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Nov 2 – Electronic manufacturing services (EMS) company PIE Industrial Bhd is on track to hit a new milestone of RM1 billion in revenue this year, supported by strong contract flows, including those from customers of Foxconn Technology Group.
“RM1 billion is an important milestone for us. Once hit, it will be much easier to continue with this momentum. I believe we can attract more customers with our reputation, capability and capacity,” PIE’s managing director Alvin Mui Chung Meng tells The Edge in an interview.
He reveals that the target revenue for next year is in fact substantially higher at RM1.3 billion, with demand supported by a customer transferred from Taiwan’s Foxconn, the world’s largest EMS firm.
PIE is 51.42%-owned by Taiwan’s Pan-International Industrial Corp, which in turn is 27.33%-held by Foxconn, more formally known as Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd.
“In 2019, manufacturers were moving out from China due to the trade war between the US and China. Foxconn asked us to take over some businesses they were doing in China. We had expected the commencement of production in early 2020. [Unfortunately], a lockdown began in March 2020 and the customer had to leave [Malaysia] and the whole programme was suspended until August last year, (when) the customer gave us conditional approval to proceed with production. We were lucky with having this new customer.”
Mui observes that revenue was higher despite the Movement Control Order (MCO) and that this year, “we should be able to hit RM1 billion with the new customer”.
The additional business was reflected in its results last year as PIE recorded its best-ever revenue of RM686.36 million, from RM659.34 million in 2019, while net profit grew 24.7% to RM45.6 million from RM36.56 million despite a dismal first half.
For the first half of 2021, PIE posted a net profit of RM24.32 million against a net loss of RM2.57 million in the previous corresponding period, as revenue more than doubled to RM498.55 million from RM212.06 million previously.
Mui points out that demand for industrial products is promising and that Malaysia continues to be a favourite location for manufacturing and receives a lot of business enquiries.
Although its previous focus was on low-volume jobs for original equipment manufacturer (OEM) customers, PIE is now looking to clinch more medium to high-volume job contracts to bump up sales revenue.
While margins are typically higher for low-volume jobs, he assures that net margin levels of 5% to 6% will not be compromised. “At the same time, we need to depend more on automation, especially for high-volume products,” he says.
One of PIE’s strengths is its vertical integration capabilities in a wide range of components including printed circuit board assembly, injection moulding, lens, cable and wire, metal stamping and box assembly.
“We are able to produce different electronic products according to the design by our customers. It is not difficult to be an EMS company, but you must have something special. At PIE, many processes are produced by ourselves, so we don’t need to buy from third parties. For example, we have the plastic injection division to produce different plastic parts,” Mui explains.
The EMS segment contributes more than 80% to its top line, while the remainder is derived from the manufacture of wires and cables for various industrial applications, as well as wire harness and cable assembly in Thailand.
Customers include those in the telco, household products, computer and peripherals, industrial and medical segments. In total, PIE has about 50 customers, with five to six key ones accounting for 70% of sales revenue.
“The market is very big for us as almost everything uses electronic components. We don’t want to limit ourselves to just one segment of the industry,” Mui emphasises.
Already operating four plants in Penang and one in Thailand, PIE acquired another plant in Penang in April as part of its expansion plan. The cost of RM18 million is part of its capital expenditure allocation of RM150 million for 2021 and 2022.
The new plant, with a built-up of 150,000 sq ft, is expected to be operational in the second half of next year.
Plans to undertake wire harness activity for EVs
Asked if PIE has plans to venture into the electric vehicle (EV) space, Mui says he hopes it will be able to tap into this segment as Foxconn is involved in wire harness jobs for EVs. “As EV is the game changer, if Foxconn becomes the main player, we definitely have a good chance to undertake wire harness activity for EVs.”
Foxconn last week unveiled its first three EV prototypes in a bid to diversify from its main role of building consumer electronics for Apple Inc and other technology firms.
Having Foxconn as an indirect substantial shareholder also has some advantages for PIE in terms of raw material purchases.
“Foxconn is not involved in our daily operations. But we can approach them to get the necessary support and help. Being the world’s biggest EMS company, Foxconn has very strong purchasing power. We can get the same contract price if we use the same components as them,” says Mui of Foxconn.
PIE’s main raw materials are copper, PVC, resin and integrated circuits.
Apart from that, he says the cable division adjusts selling prices every month based on the average price of copper.
“That will not affect our business. In fact, when the price of copper increases, it will benefit us as customers will load more orders to lock in the price first.”
Mui describes the labour shortage as more pressing than the chip shortage or rising raw material prices. As there has been no approval for the intake of foreign labour in the past two years, its foreign labour workforce has reduced considerably to 50% from 80%. PIE’s net cash position has built up over the years to RM20.5 million as at end-June.
Kenanga Research has a “buy” call on the counter with a target price of RM4.15, representing a potential 14.3% upside from its closing price of RM3.63 last Friday. Year to date, the stock is up 50%.
Source: Edge Weekly


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When it comes to the early adoption and lasting impact of new technologies for linear television, the record is spotty at best. Despite feverish pronouncements about 3D and VR being “the future of television,” and sizable investments from major players, neither development proved to move the needle significantly for the medium. (To be fair, there are those who say the jury is still out regarding VR).
The latest acronym to create a stir for content creators and distributors in the TV business and beyond is NFT (non-fungible token). Effectively a digital collectible but also potentially much more, the NFT is one of the first notable markers in the evolution from Web2 — where the primary functions have been reading, writing and communicating — to Web3, which adds ownership to the mix.
That’s part of the message delivered by Scott Greenberg, CEO of Fox-funded Blockchain Creative Labs, and multiplatform content producer Danielle Lauren during a session at MIPTV in Cannes on Tuesday (April 4), which tackled the question: “What place do NFTs have in TV?” Judging from the well-attended discussion, the answer appears to be one of complementing and community-building for linear TV properties, while also promising potential disruption for distribution and IP ownership models.
In June of last year, Fox unveiled its entry into the NFT sweepstakes via the formation of Blockchain Creative Labs, established out of a partnership with Greenberg’s Bento Box Entertainment. The new division came out of the gate with US$100 million in seed funding. Since then, the unit has delivered the “MaskVerse,” billed by Fox as the official NFT marketplace and community for The Masked Singer (pictured); and, in time for SXSW, created a similar experience for Dolly Parton to hype her first novel and its companion album, Run, Rose, Run.
It’s therefore understandable that Greenberg would be an NFT evangelist, but during the MIPTV discussion he balanced the palpable optimism he has for the technology with a measured look at what it’s currently being used for, and where it can go. Citing the example of how American Idol helped usher texting into the mainstream for its audience, he said entertainment properties will have a similar impact on the adoption of NFTs for audiences, while creators should be more interested in how the tech can put them back in the driver’s seat when it comes to IP exploitation.
While he said he believes the digital collectible market is “a bubble” and “overvalued,” Greenberg maintained that NFTs tied to programming with “sticky audiences” (such as The Masked Singer) provide an innovative approach to both building fan communities and extending the brand beyond broadcast. And, for a content creator, the ability to store rights information and royalty tracking within the chain should also be extremely attractive.
“You’re not going to be dealing with the studio accountants,” he said. “Everything is open and verifiable.
“In Web2, everything is free in exchange for our data,” he added. “In Web3, we get our data back.”
As a producer, Lauren echoed the importance of that aspect, comparing the trading of NFTs to the “old-world” method of art dealing. If Damien Hirst, for example, sold a painting for $1 million, and then the buyer eventually resold it for $5 million, Hirst wouldn’t partake in the profits. But for content creators, the potential exists for an NFT to be the gift that keeps on giving.
Still, it takes work and effective strategy to not only create content worth trading and sharing, but to build and maintain the communities around the work, and the broadcast properties it might be connected with.
“I think of an NFT as a digital key, and you can use it to unlock things… it starts to be about being relationships and communities,” offered Lauren. “People are meeting in the real world because they have this shared interest in whatever this property is.
“The community expects a long-term investment because they’re investing in you,” she added. “You can’t put something up for a season. This is the first time when audiences are really empowered.”

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The iPad age is over: The time of the iPad Mini and phablet is upon us
But the wearables epoch is a way off as only 10m will sell in 2014 says Deloitte
The age of the iPad is over, as tablets like the iPad Mini that sport screens of eight-and-a-half or fewer inches will out-sell their larger brethren and come to represent the largest population of in-use fondleslabs around the world.
So says global consultancy Deloitte in its annual Technology, Media and Telecommunications predictions report, issued today, which also says phablets are so hot right now they will outsell TVs in Asia during 2014.
Deloitte says the low price of smaller tablets is the reason for their surge, but that the low-powered, dimly-screened and wimpy-CPU-bearing devices sold cheap find roles doing one or two things around the home. The larger screens and greater horsepower of what it calls “classic” tablets see them retain their position as premium devices that are used for multiple roles at home and in the office.
Watching video and conducting e-commerce, Deloitte said, are less likely to happen on a cheap and small tablet because their screen size makes complex chores tricky. That's not entirely bad news for the likes of Google and Amazon, as punters turn to cheap 'slabs because they can serve as e-readers, thereby ensuring they still represent a conduit to content purchasing. But it also goes some way towards explaining why Apple crams so many pixels and fancy CPUs into the iPad Mini: the better the screen, the greater the chance of more content purchases.
The consultancy also offered some opinions on wearable gadgets and the news is not stellar: just 10m are expected to sell in 2014 and 4m of those will be smart glasses. Smart watches won't happen, the firm said, because early adopters of gadgets are mostly young folks who collectively aren't keen on wrist-mounted timepieces. Fitness gadgets will continue to do alright.
Smart glasses, it was suggested, will be the subject of serious scrutiny by business, either for in-house use for safety and rapid information delivery apps, or as a target for creation of tools like augmented reality apps for tourists.
The report also says that phablets – phones with screens five inches or larger – have already grabbed 25 per cent of the smartphone market. The devices do especially well in Asia and the Middle East, partly because their larger screens make it easier to input and read text in Hindi, Arabic or Mandarin. Asian consumers also love both gaming and mobile video and phablets are a better platform on which to enjoy both than a smartphone.
The firm therefore expects more phablets than TVs to to ship in Asia during 2014.
The news isn't all good for smartphones and tablets: Deloitte says refresh cycles are slowing as punters hang on to their gadgets for longer, a reflection of their increasing price and sophistication. ®


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When it comes to smartphone operating systems, iOS and Android are clearly dominating, with smaller operating systems such as Windows Phone and Blackberry 10 falling behind. With that being said, do we really need another operating system in the mix? We know that Samsung has been working on their Tizen operating system but will it see the same amount of success iOS and Android have? Perhaps with the backing of Samsung and their reputation it just might, but we will have to wait and find out. The question is, when can we expect to start seeing Tizen powered smartphones? Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Samsung’s newly appointed co-CEO JK Shin has revealed that we can look forward to Samsung releasing a Tizen smartphone in Q3 this year.
Shin stated that Samsung is currently in the process of merging Bada (another Samsung operating system) with Tizen (developed by Samsung and Intel), and a Q3 release is likely. We’re not sure what kind of hardware we are looking at or what sort of experience to expect, but it should be noted that Samsung will not be alone in their release. Fujitsu and NEC have been reported to have jumped aboard the Tizen bandwagon as well, although we will have to wait until 2014 to see the fruits of their labor. What say you, will Tizen be able to compete with the likes of iOS and Android?


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Merchant acquirer and payments technology and services provider for SMBs, TransFirst, owned by buyout firm Vista Equity Partners, has filed for an IPO. Shares to be listed on the Nasdaq under the symbol “TF” with an IPO size of $100 million.
TransFirst has inked a strategic sales partnership with PatientPay, an online practice management and payment technology for healthcare practices.
CardWeb.com’s CardData database of Company Profiles today features TransFirst.
ACI Worldwide announced that Ohio-based Franklin University has selected ACI to power its online payments. Franklin University wanted a proven payment provider with technology that required no additional programming to integrate with the University’s ERP system. It also wanted technology that provided a low total cost of ownership. ACI’s electronic payment solutions and integrated strategic partnerships with wide-ranging ERP providers made it the ideal payment partner for the University.ACI is a market leader in providing electronic payment solutions to colleges and universities with more than 300 higher education institutions in the United States and Puerto Rico utilizing its payment processing solutions.
Clutch announced a new loyalty solution for Amazon Webstore merchants letting them use the Clutch Customer Success (CS) platform to issue customer loyalty program rewards and enable rewards redemption during checkout. The Clutch CS platform is a suite of modular solutions for loyalty, rewards, consumer analytics, gift, social and promotional engagement, and mobility capabilities that drives customer insight, segmentation, recognition and engagement. The platform increases customer retention as well as the value of existing customers through effective, relevant marketing programs to optimize desired customer response and brand goals. Merchants can work with Clutch to configure its loyalty program on the Clutch CS platform and integrate it with their Amazon Webstore account.
Virtual Piggy, Inc., provider of Oink, the award-winning payment technology for families and teens, today announced that it has partnered with commerce solutions provider Gorilla Group. Oink is the only payment technology designed to allow retailers and game publishers to reach under 21 consumers in a safe, legal and effective manner compliant with the FTC and other international regulations. This innovative technology serves as a digital family wallet that is available online or via mobile and allows safe, secure transactions – all within parental controls.
Cypress Semiconductor announced Ezetap mPOS solutions is using Cypress’s “CapSense Express” controllers in the world’s first capacitive-touch-based PIN-pad in its new MPOS device. The CY8CMBR2016 matrix keypad solution provides the Ezetap MPOS device with a durable user interface, helping it to pass all of the stringent EMVCo and PCI global certifications required for PIN entry devices. Consumer electronics and home appliances have rapidly been transitioning from mechanical buttons to capacitive touch controls. The EMV and PCI certifications are extremely strict due to the need to protect customer PINs against a broad range of attacks, while ensuring compatibility across a range of payment cards. Ezetap was able to go from concept, to certification, to manufacturing in less than a year.
Elan Financial Services added to the panel of credit union leaders who regularly meet to share with Elan their insights into the credit union industry. These include Donna Alley Myers, Vice President, Consumer & Indirect Lending at Tennessee Valley Federal Credit Union based in Tennessee; Allan Stevens, Vice President of Lending at Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union based in Pennsylvania and Leslie Bumgarner, CEO at Telhio Credit Union based in Ohio. Elan Financial Services serves 300 credit unions with best-in-class credit card products and rewards that meet the unique needs of every customer. Elan’s end-to-end solution also includes card servicing and marketing as well as branch support.
Chase Sapphire Preferred travel rewards card and Bravo Media co-hosted the “Top Chef Masters” Season 5 Premiere Tasting Event, July 16, in New York City. “Top Chef Masters” host Curtis Stone, new head critic Gail Simmons and eleven critically-acclaimed chefs, featured in the upcoming season, which begins July 24, mingled with attendees and offered for the first time ever dishes straight from the show. Building on the excitement of the event, Chase Sapphire Preferred announced a $25,000 donation to City Harvest, the world’s first food rescue organization, which is dedicated to helping feed more than one million hungry New Yorkers each year. Several chefs from the new season of “Top Chef Masters,” including Franklin Becker, Richard Sandoval and Sang Yoon, among others, recreated dishes featured in Episode One. Chef Jennifer Jasinski prepared orange and ginger caramelized skirt steak with a roasted mushroom fregola salad, while Chef David Burke surprised guests with “angry” “shrimp atop smoky white bean hummus.
Traditional POS devices continued to expand 3.9% in North America and 4.6% around the globe in 2012. With growth expected to continue at 3.6% worldwide for 2013, according to IHL Group research firm’s POS Vendor Shipments Database, the Asia/Pacific region led all regions in terms of growth, but even the economic challenges of most of the EMEA region did not completely squash growth, which came in at over 2% year over year. Additional findings show Microsoft operating systems run on over 87% of the POS terminals shipped and HP is now the second largest supplier of POS Systems worldwide, rising from the #20 position just 10 years ago. Meanwhile, the value of the North American POS Market topped $7.8 Billion for the first time in 2012.
Capario revenue cycle management solutions launched its integrated patient pay solution through its relationship with TransFirst transaction processing services and payment enabling technologies. Capario identified a need for a patient payment solution due to the difficulties providers face when determining a patient’s financial responsibility and collecting from patients at the time of service and once they leave the office. According to a recent report entitled “Perspectives on Patient Payments” by MGMA Connexion, 30 percent of patients leave the physician’s office without paying. For unpaid bills turned over to a collection agency, providers recover on average $15.77 for every $100 owed. Capario’s new patient pay solution allows providers to collect patient payments quickly through the Capario portal at check in and check out with credit card swipe technology; create paper or electronic statements to be sent to patients after insurance has paid; maintain a practice-branded patient payment portal where patients can easily view their statements and pay their balances online; and accept and post checks received in the mail using ACH check conversion.
Union Bank & Trust Company has signed with TransCard to market payroll, gift, and everyday prepaid cards through all their local branches. TransCard invites financial institutions of all sizes that wish to grow deposits and fee income, as well as deepen their treasury relationships by creating or expanding a prepaid program, to contact us.


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Big breakfast: Families shelling out £19 for super-sized Ostrich eggs
It's the ultimate no-fuss breakfast for families looking for the easy way out this Easter - a giant Ostrich egg that feeds 15 hungry adults.
But people wanting to eat them in their shell will need to be patient - the giant eggs take an hour and a half to boil.
And at £18.99 each, the eggs don't come cheap.
Eggs-tra large: One Ostrich egg is 24 times bigger than a normal hen's egg
The super-sized eggs, one of which is equivalent to 24 hen's eggs, are going on sale at Waitrose from next week following a 573 per cent jump in sales between 2008 and 2009.
Waitrose said there was a growing appetite for its range of unusual eggs, including duck, quail and pheasant and goose - sales of which soared by 101 per cent last year.
The eggs are laid by South African Black Ostriches and come from the Clarence Court farms in Cornwall.
Eggs are laid four to five hours before dusk to protect them from the heat of the sun, replicating behaviour in the wild.
Soft boiling one of the eggs takes approximately 50 minutes, while they need to be cooked for 90 minutes to get a hard-boiled consistency.
Diners are advised that a simple tap of a spoon is unlikely to break the shell - a roasting spike or a domestic drill is more suitable.
Waitrose will sell the Ostrich eggs at 31 stores this Easter
Waitrose egg buyer, Frances Westerman, said: 'Britons have proved they are game enough to try something other than the humble hen egg.
'Customers have been seeking out something a bit different and the Ostrich egg is a real trump card when it comes to cooking over the long weekend.
'What better way to surprise guests this Easter Sunday than boiling one egg for all your guests’ breakfasts?'
High-profile restaurants includiing Scott's, Maze and Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley have all offered unusual eggs on their menus.
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(KMOV) – Schnucks Markets has recalled ground beef sold at a Fairview Heights store after company officials say pieces of black display paper may have made its way into the meat grinder on Sunday.
The recall is for all ground beef sold between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Sunday at the store in the 620 block of Lincoln Highway. All customers who bought pre-packaged ground sirloin, ground round and ground chuck during that time frame can return the item for a full refund or exchange.
According to a company spokesperson, a customer on Sunday returned a package of ground beef containing piece of display paper. All ground-beef products were removed from the meat cases and the grinder was cleaned.
The company said no other stores were affected and there have been no reports of injury or illness.
Customers with questions may contact the Schnucks Consumer Affairs department at 314-994-4400 or 1-800-264-4400.


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Following a recent meeting with the Citrus Growers Association (CGA), Western Cape Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Ivan Meyer, has registered his concerns about the current state of service delivery at the Port of Cape Town and its potential negative impact on the export of agricultural products.
With the Western Cape being responsible for 50% of South Africa’s agricultural exports, the Port of Cape Town is a vital cog in the wheel of the Western Cape and South Africa’s economy.
“Any inefficiencies in this port will therefore harm the Western Cape’s economy and cost jobs at a time when we desperately need to be creating more of them,” Meyer said.
However, Meyer added that should the port operate optimally, many people will benefit. “In fact, according to our research, growing our exports by 5% over five years will create 19 000 new jobs in the Western Cape.”
The Minister has pointed out the shortage of equipment and obsolete implements as the reasons for the Port Authority’s inability to manage the Cape Town terminal efficiently. “It undermines the critical role that the port should play in supporting exports and economic growth.”
The Department of Economic Development and Tourism, led by the Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities, David Maynier, established a Port Task Team which has brought together stakeholders from across the port logistics value chain to find solutions to the challenges facing the Port of Cape Town.
“While this Task Team has achieved some successes to date, improving port efficiency will ultimately require an intervention by the national government, which is why we have called on President Ramaphosa to visit the Port of Cape Town urgently,” Meyer commented.
“I intend to support the CGA by visiting the Port of Cape Town and raising some of my concerns with the senior management at Transnet Port Terminals.”


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// SAVE campaigners have demanded that M&S retract claims that the group has accepted the retailer’s sustainability claims about its plan to demolish and rebuild its Marble Arch flagship store.
// SAVE president Eric Reynolds wrote to M&S president Archie Norman to demand a retraction and an apology.
SAVE, the group that took on M&S in a public inquiry arguing against the demolition of its flagship Marble Arch over the past two weeks, has said that M&S has made “misleading and inaccurate” claims about its position and demanded its immediate retraction.
SAVE said the statement wrongly suggested that SAVE had accepted M&S’s positions on a number of issues, including the retailer’s review of the scheme’s sustainability.
He said the “highly irresponsible statements” could cause serious damage to his reputation and also apologized.
The letter said: “The defamatory statements misrepresent the differences between SAVE and M&S’s sustainability analysis, claim that SAVE accepts M&S’s position on the long-term sustainability benefits of the scheme, and misrepresent the evidence of Mr Simon Sturgis.”
Sturgis was SAVE’s expert witness on embodied carbon and sustainability.
The conflicting statements
M&S said on Friday that SAVE had accepted M&S’s sustainability analysis in the public consultation, which the retailer said was “a significant move on their part”.
However, SAVE said that although its lifestyle carbon witness agreed to a “joint position statement” with the M&S expert, this did not amount to an acceptance of M&S’s analysis of the scheme’s long-term sustainability benefits.
It noted that “a significant amount remained in dispute” and said it was “materially inaccurate” to say that SAVE had accepted M&S’s analysis.
SAVE reiterated its position that “the analysis of the alleged benefits of the scheme, as presented by M&S, is neither reliable nor realistic, and that no weight can be given to M&S’s claim that the scheme would enjoy a carbon rebate. against a renewal alternative”. .
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SAVE also said that M&S was wrong in stating that no sustainability witnesses were called. He explained that instead it was agreed that the carbon experts would come up with a joint position statement.
He also noted that Sturgis, whom M&S had referred to as SAVE’s ‘leading architectural expert’, was a sustainability expert at trial.
SAVE also disputed M&S’s assertion that Sturgis accepted that “significant demolition” was required. SAVE claims that Sturgis said “approximately a quarter” of the floor plate would need to be removed.


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Several industry experts and company leads have expressed their opinion on the new OS towards the end of last year, with opinions ranging from hopeful to downright discouraging, which is unsurprising, given how much of a radical change Windows 8 is from earlier versions of the OS.
But officials from the French telecom giant Orange believe that good times are about to roll in for Windows 8 in the coming months. In fact, the company has termed Microsoft’s latest is a game changer.
Danièle Cohen, the director of Convergent Devices over at Orange was speaking about Windows Phone 8 and what chances it stood against the likes of Apple iOS and Google Android.
The chances are good, if we go by what the carroty company believes.
In an interview with Light Reading, Cohen said the new OS has a strong chance to impress in the desktop sector. Just that it will take a few extra months:
“On the PC it is definitely a game-changer. It provides an experience that is much closer to that on phones and tablets, with the touch-screen capabilities. Windows 8 [including Windows Phone 8] offers a consistent experience across a number of devices — the smartphone, tablet, PC and Xbox.”
While it is plain evident that Microsoft wanted to create a synergy between the various devices and platforms, the market numbers point to a steep climb for Windows 8.
A large part of the slow sales is undoubtedly the lackluster PC market, which has gone into an extended slump. Analysts are predicting a recovery sometimes during mid-2013 — a point which most industry experts are predicting will decide whether Windows 8 either flies or dies.
Let’s hope it is the former. Windows 8 may not be doing everything right, but it is, nevertheless, doing something different — on all platforms.


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NEW DELHI: Basmati, the world's most expensive rice, may come to the exchequer's rescue at a time when the government is losing revenue in fight against inflation. While bringing down the minimum export price (MEP) to $1,100 per tonne, the government has decided to impose a $100 per tonne export cess. The move is expected to net the exchequer $110 million a year.
In other words, exporters would take a hit of $100 per tonne if they decide not to pass on the cess to their customers. A proposal to this effect was approved by the committee of secretaries (CoS) in its meeting last week. India earns more than a billion dollars from exporting a million tonnes basmati every year.
It has become critical for the government to find new ways to earn revenue to make up for the shortfall created by slashing Customs duty on items like edible oil. Since basmati is considered a luxury, customers in the middle east and Europe may absorb the rise in prices, it is felt. In any case, rice prices have been shooting up all over the world, forcing several countries to impose export curbs.
While the government has banned export of non-basmati rice, a disincentive in the form of export cess is on the cards for basmati. In a proposal to the prime minister earlier this week, cabinet secretary KM Chandrasekhar suggested an export tax on basmati to neutralise losses from import duty cuts. "It is proposed that the existing MEP of $1200/t on basmati rice exports may be partly converted into an export duty by reducing the MEP by an equal amount. To begin with, an export duty of $100/t could be considered along with an MEP of $1100/t,'' he has stated.
The commerce ministry has confirmed that basmati rice exports can absorb this levy. Since India exports close to one million tonnes basmati every year, the government is expecting to generate Rs 388 cr from this tax.
Explaining reasons for the move, the cabinet secretary has pointed out that the government has already taken away DEPB benefits on primary engineering products and non-basmati rice. "The saving on revenue side on this account during 2008-09 is estimated to be Rs 1,180 cr. As these benefits were withdrawn after the presentation of the Budget, this revenue is an addition beyond the projections made in the Budget,'' he has added.
By not banning exports, the government has ensured that over 300,000 rice farmers in Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh continue to benefit from the love for basmati among the world's richest consumers. This year's high prices have been part-financed by a large numbers of stakeholders in rural India, including farmers.
"Had basmati exports been banned, banks in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Himchal Pradesh would have incurred bad debts of at least Rs 5,000 crore since they have financed the crop,'' said a basmati exporter. Meanwhile, the basmati industry believes there is plenty of room for India to maximise profits by raising the MEP by another $100/t.
"Indian Basmati MEP can be set to a premium of $400 to the average of Thai, Vietnam and Pakistani rice with 25% brokens,'' say exporters. With Thai rice at $850/t, there is more room for an increase in basmati prices.


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Porsche 911 GT3 RS To Get A Brand New Engine
With the 911 GT3 in RS spec getting ready to be officially unveiled in the near future, information regarding its propulsion is bound to take a lot of Porsche fans by surprise. According to Porsche’s chief of R&D Wolfgang Hatz, the upcoming 911 GT3 RS will be powered by an all-new, naturally-aspirated, flat-six engine. In an interview he gave the Brits from Auto Express at NAIAS 2015 in Detroit, Hatz let it slip that the new hardcore Porsche model will be the first car to feature the new powerplant, with the engine eventually working its way into other 911 variants.
Recent reports about the 911 range getting some new turbocharged engines with four and/or six cylinders are still on the table, but Porsche’s R&D chief apparently insisted that those will only be used on lesser models. In other words, the Boxster, Cayman and a yet-to-be-confirmed 912 entry-level version of the 911 will be the only ones receiving them.
Getting back to the 2016 911 GT3 RS, it seems that although a manual transmission hasn’t been completely ruled out, the PDK dual-clutch transmission from the regular GT3 will be the only gearbox available in the beginning, with Hatz even quoting some pleased GT3 customers which said that they have been converted. Unlike the normal GT3, which is also mildly comfortable when required, the RS variant should literally feel like a racing car for the road. "Performance has to be the main objective. Customers love the current GT3. The RS has to be the peak. The 991 GT3 was very much a surprise for everybody because it’s a very useable car for every day. The GT3 RS will be more extreme," Wolfgang Hatz told Auto Express.
Click past the jump to read more about the Porsche 911 GT3 RS.
Why it matters
Despite putting almost everyone off-pace when spy shots showed some pre-production prototypes sporting Turbo-like air intakes before the rear wheels, the upcoming 911 GT3 RS (991) will still keep to the naturally-aspirated formula. Not only that, but if Wolfgang Hatz wasn’t somehow misquoted, it will have an all-new engine, which will finally replace the 3,800-cc flat-six that is currently used in every single 911 variant except for the GT3 and entry-level Carrera.
Obviously, in the RS it will be tuned to offer at least 500 horsepower, but on more plebeian 911s it should develop no more than the current Carrera S, while the Turbo and Turbo S variants may keep the old 3.8-liter for a few years more, only with more power. In conclusion, the arrival of the new 911 GT3 RS has just been made even more expected by everyone. Let’s just hope that the new flat-six mill won’t have the same rough start as the one in the normal GT3, which was prone to catching on fire as some of you remember.


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States split on following USDA hemp rules in 2020
More states have declared that they’re going to stick with their own rules for the 2020 hemp production season, rather than follow federal guidelines on the new crop.
To date, 20 states have said they will follow the 2014 pilot rules this growing season, outnumbering the 12 that have so far received U.S. Department of Agriculture approval for their production plans under the interim final rule.
The result is that the nation will again see a patchwork of varying hemp production guidelines in 2020, despite federal efforts to streamline hemp regulations to mirror other commodity crops.
The USDA has also approved hemp production plans for 14 American Indian tribes and currently has 15 tribal plans and nine state plans under review. Five more states are working on a plan for USDA review, according to the agency.


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Designed to work with the Wi-Fi capable, LUMIX DMC-FX90, LUMIX CLUB allows users to share photos on Facebook, Flickr, PIcasa, or YouTube. LUMIX CLUB is accessible via a smartphone or a computer browser, and once a an account is created, Panasonic will provide users with the free “LUMIX LINK” dedicated app for Android OS and iPhones. Using LUMIX LINK involves paring the DMC-FX90 to your smart phone and then using your smartphone’s data plan to upload the photos. After this initial set up, LUMIX LINK will always be able to shared FX90 photos.
Along with announcements for three new LUMIX series cameras (well, technically two NEW cameras and one updated model with a new kit lens), two new G-series lenses, and a firmware update for the DMC-LX5, Panasonic is also introducing a cloud-based service called “LUMIX CLUB.”


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Drug ATM for South Africans
Tuesday, July 26, 2016
In the same fashion people draw money from ATMs, South Africans will soon be able to get medicine from dispensing machines.The Department of Health made the announcement at the 21st International Aids Conference, which took place in Durban from 18-22 July. The pharmacy dispensing unit (PDU) is being piloted at Thembalethu Clinic in Johannesburg. It is a self-service machine where patients can obtain their medication.
Easy to use: Anyone interested in using the machine first needs to register. Just like a bank ATM, once registered, they receive a card. To get the medicine, they insert the card into the machine, enter a PIN and get what they need.
“The machine,” said the department, “immediately dispenses the selected medication, eliminating the need for the patient to wait in queues.”However, the machine does not totally eliminate pharmacists. There is a trained pharmacist available on the PDU via a built-in video conference functionality.
Source: South Africa Info (link opens in a new window)
- Health Care, Technology


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Lexus introduced a Black Line bundle for the RX L SUV, and BMW outlined its plans for an X5 Black Vermillion model. Many car corporations have announced plans to shift entirely to electrification or convert a portion of their product lines to battery power. Ford is considered one of them, which makes the upcoming elimination of the diesel engine choice from the F-150 order information less shocking. Due to the chip shortage, Mitsubishi’s inventories fell this past 12 months. The upside is that the automaker might draw down its advertising spend and cut incentives for its automobiles. Both strikes helped Mitsubishi enhance its profitability proper in time for the redesigned Outlander SUV.
If you’ve always needed a Jeep Wrangler with a factory-installed V8 engine, nows your chance to get one. The 2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 value starts at $73,500, not including the destination charge of $1,495. Changes to the 2022 Ford F-Series Super Duty lineup of industrial quality pickups include appearance, comfort, and connectivity upgrades that make the succesful truck more interesting, inside and out. Hyundai is rolling out a new driver monitoring function that might save its prospects cash on automotive insurance coverage. Positioned as a “coaching tool,” Hyundai Usage-Based Insurance and Driving Score monitors your driving and assigns a numerical rating on a 100-point scale.
We filter the daily stream of automotive news to report the data that buyers like you, care essentially the most about, with an emphasis on the information, figures, and forecasts that may assist you to to make higher choices. Get 24/7 access to in-depth, authoritative protection of the auto business from a global staff of reporters and editors covering the news that’s very important to your small business. Cousin SUVs the Hyundai Palisade and Kia Telluride are getting a refresh for 2023, and the pair are making their debuts in New York.
- When the new 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L goes on sale, the 3-row Jeep will come in 4 trim ranges and have a base price of $36,995.
- The 2022 Genesis G80 sedan is one of three cars the brand sells and received a whole redesign simply last 12 months.
- But Ford has just lately determined to take away the 4K Towing package from FWD fashions.
- When the Fiat model returned to America in 2011, it was the cute little Cinquecento that led the cost.
- Toyota has introduced updates to the 2022 Toyota 4Runner, and probably the most vital change is the addition of a model new TRD Sport mannequin.
The new 2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 arrives in showrooms within the spring of 2021, geared up with a 5.0-liter V-8 anticipated to make 480 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 420 lb.-ft. Even on the most effective of days, a matchup between a pedestrian and any type of car is not going to finish favorably for the pedestrian. That’s very true if the vehicle striking a pedestrian is an SUV, based on a model new study out by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety . The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating infotainment system failures in 2012 to 2015 model-year Tesla Model S automobiles. An estimated sixty three,000 Teslas could be at danger of system failure due to “memory wear-out,” in accordance with Automotive News.
Subaru Outback Gets New Cladding And Lights, More Tech
Following media preview days, the 2022 New York auto present opens to the public Friday and runs by way of April 24 on the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, at eleventh Ave. between thirty fourth and fortieth streets. General admission is $17 for attendees age 13 or older and $7 for kids age 12 or younger. Video has surfaced exhibiting the Tesla Cybertruck’s new four-wheel-steering system, which has similarities to the one featured on the GMC Hummer EV. The 2023 Hyundai Palisade features new styling and upgraded interior options.
Mini positions itself as a fun-to-drive premium brand with an expressive personality. Beyond that, customization is core to Mini’s enchantment with U.S. customers. The broad number of powertrains, paint colours, wheel selections, body graphics, and more ensures that few Minis are precisely alike. When Volkswagen refreshed rather than redesigned the 2020 Passat, it sent a transparent sign that the model doubtless wouldn’t last much longer. Now, in a piece printed by Wards Auto, Volkswagen confirms that the automotive will reach the top of its American road after the 2023 mannequin yr. A jury of 50 automotive journalists based mostly in the us and Canada have revealed the nine finalists for the North American Car, Truck, and SUV of the Year awards.
Questions Swirl As Former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn Flees To Lebanon From Japan
At the same time, they are more prone to be driving a lighter, smaller, and older car that’s much less capable of protecting them in a collision. According to a report in Automotive News, and confirmed by a Ford spokesperson, 2021 Ford Explorer costs are falling by lots of to 1000’s of dollars for the brand new mannequin year. If you want a special version of one of the final of the current-generation performance-tuned Civics, the 2021 Honda Civic Type R Limited Edition worth begins at $44,950. Only 600 examples will be available in the us, every with its own serial number-engraved plaque on the center console. Volkswagen announced a deal with Electrify America that can give owners of the automaker’s all-new electric SUV, the 2021 Volkswagen ID.four, access to free charging.
We additionally shared particulars of the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz, 2022 Kia EV6, and 2022 Subaru Outback Wilderness. This week, we previewed a few upcoming redesigned automobiles, covered a number of news objects, and provided new know-how explainers. Over Labor Day weekend, Mercedes-Benz announced several new electric vehicles through the IAA Mobility Show in Munich.
Based on final year’s automotive, the 2021 Lexus IS may not be a clean-sheet redesign, however it nonetheless represents a significant enchancment. Ford will delay production of the brand new Escape Plug-in Hybrid compact SUV till the 2021 mannequin year, in accordance with a report by Reuters. The IIHS introduced that the 2021 Toyota C-HR and 2021 Toyota Camry earn “Top Safety Pick” ratings for the 2020 calendar 12 months. Furthermore, the Camry gets an additional enhance with a “Top Safety Pick+” designation thanks to the supply of a set of headlights that gets top marks from the IIHS. Electric car homeowners are loyal to the concept of getting an EV of their storage.
Toyota is canceling the Yaris subcompact after the 2020 mannequin yr, based on a quantity of stories and claimed affirmation by a Toyota spokesperson. The Mazda-based Yaris hatchback was new for 2020, changing the previous France-sourced Yaris hatch, however sluggish sales have sealed the car’s destiny. This week we’ve lined new vehicle debuts from the 2021 Audi Q5 to the 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan, with a quantity of more in between. Jeep introduces a brand new powertrain choice for the 2021 Gladiator pickup truck. With the turbocharged 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6 engine, Jeep homeowners can expect larger low-end grunt and increased fuel economy. Following a transfer to Franklin, Tennessee that guarantees closer coordination with enterprise associate Nissan, Mitsubishi Motors North America has announced a short-term product revival plan for its lineup of cars and SUVs.
This week, our latest skilled reviews detail the 2021 Ford Bronco Wildtrak 2-Door, 2021 Ford Expedition, and 2021 Hyundai Sonata N Line. We additionally lined a quantity of tales making headlines, as well as some new automobile previews. We also provided a number of professional reviews, a compact truck comparability, and automobile guide features. Acura is dropping the NSX hybrid supercar from its lineup after the 2022 mannequin year. Each will wear a Type S designation and will provide more power and efficiency than any street-legal NSX to come before it.


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DOOM Eternal Delayed to March 20, 2020
iD Software released a statement today stating that DOOM Eternal has been delayed to March 20, 2020.
According to iD Software:
The team also announced that Invasion Mode, which allows players to enter the games of others as a playable demon, will come out as a free update a short period after launch. Note that DOOM 64 will be a pre-order bonus for DOOM Eternal on all platforms (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC), but will also release March 20, 2020 on all platforms. Finally, the Nintendo Switch version of DOOM Eternal will release after the other platforms.
The beat-em-up Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game may be seeing a re-release, based on a Tweet by Scott Pilgrim creator Bryan Lee O’Malley
More than 7.5 million players have claimed Creative Assembly and SEGA Europe’s A Total War Saga: TROY on the Epic Games Store within the first 24 hours of its release
In a recent report done by Entertainment Weekly, new details regarding the development of Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales were revealed, including the suggested return of Peter Parker


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Electronics retailer Best Buy has begun preparations for the launch of the iPad on April 3rd, according to a Mac Rumors report. Citing unnamed sources, the report states that the iPad will initially be offered only at Best Buy locations with a dedicated Apple “store-within-a-store” — approximately 675 of the company’s 1,000-plus locations — and will not be available at bestbuy.com. No early openings are planned, according to the report, as the company sees little benefit due to a lack of sales competition. Display materials are reportedly expected to arrive at participating stores early next week, with a single iMac and two laptop demo units expected to be displaced to accomodate the iPad demo units. Interestingly, the report also indicates that four separate iPad SKUs will be on display, suggesting that Best Buy stores will have at least one Wi-Fi + 3G model on display. [Photo via chriscoyier]
Best Buy readies for iPad launch
Charles Starrett was a senior editor at iLounge. He's been covering the iPod, iPhone, and iPad since their inception. He has written numerous articles and reviews, and his work has been featured in multiple publications.


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October 29, 2012 |
Confused about what to gift someone this festive season ? You certainly don't want to spend time looking for something that ends up in the pile of 'recycled gifts'. However, going the easy way by picking store vouchers can limit the choice for the other person. After all, vouchers are for one-time use and have to be redeemed for the entire amount. This is why gift cards make for a more savvy choice. These are prepaid cards, which can be loaded for a certain amount, ranging from Rs 500-50,000.
July 1, 2014 |
NEW DELHI: Launching its next generation banking initiative, SBI today opened six digital branches, which offer services like instant account opening and personalised debit cards. State Bank of India (SBI) opened 'sbiINTOUCH' outlets in Delhi , Mumbai , Bangalore , Chennai and Ahmedabad on the occasion of its 60th Foundation Day . The Kolkata branch is opening shortly. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley inaugurated the branches today. They will work between 10am and 10pm and all the seven days in the week.
September 5, 2013 |
MUMBAI: The Reserve Bank today allowed cash withdrawals of up to Rs 1,000 a day through prepaid cards, including gift cards, issued by banks from point of sale terminals, a move aimed at enhancing customer convenience in using plastic money. As of now, this facility was available only to debit cards issued by banks. The Reserve Bank said the open system prepaid payment instruments (PPIs) issued by banks is perceived to be a subset of debit cards. "Hence, on a review of the position, it has been decided that the facility of cash withdrawal at POS with debit cards may be extended to such open system prepaid payment instruments issued by banks in India," an RBI notification said.
May 12, 2014 |
Apart from familiarising them with the banking procedures, it can instill the saving habit and boost confidence in kids. When Mukul Kansal's company awarded his son a scholarship last year, it took him almost two months to encash the cheque. "My son does not have a bank account. So, I had to return the scholarship cheque and get it re-issued in my name," says the Gurgaon-based manager. Although 17-year-old Satwik (see picture) was allowed to have a savings bank account, Kansal had not opened one for him. "Minors were not allowed to operate their bank accounts independently, so there was no point in opening one," says Kansal.
April 12, 2012 |
One of the biggest dilemmas while planning a trip is deciding how much cash to carry along and in what form. Here are a few easy ways ahead: Hard Cash Cash might be the easiest option for many travellers who don't want their credit and debit cards in the wrong hands. Spreading bundles of money in various corners of your luggage could be useful in case you lose only your wallet, but you'll be left in a fix if your suitcases go missing. Also since you can only carry a certain amount of cash while you travel, this medium of currency is a little disabling.
October 15, 2012 |
Losing a wallet or a smartphone is more than just cash down the drain; it's time and effort wasted in calling up the various service providers to block plastic money or SIM card. As for the stored data, that's lost forever. Or so you would think. With One Assist Consumer Solutions setting up shop in June 2011, there's help at hand. Conceived and launched by 43-year-old Gagan Maini and 42-year-old Subrat Pani , this start-up scores over the card protection schemes offered by credit card companies with its one-call, one-stop solution.
January 16, 2013 |
Customer service is the most cliched phrase at banks and the proof lies in the recent report released by the central bank which lays bare the inadequacies. And the firebrand Reserve Bank of India deputy governor KC Chakrabarty, a former career banker himself, is throwing his weight behind addressing many of those. The global banking industry, with possibly the best of the brains, has been at the receiving end for putting its interests ahead of customers. In India, issues like one-sided loan agreements and hefty fees one has to pay to close a bank account are precisely the reasons why a regulator should play a significant role in the way lenders price their product.
May 12, 2005 |
MUMBAI: Private sector Yes Bank would open five more branches across the country as part of its business expansion plans. "We will be launching five new branches in Mumbai, Gurgaon, Chennai, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad in the next six weeks," Yes Bank managing director and CEO Rana Kapoor told reporters at the launch of the bank's debit cards in association with MasterCard here on Thursday. The bank presently has two branches in Mumbai and Delhi. Kapoor also said the bank was in consultation with private and public sector enterprises for general insurance tie up. He, however, declined to specify the date for the launch of its Initial Public Offer.
April 28, 2003
For the first time in India, a credit/debit card advertising campaign is being rolled out in Hindi by leading advertising agency McCann Erickson for MasterCard International, a business newspaper report said. As part of its marketing gameplan to promote credit cards and debit cards among the mass market audience, MasterCard International will soon be rolling out television commercials (TVCs) in Hindi. According to the report, the company will also use extensive below-the-line activities for promoting its debit cards that are targeted at non-premium consumers and merchant establishments across the nation.
July 13, 2002 |
NEW DELHI: ABN Amro Bank on Saturday launched two credit cards -- Smart Gold Card and Freedom Silver Card -- with Mastercard International and plans to roll out debit cards shortly. Initially, the cards would be offered in nine cities and then extended to 32 cities as part of efforts to increase the retail banking business in the country, AMB Amro Bank's Chief Executive Romesh Sobti told reporters after the launch. The cards offer 50 days interest free credit, call-a-draft facility, personal accident insurance and cover on loss due to fire, burglary and purchase protection, air travel and other discounts.


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Key iPhone assembler Foxconn, based out of Taiwan, says the first electric vehicles (EV) built using the company’s open software and hardware platform will be released by the end of this year.
“This year will mark a significant year for Foxconn’s EV efforts. There will be two to three EV models using our MIH platform’s designs in the fourth quarter of this year,” Foxconn Chairman Young Liu said.
The multinational electronics manufacturer is betting on its open platform, named MIH, to drive growth in its electric vehicle business as the company seeks new revenue sources to counter the slowing smartphone industry. The customizable platform, which includes a chassis, electronic architecture and support for autonomous driving, is designed to shorten the amount of time and resources automakers need to turn out new electric cars.
Mr. Liu said the first three EV models based on the MIH platform will include an electric bus and two passenger vehicles for the Taiwanese and Chinese markets.
Meanwhile, Foxconn’s joint venture with China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group will work with Geely and American EV startup Faraday Future on possible plans for EV development, he added. “People’s interests and dedication to the EV industry is rising,” Mr. Liu said while adding that, “I think the overall EV industry will take off in 2024, a year earlier than my previous estimate, as many players will launch their electric vehicles that year.” Foxconn’s goal of having 10 percent of global EVs using its MIH platform’s designs by 2025 remains unchanged, Mr. Liu added.
The Apple supplier’s automotive business, which currently focuses mainly on components, contributed around $340 million in sales in 2019, which is a small slice of Foxconn’s annual total in 2019 and 2020. Mr. Liu said the EV-related business is expected to start making a meaningful revenue contribution to the company from 2023.
Mr. Liu, who became Foxconn’s chairman in June 2019, has been helping the contract electronics manufacturing giant to identify new long-term growth drivers. Electrics vehicles, semiconductors, servers and key components are among the areas Foxconn is prioritizing for investment.


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Less than a year ago, Microsoft made big waves when it announced that streamer Ninja would leave Twitch and sign a lucrative contract with Mixer to appear on the rival game streaming platform. But on Monday, Microsoft announced it would abruptly shut down Mixer and partner with another rival service, Facebook Gaming.
The move came as a surprise in the industry, especially given how much money the company had put into signing away high-profile gamers like Ninja and Shroud to build a bigger audience for Mixer. But Xbox Chief Phil Spencer posted an update on Monday that explained why Microsoft would end Mixer later this week and partner with Facebook Gaming.
Ultimately, the success of Partners and streamers on Mixer is dependent on our ability to scale the service for them as quickly and broadly as possible. It became clear that the time needed to grow our own livestreaming community to scale was out of measure with the vision and experiences we want to deliver to gamers now, so we’ve decided to close the operations side of Mixer and help the community transition to a new platform. To better serve our community’s needs, we’re teaming up with Facebook to enable the Mixer community to transition to Facebook Gaming.
Initially many wondered what would happen to the deals the company had signed with the streamers. But according to reports, the two biggest stars Microsoft signed on to help grow Mixer will opt out of their deals, making a lot of money in the process and becoming free agents.
Sources familiar with the deal have informed me that while Facebook did try and negotiate to keep their big partners both Shroud and Ninja opted out. They have received their full payments and as of midnight yesterday were free to engage in talks with other platforms. Game on.
— Richard Lewis (@RLewisReports) June 22, 2020
Sources: Facebook offered an insane offer at almost double for the original Mixer contracts of Ninja and Shroud but Loaded/Ninja/Shroud said no and forced Mixer to buy them out. Ninja made ~$30M from Mixer, and Shroud made ~$10M
Ninja and Shroud are now free agents
— Rod "4475 SR & Immortal peak" Breslau (@Slasher) June 22, 2020
Microsoft said its existing partners will move over to Facebook Gaming, with the Mixer service effectively shutting down on July 22. The move to Facebook is expected to help its upcoming xCloud game streaming service, but certainly came as a surprise on Monday given the resources the company had put into making Mixer work in a competitive landscape dominated by Twitch.


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It has been a big year for Android smartphones. In fact, it seemed like we couldn’t get past a week without a new mobile device being launched. Specifically an Android one. Every carrier did its damnedest to outshine the other – from AT&T, to T-Mobile, to Verizon and others in the Android smartphone race. Be it Eclair (Android 2.1), Froyo (Android 2.2), Gingerbread (Android 2.3), and now Ice Cream Sandwich, 2011 was the year of the Android smartphone. So let’s take a walk down Android memory lane, shall we…
We did a little digging around and discovered that in total there were nearly 100 different handsets launched this year in the U.S. alone, that ran the Android OS. More specifically, we have counted 93 Android handset releases by U.S. carriers in 2011. Let’s also not forget the several dozen Android tablets too, but for this story, we’re just focusing on the mobile handsets.
So which carrier managed to carry the most Android handsets in the U.S. during 2011? AT&T launched the most Android phones of any U.S. carrier in 2011 with a total of 21, with Verizon coming in at second place with 17 Android phones. Meanwhile, MetroPCS made it to the no. 1 spot for the prepaid carrier offering the most Android smartphones in 2011.
When it comes to manufacturers, Samsung rolled out the most Android Smartphones in the U.S.A, with HTC coming in at a close second.
And there was no question about it, 2011 was also the year of 4G. There were a total of 46 4G Android phones released, with 9 of them packing in support for 4G LTE, the next generation of highspeed data. 3G handsets still thrived in 2011, with a total of 47 3G Android handsets released. AT&T takes another top place by being the carrier to offer the most 4G Android handsets. The wireless giant offered 15 4G Android phones this year, 3 of which came touting 4G LTE support.
Remember the Motorola Atrix 4G? Or how about the HTC EVO Shift 3D? They seemed so exciting and cutting edge at the time of their release. But who can remember them anymore, when the newest and hottest Android phones of the moment are the HTC Rezound, Galaxy Nexus, Droid RAZR, LG Nitro HD, and the Samsung Galaxy S II SkyRocket. But like the EVO and Atrix, those too shall become a distant memory as new announcements of even more smartphones sporting Ice Cream Sandwich and 4G LTE speeds are revealed in January during CES, and then come February at MWC 2012. The Kyocera Echo from Sprint is already headed to the smartphone graveyard.
Which U.S. carrier had the biggest piece of the Android Pie in 2011?
Disclaimer: For most of the data used in this story, we worked with the carriers directly to obtain a list of all of their smartphone releases for 2011. That said, we can hardly claim to be a research company, so we can not verify that all of the data in this story is 100% accurate. Also, the data collected here does not include imported and / or unlocked phones from carriers outside of the U.S.A. We also did not count different color versions of the same handset.


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72% of marketers consider data analysis to be the most important skill for their organisation to acquire over the next two years.
Consumers who prefer to engage brands through digital channels are more likely to swap providers than those that engage with businesses by phone, via the contact centre or in-store, according to new research.
Economic and political uncertainty leads to year of two halves for consumer spending says Barclaycard
Consumer spending shifted in response to the changing economic and political environment, resulting in a year of two halves, according to the annual analysis of UK consumer spending by Barclaycard.
A 12 month survey for 2016 conducted by Optilead has identified that 81% of online abandonment were totally ignored.
XPO Logistics has been awarded a new contract with Costco Wholesale UK Limited to manage the companys reverse logistics for its 28 warehouses in the UK. The contract will allow Costco to benefit from XPOs extensive logistics network and global experience in handling retail returns and recycling.
Generation Z (people aged under 19) has its own distinct behaviours, attitudes and responses to advertising, and brands need to adjust accordingly for this new type of consumer, according to new research.
Coca-Cola was the most purchased brand in the world during 2016, followed by Colgate and Lifebuoy soap, according to a new study.
Most UK consumers are not interested in embracing the six technology trends tipped as ones to watch this year, according to new research.
An innovative new method of donating money to the homeless using a contactless payment system fitted to a winter jacket is being tested on the streets of Amsterdam.
Nearly half of all UK adults (44%) have earned extra money by selling goods or skills online, according to a new survey.
Stock availability issues and unsuitable delivery times have resulted in nearly a fifth of online Christmas shoppers using an alternative retailer, according to a new report.
Pets at Home is transforming its online shopping experience by providing innovative ways to interact with its customers.


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Facebook gave the French tech scene a vote of confidence on Tuesday by picking Paris as the location for its first startups incubator, a boost for the city as European capitals compete to attract firms post-Brexit.
The company will use the fresh funds towards the development of cross-platform capabilities, hiring and expanding its presence in the North American market.
Google's India-born CEO Sundar Pichai is all set to address a domestic technology market with a focus on small and medium businesses in the country on Wednesday.
The company expects to sell a similar offering to its Malaysian clients in the next few weeks. Aegis works with companies like General Motors in Australia.
The market cap of TCS is bigger than that of Twitter, Airbnb, LinkedIn and Snapchat put together and Anandan firmly believes that it is only because it operates globally - much like what the Ubers and the Amazons of the world are trying to do.
Through this partnership, enterprises stand to gain from access to the innovative technology solutions emerging from some of the best technology startups in the country.
Global IT and telecom major Ericsson on Thursday mentioned the company was interested at mentoring startups in India.
Launched last year, "FbStart" helps developers grow their startups by leveraging valuable tools and services, worldwide events and opportunities to engage with the Facebook team.
Ahmedabad-based Poletalks, a community interaction platform that allows people to make or share anonymous comments or information, introduced a new feature ‘utility index’ to indicate any nearby amenities that now includes ATMs with or without cash.
"A lot of Freshdesk's enterprise customers are first-time users of a help ticketing system. Indian SaaS players are democratising business applications in Western markets. In this process, they are creating many new segments," said Sharma of iSPIRT.
Noida based sports technology start-up, BOLTT on Thursday said that it will be launching a range of fitness wearables by the end of 2016.
This partnership will help Ubiquity build a global mobile communications services company and target customers in emerging markets and increase their presence beyond Europe.
From beating humans in board games to driving cars, artificial intelligence (AI) has been the talk of the town for quite some time.
At Change Makers Summit this year, select startups will be given opportunities with respect to funding and mentoring. A total of 280 applications have been received so far.
Red Hat-supported software is already being used by the Indian government’s biometric idenitification program — Aadhaar.
The tech giants are keen on acquiring companies that specialise in machine learning and artificial intelligence, said Thiyagarajan M, head of mergers and acquisitions (M&As) at software product thinktank iSPIRT.
The year old startup provides free pickup and drop service for smartphones and tablets with a service turnaround time of 48 hours, with an aim to bring quality repair at customers' doorstep.


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Lexus partnered up with Germane Barnes (American architect, designer, and assistant professor of architecture at University of Miami) to create a sculpture based upon the LFZ Electrified idea.
Barnes, along with students from the University of Miami created a 3-D sculptural representation of the LFZ Electrified concept in steel. It is illuminated by embedded LED lighting. As a tribute to classical architecture, the entire piece is suspended between two swings. They are then anchored in illuminated arches.
“Lexus embodies elements that are essential markers of high-quality design for today, while also echoing my personal values,” said Barnes. “Designing for a future that is collaborative, sustainable, equitable, and prioritizes the unique experiences of individuals is both a driving force of my practice and my work with students here at the University of Miami.”
Read More: Lexus LF-Z Electrified Concept Previews Brand’s Styling, Tech And Performance Future
Called “ON/,” the name is a reference to the On/Off switch as a vision of a carbon-neutral future. A lighting system is used to unify the entire installation. It allows anyone to take part in it via a virtual model.
To highlight specific aspects, the lighting can be adjusted for the digital version. Barnes will select the best version and display them live at Design Miami/2021.
“We’re thrilled to bring this incredible project from Germane Barnes and the University of Miami to Design Miami/ in our fourth year of partnership with the fair,” commented Brian Bolain, Lexus’ global head of marketing. “As we look towards next-generation design, this project has given us a chance to highlight Lexus’ commitment to electrification while working closely with the students at UMiami who are incredibly talented and truly represent the future of design and innovation.”
The project, which Barnes also helped to make possible, was made possible by students Isabella Adelsohn and Mahlia Jenkins of the School of Architecture, University of Miami. Also, Indrit alushani (lecturer and RAD Lab manager) and Rodolphe el-Khoury dean of University of Miami School of Architecture.
Lexus will again be the automotive partner at Design Miami/ 2021. It is currently open through December 5th, for the fourth straight year.


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« News index »
MRSLOTTY PARTNERS SOFTSWISS
01st June, 2016 at 16:18:18
In bitcoin content supply deal.
Lithuanian content provider MrSlotty has inked a bitcoin content supply deal with B2B platform provider Softswiss for their entire slot game portfolio of 40 mobile slots in HTML5 and full HD quality.
MrSlotty launched late last year with titles including Super Dragons Fire, Emoji Slot, Meme Faces and Treasures of Egypt.
readers will recall a similar deal with EveryMatrix in April this year (see previous report).
Related News Tags: none


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WEEKLY WRAP UP: May 7 - 13
Prada showed its Resort 2018 collection at the Fondazione Prada Osservatorio in Milan. It featured the continuation of their ethereal trend with sheer pastel fabrics and feathers as well as a trend toward pastels and metallics. Here are a few of our favorite looks.
Dior showed their Cruise 2018 Collection in Santa Monica, California. It featured printed silks inspired by Women Who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés and the Lascaux cave paintings in France. A few of our favorites from the show (besides that enormous Dior Sauvage hot air balloon).
Coach purchased Kate Spade for a reported $2.4 Billion. The CEO of Coach, Victor Luis, states that "What we are doing is creating the first New York-based house o modern luxury lifestyle brands".
Look forward to next week with Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in Australia and Louis Vuitton's Resort Collection!!


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According to Channel NewsAsia (CNA), Mohamad Maher Muhaffel, a Syrian national who was a team leader at a Malaysian call centre handling technical support for Singtel customers, has recently been found to be guilty of leaking information of more than 1,000 business accounts of licensed moneylenders to loansharks. He has been jailed for leaking information such as bills, company names, and landline numbers, said the CNA report. These were then used to carry out loan-sharking activities.
From 2017 to 2019, Maher reportedly conducted 1,130 screenings of business accounts belonging to licensed moneylenders and pawn shops, despite his job scope not involving such searches. Maher, who worked at Sudong, a subsidiary of Singtel located at Klang Call Centre in Selangor, Malaysia, led a team of 16 customer care officers, and had access to the IT systems in the company, including those that contained billing details of Singtel customers.
Maher was said to have colluded with Pakistani national Adnan Ahmed Siddiqui, a former technical support employee who worked at Sudong as well. Maher was said to retrieve customer bills according to company names, Singtel account numbers and landline numbers Adnan asked for, and Adnan would then share the details with the loan shark. Adnan was previously jailed in August 2020.
This is not the first time Singtel customer data has been sold to loansharks. Late last year, one of Singtel's assistant manager, Filipino Pleo Sherwin Cubos, was jailed and fined after he shared details of six Singtel customers with a loan shark. According to The Straits Times, Cubos screened the records of 27 customers on Singtel's system even though he was not authorised to do so, and shared the necessary information to settle his debts with the loan shark.
Earlier in last year, Singtel also saw a data leak of personal information of about 129,000 customers containing NRIC and some combination of the following information: name, date of birth, mobile number, address. After investigations, the telco established which files on the Accellion FTA system were accessed illegally. On top of personal information, 23 enterprises were also impacted, including suppliers, partners and corporate customers. Additionally, bank account details of 28 former Singtel employees and credit card details of 45 staff of a corporate customer with Singtel mobile lines were also leaked. According to Singtel then, a large part of the leaked data includes the telco's internal information that is non-sensitive such as data logs, test data, reports and emails. The telco also said it notified all affected individuals and enterprises to help them and their staff manage the possible risks involved and take appropriate follow-up action.
Last October, the Singapore government proposed to issue a fine of up to 10% of a company’s annual turnover in Singapore, or SG$1 million (whichever is higher), should a company be found guilty of a data breach. This came as the government sought to strengthen data protection standards and enforcement, and follows a slew of data breaches last year from companies such as ShopBack, Razer, RedDoorz, and Shopify.
Separately, Singapore Airlines also recently faced a data breach impacting approximately 580,000 of its KrisFlyer and PPS programme customers. The breach originated from an external air transport information technology company. In a statement to MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, a spokesperson from SIA said details such as membership number, tier status and membership names were revealed. Credit card information, passwords, travel itineraries, passport details and email addresses were however not compromised.
MARKETING-INTERACTIVE's Content 360 Week is back from 6 to 8 April this year! Super charge your content production, distribution and monetisation strategies by learning from brands such as NBA Asia, P&G, Malaysia Airlines, and Marriott International, among others. Sign up today!
(Photo courtesy: 123RF)
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Tuesday , March 18, 2014 - 1:59 PM
If the thought of a raw-food diet conjures up images of bland greens and handfuls of nuts and seeds, then it may be time to re-imagine the possibilities of raw food.
“Not many people can envision the raw-food diet; they think of apples or raw meat,” said Monika Kinsman, founder and CEO of Thrive, a vegetarian restaurant in Seattle that aims to make raw food accessible.
Raw-vegan-food diets are based on the belief that plant food in its natural state contains the most nutrition for human bodies. Raw-food proponents believe that cooking with temperatures higher than 118 degrees breaks down food enzymes, which are essential for digestion.
“The whole idea of raw food implies giving up flavor, which is the biggest misconception,” said Larisa Goldin, who eats meat about twice a week and is a Thrive customer.
But the possibilities are bountiful, with fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and herbs dehydrated, marinated, blended and juiced into such tantalizing dishes as coconut curry and a chilled mushroom miso soup.
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Jimmy Choo has created a capsule collection called Glitter for the luxury fashion site.
Comps declined at Chico’s, White House Black Market; up slightly at Soma.
The abstract artist has 12 recent paintings on display.
The Chinese pop star and actress sported bold looks by brands including Maison Margiela, Vêtements and Gucci at the Cannes Film Festival.
The legendary singer has released her first studio album in 10 years. “I felt like I’d lost my voice,” she confessed.
The company’s first-quarter earnings increased 6.2 percent, but comps in the Americas fell 4 percent.
New professional artist community program created for makeup artists.
Buzzy independent labels worn by the Oscar-winning actress in Cannes include Y/Project, Jacquemus and Halpern.
The popular shoe brand has quietly closed the last and one of its oldest shops in New York City.
Retail and luxury stocks were also mostly in decline in morning trading on Wednesday.
Company sales were up 2.2 percent, driven mainly by the food division.
A growing number of young, affluent consumers buy, resell and then trade up.
The company has launched a public relations and influencer monitoring tool dubbed Discover.
The event will take place on June 16 at London’s Claridge’s Hotel.


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Hispanic businesses expand in Oklahoma
Saturday, August 13th 2005, 5:33 pm
By: News On 6
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Inside a tortilla shop on the south side of Oklahoma City, 19-year-old Elias Pando is the boss. The recent Capitol Hill High School graduate says Tortilleria Lupita, which makes and delivers its own tortillas, grosses more than $100,000 a year.
``A lot of people don't think much of Hispanics,'' Pando said. ``So, it's nice to show people that Hispanics can be good businessmen and women.''
Hispanic leaders say the growth of their community is not only changing the face of Oklahoma, but is improving the economic condition of the state.
Over the last 10 years, the Hispanic population has more than doubled to over 200,000 in 2004, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. There were 3.5 million residents overall in the state last year.
The rising number of Hispanics is good for Oklahoma, David Castillo, president of the Oklahoma City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, said.
``By 2007, one in 10 small businesses in America will be Hispanic,'' he said. ``We have over 200 members in our organization, and people are constantly coming in with new business ideas.''
Hispanics have opened more than 30 new businesses in the last year in Oklahoma City, Castillo said.
``The businesses are growing so rapidly that it's often hard to keep up,'' he said. ``Right now, there are more than 1.6 million Hispanic-owned businesses in the United States.''
Stores that sell tortillas have been catching on.
The round bread is a major part of the Hispanic diet.
``In our culture, we sometimes eat them with every meal,'' Pando said.
Bobby Brinlee, owner of South of the Border Mercados de Carne (which is Spanish for meat market), does not have a Hispanic background, but he's hoping to capitalize on the Hispanic demographic.
Brinlee, 47, said he opened the store 15 months ago after discovering Hispanics are the fastest growing minority in the nation.
Aside from being a meat market and grocery store, the store sells traditional Mexican dishes like tamales, tostados and menudo, and pastries such as conchas and empanadas.
``Hispanics are a growing market in the business world and there is enough for everybody,'' Brinlee said. ``I'm just trying to get my piece of the pie.''
Brinlee said his business has bilingual employees in every department, and the store has a Western Union that many customers use to send money back home to Mexico, Brinlee said.
``They are the next generation of Oklahoma and they have already become mainstream society,'' he said.
Though Hispanics posses more than $200 million in buying power in Oklahoma City alone, the group is sometimes met with resistance, Castillo said.
Efforts like the English Only movement can sometimes be discouraging, he said.
``I like to call them growing pains,'' Castillo said. ``We will have more of these in the future, but people are going to have to realize that things are changing.
``I think we need to educate people on the culture, similarities and differences. We can get more done working together.''
Some organizations such as the Oklahoma Department of Labor are trying to make accommodations for the growing Hispanic population, said Pat McGuigan, ODL deputy commissioner.
The department has recently published its child labor laws in Spanish, and the Occupational and Safety Health Administration as well as the Wage and Hour Division now have bilingual departments, McGuigan said.
``These are just a few examples of how the government is responding to a changing economy,'' McGuigan said.
Castillo said he believes Hispanics will branch out more into construction and landscaping in the near future.
About 7.7 percent of construction and extractive craft workers are Hispanic, according to the 2000 census. About 12.9 percent are classified as laborers and helpers.
``Hispanics are hard workers,'' Castillo said. ``Instead of one job, we usually end up with two.
Pando, who inherited his tortilla shop after his father died in March of liver cancer, said he would like to see his company expand into a factory.
``Hispanics are showing that we can do as good if not better in the business world than the average owner,'' he said.


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The future of Magento is brighter than you think. Since its acquisition by Adobe, Magento has improved its security features to protect websites from hacker attacks.
The acquisition also promises to improve the user experience and boost conversions. This makes it easier for you to run your business as an e-commerce enterprise and cater to complex business ideas. It is also expected that the company will continue to invest in new technologies and features to further advance its platform.
As an eCommerce platform, Magento is already competitive in a global market. In fact, Adobe Analytics predicts a 32% increase in online sales during the holiday season of 2022. The ecommerce world is changing at such a fast pace that security is a major concern for Magento. Its popularity is reflected in the fact that it is ranked higher in Google searches than its competitors. With these improvements, Magento will have an even brighter future.
Magento continues to rise to the top.With its suite of products, including the Experience Cloud, it is positioned to take on Shopify and other leading e-commerce platforms. The company is also taking advantage of the merger with Adobe to reform and innovate at a faster pace. This means a brighter future for Magento. With its many features, it is likely to stay on top and attract more customers.
As an integrated omnichannel platform, Magento will be able to build a better customer experience. With its deep integration with Adobe’s marketing tools, it will be able to compete with other e-commerce platforms with ease and speed. It will also focus on being the best-rounded e-commerce platform and deliver exceptional shopping experiences for its users.
With an increasing number of smart speakers, voice commerce is gaining popularity. More people will be able to search products with the help of voice assistants. Moreover, this will improve the customer experience and increase ROI. This will allow you to increase the ROI. This is great news for your business, and one that will keep it ahead of the competition. So, stay tuned. You may be surprised at how far this platform has come.
While the future of Magento is bright, there are still a few challenges that need to be tackled. Shopify has proven to be a strong competitor in the e-commerce space. As an ecommerce platform, Magento has become the second largest platform in the world, but it lost its position to Shopify. Its popularity has fallen due to the fact that Shopify is perceived as an easier-to-use eCommerce platform. Its customization capabilities are unbeatable by Shopify, and this is one reason why it will continue to gain momentum in the future. But, as security continues to become a major issue for Magento.
Aside from security concerns, the company is also making advances in a number of other areas. Artificial intelligence is already making a significant impact on e-commerce. It is already an important component of e-commerce sites, and it will ensure that customers are getting what they want. It will also help online stores to understand the behavior of their customers better. Further, it will make it easier for website owners to understand what their customers are looking for and then offer products that meet those needs.


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Tonight’s meeting with investors brought the hoped-for results: Electronic Arts released the first official information on Battlefield 6the next chapter in the famous shooter series.
It is certainly not the first time that we have heard of the new Battlefield, which in fact had been mentioned by EA on other occasions given the considerable importance of the franchise – even if analyst Michael Pachter says that the game could prove to be a not indifferent flop.
To date, however, we have not had any really official news, except that the intention of DICE, which will once again take care of Battlefield, was to launch the game by the end of 2021.
With the meeting for investors, however, solid certainties arrive as regards Battlefield 6and also about when we will finally see it in action.
EA has officially confirmed that Battlefield 6 – name still provisional, as we do not know if the game will actually be called that – will be launched in the Holiday Season 2021which means that it will be available sometime between October and December of this year, in line with the previous chapters of the franchise. Battlefield 6 will then clash with Call of Duty 2022to re-propose one of the most exciting rivalries of the last decade.
There are also some details, albeit rather vague, on what we can expect from the game. Battlefield 6 will bring a great war experience to the stage, designed to take the franchise to the next level and which will take full advantage of the power of the next generation consoles, namely PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X | S (and of course the PC too). On this, a discussion has already arisen among the community: EA has in fact made no mention of versions for PS4 and Xbox One, and there are those who are starting to think that the game will not be launched on the now old gen consoles.
Electronic Arts then confirms a rumor that emerged in recent weeks, namely that Battlefield 6 will have the highest number of users in a match ever. As mentioned, the information seems to indirectly confirm the rumors of the last few weeks, in which the insiders spoke of battles on a very large scale with 128-player games.
The appointment for the reveal of the game is set for spring. Between March and June, therefore, we will see the first sequences of the new Battlefield.
No mention regarding the historical setting, which according to some well-known insiders will be a sort of technological Third World War and which will bring the series back to the atmosphere of Battlefield 3, to which the new game could be strongly inspired.


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Scarlett Johansson Sues Disney, claiming that her contract was breached when the company released “Black Widow” on its streaming service Disney Plus at the same time it debuted in theaters. She claims her agreement with Marvel Entertainment guaranteed an exclusive theatrical release for her solo film, and her salary was based, in large part, on the box office performance. The Wall Street Journal first reported this news story which is still developing.
Scarlett Johansson sues Disney: What does the suit say?
“Disney intentionally induced Marvel’s breach of the agreement, without justification, in order to prevent Ms. Johansson from realizing the full benefit of her bargain with Marvel,” the suit said.
“It’s no secret that Disney is releasing films like ‘Black Widow’ directly to the new streaming service Disney+, in order to increase its subscriber count and thereby boost the value of their company,” John Berlinski, an attorney at Kasowitz Benson Torres that represents Johansson told CNBC.
“But there are violations of their rights, and we look forward to proving this in court,” he said via email. “This will not be the only time when Hollywood talent stands up to Disney and makes it clear that they have a legal obligation to honor their contracts,” said Johansson’s attorney John Berlinski, at Kasowitz Benson Torres.
In the US, Black Widow set a record with its $80 million domestic box office debut. However, it quickly slumped at the box office and theater owners around the country are starting to get angry.
Disney had to make a business decision last decade when the pandemic called Covid-19 decimated movie theater companies. Walt Disney Entertainment decided to keep major releases like “Black Widow” of the theatrical market in order to advise panic from spreading.
However, as restrictions on the coronavirus eased, vaccination rates went up and the industry began to bounce back. Disney opted for a new strategy of debuting blockbusters in theaters and through its streaming service Disney+ at $30 apiece simultaneously.
Disney says that the plan is to release one last movie Jungle Cruise on Friday the 30th of July and then exclusively release every other movie thereafter in theaters.


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Christian Group Boycotts Ford
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
(SNN Thiruvananthapuram) The American Family Association (AFA) criticized Ford for donating money to gay-rights organizations. Ford Motor Co. has offered to give up to $1000 to the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Discrimination for every Jaguar and Land Rover it sells. The group also complained about Ford’s sponsoring of gay pride celebrations and “redefining the definition of the family to include homosexual marriage.”
Just one week ago, the AFA claimed victory in its boycott of Walt Disney Co. "Disney has become one of the less egregious perpetrators of the homosexual agenda, so we have decided to focus our resources on more pivotal issues,” said AFA President Tim Wildmon. When asked about the effects of the long term boycott by the AFA, a Disney spokesperson said, “Who?”
But is one more boycott from the AFA really meaningful. As of Tuesday, it was calling for action against the Carl’s Jr. hamburger chain (to protest its racy new ad featuring Paris Hilton), Kraft Foods (sponsorship of the 2006 Gay Games), Mary Kay Cosmetics and Old Navy stores (for advertising on “Desperate Housewives”) and NutriSystem Inc., the weight-loss company (for airing salacious TV ad). If the AFA keeps boycotting companies such as these, its members will eventually die of hunger and malnutrition, and no one will care because they are ugly and wear bad clothes.
“Diversity is very important to Ford, and it goes beyond homosexuality.”
Marcey Evans, a spokeswoman for Ford, said in an interview Wednesday that the AFA was misusing “diversity” by treating it as a code word for “homosexuality.” But “to Ford, diversity is a much broader definition than simply homosexuality,” she said. “Diversity is very important to Ford, and it goes beyond homosexuality.”
This is the last in a long line of controversial promotions by Ford. Who could forget the chaos that ensued from the “March Masti” by Ford India? Or the lucky couple that went home to find Ron Jeremy hiding in their trunk? There was also the free “100 Years of Backseat Higinks” video of 2003. And, who could forget last summer’s “Get a happy ending when you buy a Probe”?
As for Ford and that whole "diversity" bit, how dare Ford advocate such a thing! Next thing you know, they'll be advising that negroes and womenfolk ought to get the vote!
- Badtux the Snarky Penguin


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Plans & Pricing
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The performance of bulk marketing email campaigns compared with various targeted mailings sent to specific recipients for specific reasons tends to be dismal. Transactional emails, for example, which offer the opportunity for personalized messaging, have higher click rates, open rates and revenues per email than bulk mailings, according to Experian Marketing Services.
Welcome messages provide another opportunity for list segmentation and targeted campaigns, and these messages also perform better across a variety of metrics than bulk mailings.
June 2010 data from Experian indicates marketers can get such results while still sending campaigns to their entire mailing list. The “Spreading the Word Through Friends-and-Family Emails” report describes how friends-and-family campaigns were once targeted toward employees and perhaps a few best customers, creating the impression that they offered better deals than the general public could get. As these offers became popular and viral, marketers began expanding friends-and-family campaigns to entire lists. But they continue to see above-average open and click rates as well as boosted revenues per email.
“It appears that the perception of friends-and-family offers being ‘special’ continues—going so far as to outperform identical promotions without the friends-and-family messaging on all key metrics,” said the report.
Friends-and-family messages also continue to be more viral than other types of campaigns. They were three times as likely to get a referral and had twice as many unique referrers, according to the study.
Email marketers, in addition to formulating targeted and segmented campaigns, should remember that sometimes even a normal bulk mailing can seem special too. For recipients, perception is key, and that perception can significantly increase the return on investment for email marketing.
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