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Nintendo held their Annual Earnings Announcement earlier today, and along with updates regarding their earnings from the past fiscal year. The Kyoto based company also dropped some mini bombshells regarding the NX, the Wii U successor that has been shrouded in secrecy, and the next release in the Zelda series for Wii U, which always seems to come out next year.
Check out the press release, along with some of my opinions, predictions, and random mumblings after the break!
Nintendo announced a variety of updates during the earnings announcement for its full fiscal year, ended March 31. These updates included the first information about Nintendo’s next video game system, code-named NX.
“As we report the results of the last fiscal year, we also look forward to an exciting period ahead with further growth in our mobile business, new products for our dedicated video game systems and continued progress in our efforts to increase the number of consumers experiencing our IP through games, licensing and expanded entertainment,” said Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima.
For a complete overview of Nintendo’s financial announcements, as well as changes to Nintendo’s governance system, please visit Nintendo’s Investor Relations website at https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en. Announcement highlights include:
· Miitomo: Nintendo’s first app for smartphones and tablets has already crossed 10 million unique users worldwide. The free-to-start social experience app launched in Japan on 17th March and in a variety of other countries, including the UK, on 31st March.
Along with these outstanding user numbers, Nintendo also has, to date, sparked more than 300 million conversations in Miitomo.
In addition, users can insert their Mii characters into photos to create unique “Miifotos” that can be shared through various social media. As of now, more than 20 million Miifotos have been created.
To celebrate Miitomo reaching 10 million users, Nintendo will run a special 10-day “Celebrating 10 Million Users!” promotion between 29th April and 8th May.
· Nintendo’s Next Mobile Apps: Building on the positive consumer reaction to Miitomo, Nintendo announced that its next two mobile apps would be based on the familiar and beloved Fire Emblem and Animal Crossing franchises.
Nintendo plans to release both of these applications this autumn. As for the former app, while making it more accessible in comparison to the Fire Emblem games for Nintendo’s dedicated gaming systems, Nintendo aims to offer the great value of a role-playing strategy game. Nintendo will design the latter game so that it will be connected with the world of Animal Crossing for dedicated gaming systems. By playing both Animal Crossing games, users will find increased enjoyment. Both of these are pure game applications.
Compared to Miitomo, they have more prominent game elements, and the game content will tie closely into Nintendo’s dedicated games business.
Nintendo will provide more details about these applications closer to their launch period, and aims to have multiple types of apps that appeal to different audiences and different groups of players.
Regrettably, I have never played a Fire Emblem game in my life, so I will not be rambling on about that. Animal Crossing on the other hand, is a different story. From how Nintendo have worded this, it sounds like the Animal Crossing app will act like a companion app, being “connected with the world of Animal Crossing for dedicated gaming systems.” Could this possibly mean that we are finally getting a new PROPER Animal Crossing game in the near future? If so, there are many possibilities in which the app could enhance the experience of the new title. Perhaps your villager will be able to get a job, and you could play little mini games on the app to help earn more bells, this would definitely fit in with how “compared to Miitomo, they have more prominent game elements.” The app could also be used to customise your character on the fly, interact with your villager neighbours as well as friends around the world, and more. What would you want in an Animal Crossing app?
· NX: Nintendo previously announced that it would release more information about its next system, code-named NX, this year.
As the first announcement of any NX information, Nintendo confirmed that NX is scheduled to launch in March 2017. NX will not make an appearance at the upcoming E3 video game trade show in Los Angeles in June and will be unveiled later this year.
It’s great to finally have some sort of launch month for the upcoming console, but it doesn’t come without some concerns. First of all, they are missing out on a big opportunity by skipping a holiday release. There are several reasons that come to my mind for this. The more optimistic side of me makes me wonder if Nintendo has something big planned for the festive season, and including a big console release could possibly overshadow their plan. Another part of me is also wondering if this is Nintendo is avoiding that date to stop the NX from being overshadowed itself. There are usually several big releases between the months of October and January, and with the much rumoured upgrades to the PS4 and XBOX One, there could be a lot of fierce competition. Another reason for releasing the console in March could be to provide a stronger launch for NX. They may only have a few games ready in time for a holiday release, but have far more games ready if it gets released in March.
Another concerning point, is the fact that the NX will be absent from this year’s E3 event, especially since the console releases in just under 12 months. Looking around, some are assuming that the console is not yet completed, that may be true, but even then, the Wii U was announced and shown off nearly two years before it was actually shipped to stores. I think that Nintendo could maybe want to set up a whole press conference just to unveil the console and show it off. Let’s quickly go back to 2013, both Microsoft and Sony took the same route when announcing the XBOX One and the PS4 (though this took place before E3. If Nintendo were to hold a specialised NX event, I would predict that it would likely take place not too long after E3, October at the latest. Also, though they stated that NX will not appear at this year’s E3, they could still quite possibly show off a few games briefly, though this is just me being really hopeful.
· The Legend of Zelda: The latest instalment in this classic series is scheduled to launch simultaneously for both Wii U and NX, and both versions of the game have been in development in tandem. Because developers need more time to polish the game, it will launch in 2017, but it will be the focus of Nintendo’s presence at E3.
This definitely comes at a bit of a disappointment. We were promised a brand new Zelda game for the Wii U pretty much since it was announced. Many years passed without a word of the new title. Come 2014, we finally got a small glimpse of the new game, slated with a 2015 release. A year later, Aonuma stated that, ‘to make it the ultimate and most complete Zelda game’, it will be released in 2016 instead. Another year later, at Nintendo’s annual Earnings Announcement, it was announced that the game is now slated to release in 2017, it’s strange, it always seems to be releasing next year. But what’s the reasoning behind this? Well, Nintendo also announced that Zelda Wii U will also be released on the NX console at the same time as the Wii U. This extra time will give the developers more time to polish the game up. This is definitely a kick to the balls to those who invested in a Wii U to play the next Zelda game, this is because they won’t only be seeing a Wii U exclusive Zelda game that isn’t a remake, but it is likely the NX version will be the definitive version as the console is likely to have more advanced hardware, as well as some NX exclusive features.
· E3: Nintendo changes its approach to the show every year. This June, Nintendo will focus its attentions on the upcoming game in The Legend of Zelda series. The Wii U version of the game will be playable for the first time on the E3 show floor, and it will be the only playable game Nintendo presents at the show, in order to provide attendees a complete immersion. Additional information about Nintendo’s E3 plans will be announced in the future.
Yet another bizarre decision on Nintendo’s part, only showing off only one playable title on their E3 show floor. The E3 show floor is the perfect opportunity for developers to get members of the media some hands-on time with their upcoming titles, so with Nintendo only setting up demos for Zelda is a bit concerning. This has already got some people assuming that Nintendo just doesn’t have anything worth showing off this year, but what about games like Federation Force, Tokyo Mirage Session #FE, Monster Hunter Generations, and Paper Mario Colour Splash, all of which are announced to come out later in the year? We also have to remember that this is the 30th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda, so perhaps Nintendo are planning something big for the show floor.
Today has definitely been interesting, with some particularly shocking news. I wouldn’t go as far as saying that this is the end for Nintendo, like some overdramatic people are bitching about, sure, I am a bit pissed off about some of the news, but it isn’t the end… or at least not yet it isn’t. I will admit, though the Wii U is a awesome console, Nintendo has had some rough patches with the console, particularly when it comes down to marketing and third party support, so hopefully Nintendo have learnt from their missteps to bring us an amazing console. But for now, it’s pretty much anyone’s game, there’s no firm details about what has been announced today, so anything could happen.
What do you think of everything Nintendo talked about today? What are your predictions for E3 and beyond? Tell us in the comments below!
Source – Nintendo PR
I am a huge Nintendo fan, hence why NintyBuzz exists. I especially love all things Zelda and Metroid. NintyBuzz was started by me back in the Summer of 2014, it started out mainly as a hobby, though the site has gradually grown, and I hope it grows for many years to come!


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Comprehensive EV Charging Station Reviews & News
with Tom Moloughney
Latest EV Charging Station Reviews
Comprehensive and unbiased
Tom Moloughney tests out and puts the Tesla Universal Wall Connector EV charger through his extensive tests and offers his opinions in this full review.
The Emporia 48-amp EV charger made a splash with its high 48-amp power, smart charging features, and integration with other energy-saving & monitoring devices.
The Autel MaxiCharger is a smart EV charger capable of providing fast charging speeds in the comfort of your own home, with WiFi and Bluetooth capability.
The Wallbox Pulsar Plus 48 is an ultra-compact smart EV charger with both Alexa and Google Home integration on top of WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity.
Tom Moloughney tests out and puts the Schumacher SEV1600 EV charger through his extensive tests and offers his opinions in this full review.
Latest EV Charging News
Exactly what you need to know
Mazda is one of the latest brands that have confirmed that will adopt the Tesla-developed North American Charging Standard (NACS) for its Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) in North America.
A South Korean battery company is setting up shop on US soil, as a new LG electronics factory in Texas begins...
America’s automotive heart has just introduced critical new EV tech, as Detroit unveils the nation’s first EV charging road for testing and use.
In an exciting turn of events, it’s been revealed that Tesla is developing a wireless charging system for electric vehicles, on top of conventional charging.
Electrify America, one of the U.S. largest electric vehicle fast charging networks, released a set of five top tips related to charging in cold weather, which might be especially important for new EV drivers.
Hi, I’m Tom Moloughney
I’ve been driving EVs since 2009 and currently drive a Tesla Model 3. I’m a senior editor for the EV news website, InsideEVs, and a former Director for the world’s largest electric vehicle advocacy organization, Plug In America.
I’ve been reviewing electric vehicle charging equipment for over ten years and have tested most of the products available today. My goal with this site is to offer the most comprehensive reviews of EV charging equipment available anywhere, and to help consumers decide which charging equipment best serves their needs.

domain: news


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Windows 10 Overtakes Windows XP In Market Share
Windows 10 is a little over six months old and the OS is being adopted quickly around the world. With over 200 million machines now running the OS, the platform is being well received by consumers and corporations.
The OS also passed another milestone in the month of January, Windows 10 is now on more machines than Windows XP. Even though Windows XP is no longer supported by Microsoft and its market share is quickly shrinking, for many years, it was the most widely used operating system on the planet.
For the month of January, according to Netmarketshare.com, Windows 10 was used on 11.85% of machines while Windows XP was installed on 11.42% but Windows 7 still remains the juggernaut at 52.47%. Windows 8/8.1 is still on 13.08% of devices but expect Windows 10 to surpass that mark next month.
With Windows 8 being shunned by consumers and corporations, Windows 7 is the long-term roadblock to preventing Windows 10 from becoming the most widely used version of Windows. For those that have remained on 7, they have typically done so as the platform is rock-solid and offers the basics needed for a modern machine. But, it does lack the Windows store, support for Hello and many other security features that have been developed with Windows 8 and 10.
Windows 10 will turn one on July 29th, 2016 and it will be interesting to see if Microsoft can keep up its adoption momentum which would put the total install base around 400 million devices. The company has publicly stated that they hope to have one billion machines running the operating system within three years.
More in Windows 10
IT Admins Report Issues With Microsoft Store Version of Quick Assist App
May 16, 2022 | Rabia Noureen
Microsoft Releases May 2022 Patch Tuesday Updates
May 11, 2022 | Laurent Giret
What’s New with Windows – April 2022
May 2, 2022 | Russell Smith
This Week in IT - Is Microsoft Killing Off Patch Tuesday?
Apr 22, 2022 | Russell Smith
Windows 10 November 2021 Update is Now Ready for Broad Deployment
Apr 18, 2022 | Rabia Noureen
This Week in IT - Windows 10 Gets Search Highlights and Is Microsoft in Hot Water Over Windows Cloud Pricing?
Apr 15, 2022 | Russell Smith
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As you're probably aware by now, the Microsoft Xbox 360 Kinect is now available for sale, with retail price currently at $149.99. It uses motion sensors to allow you to play video games without holding a controller. It's sure to be a hot item for this holiday season.
Well, unless videos of parents accidentally beating up their children while playing the Kinect keep coming out. Fun for the whole family!
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News - Mitsubishi
Nissan and Mitsubishi confirm tie-in
Strategic alliance between Nissan and Mitsubishi goes official
13 May 2016
NISSAN Motor Company and Mitsubishi Motors Corporation have officially announced that they have formed a “far-reaching strategic alliance” that will see Nissan take a majority share of the embattled Japanese car-maker.
The “basic agreement”, announcement in Japan yesterday, confirms that Nissan will take a 34 per cent share of MMC for ¥237 billion ($A2.9b).
In a joint statement, Nissan and Mitsubishi said they expect existing MMC shareholders Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi Corporation and The Bank of Tokyo – Mitsubishi UFJ to maintain a “significant collective ownership stake in Mitsubishi Motors, and to support the strategic alliance”.
It remains unclear what impact, if any, the strategic alliance will have on the companies’ local arms, Nissan Motor Company Australia and Mitsubishi Motors Australia Limited.
The two companies have had been partners in developing Japanese-market mini cars for the past five years, a relationship that has come under recent scrutiny with the announcement by MMC last month that it had manipulated fuel economy figures for its joint-developed Mitsubishi and Nissan ‘kei’ cars.
According to the statement, Nissan and MMC have agreed to collaborate in a number of areas, including common vehicle platforms, technology sharing, purchasing, joint plant utilisation and growth markets.
It is unclear if the agreement will revive plans for Mitsubishi to share development of its small and mid-size passenger cars with Renault-Nissan Alliance that did not come to fruition a year ago.
Nissan is set to purchase 506.6 million newly-issued MMC shares for a price of ¥468.52 ($A5.89) per share. The companies state that this price reflects the volume weighted average price from April 21, 2016, to May 11, 2016.
The agreement will be formally recognised at the end of May with the signing of a definitive Alliance Agreement, as well as the signing of a shareholders agreement with Mitsubishi Group shareholders of MMC and regulatory approvals.
This is expected to close by the end of the year. MMC will then suggest Nissan nominees as board directors in proportion to Nissan’s voting rights, which will include a Nissan candidate to become chairman.
Nissan Motor Company chief executive and president Carlos Ghosn said the Mitsubishi brand would be protected under the agreement.
“This is a breakthrough transaction and a win-win for both Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors,” he said. “It creates a dynamic new force in the automotive industry that will cooperate intensively, and generate sizeable synergies.
“We will be the largest shareholder of MMC, respecting their brand, their history and boosting their growth prospects. We will support MMC as they address their challenges and welcome them as the newest member of our enlarged Alliance family.” MMC chairman of the board and chief executive Osamu Masuko said the deal would be mutually beneficial for both car-makers in the long term.
“Through its long history of successful partnerships Nissan Motor has developed a deep knowledge of maximising the benefits from alliance partnerships,” he said. “This agreement will create long-term value needed for our two companies to progress towards the future.
“We will achieve long-term value through deepening our strategic partnership including sharing resources such as development, as well as joint procurement.” The addition of Mitsubishi will expand the Renault-Nissan Alliance further. The French-Japanese partners already own stakes in Russian car-maker AvtoVaz as well as German giant Daimler.
Brands already under the Alliance banner include Nissan, Renault, Dacia, Renault-Samsung Motors, Alpine, Datsun and Infiniti.
12th of May 2016
Nissan to buy major stake in Mitsubishi: report
Trouble-plagued Mitsubishi could reportedly get a boost from part-Nissan ownership
21st of April 2016
Mitsubishi admits tweaking fuel-use figures
More than 625,000 mini cars built by Mitsubishi had falsified fuel economy figures
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Croatia’s Atlantic Grupa is selling production and private-label assets within its sports nutrition arm to Belgium-based company Aminolabs Group but will hold on to the unit’s core brands.
Atlantic Grupa said it has made the move in an effort to “restructure and simplify” its sports and functional food business.
The transaction is valued at around HRK200m (US$30.9m) of which HRK150m will be processed upon the signing of the contract while the rest will be payed over the next two years.
Atlantic Grupa will remain a minority shareholder in the production facility in Nova Gradiška in Croatia while the “strategic” brands Multipower, Champ and Multaben have been spun off in a special business unit that will remain in its ownership.
The compant said it will will continue to develop the Multipower brand, moving it into the “premium” category, retaining its marketing, sales and innovation departments.
Production of the brand will continue in cooperation with Aminolabs, and Atlantic Grupa suggests the new partnership opens a prospect of growth in the sports food field in Europe.
Aminolabs Group is a specialist in the development and production of sports and health supplements. It is based in Hasselt, Belgium, and has two existing production plants in the country in Hasselt and Zottegem. The company has business in 36 countries worldwide, with customers including prominent brands, online stores, retailers and pharmacy chains.


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Business conditions held firm in the second quarter but industry sentiment is starting to trend downward as longstanding concerns about a recession in the second half of the year are beginning to be vocalized, Trucks, Parts, Service uncovered in its MarketPulse quarterly survey last month.
Dealers and distributors alike mostly responded with stable evaluations of second quarter business conditions in our July survey, but when asked to predict the months ahead, optimism receded. Expectations for Q3 and into Q4 were down in both segments.
TPS survey responders are not anticipating a deep recession — no responders expect to reduce their workforce and more than half of all responders still want to expand their operations — but when predicting Q3 against the first half of the year, or comparing it to business results from last year, it is clear the industry is concerned.
[RELATED: July Class 8 orders outpace expectations]
On a 1-to-10 scale, where 1 is the worst quarter ever and 10 is the best quarter ever, dealers anticipate Q3 to be a 6.94 on average. In the aftermarket, predictions are even lower at 6.40.
Dealers evaluated business conditions as a 7.18 in Q2, aftermarket responders were slightly higher at 7.30. Both totals were down slightly from Q1 but not far from Q2 projections provided in our April survey. The aftermarket actually exceeded expectations in Q2, as April’s prediction for the second three months of the year was 7.06 among responders.
Economic concerns seem to be driving most pessimism for the months ahead.
“Current economic/business conditions (including inflation)” was the highest ranked concern among dealers (53%) and aftermarket responders (40%) for the second consecutive quarter in our survey, and the percentage of responders that ranked the economy as their biggest fear rose among both audiences from Q1. Every dealer responder in our July survey ranked the economy as a top five concern; as did 85% of aftermarket responders.
Within the industry, the weakest sales segment continues to be used truck sales. More than half (53%) of our dealer responders said used truck sales was the softest part of their business in Q2 and no dealer said that business was its best. A majority of aftermarket responders said part sales was their best unit in Q2 but another plurality (45%) also said parts sales was their weakest unit in Q2. Among dealers, 35% said parts was their best unit in Q2 and 12% said it was their worst.
With freight levels down and recession fears still lingering for the national economy, TPS responders have tempered their expectations for the months ahead. Only 18% of dealer responders anticipate business conditions (adjusting for seasonality) will better in the next six months than they were during the second half of 2022 — 35% believe business will be slightly worse year over year.
Aftermarket sentiment for the six months ahead is much more mixed. Aforementioned Q3 predictions are down but when asked to forecast year over year business conditions for the next six months when adjusting for seasonality, those concerns alleviate somewhat.
A quarter of responders expect business to be down, but only 5% believe business will be “substantially worse” — down more than 5% year over year. Another 60% believe business will be up year over year in the second half, including 20% expecting greater than 5% year over year growth. Considering TPS survey responders pegged Q4 2022 as a 7.71 in January, it is safe to say aftermarket forecasting confidence has been weakened by external economic factors.
Fortunately, long-term optimism can still be found in both segments.
No survey responders in July expect to reduce their workforce in the next six months but 65% of dealers and 50% of aftermarket responders want to add headcount. More than half of dealers (59%) and aftermarket responders (65%) also are considering business expansions at this time.
TPS will conduct its third quarter MarketPulse survey in August and publish a brief synopsis of the data after it concludes.
Want to read more insights from our second quarter survey? Or participate in future surveys? We’d love to hear from you.
All truck and trailer dealers and independent aftermarket businesses are encouraged to participate in the TPS MarketPulse survey, and only businesses who choose to participate will receive complete survey results each quarter. For more information, and to register, please email firstname.lastname@example.org.


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After months of sky-high gas prices, many Torontonians have switched to an e-scooter to cruise through the city. Toronto resident Kyle Ott, a worker in the trades, heavily relied on cares to get around to different job sites. He purchased an e-scooter four months ago and said “I figured, why not? I’ll give it a shot,”
He explained that “this gets me from point A to point B on my time, when I want. I don’t have to wait for anybody. And it’s convenient and fun.” Ott estimated that he is saving close to $800 a month by not relying on ride-hailing apps like Uber. Retailers say e-scooters have soared in popularity and their sales are increasing.
Aaron Binder, the chief experience officer at Segway of Ontario said “as soon as the pandemic hit, our sales just skyrocketed, … Going back to 2019, we’ve probably seen about 1,000 per cent increase in sales … Just for this particular device that is right in front of me,”
For more information about the source click HERE


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Vibein, on Jan 6 2010, 15:57, said:
Think the X2 will get over shadowed by all the new android handsets N1, X10 etc. They may as well have not bothered releasing it considering the delay. Business users might still bite.
Going to be available this week in Europe so will not be impossible to get hold off.
Sounds like Google and Apple may have the lions share. As you say, most WM devices are going to be overshadowed by alternatives.
And seeing as (apparantly) WM7 is due out this year, why would anyone want 6.5 now?


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“Netflix won this several years ago, they’re the only ones who have the scale and momentum to keep making these somewhat lunatic investments in programming,” Diller, the chairman of IAC, said in an interview with Andrew Ross Sorkin. “You cannot compete with the momentum, the scale, no one will ever be able to do that.”
Legacy media have jumped into the streaming space in recent years to win back customers and strengthen business. Disney‘s Hulu and Disney+, Comcast NBCUniversal’s Peacock, ViacomCBS‘ Paramount+ and AMC Networks‘ AMC+ have all jumped onboard to transition their aging television-focused businesses .
Most recently, AT&T announced a deal to combine its content unit WarnerMedia with Discovery to form a new media giant. The new media company could be worth well over $100 billion, and executives said the two companies already spend a combined $20 billion per year on content, including programming for their linear networks. AT&T said Discovery CEO David Zaslav will lead the new company.
However, Diller said doesn’t think the new deal will lead to a company that can take over Netflix’s success. Still, the deal can be considered the “great escape” for AT&T, Diller said.


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Manufacturers of computer screens say that demand for LCD, or liquid crystal displays, has doubled in 2007 from 2006 as thinner and sharper screens attracted new and replacement buyers in India.
Replacement sales are estimated by some to be about 20% of the annual market.
The move towards more computer LCD screens was also triggered by deep price cuts in monitors.
Total sales of LCD monitors in 2007 crossed 3.5 million, estimates one executive of Samsung India Electronics Pvt. Ltd. While year-end data from independent sources is not available yet, in the three quarters through September, research firm International Data Corp. estimated 2.64 million LCD monitors were sold in India, about the same number of the conventional cathode ray tube-based (CRT) monitors in the same period.
About two years ago, a 17-inch LCD monitor was priced at Rs17,000 while a CRT version monitor was available for Rs5,500. The LCD monitor now costs around Rs10,000 while the CRT monitor has fallen by about 10% to about Rs5,000.
“The advancement of technology and economy of scale has helped in bringing down the price for LCD monitors,” said R. Manikandan, a sales and marketing general manager at LG Electronics India Pvt. Ltd. The company claims to be the second largest player in LCD monitors, with around a 12% share of the market.
Sale for LCD monitors overtook CRT for the first time in the quarted ended June with 51.4% of the 1.73 million monitors sold, according to data IDC India. The market share for LCD monitors rose to 52.3% out of 2.04 million monitors sold in the quarter ended September.
“The LCD monitor category is doing well in the metros and the large cities,” said Sanjay Sharma, a vice president of sales at Samsung India. “CRT monitors are still in demand in smaller towns.”
Samsung, the market leader in monitors with a 16.8% share, says it has seen 100% growth in sales of its LCD monitors. Samsung predicts that nearly two-thirds of all monitors sold in India will be LCD this year.
Even as some companies phase out CRT monitors, that scenario is unlikely in India.
“We don’t see, in the next two to three years, that it will be phased out,” says Pankaj Chawla of IDC India


text: Tomorrow night, Kobe Bryant will suit up in his 14th consecutive all-star game (all as a starter). Sort of amazing to think it’s been that long since he made his first start back in 1998. Also crazy to think that back in that game, the NBA went with players wearing their own team uniforms rather than special all-star ones. Anyways, here’s a look back at that fateful day when Kobe made his first appearance as a starter when he didn’t even start for the Lakers and was in a full on duel with Michael Jordan (one that Jordan won handily, earning his 3rd MVP in the process). Enjoy.


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A Hong Kong-based investor has acquired a ground floor retail shop in the South Melbourne Village for $1.56 million, representing one of the strongest building rates ever recorded in the area.
The 102sqm retail outlet, located at 1/295 Clarendon Street, features high exposure to Clarendon Street, which has traditionally been one of the more tightly held strips across Melbourne. The shop is within a fully restored former bank building, which was developed into the ‘Havana’ apartment complex, comprising 13 residential apartments and 1 ground floor retail shop.
The property was sold with an existing five year net lease to fashion retailer Industrie, expiring 2019.
CBRE’s Rorey James, Jackie Hanna and Josh Rutman negotiated the sale via a public on-site auction. The sale represented a very strong building rate of approximately $15,300 per sqm.
ALSO SEE: Pre-Sales Boom For Premier Tower
Mr James said the public campaign received strong interest from both local and offshore parties, with both groups recognising the strong investment and earning potential of the current retail market.
“The strong sales result is evidence of the confidence investors have in the Melbourne retail market, with the auction receiving over 60 bids from seven interested parties, in front of a crowd well in excess of 100 people.”
“The strong sale price further indicates the depth in the buyer market for well located strata retail investment properties such as 295 Clarendon Street,” Mr Rutman added.


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REAL Solutions® Reaches 30 States A Year Ahead of Schedule
NCUF’s Signature Program Becomes a Critical Strategy,
Saves Credit Union Members Millions of Dollars
|A full year ahead of schedule, REAL Solutions® – the signature program of the National Credit Union Foundation (NCUF) – is reaching credit unions in 30 states and saving members tens of millions of dollars.|
State credit union leagues surveyed “strongly agree” that “REAL Solutions® is a valuable program for leagues.” Nearly all report that "REAL Solutions® helps credit unions serve members with low wealth.” This target group includes people with low income or modest means, as well as people with moderate and middle incomes who are struggling to save and build assets.
“As millions of consumers faced an uncertain economy in 2008, REAL Solutions® became an even more critical strategy,” emphasized NCUF Executive Director Steve Delfin. “The program has evolved beyond products and services. REAL Solutions® is now a documented business strategy for credit unions to grow their memberships by serving the underserved.”
|In fact, research conducted by Cornell University and released in a 2008 report by the Filene Research Institute found:|
“The REAL Solutions initiative illustrates the type of strategy credit unions could adopt to successfully engage the underserved financial market.”
Cornell’s Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise emphasized:
“This is important because underserved households – while at the bottom of the economic pyramid now – represent future savers, future car-buyers, future homeowners, and future generations of credit union members.”
Click the cover on the right to see the full report:
Back to the Future: Integrating Sustainability into Credit Union Strategy
|Also in 2008, the Credit Union National Association’s Membership Growth Task Force released recommendations to “assist credit unions in reaching out to new markets.” The CUNA Membership Growth Task Force recommended “encouraging credit unions to develop more community partnerships, encouraging more participation in REAL Solutions®, and continuing advocacy efforts aimed at legal and regulatory changes to make service to new markets easier.”|
Both reports touched on much of what REAL Solutions® participants have learned about why and how credit unions provide affordable products and services to underserved markets.
“The most successful products and services are not only affordable for consumers, but also sustainable for credit unions,” explained REAL Solutions® National Program Director Lois Kitsch. “Sustainable products and services become a permanent part of credit unions’ business plans – as opposed to ‘loss leaders’ that must be limited in volume or subsidized by other parts of the credit unions’ operations.”
Among the most popular REAL Solutions® products and services chosen by credit unions and their state associations:
Payday Loan Alternatives
In 2008 alone, over 200 REAL Solutions® credit unions disbursed more than $70 million in affordable payday loan alternatives to 25,000+ members.
REAL Solutions® credit unions aim to provide these short-term loans as lower-cost options for borrowers who typically pay over 300% APR at predatory payday lenders.
Borrowers who received payday loan alternatives from REAL Solutions® credit unions saved an estimated $8 million in excess interest and fees.
Many members were able to pay off their credit union loans without rolling them over. This saved members countless more dollars in debt they would have rolled up at payday lenders.
Voluntary Income Tax Assistance
|Nearly 100 REAL Solutions® credit unions provided volunteer income tax assistance (VITA) in 2008.|
VITA sites specialize in helping workers who earn under $42,000 apply for Earned Income Tax Credits.
By offering free tax preparation, free electronic filing, and free deposits of refunds, REAL Solutions® credit unions saved low-income tax filers an estimated $20 million.
In addition, REAL Solutions® credit unions steered many tax filers away from costly refund anticipation loans (RALs) promoted by for-profit tax preparers. This saved tax filers from RAL rates as high as 2,000% APR.
Another 100 REAL Solutions® credit unions plan to provide volunteer income tax assistance in 2009.
Non-Prime Auto Loans
|Nearly all REAL Solutions® credit unions (92%) are offering non-prime auto loans. Non-prime auto loans are designed to help borrowers with low-to-moderate incomes, low credit scores, and thin credit files afford cars they need to drive to work.|
To highlight model non-prime used auto loans and encourage even more credit unions to provide them, NCUF in 2008 released its first-ever research report. Steer Clear: How Credit Unions Help Car Buyers Avoid Predatory Loans demonstrated how credit unions could gain a sustainable share of the non-prime market where 8 million used cars are sold each year.
This 60-page report is available free of charge here on the NCUF website. (Click the cover on the left). You can also download the report and many other free resources on the new REAL Solutions® Impact Center (www.realsolutions.coop).
|In the photo on the right, NCUF Executive Director Steve Delfin presented REAL Solutions’ Steer Clear report to the Credit Union Advisory Board of Enterprise Car Sales, a Corporate Supporter of NCUF.|
The Steer Clear report was funded in part by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, with support from the Aspen Institute.
“This was the first of what we hope will be many collaborative efforts integrating REAL Solutions® into projects that help further the mission of other asset-building organizations as well as credit unions,” reflected Delfin. “REAL Solutions® is opening doors for NCUF to apply for grants from larger foundations that share our desire to help consumers with low wealth.”
|In another collaborative effort, the American Association of Credit Union Leagues (AACUL) leveraged the REAL Solutions® brand when designing the REAL Deal, a new outreach initiative advanced by AACUL in partnership with CUNA and NCUF.|
REAL Solutions® became an integral component of the first REAL Deal outreach framework model:
“REAL Programs—products and services promoting a ‘good deal’ for members geared toward achieving individual financial success...”
|Looking ahead to 2009, REAL Solutions® will focus on growing deeper rather than broader.|
“While we still plan to bring REAL Solutions® to more states,” Kitsch explained, “we plan to delve deeper with the 30 current states. Participating leagues have asked us to introduce new products and services, pilot projects, and toolkits to help more credit unions implement REAL Solutions®.”
Each time a state adopts REAL Solutions®, an NCUF Field Coach and a credit union development professional from the state association train credit unions to provide products and services that have a proven track record of serving people with low wealth.
REAL Solutions® aims to help low-wealth consumers become credit union members, grow savings and accumulate assets that will generate wealth for their families.
“When rolling out REAL Solutions® in new states, we will follow the same format that has worked so well in other states,” Kitsch affirmed. “By combining our resources with the league, credit unions and their members will benefit from our shared experiences across the country.”
|Online, the new REAL Solutions® Impact Center is now available for credit unions in every state. Model product and service descriptions, low-wealth market trends, partnership opportunities, interactive forums and blogs are designed to appeal not only to REAL Solutions® credit unions, but to all credit unions.|
|In 2009, through a grant from the Aspen Institute’s “Living Cities Mashup,” the REAL Solutions® Impact Center will add a portal for community organizations.|
This will help credit unions address one of the CUNA Membership Growth Task Force’s top recommendations: “develop more community partnerships.”
Funding REAL Solutions®
|NCUF and state credit union associations will continue to fund REAL Solutions® through the Community Investment Fund (CIF), which won the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ Award for Fundraising Excellence.|
Offered through the Corporate Credit Union Network, CIF investments are structured to earn dividends for each corporate credit union member while making charitable donations to NCUF and state credit union organizations.
About REAL Solutions®
|REAL Solutions® was piloted by the Filene Research Institute in 2003 to provide "Relevant, Effective, Asset-building, Loyalty-producing" financial services to working families with low wealth. The pilot introduced innovations to credit unions in three states and succeeded in securing a safety net for consumers who were at risk.|
Results from the pilot years are documented in the 2006 Filene report, REAL Solutions®: Solving the Financial Service Needs of America's Working Families.
In 2007, NCUF launched REAL Solutions® nationwide. In the first two years as NCUF's signature program, REAL Solutions® has been adopted in 30 states. As a result, credit unions are providing dozens of new products and services that have proven successful in serving consumers with “low wealth” and driving credit unions’ growth strategies.
REAL Solutions® has the potential to touch millions of lives. An estimated 20% of all American households – 40 million American families representing 100 million people – lack access to basic financial services. REAL Solutions® aims to help low-wealth consumers become loyal, long-term credit union members who will grow savings and accumulate assets that generate wealth for their families.
The greatest potential for membership growth, according to the Credit Union National Association’s Membership Growth Task Force, is attracting diverse membership groups. Providing profitable yet affordable services to more members is a sound business decision that also fulfills credit unions’ social mission.
For credit unions to best meet the needs of emerging markets, credit unions must offer the right products – at the right prices – and the right terms and conditions. Using product models created and tested by credit unions, REAL Solutions® disseminates these business models to credit unions through special REAL Solutions® meetings, an online impact center, and state and national conferences.
REAL Solutions® reaches people of all ages and ethnic groups. For predatory loan victims struggling to climb out of debt… aspiring entrepreneurs reaching to revitalize low-income communities… life-long renters striving to realize the American dream… recent immigrants learning to build new lives… and everyone across America working to live from paycheck to paycheck… real people with real needs are finding REAL Solutions® at credit unions.
About the National Credit Union Foundation
|The National Credit Union Foundation (NCUF) is the primary national charitable and fundraising organization for America’s credit unions.|


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The current iPad was expected to come with a camera, but Apple let us down. We now have high hopes that the iPad 2 — or whatever it will be called — will come with a front facing camera to allow for FaceTime calls. This is according to some recent news posted on AppleInsider.
It seems that a document from Apple shows that they have been looking for a Performance QA Engineer to work on the iPad; they want the person to have a great knowledge of software engineering with technical expertise.
The job listing also ask if they have experience for testing video and audio capture — this says camera to me. Currently FaceTime is only available on the iPhone 4, but it is expected to become a new feature on the upcoming iPod Touch fourth-generation 2010 model.
We have known for some time that Apple plans to offer a camera on its next iPad device, but this is the best proof yet. We do not know when the second-generation iPad will be released, but it could be in Q4 2010 or in January, which would be one-year after the launch of the current model.
*Identifying Monetised Links - outgoing links that we monetise are marked with an '*' symbol.


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What do you think most influences software customers’ buying decisions today? In Sand Hill’s recent survey of software executives for our annual CEO / CFO Outlook study, we asked them to rank the biggest factors driving software customer spending over the next 12 months. They ranked “increase efficiencies and reduce costs” as the top factor, and it was also the top driver in our 2014 study. However, three factors differ dramatically in 2015 compared to 12 months ago.
The most dramatic difference is in the area of information security. Participants ranked security projects as the third-highest factor in software customer spending over the next 12 months – a 5X increase over the 2014 study findings.
The survey also asked executives to rank the seven kinds of software projects driving customer spending during 2015. More participants ranked “transitioning existing software to the cloud” as the #1 driver. Functional solutions such as marketing automation also ranked high. Among the seven customer spending areas, “enterprise social and collaboration solutions” ranked lowest in priority.
By the numbers
You would be hard pressed to find software executives that are not excited about the growth prospects for the industry and their individual companies this year. As was the case in our 2014 study, participants this year expect software industry growth to range from 20 to 30 percent or more; however, 33 percent have this growth expectation in 2015, compared to 22 percent in 2014.
More than half (53 percent) of the participants expect their company’s revenue growth in 2015 to be in the range of 50 to 100 percent or more – almost double the number of 2014 participants who held this expectation. More than half (55 percent) anticipate their company’s profit growth over the next 12 months will be in the range of 20 to 60 percent or more, compared to 36 percent of the 2014 study participants.
However, no executives participating in the study’s follow-up phone interviews downplayed the challenges associated with this hyper growth.
Software industry in state of transition
The Software CEO / CFO Outlook 2015 report’s title, “On the Customer Success Road in a Perfect Storm,” reflects two prevailing themes that emerged among the study findings:
- The need to focus on customer success – the new foundation for continued growth
- The “perfect storm” that now creates major challenges in the path to growth
The industry is transitioning to a customer-centric model. As the report details, executives describe it as focusing on the “customer success journey” and agree that it is not the same thing as focusing on delivering stellar customer onboarding and support; nor is it just a way to reduce churn. Buyers have much higher expectations of software companies than 12 to 18 months ago and expect software vendors to understand how to make each customer succeed in their unique vision of “success” with the vendor’s product or services.
The surveyed executives ranked “selling more to existing customers” very high in the top revenue-growth opportunities over the next 12 months, along with “emphasis on customer experience/success.”
As the report discusses, study participants agreed that a focus on the customer success journey necessitates changes in software business operations, investments and strategies.
The majority of the executives in the follow-up phone interviews reported their company is not satisfied with the ability to effectively manage customer-facing communications across the entire customer journey. All of the executives who reported their company is satisfied stated that it’s because their company undertook major initiatives to improve communications in the last 12 months. Several reported significant return on investment to date; others described the factors hindering their ROI.
The study found this focus on the customer success journey is also a major factor in talent hiring this year. As a CFO of one of the surveyed companies explained,
“Our talent gap is mainly because it’s hard to find people who understand the whole customer journey and what customers need in order to be successful.”
Perfect storm impacts
The study revealed short-term strategies in a tailspin at many software companies due to a perfect storm now slamming the industry. The storm has three components:
- Too many product options for customers and a whirlwind of new competitors for vendors
- The pace and volume of change due to new technologies
- Internet of Things acceleration is faster than anticipated during the past 12 months
The report provides information from the executives’ descriptions of how this perfect storm affects customers’ decisions and their understanding of their needs and requirements. Their discussions also explain how it affects software companies’ operations, especially due to the pace and volume of change.
The study explores how the perfect storm impacts software companies’ ability to focus on the customer success journey, which is now a top revenue growth opportunity and where customer demand is headed. It’s one of the most exciting, yet challenging, times in the software world.
Click here to read an excerpt of the report’s contents and buy the report, “Software CEO / CFO Outlook 2015: On the Customer Success Road in a Perfect Storm.”


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Sat, Feb 4, 2023
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NEWS TAGGED ULTRA-THIN
Thursday 16 January 2020
Foldable screens, new network support highlighted at CES 2020
At CES 2020, many brand vendors showcased devices with support to the latest network standards such as Wi-Fi 6 and 5G, and emerging technologies such as foldable screen, but a lack...
Thursday 12 December 2019
HP eyeing bigger share in Taiwan notebook market
Hewlett-Packard (HP) is looking to expand its share in Taiwan's notebook market in 2020 to a double-digit percentage, according to Wendy Wang, chairman of HP Taiwan.
Tuesday 3 December 2019
Notebook vendors ready to embrace mini LED backlighting
Notebook vendors are ready to adopt mini LED backlighting for their devices, paving the way for the technology to move beyond public signage to consumer electronics, according to...
Wednesday 9 October 2019
Furukawa, Lemtech team up for smartphone thermal solutions
Japan's Furukawa Electric and Taiwan-based Lemtech have teamed up to develop stainless steel-based ultra-thin vapor chamber cooling solutions for smartphones.
Wednesday 25 September 2019
Acer expects Asia-Pacific sales growth to restore in 2H19
Acer had below-par results in Asia Pacific in the first half of 2019 due primarily to trade tensions between the US and China, and major political issues in the region, but it is...
Tuesday 10 September 2019
Asustek revenues surge in August
Asustek Computer registered consolidated revenues of NT$30.64 billion (US$973.13 million) for August, growing 20.03% on month and 5.1% on year, with combined consolidated revenues...
Thursday 5 September 2019
Acer debuts new ConceptD lineup and social platform for gaming
Acer has unveiled a series of new products and innovations including ConceptD PCs and monitors, ultra-thin notebooks and desktops for CAD and gaming users. The company also announced...
Thursday 20 June 2019
Acer, Asustek growing notebook market presence in India
Asustek Computer and Acer are both seeking to expand their presence in India's notebook market with Asustek focusing on promoting its consumer products and Acer its enterprise, ultra-thin...
Monday 3 June 2019
Samsung unveils new-generation ultra-thin notebooks
Samsung Electronics has announced its ultra-thin Notebook 7 and Notebook 7 Force. The slim and portable Notebook 7 includes diamond-cut edges and a near bezel-less display.
Monday 27 May 2019
Pegatron beefs up operation in Taiwan
Pegatron has been shifting its production back to Taiwan from China to minimize the impact of the US hiking tariffs on Chinese imports.
Tuesday 16 April 2019
Acer to increase ultra-thin notebook promotion in Asia Pacific
Acer will be promoting sales of its thin and light models in the Asia Pacific region this year, according to company president of Pan Asia Andrew Hou.
Friday 15 February 2019
Acer expects gaming and ultrathin notebooks to serve as growth drivers in Thailand
Gaming and ultrathin notebooks are expected to become the growth driver of Acer's operation in Thailand, particularly gaming models, as e-sports has been gaining popularity among...
Monday 21 January 2019
Acer eyes 50% on-year revenue growth from gaming PCs in 2019
Acer is planning to focus on promoting its gaming PCs in 2019, eying to boost related revenues by 50% on year, according to company president of the Pan Asia Pacific region Andrew...
Wednesday 5 September 2018
Notebook brands promoting ultrathin models
Brand notebook companies have rolled out their new ultrathin models that come with narrow-bezel displays, which may trigger a new wave of growth in notebook sales worldwide.
Thursday 30 August 2018
Intel unveils new eighth-Gen processors for notebooks and 2-in-1s
Intel has announced additions to the eighth-Gen Intel Core processor family: The U-series (formerly code-named Whiskey Lake) and Y-series (formerly code-named Amber Lake) are optimized...
Feb 3, 10:12
AMD EPYC CPU delivers powerful impetus with high performance in "Kawas", the soul of computing built by ASIAA
Friday 3 February 2023
Foodland Ventures optimistic about prospect of Taiwan agrifood tech amid global automation and digitization trends
Thursday 2 February 2023
Wolfspeed Silicon Carbide devices power future Mercedes-Benz Electric Vehicle platforms
Thursday 2 February 2023
WeMo strives to make Taiwan role model in global digital economy
With US notebook chip procurement moving away from China, can IC design houses in Taiwan benefit from order transfers?
Foundry fabs may see automotive clients cut back on orders
ASML 4Q22 results defy US ban on chip technology exports to China, says analyst
Intel to cut PC processor prices by as much as 20%
Apple developing micro LED to become technology leader
India's Vedanta to make 28-65nm semiconductor chips for local demand
Taiwan OSATs quietly ramp up support for Chinese customers
Who's in control of SMIC technology advances?
TSMC 7nm process capacity utilization falling rapidly
More ban on semiconductor equipment to China accelerating tech decoupling
DIGITIMES Research: Emerging EV companies use contract manufacturing to break entry barriers
Global smartphone shipments to perform weaker than expected in 2H22 and 2023, says DIGITIMES Research
Global sales of EV to surpass 14 million units, with 9 million in China, says DIGITIMES Research
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Following a review, KBS Toronto was named agency of record for Unilever's Magnum Ice Cream and social media agency of record for Unilever Refreshments, which includes Magnum, Fruttare, Lipton, Red
Rose, Klondike and Popsicle. The agency is charged with achieving global recognition and appeal for the Magnum brand in Canada via a multi-year integrated activation platform. In addition, the agency
is tasked with differentiating each refreshment brand across social channels to reach audiences with posts that are contextually relevant for each sub-brand. First work debuts in spring, 2015. The
agency also works on other Unilever brands, serving as the activation AOR for Dove and managing events for Becel. Magnum ice cream spent $13.4 million on measured media in 2013 and $14.4 million in
the first half of 2014, according to Kantar Media.


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Disney Pixar released the teaser trailer for "The Good Dinosaur" Tuesday, offering a first look at the prehistoric film.
The film's trailer centers around a singular question: "What if...?" as it imagines a world where dinosaurs and humans coexist.
Slated for a Thanksgiving 2015 release date, it's Disney Pixar's second full-length offering for the year. The other, the Minnesota-driven Inside Out, hits theaters later this month.


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Switzerland’s consumer prices continued to decline in November, data from the Federal Statistical Office showed on Wednesday.
The consumer price index decreased 0.7 percent year-on-year in November, following a 0.6 percent fall in October. Economists had expected a 0.5 percent fall.
On a monthly basis, consumer prices fell 0.2 percent in November. Economists had forecast a fall of 0.1 percent.
Prices for international holiday packages, hotel accommodation and, fruits and vegetables declined in November.
Meanwhile, prices for housing rentals and foreign red wine increased.
The core CPI fell 0.2 percent annually in November and declined 0.1 percent from the previous month.
The EU measure of harmonized index of consumer prices fell 0.4 percent monthly in November and declined 0.8 percent from the previous year.
The material has been provided by InstaForex Company – www.instaforex.com
The post Swiss Consumer Prices Continue To Fall In November first appeared on Forex news forex trade.


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Apple is believed to be designing its own processors for forthcoming MacBooks
MacBook Air: Apple shows off new design in 2018
Apple has purportedly pushed back plans to launch a new MacBook notebook powered by its own processor until next year. The first of a new slate of MacBooks was originally planned for late 2020, reports claim.
The revised release date comes courtesy of renown tipster Ming-Chi Kuo, who has an unparalleled track record when it comes to rumours of as-yet unannounced Apple hardware.
Apple already designs its own processors for its best-selling iPhone, iPad, AirPods, and Apple Watch gadgets. By custom-designing its own silicon, the Cupertino-based company is able to tailor the hardware to its software needs. This has allowed the iPhone and iPad to achieve phenomenal power that Android rivals can barely dream of – in fact, the iPad Pro line now challenges many MacBooks in benchmarking tests.
Bringing the same tight integration to macOS could see MacBooks gain a serious surge in power. Moving away from Intel chips to an Apple-made Arm-based processor could also result in the Mac line working better with iPads and iPhones because they'd run on the same apps.
Apple is clearly investigating the possibility of designing its own Mac chips – given a number of recent job listings from the company looking for people with expertise in that area. The first rumours around the Apple-designed chips date back to April 2018.
As well as an update on the Apple-designed chips for macOS devices, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also gave an update on the A series of processors that power the iPhone line – and are tipped to help bring 5G connectivity to the smartphone range this September with the new models.
"We expect that Apple's new products in 12 to 18 months will adopt processors made by 5nm process, including the new 2H20 5G iPhone, new 2H20 iPad equipped with mini LED and new 1H21 Mac equipped with the own-design processor," Kuo states in this latest report, which was picked up by Apple-centric blog MacRumours.
"iPhone 5G support, iPad's adoption of innovative mid-size panel technology, and Mac's first adoption of the own-design processor are all Apple's critical product and technology strategies."
Apple has declined to comment on the recent report from Ming-Chi Kuo.


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The Agricultural Financial institution of China (ABC), certainly one of China’s “massive 4” banks, is embarking on a pilot program to allow the primary digital yuan ATMs. The banking establishment deployed the primary machines in chosen branches in Shenzhen.
ATMs Will Work With a Smartphone App
In line with SZ Information, this system is a part of the continued second digital yuan trial, consisting of a giveaway of 200 yuan ($31) to 100,000 residents.
The ATMs allow the chance to deposit and withdrawal the digital yuan by way of a smartphone app. The pilot program’s cell app permits prospects to transform money and financial savings to and from the token.
Because the digital yuan pilot packages preserve underway throughout the nation, it’s not stunning that the ABC is testing the digital yuan ATMs. Actually, the financial institution is a companion of the Folks’s Financial institution of China (PBoC).
Zou Hua, supervisor of the financial institution’s Digital Yuan Innovation Lab, commented on the ATMs infrastructure’s deployment throughout Shenzhen:
Agricultural Financial institution has taken the lead in launching the ATM money deposit and withdrawal operate within the trade to information Shenzhen residents to adapt to the digitization of money and discover service transformation.
Shenzhen’s Curiosity within the Digital Yuan Excessive, Says Professional
Furthermore, native consultants are reporting constructive progress from the digital yuan checks within the metropolis. A remark from Tune Qinghuim, a neighborhood economist quoted by SZ Information, reads as observe:
The third station of the digital RMB pilot program returned to Shenzhen once more, indicating that the market has acknowledged the town. In contrast with the primary pilot, there have been many adjustments, which signifies that the digital RMB undertaking is progressing steadily.
The Shenzhen authorities and the PBoC are additionally making ready the bottom to launch one other $3 million digital yuan giveaway. They anticipate to make it doable earlier than the Lunar New Yr holidays (mid-February).
Just lately, the Folks’s Financial institution of China authorised a bodily card-wallet pilot to check its digital yuan. Espresso store workers in a Shanghai-based college hospital was chosen as contributors within the pilot.
What do you concentrate on the brand new digital yuan ATMs? Tell us within the feedback part beneath.


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According to Tallink, new restrictions introduced by the Finnish government last week that should have barred ferry passengers to enter Finland might not enter into force.
The Finnish government introduced new restrictions last week that should have barred ferry passengers from Estonia, as well as Sweden, to enter Finland. The restrictions were originally scheduled to take effect within a few days of their introduction, but this has not yet happened as of Monday.
Tallink Group board chair Paavo Nõgene told ERR's online news in Estonian that the restrictions may not enter into force and that, to their knowledge, the restrictions might even be loosened.
Until further decisions have been reached, passengers can travel from Estonia to Finland and vice versa.
Editor: Anders Nõmm


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"Cao, nema više" reads the piece paper affixed to the tailgate of the red Serbian hatchback, as a small throng of proud workers gathered around the car to bid it "Goodbye, no more" this week. After a 20-year run, the last Zastava Koral, #794,428, quietly made its way to the Zastava museum and the scrappy Eastern European automaker has wound down production on all but one of its models. The very last Zastava, a Skala 55, will be the last of its kind when it makes its way down the productio
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Congress Square Park Has A New Free Play Kiosk
Thanks to a generous donation from Portland Container Company, Congress Square Park now has a new, free play kiosk! It's like a giant toy box for everyone to enjoy!
The storage container will be filled with all sorts of activities like hula hoops, board games, sidewalk chalk, yard games and more. And it's all free for use during regular hours for the summer.
The opening day celebration will be held on location Sunday, June 17th from 11am-3pm. There will be a food truck brunch, desserts and refreshments, live music and more with the ribbon cutting ceremony at noon.


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Fresh addition set to spice up food court
IF YOU have ever shopped at Park Beach Plaza in Coffs Harbour, chances are you have seen John and Amy and Kye Woo, the friendly faces behind Fung Tian Traditional Asian Cuisine in the food court.
At Grafton Shoppingworld, the departure of long time food court anchor, McDonald's, created an opportunity for a remix.
Grafton Shoppingworld Centre owners McConaghy Group saw an opening to bring an established team to spice up the food court offering and Fung Tian Grafton was born.
John and Amy Woo are the long-term owners of Fung Tian Coffs Harbour and the new Grafton outlet is their son Kye's business.
He has learnt traditional Chinese cuisine cooking and preparation from his parents and has established the Grafton Shoppingworld outlet as an extension of the successful Park Beach Plaza business.
John Woo has been in Australia nearly 60 years, arriving from Hong Kong in 1960.
He has had numerous restaurants, including a 10-year stint in Solomon Islands capital, Honiara, in a large hotel as well as running restaurants in regional Victoria and NSW.
John and Amy took over premises at Park Beach Plaza in 2009, creating Fung Tian Asian and establishing the "ready to go” meal format that has been so successful for them since.
Fung Tian is the first new business to set up in the Shoppingworld food court for 10 years.
John Woo said the store offered traditional Chinese cuisine made from healthy, freshly sourced ingredients at a great value price.
Fung Tian has a range of dishes created fresh daily that can be mixed and matched, eaten in the food court or taken away for an evening meal.
"The people are so friendly! The location of the shop in the Shoppingworld food court is excellent as everyone knew where McDonald's used to be,” Mr Woo said.
"There was a lot of anticipation preceding the shop opening and the business received a lot of attention once we opened a few months ago.”


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Pedro Diezma, from Zerintia: “Wearables are Internet of Things, they are connected things” (II)
25 Jan 2017 IoT General
We continue with the interview to Pedro Diezma, CEO of Zerintia Technologies, an expert in wearables and Internet of Things, who gave us a current and future vision of this technology. In this post, we get deeper into the uses and the situation of these devices.
The long road ahead
Even though more and more wearable projects and technologies are coming to light, some aspects of these devices do not end up taking off. "The retail has, perhaps, a little more to advance. It may be because of stores, and large retail stores, focus the business model on the public, which is still on the mobile and has not yet generated a large mass of people using smart watches and other devices. They are moving very slowly”, he says.
Another of the major problems associated with such devices is of a technical nature. The duration of the battery, for example, is still something that should be improved. "Batteries are one of the big barriers. On the other hand, there are some bracelets and low-cost smartwatches that are not as accurate as we would like". With these words, Pedro refers to some measuring devices whose sensors do not have a sufficiently precise calibration, which leaves them less reliable. "We need, on the one hand, batteries that last more; On the other, sensors that measure more things and with more precision. Finally, they also need to prove their usefulness. They must bring more value than a mobile phone". In his words, until a wearable does not show that it brings new capabilities, it will not be very pervasive in the general public. This is not what is happening within the professional sector, where its use is being implemented quickly.
One of the wearables that more expectation has created in recent years are the HoloLens. These augmented reality glasses have a lot of potentials and are an example of what has been achieved. But also of what remains to mature. "Microsoft's HoloLens are incredible and allow us to access information with our hands and our voice". The main problem of this wearable is that it is not light enough for working tasks in limited spaces. "By the time we are able to miniaturize glasses, and we are closer than we think, and give a good price, these glasses will begin to reach the public, who will begin to know its great utility". For this to happen, according to expert estimations, there are still three or four years ahead, in the case of augmented or mixed reality. Otherwise, the industrial sector is already beginning to enjoy its advantages, which indicates that we are on the right track.
The wearables in an IoT world
"Wearables are Internet of Things, they are connected things", Pedro reaffirms. "The first layer of interaction with a human is a wearable device, which is in contact with the person's skin. There is already integration with wearable devices and cars, drones or houses. We, for example, participate in an Airbus project in which a drone is scanning the structure of the plane and the operator is seeing the image in their connected glasses. Then an instruction arrives at the glasses so that the operator goes to a point where there is an incident or something that has to be checked. In addition, associated with that incidence, the glasses provide a maintenance instruction". In this application, we find drones, glasses, a switchboard and an interconnected software. A set that could reduce the time of inspection of an airplane up to 30%, according to Pedro comments.
This is just a manifestation of the presence of wearables in a world connected to the Internet of Things. "It's not a single technology. Behind this is a Big Data system, Artificial Intelligence... there are many technologies that are converging to provide services. But with the advancement also the challenges arrive. One of the main concerns in the Internet of Things era is security. How are wearables affected? “To the wearables, you add the fact that they are touching your body and have a lot of intimate information about you. With a wearable, you can know how is the lifestyle of someone, more or less”. However, currently, almost all wearable devices are connected through the mobile. "How safe is a wearable device these days? As much as the mobile is", Pedro reaffirms his opinion. "It is true that security is a very important matter, but it is also true that both, hardware developers and software developers, are trying to implement all possible security measures".
Personal voice assistants are setting a trend. Some big companies like Apple, Google or Amazon are investing in the development of algorithms and an artificial intelligence capable of interacting more and more naturally with humans. The integration of this type of technology with wearables seems fundamental. "You have to differentiate two things," says the expert, "there are already devices with built-in voice assistants, although, in fact, they are integrated interfaces that use the mobile and are able to recognize orders more or less simple. And then there are the assistants with an artificial intelligence behind. These devices use voice as an interface".
A practical example described by Pedro is the wearbots, as he calls them. This concept translates into adapting the glasses or the device through artificial intelligence so that it will anticipate to the needs presented by the user. This artificial intelligence completely integrated into the glasses or other device is coming, but they are not here yet, although great milestones have been reached. And, as we see, IoT has participated in a fundamental way. And is that, without the opportunities that the Internet of Things brings, wearables would run into barriers very difficult to overcome.


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Here’s a tip that’ll help keep Ada County residents from being victimized by a pair of phone scams that keep going around.
Ada County Sheriff’s Office deputies — or US Marshals — will never call and threaten to arrest you or any member of your family because you missed jury duty or didn’t pay back taxes.
Deputies will also never ask you to place funds for payment on a pre-paid credit card to “cancel the arrest warrant” for missing that phony jury duty.
IRS agents will not do that either. They will not demand immediate payment of back taxes without sending you a bill in the mail first.
No IRS agent will demand you pay taxes without giving you an opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe.
No one in authority – be it an ACSO deputy, US Marshal, or IRS employee — will ever ask you for credit or debit card numbers over the phone. The same rule applies to social security numbers.
Over a dozen Ada County residents received phone calls last week from scammers pretending to work for the IRS.
For more details about the IRS scam and tips on how to avoid being a victim.
The jury duty scam has been an intermittent presence over the last few years. Last week, the jury duty scammers were so brazen they told some Ada County residents which stories to go to to buy pre-paid credit cards.
In most recent cases, the scam caller identifies himself as an ACSO deputy and requests personal information so he can clear the person’s name and cancel the mythical arrest warrant for missing jury duty. In many cases, the “deputy” leaves a message that a specific family member needs to call.
People who call are greeted by someone who says “Sheriff’s Department.” The fake deputy then explains the mythical amount people “owe” has been anywhere from a few hundred dollars to $4,000.
The scammers tell their victims to go to a store, get a pre-paid credit card (like a Green Dot), load it up with money, and then call a phone number with the card information.
The scammers acquire phone numbers with a 208 area code to make the scam seem more credible.
The Better Business Bureau says people can protect themselves from becoming victims of identify theft by never giving out any personal information when getting an unsolicited phone call.
Giving out sensitive information over the phone — both personal and financial — can put people at risk for fraud.
If you did miss jury duty in Ada County, you would get a letter in the mail.
If you have received one of these scam phone calls, contact the Ada County Sheriff’s Office at 377-6790 or the Better Business Bureau online at https://www.bbb.org/snakeriver/


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In March next year, trade unions from the American continent will create the Confederación Sindical de las Américas (CSA). According to researcher Achim Wachendorfer, the new confederation offers an opportunity for trade union renewal.
The formation of the CSA was spurred by the merger of International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) and the World Confederation of Labour (WCL) into the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), one year ago.
In Latin America, the merger caused a lively debate on the future of trade unionism on the continent. The new confederation will include affiliates from the US and Canada.
According to Wachendorfer, unions should seek collaboration with social movements and with the continent’s progressive governments. The Brasilian ‘novo sindicalismo’ is quoted as an example.
Nueva Sociedad special issue on trade unionism / thank you Peter Waterman for bringing this to our attention


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Global Lotteries Perform Well In First Quarter Of 2015
The global lottery market has grown at a rapid rate in the last decade as the days of simple lottery tickets are over. With online lottery options, more and more operators are expanding their offerings into online games that take the form of just about any type of regular games one can expect to see. These include scratch cards, slots, table and bingo type games.
The World Lottery Association has just released data on all five global regions for the first quarter. The overall picture is excellent as sales increased globally by 8 percent from the final quarter of last year. The top spot went to Latin America who reported a 14.7 % rise on first-quarter on first-quarter rise, Growth was driven by Argentina’s Loteria Nacional Sociedad del Estado which reported a first-quarter on first-quarter increase in sales of 23.1 %. Other regions in Latin America like Brazil’s Caixa Economica Federal fell over the same period. Mexicos’s Loteria National para la Asistencia Publica remained steady.
Following Latin America was the Asia Pacific market who reported a 14.3% increase from the final quarter of 2014. The China Sports Lottery and China Welfare Lottery were up by 31.5% and 9% respectively.
Africa performed well with a 6.5% quarter-on-quarter increase in sales for the first quarter which largely was due to Ghana’s Lottery success which reported a massive 43.9% quarter-on-quarter increase. Morocco recorded a 11.9% first-quarter on first-quarter, North America did not perform too well and only recorded a 4.7% quarter-on-quarter sales increase, Europe was also struggling to perform well with a sales increase of only 2.2% compared to the last quarter of 2014.
Overall executive director of the WLA, Jean Jorgensen was happy with the 2015 start and said,” Lotteries worldwide enjoyed a sunny start to 2015, with all five regions of the globe reporting results firmly in positive territory. Overall, first-quarter on first-quarter sales increasing by 8% globally, with the Asia Pacific and the Latin American markets once again acting as the engines of growth.”


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Guardian US CEO Evelyn Webster forecasts profit ‘even in the most dire scenario’
The Guardian’s pivot to paid has a unique twist: There’s no paywall. Instead, The Guardian relies on reader contributions — a model gaining believers in news organizations caught between making their coronavirus coverage free of charge and facing ad shortfalls at the same time.
“There’s absolutely no doubt that we’re going to see a boost to our reader revenue during this period,” said Guardian U.S. and Australia CEO Evelyn Webster on this week’s episode of the Digiday Podcast. “We are going to see our advertising hit hard. I do not know how hard and how deep. I don’t think any of us do. [But] even in the most dire scenario that I have looked at, the Guardian would still be a profitable business in America. So are we well positioned to continue our journey to grow? Yes. And I feel very confident about that.”
Reader contributions from American readers at about 40-45% of the US operation’s income. Thanks to this evolving revenue scheme and a serious cost-cutting effort, in 2019 the Guardian as a whole made its first operating profit in 20 years.
The Guardian recorded its best month ever in terms of web traffic.
“There is absolutely no doubt that that is what’s driving the current trend,” Webster said in reference to the pandemic. “We hit 114 million browsers in March, and that was an increase [of] 80 to 90% on the prior month and about 160% on the prior year.”
Webster talked about the difference between British and American contributor behavior, why the U.S. can use the perspective of a British newspaper and how the Guardian’s ownership structure (it’s owned by a trust) keeps its coverage impartial.
Here are a few highlights from the conversation, which have been lightly edited for clarity.
Profit even in “the most dire scenario”
We have a very strong position in America. Our traffic, our engagement, our loyal and engaged readers have been growing slowly and steadily. There’s absolutely no doubt that we’re going to see a boost to our reader revenue during this period, and we are going to see our advertising hit hard. I do not know how hard and how deep. I don’t think any of us do. Even in the most dire scenario that I have looked at, the Guardian would still be a profitable business in America. So are we well positioned to continue our journey to grow? Yes. And I feel very confident about that.
Strong reader revenue, no paywall required
We hit upon this idea, quite bizarre — lots of people doubted whether it would be successful — but it was this theory that ‘look, if we have these deep connections with our readers across the globe, will there be enough of them in America and elsewhere in the world that they would underwrite our journalism even if they didn’t have to?’ And we believed that they would, and we’ve been proven right, which is why the business model that we have [is] voluntary contribution. Readers who come to the Guardian anywhere in the world will at some point in their user journey with us be confronted with a message — lots of different messages, lots of different ways, sizes, voices — that says ‘whilst you are here, would mind terribly making a contribution to our journalism?’ And our reader revenue model was born from that, and we’ve been doing that very successfully for the last three years.”
Riding highs and retaining readers
We experienced this in 2016 (in the last election) and with other major news moments, and we are experiencing it right now — we definitely see our traffic spike quite considerably, and we retain a significant proportion of that traffic. And that I think is the thing that really distinguishes the Guardian in terms of our strategic focus on developing meaningful reach. We’re not interested in eyeballs for the sake of eyeballs. We want those consumers and readers to keep on coming back.
This Friday, at noon ET, we are airing our next episode of The New Normal, a weekly interactive show focused on how publishers are adapting their businesses. This week, Action Network CEO Patrick Keane will talk with Digiday editor-in-chief Brian Morrissey about how a sports media company focused on sports betting adapts in an age where sports around the world are canceled. Register here.
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Realme 4K Google TV Stick To Launch in India During Flipkart Big Billion Days
Table Of Contents
- 1Realme 4K Google TV Stick: What To Expect?
Highlights of the Story
- Realme is all set to launch a TV Stick soon in India.
- The Realme 4K Google TV Stick will launch during the Flipkart Big Billion Days.
- It will run on the Google TV Operating System.
Realme recently unveiled their Realme 8s 5G and Realme 8i smartphones in India. In addition to these launches, the company also launched their very first tablet alongside on September 9, 2021. The Realme Pad launch allowed the brand to complete their 1+5+T strategy. Now, the company is planning on launching their very first TV Stick in the country.
The Realme 4K Google TV Stick has now surfaced online. Multiple tipster like Mukul Sharma and Techno Ankit actually spotted the upcoming TV Stick on Flipkart. The e-commerce giant in India has recently put up a banner for their upcoming Flipkart Big Billion Days 2021 sale event. Each year, this particular sale event not only offers discounts across the multiple product categories but, it also witnesses the launch of several new products. This year, the Google TV Stick by Realme is going to be one such product, from the looks of it.
With companies like Motorola making their way into the TV Stick category earlier this year as well, Realme will soon be competing with these companies. Moreover, the brand will compete against the Mi TV Stick and the Amazon Fire Stick upon launch. Without any further ado, here is what to expect from the upcoming TV Stick by Realme.
Realme 4K Google TV Stick: What To Expect?
Moving to the Realme 4K Google TV specs, we can expect it to come with dual-band Wi-Fi and at least Bluetooth v5.0 connectivity support. In addition, we will also most likely be seeing a remote to make operating and navigating through the various features of the TV easier.
Now, in terms of overall performance, we can expect to see a more fluid and seamless experience. This is because, as the name suggests, it will come with Google TV OS. The Google TV OS is significantly simpler and more subtle when compared to Android TV OS. In addition, going by the Flipkart teaser, we can also see a black colour option alongside a USB Type-C port for connectivity.
Also read: Amazon Launches New Fire TV Stick In India
Further, the Google TV OS will bring features like the Live TV tab section to its users. This will offer an insight into all the live channels that are available to the users via YouTube TV membership. Moreover, we can expect the upcoming TV Stick by Realme to also bring Google Assistant support. This will allow users to use the assistant for voice search.
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Mum transforms garden into amazing outdoor cinema for her sons using a shower curtain
6 May 2020, 10:37 | Updated: 7 July 2021, 10:34
One mum has revealed how she managed to create an outdoor cinema using some household items.
As we head into another day of self isolation, families everywhere are trying new ways to entertain themselves.
And now one mum has revealed how she created an incredible outdoor cinema in her back garden using a few household items and a projector.
Taking to the Facebook group, Extreme Couponing & Bargains UK Sara Dacomb posted a photo of her children enjoying the adorable setup.
Using an older shower curtain, she was able to create a screen pinned up against the garden fence.
Using a cinema box from Home Bargains and popcorn bags leftover from a previous birthday party, Sara was able to create an authentic cinema experience.
Captioning her post she wrote: “I did this at the weekend for my family.
“The cinema box was from home bargains. I had the popcorn bags left (from) my boys birthday party last year. I filled them with popcorn and Doritos.
“We toasted giant marshmallows on the burner. We literally just had to buy the projector £40 from eBay , we hooked up our fire stick and sound bar to it.
“Avengers end game was amazing outside.”
And Sara’s fellow bargain hunters were very impressed with the innovative idea and the post received over 6,000 likes and 1,000 comments.
“Omg this is so lovely” wrote one person, with another added: “This is brilliant I'm gonna have a go,” and a third agreed: “Lovely set up.”
Sara isn’t the only person making their own fun at home, as mum Lauren Worthington recently revealed her very unusual new hack for putting a smile on the kids’ faces.
Taking to Facebook group Hinch Army Cleaning Tips, the savvy mum shared photos of animals she has created using bath towels.
Seen in the series of snaps, Lauren made adorable monkeys, an elephant and a couple of adorable mice.