to see in the terrain park is a person with non-descript style "throwing down" and going big.
"Really what you wear should have nothing to do with skill level, but everyone assumes they should go hand in hand."
Esthetics aside, developments in ski equipment are drawing people back to the sport in droves.
"The rocker has made our world so much easier," says North Shore Ski and Board owner Brett Williams.
Rocker is the curve of the ski from tip to tail which allows riders to get all the advantages of more ski without having to maneuver as much edge. This means most skiers can take on terrain and snow conditions that were historically only for the most technically apt.
Five years ago, people switching back from snowboarding were going to park skis because of the then-revolutionary twin tip. But now it's not just daredevils and punk skiers crossing over.
"Skis have changed so much and have become so much more fun to ski on that there's no reason not to," says Wardell.
"Across the board they're switching back because it's time."
A new pair of mountain skis without bindings will cost between $500 to $1,100.
Almost all of this season's skis are fat with a good tight curve radius. "It's all about fatter, fatter, fatter," says Williams.
The added surface area means some skis are featuring snowboard-inspired graphics, says Williams.
As for size, Williams says the classification "women's skis" is a misnomer. Anyone who is 140 pounds or lighter should definitely be on women's skis.
"They should call it a lighter person's ski," says Williams, although he admits some of the graphics are "a bit too flowery" for most men.
There are dozens of different factors to consider when selecting boots, but the best boot is simply the one that fits your foot, says Wardell.
K2 Skis recently came out with Full Tilt boots. They feature a floating ribbed tongue (like the flexible part of a drinking straw) instead of the usual hard plastic overlap and scream '80s.
They also come with removable covers that can give the boot different looks, such as that of a basketball shoe or a work boot.
"They just re-market with new colours and kids have been eating them up," says Apps.
For $650, Apps says "they're not worth the hype."
There is also a trend toward "slack country boots," which have a small buckle in the back that can be flipped up to hike mode, allowing the boot to pivot both ways for backcountry trekking.
Bigger skis and added rocker have opened up the backcountry to many skiers because they can ski powder more easily, which means these boots will only get more popular, says Williams.
Snowboards still employ the flying V rocker system, but the technology has not changed as drastically as with skiing. Longer, stiffer boards are better for charging big mountain while shorter, lighter boards with lots of flex are ideal for riding in the park.
The latest technical trend for snowboarders is to mount bindings on canting plates. This way, riders can mount a wide stance, but the plates allow the knees to tilt in, making it more comfortable to hold a wide, cowboy-like stance that is better for sliding rails and landing big airs.
The days of laces on snowboard boots are all but gone. Almost every boot this season has speedzone tightening systems involving either dials or quickdraws.
"No one knows how to tie a bow any more," says Williams.
Helmets are mandatory for all riders in the terrain parks at Grouse, Cypress and Seymour. Most helmets feature a small, non-detachable brim. By a landslide, the most popular helmets are Smith (for skiers) and Bern (for either), which both have toned-down, subtly peaked brims.
Trying to decide whether to put your goggles over or under? The under the helmet look will be around for at least a few more seasons, says Apps.
The trend in goggles echoes that of skis - bigger is better. Smith, Oakley and Scott all make OTG goggles with softened sides to fit over eyeglasses.
© Copyright 2013


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Editor’s Note: Doug Gross covers consumer technology and the Web for CNN.com. Follow him on Twitter and add him to your Circles on Google+.
Twitter is the latest Web player to get into music streaming
Ad-or-subscription streaming services like Spotify, Pandora are booming
Apple, Google and Twitter all reportedly will roll out music services
Microsoft's Xbox Music feature was introduced in October
By the time you read this Twitter may have already announced it’s getting into the online-music business. If so, they will have plenty of company – courtesy of some of the tech world’s biggest names.
After days of speculation, Twitter on Friday rolled out a Web page for Twitter Music. Of course, it was a page that didn’t do anything, but sent a pretty clear signal that the much speculated-about service was about to become a reality. (The prevailing theory late Friday was that it would go live over the weekend, in conjunction with the Coachella music festival. But it did not.)
Early reports suggest the service will let users listen to the songs that are trending as most popular on Twitter and elsewhere on the Web. And it would be only one of several music-streaming services to either be introduced recently or rumored to be in the works.
And it’s not just startups with names like Grooveshark any more. Google, Apple and Microsoft are among the major players now in the mix.
Why are so many Internet titans getting into the game? The answer is simple: dollars and cents.
Online streaming, by which users listen to music either for free or for a monthly fee, is the fastest growing form of music listening, according to industry reports.
The Recording Industry Association of America, in its annual report, said that while overall music sales were down in 2012, digital-music sales were up 14%, topping $4 billion.
“Digital growth was driven by large increases in revenues through what can broadly be referred to as ‘access models,’ where users can choose to listen from large libraries of music rather than purchasing individual songs or albums,” the report read.
At the top of that heap are sites like Pandora and Spotify. Pandora lets users give it suggestions, then creates a personalized radio station. Spotify lets users pick exactly what they want to listen to out of a library of more than 16 million songs. Both make money either through ads or by letting users pay a monthly fee to go ad-free.
Spotify has made no bones about its desire to make even the Apple iTunes model for digital music obsolete. Why pay for music when you can listen to virtually anything you want to hear for free (or for a modest fee), they ask? (Some musical artists would say because it helps them make a living wage, instead of fractions of a penny for each of their songs played.)
For the first time, royalties earned from digital-music services in the UK just surpassed licensing revenues from radio broadcasts. And digital streaming is growing particularly fast among younger users. A Nielsen research poll from August suggested that teens now discover and listen to music on YouTube more often than on the radio, iTunes or CDs.
“The accessibility of music has seen tremendous expansion and diversification,” said David Bakula, a Nielsen senior vice president. “While younger listeners opt for technologically advanced methods, traditional methods of discovery like radio and word-of-mouth continue to be strong drivers.”
Here’s a closer look at the heavyweights hoping to get their share of the increasingly lucrative music market.
On Thursday, music-discovery company We Are Hunted confirmed reports that it had been bought out by Twitter. Instantly gone from the Internet, We Are Hunted would search blogs, social media and other sites for new music that was picking up serious buzz and add it to a constantly updated stream.
One would assume Twitter plans something similar.
“We can’t wait to share what we’ve been working on at Twitter,” reads a message on the now-closed Hunted site. “We wish we could say (what it is), but we’re not yet ready to talk about it. You’ll hear more from us when we are.”
DJ turned “American Idol” host Ryan Seacrest praised the app on Twitter on Thursday, saying it “shows what artists are trending, also has up and coming artists.”
The official rollout could happen at Coachella on Saturday, though Twitter did not respond to a request for comment and had not confirmed that as of Friday afternoon.
Reports have suggested that Apple, which already lets iTunes users listen to their own music libraries, is also eyeing the streaming-music space.
Last month, reports surfaced that CEO Tim Cook had met with Beats Electronics, founded by hip-hop producer Dr. Dre and music-industry stalwart Jimmy Iovine. The maker of the popular “Beats by Dre” and other headphones announced in January that it had begun “Project Daisy,” a music-subscription service.
Eddy Cue, an Apple executive who played a major role in creating iTunes, also attended the meeting, Reuters quoted three unnamed sources as saying.
In its announcement of Daisy, Beats said the service would be released in late 2013 and “bring an emotional connection back to the act of music discovery.”
Google, meanwhile, is reportedly working to expand the already wide reach of YouTube in the Web music world.
For young listeners, YouTube is already a massive music-discovery and listening tool. And, like Apple, Google provides virtual lockers for users to store and listen to their own music on multiple devices.
Google’s service would reportedly let users subscribe to expanding streaming options. The company wouldn’t confirm its plans on the record, but didn’t shoot them down, either.
“While we don’t comment on rumor or speculation, there are some content creators that think they would benefit from a subscription revenue stream in addition to ads, so we’re looking at that,” said a spokesperson for YouTube, which Google owns.
Here’s the major player that’s already in the game. Xbox Music was introduced in October.
It’s offered across a full range of Microsoft products, including the Xbox 360, and uses the increasingly familiar ad-supported or ad-free for a fee model.
While Microsoft flailed with its attempt at an iPod competitor, the Zune, the tech giant has been far more successful pushing the Xbox as an all-in-one entertainment device, not just a gaming console.


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TOKYO (Reuters) - Sharp Corp lifted its full-year profit guidance after posting its first quarterly net profit in more than two years as the Japanese liquid crystal display (LCD) maker pressed ahead with cost-cutting measures under new owner Foxconn of Taiwan.
This was the first full quarter under the Taiwanese company’s management for Sharp, and analysts have been keen to see if the results reflect Foxconn chairman and CEO Terry Gou’s trademark style of a laser-like focus on costs. The Japanese company’s shares have already rallied since Foxconn took charge last year.
Sharp, a major supplier of LCD panels to Apple Inc, is consolidating production lines, streamlining distribution networks and tapping Foxconn’s famed parts procurement power to turn itself around.
“Speedy management is the biggest contributor to the turnaround,” Executive Vice President Katsuaki Nomura said at an earnings briefing, hailing the swift decision-making style of Foxconn, the world’s largest contract electronics maker.
Sharp also benefited from production cutbacks by Korean rivals in LCD panels that led to a supply shortage and pushed up market prices.
Net profit was 4.2 billion yen ($37.14 million) for October-December, compared with a 24.7 billion yen loss in the same period a year earlier, with its core display device unit also swinging back to a profit for the first time in two years.
Sharp raised its operating profit forecast to 37.3 billion yen for the year ending in March from an earlier forecast of 25.7 billion yen.
SHORT SELLERS ACTIVE
Shares of Sharp have soared 300 percent since a capital injection from Foxconn, formally known as Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd, was completed in August. The price hit a near three-year high of 348 yen last month.
Short interest in Sharp has risen dramatically over the past three months, according to financial analytics firm S3 Partners.
The number of Sharp shares on loan has doubled to 250 million as of February 1 from 125 million in November, while money at risk on the short side has more than tripled to $675 million from $200 million during the same period, S3 data showed.
While the quarterly net profit was in line with a Thomson Reuters Starmine SmartEstimate of 4.6 billion, Sharp’s full-year operating profit forecast beat market expectations, leading some investors to predict further gains for what they said was an already overvalued stock.
“The share price is already too expensive and it can’t be justified with valuations like PBR and PER, but since the full-year forecast beat the expectations, the stock price could get even more overvalued,” said Makoto Kikuchi, chief executive of Myojo Asset Management.
Reporting by Makiko Yamazaki and Ayai Tomisawa; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.


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Passengers stuck at the airports during the holidays in Houston, Miami and Washington, D.C. can plug in for free and recharge portable devices and laptops, thanks to an advertising partnership Samsung Telecommunications America struck with JCDecaux. As part of the deal, Samsung announced Thursday (Nov. 20) the installation of 115 charging stations at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (Houston), Miami International Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport.
While consumers are charging, they will also be exposed to advertising showcasing Samsung products that surround the charging stations. With the new installations, Samsung Mobile now offers Samsung-branded charging stations in 10 of the nation’s busiest airports in the U.S., accessible to more than 395 million passengers annually.
“The early commitment and vision from Samsung Mobile has paved the way for one of the most unique and engaging branding experiences in U.S. airport history,” said Jean-Luc Decaux, Co-CEO of JCDecaux NA.
Each charging station is outfitted with four outlets per station. The stations include shelves to hold travelers’ mobile phones and other electronic equipment.
“With the holiday travel season just around the corner, we want the Samsung Mobile charging stations to reduce stress, keep families connected and provide a much-needed convenience to travelers trying to reach their loves ones,” said Bill Ogle, chief marketing officer of Samsung Mobile.
Other airports where Samsung has branded charging stations include John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, Los Angeles International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, Orlando International Airport, LaGuardia Airport in New York, and Dallas-Ft. Worth International Airport.


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AudienceScience, a demand-side platform (DSP) that services brands and marketers directly, will this week announce the launch of a new cross-device targeting technology called “Signature.”
The idea behind the new technology is to assign a unique “signature” to single (anonymous) users. Marketers can then target those signatures across devices to connect with the same consumer on a regular basis.
The technology uses a “combination of probabilistic data” that is “informed and modeled from deterministic data sets.” Cutting through the jargon, that means that AudienceScience’s new tech uses probabilistic data that is compared to deterministic data sets for refinement (i.e., a clients’ first-party data).
That’s not the say the technology isn’t accurate. In fact, AudienceScience claims the targeting technology correctly links individual consumers to disparate devices over 90% of the time. While that assertion is unverified, it’s not unreasonable -- Tapad’s cross-device targeting technology, which also uses probabilistic modeling, was deemed by Nielsen to accuarately match devices to specific consumers over 90% of the time.
In a recent Forrester Wave report, AudienceScience was named a “Strong Performer” in the DSP category. The main knock against AudienceScience in that report was that it could stand to offer marketers more channels and devices to advertise on. While the introduction of the “Signature” technology does not add any new devices or channels, it does improve AudienceScience’s cross-device offering.
“AudienceScience has always had the capability to run programmatic across all screens,” a company representative said to Real-Time Daily. “The launch of the [AudienceScience] Signature product allows marketers to follow the same user across devices.”
The new tech enables AudienceScience clients to use the same targeting strategy across all screens. Previously, they had to develop separate strategies for each device, and while they were trying to target the same audience this way -- and they may have been succeeding -- there was no easy way to tell.
“Until now, waste and ad replication across channels have been widely accepted by marketers, despite the very clear negative impact,” stated Tim Barnes, chief product officer at AudienceScience. “Even with the latest technological advancements, brands and their agencies were relying on guesswork when it came to frequency and targeting strategies. There’s no place for that in today’s ad market.”
The move serves as further evidence that marketers are enamored with the idea of cross-channel programmatic advertising, and that the ad tech providers of the world are racing to build new software to make it more of a reality.


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Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) has agreed to invest more than $1bn in Lucid Motors, a rival to Tesla.
The funding will enable Silicon Valley-based Lucid to achieve the commercial launch of its Lucid Air electric vehicle in 2020, PIF said in the announcement.
The Lucid investment is also part of Saudi Arabia’s plan to build an environmentally friendly economy, to diversify the kingdom away from reliance on crude oil.
“They’re not just a financial partner they’re a strategic partner,” Lucid Chief Technology Officer Peter Rawlinson told Reuters, adding: “It’s all the capital we need for three things: to continue the development of the car, to construct the factory in Arizona, and to initiate the rollout of our global retail strategy and that will commence in the U.S. because that’s our first market.”
The company might plan to sell into China or build SUVs at a later date, Rawlinson said.
In August, Tesla boss Elon Musk had said the Saudi sovereign wealth fund could help him to take his company private.


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Disney's Hollywood Studios is now testing the complimentary guest Wi-Fi Internet service.
I have read a number of reports from guests over the last few days that the service is up and running, although it has yet to be officially announced as available by Disney. The service has already been rolled out to all the resorts, along with the Magic Kingdom and Epcot. The introduction of the Studios Wi-Fi just leaves Disney's Animal Kingdom and Downtown Disney as the only areas still to be switched on.
Stay tuned here and we'll be on top of it when it's rolled out to the remaining sites.


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Two year anniversary of campaign launches Week of Action against snack food giant for putting customers at risk of eating Conflict Palm Oil
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Emma Rae Lierley, 425.281.1989, firstname.lastname@example.org
San Francisco, CA — Today, hundreds of activists are taking part in a Week of Action in grocery stores and public spaces across the United States, engaging shoppers and rebranding grocery store shelves to warn customers that products from PepsiCo’s sub-brand Quaker may contain Conflict Palm Oil.
Activists are affixing stickers and placards to store food aisles to warn grocery store customers that they may be feeding their family Conflict Palm Oil. In addition, over a dozen activists have taken the lead to organize larger group actions, from street theatre to hanging banners, in Boston, Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Stevens Point, WI, and Orange County and Arcata, CA.
The activists say that PepsiCo’s palm oil commitment, and that of its sub-brands like Quaker, does not go far enough to prevent Conflict Palm Oil from appearing in its products. Conflict Palm Oil is linked with deforestation, habitat loss, climate change and human and labor rights abuses. The activists organized themselves to send a clear message to PepsiCo: “The time to eliminate Conflict Palm Oil from products is now.”
The Week of Action marks the two year anniversary of a campaign to pressure PepsiCo, the largest globally distributed snack food company in the world, to cut Conflict Palm Oil from its supply chain.
The campaign is part of a growing national movement to expose the threat of Conflict Palm Oil. Lindsay Vanderhoogt, a 24-year-old activist leading an action in Boston, said, “Whether we like it or not, palm oil is a part of our everyday lives. Palm oil is in everything from the food we eat to the shampoo we use. It’s practically inescapable and irresponsibly produced Conflict Palm Oil is affecting our world in a very negative way.
“I’m excited to tackle this issue with my community in Boston not only because Conflict Palm Oil is something that affects everybody, but also because ever since the American Revolution, Boston has been a national leader. It’s time for America to step up and take a stand against Conflict Palm Oil, and what better place to do this than in the ‘cradle of liberty’?” She said.
Rebecca Chung, a 16-year-old activist organizing a day-long event on Conflict Palm Oil in Orange County, CA, said, “I’m taking action in Orange County, because there’s strength in numbers and education. I’ve always believed that if given an outlet to take action and given the information, the community would stand in solidarity against the injustices caused by Conflict Palm Oil.”
PepsiCo is one of the “Snack Food 20” group of companies targeted by Rainforest Action Network’s Conflict Palm Oil campaign. PepsiCo consumes more than 450,000 metric tons of palm oil annually for its snack food brands like Quaker, Doritos and others in the U.S., Mexico, Latin America, Asia and Europe, and its consumption of palm oil is on the rise.
Gemma Tillack, Agribusiness Campaign Director for Rainforest Action Network said, “PepsiCo is starting to take these issues seriously, but it is lagging behind its peers as it lacks a truly responsible palm oil policy. The requirements it currently has in place have critical gaps that must be addressed before PepsiCo can meet the new global benchmark for responsible palm oil procurement.
“For PepsiCo to meet consumer expectations, it must adopt a binding, time bound policy with an action plan that includes full traceability of palm oil back to its source and verifiable safeguards for human rights, forests and peatlands,” said Tillack.
Growing pressure from activists continue to demand that PepsiCo prove that it has broken the link between its products and rainforest destruction, climate pollution and human and workers’ rights violations.


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J.J. Abrams and Bad Robot are expanding further into the gaming realm with the launch of a new video game development division, Bad Robot Games.
Company President and COO Brian Weinstein announced Bad Robot Games will be forming a strategic partnership with Tencent, the Chinese media conglomerate who, among many other things, owns League of Legend developer Riot Games and has large stakes in companies like Epic Games.
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment will also be involved as a minority investor.
Bad Robot Games will be run by Dave Baronoff, who has led Bad Robot’s games and interactive content creation since 2006. Baronoff had previously worked on such titles as the Cloverfield ARG and the Action Movie FX app.
“I’m a massive games fan, and increasingly envious of the amazing tools developers get to work with, and the worlds they get to play in. Now we are doubling down on our commitment to the space with a unique co-development approach to game making that allows us to focus on what we do best, and hopefully be a meaningful multiplier to our developer partners,” Abrams said in a statement accompanying the announcement.
“Dave’s creativity, deep passion and skillful leadership will be incredibly valuable as we harness our partner Tencent’s expertise, experience and reach to bring our games to audiences around the world.”
J.J. Abrams and his team have been discussing and working on games since 2013, when J.J. and Valve’s Gabe Newell announced at DICE they were looking to partner on games and movies.
Not too much has come of those talks as of yet, but there was a Team Fortress 2 game mode called PASS Time which was conceived by Bad Robot.
In 2015, J.J. Abrams announced a team-up with ChAIR (Infinity Blade, Shadow Complex) to create Spyjinx. Said to run on Unreal Engine 4, this game would blend action, strategy, world-building and RPG character development.
No further details were given besides that Bad Robot Games will be creating both bigger scale and indie titles for console, PC, and mobile and will team up with known game developers.
Adam Bankhurst is a freelance writer for IGN and is still entering 4 8 15 16 23 42 into that computer every 108 minutes. Keep him company on Twitter.


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Thomson said on Saturday that it recalled red, yellow, white and sweet onions that were shipped since May 1 because of the risk of contamination.
Onions were distributed to wholesalers, restaurants and retail stores across the country and into Canada, Thomson said. They were also distributed into mesh sacks and cartons under the names TII Premium, El Competitor, Hartley, Onions 52, Imperial Fresh, Utah Onions and Food Lion.
Health officials recommend that consumers throw away any onions or foods made with onions supplied by Thomson, and into general throw away onions if they were unsure of where they came from.
The illness, named salmonellosis, can persist for four to seven days, the agency said. Children, older adults and people with weaker immune systems are most at risk to develop severe illness.
Symptoms include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps. Those who are severely ill may also experience a high fever, headaches or a rash.


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On August 14, Bill’s Bullpen will be participating in Free Comic Book Day and owner Bill Mifsud is hoping to break his record of 1,800 comic books given away. For Mifsud, it’s all for a good cause: getting kids to read.
This is the 20th anniversary of the event, a national promotion sponsored by Diamond Comic Distributors, and Mifsud, who has been selling comic books and graphic novels for 34 years at his Hollister store at 207 4th Street is dedicated to making the event a success.
“We have to buy the comics we are giving away,” Mifsud said. “We don’t get them for free. But you don’t have to buy anything and you are still going to leave with something. You are going to take home a bag of goodies but you are also going to get a free comic book. And that might be a start of someone becoming a reader.”
The annual giveaway is just one of the many ways Mifsud demonstrates his love of comics, his devotion to long-time customers, and his mission to encourage new generations of readers.
While Mifsud’s store is packed full of pop culture touchstones, like baseball cards, Magic: The Gathering decks, Funko POP! figures, and sports-themed gifts, the heart of the store is the tens of thousands of comic books lining the walls and filling the spinning racks.
Mifsud said that over the years, publishers have made their comics more kid-friendly, which helps young readers transition from picture books to chapter books.
“At some point, the big companies, like DC and Marvel, realized there is a different market they should be tapping into: kids comics,” Mifsud said. “Every comic book has an age rating on it. But they never had an all-ages book before and that market has now grown immensely. Anyone who walks in the store can buy one, and it is a perfect way to start kids off.”
Each book is written to have a distinct start and end, so it can be read without a child having to commit to reading an entire series.
“These are all one-shot books,” Mifsud said. “There is no number 5 that you have to buy to know what happens after number 4.”
A boom in superhero films makes it easier to help children find reading material. “The movie industry has been great for us because the top films of all time are comic book related,” Mifsud said. “People who are not ordinarily interested in comics will come here and say ‘I have to read the storyline of that movie.’ So you can always ask a kid ‘what movie do you like’ or ‘what superhero do you like’ and we can go from there and find something for them. Sometimes we can connect to them because of the video games they play.”
Mifsud sees the books as also a way to engage children beyond computers and video screens.
“Kids no longer have hobbies,” Mifsud said. “They don’t collect rocks or stamps. The cellphone is my biggest competition. But our store is a touchy-feely kind of store. You can own something that is not on your phone and hold it in your hand. You can look at the covers and artwork, then maybe become interested.”
Loyal, long-term customers
The store offers a subscription service, allowing customers to pick up the newest releases every Wednesday, pre-bagged in archival plastic sleeves and held for them at the counter. Some of Mifsud’s subscription customers have been with him from the beginning, when he and his father founded the business, including Aaron Culala who was 13 years old when he started his first subscription 34 years ago.
Culala’s interest in comics was fostered by his mother
“I was an only child and it was a way she found to get me to read,” he said. “They were easy to get and I appreciated that they were not dumbed down. It helped me expand my vocabulary and increased my interest in other things. I’ve encouraged my twelve-year-old son; he has six titles he subscribes to so I know every week he is going to be reading.
More important to Hollister resident Culala, who coaches the Hollister Cowboys Youth Football team, the books offer a real-world education.
“With Spiderman, the text is about family and responsibility. If you read the X-Men, since its inception, it has been about acceptance and fighting bigotry, with characters searching for their place in the world. Living vicariously through those characters, the writers teach about making the world a better place. It might sound funny coming from a comic book, but the lessons are right there.”
For Mifsud, every young non-reader who comes in is a puzzle to solve.
“You can’t force people to read if they don’t want to,” Mifsud said, “So the challenge is in finding something that will catch their attention. If we can do that, then we can at least get them started. And if we can get them to read, we have done our job.”


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Here’s everything you need to know in finance today.
The ASX is expected to open lower, after another negative lead from overseas. And, here are five things to watch on the ASX 200 today.
The Aussie dollar is buying 68.42 US cents from 68.46 US cents yesterday.
Quarterly GDP figures will be released today, but economists are expecting to see signs of Australia’s gentle recovery.
CommSec chief economist Craig James expects a 1.7 per cent increase over the year.
"Exports, government spending and inventories will account for the bulk of growth in the quarter," he said.
The Reserve Bank of Australia held rates at 0.75 per cent yesterday, with governor Philip Lowe expecting growth to lift to around three per cent in 2021.
The National Disability Insurance Scheme shortfall is leaving people homeless, with some people with disabilities ending up homeless, in jail or in caravan parks because of a lack of suitable accomodations, Victoria’s official disability advocate has said.
"It is fair to say the NDIS is not yet delivering on the promise of providing participants with choice and control over where they live," the Office of the Public Advocate investigation into violence and abuse between residents in group homes found.
Young Aussies could soon pay less for private health insurance: New reports suggest deregulated premiums could prompt more younger Aussies to sign up to private health insurance, and save the industry.
Funds should be able to charge Australians under 55 years a rate based on their age and charge a flat rate for people over 55, the Grattan Institute said in the report released on Wednesday.
Amazon Australia is selling houses: The online marketplace has just added tiny houses to its stores, and is even giving one away stuffed full of goodies as a promotion. Here’s how to win one.
Thinking of starting a business next year? If you’re thinking of adding your brand new business concept to the already crowded market, H&R Block’s director of tax communication, Mark Chapman, reveals what you need to consider for tax purposes before you start the business.
Grocery shopping? Here are the best half-price specials this week at Woolworths and Coles.
Have a great day.
Make your money work with Yahoo Finance’s daily newsletter. Sign up here and stay on top of the latest money, news and tech news.


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Since their emergence in the mid-2010s, TIDAL has made a big impact on the streaming era and the music industry in general. Last spring, there was the $350 million sale to Jack Dorsey’s Square which ushered in a new era for the streaming service.
Every year, TIDAL’s editorial team makes up a list of Artists To Watch in multiple genres. It’s essentially their prediction of names that will impact music in their genre in the following 12 months and their way of giving them an early push, because fostering talent is a value of theirs.
This year, there’s an Artists To Watch In 2022 playlist for Hip-Hop, R&B, Pop, Metal, Latin and many other genres. There are even playlists for specific countries like France and Uganda, which is a great idea.
The Hip-Hop playlist features some names that we’re familiar with through a few songs (like Shady Records’ Grip or ‘Who Want Smoke?’ rapper Nardo Wick) and a lot of other names you’ve likely never heard of before. You can check it out below.


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Uber Technology was sued by a woman in the United States for failing to install turn signals on its shared electric scooter, causing her to raise her hand to signal the steering when using the company's scooter and fell to the ground and injured her in 2019.
The woman also sued the manufacturer of Uber's shared scooters because these scooters were designed to be used on city streets and require turn signals, but the company did not provide any devices or machinery that can safely indicate turning.
According to the indictment, this woman's accident on a street in San Francisco last year caused her hip joint dislocation and multiple fractures, which required several hours of surgery to repair.
Uber sold its Jump scooter business to Neutron Holdings Inc this spring. The company did not immediately comment on this news.


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Marten Mickos, the former Eucalyptus CEO who became HP’s top cloud guy in September when HP bought Eucalyptus, is turning over key responsibilities to three other HP executives, according to an internal email message viewed by Gigaom.
Mickos, who carried the title of senior vice president and general manager of [company]HP[/company] cloud, will now focus on “customer engagement and advocacy,” according to email he sent to staff on Monday. HP had no comment for this story; the company is slated to announce its first quarter earnings on Tuesday.
As for day-to-day cloud operations, Bill Hilf will take on product strategy, Kerry Bailey will lead sales, and Mark Interrante will head up engineering. And this triumvirate will also work with [company]HP[/company] CTO Martin Fink, according to the memo.
In addition, Ning Wang who was CFO at Eucalyptus before moving on to HP, is leaving her job in cloud operations to take on another as-yet-unnamed role.
Mickos used to position Eucalyptus as an alternative/competitor to OpenStack, although that stance softened last year.
What’s happening now looks like the HP-ization of Eucalpytus, a company whose claim to fame was offering a private cloud that supported key Amazon Web Services APIs.
Given those roots, it remains unclear just how much HP Helion will carry over that AWS API support. Before buying Eucalyptus, HP said it was pulling that support from its public cloud.
It also bears mentioning that in late January, HP included Mickos on the list of key execs that would be part of the HP Enterprise entity once the company breaks itself into two parts.
Some have wondered how long Mickos would stick around at HP. He was also CEO of MySQL and helped sell that company to Sun Microsystems in 2008 and left the company a year later.
Note: This story was updated at 6:08 a.m. PST on February 24 to add more context on Eucalyptus positioning.


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In small glass bottles with handmade labels, Tulip Perfume has spent the past eight years nestled among locally crafted trinkets in small boutiques on the Arcata Plaza or displayed beside natural beauty products in health food stores — just where you would expect a local entrepreneur’s goods to wind up.
Last week, however, Tulip Perfume debuted at a location where no other Humboldt County products have been known to be listed — Target.com.
It hasn’t been a simple path going from mixing perfumes and lotions at home to being ready to sell to a national corporation, said Victoria England, the creator of Tulip Perfume.
But having her natural bath and body products carry Humboldt County to a widespread audience was worth the months of paperwork, England said.
Plaza Design was the first store to carry England’s products, followed by other local shops and health food stores. England’s collections were then picked up by Whole Foods, first in Northern California and then in Florida, and while Target.com was in the process of launching Tulip Perfume, Amazon.com began selling them as well.
Since the beginning stages of mixing perfumes on her own at home, England has rented an office space in McKinleyville and joined the board of directors of Humboldt Made, a local corporation dedicated to developing and marketing local businesses. It was through Humboldt Made that England met Alanna Goldsmith, who soon became her general manager and one and only employee.
Last year, England was at Natural Products Expo West, a trade show in Anaheim, when a scout from Target picked up her card.
“She took a card real quick, took a picture, and I didn’t even meet her,” England said. “A few weeks later I got an email asking me to fill out a questionnaire asking, ‘Would I be interested in submitting my products to Target.com for a review?’ At the time I was just kind of like, ‘Is this a scam?’”
A few weeks later England got an email stating that the beauty buyer from Target.com wanted to meet with her in Miami.
“I flew to Miami for a 20-minute meeting,” England said. “She just took one look at it — she smelled one thing out of the 20-something products that I brought to the table — and now they are launching with 27 of my products.”
With paperwork challenges out of the way now and her products live on Target.com, England’s next question is how she is going to expand enough to meet the demand that she projects will come with being on Target.com.
“It’s becoming a big market and I think there is a lot of room for companies like mine,” she said. “The question is whether or not I can swing growing that much, and what has to happen is that we will have to start making it out of Humboldt County.”
She and Goldsmith currently bottle all of the products themselves in their McKinleyville suite, making batches of 300 to 500 bottles at a time.
England said there is room to double that amount in their current facilities but there is no other bottling place in Humboldt County, so as they expand past that amount it will mean having to have the products bottled elsewhere — most likely in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Regardless of expansion, England said the values that come with her products being a born and raised in Humboldt County will not be diminished.
“The seed was planted here, it was grown here, it was nurtured here, and the product will always have that sense of place from where it was created and where the people that are running the business are living,” she said.
It is important to England that Tulip carries not only the scents that she creates in Humboldt County but also images of the county to those who receive them.
She has redesigned her boxes and each has a photo of a Humboldt County location on it in hopes that it will help to build a positive image of the area and draw in tourists.
England also hopes to help other local business owners shape and share Humboldt through her position in Humboldt Made, which she said helped her get to where she is now.
“I felt very alone for a long time and didn’t know how to reach out, and once I did it became this massive new world to me that was so abundant,” she said of joining Humboldt Made. “Don’t wait seven years to get involved in your community like I did.”
Along with the help of the community England said determination, perseverance and a long-term vision kept her going through ups and downs.
“From the very beginning I always visioned that I would make a product that people would know, that you could go anywhere and you could see it and find it,” she said. “I knew I could do it, I just didn’t know how long it would take.”
Eight years later, England said she is finally seeing that vision unfold.
“Tulip is like my baby that I gave birth to, and nurtured and grew, and now I’m seeing it go off on its own.”
Contact Juniper Rose at 707-441-0506.


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by Jeff Reeves | July 26, 2013 1:22 pm
Starbucks Corporation (SBUX), the blue-chip coffee stock known for its mochas and Frappucinos, just delivered solid third-quarter earnings this week.
But looking forward the biggest driver of growth might be outside of the coffee business, as Starbucks offerings of alcoholic beverages and Greek yogurt begin to hit locations across the U.S. in the next year.
Starbucks beer and wine may sound odd, but it could also be a important way to move into a new area of opportunity for the company — and investors.
First, Starbucks earnings details: SBUX posted EPS of 55 cents per share, beating forecasts and increasing 28% over the previous year. Solid same-store sales performance and significant margin growth also led Starbucks to increase its expectations for the fiscal fourth quarter and for the full-year, as well as fueling strong Starbucks guidance for 2014.
Starbucks stock gapped up 7% Friday after the results, pushing SBUX shares to a new 52-week high. On the year, Starbucks stock is up 35% — but it’s worth noting that specialty beverage rival Dunkin Brands (DNKN) is up over 30%. Fast-growing Canadian coffee and pastry shop Tim Horton’s (THI) has lagged at just 17% returns in 2013.
This earnings report is obviously a great boost to Starbucks and should instill confidence going forward. But the wild card in the next year or so isn’t the existing line of products at SBUX, but the creative new offerings from Howard Schultz & Co. that push beyond just coffee.
Last year, it was announced that a number of California Starbucks chains would start selling alcohol after a smaller test near the company headquarters in Seattle seemed to indicate potential in Starbucks beer and wine sales.
More recently, Nation’s Restaurant News has reported that Starbucks beer and wine will be tied to a campaign called Starbucks Evenings to brand the locations as night-time destinations or happy-hour stops in addition to morning caffeine stops.
This is an interesting move, and a way for the company to find growth beyond simply opening up more shops or pushing branded packaged products via its locations or third-party sellers like grocery stores like Safeway (SWY), Kroger (KR) and others.
It’s also indicative of a broader push, not just beyond coffee but beyond beverages altogether. Starting in 2014, an alliance with Danone (DANOY) will bring fresh Greek yogurt to SBUX cafes for use in parfaits and other menu items.
Starbucks is admittedly pricey, with a forward P/E ratio north of 27 right now. And the dividend is also pretty meager at just 1.75% at current valuations, and lower than other offerings the restaurant space. It’s not a sure thing to buy SBUX stock after earnings given these factors.
But you could do worse than tie your portfolio to one of the most dominant consumer brands in America as it uses its reach to look beyond just coffee in the next year or so.
Jeff Reeves is the editor of InvestorPlace.com and the author of “The Frugal Investor’s Guide to Finding Great Stocks.” Write him at email@example.com or follow him on Twitter via @JeffReevesIP. As of this writing, he did not own a position in any of the stocks named here.
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