text:
Betcha thought we were done talking about emojis around here, eh? Not so fast, Happy Meal. While one brand is busy attaching themselves to the too-cute digital pixels, another is furiously trying to unhook itself from an emoji it feels does not represent its image.
Alert readers (and avid texters) will have noticed that typing the word ‘Jeep’ into their iOS device automatically produced a blue blob of a thing as a suggested emoji replacement for that word. The most recent platform update erased this connection and Jeep is celebrating with a few words of their own.
As the state of New York debates new distracted driving legislation, an Israeli firm is putting the finishing touches on a “textalyzer” device that could rat out drivers for using their phone before a crash.
Israeli mobile forensics firm Cellebrite developed the data-scanning device, according to Ars Technica, which could become the newest — and most controversial — law enforcement tool since the Taser.
Cellebrite, which sounds like a medication for over-sexed honors students, specializes in data extraction and decoding, and boasts of its 15,000-plus military and law enforcement customers on its website. The firm really knows its stuff — it’s generally believed that they helped the FBI hack into the iPhone at the heart of the San Bernardino/Apple controversy.
Drivers may take nearly 30 seconds to regain their focus back on the road after using a car’s infotainment or hands-free smartphone systems, researchers announced Wednesday.
The two studies, which were conducted by the University of Utah ( Go Utes!) for the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, concluded that even modern assist programs could dangerously distract drivers for up to 27 seconds after they’re done using them. Researchers noted that vehicles traveled more than 300 yards for 27 seconds at 25 mph.
Ever been cut-off by a driver and wanted to let them know exactly how you feel without the need for a PIT bumper? Did you happen to see someone attractive pass you by, but didn’t want to be as obvious as Clark Griswold about it? If you’re in China, General Motors is about to make that dream come true in the creepiest way possible.
Latest Car ReviewsRead more
Latest Product ReviewsRead more
- Sonik_fury I always dreamed, if I won the lottery, that I would have a garage very similar to Leno's. I love that he's a real car guy, not just buying them to show off.
- 3SpeedAutomatic "...to make room for reality TV reruns..."What an insult!! Shows how far broadcast TV will stoop for a few extra bucks.I much appreciate Jay for keeping the "motor head" world alive in a Zoom society. However, maybe it's time for him to retire or semi-retire. There's enough material for him to do YouTube with most auto related companies willing to underwrite....but the number of shows would be at his own pace.I wish him well!!
- Gregtwelve I had an '88 Turbo Coupe with 5 spd bought used and really liked it. I loved the looks, it had decent power for the time and a nice interior. Unfortunately the head gasket went at around 60K miles. I repaired it myself and sold it.
- Mattwc1 I bought a Maverick specifically because I wanted utility and great fuel economy. My wife has a RAV4 hybrid that we really like. I think Toyota would print money with a smaller RAV4 based truck.
- Varezhka Dunno. Looking at Maverick and Santa Cruz, having the engine in the front of the driver and a crew cab layout will mean the rear bed will be about the same size as kei trucks. And it will still be more than 16ft long. I'd rather get a Tacoma and/or a Hilux at that point.If we actually want a small truck with usable bed, it will have to be cab over layout with standard cab like Toyota TownAce Truck. We already know how popular that would be, even without getting into federal safety requirements.


text:
To spite “hedge fund bros,” retail investors led a surge in GameStop’s stock price largely through the trading app Robinhood. While progressives relished watching Wall Street’s old guard scramble amid the chaos, fintech firms like Robinhood — apps for lending, investing, and so on — certainly aren’t seeking an end to financial capitalism.
The case for stablecoin continues to strengthen
The popularity of fintech has spiked in recent times. Here's how FinTech will shape the global financial market in 2021.
When a crusading group of retail traders decided last week to bid up the price of GameStop shares, the target was Wall Street. Empowered by Reddit and the commission-free trades of Robinhood’s online trading app, they succeeded in putting the squeeze on hedge funds that had shorted GameStop.
Too many institutions treat relations with fintechs as an afterthought, rarely making these deals anybody's job. Often these alliances aren't focused on revenue-building opportunities, which tends to reduce their priority. No wonder the payoff is so meager. Meanwhile opportunities with Google and Amazon beckon.
Artificial intelligence (AI), banking and insurtech emerged as the most mentioned trends among fintech influencer discussions on Twitter during the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2020, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
Customers who bought crypto through the platform have been logging in twice as much as they were before, the payments giant said.
The architect of 'The Everything Store' may be moving to a different role, but the behemoth he built — and the team that did the heavy lifting — will offer financial institutions both competition and partnership opportunity.
I’m working on a new book project. You might have spotted the themes in my recent blog entries but, if not, it’s all about purpose. The tagline is: if you don’t stand for something, you fall down, and is focused upon stakeholder capitalism.
For a significantly long period of non-touch, everything meant growth continued for the sector
Last year, the world was crippled by COVID-19. But for the FinTech sector, it was just a speed bump. After the initial stun and the cautious reactions, the global pandemic acted as an accelerant for digital services, pulling the incumbent financial institutions from their manual, paper-driven ways.
Visa, a one-time enemy of the bitcoin and cryptocurrency community, is fast becoming one of bitcoin's biggest cheerleaders.

domain: news


text:
Shares of set-top cable box and cable modem maker Scientific-Atlanta
If you stop at the "obvious" numbers, it's difficult to see how investors could have been unhappy with Thursday night's announcement. Sales rose 14% to approximately $453 million, while net income improved 31% year over year to nearly $56 million.
But the company's business isn't particularly seasonal, and so investors watch sequential quarter numbers carefully -- and both revenue and net profit were down from the company's Q4 figures. (It's worth pointing out, however, that Q4's net income figure included a credit for an income tax settlement without which Q1's number would have been higher.)
Also troubling, meanwhile, was news that gross margins fell both year over year and sequentially as selling prices fell -- not surprising, as prices for consumer electronics can be expected to fall over time. Still, the 60-basis-point drop was mitigated in part by insurance proceeds related to a fire that happened in the last fiscal year, improving the numbers somewhat.
The macro environment for companies in this business -- also including Motorola
Improved cost management at Scientific-Atlantic is encouraging, but investors are right to watch sequential growth and gross margins closely -- and they're doing just that, as Friday's move indicates.
Fool contributor Dave Marino-Nachison doesn't own any of the companies in this story.


text:
E3 2018 attendees won’t be the only ones to get a chance to play the English version of Shining Resonance Refrain ahead of launch. A demo will be coming to the Nintendo Switch eShop on June 12, 2018. No details to what the Shining Resonance Refrain demo will cover are currently unavailable.
Shining Resonance Refrain will come to the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC in North America and Europe on July 10, 2018. The Nintendo Switch version will come to Japan on July 12, 2018.


text:
Tracking device a silver lining
A silver lining to Ryan Peel's ordeal is that he is now the first Wellingtonian to own a special tracker designed for people with autism.
The Wandatrack is a small device that emits a personalised signal.
It has been designed to give peace of mind to families of people with dementia, autism or other conditions that cause them to regularly wander off.
Ryan's device resembles a pendant but they can also be made to look like a watch or key chain.
Police search and rescue co-ordinator Anthony Harmer said the technology had been available in Wellington for only a few months but he hoped the devices would become commonplace.
"It reduces our search time massively. [On average it takes] 20 searchers up to eight hours but this would see one to two people searching for maybe an hour."
The devices cost $280 and replacing the battery every six months costs $30.
The recently established Wellington Wander Search Charitable Trust administers the devices and raises funds to cover their cost.
They also ask for a small monthly donation from the user.
Ryan's father, Edward Peel, said he had looked for something similar in China and other parts of the world without realising he could source one at home.
"One of the good things about this bizarre situation, that I'd never want to find myself in, is Ryan now has a Wandatrack."
For more information contact Wellington police search and rescue.
Related story: Community rallies to save Ryan
The Dominion Post


text:
The process of fire in electric vehicles does not seem to stop. In the past several months, incidents of electric vehicles catching fire have been reported from every corner of the country and now, the latest news is from China, where an L9 Hybrid SUV from Li Auto brand has reportedly caught fire. A media report says that the video of this incident is also going viral on social media.
Pandaily’s Report According to, recently a video has surfaced, in which a car is seen catching fire. The vehicle is said to be the Li Auto L9 model, which is a hybrid SUV and is the second car manufactured by the company. Reports say that the L9 SUV offers the longest electric range of any PHEV (Plug In Hybrid Vehicle) in the world. The company reportedly introduced this hybrid car in March 2022.
Li Auto’s Website According to the L9, the maximum electric range of the L9 is 215 km, while the total range with its fuel tank goes up to 2,116 km.
A screenshot has been shared by the online publication from the Chinese social media platform Weibo, in which this alleged car is seen burning. As per reports, a social media user claimed that the vehicle owner heard a loud noise inside the car while driving. The loud bang was apparently related to the braking system of the car. The vehicle owner parked the Li Auto L9 SUV on the side of the road, after which it reportedly burst into flames within a minute.
The company said in a statement to Pandaily that it has involved local departments and is working to find out the cause of the accident through a full investigation.


text:
Capturing Carbon Dioxide Could Make Breweries More Eco-Friendly
Sure, beer is carbonated, but due to manufacturing processes and energy intake, producing beer usually ends up releasing way more carbon dioxide than a pint of the fizzy brew gives off. But Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in Livermore, California, has a novel solution to the excess carbon dioxide problem: capture it into little capsules, cutting back the CO2 emissions by as much as 75%. The lab says the carbon capsules promise to be affordable enough that even small craft breweries will be able to make the move to go green.
The capsules use sodium bicarbonate, a.k.a.. baking soda, to absorb the carbon dioxide into a porous outer shell made of silicone. So, by using LLNL's microcapsule CO2 capture technology, craft breweries aren't just reducing their carbon footprint, they're also creating another product they can sell: the CO2 capsules themselves. These capsules can be used for, among other things, enhanced oil recovery. It's pretty much a win-win for the Earth and the breweries alike.
According to Lionel Keene, a scientist at LLNL, they went to a microbrewery in Paso Robles, California, and to find out why the brewery wasn't using any kind of carbon capture technology. As the LLNL team had suspected, the brewery told them that most of the technology out there is too unaffordable for smaller brewers. To combat that stigma, LLNL insists the microcapsule technology is way more efficient than other carbon capturing methods, and it's way more affordable than others.
As LLNL put it, this microcapsule carbon capture technology is "not a short-term solution to carbon capture, but a broad, sustainable approach." So basically, selling off little packages of carbon dioxide in addition to six packs might be the future of eco-friendly microbrewing.
With dozens of breweries popping up every year, it's no wonder many of them, like Deschutes Brewery which is installing it's own water treatment facility, are making moves to have little or no impact on the environment.


text:
Decca London Latest Post
'Bespoke by Decca' is a new exciting project set to make its debut at London Design Festival 2016!
Read our interview with David Ritch and Mark Saffell of 5D Studio, the designers of Float and Bing Collections which will be displayed at Clerkenwell Design Week 2016.
This interview aims to give you an insight into Brian's creative process, as well as his view on workplace environment and current trends.
Decca London is the only multi-disciplined furniture manufacturer that makes luxury bespoke furniture for creative designers with high expectations in London, Europe and the Middle East who want their visions realised in an era of personalisation.
Decca London Latest News
A review of Decca’s luxury showroom at Neocon 2016, one of the biggest contract furniture events in the world.
A glimpse into our experience at Clerkenwell Design Week 2016


text:
Google is today announcing that it is launching its Mapmaker product in South Africa and Egypt. Ten more countries will be able to make use of the service in the next few weeks including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Norway and Switzerland.
Map Maker allows user to tip changes and corrections to maps, greatly improving the accuracy of Google Maps.
F**k it, we'll do it live!
Our biggest ever edition of TNW Conference is fast approaching! Join 10,000 tech leaders this May in Amsterdam.


text:
Quarterly or Annual Statements
Lithia, Group 1 return to the buy-sell arenaMon, 24, Oct 2016
Lithia Motors and Group 1 Automotive are back on the prowl for dealerships.
Group 1's Q3 net falls 22% on soft energy, UK marketsThu, 20, Oct 2016
Group 1 Automotive's net income fell 22 percent in the third quarter to $35.4 million, hurt by sales weakness in energy-dependent markets and soft sales in the U.K. following the Brexit vote to leave the European Union.
Gentex posts 18% gain in Q3 net incomeThu, 20, Oct 2016
Mirror and electronics supplier Gentex saw its third-quarter net income climb 18 percent to $92.1 million as sales at its automotive unit increased. Gentex typically serves as a bellwether for suppliers as it is one of the first of its peers to release its quarterly results.
Lithia’s Q3 net rises 25 percent on broad revenue gainsThu, 20, Oct 2016
Lithia’s third-quarter net income rose 25 percent from a year earlier to $54 million, as revenue rose 8.9 percent to a third-quarter record $2.27 billion, the company said today.
Dana Q3 net income drops to $57 millionThu, 20, Oct 2016
Dana, the longtime supplier of various drivetrain components, today reported net income of $57 million in the third quarter, down 52 percent from the year-earlier period as sales from its commercial-vehicle units fell again.


text:
The Facebook page has since been pulled, but we had enough time to catch a glimpse of the game's early promotional artwork. Now, we have a brief idea of what the game will look like, based on a few screen shots. The game looks decidedly more macro than previous 'Ville games on mobile phones, namely CityVille Hometown and Holidaytown. However, players can connect their ForestVille game to the two CityVille games and check pending messages from both while playing this new game.
ForestVille will work on all iOS devices dating back to the iPhone 3GS, and it will feature Facebook Connect, according to the Canadian app page. However, keep in mind that this game is testing, which means it may not even make it elsewhere. (You know, like Kingdoms & Castles?)
Are you excited about this new 'Ville game? Based on these early images, what do you think of the game's graphics? Play mechanics? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.


text:
State of Origin: official sponsors dominate the conversation – where are the newsjackers?
Ahead of tonight’s deciding match, Liam Walsh shares findings from Amobee’s Brand Intelligence monitoring of brand associations with the 2015 State of Origin series.
The 35th State of Origin series goes from the field to across the internet as fans monitor happenings with rapt attention and anticipation, while the teams prepare to battle it out over Game Three tonight.
The number of viewers State of Origin has drawn has been a huge win. There is no doubt that the series provides its main sponsors with a goldmine of digital marketing opportunities.
Amobee Brand Intelligence technology monitored brand winners around the games based on digital consumption – how often a term or brand is actually ‘seen’ online – in relation to the sporting event. (Amobee Brand Intelligence gathers data from more than 600,000 websites, including mobile and social media, and a wide panel of customers sharing 100% of their usage data. These are based on what people are consuming online, which include what was seen, read and watched by consumers across the whole internet – not just what was ‘said’ on social media.)
Notable brand highlights from State of Origin
Since the day Game One was played, looking at 27 May to 3 July, Suncorp has been the brand most associated brand with State of Origin, thanks to the name of the stadium where Game 3 is going to be played in Brisbane.
Meanwhile ANZ Bank was the brand second-most associated with State of Origin as Game One of the series was played in ANZ Stadium.
Telstra was ranked the third brand most associated with State of Origin, as a result of the telecom brand being the name sponsor of the NRL Telstra Premiership and because ANZ Stadium, where Game One was played, was called Telstra Stadium between 2002–2007.
AAMI is the fourth-most associated brand with State of Origin in the time period. While no State of Origin match is to be played at AAMI Park in Melbourne, matches which affect player performance and health are being played there – as such AAMI is being brought up in the context of prognostication.
Finally, Holden was the brand fifth-most associated with State of Origin between 27 May and 3 July, due to the auto brand being the title sponsor for the series.
The fact that all of the top five brands most associated with State of Origin have either stadium or league naming rights speaks to the value of those sponsorship opportunities, but also to individual campaigns not breaking out. For brands that aren’t official sponsors, Game Three will be a great newsjacking opportunity for a clever creative to insert a new brand into the State of Origin conversation on social media.
Speaking to the level of anticipation around the decisive Game Three of the State of Origin series, which is being held at the Suncorp Stadium, 66% of Suncorp digital consumption between 27 May and 30 June mentioned Suncorp Stadium.
When it comes to best beer, NSW Blues are heading into the final match with a distinct advantage. Between 27 May and 30 June, Victoria Bitter which sponsors NSW Blues was associated with the State of Origin series twice as much as Castlemaine’s XXXX, the brand aligned with the Queensland Maroons.
Team and player highlights
From 27 May to 3 July, Daly Cherry-Evans was the most consumed player for the QLD Maroons squad. Much of this consumption was around the transfer saga where Cherry-Evans reneged on his contract to the Gold Coast Titans to join the Manly Sea Eagles. Cooper Cronk was the second most consumed player compared to the rest of his team. Consumption spiked after his explosive first game performance, where he scored the first try and kicked the field goal, taking the QLD Maroons into the lead – yet being ruled out for Game Two by a knee injury.
For the NSW Blues, Paul Gallen has garnered the most consumption from Game 1 (27 May) through to 3 July. This peaked on 17 June after a press conference, where he accused the QLD Maroons of being ‘disrespectful’ and ‘grubby’ just prior to Game 2. Robbie Farah was the second most consumed player in comparison to his entire NSW Blues team, due to the high profile player being dogged with injury throughout the competition.
Brand association, ranked according to which brands were most associated to the series in digital consumption, from 27 May to 3 July 2015.
- Victoria Bitter,
- XXXX, and
- Destination NSW.
Digital content and data has provided brands with the ability to better understand when, where and how to deliver relevant and engaging advertising. It also gives brands the ability to understand what trending topics and keywords drive consumers during landmark events.
With the third and final game coming up on 8 July, it’ll certainly be interesting to see what State of Origin fans are consuming online and which brands will come out on top.
With record crowds, the opportunities for brands to reach and engage audiences during the season are limitless.
Liam Walsh is managing director ANZ at Amobee.


text:
It is a cautionary tale for the rise of the so-called “internet of things”: some pets could be left hungry after a server outage appeared to be causing automated feeders made by a company called PetNet to malfunction.
The lesson: always build a backup system.
PetNet describes itself as “the world’s first intelligent pet feeder that will program itself around your life and the wellness of your pet. The $149 device links to a smartphone app so that, in theory, customers could rest assured that their pet was well fed while they weren’t home.
But a server issue has taken down the system for a number of users, leaving many animals without their scheduled meals.
In an email to customers which was posted to Twitter, the company said: “We are experiencing some difficulty with one of our third party servers. This is currently being investigated.” The email said that customers should “please ensure that your pets have been fed manually” until the issue could be resolved.
But this has caused anger – at the height of vacation season – because many PetNet users rely on it when they leave their animals alone for days at a time and might be unable to return to feed them.
PetNet’s CEO, Carlos Herrera, told the Guardian that the third-party server service, which he said the company rents from Google, had been down for around 10 hours and did not have redundancy backups, but said that PetNet was preparing to roll out a workaround to the problem.
Herrera claimed that about 10% of PetNet users were affected, and that the feeders can operate on previously set schedules without this particular third-party service, though users lose the ability to feed remotely or change the feeding schedule.
Taryn Studer, who has used a PetNet feeder since February and is being affected by the outage, said that many users might not even know there was an issue. “Most are unaware as their emails go to spam or are filtered and we didn’t receive alerts on our phone that the auto feed was down,” she said.
“I have a cat named Winston who loved this feeder,” Studer said in an email. “It would appear that despite my device being connected to wifi and appearing to work perfectly (we usually receives notifications to feedings not working but this is not the case with this issue), I have to manually feed him.”
“This has sent me into a panic as I am a college student with multiple jobs and rely on this device to make sure he receives proper feedings and nutrition,” Studer continued. “I have had to arrange for friends to get keys from me at work if needed so he will get his food.”
Studer said that for her, the most upsetting thing had been the customer service response, which she described as “completely dismissive and unapologetic”, saying that their phone line went unanswered and her emails have either been ignored or replied to with a generic response.
“This product was my absolute favorite thing and I highly recommended it to anyone who would listen,” Studer said. “However, this customer service experience has left me very wary to consider using the feeder and I still don’t have answers as to when it will be operating.”
“I understand a company-wide server outage is difficult to handle, but this is absolutely ridiculous when the lives of hundreds of pets are tied to their product,” she added.


text:
Citing construction-sector unemployment nearing 25 percent and underutilized manufacturing capacity, the White House wants Congress to approve a rebate program that would cover various types of investments. The plan envisions 50 percent rebates up to $1,500 for upgrades such as insulation, duct sealing, and efficient windows and doors.
For more comprehensive home energy retrofits, consumers could receive $3,000 for overhauls designed to achieve energy savings of 20 percent – and even more cash for overhauls that meet higher targets.
White House officials say they realize that in the sour economy, consumers will have trouble finding the cash for the projects even with the incentives. They hope to work with state and local governments to help people finance the balance of the projects that aren’t covered by the rebates.
Moving on . . . this is pretty terrifying: The World Coffee Conference held over the weekend in Guatemala underscored major concerns that climate change is harming the industry.
“More coffee drinking coupled with climate change have reduced supplies of beans, producers said at an international conference over the weekend,” reports USA Today.
The story continues:
“‘There is already evidence of important changes,’ said Nestor Osorio, the head of the International Coffee Organization, which represents 77 countries that export or import beans. ‘In the last 25 years the temperature has risen half a degree in coffee producing countries, five times more than in the 25 years before.’ Warming temperatures have forced growers to seek higher, pricier land, where higher-quality beans are grown.”
Fast Company posted a story on the same issue Friday, warning that climate-driven production declines will hit American consumers.
“All of this means that already-expensive coffee is about to get a whole lot pricier. And even though coffee companies like Starbucks and Peet's tout their commitments to sustainably-sourced products, temperatures are continuing to rise. So in addition to making sure that they use Fair Trade beans, coffee chains interested in self-preservation may also want to work towards preventing further climate change -- a process that Starbucks has already begun,” they note.
Phil Jones, the scientist at the heart of the furor over the infamous hacked climate science emails, was grilled before a parliamentary committee in the UK Monday. The Financial Times, Nature and other outlets reported on the session, in which Jones admitted to writing “some very awful emails.”
Reuters, meanwhile, is reporting on a study by researchers at Italy’s Genoa University who found that climate change will add to the woes of people that suffer from allergies.
“Sneezing, congestion, and runny noses from hay fever may be lasting longer because climate change may be extending pollen seasons,” the Reuters piece on the study states.
Elsewhere, the battle over the proposed Cape Wind project off the Massachusetts coast continues. The Associated Press and other outlets report that Interior Secretary Ken Salazar is asking a panel called the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation to weigh in. The developer of the embattled 130-turbine project slated for Nantucket Sound and two Native American tribes opposing it could not reach agreement.
Salazar plans to make a decision in April on the project, which has been on the drawing boards for a decade. Interior has jurisdiction because it would be built in federal waters. Salazar said he’ll take the preservation panel’s views into account.
“The time has come to bring the reviews and analysis of the Cape Wind Project to a conclusion,” Salazar said. “The parties, the public and the permit applicants deserve resolution and certainty.”
From wind to coal: Mother Jones reports that North Carolina-based utility Progress Energy last year quietly abandoned a coal industry lobbying group called the American Coalition for Clean Coal Elecricity.


text:
Tekken 7 is getting a fourth season which will include new moves and a brand new character added to the roster, the game's developer revealed this weekend.
A video announcing Season 4 of Bandai Namco's upcoming fighting game content revealed some pretty major changes to the erstwhile title, including a complete balance update, new moves for every character and much more besides.
The developer also revealed that a new ranked online system called Tekken Prowess will be added to the title, though exactly how this works and how it'll alter the current system remains to be seen.
But the best news of all? Another new character is being teased for the game, who will no doubt be added to the already brimming roster.
Fans already seem to be suggesting the new character is Kunimitsu, though the ninja-type newcomer may prove to be another guest character in the end.
Tekken Season 4 is due to arrive in the autumn, but no more specific information about the update has been revealed just yet.
Tekken boss and veteran of the series Katsuhiro Harada revealed over the weekend that many of the game's fights on console are conducted over WiFi – rather than via a wired connection – and that disconnection rates in games are fairly high.
New UI elements in online lobbies will try and mitigate this with the launch of Season 4, and hopefully some balance changes to controversial characters will also make for a slightly more sportsman-like atmosphere in the game's online modes.
We'll update you with more information as we have it.


text:
Honda, Australian car industry
STEPHEN OTTLEY You would think that one of the benefits of driving a $1 million prototype hydrogen fuel cell vehicle would be dodging the queue at the service station.
Richard Blackburn Toyota’s Corolla was the world’s top-selling car last year.
Matt Campbell Manufacturers to introduce brake override technologies.
RICHARD BLACKBURN Toyota, the world's biggest car maker and Australia's favourite automotive brand, is facing a growing crisis.
David Berthon With sales of Civic sedan in the first nine months of 09 running over 46 per cent behind the same time in 2008 Honda has introduced a limited-edition VTi with savings of over $4800.


text:
Nearly a month after reports surfaced that Nigeria may be ready to sign the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), President Muhammadu Buhari has blown the lid off, stating reasons for the country’s reluctance to commit to the trade pact.
The president, who demanded an impact assessment on the deal and approved the report in May, cited Nigeria’s lack of capacity to prevent other African countries from dumping goods into the country. According to him, this would impede the growth of emerging local industries, thus posing a challenge in the continental trade accord.
“I don’t think Nigeria has the capacity to effectively supervise and to ensure that our colleagues in AU (African Union) don’t allow their countries to be used to dump goods on us to the detriment of our young industries and our capacity to utilise foreign exchange for imported goods,” President Buhari said, in a meeting with the National Council of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) in Abuja.
The African leader’s claim is in line with that of the President MAN, Engineer Mansur Ahmed, who had urged the Federal Government not to sign the trade pact to save Nigeria from being used as a dumping ground for foreign goods.
“The position of the association is that the government should not sign the framework agreement until wide-reaching sensitization and proper assessment is conducted on its impact on the economy and the manufacturing sector,” Ahmed said in January. The association’s stand is based on a sector-specific study conducted on AfCFTA. Read more here.
Below is the Ventures Africa Weekly Economic Index, for the week ending 21st of June, 2019. This economic index gives you a glimpse into other recent activities in Nigeria’s economy as well as changes and prices that could affect the economy.
Nigerian Stock Exchange
Data released by the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), as of 21st June 2019, showed that the All-Share Index depreciated by 0.65 percent from the previous week ending 14th of June 2019. Market capitalization at the close of trading during the week under review was N13.155trillion, a 0.59 percent decrease from N13.233 recorded the previous week. The All Share-Index for the week under review closed at 29,851.29
Top five price gainers and decliners in the week under review:
Top five price gainers
Linkage Assurance Plc.
NEM Insurance Plc.
Thomas Wyatt Nig. Plc.
Lafarge Africa Plc.
Champion Brew Plc.
Top five price decliners
Okomu Oil Palm Plc.
C & I Leasing Plc.
Associated Bus Company Plc.
How did the Naira fare?
The Naira’s value remained the same against the dollar last week as it ended at 359 Naira per dollar on the 21st of June 2019, the same value it had recorded a week before.
How did the price of oil fare?
Brent oil prices closed out the week on the 21st of June 2019 at $65.20 per barrel, up from around $64 recorded a week ago. Heightened tensions between oil producers, Iran and USA, with the former shooting down a US drone has meant had a positive effect on oil prices. The prospect of war between both countries and the disruption of trade on the seas in the Middle East gave oil prices a momentary lift last week.


text:
Latest paw Stories
Warning: Rough, cracked paw pads can cause dogs a lot of pain! Natural Dog Company has just released an organic, all-natural, vegan solution; Paw Soother is being called a "miracle balm"
Dog-friendly product shields a pup’s paws against harsh winter weather. (PRWEB) May 22, 2012 Thanks to Avomeen Analytical Services, a custom chemical
- A gift; a largess; a gratuity; a present; a dole.


text:
A few developers have already been reducing rates for their assignments, encouraging revenue in the process.
Ardmore Three with Ardmore Area has marketed about 20 units seeing that relaunching a month ago at successful prices of around $2, six-hundred to $2, 700 per sq feet (psf) – after factoring in a 15 per cent funds rebate. This is certainly below before launch rates of $3, 400 to $3, 500 psf. Revenue are reasonable considering the majority of units on the project opt for about $5 million.
The 84-unit job, completed in the fourth quarter of 2014, provides about half 12 months more to promote all products before running into Qualifying Qualification (QC) off shoot charges. Completely moved merely four products before a month ago, according to caveats.
In the current industry, it seems that rates of $2, 600 to $2, seven-hundred psf are believed palatable to get freehold homes in the primary Ardmore Area area – while for 99-year leaseholds with Orchard, customers will nip at $2, 300 to $2, 500 psf, since seen in the successful launch of Cairnhill Eight.
Highline Homes in Ellie Tian Highway was relaunched this past weekend, selling about 20 products. These were costing about $1, 850 psf, slightly below average rates of about $1, 900 psf when it premiered in Oct 2014. There is also an early-bird discounted of several thousand dollars. The 500-unit job has marketed more than two hundred units thus far.
A volume sale of 20 products was just lately struck in Starlight Bedrooms in Waterway Valley Close. Pricing is probably about $1, 500 psf, compared with $2, 050 psf at its start.
Excluding the offer, the 105-unit project provides moved 72 units, according to caveats. They have till about the end on this month just before it will commence incurring QC extension charges, The Straits Times is aware of.
More revenue activity is definitely expected that weekend, while using new start of Superstars at Kovan and an extended weekend for Indonesia. On the internet more involvement in Orchard buildings recently, with OUE retailing about 30 units within Twin Catches over the past week or so.
It is now the best window time for shoppers to purchase some well-located utnost property for districts some and twelve, said a house consultant.


text:
Stories Below come from our Media Partner 3BL Media - Click their logo or any of the stories for more information
Focus on Food Safety
Updated January 2011 -
The year 2010 saw incidents of food-borne illness from common foods such as eggs, spinach, tomatoes, ground beef, peanut butter, candy, pet food, and cookie dough The nearly weekly investigations and recalls of various foods items from the USA and abroad created ever- mounting pressure on the US Congress to take action and revise the nation’s food safety laws.
In December 2010, the first major overhaul of the food-safety system since the1930s was adopted by the Congress and then signed into law by President Barack Obama in early January 2011. The law calls for increasing government inspections at food-processing facilities and, for the first time, gives the Food and Drug Administration the power to order the recall of unsafe foods.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that each year 1 out of 6 Americans get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die from food borne diseases. 12/2010
With increased regulation opposed by many family-owned and organic farmers, the legislation still needs to be funded and with the change in the control of the US House of Representatives funding might be a huge problem. The law does set standards and now shifts the focus to other countries that export food stuffs into the United States. A January poll of consumers in China indicated that more than 70% did not have confidence in the safety of their [nation’s] food supply. China is a large supplier of food to North America. It remains to be seen if food exporting countries will raise the bar on food safety in the future as a result of the US’s action.
Food Safety will continue to be a focus of interest of corporations, Congress and the public and AC subscribers will be able to read about it all here under the Hot Topic of Food Safety.
Food…trust – and provider accountability -- the three terms clearly go together. We consume food hundreds, even thousands of miles from its origination. Trust is everything! Anything we put in our bodies every day should be “trustworthy,” in terms of where it came from -- and everyone involved in the food supply chain should be accountable for their actions (or inaction in certain cases). From grower / farmer / planter / rancher to food processor to retailer or food service or restaurant…and then to each of us – there is a clear chain of accountability. Trust is the important foundation all along the human food chain – preserving trust should be an imperative for every player. And yet, accidents do happen. Each year in the United States tainted foods cause an estimated 75 million illnesses resulting in more than 300,000 hospitalizations and as many as 5,000 deaths or more. (World-wide food hazards kill more than 1.8 million people each year, mostly affecting children.)
The impact on the U.S. economy in medical costs alone top $6.5 billion with maybe two or three times that number in financial losses to business, industry and government. More and more of the food items that we in the U.S.A. consume come to our shores from foreign and third world production and processing sources, where there can be a lack of adequate sanitation or proper food handling procedures and oversight.
Even here in America, numerous food processing issues arise each year, typically involving incidents of food-borne illnesses originating from such biological hazards as Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria, and these and more continue to be significant public health threats. Those at greatest risk are children, senior citizens, pregnant women and their unborn children, and those with impacted immune systems.
There is heightened interest in food safety issues on the part of consumers and their advocates; government officials at the federal, state and local levels; the healthcare community; media; and food, retailing and restaurant industries. The nation has made great progress in identifying harmful food production technologies, ramping up safety procedures, and adopting rules and regulations and to promote safer methods of handling and preparing foods.
Food Safety is all about Accountability – and trust. The AC Hot Topic – Food Safety section is designed to present timely and useful news and information, a range of commentary, and reports on research on food safety topics. The objective: To improve and expand the public dialogue and contribute to the goal of safer food sources, processing and monitoring for all citizens. As always, we are interested in your comments on this important topic.
Latest on Focus on Food Safety
Source: Huff Post
The number of recent food poisoning cases linked to the fast-food restaurant soared this week to more than 500 with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announcing 6 additional cases in four more states: Pennsylvania,...
December 28, 2015 2015 in Review: Animal AntibioticsSource: Food Safety News
It’s difficult to summarize what happened on the animal antibiotics front this year. There were lots of pledges, lots of discussions and lots of reports, but not very many actions. Still, we still wanted to recap what happened in...
Source: Counter Currents
Counter Currents - the World Trade Organization, the World Food Program, the Millennium Challenge, The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and industrial giants like Yara Fertilizer,...
The Huffington Post - Chipotle's troubles have undermined its public claims that it uses safer and higher quality organic and local ingredients when available. Its chief financial officer John Hartung said during a recent call...
December 24, 2015 Country of Origin: Where is Your Beef From'
OpEdNews - The dispute started about five years ago when Canada and Mexico filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization. They argued that U.S. law required their meat to be labeled "product of Mexico" or "Canada" was a...
December 23, 2015 Americans aware of Chipotle outbreak eat there less often: pollSource: Reuters
Nearly a quarter of Americans who have heard of recent E. coli outbreaks at Chipotle Mexican Grill said they are eating less often at its restaurants, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll showed on Tuesday, while social media sentiment...
December 23, 2015 Chicken also excluded from COOL repeal
The Western Producter - That release was issued after the World Trade Organization ruled earlier this month that Canada and Mexico could impose retaliatory tariffs on various U.S. commodities if COOL was not repealed or changed...
December 23, 2015 Although Some GMO Sympathizers Embrace Mandatory Labeling, It's A Disaster In Waiting
The Huffington Post - His Twitter handle is: @BruceMatthewCha Jon Entine, executive director of the Genetic Literacy Project, is a Senior Fellow at the World Food Center Institute for Food and Agricultural Literacy, University of...
December 22, 2015 Major companies commit to using SmartLabel on products
High Plains Journal - Bailey, president and CEO of the Grocery Manufacturers Association. SmartLabel is a modern technology that will change how people shop and will help them get answers to questions they have on the products...
December 22, 2015 Wild bee populations dwindle in main U.S. crop regions: studySource: Reuters
Wild bees, crucial pollinators for many crops, are on the decline in some of the main agricultural regions of the United States, according to scientists who produced the first national map of bee populations and identified...
|HOME | ABOUT THE SITE | REGISTRATION INFORMATION | VOICES: FEATURED COMMENTATORS AND BLOGGERS | SPECIAL SECTIONS|


text:
Americans reveal how they feel about the meatless protein trend at fast food restaurants
A growing number of fast-food chains in the U.S. have begun offering meatless or plant-based options on their menu. Research from Piplsay delves into consumers' acceptance of and excitement around this food trend.
During the past few years, the meatless and plant-based phenomenon has gone from being a highly speculative curiosity to an in-demand food item, available not just in grocery stores but also dished out over the counters of popular fast-food chains across the country. From burgers and sandwiches to tacos and pizzas, a range of meatless alternatives is available to customers today—many of whom are choosing them for health, environmental or ethical reasons. Given this new shift toward a vegetarian or vegan diet, how keen are Americans on this new trend? Piplsay polled 30,700 people nationwide to get some insights.
Of those surveyed, 71% are aware of the meatless and plant-based options that are available at fast food establishments, and 54% of those say they have tried it. Breaking it down further, 21% are meat eaters who have tried it once or twice; 18% are meat eaters that have tried it several times; 8% are vegans or vegetarians that have tried it several times; and 7% are vegans/vegetarians who have tried it once or twice.
Of the 46% of respondents who have not tried the meatless options, 24% say they just have not tried it yet, and 22% say they are not interested in trying it. Of those who have tried these alternative meat options, 70% rate their experience as good, 18% say not so good and 12% say not good at all.


text:
The upcoming all-electric sedan from Volkswagen the VW ID.7 image and specs have been released even before its official launch which should happen on April 17 in China.
Just a few days ago we reported that a VW ID.7 has been spotted in Germany without any camouflage and now its real image has been leaked or released on the internet.
Now this ID.7 is the sixth all-electric vehicle from VW and this electric sedan is to launch in North America, China, and Europe later this year.
Now this VW ID.7 image has been leaked or released by the Chinas regulator officials who have released a list of all cars that have been approved and the VW ID.7 is also one of them. So, we can consider this image leak of VW ID.7 before the official launch as not intentionally made.
This ID.7 electric sedan is built under VWs new Modular electric drive matrix EV platform which is dedicated and made by VW to manufacture and develop its next-generation EVs.
The VW ID.7 has a big 77 kWh battery pack that can provide up to 434 miles or 700 km of range from a single charge and the electric motor of this car can produce up to 201 horsepower with a top speed of 96 mph (155km/h).
Also, VW has kept the ID.7 dimension the same as ID.6 with 4,956 mm long, 1,862 mm wide, and 1,537 mm tall with a 2,965 mm wheelbase.
Also, feel free to share your opinion on this electric sedan in the comment below.


text:
LAS VEGAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Tachyum™ launched a German-language version of its website to improve accessibility for customers and partners seeking information about the Tachyum Prodigy® Universal Processor and its ability to dramatically improve the performance of hyperscale, HPC and AI workloads. Tachyum, a semiconductor company with roots in Europe, is essential for EU digital and technological sovereignty.
Today, the European Union is heavily dependent on non-European chip suppliers as it only has 10% of the global manufacturing market. Global semiconductor shortages have affected a wide range of sectors, from automotive to healthcare. Tachyum’s Prodigy, the world’s first universal processor, will help EU achieve a leading position in technology, supercomputing and data center markets.
With organizations like the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, which contributes strongly to the European semiconductor research strategy, Germany plays an important role in the technological sovereignty of the EU. Other German-speaking regions of Europe are home to major supercomputing centers, such as the Jülich Supercomputing Center (which recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Tachyum), the Swiss National Center for Supercomputing (CSCS), the Leibniz Supercomputing Center (Leibniz-Rechenzentrum) and the Max-Planck Computing and Data Facility (MPCDF), and the High-Performance Computing Center Stuttgart (HLRS – Höchstleistungsrechenzentrum Stuttgart) or Karlsruher Institut of Technology (KIT).
Germany is also a leader in the automotive industry, and a recently approved law on autonomous driving gives automakers in the country the chance to start designing self-driving cars in earnest. These vehicles need powerful AI systems, which Tachyum can activate. Using Prodigy in autonomous vehicles gives the EU the chance to challenge other global industry leaders, such as Tesla.
“At the heart of our business philosophy has always been the concept of thinking globally, acting locally,” said Dr. Radoslav Danilak, Founder and CEO of Tachyum. “By launching another regionalized version of our website, we are staying true to this concept by ensuring that our messaging reaches people in ways that promote greater understanding while also targeting localized markets that can benefit from the energy and performance capabilities of Prodigy.”
Prodigy has the potential to create unparalleled computing speed and vast power-saving capabilities for large-scale, OEM, telecommunications, private cloud, and government markets. Prodigy’s 10x lower CPU core power consumption will significantly reduce carbon emissions associated with data center usage. Prodigy’s 3x lower cost (at equivalent performance) will also translate into billions of dollars in annual savings for hyperscalers like Google, Facebook, Amazon and Alibaba.
Tachyum’s Prodigy processor can run HPC, convolutional AI, explainable AI, general AI, bio AI, and edge neural network applications, as well as normal data center workloads, on a single homogeneous processor platform, using existing standard programming models. Without Prodigy, hyperscale data centers must use a disparate mix of CPU, GPU, and TPU hardware for these different workloads, creating inefficiency, expense, and the complexity of separate provisioning and maintenance infrastructures. Using specific hardware dedicated to each type of workload (e.g. data center, AI, HPC) results in underutilization of hardware resources and more difficult programming, support, and maintenance. Prodigy’s ability to switch seamlessly between these different workloads is dramatically changing the competitive landscape and data center economics.
The German version of the Tachyum website is hosted on the company’s own software emulation system for the Prodigy universal processor and is now available at https://www.tachyum.com/de/.
Tachyum is transforming the AI, HPC, and public and private cloud data center markets with Prodigy, the world’s first universal processor that delivers industry-leading performance, cost, and power efficiency for purpose and purpose computing general. When Prodigy processors are delivered in a large-scale data center, they enable all AI, HPC, and general-purpose applications to run on hardware infrastructure, saving businesses billions of dollars. dollars per year. A fully functional Prodigy emulation system is currently available to select customers and partners for early testing and software development. With data centers currently consuming more than 3% of the planet’s electricity, up from 10% by 2025, the ultra-low-power Prodigy Universal Processor is essential if we are to continue doubling global data center capacity every four years. Tachyum, co-founded by Dr. Radoslav Danilak with its flagship product Prodigy, is heading for tape release and chip sampling in 2022, with software emulations and an FPGA-based emulator running native Linux available for early adopters . The company is building the world’s fastest 64 exaflops AI supercomputer in 2022 in the EU with Prodigy chips. Tachyum has offices in the United States and Slovakia. For more information, visit https://www.tachyum.com/.


text:
The folks at PocketNow are sure on a roll. After leaking out a bunch of Verizon phones previously, they now have gotten their hands on some new phones headed to AT&T. And this time, it’s none other than the upcoming HP Veer – one of HP’s upcoming webOS phones.
Previously only seen in black, the mini smartphone was introduced earlier this year along with the Pre 3 and TouchPad. These brand new press shots, showing the phone in white, suggest that the phone might be arriving sooner than we think. The HP Veer is about the size of a credit card and is no thicker than a deck of cards. It packs a 2.57″ touchscreen, an 800MHz processor, 8GB of internal storage, a 5 megapixel camera, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, HP Touchstone support, and of course, a slide-out QWERTY keyboard.
The phone looks pretty cute in white, and there’s no doubt that we’ll be seeing other white devices from HP’s 2011 line up as well. Anyone picking up the HP Veer when it launches?
- 2014-04-09: PC Shipments See 4.4% YOY Decline, According To IDC
- 2014-04-07: HP Slate 8 Pro Business Tablet Arrives Silently
- 2014-04-07: HP Slate 7 Beats Special Edition Spotted On WiFi Alliance Website
- 2014-04-04: HP Slate 8 Pro 7650 Appears At The FCC
- 2014-03-20: HP 3D Printers Expected In June
- 2011-12-08: HP TouchPad goes on sale one last time on the 11th of December
- 2011-09-20: Unreleased HP webOS devices spotted in the wild
- 2011-08-25: White HP TouchPad spotted in the wild
- 2011-08-08: HP TouchPad 4G up for pre-order on Amazon
- 2011-05-04: HP Veer 4G announced by AT&T


text:
Dunlop Tyres South Africa is a proud sponsor of the largest industry-supported auto show on the continent – the Festival of Motoring (FOM) 2022, taking place at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit from 26-28 August.
The motoring event brings together key industry players, motoring enthusiasts and the general public in a three-day motor extravaganza featuring over 150 exhibitors, 20 automotive brands, 50 pit doors, and 10 activity zones showcasing the innovation and technology of the motoring industry. Around 22 000 visitors are expected to take in the on- and off-track activities from Friday to Sunday.
“We are excited to be a key sponsor at the SA Festival of Motoring, not just showcasing the best that we have to offer, but connecting with our customers and giving them the true Dunlop experience,” says Lubin Ozoux, CEO of Sumitomo Rubber South Africa (SRSA), manufacturer of the Dunlop brand.
“For over 130 years, Dunlop has been one of the world’s most recognised tyre brands and remains focused on ensuring that our tyres are safe and that consumers have the best experience – from purchasing the most suitable tyre, right through to the end of their tyre’s lifespan,” he added.
Dunlop Grandtrek 4×4 Village
Dunlop will be hosting the unique Dunlop Grandtrek 4×4 Village, giving people the chance to experience the capabilities and performance of some of the country’s leading 4X4 off-road vehicles kitted out in Dunlop Grandtrek SUV and 4×4 tyres. Professional off-road driving instructors will be on hand for any visitors keen to experience the challenging course up-front as passengers. There will also be two driving simulators, plus instant prizes for kids and adults.
Five lucky winners who purchased four or more Grandtrek tyres from online tyre retailer Blackcircles ahead of the event will also be hosted at the Dunlop Grandtrek 4×4 Village.
Part of the Dunlop Grandtrek 4×4 Village will showcase the history and values that have driven the company, as well as highlight some of the upliftment projects Dunlop and SRSA have been involved in over the years.
The Dunlop Grandtrek range is South Africa’s most comprehensive range of SUV and 4×4 tyres for both on-an-off road terrain. It’s backed by a basket of free tyre cover products under Dunlop Sure, including a Product Life Warranty, Mileage Warranty and all road hazard Tyre Insurance for replacement of Dunlop tyres damaged beyond repair within the first year of purchase from Dunlop branded franchises.
Motorsport and motorcycle action
With Dunlop’s rich global history in motorsport, the brand has been the tyre of choice for a number of major motorsport events, giving racing drivers the ultimate in peace of mind, quality, safety and performance. Expect to see plenty of performance vehicles and bikes shod with Dunlop tyres at the Festival of Motoring.
Festivalgoers can go on an adrenaline pumping track drive with a professional driver training instructor around the Kyalami race track. Also check out the first ever FOM Speed Challenge featuring racing legends doing a time attack challenge, plus the long-standing South African National Rally Championship, performance and supercar displays and demos, and loads of other motor-tainment.
Get to know Dunlop Tyres
Customers will get the chance to ask about the recently expanded free Dunlop Sure Tyre Insurance, available exclusively from Dunlop Branded retail outlets including Dunlop Zone, Dunlop Express, Dunlop Commercial and Dunlop Container stores in South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho and Swaziland. From 1 August, the tyre insurance covers not just selected Dunlop tyres but all Dunlop tyres damaged beyond repair within the first year of purchase of the tyre and activation of the policy at a Dunlop branded store.
Get your Festival of Motoring 2022 tickets today: bit.ly/3oMLn4Z and be a part of the largest industry-supported auto show in Africa.
Associate Manager: Communications
Sumitomo Rubber South Africa (Pty) Ltd (SRSA)
Tel. +27 (31) 242 1111
On Behalf of:
Sumitomo Rubber South Africa (Pty) Ltd (SRSA)
Sumitomo Rubber South Africa (Pty) Ltd (SRSA) is owned by Japanese listed company Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd (SRI), situated in Kobe, Japan. SRI is one of the leading premium manufacturers of automotive tyres and industrial rubber products in the world. The existing South African plant in Ladysmith (founded in 1973) currently produces passenger car, sport utility vehicle, light truck and truck and bus radial tyres, which are sold in South Africa and exported across Africa and other countries.


text:
CHICAGO — A man who allegedly robbed a Lakeview business more than 10 times since December is now behind bars, Chicago police said Tuesday.
Donte Elbert, 36, of Chicago faces 12 felony counts of retail theft and one misdemeanor count of criminal trespassing. Authorities linked Elbert to 11 retail thefts of a business in the 3200 block of N. Clark. The alleged incident spanned from December 2022 through April.
Elbert is also charged in connection with stealing from a business in the 3200 block of N. Broadway on Monday.
Elbert was due in court on Tuesday.


text:
SAN DIEGO--HTC has discontinued sales of tablets in the United States. However, a company executive said the Taiwanese handset maker could re-enter the space if it builds a tablet that could "make a splash."
SAN DIEGO--Despite the troubles other companies have had in the tablet market--and the firm's own steep tablet discounts--HTC said it remains committed to building and selling tablets for the long
AT&T Mobility (NYSE:T) will launch its first five LTE markets this Sunday Sept. 18, AT&T CFO John Stephens said during an appearance at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Media, Entertainment
AT&T Mobility (NYSE:T) will launch its first LTE tablet, the HTC Jetstream, as it seeks to broaden its LTE device portfolio. However, the device carries a substantial price tag, which could pose


text:
Check out the new Kobo Aura HD eReader Unboxing video at YouTube. AllaboutSymbian says the Erudite Book Reader brings Amazon Kindlebooks to Symbian. A report from the Wall Street Journal says the number of U.S. Adults reading eBooks topped 50-million in 2012. Forbes says that Simon & Schuster is testing an eBook lending service with …
PC&Tech Authority reviews the Kobo Arc tablet.
BBC News has a story on Kobo’s new Aura “high definition” E Ink eReader. Video and pictures at the link.
Publishers Weekly says the publishing industry has room for more than eBooks suggesting “paper” books will be around for a long time to come. Before we crack open any champagne, remember the illegal price-fixing and market manipulation pulled by Apple and the big six publishing co-conspirators designed to slow down the adoption of the popular …
GoodeReader says LinkedIn has purchased Pulse Reader for $90-million. Digital Book World reported that the price of an eBook best seller has dropped to its lowest level yet. CNET says a new Dr. Seuss eBook collection could be yours for $7.99. According to GoodeReader Digi-Key has signed a new distribution deal with E Ink.
Digital Book World reports on Barnes and Noble re-branding its Indie author platform PubIt! as NOOK Press. Specifics of the new deal at the link.
This could be a good thing or a bad thing. Digital Book World reports that Amazon will launch a cover creating tool for Indie authors. Internet Retailer says Sony will target young readers with Kids’ Corner site. This is kind of cool.Â Casual Living says a new digital fabric sample book is on the way from …
Digital Book World updates us on recent eBook price swings but suggests the increases will only be temporary. More ups and downs are expected as the market matures.
Insider Monkey offers more on Amazon’s acquisition of GoodReads. Will the eBook giant become unstoppable?
GoodeReader has a story on how the competition is getting tough for eBook retailers Kobo and Sony in light of Amazon’s planned acquisition of GoodReads.


text:
KARACHI: Kinnow export is suffering huge losses, as 100 percent examination by the custom authorities is delaying the consignments and damaging the fruit quality, said an exporter.
Co-Chairman All Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Importers, Exporters and Merchants Association Waheed Ahmed told The News that one container that reached Dubai on December 6 was 50 percent damaged, causing a loss of $20,000. “If a container gets damaged by 50 percent in reaching Dubai, what will be its position when it reaches Russia after one month?”
Nearly 50 containers worth Rs80 million were rejected because of the delay caused by custom authorities, he said. Ahmed said that under new mechanism adopted at the ports, even consignments of perishable fruits were examined fully. Consignments of kinnow to Russia, Ukraine, Middle East and Gulf states were rejected because of the delay, which cost huge loss to the exporters, he said.
In order to keep the fruit fresh, kinnows were exported in refrigerated containers at 4 degree Celsius, he said. But those containers were also opened, which changed the temperature and damaged the fruit, he complained.
He warned if consignments of fruits were checked in that way, the country would fail to achieve target of 300,000 tons of kinnow export, which would result in huge losses of foreign exchange earning.
The country already suffers post-harvest losses every year owing to lack of adequate facilities and proper training of picking and packing, say farm producers. The major post-harvest losses are caused because of lack of awareness about how to deal with the fruit during picking and packing. Another factor is the lack of proper storage system, which makes the fruit vulnerable to early rotting.
There is lack of proper warehouses to store the kinnow and the existing storage systems lack facilities as all fruit and vegetables are kept at the same temperature under one roof, which reduces the shelf-life of several of them.
A farm producer said that initiatives were taken to encourage farmers to utilise the proper techniques of picking and packing. He stressed the need for developing proper storage for kinnow preservation.
Kinnow has become one of the major export items within the fruit group. The fruit grows primarily in plains of Punjab, including Sargodha and Toba Tek Singh. But the share of Pakistan’s citrus in the world market is as low as 1.4 percent. The export volume of the citrus fruit remains low on account of growing practices that are not in conformity with international harvesting procedures.
Pakistan is ranked the 13th largest citrus producer in the world with production of 2.1 million tonnes of citrus. It is grown on an area of 185,000 hectares.
Russia’s fresh citrus imports are on the rise. Russia and Ukraine have emerged as the biggest markets for Pakistani kinnow in the recent years. In a matter of five years, their share have increased from almost nil to over 100,000 tons, around 30 per cent of the total exports. Both these states need smaller kinnow, which they consume with liquor for its strong taste and high sucrose content. “Their share is increasing every year,” he said.
All efforts have so far been concentrated on increasing the size and improving the look of the fruit because Pakistan’s traditional markets in the Middle East and the Far East demand bigger size. “For the purpose, Pakistan needs to develop a new variety of seed that meets the requirements of Russia, Ukraine and possibly other East European states,” he said.


text:
Deal of the day : Realme 7 Pro available at discounted price
With 6 GB RAM and 128 GB storage and 5% off with Amazon Pay on all bank debit/credit cards
Click here to know moreAdvertisements
Micromax has been on a roll lately. The company has been launching new phones every month now, and today, it has announced its new flagship, the Canvas Sliver 5. The new phone is just 5.1mm thin and is going head on against the old Gionee Elife S5.1 and the latest Gionee Elife S5.5. The phone weighs just 97 grams, and will be available in two colour options. The phone is priced at Rs. 17,999
The Micromax Canvas Sliver 5 packs a 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 SoC. This is the same SoC phones like Yu Yuphoria use at a 7K price point. The Sliver 5 features 2GB of RAM, an 8MP Sony IMX219 rear camera sensor with blue glass filter and a 4.8-inch AMOLED HD display. The phone gets 16GB of internal storage but lacks a microSD card slot which should have been there. The phone is also 4G enabled and runs on Android Lollipop out of the box.
Micromax already has a slightly better phone, the Micromax Canvas Knight 2 at a lower price point. The Canvas Knight 2, which is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 SoC and has 2GB of RAM, comes at price of Rs. 16,499. The phone is also quite light and thin at 6.3mm. The Knight 2 also comes with Android Lollipop out of the box and an AMOLED display with HD resolution.
The company also announced that it is improving its customer service and from the Canvas Sliver onwards, Micromax will resolve issues and deliver your phone back to you within a week of identifying the problem. Micromax will start selling the Canvas Sliver 5 from July.
Light at the top, this odd looking creature lives under the heavy medication of video games.


text:
Cumulus Networks and Dell EMC to optimize campus networks
Networks, provider of network management software to optimize data centers, and
Dell EMC join forces to make campus network management easier. This includes
Cumulus Linux and NetQ solutions.
introduction of the software solutions, Cumulus Networks wants to ensure that
data cente... Read more
Intel and Dell EMC showcase one of the world’s fastest academic supercomputers
Intel and Dell EMC have unveiled Frontera. Frontera is an academic supercomputer to replace the Stampede2 in the University of Texas. Intel now claims to be the fastest supercomputer in the world for academic workloads.
According to Intel, the Frontera can achieve performance of 38.7 quadrillion flo... Read more
Dell Technologies Cloud updates focus on Kubernetes and Hybrid Cloud Infrastructure
Dell has announced a number of updates to the Dell Technologies Cloud at VMworld. The running of Kubernetes, among other things, is made possible by support for VMware PKS.
Dell will also support the hybrid cloud by combining VMware cloud software with Dell EMC's infrastructure. In this way, com... Read more
Dell EMC and Cisco enhance VxBlock collaboration with enhanced integrations
Dell EMC and Cisco have strengthened their VxBlock partnership with new converged infrastructure integrations. This mainly concerns VxBlock 1000, a turnkey converged solution, and server, networking, storage and data protection.
The announcements include integrated Cisco compute (UCS) and storage 32... Read more
Dell EMC launches new data center infrastructure
In addition to a host of new services and a fully refreshed laptop portfolio, Dell EMC at Dell Technologies World in Las Vegas also announces several innovations in its infrastructure portfolio.
At the Dell Technologies World conference, Dell EMC first launched a number of new services including a ... Read more
Dell Technologies introduces new and optimized storage and management applications
Dell Technologies has announced a wide range of new and optimized data storage, management and protection applications and services. This includes Dell EMC Unity and Isilon portfolios with clear connections to (multi)cloud environments.
In addition to various strategic announcements and new service ... Read more
Dell EMC and VMware launch on-premise data center infrastructure service
Dell EMC and its subsidiary VMware join forces with VMware Cloud on Dell EMC to offer end users the ability to purchase a complete data center infrastructure on premise via a pay-per-month model. Both companies announced this at the now held Dell Technology 2019 event in Las Vegas.
According to both... Read more
Dell EMC extends cooperation with Cisco
Dell EMC and Cisco have extended their collaboration. Both companies want to build on ten years of collaboration in order to maintain a leading position in the hyper-converged market.
Cisco and Dell EMC have officially extended their collaboration. Both companies have been working together for a dec... Read more
Dell EMC provides PowerEdge servers with second generation Xeon Scalable chips
Dell EMC has announced a number of updates to its PowerEdge servers. This should improve performance, scalability, security and management for daily and more challenging workloads. The OpenManage system, which is used to manage the servers, will also be updated.
The servers get improved performance ... Read more
Dell EMC: “Many companies don’t know how to adequately protect valuable data”.
Dutch IT decision makers know that data can potentially have a lot of value. However, most of them have difficulty in adequately protecting that data. This is shown by new research by Dell EMC among 2,200 IT decision-makers from both public and private organizations with more than 250 employees. One... Read more


text:
Suppression and repression is not uncommon outside the United States. Places like China and more specifically Saudi Arabia have been restricting social media. Saudi Arabia has been tightening its control over apps and other mediums of communication. Recently the Saudi Arabian government has been trying to regulate internet-based messaging services such as Skype. Although the extent of the threats by Saudi Arabia are uncertain, most likely they will ban the usage of those services unless the providers comply with their demands. Saudi Arabia wants the ability to monitor some users’ conversations. They are extremely concerned with the way their populace embraced social media and these new forms of communication. They are fearful of this because of the freedom and open expressionism they facilitate. For example there has been some criticism of Saudi authorities by some users of Twitter. The problem with Saudi Arabia’s desire to restrict social media is the sheer popularity of those mediums.
SAC had proposed a $14 million settlement with SEC last month for an insider trading case and the court had recently approved of this settlement. The ruling of this case has made another judge; Victor Marrero who is currently ruling on a $602 million settlement rethink the terms of settlement. Marrero believes that the government should not allow companies to just pay their way out of such cases without having to admit to doing something wrong. The rulings on these cases may largely affect the most recent accusation of SAC’s senior employee Michael Steinberg for yet another case of insider trading.
Judge Victor Marrero brings up a good point about settlement fees. Inside traders can easily make a large amount of money exceeding the amount that they must pay for a settlement, so just relying on settlement fees may not be the best way to end insider trading practices. Having to pay a settlement fee but still earning a lot of money for insider trading does not give employees less of an incentive to do so. If the government really wants to prevent insider trading heavy consequences should be executed.
Written by: Jessica Ho
Source: The Wall Street Journal
Bray, Chad. (2013). Judge Approves $14 Million Settlement by SAC in SEC Insider-Trading Case. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved From:http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323611604578396950285187338.html?mod=WSJ_business_whatsNews
Apple is working on a smart wristwatch, a product that many companies have already failed to successfully find a place for in the market. Casio, Seiko, Microsoft, and Sony have all tried to sell similar products, but they have found little to no success. Apple has assigned a team of about 100 people to work on the project with hopes of introducing it in the fall. A person familiar with the plans claims that the watch will allow users to make and receive calls, as well as check map coordinates.
Since September, Apple’s stock has fallen by more than a third because of slowing iPhone sales and increased competition in the market, especially from Samsung Electronics. This new gadget has the potential to post gross margins around 60 percent, similar to the iPhone, Apple’s most profitable product. Apple has shown that it can develop new markets and establish itself within those markets, so the development of a smart wristwatch does have promise.
Written by: Constantine Kostikas
Source: Bloomberg Businessweek
Chinese manufacturing activity has picked up this month according to an article published in The Wall Street Journal. Some economists attribute this acceleration in manufacturing to the uninterrupted work month; The lunar new year which took place in February, is a weeklong holiday when factories close and workers return home. The manufacturing index of China rose 0.8 points since last month to 50.9 which is the highest reading since April of last year. Regardless, economists are saying that this increase is “not that strong at all” because the manufacturing index typically rises by around two points in March.
The Chinese economy has seen a rapid expansion in a period of over a decade. The country’s GDP growth of 7.8% in 2012 exceeded expectations by 0.3% yet was recorded as the weakest growth by the country in 13 years. China’s expansion has had adverse effects on the people of the country; Beijing has assumed the throne as the most polluted city in the world and 1.2 million premature deaths have been attributed to the air pollution in China. The government’s target growth for GDP is 7.5% this year but perhaps it would be wise to consider the health of the people… Air pollution crippling the work force may not be in the best interest of the country in the long run.
The Wall Street Journal
Would you ever love your job so much that you would prefer to live in your office? Apparently, some of these Londoners do live at a office. A new building that was used by Canadian Pacific Railway as their headquarters now is being sold for extremely high prices. The of penthouse of the building has been priced as a high as $25.6 million dollars. These new units that are being sold as households is a way which London government is using to make their house market a little better.
These units that are being sold are in the heart of the financial district of London, and the only people who seem to be able to afford these luxury apartments may only be the heads of departments of these companies. If I was ever rich enough to buy an apartment in the financial districts of a famous city, I will definitely pick one nearest my office.
Apple’s business tactics has pressured consumers to take action against the exponentially growing company. Apples chief executive officer, Tim Cook apologized to Chinese customers involving Apple’s warranty policy. China, being Apples second largest market right behind the United States puts extra pressure on Apple to make things right for their customers. Television broadcasts and celebrity comments on Apple’s behavior brought down the giant’s reputation. Although China imposed laws mandating warranty policies to be two years, Apple only offers a one year warranty. Apple also mistreats their customers by charging customers for faulty problems already known by the company. With the recent exposure of apple through all kinds of media, people believe that Apple only offered an apology for their own selfish reasons. Offering an apology will put the Apple in a better position in the Chinese court. This has caused many Chinese citizens to resent giant American companies such as Apple.
Although the manufacturing sector is slowly getting better, it’s still nowhere near where it was in previous years. While the sector has added 500,000 more jobs, compared to the year of 2007, today there are two million fewer manufacturing jobs. Since the 1960’s the number of manufacturing jobs have been following a constant downward slope and now, the occupations account for less than 9 percent of the nation’s jobs. A lot of people are hoping that a reinvigorated manufacturing sector will lead to the creation of millions of blue collar jobs that were ever present in the past, but that seems to be just a dream.
In addition, there is support from the White House and President Obama, who proposed financing 15 new centers for manufacturing innovation in his State of the Union address. Plus, there are lobbying groups who are saying that there ought to be additional land that should be opened for exploration and drilling of natural gas. With dozens of industries benefiting from cheaper energy, a job boom would be possible.
Written by Kevin Zhang
Schwartz, Nelson D. “Rumors of a Cheap-Energy Jobs Boom Remain Just That.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 01 Apr. 2013. Web. 01 Apr. 2013. <http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/02/business/economy/rumors-of-a-cheap-energy-jobs-boom-remain-just-that.html?ref=business>.
The government rule issued by the Department of Transportation in 2011 claims that airlines are required to advertise their fare prices that include government taxes and not just the promoted price. The plan for this ruling is that it wants to reduce the confusion of customers on the amount they actually have to pay to fly. It basically infers that the government does not want the passengers to know the amount they are paying for government taxes, when the full price would be shown rather than calculating the additional costs later on. Airlines such as Spirit Airlines and Southwest Airlines are arguing against this ruling because of the violation of their First Amendment free-speech rights to speak about the tax burden that is imposed on them and their passengers.
In our economy, the norm has always allowed businesses to quote prices without taxes, therefore changing the idea specifically for airlines. I personally believe that airlines should not have to advertise the fare price that includes government taxes because it might discourage consumers from purchasing their tickets. The argument of the airlines who sees this ruling as a violation of their freedom of speech, should be heard by the Supreme Court, and it is unfair for the challenge to be rejected. Passengers should be aware of how much they are being taxed, and be able to compare the prices to get a better deal for themselves.
Written by: Samantha Chin
Source: The Wall Street Journal
Kendall, B. (2013, April 1). Justices Reject Challenge to Airfare Ad Rules. Retrieved April 1, 2013, from The Wall Street Journal: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323296504578396361137314952.html?mod=WSJ_business_whatsNews
Employees working at the Anheuser-Busch company claims that the beer company has altered the alcoholic content of beers by watering down the drinks. In response the employee, James Clark, the Anheuser-Busch submitted a lawsuit to sue Clark for conducting trade secrets.
The lawsuit, filed in Sacramento on March 29th, should be dismissed due to the California law which bars strategic lawsuits against public participation in terms of intimidation.
According to Clark’s attorney Robert Carichoff, the lawsuit against Clark is used to silence him and to punish him for standing up for the general public. He also stresses the point that if this case is allowed to be tried then it will cause conflict between the employee for speaking out for the general public and their own safety.
Additional cases of such altercation of water where issued in 8 other lawsuits which claims that beer were watered down in Bud Ice, Budweiser, Busch Ice and Michelob beer. Anheuser-Busch has fought back at these allegation by starting a water donation campaign where they donated canned water for disaster relief and stating that people probably tested that rather than their original beer.
Written by: Victor To
As smartphones continue to play a major role in our lives, BMW and Glympse aim to provide drivers with a safer yet more accessible option to use applications. Glympse is an application that allows people to share their location with other people for short periods of time. They are currently working with automakers such as BMW, Ford, and Mercedes to integrate it into cars’ displays. The goal is to be able to project the application onto the dashboard so that drivers would not have to look away from the road in order to transfer this information. BMW hopes to work with these designers on another level to incorporate various apps such as TuneIn, Rhapsody, and Audible to enhance the driver’s experience.
The concept behind this deal is attractive because many drivers rely on their smartphones to multitask when they are driving. Basic functions such as calling and changing music tracks while driving have been incorporated into many car designs. However, the idea of projecting apps onto the dashboard is a breakthrough. Although some people say this function would distract drivers, I believe that this new function would allow the driver to accomplish more while they are on the road.
Written By: Melody Mark
Wingfield, Nick. “Dashboard Apps Aim to Overcome Distracted Driving.” The New York Times. The New York Times Company, 1 Apr. 2013. Web. 1 Apr. 2013.
A lot of signs are culminating to indicate that Japan is over the worst and moving on to a greener economy. Japan’s Prime Minister has already announced his commitment to an aggressive monetary policy and ensuring that Japan grows rather than deflates. Now, hiring is up at Japanese brokerages, specifically, hiring is up for the young college graduates.
University graduates reached a record low employment rate in 2011, but the numbers have increased for a second year as they begin to find more success in their job search efforts. Also, the unemployment average for the younger workforce was higher than the average overall, but that seems to be changing as the brokerages are announcing increased hiring through 2014. While some banks, such as SMBC and Mizuho, have actually decreased hiring for the year, they have said that they intend to increase hiring later on. Another factor in explaining why banks are eager to hire more is that recent graduates are accustomed to a post Lehman Brothers environment and can adapt to new financial models due to new regulations, unlike the older generation of bankers.
I feel that the news of an improving economy, besides the U.S. economy, is great news. The E.U. is obviously not faring well, and I still have worries about China’s potential peak, although the Asia region seems to be going through a lot of changes for the better. However, the hiring is concentrated in only one area of the banks, and it would be better if the hiring was across the board.


text:
The Edge Media Group launched an ad campaign, If You Are Not Part of The Solution, [...]
Artist, entrepreneur and educationalist Lim Kok Wing, perhaps best known for the universities that bear [...]
Dentsu Malaysia announced three new leadership appointments across its Media Service Line, today. The appointments [...]
Malaysia’s largest and leading integrated media group, Media Prima, announced new leadership appointments for its [...]
Several fast-food and fast-casual restaurants across America are experiencing a shortage of workers as many [...]
Big Tree, one of Malaysia’s leading out-of-home (OOH) advertising solutions providers and a subsidiary of [...]
When online casino GDBet333 released a two-minute, 48-second Raya commercial promoting online gambling, what were they [...]
Having started off her career in the entertainment industry from the early 90’s, it only [...]
Kenn Wee Khaw has been appointed as the Head of Advertising for Viu Malaysia, starting [...]
Pos Malaysia is joining forces with Grab, Parkson, St John Ambulance of Malaysia and sports [...]
Username or email address *
Lost your password?
Email address *
A password will be sent to your email address.


text:
OnePlus Open: New renders reveal different look for first OnePlus foldable smartphone
OnLeaks has released updated renders of the OnePlus Open, the company's first dip into the foldable smartphone market. To recap, the leaker first shared renders in June of what was previously thought as the OnePlus Fold. Originally, it appeared that the device would be closer in design to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 than the Oppo Find N2, which remains one of the most compact clamshell foldables around. Seemingly, the device shown in June will never make it to market.
Instead, OnLeaks has assured his followers that his latest leak is the 'best and most comprehensive look' at the OnePlus Open. While the leaker has not shared device dimensions, the OnePlus Open looks significantly shorter but wider than the company's alleged earlier design. In other words, the OnePlus Open could be the first global equivalent to the Oppo Find N2, which remains a Chinese exclusive. As such, the camera housing dominates the device's back panel. For some reason, OnePlus continues to include a separate cut-out for an LED flash array.
Reputedly, OnePlus has added a ToF or LiDAR sensor beneath the Hasselblad logo too; neither OnLeaks nor SmartPrix have confirmed the small aperture's usage yet, though. According to Max Jambor, the OnePlus Open will no longer meet its rumoured August release date. Reportedly, production delays were caused by a switch from BOE to Samsung Display panels, with OnePlus allegedly unhappy with the former's results. While Jambor claims that the Open's launch only 'got pushed back a bit', a new release date is unknown at this stage.


text:
Verify Your Product.
Verify Halal allows consumers to make an informed decision when shopping for their Halal products or searching for Halal Restaurants. Consumers can either scan verify Halal members products or Search halal products and premises via search bar, Search bar also helps consumer to search via different categories which could be select using the filter option on the right side of the search bar.
Indonesia has become the first country in the world to halal-certify COVID-19 Vaccine.
The official halal certificate was handed over from Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affair (Kemenag) to Bio Farma PT (Persero) in a live telecast aired from the ministry's official Facebook page earlier today.
"The vaccine got its halal approval on Monday," said the ministry's representative (Wamenag) Zainut Tauhid who also highlighted that The Indonesian Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) had released the emergency approval of the Sinovac Vaccine.
The country's national halal agency Halal Product Assurance Agency (BPJPH) became the authority responsible for the vaccine's certification as stated in law 33 article 6 of 2014 on Halal Product Certification. ...


text:
Secure apartments of Kuils River development selling fast
THE SANDYLANDS residential development in Kuils River is 85 percent sold with just nine units left to buy.
This is one of the last pieces of land being developed for residential use in the Kuils River area, according to Herbie de Klerk of Jawitz Properties, the agency marketing Sandylands.
“Properties sold out in the first sale phase during 2009 and 2010 making up more than half of the entire development. The second phase was launched just a month ago and sold out quickly, taking sales to the third phase, which also sold out, and now the final phase.
“We had anticipated to only roll out the fourth and final phase next year but we have had a lot of interest, particularly from local buyers such as from Stellenbosch, as well as across the country,” De Klerk says.
Developed by Zevdevco on a large piece of land that used to have just one house, Sandylands retains its original name and is scheduled for completion in October, comprising 132 apartments in three- storey walk-ups. Most units have two bedrooms, sized at 54m² and priced from R745 000 including all transfer costs.
Part of the development is already built and for those units currently being rented out, R5 500 a month is the average rental income. These are attractive rental returns and in terms of tenant screening, the process is quite strict. “Buyers can be assured of quality tenants living here,” De Klerk says.
Properties offer a choice of modern finishes such as laminate or tiled flooring. Groundfloor units have gardens whereas floors one and two enjoy ample light through sliding doors that open onto Juliet balconies. Sandylands also has 24-hour manned security and a well- kept communal space. Parking is provided for residents and visitors.
Situated next to Langverwacht Plein shopping centre where a Woolworths store will open next month, Sandylands is also a 15-minute drive from Stellenbosch.
For details, call De Klerk on 021 903 6001 or e-mail firstname.lastname@example.org.


text:
Threads, the new social network from Meta, rival of X, is available in Europe
Meta, the American tech giant behind Facebook and Instagram, is introducing its new social network, “Threads,” to the European Union. The app, launched in July outside Europe, has finally made its way to the old continent, aiming to compete with the likes of X (formerly Twitter).
The European Arrival
After almost six months of anticipation, Threads is now available on smartphones across Europe. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg reported a staggering 100 million users signing up within the first five days of its global launch in July. However, the initial excitement waned, with active users dropping from 44 million to 8 million a month later.
Tailoring to European Regulations
To comply with the European Digital Data Protection Act, Meta had to address data transfers between Threads and Instagram. Users can log in with their Instagram credentials to post content on Threads. For citizens of the European Economic Area (EU27, Switzerland, Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein), Meta offers the option to create a Threads profile linked to their Instagram account. This allows them to have the same experience as global users or use Threads without a profile, limiting interaction with the content.
The Threads Experience
Threads serves as a microblogging platform, providing a space for dialogue through relatively short messages of up to 500 characters, compared to 280 on X. Users can enrich exchanges with photos and videos. Threads is seamlessly integrated into Meta’s ecosystem, stemming from Instagram, its highly successful product with two billion users.
X, owned by Elon Musk, has faced challenges since his acquisition a year ago, losing advertisers and seeing a decline in active users. Despite this, X remains one of the world’s leading social networks with 300 million users.
As Threads makes its debut in Europe, the competition in the social media landscape intensifies. Whether Threads can sustain its initial momentum and compete effectively against established platforms like X remains to be seen. The dynamic nature of the social media industry and user preferences will play a crucial role in determining the success of Meta’s new venture.
We also recommend that you read our https://usageniusrealm.com/advancing-toward-the-ai-google-gemini/
FAQs About Threads
- What makes Threads different from other social networks? Threads distinguishes itself as a microblogging platform with short messages, fostering quick and engaging interactions.
- How can European users customize their Threads experience? European users can choose to create a Threads profile linked to their Instagram account or use Threads without a profile, with limited interaction options.
- Why did Threads experience a decline in active users after its initial success? The initial surge in users was followed by a significant drop, raising questions about the platform’s ability to retain its audience. Factors contributing to this shift are complex and multifaceted.
- How does Threads integrate with Meta’s ecosystem? Threads is an integral part of Meta’s ecosystem, originating from Instagram, providing users with a seamless experience across platforms.
- What challenges does X face in the current social media landscape? X, despite being one of the leading social networks, has encountered challenges, including a loss of advertisers and a decline in active users, since Elon Musk’s acquisition.


text:
Kraft Foods Acquires Bulgarian Coffee Producer*10 Years Ago | March 12, 2011, Saturday // 04:57| views
March 12, 2001
Kraft Foods purchased the biggest Bulgarian coffee producer Nova Brazilia. The deal signed a month ago was oficially permitted by the Competition Commission.
Nova Brazilia holds some 79,9% of the coffee market in Bulgaria.
*As Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency) became 10 years old on Friday, March 11, 2011, we are reprinting selected articles from our archives that we published on the respective day exactly 10 years ago.
We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!