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Nothing Ear (stick) is UNIQUE! Quite something to behold
Nothing has officially announced the launch of new earbuds named Nothing Ear (stick) soon with a unique form factor.
Ahead of the launch of Nothing Phone (1) a couple of months ago, a few leaks suggested that the event will also unveil the new Nothing earbuds. Sadly, that didn't happen and Nothing Phone (1) made its appearance without the earbuds. But now, Nothing has officially announced that its second-generation earbuds will go live soon with the name Nothing Ear (stick).
However, the announcement came in a peculiar manner! Nothing Ear (stick) was presented in partnership with the clothes designer Chet Lo at London Fashion Week 2023. The new truly wireless earbuds by Nothing seem to be a refreshed version of the Nothing ear (1), but quite unique.
Unfortunately, after teasing the new Nothing earbuds during the London Fashion Week, the company hasn't revealed many details. The teased product seems to feature a new elongated slim case design. However, the company claims that the new stick-shaped case of the earbuds is designed to be compact enough to fit into pockets and the design is inspired by “classic cosmetic silhouettes.”
Nothing Ear (stick) launching soon
The second pair of truly wireless earbuds by Nothing are set to launch later this year, the company mentioned in a press release. "The Ear Stick is more than just a new charging case for the company's existing earbuds. The Ear Stick is an entirely new product. New charging case and new bud,” Nothing's US PR manager Lewis Hopkins has confirmed to The Verge.
So, what should you expect from the new uniquely designed Ear Stick earbuds by Nothing? The release by Nothing promises that the new Ear Stick earbuds will be “feather-light” along with a “supremely comfortable ergonomic design” which will be easily molded into the ears.
The company is likely to release full specifications, a price, and a release date for the Ear Stick soon.
Follow HT Tech for the latest tech news and reviews , also keep up with us on Twitter, Facebook, Google News, and Instagram. For our latest videos, subscribe to our YouTube channel.


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World’s most expensive cities revealed
It’s official, Israel’s beach hub Tel Aviv has been named the world’s most expensive city to live in. Sydney and Melbourne were the only two Australian cities to crack the top 20. So what makes a city so costly and how do property prices fare?
Dollar signs mark the spot
Think about what expenses fall under your weekly budget. Utilities, money for the bus, a week’s supply of groceries, a couple of coffees? How much you spend on this budget, including those cheeky coffees (and okay maybe just one bottle of merlot) will depend on where you live.
Looking at over 200 products across food prices, utility bills and transport costs the Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) ranked cities around the world from least to most costly to live in. Turns out people pay a pretty penny to live in Tel Aviv, which took out the number one spot. Paris and Singapore tied in second place, and in the mid-teens is where you’ll find Sydney and Melbourne who came in 14th and 16th.
A city’s cost of living often matches the price of its properties. In August 2021 CNBC compared the property prices of four cities in the Asia-Pacific region. Just like the cost of living, Singapore was the most expensive to purchase property, followed by Seoul, Sydney, and Taiwan.
Expensive city, expensive homes
Without a doubt, Sydney is the most expensive city in Australia to live in and for purchasing a property. In fact, 9 out of ten of Australia’s most expensive suburbs are in Sydney. This year Sydney houses at auction sold for an earth-shattering median price of $1.45 million.
Likewise, catching public transport in Sydney for a month will set you back $211. That’s $50 more than it would cost you in Melbourne and $137 more than you’d pay in Darwin.
Along with transport, Sydney continues to lead the pack in terms of property prices. But it’s the unsuspecting state of Tassie that saw the most growth over the past year (for the fifth year in a row mind you).
New homebuyers have been drawn to the Apple Isle by fresh apple cider, cheeses, oysters, and the low cost of living. Property prices rose by almost 30% over the past 12 months. But as Tel Aviv, Sydney and Singapore have shown – discounted living is unlikely to stay that way for long.
- The cost of living in a suburb could discourage buyers looking to purchase their forever home. But for those looking for an investment property, it could be an incentive.
- Purchasing a property goes beyond investing in a dwelling, real estate agents should understand the local economy for all sales.
Get your property sale ready with ListReady. Join thousands of homeowners and use ListReady to cover marketing, home improvements and much more, with nothing to pay until the property settles. Learn more

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Amazon Luna, a cloud gaming service that provides game developers access to multiple endpoints from a single source from Amazon has been released.
Amazon Luna’s attraction is the ability to play on a variety of devices, and Amazon says players can even start playing on one screen and seamlessly pick up and continue on another. At launch, Luna will be available on Fire TV, PC, and Mac, as well as on web apps for iPhone and iPad, with Android coming soon.
The service uses Windows servers, Intel Cascade Lake CPUs and Nvidia GPUs, making it easier for developers to port their games to run on Luna. Developers will only have to move existing Windows games onto an AWS instance and set up cloud streaming access.
Currently available in the U.S, Luna aims at a rival for established services such as Google Stadia, Microsoft xCloud and Sony PlayStation Now, where users can play games directly from cloud servers rather than having to download them first.
The Luna Product Director, Oliver Messenger, said that Amazon wants to make porting games low effort. This can be seen in the fact that it has launched with over 100 games available including Resident Evil 7, Panzer Dragoon, The Surge, Control, and GRID. Amazon has also partnered with Ubisoft for a gaming channel that Amazon says provides access to Ubisoft titles in up to 4K resolution, mobile gameplay, and access to new titles on the same day they release.Luna Product Director, Oliver Messenger
Twitch integration is also included in Luna. Players will see Twitch streams for games in the service, and from Twitch, they’ll be able to instantly start playing Luna games.
An Alexa-enabled controller featuring a multiple-antenna design that prioritizes uninterrupted wifi for lower-latency gaming is available for Amazon Luna. The service is being introduced with an introductory price of $5.99 a month. This gets subscribers simultaneous access to two devices for playing Luna Plus channel games.


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Volume 10 Issue 4
Thailand Picked for Biobased Acids PlantJanuary 27, 2023
French biochemical company Afyren and Thai sugar producer Mitr Phol Group will partner to establish a biorefinery in Thailand that produces biobased carboxylic acids used in lubricants and other applications, the companies announced on Thursday.
Malaysia Revises Engine Oil StandardsJanuary 27, 2023
Malaysia will be revising its engine oil standards to include American Petroleum Institute performance specifications and bench tests requirements. The standard applies to crankcase oils used gasoline and diesel engines, as well as high-speed industrial diesel engines.
China’s Vehicle Registrations Slip in 2022January 27, 2023
China’s new motor vehicle registrations – including cars, trucks and motorcycles – declined 5% to 34.8 million in 2022, although the country’s vehicle parc increased 6% to 417 million, according to statistics released earlier this month by a China government ministry.
From Other Editions of Lube ReportJanuary 27, 2023
U.S., Canada Want in on Mexican Lithium
New Price Caps Planned for Russian Products
Briefly NotedJanuary 27, 2023
Bangladesh’s Eastern Lubricants Blenders Ltd. appointed Mohang Jasim Uddin as the company’s managing director effective Jan. 19.


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As tourism operators Australia wide grapple with the latest round of harsh COVID-19 lockdowns, a new platform aims to help travellers better identify risks and restrictions and prevent costly cancellations.
Unsure where you can actually go on your next Aussie holiday? There’s a site to help you out!
goPassport’s Know Not No (KNN) platform provides the most up-to-date information on the COVID-19 situation and restrictions Australia-wide and countries we have travel bubbles with.
Led by infectious diseases and border control experts, by clicking on an interactive map, KNN users can see precisely the COVID-19 situation in their LGA and restrictions in the LGA they intend to travel, ensuring informed decisions about visiting.
“As we have seen through recent snap lockdowns COVID-19 can rapidly disrupt plans and gone are the days of just freely travelling,” said CEO Matt McKinley.
“A state, territory or LGA can appear safe to travel at one moment before dealing with a potential cluster the next.”
Mr McKinley said a link to the KNN website from a tourism operator’s booking sites, along with a link in reservation emails could assist in helping travellers feel more confident and help reduce costly cancellations.
“The idea of losing money through cancellations and non-refundable travel services due to changes stops people in their planning,” Mr McKinley said.
“The anxiety of their family being thrown into a quarantine hotel for 14 days is genuine for people.”
Mr McKinley said furthermore travellers are often confused by media messaging and unsure of which resource will provide the most accurate and updated information on lockdowns and restrictions.
Because let’s face it, it’s a full-time job just trying to keep up with it all on your own!
“Coupled with the delay in the actual change appearing on the Government Health website has created a significant lack of confidence for travellers daring to leave home and travel into another state,” he said.
More people say no to travel than is necessary and according to Austrade it is having a devastating and long-lasting impact on tourism operators Australia-wide.
For many years tourism has been a growing and crucial part of the Australian economy hitting a high point in 2019, where total spend by domestic tourists and international visitors was $152 billion an increase of 10.3% on the previous year.
While yet to release its latest figures, Austrade reported that within months of the first COVID-19 cases in Australia, the industry slumped, with tourism Gross Domestic Product (GDP) falling to $50 billion, down 0.6 percentage points.
Based on the patented goPassport principles of capturing the pathway, guiding, monitoring, and alerting for each traveller, KNN’s goal is to build confidence in travel as travel restrictions continue to impact the future of living with COVID-19.
The tech company is urging tourism operators to test the KNN platform. It says travellers would pay $7.99 for the user-pay solution to receive alerts by entering their details and travel plans.
“If we are going to rebuild the tourism industry, we need solutions to help restore confidence in travel,” Mr McKinley said.
Click here for more information.
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- Dwyane Wade gives huge shout-out to LeBron James after making his 10th NBA Finals
- Report: Los Angeles Lakers want to face Miami Heat in NBA Finals
- Tom Thibodeau heaps praise on Pat Riley, looking to mimic Miami Heat culture with New York Knicks
- Report: Jimmy Butler didn’t like ‘lack of professionalism’ on Minnesota Timberwolves
- Paul Pierce throws massive shade at Tyler Herro for calling himself a ‘bucket’
- Dejected Bam Adebayo has harsh message for himself after Game 5 loss to Celtics
- Video: Jaylen Brown blows kiss to Miami Heat bench after making back-to-back 3s
- Video: Udonis Haslem seen ripping into Miami Heat players in 3rd quarter of Game 5
- Dwyane Wade speaks on how ‘personal’ LeBron James Lakers vs. Pat Riley Heat matchup would be
- Draymond Green latest NBA star to rave about Jimmy Butler’s style of leadership
Dwyane Wade Seen in New Miami Heat Vice Nights Jersey
- Updated: November 5, 2018
The Miami Heat released their new jerseys and they’re FLAMES
RT if you’d cop ???
— Overtime (@overtime) November 5, 2018
FIRST LOOK: @MiamiHEAT follow up last year’s “Vice” jersey success with a black version for its City Edition Jerseys. Team will play in this ?for 14 games. First game is Friday. pic.twitter.com/2JFQhEy0Dk
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) November 5, 2018
The debut comes as a sequel to last season’s design. After Nike took over jersey distribution for the NBA, it launched a City Edition theme for each team. The City Edition concept allows teams to go outside of the normal jersey concept and integrate a piece of a franchise’s city into the design.
The “Miami Vice” design became amongst the most popular of turnouts, as fans celebrated and scurried to purchase and elevate its fame.
According to the Sun Sentinel, Heat chief marketing officer Michael McCullough states that the jersey theme will coordinate with a new matching court. Plans were thought of last season with the initial launch of the City concept, but were set into motion too late:
“I would say that was just a miss on our part,” he said. “When we were conceptualizing the uniform we thought about doing the court, but it was too late. By the time we started the process it was not going to give us enough time.”
“This was part of our plan from Day 1, when we heard of the City design concept,” he continued. “It just kind of coalesced that way. We thought that [the white version] was the one to launch the campaign and allow us to have a complete switch for the second year.”
The Heat will debut the new version on Friday against the Pacers at American Airlines Arena. The jersey along with “Vice Nights” brand apparel will launch for fans Thursday at midnight.


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Edelman Digital: Four New Tools To Engage Your Consumers
A look at the latest digital news of the week.
A look into top brands on Instagram, a new scoring tool from LinkedIn and more of the latest digital news of the week.
Top Brands on Instagram Grow Follower Base by 166% Year over Year
In a recent blog post, Simply Measured explores some of the top brands on Instagram. Brands ranging from apparel to the automotive industry are experiencing at least a 100% follower growth year over year, and garnering average engagements over the 10 million mark. 68% of the top 100 brands are active on the platform, as Instagram is a natural fit for visual brands to showcase products and engage with their audiences.


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Will US antitrust case kill-off Google's Apple-fed golden goose ?
- Department of Justice action could cost Google billions of dollars in revenues
- Long-established but little known agreement between Apple and Google at risk
- Half of Google's search traffic comes via iPhones and other Apple devices
- Antitrust case could push Apple into building its own search engine - to the even greater detriment of Google
When the term "Special Relationship" is mentioned in the media, 99 per cent of the time it refers to the long-standing and, by now, quasi-mythological cultural affinity and political accord between the US and the UK. However, as far as the Americans are concerned there is another "Special Relationship", not as old and not as well-known but very much closer to home. It's in Silicon Valley and it is the 15 year-long liaison between Apple and Google. They don't shout about it from low-rise rooftops of Cupertino or Mountain View but, since 2005, the two companies have been in a form of partnership that quietly brings in billions of dollars a year.
For a decade and a half things have been quietly ticking along nicely as the occasional half-hearted and/or half-arsed attempts by US authorities to regulate and police those companies and others of their ilk have been easily batted away and have come to naught. But now a much more determined and wily fox is sniffing around the gilded hen coops of US "big tech" companies and feathers are being properly ruffled, not least those of the Foghorn Leghorn and Marvo the Wonder Chicken de nos jours.
Last week the US Department of Justice (DoJ) set in motion the biggest and most far-reaching antitrust case (the most significant in a quarter of a century) against Google as it makes a concerted effort to clip the wings of technology companies that have become so big and powerful that they regard themselves as being beyond the reach of the laws and regulations that apply to all other commercial enterprises. The idea is that if two of the most powerful and valuable corporations in the US can be brought to heel (Apple and Google are at positions 2 and 4 in the national pecking order) others will quickly fall into line behind them.
As the allegations, that the likes of Amazon, Apple, Facebook etc., have become de facto monopolies illegally using their dominant market power to strangle competition and make ever more money for themselves, continue to mount, the Department of Justice has announced that close to 50 per cent of all Google's search traffic comes to it courtesy of iPhones and other Apple devices.
Google is the dominant web search engine across much of the world and is the default on iPhones, iPadOS, macOS and Safari for iOS. Google pays Apple vast sums for that privilege and to ensure that Apple users see ads that Google is paid to place before consumers by other companies, or directs consumers to Google's own products and preferences.
A lose-lose situation for both, but Google stands to lose the most
The DoJ wants such cosy agreements to be outlawed on the grounds that they distort and prevent competition and limit consumer choice, and this time it seems possible, at long last, that action will be taken. Rumour has it that Google is extremely concerned that if the deal with Apple is changed it will lose an immense amount of traffic while Apple itself would lose the between US$8 billion to $12 billion it gets from Google each year.
That's a sizeable drop in revenues and profits even for a company as big as Apple and a lose-lose scenario for both. However, if the partnership agreement is dismantled, Apple would certainly have the wherewithal, financially and technically to design and build its own search engine - and for all anyone knows, it may already be doing so. Indeed, it almost certainly is - and that will put the wind up Google and no mistake.
Apple has always been coy about even the existence of the deal with Google, never mind going so far as to provide details of its actual provisions. It made official reference to a "licensing agreement" with Google for the very first time in a financial earnings statement back in the spring of this year, but the DoJ is making much of an email sent from Apple to Google back in 2018 which states" our vision is that we work as if we are one company." Someone might live to regret making that assertion.
To stick one more time with today's avian metaphors, for Google the deal with Apple guarantees it an endless supply of golden eggs. The DoJ antitrust case and the termination of the partnership would kill that goose stone dead, leaving Google, the company with the most to lose, floundering and bereft of half its traffic.
Stay up to date with the latest industry developments: sign up to receive TelecomTV's top news and videos plus exclusive subscriber-only content direct to your inbox – including our daily news briefing and weekly wrap.


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Google made another grab for its internet infrastructure, this time picking up wireless hotspot company ICOA for the sum of $400 million. From the deal, the internet giant will control around 1,500 wired and wireless broadband locales in "high-traffic" public spaces, including airports, restaurants and universities, spread across 45 US states. Google will presumably be running these public WiFi spots in addition to its current deal with Boingo -- and in addition to those 180 fiberhoods.
Correction: Looks like reports of the acquisition were false, as AllThingsD is now reporting, and we've been able to independently confirm that Google has not bought ICOA.
Show full PR text
ICOA Inc. Acquired by Google for $400 Million
ICOA, Inc. is a national provider of wireless and wired broadband Internet networks in high-traffic public locations.
ICOA Has Been Acquired by Google for $400 Million
Warwick, RI (PRWEB) November 26, 2012
Google has announced its acquisition of ICOA Inc. A provider of Wi-Fi to high traffic public locations. ICOA is a leading vertically integrated, neutral-host broadband wireless Internet network provider. Their suite of services and solutions power the unique requirements of high-traffic public locations such as airports, marinas, restaurants and more, while also providing back office solutions for hotspot operators and wireless service providers. Google looks to further diversify it's already impressive portfolio of companies.
ICOA, Inc. is a national provider of wireless and wired broadband Internet networks in high-traffic public locations. ICOA provides design, installation, operation, maintenance and management of WI-FI hot-spot and hot-zone Internet access. Based in Warwick, Rhode Island,
ICOA owns or operates broadband access installations in high-traffic locations across 40 states, located in airports, quick-service restaurants, hotels and motels, travel plazas, marinas etc. ICOA networks are compatible with widely-used 802.11x technology and with virtually all Internet service providers. Further information is at http://www.icoacorp.com.


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Marking an end to one of the more high-profile tech disputes of our time, Apple and Samsung earlier today settled their ongoing patent dispute that raged on unabated for seven years. Terms of the settlement were not made public, according to Reuters.
Apple, if you recall, first sued Samsung back in April of 2011, alleging that Samsung’s lineup of tablets and smartphones “slavishly copied” designs and features pioneered by both the iPhone and the iPad. Samsung naturally defended its position vigorously, and would soon file a number of countersuits against Apple for patent infringement. When the case finally went to trial in 2012, Apple emerged victorious, with a jury awarding Apple $1 billion in damages.
The ruling, of course, didn’t spell the end for Apple and Samsung’s legal squabbles. On the contrary, Samsung appealed and that resulted in additional legal squabbling that stretched out over a number of years. When the dust settled, Apple last month was awarded $539 million in damages, a figure far below the $1 billion sought by Apple and far above the $28 million Samsung was willing to pay.
All told, Samsung products were found to have infringed three of Apple’s design patents — including a form factor featuring rounded corners — and two of Apple’s utility patents.
Apple has previously said that its goal in taking Samsung to court wasn’t about money but rather about protecting its homegrown innovations.
“We believe deeply in the value of design,” Apple said recently, “and our teams work tirelessly to create innovative products that delight our customers.”


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Larry Fisher spends all his time lately designing new ways to conserve electricity.
As the research director of NextGen - the division of private, New York City-based ABI Research that tracks smart grids worldwide - Fisher has more and more on his plate these days. That's because the wave of new investment in this emerging sector is just beginning.
NextGen also serves as an incubator for brand-new approaches in electronics and smart-grid technology. Over the past several years, the groundwork for smart grids has emerged in a number of countries, Fisher says. For that reason, the rates of both investment and implementation are increasing.
In a brand new report, Fisher's research team estimates that we will spend some $45 billion worldwide between now and 2015 on smart-grid-related transmission-and-distribution (T&D) infrastructure, implementation of related components at the level of utility companies distributing the power to consumers, and smart meters. (These last ingredients allow you to measure usage and redistribute power on your own.)
When compared to the trillions spent on generation and transmission, $45 billion may seem like a pittance.
But it certainly does indicate that a change is approaching. And for certain companies that find themselves in the middle of this significant energy revolution, it's going to mean lots of profits.


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The advertising agency &Rosàs signs the new global advertising campaign for Cupra, with FC Barcelona and Ter Stegen as protagonists.
The campaign transmits very concrete values such as effort, passion, perseverance and conviction. Values that FC Barcelona shares with CUPRA, a brand that remains faithful to its philosophy of promoting love for cars and driving in the era of electrification with the launch of pre-reservations for the new CUPRA Formentor.
The spot ends with a declaration of intent with an eye toward the future:
If they don’t understand why, they will - New CUPRA Formentor
The advertising campaign, starring FC Barcelona goalkeeper and CUPRA global ambassador Marc Ter Stegen, has been directed by Nicolás Méndez (CANADA), produced by CANADA and shot in Barcelona.
In the coming weeks, the campaign will be broadcast globally on television and it will be possible to reserve the exclusive launch edition of the new CUPRA Formentor on the cupraofficial.es website.
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Tesla Intends To Discontinue The Model S 60 kWh And 60D
21 March, 2017, 11:10 | Author: Leticia Walters
Please bookmark 1redDrop.comto keep tabs on the hottest, most happening tech and business news from around the world. We won't spoil the news, but we will say it is one of the biggest swings in Tesla's stock price we have seen in a long time. The Company is headquartered in Palo Alto, California.
Tesla's former vice president of supply chain management Peter Carlsson previously commented that some changes had been made to ease the pressure on the delivery side of the Model 3.
The offering will cushion the balance sheet of the youngest publicly held US automaker as it ramps up spending to introduce the Model 3. The company earned $2.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.21 billion.
The Seeking Alpha contributor feels that the company's chances of declaring bankruptcy have increased "exponentially" with this latest capital raise because he doesn't think it will be enough. The offering is expected to price on Thursday after the market closes, according to a person familiar with the process.
At first, this all might sound good, but as Seeking Alpha contributor EnerTuition notes, the executive was also reported to have said that they're planning to skip the beta testing phase for the Model 3 and just straight to release candidates. FMR LLC boosted its position in shares of Tesla by 13.3% in the fourth quarter.
The basic Model 3 starts at $35,000, although there will probably be numerous options to upgrade at an extra cost. Sumitomo Mitsui Asset Management Company LTD now owns 281,004 shares of the electric vehicle producer's stock valued at $57,333,000 after buying an additional 239,600 shares during the period. The firm now has a "buy" rating on the electric vehicle producer's stock. Tesla's prospectus shows Musk has a US$344.4 million loan from Morgan Stanley.
The Model 3 is the key to Musk's push to reach mainstream consumers. And as there are no EV subsidies offered on Tesla vehicles, people in South Korea will have to get the auto with a hefty price tag.
Best time to invest in stock market is when things are on odd side, and it's not easy how to pick stocks. Meanwhile, Tesla is doing about 1 million miles per day thanks to the cumulative efforts of thousands of its vehicles on the road. Therefore, the stated figure displays a quarterly performance of 31.61% and year to date performance of 22.37%. They now have a United States dollars 368 price target on the stock.
The confirmation hearing will continue through this week. "Judge, I look forward to hearing more about your exceptional record". Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch began Monday with opening statements from members of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
This proposal would have pared Pennsylvania's NIH grant allotment to just $1.3 billion if it had been applied this year. Every agency is now under a spending freeze that took effect last fall after Congress failed to pass a budget for 2017.
The combined revenues of the merged entity will be Rs 81,403 crore, making it the single largest in the country. This valuation excludes Vodafone's 42% stake in Indus Towers and Idea's holding in the tower company of 11.15%.
President Donald Trump has nominated him to fill the vacancy created when Justice Antonin Scalia died in February of a year ago . Maybe it is Jackson's example that led Gorsuch to become the special writer that most students of his court say he is.
A huge college basketball fan, Drake's nod at Kentucky head men's basketball coach John Calipari didn't go unnoticed. Eight days later, the final product hit the web, and it's potentially the artist's most cohesive project to date.
It wasn't until McIlroy spoke about the round to No Laying Up that the Trump Administration had to correct the record. The White House didn't confirm whether the president played golf during his almost four hours at the course.
When the company announced February 24 it would close 130-140 stores, it had more than 1,000 locations in the USA and Puerto Rico. According to a recent release the company expects approximately 5,000 positions nationwide will be impacted by the closures.
Following sporadic showers here and there Monday night , the next morning arrives with clouds and expected highs in the lower 60s. Right now it looks like most of the rain and snow will pass north of the area, but we'll track that potential through the week.
Villanova: The Wildcats showed why they're champions by stepping up when it counted, shooting 63 percent in the second half. Pelzman and Jerry Carino analyze Seton Hall's 77-71 loss to Arkansas in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
On Monday, March 20th Apple announced that the Online Apple Store will be down overnight for roughly five and a half hours. Apart from this, the 9.7-inch iPad Pro along with the 12.9-inch iPad Pro are expected to be updated as well.
Former NI deputy first minister Martin McGuinness dies aged 66
Born in Derry in 1950, he leaves the republican movement in Northern Ireland in a position of unparalleled political strength. He was forced to step down in January, a number of months before a planned retirement, because of an undisclosed illness.
Julia, a Muppet With Autism, Joins 'Sesame Street' Cast
The creative team behind the Sesame Street's newest edition were sensitive to the complex nature of the condition. Sesame Street has often experimented with new fun ways of teaching children since its launch almost 50 years ago.


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PITTSBURGH – Pantry loading related to the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) around the world pushed the Kraft Heinz Co.’s sales up 3.3% during the first quarter of fiscal 2020, ended March 28. In the United States, the impact was more pronounced — pushing quarterly sales up 6.4%. The near-term impact of COVID-19 definitely benefited the company, but management warned investors that uncertainty clouds its outlook the rest of the year.
“Like most companies today, it seems we have more scenarios than certainties as we look at the remainder of the year,” said Paulo Luiz Araujo Basilio, global chief financial officer, during an April 30 conference call with analysts. “At the same time, there are a number of things we can forecast and, therefore, set a base that we can update as the year progresses.
“For instance, we still believe 2020 will be an important year of progress in the multiyear turnaround we envision. Recall that we set three priorities for 2020: to establish a strong base of sales and earnings; to rebuild underlying business momentum; and continue to reduce debt, while maintaining our current dividend. All these priorities are on track, even as we adapt to the new challenges.”
Miguel Patricio, chief executive officer, said that in times of uncertainty, consumers turn to brands they trust.
“They want to experiment less,” he said. “They want to experiment less with new brands. And that’s what we’re seeing right now. Now our brands represent comfort for people. And I think that the consumers are coming back to big brands.”
Kraft Heinz net income fell to $378 million, equal to 31¢ per share on the common stock, down 6.7% from $405 million, equal to 33¢ per share the year prior.
Quarterly sales rose to $6.2 billion from $6 billion the year prior.
“On a net basis, we estimate that the additional demand that we are experiencing as a result of COVID-19 resulted in about 6 to 7 points of incremental organic growth in the first quarter and with the contribution of 9 to 10 points of additional EBITDA growth,” Mr. Patricio said.
Headwinds that affected results included the sudden deceleration of foodservice sales, which make up 15% of the company’s net sales. Going forward, Mr. Patricio said he expected foodservice sales to decline 30% to 70% in each geographic region depending on channel mix and the creativity and agility foodservice customers exhibit as they adapt.
In addition, negative year-over-year comparisons from divestitures and business exits affected results. Mr. Basilio said certain costs and business trends also held back earnings.
US business unit sales rose to $4.5 billion during the quarter from $4.2 billion in fiscal 2019. Carlos A. Abrams-Rivera, president of US Zone, said the US business performance was slightly better in January and February than anticipated. But market share trends remained weak in natural cheese, cold cuts and frozen meals.
“In March, however, this trend reversed,” he said. “Consumptions in cheese, meat and most every category, for that matter, accelerated, while foodservice sales fell more than 20% versus last year. As a result, Q1 organic growth was 6.4%. And in terms of profitability, we initially expected a mid-single-digit decline in adjusted EBITDA for Q1. Instead, we grew roughly 6%.”
Mr. Abrams-Rivera forecast second-quarter organic top-line growth will be in the mid-single-digit range for the US business.
“This is based on our expectation for strong retail takeaway to continue, boosted by retail customers rebuilding inventory, and with the foodservice sales declining by roughly two-thirds,” he said.
Mr. Patricio said he believes second-quarter consumption patterns are not a reliable indicator of the “new normal.”
“Variables like at home versus away from home and recession versus growth will likely become clearer as the second half of the year unfolds,” he said. “And obviously, all of this will play out differently by country in each one of the segments.”


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Overstock Appoints New CEO, Remains Committed to Blockchain
The online retail giant has announced that Jonathan Johnson – who's led the firm since the departure of Patrick Byrne – is now its permanent CEO.
The bitcoin-friendly retail company and the parent of security token marketplace tZERO says it was again subpoenaed by the Securities and Exchange Commission at the end of 2019.
Overstock CEO and Medici Ventures President Jonathan Johnson believes crypto investments are finally ready to enter the real world.
The blockchain-friendly online retailer is planning to distribute its long-delayed digital asset shareholder dividend on May 19.
An investor has launched a class action against Overstock and two former execs, claiming securities violations involving the firm's digital dividend.
Overstock's Medici Ventures has invested in blockchain ID firm Evernym in a $2 million seed round for potential equity.


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Prepares its assault on servers by starting with its smart offload processors
Arm put smart offload processors in the spotlight at its annual developers’ conference because they are stepping stones to its data center ambitions. The cloud is the latest target for the still-small designer of cores that investor Softbank is betting will be a semiconductor giant someday.
The name is a relatively new handle, but the chips have been around for years. They first emerged as TCP offload engines more than 15 years ago. Now, they sometimes ride network interface cards called smart NICs.
Along with the new smart names, the chips have taken on more jobs. Today, they handle a flexible basket of security, storage, and virtualization tasks.
The chips have big, high-volume customers. Microsoft’s Catapult uses Intel FPGA cards as smart NICs. Amazon’s Nitro uses Arm-based controllers that it acquired in 2015 from startup Annapurna.
The latter chips represent a solid position in the hyperscale data center for Arm, but it’s just a start. These I/O processors are valued generally in double digits, while the processors that they serve sell for 10 to 100 times as much.
Arm-based controllers from Annapurna (circled in red) are key to Amazon’s Nitro services. Click to enlarge. (Source: Amazon)
Arm hopes to bridge its way into the big bucks in part with CCIX, a cache-coherent extension of PCI Express. CCIX is basically the Intel processor bus for the rest of the industry, linking CPUs to accelerators and more.
Today, only one Xilinx FPGA sports a CCIX port. Five other designs are said to be in flight. Initially, they expand PCIe Gen 4 up to 25-Gbits/s speeds. Future versions will leverage Gen 5’s 32G data rates and maybe even extend them to 56G.
By 2020, there should be a decent ecosystem of CCIX processors, accelerators, and switches in the market, perhaps including x86 chips from AMD and even Power processors from IBM. They will provide a broad set of alternatives to the basket of goodies that Intel will offer data centers with its Xeon, Stratix, Nervana, and Optane chips.
Of course, Arm’s partners still need to deliver a set of compelling server SoCs leveraging its new Neoverse cores. But that’s another story.
In the past two years, Arm hired roughly 2,000 engineers. It’s a big number, but Arm’s ambitions around its technology rival, Intel, are still a David-and-Goliath story.
At its event, Arm claimed that it is responsible for 20 times more wafers per year than Intel at 35 million versus 1.6 million. That’s breathtaking, but it obscures the fact that the revenues of Arm versus Intel chips dramatically skew the other way.
Intel’s 2017 revenues for data center products alone were about $18.8 billion. That’s about 14 times the size of Arm’s total 2017 revenues, including the many cores in each of the billion-plus smartphones that it powers up each year.
At last count, Intel had about 102,000 employees. Arm now has about 6,250 thanks in part to the 2,000 bankrolled by its new owner, SoftBank chief executive Masayoshi Son.
“Masa’s first instruction to me was go, go, go,” said Arm chief executive Simon Segars in a press Q&A after his keynote. “So we’ve invested in engineering headcount and hired about 2,000 people — largely in engineering — over two years.
Segars shared his vision for the company in his keynote at Arm Tech Con. (Image: EE Times)
“That has had a negative impact on our profitability [down to about $280 million in 2017], but that’s fine. Masa is not too worried about short-term results,” he said, adding that the hiring was across Arm’s products and geographies.
Arm is essentially SoftBank’s biggest startup. Compared to Intel, it has plenty of room to grow.
“Being part of SoftBank and not a public company means we can invest in many things in parallel,” said Segars. “Two years ago, I would have had to pick one or two of them.”
SoftBank is on track to fulfill its promise to double Arm’s headcount within five years of buying the company in late 2016, he added. That’s impressive, but even an 8,400-person company has to do a lot of punching above its weight to make it into the top ranks of semiconductor giant.
Five years ago at the event, the big news was Hewlett Packard’s Moonshot servers using Arm-based processors. The systems never got market traction in part because server software supporting Arm was still immature.
Today, the Arm software for servers is more solid, but the chips are somewhat in disarray. I give Arm credit for using SoftBank’s funds to fuel a smart restart of its cloud ambitions. I expect that it will be 2020 before we see any results of the latest foray.
— Rick Merritt, Silicon Valley Bureau Chief, EE Times


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Businesses tap in to help the environment
Posted on: 15 December 2017
Community minded businesses, such as cafes and shops, are being encouraged to join a growing movement to help the environment.
The concept is simple. Reduce the number of plastic bottles being thrown away by inviting people to re-fill their water bottles with tap water for free.
It’s a win-win; good for the environment; good for people’s health, to hydrate with water rather than sugary drinks; and good PR for the businesses and charities that open their doors to thirsty passers-by.
What began as a local campaign in Bude, Refill now has attracted national appeal with a diverse range of businesses across UK towns and cities volunteering as Refill Stations.
Refill Devon, the county’s campaign, began last year, and participants are steadily growing in number. From cafes and restaurants to phone shops, garden centres and estate agents, the diversity of businesses taking part is broad as more outlets ‘tap’ in.
All the businesses need to do is display a round, blue Refill sticker in their front window, and allow thirsty folk in to refill their plastic bottle. Simple. There’s an app to support the campaign, to inform people of the location of participating businesses.
It’s estimated that in the UK 800 plastic bottles per minute end up being disposed of as litter, and all too often make their way into our waterways and out to sea.
Devon County Council, South West Water and Beach Care, which is part of the Keep Britain Tidy campaign, are promoting and funding Refill Devon.
The Council recently gave its commitment to support initiatives that aim to reduce use of single-use plastic bottles because of their damaging impact on the environment, specifically coastlines.
Councillor Andrea Davis, Devon County Council’s Cabinet Member with responsibility for recycling, said:
“It’s a great campaign. We’ve been supporting Refill Devon for some time and I’m delighted by how welcomed it’s been greeted by Devon businesses. So far we’ve got around 140 Refill Stations, but we’re keen to see more, especially in areas where there are gaps.
“There are clear benefits for everyone, for the participating businesses as well as the public. And because it’s free and so simple for participants to opt in, or opt out if it turns out not to be their thing, we’re saying to businesses, just give it a go.”
Croyde’s Billy Budd pub and restaurant was one of the first Refill Stations in Devon. Their Manager, Sam Marley, says:
“We are currently working with Surfers against Sewage and other businesses in the area in an attempt to make North Devon’s coastline plastic free. People are becoming more aware of the long term effects of plastics on the environment and the Refill Devon campaign is a great way of getting the public to reuse their water bottles. The Refill stickers get noticed frequently and it’s great to be a part of the campaign.”
Ian Jarman, the owner of Number 11 Café in Uffculme, said:
“This initiative is a win win. Refill supports the community, helps the environment and brings potential customers into the business at minimal cost.”
To find out more about Refill Devon visit the Recycle Devon website. Here you will find details of how to download the app, how to become a Refill Station and how you can register your interest to become a Refill Devon volunteer.Posted in: Business and Economy | Community | DCC Homepage | Environment


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For reasons I wish weren’t true, a consensus top-3 pick in the 2017 Draft isn’t the most talked about member of his family. That would be his father, Lavar.
Lavar Ball has made headline after headline over the past couple months, presumably to draw attention to his company, Big Baller Brand. The shenanigans have ranged from claiming his sons deserve a $1 billion shoe deal, to blaming the white players for UCLA’s tournament loss, to claiming that he could beat prime Michael Jordan in a 1v1.
To any sane human being, the comments are nonsense. A marketing “strategy”, if you can even call it that.
The latest Lavar headline hasn’t been because of his outrageous comments, however.
The three giants in the sports world, keen on recruiting sponsored athletes, all declined a deal with Lonzo Ball. Nike, Reebok and Under Armour all said no, which is unprecedented in the modern NBA. Never has such a highly-touted recruit been declined by the major sneaker companies.
LaVar Ball walking into Sketchers offices pic.twitter.com/f132W6nZKc
— Brody Logan (@BrodyLogan) April 28, 2017
So naturally, the focus shifted back to Lavar. Surely it was his nonsensical comments that forced the companies to decline. They don’t want to have to deal with him, and the PR nightmares that he brings along. Right? Right??
But that’s not the case. Though, Lavar is the reason they declined, it’s not because of his shenanigans. It’s because of the Big Baller Brand.
Lavar approached the negotiating table with the idea that these major companies will for some reason want to license his unknown brand, whose sales depend solely on the popularity of his kids.
When companies license something, it’s usually a patented technology, and can only be obtained through a licensing deal. An example of a good licensing deal would be Disney and LucasFilm. In 2015, Disney made $57 billion gross revenue on Star Wars paraphernalia, which they only had the right to produce because of a deal with LucasFilm.
The deal ended up working because much of Star Wars is copyrighted, and Disney wouldn’t be able to sell such products any other way.
So why on Earth would a giant like Nike want to take on an unknown brand that provides nothing unique. The Big Baller Brand is genuinely the least creative business I’ve ever had the displeasure of seeing, and, as mentioned, its sales will fluctuate as the popularity of the Ball family does. Which is why Lavar is making desperate attempts to stay in the news.
No, but seriously. This plain blue T-shirt with three letters in the corner goes for $60 on their site.
There’s only man who can sell average articles of clothing for an inflated price, and that’s Kanye West.
Try again, Lavar.


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Innovation is the driving factor for success in any industry, and the manufacturing sector is no exception. Recently, the world of manufacturing witnessed an array of breakthrough innovations that are helping the industry move forward. Besides improving efficiency and making the sector productive, innovations are helping manufacturers address existing challenges.
Accenture’s new report, Make the Leap, Take the Leap, reveals that organizations that scaled technological innovation during the pandemic earned revenue five times more than laggards. This finding indicates that technology has undeniably become critical to an organization’s success.
Technological innovations are not only helping businesses survive but also thrive during the most disruptive times.
From collaborative robots to the Internet of Things, technological innovations are revolutionizing the manufacturing process. By adopting these solutions, businesses are able to gain a competitive edge and meet customer demands easily.
Having said that, here we’ll discuss four popular innovations that are helping manufacturers improve their bottom line:
1. Collaborative Robots
Robots have been in the manufacturing industry for quite some time. The rise of automation, however, has given rise to new approaches and technologies, and collaborative robots are among the most significant of these factory automation advancements.
Also known as cobots, collaborative robots work together with human beings in a shared workspace. As cobots are integrated with safety features and sensors, they are capable of working in hazardous environments, minimizing the risk of injuries and human errors. It makes using Teledyne Labs syringe pumps easier and effortless.
In a recent survey, the Automation World observed a huge uptick in robotics adoption. The reason? Manufacturers have realized the limitations of traditional automation. Of all the survey respondents, 44.9% considered robots integral to their manufacturing operations. More specifically, of those businesses, 34.9% use collaborative robots.
Compared to traditional automation, cobots are affordable and easy to implement. As cobots automate only a few processes at a given time, manufacturers have the freedom to scale up and down with ease. Ultimately, products are produced with great precision and at a faster rate, resulting in higher ROIs.
2. Additive Manufacturing
A recent innovation specific to the manufacturing industry is 3D printing, oftentimes referred to as additive manufacturing. While it is well-known as a tool among hobbyists, it emerged as an industrial production technique. Recent technological advancements have made it a more viable solution, resulting in its resurgence.
With 3D printing, manufacturers are able to create three-dimensional objects by layering materials such as metal or plastic with the help of computer-aided design (CAD). This technology has made a comeback because it can create complex designs that aren’t achievable through traditional manufacturing methods.
Additive manufacturing has made it possible to produce products faster, with greater precision and low cost, opening the door to customized items. No wonder industries such as automotive, aerospace, and 3D-printed prosthetics have progressed due to additive manufacturing.
Nowadays, 3D printing is used alongside CNC machining to create intricate designs. Even though these two techniques are totally different, machines that do both have made their way on the market.
Lattice Materials says most CNC machining has a surface finish of up to 16 microns, which is a high-quality surface finish. It may not appear important, but surface finish matters a lot. Otherwise, applying paint will be challenging.
3. Internet of Things
The Internet of Things, often abbreviated as IoT, refers to the interconnectedness of appliances, machines, and devices for sharing data and communication purposes. While IoT isn’t a manufacturing-specific phenomenon, it holds considerable potential.
Perchance, predictive maintenance is their most impressive and popular use case. Traditional maintenance schedules are improved by predictive maintenance, which avoids both unnecessary repairs and breakdowns.
IoT has made data collection easy, allowing manufacturers to improve operations and make informed decisions.
A recent report released by Deloitte reveals that predictive maintenance reduces breakdowns by 70%, increases productivity by 25%, and lowers maintenance costs by 25%. These are impressive figures on their own. Given that one hour of downtime costs over $100,000, predictive maintenance adds up to considerable savings.
Besides predictive maintenance, these sensors are used by manufacturers to collect data points throughout their manufacturing processes.
4. 5G Connectivity
Though not manufacturing industry-specific, 5G connectivity has shown impressive potential for the sector. Thanks to their lower latency, increased speeds, and higher bandwidths, 5G networks are taking smart manufacturing to new heights.
Statistia’s recent survey establishes that 5G networks can support ten times the capacity of 4G networks. As much as one million devices per square meter can be accommodated by 5G networks. This increased capacity allows manufacturers to extend their IoT infrastructure to almost every machine in the plant.
What’s Next in Manufacturing?
These four technologies are all set to dominate the future of the marketing sector. Note that these innovations aren’t the only ones shaping the industry, but these are among the notable ones.
Embracing these innovations will make the manufacturing industry profitable. That’s because these optimize operations, improve efficiency, and minimize errors. Capitalizing on them early on will keep you well-positioned in the industry, ensuring you succeed in an increasingly competitive market.


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Today's customers have higher standards for where they store their data – and their trust in businesses is falling, as evidenced by a new report investigating online trust in the digital age.
Nearly 80% of consumers report it's "very important" or "crucial" their personally identifiable information (PII) is protected online, and 86% say a high level of data protection is a priority in choosing online services, according to "The Global State of Online Digital Trust," from CA Technologies and Frost & Sullivan.
About half (48%) of organizations report involvement in a publicly disclosed data breach. Of those, nearly all say they have experienced a long-term negative impact related to client trust and/or revenue. Half of the respondents whose businesses had been breached report strong long-term negative effects on both consumer trust (50%) and business results (47%).
Consumer trust in businesses is in a precarious state following breaches at major organizations, including Equifax, Deloitte, Uber, CEX, and Ticketmaster. Most business leaders (84%) think trust is growing, but consumer responses indicate the opposite. Only 38% of users say their trust has increased – a sign that organizations aren't in touch with client needs and perceptions. Only half of consumers polled say they are willing to exchange personal data for online services.
Read more details here.
Black Hat USA returns to Las Vegas with hands-on technical Trainings, cutting-edge Briefings, Arsenal open-source tool demonstrations, top-tier security solutions and service providers in the Business Hall. Click for information on the conference and to register.


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NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / November 20, 2018 / With no particularly significant news from either Alphabet Inc. or Adobe Inc. yesterday, both stocks were still tanking head first into the red as the tech arena dragged lower.
The Market Edge Initiates Coverage on:
Alphabet Inc. shares were down nearly 4% on Monday on about 1.8 million shares traded. Wall Street has learned that employees at Google, which Alphabet is the parent of, as well as three other tech giant companies can now sue over sexual harassment. Google was the first company to undo its mandatory arbitration clause for harassment earlier this month. “We recognize that we have not always gotten everything right in the past and we are sincerely sorry for that. It’s clear we need to make some changes,” wrote Google CEO Sundar Pichai in an email to employees recently. In separate news, Apple's CEO Tim Cook recently said in an Axios on HBO interview that the reason why the iPhone maker takes Google's cash in exchange for putting its search engine up front and center on the iPhone is
Access The Market Edge’s Alphabet Inc. Research Report at:
Adobe Inc. shares were down a little over 8% on Monday on trading volume of about 7.5 million shares, roughly double compared to usual. There was no particularly bad news from the company. In
Access The Market Edge’s Adobe Inc. Research Report at:
The Market Edge
We are committed to providing relevant and actionable information for the self-directed investor. Our research is reputed for being a leader in trusted, in-depth analysis vital for informed strategic trading decisions. The nimble investor can leverage our analysis and collective expertise to execute a disciplined approach to stock selection.
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Disclaimer: This article is written by an independent contributor of MarketEdgeReport.com and Nadia Noorani, a CFA® charter holder, has provided necessary guidance in preparing the document templates. MarketEdgeReport.com is neither a registered
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A new pie store is projected to open in early 2023 at 7967 Custer Road, Ste. 200 in Frisco, Owner Julia Henricks said. The Pie Dish will start with a soft opening in January or February and will specialize in serving nontraditional cream-based pies, Henricks said. Primary flavors offered will include peanut butter chocolate, apple fruit and cocoa mocha.
Colby joined Community Impact Newspaper in July 2022 after receiving a degree in journalism from the University of Texas at Arlington. Colby previously served as a news reporter and associate news editor for The Shorthorn, a student newspaper at UTA.


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See Games Differently
Now you can get the top stories from Kotaku delivered to your inbox. Enter your email below.
In December 2017, Nintendo sued Japanese developer Colopl over patent infringements in the free-to-play mobile game Shironeko Project. According to an official statement, Colopl has agreed to pay Nintendo 3.3 billion yen ($41 million).


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What are leading UK fashion retailers doing to reduce the environmental and social impact of the clothes and shoes they sell?
Subscribe to our channel here: https://goo.gl/31Q53F
The Commons Environmental Audit Committee has named and shamed the high street retailers with the worst record.
Mark Urban is joined by Natasha Pearlman, former deputy editor of Elle magazine, and the writer Lucy Siegle.
Newsnight is the BBC’s flagship news and current affairs TV programme – with analysis, debate, exclusives, and robust interviews.
Correction: Natasha Pearlman is the former deputy editor of Elle and the former editor of Grazia. Apologies.


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Foot Locker reportedly had a great Q1 when it comes to earnings. However, that means the athletic sneakers and apparel retailer will be closing its Footaction stores.
Partnering up with the likes of Myke Towers, Brytiago, Arcangel and De La Ghetto, to help bring some Latino heat, the new initiative is set up to help highlight a culture that's been overlooked by many outside of the barrio and at times demonized by a certain orange mouthpiece who's whole agenda is to divide and conquer.
Footaction is focusing on some of the most creative youth this nation has to offer to invest in the future design. The brand is teaming HBCU students for its No 1 Way design program.
Footaction and Champion Athleticwear are launching a collection with West Philadelphia designer and artist King Saladeen.
Today (August 8), Footaction launched its latest No One Way campaign to highlight the next wave of creatives steeped in art, culture and style. Some of the “creative directors” chosen by the brand include G.O.O.D. Music/Cactus Jack rapper Sheck Wes and Theo Martins.
He doesn’t call himself “The Machine” for nothing. Gucci Mane’s been on his grizzly and now he along with Uber Everywhere artist MadeinTYO and One Night Only MC, Cousin Stizz are teaming up with Footaction for a Youtube digital joint called Summer Hustle.
Pink Dolphin, a reputable and well-respected streetwear brand, recently teamed with Puma to create a fresh collection. We spoke to the designers, Cena Barhaghi and Neima Khaila, for some insight into their collab with Puma., which can be found at Footaction, upon the release of its second collection with the brand, out now.
E-40, Omarion, BJ The Chicago Kid and Casey Veggies took a road trip, and Footaction was there to document everything, and keep them dipped in the latest sneakers and apparel. The Footaction Free Flow docuseries premiered today with the aforementioned artists on a cross-country trip back to Cali.
The biggest pet peeve for the casual sneaker connoisseur is not being able to cop a fresh pair of kicks without camping out or getting curved online due to bots. Footlocker, Footaction and Champs Sports are prepping an “App Launch Reservation Procedure” that will give customers the edge in scoring a pair of coveted kicks.
Part two of Footaction’s bicoastal epic holiday concert series commenced yesterday in Newark, New Jersey as the honorable Busta Rhymes celebrated an unprecedented 25 years of Hip-Hop infamy at The Prudential Center.
The most wonderful time of the year for Hip-Hop & R&B always happens in Los Angeles when Cali Christmas is on the calendar. Despite the task at hand to build on the growing insurmountable legacy the annual mega concert has brought to the table, Footaction and Power 106 managed to give the fans the biggest […]
Tyga a.k.a. King Gold Chains has just betrayed his favorite color with a new L.A. Gear sneaker.


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A look at the numbers for Microsoft’s last quarter would make most investors shudder. Revenue barely moved, up 2% to $16.6 billion. Net income was of 11% to $4.2 billion.
The world’s largest software company will cut 5,000 jobs.
The details are encouraging because, coupled with a deep recession, CEO Steve Ballmer may abandon some of the divisions that have been liabilities. In a strong economy, Microsoft’s tremendously profitable software business could support new, and often unsuccessful ventures. Redmond must be in the process of reevaluating that. If the firm’s sales suffer further though 2009, it will have to.
The Windows operating division of the company needs to do well. It has the flagship set of products. Poor PC sales and the unpopular Vista product pushed revenue in the so-called Client division down from $4.3 billion last year to $4 billion in the most recent quarter. Operating income also dropped from $3.4 billion to $2.9 billion. It would tax the memory to think of a time when this part of the company actually dropped in size.
The enterprise and business segments of Microsoft did better. Server software revenue was up from $3.3 billion last year to $3.7 billion in the current reported quarter. The company’s "business" division was only able to tread water with revenue of $4.8 billion. It was a sign that global IT spending is in a recession of its own.
The bad economy took a significant toll on the two parts of the company which have never done well. The devices operations which houses the Xbox and Zune had flat sales at $3.2 billion but operating income fell apart, down from $375 million in the last calendar quarter of 2007 to $151 million in the current report. In other words, after being assigned its share of Microsoft’s corporate overhead, it probably did not break even.
The most troubled part of Microsoft remains its online business. The loss in that division went from $247 million last year to $471 million in 2008. The company’s move to build a portal and search-driven internet presence is failing at a remarkably fast pace.
Microsoft now has little no logical choice other than to sell off its device business, perhaps to Apple (AAPL) or Sony (SNE). If it had a strategic value, it might be worth supporting. But, it doesn’t
As for Redmond’s internet operation, it is learning that the online portable business has little future. It should have known this by looking at Yahoo! (YHOO) and AOL. For Microsoft to support a search operation, it can put up a simple search box with nothing else on the homepage. It could look like Google’s (GOOG) . The MSN content staff could go away.
As for selling software which works remotely from PCs using Microsoft servers, software like the products Google offers, that business does not require a portal either. All Microsoft needs to do is decide that it will be more aggressive in marketing its software as products which does not require them to be downloaded onto the PC’s memory, and it has as good a chance of being successful as any company in the world. It already owns the customer. It just has to give them what they want.
The recession may be just the thing that MSFT needs.
Douglas A. McIntyre


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The Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), in collaboration with the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders (GIFF), has begun a
sensitisation programme for all freight forwarders across the country .
According to the GEPA, the intervention had been necessitated by observations of inaccurate data entry into online export declaration forms, as well as the loss of data due to non-presentation on some manually completed export forms.
The GEPA has since taken the series of
Ghana News Headlines
For latest news in Ghana, visit Graphic Online news headlines page Ghana news page
Addressing participants at Elubo, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the GEPA, Ms Afua Asabea Asare, in a speech read on her behalf by the Deputy CEO, Mr Albert Kassim Diwura, said some inaccurate data received through the Ghana Community Network Services (GCNet) platform and those presented manually resulted in the capture of wrong data, particularly regarding inaccuracies in values declared.
She also noted that a recent visit to customs exit point revealed that some freight forwarders still had in their possession export forms dating as far back as 2013, which, she said, had been phased out.
She called for advanced notices of revisions in HS Codes to allow stakeholders to update their systems for smooth implementation.
There were presentations and discussions by the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders, the Bank of Ghana, the Ghana Statistical Service, Customs
Participants were encouraged to ensure eligibility when completing export forms, return completed export forms to Customs, identify products with correct HS Codes, description, values and weight, as well as discouraged from using their companies as the exporting company.
The Customs Division also pledged to be meticulous in storing the right information submitted by freight forwarders.
According to the GEPA, the
“Through these interactions and awareness programme the GEPA is optimistic that non-traditional exports will give a better indication of Ghana’s export trade as no data will be lost,” the GEPA said in a statement.


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Not to be left out of New Telephone Day, the dudes at MacStories have compiled the best guide to iPhone 5/The New iPhone/iPhone 6/iPhone 4G rumours that I’ve seen so far. Despite Tim Cook “doubling down” on secrecy, prototypes and components have been leaking out at a steady clip over the past few months. But the best part of the keynote day is when we get to see what hasn’t been leaked. There’s always a little surprise in store.
All this might be irrelevant to customers in China, as a company there has hilariously cobbled together an iPhone-lookalike based on the leaked parts and they’ve claimed to have patented it.


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Toon Goggles is a children's online video portal offering thousands of 100% parent-friendly and kid-safe cartoons. With categories ranging from Boys to Girls, Comedy to Action, and Preschool to Educational, Toon Goggles allows children to quickly find new cartoons and stay entertained for hours on end. Shows are available to stream any time of the day so they will never have to wait for their favorites again. Watch some of the best cartoons from around the world today!
Kids’ Entertainment Hub Toon Goggles Goes Live on VIZIO Smart TVs Los Angeles, CA August 4, 2014 Leading children’s streaming video service Toon Goggles, announced today the availability of its app on VIZIO smart TVs through the brand’s connected platform…
Stephen Hodge, Toon Goggles’ Managing Director, is interviewed at Cartoon Digital in Helsinki Finland.


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Changes ordered for Winterset contractor after storm damage dispute
The attorney general of Iowa is warning homeowners of "storm chaser" contractors who solicit business in areas that have undergone extensive weather-related property damage.
Such contractors often violate consumer protection laws pertaining to contracts, disclosures and business operations, according to a news release from the Office of the Attorney General.
Following alleged illegal practices, James Nelle, owner of Winterset-based Roof One Exteriors LLC and Roof One of Iowa LLC, agreed to make changes to his business operations and make related court judgments available in a voluntary compliance agreement issued by Attorney General Tom Miller.
The dispute began in April, when a central Iowa customer was reportedly threatened by Roof One with an $8,000 charge for canceling a $32,000 roof repair contract that was incomplete when it was signed, according the the release.
“We were concerned about several business practices we often see in so-called ‘storm chaser’ cases, where contractors aggressively solicit door-to-door business following bad storms and natural disasters,” Miller said in the release. “In this case, a consumer stared down an $8,000 penalty after not wanting to move forward with an open-ended, incomplete contract peppered with missing information crucial to the consumer — including key terms and amounts — when she signed it. That’s not the way Iowa law allows contractors to operate — especially when dealing with storm victims.”
Nelle denied the allegations, however, he agreed to make the changes. His businesses extend to Kentucky, Michigan and Missouri.
Miller did not file a lawsuit against Nelle, but stipulated in the agreement that if his businesses were found in violation of the agreement, he could lose them and face a civil penalty of up to $5,000 per day.
The case was transferred initially from the Iowa Insurance Division to the Consumer Protection Division, which alleged that Nelle's business illegally negotiated an insurance claim for the customer, failed to give a complete contract, omitted notice of the customer's right to cancel, enforced an estimate as a contract, charged a cancellation fee that was 25 percent of the entire contract, and threatened to file a debt collection lawsuit without actually intending to.
“While we sought to address our concerns specific to this case, we also hope to send a message to all contractors who seek business from Iowans trying to repair or rebuild following a storm or natural disaster,” Miller said. “We expect contractors to follow our consumer protection laws, even if they think other contractors are violating the law or cutting corners.”
Prior to signing a contract, the office advises customers to verify contractors' references and check their registration with the Division of Labor Services, seek several detailed written estimates and avoid paying contractors large amounts of money upfront.


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Shippers moving goods through the port of Hong Kong may see better service from efficiency gains promised through an alliance of four of the five marine terminals, but they shouldn’t expect a break in handling costs.
The alliance of Hongkong International Terminals, Modern Terminals, COSCO-HIT Terminals (Hong Kong), and Asia Container Terminals, announced last week, is aimed at improving terminal utilization, cutting down on inter-terminal truck hauls, and cutting other handling costs. Hong Kong antitrust investigators are probing the alliance, which would control 95 percent of container handling at the port.
But while the envisioned efficiencies of the alliance may help Hong Kong blunt its steady loss of cargo to southern Chinese ports and transshipment hub rivals, shippers shouldn’t expect lower handling charges, according to Janel Group, a Hong Kong-based logistics provider.
Janel Group managing director Paul Tsui Hon-yan told JOC.com that shippers “can only dream” of cuts in terminal handling charges (THCs) from efficiency gains due to terminal operators working more closely together.
“The move is really good for the stakeholders of the seaport alliance itself as they are able to optimize their operations by coordinating resources to reduce cost and improve operational efficiency,” he said. “However, the ultimate savings and improvement of operation efficiency will not be passed along to the final users — the shippers.”
Rather than cutting charges, “carriers have been trying to impose separately charged items during the last decade to increase their revenue. Recent low-sulfur surcharges are just one of the items,” Tsui, a past chairman of the Hong Kong Association of Freight Forwarding & Logistics, added.
“Therefore, you will only see more and more additional charges levied on shippers and a reduction in terminal handling charges can only be in our dreams,” Tsui said.
Tsui’s views were echoed by shipping consultant Captain Igal Dafni who doubted cost savings would be passed on to shippers.
Pointing to the cost reductions carriers achieved forming alliances with rival lines, Dafni said, “Did shipping alliances roll these savings to shippers? Negative.”
“The [Hong Kong] terminal alliance was an obvious move to counter increased competition from nearby mainland ports by making them more competitive. It follows the same basic idea that shipping alliances followed when they started,” Dafni told JOC.com.
Dafni said the benefits to lines are shortened port time and increased crane efficiency; the benefit to the terminals are better utilization of assets and less inter-terminal trucking — something that became a big problem when lines established their alliances and each used a different terminal. All of the aforementioned will save money, he said.
Container line executives told JOC.com the alliance could produce efficiency gains, but they remained cautious.
“We should expect [in the] short term there should be a gain in operational efficiency that should have several benefits, whilst long term we will count on the anti-competition commission to ensure competition amongst terminals will not be compromised,” said a regional head of one container line.
The executive added that short-term benefits should be better resource yard and berth planning to minimize inter-terminal transfers that cost ocean carriers money; and a single data and management platform that should improve planning synergy, resulting in better productivity, especially when dealing with transshipment.
OOCL spokesperson Stephen Ng, added, “The [Hong Kong] Seaport Alliance is very new to Hong Kong, so we are still unsure of its long-term impact on the industry here and will continue to observe with interest on the [Hong Kong] Competition Commission's findings on this alliance arrangement.
Dafni, who was previously Asian regional president at Zim Integrated Shipping Services and managing director and chief executive of Taiwan's CNC Navigation, said the terminal alliance has indicated that revenue will be split among the four partners, in accordance with their asset contribution.
“This implies they are targeting a unified tariff which will allow them better negotiation advantage with the shipping alliances. This might raise concerns of a cartel which the Hong Kong government is looking into,” Dafni said.
Hong Kong’s Competition Commission said it has launched an investigation “as a matter of priority” into the impact of the Hong Kong Seaport Alliance, which “will jointly operate and manage their 23 berths across eight terminals at Kwai Tsing.”
The focus of the probe is whether the agreement contravenes Hong Kong’s competition laws “by preventing, restricting, or distorting competition in Hong Kong.” The commission is urging those who are concerned about the alliance to contact the commission.
A Hong Kong-based sourcing executive for a European apparel manufacturer told JOC.com, “I don’t expect to see any financial benefit in terms of lower freight rates from increased collaboration among the terminals. If freight rates do fall, it’s going to be because of increased competition among carriers, not because of anything the terminals do.”
The Hong Kong Shippers’ Council (HKSC) has already expressed its “deep concern” over the negative impact on competition from the formation of the alliance.
HKSC chairman Willy Lin Sun-mo pointed out that while some container lines have reduced their THCs for import and export shipments through mainland Chinese ports, charges in Hong Kong keep increasing.
“Hong Kong shippers are still paying the highest THCs in the world. Hong Kong shippers can hardly see any justification for documentation fees of over HK$600 [$77], the HK$135 depot fee, and many other ridiculous charges,” said Lin, who is also managing director of Milo's Knitwear International.
“It is necessary to ensure that benefits from productivity improvements are passed down to shippers and that cost of shipping through Hong Kong is lowered. Shippers will always make their routing decisions based on total shipping costs,” Lin added.
Contact Keith Wallis at email@example.com.


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EghtesadOnline: The Iranian Judiciary and Iran E-Commerce Union are working on a dispute resolution mechanism for addressing issues facing startups, the union’s spokesperson said.
Reza Olfatnasab says, “With the help of judiciary, Iran E-Commerce Union is setting up a dispute resolution committee that would resolve complaints filed against startups.”
“The committee will deal with disputes claiming a maximum of 200 million rials ($1,770),” he added.
Olfatnasab was speaking during a tech event held in Rasht, Gilan Province, as part of a push by organizers of Iran Web and Mobile Festival to expand its reach to provinces, according to Financial Tribune.
Over the past few years, in tandem with the stellar surge in Iranian startups’ fortunes, the number of legal cases filed against them has mounted as well.
In many of these cases, the complaints had been reviewed by judges who were not familiar with the complexities of the digital economy, issuing orders censured by many as draconian.
The establishment of this dispute settlement committee would hopefully address this issue and cases related to e-commerce businesses would be resolved by people familiar with the sector.


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said it expects fourth-quarter earnings to be below analysts' expectations, due to market softness and uncertainty in customer spending levels.
The Murray Hill, N.J., maker of communications equipment predicted that revenue for the quarter would decline about 20% to 25% from its third-quarter revenue of $2.95 billion. This suggests fourth-quarter revenue of around $2.21 billion to $2.36 billion, which misses a Thomson Financial/First Call estimate of $2.87 billion.
The company also projected a pro forma net loss from continuing operations of 45 cents a share, compared with analysts' estimates of a loss of 16 cents a share. Last year, the company reported a loss of 28 cents a share on revenue of $4.8 billion.
Lucent said it still aims to return to profitability by the end of fiscal 2003. The company's shares were down 15 cents, or 9%, at $1.49 in recent trading.
Shares of rival telecom-equipment supplier
were lower as well, trading recently at 98 cents, down 8 cents, or 7%.


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Android Apps: The Next Big Thing In Mobile?
Google's open source mobile platform Android is flexing its muscles by reaching a milestone on the app front. While the iPhone app inventory still towers over the competition, the number of Android apps is on the rise. The number of applications for Google's Android mobile platform can now be measured in the tens of thousands. According a report by the Web site Androlib, which tracks Android use, there are now more than 20,000 Android applications available for download. Of those, 62.2 percent are free and 37.8 percent require a fee. While it's a nice bit of momentum for Android -- doubling the number of apps available in the Android Market store in the last five months -- the upstart mobile platform is barely in the ballpark compared to the 100,000-plus applications available for the iPhone. But analyst Jack Gold said Android's fast growth shows it "has the potential to be a very credible, serious competitor to the iPhone in the next 12 months. And Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) is going all out to make it easier to develop more applications," Gold, who heads the technology research firm J. Gold Associates, told InternetNews.com. "Android is basically Linux, so it's a techie's dream."
Another difference is that Android is available on a number of different devices from different vendors, while the App Store is limited to the iPhone and iPod Touch. Google itself is rumored to be developing its own branded and unlocked Android phone for release next year.


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EU grape crop shrinks
Large French potato crop
France’s 2020 potato crop is up 3.4% from last year, reaching approximately 6.75 million tons, according to data published by the UNPT-CNIPT. The volume is 1.1% above the 5-year average. Acreage has expanded 1.4% to 154,900 ha. Average gross yield is around 43.6 ton/ha, which is better than last year, and slightly above the 5-year average. However, the current pandemic is likely to have a severe impact on the success of the campaign, with demand down in the food service channel.
EU tomato production continues to fall
The EU’s 2020 tomato crop is forecast to drop 7%, as Spanish growers switch to producing more profitable vegetables. Polish tomato production is on the rise, however, following an increase in investments in glasshouse infrastructure. The other member states’ crops should remain relatively stable. As producers switch to smaller-sized varieties, yields are dropping; but this is compensated for by extended harvesting calendars. EU production of tomatoes for processing is projected to rise by 1%.
Giuliano’s campaign gets off to an early start and features Staccato® late cherry
Giuliano has launched Staccato®, a new late cherry that extends the production calendar until the end of July. Meanwhile, its 2020 campaign has got off to an early start. "The 2020 campaign is 10-15 days early. Our calendar begins with the traditional Bigarreaux, the first variety to be harvested in our area, then continues with Giorgia, the jewel of the intermediate phase, followed by the Ferrovia variety, the most appreciated and sold cherry, which takes over for a month of the campaign.
EU grapefruit crop falls 11%
The EU’s 2019/20 grapefruit crop is estimated to be down 11% to 96,000 tons, according to FAS Madrid. The main producer Spain expects its output to shrink by 15.5% to 68,100 tons. Ruby Red is the main grapefruit variety planted in Spain. Cyprus is the second largest grapefruit producer in the EU, with the main variety being White Marsh Seedless, mostly grown in the Limassol area.
2019 EU apple campaign sees smaller crop but price recovery
As expected from a moderate crop, prices during the ongoing campaign are moving within ranges significantly above the average price. During recent weeks, EU demand has been at good levels and the average prices for April 2020 are 33% above the average for the last five years (they were 23% above average in March 2020).
EU and US vie for leadership in organics
The world’s largest organic markets, the US and the EU have exhibited dynamic growth over the past couple of years. While the US overtook the EU as the leading global organic food market in 2012, the EU has been showing stronger growth of late. Indeed, over the past 10 years, the organic food market in the EU has nearly doubled. According to the Organic Trade Association, the US recorded sales of US $47.9 billion in 2018, while the EU market was worth an estimated US $45.4 billion, up 18% from the previous year, according to USDA FAS data.


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NMSU art students create one-of-a-kind jewelry for sale
Jewelry and metalsmithing students in the New Mexico State University Department of Art will host their 35th Annual Jewelry Sale from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 30 in the lobby of D. W. Williams Hall, 1390 E. University, next to Barnes and Noble.
“This semester we have lots of hammer, texture and forming of metals. The students are applying techniques they learn in class and applying that to one-of-a-kind and production jewelry, said Motoko Furuhashi, assistant professor of art in the College of Arts and Sciences. “When we teach art, we try to teach concepts so the students can articulate their ideas into the pieces.”
Items available for purchase include earrings, pins, necklaces and rings. Materials used to create the jewelry include the traditional – silver, copper, bronze - and non-traditional. One student is using casts of teeth to create her jewelry.
Jeffrey Seik, a senior, has created jewelry for two previous sales.
“I should have about 20 to 30 pieces total for the sale,” Seik said. “Making it is very hectic but fun because you get new ideas and the sale itself is satisfying after it’s all done.”
The profits from this sale will be used to support the activities of NMSU students in the jewelry and metalsmithing area.
“I was in last year’s show, I made 25 pieces last year and this year I’ll be making 20 pieces,” said Debbie Jo Baxter, a junior. “I’m currently working on a pair of earrings. I’m setting stones and hanging little charms from them. I’m making hippie meets Southwestern, so I’m incorporating peace signs with turquoise.”
For more information, contact Motoko Furuhashi at 575-646-1238 or firstname.lastname@example.org, or visit the event’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/NMSUjewelrysale.
This sale is open to the public. Visitors should log on to http://auxadminforms.nmsu.edu/ParkingForms/ePermit.aspx for a free parking pass.


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Backed by Sequoia Capital India, Temasek, PayPal, and Mastercard, Pine Labs has just announced a new investment round. Fidelity Management & Research Company, India’s IIFL AMC, and Kotak will join in, helping Pine Labs expand its Southeast Asian operations. The company currently offers payment terminals, working capital, and invoicing tools, and commerce platforms to Asian merchants. Healthcare, hospitality, electronics and mobile devices, lifestyle, grocery, and automobiles: it’s all covered.
Pine Labs will now target a potential U.S. public offering within 18 months. The platform succeeded in Asia during the pandemic, as smartphone and online payment services rose in popularity. ‘It’s a product from India that’s succeeded in Malaysia and Singapore and is entering Indonesia and Thailand’, said B. Amrish Rau, CEO of Pine Labs. ‘We’ve got a good, Ebitda-positive story as we plan our IPO’.
In the past few years, Pine Labs has transformed from a single product company to a broad payments platform that serves hundreds of thousands of merchants. It processes tens of billions of payment volume, owns around US$3bn in PayLater transactions, and recently acquired QwikCilver and Fave. ‘With leadership across multiple categories, the company is very well positioned to help drive immense value to its merchant partners in India and across other SEA markets’, said Shailendra Singh, MD, Sequoia Capital.
Over six million consumers across 40,000+ merchants now have access to Pine Labs’ Fave app, as well as its customised online and in-store payments options. Pine Labs’ PayLater technology allows consumers to pay in three-, six-, and nine-month instalments, while its pre-paid QwikCilver gift card programme operates throughout the region. As a result, the firm has won several prominent awards for its part in digitising APAC business payments.
- Best Digital API Award. Won the category of Best Technology Solutions at the 11th India Digital Awards, organised by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI).
- Enterprise IT World CIO 500. Recognised Sanjeev Kumar, CTO of Pine Labs, for his role in advancing innovation.
Pine Labs serves major regional clients such as Apple, Starbucks, and McDonald’s, and is looking to expand its collaborations. ‘Over the last year’, said Rau, ‘we’ve made significant progress in our offline to online strategy in India and the direct-to-consumer play in Southeast Asia. Our full-stack approach to payments and merchant commerce has allowed us to grow in-month merchant partnerships by nearly 100%’.
Closing the Deal
This investment round will be Pine Labs’ next step to serve prominent large, mid-sized, and small merchants across Asia and the Middle East. Its cloud-based platforms have helped companies automate and manage their customer relationships—and investors have clearly taken note. From Malaysia to Singapore to Indonesia, the company leads consumer loyalty in the APAC market.
As its most recent investment round passed through the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), Pine Labs’ CEO spoke of a bright future. ‘We are excited to bring on board a marquee set of new investors in this round’, said Rau. ‘We greatly appreciate the confidence they have placed on the Pine Labs business model and our growth momentum’.


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He’s been with the company since the Plymouth Sapporo/Dodge Challenger era, but Mitsubishi president Tetsuro Aikawa’s tenure comes to an abrupt end in June.
Aikawa stepped down today after less than two years at the helm, the victim of his company’s ongoing fuel economy scandal, according to an announcement from the automaker. Ryugo Nakao, the company’s executive vice-president in charge of quality, is also out the door. (Read More…)
Three versions of a Renault hatchback spectacularly failed their frontal crash tests in India, earning them zero out of five stars, even with an available airbag.
It’s food for thought for the 125,000 Indian buyers who placed orders for the subcompact coffin, but the Renault Kwid isn’t alone in flunking Global NCAP testing in that car-hungry country.
Electric cars take considerable flack from average consumers for being far too expensive in comparison to gas-powered competitors — and that’s before you realize it takes years to make that money back in fuel savings. Combine those two points with range anxiety and you’ve summarized the major hangups normal folk have with electric-vehicle ownership today.
The U.S. Federal government offers tax incentives, in the form of income tax rebates, to ease the monetary pain of EV ownership for average buyers. Individual states have joined the rebate incentive bandwagon, too. However, the state of Colorado is changing its tune, and will now gift you an incentive before you even drive off the dealer lot — no tax return required.
It’s nowhere near the scale of the Volkswagen debacle, but Nissan is in hot water with the South Korean government over dodgy emissions from its diesel SUV.
Yesterday’s news that Nissan will buy a 34-percent controlling stake in Mitsubishi for $2.2 billion was the latest win for Carlos Ghosn, the man behind the Renault-Nissan Alliance of 1999 and possessor of many fingers in many pies.
Ghosn, CEO of both Nissan and Renault, inked the agreement with Mitsubishi as the other automaker battles a misleading gas-mileage scandal. At a price of 468.52 yen/share, Ghosn’s purchase of new shares was a smoking deal. Mitsubishi shares traded for 1,100 yen just last December.
What becomes of the two companies now? And how will Ghosn’s world-straddling empire benefit by snapping up beleaguered Mitsubishi? (Read More…)
Yesterday’s vague Japanese media reports proved right this morning, as Nissan Motor Co. announced it will purchase a 34 percent controlling stake in scandal-plagued Mitsubishi Motors.
Taking advantage of Mitsubishi’s reduced market value following the company’s admission of cheating on Japanese fuel economy tests, Nissan’s 237 billion yen ($2.2 billion) bulk buy of shares makes it the automaker’s largest shareholder.
Why should Nissan have all the stealthy sport crossover fun?
That’s the view of Toyota C-HR chief engineer Hiroyuki Koba, who is seeking approval for a hotter version of the upcoming crossover, Autocar reports.
First teased as a Scion concept, the 2017 C-HR bowed earlier this year at the Geneva Motor Show, adopting a new brand name after Toyota took its youth-oriented division behind the barn for a date with death. (Read More…)
Nissan is trying to play Tesla’s lengthy Model 3 waiting list to its advantage.
A print ad that landed in the country’s most-read newspapers this morning is playing up the Model 3’s wait times, according to Automotive News, and encouraging EV buyers to go the faster route by buying a Leaf.
There’s nothing subtle about the ad, which would have been green-lit by Nissan’s intimidating sales and marketing head Christian Meunier. Since taking on the role in January, Meunier has laid out an aggressive marketing strategy, meaning the Leaf spot could be the first of many cheeky ads. (Read More…)


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HPE acquires BlueData to boost its AI and analytics ambitions
Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co. today revealed that it plans to acquire BlueData Software Inc., a startup focused on making it easier for companies to use artificial intelligence and analytics tools.
HPE expects to close the deal by the end of January. The company didn’t share the financial terms, but it’s reasonable to assume that the price tag was at minimum in the eight figures. BlueData has raised $39 million from investors and boasts an impressive client roster that includes the Nasdaq Stock Market.
BlueData sells a platform called EPIC that promises to simplify the deployment of distributed data processing applications. The startup originally focused exclusively on analytics software such as Hadoop, but recently extended its capabilities to machine learning frameworks.
These kinds of workloads require specialized skills to set up and can take a significant amount of time to deploy at scale due to their complexity. According to BlueData, EPIC can shorten the process to just a few minutes. It provides preconfigured versions of popular AI and analytics applications that are packaged into software containers to speed up deployment.
Software containers enable applications to seamlessly run across many different kinds of infrastructure, a feature that EPIC harnesses to let companies set up their workloads on both on-premises environments and the public cloud. Furthermore, the platform provides automation capabilities for handling day-to-day tasks. BlueData claims that this combination of features enables customers to reduce deployment costs by up to 75 percent.
The platform represents a valuable addition to HPE’s portfolio. Machine learning, analytics and containers are all major focus areas for the company, particularly in the context of better supporting the growing portion of its enterprise customers that are embracing hybrid cloud infrastructure.
HPE indicated in today’s announcement that EPIC will be integrated with its Apollo server family. The series consists of machines specifically designed to run analytics workloads and other data-intensive workloads, or in other words, the application category that BlueData’s software targets.
“Our vision was to create an infrastructure software platform like VMware for data-intensive distributed applications,” wrote BlueData chief executive officer Kumar Sreekanti. “It’s very satisfying to see the idea and vision for our company become part of a legendary Silicon Valley pioneer like HPE.”
Sreekanti, a former vice president of research and development at VMware Inc., added that “by combining BlueData with HPE’s strong brand, global reach, broad portfolio including the HPE Apollo Systems, and enterprise relationships, we can double down on our investment in R&D innovation and reinforce our technology differentiation for AI and Big Data Analytics infrastructure.”
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Seattle, WA - August 22, 2014 - Samantha Kalman, Director of Timbre Interactive LLC, announces the early access release of Sentris on Steam and Humble Store. Sentris is a new kind of music game that puts you at the epicenter of musical creation. It transforms the act of making music into a puzzle of colorful concentric circles. It's a rhythmical challenge that enables personal musical expression. Sentris will launch on early access at 9am PDT / 5pm GMT / 6pm CET today.
“This release is made possible by the backers who helped the Kickstarter campaign succeed”, says Kalman. “With their support, Sentris has undergone multiple improvements, expanded the team, and now is available for everyone in a solid but unfinished state.” While general skepticism in the current landscape of crowd-funded projects is increasing, Samantha presents Sentris as evidence of undeniable success from crowdfunding.
In the nine months since the Kickstarter campaign completed with $56,000 in funding, hundreds of backers have been testing out multiple iterations of the game. The team of contributors has grown to include Seattle-based visual artist Izaak Moody, as well as musical artists Rich Vreeland/Disasterpeace and Kasson Crooker/Symbion Project.
Sentris will be available to purchase for Mac, PC, and Linux on Steam (http://store.steampowered.
com/app/303530) and the Humble Store (https://www.humblebundle.com/
The final version is expected to launch on these platforms plus Ouya in Q1 2015. Additional game features, puzzles, backgrounds, and musical content will be added to the game during its Early Access period.
Samantha Kalman is an independent Artistic Technologist and founder of Timbre Interactive, LLC. She is a self-taught game designer, programmer, and musician. Her current project is Sentris, a unique puzzle game funded via Kickstarter that’s intended to help everybody create music. Previously, as a Design Technologist at Amazon she developed and co-designed interactive user experience prototypes for the Fire Phone. And as QA Director at Unity Technologies she helped thousands of developers make games by shipping multiple versions of the Unity engine.
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