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Pod Rods: The New Camaro revealed (almost); a jet-powered kart; and lots of Sir Stirling Moss and the Mille Miglia in videos
Pod Rods brings you some amazing videos this weekend that showcase Sir Stirling Moss driving the legendary No. 722 Mercedes-Benz that he won the Mille Miglia race around Italy 60 years ago. One video was shot by air and on ground on Amelia Island, and another is the Times-Union's video showing him driving the car onto the field at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance. The third lets you check out the car from all angles as Moss drives the legendary car.
That's not all - check out the latest on the new Camaro; find out which local is running right now in the Mille Miglia retrospective around Italy; and strap a jet engine on in a video from England. Plus check out the longest-running car calendar in Northeast Florida.
Like we said, the 2015 running of the Mille Miglia began on Thursday in Brescia, Italy, with 438 entries running in a time-distance rally of historic vehicles to Rome and back to Brescia through Sunday. This is the 33rd celebration of the original race, covering 1,760 kilometers.
Organizers received 617 applications from 42 countries, with Italy and Germany the most represented. Some manufacturers entered the Mille Miglia 2015 with ex-works cars, often driven by famous people. The most represented brand is Mercedes-Benz, celebrating the 60th anniversary of its 1955 victory with Sir Stirling Moss and navigator Denis Jenkinson in a 300 SLR. Sir Stirling himself is driving the 300 SLR, chassis number 4. Karl Wendingler will join in a 300 SL, sharing it with famous Italian journalist Laura Confalonieri, with another 300 SL for Formula One star Jochen Mass. Jaguar, celebrating its 80th anniversary, brought nine cars from its Heritage Racing, with a C-Type for Derek Bell and a D-Type for designer Ian Callum shared with collector Clive Beecham. And Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance founder/chairman Bill Warner is co-driving a 1956 Studebaker Hawk coupe with collector Frank Campanale.
As for Moss and No. 722, Mercedes-Benz has combined the old and the new with a cutting edge 360-degree film to mark the 60th anniversary win by Moss and "Jenks." They drove flat out for 10 hours, 7 minutes and 48 seconds and averaged 98 mph, a record that still stands today. So to remember that win and let people see and hear a car that could hit 180-mph on a race track - in 1955 - they outfitted No. 722 with two special cameras. Sixty years on, Sir Stirling was reunited with the 300 SLR number 722, on the same roads where he won. The film allows viewers to control the camera and watch from nearly any angle as Sir Stirling drives the car, three dimensional sound making the footage even more vivid. In the coming weeks the film will be available for download via iTunes (for the iPhone and iPad) and the Android Store. For now, the link is at http://tools.mercedes-benz.co.uk/current/360-degrees/mille-miglia.html.
But wait, there's more - just before their joint appearance in March at the 20th annual Amelia island concours, Sir Stirling and No. 722 went out on a private road on Amelia Island for a spin. Petrolicious produced the video with Moss at the wheel and interviews with other famous drivers like Jochen Mass, the 2014 Amelia Island Concours honoree, and Brumos Porsche's Hurley Haywood. Here's the link to that video: http://www.petrolicious.com/sir-stirling-moss-and-the-mercedes-benz-slr-722-are-unbeatable.
Finally, check out my video report on the whole 20th annual Amelia Island concours, including my interview with Sir Stirling after he drove No. 722 onto the show field. You can watch it here: http://bcove.me/v2g0h38s.
In other news:
Chevrolet will introduce the new 2016 Camaro on Saturday at a special event at Detroit's Belle Isle Park. But here's the best look yet at what the new Camaro will look like as Chevy gives another tease.
The body is the result of 350 hours of wind-tunnel testing, and Chevrolet says drivers of the Camaro SS will experience a marked improvement in reduced aerodynamic lift. These changes illustrate the lengths the aerodynamics team went to for improved performance, stability, cooling and lower wind noise intrusion.
The initial design called for the lower grille bars to be set at a 20-degree angle to the horizon. However, after testing, the team improved engine-cooling airflow by 1 percent by shifting the angle to 13 degrees - a change that achieved the airflow target while maintaining the original grille design. And rather than a traditional front air dam to reduce aerodynamic lift, the team developed a flush belly pan that stretches from the front grille to the center of the vehicle. Paired with small "spats" forward of the front tires, the smooth underbody helps reduce total lift by 30 percent - while also reducing aerodynamic drag.
The Camaro's original pony car competitor gets a retro touch: Turn signal indicators in hood vents, a heritage cue from the 1967 Ford Mustang, returns as standard equipment for 2016 Ford Mustang GT. And the classic California Package for Mustang GT Premium returns this fall, with a new Pony Package for Mustang EcoBoost Premium by year's end, two iconic Mustang trim levels made popular in the 1960s.
Ford claims that fans have been clamoring for the return of hood vent-integrated turn signals for years.
Several other new packages and options will be available for 2016 Mustang GT and Mustang EcoBoost when the cars arrive in the third quarter of 2015.
Returning to the sixth-generation Mustang are racing stripes direct from the factory in black or silver. Last seen on the Boss 302, a painted black roof option is now available for the EcoBoost-equipped Mustang and Mustang GT.
Rolls-Royce has announced the name of its forthcoming new car - the Dawn.
The car was unveiled this week to representatives of the marque's 130-strong global dealer network at the 2015 Rolls-Royce World Dealer Conference in Los Angeles.
"Dawn is a beautiful new open-top motor car with a name that suggests the fresh opportunities that every new day holds - an awakening, an opening up of one's senses and a burst of sunshine," Chief Executive Officer Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes said.
The new Rolls-Royce Dawn will revive another famous and rare Rolls-Royce name first used in 1949, but only ever applied to 28 special drophead bodies between 1950 and 1954. The original 1952 Silver Dawn was the first Rolls-Royce to be offered with a factory-built body.
The Dawn will launch during the first quarter of 2016.
Honda announced the return of its Africa Twin, after showing the direction of its development with the reveal of the True Adventure prototype in November.
The new CRF1000L Africa Twin will be in U.S. dealers early next year.
The original XRV650 Africa Twin debuted in 1989 after Honda's four successive wins in the Dakar Rally. The new Africa Twin remains true to all the abilities of the XRV650, adding the benefits of what Honda has learned over the last decade, including Team HRC's return to the Dakar in 2013.
The new Africa Twin will also offer Honda's latest Automatic Dual Clutch Transmission.
Finally, a British man has done what many gearheads have wanted to do forever - strapped a jet engine onto a go-kart.
Colin Furze is a Lincolnshire plumber who likes to tinker, his previous work including magnet gravity-defying boots, the world's fastest mobility scooter, and pizza delivery bikes equipped with flamethrowers, according to Top Gear. Now he's strapped a jet engine to a lengthened go-kart. Be sure to check out the nighttime shots at the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=126&v=zsXWspo5hrc.
It's a busy weekend of car events, and there's some more set for next weekend:
??IHRA Summit Super Series Points Race and Grandma Powder Puff Race - 5:30 p.m. Saturday at the Green Cove Dragway at Reynolds Industrial Park on Florida 16 in Green Cove Springs. Test and tune is 8 to 11 p.m. - $25 per car. Spectators are $10 each and gates open at 4 p.m. At 10 a.m. Sunday, it's Happy Mudders Day Slip 'n Slide, with drifting and mud playground action. More information at http://greencovedragway.com.
??Armed Forces Day Car and Motorcycle Show - 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday at the Military Museum of North Florida at 1 Bunker Ave. in Green Cove Springs. Free to spectators and $20 per show vehicle. Proceeds benefit Poisoned Patriots Fund and the military museum.
??Taylor Residences 16th annual Spring Fling Show - 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday at 3937 Spring Park Road. Free for spectators.
Go Topless Day - 9 a.m. on Saturday at Rick Keffer Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep/Ram at 464037 Florida 200 in Yulee. Jeeps of all kinds are invited on a police-escorted 26-mile scenic drive to VFW Post 4351 for a charity barbecue. Cash only - $20 per Jeep and $5 per passenger. Information - eightflagsjeep.com.
??Rods 'n Relics - 9 a.m. Sunday May 24, at Maxville Speedway at 8781 U.S. 301 in Westside Jacksonville. Hot rods, street cars and others are welcome, fastest lap wins $100. Free to spectators and $20 per show car, each eligible to four laps on the quarter-mile dirt track, starting at noon.
??Beach Boulevard Flea Market Old vs. New Car Show - 5 to 9 p.m. on Friday May 22, 11041 Beach Blvd. Free for spectators and $25 per show vehicle.
??16th annual Riding Into History Motorcycle Concours - The event will honor the late Don Bradley, the artist who created many of its posters, during its show from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 23, at the World Golf Village lakefront at 2 World Golf Place. The event features "Rule Britannia" motorcycles and a special display from the Hollingsworth Race Team from St. Augustine. Calendars and postcards honoring Bradley and his artwork, including the 12 of motorcycle concours posters he did, will be included in the set of postcards and a 2016 calendar for $20 each. Royalties go to Sally Bradley, and proceeds to K9s for Warriors. There is no concours entry fee for qualified motorcycles, or $10 admission for spectators, proceeds to benefit K9s for Warriors. For more information, go to http://ridingintohistory.org.
??Annual Corvette and Chevrolet Show - 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday May 23, at Nimnicht Chevrolet, 1550 Cassat Ave. Held by the Jacksonville Corvette Club, its free to spectators and $30 per show vehicle.
904 BassHeads DB Drag, IASCA, ISSPLL and Car Show - 10 a.m. on Saturday May 23, at 11743 Camden Road. Free for spectators and $20 per show vehicle.
??Informal cruise-in - 7 to 9 a.m. every Saturday at the Krispy Kreme doughnut shop, located at 11117 San Jose Blvd. in Mandarin.
??Clay County Cruzers - 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday at Your Pie Pizza at 1545 County Road 220 on Fleming Island.
??Sunshine State Chevelles - 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday at Auction Direct at 6400 Blanding Blvd. in Jacksonville.
??Amelia Cruizers - 5 to 8 p.m. on the third and fifth Saturdays at Dicks Wings at 474313 Florida 200 in Fernandina Beach.
??Lowe's Cruise-In - 3:30 to 7 p.m. Saturday at Lowe's at 4040 Oldfield Crossing Drive in Mandarin.
??St. Augustine Cruizers - 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday at Hobby Lobby at 200 Florida 312 in St. Augustine.
??Jacksonville Beach Cruise-in - 5 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday May 19, at Seawalk Pavillion at 75 1st St. N.
??Aw Shucks Cruise-in - 6 to 9 p.m. every Friday, 9743 Old St. Augustine Road.
??Southeast Georgia Car and Truck Club cruise-ins - 6 p.m. the second Saturday of each month at Sonic's, 395 Charlie Smith Senior Highway, St. Marys; and 6 p.m. on the fourth Saturday of each month at the Millhouse Steakhouse, 1215 East King Ave. in Kingsland, next to Interstate 95.
??Bike Enthusiasts show - 7 p.m. the first and third Thursdays at Cavagnaro's restaurant, located at 1810 South Georgia Parkway W. in Waycross.
??Zaxby's Car Show - 6 to 9 p.m. the third Saturday of every month at Zaxby's, located at 2316 Memorial Drive in Waycross.
Please send information on car shows, cruise-ins, and automotive and motorcycle events to email@example.com or Dan Scanlan, Florida Times-Union, 1 Riverside Ave., Jacksonville, Fla. 32202


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Thanks for sharing your post,After the great success of iPad Apple is going to introduce its iPad2 in the market that has gained much popularity among the people within the few months of its announcement.This advanced version of iPad is equipped with all latest features that are expected from Apple.
Like it or not Apple just successfully created a sub category between smart phones and laptops. iPads processor is nothing short of awesome in fact I’m posting this using the on screen full keyboard and carrying it around because it’s only 1.5 pounds and there are many apps that are more useful than many of the apps on other companies app stored.
No one really needs any introduction to puget sound energy. While it is granted through the USA for its many parts to energy, this well known company has indeed become world renowned. Just over a span of a decade or so puget sound energy company has walked a long way and contributed much needed information and knowledge to the world of energy. Since its inception in 1997, the company has gone on from strength to strength and has just recently in 2008 proposed a sound merger with Puget Holdings which is an investor group that is directly linked to the Macquarie Group.

domain: news


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21 April 2015
21 April 2015
Centro Ricerche Fiat are amongst the first confirmed speakers at INC 2015 (Industrial Nanocomposites Conference), an international conference taking place 24th – 25th November 2015 at SpOrt Stuttgart, Germany.
Industrial Nanocomposites 2015 is an international conference that will explore the current and future use of nanocomposites in a variety of applications, defining the challenges being faced in mass production, use and future innovations.
The conference will cover the themes of materials, manufacturing, applications, commercialisation, opportunities and challenges and is aimed at those with an interest in the current and near-term future use of nanocomposites in industrial applications. Representation has already been secured from the aerospace, automotive, space and consumer goods sectors.
Current confirmed speakers include:
Brunetto Martorana, Fiat.
Sue Keighley, Events and Communications Specialist at NetComposites, comments "We’re hugely encouraged by the level of interest that INC is already generating. With FIAT being the latest high profile speaker to sign up and more big names expected, INC 2015 is set to be the must-attend nanocomposite conference of 2015."
The call for papers is still open and abstracts of 250 words are now being accepted with a deadline of 29th May 2015. To find out more about the conference and to register please visit http://www.industrialnanocomposites.com.
LANXESS will open a new applications development and technical services (AD & TS) laboratory for polyurethane dispersions (PUDs) in Latina, Italy. This will be capable of supporting market needs in a variety of coatings and adhesives applications in leather and textile finishing, plastic, glass and metal substrates coatings, as well as glass fibre sizing.
Brazilian company Dilutec has developed a complete gelcoat portfolio for shipyards, for applications ranging from the manufacture of the boat mould to small repairs of the hulls and decks.
Applications for composites in the sports and leisure sector will be showcased by various exhibitors at Composites Europe in Stuttgart, Germany, on 6-8 November.


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Some gamers who loved Jonathan Blow's Braid were perplexed when early footage of his team's next game, The Witness, debuted on Kotaku last month. To those alarmed or confused, Blow offers some encouraging words.
Kotaku · Stephen Totilo
The Lack Of Master Chief Was The Least Of Halo 5’s Campaign Problems
Kinja is in read-only mode. We are working to restore service.


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For the past decade, businesses and individuals have been leaving California for other states, particularly Texas. Large corporations have the legal resources to move elsewhere, but small businesses often wonder what it takes to get out of California. A report by the California Taxpayers Association lists several other companies, such as Amy's frozen foods, that are closing factories, leaving California altogether, or choosing to expand elsewhere. Governor Gavin Newsom is traveling California to highlight the state's efforts to reopen schools and businesses as it faces the threat of retirement. When it comes to business-friendly states, Texas is at the top of the list.
According to a CEO survey, Texas ranked best for business and California worst for business out of 50 states. This survey revealed that Texas has a low cost of living, low taxes, and a pro-business environment. The decision to leave California is not an easy one for businesses. It requires careful planning and research into the laws and regulations of other states.
Businesses must also consider the cost of relocation and the impact on their employees. Businesses that are considering leaving California should consider the following:
- Researching other states' laws and regulations
- Calculating the cost of relocation
- Considering the impact on employees
- Analyzing potential tax savings
While there are many benefits to leaving California, businesses must also consider the potential risks associated with relocation.


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Stock traders and flight simulator addicts will probably drool over Seamless Display's new triple-monitor display. The Radius320 display uses special lenses to virtually erase the pesky seam lines between the monitors and gives an almost uninterrupted picture.
Not a day's passed after we caught word of Sprint's launch of Novatel's S720 PC Card do we hear that Sierra Wireless has a proverbial one-two punch of WWAN modems up its sleeve, this time of the USB variety.
Chicago (IL) - AMD may be closer to a Centrino competitor than many may have expected. According to a media report, AMD and ATI may be introducing a notebook platform, code-named "Yokohama," in the fourth quarter of this year to compete with Intel's recently launched Napa64 platform, which includes the Core 2 Duo processor.
It is no secret that the wireless LAN industry has made a huge mess so far of the opportunity that is known as 802.11n. This standard, which holds the promise of application level, i.e. real, wireless throughput of over 100 Mbps has had a rough birthing so far. It has survived a contentious IEEE proposal process, which took a detour to be "helped" by an industry consortium that managed to hammer out an uneasy peace between warring camps.
Fujitsu on August 30 announced its new MHW2 BH series of hard disk drives (HDDs) for mobile PCs, its first 2.5" HDD offerings to incorporate advanced perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) technology for enhanced storage capacity. The 160 GB MHW2160BH, which the company claims has the industry's highest storage capacity for a 5400 rpm HDD), and the 80 GB MHW2080BH, will go on sale worldwide from October 2006, according to Fujitsu.
More here at DigiTimes.
Memorex has started selling double-sided miniature recordable DVD-R discs. The discs can store 1.4 GB per side for a total of 2.4 GB per disc. Each disc is coated with Memorex's "DuraLayer" film that protects the data against dust and scratches.
D-Link yesterday introduced a two-bay network storage enclosure.
Microsoft is preparing a fix for a program that strips the digital-rights-management protections attached to its Windows Media file format, representatives said Monday night.
Armed with the program, users could theoretically download an unlimited amount of music via MTV's Urge music service, as well as other sites that offer music for download.
Read the complete story here. (PC Magazine via ABC News)
Microsoft is offering Vista beta testers a pre-RC1 ISO download. Users can download the file and create a bootable DVD using a common DVD burning software.
Servers memory capacity will get a boost later this year with availability of 16 GB modules. Micron is currently sampling the devices, which are built in a 36x4Gb "twin-die" stack configuration.
The evolution of wireless broadband in North America has been one, to borrow a phrase, of fits and starts. Last March, Novatel Wireless and Sprint announced they'd fit themselves together somehow to give Rev. A of EV-DO service a try on this continent; today, the two announced they're finally ready to start. Sprint will be rolling out EV-DO Rev. A broadband service for its burgeoning line of mobile users, and Novatel Wireless will be providing second-generation Merlin S720 cards for the job.
Samsung and Cingular are partnering up to roll out the first High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) phone to the US. The Samsung SGH-zx20 is a Bluetooth-enabled cameraphone that can play videos, download ringtones, and acces webpages. Users will be able to surf Cingular's 3G network at up to 1 Mb/s.
The only organization able to make the anything-goes WLAN industry toe the line has decided to take a less objective approach. The Wi-Fi Alliance today announced it plans to adopt a two-phase plan that includes certification of draft status 802.11n products.
Dulles (VA) - The rebuilding of AOL continues at a breakneck pace today, as the company deploys more services to generate revenue to replace the diminishing amount it was receiving from its ISP business - which it is essentially jettisoning. Today, AOL is launching its Music Now service, which incorporates the streaming infrastructure it acquired last November from Circuit City, plus the core of music licenses it acquired from Spinner.com back in 1999.
Performance memory makers are upping the speed of their flasghip memory devices, a few megahertz at a time. Following Corsair, which yesterday announced a $650, 1111 MHz PC-8889 2 GB memory kit, OCZ today announced a 1120 Mhz PC-9000 device.
Sub-$200 Nvidia Geforce 7900 GS-based graphics cards are expected to appear in the channel market from August 30, targeted to compete with the ATI Radeon X1650XT series, according to sources at Taiwan-based graphics card makers.
Toshiba today announced the forthcoming introduction of TransMemory USB flash memories, which will bring U3 platform technology into the company's USB lineup and introduce a special-edition high-capacity USB memory.
With its DDR2 in all densities already being fabricated at the 80-nanometer node, Samsung Electronics today announced the mass production of 1 Gbit DDR2 DRAM.
Santa Clara (CA) - Intel launched eight new dual-core Xeon MP processors late Thursday. The new CPUs go head-to-head with AMD's Opteron 8000 series processors and are based on the "Tulsa" core which uses the power-hungry Netburst architecture that is being phased in all other product lines such as desktop and DP server processor families. Still, Intel promises that Tulsa drops power consumption by up to 30%.


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CLOSE Kazuo Hirai, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sony Corp., takes his seat after announcing its mid-term strategy for fiscal years 2015-2017 at Sony headquarters in Tokyo on Feb. 18, 2015. (Photo: Kimimasa Mayama, EPA) Former Sony CEO and the one-time leader of Sony’s PlayStation video game business Kazuo Hirai has announced he will retire from his post as Sony chairman in June.
Name: Kazuo Hirai
Company: Sony Corp.
Announcement Date: March 27, 2019, 11:00pm
Resignation Date: March 27, 2019, 11:00pm


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Facebook’s recent controversies haven’t caused marketers to love it less
Addressing a room of marketing executives at ANA Masters of Marketing, Erik Geisler, director of U.S. agency for Facebook, said his company has been at the forefront of brand safety. “We are selective on content that can be monetized,” he said in an Oct. 4 panel called “Brands in Crisis.” “More third-party verification will come in 2018.”
But what Geisler didn’t talk about on stage is Facebook’s influence on politics, the spread of fake news and a slew of measurement mistakes on the platform earlier this year. The need for Facebook to take accountability was unaddressed on the main stage at this year’s conference. Conversations with brands and agencies at the conference reveal that not every media buyer is concerned about the ongoing issues with Facebook. And those that do care are not changing where they allocate their ad budgets.
“We have a deep relationship with Facebook,” said a CMO from a big retailer who attended the conference. “Facebook has appropriate measurement to protect us.”
Kristin Lemkau, CMO for JPMorgan Chase, said in her presentation on Oct. 5 that Google and Facebook are her best partners, and Amazon is a viable third force. Lemkau also used the poop emoji on her slide to describe the advertising environments outside of Google and Facebook.
Big brands’ reactions to Facebook’s issues may seem odd, as advertisers have been increasingly sensitive about their ads appearing beside fake news and objectionable content since they found their ads showing up next to extremist content on YouTube. Facebook has hired thousands of content moderators to manually flag inappropriate posts and videos, but fake news is still circulating on the platform, with a recent example being false stories that identified the Las Vegas shooter as a registered Democrat who opposed President Trump. Big brands like Starbucks, Walmart and Johnson & Johnson that boycotted YouTube earlier this year haven’t yet reached a tipping point with Facebook.
“We have clients who have brand-safety concerns, but the Russian thing doesn’t impact their perception on Facebook much. For them, measurement errors are a bigger issue,” said Mike Parker, global president of agency iCrossing. “Some marketers will use PR as negotiation leverage. But Facebook — despite even some of its more ad-specific issues around measurement discrepancies — has been open to the conversation about more data and analytics measuring from third parties.”
Scott Hagedorn, CEO of agency Hearts & Science, said he hasn’t yet seen a huge ad spend shift on Facebook. Three media agency executives and two brand marketers who didn’t attend ANA Masters of Marketing also said their ad spend on Facebook remains consistent.
“For better or worse, Facebook still has some of the best targeting around,” said Charlie Cole, chief digital officer for Tumi. “Facebook’s biggest strengths are its biggest weaknesses. Issues like ‘Jew haters’ targeting and Russian ads were possible because Facebook is really good at hypertargeting.”
A media agency executive agreed. He said Google has similar issues that it battles every day on the SEO side, and news on Russia-backed accounts could turn out to benefit Facebook in the long run.
“I’ve never heard people talk about Facebook ads being so effective because of Russia coverage, along with the marketing industry being so Democratic-leaning,” he said, on condition of anonymity. “It may ultimately be a brand builder for Facebook with marketers.”
Cole said marketers could use Facebook’s current crisis to push for more third-party verification, but he doesn’t think it has resulted in much leverage for the garden-variety advertiser. Jackson Jeyanayagam, chief marketing officer for Boxed, echoed Cole’s sentiment, saying that Facebook — and Google — are still “the most efficient, scalable ways” for his business to grow. If the industry wants an overhaul because of social concerns around Facebook, it needs combined force from big ad spenders, he added.
“If top 100 brands all of a sudden take a stand on certain issues and pull ads from Facebook, they can make Facebook pay serious attention,” said Jeyanayagam. “But I don’t think that will happen.”
Yet some brands have started rethinking their Facebook strategy amid the platform’s troubles. A brand marketer in financial services said he has been “less enthusiastic” about spending on Facebook since the platform’s measurement errors last year. His team is experimenting with allocating more and more ad budgets to Twitter, Oath and Snapchat, which are “more open to third-party measurement.” Although Facebook eventually agreed to an audit by the Media Rating Council after reporting a string of measurement errors, there’s no substantive progress in third-party verification, this person said.
“Facebook — and Google — are still making their own measurement standards,” said the financial services marketer. “Everything in the industry should be about third-party measurement, and you can’t let platforms grade their own homework.”
More in Marketing
The recent layoffs have thrown a spanner in the works, while the focus on creators seems even more pronounced.
For the brands whose sponsorships and ads form the backbone of esports companies’ revenue strategies, official co-streams represent a bit of a double-edged sword.
A Digiday+ Research survey found that marketers’ X usage trails far behind its social media competitors, and also that marketing spend on the platform has dropped dramatically, with brand safety being the biggest concern for marketers.


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Smartphone Market share in India 2018 – Counterpoint Research
According to Counterpoint Research, shipments of smartphones in India were approximately 145.2 million units in 2018, up 10% from the 132 million units in 2017. According to the report, India, the world’s second-largest smartphone market, has become the world’s fastest-growing smartphone market in 2018.
In the Indian smartphone market, the overall share of Chinese brands has reached 60%, up from 54% in 2017. In terms of individual brands, Xiaomi secured the position of India’s largest smartphone manufacturer in 2018, with a market share of 28%, up from 19% a year ago. After Xiaomi, Samsung (24%), vivo (10%), OPPO (8%) and Indian brand Micromax (5%) ranked 2 to 5.


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(Reuters) — Indoor cycling fitness chain SoulCycle Inc filed with U.S. regulators for an initial public offering of common stock, underscoring the rising popularity of boutique chains that cater to specific workout methods such as spinning, yoga and barre.
Such chains, which often charge per class rather than a monthly membership fee, have been taking market share from traditional big-box gyms.
SoulCycle was founded in 2006 as a single, 31-bike indoor cycling studio in New York City by former real estate broker Elizabeth Cutler and former talent agent Julie Rice.
The company on Thursday said Chief Operating Officer Melanie Whelan took over as chief executive in June. It was not immediately clear who Whelan replaced.
SoulCycle lists luxury gym chain Equinox Holdings, owned by real estate firm Related Cos and buyout firm Leonard Green & Partners LP, as its majority stakeholder.
The company also has a retail clothing line, featuring sweatpants, zip-up shirts and tote bags with printed slogans and skull-and-crossbones.
SoulCycle said it sees an opportunity to expand into the digital sphere, as it hopes to cater to an “at-home” audience and plans to expand it physical presence by opening at least 10 to 15 new studios per year for the next several years.
The company’s net income rose about 42 percent to $25.3 million in 2014, while revenue rose nearly 50 percent to $93.8 million.
SoulCycle listed Goldman Sachs, Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Citigroup among the underwriters for its IPO, according to a preliminary prospectus filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. (1.usa.gov/1SPn5xZ)
The filing did not reveal how many shares the company planned to sell, the expected price or the exchange on which it intends to list its shares.
The filing contained a nominal fund raising target of $100 million. The amount of money a company says it plans to raise in its first IPO filings is used to calculate registration fees. The final size of the IPO could be different.
(Reporting by Sudarshan Varadhan in Bengaluru; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty andSavio D’Souza)


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In recent years, the crypto financial market has had its ups and downs, and the digital financial industry has grown along with these fluctuations.
AEX Global has guided millions of crypto investors for nine years. Through community support, he has witnessed the growth and development of the AEX Global platform and witnessed how the blockchain industry has caught the attention of global investors.
On May 12, 2022, AEX Global officially announced the establishment of its international digital life service provider service for secure, comprehensive and simple diversified financial management services to 1 billion people. This means that AEX Global has officially transitioned from a blockchain digital asset service provider to other financial domains as a system with banking, brokerage and digital asset functionality. It is a world-class financial management brand in the digital economy, product-rich, safe, reliable, professional and a stable wealth management brand.
Over the past two years, thanks to institutional favor and growing political tolerance in various countries, the future path of digital finance represented by cryptocurrencies has become increasingly clear. The spread of the coronavirus has also accelerated the global transition to digital currency. and cryptocurrencies. The days when the world depended exclusively on the US dollar are over and the role of cash as a financial instrument in conditions of high inflation is being gradually abolished by history. Currently, nascent digital finance is still in the early stages of penetration, but industry pioneers embracing regulation, paying attention to compliance, and moving closer to established institutions have begun to build their own moat, and the economy digital is creating a whole new definition of assets worldwide.
For nine years, AEX Global – which insists on neutrality and do no harm, adhering to the principles of the financial industry – has earned an excellent reputation in the industry and has become one of the crypto-service providers. world’s most trusted assets.
AEX Global has proposed a plan to build three major centers in the digital finance industry within three years:
- Information Center: a comprehensive database with content that allows clients to conveniently and comprehensively obtain information on investments, improve investor knowledge and raise awareness of risks in the financial sector.
- Value Exchange Center: Optimize product structure and experience, improve and enrich exchange products and instruments, and meet the diverse investment and trading needs of customers.
- Financial Services Center: Develop financial services businesses from end users C to end users B that meet the needs of asset allocation, value creation and settlement for different types of customers while creating a universal institution in the ‘Digital Economy.
By May 2022, AEX had started establishing the three main centers and had successfully obtained a digital banking license to legally establish digital asset businesses in the UK. AEX Global established the BitTalk business department and AEX research center in the Asian Quarter, dual investment products, perpetual contracts and free loans were launched on the AEX platform, and institutional services were fully activated and quickly take the lead in institutional services. suppliers in the digital economy.
Currently, AEX Global Security Company holds financial licenses one, four, seven and nine in Hong Kong and also holds a New Zealand brokerage license, allowing Tether (USDT) deposits and withdrawals and allowing AEX Global to legally open and in accordance with securities and fund activities.
According to the roadmap, AEX Global will soon add or obtain UK Banking License, Hong Kong Brokerage License, Hong Kong Fund License, New Zealand Brokerage License, Trader License recognized market in Singapore, a USA Money Services Business (MSB) license and a Canada MSB license. , becoming an international provider of digital life services.
AEX Global now provides a brand new crypto service to bring wealth closer to people.
This is a paid press release. Cointelegraph does not endorse and is not responsible for the content, accuracy, quality, advertising, products or other elements of this page. Readers should do their own research before taking any action related to the company. Cointelegraph is not responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in the press release.


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Watermelons were riding high as the trendiest fruit in the bowl thanks to Harry Styles’s bouncy summer track, “Watermelon Sugar,” but it looks like a new juicy contender has won over social media. It’s official: strawberries are the print of the season.
The signs have been there for a while. The UK’s annual strawberry extravaganza The Championships (otherwise known as Wimbledon, the oldest tennis tournament in the world), was called off in April due to the pandemic, which left London pumped with excess berries. What’s more, a whopper year of crops was recorded in the UK in late May. Farmers worried that there wouldn’t be enough pickers to harvest the bounteous supply. And, though strawb-eating festivities are limited to the confines of our gardens or the nation’s parks this summer, it appears the fruit has crossed over into another dimension, becoming trendy in the fashion sphere.
Instagram influencers have anointed Lirika Matoshi’s frothy, candy floss-pink tulle dress “the dress of the summer” – crucially, it is adorned with embroidered strawberries. Having gone viral on TikTok, Twitter and Instagram it confirms that strawberry print is a late entry for the pattern of August 2020.
Cult Scandi brand Helmstedt has devoted an entire range to pieces in a riot of strawberry patterns, which are all hand-painted by the label’s founder, Emilie Helmstedt. Bandeau bikini tops, silky shorts and a strawb-and-check quilted jackets make up the sunny collection, which has found its way into the wardrobes of myriad influencers. Elsewhere, hand-embroidered pieces from Italian fashion house, Loretta Caponi, are similarly summery, while Gucci has released a series of pieces emblazoned with cartoon-like berries.
If you’re keen to embrace strawb chic this summer, look no further than Vogue’s of the best strawberry-printed pieces to brighten up the dog days of August.


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Updated on June 6, 4:10 p.m. (GMT+8): Updated results.
The International Olympics Committee has officially announced its list of games for the upcoming Olympic Esports Series 2023.
The lineup features an obscure assortment of games that seems out of place. The top esports competitions in the world mostly feature MOBAs (multiplayer online battle arena), first-person shooters, fighting games, and real-time strategy titles with a massive global audience, such as Valorant, League of Legends, Dota 2, Mobile Legends, and Tekken.
Instead, the IOC has chosen game titles like Tic Tac Bow, Zwift, Tennis Clash, and other virtual games that left esports enthusiasts scratching their heads.
The International Olympics Committee selects a myriad of interesting games for the Olympic Esports Series 2023
On March 2, the IOC announced the nine “virtual sports” titles that made it into their games lineup. However, only two games on the list are known for having a large fanbase and competitive structure.
Chess.com announced on January 22 they had 10 million active members, the most people on their platform. They also have the Champions Chess Tour, a series of chess tournaments that feature the world’s top players, including five-time World Chess Champion Sven Magnus Carlsen.
The famous racing game Gran Turismo is a competitive motorsport title created by the Japanese game development studio Polyphony Digital. In addition, the Gran Turismo World Series is an esports pro circuit that pits the world’s best motorsport gamers against one another.
Just Dance is a rhythm title that’s popular with casual gamers. However, it isn’t considered a competitive title. The remaining six titles chosen for the Olympic Esports Week are even less popular, with no competitive roots.
In fact, Tennis Clash is a mobile game that has been described by some players as a pay-to-win game.
“I end up playing against opponents with way better stats most of the time, and there is nothing you can do to win,” one user said in his Google Play review. “Some upgrades cost a lot and only slightly improve one stat.”
Olympic Esports Series 2023 games lineup
|Archery||Tic Tac Bow|
|Baseball||WBSC eBASEBALL™: POWER PROS|
“The Olympic Movement brings people together in peaceful competition,” said David Lappartient, Chair of the IOC Esports Liasion Group. “The Olympic Esports Series 2023 is a continuation of that, with the ambition of creating more spaces to play for both players and fans of elite competition.”
“We look forward to witnessing some of the world’s best compete on the global stage, as well as exploring together shared opportunities and lessons — across health and wellbeing, training and innovation,” he continued.
The finalists for each esports category has been announced the Olympic’s official Twitter.
The qualified esports athletes will move on to the in-person finals set to take palace at Singapore’s Suntec Centre from June 22 to 25. The series of competitions will be streamed globally across Olympics.com and Olympic social channels.
READ MORE: 5 women who are making esports history


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Chrysler Mexico Sales Grow in First Quarter
April 8, 2008
Mexico City - Chrysler Mexico reported first quarter sales of 31,124 Chrysler, Jeep® and Dodge brand vehicles, an increase of three per cent compared to the same period in 2007, marking the best first quarter in more than five years. Sales for the month of March were 9,886 units, a decrease of 11 per cent.
“The Chrysler sales team in Mexico has done an impressive job in achieving sales growth during the first quarter, avoiding the negative industry trend,” said Joseph ChamaSrour, President and Managing Director of Chrysler Mexico. “The strength of our products, especially our trucks and sport utility vehicles, has enabled our team to succeed in a challenging environment, and win new customers for our brands.”
Q1 / March 2008 Sales Highlights
In the first quarter, the Jeep brand sales grew 42 per cent, led by the Jeep Patriot.
The popularity of the Dakota pickup, along with higher demand for Patriot, contributed to the Company’s sales increase for Trucks and Sport Utility Vehicles, which grew 13 per cent and 10 per cent respectively.
Chrysler de Mexico, headquartered in Santa Fe, Mexico, has 1,200 salaried employees and 5,000 hourly employees.
Nitro Year: 2007 (1 of 91,815 sold in 07)
Nitro Model: R/T 4X4 Stone White
CAT-BACK Exhaust, CAI, Projector Head Lamps
Fully-Equipped w/all factory options


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Tesla’s Master Plan Part Deux
July 26, 2016
In August of 2006, Elon Musk, Co-Founder and CEO of Tesla Motors, released his “Master Plan” for the company. The plan was simple, as he puts it: “Create a low volume car which would necessarily be expensive … use that money to develop a medium value car at a lower price … use that money to create an affordable, high volume car … provide solar power.” Nearly 10 years later, the business and technology magnate is ready to chart the company’s next steps into the future with a blog post titled “Master Plan, Part Deux” released earlier this week on the Tesla website.
This new master plan is based around some similar ideas: affordable electric cars, and solar energy, but with a plethora of technological twists that Musk hopes will help usher in a sustainable future for all. The first goal set in the plan is the integration of energy generation and storage systems. With his strong confidence in the upcoming vote on Tesla’s acquisition of energy services provider SolarCity, Musk believes that the time to bring together an “integrated and beautiful solar-roof” and the Tesla Powerwall home battery is now.
As if bringing efficient, affordable, and accessible solar power to the world isn’t ambitious enough, it only gets better from there. The rest of the plan focuses on the company’s plans for their line of cars in the near future. In the wake of the recent announcement of the new Tesla Model 3, an affordable electric sports sedan coming in 2017, the company seeks to revolutionize the industry and address the needs of more global citizens than ever before. While the Tesla line currently has two offerings – the premium sedan Model S, and the SUV Model X – in the coming years they plan to release, along with the Model 3, a compact SUV, a pickup truck, a bus, and even an 18-wheeler.
With the plan for these vehicles comes an innovative suite of new technologies based around convenience, affordability, and sustainability. The two key areas for these technologies are autonomy and production. From buses that can match the speed of traffic to prevent congestion, to a car that can autonomously function as a ride sharing service when you’re not using it, the Tesla Autopilot “beta” has definitely got some hype to live up to. Combine that with highly-efficient Tesla automotive production super-center factories that conceptually could improve production as much as ten-fold, and you’ve got some a very bright and very cool future for Tesla and for the automotive industry as a whole.


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Sale of energy-inefficient refrigerators, room air conditioners and other home appliances would be banned in Florida under a proposed new law being considered by the State Legislature.
The bill sets minimum energy-efficiency standards for home appliances sold in the state.
Proponents say the bill would prevent Florida from becoming a dumping ground for less efficient models that can't be sold in states that have standards, such as California and New York. Appliance manufacturers oppose it, claiming it would greatly reduce the number of models and options available to consumers.
The bill (HB981 and SB33) would establish minimum energy-efficiency standards for replacement appliances. It is based on Florida's Model Energy Code, which sets energy standards for appliances installed in new construction. Sen. Tom McPherson, D-Fort Lauderdale, is the Senate sponsor; Rep. Tom Drage, R-Orange County, is the House sponsor. If passed this year, the act would take effect next Jan. 1.
Appliance manufacturers say state standards would increase product costs as well as cut down on models. Their arguments are based on what they say their experience has been under California's appliance-efficiency law, which has been in effect since 1977. Washington, New Jersey and Vermont are considering similar legislaton.
Said Fred Hallett, vice president of White Consolidated Industries Inc., makers of Frigidare and White-Westinghouse: ''If we had a standard that made illegal the least-efficient 10 or 15 percent of our models, you wouldn't hear a squeak from our industry. But we're talking about 60 percent of the models. If the people advocating standards were willing to take a small bite, like Maine -- which passed a bill that took out the bottom 20 percent of the models -- it would be a reasonable approach to standard setting.''
While the Florida bill does not propose specific minimum standards (which would be established by Florida's Department of Community Affairs), the Energy Guide labels required by federal law on all new refrigerators, refrigerator- freezers, water heaters, washers, dishwashers and room air conditioners provide a guideline for identifying efficient models.
The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM), which sets industry standards, opposes state-level standards. Instead, the organization says it is in favor of establishing a national standard. AHAM's position is that state standards would conflict with each other, making compliance difficult and expensive for manufacturers. Bob Gants, AHAM vice president of government relations, said regulations are not necessary because standards are already improving due to competition among manufacturers.
According to AHAM figures, new appliance models use significantly less energy than 1972 models. Refrigerators use 34 percent less energy, freezers 45 percent less, clothes washers 36 percent less and room air conditioners 19 percent less. The annual dollar savings through lower utility bills range from $17.91 (room air conditioners) to $49.95 (freezers).
Other AHAM figures project that California standards for refrigerator- freezers and freezers will ban the sale of 67 percent of the current models by next year, and 94 percent of current models by 1992.
Whirlpool Corp. vice president Andy Takacs, chairman of AHAM's government board, said that only half of his company's room air conditioner models can be shipped to California. He also said that the high number of replacement parts sent to the state indicated that people were repairing their old units rather than buying new, efficient ones.
Standards proponents dispute these figures and claims. David Goldstein, senior staff scientist of the San Francisco-based Natural Resources Defense Council, said that manufacturers pulled 20 percent of their low-efficiency models off the market last year, and no unavailability of products resulted.
Peter Tworek, a salesman at Western Beverly Appliance and Plumbing Co., Los Angeles, said there is still a wide selection of room air conditioner models available in a broad price range.
''Most of the manufacturers have adjusted to the standards,'' he said. ''Since 1977, most companies have just switched the mix of their units sending the most efficient to California. Prices are going down because the volume is picking up.''
Tworek compared an invoice for the least expensive room air conditioner model from 10 years ago to one for the least expensive model today. He attributed the price increase from $189 and $299 to inflation rather than to the efficiency standard.
University of Florida professor Barney Capehart -- whose research has been the basis for legislative and Florida Public Service Commission proposals -- estimates that appliance standards could save consumers more than $160 million a year on utility bills.


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AT&T, Comcast and dozens of other telecommunications corporations have dedicated to not disconnecting services to residential and tiny company clients who cannot shell out their payments simply because of the coronavirus outbreak, the Federal Communications Fee claimed on Friday.
The pledge the firms prepare to put into practice also phone calls for them to open up general public Wi-Fi scorching spots and waive late expenses for 60 times.
“I don’t want any American consumers dealing with hardships since of the pandemic to get rid of connectivity,” the commission’s chairman, Ajit Pai, stated on Friday.
As cases of the coronavirus unfold across the region, firms have inspired personnel to function extra from home. Universities and pupils are relying on the internet for remote on the net mastering, and health professionals and health-related professionals are utilizing it for video clip consultations with sufferers.
“We know that far more Us citizens than at any time before will need internet obtain for do the job, training, and health care,” Jessica Rosenworcel, an F.C.C. commissioner, stated on Friday. “We also know that this disaster will expose challenging truths about the scope for the electronic divide.’’
She highlighted the need to have students related as classes change to digital studying since educational institutions have shut.
Ms. Rosenworcel also pointed out the significance of protecting connectivity for hospitals, and for people remaining treated for the coronavirus and people who are quarantined. “Where information caps and overage charges are in location, they want to be lifted and eliminated,” she mentioned.
Mr. Pai reported that at least 69 organizations experienced agreed to the F.C.C.’s “Keep People Connected Pledge.”
It was unclear irrespective of whether prospects would have to provide some type of proof of economic hardship relevant to the coronavirus. The F.C.C. did not promptly answer to an inquiry on Saturday.
John Legere, chief govt of T-Cell, stated Friday on Twitter that “for the subsequent 60 times, we’re making sure ALL @TMobile & @MetroByTMobile consumers that are on strategies with facts have the link they count on.” The firm is also boosting its data allowance cost-free for colleges and college students for the subsequent 60 days.
AT&T said it would not terminate company for residence cellular phone, broadband household or little enterprise consumers “because of their incapacity to fork out their bill” connected to the coronavirus. The business also said it would waive late support payment service fees and retain general public Wi-Fi warm places open “for any American who requirements them.”
Comcast mentioned it was generating its Xfinity Wi-Fi incredibly hot places available for totally free and delivering limitless data at no supplemental charge for the future 60 times. The company is also letting new prospects to obtain 60 times of complimentary Web Necessities services, which is available to qualified small-money people for $9.95 for every thirty day period.
Mr. Pai applauded the organizations that had signed on to the pledge.
“They are stepping up to the plate and using critical measures that will make it easier for Us residents to keep linked throughout this pandemic and retain considerably-wanted social distancing,” Mr. Pai mentioned.


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Admiral Markets Adds Base Currency in GBP, AUD, and JOD
Global Retail FX and CFDs brokers Admiral Markets has announced that users if its Trading App now have the ability to set their base currency to the GBP, AUD, and JOD. Admirals said that this will greatly improve the user experience for those who trade primarily in these currencies.
The GBP will be available for many different countries and OCs, the JOD will be available for AM Jordan, and the AUD is available for those within AM PTY.
The base currency changes go into effect as of Aug 13.
Rakuten Securities to Provide Additional Info on US ETFs
Rakuten Securities, a subsidiary of Internet services provider Rakuten Inc (TYO:4755), will start providing additional information about US ETFs to its clients from August 15, 2021. The company announces that the enhancements are made in response to customer requests.
ThinkMarkets Agrees to Discovery Stay in Lawsuit Against Ex-employee
TF Global Markets (Aust) Limited and ACG Management Solutions LLC (collectively, “ThinkMarkets”) and James Sorenson, who are embroiled in a trade secrets lawsuit in the United States, have provided a status update to the Illinois Northern District Court. According to the Joint Status Report, filed on August 12, 2021, the parties have agreed on discovery stay.


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These hot & humid summer days can make you miss the fall & winter weather. But this November & December will be even a little more special because instead of one, we’ll be receiving two holiday Air Jordan 11s.
The first of these releases will be a UNC inspired colorway that releases in white, midnight navy and university blue on Black Friday. The second of these release will be Chicago inspired colorway that releases in red, black and white on December 9th.
Check out a few new images of these highly anticipated releases, via Swish Supply.
“UNC” Air Jordan 11
White/Midnight Navy-University Blue


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|Doop (xdoop) wrote in scans_daily,|
@ 2009-08-31 10:10:00
|Entry tags:||publisher: disney, publisher: marvel comics|
Disney to acquire Marvel for $4 billion
LOS ANGELES – The Walt Disney Co. says it is acquiring Marvel Entertainment Inc. for $4 billion in cash and stock, bringing characters like Iron Man and Spider-Man into the Disney family.
Under the deal, Disney will acquire ownership of 5,000 Marvel characters.
Disney said Monday that Marvel shareholders will receive $30 per share in cash plus 0.745 Disney shares for every Marvel share they own.
It said the boards of Disney and Marvel have both approved the transaction, but it requires an antitrust review and the approval of Marvel shareholders.
I'm wondering if this will mean anything for the Gargoyles comic book series that was published by Slave Labor Graphics.


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Johan Fagerberg at Berg Insight reveals some of the LBS trends from MWC in Barcelona.
This year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona was a very pleasant experience. Sunny weather and not as busy as before with some 47 000 visitors compared to 55 000 the previous year. There were somewhat fewer innovations and product releases this year in most categories. There is no doubt that the financial crisis has caught up with a number of the LBS providers, but on the other hand it does look like the actual Telecom industry is not going to be hit as hard as many other industries, since people are still using their telephones and most operators have healthy cash flows and profits.
Sixteen new handset models with GPS from the four major manufacturers were introduced during February this year compared to eight last year. In five years 90 percent of all models will feature GPS so the trend is obvious. Just about every manufacturer is now including navigation in their offerings. Garmin and Asus recently partnered for the new Nuvifones with navigation in focus. Other top releases are Sony Ericsson’s new Idou, LG’s Arena and Samsungs Omnia that got a lot of attention.
There is an apparent consolidation trend on the mobile navigation services market. Wayfinder was recently bolted by Vodafone Group and passing by their empty booth in Barcelona made me realize that they from now on probably will focus completely on their own operators. Other navigation providers present were Appello, Telmap and Navigon.
Appello, the streamlined Sweden-based player announced two new agreements. Garmap, the official Southern African distributor of Garmin products launched Garmap Mobile, its off-board navigation system for the African market, based on Wisepilot from Appello. Another big opportunity for Appello came with handset vendor LG to install navigation and local search services on LG feature phones worldwide. The services will be initially offered in over 40 countries, where they will be pre-installed on all feature phones. Also Intrinsyc got a piece of the action and announced it has been selected by LG Electronics to provide its Destinator navigation and LBS software for multiple models of Smartphones running on Android, Symbian and Windows Mobile operating systems. HTC meanwhile is partnering with ALK to include Co-Pilot on the Touch Cruise.
Tele Atlas and NAVTEQ had their clients and Partners in their booths as previous years. A winning concept to gather the application providers offering everything from navigation to security tracking applications. The fact that there are just two major map providers with extensive coverage of navigable data today, make me wonder when will the Map-Wikipedia arise. The free of charge map source for everyone to use, contribute and improve well competing with the commercial counterparts.
The annual LBS Challenge is a nice tradition and a good way to motivate and put small hardworking LBS application developers in the limelight. NAVTEQ this year announced that Skobbler from Germany is the grand prize-winner of the EMEA edition. The winning application - Skobbler a spin-off from German PND manufacturer NAVIGON - is a solution that allows young, urban consumers to share information, personal comments and recommendations on places.
The LBS platform and middleware business is still somewhat struggling. Berg Insight forecasts total annual revenues in Europe for mobile location platforms, including A-GPS servers and middleware platforms, to grow from about € 17 million in 2008 to € 34 million in 2014. Some companies have partially left the operator business such as TruePosition that has shifted their focus to the government market - safety and security solutions for public safety and national security purposes. Autodesk said at the beginning of the year that it would cut its work force and spin off its location services unit as it focuses on its core business. Still active are TCS, Mobile Arts, Andrew, Openwave, Redknee, Mobilaris, Cellvision, Genasys, Reach-U and Telenity.
Location-aware social networking seems to be the name of the game. GyPSii’s announced a new deal with LG to include their location-enabled mobile digital lifestyle application on a range of new mobile devices. LG Electronics mobile customers will have access to GyPSii’s broad range of location-aware functions and mobile lifestyle services – including user generated content sharing, friend finding and social networking application, as well as the ability to view it all on a map. They are also on a number of Nokia and Blackberry models.
Berg Insight ABwww.berginsight.com


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The addition of Gregson signals that the agency will continue to grow its digital offerings this year, according to president Sean Cassidy. He also emphasizes the firm's growth in the media and entertainment sector.
Cassidy has also seen considerable client work in the travel sector continue into 2009. "It's something you'd think of as a surprise – significant growth in the travel sector," he notes. "It's a lot of hotel work... and that's a sector that has had a lot of prognostication and has been looked at negatively."
Cassidy says DKC's growth model enables the agency to succeed even in a poor economy.
"We are being very specific about where we are trying to grow," he explains. "We have been very deliberate in trying to grow the business in areas of high profitability and areas where we can be in a position to deliver spectacular results."
DKC's current headcount is 111, a decrease from 131. James Gregson, director of digital, joined the firm in 2008.
The firm has 11 practice areas, including consumer products, corporate, CSR, digital, entertainment/music/fashion, healthcare, and sports. Healthcare, sports, and consumer products make up 20% of the firm's business apiece, while technology contributes 15%.
Key wins included AOL's Platform A, Chicago Climate Exchange, GNC, Radio One, Reader's Digest, and TheFilter.com. All of the agency's clients are on retainer.
The agency's US revenue was $22.4 million for 2008, a 3% increase from 2007, and a 21% profit margin. The company achieved primarily top-line growth. Its growth was split equally between organic and newly acquired business.
Principals: Dan Klores, chairman/CEO; Sean Cassidy, president (pictured);
Offices: One, in New York


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Audio-based social media technology company HearMeOut (ASX: HMO) has seen its HearMeOut App listed amongst one of the top 20 most downloaded social media Apps on the Apple iOS App store in the US and Canada.
The company had previously identified that one of the key pathways to monetising the HearMeOut platform is building a critical mass of users of the HearMeOut App. It believes these latest App store results are a material indication that this strategy is on track.
It initially launched with a dual strategy for user growth; grow user base through strategic use of influencers to sign up users and engage them and develop its presence and first mover advantage in the connected car market. However, this has now expanded to include; working with the media industry to curate and deliver engaging content over the HearMeOut platform and make HMO a useful and compelling part of today's media toolkit, like Twitter is today on television, and pursue early revenue opportunities from B2B licensing outside of the connected car field.
HearMeOut is an Israeli-based global company that provides an audio-based social media platform that transforms the way people engage with and consume social media. The platform enables users to share and listen to 42-second audio posts through the platform's native feed or on other social networks, such as Twitter or Facebook. Through this App, people can express their authentic voice and put their unique signature on social media interactions.


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What’s wrong with orange?
Don’t ask me. I don’t keep up with the latest trends.
Thankfully, however, there are those who do make it their business to stay in the know, such as Grovetown Public Safety Chief Gary Jones.
With much fanfare, Jones has declared that orange in no longer the “new black” when it comes to jailhouse haute couture.
No, this year all the most fashionably dressed inmates will only be wearing hot-pink, although they will have to be satisfied with off-the-rack garments, hand selected by the city’s new fashion maven.


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German brands off to strong start in 2011Fri, 06 May 2011
Robust U.S. car sales this year are helping drive German automakers to significant gains.
The Volkswagen division did especially well in April, with 28,542 vehicles sold--a 23 percent increase from the year before. VW division sales are up 17 percent for 2011 so far.
The restyled Jetta, released in February, was a big contributor. Jetta sales were up 74 percent for April and 63 percent for the year to date.
VW spokesman Mark Gillies said other new models in the showroom also helped boost the numbers. For instance, Touareg sales jumped 63 percent last month and 43 percent for the year so far.
The Tiguan spiked 48 percent in sales from last April and 26 percent for the year so far, and the CC posted a 40 percent April sales increase and a 22 percent increase for 2011 to date.
VW said it hopes to continue picking up steam when it starts U.S. production of the redesigned Passat later this year at its new plant in Tennessee. Jetta said it doesn't yet have estimates on numbers for production
Among other German brands with notable sales increases this year, Porsche sales spiked 82 percent from last April. The redesigned Cayenne is reeling in buyers, and lease pull-ahead deals are a big incentive at the moment.
Porsche sold 3,172 vehicles last month, compared with 1,747 the year before. For the year to date, sales are up 46 percent.
An upward movement in sales for the BMW division is also worth keeping an eye on, as numbers rose 12 percent so far this year and 9 percent for the month of April.
By Michelle Koueiter


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Googling good food and a more balanced life
San Jose, Calif. - Standing in the company cafeteria, Curtis Kroeker was mulling his options. Sizzling steak? Or maybe the organic mesclun mix with poached pears, candied pecans, blue cheese and caramelized fennel relish tossed with sherry vinaigrette
Not your average lunchroom dilemma. But then, this is the cafe of Internet auction powerhouse eBay, which like a number of other Silicon Valley companies has beefed up dining options in a meeting of high-tech and haute cuisine.
“A big part of eBay’s philosophy is the importance of a work-life balance and really encouraging people to take the time to sit down and to know their colleagues better, build those relationships that are so important to succeeding professionally,” says eBay spokeswoman Kim Rubey. “A great benefit of the cafe is convenience, but more than that, we also want to offer a culinary experience.”
Goodbye, mystery meat and macaroni. Hello, herb-crusted pork tenderloin — a tasty trend that has taken hold in Silicon Valley and beyond in the past decade.
Read more about the fancy – and sometimes free – lunches Internet companies are offering to their employees in the Food section of tomorrow’s Cape Cod Times.


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Nearly half a billion in sales on Alex platform for small farmers since December
The Agri–Linkages Exchange (ALEX) platform has generated almost $500 million in sales for small farmers since December 2023.
Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) Executive Director, Dr. Cary Wallace, made the disclosure as he addressed the Global Tourism Resilience Conference held recently at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St. James.
The ALEX platform, a collaborative initiative between the TEF and the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), allows small farmers, usually those with between three and five–acre plots, to connect directly to purchasing managers at hotels.
The platform was key in ensuring food security in the tourism sector during the COVID–19 pandemic.
“In about three years, we achieved a billion dollars in sales on that platform. Between December last year and today, we’ve gone almost half a billion dollars in sales on that platform. That is the rate of growth that we’re seeing … and that’s why Jamaica has been such a success story in our rebound in tourism,” Wallace said.
“It’s about not having to go to the farm. It’s not having to deal with a hundred persons per day coming into their delivery areas, it’s now simply clicking to make a purchase,” he pointed out.
Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister with oversight for Skills and Digital Transformation Senator Dr. Dana Morris Dixon in her remarks, noted that the use of innovation such as the ALEX platform plays a key role in building the resilience of the tourism sector.
She noted that through technological solutions, the sector has demonstrated remarkable flexibility, enabling it to navigate through the difficulties brought forth by the pandemic.
Senator Morris Dixon also noted the instrumental support provided by The Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC) in bolstering the industry’s adaptability during the disruptions caused by COVID.


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Some of the most pioneering and inspiring Indian business leaders in the Middle East were honoured by Forbes Middle East, for the fifth consecutive year, during a ceremony held yesterday at Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina Dubai.
Managing Director of Abu Dhabi-headquartered EMKE LuLu Group of companies Yusuffali MA was honoured for the fifth year running, in recognition of his contribution to the retail sector in the region.
Adeeb Ahamed, MD, LuLu Financial Group & Twenty14 Holdings, Ravi Pillai, MD, RP Group of Companies, Dr Shamsheer Vayalil, Founder & MD, VPS Healthcare, Dr Azad Moopen, Chairman and MD, Aster DM Healthcare, Rizwan Sajan, Founder & Chairman, Danube Group, Shaji Ul Mulk, Chairman, Mulk Holdings and Adnan Chilwan, Group CEO, Dubai Islamic Bank were among the others honoured at the annual event.
“These business leaders have had a positive impact on the region and this event is our way of celebrating their contribution to the economic development of the Arab World,” Forbes Middle East’s Editor-In-Chief Khuloud Al Omian said, in a
“It is a tremendous honour to receive this award and be recognised among peers in the region. This recognition is an impetus for me to continue setting new benchmarks in the region’s financial industry as well as the hospitality sector,” said Adeeb Ahamed, MD, LuLu Financial Group and Twenty14 Holdings.
“I would like to congratulate the fellow awardees who have been an integral part of the success story of this region,” added Adeeb.
The awards were presented by Vipul, Indian Consulate General to the UAE, who was also the guest of honour. The 2017 edition included business leaders from various sectors like retail, industrial companies, healthcare, banking and finance, both in top owners and top executive management categories.
Out of the 100 names on list, over 90 per cent of them were based in UAE. Diversified companies dominated the awards list, followed by retail and real estate, while luminaries from 24 other sectors were also honoured at the event.
Dr. Azad Moopen


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Local property sales in the first six months of 2008 have boosted Emaar Properties’ profits, despite market challenges of rising costs and reduced consumer spending. “Globally, the first-half of 2008 was marked by recessionary trends and mounting inflation,” said Mohammed Ali Alabbar, chairman of Emaar Properties.
“For a property developer of Emaar’s geographic outreach, this period also meant greater exposure to the market challenges of rising prices and reduced consumer spending,” Mr Alabbar said. “However, Emaar’s results for the six months prove the robustness of our long-term strategic Vision 2010 to focus our growth efforts in the emerging markets of the region and Asia.”
Profits strengthened off the back of sales of commercial and residential projects launched in the UAE in the last six months. New projects include Burj Dubai, Stand Point, Burj Place and The Mansion – all at Emaar’s Downtown Burj Dubai development – and Asmaran, a mixed-used project at Bawadi in Dubailand.
The company’s projects abroad have also yielded strong domestic sales as well as attracted international investors, said Mr Alabbar. Last month, Emaar said that it expected between 60 and 70 per cent of its revenues to be generated from overseas projects by 2010. The company is ploughing Dh367 billion into international property ventures, with its largest target markets being India, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Turkey and Syria, where projects were launched for sale in the first half of this year.
Earlier this year, Emaar also ventured into China with the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Shanghai China-News Enterprise Development, a company owned by the Chinese government, with the aim of working together on development projects in key cities in the country. Emaar also opened an office in Indonesia and signed a joint venture with Bali Tourism Development Corporation for the Lombok Island project.
“Emaar has consolidated its reputation in all its key markets of bringing in a new lifestyle choice for residents,” said Mr Alabbar.“However, more importantly, we have proved ourselves as a partner in the progress of the 36 active markets where we are based, by creating job opportunities, strengthening the growth of ancillary industries and bringing in a new dynamic to the property sector. This will continue to be our legacy,” he added.
Angela Giuffrida, The National (UAE) July 17, 2008


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Today’s funding announcements include tools to help businesses oversee social media and spending:
Sprout Social brings in $10M to consolidate a business’ social presence: The Chicago-based startup has raised a second round of funding led by New Enterprise Associates to help small and local businesses manage customer relationships on sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn through a single online dashboard. Founded in 2009, the company last raised funding from Lightbank, the investment firm led by Groupon co-founders Eric Lefkofsky and Brad Keywell.
Coupa Software gets $12M to help companies manage spending: The developer of cloud spend management software has raised a fourth round of funding led by Mohr Davidow Ventures, according to a filing with the SEC. Based in San Mateo, Calif., the company helps more than 150 customers, including salesforce.com and Amazon, keep track of purchases and potentially cut costs through its web-based tool.
WhiteGlove raises $12.5M to bring doctors to you: The Austin-based company has raised a new round of funding led by Enhanced Equity Fund for its medical care service, peHUB reports. Founded by a software entrepreneur, the company, which brings doctors directly to patients at home or work, started in Texas and plans to use the funding to focus on national expansion.
Stanford spinout C3Nano raises $3.2M: The Hayward-based startup has raised a first round of funding from GSR Ventures to develop transparent electrode material to be used in touch screens, smart windows and flexible displays. The company, which began at Stanford University’s chemical engineering department, was founded in January 2010 and plans to use the latest funding to further develop its technology and establish partnerships.


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Deflation a challenge of maturing economy
When the current cycle of falling consumer prices began in November 1998, it was the first time this had happened in 23 years. If the phenomenon was unknown to the people of Hong Kong then, it is certainly familiar now, after five full years of deflation.
The biggest impact of this month-by-month drop in the consumer price index has been the blow it has dealt to confidence. Many people simply do not spend, on the expectation that prices will keep falling. It is a self-fulfilling prophecy and the spiral proves difficult to stop once it gets under way. This deflation has gone hand in hand with a persistently sluggish property sector. Real estate values, once a major driver of the city's economic growth - and rising prices - are still struggling to recover to their previous levels.
Now, it seems, we are seeing the beginning of the end of deflation. Price drops have slowed and economists are predicting a return to rising prices within the next 18 months. We owe the end of deflation in large part to the fact that Hong Kong has an open economy and a currency tied to the US dollar. With the combination of a weak dollar and rising global commodity prices, import costs are set to rise. And with a return to growth in key world economies - as well as greater investment flows into the local stock market - Hong Kong should benefit from rising confidence and overall growth. Property is starting to recover and retailing is showing signs of life - rental of spaces in prime shopping areas is picking up and luxury goods retailers are once again looking seriously at expanding in Hong Kong.
Policy-wise, there is very little the government needs to do to hasten the end of deflation, aside from measures it has already announced. The rates rebates announced at the height of the Sars outbreaks were one-off and their expected end should help boost the price index. As for market stimulus and job creation, the temporary job programmes already announced should help ease unemployment in the short term. However, creation of more permanent jobs should be left to the private sector, which is the best judge of where they are needed. Indeed, with the return of tourist arrivals to pre-Sars levels, we have already seen a drop in unemployment in the services sector.
Promoting the recovery in general should involve pushing ahead with long-delayed measures to ensure the city's macroeconomic health. These include addressing the structural issues behind the budget deficit, improving regulation of the stock markets and looking more seriously at steps to curb the power of cartels in the domestic economy. Coupled with advantages such as the rule of law and large fiscal reserves, such reforms should bolster Hong Kong's attractiveness to both local and overseas investors.
There is no denying that Hong Kong finds itself in a much more sober mood now than it did five years ago. The falling prices and property values have been coupled with the rise of competition from several other cities in the region. Hong Kong's predominance in any of the areas where it leads - finance, shipping, trade and services - can no longer be taken for granted. Continually rising prices, wages and asset values, as well as uninterrupted economic growth, have also been proven to be phenomena of the past.
In many ways, these changes can be attributed to a change in the nature of the economy, from developing to developed. The problems of high unemployment and growth cycles that include recession and deflation are essentially problems of mature economies. Economies that have managed these cycles well have done so by finding new sources of growth, focusing on prudent fiscal policy and promoting investment through transparent markets. Hong Kong should be preparing now to take its economy to the next stage.


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The Next Version of American Phone Icon Razr May Not Come to the US
Good news for folding phone fans: the next Motorola Razr could be cheaper than earlier versions, if a new leak is to be believed. But it only specifically lists China and Europe as launch markets, suggesting it may not come to the US.
The leak — published on tech site Compare Dial in collaboration with noted leaker OnLeaks — suggests the phone will come to “worldwide markets,” which could theoretically include the US. But given Motorola’s tendency to specifically exclude phones from markets where it won’t sell well, and the first two versions of the Motorola Razr didn’t exactly do that, we might not see the folding phone go on sale in America.
But wherever it does go on sale, the third Motorola Razr could be cheaper with a pricetag of €1,149 (around $1,200), the leak suggested. Compared to the Razr 2020‘s $1,400 price, that’s notably easier for consumers to stomach. But it’s still more expensive than the $999 Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3, so it wouldn’t be the cheapest clamshell foldable on the market, but it’s more affordable than any Razr before it.
One last detail from the new leak: the phone will launch in one color, Quartz Black, though other hues may become available later.
Back in May,by leaker Evan Blass revealed the next Razr could get a complete redesign, eliminating the single rear camera protruding from the back in favor of a smooth glass cover over dual regular and wide-angle lenses. Another color, Tranquil Blue, was suggested alongside Quartz Black. The leak also suggested the next Razr would have multiple spec configurations, including 8GB or 12GB of RAM and 256GB or 512GB of internal storage. Blass also hinted at a release in China in late July or early August, followed by a global rollout.
Motorola did not respond to comment by time of publication.


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The price of bitcoin continues to face a major devaluation in the market. According to data on bitcoin’s performance in recent months, this was the worst quarter in history for the crypto asset.
Between April and June 2022, the digital currency accumulated a 57% drop. In June 2022 alone, for example, the crypto asset’s price melted by more than 37%.
However, analysts at Transfero believe this trend can be reversed by the end of the year. In fact, July could be a promising month for bitcoin, which is once again being priced below US$ 20,000.
Historically, July has been a month of great appreciation for the price of bitcoin in the crypto market. Transfero analysts say that in seven of the last ten years, the crypto asset has accumulated a price rise in that month.
“Both the month (July) and the second-half result averages have shown appreciation in seven of the last ten years, which creates a good future mathematical expectation”.
In other words, by the end of July 2022, the bitcoin price can reverse the devaluation trend and go back up. The same goes for the second half of the year, which is usually a period of accumulating appreciation for the asset.
In recent weeks, the crypto asset was once again quoted below US$ 20,000, and on Friday (1), the digital currency is being quoted at around US$19,300.


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Workers at Amazon and Instacart are planning to strike to demand better protection from employees amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Employees in Staten Island, New York are protesting Amazon’s decision to keep open a warehouse despite a confirmed case of the virus there last week, CNN reports.
Christian Smalls, who is leading the walkout, told the outlet that other employees have tested positive as well but the company has not acknowledged that. He said as many as five to seven workers have the coronavirus.
"The plan is to cease all operations until the building is closed and sanitized," Smalls told CNN. "We're not asking for much. We're asking the building to be closed and sanitized, and for us to be paid [during that process]."
Smalls said Amazon’s warehouses are “breeding grounds for this pandemic.”
Instacart shoppers are also planning a nationwide strike on Monday, vowing to boycott the app until the company provides an additional $5 per order in hazard pay, free safety equipment, and expands its sick-leave policies, Vice reports.
The workers said they would strike until the company meets their demands.
“While Instacart’s corporate employees are working from home, Instacart’s [gig workers] are working on the frontlines in the capacity of first responders,” Vanessa Bain, a lead organizer of the strike, told Vice. “Instacart’s corporate employees are provided with health insurance, life insurance, and paid time off and [are] also eligible for sick pay and paid family leave. By contrast its [gig workers], who are putting their lives on the line to maintain daily operations are afforded none of these protections. Without [us], Instacart will grind to a halt. We deserve and demand better.”
Companies say they’re improving conditions:
Amazon told CNN that the company "recently implemented daily temperature screenings in our operations sites as an additional preventative measure to support the health and safety of our customers and employees."
"We believe direct communication is the best avenue to discuss feedback, and our teams onsite are speaking directly with employees each day to hear their questions and discuss options that are available in this ever changing environment," the statement said.
“The health and safety of our entire community — shoppers, customers, and employees — is our first priority," Instacart told Vice. "Our goal is to offer a safe and flexible earnings opportunity to shoppers, while also proactively taking the appropriate precautionary measures to operate safely. We want to underscore that we absolutely respect the rights of shoppers to provide us feedback and voice their concerns. It’s a valuable way for us to continuously make improvements to the shopper experience and we’re committed to supporting this important community during this critical time.”


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BizSan Diego Magazine – CEO Interview – by Joanna Posner
January 2008 Issue
Kevin Seney set out to change the face of the real estate industry, and so far it’s working
When CEO Kevin Seney started Bug! Real Estate in Coronado, he made it his mission to deliver a new real estate experience. In doing so, he would be the first to step out of the homogeneous mold. About today’s leading real estate companies, Seney says they don’t vary in the way they’re branded, how they advertise or how they service the customer. “When you see something like that in the marketplace, that spells opportunity,” he adds.
The first area that Seney addressed was advertising. Having owned a mortgage company for 10 years, Seney witnessed how much money agents wasted on marketing. “They run their $2,000 to $3,000 ad, and they don’t get any calls from it,” he says. Indeed, Seney’s theory was confirmed when he read the Purple Cow, which emphasizes that advertising doesn’t work anymore, and it hasn’t for years.
So if advertising doesn’t lure homebuyers, what does? Seney says the only three relevant factors in home selling are putting a sign in front of the home, putting the home on the MLS and pricing it right. “If you price the home at market price, it will sell,” he says. Without a need for marketing, Bug! has eliminated the expense from its budget and is a more efficient company because of it.
The other cost-guzzler that Seney identified was overhead. “I’ve surveyed hundreds of clients, and no one ever meets agents at the office,” he says. “They either meet at the property or sign the papers at the mortgage or title company.” In a laptop-friendly, work-from-home era, the majority of agents use the office only for meetings. That’s why Bug! agents work virtually. Using the latest wireless technology, agents have full access to the MLS and the company’s intranet via their wireless laptops and cell phones.
Show Me the Brand
With his business model fine-tuned from a cost standpoint, there was one major component left: How to get his company out to the marketplace. While Seney isn’t a big supporter of traditional advertising, he is a firm believer of creating a unique brand. “In business today, you have to stand out in an amazing way, and if you don’t, you won’t get any business,” he emphasizes.
Today, however, no one real estate company stands out from the other. “Their brands are stale, they’re institutional,” says Seney. “The communication they’re sending out to the marketplace is ‘we’re big, we’re fancy, and we sell estate homes.’ But that image doesn’t work anymore.”
So Bug! leaves pretension at the door. In fact, Bug! bills itself as the no-frills, no-hype real estate company, making it a fun, friendly real estate brand like nothing else that exists today. To live up to that image, all Bug! agents drive the Volkswagen Beetle, a car that not only represents a casual and fun vibe, but it’s also an icon when it comes to branding. “And by using the Beetle as our delivery vehicle for this brand, we get to borrow that history,” says Seney.
But Seney didn’t stop there in bringing the Bug! Real Estate concept to the fore. After working with some local graphic artists on the Bug! logo, an integral piece of the company’s branding, Seney came up short. It wasn’t until he saw TiVo’s logo that he got inspired. The only problem was that Michael Cronan, a branding guru who developed the TiVo logo and invented the word TiVo, is world famous and probably couldn’t be bothered with a small company like Bug! But Seney contacted him anyway. To his surprise, Cronan liked what he was hearing about this new breed of real estate and agreed to create the Bug! logo for one tenth of what he normally charges. Thus was born the look and feel of Bug! Real Estate.
Bug! agents drive around with the company’s logo front and center on their vehicles, so the cars double as billboards. “You see them everywhere because they’re so recognizable,” says Seney, “and that’s the essence of what we’re doing from a marketing standpoint—we’re famous without much advertising.”
Home sellers also benefit from the company’s cost savings. Not to be mistaken with a discounter, Bug! is a full-service real estate company that aims to redesign the way agents do business and is thus able to lower commissions for its customers.
Having launched in February 2007, Bug! is going strong. It has opened four new franchises, as well as one regional office, and receives 100 inquiries per month from eager real estate brokers who love the Bug! model and want to open a franchise.
It looks like Seney’s bold move to turn the traditional real estate model on its head wasn’t a bad idea after all.
The unique edge of Bug! Real Estate’s franchise operation:
• John Assaraf, featured teacher in the book, The Secret, and renowned motivational speaker, who was also one of the most successful regional directors for Re/Max, is spearheading Bug! Real Estate’s One Coach, a yearlong coaching and business development program provided to all new franchisees.
• Businessman and successful entrepreneur Chris Siow is the first Bug! regional director for the entire city of San Francisco.
• Bug! is looking for brokers who feel 110% about the company—not necessarily top performers, just people who are passionate about the concept.


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The Vancouver Canucks unveiled their adidas reverse retro jerseys Monday morning to many mixed reviews.
— Vancouver #Canucks (@Canucks) November 16, 2020
The jersey features the classic Canucks orca and a split green and blue colour scheme.
adidas, who worked closely in the creation of the jerseys, aimed to create a design that represented “unique and historical moments in each club’s history, while refreshing the color and design combination for an all-new presentation.”
Here’s what the Canucks had to say on the design of the jersey:
Originally red, Vancouver’s Gradient Orca Jersey debuted during the 2001-02 season. The Canucks team was coming off its first playoff appearance in five seasons and the fanbase had just had its first glimpse at a couple of young future stars, Daniel and Henrik Sedin. The jersey was also featured during one of the most exciting eras in team history when the West Coast Express was taking the League by storm.
Fast forward roughly 20 years, and the team is again in a very similar position having finally returned to the playoffs, led once again by a new era of Canucks hockey, and the young stars of the future.
People have since taken to Twitter with some saying it looks like a cheap knockoff jersey you would find at Walmart. Harsh. Nonetheless, the jerseys will be worn multiple times next season.
What do you think of the design?
On Twitter: @zjlaing
I’ve seen a lot of people say the new reverse retro looks like something you’d buy at Walmart. After looking at Walmart’s selection of Canucks jerseys, I can’t say those people are very far off….. pic.twitter.com/JUeW66zZG4
— David Quadrelli (@QuadreIli) November 16, 2020


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Essential has landed itself smack-dab in the middle in a customer service nightmare which has raised a lot of questions about the handset maker’s credibility. The company recently sent out an email to its customers asking them for ID proof and other details, but made an error which resulted in the replies getting shared with everyone on the email chain.
This colossal mistake first came to light via a Reddit user who posted the entirety of the email to the site. As per the missive, Essential’s order review team required additional verifying information to complete orders, asking customers to email the company their alternative email, phone number, and photo ID like their passport or driver’s license.
The poster claims he soon began receiving replies from random customers, though he noted that most were cancellation requests. Many Redditors assumed that this was a phishing scam, but Essential later confirmed that the email came from them.
Also See: Essential Phone finally goes up for pre-orders
Essential CEO Andy Rubin claims that roughly 70 customers unknowingly shared their personal information with the others on the chain. He’s now apologizing for the mishap, calling it humiliating and offering a year’s worth of LifeLock subscription and a free Essential Phone to the affected clients. The company has since disabled the misconfigured account to stem the flow of emails.
Essential has also promised to invest more heavily in its infrastructure and customer care. However, Rubin’s blog post doesn’t directly address the fact that his firm thought it was appropriate to ask for a customer’s ID proof over email. Companies typically don’t ask for such sensitive information through the medium given the security risks involved.
Moreover, people are routinely advised to never give out personal data over email since it’s more often than not a phishing scam. The fact that it’s not in this case is pretty surprising and raises questions about how safe a user’s data will be with Essential.


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Lenovo Vibe K5 Note is Coming to India on July 20
Lenovo has confirmed that its next smartphone in Killer Note series is coming on July 20. This phone Lenovo K5 Note will be the successor of Lenovo K4 Note that was launched earlier this year. This phone has already been announced in China.
Company confirmed the launch date on Twitter.
— Lenovo India (@Lenovo_in) July 15, 2016
Lenovo K5 Note features 5.5-inch 1080p display, Octa-Core MediaTek Helio P10 SoC, 16GB storage, 13 megapixels rear camera with dual-tone LED, 8-megapixels front camera, Dolby Atmos, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS and 3500 mAh battery.
In China, this phone was announced with 5.1 Lollipop, but we can expect Indian version to come with Android 6.0 Marshmallow. This phone has 2GB RAM and 3GB RAM variants. We cannot confirm if company is planning to sell both variant or just 3GB RAM variant in India.
It also has a fingerprint sensor located at the back side. Unlike K4 Note, this phone comes with full metal build.
Lenovo K5 Note comes in Silver and gold colors. We can expect the pricing to be around Rs. 12000. For confirmed pricing, we will have to wait for the launch of the phone which is scheduled on July 20.