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NEW YORK (Reuters) -- Computer and printer maker Hewlett-Packard said Monday that it would acquire Opsware Inc. for $1.6 billion to bolster its line-up of business software offerings.
HP said it would tender for all outstanding shares of Opsware, a supplier of software used to automate computer data centers, at $14.25 each, a 38.6 percent premium to Opsware's closing price of $10.28 on Nasdaq on Friday.
The deal comes on the heals of other software acquisitions by HP, including its purchase of Mercury Interactive last year for $4.5 billion and its purchase of Peregrine Systems for $425 million in 2005.
The $1.6 billion price tag on the Opsware deal is net of existing cash and debt, the companies said. Opsware said it has about $65 million of cash on hand and only $100,000 in debt.
After the deal is completed, Opsware will become part of the HP Software business. Most of Opsware's 550 employees are expected to move to HP, and Opsware Chief Executive Ben Horowitz will stay on to head HP's business technology optimization group.
The tender offer is subject to a number of closing conditions, including regulatory approvals, and is expected to close in HP's fiscal fourth quarter. E-mail to a friend
Copyright 2007 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
All About Opsware Inc.


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OnePlus, which received great praise for the update, disappointed its users last year. OnePlus 7 Pro and OnePlus 7 OxygenOS 10.0.5 update has been released.
What does the OnePlus 7 OxygenOS 10.0.5 update include?
The company, which has disappointed its users in the past year, continues to face similar problems this year. The OxygenOS 10.0.5 update released for the OnePlus 7 family does not include the security patches for April.
The update version has been released with the OxygenOS 10.3.2 code for Indian users. It is among the explanations that the errors that occurred after the update published in January were fixed and security patches were added.
The company recently announced that the update will be available to a limited number of users and will be available for download worldwide, based on user feedback. As of today, the firm, making the update available for all OnePlus 7 Pro and OnePlus 7 owners, underlined that security patches are important and all users need to update.
Corrections made with OxygenOS 10.0.5:
RAM management has been improved. Android security patch with the code of 2020.03 has been added to the update.
Some slow motion issues have been fixed. In this way, users will be able to record more stable slow motion video.
Fixed the issue of deleting screenshots saved in the gallery.
The synchronization of the video playback speed with the audio has been provided.

domain: news


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Princeton University researchers are developing a new type of glucose monitor that uses a laser to measure blood sugar. The device would provide a painless alternative to current methods of checking blood sugar.
The monitor uses a laser that goes a fraction of a millimeter deep into the skin to measure the amount of sugar molecules present. Sugar molecules are absorbed into the light when the light interacts with these molecules. When the laser leaves the skin, parts of the laser are missing, and those missing parts reveal how many sugar molecules are in the skin. The monitor has proven to be very accurate, but additional development is needed to reduce the size of the monitor, make it faster, and more cost-effective for consumers.


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It's expensive trying to break out of a slump. Just ask Under Armour.
In February, Under Armour updated its long-term restructuring plan, telling investors the company would take charges of up to $130 million to invest in its struggling business.
On Thursday, it told investors it would spend up to $80 million more than initially planned. Under Armour also reported net losses of $95.5 million last quarter, up from $12.3 million a year prior.
Under Armour is spending heavily after a dismal 2017. The company was underprepared for the sports athletic market turning away from high-priced basketball shoes to cheaper sneakers and clothes that fit into shoppers' athleisure tastes.
Sales dropped for the first time since the company went public in 2005. Last year, Under Armour slashed growth targets, and several top executives left.
CEO Kevin Plank called for a "pivot" to get the brand moving again in the United States and compete with Nike and Adidas. Under Armour said it would expand from predominately men's sneakers and clothing to collections for women and kids. It also said it would focus more on selling $80- to $100-products.
The company's turnaround strategy is working, but it's proving costly.
Under Armour said North American sales grew 1.6% last quarter from a year prior. The company still expects sales in the region to decline in 2018, but new chief operating officer Patrik Frisk told analysts that the brand had become "stable" in its biggest market.
"We are tracking well against our multi-year transformation to build a stronger, leaner and more operationally excellent company," CEO Plank told analysts on a call. He added, however, that "no one is at any way declaring victory."
In a positive sign for Wall Street, Under Armour's inventory level growth slowed down last quarter. Under Armour has been plagued by excess inventory, which is problematic for retailers because it forces them to rely on discounts to keep their warehouses lean.
Wall Street was encouraged by sales in North America, sending Under Armour's stock around 5% higher mid-Thursday.
But Neil Saunders, an analyst at GlobalData Retail, said in an email that he had concerns about Under Armour's debt load and whether the company's sales performance could sustain its weakened financial position.
He also noted that Under Armour may have to keep plowing through cash to reinvent itself, putting even more pressure on its balance sheet.
-CNNMoney's Paul R. La Monica contributed to this story.


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Samsung Foldable Phone
Samsung Foldable Phone News
Samsung Unpacked 2020: Galaxy S20 series, Galaxy Z Flip, everything else you can expect
Andriod has also hinted that they will announce "something exciting" at this Samsung Unpacked event.
Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2020 confirmed for 11 February, company says will unveil 'innovative devices'
Samsung might launch yet another foldable phone and Galaxy S11 series at this event.
Samsung W20 5G foldable phone to debut in China today, can be rebranded as Galaxy Fold 5G
Samsung W20 5G is expected to come with a 4,135 mAh battery that might support 15W fast charging.
Samsung's redesigned Galaxy Fold likely to go on sale in Korea from 6 September
To be released globally by the end of September, Galaxy Fold will cost $1,980 (Rs 1,40,000 approx).
Samsung Galaxy S11 series leaks suggest foldable phone and three 5G handsets are coming next year
Samsung is likely to launch its upcoming Galaxy S11 series in the first quarter of 2020.
Samsung is working on 6.7-inch clamshell foldable smartphone, might launch in 2020
This Samsung phone will fold around the horizontal axis and it will have a 1-inch display on the front.
Samsung Galaxy Fold's screen begins to die after a day of use for some reviewers
Galaxy Fold users said they did not know what the problem was and Samsung did not provide answers.
Samsung Galaxy Fold's details about the hinge, performance, UI revealed
Samsung is believed to officially release the Galaxy Fold on 26 April in the United States.
Samsung Galaxy Fold pops up on Geekbench running a Snapdragon 855 chip and 12 GB RAM
Samsung's Galaxy Fold smartphone which is expected to launch on 26 April doesn't seem ready yet.
Foldable display: Could this be the upcoming smartphone trend for 2019?
Amidst FlexPai being the first foldable phone, these tech giants are hopping to join the trend soon.
Samsung Galaxy F to feature 6,000 mAh battery capacity, 8 GB RAM and 128 GB storage
Galaxy F will have two batteries, one in each housing, the total capacity will be 5,000 to 6,000 mAh.
11 people charged with illegally selling Samsung's foldable screen technology
Samsung has said that it is shocked at the results of the investigation by prosecutors.
After Samsung, LG now hints at launching a foldable smartphone next year
LG has applied for three brand name registrations, which are expected to be its foldable devices.
Samsung's foldable phone rumoured to be launchd in March and cost about $1,700
Samsung will apparently manufacture as many as 1 million units of the device in the initial phase.
Samsung to manufacture at least 1 million units of its foldable phone: Report
Samsung says that mass-production of the device should begin in a "matter of months".
Samsung's foldable smartphone could function as a tablet that fits in your pocket
The foldable phone will be Samsung's testbed device to see how reviewers and the market react.
Samsung Display announces development of an unbreakable flexible screen
The firms said that after testing, the screen continued to function normally without any damage.


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- Lenders provide 650,000 UK businesses with £27.5bn in finance through COVID-19 schemes
- UK lenders approve almost 1.5million payment holidays on credit cards and personal loans
- Scope says UK banks to manage through challenging times with regulatory encouragement
- Latest Lloyds Bank Business Barometer says business confidence falls to record low as economic shutdown continues
- Mastercard says 78% of all transactions across Europe are now contactless
- Research indicates 56% of consumers more likely to use contactless as their preferred spending method when thinking about future trips abroad
- Auriga's Mark Aldred comments on the future need for ATMs in the UK expired
- Reinhart appointed as the new Vice President and Chief Economist of the World Bank Group expired
- S&P Global publishes article headed "Islamic Finance And ESG: Sharia-Compliant Instruments Can Put The S In ESG" expired
- High-income households willing to take on riskier post-COVID-19 investments, says GlobalData expired
- Moneyfacts says fixed bond rate gap tumbles as one-year attracts expired
- Northpointe Bank named a top-performing bank in the US again by the ICBA expired
8th November 2019
B2B cross-border payments stored on blockchain will soar by 2024, finds Juniper
New data from Juniper Research has shown that the total value of B2B cross-border payments immutably stored on blockchain will exceed $4.4trn by 2024; up from $171bn in 2019. Blockchain enables real-time clearing and settlement for B2B transactions, while offering increased transparency and reduced costs.
The new research, “Blockchain: Key Vertical Opportunities, Trends & Challenges 2019-2030” revealed that financial institutions will save $7bn by 2024, due to the automation of ‘Know Your Customer’ checks, allied to the involvement of blockchain in identifying users via self-sovereign identity..
Juniper Research assessed 15 leading blockchain vendors, scoring them on experience in the sector, marketing efforts, and customer deployments, along with their blockchain solutions. Juniper positioned the five leading vendors as:
2. Infosys Finacle
The research scored IBM highly for its diverse blockchain solutions in production, with a strong client base for many verticals. Additionally, Infosys Finacle has established itself as a leading blockchain provider for financial institutions, with global partners and popular blockchain solutions.
Research author, Dr Morgane Kimmich, said: “The implementation of blockchain is part of a wider strategy for financial institutions to digitally transform operations. Blockchain will enable stakeholders to reduce operational costs in a competitive market that is becoming increasingly commoditised.”
The research found that Ripple, Visa and IBM are driving blockchain innovation in cross-border payments. Ripple has led the market since 2012; capitalising on its early mover advantage to grow to over 200 financial institution partners in 2019.
However, Ripple is facing increased competition from Visa B2B Connect and IBM Blockchain World Wire, which have already grown their presence in 60 countries and have high-profile partners in the financial ecosystem. The research anticipates that both companies will continue to exploit their global presence, trusted brand names and established partner networks to scale their solutions.


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WITH THE announcement that five Florida sugar cane processors plan to default on $154 million in federal loans, the nation's system of farm subsidies shows yet another sign of failure.
It is bad news for taxpayers, who may pay the eventual cost of default, and sour news for sugar cane interests, who will have to suffer some political consequences for using the "trigger" mechanism of federal price supports.
Like the grain farmers of the Midwest, cane growers and processors have found themselves caught between crop surpluses and depressed prices. It appears that it will be cheaper for five sugar companies, which borrow money to plant crops every year from the Commodity Credit Corp., to forfeit 870 million pounds of refined sugar to the government rather than to sell it on the market.
Under the sugar price support system, the federal government will hold onto the stockpile until it can sell at no less that 105 percent of the loan rate. But with a worldwide glut of sugar that market situation probably will occur only if the federal government further manipulates the price of domestic sugar upward by lowering sugar import quotas.
Such a move would offer immediate advantages to U.S. sugar growers but would not solve their longterm problem: a "false" market created by federal price supports and domestic overproduction. Nor would lower quotas support the economic growth of Caribbean and Third World countries that sell sugar on the world market at a ridiculously low price of 3 to 4 cents a pound.
The current price of domestic sugar now hovers around 20.5 cents a pound -- a high price for American consumers to pay when world sugar production could easily fill much of domestic demand.
Protectionism, however, should not be abandoned abruptly. Florida's sugar cane industry, which is based in Palm Beach, Glades, Hendry and Martin counties, pumps approximately $1.25 billion a year into the state's economy. Such a complex industry cannot be eased into the world market without devastating human and economic upheaval.
But if sanity and economic stability is to be returned to U.S. agriculture, the transition to a free market must be started for sugar and all other agricultural commodities. That thorny challenge should be uppermost in the minds of members of Congress this year as they attempt to pass a new Farm Bill.


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CALGARY - WinSport Canada has broken its silence after a second consecutive setback at city council, complaining that $3 million of planning work and studies have been for naught.
The sports agency said in a news release Tuesday it’s “extremely disappointed” by the latest rejection of its bid to sell part of the Paskapoo Slopes, and now questions the city’s assertions that it values what the Canada Olympic Park group gives to Calgary.
The sports agency had staked the financial viability of its expansion plans on being able to sell part of its eastern lands to a retail developer.
But council, unwilling to allow another big-box retail project on its western entryway along the TransCanada Highway, rejected WinSport’s rezoning bid in June, after lengthy attempts to make it suitable.
Plan B was to sell the site instead to the city as parkland, but after months-long negotiations council decided Monday there wasn’t money for that multimillion-dollar proposal, either.
“We have gone down every road the city has asked of us, and still we are no further ahead,” WinSport CEO Dan O’Neill said in the news release. “This decision seems to bring into question the reality of the city’s claim that it values WinSport’s contribution to the city.”
The agency had lately tried mobilizing the public to join their efforts to lobby council. In a widely circulated e-mail last week, O’Neill argued that selling the Slopes land to the city would “be the best solution for WinSport, the city and all Calgarians, and the east lands would remain undeveloped.”
Mayor Naheed Nenshi has insisted that council members “hugely support WinSport and all they do.” But he also argued that council the big-box zoning proposal on sound planning principles, and that parks expansion money was already tied up in other projects and not enough was left to purchase the property northeast of the ski jump tower.
It’s unclear what WinSport’s asking price was for the land, and how much lower it was than the price for retail land.
WinSport isn’t revealing its Plan C, and said it won’t comment beyond the words in its news release.


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Today we were hit with back-to-back teasers for something wild. The Maserati MC20 was teased to debut on September 9th, thanks to their Facebook and Instagram pages. The Maserati Corse (Racing) 20 is the successor to the wild MC12.
Rumors abound that a new twin-turbo V6 will be mid-mounted, and it could evolve to integrate hybrid technology. The unveiling has been pushed back due to the virus, but this has only served to ensure the car will launch without a hitch. Tell us what you are looking for in a Maserati flagship and stay with us for all your Maserati news.


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The number of strains for sale in the cannabis market grows, weed-like, every month. Do all of the new strain names always reflect entirely novel genetics? They do not. Sometimes old strains get new names, for example. But more times than not the new strain carries some genetic quirk that differentiates it from its sisters and brothers. At this point, the world of strains resembles some hybrid of farm and jungle — a riot and tangle of plant diversity that evolves rapidly due to human intervention.
This sure makes it fun. Who doesn’t want to try a hit of Red Headed Stranger (the No. 5 strain in Colorado during the first half of 2018), or take a puff of Sour Banana Sherbert (No. 6 in Oregon during the time period)?
When we examine strains in Colorado, Oregon and California, at least one thing is shared among consumers in the states: a fondness for the strain Blue Dream, a sativa-dominant hybrid that is the most popular, in terms of dollar sales, for the first six months of 2018, according to cannabis market research firm BDS Analytics.
With $55.35 million in sales during the period, Coloradans surely opened their wallets for strain-specific flower, but thanks in part of falling prices the dollar amount is down by 34 percent compared to the same period last year. The average retail for a gram in Colorado is $4.75, which is less than half the average for a gram in California.
The top strains in Colorado during the period have been Blue Dream, with $4.34 million in sales; Durban Poison, at $2.73 million; and Golden Goat, $2.18 million. With average retail of $4.54 per gram, Golden Goat was the most expensive of the top three, but among the top 15 strains Super Lemon Haze was the priciest strain, at $6.17 a gram.
Blue Dream has ruled across the year. It’s lead was most commanding in March, with $890,000 in sales compared to the No. 2 strain, Durban Poison, with $451,000. But Durban Poison has been catching up to the Dream, and in June sales of Blue Dream were $734,000 compared to $593,000 for Durban. It’s a battle worth watching.
Sales of $58.73 million for strain-specific flower roughly represent stasis compared to the same period last year. But with an average retail of $6.61, flower sales in Oregon eclipsed sales in Colorado, which supports a much larger and more mature market.
The Oregon line-up: Blue Dream, $1,543,672; Durban Poison, $1,510,688; and Purple Hindu Kush, $1,321,365. Prices bounce around: Blue Dream sells for an average of $5.95, but the No. 2 strain, Durban Poison, goes for $8.33. Purple Hindu Kush was the cheapest of the top three, at $4.88 a gram. But of the top 15 strains in the Beaver State, Voyager #1 dwells at the very top of top-shelf, with a price of $11.83.
The battle for strain supremacy in Oregon has been an ongoing slugfest for several years. This year, Blue Dream was the third-most-popular strain in January, but by March it held the lead. A month later, Blue Dream was in fourth place, behind that month’s market leader Purple Hindu Kush and other strains. But by June, Blue Dream was back on top again.
Big sales of $210.4 million during the period make the Golden State the busiest flower marketplace in the country — by far. Among the states under consideration it also is the most expensive, with an average retail price for a gram at $9.81.
The gold medal goes to Blue Dream ($6.6 million); Kosher Kush grabs the silver ($4.9 million); and that California standby, OG Kush, grabs the bronze, with $4.2 million in sales.
Blue Dream commanded the lead in California all year — in January, for example, sales hit $1.2 million compared to Kosher Kush’s $560,000 — until June. By the conclusion of California’s first six months of adult-use sales, Kosher Kush saw $1 million in sales, Sour Diesel hit $700,000 and the once-mighty Blue Dream grabbed third place, with $680,000 in sales receipts.


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Regulators in the U.S. and Canada are investigating whether investors sparked a Jan. 14 spike in Blackberry shares by feeding information to Reuters that Samsung Electronics was in talks to buy the Canadian smartphone maker for as much as $7.5 billion.
The Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the matter, said the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Ontario Securities Commission “are in the early stages of examining trading activity around the time” of the Reuters story about a possible Blackberry takeover.
One trade under scrutiny, Reuters said Thursday, occurred at 12:06 p.m. on Jan. 14, when there was a purchase of call options with the rights to buy 200,000 shares of BlackBerry stock at a strike price of $10 a share. The options, which expired Jan. 23 were acquired for 10 cents apiece.
After Reuters reported Samsung’s purported offer later that afternoon, the options surged to a high of $2.55. The offer valued Blackberry stock at between $13.35 to $15.49 per share, a 38% to 60% premium over its trading price at the time.
“If the buyer had been able to sell the options at [$2.55] they would have been able to make a profit of $490,000 on a $20,000 investment,” Reuters said. “It is unclear, though, whether the buyer was able to sell the options at a profit.”
BlackBerry stock, which closed on Jan. 13 at $9.71, shot up 30% on the takeover news to close at $12.60 on Jan. 14, its biggest one-day gain in years. After Blackberry and Samsung denied they were in talks, the shares tumbled.
Reuters corrected the Jan. 14 story to say the talks it reported were held by representatives of BlackBerry and Samsung, and not the companies themselves.
“Preliminary investigations of possible market manipulation frequently don’t lead to formal accusations,” the WSJ cautioned. “It isn’t clear whether any particular funds are in investigators’ sights and there is no indication that Reuters is a target of the investigation.”
Blackberry fell about 1% to $9.98 in trading Friday.
Photo by Danrok


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Brixton Pound (B£), a local currency designed to encourage consumers to spend in independent businesses, is to launch an NFC ‘tap and pay’ service in 2015. “The currency will implement contactless payment terminals for B£ businesses and traders, which will further speed and simplify payments,” the organisation says. The service currently lets Brixton residents make payments via Bluetooth beacons or pay-by-text.
- NFC Forum certifies Cilab for TR13.1 wireless charging testing
- ST provides insight into using NFC tags to enhance consumer experiences
- NFC Forum adds certification for NFC wireless charging
- NP Plastibell adds ultra-miniaturised ST NFC tags to pre-filled syringes
- German luggage brand leverages NFC for product authentication and customer engagement
This article is more than seven years old


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Microsoft has announced that Windows 8 will be generally available on Oct. 26.
That means the much-anticipated operating system will be available for PCs shipping for the holiday shopping season. At its Worldwide Partner Conference last week in Toronto, Microsoft announced that Windows 8 would be released to manufacturers (RTM) during the first week in August and would be available on PCs at the end of October. Then on July 18 at Microsoft's annual sales meeting, known as the Microsoft Global Exchange or MGX, Steven Sinofsky, president of Windows at Microsoft, announced that Windows 8 would be available on Oct. 26.
Earlier this month, Microsoft announced that upgrades to Windows 8 from previous versions of the operating system will go for $39.99 via download and $69.99 if purchased in a store. The low-cost upgrade is positioned as a promotion available only from the time Windows 8 ships this fall until Jan. 31, 2013, Microsoft said. Users running Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7 will be able to download Windows 8 Pro in 131 markets.
Meanwhile, with the general release of Windows 8, Microsoft also will introduce its new Surface tablet computers to the market, but only the Windows RT-based model. In June, Microsoft announced its new Surface tablet computers, noting that two models of Surface will be available: one running an ARM processor featuring Windows RT, and one with a third-generation Intel Core processor featuring Windows 8 Pro. At a June 18 launch event in Los Angeles, Microsoft said Surface for Windows RT will release with the general availability of Windows 8, and the Windows 8 Pro model will be available about 90 days later. Both will be sold in the Microsoft Store locations in the U.S. and available through select online Microsoft Stores.
In an April 16 post on the Windows Team Blog, LeBlanc laid out details on the various versions of Windows 8: Windows 8, Windows 8 Pro, Windows RT and Windows 8 Enterprise.
This article was originally published on 07-19-2012


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No cause for concern
The Biesse Group is working with its 39 subsidiaries to guarantee business continuity for its customers, assisting them with spare parts and services, as well as with remote assistance and operations at the customer’s site, in full compliance with local laws, the company said in a recent release.
“Encouraged by a significant portfolio of orders, we are facing these weeks of emergency with confidence and with a deep sense of responsibility,” divisional director Federico Broccoli said.
“Furthermore, the machines that continue to be produced by our manufacturing sites and the technology available at our hubs in Italy, North America, Australia, Malaysia and India, ensure a supply that is more than sufficient to meet the demands of Biesse and Intermac customers around the world and to respond to their technology needs during this time.
“Thanks to this strategic reserve, we are able to face the necessary slowdown with no cause for concern.”


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Procter & Gamble began a national rollout of chips made with the fat substitute olestra yesterday and said the products would be on store shelves nationwide by summer.
The company spent 30 years and $500 million developing olestra, which is used in making its fat-free Pringles chips as well as Frito-Lay's fat-free Doritos tortilla chips and Ruffles and Lay's potato chips; Frito-Lay, a unit of Pepsico, sells those products made with olestra under the label Wow.
From a new $250 million plant, Procter & Gamble has begun shipping olestra to snack-food makers for use in their products. Frito-Lay introduced Wow chips in the Pacific Northwest and Northern California yesterday and said it would expand the distribution throughout the first half of the year. P.& G. plans to support the national introduction of olestra chips with advertising on Feb. 21 during the Winter Olympics.
P.& G. said more than 28 million servings of olestra chips had been sold in test markets in the last year and estimated that the fat substitute, marketed as Olean, had the potential for sales of $400 million a year.
''It is a significant element of our total new product program to double our business in the next 10 years,'' said John E. Pepper Jr., P.& G.'s chairman and chief executive. He said he believed that Olean would join products like Pampers diapers and Crest toothpaste as a successful Procter & Gamble brand.
The real test will be whether consumers who try it become loyal olestra chip snackers. ''We are confident that for the first 12 months there is going to be a core consumer group who will eat the product,'' said William Pecoriello, an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein & Company. ''But the verdict is still out about what will happen beyond then.''
Olestra was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1996 as a replacement for regular cooking oil used to fry salted snacks. P.& G. would like eventually to use olestra in other products, like french fries and baked goods. It is said to taste and cook like ordinary fat. Because it is a synthetic ingredient that cannot be broken down by the body, however, it adds no fat or calories to diets. Though that may have great appeal for the weight-conscious, critics say olestra can cause gastrointestinal problems. For that reason, the F.D.A. requires chips made with olestra to carry a label warning that the product may cause ''abdominal cramping and loose stools.''Continue reading the main story
P.& G. says olestra does not cause any more stomach upset than chips made with regular oil. But the Center for Science in the Public Interest, contending that the manufacturer is minimizing the health risk, has petitioned the F.D.A. to rescind its approval and the Federal Trade Commission to require that the warning label appear in all advertising for products cooked with olestra.Continue reading the main story


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Happy days may be here again for marketing executives as hiring in Fortune 500 marketing departments is on the rise. But with that good news comes the challenge of keeping talented marketing pros on board once they are hired.
According to recruiting agency Aquent Marketing Staffing, more than half (57%) of marketers say they plan to hire additional staff this year. That was among the findings in Aquent's "2006 Spending & Staffing Trends for Corporate Marketing Departments" report released late last month. Aquent surveyed more than 1,700 marketing professionals at Fortune 500 companies in North America via e-mail in February.
"The market is really hot right now," said Arun Sinha, corporate VP-CMO at Pitney Bowes. "We've stepped up hiring."
Sinha added: "Finding a good marketing person in this market, right now is a little challenging. Our process is taking much longer than it has in the past, and many candidates may now have multiple job offers."
Even when companies do manage to find and hire talented marketing professionals, they worry about how to keep them in the fold. Fifty-nine percent of the companies Aquent surveyed said they are concerned about employee retention, and 78% said employee turnover will be a challenge for them over the next five years.
"Marketers are finally catching up with the fact that there's a very high rate of turnover in marketing," said Sean Bisceglia, president of Aquent Marketing Staffing. "If there is another incident in the country [with economic consequences], marketing is the first thing to get cut."
Sinha said Pitney Bowes has a program in place to retain and promote marketing employees. They are initially trained on the corporate marketing level in areas such as brand management, the Web, PR and events. That way, "they get a much broader view of the company," he said.
Those who demonstrate high potential move to specific business units. Not only does that help Pitney Bowes retain valuable employees, it elevates marketing talent throughout the company and ensures a consistent approach to strategy and tactics.
"We're upgrading the talent across the company from a strategic marketing standpoint, and we are making sure there is one approach to marketing that is followed all across the company," Sinha said.
Despite the challenges of attracting and keeping good employees, hiring is proceeding at a rapid clip. Online marketing skills in particular are in great demand.
More than half (53%) of those surveyed by Aquent said Internet marketing is the No. 1 area where they plan to increase spending, followed by event planning, data analysis, project management and direct mail.
"It is hardest to find people in the Web marketing area," Sinha said, noting Pitney Bowes is looking to hire people with this background. "People with a good understanding of the Web infrastructure—who know how to leverage it—are a little harder to find."
Companies that handle classified employment ads have also taken advantage of the uptick in hiring to tout existing products and launch new ones in order to meet the growing demand. Many of those products are Web-based.
DirectEmployers Association, a nonprofit consortium of more than 200 U.S. employers that owns and operates the JobCentral National Employment Network, announced last month that job listings by member companies posted on their corporate Web sites will automatically be posted to the Google Base site. Google Base is a beta site similar to Craigslist that was developed by Google to serve as an information clearinghouse.
Online portal Monster.com announced last month that it has teamed up with Development Dimensions International to launch a suite of "candidate assessment" products that are integrated into its Monster.com job postings to make it easier for employers to measure the skills and experience of applicants.
The new tools tap into the Web's emergence as the primary source of hiring for U.S. companies, according to a study by consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton, conducted for DirectEmployers. The study found that in 2005, Internet sources produced 51% of all hires.
Twenty-one percent of those hires came from corporate Web sites, followed by general job boards (15%), niche job boards (6%), social networking sites (5%) and commercial resume databases (4%).
The study also found that 74% of U.S. companies plan to increase their spending on corporate employment Web sites this year; 68% will up spending on employee referrals, and 60% will boost spending on social networking technology.
The ROI for online job listings can be attractive. A recent study on the effectiveness of online local, directory and classifieds advertising, conducted by the Interactive Advertising Bureau and comScore Networks and sponsored by CareerBuilder.com, showed a positive ROI and significant conversions both online and off for companies that participate in those forms of advertising.


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At long last, after over two months of delays, and all of the rampant speculation about when they’d actually launch, Apple on Tuesday morning quietly opened orders for its hotly anticipated wireless AirPods via the company’s official website.
Customers who have been eagerly anticipating Cupertino’s AirPods can now head on over to Apple’s website and place their order for the $159 “truly wireless” headphones. Unfortunately, the product is currently available only from Apple’s website, directly, and more than likely won’t be offered in Apple retail store locations for quite some time.
Speaking of time, order estimates for Apple’s AirPods initially opened this morning touting a “by December 21st” ship date. However, the product has apparently been selling like hotcakes and as of 10:00 am, customers are looking at the absolute minimum of a 4 week wait until they can get their hands and ears on a pair of their own.
Originally revealed back in September at the Silicon Valley tech-giants’ iPhone 7 unveiling event, Apple’s AirPods were stalled by a myriad of delays. However, the arrival of AirPods on the company’s online store this morning is perhaps unsurprising to some, especially considering that just recently it was rumored that they would be touching down within the “coming days.”
While Apple executives had initially indicated that there “was simply no way” their company would be able to meet a pre-Christmas release timeframe, the arrival of AirPods on the Apple online storefront is nonetheless welcome — even though, as we mentioned, if you place your order for them today, you likely won’t be receiving them until the middle of January — at the earliest. Moreover, it honestly wouldn’t be too surprising if the estimated ship times continued to climb throughout the day today. If orders continue at their current pace, some could possibly be waiting even longer.
Nevertheless, your AirPods order will certainly be worth waiting for. Featuring a truly wireless, dual-earbud design, Apple’s AirPods feature the company’s all-new W1 chip — providing a more formidable Bluetooth audio connection and easy iPhone pairing — and are capable of providing up to five hours of audio playback on a single charge. AirPods also feature a slew of advanced technologies made possible thanks to Cupertino’s new W1 chip. Each earbud, for instance includes beam-forming microphones, accelerometers, and infrared sensors. What’s more, the earbuds are housed in a small, form-fitting charging and carrying case, which is capable of providing you with extra battery power while you’re on the move.
Have you ordered a pair of Apple’s AirPods yet? Let us know in the comments!


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While WrestleMania is has been changed in light of the coronavirus and the show will still be going on albeit with a lot of changes and a two-day event versus the usual 4+ hour one-day spectacle. WWE SuperCard is ready for the event and has a brand new WrestleMania tier for players to enjoy.
Players will have access to over 60 WrestleMania 36 themed cards spread out throughout the game. with updates to your favorite WWE Superstars and Legends. Check out some sample cards below.
The WWE SuperCard WrestleMania update is available now.


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Lebanon's severe economic crisis, along with the coronavirus pandemic, has provided challenging conditions for businesses to survive. Still, some have been able to find light during these rough times after an outpour of community support for local businesses and talents.
As Lebanon rang in the New Year, putting 2020 behind its back was not an easy task, given that the consequences of the chaotic events that unfolded last year are still felt today.
Lebanon was hit by Covid-19 and by an economic crisis that saw triple-digit inflation and the Lebanese pound depreciating by almost 80 percent since the nationwide anti-government protests, which broke out on Oct. 17, 2019.
The currency had been pegged to the US dollar since 1997, at 1,507.5, as Lebanon was and still is highly dependent on imported goods.
Watch: Shops in the city of Dbayeh, north of #Beirut, are shuttered and its streets lie almost empty as #Lebanon enters a nationwide lockdown after #COVID19 cases surged drastically following the holiday season.https://t.co/hRlUFafOWH pic.twitter.com/dX61JX0WvL— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) January 14, 2021
This was exacerbated by the devastating Port of Beirut explosion last August and that destroyed half of the city, crushing many businesses that were already struggling to keep their doors open.
The World Bank estimated that the massive blast caused between $3.8 billion and $4.6 billion in damages.
In a statement released this week, The World Bank estimated that around 1.7 million people in the country are expected to fall under the poverty line. Of those, approximately 840,000 people will be under the food poverty line.
An opportunity for local businesses
Despite the difficult situation, some local and home-based businesses saw increased support for their work.
Layal Khaled is one of those.
“This [holiday season] I received a lot of feedback from customers saying that they were buying my products because they wanted to support local artists due to the situation,” Khaled, who works with wires to create different art products, told Al Arabiya English.
The 29-year-old artist showcases her products on her Instagram page, Smiles for Miles, which she started in 2017 as a source of extra income.
Initially, she did this in the summers, but during her maternity leave in December 2019, she decided to take on working on her art.
In comparison to when she first started, Khaled said that she had seen an increase in purchases over the past year.
In addition to people’s willingness to support local products, the coronavirus pandemic also contributed to the increased number of clientele in Khaled's case.
“Previously, people would have preferred to see items live themselves before buying them, but with the coronavirus and the lockdown, they were … forced to buy online.”
Despite the ongoing crises and the risks that come with it, others saw in the worsened economic situation a possibility to start their own small business.
For 29-year-old Ali Hammoud, the founder of Mounet Em Jamal, the economic situation and the need for an extra source of income to support his parents pushed him to embark on this journey last July.
Hammond’s business focuses on homemade jams, labneh, olives, pickles and olive oil, all of which are prepared by his mother.
“Since the Lebanese pound has depreciated, this means that not everyone can afford to buy imported products,” Hammoud, who has been living in France for 10 years, said.
“Hence, the initiative was based on the equation of benefitting ourselves and others [by] providing quality products at affordable prices.”
Hammoud said that they started slowly with limited quantities until people were more encouraged to try their products. With the help of social media, Mounet Em Jamal soon became popular.
Although Hammoud and his parents are relatively new to the business, he said he could “sense support” from the community for his initiative given the country’s economic situation.
“The economic collapse encouraged people to try to find an opportunity during these times to produce locally,” he said, noting that if the collapse worsens, it will also affect the sustainability of these businesses.
Consumer and community support
Nour Hakim, 30, has been buying local products from small businesses for the past year.
As a consumer and a client, Hakim said that her purpose was to support these businesses during tough times.
“I am supporting them, and at the same time, in return, I am getting very good quality products with good customer service and delivery,” Hakim said. “I am going to continue [buying local products] this year for sure.”
The community support was also felt by former banker Gisane Yamak, who, along with a group of friends, launched an initiative ahead of the holidays to encourage people to buy from small businesses.
The initiative focused on donating gifts to children across Lebanon, and those willing to contribute would make purchases from local businesses.
Yamak, 45, resorted to social media platforms to share posts about the products they provide, something she was already doing since November as a personal initiative.
“The target was to reach 1,000 gifts. But, we exceeded that target to reach 2,200 gifts, supporting between 20 and 25 businesses selling different items,” she told Al Arabiya English.
Yamak said she hoped that this encouragement among business owners and clients would continue despite the ongoing crises and the challenges facing businesses with no online presence to promote their work.
“Such initiatives are to tell people that these [crises] will pass if we act together,” she said.
Coronavirus: Amid lockdown, Lebanon records highest death toll for second dayLebanon reported its highest daily number of coronavirus deaths for the second day ... Coronavirus
Coronavirus: Lebanon kicks off 24-hour curfew as COVID-19 cases surgeLebanese hunkered down indoors Thursday on the first day of a strict 11-day ... Coronavirus
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Lebanon records highest single day coronavirus deaths, cases re-surgeLebanon reported its highest daily number of new coronavirus deaths since the ... Coronavirus


text: Microsoft has released Windows 10 Technical Preview version to a subset of Windows (Nokia / Lumia) phones. The list phones is published in Microsoft Windows Insiders website. As I mentioned in the previous post “Here are the Leaked Images of Windows 10 for Windows Phone“, the leaked images are perfect 🙂 ! In the first phase of Windows 10 release, Microsoft has announced support for only a subset of Nokia/ Lumia Phones. This includes Lumia 630, Lumia 635, Lumia 636, Lumia 638, Lumia 730 and Lumia 830 !! More phones to come !! How to your phone to Windows 10 TP2?


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Posted on July 13, 2012, CJ Miozzi Ubisoft Denies Assassin’s Creed 3 PC Delay
Assertions that Assassin’s Creed 3‘s PC launch will be delayed were allegedly incorrect. Speaking at a San Diego Comic-Con panel, Ubisoft creative lead Alex Hutchinson said that the PC version would release after the scheduled October 30th launch date for consoles, but when reached for comment, a Ubisoft spokesman has since reported that this information is incorrect. Assassin’s Creed 3 for PC is still slated for an October 30th release.
Whether the Hutchinson’s claim was due to miscommunication, human error, or an unintended leak remains unknown. If is not uncommon for Ubisoft to delay the PC release of its titles, with the PC version of Assassin’s Creed: Revelations delayed by half a month and Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood released months after its console version.


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General Motors has sold 189,354 copies of its big Lambda-platform crossovers in the United States this year. Combined sales of the Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, and GMC Acadia have risen by a scant 137 units through the first nine months of 2014.
GM’s six full-size, body-on-frame, pickup-based SUVs, on the other hand, have collectively increased their U.S. volume by 22%, a gain of 32,652 sales, to 183,080 units in total.
These nine nameplates have generated 17% of GM’s 2.2 million year-to-date sales. (Read More…)


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Tax cuts, other incentives lure potential buyers back to showrooms
The vehicle market in China was badly hit in April, with sales falling by nearly 50 percent year-on-year to 1.2 million units due to factory stoppages and significantly reduced showroom trade caused by COVID-19 outbreaks.
The sharp fall led to fears that the world's largest vehicle market since 2009 might shrink this year, but such sentiment has been dispelled by rosy prospects for production and purchases after the worst April in a decade for the industry.
More than 1.86 million vehicles were sold last month, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers－a 12.6 percent fall from the same month last year, but a 57.6 percent rise on the figure for April.
The association's statistics were provided by domestic and international carmakers with operations in China, who are stepping up production and whose dealers are starting to see an influx of showroom visitors as the COVID-19 outbreaks are brought under control.
Analysts at Soochow Securities expect the rising trend in production and sales to accelerate in coming months.
"The growth rate will average more than 20 percent year-on-year from June to the end of the year," the analysts predicted in a research note.
Their estimate is based on efforts to bring COVID-19 under control, and more important, the series of measures introduced by governments, including halved vehicle purchase tax, the issuance of additional license plates, and the "going to the countryside" campaign for new energy vehicles.
On June 1, purchase tax, which was typically 10 percent of a vehicle's retail price, was reduced to 5 percent for cars costing a maximum of 300,000 yuan ($45,000) and having 2-liter or smaller engines, according to the Ministry of Finance. The tax cut is in effect until the end of this year.
Wang Chen, a 30-year-old information technology engineer in Tianjin, said the tax reduction made him think seriously about buying a Volkswagen Lavida.
"To be frank, I can either purchase the vehicle now or later, because I don't need it that urgently, but the tax cut can save me about 7,000 yuan, which is almost my monthly salary," Wang said.
According to a plan announced last month by the State Council, China's Cabinet, vehicle purchase tax cuts nationwide will total 60 billion yuan by the end of this year.
According to an estimate by Ping An Securities, the tax reductions will account for 17 percent of vehicle purchase taxes levied last year.
In 2009 and 2015, China introduced measures to halve the purchase tax on passenger vehicles with engines no bigger than 1.6 liters. On both occasions, the tax reductions revitalized the car market.
This year, more vehicles are subject to the reductions. According to data from Huafu Securities, more than 90 percent of gasoline-powered car models are eligible for the tax cut, compared with some 65 percent in past years. This means that most popular brands, including Volkswagen, Toyota, Geely and Great Wall Motors, are benefiting from the favorable tax policy.
Cui Dongshu, secretary-general of the China Passenger Car Association, described the tax reduction as "a super big bonus" for the auto industry.
In April, the association estimated that passenger vehicle sales nationwide would struggle to total 19 million this year. "Thanks to the new policy, we now expect retail sales to reach 21 million this year, up by 4 percent from 2021," Cui said.


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J P Morgan Chase & Co set a SEK 155 target price on Volvo AB (STO:VOLV-B) in a research report sent to investors on Friday, October 20th. The firm currently has a neutral rating on the stock.
A number of other research firms have also issued reports on VOLV-B. HSBC Holdings plc set a SEK 180 price objective on Volvo AB and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, October 19th. UBS AG set a SEK 155 price objective on Volvo AB and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 17th. Morgan Stanley set a SEK 120 price objective on Volvo AB and gave the company a sell rating in a research note on Monday, October 9th. Citigroup Inc. set a SEK 186 price objective on Volvo AB and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Friday, September 1st. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (The) set a SEK 149 target price on Volvo AB and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, July 17th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. The company has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of SEK 164.14.
TRADEMARK VIOLATION WARNING: This news story was originally posted by Dispatch Tribunal and is the property of of Dispatch Tribunal. If you are viewing this news story on another website, it was copied illegally and republished in violation of US & international trademark and copyright laws. The correct version of this news story can be accessed at https://www.dispatchtribunal.com/2017/10/29/j-p-morgan-chase-co-analysts-give-volvo-ab-volv-b-a-sek-155-price-target.html.
Volvo AB Company Profile
AB Volvo is the parent company of the Volvo Group. The Volvo Group is a manufacturer of trucks, buses, construction equipment, diesel engines, and marine and industrial engines. The Volvo Group also provides solutions for financing and service. Its segments include Trucks, Construction Equipment, Buses, Volvo Penta, Group functions & Other, and Financial Services.
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Mekong Capital has invested $7.6 million in Ben Thanh Jewelry JSC, marking its second investment in a jewellery firm in the country after Phu Nhuan Jewelry.
The investment was made by the Mekong Enterprise Fund (MEF) III, which has closed three other deals in restaurant operator Wrap & Roll, ABA Logistics and pawn shop F88, since its launch.
The new fund infusion helps Ben Thanh Jewelry build on its existing retail brand to launch a new fine jewellery retail chain in Vietnam called PRECITA, Mekong Capital said in a statement.
Founded in 1987 as a state-owned company, Ben Thanh Jewelry is a unit under the country’s major diversified enterprise Ben Thanh Group. It was privatised 14 years ago.
“After its equitisation in 2003, it has achieved great progress and now choosing MEF III as a strategic investor because of the added value that the fund and its management company, Mekong Capital, will bring to our company. Looking at some of the successful investments Mekong Capital has had in the past, we are very positive that this relationship will bring a new beginning for Ben Thanh Jewelry and take it to the new horizons of success and growth,” said Shipra Jain, CEO of the Ben Thanh Jewelry.
As one of the oldest companies in gold and gem stone retail in Vietnam, Ben Thanh Jewelry focuses on the southern market with seven outlets in Ho Chi Minh City, according to its website.
Chris Freund, founder and partner of Mekong Capital, joins the jeweller as chairman, while Truong Thi Dieu Le, another partner at the PE firm, and Joe Lobbato, who used to lead Thai retailer Central Group and is an advisor for Mekong Capital, become board members.
Mekong Capital had invested in Phu Nhuan Jewelry, also a former state company, in 2007 and completed the exit last year.


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Looking for an inexpensive backpack? Back-to-school clothes? You may want to stop by Goodwill stores during its “Moonilght Madness” sale.
Most items will be 50 percent off during the sale, which is going on at all stores except the outlets (in Kenwood, Belvedere and Linthicum).
During the sale, on Thursday, Aug. 15, stores will be open from 8 p.m. – midnight (except Waverly, which will be open from 6 – 9 p.m.).
There's a Goodwill retail store in Westminster at 200 Baltimore Blvd.


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The oldest winery in North Dakota had to cancel its annual Grape Harvest for the first time in nearly 15 years because of the drought — and researchers at the Extension Center also experienced a lower yield.
Pointe of View Winery has been open for nearly 20 years and has been putting on a Grape Harvest Festival for almost 15.
This year they produced, 120 pounds of grapes compared to the 2,500 to 5,000 pounds that are normally harvested.
The grapes were also smaller and instead of making wine, owners sold them at the farmers market instead.
Owner Jeff Peterson said they still will be making their other wines using products from other local farmers and independent producers, even though they can’t make their signature wine.
“Though we might on average sell anywhere from nine to 12 varieties, and that being just one variety, depending on the year and how good a growing season, our loss is probably anywhere from 9,000-15,000,” said Peterson.
The winery was not the only place that experienced a lower harvest.
The North Central Research Extension Center has a vineyard and several things lead to a low yield there as well.
Ag Research Technician Chris Asmundson said there was winter damage to the vines, high temperatures when the plants started to flower and less pollination.
“Clusters were smaller and then we had the drought, which meant berries smaller and the plants had to struggle. And we ended up with probably 60% volume what we would normally see,” said Asmundson.
The project to develop a wine grape in North Dakota started in 2013.
The naturally growing wild grape found here is called Vitis Riparia and it’s too high in sugar and acid to make wine.
Each vine is experimental. Researchers cross the wild grape with normal wine grapes to get a grape that will do well in North Dakota, have time to ripen and taste good as a wine.
Asmundson said the research is important because more people are interested in the wine and tourism industry and North Dakota has the potential.
“If we can get plants out there that are reliable and make good wine, there’s going to be more interest in that program and there’s gonna be a lot more people that take it on and it’ll be nice to see,” said Asmundson.
Peterson said they’ve also been doing small-scale experimental research for the last 12 years, crossing native wild grapes with other varieties from other places.
“We do some experimental research breeding work here but, of course, it’s very small scale. But for the most part, this is the first time it’s been this bad for us in 20 years so we’re hoping this is something that’s not going to continue,” said Peterson.
Peterson only has one wish to save his vines.
“Bring rain. At least this fall, bring lots of snow and spring rain,” said Peterson.
The winery is open Fridays and Saturdays from 11 to 6 and from noon to 5 five on Sundays.


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Project Reload is Zain KSA’s SAR 4.5 billion network upgrade and expansion plan.
Zain KSA significantly enhanced the customer experience – focusing on the quality, speed and coverage of 4G LTE data network.
Zain KSA also opened, or refreshed, 91 Zain branded points of sale in 2015.
Hassan Kabbani, chief executive officer of Zain KSA said: “Our customers become much more active members of the digital society in Saudi Arabia. Customers are consuming an ever increasing amount of our data services. Our strategy to offer mobile video streaming services in Saudi Arabia appears to be resonating well with consumers.”
Zain KSA said revenues grew 9 percent to reach SAR 6,741 million in 2015 and 7 percent quarter on quarter to SAR 1,672 million in Q4 2015.
Net losses of Zain KSA for the year narrowed by 23 percent to SAR 971 million, down from SAR 1,269 million during 2014, with Q4 net losses dropping by 5 percent drop to SAR 291 million, down from SAR 306 million during Q4 2014.


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Ostrich industry pained by ban
Pieter Mulder says the ostrich industry is suffering under an EU ban on ostrich meat imports.
CAPE TOWN - South Africa's Ostrich industry remains in a crisis.
Thousands of birds have been culled since last year's outbreak of Avian influenza in the Western Cape.
The European Union has yet to lift its ban on ostrich meat imports, with the industry losing out on about R100 million each month.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Pieter Mulder said they were working on having the EU lift the ban as soon as possible.
"We had three very good meetings between the industry and the department, trying to get alternative methods to solve this problem. Up until now, we've been lucky. There were no new outbreaks in the last few months - normally this happens around the summer months. So, we may be getting through to the other side."
Mulder said that while they were waiting for ostrich farms to re-register, the ban has been taking its toll.
"A lot of people are going bankrupt. A lot of workers are losing their jobs, which is a crisis that needs to be addressed as quickly as possible. But if we are not responsible, the illness can go over to other industries, which will cause more devastation."


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The term of social entrepreneurship was officially introduced in Russia exactly a year ago, on July 26, whereas now the number of such enterprises stands at around 50,000, President of Russia’s Chamber of Commerce Sergey Katyrin told TASS.
“Today there are around 50,000 companies involved in social entrepreneurship in Russia,” he said, adding that they “provide goods and services at minimum prices” to those who need help and support, which “was a saving for many of them amid the coronavirus-related restrictions.”
On July 26, 2019 Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law fixing the term of social entrepreneurship, which combines the tasks of business and charity. The special status provides entrepreneurs implementing an important social mission with prior support of the state.
That is envisioned by the National Project ‘Small and medium-sized entrepreneurship and support of entrepreneurship initiative’.


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Hannover Re avoids Q3 loss through asset sale
Hannover Re and parent Talanx issue profit warnings on US nat cat losses
Hannover Re’s CEO bets on traditional reinsurance business despite soft market
Hannover Re is expecting significant property/casualty (P&C) rate increases, particularly in the regions affected by recent hurricanes in North America, but also elsewhere in the upcoming renewals.
Hannover Re, Florida, Property, Casualty, Rates, North America


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Microsoft has officially acknowledged, and provided a temporary resolution for, a Wi-Fi bug that was precipitated by a recent Windows 11 update. The issue was particularly prevalent on public, educational, and enterprise networks.
The bug emerged following the December Patch Tuesday updates ─ a routine distribution of enhancements and fixes for Microsoft products. Users began reporting issues with connecting their devices to Wi-Fi networks. The two culprits, according to Microsoft, were OS updates KB5032288 and KB5033375.
Distinctly Affecting Certain Networks
Microsoft reported that users attempting to connect to enterprise, education, and public Wi-Fi networks using 802.1x authentication were disproportionately affected. In contrast, home networks were less likely to experience this issue.
This problem markedly impacted people using Wi-Fi on networks that have facilitated fast-transition or fast-roaming ─ common features in university campuses to ensure unwavering connectivity across different access points.
A case in point is the University of British Columbia, which alerted their students and staff about the problem. In the absence of an immediate solution from Microsoft, they advised uninstalling the updates to restore Wi-Fi service temporarily.
A Temporary Solution Rolled Out
In response to the growing discontent, Microsoft has issued a Known Issue Rollback (KIR), essentially reverting the OS to a previous version where the problem does not occur. KIRs, introduced by Microsoft in March 2021, are used to mend non-security bugs. While this is only a temporary fix, the tech titan plans to implement a comprehensive resolution and release an improved patch soon.
It might take up to 24 hours for the resolution to propagate automatically to consumer and non-managed business devices. A restart can hasten this process. For enterprise-managed devices, the issue can be fixed by installing and configuring a special Group Policy.
User Dissatisfaction Prominent
Some users, displeased at the delayed response, voiced their grievances on online forums such as Reddit. Several users even had to resort to manually rolling back updates to solve the issue. The Microsoft Community pages were also flooded with user complaints about the recent Wi-Fi glitches.
There’s no ignoring that the current scenario is eerily familiar. Microsoft has a history of inadvertently disrupting services with their updates, and then having to roll back the update or issue new patches.
In conclusion, while Microsoft has provided a temporary workaround for the Wi-Fi bug, the tech community is eagerly waiting for a more permanent fix.


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Our Latest Online Backup Reviews:Vembu SyncBlaze
Industry LinksTools and Graphs
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA — July 26, 2016 — /BackupReview.info/ – Axcient, the industry-recognized leader in Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS), today announced it has become a VMware Technology Alliance Partner (TAP) Elite member. Elite members of the TAP program collaborate with VMware to interoperate and validate their products with VMware solutions to drive transformative business outcomes for customers.
With thousands of members worldwide, the VMware TAP program includes best-of-breed technology partners with the shared commitment to bring the best expertise and business solutions for each unique customer environment.
“We welcome Axcient as an Elite member of the VMware TAP program,” said Howard Hall, senior director, Global Technology Partner Organization, VMware. “VMware and our Elite partners are driving the convergence of cloud infrastructure and virtualization for our customers, enabling greater efficiencies and reliability. Through the TAP program, companies like Axcient can extend the benefits of VMware cloud infrastructure to fuel transformation within customer environments.”
“We are excited to partner with VMware to empower businesses with increased resilience and agility,” said Justin Moore, CEO, Axcient. “By extending the power and efficiency of the software-defined data center to the cloud, Fusion enables IT organizations to streamline operations, reduce data center footprint and deliver higher levels of availability to internal and external customers.”
Axcient’s product information, collateral and other assets are listed within the online VMware Solution Exchange at https://solutionexchange.vmware.com/store/companies/axcient
The VMware Solution Exchange is an online marketplace where VMware partners and developers can publish rich marketing content and downloadable software for our customers.
Gartner recently recognized Axcient as a Leader in the 2016 Magic Quadrant for Disaster Recovery as a Service.
Axcient will be a sponsor at VMworld 2016, which takes place August 28 through September 1 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Interested prospects can learn more about how the combination of Axcient Fusion and VMware enables businesses to make their IT more resilient and agile by stopping by Booth #562.
Follow @axcient on Twitter for recent news and updates.
VMware is a registered trademark of VMware, Inc. in the United States and other jurisdictions. All other marks and names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective companies.
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Deere to close Ontario plant
Farm machinery maker Deere & Co. said Tuesday it will close a plant in southern Ontario, chopping 800 jobs in the process.
The company said it will move the production of attachments and utility vehicles to plants in Wisconsin and Mexico from its facility in Welland, Ont., in the Niagara region of the province.
Deere, which makes the famous green-colored John Deere tractor, said the Welland plant will be shut by the end of next year.
"By consolidating manufacturing capacity the move supports ongoing company-wide efforts aimed at improved efficiency and profitability," the company said in a news release announcing the move.
The Welland closure will result in an after-tax charge in the range of $90 million US, one-half of which will be reflected in Deere's fourth quarter financial results.
Deere said it has informed the Canadian Auto Workers, which represents the plant's workers, and said it would discuss the closing with the CAW.
The plant closing is another blow to Ontario's reeling manufacturing sector. A number of plants have shut in that province in the past year as goods makers deal with a rising Canadian dollar and slowing export markets in the United States.
For its part, Deere has been enjoying improved sales in its agricultural equipment division, which the firm expects to climb almost 30 per cent in the fourth quarter of the year.
However, Deere has been plagued by rising costs, a factor that resulted in the company missing analysts' profit projections in the latest quarter.
Deere now predicts it will make 98 cents a share US in its fiscal fourth quarter, well off of the $1.15 stock watchers had been expecting.


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Mar 05, 2014 11:44 AM EST
Google’s Android operating system has grown to become a favorite of the City of Barcelona. Barcelona has been exposed to Google at a massive level with its Android OS offerings and advertising in its market. Nokia also unveiled its first Android-powered smartphone at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona last month. There have been questions regarding fragmentation in the marketplace, however with Google and high end or low end smartphones it may be just a benefit to its strategy.
Barcelona has been emerging to lead globally as its city has adopted to smart city technologies and its government. According to Global Web Index, Android leads all markets but the gap between Android and iOS in fast-growing developing markets was indicated as significant. In Spain, less than 20% of users choose iOS, Android being at just above gaining 60% majority of users. The rate of adoption is growing six times as fast in Barcelona.
Barcelona aims to improve quality of life for its citizens and is working to address new technologies in areas such as mobile. Near field communication adoption has yet to take off but promises are optimistic for future mainstream adoption. The city still faces current unemployment challenges. The city is bicycle and pedestrian friendly and has made efforts through innovative technologies to help improve these areas for quality of life.
The city has been host to the Mobile World Congress. At the event, over thousands of people gather to Barcelona to preview the upcoming computers and mobile phones within the marke. The rate of adoption has been very fast and is only expected to increase faster as the prediction for smartphone growth grows. Google has been at the cusp of this shift by announcing and creating new services for computers and mobile versions. Its new smartphones have been powerful and development of web applications for Google have been supported across the world.
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Levi’s has launched its new spring campaign which aims to raise awareness for the environmental impacts of production and consumption. The iconic denim brand has tapped an inspiring group of changemakers including Jaden Smith, Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford and a number of Gen-Z influencers such as Xiye Bastida, Melati Wijsen, Xiuhtezcatl and Emma Chamberlain.
The campaign speaks to Levi’s longstanding commitment to producing quality clothing while working with activists on critical issues that focus on the future of our planet. This includes Levi’s investment into materials and technologies such as cottonised Hemp and Organic Cotton, and scaling Water<Less® technology. So far, 76% of all Levi’s products and 70% of all Levi’s bottoms and trucker jackets are made using this water-saving technology. It has allowed them to save more than 4 billion litres of water and recycle nearly 10 billion litres of water since its introduction.
In a statement, Levi’s brand president Jennifer Sey said “As a company that has celebrated pioneers and aspired to bring inventive environmental solutions to the market, we saw our voice in these young leaders. Change will come if we all work together and we’re humbled to partner with them in reducing our collective impact on the planet”.
Alongside this campaign, Levi’s is encouraging consumers to place careful thought into their apparel choices. Whether that be wearing items for longer, buying secondhand or even tailoring your clothes to extend their life. Over the next several months, Levi’s will be sharing the stories of their campaign partners and highlight the change makers that believe in a more inclusive and planet-friendly future.
Watch the ‘Buy Better. Wear Longer’ campaign video below.


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Podcast Episode 103: DarkFinity. It’s your lucky day. The next hour and a half is arguably one of the best tech/entertainment podcasts ever produced. Yes it’s that good. Trust us. Now sit back, relax and begin to absorb the following knowledge and wisdom from our sages:
Comcast to buy Time Warner Cable…
- Bloomberg says NEW Apple TV to be announced in April - launch late-fall…
- Mac at 30 years old: What’s next.
- iWatch, not just a txt msg device. Health industry
- AT&T and Apple - Charging twice for data? Net Neutrality dead… Carriers about to kill internet competition?
- IDC critical of Apple due to Apple not selling sub $200 smartphones that don’t make any money, for the sake of market share…?
- New M$ CEO: Satya Nadella - Online Services Division
- Gates: Spends first day back at Microsoft trying to install and update PC to Windows 8.1
- Paul Thurrot: “Windows 8 is a disaster. Period.”
- Apple Mac Pro ship dates slip to mid-April. Huge demand.
- Apple to release bezzel-less 4.7” iPhone 6 and 5.5” Phablet? According to the Korea Herald.
All this and much, much more in Podcast Episode 103: DarkFinity
- OS X El Capitan Only Weeks Away. Can't Wait.
- iPhone 6 still outpacing even the newest Android products
- What hints are hiding within Apple's September 9 special event invitation?
- Can Apple TV be a Game Changer without Games?
- September 9 Special Event: Apple TV Will Steal The Show
- Is 2017 the Year of the Apple Car?
- Tim Cook makes radical statement – Apple stock bounces back
- The State of Apple in Brazil
- Is a price increase coming for the new Apple TV?
- Biggest feature for the highly anticipated Apple TV


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Vandy leads merch sales at local store, Predators trail behind
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Vanderbilt University is winning on the football field this year, but also on the merchandise shelves, while the Nashville Predators' apparel sales have been almost as uninspiring as the team's absence on the ice this year, according to one Nashville retailer.
The seasons of Nashville's favorite sports teams are reflected in their merchandise sales, according to a Nashville Sports Seasons manager Eric Provo. Vanderbilt, with an 8-4 season and a bowl game ahead, is selling the most; Titans merchandise, with a 5-9 season, just barely ranks above sales for University of Tennessee, whose lackluster season yielded one Southeastern Conference victory; and the Predators, with a nonexistent season, is way down from last year.
"Predators — it's not even really close to half of what it was last year," said Provo, who manages the White Bridge Road location. He said people are still buying Preds gear for gifts, but the typical game night purchases have dropped significantly. When the lockout began, Sports Seasons began a lockout sale, dropping prices first by 40 percent, then 25 percent.
"We realized we were just kind of giving it away," Provo said.
Jamie McGee covers tourism, entertainment and technology.
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INDIA: Footwear firm Dune inks franchise deal with Reliance
UK-based fashion footwear and accessories retailer Dune Group is partnering with Reliance Brands on an exclusive long-term franchise agreement in India.
The group will launch the flagship Dune brand in the country during spring/summer 2013. It also looking to launch some of its other brands - which include Pied
a Terre, Bertie and Chelsea Cobbler - in the country too.
"As one of the leading emerging markets, India has been a key territory targeted for development by the Dune Group," said Mohamediqbal Yacoobali, CEO of Dune International.
"In Reliance Brands we found a partner that not only understands and resonates our group’s values but also has a winning combination of people, infrastructure and market muscle that we aspire to have in a partner."
Darshan Mehta, president and CEO of Reliance Brands, added that the Dune brand "comfortably sits in to a segment which rightfully fills the gap for shoes which offer unique design sensibility."
Dune currently operates 45 UK standalone stores and 225 department store concessions in the UK and Europe. It plans to grow to 150 stores by 2015.
Reliance Brands Limited, which is part of the Reliance Industries Group, also has brand partnerships with Brooks Bros, Diesel, Ermenegildo Zegna, Kenneth Cole, Quiksilver, Roxy, Steve Madden, Thomas Pink, Superdry and Timberland.
Fifth & Pacific Companies has reiterated its commitment to its struggling Juicy Couture brand as the apparel firm outlined its goals and priorities for 2013....
Sportswear brand Vince is reportedly exploring an initial public offering (IPO) later this year. ...
Reliance Retail, the retail arm of industrial conglomerate Reliance Industries, has booked an increase in nine-month sales....
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- World Textile and Apparel Trade and Production Trends: the EU - June 2016
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When it came to goods and services sent out of the United States last year – from cell phones to pork rinds – the numbers that came in were very good. Foreign sales for the Hispanic Business Top 50 Exporters grew 6.2 percent to $1.8 billion. That increase is better than the hike in total U.S. exports for the year, which rose 3.9 percent to $714 billion.
Cellular telephone wholesaler Brightstar Corp. of Miami leads the Top 50 directory by a wide margin. The company's sales abroad last year reached $1.2 billion, more than double the year before, with exports representing almost three-quarters of its sales.
After Brightstar's cellular phones, food figures as a major product category for the Top 50 Exporters. For example, second-ranked Quirch Foods of Miami shipped $80 million worth of meat, seafood, and poultry to Puerto Rico last year.
Geographically, more than half (27 companies) of the Top 50 Exporters come from Florida. Texas and California have five each on the list, and no other state has more than two. The Florida skew derives from the fact that with only a handful of exceptions, the Top 50 Exporters concentrate on trade with Latin America and the Caribbean. While Texas has a geographical advantage for Mexican trade, and California for the Pacific Rim, Florida offers the best transportation and communication infrastructure for the whole of Latin America. Total U.S. exports reached a record $1.9 trillion in FY2004.
Privately held Brightstar operates in 18 countries, employs more than 900 people, and continues to expand globally. Earlier this year, the company announced a new distribution pact with Kyocera Wireless to distribute product lines in India; a logistics and services deal with Hawaiian Telecom; and an alliance with Firefly Mobile to handle its mobile phones and line of accessories in North and South America and the Caribbean.
But it is the company's finances that recently have attracted the most attention. In early 2004, the company raised $61 million in gross proceeds through a private placement of securities using investors including Falcon Investment Advisors, Prudential Capital Group, Grandview Capital Management, and Ramius Capital Group. But plans for an initial public offering, announced in August 2004 and co-managed by Citigroup and Lehman Brothers, were shelved two months later with the company citing only "market conditions and certain other factors."
Sally Lange, a Brightstar vice-president, declined to elaborate on the withdrawal.
Brightstar's borrowing costs may have been so low that a loan was preferable to going public at that moment, suggests Philip Remek, an analyst with Guzman & Co. of Miami. It is also possible that the costs of an IPO may have been prohibitive at the time. "This is a field with lots of changes and consolidating going on," Mr. Remek says. "In an unstable marketplace, there can be any number of reasons not to go through with an IPO."
Some exporters on the list are cashing in on the increasing foreign appetites for meat and dairy products from the United States. Miami-based Northwestern Meat saw sales of $19.7 million to Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador as its exports rose 4.4 percent, representing more than 10 percent of its total sales. "We have been dealing with Australia, New Zealand, Uruguay, and countries throughout Central America," says Elpidio Nuñez, president. "If you stick by your commitments and ride out the short-term problems, business inevitably increases."
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A Melbourne man claims to have found 20 to 30 maggots inside his Big Mac when he checked the McDonalds burger for pickles.
Leigh Savage allegedly found maggots crawling over the meat patties of the burger he bought from the Frankston store, the Herald Sun reports.
Mr Savage said staff laughed at him when he told them about the bugs and demanded a refund.
"It is just disgusting — the only reason I looked in my burger was to make sure the extra pickles were there and I was all like, there's maggots in my burger," he said.
"My mate didn't believe me, no one believed me until they saw it."
Mr Savage denied the possibility the maggots crawled into the burger as he travelled home, saying the bag was done up tight.
A McDonalds spokeswoman said they would have the burger tested to determine how the maggots got into the burger.
Mr Savage said he has not decided whether to hand the Big Mac over for testing.
© Nine Digital Pty Ltd 2018


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After Samsung delayed the Galaxy Fold to address complaints made by the first testers, Huawei is now pushing back its foldable smartphone as well.
A company official confirmed for CNBC that the Mate X would no longer launch this month but in September, as it wants more time to improve the device.
In other words, the US ban that doesn’t allow the company to work with American firms isn’t the reason for the delay, but Huawei’s struggle to offer a refined product.
“We don’t want to launch a product to destroy our reputation,” a company spokesperson told CNBC.
But while the US blacklist might not be the main reason for the delay, it could actually cause more trouble for the company when its device is ready in September.
Basically, the US ban means Huawei can no longer use software and hardware developed by American companies, and these include Windows and Android. Announced in February, Huawei Mate X was powered by Android, an operating system the company would not be allowed to use.
On the other hand, given the device was announced before the executive order was signed by US President Donald Trump, Huawei could actually bring the device to…


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The Xbox Music team have posted another update for their Windows Phone app, taking it to version 2.6.322.
Much similar to last week’s update (and the 2 before then) this update only adds:
Minor fixes and improvements
Hopefully Microsoft is not under the impression that the app has reached perfection. Alternatively the app may be in maintenance mode while they work on the Threshold version.
The updated version of the app can be found in the Windows Phone Store here.


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Widely known for her very exotic mode of dancing without wearing any panties, Zodwa Wabantu has elevated brand as foremost erotic dancer in South Africa. She made a huge headline months ago when she reportedly proposed to her boyfriend Ntobeko Linda while she bought an expensive diamond ring for the engagement, and paid his dowry (lobola) as well.
But now Zodwa Wabantu is demanding her lobola back following the announcement that she called off the wedding. The vosho queen broke all societal norms when she paid lobola to her fiancé Ntobeko Linda’s family just weeks after she popped the question.
The 33-year-old racy dancer confirmed that the wedding which was meant to take place last Saturday is officially off and is determined to get at least half the lobola money. “It’s not about me taking a break, the wedding is off,” she said. She continued: “We will have to split the lobola money in half. It’s only fair”
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(Adds Oetker Group, LINET Group)
June 19 (Reuters) - The following bids, mergers, acquisitions and disposals were reported by 2000 GMT on Tuesday:
** Germany's family-owned Oetker Group has acquisition targets in its sights after selling the Hamburg Sued shipping line to Danish giant Maersk for 3.7 billion euros ($4.28 billion) last year, the company's finance chief said.
** European hospital and nursing bed maker LINET Group is in talks with private equity firms interested in buying a stake in the company, sources with knowledge of the deal said.
** Videogame and electronics retailer GameStop Corp confirmed that it is in exploratory talks with third parties about a possible transaction.
** BHP, has agreed to sell Cerro Colorado copper mine to private equity fund EMR Capital, two sources close to the deal said.
** Private equity firm Veritas Capital will buy Cotiviti Holdings Inc in a deal valued at $4.9 billion, the U.S. healthcare analytics company said.
** The chief executive of doBank said Italy's biggest debt servicing firm would take part in a bad loan sale by Italian lender Banco BPM.
** Norwegian Air Shuttle is reaching a size at which it can be profitable, its founder and CEO said, while reiterating that he will not block a sale of the budget carrier if other shareholders want out.
** Cheerleading uniform retailer Varsity Brands Inc said it will be bought by private equity firm Bain Capital.
** Swiss drugmaker Roche is paying $2.4 billion to buy the rest of Foundation Medicine, raising its bet on the U.S. genomic profiling group's ability to personalize cancer care.
** UK-based packaging group DS Smith said it would look to raise around 1 billion pounds ($1.32 billion) via a rights issue to help fund its biggest-ever acquisition of Spanish rival Europac.
** German consumer electronics group Ceconomy said it expects to strike a deal shortly to sell its loss-making Russian business to Russia's Safmar group, and take a 15 percent stake in Safmar's M.video.
** Deutsche Bank is selling a $1 billion portfolio of legacy shipping loans to an entity owned by funds managed by Oak Hill Advisors and Varde Partners, it said.
** Australian iron ore miner Atlas Iron said it would give Mineral Resources three business days to match a buyout offer made from Hancock Prospecting.
** Insurance Australia Group (IAG) said it will sell its Thai and Indonesian operations to Japanese insurer Tokio Marine Holdings for A$525 million ($390 million).
** Shareholders in South Africa's Murray & Roberts MURJ.J voted for the company to look into a potential tie up with construction rival Aveng AEGJ.J, sending Aveng's shares around 25 percent higher.
** The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) said its private equity department would acquire a stake of up to 21.4 percent in Pension Insurance Corporation Group from funds advised by private equity firm J.C. Flowers & Co.
** A unit of Abu Dhabi Financial Group has made a conditional offer to buy private equity firm Abraaj's investment management business for $50 million, according to a document reviewed by Reuters. (Compiled by Karan Nagarkatti and Vibhuti Sharma in Bengaluru)


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Sellers balk at new fees for online auctions
Taiwan Headlines, Tue 6 Apr 2004
Stacy Chen, a 27-year-old who works at a local trading company, likes to buy and sell the odd trinket on one of Taiwan's online auction sites. It's more of an engaging pastime than a side business for her, which is why she is joining a growing number of people thinking about switching auction sites now that hers has announced it will be charging for what was once a free service.
Debate over Internet portal fees has been around for some time. While company executives generally expect consumer resistance in the initial stages, most agree that paid subscription-based services are crucial if the Internet is to provide them with a prosperous environment.
Yahoo Taiwan Inc., which began offering online auction service in September 2001 and is now the country's largest such portal, announced it would begin charging its members to sell items on the net starting April 9. According to executives of the company, the fees are to ensure the quality of goods being posted and to provide buyers with a better online shopping experience.
People who post their small items for sale will have to pay less than US$0.10 per auction. For large items such as motorcycles, package tours and real estate, however, the charge is much higher. Sellers have to pay another US$0.15 per item to set a reserve price -- basically, a minimum selling price. This is expected to help Yahoo Taiwan bring in at least US$176,000 more in revenue every month. Only selling advertising space on the site is more lucrative.
According to company officials, the site consistently has about 4 million items for sale with total transactions topping US$300 million last year. Since January, an average of US$30 million worth of products has been traded on the site every month.
Charlene Hung, director of the Internet company's e-commerce division, argued that for individuals getting rid of their second-hand items, Yahoo Taiwan's online auction site will still be much cheaper than placing a classified ad in the newspaper.
Nevertheless, users of the popular site have been calling for a mass migration to the Taiwanese eBay -- Yahoo Taiwan's strongest competitor and an online auction house that made a huge splash with a single television commercial last summer. EBay's Taiwan presence was established in 2002 and normally has about 200,000 items on the virtual auction block.
"Yahoo should have laid down the ground rules when it first started offering the service. Now that business is good, it starts charging us. This is like extortion," Chen said.
"Yahoo is not the only auction site available," wrote one member on an online discussion forum.
"Yahoo has already made a fortune out of the numerous sellers on the site because we attract advertisements for the site," complained another.
While some have accepted the idea that users should pay, they urged the portal to improve its infrastructure. Some cited the loss of e-mail and net congestion as major headache.
Even though both auction sites have floated the idea of charging for the service, officials at eBay Inc. said they have no plans to do so just yet. Unlike its Taiwanese component, the company's main site in the United States charges sellers a certain fee to post their products online, and to set a reserve price. For every finalized transaction, eBay gets a cut of 5.25 percent of the product's final selling price.
Yahoo Taiwan has yet to charge users a transaction fee but may consider doing so in the future. Hung noted that the fees charged by the company are lower than major international auction sites.
The Internet portal expects the number of auctions to drop after the new fee schedule takes effect. Hung said the experience of Yahoo Japan showed that the auction site lost as much as 50 percent of its volume when it became a paid service in 2001. The total volume of transactions, however, has steadily grown since that time. The Taiwan site predicts that a similar pattern will occur here.
The non-profit Consumers' Foundation, however, said if Internet portals cannot provide better security, they should rethink their plans to charge users. Officials noted that some auction sites in the West have their own fraud investigation teams and software to detect illegal bidding. Local auction sites, they insist, must improve their security mechanisms.
Online auctions have been a phenomenon in the West for several years, but have only been slowly gaining currency in Taiwan. The country has seen a growing number of Internet users and online shops, as well as changing consumer behavior over the past few years. This has led analysts to predict a rosy picture for the future of online commerce on the island. According to a survey conducted by the Institute for Information Industry's Focus on Internet News and Data, the market for online retailers was worth US$650 million last year -- a 40 percent growth over the year before. Analysts estimate that it could reach US$1.05 billion this year.
Chen, meanwhile, has begun planning her Yahoo Taiwan clearance sales in preparation to jump ship by April 8. It remains anybody's guess whether more members will follow suit and how the online community will respond to the new payment scheme.


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Online auto parts stores make it easier than ever to locate the exact automotive part you are looking for. This picture of a brake rotor and caliper sitting in a shopping cart illustrates the ease with which you can shop for auto parts online.
A bicycle is made of many components, including the frame, tires and tubes, wheelsets, seats, brakes, hubs, headset, bottom bracket, crank, front and rear derailleur, gear cassettes, and shifters.
Regularly maintaining your dirt bike is important to keep it running smoothly. Learn about maintaining your dirt bike's oil, air filter, tires, wheels, brakes, carburetor, and more.
Isaiah Thompson (pictured) was arrested on Thursday, accused of pulling the emergency brakes on the back of New York City subway cars, as well as exposing himself to commuters.
Daily Mail. Sat, 25 May 2019 14:36:05 GMT.
A Russian state news agency says a report from the country's civil aviation authority indicates that the crew of an airliner that caught fire while making an emergency landing, killing 41 people, had not deployed the plane's air brakes
ABC News. Fri, 17 May 2019 14:12:41 -0400.
Petra Kvitova heads into the French Open with two titles under her belt since the beginning of 2019, but a calf injury in a tournament tune-up match this week may derail the two-time Wimbledon champion's momentum.
Reuters. Fri, 17 May 2019 12:14:01 -0400.


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COMPLETE ALL-IN-ONE BRAVO SUPPORTS ONE BLU-RAY PLUS FOUR MUSIC PLAYERS FOR UNDER $8,000
HAI will demonstrate the enhanced Connectivity Partnership with Lutron at the International Security Conference-West (ISC-West) to be held in Las Vegas, NV, March 24-26, 2010, in Booth 18135.
Leading Whole House Manufacturer Rounds Out Product Categories with New Lighting System Powered by PulseWorx® Universal Powerline Bus Technology
The 60,000+ hour lifespan M-Vision Cine LED recently received top designations in Home Theater Magazine, Sound & Vision Magazine and UltimateAVmag.com
New version of iRidium program for AMX and iPad / iPhone / iPod is available on AppStore and free for installers!
Crestron Continues to Grow Despite Slow Economy; Seeks Engineers to fill Multiple Positions
HAI's iPhone app will be demonstrated at Electronic House Expo in Orlando, FL, March 25-27, 2010 in Booth 1013. Additionally, it will be demonstrated at the International Security Conference-West (ISC-West).
SENCORE at EHX Spring 2010: Drawing on more than 50 years of investment and success in engineering design and technology, SENCORE will highlight four new products at EHX Spring 2010.
Meridian just released the Meridian Sooloos 2.1 software suite, winner of the 2010 CES Innovation Award.
Atlona Technologies releases newest addition to their HDMI Switcher Line with the 2x4 HDMI 1.3 Distribution Amplifier
Atlona Technologies, solutions manufacturer of audio video accessories, releases the newest addition to their HDMI Switcher Line with the 2x4 HDMI1.3 distribution amplifier, the AT-HD-V214
According to Gizmodo Google is continuing it's business approach of throwing their hat into everything, everywhere. Google hopes that the new platform will succeed where dozens of lesser efforts have failed—to truly and seamlessly integrate web content onto TVs, bringing services like Twitter and sites like YouTube, in addition to games, webapps, and, of course, Google's search, to the big screen. The Google TV software reportedly includes a version of Google's Chrome browser for doing some light surfing, as well. The New York Times says Google TV will be delivered on set-top boxes that use Intel Atom chips and run an Android-based platform, though the technology will also reportedly be built directly into Blu-ray players and TVs from Sony. Additionally, Google is working with Logitech to built a keyboard-equipped remote control for the platform.
SurgeX launches into the residential market and hires strong rep base to grow dealer network.
Designed especially for the custom market, the new PRO series delivers superior build integrity and performance at the right price.
Expanded IP Assessment Solutions Meet the Needs of Open Source Usage in the Enterprise
Additions to I/O options expands the flexibility of the EDM matrix router line
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RETRO-M is designed to replace existing Home Intercom Systems and operate on existing 3 and 4 wire systems. BLUETOOTH you music by adding the BT-RECEIVER. No need to remove existing master wall housing, trim plates available to cover those large holes. The RETRO-M intercom unit has a built-in AM/FM radio. Plug in mp3 players such as iPod, iPhone, Zune or any other hand held player into the master and share your music with the entire family. Choose between two music sources; listen to the radio in one room and the mp3 in another room.