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What's next for Amazon Alexa? We're about to find out
It's doubtful that Amazon will bring out its own branded smartphone again anytime soon, as I wrote in this piece yesterday. We all know how the Amazon Fire Phone introduced in 2014 was a high-profile flop, relegated to the scrap heap a year later. I can't imagine Jeff Bezos & Co. wants to revisit the smartphone biz directly.
But Amazon is hosting a press event at its at new Seattle headquarters today, where I expect the company to unveil some new Amazon branded hardware, featuring, of course, Alexa, the company's prized voice-activated digital assistant. For all of Amazon’s efforts to spread its digital assistant around to new places, Alexa remains (for the most part) a homebody. Will that stay the same?
I’m in Seattle today and will weigh in on the Amazon news.
What might we see? Perhaps a refresh of the Echo speaker line where Alexa debuted, given what promises to be even more fiery competition in the connected speaker market, what with the arrival later this year of Apple’s HomePod with Siri, and of course Google’s efforts to improve its rival Google Home speaker, which features the Google Assistant.
Google delivered a blow to Amazon yesterday when it pulled YouTube videos off the Echo Show, the first Echo with a display. The decision is obviously not technical, since YouTube videos played fine on Echo Show up to now. I expect we might hear further today from Amazon about this latest development, and either way the fight between Amazon and Google will bear watching. Amazon Alexa may have recently made nice with Microsoft’s own Cortana voice assistant, but any hope that Alexa and the Google Assistant might also interact in a friendly manner someday seems to have taken a step back.
In the meantime, I’m hoping Amazon otherwise surprises us today—by maybe bringing Alexa to some new wearable or a fresh form factor that frankly we’re just not thinking much about.
I just don’t expect it to be a phone.
Email: firstname.lastname@example.org; Follow USA TODAY Personal Tech Columnist @edbaig on Twitter


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Professional Community for Car Dealers, Marketing, Advertising and Sales Leaders
Attendees who pre-register by Friday, March 6th will be entered to win one pair of Red Sox tickets!
ALBANY, N.Y. – March 2nd, 2015 – Auto/Mate Dealership Systems (http://www.automate.com) today announced it will be hosting a User Summit for its auto dealer customers on Friday, April 17th in Westborough, MA. The User Summit is an all-day event with breakout…Continue
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Apple has avoided a $625m intellectual property infringement ruling in favour of intellectual property specialist VirnetX after a judge ruled that its previous trial had been unfair. The case between...
McCormack, founder of the Digital Readiness Institute, has worked with hundreds of organisations across 40 countries
New strategy intended to both fuel the development of AI and data-driven business across the EU, as well as to regulate it
Capper to take charge of data-driven digital transformation at global engineering firm SNC-Lavalin
Intercontinental Exchange reported offer could value eBay at as much as $30bn - but will offload the classifieds business
Deliveroo may need 'alternative sources of funding' if the CMS blocks Amazon's investment


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J.Crew files for bankruptcy: What does it mean for other retailers?
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The strain of the coronavirus shutdown proved too much for struggling retailer J.Crew, which has filed for bankruptcy. What could it mean for other big chains? NBC business correspondent Jo Ling Kent reports for TODAY from Los Angeles.May 5, 2020


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Most of you have already heard that you can now bring Cuban cigars back from Cuba into the U.S. On October 14, 2016, the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) announced new amendments to the Cuban Assets Control Regulations (CACR) and Export Administration Regulations (EAR), including increasing the limitation on the import of Cuban cigars to the U.S.
According to a Department of Treasury Cuban Fact Sheet, “OFAC is removing the monetary value limitations on what authorized travelers may import from Cuba into the United States as accompanied baggage. This includes the value limitation on alcohol and tobacco products. Persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction will be further authorized to import Cuban-origin merchandise acquired in third countries into the United States as accompanied baggage, again without value limitations. OFAC is also removing the prohibition on foreign travelers importing Cuban-origin alcohol and tobacco products into the United States as accompanied baggage. In all cases, the Cuban-origin goods must be imported for personal use, and normal limits on duty and tax exemptions will apply.” You can view the Department of Treasury’s Cuban Fact Sheet announcing this change HERE.
On October 17,2016, the Department of Treasury released further details in the Federal Register, stating, “Importation of Cuban merchandise. Section 515.560 previously authorized persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction engaging in authorized travel to Cuba to acquire merchandise in Cuba and import it into the United States as accompanied baggage, provided that the merchandise was for personal use only and had a value of $400 or less (with no more than $100 of such merchandise consisting of alcohol or tobacco products). OFAC is now removing these monetary value limits, which means that the normal limits on duty and tax exemptions for merchandise imported as accompanied baggage and for personal use will apply. OFAC will continue to require that such merchandise be imported as accompanied baggage and for personal use.” You can view the Federal Register release HERE.
This equates to 100 cigars worth up to $800. If you bring back more than 100 cigars or less than 100 cigars worth more than $800, you will pay normal duty fees. The new rules apply not only for purchases in Cuba but also the purchase of Cuban cigars in other countries brought back to the U.S. You can bring back 100 cigars duty-free every 31 days.
So, this all sounds great, right? This is an interesting change in policy when compared to the recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (FUFDA) regulations making it virtually impossible to sell “new” cigars in the U.S. It is still against the law to sell Cuban cigars in the U.S. and once approved, Cuban cigars will have to undergo FDA testing before sale, however, your average herfer can bring back cigars from your next trip to London without issue. Wait, I thought the purpose of the FDA regulations are to protect us from the health implications of cigar smoking?! I guess Cuban cigars are good for you. . .
So, this all sounds great, right? Part II. Every Cuban cigar you purchase is likely a cigar you will not buy from your local cigar retailer. While I doubt this will be the end of U.S. cigar retailers, they will definitely feel the pain.


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CEDIA 2016 took place in Dallas, Texas this year and attendance topped just over 18,750 attendees this year. Over 500 exhibitors, 115 CEDIA training sessions, 13 CEDIA Talks, six free CEDIA Panel Sessions, and several events provided attendees an opportunity to “think big” for the future of their businesses.
2016 exhibitors picked up on the positive outlook of the industry and saw CEDIA 2016 as an important and necessary connection point to talk with their stakeholders, ask for feedback on new offerings, and build new relationships. CEDIA 2016 included over 100 first time exhibitors who were also energized by the opportunity to connect with attendees.
We focused on display-based products, but CEDIA also includes a great number of products in audio and home automation. In our coverage, we will discuss new projector and screen news along with some data and trend analysis from the CEDIA organization and Amazon.
CEDIA 2017 will be held at the San Diego Convention Center September 6-9, with the tradeshow floor open September 7-9.


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Wednesday, January 27, 1999 Published at 23:13 GMT
Row over food watchdog
The agency will be champion of consumer interests
Small retailers have condemned a flat-rate levy to pay for a new food watchdog to monitor health and safety standards as a "food poll tax".
But plans to charge an annual flat rate charge of £90 on all food outlets to fund the cost of setting up the new agency has already met with criticism.
He told BBC News: "All the government is proposing is a small additional charge of £90 a year, that's the cost of one extra sandwich a week."
The levy will be collected by local authorities and is expected to raise £40m. The balance of the £120m cost of the agency will be picked up by the tax-payer.
The agency will have a staff of 2,000 people and will be run by a chairman and up to 14 independent members.
"Central government will have a role with local government and the work of environmental health officers to reinforce work that is currently undertaken.
"It will mean policy is focused for the first time in an independent agency and if something needs to be done by government the agency can say so and put their recommendations into the public domain."
The agency will be free publish its advice to the government and will report to the Department of Health rather than the Ministry of Agriculture.
A Food Standards Agency was a manifesto commitment by Labour following a series of food scares.
The beef crisis, an E.coli epidemic in Scotland, scares over salmonella in eggs and a possible link between milk and Crohn's disease are among the issues which have rocked consumer confidence in the food industry.
It will have responsibility for:
The agency is based on the suggestions of Professor Phillip James, director of the Rowett Research Institute, who was asked to report on how an agency should function before the election.
"It's going to have enforcement powers and I think it is going to have to take a novel approach to looking at the food chain as a whole. Practises on the farm actually affect our health, previously its all been locked up in different groupings."
The proposals for an agency have been broadly welcomed by consumer groups who have long complained about Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
The department has been criticised for having the duty to protect consumers at the same time as promoting producers.
UK Politics Contents
A-Z of Parliament


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Stay-Over Visitors In Spending Bonanza
GEORGE TOWN, Grand Cayman (CNS) -- Overnight visitors to the Cayman Islands fell by 1.4% in the first half of 2016 when compared to the year before but the slight drop in numbers on 2015, which was a record-breaking year for tourism, is not having an adverse effect on the bottom line.
Tourism officials said that visitors are spending more than they ever have, so government is collecting more taxes and local businesses are earning more income. Government collected over 2% more in tourism fees and guests were spending around $180 per person every night during an average six-day stay.
“Even though there was a decline in numbers, we saw a more, high quality guests visiting our shores,” tourism officials said this week as they published a new detailed statistical report for the first half of this year on the local tourism product.
The report is based on figures collected from the Department of Tourism’s exit surveys and immigration records. It points to an overall growth in tourism of over 5%, since cruise arrivals were up 7%.
The department was also pleased about the growth in expenditure by guests. Across the last 12 months visitors to Cayman spent well-over half a billion dollars in the local economy. Attracting wealthy guests, over a third of visitors to Cayman were from households with a combined income of more than $200,000 per year.
The statistics show that most people coming to the islands on vacation seem to have a great time and the only areas that leave room for officials to be concerned about in the opinion surveys isare value for money and shopping. More than 30% of guests said shopping in Cayman was only fair or even poor, and only 33% of visitors felt Cayman offered very good value for money.
The overall experience, however, was rated as very good by almost 90% of the people visiting the Cayman Islands and over 83% also described the local customer service as very good and 14% good. Almost three-quarters of guests rated local restaurants as very good and over 88% of visitors loved the beach. The importance of visitors’ experiences in the ocean as well as on the beach was also highlighted as the water experiences all scored higher than attractions.
Less than 65% of visitor rated local attractions as very good, while over 81% said the watersports and nearly 80% said the underwater experiences were very good.
The DoT has been embarking on aggressive marketing campaigns, and the slight decline in overnight guest numbers appears to be related to concerns about Zika, which is impacting the whole region.
At a meeting with the press Wednesday to update the media about the tourism sector, Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell spoke about the importance of keeping pace with the infrastructure to ensure that the tourism product had the room it needed to grow further. From the redevelopment of the airport to proposed hotel projects, Kirkconnell said these were needed as the island was currently almost at capacity when it came to overnight guests.
But with an increase in the spend of tourists, the minister lauded the work of the DoT and said that he would be sticking with the current tourism policies as they are working.


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SLOVAKIA: VW completes new press hall construction
Volkswagen Slovakia has completed the construction phase of its new press hall.
The spend of EUR90m will create about 100 jobs once it is completed, local news agency SITA reported.
"This will be the first press in an automobile factory in Slovakia that will press not only steel but also aluminum sheets," said local VW chairman Albrecht Reimold. The new press shops will produce side panels, bonnets, tailgates and boot lids, roofs, fenders and doors.
The 19,000 sq m shop will have production capacity of about 19,000 parts when ready at the end of 2013. Construction began at the end of October 2011.
Volkswagen Slovakia has operated for over twenty years and, since 1991, has produced over 3m vehicles. It now employs over 8,400 people.
The factory the Volkswagen Touareg and up!, Audi Q7, Skoda Citigo and Mii and Porsche Cayenne bodies. In Martin it makes gearboxes and chassis and transmission components and, in Kosice, vehicles are prepared for export to Russia.
In 2011, Volkswagen Slovakia produced more than 210,000 vehicles. The company's turnover last year reached EUR5.19bn. Almost all its output is exported.
The analysts writing this report forecast Global Automotive Head-up Display market to grow at a CAGR of 28.61 percent over the period 2012-2016....
We live in strange times. As Fisker, a rival with supposedly superior range-extending technology falls apart, the value of Tesla rises yet again, this time by almost two percent on Wednesday to US$9.7...
LMC Automotive's service provides customers with the very latest monthly estimates of passenger car production across all of Europe. Updated monthly and provided model-by-model, and available only via...
Although the Chinese car market is expected to see growth of around 10% this year, prospects for premium brands have deteriorated as a result of the Chinese government's anti-corruption campaign, acco...
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- New alloy developed for new Jag
- Union puzzled no buyer for Unipart Automotive
- JLR China cuts prices amid anti-trust probe
- Warwick University chosen as APC hub


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With all of the advances in fashion tech and the changes that have shifted and improved the industry, it’s hard to believe that retailers are still using paper line sheets. The largest problem with the use of classic line sheets is that, plain and simple, they aren’t efficient.
Luckily for the industry, London-based ReChannel is taking advantage of the cloud and has created a platform dedicated to eliminating the hassle that naturally accompanies line sheets.
What is ReChannel?
At its core, the company provides a b2b wholesale platform that allows wholesalers to connect with and get orders to retailers faster. ReChannel essentially focused on creating a user-friendly platform, with a more customizable interface than some of their competitors. By utilizing a cloud-based system the platform also steps beyond moving paper stock systems online with the elimination of manual uploads. Another key difference from their competition, is the fact that ReChannel does not sell itself as a marketplace. That allows wholesalers to focus on buyers that they want, rather than opening up channels to any and everyone.
After we had the chance to sit down with ReChannel, we’re excited to see where the company will go from here. At only 18 months old, and with a team of ten, their sights are set on growth and expansion. Targeting larger brands across Europe, the startup plans to use focused analytics and notification options to further streamline the wholesale process.
With plans to be the European leader for wholesale purchasing, ReChannel has secured its place on our radar, and should be on yours too.
Third Wave Fashion has been your fashion tech think tank since 2011. We publish the first ever printed fashion tech magazine, Third Wave. Follow us on Twitter or subscribe to our newsletter to stay on top of the latest in fashion tech + wearables.
Jeff Wilber is a guest writer from TheFreelanceRider.


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The Evolution of Whitewater Kayaking
Whitewater's brightest stars are launching bigger drops than ever. But it'll take more than sweet photos to right this fading sport.
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
“THE IMPACT WAS HEAVY,” says 23-year-old Montanan kayaker Tyler Bradt of his 80-mile-per-hour entry into the pool at the bottom of eastern Washington's 186-foot Palouse Falls this past April. “I took a huge hit to the chest, which knocked the wind out of me and jackknifed me against the back of my boat. I had so much adrenaline going through me, I didn't know if I was hurt or not.”
Since March, kayakers have broken world waterfall records three times, raising the takeoff height an astounding 78 feet and making a serious media splash. After his plunge, Bradt appeared on Anderson Cooper 360o . The previous month, Brazilian Pedro Oliva, 26, debuted footage of his March 4 run over his home country's 127-foot Salto Belo on the Today show, where Ann Curry touted “the growing popularity of extreme kayaking.” On Mother's Day, Christie Glissmeyer, 30, of Hood River, Oregon, launched off 108-foot Metlako Falls, setting a new women's record. At least a dozen othersincluding Brendan Wells, who's 15have now broken the 100-foot mark.
Ask any of these huckers the obvious questionum, why?and
It's been a long, hard fall for a pursuit that used to define adventure-sport cool. The boom cycle really took off in 1997, when designers at kayak manufacturer Wave Sport popularized a radical new boat, the X. It had a flat-bottomed hull, like a surfboard, and it enabled paddlers to spin and slide sideways on river waves. Freestyle river rodeos began drawing huge crowds and big-money sponsors like Subaru and Nike. In 2001, Outside put then-19-year-old kayaker Brad Ludden on the cover, teasing a story about the dream life of pro paddlers: “Take two hotdoggers, hand them the keys to a brand-new Subaru, stock it with boats and cash, and send the lucky bastards off with two words: Find water. Wouldn't you want to be a rodeo kayaker?”
Mike Steck, who ran Dagger Kayaks' Team D from 1996 to 2005, remembers bidding wars with Wave Sport for elite athletes, who were stringing together sponsorships amounting to more than $100,000 per year. High schools like the roving World Class Kayak Academy sprouted to hone the country's top talent. It was all going so well. Then it wasn't. According to the research firm Leisure Trends Group, whitewater kayaking hit its peak in 2002, with 3.9 million paddlers spending 14 million days on the water. By 2004, the last year before LTG changed its survey methods, kayaker days had fallen by half.
“The industry really messed things up,” concedes Jim Moss, a board member of the Trade Association of Paddlesports. As Steck puts it: “Whitewater went in the shitter.”
So what happened? The half-dozen athletes and industry insiders I spoke with had many theories, but three things came up again and again. First, kayak manufacturers pushed R&D so hard and so fast that they choked on their own ambition. From 1996 through 2002, each year's new designs were significantly better than the last. “If you didn't innovate, you were dead,” says Steck. Paddlers bought new $900 boats every year, then unloaded them at the end of the season for peanuts. In the short term, this fueled a rapidly expanding business, but the discarded boatsbuilt to lastwould come back to haunt their makers. When the technology finally plateaued, around 2003, the dam broke and old boats flooded the market.
“I don't know anybody who's bought a new boat in a long time,” says Moss. Indeed, many top kayakers acknowledge using models that are now five years old.
The industry also undercut itself with a rash of mergers, acquisitions, and new ventures. In 1998, Watermark, a holding company, bought Dagger and Perception. Confluence, another holding company, then bought Wave Sport from its colorful founder, Chan Zwanzig, in 1999. Two key players at Perception, Woody Callaway and Shane Benedict, helped start Liquidlogic in 2000. Wave Sport ace Eric Jackson splintered off from Confluence in 2003 to start Jackson Kayak, and in 2005 Confluence bought Watermark's watersports division. Today, Dagger and Wave Sport are the same company, Perception has dropped its whitewater line, and Jackson is quickly overtaking them all.
The athletes blame the mergers for placing non-kayaking managers at the helms of the companies, while industry types like Steck say the startups as well as foreign imports sliced and diced the kayak market's “fragile pie.” In either case, plummeting new-boat sales combined with smaller market shares forced companies to slash their budgets and disband their salaried teams andPoof!nobody wanted to be a rodeo kayaker anymore.
Making matters worse, the dominant marketing strategy during the boom period was to sell kayaking as extreme. It made for some gnarly catalog covers but likely drove away a large crop of weekend warriors put off by the idea of drowning upside down in a tiny boat.
For elite kayakers coming of age in the past few years, the meltdown led to tough times even before the recession struck. Bradt and other recent graduates of the World Class academy, like Rush Sturges, Lane Jacobs, and Ian and Evan Garcia, feel like they missed out on the party. “Athletes were getting paid lots of money,” says Bradt. “I came in on the tail end of that. When I was 17, Dagger gave me a few thousand bucks and four kayaks, which is more than anything I'm getting now.”
Which brings us back to those waterfalls. With no viable pro events tour, the alternative is to produce and sell your own footage. Bradt and his cohorts use what little sponsor money is available to buy plane tickets and film themselves inventing new moves on remote riversand, of course, making insane waterfall drops, the sport's equivalent of the slam-dunk contest. It's gone well enough so farnobody has died launching a 100-plus-foot fall since Jesse Sharp tried to run Niagara Falls in 1990but the one-upsmanship will likely end soon, perhaps tragically.
Meanwhile, kayak companies have a decidedly less frightening plan to dig themselves out of their hole. The rebuilding effort, say many company leaders, depends on spreading the message that paddling can be a safe and easy activity. “For Teva, pushing the envelope means greater accessibility,” says Joel Heath, the river-footwear company's marketing director. “It doesn't mean hucking your meat bigger.” Heath points to the ski industry, which focuses on groomed cruiser runs, as a good model, and notes that one benefit of kayaking's boom years is the resulting dozens of urban whitewater parks. And there are still the classic Class III floats through the wilderness.
On that score, even Bradt agrees: “We just got off the Middle Fork of the Salmon and had a killer time.”


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Second hand cars being offloaded from a Cargo Ship at the Port of Mombasa.
Imported vehicles continue to pile up, causing congestion in Mombasa depots due to number plates shortage.
The units which are now adding up to more than 1,000 have caused huge losses to car importers who are being forced to pay storage charges as the Kenya Revenue Authority maintains only duly registered cars with number plates will be released from port facilities.
Most vehicles imported since early July have not been released due to failure by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) to supply number plates for imported vehicles.
With at least three ships scheduled to dock at the Port of Mombasa in the next few days, the situation might worsen if the problem is not resolved with traders accusing NTSA of being reluctant in resolving the matter.
The Kenya International Freight Warehousing Association chairperson Roy Mwanthi said they are incurring huge losses despite paying all port charges.
“There is congestion in different car depots in Mombasa despite clearing with KRA but the vehicles cannot be released without number plates. This has resulted in increasing cost to importers as they are incurring demurrages every day,” said Mr Mwanthi.
“A number of importers are stranded and with more vehicles being imported at the moment, this will result in huge loss to dealers and individual importers.”
Car Importers Association of Kenya (CIAK) Chairman Peter Otieno said apart from inadequate plates, there has been a system failure as the KRA platform is not reflected.
“Most of the vehicles imported since July which tally close to 7,000 have not been released. The problem started about a month ago and with more vehicles being imported this time. We are having a serious issue. We are also having issues where a car is cleared by NTSA but at the KRA system, it is not reflecting it,” said Mr Otieno.
He noted that apart from plates, the importers are having challenges in getting stickers and they have to wait for about a week to get one.
In a letter seen by Shipping and Logistics from NTSA Director General George Njao dated August 6, 2021 to KRA Commissioner General Githii Mburu, the agency acknowledged the shortage which it has attributed to its supplier.
“NTSA is currently experiencing delays in production and supply of number plates and logbooks from our suppliers, the State Department of Correctional Services (SDCS) and the Government Printer respectively. As at the date of this letter, the authority is allocating number plates series KDD-P against the last series supplied KDD-L thus translating to a deficit of 3,000 number plates pending supply,” read part of the letter by Mr Njao.
“In addition to congestion at the Port of Mombasa, this delay has led to an outcry from motor vehicle dealers which have not only been inconvenienced but have to pay demurrage charges on a matter which is beyond their control. Both the SDCS and Government Printer have apprised us on the challenges they are experiencing in production which they have projected will be resolved in the next couple of days.”
NTSA now has asked KRA to release all registered vehicles to reduce congestion and cost to importers.
“As you are aware, the authority introduced a Third Plate Sticker (e-sticker) to among other things, enhance identification of registered motor vehicles. As a stop gap measure we kindly request you to authorise the release of vehicles which have been duly registered and the e-sticker affixed on their windshield, pending issuance of the physical number plates and the logbooks. In the meantime, we are working closely with our suppliers to address the challenges,” said NTSA director general. – businessdailyafrica.com


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(This trailer features SteamVR using the HTC Vive, as I couldn’t find a Windows Mixed Reality trailer.)
Microsoft has finally released SteamVR for Windows Mixed Reality (officially confusingly called Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR ) out of Early Access on Steam. So if you’ve got a Windows Mixed Reality VR HMD it’s highly recommended that you download it, if you haven’t been using the beta version already, as it will give you access to hundreds more VR games and experiences! Please note that although most SteamVR games should work only the ones marked as officially compatible with Windows Mixed Reality (look for the smiley faced Windows Mixed Reality logo on games’ Steam pages) are guaranteed to work 100%. Also there may be a few that are virtually unplayable due to the way Windows Mixed Reality motion controllers currently work, such as Sports Bar VR.
You can read more about the latest Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR update below:
Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR Exits Early Access
1 May – Jonathan
With today’s release of the Windows 10 April 2018 update[blogs.windows.com], we are pleased to announce that Windows Mixed Reality for Steam®VR is coming out of “early access”!
This announcement recognizes the continued improvements over the last five months coupled with the new fixes and features in the Windows 10 April 2018 update that released today. Since we first made SteamVR available to all users in November, we have released 10 updates to all users and 24 to Beta users. Those updates have resulted in significantly improved performance and stability, added haptic feedback for motion controllers, and improved how motion controllers appear in SteamVR. On top of that, 422 games in the Steam Store now officially declare support for Windows Mixed Reality.
We wanted to take this opportunity to say a huge THANK YOU to the members of our community who have given us great feedback to help make SteamVR a better experience for Windows Mixed Reality. It’s important to clarify that today’s announcement doesn’t change anything about our ongoing commitment to our SteamVR experience and our community. We will continue to release regular updates with new fixes and features, and you will still find us here in the discussion forums. We aren’t going anywhere. In particular, we’ve heard the community’s requests for more customizable input and the ability to launch from the Cliff House. We’re investigating solutions and look forward to sharing more details soon!
We encourage everyone to install the Windows 10 April 2018 update. It begins rolling out on May 8th, but you can follow this blog post to get it today[blogs.windows.com].
Have you got a Windows Mixed Reality VR HMD and if so have you been playing SteamVR games already or were you waiting until the SteamVR app was out of Early Access? Let us know in the comments below.


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China's manufacturing growth picked up in August, expanding at its fastest rate this year amid massive stimulus spending, according to the state-sanctioned China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing. The federation said its purchasing managers index rose to 54 from July's 53.3 on a 100-point scale where numbers above 50 show activity expanding. It marked the sixth month of expansion.
Economists see the PMI as a better measure of China's economic outlook than data such as gross domestic product because it includes forward-looking elements such as new and export orders. The survey is based on responses from managers who oversee purchasing for some 700 Chinese companies.
The report adds to signs that Beijing's massive stimulus is helping to revive economic growth, though private sector activity has lagged state enterprises that are the main target of government spending.
"The August PMI is continuing to rise at a rate slightly above 50. This shows the Chinese economy is maintaining its recovery trend," a Cabinet economist, Zhang Liqun, said in a statement released by the federation.
The federation's index of new orders, an indicator of future activity, was flat from July's level but still showed an expansion at 55.
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Want to join the conversation?
$DG is selectively investing incremental labor hours in stores where it believes such hours will generate positive financial returns. As of the end of 3Q15, this retail labor hour investment has been implemented across nearly 2,400 stores with additional stores scheduled to receive this investment during 4Q15.
$MON shares dip slightly; I wonder this is because of the environmental lawsuit filed by the Washington state against the production of PCBs.
My bet is that $FR will reach $32 in the short term. It’s time it broke the 52-week high and had its fair share of growth.
$WYNN got bruised up by China after its decision to cut withdrawal limit in Macau ATMs. Wynn Resorts shares went down by more than 11%! Well who could have guessed that right?


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Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Uno Chicago Grill Offers Gluten-Free
Uno Chicago Grill on Tuesday said they would speed up the national rollout of new gluten-free pizzas after strong consumer demand during market tests of the products.
Uno officials said the gluten-free option has received a particularly positive reaction from guests who suffer from celiac disease, which causes an intolerance to gluten, as well as others who have an allergy or need to avoid eating wheat. The new pizzas, available with cheese or pepperoni toppings, have been tested at locations in Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
“Consumer reaction was so positive, and the chatter so strong on gluten-free blogs and websites, that our restaurants began receiving requests to carry the new pizza,” said Richard Hendrie, senior vice president of marketing for Boston-based Uno. “Because the demand was so strong, we decided to pull out all the stops to get the gluten-free pizza into our 200-plus stores as quickly as possible.”, said Nation’s Restaurant News.
For us consumers Bob’s Red Mill has an easy gluten-free pizza crustin a package that makes 2-12” pizza crusts. In addition they offer a starter pack of six items, all gluten-free, available on their website.
Locally Mike Hackett owner of Casa Sorrento Pizza in Salinas has added a wheat crust pizza, while Pat Ottone, owner of Lallapalooza, Elli's Great American, and the Lallagrill has been experimenting with a gluten-free pizza crust on the menu.


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League Of Legends ‘Ekko Seconds’
The rest of 2016 should continue to see plenty of activity across the media and entertainment space as companies brace for the future of mobile and digital consumption trends. Consolidation of content and the need for diversification in the digital environment will fuel interest from traditional players like telcos and major studios. Investment from China does not appear to be slowing anytime soon, so expect those eye-popping headlines to continue throughout 2016 as it plays the long game.
VR will begin to consolidate around content and tech, allowing leaders in both areas to emerge by the end of the year. As e-sports continues to gain traction via mainstream coverage and traditional advertising opportunities, it won’t be long before we see e-sports live events vying for the same eyeballs as the current pro sports leagues and attracting additional investment dollars along with them.
China’s continued interest in gaining insight into how Hollywood works is paying off for both sides of these deals. This insight will continue to help them ramp up their own production capabilities and speed up their ability to compete with the current global content creators. As a result, Chinese investment and M&A in U.S. media and entertainment should continue throughout 2016.
In China, Wanda also holds a trump card over the other major studios in that it is a Chinese-owned/operated business, allowing it to navigate and potentially circumnavigate the Chinese theatrical quota system. Wanda’s ability to leverage its insider position with future Legendary productions, as well as its own forthcoming Wanda Studios at Qingdao, should give Wanda a significant market share in the theatrical film industry going forward.
Comcast’s acquisition of DreamWorks Animation gives it a wealth of content that it can use across its numerous lines of business, including its cable subscription service (Xfinity), theme parks (Universal Parks and Resorts), cable networks (USA, Syfy, Sprout), digital platforms (Watchable, Seeso) and production companies (Universal Pictures, Illumination Entertainment).
As the digital ecosystem expands, traditional studios are seeing an opportunity to diversify their tech and content strategies.
Virtual reality/augmented reality (VR/AR) investment has ramped up in “the year of VR,” taking in $1.1 billion through February alone. Most of that investment was Magic Leap’s Series C round of funding at almost $800 million, but other companies involved included MindMaze with a $100 million round and Wevr with a $25 million round. While consumer products are still in the early phases, the overall excitement and wide-ranging applications for VR and AR are driving investment for those who want to get involved early.
Following Baobab Studios’ $6 million round in December, Penrose Studios raised $8.5 million in March, highlighting a competitive race to become the go-to VR content creator for immersive animated content. Comcast Ventures recently led a $6.8 million investment in Felix & Paul Studios, producers of cinematic VR experiences. Investors see this industry as a tremendous growth opportunity, with projected industry potential revenue of $120 billion by 2020, according to Digi-Capital. It doesn’t appear that investment and M&A will slow down anytime soon.
Live streaming has had activity as well, with IBM’s purchase of UStream for a reported $130 million being the biggest transaction of 2016 so far. Twitter made a strategic decision to purchase the live-streaming digital rights for 10 Thursday Night Football games this year. The $10 million price tag was especially low, considering Yahoo paid a reported $15-$20 million for the rights to live-stream one game last year. This gives Twitter a way to flaunt its Periscope functionality, potentially acquire users, increase engagement and recoup some of its investment with a limited amount of ad inventory that it will retain.
The NFL gets to broaden its distribution, experiment with alternative revenue streams, target a younger demographic and, ultimately, create more competition for the NFL’s overall rights when they expire in 2022. It is very possible that the future of NFL broadcasts may lie with a digital-first platform like Netflix, Amazon, Facebook, Google or Twitter, each of whom has deep enough pockets to bid for the opportunity to capture the most valuable must-see live content in the United States. Expect the other professional sports leagues to watch this development closely.
The rest of 2016 should continue to see plenty of activity across the media and entertainment space as companies brace for the future of mobile and digital consumption trends.
Based on activity in 2016 thus far, it’s clear we haven’t seen the end of key transactions. Paramount Pictures is looking for a strategic investor to build out its international and digital capabilities, which would provide key content and IP access to the investor (although this process has become very muddled recently). Yahoo is fielding multibillion-dollar offers for its core business, and Anonymous Content, creators of Oscar darlings Spotlight and The Revenant, as well as TV hits True Detective and Mr. Robot, is reportedly looking for a minority investor.


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Mariah Carey will be making a return to Apple TV+ next year.
What you need to know
- Mariah Carey is already working on a follow-up to her Christmas special.
- The special hit the number one spot in 100 countries.
Reported by The Sun, Mariah Carey is in talks with Apple to bring a sequel of her Christmas special to Apple TV+ next year. Despite the production costing over $4 million to make this year, it will apparently have an “unlimited” budget for 2021, according to the report.
Carey originally planned on the special being a one-time event, but its popularity has driven the artist and Apple back together to talk about another one.
We can reveal her festive show on Apple TV+, which included stars like Ariana Grande, was such a hit Mariah is already in talks about a follow up next year. An insider said: “Mariah created the Christmas special for Apple as a one-off but it was a runaway hit.
According to the report, the special hit number one in over a hundred countries, something that neither Apple nor Carey’s team expected.
“No one could have predicted its success and it went to No1 in their charts in over 100 countries. Bosses at Apple now want to secure her for another special show next year. Mariah’s team are, of course, completely behind it and everyone is going to do what they can to make it happen … They spent over £4million on this year’s show but next year this could go even higher. Apple know the worth of Mariah and are willing to splash the cash to make a follow-up even bigger and better.”
The special is streaming now on Apple TV+ and well worth the watch. It features performances from Mariah Carey, Ariana Grande, and more.
100% exclusive content for the price of a cup of coffee.
With TV+, you can watch well-produced, big-budget TV shows from famed directors, and starring award-winning actors and actresses across all your Apple devices and with up to six members of your Family Sharing group.


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- Products & Services
- Knowledge Base
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, January 22, 2014 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Maxcess, a global leader in innovative products and services for the web handling industry, has recently announced the release of the FIFE-500, now available in expanded sizes.
The new FIFE-500 now supports roll face from 160 to 900 mm (6.3 to 35.4 inches), guide spans from 300 to 600 mm (7.1 to 23.6 inches) and tension from 355 to 1000 N (80-225 lbs).
At the heart of the FIFE-500 is a high-resolution color touch screen featuring icons and text in 14 languages to simplify operation and reduce training time. Because the same operator interface can be used on all applications, the FIFE-500 offers a more complete, low-cost solution for mid-web sizes.
Maxcess helps the web handling industry maximize productivity with convenient access to innovative products and services worldwide. By bringing together the leading brands of MAGPOWR, Fife and Tidland, Maxcess has built an unrivaled network of application experts with more than 170 years combined experience to help customers improve efficiency and production quality anywhere in the world.
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|Телеком||ТВ и медиа||Облака||ПО||Кадры|
|ИТ в образовании||ИТ в медицине||Big Data||E-commerce||Спутниковая связь|
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Media groups on lookout for next big thing
|09 июня 2008|
Bigpoint’s sell-out at a rich multiple is another sign of the boom in online gaming. Yet the deal also marks a coming-out party of sorts for Peacock Equity, a venture capital fund launched a year ago by General Electric siblings NBC Universal and GE Commercial Finance.
Peacock made a modest debut last June with a $3m investment in Adify, a start-up that helps media companies create online advertising networks. Less than a year later, that bet paid off handsomely when Adify was sold to Cox Communications for $300m.
Bolstered by that success, GE has since give Peacock authority to exceed its original $250m ceiling. The Bigpoint investment reflects those growing ambitions. It is far larger than the fund’s original deals, which ranged from $5m to $15m. It is also the first that gives Peacock a controlling stake in a company and is its first international deal.
“Our mandate is to invest in spaces that are in some way strategic to the platform of NBC,” Thomas Byrne, Peacock’s managing director, explained.
Peacock is one of several venture funds launched over the years by media and technology companies such as Disney, Time Warner, Hearst, Comcast and Intel, among others. The idea is that such funds can provide their parent companies with access to innovative ideas and products – something that has become particularly important for traditional media companies as they adapt to the internet era.
“They are kind of the eyes and the ears in the market for [these companies] for new technology and new ideas,” said Dan Nova, managing general partner at Highland Capital Partners, a venture capital firm that has invested alongside Disney’s Steamboat Ventures, one of the best-known corporate funds.
For a start-up, such well-connected investors can open the doors to business relations with larger parent companies. One Highland Capital investment, Quigo, a contextual advertising company, sealed deals with Disney’s ESPN division after Steamboat joined its funding. Quigo was subsequently sold to AOL last year for more than $300m.
Hoping to replicate that success, Peacock executives travelled to Silicon Valley soon after the fund’s launch to introduce themselves to venture capital firms all along Sand Hill Road.
The fund has since invested in nine companies, all of which now have operational relationships with its corporate parent. NBC, for example, has the right to sell ads through IGA Worldwide, a Peacock start-up that places ads in video games.
Such funds sometimes stumble. The biggest knock against them is that making strategic investments is not always compatible with the goal of achieving competitive returns and vice versa. Some start-ups also prefer not to be formally aligned with one media company for fear of prejudicing other potential customers.
Peacock executives believe that their joint-venture structure provides an added layer of financial discipline and that their corporate association is more a benefit than a burden to entrepreneurs.
“They understand that we are relationship-driven, and that our focus is to assist in the growth of the underlying company,” Mr Byrne said.


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Posted August 18, 2018 09:19:03It’s been a while since I posted, but this time around I’m happy to announce that the latest video camera stock update will be out tomorrow, August 20.
The update is packed with a number of new features and improvements, as well as a couple of bugs fixed.
In addition to the new camera store and camera images, I’m also releasing a new video camera images plugin for the plugin manager.
This plugin makes it easier for people to import images from the camera store or camera images from plugins.
The new version of the plugin also includes a bunch of bug fixes and a couple other improvements, which should make it a great plugin for any plugin manager out there.
More info: https://www.youtube.com/user/jerusalempost/posts/qk7p6c9l5b3d5d0xk7f7v5zg7b New video camera files: http:/ / youtube.com / search?q=video&s=video%3A%2F%2Fr%2Fi%2FI&ie=UTF8&client=safari&q=&f=%22video%2Flibrary%2Fa%2FToggle%2FSearch%3Fq%2D&sort=byDescending&t=0x100000&src=http%3E%2E%22youtube.gadgets.com%22&clientId=7f6f6e1f6cad0f2c9d5cdf4f1d5ffd4&v=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&client=”safari”&srcUrl=https://youtu.be/qn6jgfjYtWg&clientProfile=&vbPlayer=1 Video camera images: http: / youtube .
com / search ?q=image&s=-video%26F%26fmt%3D4%26type%3Ds%26format%3DD&ie = UTF8&cad=0&rs=19 More info at: http : / youtube / video camera update


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Love to take selfies? Now you can have them in 3-D
Julian Rinaldi knew he was onto something with serious entrepreneurial potential when his shop hadn't even officially opened for business and someone wanted to make a purchase.
The person wanted to buy Rinaldi's father. Well, a 3-D model of him, anyway.
Dressed in a suit and striking a confident pose — albeit standing just 9 inches tall — was Philip Rinaldi, chief executive of Philadelphia Energy Solutions LLC, in the window of his son's storefront on Third Street in Old City. It was such a spot-on likeness that the person passing by recognized him immediately and asked whether the figurine was for sale.
It wasn't. Philip Rinaldi's role was precisely what played out that day: to catch the eye of passersby and lure them into this odd new entrant on a street of start-ups, galleries, restaurants, and shops.
PeoplePrints 3D is believed to be the only business in Philadelphia exclusively devoted to 3-D selfies. They come in three forms: head, half-body, and full-body.
In this era of self-absorption and promotion enabled by Instagram, Snapchat, and other sharing arenas of social commerce, three-dimensional selfies were only a matter of time.
Open since August, PeoplePrints 3D is already profitable, with monthly sales reaching $20,000, exceeding Julian Rinaldi's expectations.
"I get multiple people in here every day saying it's the coolest thing they've ever seen," he said on a recent morning, in a shop whose display cases hold several sizes of himself and others. The native of Bridgewater, N.J., lives in an apartment upstairs.
While he thought 3-D selfies would be a hit with millennials, Rinaldi -- who, at 33, is one of them -- is thrilled that the idea appears to hold even broader appeal.
Fans have included grandparents, grieving pet owners, even a Fishtown guy wanting to make his marriage proposal extra-memorable. He gave his beloved a three-quarter-inch miniature bust of himself on a ring with a white-gold band.
The growth potential is essentially limitless, Rinaldi said: "The market is every person on the planet."
A graduate of the New Jersey Institute of Technology, Rinaldi majored in information technology and envisioned operating some sort of an online business. Instead, he dabbled in many ventures, including helping to open a restaurant, teaching winemaking, creating winemaking equipment, and occasionally arranging charters for his family's yacht.
Then "I kind of saw how 3-D technology was taking off," Rinaldi said. "I really liked the technology and was trying to figure out a way you could make money with it."
Though medicine, architecture, and manufacturing were among the more common 3-D printing applications, "I just thought people would love to have models of themselves," he said. His research uncovered competitors in California and New York and at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn., but no one basing an entire business around it in the Philadelphia area.
Seven blocks west of PeoplePrints 3D, at 10th and Chestnut Streets, BluEdge has offered 3-D selfies at Philly Tech Week the last two years "as kind of a marketing thing … a way to attract a more consumer-based client" to a 118-year-old printing company that has largely served architects, inventors and law firms, said Simonas Indrele, a 3-D consultant there. The business recently changed its name from NRI, or National Reprographics.
One 3-D customer Indrele served was an insurance salesman who got busts made of himself and used them as business cards, his contact information and title printed on his back. Another sent his busts to business meetings he could not attend "so he could be on the table," Indrele recalled.
"Knowing the next generation of smartphones are going to have 3-D cameras built into them," Indrele said, he expects 3-D selfies to proliferate.
Also sensing those prospects, Julian Rinaldi "came up with a business plan and dove right into it" about nine months ago. He found the retail space on Third Street, between Chestnut and Market (a former umbrella shop), bought a full-body scanner consisting of 100 cameras, hired a couple of art-school students with 3-D printing experience, filled the front window with models, and opened for business.
Because of the prohibitive cost of an advanced color 3-D printer -- about $80,000 -- Rinaldi is outsourcing the printing to a company in Long Island City, N.Y., for now. With plans to open another studio store in Philadelphia within six months and one in the suburbs within a year, he said he will likely buy a 3-D printer eventually to create the models in-house. His ultimate goal is to offer franchise opportunities.
Prices, detailed at peopleprints3d.com, range from $35 for a three-quarter-inch bust to a four-person, 9-inch-tall, full-body group for $658. A single 9-inch model goes for $230. Prices include free shipping directly to customers' homes.
Models cannot be made from pictures. Subjects must be photographed (it takes only a few seconds) at PeoplePrints 3D, where artists touch up portraits before they are sent out for printing.
"It's amazing how accurate it is," Michael Cahill, a K-9 officer with the Philadelphia Police Department, said of a 7-inch model of his late partner, Gero, a 10-year-old German shepherd whose replica he had PeoplePrints 3D make in the fall. It was one week before Cahill, 39, a 17-year veteran of the force, had to put down Gero because of cancer.
The model, including the dog's police badge, sits atop the box containing his ashes that Cahill keeps on the mantle of his Northeast Philadelphia home. "I have a ton of pictures of him," Cahill said, "but this is, to a T, him."
That's the way Evan Kushin, 34, of Fishtown, thought of his bust. He incorporated it into one of six whimsical engagement rings he surprised Morgan Kato, 31, with over the course of a week last summer before presenting her with a real diamond.
"I thought it was an interesting and unique idea," said Kushin, a bartender who also works in events production. Evidently, Kato did, too. "She said, 'Yes,' I think seven or eight times."
A variety of requests have been honored, including those wanting to pose wearing only body paint or a bikini. There are limits on the work PeoplePrints 3D can do.
"I get a lot of weight-reduction requests," Rinaldi said. "If I could do that, I would be a lot thinner in my own models."
Calling his son's latest venture "consumer interaction touching the kind of psyches of millennials," father Philip Rinaldi said he has lent his support - and his likeness in a variety of heights - to the cause because "I thought it was a really, really terrific idea."
As an engineer, Philip Rinaldi envisions 3-D printing as "the wave of the future" in industry, and 3-D selfies as a "nice pathway of retail connectivity with young ones."
They're also pretty effective self-awareness tools, he said:
"When I saw how shabby my suit looked, I had to run out to my tailor."


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It is a fact, and data state it: Spanish automotive spare-parts manufacturers are worldwide leaders. They export to more than 170 countries in the five continents, such exports represent more than 58% of their billing.
According to the data presented by the Spanish Association of Automotive Suppliers (SERNAUTO), in 2020 the Spanish automotive components industry suffered a setback in all its indicators, as a result of the crisis caused by the Coronavirus pandemic at a global level.
The automotive sector has been one of the hardest hit by the pandemic. According to estimates by the Spanish Association of Automotive Suppliers (SERNAUTO), the automotive supplier sector will close 2020 with a 15% drop in turnover and a 5% reduction in employment. The internationalization of our companies and their constant effort has made this impact somewhat less than expected, but it is undoubtedly an unprecedented drop.
Do you know that automotive spare-part manufacturers in our country export to the five continents? And, these exports represent more than 58% of Spanish car manufacturers’ billing.


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Decentralized browser launched Brave Brave Ads platform that allows users to earn on viewing advertising. This news appeared on the official website of the company 24 APR. Recall, Brave is a browser open source and support the blockchain. Users can now get 70 percent of advertising revenue as a reward for their viewing.
According to the information provided, payments will be made in the native bitcoin browser Basic Attention Token (BAT). According to the developers, Brave Ads platform is able to link directly to the advertisers and users interested in a particular advertisement. It completely excludes the costs and risks associated with the privacy, security and fraud.
Read also: Brave puts the user 100 thousand BAT, and the app on Android appeared tip.
The company also notes that it cooperated with the charity blockchain consulting startup The Giving Block and a non-profit organization The Human Right Foundation for which users can make donations through the Brave Rewards. Statement in honor of the event was made CEO and co-founder of Brave Software Brendan Eich.
We are launching Brave Ads — the first digital advertising platform that protects user rights on data and rewards them for their time and attention. Brave Ads also aims to improve the Economics and conversion industry of Internet advertising. To publishers and advertisers could exist without intermediaries who charge a huge fee and only follow government and corporate surveillance.
In December last year, the Brave has become the default browser in major smartphone manufacturer HTC. It was preinstalled on the HTC Exodus 1 — the first blockchain-smartphone with support for multiple networks including Bitcoin and Ethereum.
Today, the price of BAT is 42.7 cents, equivalent to an increase of 3.95 percent just in the last day. The current market capitalization of token exceeds 535 million, and daily trading volume yesterday amounted to 99 million.
The post How to earn bitcoin for viewing ads? appeared first on crypto.by.


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The Ghana Rice Inter- Professional Body (GRIB), a national umbrella organization of rice stakeholders, has met with value chain stakeholders of the crop in the Volta and Oti regions to brainstorm on how to add value to rice production.
Mr Abraham Dwuma Odoom, Vice Chairperson, Select Committee on Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs and Member of Parliament for Twifo Atti- Mokwa Constituency, said the meeting was among others, geared towards reducing Ghana’s overdependence on imported rice while making the local cereal production and consumption more appealing to farmers and consumers.
He bemoaned how the nation spent over US$1.5 billion on the importation of rice “when that money can be redistributed among farmers and value chain stakeholders “.
Mr Odoom said that the Volta and Oti regions had the potential of producing rice for Ghana if the challenges confronting the industry were surmounted.
He expressed the hope that with Private Public Partnership (PPP) arrangements in the value chain consisting of input dealers, farmers, millers, tractor service providers to the marketers among others, GRIB would be ready for a smooth take off.
Mr Odoom explained that because of the profit motivating aspect of the private sector and also as an engine of growth, the project would be sustained to make the necessary gains.
Mr Derick Ayeh, President, GRIB, said though rice was the second most popular staple in Ghana after corn, the nation was not ripping the full benefit of the crop due to challenges.
He said one of the major challenges facing rice farmers was the lack of a readily available milling machine for the grain, which leads to many rice harvest going bad, plunging many farmers and marketers into debts.
Mr Ayeh assured stakeholders of government’s plans to acquire solar-powered mills for the farmers by close of next year.
Nana Aka Oppong-Duah, Policy Advisor, John A. Kufuor Foundation, said the Foundation, an advocate for farmers, was ensuring that the value chain system worked seamlessly.
She said in achieving that goal of making Ghana self-sufficient in rice production, an effective collaboration was needed among partners.
GRIB is supported under the rice production module of the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) initiative.


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CJ NowKCON JAPAN 2023 Hits a High Note Attracting Largest Audience Ever of 123K
▶ KCON JAPAN 2023 held for three days between May 12 and 14 at Mahukari Messe was the largest concert ever, recording a cumulative attendance of 480K+ in Japan alone. KCON has established itself as a landmark K-cultural event that you should never miss. (Photo courtesy of CJ ENM.)
CJ ENM successfully concluded KCON JAPAN 2023, the World’s No.1 K-Culture Festival, held at Mahukari Messe for three days between May 12 and 14 and drew a record-breaking audience of 123K+. This was the largest number of people to have visited KCON since it kicked off the first concert in the USA in 2012. KCON JAPAN 2023 broke the previous record of KCON LA 2019 and flaunted the largest scale show ever in the history of KCON. The Japanese audience who flocked to Mahukari Messe enjoyed the K-pop content and watched the top Korean artists’ shows, fully immersing themselves in K-culture. Until today, the cumulative number of people who have attended KCON JAPAN is 480K+. KCON has now established itself as a landmark K-cultural event that you should never miss.
▶ KCON JAPAN 2023, the World’s No.1 K-Culture Festival, ended successfully, drawing a record-breaking audience of 123K+. (Photo courtesy of CJ ENM.)
Largest convention ever! Booths were packed with visitors, making them grasp the power of K-pop.
At the convention held between 10 am and 6 pm for three days, 169 programs with 259 booths were held successfully, spanning a vast spectrum of topics from K-pop to food, lifestyle, beauty, and fashion. According to a CJ ENM representative, they even had to rent another hall thanks to the enormous amount of interest among Japanese toward the convention. This year, in particular, visitors had more opportunities to explore K-culture firsthand, by becoming a real “KCONer” in a journey across K-pop and K-culture. For example, there was a section where a K-pop artist conducts a test on K-food preference recommendations, visits the Food Zone in person, and plays a bingo game using K-food items. There was also a zone with a replica of the lead character’s room in a K-drama series, True Beauty, which was a huge hit among Japanese Millennials and Gen Z. In the room, visitors could pretend to be the lead character of the drama. Apart from this, many companies joined KCON and instead of simply displaying their latest innovations, they arranged booths at which visitors could get a hands-on experience with their products. This created long lines in front of each booth, demonstrating the wide appeal of K-culture. One female visitor to the convention in her twenties said with excitement, “I did not hesitate to visit KCON when I heard that the second KCON is being held after last year. I enjoy eating K-food, and today, I had a cheese hotdog there. I also visited the booth of my favorite artist.”
K-collection was also held in collaboration with the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) and the Korea Foundation for Cooperation of Large and Small Business, Rural Affairs (KOFCA) to support SMEs having difficulty entering the overseas market on their own. That is, KCON now serves as a foothold for Korean companies when they seek to make inroads into the oversea market as the event has now become a landmark of K-culture. The government and the private sector have teamed up to create an opportunity for a total of 40 businesses, including 22 beauty companies, 10 daily necessities companies, 6 food companies, and 2 fashion companies, to meet KCON participants in person and introduce their products. This was more than a simple promotional event though as it was also an export fair in connection with KCON, supporting Korean companies to expand their export channels. In particular, Young Poong Inc. succeeded in signing an over JPY 500 million deal with a local buyer. A Young Poong representative said, “We appreciate having a chance to promote Young Poong through the extraordinary platform, KCON, and also put up a great export performance.” A boy band ATEEZ was appointed the ambassador to K-collection at KCON JAPAN 2023 and helped promising SMEs increase their export channels through KCON.
▶ 169 programs with 259 convention booths that cover K-pop, food, lifestyle, beauty, and fashion were held successfully, drawing flocks of KCON audiences. (Photo courtesy of CJ ENM.)
KCON captivates Gen Z of Japan, collaborating with Tokyo Girls Collection for the first time, giving visitors an opportunity to meet top K-pop artists in person.
On the second day, on Saturday, May 13, a joining event was held together with Tokyo Girls Collection, the largest fashion festival in Japan, which received a fervent response. Not only the country’s top model affiliated with Tokyo Girls Collection, but also artists appearing at KCON, including CSR, DXTEEN, KINGDOM, PURPLE KISS, STAYC, and 8TURN, took to the stage for a one-of-a-kind fashion event. A talk show and a fashion show were also held, showing the latest trends and lifestyles of Seoul and Tokyo. A male visitor in his twenties who watched the Tokyo Girls Collection said, “It was a unique experience because I could enjoy a famous Japanese festival at KCON. It was interesting and cool to see K-pop artists walking on the runway as models.”
An extensive array of events held at the Mahukari Messe convention center generated more excitement by making it easier to approach local fans via K-pop. The venue was filled with interactive, audience-oriented programs. For instance, K-pop artists appeared not only on the main stage, KCON Stage, but also on Connecting Stage, and Dance All Day to join a workshop together with fans or stage performances. At MEET & GREET, the signature KCON content, as many as 18 top artists, including ATEEZ, ENHYPEN, ITZY, Kep1er, LE SSERAFIM, THE BOYS, and ZEROBASEONE, joined the event and reached out to fans.
▶ The performances at KCON JAPAN 2023 loaded with special stage designs and signature stages were not only aired in Korea, but also across the world, and were enjoyed by 5.67 million viewers online. (Photo courtesy of CJ ENM)
The greatest show by top K-pop artists, a feast of performances that fascinated K-pop fans worldwide!
The Japanese audience’s love for K-pop is hotter than ever before. The amount of music album exports to Japan last year topped KRW 300 billion, posting the highest ever in history. Japan is also the country with an overwhelmingly higher amount of music album exports than any other country or region in the world. (Source: Export and import trade statistics, Korea Customer Service.) KCON JAPAN 2023 also had a stellar lineup of artists to fulfill the immense expectations and enthusiasm of Japanese fans.
KCON JAPAN 2023 heated Mahukari Messe, filling the stage with special stage designs and signature stages that have not been seen anywhere else. On the first day, the curtains opened on an exclusive collaboration featuring a powerful performance from solo artist YENA; Hikaru from the girl band Kep1er; Suh Young Eun; RIO, Maya, and Rima from NiziU; ISA, SEEUN, and YOON from STAYC. On the Dream Stage, STAYC and LE SSERAFIM gave an emotional performance with fans who had passed an audition held at the convention center stage on May 12-13. From NiziU, a girl band enjoying an enormous amount of popularity in Japan, INI, and JO1, to new artists and top boy bands joined the stage, making fans go wild nonstop for three days. ZEROBASEONE, a fifth-generation K-pop boy band that was formed after having been selected by star creators from 184 countries and regions through Mnet BOYS PLANET made their debut at this year’s KCON. Although they have not officially debuted yet, they have already proven their popularity in both Korea and Japan. They sang “Say My Name” the song they performed in the competition, and the show’s theme song, “Here I Am” in a nine-member version for which they received a rave response. According to CJ ENM, more than 5.6 million people watched KCON JAPAN 2023 online, which was broadcast in Korea and worldwide.
Shim Joon-beom, Head of Music Content at CJ ENM, said, “With KCON JAPAN 2023, we wanted to reach out to the Japanese audience and take a step closer through K-pop. I am thrilled that KCON seems to have established itself as a landmark event for K-culture, encompassing food, beauty, and fashion, as we have expanded the scale of the convention through KCON. Going forward, KCON will spearhead the effort to spread K-culture in every corner of the world.”
KCON is a combination of a K-pop show (Show) and Convention and is an event through which visitors can experience the Korean lifestyle firsthand. Since the first KCON was held in 2012, KCON has since crisscrossed the global stage, including Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and Latin America. So far, KCON has drawn a cumulative offline audience of more than 1.48 million. Following Thailand in March and Japan in May, KCON will be held at Crypto.com Arena and LA Convention Center in the USA in August.


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Amazon got a whopping $2.5 billion in stock options and dividends last year, but it also paid $9.2 billion in bonuses, according to its annual employee engagement survey.
The company, which announced its first annual employee benefit report in December, reported $2 billion cash bonuses and $1.7 billion in other stock awards.
It also reported $1 billion in non-cash employee compensation and deferred compensation for the year ending in March, the company said.
The bonuses and deferred stock awards will be paid in a lump sum on Jan. 6.
The company’s annual employee compensation survey was completed in February and the final results were released in May.
The employee engagement report included an analysis of employee engagement rates.
Employees are about 50 percent more likely to say they are engaged than when the company began offering its employee benefits in 2011.
Amazon employees said the benefits increased their work productivity, saved time and saved money.
Amazon’s annual compensation survey showed an average compensation increase of 4 percent for full-time workers and 1 percent for part-time employees.
The report shows that about 1 in 3 employees surveyed said they had been a customer at Amazon for more than three years.
The average employee satisfaction rating was 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Amazon is among a growing number of companies offering employee benefits.
In February, Amazon’s employee benefits announced the first of a series of employee benefits that include stock options, tax deductions, stock-based compensation and pension plans.
Amazon also recently started offering employee 401(k) retirement plans and the Employee Stock Purchase Plan, which gives workers up to $1,000 a year in retirement benefits.


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Another brokerage sees better than expected shipments of BlackBerry’s flagship BB10 smartphones, with RBC Dominion Securities saying the performance will put the company in the black this fiscal year.
In a research note to investors Tuesday, RBC analysts Mark Sue and Paul Treiber boosted their BB10 shipment estimates for the fiscal first quarter ended June 1 to 3.5 million units, from 2.75 million.
BlackBerry, which expects its name change from Research In Motion to be completed after its annual meeting this summer, is to report the quarter’s results on June 28.
RBC cited expanded distribution of the devices using the new BlackBerry 10 operating system to 170 carriers in 72 countries, from 60 in 40 countries previously amid a staged rollout.
It revised its forecast for calendar year shipments to 14 million BlackBerry 10 devices, an increase from 11 million.
“In aggregate, we see BB10 sell-through increasing as distribution expands,” the RBC analysts said.
“Demand appears to be mixed by region; Canada, the U.K. and the Middle East are seeing the strongest BB10 sell-through. The U.S., where BlackBerry has a diminished consumer presence, is seeing slower sell-through.
“With higher BB10 revenue and 40 per cent gross margins [reflecting the premium pricing for the BB10 line], we expect BlackBerry to be profitable FY14, overcoming higher promotional expenses.
“Cash flow may break even this quarter considering working capital requirements for the new launches,” they added in a note that predicted a 35 cent (U.S.) per share profit in fiscal 2014, compared to RBC’s earlier forecast of a four cent loss.
BlackBerry shares, which have risen 20 per cent this year versus a 16 per cent gain for the Nasdaq telecom index, were up 3.1 per cent midday on the Nasdaq at $14.75. The RBC analysts have an $18 price target on the stock.
The stock surged more than 6 per cent last week after Société Générale raised its first quarter sales outlook to five million units compared to the consensus analyst estimate for BB10 sales of three to four million.
Wall Street analysts including Peter Misek of Jefferies Research says sales of the physical keyboard, touch screen Q10 have been better than expected, while shipments of the all-touch screen Z10 have slowed amid intense competition from a range of new touch phones.
Misek in a note last week said demand for the Q10 among diehard keyboard enthusiasts will help BlackBerry beat earnings estimates for the May quarter.
RBC said a positive BlackBerry earnings report could lift the Waterloo company’s shares as short investors, those betting on a decline, move to cover their positions. But it said the company’s outlook remains murky given the price cutting in the smartphone market and declines in company’s subscriber base over the past two quarters.


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Welcome to the Sunday Giveaway, the place where we giveaway a new Android phone each and every Sunday!
A big congratulations to last week’s winner of the OnePlus 5 International Giveaway: Tan H. (Malaysia).
This week we are giving away a brand new Google Pixel XL!
The Google Pixel XL features a 5.5-inch Quad HD AMOLED display, Qualcomm’s powerful Snapdragon 821 processor, 4 GB of RAM, and either 32 or 128 GB of on-board storage. Its 12.3 MP rear-facing camera is one of the best on the market, and it comes with the Google Assistant built in, the new AI assistant that also powers Google Home.
Want to learn more about the Pixel XL? Check out some related coverage below:
Google Pixel XL International Giveaway!
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After the pandemic caused by the Covid-19 virus and the World Health Organization decreed a mandatory quarantine, the public opted to shop online. Several companies evolved and started running their business online. This situation fueled the growth of companies like Shopify.
Shopify is a Canadian-based company founded in 2006, its role is to help businesses create and manage their online stores by providing online sales tools and also helps with order delivery. Normally, Shopify charges a monthly fee to merchants to access its services.
Faced with the global landscape at hand, Shopify CEO, Tobi Lütke, made a projection of the business’ expansion in which he admitted he was overly optimistic. Lütke led the company to make several hires to grow the workforce and cope with the expected high demand.
The CEO acknowledged that this thinking was wrong because, by the end of 2021, Shopify’s workforce had grown to 10,000 people. Now, Shopify is planning to cut about 10% of its workforce, focusing on functions that are too specialized or duplicated.
The company reported its results for the second quarter of 2022, and Shopify posted a loss even though its revenue increased. Compared to a profit of $0.22 per share a year earlier, Shopify had an adjusted loss that came in at $0.03 per share during the second quarter of the year.
The e-commerce company’s total revenue increased 16% year-on-year to $1.3 billion. Meanwhile, monthly recurring revenue was driven by merchant growth on Shopify’s platform, rising 13% to $107.2 million.
Similarly, revenue from subscription solutions grew 10% to $366.4 million, and merchant solutions revenue was positioned 18% higher at $928.6 million. “While commerce through offline channels grew faster in the second quarter, where our exposure is smaller but growing, we continue to see increased adoption of our solutions,” said Shopify’s CFO, Amy Shapero. This “enables our merchants to remain nimble in the face of a challenging macro environment and underscores the breadth and resilience of our business model,” she added.
Shopify’s environment is optimistic heading into the second half of 2022. The revenue outlook looks favorable for the upcoming period of the year. There is a strong likelihood that more merchants will join Shopify during this period.
Year-over-year revenue growth in the Merchant Solutions segment is speculated to outpace revenue in the Subscription Solutions segment for the entire year of 2022. Shopify Fulfillment, Shop Pay Installments, Shopify Markets, Shopify Capital, and Shopify Payments are the solutions that will help with this boost.
According to some specialists, Shopify shares have a potential upside of more than 20%. For example, Kenneth Wong of Oppenheimer, recommends buying the company’s stock. His price target is $45, with an upside potential of 25.3%. Wong asserts that “Shopify is best positioned to capitalize on the continued shift in consumer spending toward personalized online and nuanced channels.”
The overall rating given to Shopify’s stock is a “moderate buy.” The average price is $43.38 and has a potential upside of 20.8%. The company closed Thursday’s trading session with its stock up nearly 2%.
Do you think it is a good time to invest in Shopify’s stock?
Make sure to stay up to date with the latest news of the financial world with our NewsFlight newsletter.


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Do you want to give your feedback as we revise our standard setting process? But feel like you need more information on how our standard is changing? Then make sure you register for our upcoming webinars! Taking place next week on Thursday 11 and Friday 12 May, these webinars will introduce and explain the main changes to PEFC ST 1001 – the standard governing our standard setting requirements. There will also be an open question and answer session – make sure you register now so you don’t miss out. We’re holding the webinar twice, at two different times, to ensure everybody around the world can take part: Thursday 11 May, from 3:00 - 4:00 PM (CEST) & Friday 12 May, from 9:00 – 10:00 AM (CEST). click Read More below for additional detail
Today UPM celebrates its 20th anniversary in China with a ceremony at the national booth of Finland at the China International Import EXPO (CIIE) together with government officials from Finland and China, business partners and customers. During the ceremony, Jussi Pesonen, President and CEO of UPM and Bernd Eikens, Executive Vice President of UPM Specialty Papers shared UPM’s continued commitment and vision for the Chinese market.
In the past 20 years, UPM has invested more than USD 2 billion in China, which is the single largest investment from Finland. UPM’s environmental investments amount to USD 80 million.
“UPM has witnessed the development of China’s economy; which provides great potential for all of us,” says Jussi Pesonen.
“Today, we can proudly say that China plays an increasingly strategic role in UPM’s global development. As China continues its transformation towards a green economy, we provide the most innovative and responsible forest-based solutions that support sustainable development.”
The Biofore Concept Car showcases a future beyond fossils
UPM’s strong focus on sustainability and innovation is fully displayed at CIIE, through its cutting-edge Biofore Concept Car which was exhibited at the national booth of Finland. The car is made out of UPM’s innovative and renewable forest-based materials, showcasing the “UPM Biofore – Beyond Fossils” brand promise to Chinese stakeholders.
more at: https://www.upm.com/About-us/Newsroom/Releases/Pages/Rooted-in-China-for-20-years,-UPM-Reaffirms-its-‘Beyond-Fossils’-promise-001-Thu-08-Nov-2018-10-33.aspx


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Nokia just launched its Ovi cellphone App Store globally, but rather than the fanfare-laden success it should’ve been, the launch was marred by site crashes and server lock-ups.
The Ovi App service launched over the weekend in a few countries around the World, and today is the big launch event for the store globally. According to the Finnish cellphone giant, the store is accessible to over 50 million Nokia handset users across the world, and is compatible with more than 50 cellphones–including the upcoming N97 smartphone. It looks like there are some 1,200 apps in total for the “all phones” category within the Store, and they’re broken down in to the usual games/applications/personalization sub-categories.
Nokia just didn’t have the infrastructure in place to properly support the store’s launch event. Numerous online sources cited that the site was down or broken, with apps appearing and disappearing and with login difficulties for customers who already have an Ovi account.
Nokia responded to TechCrunch: “Shortly after launching the Ovi Store at 2 am ET, we began experiencing extraordinarily high spikes of traffic that resulted in some performance issues for users accessing store.ovi.com and store.ovi.mobi. We immediately began to address this issue by adding servers, which resulted in intermittent performance improvements. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused Ovi Store users and encourage you to continue giving us feedback as we develop the service further.”
That’s basically an admission that they weren’t properly prepared for the launch event. How could the number one cellphone manufacturer not expect a rush to its Web site? Whether that bodes well for the future of the site or not is unclear. But since it’s clearly designed to tackle the success of Apple’s iTunes App Store, it’s a pretty embarrassing slip-up from the start and something that should be fixed when it launches in the U.S. for AT&T customers later in the year.


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$25,900 3D Copier Makes Real Objects
Z Corporation has developed a printer than can generate 3D copies of objects placed inside.
Z Corporation today revealed the first automated, monochrome 3D printer, costing consumers a whopping $29,500 USD. The monster of a machine takes normal copying to a different level by creating actual objects up to 8 x 10 x 8 inches in size. While the new ZPrinter 350 definitely isn't a Replicator capable or recreating a cup of tea or a Klingon's favorite dish, this new device is certainly a step in the right direction.
So why would anyone need a 3D printer? Engineers would put it to good use, making a physical copy of a current prototype before going back to the drawing board to modify the original. Although the ZPrinter 350 only provides one color (white), consumers can preserve complex geometries and intricate details before making alterations. It's like making copies of a virtual model before applying the textures.
“The ZPrinter 350 gives a lot more engineering departments access to advanced 3D printing technology at a value price,” said Z Corporation CEO John Kawola. “ZPrinting is going to improve the quality of their products, speed their development processes, and ultimately help the bottom line.”
The company said that the new 3D printer uses snap-in binder cartridges, and will recycle the unused, office-safe building materials. However don't expect the machine to magically create the copy in mere seconds: the 3D copier has a vertical build speed of .08-inches per hour.


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AMS AG, an Austrian maker of high-tech sensors, has upped its bid for Osram Light AG to €3.7 billion ($4.2 billion).
Bloomberg News says offer to buy Osram at €38.50 per share puts AMS back into the fight for the Munich-based lighting supplier. Last week Osram rejected a bid of €35 per share from U.S. private equity firms Bain Capital and Carlyle Group.
AMS’s offer is similar to one it made but withdrew last month. AMS says its new proposal addresses “valid concerns” made by Munich-based Osram. Financial giant Allianz SE owns stakes in both companies and objected to the Bain-Carlyle offer as too low.
Osram was created when it was spun off from Siemens AG in 2013. The company has become a takeover target after a tiff with Siemens and a series of profit warnings.
Bloomberg says AMS proposes to sell some of Osram’s operations, including its nonautomotive digital division. Osram’s management aims to secure a deal by Sept. 5 but must win approval from 70% of its shareholder to do so.
Dan Nicholson is vice president of General Motors Global Propulsion Systems, the organization that had been “GM Powertrain” for 24 years.
Although the RAV4 has plenty of heritage in the small crossover segment, competition has gotten a whole lot tougher, so Toyota has made significant changes to the fourth-generation model.
The Lexus ES sedan is more than just an offering within the company’s lineup.


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Ownership of Sandberg Translation Partners is now in the hands of its employees — more than 100 of them.
The UK-based language service provider (LSP) was previously owned by sole shareholders Jesper Sandberg and Anu Carnegie-Brown, and became an employee-owned trust (EOT) in May 2023.
Sandberg is a Nordic language specialist that works for hundreds of other LSPs around the world. Focusing on this niche, the company has grown to revenues of GBP 7.3m (USD 8.8m) in 2022 and a staff size of ca. 120.
Although EOTs are not the most conventional exit path for LSP owners, they are a viable option for business owners in the UK (as well as the US) and have been growing in popularity since the UK government introduced the scheme in 2014.
Sandberg’s Executive Chairman, Jesper Sandberg, told Slator a holding company (STP Group) owns the trading company (Sandberg Translation Company Ltd), which also owns Sandberg’s Bulgarian subsidiary. The new EOT now owns 100% of the shares in the holding company.
The holding company “doesn’t really serve any purpose now [but] it was set up in the past when we had intentions of acquiring other LSPs outside the UK,” he said.
A Lesson in Succession
Formulating an exit plan usually takes a significant amount of time, whichever route one pursues. Sandberg said he has “spent the last ten years trying to prepare for my eventual retirement and during that time have considered it my duty to thoroughly investigate all options.”
He added, “While we’ve had plenty of PE interest over the years and had a pretty decent offer at one stage, we’ve been drawn to this [EOT] solution because of how much control it gives us while gradually reducing our working hours over several years and eventually retiring. Of course, the tax incentive offered by the UK government also helps.”
According to Sandberg, “Our business model has meant that there would only ever be a fairly small likelihood of attracting PE investment or a bigger MLV buying us. That left me to consider a management buyout and now finally the EOT solution, which I think is perfect for us.”
Discussing the company’s new future as an EOT, Sandberg said he expects upsides in the areas of employee recruitment, retention, motivation, performance, job satisfaction, as well as being able to recognize employees’ commitment in “both financial and non-financial ways.”
Sandberg also had this tip for other business owners considering a sale: “Take their good time to prepare their business for a sale and carefully consider all possibilities. After all, it’s probably the biggest financial transaction of their life.” He also recommended engaging expert consultants to run the process and said he was advised by Baxendale Employee Ownership.
An Industry Beyond Recognition
Like numerous current LSP CEOs and owners, Sandberg started out in the 1990s as a translator. He has witnessed the evolution of translation technology and the maturing of the language industry first-hand over three decades.
On the topic of technology, Sandberg said “the words ‘beyond recognition’ spring to mind” when comparing the productivity tools of the time (e.g., Trados version 1) with “the incredibly complex software environments that today’s translators have to master.”
Moreover, the advent of “free, decent machine translation for general communication purposes” has to be “one of the greatest things achieved within our sector,” he observed.
Meanwhile, Sandberg said the language services industry is now “quite ‘mature’ in commercial terms” with “more people making a living in our sector than was the case 30 years ago.”
Sandberg has been gradually reducing his working hours in recent years (for which he credits MD Carnegie-Brown’s leadership and business management), down to one day a week on average. He plans to continue as Executive Chairman “for a good few years still, working on high-level aspects of the business and serving as a brand ambassador at industry events.”