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Obviously, this is bothersome. But put it on pause and Mut 21 coins keep in mind the participant is in control of the encounter, not other players rather than EA. Place in Tim Tebow if it makes it even more fun!
While Madden NFL used to be a mainstay on Nintendo platforms, the show has been absent in its consoles for almost a decade. According to a recent project listing at EA, however, that may finally be changing.
EA's long-running soccer simulation series continues to sell well, despite obvious criticism from what seems like a majority of its player base. The franchise's latest iteration, Madden NFL 21, drew heavy complaints from players, giving the game an egregiously low score on Metacritic. The title's glitched physics, various gameplay bugs and an overall perceived shortage of polish at start directed it to be recorded among the most disappointing games of 2020, with fans at the same point becoming the hashtag NFLDropEA to fad on Twitter.
Upon further review, one of the sections under project requirements asks for two years of expertise working on"Microsoft, Sony or Nintendo game consoles" While it might not be too far to really go from, previous similar job listings in EA haven't mentioned Nintendo as part of their standards. The last time the series had a presence on any Nintendo platform was Madden NFL 13 about the Wii U. Back in 2018, EA had stated they did not plan on bringing the series to the Change, but the industry giant appears to be changing its tune with the hybrid system.
If the theory behind the job listing is accurate, it would indicate an ongoing shift in the relationship between the major N and Electronics, together with several of its franchises getting available on the mobile console. The business has ported its free-to-play battle royale name Apex Legends to Change. Muddy images, poor textures, and reduced framerates have turned many fans off from trying to buy mut coins madden 21 play the fast-paced FPS on the platform.


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A cat from Hampshire and a dog from Yorkshire that together managed to shed 33kg (73lb) were named joint winners of the 2005 Slimmer of the Year contest.
Benji used to be 10.80kg but has now lost 30% of his body weight
Benji, a seven-year-old ginger moggy from Fareham lost 30% of his body weight and now weighs 7.55kg (17lb).
Five-year-old Scrappy, a labrador from Hebden Bridge, shed nearly 30kg (66lb) - 45% of his body weight.
The animals bagged £2,500 worth of holiday vouchers and pet accessories as well as a year's free supply of food.
Scrappy went from a whopping 65.45kg (144lb) to 36kg (79lb) and his owners, David and Pat Grant, said they were pleased as it meant his health had improved and he would be expected to live longer.
Scrappy used to be 65.45kg but has shed nearly half of his body weight
Mr Grant said: "I'm extremely proud of Scrappy. When he was overweight he was so lethargic and couldn't even manage to go for a walk.
"Now he's fit and active and seems years younger."
Both pets will now go into the Hill's European Pet Slimmer of the Year Awards, to compete against national champions from France, Spain, Italy, Germany and Switzerland.

domain: news


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During a press event celebrating the launch of a new store concept in Seattle, Target executives confirmed that the department store chain would carry the complete Apple iPad lineup in its locations this holiday season in order to drive traffic to its stores. The current lineup stands at 16/32/64GB Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 3G models. By carrying the iPad, this would make Target the largest retailer and Apple reseller to stock the popular tablets outside of Apple Stores with 1,743 locations.
Browse: Home / Target to Carry Apple iPad Lineup This Holiday Season
By Humberto Saabedra on September 24, 2010


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Interested in exploring life as a sports journalist, want some advice about getting a career in sport? Well, don’t worry, Tom’s got you covered!
Tag Archives: SportsProMedia
The AST wrap-up; your weekly edition of sports business news
The most marketable sports assets are out for 2020, the gaming landscape grows in China and could the UFC welcome back fans?
The AST Wrap-up: Sports sponsorship continues to fuel commercial growth
Sports sponsorship continue to evolve the traditional landscape to acquire new audiences, opportunities and diversity.
SportsProMedia’s 50 most marketable athletes; what does this mean for the future of sports marketing?
This week, SportsProMedia released their 50 most marketable athlete’s list for 2020. What does this demonstrate for sports marketing?
AST weekly wrap-up; the youth continue to influence sports content
Young audiences have become the most important demographic for your sports marketing strategy. How can you captivate this trend?
Ash’s Sports Talk, your second weekly sports-business wrap-up
This weeks sport business news includes sport leveraging new audiences across healthcare, fitness, technology and Esports.
The Ash’s Sports Talk weekly sports business wrap-up
The Sports Business weekly wrap-up brings you the most informative news stories all in one place.


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U.S. carrier version of HTC One to receive Android 4.4.2 with next month's OTA update
HTC is on track to deliver the chocolatey goodness of Android 4.4 KitKat to the U.S. carrier version of the HTC One next month. Even the Verizon branded version of the handset, which just received Android 4.3 earlier this week, is scheduled to be updated next month. And there is more. The U.S. version of the update will include Sense 5.5. And according to a tweet from HTC's Director of Product Management, Mo Versi, the U.S. update will actually take the HTC One to 4.4.2. That is the latest build available at the moment.
According to HTC Insider LlabTooFeR, European models of the HTC One are also expected to be updated with Android 4.4.2. A tweet he sent out on Wednesday revealed that HTC is testing out Android 4.4.2 with a new version of Sense for the HTC One sequel code named the M8. We could see that phone named the HTC One 2 when unveiled.
HTC insider LLabTooFeR says that the HTC One 2 will come out of the box with Android 4.4.2 installed and a new version of Sense
Thanks Anonymous Tipster!
1. mikewillz (Posts: 44; Member since: 03 May 2013)
For a minute there I was confused by the title.
2. GeekMovement (Posts: 1521; Member since: 09 Sep 2011)
Wow that's awesome for HTC One owners! I'm jealous.
btw nice thumbnail pic for the 3rd/4th time.
4. JMartin22 (Posts: 1245; Member since: 30 Apr 2013)
Some OEMs are being smart now. If you can't outspend Samsung in the marketing and hardware development department. Attack them on the firmware side. Hopefully after being plagued by HTC, Motorola and Sony a bit for this, I hope Samsung will speed up their firmware time frame for their devices.
5. JakeLee (banned) (Posts: 1021; Member since: 02 Nov 2013)
Let's believe the image instead : 4.4.2
6. itsdeepak4u2000 (Posts: 2866; Member since: 03 Nov 2012)
8. ahhxd717 (Posts: 320; Member since: 08 Dec 2011)
I'm glad HTC isnt playing around with the updates for the One. I'm kinda excited to get it, but since I've already been experiencing KitKat on my Nexus 7, I know I'm not missing out on too much for now.


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Reliance Industries (RIL) is aiming to take Jio Fiber to more than 2 crore households, the company said in a corporate presentation filed with Bombay Stock Exchange. The company also said that it is targeting 99 percent population coverage with the fibre-broadband service. The presentation was filed by the company on Friday where it gave a glimpse of its vision for the future. It also mentioned that it is planning to target 5 crore-plus households for its cable networks DEN and Hathway.
Jio Fiber was first announced in 2018 as Jio GigaFiber and was said to offer default 1Gbps broadband Internet speeds to the users. However, in August 2019, it became apparent that the name of the service would be Jio Fiber with a base speed of 100Mbps but with costlier plans with 1Gbps of speed as well. The target of 2 crore plus households for Jio Fiber is quite ambitious as the company's broadband service had just 8.4 lakh subscribers at the end of January.
If looking at customers receiving Gigabits speeds, the aim looks even farther. In fact, even the total number of wired broadband (>512Kbps download speed) customers in India has not crossed the 2 crore mark yet. While the company had entered into the 4G mobile Internet space with an aggressive pricing model, the same can't be held correct for its wired broadband service. Therefore, it looks like the company will have to make a lot of efforts to achieve its goal.
RIL also said in the presentation that it is planning to aim for more than 5 crore cable target households for its cable companies DEN and Hathway. Reliance acquired a 66 percent stake in Den Networks and a 51.3 percent stake in Hathway Cable and Datacom last year.
Which is the bestselling Vivo smartphone in India? Why has Vivo not been making premium phones? We interviewed Vivo's director of brand strategy Nipun Marya to find out, and to talk about the company's strategy in India going forward. We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.


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Wearable technology is making a big splash, and the latest numbers prove it. According to IMS Research , the global market for wearable technology posted $2 billion worth of revenues in 2011, and projections are that by 2016, the market will be worth $6 billion. The research also shows that 14 million wearable devices were shipped in 2011, and 171 million devices are forecast to be shipped by 2016.
IMS Research's findings were published last week in a report entitled: "World Market for Wearable Technology -- A Quantitative Market Assessment -- 2012." The report examined the world market for wearable electronic devices that are used in professional and consumer environments, and are worn by users for an extended period of time. The devices use advanced circuitry, are wirelessly enabled, and have the ability to process data.
The report found a growing need for the technology in healthcare, fitness, and wellness markets where these devices collect and electronically transmit a patient's vital signs. These vital signs include glucose readings, weight, or pulse. Leading products in this category include glucose monitors from Abbott Laboratories and Medtronic Inc., activity monitors, from Fitbit, Adidas miCoach, Nike Fuelband, and fitness and heart rate monitors from Garmin, Polar, and Suunto. (See: My Fitbit Experiment: End of the Line.)
However, while devices associated with healthcare have dominated the market, projections are that by 2016, infotainment will account for the largest revenue share, driven by the expected popularity of smart watches and smart glasses, Theo Ahadome, senior analyst at IMS Research asserts.
Ahadome sees Google's Smart Glasses and the rumored Apple Smart Watch as products that have the potential to take off in the consumer marketplace. With regard to the high tech industry, the wearable technology market brings new opportunities for chip manufacturers, component suppliers, and others to capture burgeoning opportunities.
Ahadome, who is the report's author, noted that growth in the wearable technology market is tied to the growth of the smartphone and gaming markets. According to IMS Research's figures, 485 million smartphones were shipped in 2011 and projections are that by 2016, over 1.2 billion smartphones will be shipped worldwide. There will also be an installed base of 8.7 billion cellular handset users in 2016, an increase from 5.8 billion in 2011.
The report notes that these trends will impact the wearable technology market in the following ways:
Smartphones: As the number of smartphone users grows and the smartphone become the hub of information for its users, there will be an increasing number of devices that will connect to and exchange data with smartphones. In the healthcare and fitness markets such devices include continuous glucose monitors and activity monitors. Similarly, in the infotainment market, Smart Watches and Smart Glasses are expected to increasingly share data with smartphones.
Smart Glasses: Smart glasses are expected to have built-in cellular connectivity, allowing them to independently receive and transmit data. Consequently, the growth of the Smart Glasses market is less dependent on growth in the smartphone market.
Smart Watches: Smart watches, however, primarily serve as complementary to smartphones; they display information such as incoming calls and to control smartphone applications. As a result, the growth of the smartphone market directly influences growth of the smart watch market. The smartphone installed base hence serves as the total available market for smart watches.
The Gaming Market: In 2011, it was estimated that there was an estimated 77 million registered PlayStation users and 35 million Xbox registered users worldwide. In comparison, there were only an estimated 50,000 Xbox users in 2002. The fast growing gaming market represents a significant opportunity for augmented reality devices such as heads-up displays and smart glasses, which aim to enhance [the] gaming experience.
@WB: well, it seems the discussion is still alive and open; speaking for myself, I personal think we could extend the horizon including other devices, such as NFC paradigm and so on, even they are not perfectly wearable.
For those of you who want another example of wearable technology, here's one for all the readers who are parents. Exmovere's product for babies, Exmobaby, is a snap-on garment, outfitted with wireless technology that monitors ECG, skin temperature and a baby's movement. The technology can transmit alerts to a PC or cell phone. For more information, the website can be found here: http://exmobaby.exmovere.com/
No doubt all these devices are closing to each other in usage, functionality and production --- embedded components ( semiconductors especially). While latest researches in the field of semiconductor showing that, driver of these wearable technology and miniaturized is nanotechnology/nanoscience, infact we shall continue to witness and experiencing disruptivity and conflicting in terms of their usage.
Nevertheless, why do you need SatNavs in your cars if your iPhones or Android phones could navigate you perfectly to your destinations? Why do you need Cameras if your Samsung Notes could take high quality pictures? I do think, and hope wearable devices have market potential in medical and other areas like sports etc. Smartphone and Tablet as wearables?
It is not very clear how one is too classify wearable technology?
@_hm, wearable technology can be any gadget which can be easily carried around by the user and this device works even though the user is not really inputting any data. This device can be in any of the forms like dress,watch, wrist band, headset etc
the smartphone become the hub of information for its users, there will be an increasing number of devices that will connect to and exchange data with smartphones.
@Nicole, thanks for the article. I am curious to know why do we need an extra device if smartphones itself can do most of the job the device can do? For example just installing an App on smart-phone can covert my smart-phone to activity measurement device. So by installing App on my smart-phone I can easily replace by fit-bit.
@TaimoorZ: well, it is a good point; in a such way, I am for you, in the sense, a smartphone is not wereable, definetely; furthermore, I would say is a sort of a device close to each one individual and it provides human positioning, location and interaction in case of emergency. Do we need to conclude we can't consider them?
@Cryptoman: I agree with you; in fact, if we consider for just a moment, smartphones' features in terms of positioning-monitoring of location in near real time-ipv6 native support (at least for a part of them) which allows,natively, sensors' interaction, we can conclude they could be, absolutely, considered.
While some parts of the high-tech supply chain network can be improved by implementing policies and procedures, other parts of the network are beyond the control of even the most skilled supply chain executive.
EBN Dialogue enables and encourages you to participate in live chats with notable leaders and luminaries. Not only editors and journalists, but the entire EBN community is able to comment and ask questions. Listed below are upcoming and archived chats.
Thailand Stages a Comeback Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Microsoft Surface: Potential Winners & Losers What are the implications for the electronics industry supply chain of Microsoft Corp.'s decision to launch its own tablet PC? Join industry veteran and EE Times' systems and OEM expert Rick Merritt on Tuesday, July 3, at 12:00 pm EDT for a Live Chat on this subject.
Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Peter Drucker famously said "Trying to predict the future is like trying to drive down a country road at night with no lights while looking out the back window." Yet in the razor's-edge world of electronics—with a lean supply chain and just-in-time demands—the need to know the future is vital.
While no one really can accurately predict the future, we can take guidance from another Drucker saying which is the best way to predict the future is to create it.
You've heard the saying "the No. 1 supply chain risk is your people." That hasn't always been the case. But today's complex global supply chain requires a new type of multitalented employee. It's one who understands, finance, marketing, economics, is savvy with technology, graceful with relationships and can think analytically.
Where are these people? Are universities properly preparing the next generation supply chain professionals? How do train your existing workforce for these new, demanding positions?
Brian Fuller, editor-in-chief of EBN, will lead a 60-minute Avnet Velocity panel discussion that will ask and answer these and other questions swirling around today's supply-chain talent challenges.


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Operating profit is up to €12.5 million from €5.2 million in 2015. Profit after tax has gone from €0.2m in 2015 to €8.4 million. Total revenue has gone from €108m last year to €116m this year. Total volume is also up: from 4.9m in2015 to 5.4 million 9-litre cases.
Stock’s new CEO Mirek Stachowicz (pictured), said: “I am delighted to have been appointed CEO and pleased to announce EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes and depreciation) growth across all our markets for the first half of this year, after a difficult 2015. The board is particularly pleased that the many initiatives we have put in place in Poland are starting to show positive results, with market share being regained across our core traditional trade outlets. Although the recovery is in its early days, the Board is confident that the strengthened management team in Poland will be able to build on this encouraging start over the coming months.
“We are also pleased to announce today the payment of an interim dividend of €0.0227 per share, following the payment in July of a special dividend of €0.119 per share, said ” Stachowicz.
Stock Spirits, says it offers a modern premium branded spirits portfolio, rooted in local and regional heritage. With core operations in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Italy, Croatia and Bosnia & Herzegovina, Stock also exports to more than 40 other countries worldwide. Global sales volumes currently total over 100m litres per year.
Stock says it holds strong market positions in spirits in both Poland and the Czech Republic and is one of the world’s leading vodka producers. Core Stock brands include Stock brandy, Fernet Stock bitters and Limonce, as well as more recent creations like Stock Prestige and Zoladkowa de Luxe vodkas.


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California sued Uber and Lyft this week for treating their drivers as contractors rather than full employees, in the latest episode of the state’s feud with big tech companies.
The Tuesday complaint accuses the ride-hailing giants of misclassifying their drivers as independent contractors and denying them protections such as a minimum wage, overtime pay, sick leave and unemployment benefits.
“American taxpayers end up having to help carry the load that Uber and Lyft don’t want to accept,” California attorney general Xavier Becerra said in a statement. “These companies will take the workers’ labor, but they won’t accept the worker protections.”
The lawsuit seeks a court order barring Uber and Lyft from continuing to misclassify drivers as well as up to hundreds of millions of dollars in civil penalties, officials say.
The cities of San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego joined Becerra in bringing the suit under a controversial state law known as AB5, which aims to make companies give gig workers like drivers and couriers the same benefits afforded to more traditional employees. The law took effect Jan. 1.
Tech firms such as Uber have fought the law tooth and nail, arguing it would fundamentally change their business models and reduce flexibility for workers.
California’s complaint comes amid the coronavirus pandemic that has reportedly depressed demand for ride-hailing services and put millions of Americans out of work. The crisis led Lyft to lay off nearly 1,000 employees while Uber has reportedly discussed similarly deep cuts.
Uber said it plans to fight the lawsuit in court. The company is also waging its own legal battle against the AB5 law alongside food-delivery firm Postmates.
“At a time when California’s economy is in crisis with four million people out of work, we need to make it easier, not harder, for people to quickly start earning,” Uber said in a statement.
Lyft said it would work with state and local officials “to bring all the benefits of California’s innovation economy to as many workers as possible, especially during this time when the creation of good jobs with access to affordable healthcare and other benefits is more important than ever.”
Uber shares were up 0.4 percent in premarket trading at $28.20 as of 7:24 a.m. while Lyft’s were recently up 1.2 percent at $27.00. Lyft is due to report its first-quarter earnings Wednesday, followed by Uber on Thursday.
With Post wires


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Displaying items 121-132 of 453 » View courant.com items only< Previous 1-10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21-38 Next >
Varsity Times InsiderThe varsity football team at Studio City Harvard-Westlake is spending a week sleeping in the old campus gym that has no air conditioning. That's about the only complaint the players should have. They're getting catered meals three times a day.......
Lauraday Kelley Talks about How Healthy Foods Could Hurt your Weight Loss Efforts Mindless snacking is a habit and behavior that can wreak havoc when trying to lose weight. Even healthy snacks, like nuts, hummus and low calorie ice cream treats, have...
Tags: Healthy Diet, Butter, Onions, Peanut Butter, Sandwiches
Daily American Staff WriterA unique antique at the 42nd Annual Somerset Antique Show proved that it really is a small world after all. Among the many items on display Saturday was a Ford 1928 Model AA popcorn truck, owned by Wayne and Wanda Hostetler of New Enterprise,...
August 15 Goodbye They say all good things must come to an end. With that, I'm leaving WDBJ and the news business. I've accepted a position as the community relations coordinator for Roanoke City Schools. There are several reasons why I'm switching...
South Florida Sun-SentinelGet a free small popcorn at Regal Cinemas with a coupon. Regal is offering the coupon to celebrate reaching 1 million fans on Facebook. Present at participating theaters. The offer is one coupon per person. Click here for the deal. The coupon expires on...
Tags: Facebook, Social Media
One of two men seriously injured in a crash on Interstate 57 Thursday after police say they robbed a Beverly Woods gourmet popcorn shop has been charged in the heist. Charged with armed robbery with a firearm is Robin Walker, 33, of the 8000 block of S....
RedEyeEmporium Arcade Bar 1366 N. Milwaukee Ave. No phone yet Rating: 3 (out of four) Off to a good start Let's get one thing straight: Emporium Arcade Bar doesn't need any press coverage to survive in Chicago. The concept—a throwback arcade that...
Fox 5 San Diego ReporterSAN DIEGO -- The San Diego Convention Center may be ground zero for everything Comic-Con, but businesses throughout downtown are looking to cash in. Many are dressing up to attract convention attendees. "It’s very cool to see every year. You never...
Hero Complex - movies, comics, fanboy fare - latimes.comDisney unveiled its first trailer for “The Lone Ranger” on Thursday, giving Comic-Con International attendees the initial look at the ......
Somerset County Farmers' MarketThe Somerset County Farmers' Market will be adding six new vendors to market this year! This will be the 7th year the market has been in operation and it is exciting to have a 25 percent increase in farmers that will be offering customers many new...
Tags: Facebook, New York City, Breast Cancer, Peppers
Beth Engelman For more ideas: http://www.mommyonashoestring.com Hot dogs For Dessert: You Need: circus peanuts 1 caramel square green gumdrops (optional) yellow icing in a tube green tinted coconut cut-up green gumdrop (optional) Directions: Cut a...
Tags: Salt, Butter, Peanuts, Baseball, Frosting and Icing
Aug 7, 2012 | Los Angeles Times
Aug 9, 2012 |Story| WPMT-LTV
Aug 11, 2012 |Story| Daily American
Jul 20, 2012 |Story| WDBJ7
Jul 1, 2012 |Story| South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Jun 15, 2012 |Story| Chicago Tribune
Jun 21, 2012 |Story| RedEye
Jul 11, 2012 |Story| KSWB-LTV
Jul 13, 2012 | Los Angeles Times
Jun 17, 2012 |Story| Daily American
Jun 18, 2012 |Story| WGNTV-LTV
May 31, 2012 |Column| WXIN-LTV
Original site for Popcorn topic gallery.


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Facebook has recently announced that they are working to take three major chat platforms (Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp) that they own and integrate them into one cross-communication platform. This new infrastructure would make sure to have the three apps be distinct, while simultaneously letting users be able to chat with each other no matter what platform they are using. This huge move is only possible after the social media powerhouse Facebook purchased Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014. These three applications would stay separate but will allow for communication between their platforms. This integration would be the first of its kind, and could definitely be a game-changer in the marketing world.
The merged messaging platform will also be more private, as it will be more encrypted on both ends. The idea of Facebook connecting three messaging apps into one place is extremely beneficial for the already somewhat decreasing engagement of advertisers using the application. After this merge, the advertiser’s engagement will go through the roof.
With the size of these three platforms, it is easy to see how much of a new audience you can reach with this integration. Collectively, there are 2.6 billion users between the three, meaning with one platform you can reach an audience of all three. This is a substantial amount, a large increase from the normal amount from one platform. It also creates a new opportunity to reach different age groups. Instagram and WhatsApp are mainly 16 to 24 year olds, while Facebook is mostly over 25 years old. It also brings an audience outside of North America – WhatsApp has the main audience based in Asia, South America, and Europe. This integration combines all of these into one place, making it simple and easy to reach completely new demographics.
Chatbots are the biggest marketing trend and will be for a few years, so this only helps marketers. The conversational interface has already been a huge success for Facebook Messenger, so it can only go up from here once it is integrated with Instagram and WhatsApp. It is instant customer service as well, making it simple and easy for customers using those applications. Chat marketing automation completes some valuable digital marketing trends like must user-centric and growth-critical trends. These include personalization, automation, artificial intelligence, and interactivity. All in one place, the same way it worked with Messenger but with two completely new channels to completely new audiences.
These chatbots are a great alternative to traditional email marketing. Email marketing has had horrible engagement rates recently, as part of a huge decline over the past few years. The average open rate for marketing emails is roughly around 20%, with the average click-through rate of those emails only at a measly 2.43%. But with chatbots, the open rate of messages can be anywhere from 60% to 80% — a whopping 4-10 times higher than that of emails. Not only are these numbers much higher and much more successful, but it will also all be integrated so that it will be one platform to use to send out messages on all three applications. Integration like this one will also provide companies with an international channel for direct communication that is both user-friendly and more engaging than traditional email marketing.
This is an incredible opportunity for all businesses, whether they already use chatbots or not. The time for chatbots is now, and this is a great start if your business has yet to use them. Chatbots will be a staple of the marketing world, so it makes sense to jump on the train now.
Here at YuzzBuzz we can help your business grow. Reach out to us and we can help set up your very own Chatbot as well as find the right package for you to gain even more digital visibility and more business online.
Are there any concerns or questions you have about chatbots?


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LAST Thursday Bosch India inaugurated a new plant at Bidadi, about 35-kilometers from Bangalore. To be sure the auto parts maker wants to upgrade its product suite but the German firm must be keeping its fingers crossed it doesn’t run into any labour troubles here.
Indeed, it has been a somewhat rough time for the German multinational’s Indian operations—last year workers struck work at its Adugodi unit for about three months from September 16 until December 19, forcing a shutdown and demanding a revision in wages. The same plant had seen a tools-down strike, in March 2013. And on March 20, this year, workers at the company’s Jaipur plant observed a one-day strike over wage settlement issues.
During the prolonged shutdown of its Adugodi facility Bosch agreed to some of the demands from labour unions which then put an end to the strike and allowed manufacturing to resume. At the same time, the company decided to increase the number of work hours to 7.5 hours for every shift from 5 to 6.5 hours earlier depending on the product and processes. The company runs its plant round-the-clock with three shifts of eight-hours each.
The frequent unrest at Bosch’s factories is the result of high expectations from the workmen which the management is often unable to meet, says BC Prabhakar, a Bangalore-based labour law expert. “Incidentally, the demands from the highly paid workers are higher than those from the mid-level workers,” Prabhakar adds. A trade union representative, however, says that plant shutdowns are common for adjusting production and maintaining inventory.
“The company had to shut down work at Bangalore plant on August 14, 2015 because of lack of demand for diesel systems. It manufactures largely diesel systems,” an office-bearer at MICO Employees Association, the trade union that struck work at Adugodi plant last December, said.
The incidents at the Indian units have prompted Volkmar Denner, the global chairman of Bosch, to call for a change in labour rules in India. “Our intention is to continue investments provided labour conditions allow us to be competitive. But today in the world there are many free trade zones and these will increase,” Denner, who became chairman in 2012, said during his maiden visit to India last October. “That means a country like India has to be competitive with other countries, especially in Asia.” Denner’s words need to be heeded; after all, Bosch is the world’s largest supplier of automotive components and will turn 130 in November next year.
Steffen Berns, managing director at Bosch Ltd says the earnings for the quarter through June, were helped by increased production following from the higher number of hours put in by its factory workers, which was part of the agreement. That helped it amidst weaker sales and declining profitability. However, in the quarter through June, Bosch reported a 21% increase in inventory from a year earlier, which in turn increased its expenses by 23%, impacting its profitability. In fact, the inventories were 23% higher than what they had during the preceding January-March quarter.
To avoid an inventory build-up, the company has suspended operations at its Adugodi plant twice in the current fiscal, the first one on May 2, and the second on August 14. During the latest suspension of operations, Bosch said the idea was to adjust its “production to meet the demand” and at the same time prevent inventories from piling up.
It said the suspension of operations would not have any impact on its financials.
Despite labour issues, Berns is betting on India, one of the company’s strongest and biggest markets in the world. He expects sales of commercial vehicles to witness “continued recovery,” and passenger car sales to see “a moderate growth” during the current fiscal. “Our forecast for this year is cautiously optimistic,” he says.
The company is aiming for a larger market share when India rolls out its new vehicle emission rule from April 1, 2017. HSBC Global Research estimates the new rule will likely boost Bosch’s revenue during the next fiscal that begins on April 1, as automakers will start buying components ahead of emission rule rollout deadline.
The company plans to roll out one emission-control product each for passenger cars, heavy commercial vehicles and for light commercial vehicles. “This will ensure Bosch is best positioned to capture growth from new generation of vehicles,” HSBC says. However, the company must ensure the frequency of workforce agitations reduces and hope the economic environment improves so that demand picks up. “Any advantage of operating leverage is likely to be negated by increasing wage costs,” HSBC Global Research adds. Bosch had increased wages for its workers at Adugodi plant by 33% late last year when they agreed to work longer hours. That had reportedly not gone down well with workers at other plants and workers at the Jaipur unit had gone on a one-day strike.
With the new Bidadi facility in place Bosch will be looking to make a fresh start as far as labour issues are concerned; the unit will follow leaner manufacturing processes, which means the plant will need fewer workers. The auto parts maker plans to move all of its operations to the new plant in two phases, the last transition is slated for 2018, following which the new unit will be fully ready. The current unit at Adugodi will make way for a new research and development centre and a technology hub. That’s good news for the country’s engineers. And auto manufacturers too.Automotive holds 53% stake in Mahindra CIE (MCIE), while 20% stake is with Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M).
The MCIE stock has returned 68% in last one year, more than ten times that of the benchmark Sensex; the market value is Rs 8,582 crore.


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The sequel to 2018's critically acclaimed God Of War has been a little bit vague on updates, recently. It's enough to have a few fans worried that maybe the game was sliding from its announced 2022 release. However, according to those in the know it is still coming this year.
Said sequel, God Of War Ragnarök, was first announced in September 2020. At the time, the game's creative director at Sony Santa Monica, Cory Barlog, told people that the next adventure for Kratos and Atreus would be "done when it's done".
That 'done date' was originally slated for 2021, but in June last year PlayStation Studios announced the sequel would be pushed back until 2022. This was to give players the game "we all want to play". Production was apparently slowed down due to the pandemic, which prevented the team from collecting all the motion capture footage it needed. Fans seemed fine with the game's delay. In the words of Mario's daddy, Shigeru Miyamoto, "A delayed game is eventually good, but a rushed game is forever bad."
Check out gameplay from God Of War Ragnarök in the video below.
An exact release was never given, which of course gave rise to speculation. Our most credible release date appeared to be from information accidentally leaked by PlayStation itself, which showed a date of 30 September 2022. This was never confirmed as the exact release date however, and could have simply been a target date. This would make sense, given it means the game would be out for the busy holiday period.
But with nothing concrete on the table people have questioned whether God Of War Ragnarök would be delayed further. A new update appears to suggest that it's still on track though - whether that's for the rumoured 30 September date, or a little bit later in the year.
Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier, who is notoriously in the know, commented on a reddit post questioning if Ragnarök would be delayed further. With a simple "nope," Schreier has gone some way to allaying fears that it could be another year until the long-awaited sequel is released. The man has spoken.
Guess it's coming out this year, then. Whenever God of War Ragnarök does emerge, it'll be for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. Let's hope it does a Horizon Forbidden West and looks almost as great on the outgoing-gen hardware as it does the machine at gaming's cutting edge.
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AT&T has expanded its low-band 5G service to 22 additional markets this week, and is opening up its millimeter wave 5G+ service to consumers for the first time with the launch of Samsung’s Galaxy S20 series.
At the end of February AT&T’s 5G covered more than 80 million people, and is still on track to reach nationwide coverage by mid-year, said AT&T COO John Stankey, speaking Tuesday at a Morgan Stanley investor conference.
Most of that will come from lighting up new spectrum on 5G, Stankey added, noting that more spectrum is “probably the purest and best way for us to do that.”
A recent Opensignal report found carriers’ 5G speeds over low-band spectrum were unimpressive, including AT&T which clocked average download speeds of 59.3 Mbps. AT&T has been refarming its 800 MHz spectrum to get broader 5G coverage, and the report concluded that U.S. carriers are held back by the lack of new 5G mid-band spectrum needed to complement low- and high-band holdings.
AT&T executives have previously touted the carrier’s spectrum position as more favorable than competitors thanks to low-band and mid-band holdings, though have also signaled interest in C-band spectrum opportunities as well.
“We stand today with a spectrum portfolio that we can run the plays we need to run on and be very deliberate around what we want to do in the forthcoming auctions and not feel like our back is against the wall on timing,” Stankey said Tuesday.
Since launching in December, AT&T’s low-band 5G flavor is now available in 80 markets, though Stankey acknowledged the difference in customer experience on sub-6 GHz 5G compared to current service “is not huge.”
The latest 5G market additions include: Madera County, Mono County and Santa Rosa, California; Denver, Colorado.; Albany and Athens, Georgia; Worcester, Massachusetts; Beaverhead County and Lincoln County, Montana; Sussex County, New Jersey; Albany and Binghamton, New York; Cincinnati, Columbus, Hamilton, Ross County and Springfield, Ohio; Lancaster and State College, Pennsylvania; Provo, Utah; Madison County, Va. and Raleigh County, W. Va.
AT&T currently only offers one device, the Samsung Galaxy Note10+ 5G, but starting Friday the Samsung Galaxy S20 series will be available. That includes the S20+ and S20 Ultra 5G, which is the first 5G smartphone capable of tapping both sub-6 GHz and millimeter 5G signals.
This means consumers for the first time will be able to tap into AT&T’s millimeter wave 5G+ service, an AT&T spokesperson confirmed, which is available in limited parts of 35 cities. The 5G+ service was previously only available to select business customers.
Still, 5G+ coverage is very limited, and while AT&T has said it’s seen peak speeds of more than 2 Gbps, it also notes service basically requires an unobstructed line of sight to the signal source.
When it comes to 5G+, Stankey pointed to AT&T’s decision to hold onto its fixed line infrastructure in key U.S. markets and the expansion of its fiber footprint.
“That infrastructure and the fiber base we have there will provide the foundation for us to move the 5G+ or millimeter wave deployments that we think take us to the next level,” he said.
In terms of moves to ensure adequate capacity for AT&T’s retail business, the operations chief indicated decisions, including spectrum auctions and acquisitions, and securing the FirstNet contract, among others, put the carrier in a position to once again actively pursue opportunities for its wholesale business, in contrast to the last several years.
In the few years prior to 2018, AT&T needed to “shed several hundred million dollars of wholesale traffic” to deal with capacity dynamics on the retail side, he said.
“We’re now in a place where we can continue the momentum in our retail business and, at the same time, add back in some of that wholesale traffic that we walked away from for a period of time. And we are very energized around finding those opportunities to do that.”
Stankey alluded to openness for potential wholesale opportunities with Dish Networks as the satellite TV provider enters as a new wireless competitor and works against buildout timelines for its own nationwide network.
Dish’s Charlie Ergen is likely to take a different approach than traditional carriers, including what types of partners are needed to execute on the company’s network build requirements, he acknowledged. Although, Stankey indicated it’s hard to say for certain what path Ergen might take.
During T-Mobile and Sprint’s merger trial, knowledge of “confidential and creative strategic partnerships” Dish was planning emerged, though which entities were involved was never disclosed. Speculation has covered big tech players like Google, Microsoft or Amazon, as well as cable operators or device makers.
Stankey suggested that Dish’s entry could create a new dynamic in the business than traditionally seen. For example, a network that a range of users put capacity on, or building infrastructure where Dish owns and operates portions, while some is run through other partners.
“I think we are mindful of that and open to all those things, and we'll continue to be responsive to that as it evolves,” he said.


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(Yahoo finance) As Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. RCL approaches the end of its Double-Double program, bookings are at record levels, dividends are at an all-time high, costs have been well managed and guest satisfaction has improved significantly.
Consequently, the company’s shares have rallied 51.9% in the past year, as against the industry’s growth of 25.1%.
The company has thus once again developed a multi-year period program named — 20/20 Vision — that leverages the culture and the discipline instilled by the Double-Double program while including a broader set of goals.
Meanwhile, Royal Caribbean posted mixed third-quarter 2017, wherein earnings topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate while revenues lagged the same. Though strong close-in booking and pricing trends bolstered the quarterly performance, hurricanes had a negative impact on the same.
In fact, the company has solid long-term growth potential but the risks from near-term headwinds might somewhat restrict its growth momentum.
Key Growth Drivers
Given the strength and diversity of its brands and itineraries, the company has successfully captured potential and repeat cruise vacationers and enjoys immense popularity among cruisers.
We note that Royal Caribbean’s Asia-Pacific itineraries have been mostly performing strongly over the past few quarters. Though the China market has been recently experiencing bumps in the road, it is poised to be a long-term growth driver. Per data from the Chinese Ministry of Transport, China’s cruise market is projected to grow to 4.5 million passengers, up from 1 million in 2015. Also, the country is expected to become the world’s second-largest cruise market by 2030, after the United States.
Demand for European sailings, both in the Mediterranean and Baltics, has been particularly strong from North America. Meanwhile, although demand for Caribbean sailings softened as the recent hurricanes moved to the Caribbean and Gulf beginning in late August, virtually all its bookings in the region are back to pre-storm levels.
In fact, the company stated that bookings continue to be very robust. Booking volumes have been up more for sailings that are further out, given the ongoing extension of the booking window. Management noted that they are experiencing strong early booking trends for 2018. Notably, Royal Caribbean is benefiting from its global sourcing model, revenue management strategies and the price integrity program.
Given the consistent increase in bookings, the company is required to increase its capacity. Notably, with upcoming fleet launches like Symphony of the Seas — arriving in spring of 2018 — and Celebrity Edge that debuts in the fall of 2018, it expects to meet this requirement comfortably. Also, Royal Caribbean recently announced that Azamara Pursuit will join Azamara Club Cruises brand, which increases the company’s capacity there and upgrades its capabilities.
Over the next three years, 20/20 Vision is expected to serve as a guiding light for the organization and build on its proven formula for success of modest yield and capacity growth, strong cost control along with efforts to enhance customer advocacy and employee engagement.
Going forward, Royal Caribbean aims to improve its already excellent guest satisfaction and employee engagement while delivering its environmental commitments, under 20/20 Vision program. These operational drivers are expected to aid in further improving its double-digit return profile and deliver double-digit earnings per share by the end of 2020.
Does this mean that the company has been lying on a bed of roses? Well, not really!
Adverse forex translations, a potential rise in fuel prices and lingering global uncertainties in certain international markets might continue to keep growth at check.
Royal Caribbean as well as the other cruise operators is experiencing a decrease in demand for their China sailings due to restrictions on travel to South Korea, given the recent dispute between Chinese-Korean governments. This, in turn, is resulting in less-than-ideal itineraries and lower pricing. Consequently, the company’s business might suffer due to the volatility of the overall Chinese tourism industry.
Furthermore, higher-than-anticipated load factors, timing and investment in revenue-generating activities are adding to the company’s costs. In fact, Royal Caribbean expects net cruise costs, excluding fuel, to be up about 8.5% year over year in fourth quarter on a constant-currency basis. This increase in the cost metric is anticipated to be driven by planned sales and marketing investments, timing of third quarter costs and lower-than-expected Available Passenger Cruise Days (APCD) due to the recent hurricanes.
The company also faces competition from other cruise operators including Carnival Corporation CCL and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. NCLH.
Despite the headwinds, Royal Caribbean is well poised for growth given its strong fundamentals, strong bookings trend, various strategic initiatives and an expected increase in demand for cruise travel, going forward.
Royal Caribbean currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). A better-ranked stock in the industry is Vail Resorts, Inc. MTN holding a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
For fiscal 2018, Vail Resorts’ EPS is expected to grow 18.8%.
Today’s Stocks from Zacks’ Hottest Strategies
It’s hard to believe, even for us at Zacks. But while the market gained +18.8% from 2016 – Q1 2017, our top stock-picking screens have returned +157.0%, +128.0%, +97.8%, +94.7%, and +90.2% respectively.
And this outperformance has not just been a recent phenomenon. Over the years it has been remarkably consistent. From 2000 – Q1 2017, the composite yearly average gain for these strategies has beaten the market more than 11X over. Maybe even more remarkable is the fact that we’re willing to share their latest stocks with you without cost or obligation.
This article was posted in its entirety as received by www.onecaribbeannetwork.com. One Caribbean Network does not correct any spelling or grammatical error within press releases and commentaries. The views expressed are not necessarily those of One Caribbean Network, its sponsors or advertisers.


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To say that Hollywood actor Bruce Willis loves his iPod would be an understatement. On his official website, he says that “iTunes has re-energized the singles market, iPod has revolutionized how you can enjoy music and I for one am a convert.”
“The Internet has turned me on to amazing music that I might otherwise have never heard of,” he says. “As a Mac enthusiast I have taken the iTunes playlist concept to a new level. My friends will turn me on to a new (or old) musical influence and before you know it I’ve purchased the whole catalog and downloaded it to one my trusty little iPods, played it in all of my classic cars through the cassette players (what a re-invention of the cassette/car radio) although now they offer special attachments for the USB cable. Whether on the set or in the car an iPod is always near.”
Third-party iPod developer Engineered Audio, maker of the RemoteRemote 2 RF remote control system, has provided to iLounge an excellent explanation of the radio frequency (RF) interference issue affecting certain iPod photo hardware. The company’s findings follow up on iLounge’s exclusive March 31, 2005 report, “Yes, the new iPod photo -is- different,” in which we detailed an interference issue that prevents current RF-based remote controls from fully working with “first-generation” (pre-February 2005) 40/60GB iPod photos. As a result of the interference, the RF remotes work at only one-sixth to one-twelveth of their performance ranges with all other iPods.
“The current crop of RF remote controls for the iPod operate at or near 433.92 Mhz,” explains Engineered Audio. “The reasons for this frequency choice are not particularly relevant, except to say that this particular frequency is usable (or certifiable) in the US and in Europe. Further, most of the receivers for these remote control systems are simple super-heterodyne or super-regenerative. And without very careful filtering at the antenna, both types may suffer a degradation in performance when there is a nearby noise source.
“In this case the iPod photo is generating an undesirable RF noise source at 432.00 Mhz (see plot 1). Some might consider the difference between the two frequencies to be enough to not cause interference, however, this is simply not the case. Most of these simple receivers have a fairly wide bandwidth with relatively high gain, and so are easily swamped by an interferer that is within a few megahertz of desired signal. What’s inside the iPod that is generating this signal we can only guess at (perhaps an harmonic of the primary clock for the processor…) At any rate, it would appear that Apple has since modified the iPod photo to either reduce or eliminate this particular signal.” A spectrum analysis photo (“Plot 1”) and additional details are available by clicking on Read More below. We thank Engineered Audio for explaining the interference, and all iPod RF remote manufacturers for being forthright with consumers about the incompatibility.
Apple’s iPod shuffle has now captured 58 percent of the flash memory-based audio player market, according to NPD data cited by Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer in a meeting with Merrill Lynch analyst Steven Milunovich. The number is up from 43 percent share in February.
In a research note to clients obtained by iLounge, Milunovich said Apple isn’t concerned about mobile phones gaining more music capabilities. “Management argued that iPod will remain the best way to manage and listen to music with MP3 capability in handsets more complementary than a replacement,” he said. “The negatives of music on a handset include a worse user interface and limited battery life. Mr. Oppenheimer said he ‘doesn’t foresee problems working with carriers,’ implying that negotiating shared economics wouldn’t be a deal killer.”
Interestingly, Milunovich also said he expects wireless and video features in iPods for the holidays. “Our guess is that iPod will run short video clips, such as Britney Spears gyrating while ‘Toxic’ plays,” he said.
Following last month’s news that Hewlett-Packard has added the iPod photo to its lineup, Engadget reports that the company will soon start selling branded versions of the iPod mini and iPod shuffle. The gadget site says to expect both models on June 12.
While Froogle searches show HP product numbers of PW753AA (iPod mini), PX765AA (iPod shuffle 512MB) and PX766AA (iPod shuffle 1GB), the company would not confirm that it will offer the iPod models when contacted. “HP has not made any such announcements, and we do not comment on plans for future (or potential) products,” an HP representative told iLounge.
Party-Pod Pro 2.0 is the latest version of the software that “gives your iPod a database of partygoer necessities.” According to the developer, Party-Pod Pro is the most comprehensive party companion for your iPod. It includes 650 drink recipes, 55 drinking games, a Bar & Club database for every major U.S. city, and 100 pick-up lines for men and women. Version 2.0 adds photos (iPod photo required) to the top rated and most popular drinks, and information for 10 additional cities.
Emerils.com, the website of famous chef Emeril LaGasse, has now made ReciPods and ReciPods Too available for download. The free recipe collections can be transferred to and read on your iPod.
“We tried to cram 1000 recipes into one iPod app, then discovered that we had 20+ related recipes (sauces, etc) that crashed the app,” says an Emeril representative. “So we divided the app into two equal halves. ReciPods has 510+ recipes and ReciPods Too has 510+ recipes.”
As noted in February, Emerils.com also offers two other free iPod software titles: mFinder (information about Emeril’s 9 restaurants) and PodMeals (weekly menu provided on Emerils.com that comes from the cooking section).
Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster says that PortalPlayer’s upbeat second quarter guidance is a positive sign for sales of hard drive-based iPods. He also notes a new trend that he calls iPod mini up-selling.
PortalPlayer, which supplies the chips that power the iPod, iPod mini and iPod photo, yesterday reported first quarter earnings of $7.8 million, or 33 cents a share, on revenue of $44.5 million. The company forecast second quarter earnings of 21-27 cents a share on $41.6 million to $47.6 million versus street estimates of 17 cents on $37.3 million in revenue.
“We believe that PortalPlayer’s Q2 guidance is positive for Apple’s HD based iPods and may be consistent with a trend that we have been picking up on in the channel related to iPod shuffle to 4GB iPod mini up-selling,” Munster said in a research note obtained by iLounge. “Specifically, we have been hearing from Apple retail stores and independent Apple VARs that customers are consistently being up-sold to 4GB iPod minis ($200) when intending to buy the 1GB iPod shuffle ($149), given the minimal ($50) difference in price.”
Munster said that more than 85 percent of PortalPlayer’s first quarter revenue was from sales to Apple.
In addition to expanding its Rhapsody subscription service today, RealNetworks also quietly restored iPod support for songs purchased from its online music store with an update to its Harmony technology. A RealNetworks executive confirmed the move to CNET News.com. “Harmony now supports all shipping iPods, including iPod photo,” said RealNetworks Chief Strategy Officer Richard Wolpert.
RealNetworks released Harmony without Apple’s blessing last year making the company’s online store the first to offer copy-protected digital music (other than the iTunes Music Store) that could play on the iPod. Apple said at the time it was “stunned that RealNetworks has adopted the tactics and ethics of a hacker to break into the iPod,” and updated the iPod firmware a few months later to break compatibility.
It should be noted that songs downloaded from RealNetworks’ new subscription services do not work with the iPod and are only compatible with a small number of Windows-based MP3 players.
The iPod is featured prominently in a radio broadcast by BBC Radio 2’s Steve Lamacq, who explores the boom in digital music and its impact on the music industry.
“In this one hour authored documentary, Steve Lamacq investigates how we have arrived at this point and what impact the ‘digital technology revolution’ will have on the future of the music industry as we know it: we talk to the record labels, retailers, consumers, artists and the kids who get music in a different sort of way to how we used to.”
The role of the iPod is among topics discussed, and comments are included from Apple’s Greg Joswiak, Vice President of Hardware Marketing, and Eddie Cue, VP of Applications. To hear the program on BBC Radio 2 Replay service, visit Listen Again. The broadcast is available until Saturday, April 30, 2005.
Synaptics, which supplies touchpad components used in Apple’s iPod, said last week that its fourth quarter earnings are expected to be less than Wall Street estimates because of “softness in its music player business.”
In a research note obtained by iLounge on Monday, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster said iPod demand remains strong and gave his thoughts on the cautious guidance from Synaptics.
“On Friday, Synaptics provided guidance slightly below Street estimates for the June quarter based on expectations for softness in its portable music player business. From a headline perspective, Synaptics comments are negative, but it is important to keep in mind: 1) we do not believe there have been any significant changes to Apple’s dominant market share, and 2) while not a positive, it is reasonable to assume that due to seasonality, June quarter iPod unit shipments would fall from December and March quarter levels.”
Munster said he expects Apple to ship approximately 3.5 million iPods (excluding iPod shuffles) in the June quarter.
Banc of America Securities expects Apple to introduce a new iPod “as early as June” to help increase demand which is expected to slow this quarter. The firm forecasts that iPod shipments will decrease to 4.8 million units in Apple’s fiscal third quarter ending in June from 5.3 million units last quarter.
In a research note to clients, Banc of America Securities said that its model incorporates “some seasonal softness,” and with flat revenue guidance from Apple’s last financial conference call, “we imagine that investors are looking to flat to slightly down MP3 sales, and strength in CPUs.”
NBC “Today” show tech editor Corey Greenberg has admitted to charging $15,000 to Apple and other companies to talk about their products on television, reports the Washington Post. In July, Greenberg praised the iPod on the show, saying it was “a great portable musical player… the coolest-looking one.” He said, “This is the way to go.” Greenberg has also appeared several times on CNBC touting Apple products including the iPod photo.
However, Greenberg says he was never paid to promote products on national TV — only local news. “I have never accepted payment to place a product on NBC News,” Greenberg says. “I have never accepted payment to say nice things about a product in any venue.” He says companies hired him as “a spokesperson who could talk credibly and understandably about consumer products,” but that he would no longer accept payment for appearances on local news shows.
The financial relationships Greenberg and another man, Child magazine’s Technology Editor James Oppenheim, separately have with companies was first reported yesterday by the Wall Street Journal, as noted by iLounge Backstage. Further details about the dealings can be found in that article.
iLounge reader Adrian from Germany writes to tell readers that “the packaging of the regular iPod 20GB has been changed recently. Instead of the packaging featuring images from the silhouette ads, the iPod 20GB is now packaged similarly as the updated iPod photo models (i.e. black box with silver writing). The only difference is that it lacks the ‘photo’ box and the size obviously reads ‘20GB’ instead of ‘30GB’ or ‘60GB’. The display images are also not in colour. Glad the box looks nicer again, but it’s confusing for customers.”
For pictures of the new 20GB iPod box, click on Comments above or photos below. For iLounge’s box opening gallery for the 30GB iPod photo, use this link. Thanks to Adrian for the 20GB photos!
Update: iLounge editor Jerrod H. has confirmed that black-boxed 20GB iPods still contain their predecessors’ FireWire and USB cables, as well as their AC adapters. Thanks, Jerrod.
While Apple does not break down iPod sales per model in its earnings reports, Piper Jaffray estimates that in its first quarter of availability the iPod shuffle accounted for approximately 1.8 million of Apple’s 5.3 million iPods shipped. The firm had estimated Apple would ship 1 million iPod shuffles during the March quarter.
In a research note obtained by iLounge, Piper Jaffray senior analyst Gene Munster also comments on the iPod halo effect that has been cited in the past year as a positive force for Mac sales, and notes that he expects Apple to ship 25 million iPods in 2005 for a total of more than 35 million iPods in four years.
“Our confidence in the halo effect has increased based on Mac sales of 1.07 million units in the March quarter compared to Street expectations of about 970,000 units,” Munster said. “We believe the halo effect is the primary driver of upside to Mac units. We expect the halo effect to accelerate in 2005 as the total installed base of iPods increases from 10.3 million at the end of 2004 to an estimated 35 million by the end 2005.”
U.S. shipments of portable MP3 players will grow 35 percent to 18.2 million units in 2005, according to a new report from JupiterResearch. “MP3 players will reach critical mass this year, fueling demand for digital music services and stores,” the firm said. Jupiter forecasts that digital audio devices will maintain an annual growth rate of over 10 percent through 2010, reaching an installed base of 56.1 million, up from 16.2 million in 2004.
“Apple shows no signs of losing momentum,” said Michael Gartenberg, VP and Research Director at JupiterResearch. “The iPod is a consumer phenomenon. Apple dominates this sector and will dominate portable MP3 player growth over the medium term,” added Gartenberg. The firm raised its near-term forecast “mostly due to the iPod’s success,” but projects that shipments of flash-based players will surpass those of hard-drive models in 2007.
As expected, Hewlett-Packard has expanded its line of HP-branded iPods to include Apple’s new 30GB and 60GB iPod photo models. HP’s versions are identical to the Apple iPod photos save for packaging and HP’s Total Care customer support service, which includes one year of phone support and a one-year warranty.
The two new HP iPod models will not refer to their photo capabilities in their names, and will each only be called the “Apple iPod from HP.” An HP representative told iLounge the reasoning behind this decision: “We did not call this the iPod photo because we wished to avoid confusion between these products and our other photo offerings such as digital cameras. So, while our packaging and other marketing materials will make the photo viewing and sharing capabilities of the product clear, we chose not to include the word photo in the product name.”
The new HP iPods will soon be available for the same pricing as Apple ($349 for the 30GB model and $449 for the 60GB model) on HP’s online store and at a number of major retailers, including Circuit City, Radio Shack, Sears and Wal-Mart. HP confirmed that it will continue to offer the 20GB iPod with monochrome display for $299. Unsurprisingly, the 40GB HP iPod, which was based on the now discontinued Apple version, is no longer offered.
Today’s Wall Street Journal features an article [paid sub. req.] on the challenges Apple is facing from the $100 billion mobile phone industry. Apple’s digital music lead “may not last much longer,” the article says, because cell phone makers and wireless carriers are “piling into mobile music, with an array of new services and phones that could radically change a game that until now has been defined largely by Apple.”
“Despite Apple’s domination of the digital music sector the market remains in its infancy. The balance of power could tip suddenly and dramatically, especially if Apple doesn’t race to get its music technology into cell phones — an effort that’s had some hiccups. Last year, manufacturers sold an estimated seven million MP3 players in the U.S., a figure dwarfed by the roughly 80 million cell phones sold in the country.”
The article also cites a recent survey by Jupiter Research which showed that 76% of those asked said they carry a mobile phone regularly, while only 7% said the same about a music player.
Some analysts, however, believe consumers will still want devices designed for a specific purpose, and not an all-in-one gadget that does several things, but none of them great. “It’s hard to view the music phone as a direct threat to music players, any more than camera phones have put cameras out of business,” says Michael Gartenberg, director of research at Jupiter Research.
Yamaha has created a special version of its EC-02 electric scooter that features built-in stereo speakers on the sides and a docking area for a fourth-generation iPod just in front of the seat. The iPod-equipped EC-02 also features an amplifier, an extra battery, and an Apple wired remote that’s molded into a compartment on the right handlebar.
According to iLounger Kazutoshi Otani, this version of the EC-02 is just a concept and is not for sale to the public.
O’Reilly has announced the release of “iPod & iTunes: The Missing Manual, Third Edition” by New York Times tech columnist J.D. Biersdorfer. The $24.95 book is an updated version of the popular title that aims to help readers get the most out of their iPods.
“This book is one-stop shopping for iPod reference and information,” promises Biersdorfer. “It takes you on a joyride through the iPod subculture. And it guides you through all the cool musical and nonmusical things you can do with your iPod, from looking up phone numbers to checking the weather report. You’ll also find heaping helpings of the Three T’s: tips, tricks, and troubleshooting.”
In an unusually detailed look at the music collection of a sitting President, The New York Times’ Elisabeth Bumiller reports that the “First iPod” has become the “indispensible new exercise toy” of George W. Bush, and is “loaded with country and popular rock tunes”, “heavy on traditional country singers like George Jones, Alan Jackson and Kenny Chesney.” Received from his daughters as a birthday gift in July 2004, the iPod contains only 250 songs, and is used “chiefly during bike workouts to help him pump up his heartbeat, which he monitors with a wrist strap.”
Most interestingly, The Times reports that Bush “does not take the time to download the music himself;” rather, he has had his personal aide buy songs from the iTunes Music Store, and “also has an eclectic mix of songs downloaded into his iPod from Mark McKinnon, a biking buddy and his chief media strategist during the 2004 campaign.”


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Small businesses in the US continue to struggle with both an uncertain economy and stalled growth strategies. While inflation remains the major concern, finding workers to fuel potential growth is beginning to become a long term challenge. Many small companies are poised to grow and expand but simply are unable to find the needed workers that will allow that to happen. In a recent report on job growth released by the National Federation of Independent Businesses, it becomes clearer as to why growth may be stumbling a bit. The following is taken directly from that report:
According to NFIB’s monthly jobs report, 57% of owners reported hiring or trying to hire in January, up two points. Of those hiring or trying to hire, 91% of owners reported few or no qualified applicants for the positions they were trying to fill. Twenty-seven percent of owners reported few qualified applicants for their open positions and 25% reported none.
“The labor shortage continues to be a major concern for small businesses in the New Year as nearly all owners trying to hire are reporting no or few qualified applicants,” said NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg. “Small businesses’ sales opportunities are limited because of the staffing shortage but owners continue to make changes in business operations to compensate.”
Forty-five percent (seasonally adjusted) of all owners reported job openings they could not fill in the current period, up four points from December.
Small business owners’ plans to fill open positions remain elevated, with a seasonally adjusted net 19% planning to create new jobs in the next three months, up two points from December but 13 points below its record-high reading of 32 reached in August 2021.
The percent of owners reporting labor quality as their top business operating problem remains elevated at 24%. Labor costs reported as the single most important problem to business owners increased two points to 10%, historically among the highest readings in over 49 years.
Seasonally adjusted, a net 46% of owners reported raising compensation, up two points from December and just four points below the 49-year average record high set in January last year. A net 22% of owners plan to raise compensation in the next three months, down five points from December. This is a major concern of the Federal Reserve, as these increased costs are likely to be passed on in higher selling prices.
Thirty-six percent of owners have job openings for skilled workers and 17% have openings for unskilled labor.
-Written by Kevin Sawyer


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News & Events
An Australian first, Live Nation will deliver its hugely successful and popular ‘Happy Place’ experience when it opens in Australia on the rooftop of Broadway Sydney next month.
Shopper Media Group today announced it will install its state-of-the art Smartlite™ digital advertising panels across Australian property group Mirvac Retail’s growing portfolio of urban retail centres.
Head to South Village to see the latest light art titled Luminous Flight, part of a new exhibition which will see several illuminated art installations on display at the centre from this month.
The first month of Orion Springfield Central’s innovative new mobile worker hub, The Third Space, has seen a strong uptake of the trial offer.
Mirvac acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Owners of the lands and waters of Australia, and we offer our respect to their Elders past and present.
Artwork: ‘Reimagining Country’, created by Riki Salam (Mualgal, Kaurareg, Kuku Yalanji) of We are 27 Creative.


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Economist editor Bill Emmott said traditional methods of evaluation were still valid in considering the question. He noted that what was happening was mainly at the micro level, so the appropriate attitude was that of the French wine-grower, i.e. that of “paranoid optimism”. This meant that everything looked fine except that the best-ever harvest could still be ruined by a late rainstorm. In fact, said Mr. Emmott, the world was witnessing a repetition of an earlier surge in productivity growth and the technological advances were the prolongation of a sequence that could be traced back 150 years. A bigger, wider phenomenon had been the development of globalisation over the past 50 years. If one was looking for a really key change over the last 10 to 15 years “then I would say it is the fall of communism which has brought 3 to 4 billion people into the modern world economy”. The second key change had been the arrival of the new anti-inflation orthodoxy in macroeconomic policy. In some business sectors there certainly was something very new going on, notably concerning new forms of intermediation. One had to look at what the new economy would bring, and be ready to avoid booby traps on the road, such as financial crises – which could be worsened by technological innovation – and political risks. Even so, Mr. Emmott remained optimistic.
Kim Kihwan, chairman and CEO of the Korean Media Valley company, defined the new economy as one in which “high growth occurs as a result of extensive application of information technologies”, reducing transaction costs and facilitating virtually all economic activities. More than a third of the phenomenal growth of the US economy in the 1990’s could be attributed to information technology, and the Internet market was valued at 14 per cent of GDP. The new economy was now spreading to the rest of the world, with Europe investing $20 billion in 1999 to build up the needed infrastructure, and planning to add another 30 per cent this year. The Asian picture was mixed though Korea has a fast-expanding e-commerce market, and some 16 million Internet subscribers, more than one-third of the population. Active in training software engineers, India was now the leading Asian software producer.
Dr. Kenneth Lay, chairman and CEO of the US Enron Corporation, expressed his certainty that the new economy already existed, its creation facilitated by four factors. These were market liberalisation, falling information costs, increased shift to services and the flow of venture capital. People had taken more quickly to the Internet than other media, easily surpassing the adoption rates of radio, television, and cable. His own firm was doing more and more business on the net, having handled $74 billion in the first six months of this year.
Taichi Sakaiya, Japanese minister for economic planning and for the 2001 Japan Internet fair, said the knowledge value revolution brought by the software in information technology had been followed by a kind of “human ware” now launched globally through the Internet. Turning to the information revolution in Japan, he said the industry was expanding at a rapid pace. Some 27 million Japanese were now connected to the Internet.
OECD chief economist Ignazio Visco looked at the economic aspects of the new economy. Now that productivity statistics were beginning to come through they showed that the computer age had finally arrived. But, even so, it was still too early to say how much of the productivity pick-up was really part of a “new economy”. The difficulty was in separating out cyclical and structural effects. “Could it be,” he asked, “that we are simply living in a period of euphoria confusing excessive market valuations of high-tech companies and perceived technical progress?” On the whole he thought not, but for the moment one could not be sure that one was not witnessing a sequence of important “level” shifts and nothing more than that.
Assessing the dimension of the new economy, session moderator Martin M. Baily, chairman of the US Council of Economic Advisers, said there were three key factors. First, American productivity growth had accelerated from about one and a half percent a year over 1973-95 to about 3 percent a year over 1995-99. This speeding-up was related to technology, i.e. hard and software, but also the extraordinary productivity of the industries producing the technology. Some of the acceleration was surely temporary, linked to demand growth, but much appeared structural and would result in sustained productivity improvement. Secondly, there had been a dramatic increase in the stock market valuation of US corporations, and thirdly there had been large increases in the accumulation of knowledge and intangible capital. “Use of the Internet and the Web is exploding”, he said.
Small companies were competing by entering the market at narrow points in the value chain, technology development was forging ahead, innovation too, with access to talent being a key feature of the human resources aspect. Mr Baily reminded his audience “the old economy is driving the new economy”. But he concluded “It is appropriate to talk of a new economy. But recall that most of the jobs and most of the GDP remain in traditional industries. These are driving the new economy as they themselves are being changed by it.”
On policy, the private sector was at the heart of the new technology, “but at critical points the government has played a central role through support for basic and pre-commercial research.” Governments needed to set the rules of the game, affecting competition, labour and product markets, in an open framework supporting economic evolution and change.
OECD FORUM 2000, Tuesday 27 June
Moderator: Martin M.Baily
©OECD Observer June 2000


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Thanksgiving dinner is over and Meridian residents are ready to grab Black Friday sales.
“I’m just here with my girlfriend. I just back got home from Camp Geiger; I’m currently in the Marine Corps. We’re just kind of looking around and enjoying our time,” said John Cicala.
They’re hoping to save some money…
“Trying to. I don’t believe that’s going to happen though,” said Maurice Cole.
…and cross things off the Christmas wish list.
“X-box, iPad mini, and games,” said Alayla Coleman.
“Really, just do a lot of boutique shopping like macys.com and stuff like that,” said India Glass.
But customers aren’t the only ones excited. It’s also the retailers who are expecting a big turnout.
“I expect a big turnout on Black Friday. We do have Retro 3’s releasing. Jordan Retro 3’s,” said
Xavier Rickette, the manager at Finish Line.
“We make handmade crosses to help rescue men from drug addiction and homelessness…we’re hoping everybody comes out Black Friday to check us out,” said Paul Stewart, who runs the Souls Harbor Ministry Kiosk.
They hope to cash in big bucks by offering great discounts.
“We have scarves for customers and ornaments too. We have a special deal for customers, $5.99 each and two for $10,” said Sam Zitouni, who runs a kiosk.
“We’re going to be selling lots of different designer sunglasses. We’ll have sunglasses starting at $79.99. The brands range from Versace and there are a few ray bans in there,” said Levi Brown, who runs the Sunglass Hut kiosk.
Many stores in Meridian plan to open in just a few more hours. Bonita lakes mall opens at 6 a.m.


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Manhattan decriminalizes cannabis possession and smoking
https://cbdoilrank.com District Attorney Cyrus Vance announced the brand new policy that decriminalizes cannabis smoking cigarettes and control in the borough, except where cannabis poses an important hazard to general public safety or when it’s being sold.
In accordance with a declaration from Vance’s workplace, the brand new policy could lessen how many cannabis-related prosecutions in Manhattan up to 96 per cent. This number makes up a fall in cannabis situations, from about 5,000 a to only around 200 a 12 months year.
Worldwide CBD Exchange
In their declaration, Vance said that their workplace shall be getting rid of a system where smoking a joint can ruin one’s university application, one’s work, and one’s immigration status, amongst others. Continuer la lecture
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Gone are the days of the sugary soft drink. Healthy drinks have entered the market and they are growing in popularity.
Standard soft drinks have had a hard time over the last few years but for a good reason. Society is starting to accept that we can no longer enjoy sugar without thinking about the consequences. This new attitude has led to the recent introduction of the sugar tax on sugary soft drinks and more purchases of alternative drinks. This year the NHS worryingly announced that 20% of the added sugar in an adult diet comes from soft drinks and fruit juice. For children aged between 11 and 18, this could be as high as a third.
This blog post looks at a study published in The Grocer, released in April this year, which shows the current UK attitudes to soft drinks and it makes for interesting reading.
Overall the results of the study reveal that sugar is under close scrutiny as we aim to lead healthier lifestyles. Having said that, there is no doubt that fizzy drinks are still popular in the UK. While 14% of those surveyed said they never touched the sugary beverage, 21% would have at least one a day and a further 24% at least 2 or 3 a week.
Consumers (particularly younger generations) now see a fizzy drink as a treat. This was true for 74% of 18-24 year old’s and 81% of 25-34 year old’s. This means they are not seen as an everyday beverage, instead saved for occasions.
In addition, concerns about sugar have risen over the last year. This makes sense with the introduction of the sugar tax and growing discussion about unhealthy food in the media. Overall, 81% of people in 2019 said they were worried about the level of sugar in soft drinks. A 10% increase on last year.
Although the value of a low sugar drink has been established, taste is still top. 67% of people rated taste as the most important factor when buying a soft drink. Nowadays, another important value of a drink is how functional it is. Not just providing a consumer with taste, but with added health benefits. The study found that 7 in 10 people would be interested in a functional soft drink.
These fresh attitudes are music to our healthy ears as many of our Doozy drinks tick all the boxes.
Since the introduction of the sugar tax, people across the UK have bought less of the standard sugary soft drinks. On the other hand, diet varieties have seen a massive increase now making up 61% of the market. Whilst it is positive that the country is finally turning away from high sugar soft drinks, diet drinks contain various artificial sweeteners. A number of studies have suggested that artificial sweeteners are not as innocent as we first thought. They have links to a number of serious conditions such as heart disease, stroke and fertility problems. Many tests still need to be done to confirm whether they are completely safe. It is widely understood that evidence of the damage from artificial sweeteners is limited, but it shouldn’t be ignored. Katharine Jenner, a nutritionist says, ‘Drinks companies who have taken action to reduce sugar should now think about reducing sweeteners, too.”
In the meantime, there are a number of drinks which stay away from both artificial sweeteners and high sugar levels. They don’t compromise on taste either.
You could try sparkling favourite Cawston Press. This tasty drink is all natural and comes in three different flavours; Apple, Elderflower and Rhubarb. Or how about Juice Burst. A delicious and refreshing juice drink, perfect for refuelling on a busy day.
The study discussed was published by The Grocer, April 2019. You can read their full report here.


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Science Daily reported Wednesday on the latest oatmeal studies.
A new scientific review of the most current research shows the link between eating oatmeal and cholesterol reduction to be stronger than when the FDA initially approved the health claim's appearance on food labels in 1997.
Dr. James W. Anderson, professor of medicine and clinical nutrition at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, co-authors "The Oatmeal-Cholesterol Connection: 10 Years Later" in the January/February 2008 issue of the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine.
Anderson presents a contemporary analysis to determine if newer studies are consistent with the original conclusion reached by the FDA. His report says studies conducted during the past 15 years have, without exception, shown:
- total cholesterol levels are lowered through oat consumption
- low-density lipoprotein (LDL, the "bad" cholesterol) is reduced without adverse effects on high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL, the "good" cholesterol), or triglyceride concentrations
I wish their re-studies of oatmeal had made them say, "Never mind!" But now that they've confirmed their original results, and then some, I have to fear the Food Police who are going to want me to eat my oatmeal and skip my occasional omelette.
The only redeeming part of the article is the paragraph that begins:
"Whole-grain products like oatmeal are among some of the best foods one can eat to improve cholesterol levels, in addition to other lifestyle choices," Anderson said.
Whole grains like oatmeal. Meaning: brown rice, whole wheat, rye, and a plethora of other grains whose names escape me right now. I can eat those (except, of course, wheat: cream of). Why didn't they just say so?


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There was a game for everyone at the Boston Festival of Indie Games on Saturday at MIT. More than 3,500 people of all ages played games spanning genres, styles, and platforms.
Attendees had the chance to jump walls, dodge arrows, and set traps in “Ultimate Chicken Horse,” cook soup in a virtual kitchen courtesy of “Job Simulator” at HTC Vive’s VR room, make historic literature more usable for institutions, scholars, educators, and the public with “Smorball,” help Zeus find his stolen lightning bolts in “Oh My Gods!,” or play one of the dozens of other titles on hand.
“The creativity at Boston FIG is amazing,” said Jack Dalrymple, senior vice president of marketing for Boston gamemaker Ape Law. “When you have this many smart people making games, you get incredible, fun results.”
Though the festival featured many New England-made games, developers from California to Canada made the trek to be a part of what is the largest indie game event of its kind in the country.
Vincent Hippoman, co-founder of Montreal-based studio Double Stallion, was at Boston FIG to showcase a new game prototype, “Luna: A Voyage to the Moon.” He was impressed with the quality of games around him and excited by all the virtual reality demos. “There is nothing hotter than VR right now,” said Hippoman.
Games ranged from the silly to the sublime. Alex Engel, an organizer at Boston Post Mortem, enjoyed “Emily is Away,” a Boston-made interactive fiction game set in a retro chat client. “I’ve never played a game that’s made me nostalgic for AIM,” he said.
Nina Huntemann, co-organizer of the Women in Games Boston group, loved “A Matter of Murder” by Cambridge-based Worthing & Moncrieff, a puzzle-solving game with an Edward Gorey-esque art style. “It makes you mad for mystery and mayhem,” she said.
Ryan Canuel, co-founder of Worcester-based Petricore Games, was all about “Super Daryl Deluxe,” a slapstick, action role-playing game that puts a new twist on high school. Dean O’Donnell, an assistant teaching professor in Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s computer science department, thought “Xeero” was “Great fun. I can’t wait to get it on Steam.”
Tabletop game “Crown of Exile” caught the attention of attendee and game-industry veteran Athena Peters from Easton, who called it “Fantastic, with fun gameplay.” Dennis Scimeca, staff writer at The Daily Dot, said, “One word: Thumper,” referring to the critically-acclaimed game that combines classic rhythm-action with speed and physicality.
The event concluded on a high-note with organizers giving out awards called Figgies.
This year’s winners of “Figgies” in the digital showcase were:
Audience choice: “Ultimate Chicken Horse” by Clever Endeavor Games
Best in show: “Ultimate Chicken Horse”
Best learning game: “Smorball” by Tiltfactor
Best audio design: “Thumper” by Drool
Best multiplayer design: “Ninja Tag” by Leandro Ribeiro
Best visual art: “Liege” by Coda Games
Best narrative/world building: “Howie and Yarla” by Syndicate Atomic
Best technical quality: “Xeero” by For All To Play
And in the tabletop showcase:
Audience choice: “Dragoon” by Lay Waste Games
Best in show: “Karmaka” by Hemisphere Games
Most innovative game: “Slideways” by R&R Games
Best artwork: “Karmaka”
Timothy Loew is the executive director of the Massachusetts Digital Games Institute (MassDiGI) based at Becker College in Worcester.
Follow Timothy on Twitter


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In this episode of Serai Spotlight, we talked with Pulkit Seth, the Vice Chairman of Pearl Global, about maintaining trust and transparency with retailers globally. A full transcript follows.
Pulkit Seth: It's a pleasure to be talking about Pearl today. So you know, Pearl today is a multi-country, multi-product supplier. It’s a very strong foundation that we have to service the fashion industry. We are one of the only companies out of the Indian subcontinent with a presence across Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent today. A major advantage which we bring to the retailers is the concept of a one stop shop.
Pulkit Seth: Ultimately, with clothing, people want to have the opportunity to wear the latest trends, the latest product, the latest fashion that is out there. So with that in mind, and with that intent, we've set up offices in the USA, in the UK, in Spain, in Hong Kong. We have design staff there, who are completely focused on bringing new products, new innovations, whether it's fabric innovation, or silhouette innovation, and, you know, new techniques to the customers. The other thing where, which is a big advantage is to have our design staff and design talent at the doorstep of the retailer.
Pulkit Seth: We took a decision five years ago that anything we do, as an organisation, we have to focus on sustainability. And, you know, that can be sustainability in the raw materials we buy, or the infrastructure that we set up, or, you know, whatever we do in the manufacturing process. Also, we put solar panels in all our new factories. The purchase of raw materials, I think it's now very good. It's catching up very fast as all other retailers also want to buy, you know, sustainable, raw materials. So, almost close to 55-60% of our raw material is now from a sustainable background. And we are towards being at 80%, and, you know, maybe even 100% in the next two to three years. As well as anything we do, in terms of, you know, the manufacturing process, whether it's in the laundries or on the factory floor, we are very mindful of, you know, what is the latest technology available, and we look at adopting that technology.
Pulkit Seth: I would say it’s very important for manufacturers to make sure that whoever you are working with is, on the other end, credit worthy. You know, do a credit check. So I think that's where a lot of companies have got stuck in the recent past.
Pulkit Seth: So, you know, if you want to do business, you have to have trust and transparency, I would say. Fortunately, we only work with groups that work with direct retailers on national brands. They are the more well trusted names, with a lot of goodwill and they also are very transparent themselves and also expect a lot of transparency from us. Everywhere, when we start with a new retailer, we make sure it's someone we can work with in the long term, someone, we, you know, see the relationship moving forward for decades. And then we also try to exhibit to them that they can trust us 100%, and that we are going to be transparent with them. So it's a you know, two way road and very important for any business, I would say.
Pulkit Seth:I see a good future for the industry going forward. And like I was mentioning, everyone's, you know, very focused towards doing the right thing. You know, there'd be, you know, sustainability or socially, and, you know, and the fashion industry, I think is a big support industry in Asia, it helps to, you know, give employment to huge number of people, lot of dependents, you know, on the industries, therefore, many people, so, I feel optimistic, in the, in the sense that, well, whoever's, you know, into it is now going to be there for the long term going to flourish and, you know, going to do well.
If you enjoyed this Serai Spotlight, be sure to follow us on social media for more content like this. If you would like to stay up to date with Pearl Global and their initiatives, follow them on LinkedIn!


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Janssen South Africa has launched an app that helps patients with multiple Myeloma have more time to fight back. When patients receive a Multiple…
Canon’s crowdfunded clippable IVY REC camera is officially available for pre-order on Indiegogo, the company announced on Thursday.
“Wear it on your belt or bag, and take it anywhere,” Canon explained.
Last week, the Indiegogo crowdfunding page surfaced with what seemed to be a USB-sized portable camera, this week we know it’s a little bit bigger than that.
The 13MP device is actually 110.5 x 45.2mm and features a clip that also functions as a view finder. IVY REC also comes in Riptide, Avocado and Dragonfruit colour variants.
Currently, the IVY REC is in its prototype phase and is available to pre-order at a discounted price of R1672.
According to the page, IVY REC standard price tag comes in at R1811.
Feature image: Indiegogo


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Blink Charging Co., a leading owner and operator of electric vehicle
(EV) charging equipment and services, announced the launch and immediate
availability of its innovative new mobile EV charging station.
Having successfully deployed connectivity services for several market
leaders in Europe, such as Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Jaguar Land
Rover, ranging from vehicle manufacturers to service providers,
Transatel announced the launch of IoV Connect, a global cellular
connectivity platform specifically designed for the sector of motorized
Karma Automotive, the Southern California-based high-tech incubator and
creator of luxury electric vehicles, has entered the final stage of
development for two new Silicon Carbide (SiC) Inverters to enhance
electric mobility charging.
Globally, by 2025, Audi is aiming to have 30 electrified models on sale,
with 20 of those vehicles fully electric. It is an ambitious plan
showing the brand’s global commitment for a more electrified and
Moixa, UK Power Networks Services, UPS and Cross River Partnership
(CRP) are participating in an innovation project, to optimise smart EV
(electric vehicle) fleet charging. The project, EV Fleet-Centred Local
Energy Systems (EFLES), will be delivered as a part of Innovate UK.
Toyota Mobility Foundation (TMF) announced its intention
to provide 10 connected and sanitised shuttles that would be made
available free of cost to certain hospitals (details now under
confirmation) that are treating COVID-19 cases.
Allego, ChargePoint and EVBox Group, who together have more than 150,000
charging ports in their networks across the EU, announced the launch of
ChargeUp Europe during the REVOLUTION Digital online event and called
on other like-minded companies in the EV industry to join the cause.
With the new M200 mid drive, Bafang, one of the leading manufacturers of
e-bike drive systems, has created a strong offering for the booming
e-bike market, with considerable growth potential untapped in the
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DECEMBER 06, 2021
Everyone is wondering, is it worth investing in a mobile application for small businesses? Well, the majority of businesses are perplexed by this question.
However, today’s market situation says, yes! It is worthwhile.
Nowadays, the majority of consumers are on mobile phones. As per TechCrunch studies, a U.S. individual spends an average of 5 hours per day on mobile phones. Here, it is completely clarified that investment in the mobile app will not prove wasteful for any business.
OCTOBER 29, 2019
Having a business mobile app is crucial to reach out to your potential customers in several ways. Mobile App Development strengthens the experience of the existing customer base adding to your business profit as almost all the users are on mobile phones these days.
SEPTEMBER 30, 2019
It has been reported that more than 50% of mobile apps don’t function well and said to be replaced or rewritten. This fact highlights the underlying issue that mobile app development fails to recognize and strategize on time contributing to their apps to fail.
SEPTEMBER 03, 2019
People download and keep only those apps in their devices which they find useful and the same applies for enterprise app users.
JULY 26, 2019
Apple has played a crucial role in innovating and presenting users with cutting-edge gadgets. Every year this trillion-dollar company updates its iOS version and developers begin to design and update their apps accordingly.