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FCA Abruptly Withdraws Massive Merger Proposal With Renault
By Brad Anderson
June 5, 2019
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has abruptly and unexpectedly withdrawn its offer to merge with Renault following days of discussions between the automakers and the French government.
A press release statement issued late on Wednesday evening stated “that the political conditions in France do not currently exist for such a combination to proceed successfully.” The Wall Street Journal claims that’s not the only reason why the proposal has been withdrawn.
According to unnamed sources close to the matter, negotiations soured as Nissan refused to back the merger. Two representatives from Nissan on the Renault board offered abstentions while voting on the merger and it’s believed that both FCA and Renault were concerned the Japanese car manufacturer would back out of its long-standing alliance with Renault.
The New York Times reports that Renault chairman Jean-Dominique Senard had been seeking to convince the company’s board of the financial and industrial merits of a deal during two days of intense meetings at Renault’s headquarters this week. Earlier on Wednesday, Renault said it had been unable to make a decision because French government representatives requested to postpone a new vote.
Evidently, FCA did not want to wait around and confirmed that the proposal made official on May 26 was no longer on the table.
“The Board of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V, meeting this evening under the Chairmanship of John Elkann, has resolved to withdraw with immediate effect its merger proposal made to Groupe Renault…FCA will continue to deliver on its commitments through the implementation of its independent strategy,” the company said.


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CBS chief operating officer Joseph Ianniello flagged upcoming investments in the Australian TV network, telling analysts to “stay tuned”.
Ianniello said CBS grew its revenues 11 per cent in the quarter to $US3.9 billion. While TEN bolstered its advertising revenue, he said it wasn’t a significant proportion of CBS’ overall results.
“Without Network TEN we still would’ve still had [similar] growth,” he said.
“It’s not a significant deal on a $13.7 billion revenue base [over the year] – it’s hundreds of millions of dollars, in that magnitude.”
The planned investments in the Australian broadcaster would dilute TEN’s profit margin in the short term, he said.
Amongst its previously-announced plans is the launch of CBS All Access in Australia, after doing so in Canada, and thereafter Europe and beyond.
“Network TEN provides a number of compelling digital opportunities,” CEO Les Moonves said.
The company said it now has nearly 5 million subscribers for its CBS All Access and Showtime online streaming services. Its goal is to have 8 million (US) subscribers of the two services by 2020. CBS willlaunch “CBS Sports HQ,” an over-the-top sports service, later in February, and a streaming product based on the Entertainment Tonight entertainment-news program later this year.
Moonves said that CBS in 2018 was “poised to deliver results that will be by far the greatest financial performance in our company’s history.
“Trust me, you will not be disappointed.”

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Economists now expect the second-half CAD to go past 2% of the gross domestic product (GDP) from June levels.
CAD for the June quarter ended lower than consensus at 1.1% of GDP, the latest central bank data showed, almost half of the 2.1% of GDP in the same period a year ago. However, the gap widened sequentially, paced largely by a contraction in the trade deficit during the period.
Crude prices play a major role in determining CAD accounting as fuel accounts for more than a fourth of India's import basket. Prices of Russian crude, which accounts for a third of India's fuel imports, have risen since August, increasing the probability of a wider current account gap for the rest of the fiscal year.
Russian crude touched $80 a barrel from an implied price of $66 a barrel during the June quarter. In September, the upward pressure on crude oil prices rose due to supply-side cuts by OPEC and stronger-than-expected crude oil demand. A $10 per barrel increase in oil prices worsens India's current account position by nearly $10-12bn or 30-32bps of GDP, according to Barclays Research. Looking ahead, the CAD is likely to increase in the second quarter to 2.2-2.4% of GDP according to estimates by HDFC Bank.
The surge in crude oil prices is expected to add further upward pressure on the trade deficit.
"In case crude oil prices average $100 per barrel in the second half of FY24, the full-year current account deficit could widen to 2.1% of GDP, which is within sustainable levels," said Gaura Sengupta, India economist at IDFC First Bank.
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- Surge in Q2 FMCG, Phone, Car Sales may Bring Festive Cheer
Sales of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), cars, smartphones, and household appliances surged in the September quarter, both sequentially and year-on-year, company executives told ET.Piyush Goyal, Chandrasekhar to Grace Awards
Union Cabinet minister Piyush Goyal and minister of state Rajeev Chandrasekhar will be the guests of honour at a dazzling ceremony to celebrate the winners of The Economic Times Startup Awards on Saturday, October 7.GST Collections in Sept Jump 10% to ₹1.63 L cr
Goods and services tax (GST) collections rose 10% to ₹1.63 lakh crore in September from a year earlier , maintaining the recent robust pace of growth, showed data released on Tuesday.
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India’s first privately developed rocket, the Vikram-S from Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace company, is scheduled to launch for the first time between November 12 and 16 from Sriharikota, the only spaceport in the country.
In the first private sector launch, Vikram-S will carry three customer satellites sub-orbital flight on t in ahe “Prarambh (The beginning)” mission. The final launch date will be decided based on weather conditions.
Skyroot Aerospace (@SkyrootA) tweeted on 8th November, 2022, “Thrilled to announce #Prarambh, our maiden launch mission, also the first for the Indian private space sector, with launch window between 12-16 Nov ’22. Thanks to Chairman @isro for unveiling our mission patch and @INSPACeIND for all the support”
Like the flights performed by Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson, sub-orbital flight involves using a vehicle that moves slower than the orbital velocity, which means it is fast enough to reach space but not fast enough to maintain an orbit around the Earth.
The company can test its equipment in orbit thanks to the expedition.
Three Vikram rockets are being developed by the corporation to launch payloads weighing between 290 kg and 560 kg into sun-synchronous polar orbits using a variety of solid and cryogenic fuels. While the recently created small satellite launch vehicle, intended for lifting smaller commercial satellites, can take up to 300 kg to sun-synchronous orbit, India’s workhorse PSLV can lift up to 1,750 kg to such an orbit.
Tribute to Vikram Sarabhai:
Why does the launched rocket name “Vikram”? Skyroot’s launch vehicles are named ‘Vikram’ as a tribute to the founder of the Indian space programme and renowned scientist Vikram Sarabhai.
Pawan Kumar Chandna, CEO and co-founder of Skyroot Aerospace Private Limited, said, “We could build and get our Vikram-S rocket mission ready in such a short time only because of the invaluable support we received from ISRO and IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre), and the technology talent that we inherently possess. We are proud to announce our path-breaking mission ‘Prarambh’ dedicated to the Indian private space launch companies, which has hugely benefited from the reforms and vision of the Government of India,”
Although Skyroot will launch its rocket first among Indian private rocket company, others won’t be far following. Consider Agnikul Cosmos, whose semi-cryogenic Agnilet engine was tested on Tuesday at the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) in Thiruvananthapuram by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Small Satellite Launch Vehicles (SSLV) used by ISRO are probably soon to be produced and used by independent parties.
36 OneWeb satellites were launched by ISRO’s biggest launch vehicle, the Mark III, in a private satellite project (India’s Bharti is a shareholder). For the corporation, the space agency will also launch a second fleet of 36 satellites. In addition, the space agency has launched at least four student-built satellites.
Skyroot Aerospace funding successfully US$51 million (₹403 crores) Series-B financing round and is considered to be the largest funding round ever in the Indian space-tech sector in September.
A new era for the Indian space sector:
With this mission, Skyroot Aerospace will launch a rocket into orbit for the first time as a commercial space enterprise in India, ushering in a new era for the space industry, which was opened up in 2020 to allow for private sector participation.
“The Vikram-S rocket is a single-stage sub-orbital launch vehicle which will carry three customer payloads and help test and validate technologies in the Vikram series space launch vehicles,” said Naga Bharath Daka, Chief Operating Officier and co-founder of the company Skyroot Aerospace in a statement.
According to Mr. Chandana, ISRO and IN-SPACe’s assistance was the sole reason Skyroot was able to construct and complete the Vikram-S rocket mission in such a short amount of time (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre).
In conclusion, Skyroot aerospace, a company based in Hyderabad, develops state-of-the-art space launch vehicles for putting commercial satellites into orbit. By expanding its objective to make spaceflights accessible, dependable, and frequent for everyone, it seeks to dismantle entry barriers to cost-effective satellite launch services and spaceflight, according to the statement.
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Bansal believes that AppDynamics' competitors are not adapting to the change. "CA, BMC Software, Compuware, Hewlett Packard, and IBM are all in death spirals. CA is anti-innovation. It is a terrible environment in which to build something new. In the industry, people say 'CA is where good products go to die.'"
Bansal argues that CA 's acquisition strategy keeps innovation out of its DNA. "The startup is under pressure from its investors to realize a return and it reaches the limits of its ability to grow with a salesforce of 50. CA buys the startup and gives its product to its 2,000 sales people. CA milks the product and refuses to invest in innovation so after a few years the good engineers leave," Bansal said.
This strategy is breaking down. As Bansal said, "The nature of software distribution started changing about five years ago. The old way is a two year process of wooing the CIO through golf games. Now it's a bottoms up freemium strategy where it's easy for developers to download and install. Five years ago, a startup would run into a wall at a certain size, now we have more self-service downloads every month than the heavy consultant-driven trials CA would do in a year."
Bansal does not believe that CA can adapt effectively to this strategy. "CA can only copy this strategy if their product is easy to install. But theirs takes three months to deploy -- including hiring expensive consultants. Ours works in 10 minutes. The next generation of enterprise software buyers will use our approach. 80% of them will buy" software as a service, he said.
From a company's standpoint, buying from a vendor like IBM has gone from being a safe bet to being the riskiest strategy. "If a company buys from them, they have to spend $1 million and wait a year to deploy before they know if the product will work. Too often it becomes shelfware. We are a much less risky buy because our product has already been tested and adopted by the users."
CA has launched some new products recently but declined to estimate their revenues. These include Mobility Management Cloud, Nimsoft Monitor Snap. And Hallahan boasts of CA's engineering leadership by talent such as "mobility leader, Ram Varadarajan, Dev ops head, John Michelson, and CTO Shridhar Mittal."
If Bansal is right, a bet on CA stock now would only make sense if investors pay a decent control premium to take it private. Unless its new products generate big revenues, that could be the best hope for CA investors.


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Smash players blast Nintendo as MultiVersus dominates EVO
Super Smash Bros fans are calling out Nintendo for not supporting the game’s competitive scene as MultiVersus took over EVO barely weeks after launch.
Smash Bros players have long held a grudge against Nintendo for not just their lack of support for the game’s competitive scene, but executing the outright death of it.
Nintendo has a history of stifling Smash events, even going as far as to send a cease & desist at the annual Smash major The Big House.
Now that MultiVersus has completely taken over the fight game scene, and even got a spot at EVO 2022, Smash fans are now peeved more than ever at the parent company for pushing the game out of the spotlight.
Smash players feel left out as MultiVersus dominates EVO
MultiVersus dominated its first major tournament on August 6 at EVO 2022 which boasted a massive pot of $100,000.
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The grand finals drew in huge viewership as the winners of the tournament were long-time Smash veterans CLG VoiD and Nakat. Smash fans who enjoyed the MultiVersus event couldn’t help but think about stunning it was to see a game actually supported by it’s creators.
YouTuber Alpharad said, “Crazy to see what a competitive scene can look like when the developers don’t try to actively kill it.”
Another user replied to him sarcastically and said, “Personally, I think it’s a really good business practice to actively hate the community that loves and appreciates your game, I think it’ll work out well for them.”
With tons of other fighting games being celebrated at EVO, like MultiVersus, it’s hard to not think about how Smash should be up there with the rest of them.


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More than half of consumers are spending less on holiday shopping this year, according to a recent survey by Consumer Reconnaissance Inc.
Consumers are limiting their gifting to fewer people, setting price limits on gifts, scouting for sales, and even opting for homemade crafts, such as photo collages, over purchased gifts.
According to Consumer Reconnaissance, about 58 percent of people surveyed are spending less this year than last. The average person is buying gifts for four or five people, and spending about $43 per person, totaling around $200 for their holiday shopping.
Jenny Sequeira, a 30-year-old in Las Vegas, said her family started a new policy this year of spending no more than $20 a person. For her mother, she is making a photo collage and buying a frame for it from Target.
“This Christmas is the beginning of a new tradition for our family,” said Sequeira. “Typically Christmas is full of shopping, spending and giving so much that we each go into debt for hundreds or thousands to make it happen. This year we are all feeling the pinch. Some of us are working two and three jobs to make ends meet and, as a whole, the expensive Christmas concept has changed. I think [the gift price limit] will shift the focus from expensive consumerism to thoughtful giving.”
Nearly half of customers surveyed (47 percent) reported they would buy less apparel this holiday season. For those buying clothes for gifts, more than a fifth of people surveyed in another ongoing study by Consumer Reconnaissance said discount was the biggest factor in their apparel gift buying, and another 17 percent reported that value was the most important factor.
“I have been much more financially conscientious this year than other years,” said Lee Heffner, a 25-year-old Washington resident who spends Christmas with her family in Naples, Fla. “Whether or not something was on sale influenced my decision to buy something, as I felt that if it wasn’t on sale at a store, I could find the same item on sale at another store.”
Heffner predicted she would spend between $500 and $750 in total for gifts this year. In the two weeks before Christmas, she bought her future sister-in-law limited edition makeup compacts from Bobbi Brown and Laura Mercier that were 20 percent off and was still looking for a pair of Prada Sport shoes for her mother that she hoped she would be able to buy while Neiman Marcus was having a Friends & Family sale. Besides that, she made her parents calendars and coasters from photos at ofoto.com.
Jackie Borcherding, a 28-year-old in Austin, Tex., who likes to shop sales, spent about $160 on gifts for her family, including a $100 diffuser for 15 percent off and a $20 shawl for 25 percent off for her mother.
“I definitely spent much less this year,” said Borcherding. “Even though I’m not directly affected by the recession, it has generally changed my attitude about consumer spending and the need for conservation and enjoying the Christmas season without all of the spending.”
In his new book “Hollywood Royale,” Andy Warhol’s Protégé Matthew Rolston celebrates the Eighties revival of Hollywood glamour. Featuring more than 100 portraits taken by Rolston from 1977 to 1993, the book contains photos of icons like Michael Jackson, Cyndi Lauper, and @drewbarrymore, pictured here in 1991. “Hollywood Royale,” out today, will be accompanied by an exhibition opening at Los Angeles’ Fahey/Klein Gallery on March 1. #wwdeye
"Nowadays when life is not so happy with everything going on in the world, I think people come to me for a little bit of whimsy and color and fun." - Designer Rebecca De Ravenel on her cult-favorite jewelry line. (📸 : @vsteves) #wwd40
“Everyone is talking about how the retail industry is struggling, but I think it’s an incredible time because brands who are doing something different and innovative are setting themselves up for the future,” said @adamgoldston, who founded the luxury athletic brand @apl with his brother @ryangoldsten. The Goldston’s are part of WWD’s 40 under 40: a group of industry notables. See the rest of the list on WWD.com. (📷: @vsteves) #wwd40
@eyeswoon blogger Athena Calderone debuted her first-ever cookbook, “Cook Beautiful,” which is heavily centered on the presentation and visual expression of food. Pictured here are her miso glazed carrots from the book. Get the recipe on WWD.com. (📷: @johnny_miller_) #wwdeye
“It’s passion that helps get anybody to a certain point and it’s what’s propelled me,” said Kith founder @ronniefieg, one of WWD’s 40 under 40: a group of industry notables who are changing the face of retail, fashion and beauty. Fieg, who opened a Manhattan flagship on October 7, began his career at age 13 as a stock boy and salesman for footwear chain David Z. “I think staying true to [my] beliefs, hard work and passion have gotten me to where [Kith] is today.” See the rest of the 40 at WWD.com. (📷: @vsteves) #wwd40
25-year-old @samweaving is about to break out this fall, starring in Netflix’s horror film “The Babysitter,” fittingly out today on Friday the 13th. That’s not the only place you’ll be seeing her, though — Weaving’s got a role Showtime’s “SMILF” and another alongside Frances McDormand and Woody Harrelson in “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.” Though she’s got a full plate at the moment, there’s one role she’s got her eye on: Marilyn Monroe. “I’m a little too young at the moment, but it’s on my bucket list,” the actress told WWD (📷: @dandoperalski) #wwdeye
BFF's Poppy Jamie and Suki Waterhouse celebrated the launch of their bag line Pop x Suki at Nordstrom last night. "The line is really about our friendship, and how we are so different but complement each other," said Waterhouse. 👯 (📷: Katie Jones) #wwdeye
After designing the new @louisvuitton and @bulgariofficial flagships and a @chanelofficial boutique opening in Japan, @petermarinoarchitect has another project on his plate: The Lobster Club. Located in the Seagram Building, it’s the famed architect’s first restaurant project in New York, serving up modern Japanese brasserie-style cuisine. Bronze hues, bespoke material detailing, blush and chartreuse tones and a heavy emphasis on Picasso can be seen throughout. Mark your calendars for Nov. 1 for the much-anticipated opening. (📷: @clint_spaulding) #wwdeye
Did you know: @carlychaikin of "Mr. Robot" has been painting for about a decade? The actress, who plays Darlene on the show, is a self-taught artist who lists Salvador Dalí and Chuck Close as some of her idols. Chaikin told WWD that painting is a form of meditation for her — A much-needed one given the intensity of "Mr. Robot." See a piece Chaikin is working on at WWD.com (📷: @jilliansollazzo) #wwdeye


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Remember when we ran our post last year asking the question: “Can Little Tokyo keep its Japanese flavor in Downtown LA?” As the urban revival continued both within and around Little Tokyo (especially the adjacent red hot Arts District), many worried, including myself, that Little Tokyo’s strong Japanese roots would be chipped away as one of the community’s most significant properties — the historic Brunswig Square at 2nd and Central — was kicking out its Japanese restaurants (i.e., Kokekokko) with plans to replace them with non-Asian concepts. The landlord GreenOak Real Estate Advisors had little regard for the community and basically wanted to turn Little Tokyo into the Arts District. Bad, bad move in my opinion. Well THANK GOODNESS GreenOak sold the property to Jamestown Properties who last year after reading our alarming piece reached out to me with the much appreciated intent to listen to my concerns about keeping Little Tokyo intact.
The painfully slow revitalization of Broadway continues. First reported on CAN, I am happy to report more details that a prominent national chain is finally taking over a dilapidated structure — known by many as the “Blue Jeans” building — located at 749 S Broadway near the up-and-coming 8th and Broadway intersection where the Apple Store rumors still persist. A new retail concept from Foot Locker is slated to open here that will hopefully continue to nudge other retailers to open along Broadway in Downtown LA.
Downtown LA, an urban center still starved of various shopping options and other retail amenities, has been eagerly and anxiously awaiting for the completion of The Bloc. The massive $180 million remodeling project, which sits squarely in the middle of the bustling Financial District, has been delayed for almost a year (it was “supposed to be” done last November). Even so, the project has slowly started to come to life with the recent opening of the interior courtyard (once covered by an ugly atrium) and the beautiful makeovers inside Macy’s and the newly upgraded Sheraton Grand Hotel. In addition, it’s exciting to see that one of the shopping center’s original tenants, LA Fitness, has also relocated its once tired space into a brand new one that reflects the new downtown.
You really can’t have a livable community without having access to good healthcare services. As downtown continues to mature as an established urban center, it is critical that it offers its residents a variety of medical resources since people are bound to get sick and accidents do happen. That’s why I’m so excited that an actual real urgent care has opened here in Downtown LA’s rapidly developing South Park district. Last month, Reliant Urgent Care opened a brand new state-of-the-art facility directly across the street from the new massive $1 billion Metropolis project.
Something new and exciting is coming to LA Live — RETAIL! The mega development by AEG that helped jump start the Downtown LA renaissance over a decade ago has focused almost entirely on restaurants and entertainment venues leaving out the all-important retail stores that also help attract shoppers. In other words, you can “eat,” you can “play,” but unfortunately you can’t “shop” at LA Live. But soon that’s about to change a bit as one of Downtown LA’s first pioneer retailers, Brigade LA, will be opening its brand new flagship store here at LA Live.
It’s here! The much loved Taiwanese bakery 85ºC is officially open in Downtown LA at the corner of Wilshire and Hope in the heart of the Financial District. A soft opening event yesterday attracted hundreds of downtown office workers and residents as they lined up excited to try out the delicious pastries and drinks the bakery is known for (each person was allowed to choose three free items as part of the soft opening event). The line stretched half way down the block along Wilshire Blvd with many I spoke to in line trying 85 Degrees for the first time. Judging by the happy smiles on everyone’s faces, I wouldn’t be surprised if the bakery just gained a whole bunch of new regular customers.
In case you missed it, Downtown LA has a new commander overseeing the Central Division. Captain Howard Leslie, a 29-year police department veteran, joins the Central Division (he started on March 20, 2016) at a challenging time for DTLA, and with almost 60,000 residents (and growing) calling the Central City home, the stakes have never been higher. In the last 12 months, crime has risen across most major categories in downtown along with homelessness. Captain Leslie brings a practical approach to law enforcement by embracing transparency and community-based policing. And as a strong pedestrian advocate, I am elated that he recognizes the growing pedestrian culture here in Downtown LA, which can be seen by his planned focus on educating about safety instead of penalizing with hefty fines.
One of the biggest disappoints I still have with Carmel’s 8th/Grand project is they didn’t activate the Olive Street side of the mixed-use building with any retail space. Currently the project facing Olive is comprised mostly of a blank wall and a portion of glass windows set aside for the building’s residential fitness center. I really wish that Whole Foods was designed with at least some kind of back entrance that would address the street a bit better instead of focusing all its attention on Grand Ave. In any case, that’s why I am so excited that Chicas Tacos is opening on Olive Street that will help fill in the void created by 8th/Grand.
In another sign that the 8th Street corridor is seriously becoming the next hot spot in Downtown LA (check out my recent interview about 8th Street on the FOX 11 noon show), another favorite eatery will be making its way to the corner of 8th and Hill. Paris Baguette, a bakery that was actually founded in South Korea in 1986, has signed a lease to open its first DTLA location next to the upcoming Shake Shack and Sweetgreen, which are also currently two of the most sought after restaurants in the country. Now adding Paris Baguette bakery to the mix will really sweeten things up even more.
This has got to be one of the most exciting milestones in LA’s march towards urbanization (i.e., making our city more walkable and transit-oriented). One of the largest urban nodes in LA — Santa Monica — is now finally linked into our growing regional rail network, which now includes 105 miles of Metro rail track. The long, long-awaited opening of the last leg of the 6.6 mile Expo Line Phase II has finally arrived after five years of construction, testing, and anticipation. Finally! Angelenos can now take the train from Downtown LA to the beach and vice versa.
One of the most exciting mega projects under construction right now in Downtown LA is the massive Oceanwide Plaza being built on Figueroa directly across the street from the Staples Center. The $1 billion project is really the missing bookend to LA Live, a project by AEG completed in 2010 that focused almost exclusively on restaurants and nightlife venues leaving out the all-important retail component that attracts shoppers. An exciting new fly-through video has been released by Chinese developer Oceanwide showcasing the project’s flashy two-story ground-floor commercial space — now aptly named The Collection at Oceanwide Plaza — that will likely be filled in with a slew of new upscale retailers and restaurants, especially if the uber-upscale Park Hyatt signs on as the project’s hotel operator.
Some exciting news from yesterday out of the LA Business Journal. The business-focused publication all but confirmed our initial report that the Apple Store is taking over the ornate Tower Theatre at 8th and Broadway. In case you missed it, DTLA Rising first came out with the substantiated rumor from an “inside” source posted last year in November that Apple was looking at taking over the historic entertainment venue for their new DTLA store location, which would become one of Apple’s most unique stores in the nation.
We’ve been waiting for this one for what seems like — forever. Even though we only really found out about a year ago that Bunker (or “BNKR”) was opening downtown, but it’s the location that makes this retailer from Australia extra significant and exciting to DTLA’s urban revitalization. The fashion forward brand based in Adelaide (Australia’s fifth largest city) quietly opened its doors for business last Saturday (spotted by Racked LA) at the very hot intersection of 9th and Broadway, which has become one of the main epicenters in Downtown LA’s fragmented but expanding shopping scene.
With literally thousands of pets living in DTLA, it’s kind of surprising there aren’t more pet stores scattered all around downtown, especially in the South Park and Financial District neighborhoods where a large concentration of residents live. Well, that’s about to change. Soon downtown residents will have a new place to shop catering to their furry friends when Unleashed by Petco opens later this year in South Park.
Last week was so much fun! I was invited by local TV affiliate FOX 11 to come on their noon show to discuss my favorite subject, DTLA of course, and to share with viewers Downtown LA’s growing stature as the country’s most exciting up-and-coming urban center.


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Today Wired is attending Microsoft's Windows Phone Summit to learn what's next for the company's mobile operating system.
We're expecting Microsoft to announce a number of upgrades to its Windows Phone OS, including potentially unveiling its next major iteration, Windows Phone 8 Apollo. Upgrade incompatibilities for older Windows Phone devices is one question that's arisen, particularly after some major aspects of Apollo were leaked a few months back.
To get the news live, watch the live stream here
Although often critically acclaimed, Windows Phone devices have been slow to pick up momentum among consumers. Microsoft's mobile OS was a late entrant to the market, which is currently dominated by iOS and Android. According to recent stats from IDC, Windows Phone could overtake Android by 2016 to become the world's second-most popular mobile platform.


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World Business News is the world’s newest and unique business and money news blog website.
We’re impartial and independent, and every month we create distinctive, world-class business news and content which inform, educate and entertain millions of people around the world. We want to help our readers find new and innovative ways to make money. Whether it means starting a home business, setting up an internet business, investing your money for the best return, or inspiring you to be an entrepreneur.
Searching for unique business models and strategies that others have already tried so you have the best chance of success in creating your own. Most of our success stories have created businesses that can be started anywhere in the world, especially the internet based businesses or investments. Take action today and change your financial future for the better. Have a look at what we’ve discovered and be inspired!


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Shanghai shines as the chosen city for the debut of the ”Louis Vuitton Voyager Shows”. This April, the Long Museum West Bund, renowned for its avant-garde architecture, will serve as the stage for this groundbreaking event. This marks a significant shift for Louis Vuitton as the brand embraces a new concept under the banner of ”Voyager Shows.” Both the men’s and women’s Pre-Fall and Cruise collections will be presented to a global audience in diverse, culturally rich locations.
Nicolas Ghesquière, Louis Vuitton’s Artistic director for women’s collections, is at the helm of this innovative approach. Following his successful destination show in Seoul for the Pre-Fall 2023 collection, Ghesquière has set his sights on Shanghai, a city that perfectly aligns with Louis Vuitton’s cultural brand ethos. Shanghai’s Long Museum, with its focus on traditional and contemporary Chinese art, resonates with Louis Vuitton’s philosophy of fusing fashion with cultural narratives.
The concept of ”Voyager Shows” is not just a series of fashion events; it’s a cultural exchange, a celebration of local aesthetics and global fashion trends. Each location under this new moniker is carefully selected to enhance the narrative of the collection, making each show a unique experience. This approach reflects the brand’s commitment to cultural appreciation and artistic innovation.
Shanghai’s importance in the fashion world is not new. The city has been a hotspot for major fashion events, including the recent Pre-Fall 2024 collection show by Louis Vuitton’s menswear Creative director Pharrell Williams in Hong Kong. China’s growing influence in the fashion industry is evident with numerous high-profile shows and events taking place across the country.
The Long Museum West Bund is more than just a venue for the ”Louis Vuitton Voyager Shows”. This architectural marvel, designed by Liu Yichun of Atelier Deshaus, epitomizes the fusion of art and fashion. Its unique ”vault-umbrella” style and flowing concrete surfaces provide the perfect backdrop for a fashion spectacle. The museum’s vast collection, part of billionaire couple Liu Yiqian and Wang Wei’s collection of artworks from around the world and across time, reflects the global reach and cultural depth of the Louis Vuitton brand.
Louis Vuitton‘s commitment to China goes beyond fashion shows. Since entering the Chinese market in 1992, the brand has continually sought ways to connect with the country’s rich cultural heritage and its fashion-forward audience. The upcoming Shanghai show is a testament to this enduring relationship.
Following the Shanghai show, the Louis Vuitton Women’s Pre-Fall 2024 collection will be available worldwide from May 17th.
In addition to hosting exhibitions, the Long Museum also promotes academic research and educational programs. Dior has previously hosted numerous events at the museum, including a Women’s Pre-Fall show in 2021, a Men’s show in 2014, and the comprehensive “Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams” exhibition in 2020.


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Contactless Technology Provider, Kontactless™ Partners With FreedomPay
Partnership offers customers flexible, secure and streamlined payment service options
Los Angeles, CA – March 18, 2020 – Kontactless™, the QR-code enabled hospitality tech solution that enables customers to order, pay, and leave feedback on their smartphone has announced a new partnership with leading payment service provider FreedomPay. The partnership will allow Kontactless customers to connect to all major credit card processors in North America through one secure and reliable payment platform.
The partnership will enable Kontactless to support its customers with their payment provider of choice, without the costly need to change their current payment processors or payment devices. The FreedomPay integration will also offer Kontactless customers world-class security with its Point-to-Point Encryption (P2PE), which tokenizes credit card data, eliminating the storage of credit card numbers within the PrismSuite system.
Gabriel Weisz, CEO of Kontactless commented: “Our partnership with FreedomPay will give our hospitality customers a simple, cost-effective and streamlined payment experience. No need to spend time or money setting up another payment processor – customers can simply plug in their existing processor and carry on with their business. As mobile payments continue to skyrocket, this partnership will deliver an easy-to-use, secure mobile payment process for our wide range of hospitality customers.”
“FreedomPay’s Touchless Commerce program has changed how customers approach ordering and payment,” said Chris Kronenthal, President & CTO of FreedomPay. “By partnering with Kontactless we’re able to bring to life the shared vision of a seamless, secure and completely integrated checkout experience to the world of hospitality.”
Kontactless is currently being used by hospitality venues across 15 states as well as Canada.
Customers include a range of hotel brands at select Marriott and Hilton locations across North America, including McNeill Hotel Company, Newcrest Image, BPR Hotels, as well as a variety of entertainment and leisure companies. To date, nearly a quarter of a million transactions have already been conducted on the platform.
Kontactless is a provider of dynamic QR code technology that enables customers to place orders, make payments, and leave feedback all from their mobile device. Based in Los Angeles, the company was launched by hospitality tech entrepreneur, Gabriel Weisz, who previously co-founded Kallpod, LLC in 2014. Kallpod’s proprietary and customizable platform improves labor costs and increases sales through streamlined, real-time communication between guests, service staff and internal teams. Since launch, the company has partnered with many of the hospitality industry’s leading names including Marriott, Live Nation, the San Francisco 49ers, Colonnade Group, and Aramark, among many others.
FreedomPay’s Next Level Commerce™ platform transforms existing payment systems and processes from legacy to leading edge. As the premier choice for many of the largest companies across the globe in retail, hospitality, lodging, gaming, sports and entertainment, foodservice, education, healthcare and financial services, FreedomPay’s technology has been purposely built to deliver rock solid performance in the highly complex environment of global commerce. The company maintains a world-class security environment and was first to earn the coveted validation by the PCI Security Standards Council against Point-to-Point Encryption (P2PE/EMV) standard in North America. FreedomPay’s robust solutions across payments, security, identity, and data analytics are available in-store, online and on-mobile and are supported by rapid API adoption. The award winning FreedomPay Commerce Platform operates on a single, unified technology stack across multiple continents allowing enterprises to deliver an innovative Next Level experience on a global scale. www.freedompay.com
Ryan J. Walker (Kontactless™)
R. J. Walker & Co.
860 930 3611
Gug Kyriacou (FreedomPay)
+44 (0) 20 7623 2368


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A TEMPORARY ice rink will be set up in Colchester’s Castle Park for shoppers and visitors to enjoy this Christmas.
Events management company Snake in the Grass has announced it will be bringing the attraction to the town for the first time.
The rink will be set up on the lawn of Holly Trees Museum, just inside the park’s main gates, where it will stay for a week as part of a more extensive Winter Festival.
The company also plans to set up chalets selling hot drinks, food and mulled wine, as well as stalls for local crafts people and artists.
Don Quinn, director of Snake in the Grass, explained: “We want this to be a real reason for people to come to Colchester and see what Britain’s oldest town has to offer.”
The company has been working with Colchester Council, Paul Brantham, of Lion Walk Shopping Centre, and Steve Green, of Palladian Press, to get the scheme off the ground.
Mr Quinn said: “Our next plan is to try to persuade the local railway to reduce parking costs at the station car park and run a ‘Santa Express’, from North Station to St Botolphs.
“Children would love that and it would be very popular.”
The week-long event will be timed to coincide with a big street fair and the Christmas lights switch-on.
He added: “We want to make Colchester the place that people come to for their Christmas shopping and lots of people have said they would like to have an ice rink.”
Customers will pay to hire skates and head on to the ice rink as a package deal.
He said: “We don’t know how much we will be charging yet, but we want to make it affordable.
“It is not our intention to make a massive profit out of the rink, but to bring people into the town.”
Article originally featured on www.gazette-news.co.uk
Last Updated: 11th May 2009 9:27am


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Japan suffers economic woes, BOJ under pressure
Japan’s core consumer inflation barely recovered in January. This had put pressure on the Bank of Japan to maintain its massive monetary stimulus to underpin the economy weakened by slow growth and weak prices.
Tame inflation is cause for worry in Japan’s economy still saddled by the virus impact. The BOJ expressed no interest to add another monetary stimulus, as it would add little to no help in combating a financial crisis.
BOJ Governor Haruhiko Kuroda said he would consider another easing if the virus’ impact threatens the country’s economy and inflation.
The core consumer price index, including oil products, but not volatile fresh food prices, climbed 0.8% in the year to January. It followed a 0.7% increase in December, meeting economists’ median estimate.
Price trends would be weighed by weak wage growth and slipping corporate profits, as well as decline in tourism.
Exports dropped again in January and GDP endured its biggest contraction since 2014. Japan’s economy decreased 6.3% in October-December, the biggest decline in six years, due to the tax hike, warmer winter, and typhoons.
Analysts expect a contraction in the current quarter, possibly leading to a recession. China, Japan’s major exports market and the center of global supply chains, suffers the impact of the virus.
Japan’s factory activity fell to its deepest level in seven years, highlighting the epidemic’s impact on global growth and business and emphasizing a gloomier outlook for Japan.


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Linda Allen, who has years under her belt as an established interior designer, just launched her first line of lamps called Live.Anywhere, which are exclusively available at David Sutherland showrooms.
Why the name Live.Anywhere? Linda wanted to create a line of lamps that could be used literally anywhere. When she realized that the technology for what she was trying to create didn’t exist though, she decided to invent it herself.
Linda Allen has re-designed the LED bulb to 7 watts, which emulates the power of a 50-watt bulb. The lamps are wireless, rechargeable and waterproof. They can be used indoors or outdoors, and might revolutionize the way we use outdoor space. They give consumers the ability to put a lamp in the middle of a room without cords to trip over, or on an outdoor deck for reading after sunset. Using this patented technology, you can — as Linda says — live anywhere.


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iPad 3, which is the next iteration of Apple's iPad 2, is expected to be launched anytime soon.
While rumors are rife about an array of exclusive features that will be packed with the new iPad 3, check out the five most anticipated features that are coming with the next generation tablet.
1. Near Filed Communication (NFC)
Near Field Communication (NFC) technology helps smartphone or tablet users make transactions, exchange digital content, and connect electronic devices with just a simple touch.
According to the latest rumors, Apple software engineers are heavy into NFC and are creating an app compatible with NFC facilities for their new iPhone 5. Now it is time for the iPad users to expect the same innovative payment feature for iPad 3 too.
2. Voice Command Feature or Siri
Apple's revolutionary voice command or personal assistant Siri became a talk of the town when Apple launched iPhone 4S. It is expected to be in iPhone 5 too. But as Siri is still not perfect, tablet users hope to receive an updated version of the feature in iPad 3 that will have additional languages support like Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Italian and Spanish.
3. Retina Display
At the time of launching iPad 2, people were expecting a retina display but the company disappointed them with the same display of the previous iPad that come with 1024x768 pixels and a pixel density of 132 ppi.
iPad 3, according to the market buzz, will have a revolutionary Retinal display that would feature double-resolution screen 2048×1536 pixels in dimension with modified IGZO (indium, gallium, zinc) technology that will provide an improved pixel density of 330 ppi. Offering a better and double resolution display in iPad 3 is a significant upgrade over iPad 2.
Apple is expected to provide an improved battery with iPad 3. Currently, iPad 2 comes with Li-Po 6930 mAh battery which gives 10 hours of talk time. However, according to DigiTimes, iPad 3 is expected to pack a battery as high as 14,000 mAH to support the anticipated HD screen and a more powerful processor.
Apple's battery manufacturers, Symplo Tech and Dynapack refused to comment about their client Apple or its devices.
5. 4G LTE Connectivity
As iPad 3 battery is expected to be better than its predecessor, anticipations are high that the NextGen tablet will have 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) support.
Apple did not adopt 4G LTE support for iPhone 4S as that could cause major design change of the device. This time, however, the company is expected to pack a new, thinner LTE chipset to offer significantly up to download and upload speed comparing to prior generation 3G HSPA/HSPA+ and CDMA/EVDO networks.


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An MEP colleague, former head of German industry through the BDI, recently announced that German business is "panicking" about the possibility of a no deal with the UK. He says the EU is only just waking up to the fact a post-Brexit UK will become the largest market for the rest of the EU.
In the referendum, the notion the EU needed the UK market much was mocked, but now the cold factual reality is setting in.
The UK is not some sad little island but the sixth largest economy in the world, has the largest financial centre in the world, and is the second largest importer after the USA.
President Juncker has correctly analysed that the EU’s solidarity to date - who would argue with demanding billions more for the EU? - is about to break up as member states put their own trading and economic interests first. He fears big business will allow British "cherry picking" and that "in the end we’ll have several extras, several exceptions that will make Europe a mess".
These interests vary markedly. 90 per cent of all EU exports to the UK come from just eight of the EU-27 countries and just under a quarter of all EU-27 exports comes from Germany alone. The UK market funds the jobs of between a million to a million and a half Germans as with BMWs and Mercedes. 4 per cent of the Dutch economy and 3 per cent of the Belgian economy would disappear without a deal (for comparison the entire UK defence budget is 2 per cent UK GDP). 40 per cent tariffs on French cheeses or 12 per cent on wines would bring farmer retribution.
We are the second largest export market for Germany, Ireland and Poland, third to Denmark, fourth to Belgium, France and the Netherlands, fifth to Spain, Italy and Sweden.
In contrast, we do very little trade with countries such as Bulgaria and Romania, so their interest in our trade deal will be far less than over issues of EU support grants and immigration controls.
Another reality not acknowledged to date is that the EU27 economies depend on exports to far higher extent than the UK: whilst UK exports to the EU represent just 12 per cent of the U.K. economy (and to the rest of the world 16 per cent), Belgium exports to EU as percentage of their economy is 59 per cent, Ireland 61 per cent, the Netherlands 56 per cent, Hungary 70 per cent, and even Germany is 26 per cent.
Also there is the differential effect of new UK bilateral trade agreements. At a recent visit to New Zealand wine growers, we discussed what would happen to their wine exports if the UK did not achieve a trade deal with the EU but the UK did one with New Zealand: 12 per cent tariffs added to French, Spanish and Italian wines, 12 per cent deducted off New Zealand (& Australian & South American) wines: a 24% differential, before any drop in the pound in a no deal scenario. This could tip the most competitive wine market in the world - ours - towards New World wines.
In short, the UK has a highly valuable domestic market that these countries need a piece of, and the EU is now finally in a mood for a deal.


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Tension is rising in southern France after winemakers staged a day of action, emptying at least one tanker of Spanish wine and blocking a depot used by the wine subsidiary of Carrefour supermarket.
Sixty protesters block supermarket-owned depot near Nîmes
They then attacked a tanker suspected of carrying Spanish wine
Protesters claiming allegiance to militant group CRAV – or CAV – dump Spanish wine in shopping centre car park
Several protests took place in France’s Languedoc-Roussillon region on Tuesday (17 January) against cheap Spanish wine imports.
At around 6:30 am, 60 winegrowers blocked the entrance to Prodis, the wine subsidiary of the Carrefour supermarket group, in Grizan near Nîmes. The site is known to be used for producing bag-in-box wines.
Some protesters then went to the motorway toll of Gallargues-le-Monteux, 25 km from Nîmes, to find lorries containing Spanish wine.
A single lorry was found and its contents dumped on the highway.
It is the latest in a series of protests.
‘Our tanks are full and prices are falling’
They were protesting against ‘unfair competition’, according to Anaïs Amalric, co-president of Jeunes Agriculteurs du Gard.
‘These Spanish imports prevent us from selling our French products,’ Amalric told Decanter.com.
‘Our tanks are full, prices are falling and wine merchants are asking us to lower prices. This is unacceptable,’ she said.
In parallel, further south in Narbonne, militant winemaker group CAV has claimed responsibility for 10 winegrowers dumping nearly 25,000 litres of Spanish wine from another lorry in a shopping centre car park.
The letters ‘CAV’ were found in the car park and on the truck, according to Agence France Presse.
Also known as CRAV, the group has intermittently attacked foreign wine installations in Languedoc for several decades.
Tensions are rising in the vineyard and protests are multiplying, as the region gears up to host the Vinisud trade show.
‘We have not planned any actions for Vinisud,’ Amalric said.
‘Not for the moment. But we know that some independent winegrowers [selling bottles, not bulk wine] also want to take action and join us in this battle against unfair competition.’
Last year, several wine industry leaders in Languedoc sounded the alarm over cheap Spanish imports. Some producers also hijacked lorries and attacked depots, but local unions officially condemned the violence.
Critics have said that French winemakers must accept competition from other EU member states. But some Languedoc winemakers claim that fewer taxes in Spain make competition unfair.
Editing by Chris Mercer
Languedoc winemakers are unhappy about Spanish imports...
French grower fined after fraud investigation...
Masked militants stirke in port town...
Anger nearly out of control in Languedoc, says union leader...


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Tesla has officially launched the new Model S Plaid at a delivery event in Fremont today, and Elon Musk emphasized Tesla’s new electric motor technology, faster charging, and a ton of new entertainment features.
While the automaker had already unveiled the new version of the Model S in January, it didn’t go into details about many of the changes that they brought to the electric sedan.
Electrek had already revealed that Tesla was working on a new “Palladium” electric motor, but now CEO Elon Musk elaborated for the first time on the new technology.
The biggest innovation is a new carbon-sleeved rotor in the new electric motors.
The CEO commented during the presentation:
To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that there has been a production electric motor with a carbon over-wrapped rotor. This is a super hard thing to do because carbon and copper have very different rates of thermal expansion. In order to have a carbon over-wrapped rotor, you have to wind it with extremely high tension and that’s an extremely hard thing to do.
Tesla had to design a new manufacturing machine to wind it, and it results an in an extremely efficient motor that is small yet powerful.
Here’s the power curve of the new Model S Plaid:
As you can see, it is a massive improvement over not only the original Model S from 2012 but over the more recent Model S Performance from 2019, which was already beating supercars on the race track.
Here are a few images of the new motor in the Model S Plaid that Tesla released during the event:
As we previously reported, the Palladium program also included a new battery pack, which Musk confirmed during the presentation, but he didn’t release any further details about it.
Musk also confirmed that Tesla managed to achieve the lowest drag coefficient for any production car with a 0.208:
One of the biggest surprises of the presentation was the new heat pump and thermal system in the new Model S.
We know that Tesla has been focused on designing very efficient heat pumps to help with the efficiency of its electric cars in colder climates – starting with the Model Y and later the Model 3.
Now Tesla has designed a new one for the Model S, and Musk made some pretty insane claims about it:
It’s 30% better in cold weather range it requires 50% less energy for cabin heating in freezing conditions.
It remains to be tested, but if true, it would have massive impact on performance in cold climates.
Here’s a look at the new thermal system and heat pump in the Model S:
The bigger radiator in front will also reportedly allow for better repeatability of high performance and of course, the performance to repeat are quite incredible to start with.
Tesla is claiming 0-60 mph in 1.99 seconds, quarter-mile in 9.23 seconds, and a 200 mph top speed, though those specs were already known before the event.
Musk talked about bringing the car back to the Nürburgring race track to test it again.
The CEO also briefly mentioned the fast-charging capacity of the new Model S at 187 miles of range in 15 minutes.
If there’s somewhere where Tesla is lagging behind the competition, it’s fast-charging speeds, but the metric charged by Tesla is also not ideal.
The industry is starting to move to a more useful time from 10 to 80% state-of charge on 150 kW and 350 kW chargers.
Tesla’s new v3 Supercharger are limited to 250 kW, but Musk hinted at ramping up to “280 kW, 300 kW, and eventually 350 kW” without specifying a timeline.
As usual, Tesla is focused on safety first and the automaker has had a great track record in safety testing in crash test.
Musk announced that he expects Tesla to hit the lowest probability of injury in any car ever tested with the Model S Plaid, which would mean beating its own record.
The rest of the presentation focused on the interior of the new Model S, which was already unveiled but Musk explained some changes in more details.
For example, Musk tried to sell the “auto shift” feature, which uses Autopilot to predict what driving mode (Drive, Reverse, Neutral, or Park) the vehicle should use.
Surprisingly, the CEO only briefly discussed the yoke steering wheel – only saying that it is great for visibility and not mentioning that a normal round version would be available.
One of the biggest new details about the interior revealed during the event is that Tesla managed to squeeze some more space for the second row:
Musk also discussed the newly in-house design sound system that is using a new audio codec that the CEO claim will result in always the best sound possible.
Tesla has also design its own new acoustic glass, which the CEO claimed will greatly improve cabin noises – something that has been an issue in Tesla vehicles in the past.
The automaker also released a quick demo of its new user interface that is now more customizable and uses better gestures:
It was designed for the new screen in the Model S and Model X, but some changes are expected to make their way to the Model 3 and Model Y.
During the presentation, Musk also touted the gaming performance of the new Model S.
We already reported that Tesla is using the new AMD RDNA 2 GPU with the same computing performance as a Playstation 5.
Tesla showed a brief demo of the video game Cyberpunk running on Tesla’s new entertainment system.
Here’s the Tesla Model S Plaid presentation in full:
Tesla completed the presentation with the first 25 deliveries of the new Model S Plaid and Musk said that Tesla should be producing a few hundred units per week and ramp-up to 1,000 units per week next quarter.
The Model S Plaid starts at $130,000 after a recent $10,000 price increase this week and a cheaper $80,000 version without the tri-motor powertrain, but a longer 412 miles (versus 390 miles) is also available.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.


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As we approach the month of July, major retailers are gearing up for their highly anticipated sales events. Amazon.com Inc.’s Prime Day, Best Buy Co.’s Black Friday in July, Walmart Inc.’s Plus Week, and Target Corp.’s Circle Week are all on the horizon.
These sales events hold significant importance for the retail sector. Recent data from analytics company Placer.ai suggests that while inflation has impacted retail foot traffic in recent months, the upcoming sales events in July could potentially be a turning point for major retailers.
According to Ethan Chernofsky, senior vice president of marketing at Placer.ai, “Over the past several months, retail foot traffic has somewhat trailed behind previous years due to ongoing inflation, which continues to place strain on consumer budgets.” However, he also noted that holidays still have the power to drive spikes in foot traffic.
Chernofsky highlighted various holidays such as Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and even St. Patrick’s Day as occasions that have seen increases in retail visits, despite not being traditionally associated with discounts. However, Chernofsky observed that Memorial Day, which was the first major sales event of this year, experienced a relatively subdued increase in foot traffic.
In light of these findings, it will be interesting to see how the upcoming July sales events fare and whether they can rejuvenate retail foot traffic amidst the ongoing challenges posed by inflation.
The Changing Consumer Behavior in 2023
Recent data suggests that consumers in 2023 are adopting a more intentional approach to their spending habits. Instead of mindlessly browsing through the sales aisles for impulse buys, they are now showing a preference for visiting stores to purchase specific items and gifts for particular occasions. This shift in behavior indicates a more thoughtful and deliberate approach to shopping.
However, while this trend has been observed, there are signs that consumers may be growing tired of their shopping discipline. The gap between previous years’ retail foot traffic levels and visits in 2023 has started to narrow in the recent weeks. This could be an indication that consumers are preparing to hit the stores with renewed enthusiasm.
Retail Giants and Their Special Offers
Several major retailers are gearing up to entice shoppers with exciting deals and discounts. Amazon’s highly anticipated Prime Day is scheduled for July 11-12, followed by Best Buy’s Black Friday in July event from July 10-12. Walmart’s Plus Week will take place from July 10-13, while Target’s Circle Week will run from July 9-15. The timing of these events suggests that retailers are attempting to capitalize on consumer demand ahead of the critical Back to School season.
Prime Day Success
Last year’s Prime Day, according to Amazon, saw Prime members purchase over 300 million items worldwide. The event also witnessed increased participation from households, with buyers placing more orders and spending more on each order compared to previous years. Market-research company Numerator’s data reveals that the top five items during Prime Day were Amazon’s Fire Stick TV, Echo Dot 4th Generation, Echo Show 5, Orgain Organic Protein Powder, and the Kasa Smart Plug Mini.
As the retail landscape continues to evolve, it is clear that consumers are being more strategic in their shopping habits. With these insights into changing consumer behavior, retailers are positioning themselves to cater to the demand and maximize their sales during these promotional events.
Amazon’s Soaring Stocks and Best Buy’s Decline
A Year of Success for Amazon
Shares of Amazon have experienced an impressive surge, witnessing a staggering growth of 52% throughout the year. This remarkable performance reflects the company’s resilience and ability to adapt to market demands.
Best Buy’s Struggles
On the other hand, Best Buy’s stock has faced a slight downturn, experiencing a decline of 0.4%. Despite their efforts, Best Buy seems to be facing difficulties in maintaining their market position.
Walmart’s Solid Growth
Contrasting with Best Buy, Walmart has seen a steady increase in its shares, marking a growth rate of 11.2% in the year 2023. Walmart’s success can be attributed to its strong presence in the retail industry and effective business strategies.
Unfortunately, Target has encountered some setbacks this year, as its shares have witnessed a decline of 11%. Despite being an established player in the market, Target’s performance may indicate a need for reevaluation and strategic adjustments.
In summary, while Amazon continues to soar and Walmart secures steady growth, both Best Buy and Target face challenges that require careful attention and proactive measures to ensure future success.


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The electronic music festival, Ultra Europe has again rescheduled their 2021 dates for the next year 2022. Check out the announcement below.
The lineup included Afrojack, Armin van Buuren, David Guetta, DJ Snake, Galantis, Marshmello, Pendulum, Richie Hawtin, Steve Aoki and more.
Ultra Europe shares in a new update:
Although it has been a difficult year for all of us, the world appears to be on the road to recovery, including in Ultra Europe’s host country of Croatia, where we have continuously tried to obtain approval for an Ultra Europe 2021 production.
Unfortunately, due to ongoing COVID-19 official government safety measures, specifically in relation to mass gatherings, the 8th edition of Ultra Europe has been rescheduled to July 8,9 and 10, 2022.
Tickets will remain valid and will be honoured for use at the rescheduled festival. All tickets holders will be contacted via the email used for their original purchase with more information regarding their tickets and refund conditions.
While we eagerly await the chance to welcome you all back to ultra Europe, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to all our loyal fans for their continued support and patience.
We are counting the days until we can finally reunite next year in beautiful Croatia for the world’s premier destination music festival.
Ultra Europe 2021 Again Rescheduled For 2022


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Update – December 17, 2009: During today’s quarterly earnings call, Research in Motion unveiled a distribution deal with China Telecom. RIM also announced that they shipped 10.1 million BlackBerry units in latest quarter. Color me jaded (and iPhone biased) betcha RIM’s record shipments were pumped up by their their seemingly perpetual “buy one, get one free” promos. December 8, [...]
Tag Archive 'TD-SCDMA'
Update August, 22 2009: Hypothetical internal China Mobile PR discussion: PR Guy 1: “Whoops … Wang Jianzhou wasn’t supposed to say that …” PR Guy 2: “Um, he’s the Chairman/CEO and he can say what ever he wants …” PR Guy 1: “I know, but China Unicom fired off a screaming protest letter to the [...]
China Mobile has unveiled plans to promote their 3G network – Time Division Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA). In partnership with 10 handset manufacturers, China Mobile plans to deliver (by year end) 18 new TD-SCDMA handsets running an Android-based mobile operating system. This new OS will be custom designed to promote China Mobile’s wireless [...]
In the last quarter of 2008, China Mobile announced plans to develop OPhone, their own Android-based operating system in partnership with select handset manufacturers such as Levono, HTC and Nokia. “OPhone” is a codename for phones that will be based on China Mobile’s OMS (Open Mobile System) which is essentially re-coded Android + TD-SCDMA [...]
BusinessWeek has just posted a rather pessimistic article on iPhone’s prospects in China. If you’re an iPhone fan take a deep breath, exhale and relax. In iPhonAsia’s opinion, this article – Why China won’t fall for the iPhone – is nothing more than straw man hit piece. To win the debate using the straw man [...]


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Dubai government-owned investment property developer Tatweer has unveiled plans to build a Dh3.7 billion wellness resort at the Dubai Healthcare City.
The Dubai Wellness Resort will be situated alongside the Creek in DHCC’s Wellness Cluster, and will serve as a centre for preventative and integrative medicine and the promotion of health-enhancing lifestyles.Features will include a rejuvenation centre for cosmetic services, a health centre for integrated medical services, an active lifestyle centre and sports medicine facility and residences designed for eco-friendly living. In addition, there will be a healthy lifestyle retail district and luxury hotels.
“The new wellness facility underpins our relentless endeavour to promote Dubai as the hub for healthcare excellence,” said Saeed Al Muntafiq, Executive Chairman of Tatweer.
“The resort will offer a continuum of care, facilitating patients’ referral to and from key components within DHCC, such as the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Academic Medical Centre and other medical establishments.”
The resort will bring together under one roof advanced approaches from the West, the East and the Arab World. It will be set in a sustainable, carbon-neutral environment and will offer innovative techniques in preventative medicine, the provision of timely and holistic patient management programmes and ongoing follow-up treatment.
The resort is expected to provide an additional incentive for boosting wellness tourism in the region.
Phase one of the city will be a centre for diagnosis and conventional treatment while phase two will focus on wellness therapies. Through the integration of the two sections, DHCC aims to offer holistic healthcare through disease prevention and management, health psychology and other services.


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It's the holiday season and several local agencies are working to make sure those who are less fortunate have presents, holiday meals and warm clothing.
This morning 93.7 KRAI kicked off its holiday drive in front of the Centennial Mall in Craig.
Every day this week from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m., station disk jockeys Rick Allen and Mike Fuller will be in front of the mall accepting donations.
Items that can be taken to the drop site include clothing for the Community Budget Center and Advocates Crisis Support Services, non-perishable food items for the Interfaith Food Bank and toys for the "Christmas for Kids" program.
It's the fifth annual drive put on by the radio station.
"The goal is to supply the needs of local agencies so everybody can have a decent holiday season," Allen said.
Money donations also are accepted.
Last year the station raised $15,000, said KRAI owner Frank Hanel.
Marg Kourlis, director of the Interfaith Food Bank, which benefits from the drive, said monetary donations are important.
While the food items are obviously important to the food bank, Kourlis said money donations are needed so the bank can purchase turkeys and other items included in the holiday baskets, which will be distributed Dec. 17 at the Shadow Mountain Clubhouse.
Kourlis said additional volunteers would be needed at the food bank beginning Wednesday when KRAI begins bringing the food raised in its holiday drive.
Kourlis said they anticipate receiving six tons of food, or a busload, at their distribution site.
"We need some strong backs to help us unload all of that food," she said.
The food will be dropped of at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this week.
Food items can also be dropped of at Shadow Mountain Clubhouse every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 11 a.m. to noon,


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Customers want it all when they buy sandwiches from restaurants today—plenty of high-quality ingredients that look as good as they taste. It’s a formula fast casual standouts like Jimmy John’s, Firehouse Subs and Jersey Mike’s have used to carve out a strong competitive position in the crowded sandwich category. Other operators may wish to adopt something similar, says Chicago-based Technomic, the better to attract the growing number of consumers who have begun to make their own sandwiches instead of buying them from restaurants.
That’s the upshot of Technomic’s new Sandwich Consumer Trend Report. It’s an update of a similar 2012 study, and its top line results show that while consumers still eat on average more than three sandwiches per week, a growing majority make those sandwiches themselves. Fifty-four percent do that now; 51 percent did so at the time of the previous study. To win them back, restaurants need to menu sandwiches that are sexier and more imaginative than those consumers can make for themselves.
“Quality sandwich ingredients are a must,” says Technomic’s Darren Tristano, “In order for sandwich operators to drive traffic and steal share, they have to strengthen the quality perception by promoting freshness and customization opportunities, while giving guests a more interesting range of toppings, breads and proteins that emphasize variety.”
Sounds like a tall order, but that’s what it will take to do battle with sandwich segment giants like Subway, which plans to add 3,000 additional units this year. Yet Technomic’s finding also document just how much business is up for grabs.
Consider. Sandwich consumption among U.S. consumers is near-universal: 95 percent eat at least one sandwich per week, 43 percent eat four or more. The numbers were also high when customers were asked about the daypart in which they typically order a sandwich when dining away from home. Eighty-five percent said they do so at lunch, 73 percent at dinner, 56 percent have a sandwich for breakfast and 49 percent have one as a snack.
How can operators get their share of all this business? Here are some key data points from the Technomic study to consider:
• Sixty-one percent of sandwiches sold in restaurant are purchased to go.
• Forty-nine percent of consumers sometimes purchase grab-and-go sandwiches.
• Slightly more than half of consumers place high importance on health (51 percent at lunch, 53 percent at dinner), while only 43 percent are satisfied with the healthfulness of sandwiches they purchase away from home.
• Slider alert: Thirty-five percent of consumers would like restaurants to offer mini sandwiches, up from 26 percent in the previous study.
The sandwich business is big and growing, and fast casual players are showing just how eager consumers are to try new takes on the old standards. Be sure to keep Technomic’s findings in mind as you go after this segment.


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a new mobile game featuring Magikarp is rolling out on iOS – no news on Android yet. The game is called Pokémon: Magikarp Jump and features a splashing Magikarp.
Nothing else is yet known, but we’ll be reverse engineering the app as soon as it comes out.
Credits for this news go to Serebii:
— Serebii.net (@SerebiiNet) May 17, 2017
You can discuss this game on the GO Hub forums: http://forum.pokemongohub.net/t/news-a-new-pokemon-game-released-magikarp-jump/244


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Fruit Recal at Kroger, Walmart, Cosco, and Trader Joe’s
Peaches, plums, nectarines, and plouts from Wawona Packing Co have been recalled.
The fruit in question was packaged between July 1st and July 12th in Cutler, California. Wawona believes the fruits may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Wawona Packing Company is voluntarily recalling the fruit, and the Cutler facility has been shut down and sanitized. There have been no reported illnesses at this time.
Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterium that can cause Listeriosis. The most common symptoms of Listeriosis are gastrointestinal issues (such as diarrhea), fever and muscle aches. Pregnant women, infants, older adults and people with a weakened immune system are particularly at risk for a more serious infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.


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The Volt Kit, that safety-vest-orange away jersey New York City FC introduced in 2021, was retired in October after a two-year run. The new NYCFC away kit likely won’t be announced until mid-February – the Interboro Kit dropped on February 15 last year, the Volt Kit on February 18the year before – but the internets likes to get a jump on things, and Footy Headlines reports that the 2024 away kit will have a black color scheme.
A source who has seen the kit, and who will remain anonymous because of a confidentiality agreement, confirms that it’s black.
The source also confirms that it’s fire.
Footy Headlines further makes their case by tweeting the 2024 Third Rail scarf and patches, which are black with blue and orange accents. The 2022 Third Rail scarf and patches, introduced the same year as the Volt Kit, were blue and orange. (They also give a deserving shoutout to @UKNYCFC, aka superfan Andrew “Barney” Barnard of Portsmouth, England.)
The black color scheme brings to mind NYCFC’s first away kit, a black shirt with sky-blue piping and an orange accent on the collar. Introduced in 2015, it was retired one year later when it was replaced by the hypo-kit. The black jersey was ranked the best NYCFC kit of all time by Hudson River Blue writer Charles Dunst in 2017, back in the early days of the club. New York City have worn another 12 jerseys since then, but in a purely subjective opinion, the 2015 away kit remains one of NYCFC’s all-time greats.
While this post is firmly in the “rumor” category, HRB has a solid track record of reporting leaked kits that prove to be real. From revealing the Parks Kit last year to the Volt Kit in 2022, our forecasts tend to be accurate.


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Apple is closing both of its shops in a particular district in Eastern Texas, and opening a brand-new one simply throughout the district’s border, reports Joe Rossignol at MacRumors.
This a fantastic method for Apple to brush off pesky suits from so-called patent giants, while likewise offering the cold shoulder to the town that permitted those giants to grow.
Although Apple has not openly revealed these closings, sources informed MacRumors that the 2 shops in concern remain in the northern residential areas of Dallas in Plano, Texas, and in Frisco, Texas. Both of them lie in the jurisdiction of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. The brand-new shop will be opened at the Galleria Dallas, which is physically extremely near the other shops, however, by the nature of how the district lines are drawn, lies within the jurisdiction of the Northern District court.
Texas’ Eastern District is notorious in the tech world as the court of option for taking legal action against somebody over patent violation. Patent suits attempted there, even jury cases, tend to be won by the complainant And since of that, the Eastern District has actually been a blessing for so-called patent giants– business that purchase up patents then walk around taking legal action against huge corporations for patent violation, although the brand-new patent owner didn’t create the tech or utilize it to develop an item.
However in May 2017, the United States Supreme Court struck a blow to patent giants by ruling that violation suits needed to be submitted in the state where the business lives, which tends to indicate the state in which the business is integrated. Such fits can no longer be submitted in a federal court of the complainant’s picking, with a huge exception: If the complainant might reveal that the offender had a recognized workplace in the district where the match was submitted, they might still take legal action against because district’s court, reported the Washington Post.
For That Reason, Apple, among the business often targeted for patent lawsuits, is leaving the Eastern Texas district, according to the report.
And there’s another whammy in Apple’s choice: any taxes or lease area payments the shops supplied to the location will be taken in other places also, as another blow to the location.
Patent lawsuits is among the banes of the tech market. The Supreme Court has in the previous number of years provided ruling to attempt and squash business of patent trolling. It might not last, however. The Electronic Frontier Structure, a guard dog group for concerns affecting the tech market, cautioned previously this month that the Patent Workplace is attempting to enforce brand-new guidelines that might thin down a few of those judgments.
Apple did not instantly react to an ask for remark.


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The days of a desolate downtown are over, and a new age of restaurants, shops and other businesses owned and operated by locals looking to leave their own mark on the city has arrived.
Among those residents hoping to make an impact are the creators of MADE Paper, a new monthly paper aimed at promoting the changing face of Montgomery.
As a group, Harvi Sahota, Anna Lowder, Brent Rosen and Caroline Nabors Rosen first considered the idea of producing a paper focused on featuring the cultural arts of Montgomery in January. However, it was a concept that had crossed all of their minds previously.
"This is something that all of us have individually wanted to do for a long time," Lowder said. "We felt like Montgomery didn't have a voice for the creative, younger generation. We wanted a way to connect all the activity that's under the surface."
The MADE staff currently consists of about 30 people who contribute ideas, articles, photographs, design work and more to help spotlight and showcase the individuals who are altering the experience of visiting and living in Montgomery.
"It gives the opportunity for people that don't know what's going on to learn and just goes to show how Montgomery has changed and how proud people are of the city," Rosen said.
Each issue offers content on upcoming events, recipes, style guides, and features about local artists, chefs, and entrepreneurs. In addition, Sahota said MADE Paper seeks to not only provide great articles, but be visibly inspiring as well.
"We want it to be high quality, so it's visually as interesting as the content is," said Sahota. "It's more in the style of magazine, but on newspaper."
The feedback for the paper's first issue, released on May 2, has been positive so far, and the creators hope the readership will continue to grow, much like the rebirth of the city that the publication was inspired by.New editions of the monthly, free paper will be placed at 25 distribution sites in downtown and Old Cloverdale on the first Thursday of each month. In addition, the paper's website will be updated daily with new articles.


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E-Insight Digital Marketing Blog
10 August 2010, Tracey Stern
I was reading this morning that Outdoor (Out of Home) revenues increased significantly in Quarter 2, boosted massively by a variety of Outdoor Digital formats. It started me thinking about the way in which Digital media has changed our lives, for the better. Even for oldies such as myself, we now take all things ‘digital’ for granted. It’s just a way of life.
26 May 2010, Jonathan Saipe
Google Analytics is a product that digital marketers and web analysts know and use ubiquitously. Of course, what most Internet users do not realise, is that their every step is normally being recorded by either Google Analytics or another web analytics tool. Today, Google announced some measures to ensure that online visitor privacy is maintained.
11 May 2010, Jonathan Saipe
Attached are Nielsen’s Online Market Highlights for March 2010.
Most notable online trends reported in this month’s market highlights are as follows:
- The top 5 websites (Google, Bing, Facebook, Yahoo! and BBC) remain unchanged; their reach is 95.55% of the UK online market!
- Google Search is still the stickiest search brand with an average reach of 81.5% followed by Google Image Search (28%); Yahoo! Search and Bing share approx 18% of reach
- Ebay remains number 1 for ecommerce reach; it reaches 45.9% (18.5m) of the active UK audience
- The highest % increase in reach comes from the Co-Operative (+58%) in the top ecommerce sites of the month
- The Co-Operative and Nectar replace Gumtree and John Lewis in the top ecommerce sites this month
View the full Online Market Highlights – March 2010
20 April 2010, Jonathan Saipe
Google has recently made improvements to how its Webmaster Tools report on impressions and click through rates (CTR) in search engine results pages. This data is crucial in measuring the effectiveness of your website metadata as well as the number of impressions you receive according to each keyword or keyphrase.
29 March 2010, Jonathan Saipe
Attached are Nielsen’s Online Market Highlights for February 2010.
Most notable online trends reported are as follows:
- The top 15 sites remain virtually unchanged
- 35-49 audience shows the largest increase month on month
- The top 5 sites reach 95% of the total online universe with Bing/MSN/Windows Live in second place after Facebook
- Member communities represent the most time spent online by consumers
- Google Search is the ‘stickiest’ online brand
- World of Warcraft is the number one application, in terms of average time spent on applications online
- Ebay remains number one in the e-commerce category
View the full Online Market Highlights – February 2010
27 March 2010, Jonathan Saipe
News International announced that The Times Online and Sunday Times Online will be moving to a paywall model for all of its online content as of June 2010.
21 March 2010, Jonathan Saipe
Having overseen the production of thousands of websites and their search campaigns since the mid-90’s, I’ve put together a guide covering 18 common SEO mistakes or omissions made by website owners or web designers.
11 March 2010, Jonathan Saipe
I was “privileged” to watch Bing’s UK ad last night on TV.
The proposition of reducing information overload is clear enough. So 8 out of 10 for clarity there.
It’s the creative execution that I’m just not sure about. The aim of the ad is no doubt to irritate viewers with its schizophrenic and fast paced exchange of dialogue and scenes, mirroring the experience searchers experience when using Google. Whilst the editing works for me, does it persuade me to us Bing? Most likely not.
Judge for yourself…


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DHAKA, Jan 26, 2023 (BSS) - Indian Visa Application Centre (IVAC) in Bangladesh today announced inauguration of a Visa Application Facilitation Centre (VAFC) at the IVAC Centre at Jamuna Future Park here.
Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Pranay Verma inaugurated the centre marking the 74th Republic Day of India, a press release issued by Indian High Commission here said.
The centre will provide an online visa application form filling-up facility.
Ever since online visa applications became mandatory, there have been requests for such a Visa Application Facilitation Centre, where applicants, who do not possess a computer or an internet connection, can come to the VAFC with their passports and documents and avail of the online visa application form filling-up facility and get their visa applications printed.
The form filling-up facility at VAFC will be provided for a nominal service fee of Taka 200 per application.
This will be an optional value added service provided by IVAC.
This facility will be rolled out in other IVACs in Bangladesh depending on demand, said the release.
IVAC Dhaka at Jamuna Future Park, which started its operations from July 2018, is the world's biggest Indian Visa Application Centre, it added.


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Audi News Forum Added to AudiWorld Site
There are a good many Audi related websites and newsources. Beyond online content there are a multitude of enthusiasts magazines, books and TV shows which provide coverage for the four-rings brand.
While AudiWorld is committed to providing end-to-end Audi-related coverage, it is not feasible or desirable to cover absolutely everything out there. For one thing there is lot of copyrighted material which we simply cannot re-print. Above and beyond that we would prefer to publish the most important Audi news together with a healthy amount of original content as opposed to trying to cover everything single tidbit of Audi information out there.
The “blog” is the answer for the best of both worlds. We are not the first to do this, but we do see it as a very logical extension of our core mandate of providing the most comprehensive Audi enthusiast website in the world.
The result is that we have launched a new Discussion Forum called the Audi News Forum in which our staff, together with a group of Audi News Contributing Editors, will aggregate pertinent news from many different sources. We want readers to have one spot that can serve as a launching off point to car reviews, rumors, interesting tid-bits, industry news and other Audi-related content which would not ordinarily be found published on AudiWorld.


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On Saturday 11th May 2019, Phil Chen, head of decentralisation at HTC, told the Magical Crypto Conference that the smartphone manufacturer, will be releasing a smartphone with the ability to run a ‘full Bitcoin node’ out the box. The phone in question is the impending Exodus 1s – the follow up to last year’s Exodus 1. It is said to cost in the region of $300.
To accompany the ability to host a full Bitcoin node, HTC have stated their Exodus 1s phone will also come equipped with a software development kit (SDK). Said SDK will be able to tap into the HTC Zion Vault crypto wallet.
Another interesting announcement from HTC is the fact that they also intend to open source the code to their social key recovery system.
Phil Chen, also told the Magical Crypto Conference that the company is looking to release the device by the end of Q3 2019.
Why Run a Bitcoin Node From Your Phone?
On this subject Phil Chen told the Magical Crypto conference that running a node could be the “most important” of the Bitcoin blockchain as each node helps to “secure the network”. He also states that each node acts as a “verifier of every single transaction” within a block. A block being a batch of transactions occurring on the Bitcoin blockchain.
HTC seem to be dedicated to enhancing the adoption of the decentralised world and their latest smartphone proves this. On the topic of decentralisation, Phil Chen had the following to say:
“…we’re building technology for the open, neutral, borderless, decentralised and censorship-resistant world.”
Love, peace and happiness.


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Scottish betting shops have been given the green light to reopen on 29 June, but will only offer a transactional service.
Under the government’s next phase for lifting COVID-19 restrictions, the Scottish government will prevent betting shops from showing live races, while there will also be a ban on seating within the shops to discourage people from gathering.
In a letter published by the Racing Post, Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Finance Kate Forbes wrote to the Betting and Gaming Council Chief Executive Michael Dugher explaining that fixed odds betting terminals (FOBTs) will also be switched off.
Forbes wrote: “With regards to your query of when your members will be permitted to reopen, it is anticipated that betting shops will be able to reopen in Phase 2 for the purpose of placing bets only, with no chairs and no televisions showing live races. This aims to avoid clusters of people gathering to watch live sport.
“Gambling machines should also be switched off to avoid spread through surface transmission. Confirmation will be issued in due course as to when the rest of the adult gaming industry may reopen.”
GVC said in a statement: “We are disappointed that we’ve had no clear advice or guidance on re-opening our Scottish shops. This is inconsistent with our English estate which is open for business and operating strict social-distancing measures to protect our colleagues and our customers. We will continue to seek clarification from the Scottish Government on this issue.”
Betting shops in England were permitted to reopen their doors on Monday 15 June, providing they are operating in accordance with the government guidelines on social distancing and protective measures such as ‘sneeze screens’ and enhanced cleaning procedures.
Meanwhile betting shops in Ireland have been forced to remain closed until 29 June following widespread confusion over the government’s messaging on non-essential retail.
It was reported that 800 Irish betting shops reopened their businesses on 15 June, believing to have complied with the Irish government’s ‘phase two’ Coronavirus national plan. However, within 24 hours Irish betting firms were instructed to close their doors as the government stated that betting shops were not included in the statutory arrangement to reopen non-essential Irish retail businesses.


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A CIO friend told me yesterday that his company is considering ditching notebooks and equipping its sales force with iPads. And I have yet to hear from a CIO or IT exec who thinks tablets don’t have a key role to play in the corporate America (my day job is community manager at IDG’sEnterprise CIO Forum).
So could tablets replace notebook PCs and netbooks or put at least crimp their sales? The latter seems like a sure thing now. Tablets and not just the iPad is causing a major incursion in sales of notebooks and netbooks, the new legacy machines.
Some were asking the question three months before the iPad started shipping last April, but the chances seemed more remote then. The wild success expected for iPad was even wilder than anyone imagined.
And now CIOs are preaching freedom of choice (this video sums up what forward-looking CIOs are telling me) when it comes to end users picking their own PC, tablet or smart phone. Given the choice, a Gen Yer in the workforce most of the time will pick an iPad 2 over a notebook, I suspect.
iPad sales are forecast to come in at 40 million this year and Apple said last month, the iPad has caused “the mother of all backlogs.” Analyst firm Canalys forecasts sales of 52 million of all brands of “pads” as it calls them. Every 10 “pads” steals away sales of five notebooks or netbooks, according to an article in Mac Observer citing Canalys.
What could propel tablets is a popular second or challenger to the iPad. The Motorola Zoom and RIM Playbook are distant challengers to the iPad, but challengers, nonetheless. There’s dozens of others, too.
Why the attraction to tablets? Look no further than our smart phones. We love touch screens, resplendent video and the slim uncomplicated and lightweight profile of the tablet more than built-in keyboards, the notebook’s distinguishing feature.
And there’s love for Apple ios and Android….not so much for Windows 7.
Nielsen just released a study where tablets were found to the most popular computer for those “watching TV” versus an eReader and Smart Phone, which dominated for those lying in bed. However, notebooks and netbooks were not included in the study.
The tablet was a big loser up until 14 months ago when Apple brilliantly and/or serendipitously pumped up the iPhone and came out with the iPad. I remember Microsoft showing off a tablet computer at a Comdex trade show and that was a decade ago!
Guess there’s still hope for single sign-in.
Follow me on Twitter.


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Sears Holdings Corp’s shares soared 20 per cent after the struggling retailer said it would sell its Kenmore home appliances on Amazon.com and integrate the brand’s smart gadgets with the online giant’s Alexa digital assistant.
The deal will expand the distribution reach of Kenmore products, potentially giving a fillip to the company’s sales, which have been falling for years amid intensifying competition from Wal-Mart Stores Inc and Amazon.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
Syncing “smart” Kenmore appliances, such as connected room air conditioners, with Alexa, will allow users to control the gadgets with voice commands.
Sears Canada to begin liquidation sales at 59 stores this Friday. Is one of them near you?
Kevin Libin: Amazon’s making people really, really happy. Obviously it must be stopped
Sears Canada’s key workers get $9.2M in retention bonuses as thousands laid off without severance
Sears joins an increasing number of retailers and manufacturers, including Whirlpool Corp, Ford Motor Co and Starbucks, which are integrating their products with Alexa as they look to garner sales through the popular digital assistant.
Alexa controls Amazon Echo, a speaker which lets the user call a cab, order pizza or shop on Amazon among other things.
Investors cheered Sears’ deal – the stock was set for its best day in about four months.
Store-based retailers are increasingly looking to sell more online as they struggle with falling store traffic and growing competition from Amazon.
Footwear maker Nike Inc also said last month it would start selling a limited product assortment directly on Amazon, rather than through third-party and unlicensed dealers.
© Thomson Reuters 2017


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A Franklin Walmart was evacuated Sunday morning after an indication that an explosive might have been inside.
Franklin Police received a call of a bomb threat in the Walmart located at 6701 S. 27th Street around 9:30 a.m.
The store was safely evacuated and then searched by the Franklin Police and Explosive Detection K-9s from the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Department and Milwaukee Police Department.
Authorities did not locate any explosive devices inside the building. The store has since reopened for business.


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TomTom launches Kylie and Connery satnavs
'Especially for you...'
TomTom hopes to tug at singletons' heartstrings this Valentine’s Day, with the launch of four sexy celebrity satnav voices.
For men, the drive back from the off-licence on 14 February could be accompanied by the voice of Aussie temptress Kylie Minogue telling you that you’ve reached your destination. Alternatively, you could be told to turn right at the next corner by Claudia Schiffer.
For the ladies, there’s a choice between beefy Brad Pitt and the smooth, silver-haired Sean Connery.
Alas, they're not the real thing - all four voices are performed by impersonators, TomTom admitted. But it’s probably as close as you’ll ever come to getting Claudia in your back seat or Pitt in your
TomTom will supply all four voices with each of its satnavs sold between 7 and 21 February. ®


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Yogi, Eugene, Ore., announced the opening of its new 189,000-square-foot tea manufacturing facility. Designed to meet increased consumer demand for Yogi’s products as well as prepare for future expansion initiatives, the new Yogi facility is pursuing a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (or LEED) certification, a first for a tea production facility in the nation, the company says.
“The opportunity to build the nation’s first LEED-certified tea manufacturing facility right here in Eugene is very exciting for us, as we have always considered Eugene a home for Yogi,” said Giancarlo Marcaccini, chief executive officer of Yogi, in a statement. “When building this plant, our vision was to create a space that was thoughtfully designed and thoroughly efficient. This was purposeful in order to cultivate an environment that was harmonious both to what we do, which is make the best tea in the world, and to who is doing it, which is everyone working here to achieve that.”
Customized from the ground up, the new facility establishes a more efficient blueprint for product testing, manufacturing, and employee collaboration and satisfaction. The facility incorporates numerous features to encourage more sustainable business practices, and works to minimize pollution, waste and heat island impacts, allowing Yogi to pursue its LEED-certification status, the company says. Examples include the actual location of the facility, which reduces environmental impact due to land selection that was not farmland nor in the flood plain, and not habitat for any endangered species, as well as provision of bicycle covered storage and preferred parking for low-emitting and fuel-efficient vehicles. In addition, the new facility allows for improved energy and water efficiencies through efforts such as capturing 90 percent of storm runoff and implementing drought-tolerant landscape, it says.
The new facility also includes high-tech Research and Development and Quality Assurance laboratories. Whether its plant DNA analysis or ingredient identity confirmation testing, the lab was designed with a focus on ensuring product purity, quality and safety, the company says. In contrast to its previous manufacturing facility, the new Eugene manufacturing facility provided Yogi its first opportunity to design a manufacturing plant that aligns with its process flow. As a result, the new layout is expected to bring greater efficiencies throughout the manufacturing process.
“Just like our teas help people to thrive and flourish, our new facility was built to support the health and well-being of our employees and community,” said Sat Bir Singh Khalsa, director of global community relations and HR development for Yogi, in a statement. BI