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“Apple had its much-anticipated Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday, and considering it’s the biggest company in the world and an undisputed bellwether in the tech industry, whatever Apple does has big implications, not only for the company but for many other corporations, too,” Andrés Cardenal writes for The Motley Fool. ”
“It was the first WWDC without Steve Jobs, and Tim Cook handled the situation quite well. It’s not the same without Steve, but it wouldn´t be fair to expect the same charisma from Cook,” Cardenal writes. “One winner from the conference Facebook which will be integrated into IOS 6 in a similar way to which Twitter was last year. This will not only help Facebook in terms of accessibility, it may also have concrete financial implications for the social network.”
Cardenal writes, “The biggest loser from Apple´s WWDC was clearly Google, the fact that Apple is being more ‘friendly’ with Facebook is no good news for Google, which competes in the online advertising business against the social network. Even worse, Apple decided to abandon Google maps for its own mapping functionality powered by Tom Tom, this was probably the most noteworthy move from Apple against Google, but there were other more subtle changes which should also be noticed by investors in the big tech space. Apple has improved the searching power of Siri…”
Read more in the full article here.


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Steve Jobs Dead
Apple co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs has died in California due to complications from pancreatic cancer. He was 56.
A statement from Apple read : "We are deeply saddened to announce that Steve Jobs passed away today. Steve's brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives. The world is immeasurably better because of Steve.
His greatest love was for his wife, Laurene, and his family. Our hearts go out to them and to all who were touched by his extraordinary gifts."
Jobs was seen as an innovator in the consumer electronics space, taking Apple from the brink of bankruptcy in 1996, to being one of the world leaders in home and business computing, portable music devices and smartphones.
Jobs founded Apple in 1976 with Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne and quickly became a leader in its field releasing the game changing MacIntosh, which brought computers into the home.
Two years after hiring former Pepsi president John Scully to run Apple, Jobs was fired by Scully after a slump in sales. However, things never really recovered and Jobs came back to the company in 1996 after dabbling in movies via Pixar and his NeXT Computer venture, which Apple bought and helped facilitate his return.
Once back, there seemed to no stopping Jobs as he launched the iMac, iPod, iTouch, iPhone and iPad – all becoming standard bearers in the eclectic world of consumer electronics.
In 2004 Jobs announced that he had a rare form of pancreatic cancer, which he seemed to recover from without the need for radiation or chemotherapy. Since then there were many rumours about the state of his health culminating in a liver transplant and a six month leave of absence in 2009 from the company. In August this year, Jobs announced his resignation from the company without expanding on the underlying reasons he was leaving. COO Tim Cook took over CEO duties.
Jobs is survived by his wife Laurene Powell and four children.

domain: news


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Annual Bemidji Coats For The Community Distribution Being Held October 5
Winter is just around the corner, and volunteers are setting up for the annual “Coats for the Community” coat drive today, October 5, at First Lutheran Church in Bemidji.
Winter accessories and coats will be distributed tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. There are over 5,000 cold weather items. Any person is welcome to come to the coat drive and collect winter items.
“We have men’s, women’s, children’s items. It’s not just coats, there’s snow pants, boots, mittens, hats, even clothing, warm clothing for the winter as well,” said United Way of Bemidji Area Executive Director Danae Alamano.
The drive is one of United Way’s community impact initiatives.


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Story by: Charles Bovaird
Bitcoin declined sharply today, losing close to 8% in less than two hours.
The world’s most prominent cryptocurrency fell to as little as $12,138.37 shortly after 11:00 EDT, a roughly 7.9% drop from its intra-day high of $13,175.69 reached at roughly 09:30 EDT, CoinDesk data shows.
The digital currency then extended these losses, trading at $12,062.47 shortly after 1:30 EDT, additional CoinDesk figures reveal.
When explaining these latest fluctuations, analysts pointed to profit taking, claiming that variables such as leverage amplified the digital asset’s losses.
[Ed note: Investing in cryptocoins or tokens is highly speculative and the market is largely unregulated. Anyone considering it should be prepared to lose their entire investment.]
“The market has risen a lot,” emphasized Charles Hayter, cofounder and CEO of digital currency data platform CryptoCompare.
As a result, “people are jumping in to take profits,” he stated.
“Bitcoin has had a hard time maintaining buying support above $13,000 per coin during the recent rally,” noted John Todaro, director of digital currency research for TradeBlock.by


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A user on the forums Chinese tech giant Baidu posted an apparent confirmation of the next generation of Intel NUC mini PCs, including a hardware breakdown (note that the linked page is in Chinese).
Naturally, the NUC 12 – codenamed ‘Serpent Canyon’, following the ‘Phantom Canyon’ NUC 11 – will use Intel’s new 12th generation Alder Lake i7-12700H processor, upgrading from the i7-1165G7 found in its predecessor. That in itself is a significant upgrade, but what’s more interesting is the graphics card.
While earlier NUC 11 models used Nvidia GeForce GPUs (up to the RTX 3080 found in the killer console, NUC 11 Extreme), the NUC 12 is claimed to use Intel’s Arc A770M laptop GPU. With 32 Xe-cores and 16GB of video memory, the A770M is currently the highest-spec graphics card in Intel’s Arc mobile lineup and is already appearing elsewhere on gaming laptops.
While we still don’t know exactly how the A770M will perform, expectations put it on the same performance bar as Nvidia’s RTX 3060 Ti – in other words, a decent choice for 1080p gaming. There’s still no news on how much the NUC 12 will cost, nor a release date, although forum user Baidu claims it will be ‘available soon’.
O Intel NUC series are small form factor PCs that can be used for a variety of purposes, primarily for use in business and educational environments where there is no space for a full-sized desktop. However, some NUCs are designed with gaming in mind, and this new model seems to fit that bill.
Analysis: Is China the stage for the start of a GPU war?
This was perhaps an inevitable move by Intel now that its Arc graphics cards are finally hitting the market (albeit only in China so far). While Intel may realistically be betting on its CPU competitor AMD, Nvidia still holds the lion’s share of the discrete GPU market, so it wouldn’t make much sense for Intel to continue using a major competitor’s hardware in its products.
Intel’s laser focus on the Chinese market for the new Arc GPUs has been interesting and made the manufacturer’s goals very clear. It appears that Intel is not looking to challenge Nvidia’s dominance in the high-end graphics card arena, but rather to take on AMD at the more affordable end of the market.
Chinese consumers (and the Asian market as a whole) are more interested in low-end GPUs, especially given the prevalence of Internet cafes in this part of the world. Still, Intel’s release of the new Arc boards hasn’t exactly gone smoothly. High starting prices on the Arc A380 desktop and faltering initial performance numbers from Arc A7 cards painted a troubled picture of Intel’s long-awaited return to the GPU market.
We reached out to Intel for comment and had our suspicions confirmed that the Chinese market is being the first target due to the prevalence of low-end GPUs there. Intel also added that it plans to “scale Arc A-series 3 graphics products with our partners globally in the coming weeks” and noted that the Arc release was heavily impacted by “software readiness delays” and COVID-19 lockdowns.


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Beiersdorf AG (BEI.XE) said Thursday that 2018 sales grew, with both of its business segments contributing to the result.
The maker of Nivea skin cream said sales for the year were 7.23 billion euros ($8.24 billion), compared with EUR7.06 billion the year previous. On an organic basis, sales grew 5.4%, said the company.
Sales in the company's consumer business rose 5% on an organic basis to EUR5.89 billion.
Beiersdorf said its earnings before interest and taxes margin from ongoing operations will be on the same level as the year previous.
"We will take further strategic steps in 2019 to unlock Beiersdorf's future potential and to be able to deliver sustainable growth," Stefan De Loecker, chief executive of Beiersdorf, said.
The company will release its final results for 2018 on Feb. 27.


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There have been quite alot of rumors for when the highly anticipated Apple Media event will take place. The event is definitely scheduled for October, with some rumors citing an October 21st date, others reporting that the date is now October the 5th and now yet another rumor says that the event is one day off from the previous date i.e October 4th. The iPhone 5 is easily the most anticipated (and rumored) smartphone this year and it is expected to be launched on this year's Media event since Apple clearly couldn't release it on the Worldwide Wide Developer's Conference as is Apple Tradition.
We still don't know for sure when the event will really be held. Previously an October 5th date was mentioned, now the new date is very close to that which could mean the source is reliable or it could simply be pure coincidence. The real question is what devices we will see and who will be presenting them now that Apple's legendary CEO has finally retired.
The main device, everyone is waiting for is ofcourse the iPhone 5, which is rumored to have Apple's A5 processor, bigger screen and an 8MP camera and 16/32GB versions in black and white among other things. Then we have rumors regarding a cloud based iPhone 4S, which will launch simultaneously as a cheaper alternative to the real deal. There have also been rumors regarding an iPad launch, though this is very unlikely since Apple ussually updates its products annually, and the iPad 2 has yet had a very short life.
The media event is ussually for updating the iPod line however uptil now there has been very little hype regarding new iPods and it is expected that most of the range will have minor revisions with the iPod Touch getting a white model aswell.
Other than the launch of the iPhone 5, the event is important itself because this will probably be our first look at Tim Cook, Apple's new CEO IF he presents the iPhone 5. Cook has alot to live upto following a charismatic leader such as Steve Jobs and the quality of the presentation could make or break the community's opinion of him. Hopefully Tim Cook can live upto Steve, both off stage an on stage and ensure Apple's success is not hindered by the leadership change.


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Microsoft is rolling out a new sharing feature for OneDrive on the web, which makes it easier to share files with groups of people. The capability is also coming to Office apps in mid-2021.
Family sharing RSS
Google announces Google One, the upgraded cloud storage service plans that offer cheaper tiers, family sharing of up to five members and one-tap access to experts for help with products and services.
In response to a recent online petition, Microsoft's Xbox One chief product officer Marc Whitten said that the company could bring back some of its previously announced digital game sharing features.
Another alleged Microsoft employee has commented on the Family Sharing plan, as well as the company's plans to integrate their own social media platform into the Xbox One. Is this fact or fiction?


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For McDonald’s, the old adage that breakfast is the most important meal of the day is indisputably true. Breakfast is gold for the Golden Arches. The fast food giant is by far the industry winner at morning mealtime, capturing some 18% of total restaurant sales, according to industry tracker Technomic. Starbucks is a distant second with 10%.
Now McDonald’s is looking to bring some of that morning magic to the rest of the day to try to lift the company out of its worst slump since the early 2000s. It starts tomorrow when a limited breakfast menu becomes available all day. “Some people say it’s desperation,” says Edward Jones analyst Jack Russo. “But they are a little bit desperate.”
CEO Steve Easterbrook, on the job since March, needs this to be a win to help reverse slumping sales. But will it be a slam dunk for McDonald’s? It’s complicated.
McDonald’s knows breakfast. In response to floundering sales, McDonald’s has been trying a little bit of everything—a more regionalized approach to the menu, a build-your-own-burger kiosk. With all-day breakfast, the company is taking a novel approach: extending something it’s already good at rather than trying something outside its wheelhouse. “It’s better than the continual introduction of new menu items and limited-time offers that were confusing customers and messing up operations,” says Richard Adams, who runs a consulting firm for franchisees.
Larry Light, a consultant who was the company’s global chief marketing officer until 2005, says McDonald’s has been guilty of “falling in love with the customer they don’t have and taking their current customer for granted.” All-day breakfast may be the biggest thing they’ve done so far that is targeted toward its current base.
The price is right. McDonald’s uses a barbell approach to pricing, with Dollar Menu-type items on one end of the spectrum and premium items like its McWrap on the other. Over time, the weights on either side of the barbell have moved further and further apart, making it harder for consumers to trade up to more expensive products. Breakfast menu items may act as that needed stepping stone to higher-priced goods. Those Egg McMuffins and hotcakes are perceived as good values by customers and have good margins for McDonald’s. “I think they’re also hoping it brings in millennials because they’re losing connection with that part of the population,” Russo says.
We eat all the time. Our food culture has evolved into what Light calls a “blurring of eating occasions.” Rather than eat three separate meals with very different attributes, we now eat smaller meals throughout the day. That change led McDonald’s to first extend its hours and go to 24 hours a day, while also adding snacking items like Snack Wraps. “All-day breakfast is a natural evolution of that phenomenon,” Light says.
Scarcity sells. Breakfast may give McDonald’s a lift to its same-store sales but it does so at the risk of its commanding lead in breakfast, says industry analyst Aaron Allen. When you erase scarcity, you might capture some pent-up demand, but it erodes some of the allure. “In the short term they’ll get a spike,” says Allen, “but the specialness wears off.”
Is this just a distraction? All-day breakfast is creating buzz for the company, but it doesn’t solve—and may even worsen—one of its underlying problems: McDonald’s menu has ballooned in recent years, which slows down how quickly you receive your food. “They finally started simplifying the menu, but the question is did they simplify enough so you can dump a whole other menu on top of lunch and dinner,” Adams says.
“It adds complexity at a time when the company already said they wanted to rationalize the menu and streamline, particularly for the drive-through,” says UBS analyst Dave Palmer. “To some degree they’re going in the wrong direction.”
Light said the company researched all-day breakfast in 2004 during the company’s last low period but decided to tackle other problems first. “When you revitalize your business, you have to focus on stabilizing and growing the core business. Otherwise you’re living in a leaky bucket with holes in the bottom.”
Unclear expectations. McDonald’s is marketing this as “all-day breakfast” but Light said they should be calling it “limited menu all-day breakfast.” The complete breakfast menu won’t be available. Locations will choose between English-muffin or biscuit-based products. They won’t have both. “Don’t over-promise and under-deliver,” he says.
The initial lift may not last. According to reports, McDonald’s has said that all-day breakfast could help increase sales 2.5% a year, increase guest counts by 2.3%, and add $31,000 in profits to every restaurant. But some are skeptical that the excitement will translate into enduring positive results. “Not all curiosity seekers will come back, and not all repeaters will repeat regularly,” Light says. Adams believes we really won’t know the long-term effect until next spring.


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According to Virtual Reality Brand Power Index released this morning by YouVisit,Â 75 percent of the Forbes Worldâ€™s Most Valuable Brands have created some form of virtual or augmented reality experience for customers or employees, or are themselves innovating and developing these technologies.
The tech sector is in the lead in adopting virtual reality technology, but automotive is also notable in being an early mover,Â Endri Tolka, COO and co-founder of YouVisit, told Hypergrid Business.
“Brands like BMW, Audi, Porsche, KIA, Volkswagen, Lexus, Chevrolet, and Honda have all incorporated virtual realityÂ and augmented realityÂ experiences into their marketing strategy,” he said.
Examples include mobile applications where potential buyers canÂ check out the latest model from Mercedes-Benz or test drive Audiâ€™s fastest car, he said.
“Itâ€™s clear that the automotive industry is really starting to see the value in virtual reality,” he added. “The technology is allowing automotive companies to better connect with their customers and allowing them to get in cars without actually making the purchase.”
The financial sector, known for its conservative approach to new technology, lags the furthest behind in making use of virtual reality, he said. Though even here some brands are taking steps, including RBC, HSBC and Wells Fargo.
“Itâ€™s only a matter of time until the others follow suit, whether on their own or in partnership with another brand,” Tolka said. “For example, HSBC created a virtual realityÂ experience allowing fans of the Australian National Rugby team to ‘become a Wallaby.'”
What’s more surprising, he added, is that the fashion industry is one of the slower adopters.
“Youâ€™d think that the fashion industry would be early adopters of this technology as both are completely focused on the visual,” he said. “However, fashion is only just starting to get a taste of what virtual reality means for the industry. In our findings, the only major fashion brand to invest in the technology was Prada, which created a virtual realityÂ experience for its Fashion Week show back in 2013.”
Another recent use of virtual reality technology by a fashion brand was Tommy Hilfiger’s virtual runway. However,Â Tommy Hilfiger is not included on the Forbes most valuable brands list.
“From our understanding of what the virtual reality industry has accomplished and the direction we see it going, retail and fashion seem to be the next frontier for this technology,” said Tolka. “Especially as e-commerce becomes more complex, we see virtual reality becoming a tool for retail brands to showcase their products and allow customers to make purchases.”
Why go virtual?
According to a separate recent study by YouVisit, 11 percent of the online adult population or about 23 million people, have already tried virtual reality,Â even before the major brands, like Oculus Rift, Playstation VR, and the HTC Vive have hit the consumer market.
A further 30 percent of online Americans aged 18 and up express a desire to try the technology, indicating a receptive market for the forthcoming wave of headset innovation and virtual reality content development.
Google recently announced that 15 million users have downloaded its Google Cardboard app, which is used to calibrate Cardboard-compatible virtual reality headsets.
“While we are excited for the upcoming launches of major headsets and think the true virtual realityÂ experience rests in these state-of-the-art devices, weâ€™re firm believers that mobile-based headsets like Google Cardboard will be a huge driver in adoption of virtual realityÂ across industries,” said Tolka.
In fact, YouVisit itself has apps designed to run on mobile-based, Cardboard-compatible headsets. The company has about 250 Android apps available on Google Play, including many college campus tours, as well as its flagship YouVisit VR app, which features a variety of virtual tourism destinations. The company also has around 360 apps for iOS devices on the iTunes store, in addition to its flagship YouVisit VR app. The company also has apps for the Samsung Gear VR headset.
“Inexpensive headsets really lower the barriers consumers face to accessibility and adoption of virtual reality,” said Tolka. “Itâ€™s been said that Google Cardboard is the ‘gateway drug’ to virtual realityÂ and we definitely align with this kind of thinking.”
YouVisit’s Virtual Reality Brand Power Index
|Brand||Forbes Rank||Interbrand Rank||VR/AR Sample Activity|
|Apple||1||1||Apple won a patent for a VR headset and has posted job listings for VR and AR software programmers|
|Microsoft||2||5||Microsoft has created HoloLens, an augmented reality headset.|
|3||2||Google created Google Cardboard, an inexpensive viewer that turns a mobile phone into a VR experience.|
|Coca-Cola||4||3||Coca-Cola created a VR experience for the 2014 World Cup.|
|IBM||5||4||IBM has obtained patents on virtual universes and augmented realities, intended to make virtual interactions useful for businesses.|
|McDonald’s||6||9||McDonald’s sold French fry boxes that allowed customers to play an augmented reality app.|
|Samsung||7||7||Samsung created Samsung Gear VR headset.|
|Toyota||8||8||Toyota implemented distracted driver simulation in VR at the New York International Auto Show.|
|General Electric||9||6||GE shared VR videos on social media, giving a behind-the-scenes look at how its products are made.|
|10||29||Facebook acquired Oculus in 2014.|
|Disney||11||13||Disney invested in Jaunt VR.|
|AT&T||12||N/A||AT&T created the “It Can Wait” campaign in VR to simulate the consequences of distracted driving.|
|Amazon.com||13||15||Amazon obtained patents for an AR headset.|
|Cisco||15||14||Cisco’s StyleMe mirror allowed customers at John Lewis to virtually try on clothes.|
|BMW||16||11||BMW is working to develop VR goggles to help drivers park by helping them see through the car.|
|NIKE||18||22||Nike created a VR video of soccer player Neymar Jr scoring a goal.|
|Intel||19||12||Intel created a VR camera.|
|Wal-Mart||20||N/A||Wal-Mart obtained a patent for virtual reality shopping system|
|Verizon||21||N/A||Verizon created a NFL VR experience.|
|American Express||22||23||American Express created a VR experience in which you can play tennis against Maria Sharapova.|
|Honda||23||20||Honda created a “Dream Drive” VR simulation.|
|Mercedes-Benz||24||10||Mercedes-Benz created a VR app to be used with Google Cardboard, allowing users to view specific car models.|
|Budweiser||25||34||Budweiser created a VR experience for the 2014 World Cup, allowing users to score goals on the field.|
|SAP||28||25||SAP created a VR conferencing event.|
|Pepsi||29||24||Pepsi implemented a VR ad campaign at bus stops in London.|
|Visa||30||69||Visa created a VR retail experience at the Toronto International Film Festival.|
|Nescafe||31||38||Nescafe created a VR experience with Google showing users where their coffee comes from.|
|ESPN||32||N/A||ESPN is looking to hire a gaming editor, as well as an engineer specializing in VR and AR.|
|H&M||33||21||H&M had a VR tent at Coachella allowing users to take 360-degree selfies and try out Oculus Rift.|
|L’Oreal||34||43||L’Oreal created a VR makeup mirror app.|
|Hewlett-Packard||35||17||Hewlett-Packard developed computer monitors with VR display.|
|HSBC||36||33||HSBC created a VR experience allowing fans of the Australian National Rugby team to “become a Wallaby.”|
|Home Depot||37||N/A||Home Depot’s Technology Center at Georgia Tech focuses on innovations like VR, 3D printing and 3D scanning.|
|Frito-Lay||38||N/A||Frito-Lay gave away Google Cardboard headsets.|
|Audi||39||45||Audi created a VR test drive.|
|UPS||40||27||UPS implemented VR experiences into training.|
|Ford||41||39||Ford used Autodesk software for VR simulation to test products.|
|Nestle||43||54||Nestle created virtual shopping centers.|
|Accenture||44||44||Accenture created WeShopAR app.|
|IKEA||45||26||IKEA’s AR catalog shows what furniture will look like in a room.|
|Siemens||46||49||Siemens is working to develop virtual systems.|
|Wells Fargo||47||N/A||Wells Fargo created a virtual maze game using oculus technology.|
|Fox||48||N/A||Fox is teaming up with Oculus to create VR movies.|
|Ebay||50||28||Ebay’s pop up innovation lab and ebay fashion app both incorporate VR.|
|Starbucks||52||76||Starbucks created an augmented reality app for holiday cups.|
|Danone||54||51||Danone created an augmented reality game.|
|Caterpillar||57||61||Caterpillar uses VR to train staff.|
|Kellogg’s||59||32||Select boxes of Kellogg’s New Zealand Nutri-Grain cereal contained VR goggles.|
|Chevrolet||62||82||Chevrolet created an off-road VR experience “CoDriver” for its Chevy Colorado truck.|
|Hyundai||64||40||Hyundai displayed Avatar Drive at its IDEA Festival.|
|Lexus||66||N/A||Lexus is using VR technology for virtual test drives.|
|Volkswagen||67||31||Volkswagen created the GTI Roadster downloadable in Gran Turismo.|
|John Deere||70||79||John Deere created a VR intro to its new tractor.|
|Bank of America||72||N/A|
|Canon||73||37||Canon created its own VR headset.|
|Prada||74||70||Prada used VR at its Fashion Week show.|
|Nissan||75||56||Samsung created a “Gear Indie Channel” including an experience in a Nissan GT-R.|
|Red Bull||76||N/A||Red Bull created a 350-degree VR experience of the Red Bull Air Race.|
|Philips||77||42||Philips launched an AR app allowing customers to see how a new TV would look in a specific room in their house.|
|Porsche||78||60||Porsche worked with Odyssey installation to create an immersive brand environment.|
|Sony||79||52||Sony created the PlayStation’s Project Morpheus.|
|FedEx||80||92||FedEx created a state-of-the-art virtual reality flight simulator for training.|
|Boeing||82||N/A||Boeing used VR as a marketing tool at the Paris Air Show, handing out Google Cardboard.|
|Adidas||83||59||Adidas implemented NEO concept stores in Europe allowing customers to virtually try on clothes.|
|Subway||84||N/A||Subway created a store simulation game competition.|
|Chanel||85||N/A||Chanel’s Virtual Book is a catalogue in VR.|
|RBC||86||N/A||RBC created an AR app to locate nearby ATMs|
|Heineken||90||95||Heineken had a virtual wall at the Ultra Music Festival.|
|Exxon Mobil||91||N/A||Exxon Mobile created a VR experience to be used with Google Cardboard.|
|Target||92||N/A||Target created uStyler room makeover tool to create a virtual room.|
|Panasonic||93||64||Panasonic demonstrated its virtual realityÂ “Future Mirror.”|
|LEGO||95||N/A||LEGO has created games with VR content.|
|Lancome||96||N/A||Lancome is featured in FaceCake Marketing Technologies’ augmented reality mobile app.|
|KIA Motors||97||74||KIA created K900 virtual experience.|
|Sprite||98||72||Sprite’s Slam Dunk contest was recorded in VR.|
|MTV||99||80||MTV livestreamed the red carpet of its “Video Music Awards.”|
- Eleventh Annual OpenSimulator Community Conference set for December - October 5, 2023
- NFT crash wipes out nearly all collections, and the metaverse won’t save them - September 23, 2023
- Army orders more AR goggles post-pukegate - September 16, 2023


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Mobile Comics - All trend and innovation for Indian readers
By Renjith VP, SiliconIndia | Friday, 31 December 2010, 01:09 Hrs | 1 Comments
In a venture to cater to the needs of all bookworms and comic lovers who have now shifted into technology and the products and services it offers, Comics are now available in a two-inch screen without losing any of its old punch or enthusiasm. "Momics" are not a new idea as it had been around the corner in the West, but now, at last, they may capture your interest. There's no particular age for reading comics. We all love them and have our own favorite comic book characters. Even though we might not be able to dedicate much time to them, given the chance we would love to. Though many did scoff at the idea in the beginning there's been a revival of interest in momics of late.
Leading the charge is Sandeep Goyal, chairman of Moge Digital, who strongly believes that momics will find many takers in India, Goyal, whose company has a joint venture with Astro Malaysia believes that if the content is good, medium is not a big deal. Along with a team of over 300 professionals who create the content and graphics, Moge has already developed over 20 titles including daily comic strips and monthly titles, cutting across genres to catch the fancy of readers and mobile users of every kind. Analysts say that though the initiative is novel and commendable, the content has a long way to go in terms of writing or graphics. Still it definitely sounds a fad of the future.
With Apple's new iPad devices being the buzz, the comics' community has been ablaze with debate over whether or not the full-color e-reading computer will open up new avenues for sales and readership or whether the iPad is only a small step in the broader push to bring traditional comics to computers. It was the Bharati Airtel that introduced the first live mobile comic portal in India .Its charges are if the customer pay 10 a week he can enjoy 10 comics. Idea is also offering these comic portals and it had tie up with Moge digital and Amar film story media. Even Aircel is also giving the Momics value added services with Moge digitals. Tata Docomo also started 'Comics on the Go' service portal. Even Vodafone is trying its level best to stand in this line.
The new 'comic' idea is finding big time receivers in South India with characters like 'Chotta Bheem', 'Chotta Hanuman' and comic book developers are also gung ho about this newfound interest in Indian culture when it comes to mobile comics. Gaman, an illustrator and comic book developer based in Chennai is actually reading through Japanese books like the Art of War in order to research for his future projects. He is also planning to incorporate elements of Japanese war strategies in Indian mythological tales in order to give the story an extra edge. So let's wait for our hot new Momic issue soon.
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According to J.P. Morgan's Mark Moskowitz and John DiFucci in a research note (via Barrons), the rate of IT spending growth is expected to decline to 0.6 percent from the previously expected 1.2 percent, and a year-over-year decline from 1.8 percent.
It all boils down to PCs and the poor state of affairs in the computing market.
PCs are in free-fall. IDC pegged the decline at 14 percent, while Gartner was a little more conservative with just over 11 percent. Meanwhile, tablets are up 142 percent — partly offsetting the declines in the PC market but also because the tablet space is still expanding.
Server and storage sales are also expected to slide, likely due to the uptick in outsourced cloud computing services and virtualization adoption. The analysts have lowered their forecasts, citing feedback from the supply chain.
Moskowitz and DiFucci added:
Meanwhile, our research indicates that server and storage spending are sluggish, due in part to server virtualization adoption having peaked. We first made this call in late 2012 related to the potential ill-effects of server virtualization reaching a critical inflection point and becoming more of a crosscurrent or headwind.
But there's a bright side. In 2014, IT spending is expected to beat projected gross domestic product (GDP) figures and rocket to 3.6 percent, a 500 percent increase on year-over-year.
According to the analysts, they believe PC units will decline by 8.3 percent in 2013, a revised figure from the 1.8 percent decline previously stated. In terms of monetary value, PC sales will fall by 11 percent to $192 billion, while tablet sales will rocket by 37 percent to $84 billion.
It's possible by 2014, should the trend continue, rising tablet shipments could be on a par with declining PC shipments.
Here's what we see for calendar year 2013 (on the right) and 2014 (on the left):
While PCs and servers are taking the greatest hit during 2013, enterprise networking and storage are taking the highest gains outside of the tablet space. But in the following year, PCs will slow in its decline but printing and servers will see increased losses in growth. Tablets will also slow thanks to the exponential maturation of the market.
Name dropping, J.P. Morgan's "top picks in IT hardware" included Apple and NetApp, thanks to "company-specific catalysts to navigate sluggish IT spending conditions." The analysts also note IBM could be a "potential dark force," which could benefit the company over the long term should the analysts' be spot-on with their forecasts.
But storage component makers, such as Brocade and QLogic, could face "secular and company-specific headwinds," with the latter facing the potential for less certain revenue growth profiles.


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Doç. Dr. Soner Esmer / Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi, Denizcilik Fakültesi, Lojistik Yönetimi Bölümü
Etiketler: one belt one road
DHL manages new route with supply chain partner China Brilliant, providing both LCL and FCL service to DHL customers DHL Global Forwarding, the leading international provider of air, sea and road freight services, today launched the first regular service connecting Shenzhen to Minsk, Belarus via rail in less than 12 days. The new route covers new overland connections to several major cities along China’s “Belt and Road” and is the latest route in the DHL Asia-Europe-Asia multimodal network.
Turgut Erkeskin – FIATA Senior Vice President


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17 December 2019
The biosimilars market size is one that’s in constant flux, as new regulations, trade agreements, scientific discoveries, and other factors affect the marketplace on a daily basis. This can make it difficult for business owners and drug manufacturers to predict major market changes and make long-term decisions. That’s why being armed with expert insight can be of great help.
For decades, the experts from Visiongain have been compiling all the latest biosimilar market data into their yearly reports with forecasts and analysis. They’ve shared some of that insight with you below. Here are some of today’s newest and most exciting opportunities for stakeholders in the biosimilars market.
Turkey Prepares to Export Biosimilars in the Coming Years
One big change in the biosimilars market size in the years ahead will be that Turkey has begun preparing to export drugs to the UK over the next two years. Recently, Iranian biosimilars maker CinnaGen Pharmaceuticals opened a new plant in Çerkezköy, Turkey, to produce rare drugs that will reportedly save Turkey $150 million on imports the first year it’s opened. In addition to being able to export drugs to Europe after only two years, CinnaGen Pharmaceuticals representatives also stated the company has signed agreements with several countries, including Qatar, Ecuador, and Algeria.
Korean Biologics firm Receives Approval for Monoclonal Antibody Substance
Samsung BioLogics, one of South Korea’s leading biologics manufacturers, recently received a thumbs up from the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to continue producing a monoclonal antibody (mAb), the first product produced at one of three new plants it recently built. To date, the FDA and Europe have already approved the company to produce two finished products, this will be its third. Since expanding to the biosimilars market from the chemical manufacturing fields, Samsung BioLogics has become one of the fastest-growing biosimilars companies in the world.
China Biotech Company Makes Huge Progress in Treating Multiple Myeloma
Another big change that will affect the biosimilar market size in the years ahead is the recent development of multiple myeloma treatments. Chinese firm I-Mab Biopharma recently got the green light to expand its ongoing Phase II and III clinical trials for its drug TJ202/MOR202l, which is a monoclonal antibody.
Let Visiongain help you excel in the biosimilars market
For more in-depth information and analysis of the biosimilars market, contact the team from Visiongain today by visiting us online or calling +44 (0) 20 7549 9987. In addition to our biosimilar market size reports, we offer in-depth analysis for more than 18 industry verticals, with over 1,500 reports available.
The market is forecasted for the next ten years based on market growth within each segment of the blood plasma products. The report study aims to explore the market drivers, restraints and also market opportunities facing blood plasma product stakeholders in different geographic areas.
26 November 2020
Molecular diagnostics are rapidly transforming drug development and patient selection: trials with biomarkers have higher success rates than those without, and combining patients with a proven biomarker allows efficient trials to be conducted in rare cancers.
26 November 2020
Growing demand for cost-effective drugs; rising prevalence of chronic diseases; mounting investment in drug R&D by biopharmaceutical companies; new product launches and rising acceptance of biosimilars in North America region are some of the major factors that propel the biosimilars market growth.
25 November 2020
Currently, the ATMP market is at a nascent stage and is expected to flourish during near future owing to increasing research and development activities and rising use of ATMP therapy products in treatment areas with low or no alternative treatment options support the market growth


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Redmi 12C Launch Price in India: Redmi is going to launch its new smartphone Redmi 12C in India on March 30, 2023 at 12 noon. This smartphone is going to knock in less than 10 thousand rupees. This upcoming phone will be equipped with Dhansu features, it will get to see a large 6.7-inch display with a powerful battery of 5000mAh.
Redmi 12C Will get 6.7 inch display
Its poster released on the shopping platform Amazon shows that the display size of this upcoming smartphone will be 6.7 inches.
Redmi 12C Battery and Ram
The company has also planned to provide a powerful battery in this smartphone. It will get a battery with 5,000mAh capacity. The phone will get support of 5GB of virtual RAM, which increases the total RAM to 11GB. This also suggests that the company will launch the smartphone with 6GB of RAM.
Redmi 12C Camera
The company has confirmed the dual cameras for photography in this smartphone. It includes a 50MP primary camera and an AI camera. Overall, users can also do better photography with this phone.
Redmi 12C Processor
This upcoming Teeno 12C smartphone will be equipped with MediaTek Helio G85 processor.
Q. 1 – What is Deeni 12C Price?
The company has not given information about the exact price of this Redmi 12C. But the released poster shows that it will be available in the market for less than Rs 10,000.


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Disney yesterday announced the launch dates of Disney+ in Canada, the Netherlands, U.S., Australia, and New Zealand. The first countries to receive Disney+ are Canada, Netherlands and the US, on November 12. Australia and New Zealand will receive access on November 19.
Disney+ include Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic content, which will be available in mobile and connected TV devices at launch. The streaming platforms are Apple (iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Apple TV; customers can subscribe to Disney+ via in-app purchase), Google (Android phones, Android TV devices, Google Chromecast and Chromecast built-in devices), Microsoft (Xbox One), Sony / Sony Interactive Entertainment (all Android based Sony TVs and PlayStation®4), and Roku (Roku® streaming players and Roku TV™ models)
Disney+ cost is $8.99CAD per month (or $89.99 per year) in Canada, €6.99 per month (or €69.99 per year) in the Netherlands, $8.99AUD per month (or $89.99 per year) and $9.99NZD per month in Canada and New Zealand. The US will have a bundled offering of Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $12.99USD. According to Disney, the Disney+ will cost $6.99 a month in the US, when not bundled.


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Issue 1 2024 of Strategic Marketing for Africa, the magazine for deep-thinking industry professionals, provides in-depth insights.
Publicis Groupe announces new COO appointment to its EMEA team
By our News Team | 2023
Demet Ikiler, described as ‘one of the most progressive leaders of the industry’, moves after two decades with rival group WPP.
Publicis Groupe, the French-based multinational advertising and public relations company, has announced a senior executive appointment to its Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) team.
Demet Ikiler is the new Chief Operating Officer of Publicis EMEA, in a bid to bring what the company says is a new dynamic of leadership to the region.
Photo credit: Publicis Groupe
She joins after spending more than 20 years at rival company WPP, where she was a member of GroupM’s global leadership team as CEO of GroupM EMEA and WPP Country chair, responsible for “scaling and delivering more innovative cross-culture solutions for clients”.
UK-based WPP owns the likes of GroupM, Ogilvy, Wunderman Thompson, VMLY&R, and Grey Group.
A graduate of Istanbul University, Ikiler is described in her LinkedIn profile as “a powerhouse of the Turkish communications scene collaborating with leading local and global brands”.
Powerful female CEO with many accolades
“Considered the undisputed doyenne of the sector, Demet has been listed in the top 10 most powerful female CEOs in Turkey for the last five years, amongst numerous other similar accolades,” the profile says.
Reporting to Publicis CEO EMEA, Loris Nold, Ikiler will focus on creating a joined-up and collaborative EMEA region, ‘strengthening connectivity and scaling expertise’ and capabilities for clients and opportunities for talent.
“It gives me great pleasure to welcome such an outstanding leader and inspiring person as Demet to the Publicis family,” Nold said.
“I have been hoping to partner with her for years and cannot envisage a better way to take on our greater ambition for the EMEA region.
“She brings the unique combination of a proven track record in leading clients and operations at scale, as one of the most progressive leaders of the industry, with a thorough understanding of the EMEA ecosystem as well as a passion for equality, diversity and inclusion.”
Publicis Groupe Africa operates from Johannesburg and is also a stakeholder in upwards of 60 agencies across the African continent.
Company worked with Interbrand to evolve its brand identity and build a more consistent design experience.
Two professionals complete the groundbreaking and rigorous process to achieve Certificate of Chartered Marketer (Africa) Status.
New campaign unveiled this month aims to convey the brand’s ‘unique connection with speed’ ahead of Olympics and Euro 2024.
NH Collection concludes agreement with local partner to open hotel property in Sandton in July. Other openings in Africa will follow.
Trust in government to innovate is below 50%, while a third of Kenyans don’t trust the media. Business fares better, at 70% trust.
Telecommunications competitor Vodacom is second, but closing the gap, helped by Vodafone association. Standard Bank ranks third.
Brands that recognise indigenous African beauty practices, and utilise natural ingredients and techniques, have an advantage.
The once-simple world of “Google it” is morphing into something far more complex, but potentially rewarding, for Africa’s marketers.
Study examines long-term impact of the method, which capitalises on psychology and prompts to encourage consumers to make a purchase.
Bralirwa says it is developing the Rwandan beer market for sustainable growth and investing in digital technology and innovation.


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One Piece remains one of the biggest media franchises on the planet, and Bandai Namco is making another attempt to turn the popular manga and anime into a modern video game with the RPG One Piece Odyssey.
Odyssey will include an original story written by One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda, along with several characters and creatures created specifically for the game. This is not the first time he has worked on a game or other media release for the series. Motoi Sakuraba, of Tales and Dark Souls fame, is also composing the game’s soundtrack.
According to Bandai, this game has been in development for several years as an RPG focusing on unique elements of adventure that will allow fans to “truly touch the world of One Piece.” Oda himself added that he feels like he designed the characters and creatures more than three years ago.
The developers at ILCA most recently worked on Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl but were previously best known as a support studio on several games like Yakuza 0, Dragon Quest XI, NieR: Automata, and Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4.
Along with a heavy emphasis on the game being an RPG, Bandai is saying the game will approach “quests and dungeons all with an authentic One Piece twist.”
The story itself is centered around the Straw Hat pirates being swallowed by a huge storm and washing up on a mysterious island separated from each other. Players will scout out the nature-filled location as Monkey D. Luffy and work to reunite the crew, who are all playable during the adventure.
Reactions to the announcement have been mixed, as the last several attempts from Bandai and its chosen developers to create console-level One Piece videogames have been met with mixed responses. This includes the series’ most recent non-Koei Tecmo-developed release in 2019, One Piece: World Seeker.


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Apple creates hearing aids for iPhones, iPads
November 5, 2016
Apple has created special hearing aids for iPhones and iPads. These could lead to greater ease in using for hearing-impaired users of Apple devices.
The advanced hearing aids provide better sound quality and are easy to set up and use.
Apple has been working to make its devices more accessible to the deaf since 2013 with the launch of iOS 7, which also introduced the Made for iPhone hearing aid program.
Read more on Newz Hook
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Want to feature your inspiring story or share an event with the disabled community? Write to:
Newz Hook - Accessible News


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Although new IPs and highly-anticipated sequels stole the show at E3, many fans went nuts over the idea of backward compatibility for Xbox 360 games on the Xbox One. The new console feature will allow Xbox One owners to revisit over 100 classic Xbox 360 games and Xbox Preview Program members have been providing feedback on the new tool since it was announced at E3 earlier this summer. Microsoft promised that the backward compatibility would arrive for everyone else before 2016 and now we have a better idea of exactly when that will be.
Nostalgic fans have spent the last few months upvoting Xbox 360 games that they want to see made backward compatible, but Microsoft has been pretty quiet about the tool since its announcement. It turns out that the company was saving its news for Gamescom 2015, where it revealed that the backward compatibility tool will launch for free in November for all Xbox One users with support of over 100 games.
Up until now, the service has only been available to select testers from the Xbox Preview Program. This fall, the rest of the Xbox One community will dive into the previous gen and start revisiting some of the most iconic games from the 360 era. Get ready to replay everything from Mass Effect to Super Meat Boy (hopefully).
In addition to the exciting news of the fall launch, Microsoft also explained that future Xbox Games with Gold titles will be chosen with the backward compatibility in mind. This means that Xbox One users may be able to get multiple games for free every month if they don’t already own the Xbox One and Xbox 360 free titles.
Launching this feature before the holiday seems like a big win for Microsoft. Although playing old games might not be the most exciting feature for all gamers, it could be the final push for shoppers who have been holding out on making the transition. This feature combined with a fairly strong fall lineup of games could give the Xbox One the edge it needs to move a large number of consoles during the shopping season.
What do you think of the backward compatibility support? Is it a major selling point for you? What games do you hope are supported at launch? Let us know in the comments.
Xbox One backward compatibility support will be available sometime in November 2015. The full list of supported games has not been confirmed yet.


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07:22 27th Nov, 2019
Honor Steps Into 5G Territory with View30 Series
The Huawei Group launched its first dual-mode 5G smartphones in China with no specific reference of bringing it into India, given that the country is still some way away from shifting from 4G
While 5G networks are still being rolled out in various parts of the world, smartphone manufacturers are working overtime to get the hardware ready for what promises to usher in a major change in the way we communicate. Of course, one may argue that the industry is putting the cart before the horse, but why not? Early birds such as Huawei Group of China may just be hoping to catch the early adapters.
The latest to join the 5G bandwagon is Chinese brand Honor which unveiled their new View30 Series, described as their first dual-mode device. The Honor View30 and the View 30 PRO have been branded as the company’s first suite of handsets equipped with the Kirin 990 chipset that supports a dual-mode 5G all-access network. Of course, the phones will be only available in China initially, given that they do have access to 5G telephony.
Okay, so what’s the big fuss about the dual-mode? There are essentially two types of 5G – the non-standalone (NSA) and the standalone (SA) that communication service providers can opt for while transitioning from 4G to the next generation mobile technology. The first rollout of 5G networks are NSA that focus on enhanced mobile broadband to provide higher data bandwidth and reliable connectivity.
Under the NSA scheme of things, the 5G networks would be aided by existing 4G infrastructure which is why service providers who go after the early adapters want to be the first ones to offer 5G speeds, which once things stabilize and coverage broadens gets converted to the SG mode. With the Honor View30 Series, Honor is hoping to catch the attention of these very early adapters. (Know more about the NSA and SA modes)
In a statement, President of Honor George Zhao reiterated the company’s commitment to empower individuals for leading a more connected and intelligent life in the 5G enabled world and said, “A 5G-enabled smartphone will change how we live, work and play and paves the way for boundless opportunities in the Internet of Things. Boasting the latest Kirin 990 processor series and the world’s first Aurora nanotexture design, the HONOR View30 Series is our most innovative and compelling smartphone to-date which we believe will bring spectacular impacts to the daily lives of people around the world.”
It will also be equipped with 5G/4G dual-mode, which addresses the needs of dual-SIM users in the 5G era while maintaining compatibility with other various network standards such as 4G, 3G and 2G. Armed with the latest Kirin 990 Series chipset, the Honor View30 and View30 PRO would enable a multitude of 5G applications in smart homes, travel and gaming.
The cameras: While the PRO is embellished with a super-sensing triple camera layout comprising a 40-megapixel Sony IMX600 main camera, a 12-megapixel super wide-angle camera with cine lens and an 8MP telephoto camera, the View30’s wide angle camera has 8 megapixels. The cine-camera is supported with a four-in-one light fusion from an RGGB sensor and a 109-degree super wide-angle lens, with a 16:9 sensor to create movie-grade videos and images. It also boasts of a dual-lens front camera with a 32MP AI selfie camera and an 8MP wide angle selfie camera.
For Gamers: The View30 and the PRO versions are equipped with GPU Turbo and Kirin Gaming+ 2.0 with the company claiming that it produces top-notch gaming experience. Both smartphones support Honor Supercharge that enables gaming enthusiasts to power-up their devices in a considerably shorter time of up to 52% in 30 minutes. The PRO edition supports super wireless charge as well.
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- Noise announces its new Qualcomm Powered Bluetooth Neckband


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| Jan 29, 2014
| 8:51 AM
The newly merged Chrysler and Fiat auto companies reported profitable fourth quarters Wednesday and announced a series of transactions that will combine control of the carmakers into a Netherlands-based holding company.
The creation of Fiat Chrysler...
| Feb 3, 2014
| 11:39 AM
Where was the Denver Broncos’ vaunted offense? Why was our former governor Ah-nold wearing a women’s wig in a Budweiser commercial? What the heck is a Maserati Ghibli or Kia K900?
The 2014 Super Bowl matchup between Peyton Manning’s...
| Feb 3, 2014
| 4:32 PM
As automakers report their total January sales today, many point to the polar temperatures seen in much of the country as a reason for subpar results. While the totals may be down, there were still plenty of cars selling quickly......
| Feb 6, 2014
| 4:32 AM
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will show off a new trim level for the venerable Dodge Journey crossover at the 2014 Chicago Auto Show. The new 2014 Journey Crossroad is an appearance package that slots between the SXT and Limited trim levels......
| Feb 4, 2014
| 11:06 AM
Attention electric vehicles: 2014 will be good to you.
That’s the prediction from IHS Automotive, which said Tuesday it expects global production of EVs and plug-in hybrid EVs (PHEVs) to rise 67% this year. That compares with just a 3.6%...
| Feb 7, 2014
| 7:44 AM
Consider the original Jeep Cherokee a founding member of the compact SUV club.
It defined a simple formula: Spartan, boxy, rugged. Jeep started selling the Cherokee in 1984 and discontinued it for the U.S. market in 2001. It joined the Chevy Blazer...
| Nov 29, 2013
| 4:23 PM
A little more than two years ago, while considering whether to buy a 2012 Fiat 500, I told the sales rep I'd owned two Fiats in the 1970s, and they were a blast to drive, but utterly unreliable. (The Italian automaker withdrew from the U.S. market in...
| Feb 8, 2014
| 12:45 PM
The formula for success at an auto show is the same as at the new-car dealership: Pack a room with a variety of new products loaded with creature comforts, plus the latest and greatest electronic gadgets that operate at the touch of a button or the...
| Nov 27, 2013
| 12:29 PM
Car shopping for Black Friday?
If you want up to $10,000 off the sticker price of a new car, you might want to start shopping for a plug-in vehicle now.
Federal and state incentives for plug-in cars are one of the best values on the market. And some...
| Nov 29, 2013
| 12:00 PM
Kor Ecologic Inc. founder Jim Kor has been described as a shaggy introvert and hermit.
Yet this engineer is out to change the world with the Urbee, a unique hybrid vehicle that dares to be plastic, can zip across the country on 10 gallons of fuel and...
| Nov 13, 2013
| 8:19 AM
It was only a matter of time before Volkswagen connected to the plug-in car industry.
The 2015 e-Golf, the first all-electric option in VW’s diverse American fleet, is expected to go on sale in late 2014.
The e-Golf will have a 115-horsepower...


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The Swedish maker of electric cars Polestar is considering an IPO. The sister company of car brand Volvo could be worth 10 billion dollars, about 8.5 billion euros, say insiders at Bloomberg News Agency. Apart from the plans for a possible IPO, Polestar is also considering a new round of investment after the company raised $ 500 million from investors last year.
Polestar, which with the Polestar 2 has a competitor for the Tesla Model 3, does not yet know exactly how it wants to go public. An IPO in the United States or Hong Kong is being considered, but also the possibility of merging with a SPAC (Special Purpose Acquisition Company), an empty shell where investors have invested money with the aim of acquiring a company.
A possible IPO of Volvo Cars was also discussed earlier. Volvo and Polestar are both owned by the Chinese company Geely.


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A rare cask of single malt whisky has been sold for an eye-watering £16 million, setting a new record.
The barrel, called Cask number 3, was produced by Ardbeg distillery on Islay in 1975. It has been snapped up by a private buyer in Asia, beating the previous cask record, set earlier this year, by £1 million.
The cask sold for more than double what the owners, Glenmorangie Co, a subsidiary of LVMH luxury group, paid for the Ardbeg distillery itself in 1997. It is also the oldest cask ever released by the company, The Scottish Daily Express reports.
As part of the deal, around 88 bottles with an individual value of £36,000, will be sent to the buyer over the next five years. Thomas Moradpour, president and chief executive of the Glenmorangie Co, said the sale was a 'source of pride' for the Ardbeg community on Islay which produces 'one of the most sought-after whiskies in the world'.
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The Ardbeg distillery began bottling in 1815 but fell on hard times from the eighties, nearly being mothballed. That was until it was bought over by Glenmorangie Co.
Charles MacLean, Scotland's leading whisky writer and expert, called the cask 'a remarkable piece of liquid history'.
He told the Financial Times: "The factors which make a particular whisky investable are threefold: rarity, flavour and variety. And collectors do love Scotch, because of the provenance and history."
Scotch whisky is worth £5.5billion to the Scottish economy per annum and accounts for 75 per cent of food and drink exports. Earlier this year, a Scottish drinks maker announced it would sell a rare batch of whisky dating back to World War Two for a staggering £92,000 per bottle.
Macallan has announced the release of The Reach which was laid to rest in 1940, just before the distillery was forced to close its doors for the first time in history due to the war.


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Members of the brand’s operations, development and store management teams visited 10 stores across Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin.
The holiday season can be a stressful one, especially for those working in the retail industry. Between crowded stores and an influx of moving merchandise, there’s no shortage of tasks that store owners need to keep in mind. But surviving the holiday season in retail doesn’t need to be so stressful. Wild Birds Unlimited, for example, uses it as an opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to its franchisees.
Every year, members of Wild Birds Unlimited’s corporate team embark on what has become known as “TheMistletoe Tour”. These spirited members of the Franchise Support Center staff travel to a handful of stores in order to connect with franchisees in-person to cheer them on during this busy time of year.
“The holiday season is one of the most lucrative times of the year in the retail industry, but it’s also the craziest. That’s why we schedule our Mistletoe Tour around the holidays—it’s great to be able to encourage our stores when they’re feeling stretched the thinnest ,” said Lisa McGill, Manager of Franchise Development for Wild Birds Unlimited. “The purpose behind the Mistletoe Tour is purely positive reinforcement. Our goal is to gather ideas from franchisees that we can then share with other local owners in our system to better position everyone for success. Plus, it’s important that we have the opportunity as a corporate team to say thank you to our franchisees and recognize how hard they’re working.”
McGill was one of five people who set out on the 2017 Mistletoe Tour. She was joined by other members of the operations, development and store management teams, and together they traveled over 700 miles by car to visit 10 stores across Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin. While on the tour, Wild Birds Unlimited corporate team members were able to share ideas for merchandising throughout the holiday season, request feedback for continued improvement of support, listen to comments about vendors, look for sales trends, and connect stores in the region by sharing pictures and stories on the brand’s internal communication system. But according to Paul Pickett, Chief Development Officer for Wild Birds Unlimited, the purpose of the Mistletoe Tour ultimately comes down to one thing: spreading joy.
“It’s just a nice way to engage with our franchisees and share the joy. And the tour’s reach extends beyond the stores that are visited—we post updates from the tour on our community board so that people across our entire system can see what’s going on,” Pickett said. “I also set out on my own personal Mistletoe Tour, which gave me the opportunity to visit 12 different stores over 4.5 days. It’s important to have members of the development team like myself out in the field talking to both new and established franchisees to learn more about where there are pain points and what we can do to help.”
The corporate team members and stores that are visited change every year, ensuring that the Mistletoe Tour has a broad reach. Going forward, Wild Birds Unlimited is looking forward to continuing this tradition in an effort to maintain its position as a leader in providing franchisee support.
“Every year, the Mistletoe Tour leads to helpful insights about the Wild Birds Unlimited brand. Whether it’s talking about the best ways to merchandise or how to bolster business through marketing, there are a lot of different things that we’re looking at and listening to with the goal of enhancing our franchise system for both current and potential franchisees,” McGill said. “This was my first year on the Mistletoe Tour, and I’m definitely eager to go back. Being selected to go into the field and meet one on one with our franchisees is considered a privilege, and we’re looking forward to continuing the tradition in the years to come.”


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November 16, 2012
TechNavio analysis expects region to drive for business expansion.
Analysis firm TechNavio has issued a new report detailing predictions on the Russian printer market from 2011 to 2015 in which the firm predicts that the region is set to see developments leading to a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.8 percent, reports SBWire.
The report entitled The Printer Market in Russia 2011-2015 anticipates the growth, attributing the drive for business expansion as one of the key factors, as well as experiencing a proclivity towards printers featuring customised capabilities.
However, as with a majority of regions, TechNavio states that online developments may challenge developments in the market.
The report is also stated to address a number of issues including the predicted market size in 2015, as well as calculating the growth rate; key market trends; strengths and weaknesses of key vendors; among others.
Print industry growth was also predicted by InfoTrends in August, citing a predicted CAGR of 11.7 percent with Director Ralf Schlozer commenting: “To date, the market is relatively small, but growing rapidly as the gap to Western Europe is declining. There is rapidly increasing demand for digital print in many market segments and the retail value of print in Russia is expected to have an overall CAGR of 23.3 percent, reaching $1.8 billion (€1.46 billion) in 2016.”
Categories : Products and Technology


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Signing out of account, Standby...
More Posts on Coronavirus
Here are five reasons why micro-dosing cannabis at home is the move.
The U.S. Congress and President Trump have barred state-legal marijuana businesses and most ancillary cannabis companies from receiving grants or low-interest loans through the newly enacted $2 trillion federal stimulus package.
Grocery stores, pharmacies, cannabis dispensaries. The historic change for marijuana to be deemed an essential service, explained.
Inspiring child CBD advocate Charlotte Figi has passed away due to complications from coronavirus COVID-19. She was 13 years old.
In an unusual turn, NIDA will pay researchers up to $100K per year to find out if smoking weed impacts COVID-19 symptoms.
Is CBD Retail 'Essential'? Shuttered Hemp Retailers Fight To Stay Open Alongside Grocery, Marijuana Stores
Hemp production has been classified as "essential" by the federal government during the coronavirus pandemic.
Jangled nerves about an uncertain future have led people in Oklahoma - and around the country - to use medical marijuana as a balm for anxiety.
From engineering hand sanitizer for hospital workers to donating gloves, gowns, and masks - here's how cannabis companies are lending aid to health workers on the frontlines of the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.
"It doesn't seem consistent as to why a liquor store would be essential, but a dispensary wouldn't," Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said.
"What's important is that cannabis is considered a medicine, and people need access to the medicine during this time," said Chanda Macias.


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No, the headline is not a mistake. I know we’re usually worried about the opposite – whether or not U.S. manufacturers can compete with a rising China. But today I’m turning that question around. What doesn’t get enough attention in today’s discussions about America’s economic competitiveness is that the U.S. remains a robust manufacturing power, despite what is going on in China. And it has some clear competitive advantages over its emerging-market rival. So not only is American manufacturing alive, but kicking pretty aggressively as well.
Just take a quick look at the numbers. According to United Nations data, the U.S. is still the largest manufacturing country in the world. In 2009, American manufacturing output (in real terms) was nearly $2.2 trillion. That’s about 45% larger than China’s, at just under $1.5 trillion. (For statistical reasons, I chose to use figures that include mining and utilities as part of manufacturing.) Though China, of course, is growing very quickly, the U.S. has also maintained its global share of manufacturing, at 20% in 2009 compared to just over 22% in 1980. What’s more, American manufacturing is becoming more productive. In 2009, productivity in U.S. manufacturing increased by 7.7%, more than any other country followed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
So why do so many Americans think the U.S. doesn’t make anything anymore? Part of the reason is that we’re deceived by what we see everyday. Shopping through your local Target, you’re going to see a lot of “Made in China” labels on things like clothing or electronics. The U.S. tends to make stuff that requires more technology and engineering know-how, like planes, semiconductors and machinery. Basic economics tells us that is exactly how things should be. Since China has so many, low-wage laborers, there is no way high-wage America can possibly compete in products that require teams of workers to manufacture, like toys, apparel, consumer electronics, and a lot of other stuff you’ll find on Wal-Mart shelves. Making such products in the U.S. would simply be too expensive; companies that did so would not be able to compete with cheaper imports made in lower-cost economies. But the U.S. still is very competitive in the types of products that demand a high level of technology, engineering and capital to produce. In such industries, wages don’t matter quite as much, and the U.S. can capitalize on its clear advantage over emerging markets like China in expertise, technology and innovation. That’s why the U.S. sells Boeing aircraft to China, and the Chinese sell blue jeans to Americans.
And it is here where we find the big challenge for China as a manufacturer going forward. China has so far gobbled up the low-hanging fruit of the global manufacturing sector – the low-end, labor-intensive goods in which China has a clear advantage. A big part of Chinese manufacturing is the simple assembly of products designed elsewhere with components produced elsewhere, which means China is some cases is not adding very much value to the products it produces in factories. But China wants to make the cars, planes and chips that Americans manufacture – in other words, China intends to move “up the value chain,” into heavier industries or tech-based manufacturing that require the kind of skill and experience Americans already have. That’s not an easy leap to make. Though there are some Chinese companies that are able to successfully compete in these more complicated industries – telecom equipment maker Huawei, for example, which has gone head-to-head with European makers – but generally speaking Chinese manufacturing is lagging in technology, quality control, managerial and engineering expertise, and other very important aspects of high-end manufacturing. That’s why you don’t see Chinese cars on American roads, for example. Despite the great growth of Chinese automobile manufacturing, the product they’re churning out simply isn’t good enough to compete in major markets. That’s also why China’s leadership is always talking about the need to upgrade Chinese industry and improve R&D capabilities.
Making that leap isn’t just good business, it’s absolutely crucial. As Chinese wages increase, China will become less and less competitive in many low-end products, like toys, apparel and footwear. That process is already underway. Some factories for such goods are already opening up in lower-cost environments, like Vietnam, instead of China. And rising wages are inevitable, not only because the country is becoming wealthier, but also because improving the welfare of the average Chinese worker has become a policy priority for the government in its latest five-year plan. So in order for China’s manufacturing miracle to continue, Chinese industry will have to become more competitive in the types of manufacturing in which the U.S. still holds a clear edge.
Can China do it? History tells us the answer is yes. Back in the 1950s, Japan was the China of the world, making a bunch of cheap stuff with cheap workers, but in a relatively short period of time, Japan was selling Sony high-tech gadgets, Honda motorcycles and Toyota cars in the U.S. There is no reason to believe China can’t follow in Japan’s footsteps. The challenge for the U.S. is to stay one step ahead, to continue to innovative, become more productive and improve quality. There is reason for hope. What American manufacturing needs to do to remain competitive plays into America’s strengths.
That’s especially because of the direction in which manufacturing is headed. I had an interesting email exchange with Robert Judge, a professor at the College of Business Administration at San Diego State University. He’s the expert who got me thinking about this subject and this post (thanks, Dr. Judge). His view is that manufacturing is going to become more and more technology-driven over time. Here’s what he wrote:
Inexpensive manufacturing labor will not be a factor for long with the acceleration of technology in manufacturing processes. Our manufacturing is moving to a technology driven operation rather than a labor one. The skills required by manufacturing are changing. It won’t be long until IBM’s Watson will be directing the manufacturing with robots doing the work.
In other words, manufacturing competitiveness will increasingly be based on American, not Chinese, advantages.
That, however, has serious implications for the American workforce. Many Americans equate manufacturing with jobs, but as industry progresses, that link will become more and more tenuous. As manufacturing becomes more high-tech and automated, it will become a smaller source of new employment. In other words, even if American manufacturing can maintain its competitiveness versus China, it could very well be the case that fewer and fewer people will be working in factories anyway. That would especially be the case with poorly skilled workers, as manufacturing will increasingly depend on a higher level of training and engineering and IT knowledge.
So America’s manufacturing future will depend on continued innovation, and the future of the American manufacturing worker will depend on improved education to support that innovation. Such advancement is imperative. China won’t be far behind.


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Corinne Olympios Would ‘Definitely Consider’ Doing ‘DWTS’ (Star Magazine)
Blac Chyna Is Sporting a Fiery New Hair Color (RADAR Online)
Your Dog Can Actually Help You Be Healthier (Men’s Fitness)
Khloe Kardashian Reveals How She Met Boyfriend Tristan Thompson (OK! Magazine)
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IoT has long been talked about as a new revenue opportunity for mobile network operators, based on the theory they can add support for IoT connectivity to their existing wide area networks and either offer IoT services directly to enterprises and consumers, or build a business as a managed or wholesale IoT services provider (or both).
But, as ever, the pace of adoption has been slower than anticipated, so the likes of Qualcomm are keen to fuel the market by developing relevant, cost-effective components.
For its 9205 LTE modem, which was originally announced in late 2018, the chip designer is highlighting 16 design wins, including modules from Fibocom, Gemalto, Gosuncn, MeiG, Neoway, Quectel, SIMCom and Telit.
The chipset, which boasts a range of integrated features such as hardware-based security and onboard application processing, includes support for NB-IoT, Cat M1 and 2G/E-GPRS connectivity.
Qualcomm is selling the chipset as a "single-digit dollar solution" for IoT, says Jeff Torrance, VP, business development, at Qualcomm, although he won't reveal the exact pricing.
Torrance also notes that Qualcomm offers a "long life promise" for this chipset, but again wouldn't reveal what time-scale this covers.
Torrance expects the new modules to end up mostly in tracking and metering devices in the US and other markets.
Qualcomm's chipset is making ground in the market against a background of generally more sober expectations for IoT. "It's definitely been less than what we expected," comments Torrance. He notes that in 2015, the McKinsey Report estimated that IoT could generate $11.1 trillion in global economic value by 2025. By 2017, McKinsey's prediction was more nuanced, estimating that IoT could generate value in the range of $4 trillion to $11 trillion by the same date.
Nonetheless, carriers need to look beyond purely making a profit from smartphone services alone. Torrance says they "have to go and build businesses on the same infrastructure," something a number of operators around the world have started to do in 2018 and into this year with rollouts of Cat M and NB-IoT on their LTE 4G networks.
In the US, for example, AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile have all now launched NB-IoT networks (or both NB-IoT and Cat M), though that has happened later than expected, as NB-IoT rollouts were originally targeted for 2016 and 2017.
Qualcomm isn't the only chipset vendor hoping to see the cellular IoT market pick up: It faces fierce competition from the likes of Huawei, Intel, Samsung, U-Blox and ZTE.
- NXP, Qualcomm, MediaTek Jostle for Position in Wireless Chips
- Looking Beyond 5G Phones
- T-Mobile Claims NB-IoT First in the US
— Dan Jones, Mobile Editor, Light Reading


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Some of the most powerful DDoS attacks ever detected have been revealed by cybersecurity company StormWall.
This specific botnet, which enabled DDoS attacks of up to 2TB/s, sets a new record over the entire life of the internet as we know it so far.
Originating from Spain, the botnet, which consisted of 49,000 thousand servers, was openly available to hire online, costing from $2,500 for two days usage.
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Botnets are networks of hijacked computer devices used to carry out various scams and cyberattacks.
According to Stormwall, most of the detected DDoS attacks were directed at the gaming industry.
"The attacks carried out by the new botnet are quite standard and it can launch attacks using the UDP, TCP, and HTTP protocols (at layer seven of the OSI model) with browser emulation," the company said.
"Attacks of such power affect not only the victim but also the entire chain of its providers and can cause problems with access to the Internet at the same time for hundreds of thousands of users and online resources."
Hackers have had access to the new tool for around a month, with StormWall adding that only cloud DDoS protection services with sufficient filtering network capacity will be able to cope with the scale of the attacks caused by the botnet.
Earlier this year, the company reported 25.4% more attacks on its customers during its Q1 2021 than it saw in the fourth quarter of 2020, with companies in the e-commerce, construction, entertainment, telecommunications, as well as the financial sector, all hit hard.
- We've also featured the best firewall


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Barrage Of Bullets End With Ride Share Driver, Passenger HospitalizedA South Florida ride share driver and one of his passengers are recovering in the hospital after being shot.
Uber Threatens To Leave Miami-Dade Over Proposed LegislationRide-sharing service Uber sent out an email to its riders Thursday saying if legislation proposed by Miami-Dade County Commission Chairman Jean Monestime is passed Uber would likely leave the county.
'Uber' Proposal Ready For House FloorA proposal that would prevent local governments from regulating popular app-based transportation services such as Uber and Lyft continues to roll through the Florida House.
State Says Uber Drivers Are Independent ContractorsOn Thursday, Gov. Rick Scott's administration said Uber drivers should be considered independent contractors instead of company employees.


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Dave Information Breach Affects 7.5 Million Customers, Leaked On Hacker Forum
Overdraft protection and cash advance solution Dave has suffered a information breach after a database containing 7.5 million individual documents had been offered within an auction and then released later on at no cost on hacker discussion boards.
Dave is a fintech company that enables users to connect their bank reports and accept money improvements for future bills to prevent overdraft charges. Members who require more money to cover a payday can be got by a bill loan as much as $100, but cannot get another loan until it really is paid back.
A threat actor released a database containing 7,516,691 users documents free of charge for a hacker forum on Friday.
After reaching off to Dave regarding their database being leaked, Dave disclosed the event being a information breach 24 hours later.
In a declaration delivered to BleepingComputer yesterday evening, Dave states their database ended up being breached after Waydev, an old third-party company utilized by the organization had been breached.
A harmful celebration recently gained unauthorized use of specific individual information at Dave, including individual passwords which were kept in hashed kind, utilizing bcrypt, an industry-recognized hashing algorithm.вЂњAs caused by a breach at Waydev, certainly one of DaveвЂ™s previous alternative party providersвЂќ
вЂњThe taken information also included some user that is personal including names, email messages, delivery times, real details and telephone numbers. Notably, this would not influence banking account figures, charge card figures, documents of economic deals, or Social that is unencrypted Security. Dave does not have any proof that any unauthorized actions had been taken with any records or that any individual has skilled any loss that is financial a outcome for this incident.вЂќ
вЂњAs quickly as Dave became conscious of this incident, the business instantly initiated a study, which will be ongoing, and it is coordinating with law enforcement, including with all the FBI around claims by way of a party that is malicious this has вЂњcrackedвЂќ some of those passwords and it is trying to sell Dave client information. DaveвЂ™s protection group quickly secured its systems and contains been working 24 / 7 to help keep clientsвЂ™ records safe. Dave is within the means of notifying all clients of the incident along side doing a mandatory reset of most Dave consumer passwords. Dave additionally retained CrowdStrike, a number one cybersecurity consultant, to assist,вЂќ Dave.com claimed in a declaration submit to BleepingComputer.
It isn’t understood just exactly just how Waydev ended up being breached, but BleepingComputer has contacted them to learn more.
The released database contains names, phone numbers, addresses, birth dates, encrypted social security numbers, email addresses, and Bcrypt hashed passwords in samples seen by BleepingComputer.
Those accounts can also be breached while Dave is performing a mandatory password reset on all accounts, if the same password is used at another site.
Consequently, it really is highly encouraged that most users straight away change any passwords for records which used the exact same account qualifications such as Dave.
From auction to leak that is free hacker discussion boards
While Dave has since responsibly disclosed their data breach in a time that is almost record-setting there is certainly much more to your tale.
Early in the day this month, cyber intelligence firm Cyble told BleepingComputer that the hazard star ended up being auctioning the database for Dave for a hacker forum. During the right time, Cyble had told Dave concerning the auction and had been told that the matter was being labored on.
Dave auction (information redacted by BleepingComputer)
Along with Dave, equivalent star has also been auctioning databases for Swvl.com and Dunzo.com. On July 11th, 2020, Dunzo disclosed which they suffered a information breach.
Dunzo auction (information redacted by BleepingComputer)
On roughly July 14th, 2020, the Dave auction post ended up being deleted through the hacker forum, and Cyble discovered that it had been offered in a sale that is private approximately $16,000.
Fast ahead to July 24th, 2020, and an information breach seller called ShinyHunter circulated the complete database at no cost for a various hacker forum.
Dave database leaked 100% free on a hacker forumSource: BleepingComputer
The leaked Dave database contains 7,516,691 individual documents and 3,092,396 e-mail details. As formerly stated, the passwords are encrypted making use of Bcrypt, therefore the database also incorporates encrypted security that is social.
ShinyHunter is a well-known information breach vendor that has been accountable for offering and dripping many databases in past times, including HomeChef, ChatBooks, Chronicle.com, Wattpad, Tokopedia.
It is really not known why ShinyHunter leaked this database as opposed to continue steadily to offer it, nevertheless now that it’s released, other threat actors will dehash the passwords and employ the records in credential stuffing assaults.
As formerly encouraged, make sure you replace your password at any kind of web web sites for which you utilized the password that is same into the Dave application.


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Flower shop owners have something of a love-hate relationship with this day for lovers. Valentine’s Day is stupendous for business but it makes life incredibly hectic for those who arrange and deliver beautiful bouquets. Scott Taylor runs a flower shop in Council Bluffs/Omaha and says his crew has been working nearly round-the-clock for several days now.
Taylor says: "The business grows tenfold as what we’d compare to a normal day. A typical day in our business, we take about 50 to 75 deliveries. On that one day, we’ll take approximately 800 to 12-hundred deliveries." He says Mother’s Day is usually the store’s busiest day of the year, but Valentine’s Day is a close second. Taylor has had to boost his staff to make sure they can handle the load.
"Three to four days out before Valentine’s Day, we start producing the bouquets and then we sell off of what we produced," he explains, "also, our design staff increases to about 25 and our delivery staff increases to about 25 to 30 trucks delivering that day." If you’re lucky enough to get flowers at the office and want to take the bouquet home, here’s a bit of advice from Taylor — reuse that protective plastic.
He says: "That wrapping is on there for a reason. When they get their flowers and they unwrap them at the office, when they go to take them home with them, save that wrapping, put the wrapping on top of them because we get a lot of people who throw that wrapper away. They’ll take their flowers out into the elements and the flowers will freeze. They are perishable products and they really don’t like that super-cold weather." Taylor says your flowers will last a long time if you change the water daily.


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Mercedes-Benz, the subsidiary of Daimler announced to stop the development of hydrogen cars, which it considers too expensive.
This judgment of the company, which has been working on fuel cell vehicles for three decades, however only concerns cars. The firm will work with Volvo on heavy trucks using this energy.
Bad time for hydrogen
Mercedes-Benz does not question the technical principle of fuel cells. Markus Schäfer, director of research at Daimler, says that " work very well "Before adding:" It's just a cost issue "
The specialized site Automotive News highlighted : " Fuel cell cars have long been touted as an answer to reducing emissions and pollutants because they only emit water vapor. They have a long autonomy and a short replenishment time, similar to a combustion engine vehicle. But these vehicles are at least twice as expensive to build than a battery equivalent. Therefore, the selling prices, when advertised, do not reflect this cost "
Mercedes-Benz is therefore preparing to abandon its only fuel cell model, the GLC F-Cell SUV, of which it has produced only a few hundred copies. The brand should also not dwell on the development of other cars in this segment. It thus joins other manufacturers who have decided to withdraw. Among them, Renault-Nissan, which was developing a new hydrogen model until 2018 in partnership with Daimler and Ford. Honda put its hydrogen projects on hold last November, while Volkswagen said last month that " everything speaks in favor of the battery, and practically nothing speaks in favor of hydrogen "
Priority for heavy goods vehicles
That said, Mercedes-Benz is not completely abandoning this segment. If the manufacturer stops the development of hydrogen cars, it will continue to work on heavy-duty projects using this energy. The Daimler group, which already has electric heavyweights in its boxes, has just concluded a partnership with Volvo.
Together, the two actors will work on trucks using fuel cell technology. The heavy vehicle segment would be more suitable for fuel cells, as the large battery packs of electric models can affect the maximum authorized weight of a truck. However, the P.-D.G. of Daimler Trucks, Martin Daum, said that the 200 million euros to be invested by the two companies in this project " certainly won't be enough To put the technology into production.
If he does not make an announcement, Martin Daum remains optimistic about the use of hydrogen on light vehicles, declaring: We will always have the possibility to return at any time if there is a market and a need " Other manufacturers and countries continue to defend the path of the fuel cell. Toyota is planning its hydrogen-powered Mirai for this year. China also opened the world's largest hydrogen filling station last year.
Source: Electrek and Automotive News.


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Alterpreneurs shun 'enterprise culture' for kicks
Far from being the next Richard Branson, the overwhelming majority of entrepreneurs simply want “an alternative to the nine to five of a traditional job” that lets them “retain control over their lives.”
These are the ‘alterpreneurs’ – self employed people that “work to live” so they can obtain “freedom from the corporate treadmill and the chance to build their own lifestyle.”
In a survey of more than 1,000 microbusinesses, research by More Than, the insurance company, exposed UK entrepreneurs as a “large and much misunderstood section of the business community.”
They said this is because the overwhelming majority of entrepreneurs, employing less than four people, were motivated to start-up their business not by finance, but by lifestyle factors, such as being your own boss and happiness.
Just 23 per cent cited financial factors, 2 per cent less than those saying ‘going it alone’ allowed them to be closer to friends and family.
In contrast to the government dialogue championing Britain’s enterprise culture, only 3 per cent said they started-up to become the next Richard Branson.
This trend is supported by the 70 per cent of entrepreneurs vowing to keep their business the same size in the future, saying they were comfortable with being considered a small business.
When it comes to making decisions about their venture, 85 per cent of those questioned said quality of life is a more important factor than money.
Despite this, the modern-day entrepreneur clearly understands the importance of monetary expertise, given the fact that accountants and bank managers are the most consulted experts when the self-employed need advice.
The enterprise report, entitled Health, Wealth and Happiness, also found that small businesses are least likely to turn to government bodies for help when compared to family, friends, peers and even business competitors.
Most of these firms believe the government should be doing more to support them staying small – compared to the 12 per cent saying enough help is provided.
According to the research, the new breed of alterpreneur is well qualified; lives in London or the South East, derives from a corporate background and is in a long-term stable relationship.
Most of these self-employed people work in the retail sector, are expecting to work beyond their 65th birthday and believe their health will improve in the long-term as a direct result of their decision to go it alone.
In a final blow to the oft-championed enterprise culture of the UK, nearly 60 per cent of alterpreneurs would not take on extra stress even if it meant earning more money.


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Well, it looks like Capcom is finally putting this idea into motion and we now have confirmation that Resident Evil 2 is being remade for old fans and new to experience.
We’re pleased to confirm that the Resident Evil 2 Remake Project has been officially approved!
Capcom’s Producer for the title, Yoshiaki Hirabyashi a.k.a. H, from R&D Division 1, commented: “It’s been great to see so many positive comments from fans that have pushed the project to get approved. The team here at Capcom Japan really appreciates fans’ passion and support and will do our best to bring fans what they really want.”


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Unemployment in the EU hit a record high in December and sales before Christmas were dismal. As economists look at the Eurozone, they believe that these signs may indicate a slow emergence from the recession years. While there has been recent optimism about the eurozone’s ability to climb out of the deep banking and public debt crisis, this information is tempered by data that shows jobless rates in November were at their highest level since the introduction of the euro in 1999.
As Martin Van Vliet, an economist at ING in Amsterdam said, “A growing number of businesses are beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel, but consumers remain very gloomy. Consumer spending is crucial to ensure a sustainable recovery.”
Unemployment rose to 11.8 pc of the working population (which translates to 18.82 million people). The most significant rise in unemployment over the past year was in Greece, where joblessness soared to 26pc in September. This was up 7.1% over the September 2011 numbers. Austria posted the lowest unemployment rate rate in the EU at 4.5pc.


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• DP Ruto wearing unique shirts
• Common signature on the shirts
Deputy President William Ruto is setting a trend on matters fashion.
Contrary to having suits and white shirts, DP Ruto has proved that politicians can also embrace a fashionable look.
A walk into Ruto's social media platforms shows a man who is determine to adopt a new dressing style, and do away with suits.
He has been wearing unique tailor made shirts, mostly accompanied by Khaki pants.
During Madaraka day, when other leaders were all dressed in suits, and chocking with neckties, Ruto adopted a simple and unique style.
At some point, President Uhuru Kenyatta also showcased a unique sense of fashion by wearing unique shirts made by the Rivatex company in Kenya.
Uhuru's fashion was aimed at promoting products made in Kenya.
But with Ruto, the identity of her tailor still remains a mystery. If you take a close look into the shirts he has been wearing, there is a common signature mark on the left or right side around the chest area.
Here are other photos of Ruto showcasing his unique style;


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Tomorrow, Sega’s Toshihiro Nagoshi, developer of Yakuza games, is making a “serious announcement” — perhaps a brand new title? Dunno, sounds serious. Still, this is an announcement of that announcement. Consider yourself announced! [ファミ通]
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Woolworths underpayments bill tops $315m with warnings of more to come
Woolworths has upped its estimated staff underpayments to $315 million and says the final amount could still be higher once a review into the nine-year scandal is complete.
The supermarket giant — which also owns Big W — on Tuesday said it would exceed its initial guess of $200 million to $300 million in salaried staff underpayments potentially dating back to 2010, with a review having now covered five years of data.
The previous estimate, which identified at least 5700 affected team members, was based on two years worth of information.
Wednesday’s update comes after Woolworths told investors in December expected the bill from its wages underpayment scandal to come in at the lower end of the $200 million to $300 million range it first flagged in October, even as more cases came to light.
“The calculations of the salary payment shortfall involve a substantial volume of data, a high degree of complexity, interpretation, estimations, and are subject to further analysis of prior periods and the Fair Work Ombudsman’s ongoing investigation,” Woolies told the ASX on Wednesday.
The underpayments issue also weighed on the company’s first half profit result, which slipped 7.7 per cent to $887 million despite a 6 per cent increase in total revenue to $32.41 billion.
The result for the six months to December 31 was hurt by $51 million in one-off costs related to the Endeavour Drinks separation, and another $80 million for the underpayments review.
Total supermarket revenue increased 6.4 per cent to $21.2 billion.
The company will pay a fully franked interim dividend of 46¢ a share, up 1¢ on a year ago.