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Resident Evil 8, aka Resident Evil Village, isn’t the game industry’s best kept secret. As far back as March, we learned that the game will be such a departure from the series that it will piss you off and that we’d play through a first-person perspective. There were plenty of other rumors, too, but this time, we have news straight from RE8 producers Tsuyoshi Kanda and Peter Fabiano via the magazine Famitsu and translated by Twitter user @cvxfreak.
Arguably, the most important news is that Chris Redfield will, in fact, be returning, and he’ll play a huge rule in the game. He’s the run that brings protagonist Ethan Winters to the village in RE8. Ethan himself will wake up to find himself in the village after an unknown amount of time has passed.
This week's issue of Famitsu (10/29) features a bit of new information regarding Resident Evil: Village. Details translated into English in this thread: pic.twitter.com/fSMEIM0rXP— Alex Aniel (@cvxfreak) October 14, 2020
The photo spread in Famitsu also showcases a group of villagers...
Following confirmation from Sony that all but 11 PS4 games will be playable on the PS5, Ghost of Tsushima developer, Sucker Punch, has confirmed that the game will get quite the boost on the PS5, including 60 FPS performance, and you’ll have the ability to easily transfer your progress to the PS5 and pick up exactly where you left off.
#GhostOfTsushima will be playable on PS5 on day one via backward compatibility, and you’ll be able to transfer your save from PS4 to pick up where you left off! Find out more info on the @PlayStation Blog: https://t.co/zirVETqRje https://t.co/2iblq4q1EJ— Ghost of Tsushima 🎮 OUT NOW (@SuckerPunchProd) October 9, 2020
Running Ghost of Tsushima at 60 FPS comes courtesy of the PS5’s Game Boost feature that will make PS4 games look just a bit better. But, that’s not all, as the Game Boost feature will also enable faster loading, something confirmed in a subsequent tweet:
“PS5 owners playing with Game Boost will see an extra option to allow frame rates up to 60FPS, and while loading...
Fresh on the heels of news that The Outer Worlds is launching on Steam on October 23, new word has surfaced that game studio Obsidian is working on a new game that could be a sequel or a spin-off. Word comes from senior video games industry analyst, Daniel Ahmad of Niko Partners via Twitter.
Last I heard a new entry in the franchise is being explored, currently in pre-production. Could change into something else ofc, but this is the current status. https://t.co/OGvfHjycNu— Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) October 11, 2020
With that in mind, we do know that The Outer Worlds will make the transition to the PS5 and Xbox Series X, with Obsidian working hard to make it happen sooner than later. However, Obsidian is now an Xbox Games studio, and that’s where problems with the next game in the series might lie.
With Obsidian being an Xbox Games studio, there’s a chance that the next game might not be available on the PlayStation 5. It will surely be available on the Xbox Series X, and Microsoft...
As it turns out, there will be another episode of Cyberpunk 2077 Night City Wire, and this episode will be all about the cars in Night City.
The 4th episode of Night City Wire is coming next Thursday, October 15 at 6PM CEST! This time, we'll go into details about the looks, sounds, and specs of #Cyberpunk2077 vehicles. As usual, you can expect new gameplay footage, announcements, and more!📺 https://t.co/y8iUIM0gBv pic.twitter.com/CbENAuOCEj— Cyberpunk 2077 (@CyberpunkGame) October 8, 2020
As you can see from the short teaser above, part for of Night City Wire will kick off on Thursday, October 15 at 6PM CEST – 9AM PDT, Noon EDT, and 5 PM BST. The entire focus is on the vehicles that you’ll drive around, and how much you’ll be able to interact with the environment with them. We expect to see new gameplay footage, among other things.
This is big news considering that we’ve seen precious little about the vehicles of Night City. Is Cyberpunk 2077 set to be the next Grand Theft Auto? Perhaps, but something tells...
Sony has finally spilled the beans on backward compatibility, and we have some good news. In a blog post, Sony has confirmed that all PlayStation 4 games, with the exception of 11 games will be playable on the PS5. That’s 11 unplayable games out of more than 4,000, so we’re going to go ahead and write this one off as a win.
Of all the games that aren’t compatible with the PlayStation 5, the only one that you’ll probably even recognize is Hitman Go: Definite Edition. The rest are, well, not important anyway.
PS4 Games Not Backward Compatible on PS5
DWVRAfro Samurai 2 Revenge of Kuma Volume OneTT Isle of Man - Ride on the Edge 2Just Deal With It!Shadow Complex RemasteredRobinson: The JourneyWe SingHitman Go: Definite EditionShadwenJoe's Diner
Just to make sure that you’re aware, when Sony updates the PlayStation Store for the PS5, these 11 games will be marked as “Playable on: PS4 only.” It should also be noted that not all games will function exactly the same way the do on PS4.
“Some functionalities that...
Activision took a deep step into the battle royale genre when it launched Call of Duty: Warzone, and the game was met with a hell of a lot more success than the last COD battle royal saw. Within weeks the number of players skyrocketed, and Warzone was competing with games like Fortnite, PUBG, and even Apex Legends. Warzone is lacking one big thing, though, and that’s a port for mobile devices, but all of that could change very soon, and we now have proof that Activision is – at the very least – taking the idea into consideration.
A new job listing that has since been removed, appeared on Activision’s website. The job listing said it was looking for someone to work on “WZM” – which is easy to assume is an abbreviation for Warzone Mobile – who would “harvest, adapt, and deliver the essential features from Warzone console and PC into their best mobile instantiation.” This person would also “serve as the primary point of contact on Warzone Mobile leadership team for clarity and...
Now that Microsoft has announced pricing for the Xbox Series X and digital-only Xbox Series S, the world is waiting for Sony’s answer. From the look of things, you might want to prepare for disappointment as a new leak paints the Sony PS5 as the more expensive console, and considerably so at that. According to the leaked image posted on Twitter (shown below) the PS5 will be priced at €499.90, which comes to $594 or £460 at current exchange rates. The PS5 digital edition is listed at €399.90, which converts to $475 or £369.
#PS5€399/€499(El Corte Inglés ~ One of the biggest spanish retailers) pic.twitter.com/B6o3aJhAqG— AllGamesDelta (@AllGamesDelta_) September 13, 2020
If these prices are, in fact, accurate, that means you’ll have to pony up an extra $100 for the more powerful PS5 or $176 of the digital-only PS5 – something that would give the Series X quite the edge. Of course, when you look at sales history between the two companies, this price difference probably won’t be enough to paint the next-gen Xbox as the king...
Microsoft confirming the Xbox Series S and a price tag of $299 might have been a damaging blow to the PlayStation 5, at least in terms of players still on the fence about what console to go for this holiday season. That smaller console with a significantly smaller price tag ($299 vs. $499), however, means you have to trade off built-in storage space, the high-end GPU, and just a bit of system memory. That 512 GB hard drive was probably the biggest blow, given the size of games for current-gen systems, but now we know why – according to Microsoft, reducing the size of the HD was the primary factor in shaving cost.
This confirmation comes via a leaked Xbox press briefing, where Liz Hamren – Head of Platform Engineering and Hardware – went into depth on the subject:
“When we move to SSD technology we get much, much higher performance, but of course that performance comes at a higher cost. Of course, more storage is always better, so we were trying to balance storage drive...
Despite the fact that Nintendo believes the Switch has plenty of life left in it and isn’t worried one bit about the Xbox Series X or PS5, rumors have been swirling about a new Switch console being in the works. The first rumor involved the potential for a dual-screen switch, which would have been quite awkward, while the most recent rumor suggested that a new Switch with “upgraded interactivity” was in development. That rumor suggest that a Switch Pro of sorts, with 4K capability, was in development, and now a new report from Bloomberg seems to be backing that up in a major way.
That report says that Nintendo has asked its assembly partners to “increase production” to 30 million units with the sole purpose of meeting extreme demand. That’s not surprising, honestly, since the Switch was hard to come by in the early days of COVID lockdown. But, that’s not the real meat and potatoes of that report. The real news here is that “several outside game developers,” who spoke on the condition of...
Once again, the official Rockstar Support account on Twitter is answering questions about Grand Theft Auto 6. Well, it’s not exactly answering them, but it’s at least acknowledging them – directing fans of the yet-to-be-confirmed game to Rockstar Newswire for official updates. Of course, these replies, which were scattered across the last week, also confirmed that Rockstar has “not released any information” about GTA 6.
There is no news on that topic yet. Please stay tuned to the Rockstar Newswire for official updates: https://t.co/i1zkZw0nsH *KG— Rockstar Support (@RockstarSupport) September 7, 2020
Following Rockstar’s renewing of both GTA 6 and Vice City Online domain names, it’s not surprising that Rockstar Supports new attentiveness to GTA 6 would spark new rumors. The same thing happened when Rockstar introduced a new logo and when GTAVI.com was updated to no-longer point to the official GTA 5 website. Just a few weeks after the the website situation sparked rumors, a report suggested that GTA 6 was actually in development but would be very different. If that rumor was true, and...


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Even the crypto currency profited from quite a few events that this calendar year, you start with the outbreak — that prompted monetary governments to publish money, resulting in worries of inflation — to Bitcoin gaining increasing acceptance as a medium of exchange.
Bitcoin was established in ’09 with a anonymous user/s being a decentralised virtual money perhaps not controlled by some jurisdiction, using its trades being checked and settled via a dispersed ledger.
Since its launching, Bitcoin has found its own price vault from $0.0008 to almost $30,000 currently amid expects it might develop into the dominant medium of market into their near future, while some economists have cautioned that such field of thinking is rather risky.
Even the crypto currency has also observed high volatility: as 20-16, it’s diminished 20 per cent times, 30 percentage seven days, and 4-8 percent-plus four days.
Therefore what exactly does the prognosis for Bitcoin appear to be?
Observing a rapid drop in 2020, the crypto currency might have a temporary reduction because the pandemic wanes.
‘Since the stunt begins to fade just a bit [and] maybe that wages becomes a bit more abundant, this (Bitcoin ) can easily get clobbered as it’s lots of different times previously,’ he explained.
Still, Bitcoin proceeds to carry promise out of a longterm outlook, for that very simple reason it might finally deliver to the promise it holds being a tool which may alter how money is traded.
‘I only think you possess it and put it a way for a longterm investment and also see how it alters the money and the entire world we are living in now,’ Bapis explained.
In spite of the bullish results, many others, such as for example John LaForge of all Wells Fargo, warn that purchasing Bitcoin has its own hazard, comparing the insecure frenzy surrounding the crypto currency into the 1850s California goldrush which stopped within a damp squib.
It is not saying things aren’t advancing for Bitcoin.
Even Though traders possess speculative and investing curiosity about BitCoin and Crypto Currencies at 2020, 2021 would centre around consistent developments between conventional and crypto markets,
Pierce Crosby,” General Manager in financial statistics company TradingView, said 2021 could detect continuing developments between conventional and crypto markets — significance that the digital money could see increased adoption within a suitable medium of exchange.
For example, at October 2020,” pay pal said it’d allow clients to cover popular crypto currencies like Bitcoin and ethereum.

domain: news


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One Direction's sophomore album TAKE ME HOME soars to the #1 position on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart with over 540,000 copies sold this week, the third highest debut of the year, making them the first British band to have their freshman and sophomore albums debut at #1 in the US. This is the second time this year One Direction made history as their debut album, UP ALL NIGHT, entered the Billboard Top 200 Album chart at #1, the first for a British band. This amazing U.S. debut comes hot on the heels of One Direction's massive international success where TAKE ME HOME entered the charts at #1 in over 32 countries including the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Holland, Ireland, Israel, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Venezuela, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Singapore. One Direction's TAKE ME HOME has also shattered the US iTunes pre-order record with over 130,000 albums sold in advance of its release.
TAKE ME HOME includes the history making #1 single "Live While We're Young," which sold over 341k copies in its first week, making it Billboard's biggest opening week sales for a single by a non-US artist ever. It has been an astonishing year for One Direction, they are the top selling debut artist of the year and have taken home 3 MTV Video Music Awards and 3 Teen Choice Awards. Their debut album UP ALL NIGHT has been certified platinum, and their live concert DVD "UP ALL NIGHT: THE LIVE TOUR" has reached #1 in 27 different countries, including the US for over 21 weeks. To date, One Direction have sold over 15 million records globally.
One Direction fans took over NBC's the Today Show plaza on November 13 to celebrate the release of TAKE ME HOME. With over 15,000 fans in attendance, One Direction made history for bringing out the largest crowd ever for the 2 day televised outdoor concert event. Other release week activities included a BRING1D2US outdoor concert for 5,000 fans on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and a performance on The XFactor US. Fans can catch One Direction featured on Barbara Walters Presents: The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2012, Dec. 12 on ABC.
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text: In Colorado, underground work is complete on IKEA’s Centenial store in the Denver-area. The store’s foundation and structure work can now begin. The system will use 130 holes, drilled 5.5 inches wide and 500 feet deep, for pipes to hold heat-transferring liquid circulating through underground loops. It will be used to both heat and cool the 415,000 square-foot store as conditions require. It will be the first U.S. IKEA store to integrate a geothermal system.


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Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
Travel and tourism markets on the rebound?
The report, which was conducted by the U.S. Department of Commerce, found that U.S. travel and tourism spending, adjusted for inflation, increased at an annual rate of 8 percent during the third quarter of 2010. That increase marked the largest quarterly growth in U.S. travel and tourism spending in six years, dating back to the first quarter of 2004. The good news didn't end there either, as tourism related employment also rose by two percent in that same quarter as well.
The largest growth, according to the report, came in the area of air travel, which increased by 29.8 percent in the third quarter alone, spurred on by a sharp decrease in the price of air fare. Spending on accommodations also increased in the same quarter, raising 9.5 percent. That marked the third straight quarter that that segment of the travel industry saw an increase in spending too.
All of this bodes well for 2011 of course, when the travel industry is expected to continue to bounce back nicely. Forecasters are predicting that more Americans will take a real vacation this year and international arrivals are also expected to continue to rise steadily.
So, have you curtailed your travel spending due to the economy over the past few years? Are you planning a trip for 2011? What destinations are back on your list now that the economy is showing signs of life again?


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Jaipur: The inaugural function of the maiden edition of Rajasthan Domestic Travel Mart (RDTM), aimed at growing Rajasthan’s share of domestic tourism from the rest of India, kicked off earlier today evening at the Brij Convention Centre in Jaipur’s iconic Clarks Amer hotel.
A first of its kind initiative in the country, RDTM has been planned in the ‘pre-fixed B2B meetings’ format between suppliers from across the state and hosted buyers from all over the country.
The two-day B2B meetings, July 21-22, will start from tomorrow at the BM Birla Auditorium, Jaipur. RDTM is being organised by Federation of Hospitality and Tourism of Rajasthan (FHTR), a consortium of leading industry bodies of Rajasthan represented by Indian Heritage Hotels association (IHHA), Hotels & Restaurants Association of Rajasthan (HRAR) and Rajasthan Association of Tour Operators (RATO).
Speaking on the occasion, FHTR President, Bhim Singh, informed that the first edition has brought together a total of 160 suppliers that include hotels, resorts, heritage properties, leading DMCs, tour operators and travel agents, Rajasthan Tourism, cottage industry and gem and jeweller representative, among others, from across the state to showcase their diverse range of tourism products to about 210 hosted buyers, including members of press, from all over the country.
He also informed that about 4982 meetings have already been prefixed online between the buyers and sellers that will take place over the next two days and this number is expected to further grow by the time the mart concludes on July 22nd.
FHTR Secretary General Gyan Prakash said that the RDTM is an idea that has been conceived by FHTR.” The objective of this event is to promote Rajasthan, promote Rajasthan and promote Rajasthan for tourism and of tourism. And in order to do that we hand hold with the government. And our objective is to keep the industry growth going and reach the highest level,” he added.
Close to 500 guests attended the inaugural function at the Brij Convention Centre. Dr. Suman Billa, Joint secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, was the Chief Guest.
The event was also attended by Kuldeep Ranka, Principle Secretary – Tourism, Government of Rajasthan; Pradeep Kumar Borar IAS, Special Secretary & Director- Tourism, Government of Rajasthan; Dr Lalit Panwar, Patron, FHTR and former Tourism Secretary, Government of India; Randhir Vikram Singh, Sr. Vice President, FHTR and Jt. Managing Director, Hotel Castle Mandawa; Apurv Kumar, Executive Committee Member, FHTR and Jt. Managing Director, Clarks Group of Hotels and Gyan Prakash, General Secretary, FHTR.


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The Motorola Milestone XT720 is a full-featured and sleek Android smartphone, but it's rather underwhelming in the performance department.
Pricing not available
Roku's streaming-media boxes are among the most popular in a growing field of rivals, but the rare glimpses of its sales suggest some slowing momentum.
Clear Channel's online arm racked up 50 million registered users faster than Pandora -- and Facebook and Twitter too.
A lot of people heart iHeart, it seems -- enough to sign up free with the digital radio provider owned by a terrestrial radio giant.
The free app is currently available only on Android but will land on the iPhone somewhere down the line, says its creator.
Passage of the USA Freedom Act revises the controversial national security policy created after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Asus chairman Jonney Shih thinks the company will be able to more than triple last year's shipments and break into the phone-making elite.
CD Projekt Red's role-playing game reaches a new preorder milestone ahead of release next week.
There's $30 million available to 18 teams vying to be the first nongovernment entity to land a rover on the moon. Five of those teams are eligible for a $6 million boost this summer.
Spotify offers a free music tier that delivers a good portion of the service's paid subscription version. And that's exactly the problem.


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Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Minister of National Revenue and Minister of State (Agriculture), is encouraging all potential applicants to apply for the new federal Slaughter Improvement Program (SIP). The three-year, $50-million programme is now accepting applications.
The Slaughter Improvement Program – a commitment made in Canada’s Economic Action Plan – is now up and running. This program will make red meat packing and processing facilities more competitive and accessible to farmers across the country.
The programme will make federal repayable contributions available to support investments made by the private sector and other levels of government in sound business plans aimed at reducing costs, increasing revenues and improving operations of red meat packing and processing operations in Canada. Investing in a stronger meat packing and processing industry in Canada benefits the entire value chain and leads to a more profitable and competitive industry and a stronger economy. Meat processing is responsible for $20.5 billion in annual sales for Canadian livestock farmers.
Information how to apply for the program: www.agr.ca/slaughterhouse
Source: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada


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Consolidation continued in the physical security marketplace in the turbulent year 2020. There were several mega-deals in addition to shuffling among small and medium-sized companies. Here is a sampling of M&A from this year, compiled from our archive of company news. With the changing economic climate, how much more is ahead in 2021? Stay tuned. Wesco merges with Anixter WESCO International, Inc., a provider of business-to-business (B2B) distribution, logistics services and supply chain solutions, announced it completed its merger with Anixter International Inc., creating a premier, global B2B distribution and supply chain solutions company. Anixter becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of WESCO International. ACRE acquires Razberi ACRE acquired Razberi Technologies, Farmers Branch, Texas, and the product line of intelligent video appliances, automated security software and health monitoring software will be added to and sold under the ComNet brand and portfolio of products. ComNet will now be selling Razberi products through its established channels. Motorola acquires IndigoVision Among the benefits is enhanced geographical reach across a wider customer base Motorola Solutions says the IndigoVision range of products, global presence and customer base are ‘highly complementary’ to Motorola Solutions' existing presence in video security. Among the benefits is enhanced geographical reach across a wider customer base. Motorola acquires Pelco “Pelco’s track record of innovation, internationally recognised brand, global channel and customer installed base enable us to further expand our global footprint with enterprise and public safety customers,” said Greg Brown, Motorola Solutions’ Chairman and CEO, about the iconic brand. Johnson Controls swallows Qolsys Qolsys Inc., residential and commercial security and smart-home manufacturer, enhances Johnson Controls global innovation platform, delivering next generation security and smart building solutions. JCI had already owned a majority stake in the company since 2014. ADT and Google Home partnership The partnership will combine Nest’s award-winning hardware and services, powered by Google’s machine learning technology, with ADT’s installation, service and professional monitoring network to create a more helpful smart home and integrated experience for customers across the United States. Upon the closing of Google’s equity investment in ADT, Google will own 6.6% of ADT’s outstanding aggregate common equity. Securitas acquires STANLEY in Five Countries The acquisition is aligned with Securitas’ ambition to double the size of its security solutions Securitas acquired STANLEY Security’s electronic security businesses in Germany, Portugal, Switzerland, Singapore and India. The acquisition is aligned with Securitas’ ambition to double the size of its security solutions and electronic security business and expands Securitas’ electronic security footprint and capabilities. Allied Universal to Buy G4S Ending the year on a high note, the boards of directors managing Allied Universal and G4S reached an agreement on the terms of a recommended cash offer. The deal brings to a close a six-month bidding war for G4S. The combined business is expected to generate approximately $18 billion in annual revenues with a global workforce of more than 750,000 people in 85 countries. Quantum acquires Western Digital business line Quantum Corporation entered into an agreement with Western Digital Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Western Digital Corp., to acquire its ActiveScale object storage business. The acquisition demonstrates Quantum’s commitment to innovation and growth, extending the company’s leadership role in storing and managing video and unstructured data using a software-defined approach. AVA/Vaion/Jazz Networks Ava, a unified security company, announced the completion of the merger between Jazz Networks, renowned cyber security insider threat detection and response firm; and Vaion, an end-to-end video security solutions provider. Ava is now positioned to deliver unified cyber and physical security solutions to organisations worldwide.
Global MSC Security has announced that its Security Conference & Exhibition will take place as a live, virtual event on 10th November 2020, with keynote presentations from the Surveillance Camera Commissioner, Tony Porter QPM LLB and Philip Ingram MBE. The free-to-attend event will take place from 2 pm until 3.30 pm from a bespoke streaming studio with the presenters in attendance and the audience joining remotely; it is sponsored by Genetec and Pelco, and supported by the International Security Journal. Tony Porter will use one of his final public appearances as the Surveillance Camera Commissioner to discuss a recent Court of Appeal case and its implications for the use of facial recognition technology. Video analytics Joining Tony Porter will be Philip Ingram MBE, who will use his experience as a former Colonel with British military intelligence and a chemical weapons expert, to provide insight into the Salisbury Novichok poisoning which took place in 2018. He will consider how video analytics (including facial recognition) can be utilised in investigations and applied in a strategic way to mitigate the impact of such incidents. The audience will also have the ability to pose questions to the presenters and sponsors during an interactive panel session towards the end of the programme. In addition to this virtual presentation, Global MSC Security has also confirmed that its annual conference & exhibition, charity gala dinner and the prestigious Gordon McLanaghan Award for Security Innovation, will return to the Bristol Hotel in Bristol on 15th and 16th March 2021, expanding on the ‘virtual’ topic of the use of Artificial Intelligence and Analytics in Video Surveillance. Amongst others, Philip Ingram will provide more in-depth analysis of the topic he will cover during the on-line event. 2020 conference and exhibition rescheduled The Managing Director of Global MSC Security, Derek Maltby states: “Our annual event attracts more than 150 attendees, and we pride ourselves on it being an intimate educational event with lots of networking opportunities. Rather than limit numbers and compromise on the quality of the event, in light of current essential social distancing measures, we have decided to run our first live virtual conference and reschedule our 2020 conference and exhibition to March 2021.” Earlier in the year 2019, Global MSC Security announced Meningitis Now as its nominated charity for 2020 and the company announced that its fundraising support will continue into 2021. A new prospectus has been launched highlighting sponsorship and exhibition opportunities for 2021.
Dark video images contain little or no information about the subject being surveilled. Absence of light can make it difficult to see a face, or to distinguish the color of clothing or of an automobile. Adding light to a scene is one solution, but there are also new technologies that empower modern video cameras to see better in any light. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: what impact does lighting have on the performance of video systems?
14 success stories about how video technology is improving city lifeDownload
Empowering cameras with AIDownload
The rise of ethical facial recognitionDownload
Webcast: Access control integration increases security while reducing costsDownload


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In yesterday’s column, I cited stats that indicated that the iPhone 7 was surprisingly successful in the June quarter, with sales slightly above last year, and ahead of every other smartphone on the planet. These are the kinds of numbers that continue to cement Apple’s position in the market.
So even though Android rules the roost as far as the total number of units sold, Apple has it all over Samsung and other companies when it comes to premium gear.
These sales come despite the torrent of speculation about an unannounced model that is generally referred to as the iPhone 8. There’s been talk about an edge-to-edge OLED display, 3D facial recognition, and other goodies. It conveys the impression that buying the current models makes no sense, since the next one will be so much better. Aside from the move to larger displays, starting with the iPhone 6 series, it would represent the biggest change in years. If true, of course.
The other question mark about the iPhone 7 was Apple’s decision to remove the headphone jack. Some tech pundits are still ranting about it. One article suggested you’ll spend hundreds of dollars stocking up on dongles to serve your Apple gear, but of course that’s nonsense. The iPhone 7 comes with an adapter, so you can still use regular wired earphones, including the ones supplied, without suffering much inconvenience. Replacement adapters are $9.
The only real problem occurs if you choose to listen and charge the unit at the same time, in which case you must buy a more expensive adapter. But Apple is forward looking in removing legacy ports. No doubt the product planners expect most people to switch to wireless before long, and not an expensive Bluetooth set, such as AirPods, but something that costs about the same as current wired models.
It may even be that a future iPhone will come with wireless ear buds, and then the complaints may be stilled. But Apple is attacked whenever ports are changed or removed, and it’s understandable there will be some inconvenience for a while as people have to buy adapters.
Did that decision hurt iPhone 7 sales? It’s hard to say. Did the speculation about the next model hurt? Likely, because that’s what Tim Cook suggested in commenting about slightly lower sales for the March quarter. You’d only expect it to be worse now as we get closer to the next iPhone media event, which will likely happen in September as usual.
The critics also savage Apple about the alleged failure of the Apple Watch. But let’s put things in perspective.
Sales of the iPhone from mid-2007 through 2009 totaled 33.73 million, far less than Apple sells in a single quarter nowadays. Estimated sales for the Apple Watch from the spring of 2015 through the June quarter are in the 30-31.5 million range. The iPhone was regarded as a success early on. The Apple Watch continues to be regarded as an underachiever.
True, iPad sales grew much faster, until they plateaued and began to drop. Indeed, June quarter sales represented the first time sales of Apple’s tablet grew since 2014.
In any case, Apple Watch sales, which continue to rise relatively quickly according to Apple, may not hreachit iPhone levels as quickly or at all. But that doesn’t make it unsuccessful.
Compare it to a product that is thought to be successful, the Amazon Echo. Some weeks back, I saw an estimate that Amazon sold 14 million units from its 2014 launch to this past spring. This is the sort of disconnect that often applies to Apple.
Indeed, the Microsoft Surface is often regarded as a successful high-end PC line. Macs are frequently compared, unfavorably. But Surface sales have remained flat for a while, until they dropped 26% in a recent quarter. Even then, revenue was a fraction of the Mac’s, so how do you regard Microsoft’s PCs as successful?
Even worse, it does appear that the Surface is not getting a terribly good reputation for reliability. All right, the recent Consumer Reports claim, that 25% of the units sold in a two-eyer period developed problems, has questionable methodology. Aside from depending on untrained readers to correctly check the boxes on questionnaires, the sampling size may not even be sufficient to get a reasonably credible result.
But online reports also tell a tale that isn’t terribly promising for Surface reliability. Even such Windows fans as blogger Paul Thurrott wrote about the complaints, along with a Microsoft memo that admitted such problems.
Now perhaps Microsoft will find ways to improve Surface reliability and get its reputation back. Maybe they can demonstrate flaws in CR’s reliability tests — well aside from the obvious ones — and restore a Recommended rating.
What it all goes to show, however, is that Apple is treated differently from other tech companies. Products that are successful by any conventional measure are deemed failures, and Apple’s design decisions are often found to be wrong even if they prove successful in the end.
I could mention the MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, but it, too, has been a success.
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Re Josephine Kenna’s Feb. 22 Speakup Online letter, Post office too unreliable: I apologize to Ms. Kenna for her unpleasant experience at her post office and assure her that we aim to provide a level of service that makes our customers want to do business with us.
We appreciate the kind words Ms. Kenna had for her carrier. Our carriers are great Postal Service ambassadors delivering more than 165 billion pieces of mail a year to more than 150 million addresses nationwide. Still, we recognize that we are only as good as our last transaction.
No one likes waiting in line and, because of Ms. Kenna’s letter, we are addressing that concern immediately. Long lines at the post office can cost us your business.
Customers in South Florida will continue to see the deployment of a new generation of self-service kiosks. The kiosks feature a larger, brighter touch screen and also have scanners for pricing greeting cards and ReadyPost products, along with scales. The U.S. Postal Service has also expanded the use of “lobby assistants” to introduce customers to the new kiosks and show them how they work. The lobby assistants will greet and prepare customers waiting in line to make their transactions with retail associates quicker and easier, improving customers’ experience.
Customers can skip the trip to the post office altogether with Click-N-Ship, our online shipping-service tool that allows them to print mailing labels with postage right from the convenience of their homes or offices with a postage discount and automatic end-to-end tracking at no added charge.
We’re excited about the massive growth in package volume at USPS — $3.5 billion in 2012, up 14 percent since 2010 — and we’re projecting continued strong growth. That growth combined with America’s changing habits with mail prompted our decision to end Saturday delivery of mail but maintain package deliveries — including prescription medicines — six days a week. The transition to five-day delivery will save the Postal Service approximately $2 billion annually while allowing us to capitalize on the rise of e-commerce to play an increasingly vital role as a delivery provider of choice.
The U.S. Postal Service assures Ms. Kenna, South Floridians and the nation that it will continue to develop and implement innovative products and services to provide the delivery platform that all of us can all rely on for generations to come.
Enrique M. Suarez, Miami officer-in-charge, U.S. Postal Service, Miami


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Feb 19, 2015 8:51 PM by Angela Musallam
Sea ports from Southern California all the way up to Washington have halted business because of a labor dispute involving dock workers and their union contract.
It's affecting the food, car and tech industries -- but it's also affecting the furniture business.
Oak Tree Furniture in Redding has been in business for the last 38 years and the owners say the port shutdown is now making it harder for them to do business.
"We're waiting for that container to be able to release the last bit of product that we need."
There's no telling when Oak Tree Furniture will get more inventory, now that hundreds-of-thousands of shipping containers have become stranded along the west coast because of a labor dispute involving longshoremen and shipping companies.
"I could honestly and easily be able to get accurate information from the vendors, where that's all just kind of up in the air this time."
Harper says he's noticed a delay over the past six months, and it's gotten worse over the last few.
"We don't know what the time frames are, so it makes it a little harder for us to do day-to-day business."
Harper has been stocking up on certain orders to avoid running out of inventory if the labor dispute doesn't get resolved over the next few weeks.
Oak Tree has been using its ten-thousand square-foot warehouse to store whatever makes its way in.
"We deal with vendors across the nation and they area all, or most of them are being impacted through this."
Harper says at this point, he's at the mercy of the delays caused by the port dispute -- and like many other businesses on the west coast -- he's just riding out the storm.
"Port workers go back to work!"
Harper says his clients have been understanding of the situation and in the meantime, he's going to order more furniture that gets transported by land.
2 days ago


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Exemple de fraze cu bulldozer
Exemple din articole cu bulldozer
- World famous motherboard manufacturer Gigabyte announced today that its 16 models based on AMD 7 / 8 series chip motherboard upcoming Bulldozer architecture will provide support to the processor.
- When it releases its new Bulldozer core desktop processors later this year AMD is having to make a socket shift from the current AM3 socket to a new one called AM3+.
- Amazon are selling this fab' Caterpillar Bulldozer for Ł9.
- ASUS is no longer alone to support AMD Bulldozer with its AM3 motherboards, but now MSI has also announced that it will give several of its motherboards support, no less than 10 models.
Imagini exemplificatoare pentru bulldozer
Produse referitoare la "bulldozer"
Alexander McCall Smith
Virginia Lee Burton


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Center For Crops Utilization Research Adds Value Through Innovation
Enter the Lauridsen Group’s research laboratory in Ankeny, Iowa, and you’ll find researchers developing new ways to make the raw ingredients of Iowa agriculture into ingredients for food and health products.
Space for benchtop and pilot plant research is essential for a food and health ingredient company like theirs. Before this laboratory was constructed in 2012, one place the group’s researchers conducted pilot plant experiments was at Iowa State.
The Center for Crops Utilization Research (CCUR) industry incubator in the food sciences building provided space and technology for benchtop and pilot plant research to Proliant. The company has been part of the Lauridsen Group, Inc. (LGI) holding group since the mid-1990s.
“We used the incubator because it helped us in the beginning when we were small,” says Chia-Wei Chang (MS ’81 meat science), the executive vice president of LGI, formerly the president and CEO of Proliant Meat Ingredients. “The CCUR industry incubator is important to small Iowa companies.”
The process Proliant researchers developed at CCUR involved recovering Bovine Serum Albumin, a protein from bovine blood in purified form so it could become a specialized material used in diagnostic, life science research, biopharmaceutical and veterinary vaccine industries. This process was perfected at CCUR, and Proliant built a plant in Boone, Iowa, to commercialize their production of the material.
Proliant now employs 40 people at the plant in Boone, and the company plans to build an identical plant in New Zealand. Proliant and LGI have grown exponentially since their CCUR days. The global reach of LGI now includes 49 plants and facilities in the United States, Europe, Asia and Latin America. When Proliant first started working with CCUR, the company owned two plants.
Lawrence Johnson, director of CCUR, says it is rewarding to watch small businesses develop new processes and products, commercialize and grow as companies.
“I don’t like just developing technology and putting it on the shelf,” Johnson says. “I like to see new products come out and go down a processing line.”
Johnson says what LGI does—create ingredients, as opposed to complete products—is something Iowa entrepreneurs have a unique opportunity to do.
The proximity of raw agricultural materials gives Iowans in the food industry opportunities to break apart those raw materials when they are fresh.
Chang agrees being in an agricultural state is good for his business.
“Fresh raw materials always equal higher quality products,” Chang says.
If fresh materials are a great starting point for an agriculture-based company, adding value to those materials by innovation is what grows a company.
“The reason companies can continue to grow is that they can add value to a product,” Chang says. “That’s why this new lab is important to our future growth.”
Proliant hires talented Iowa State alumni frequently to discover new ways to add value to their products.
Chang says companies like LGI need people with many different kinds of skills.
He says it’s important to know that scientists are not necessarily limited to working in a lab. His scientific background helped him sell Proliant’s products, but he has learned business skills along the way.
“What is most important is the learning mind,” Chang says.


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They make the new Cayenne in Bratislava, but that wouldn’t have driven home the point. So we’re on the rooftop of Porsche’s museum in Zuffenhausen, across the street from the red-brick building where the first series production Porsches were built. Porsche really wants you to think of this third-generation Cayenne as the 911 of SUVs. Look, it’s got a full-width lightbar at the back like all-wheel drive 911s.
If you’re still struggling to see much of a difference between the new and old Cayenne, that was kind of the point.
“The biggest challenge was to take the typical DNA of the Porsche Cayenne, and do a little better. We didn’t want to make a big step — that was our target,” says Peter Varga, head of exterior design at Porsche.
In the Middle East the Cayenne is Porsche’s best-selling model. Worldwide, more than 70,000 were shifted in 2016. That’s a third of Porsche’s total production. For the third-generation car there was no need for drama — Porsche kept the big changes away from sight.
With a new aluminium body, new brakes, new suspension, staggered tyres, and that 911-esque lightbar at the back, the Cayenne borrows more lessons than ever from Porsche’s iconic sportscar.
Just revealed to the press last week, the third-generation SUV is heading to Frankfurt next week for its public premiere before coming to our region, making its debut at November’s Dubai motor show.
At launch Porsche will offer the base Cayenne from Dh298,300 and the Cayenne S from Dh363,200. Considering there are 13 second-gen Cayenne iterations available, there will be plenty new Cayennes to follow, including electrified ones. The Panamera saloon range, for example, is currently headlined by a 680-horsepower turbocharged hybrid model, which would lend itself quite nicely to a future Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid.
“For sure we start with the basic Cayenne and the Cayenne S, but you can imagine we will bring more cars to the market very soon,” said Porsche’s vehicle dynamics boss Manfred Harrer. “Hybrids are becoming more and more important and for sure we are planning some hybrid versions in the upcoming months.”
But if you cannot crash, then you don’t need the airbags, so you don’t need the weight, so you can develop a completely different kind of vehicle.
For now the base Cayenne gets by with a three-litre single-turbo V6 developing 340bhp and 450Nm of torque for 0-100kph in 5.9 seconds (with optional Sport Plus) and a top speed of 245kph. The Cayenne S is powered by a 2.9-litre twin-turbocharged V6 rated at 440bhp and 550Nm of torque, good for 0-100kph in 4.6 seconds and a top speed of 265kph. Cayenne Turbos, from 550bhp, will be arriving soon too.
Unlike the Panamera — like the one wheels tested two issues ago in Turbo S E-Hybrid trim — which rides on the MSB platform that was developed by Porsche for use throughout the Volkswagen group, the Cayenne is built around the MLB architecture shared with the Audi Q7 (and consequently the Bentley Bentayga). The lightweight chassis and all-aluminium body help save up to 65kg over the predecessor model. If a Bentley can be built in Bratislava, a Cayenne can be an über Q7.
“It’s an Audi based platform,” says Harrer, “But we do a lot of changes to get the driving behaviour in a Porsche way.”
For the first time on an SUV, there is an inclusion of rear-axle steering, and the same switch to a 48-volt electrical system as in the new Panamera. This is primarily to power the active roll stabilisation system and keep the car level through the corners.
“The four-wheel drive system is completely changed,” adds Herrer. “We have the mixed tyre sizes, our own Porsche brakes, we changed the steering ratio to get more precise steering behaviour, and we changed the air suspension with a complete new development, three-chamber air suspension that was presented in the Panamera and now for the first time in an SUV.”
Customers will be able to spec wheels ranging from 19in to 21in, and with the biggest wheels they’ll have the choice of a new brake package. The latest addition to the options list is the industry’s first application of tungsten-carbide coated brakes to increase performance and durability.
“This is brand new technology and I think we are the first on the market — it is a tungsten surface coated brake, it’s very shiny, very attractive, like a mirror. It’s a cast iron brake, but you use this really hard metal coating to lower the wear and lower brake dust. So you still have the basic brake and the carbon ceramic brakes, but to close the gap a little bit in between we have this new option.”
Completing the mechanical updates, Porsche included an eight-speed transmission with a redeveloped Sport Chrono Package.
On the rooftop, Porsche CEO Oliver Blume skimmed over all that though. Since launching the nameplate in 2002 the company has sold a staggering 760,000 Cayennes (note, it took Porsche 24 years to build the 250,000th 911 in 1987). The outgoing second-generation model accounted for 500,000, and Blume recognises Porsche can’t stand still. The keywords are of course connectivity and all that.
“We digitised and networked the vehicle, orientating it for the future,” Blume said. “Touchscreens similar to smartphones have replaced most of the analogue controls.”
Look inside and you could call it sparse — the third-gen Cayenne gets rid of more than half of the buttons found in the outgoing car. There are grab handles — because SUV, arrgh — but the rest is familiar if you’ve sat in the Panamera, with a huge now-industry standard 12.3in touchscreen taking up the most real estate centrestage.
“The biggest challenge…” says Ivo van Hulten, head of interior design at Porsche. “Well, how do you integrate this huge thing in the interior? How do you integrate all of this new technology and digitalisation and still make it look like a typical Cayenne. That’s something we thought about for a long time…”
The answer was less buttons and more voice control, as is the common theme in the industry now in the great physical-switchgear cull. Yes, a good old knob is better served for a single function, but when you have hundreds of features and modes and night vision, traffic jam assist, and self-parking systems to control, you need a new solution.
“I would consider digitalisation something that is moving forward and it will be unchangeable, so yeah, currently it’s a trend, but it will be something that will be changing our complete future,” says van Hulten.
Since launching the nameplate in 2002 the company has sold a staggering 760,000 Cayennes.
“We didn’t want to throw all the switches away…. So we still have a couple of haptic switches, and also if you interact with the centre console you still get a clicking sound and you also have a vibration, so it’s a combination of both worlds.”
The combination will have to do for now, even if all these new safety features sometimes counterintuitively take our eyes off the road. Van Hulten’s mind is already far away.
“In our design department,” he says, “we also design the next, kind of, vehicle range, the future models… But we also do advanced design, so not four or five years into the future, but maybe 10 years in the future — the way we can produce vehicles in the future with 3D printing technologies… Just imagine, nowadays a car is completely equipped with loads of airbags, crash structures, thick pillars. But if you cannot crash, then you don’t need the airbags, so you don’t need the weight, so you can develop a completely different kind of vehicle. It’s incredible, there are so many new technologies coming up.
“Look at an A-pillar now, look at an A-pillar on a classic car. Maybe new technologies will open up possibilities that were only possible in classic cars. You can also look at it in that way.”
And that’s not a bad point of view.


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Attention New Yorkers: to-go cocktails are coming back.
Gov. Kathy Hochul made the announcement Wednesday during her first State of the State address in Albany. The move comes as many restaurants and bars across the state have curtailed hours or shut down for periods altogether as they cope with staffing shortages and leery indoor diners thanks to the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.
“We’re also going to do something our bars and restaurants have been asking for, to once again allow the sale of to-go drinks, a critical revenue stream during the lean times last year,” she said. “So, cheers, New York.”
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To-go drinks were one of the few bright spots for bars and restaurants as the state emerged from the early days of lockdown in 2020. The program was in effect until June, when state lawmakers let the emergency regulation expire.
It's not clear if the new regulation will be permanent, but it's the toast of New Yorkers' group chats and restaurant groups alike.
“Cheers to Governor Hochul for announcing her support to permanently bring back drinks to go at restaurants and bars," said Andrew Rigie, the president of the New York City Hospitality Alliance. "The drinks to go policy provides critically important revenue streams to struggling restaurants and bars and is extraordinarily popular with the public, unsurprisingly.”
The alcohol-to-go won't come back overnight, however. Unlike when it was instituted in 2020, this time it must go through the state legislature.


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Polygon has launched Polygon Studio that focuses on helping the advancement of blockchain gaming NFT projects.
The aim is to focus on gaming projects so that developers can fuse their Web 2.0 games with the Web 3.0 decentralized technology through Polygon studios.
Polygon, which started in 2019, is being used by more than 90 decentralized apps (DApps) and it has had more than seven million transactions and 200,000 users.
Polygon added a layer on the popular cryptocurrency platform to enable faster and more efficient process. This layer enables it to remove the gas fees that is associated with the computing costs of blockchain transactions, from the NFT purchases that consumers make.
NFTs use blockchain to uniquely identify digital items. This allows the authentication of digital collectibles or auctioning the transparent and secure digital ledger behind cryptocurrencies. Polygon enables users of companies like OpenSea, an NFT marketplace, to buy and sell NFTs without onerous fees.
“We don’t want to be a VC. This is not our strength. We will incubate some products and teams that want to build projects. Maybe we can get them an external license and support them. We are here to support the entire ecosystem. We want to add value and bring the next 100 million users.”
said Shreyansh Singh, the head of gaming and NFTs at Polygon
NFTs have exploded applications in art, sports collectibles, and music. NBA Top Shot is one example. Built by Dapper Labs, NBA Top Shot has surpassed $700 million in sales, just seven months after going public. An NFT digital collage by the artist Beeple sold at Christie’s for $69.3 million. Gaming has a couple of new unicorns, or startups valued at $1 billion, in Animoca Brands and Forte. NFTs are now selling at a rate of $62 million a week, though the initial hype around NFTs is dying down from a peak in May of $175 million a week, according to nonfungible.com.
Polygon’s goal is to scale Ethereum so that it can be a mass adoption platform enabling NFTs to enter the mainstream. Just a few months ago, as NFTs were exploding, the gas fees were derailing the market adding up to $300 per Ethereum transaction. This was making NFTs prohibitively expensive to mint.
“We have lowered those fees to zero. We handle the transaction on the Polygon chain itself.”Singh
While sitting on top of Ethereum, Polygon gets the advantage of being compatible with an extremely popular cryptocurrency as well as being able to rely upon the security of Ethereum, which is protected by a broad community of computing sources that can fulfill the blockchain verification tasks.
More than 60% of today’s NFT and blockchain-based web 3.0 games, including Decentraland, Sandbox, Somnium Space, and Decentral Games, have chosen Polygon’s Proof of Stake blockchain as the preferred scaling solution. This means those games can use it to scale up their operations to handle lots of transactions.
Partners include the gaming brand Atari, which launched a partnership with Polygon in February, harnessing the protocols’ speed, scalability, tooling, and community to bootstrap development of Atari’s entry into the Web 3.0 gaming and NFT space.The studio follows the footsteps of its parent company, Polygon (formerly Matic), which is a scaling solution for the Ethereum network. It has previous raised funds from billionaire serial entrepreneur, Mark Cuban. Polygon is also a member of the Blockchain Game Alliance, a consortium of blockchain and gaming firms, including Ubisoft, AMD, and Consensys.
Polygon Studio will now extend plug-and-play software development kits (SDKs) for developers such as Ubisoft, Electronic Arts, Atari, and others, enabling them to integrate blockchain attributes into non-blockchain games. The studio will leverage Polygon’s $100 million treasury fund to provide investment, marketing, technology, and community support. This will attract big brands and franchises to launch games and NFT’s.
The announcement is actually some good news for Polygon, which has recently seen some high profile hacks taking down some of the projects built on the protocol.


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Opportunities, Challenges And The Outlook Of The Singapore Hospitality Industry
Singapore is a popular tourist destination in the Southeast Asia region, and it’s an important component of the country’s economy as well as a source of foreign exchange income. The country is one of the easiest places to do business. As a result, a lot of leisure and business travelers are visiting Singapore, which has led to the thriving of the hospitality industry.
The country’s hospitality industry has been growing .fast in recent times thanks to the country’s food industry and hotels. Singapore’s’ tourism and hospitality industry attracts visitors from various parts of the world, but most of its visitors are mainly from India, Malaysia, and China, among other Southeast Asian nations. However, visitors from the western world are also not far behind, and they have been increasing in recent years. Considering there are large numbers of visitors coming to Singapore annually, this gives the hospitality industry a massive boost to continue growing.
Current status of the hospitality industry in Singapore
According to the World Bank, Singapore is among the top-ranked countries in ease of doing business. This has been the driver of growth for the hospitality industry since it offers a positive signal and boosts for more opportunities. It is easier to attract foreign businesses to the country because of its liberal laws, tax concessions, and easier loans, which have helped in the establishment of hotels. Similarly, liberal laws make it possible for foreigners to buy real estate, which, in return, has repaid the hospitality industry through the construction of hotels.
The industry seems to be more promising as it emerges from a downcycle. Hotel rooms on the pipeline have been decreasing, which is a sign of stagnation in the hotel sector. According to the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), tourism revenues have averaged around $23 billion in the last few years and have been slowing mainly due to the stagnation of the hotel sector.
However, in the past year, despite the slowing global economy, the industry has held up with tourist arrivals in Singapore growing. Visitor arrivals increased by 2.3% in the first ten months of 2019 to around 15.85 million. This was within reach of the STB’s projection of around 18.7 million to 19.2 million visitors. The tourism board also indicates that revenue per available rooms (RevPAR) hit S$191.40 up from S$189.20 in 2018.
Opportunities in Singapore’s hospitality industry in 2020
There are signs that the hospitality industry expects a cyclical upturn this year driven opportunities like conferences, recovery if RevPAR, limited supply, and mergers & Acquisitions.
Increase in number conferences
Singapore expects a return of conferences in 2020, such as the Air Show expected next in February as well as other new conferences. This is a massive opportunity for hotel REITs to leverage this year. Most interesting is the high portfolio occupancy, which will be a leeway for hoteliers to hike room rates because of the increase in demand.
According to DBS Equity Research analysts Derek Tan, occupancy rates currently stand at more than 90%, which is a sign that demand is still strong. As a result, hoteliers will get an opportunity to increase room rates, which is an indication growth will result from the hike in the average daily rate.
Mergers and Acquisitions
With strong demand and limited supply, there are several opportunities, and the industry will see mergers and acquisitions, which will be a major driver of growth. Tan indicated that the merger between Ascendas Hospitality Trust (A-HTRUST) and Ascott Residence Trust (Ascott REIT) will be a major boost for the hospitality. This will be the largest hospitality REIT in the region with the potential of boosting growth in the industry.
Challenges facing hospitality in Singapore
The hospitality industry in Singapore faces a myriad of challenges, with tourism receipts being the most affected. In the first half of last year, tourism spend dropped 3% despite visitor arrival growing by 1.3%, which might be associated with the slowing to the global economy.
Slowing global economy
The hospitality is highly sensitive and depends on economic growth and consumer confidence. However, in the past year, the global economy slowed, and due to the global uncertainties, tourists tightened their spending. As a result, visitors for business travel and meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions sector slowed.
Political instability in the region is a significant challenge to the hospitality industry. The recent protests in Hong Kong that have dragged for months may have hurt the hospitality industry. Hong Kong is a neighbor of Singapore, and the instability had sudden and significant effects on the hospitality industry. There are other geopolitical risks in the region, such as unexpected changes in China’s foreign policy as well as the situation of North Korea.
In 2016 the hospitality industry in Singapore was affected by the outbreak of the Zika virus. The outbreak dissuaded people from traveling to Singapore. Equally in 2003, when there was an outbreak of the SARS virus, and this led to a decline in the number of travelers to the country by over 70%. Therefore such outbreaks impede t growth of the industry.
The outlook of the hospitality industry in Singapore
The hospitality industry in Singapore is expected to show significant growth. Singapore expects a massive pipeline of events to support the hospitality and hotels will be buzzing with conferences. This will be very important, especially against a backdrop of muted supply growth, and the supply of hotel rooms is likely to grow by around 1.1% this year. Equally, hotel room supply is expected to grow at a CAGR of 1.3% in the next three years.
Interestingly most of the increase in supply in the next three years will come from the upscale and luxury segments that are likely to compete with listed REITs. Visitor arrival and RevPAR is expected to grow by between 2% and 5% in 2020. For instance, Ascott Residence Trust is expected to see an upside considering it can leverage its cash position to take up some potential acquisitions. The hospitality industry, which includes the travel industry, food service industry, and hotel industry, are all expected to gain significantly because of the measure the Singapore government has taken to promote the industry.


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The new high-performance Mercedes-AMG A45 enters the Europe’s markets in summer. It will be the most powerful hot hatchback for today, with a 2.0-liter turbo engine producing 421 hp.
The 2020 Mercedes-AMG A45 got an all-new turbocharged 4-cylinder M139 engine with a beefy fuel injection system. The motor is the most potent 2.0-liter unit in the world delivering up to 421 hp and 369 lb-ft (500 Nm) of torque (211 hp per liter).
When arrives, the model will beat the Audi RS 3 (400 hp).
The A45 AMG will also be available with the M139 engine in a standard tune: 287 hp, 354 lb-ft (480 Nm). Both engines will be combined with a dual-clutch transmission and all-wheel drive, like the Mercedes-AMG A35.
Thanks to spy photos and videos, as well as the official teaser released by Mercedes-Benz in December 2018, we have a certain idea how the car will look like.
Inspired by the success of the previous A45 and the new A-Class, Mercedes-AMG won’t be limited by just the new flagship A45.
They are going to launch performance versions of the CLA 45, CLA 45 Shooting Brake and the Mercedes-Benz GLA 45 too.
The new Mercedes-AMG’s A45 will cost from around €50,700.


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WRC 10 News
News Latest WRC 10 Update Adds Acropolis Rally, More Historical Cars and Events
November update out today
It's a game that's been bubbling away pretty quietly, but developer KT Racing has been updating WRC 10 with additional content and fixes since launch in September. Monthly updates have added rally courses, vehicles, and more to the experience, meaning it's now a more fleshed out game. October's update brought in the Renties...
News WRC 10 Slides Sideways onto PS5, PS4 Today with Launch Trailer
The latest annual entry in the WRC series arrives on PlayStation 5 and PS4 today. WRC 10 is KT Racing's effort for 2021, and it looks to build upon the success of last year's well-received iteration. To celebrate the arrival of the new game, publisher Nacon has released a launch trailer, featuring plenty of dust-kicking drifts in both...
News Now You Can Send Your Very Own Custom Car Flying Into the Bushes in WRC 10
Livery editor looking good
The officially licensed WRC games have been getting better and better lately, having built up a substantial, fun career mode and pretty excellent handling. Of course, they also have the benefit of all the real world vehicles, drivers, and courses. But what if you wanted to make the experience a bit more personal?...
News WRC 10 Will Let You Play Classic Moments from Real Life Motorsport
Relive Sébastien Loeb's victories and more
WRC 10 is the latest edition of the officially licensed rally game, due for release in September of this year. As it so happens, 2021 is the 50th anniversary of WRC, and developer KT Racing is taking the opportunity to look back at some of the motorsport's iconic moments. In addition to including all the...
News WRC 10 Brings Historic and Modern Rally Racing to PS5, PS4 in September
Rally the troops
Update: As promised, WRC 10 has been officially announced with a flashy reveal trailer. As you can see, the game will feature all the cars and courses from the 2021 season, as well as a larger focus on historic vehicles and events. This is to help celebrate the motorsport's 50th anniversary. It's coming to both PlayStation 5 and PS4...


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Although we’re a couple years removed from the folding iPhone, the technology is rapidly catching up with rumors that the bendable OLED smartphone will start with the iPhone eight in 2018. Accessing on the internet news is common across the countries surveyed in this report, but conventional news sources stay common, specifically Tv. Newspapers are employed less frequently, even though print remains really well-liked in Austria, exactly where 67 per cent used print newspapers in a common week, compared to an 18 nation typical of just 37 per cent.
This web site has undergone various improvements more than time to contain wearable tech breakthroughs such as integration with the Android and Apple watches making it less difficult for customers to get updates in real time. In the modern planet when science and technology are quickly growing, students can simply place down answers to series of calculations within a minute with the support of the scientific calculator.
Here’s a short message to smartphone makers before you try to wow us with a bunch of glitzy features in your subsequent device: Never do it. Without having mobile phones buyers would uncover it extremely challenging to replace, as it can supply so much to the customers all in one particular device, no matter what the demands of the customer are.
Employees possibilities are employed with the general objective of possessing much less (or significantly less costly) staff producing a lot more content material increasing the volume of news and information” is the first strategy of news organizations according to Picard (2010a, p. 84).
In an experimental study of how readers in the United States evaluate in-text (target) hyperlinks in news stories, Eveland et al. (2004) identified that only the skilled Web customers found such hypertext structured news stories valuable. That might only be a fraction of the total quantity of mobile connections, but it was enough to knock us folks off our perch in the man vs machine superiority stakes.


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An email landed in our inbox yesterday that – to put it mildly – has piqued our curiosity.
It was from DJI. And it was an invitation.
“Discover the future of imaging technology,” it said at the top of the email. We’ve pixellated the RSVP email address, but you’re seeing exactly what we received.
Of course, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen a teaser like this for an important DJI announcement. Remember the launch of the Osmo Mobile? The company unveiled that product in Berlin back in September. And it did so, we thought retrospectively, with an exceedingly clever campaign. Have a good look at the image below: It’s an abstract version of the Osmo Mobile itself, with a representation of a smartphone mounted on the Osmo handle. (Easy to say now – but we certainly didn’t guess that one in advance.)
Unfortunately, there aren’t any clues (even vague ones) we can discern from this latest DJI invite (unless the company is releasing either a pyramid or a runway).
Of course, there are several unreleased but allegedly imminent products that are currently burning up the internet. Might this announcement be related to any of the following?
The 1080p goggles, first publicly displayed in New York during the Mavic Pro launch, are expected to ship at some point during Q2. We base that on the fact they were mentioned as being compatible with the new DJI Matrice M200-series of industrial drones, which were accompanied by an official Q2 timeline for shipping.
But would goggles fit the “Create Your Legacy” tagline? Possibly – but doubtful.
In recent days, countless pixels have been devoted to speculation that DJI is about to release a new drone, smaller than the Mavic Pro but with some similarities. We have received zero information about this product and do not know whether the pictures floating around are of the real deal or not. So we’re not touching that one until there’s something at least semi-official out there, or we receive a comment back from communications people.
The new DJI M-200 series of industrial drones was unveiled at the World Mobile Congress in Barcelona, the world’s largest event for the mobile phone industry. There has been a smaller preview/unveil of the product since then in the US, but no big launch. Could this be a Matrice event?
We considered that possibility. But the reality is that industrial drones are not a mainstream product. They will be expensive (though likely not as expensive as some of the industrial machines out there), and not a mass-market prosumer item. Plus, DJI already had a big splash in Spain. For that reason, we cross the Matrice off our list.
NEW GLASS? CAMERA?
There is now, as has been revealed earlier, a partnership between DJI and the iconic camera manufacturer Hasselblad. It’s also public knowledge that DJI is now grinding its own glass for some of its aerial cameras. Could DJI be about to release a new camera for an existing drone? A new OSMO compatible with the new X5S and X4S cameras made for the Inspire 2? Some other sort of aerial imaging device?
At the moment, we simply can’t say. And, unfortunately, the image that came with the invite gives us pretty much *zero* to go on.
But it sure makes us wonder.
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Vietnamese enterprises warned to be cautious to do business with India’s amidst Covid-19
|Vietnamese enterprises in Laos collaborates with local authorities to fight pandemic|
|Vietnamese company wins international quality award|
|Vietnamese enterprises ready to receive foreign visitors|
|Illustrative photo: Thanh Nien|
India has grappled with a serious Covid-19 wave with a spike in new infections and casualties. The fact that many regions in India have applied lockdown and social distancing measures has adversely affected goods customs clearance activities at seaports as well as production and business activities of Indian firms.
The operating capacity at major seaports such as Mundra, Nhava Seva, Chennai and Kolkata has been reduced by half due to a shortage of workers, making shipping lines do not want to transport cargo to India.
Currently, many banks only open 2-3 days a week with 30 or 50% employees. Working hours are limited from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Banks with Covid-19-infected employees are forced to shut down for 1-2 weeks. Hence, direct transactions at banks or online banking services face many difficulties.
The Asia-Africa Market Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade has recommended Vietnamese enterprises to sign contracts with big and prestigious Indian firms as well as carefully learn about their regulations and policies adopted during the pandemic time.
Vietnamese enterprises have also been urged to regularly update the Covid-19 situation in India as well as check goods delivery status, customs clearance process and operations at banks.
In case businesses need support, please contact the Ministry of Industry and Trade (Asia-Africa Market Department) or the Vietnam Trade Office in India.
|India's Covid-19 tally mounted to 2,49,65,463 on Monday with 2,81,386 fresh cases, the lowest in 27 days, while the death count climbed to 2,74,390 as 4,106 more people succumbed to the disease, according to Union health ministry data. |
The number of active cases stands at 35,16,997, accounting for 14.09 percent of the total infections. The national recovery rate has improved to 84.81 percent, the data updated at 8 am showed.
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 2,11,74,076, while the case fatality rate stands at 1.10 percent, it stated.
Companies and enterprises in Vietnam are not allowed to import COVID-19 vaccines from foreign manufacturers and administer the injection themselves, the Ministry of Health said ...
On the afternoon of December 30, at the Laos Embassy in Vietnam, representatives of Elise Fashion Co., Ltd. presented 10,231 high-end fashion products branded Elise ...
From December 18 to December 22, the Vietnam Trade Office in Australia is scheduled to hold the virtual international exposition that features goods from enterprises ...


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U.S. Cannabis Spot Index increased 0.4%% to $1,463 per pound.
The simple average (non-volume weighted) price decreased $18 to $1,724 per pound, with 68% of transactions (one standard deviation) in the $895 to $2,552 per pound range. The average reported deal size decreased to 2.3 pounds. In grams, the Spot price was $3.23 and the simple average price was $3.80.
The relative frequency of transactions for indoor flower were unchanged this week at 58%. The relative frequency of trades for greenhouse product was also unchanged, but outdoor flower transaction slipped by 1%.
The relative volume of indoor product increased by 2% this week. The relative volume of greenhouse flower was was down by 1% versus last week, while outdoor flower’s relative volume decreased by 1%.
U.S. Spot is still under pressure but ticked up about $6 this week, as legacy states continue to see falling prices. Spot is currently trading at $1,463 per pound, near its lowest level since July 2020. The spot market rallied from $1,322 in May 2020 to a peak at $1,665 in October 2020, reflecting widespread demand during the initial phase of the pandemic. As noted previously, California and Oregon prices have been under persistent pressure, due primarily to ongoing oversupply issues. Indeed, growers see little reprieve on price. Some cultivators say they expect oversupply to remain a permanent condition, as states prepare for federal legalization within, possibly, the next two years. The sell-off in U.S. spot price may slow as new adult use states see increasing consumer demand. That process is expected to be slow, however, as demonstrated in high-population states like Connecticut — where initial adult-use sales were pushed out to the end of 2022.
Economists were somewhat vindicated by this week’s lower-than-expected Consumer Price Index (CPI) data, with overall annual inflation falling 0.1% to 5.3% and monthly core inflation falling to 0.1%, the smallest increase since February 2021. As noted previously, retail sales have been falling and consumer spending has been slipping, with personal consumption expenditures falling from 1.1% in June to 0.3% in July; another indication that consumers are paring back spending. When consumers decide to cut spending, discretionary spending is first — and cannabis is largely a discretionary item. That being said, Alaska, Arizona and Colorado all reported sales increases month-over-month.
October 2021 Implied Forward unchanged at $1,500 per pound.
The average reported forward deal size was 68 pounds. The proportions of forward deals for outdoor, greenhouse, and indoor-grown flower were 45%, 39%, and 16% of forward arrangements, respectively.
The average forward deal sizes for monthly delivery for outdoor, greenhouse, and indoor-grown flower were 91 pounds, 58 pounds, and 29 pounds, respectively.
Colorado on Pace to Exceed 2020 Cannabis Sales
Connecticut First Adult Use Retail Sales Pushed to End of 2020
Arizona Adult Use and Medical Sales Turn Higher


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The broad markets are holding near their new highs after a fairly strong earnings season. Although the tailwind of the Trump trade has been incredibly strong, there are still companies holding back this rally. The summer doldrums are just arriving, and 24/7 Wall Street has picked out a few companies in the tech sector posting some of the largest losses from this past earnings season. Some of these companies hit new lows and have created huge shareholder losses.
We have included a little color on why each stock has lagged, as well as a recent trading history, consensus analyst price target and a 52-week trading range.
When Akamai Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM) released its first-quarter financial results back on May 2, earnings were better than expected. But looking at how the stock is performing, this is not the entire story. What tanked this stock was its guidance, given separately in the conference call. Also it did not help that analysts took this opportunity to cut their price targets on Akamai.
The company said that it had $0.69 in earnings per share (EPS) and $609.2 million in revenue, compared with consensus estimates from Thomson Reuters of $0.67 in EPS and revenue of $604.69 million. The same period of last year reportedly had EPS of $0.66 and $567.73 million in revenue.
In the conference call, management commented that it expects current quarter revenue to be in the range of $597 million to $609 million, which fell somewhat short of expectations. The consensus estimates for the second quarter were $0.65 in EPS and $623.02 million in revenue.
Shares of Akamai closed Wednesday at $48.46, with a consensus analyst price target of $62.68 and a 52-week trading range of $46.81 to $71.64. The company has a market cap of $8.4 billion. Since the earnings report was released, the stock is down over 20%.
Frontier Communications Corp. (NYSE: FTR) was among the worst performers of any S&P company in all of earnings season. On top of earnings and its dividends just never making any sense at all, the reality is that it did finally slash that dividend. The company reported its earnings on May 2 after the markets closed.
The company posted a net loss of $0.08 per share and $2.36 billion in revenue, compared with consensus estimates that called for a net loss of $0.05 per share and $2.34 billion in revenue.
Shares of Frontier closed most recently at $1.21, in a 52-week range of $1.19 to $5.24. The consensus price target is $2.14 and the market cap is $1.4 billion. Since the company reported earnings, the stock is down about 37%.
When Twilio Inc. (NYSE: TWLO) released earnings on May 2, its posted net loss of $0.04 per share on $87.4 million in revenue fell short of consensus estimates for a $0.06 per share loss and $83.6 million in revenue. During the quarter, the company recorded 40,696 active customer accounts, as of March 31, 2017, compared to 28,648 in the first quarter of last year.
While Twilio extended its Amazon Web Services pact, its largest customer is Uber and that is about 12% of Twilio’s revenue — and the company noted that Uber is taking over its messaging service and handling more of its software needs.
Shares of Twilio were last seen at $25.25, in a 52-week range of $22.80 to $70.96 and with a consensus analyst target of $32.90. The company has a market cap of $2.3 billion. Shares are down 25% since earnings were reported.


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As we draw a line under a problematic summer for travel, The Independent’s expert travel team are preparing to answer your winter holiday questions.
Join our travel editor Helen Coffey in conversation with our travel correspondent Simon Calder and deputy travel editor Ben Parker during the latest in our virtual event series being held on Wednesday 25 October.
From the most atmospheric Christmas markets to visit during the festive season, best-value ski destinations and top city breaks packed with culture, the trio will make sure you head into the winter holiday season well-informed.
They will also tackle questions on how to best avoid being caught up in any further travel chaos, following large-scale disruption at airports this summer, courtesy of air traffic control meltdowns and mass flight cancellations from leading airlines and industrial action.
However, no travel questions are off the cards – you can ask the team anything from how to get the best deals on flights and where to find winter sun to what makes a great last-minute deal.
Don’t forget to submit your questions to Simon, Helen and Ben when you sign up for free.
You can also leave your questions in the comments section of this story.
The event will take place on Zoom at 6.30pm and last an hour. To find out more and sign up for free, click here.


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3D TV is missing something: consumers. Sets are being built and technology prepared, but consumers remain wary about running to the nearest Best Buy because of three big issues--standards, content and those damned 3D glasses--according to a research report by iSuppli.
There are also health issues to be addressed, the research company notes, including the recently confirmed phenomenon "vergence-accommodation conflict" that can lead to fatigue, eye strain and headache as a viewer's eyes try to adjust and focus.
Meanwhile, at the 3DTV2010 Event in New York, Mike Vitelli, Americas president of Best Buy and a man driven to sell more 3D TVs, laid major blame on the glasses and especially the incompatibility between different formats produced for different TVs. "The issue isn't having to wear the glasses--it's the glasses not working at your friend's home," he said.
One form of content--the oldest in the world--could be the shining light for 3D TV: porn. French porno producer Marc Dorcel (the Hugh Hefner of France) is working on a new project, "Kama-Sutra" which will be the "first 3D adult film made for modern stereoscopic TV." Unfortunately, viewers will still have to wear glasses, but who's going to be looking at the other viewers?
Disconnects continue on when 3D TV will be real
Samsung warns of health dangers related to 3D TV
Sports to drive 3D TV


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As it does every year, the online retail giant noted that it had a stellar Christmas but gave just the barest of glimpses into its actual performance.
Christmas was good to Amazon.com.
The company said it posted record numbers in a variety of categories but offered few details of its holiday haul.
As it has done every year for the past several, the online retail giant provided some morsels of its success during the most important shopping season of the year without actually disclosing the sort of financial information investors crave.
The company noted, for example, that it added more than 3 million members worldwide to its Prime subscription service during the third week of December. But it did not disclose the overall number of Prime members, other than to say it’s in the “tens of millions worldwide.”
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The company also said that sales of Amazon devices “doubled last year’s record-setting holiday shopping season with millions of devices sold.” But Amazon didn’t say how many Fire tablets, Kindle e-readers, Echo voice-controlled speakers or Fire TV Sticks were purchased.
Amazon also noted that Christmas Eve was the largest sales day ever for Prime Now, a service offered in several cities, including Seattle, offering delivery as quickly as one-hour.
And the company said it shipped to 185 countries during the holiday season.


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No home delivery any more for new developments; centralized boxes requiredBy NIKKI ROWELL,
Several Madison County residents are not receiving their mail regularly following a federal mandate passed down from the U.S. Postal Service.
The mandate requires all new developments, both residential and commercial, to be outfitted with a centralized mail system.
This means, any new developments still relying on mail delivery directly to homes will have problems because that is not in compliance with the U.S. Postal Service requirements.
“I don’t see a way around it,” board attorney Katie Bryant Snell said. “It’s coming down slowly, but eventually, you’re going to see people stop getting their mail.”
People in some neighborhoods are not getting their mail, according to District 1 supervisor Sheila Jones.
“I already have people not getting their mail,” Jones said.
The U.S. Postal Service published its national delivery planning standards, which is a guide for builders and developers, in December 2017. The new guide says centralized delivery, through the use of Cluster Box Units (CBUs), is the U.S. Postal Service’s preferred delivery method and box type.
The Madison County board of supervisors also received a letter with this information from the Postal Service.
“We prepared a letter to present our best arguments for why we did not need to be included in this federal mandate,” said Snell. “And they sent us a letter back that basically said, ‘Sorry, here’s your mandate.’ So, that’s where we are with that.”
In the response letter, Elizabeth Johnson, the district manager for the U.S. Postal Service, addressed the board’s concerns.
“The United States Postal Service is proud to continue its vital role in today’s changing mail environment,” Johnson said. “That role includes the responsibility for establishing the method or mode of delivery, the type of mailbox and location of the mailbox for each street delivery address.”
The board’s concerns centered on cost issues that may arise from the implementation of central delivery in new residential and commercial developments.
“It would be hard for me to embrace this,” District 3 supervisor Gerald Steen said. “For me to vote in favor of it, it would be hard for me to do that with the understanding that those developers and home builders are not in favor.”
However, Johnson said that the costs associated with planning for central delivery are within the standard costs developers and builders incur on each new project.
Snell said the Postal Service is working to make this the standard across the board.
“Eventually, they’re going to press harder to start enforcing this mandate,” she said.
Johnson said the advantage of using CBUs is the “package-friendly” aspect. CBUs are designed to accommodate the majority of packages delivered through the U.S. mail.
As online shopping has become prevalent, package volume has also increased.
According to Johnson, residential delivery mailboxes in use today are designed on the basis of specifications that are now outdated, as they do not accommodate this rise in package volume.
This means packages often cannot fit into residential mail receptacles and require them to be redelivered, retrieved at a post office or left on adjacent doorsteps.
“Centralized delivery minimizes these risks,” Johnson wrote. “The Postal Service is directed by statute to provide reliable and efficient service. Centralized delivery fulfills our responsibility to safe, efficient delivery for both the customer and the Postal Service as we move into the 21st Century.”
She also included that postal customers with serious disabilities would have the option to apply to their local postmaster for an alternative mode of delivery.


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EXCLUSIVE: Leaked documents reveal how Cefic sought to water down green proposals for the Paris Business & Climate Summit, while raising concerns about industrial competitiveness
Industry lobbyists could yet succeed in watering down some of the key messages to be presented at next week's Paris Business & Climate summit, sparking fears the high profile event will fail to adequately...
NLGPS joins Make My Money Matter pledge to align its £46bn investment portfolio with Paris Agreement's 1.5C goal
Our Global Investor Study 2020 reveals investor and consumer views on company responsibility for tackling climate change, writes Schroders' Vicki Owen
Beauty arm of US consumer goods giant estimates that new refillable product line will eliminate need for roughly 300 million virgin plastic shampoo bottles
VIDEO: In our final Glimpses report looking at potential net zero gamechangers, BusinessGreen looks at the potential for hydrogen use in energy, transport and home heating


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Walmart’s 2019 “Fight Hunger. Spark Change” national campaign starts today (Monday, April 22) and continues through May 20 to help Feeding America and its network of 200 food banks, including the Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida.
This annual campaign raises awareness of hunger issues and has already secured 749 million meals for Feeding America Food Banks over the last five years. The goal of this sixth annual campaign is to reach 1 billion meals. Walmart kicked off the campaign with a donation of $3 million. You can participate by purchasing participating products or donating at your local Walmart or Sam’s Club.
- Product purchase: Walmart is partnering with 18 of its suppliers, which will donate the equivalent of one meal for each of their participating products sold. The suppliers include General Mills, Kellogg, Kraft Heinz, PepsiCo, Post, Hidden Valley, JM Smucker and others. The funds raised locally will benefit Harry Chapin Food Bank.
- Register giving: In addition, consumers may donate to the campaign when checking out at their local Walmart or Sam’s Club, with the funds benefiting Harry Chapin Food Bank.
- Donate online at feedingamerica.org/Walmart
Visit Walmart.com/FightHunger for further details.


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Fans of the NCAA Football video game franchise were given a new lifeline Monday, as EA Sports announced a new game would be released in the coming years.
The news has come as an unexpected yet entirely welcomed surprise. Most thought that EA would never make another college football game after the Ed O’Bannon lawsuit that sought compensation for using student athletes’ image and likeness.
While the announcement of the project has brought loads of anticipation, there haven’t been a lot of details to come along with it. Here is what we know about the “EA Sports College Football” title:
Due to the NCAA’s policies on amateurism, preventing players from being compensated and leading to the end of the franchise in the first place, there cannot be real players included, but one would assume that the game would use the same roster share system that was in the last iteration. This would allow players to download rosters from other users, and with time there would be an entirely functioning real-life roster as long as the roster share feature remains in the game.
However, with the status of “amateurism” in college athletics ever-evolving, there is a possibility that state and federal legislatures could force the NCAA’s hand in allowing their athletes to be compensated on their image and likeness. In this case, EA Sports could potentially use real athletes’ names if the NCAA changed its rules. However, as those who follow EA Sports closely will note, there is no doubt that they will pass on that opportunity to ensure that they don’t have to pay the players included in the game.
As for teams in the game, EA Sports has partnered with collegiate licensing group CLC to ensure that over 100 colleges and universities will be in the game, all with authentic uniforms, playbooks, and traditions at the very least. It remains to be seen which teams will be in the game, the amount of schools, and whether there could possibly be a return of FCS teams that were included in the older versions of the game. It should be safe to say that this game, for the first time, should allow players to use rising programs like Appalachian State and Coastal Carolina for the first time since they’ve become FBS programs.
Other welcomed features of the game will be the implementation of the College Football Playoff, which came to be after the release of the last game in 2013. Updated uniforms, stadiums, logos, conferences, and programs will be highly anticipated, especially with the powerful graphics of PS5 and Xbox Series X.
With that being said, it is important for fans to keep their expectations in check, as EA Sports has taken a devastating dip in quality since around the release of the last game. Many football fans and gamers hold NCAA Football 14 in high regard due to the fun gameplay and enjoyment of the game, two things that are nowhere to be found in the latest installments of EA Sports franchises like Madden and FIFA.
The good news is that the game is early in development, and one can only hope that EA can get the game right. Regardless of the result of the game, it sure is nice to finally have talk of a new college football game in the year 2021.


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Radiohead, Reznor Redux: 'Musicians Aren't Merchants'
January 21, 2008 at 3:24 PM (PT)
The biggest lesson of the do-it-yourself, pay-what-you-want music release experiments by RADIOHEAD and NINE INCH NAIL founder TRENT REZNOR can basically be boiled down to three words: "Musicians aren't merchants."
So says CNET NEWS reporter GREG SANDOVAL, who after analyzing RADIOHEAD's "In Rainbows" and REZNOR's collaboration with unknown rapper SAUL WILLIAMS, wrote "They also illustrated that the music business is probably better left in the hands of businessmen. Musicians are not the new labels. Artists need someone to provide financial support and business acumen. If we end up ridding the world of labels, we'll only have to re-create them -- in some other, probably more nimble form."
Musicians are not the new labels. Artists need someone to provide financial support and business acumen
REZNOR told SANDOVAL that he was "spending a lot more time being the business guy than the musician and I really don't like doing that ... What's unsettling is that you can't help fall into a familiarity with what works and what has worked. As much as one structure of a record deal is unfair and how little you get is bad, there was some comfort in knowing that things would work, that things like promotion and marketing would work."
After only a fraction of those who downloaded "In Rainbows" paid even half as much as the physical product, RADIOHEAD still managed to sell over 125,000 CDs out of the box. While many believe that validates the online experiment, the CNET reporter noted that "RADIOHEAD's manager, in an interview with THE NEW YORK TIMES, said he doubted the choose-your-price promotion would ever work again."
Read the entire story here.


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When Google unveiled its smart and controversial eyewear three years ago, some early tech adopters tried to do their part by eagerly pushing for Glass acceptance. The world pushed back.
Commentary: Forget the privacy issues -- it was a long list of other shortcomings, social and technical, that doomed Glass. Can Google learn for the next go-round?
Which has the most apps? Which has the coolest features? Which one is the best? The most popular streamers all have their merits, so we'll help you decide which box is right for you.
As a key deadline approaches, the US Senate votes against extending a controversial National Security Agency program -- but votes down a bill designed to reform it.
Despite alerts received through a $1.6 million malware detection system, Target failed to stop hackers from stealing credit card numbers and personal information of millions of customers, Bloomberg reports.
With a new feature called Channels, Google is letting developers and video providers like Vevo and AOL create linear flows of programming that can flip between traditional TV stations.
Sling TV is a new $20-per-month live TV package with 16 channels, including ESPN, AMC, TNT, CNN, History, HDTV and the Disney Channel. How does it work, how can you get it -- and will it let you quit cable?
The PC maker recorded a net income of $100 million, beating analysts' expectations.
The court rules that Samsung did violate some of Apple's design patents, but finds the Korean company did not copy the overall packaging of the product.
Technically Incorrect: If you want to watch porn on your virtual reality headset, go right ahead. At least that's what Oculus' founder appeared to say at a recent tech conference.