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The PS5 release date looks set to arrive later than people first thought
While there are a few other console launches that will be able to match the release of the PS5, the competition is pretty thin on the ground right now.
Sony PlayStation dominate the current generation of consoles, with Microsoft’s Xbox brand trailing and Nintendo’s Switch having only recently hit the market.
But when it comes to the next-gen shift, the Xbox Two and perhaps a new version of the Nintendo Switch will have the chance to try and lead the market.
And when it comes to new offerings from Sony themselves, is there anything that could be more popular than a PS5?
The latest from Sony on the subject is that they will not be releasing a new console for a while.
Sony's head of PlayStation, John Kodera, recently suggested that the company would be focusing the next three years on the PS4 successor.
That would mean no new gaming machine until around 2021, which means a very long lifecycle for the PS4, and PS4 Pro.
But is it possible that something could be released before then?
Kodera recently made some other remarks which seem to suggest that they are looking at the portable gaming market again.
“In my opinion, rather than separating portable gaming from consoles, it's necessary to continue thinking of it (portable gaming) as one method to deliver more gaming experiences and exploring what our customers want from portable," Kodera said during a roundtable in Tokyo - via Bloomberg.
"We want to think about many options."
While this sounds pretty exciting for fans who want a PS Vita 2, it should be noted that Sony have also commented on moving away from hardware sales.
However, the company are also known to be keen on expanding their subscription services, as well as focus on online content.
Having a new handheld system that can provide those on the go could help to expand the amount of PS Plus subscribers.
And it’s natural to think that Sony might be eyeing the success of the Nintendo Switch, and what can be done to emulate it.
However, it’s also worth noting that Kodera also mentioned PlayLink games and the mobile space, which might be another area Sony are interested in.
It certainly sounds like Sony want to find a way to make portable gaming part of their next PlayStation experience, although there’s still plenty of time for their plans to change.
“It’s not yet the right stage to discuss specific hardware plans,” Kodera added when discussing about portable gaming integration.
If any product was able to challenge the Nintendo Switch in the handheld space, it could be a new offering from Sony.
Microsoft seem to have ruled themselves out of the portable gaming market, setting things up for an interesting few years ahead.


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Pandora’s brand relaunch officially kicked off last week with an event in Los Angeles. The company said the brand relaunch, which is the largest marketing investment in the company’s history, involves a refreshing of all consumer touch-points to increase brand relevance — including the introduction of a new store design, new collaborations, celebrity endorsements, and new products.
Pandora said it will also present new online stores and refresh its presence on marketplaces such as Tmall.
“Since the launch of the Moments platform in 2000, Pandora has built the best known jewellery brand in the world by allowing consumers to emotionally connect with their jewellery through co-creation and self-expression,” said CEO Alexander Lacik. “Today we strengthen this core proposition with a complete renewal of our entire consumer experience.”
Pandora introduced a new company slogan at the brand relaunch event, “We give a voice to people’s loves – Passions, People & Places”, along with an updated logo and monogram. The new visual identity will appear across all Pandora channels, as well as advertising campaigns together with Pandora’s updated nomenclature in what the company says is a fresh, modern tone. The company has also adopted the colour pink as its new main marker and recognisable statement across all consumer touch-points.
One of the cornerstones of the brand relaunch is a new store design called Expression that builds on discovery and collecting. The new store concept will gradually roll-out with a number of fully refurbished key stores in 2019.
Pandora’s 20 online stores are shifting to the new visual identity today with significantly improved listing and product pages that optimise navigation and check-out flow. According to the company, the new online stores also have cleaner visuals, better product imagery while blending story-telling and transactional content.
As part of the brand relaunch, Pandora announced new long-term partnerships with six well-known global influencers, chosen for their relevance to the core Pandora audience. The six women are Nathalie Emmanuel, Georgia May Jagger, Halima Aden, Larsen Thompson, Margaret Zhang and Tasya van Ree.
In addition, Pandora recently partnered with Millie Bobby Brown, two-time Emmy nominee and UNICEF’s youngest-ever Goodwill Ambassador, to specifically support the launch in October of Pandora Me, a new collection developed with a younger audience in mind. Later in the year, Pandora will launch products in collaborations with Harry Potter and Frozen II.
A number of products will hit the market in conjunction with the brand relaunch which includes the global launch of the Autumn/Winter 2019 collection.
The company said all of these initiatives will be supported by an increased marketing investment. Further initiatives will be announced, as the renewal of the complete consumer experience continues into 2020.

domain: news


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Covid-19 has provided a fillip to personal mobility, but for those running tight on funds, pre-owned cars may be lighter on the pocket.
But before a consumer decides to purchase a pre-owned car, there are some checkpoints
If you are a first-time buyer of a pre-owned car, an entry-level car within ₹4 lakh would be an apt choice for you, especially if you have a tight budget.
As per OLX’s annual pre-owned cars market report — 2019 Auto Note — the ownership period of cars has declined from seven to four years. There are many online platforms to compare cars within ...
Read the full text thehindubusinessline


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Tens of thousands of video game fans queued up at midnight to be among the first to get their hands on a copy of Call of Duty: Black Ops.
The hotly-anticipated Call of Duty: Black Ops went on sale at midnight at hundreds of stores across the country, with many retailers seeing queues of eager purchasers form outside the door 12 hours before the release time!
The 18-rated commando game is expected to become the fastest and biggest-selling title in history with well over one million sales in the first week alone.
In the U.S. thousands of excited gamers queued up outside more than 4,000 outlets of GameStop, the world’s biggest video game retailer, to be among the first to get hold of the new title.
While in the UK and Ireland, GAME and HMV opened hundreds of stores at midnight to allow computer game fans the chance to get their hands on it as soon as possible.


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Melting of sea ice in the Arctic region is providing more and more food for a range of creatures in the region, a new research revealed.
In a recent study, researchers found massive blooms of phytoplankton growing under the Arctic Sea. Experts have linked the blooms to increasing global temperatures and melting of ice. However, they also find that the development is ensuring more food for local creatures/
Heidi Louise Sorensen explained that melted ponds create a little ecosystem beneath the surface of water. Algae and other microorganisms provide food for several marine creatures, which live at or near the seabed.
Speaking on the topic, Sorensen added, “Given that larger and larger area of melt ponds is being formed in the Arctic, we can expect the release of more and more food for creatures in the polar sea.”
Sorensen, a Ph.D. student at the University of South Denmark, and other researchers from Aarhus University, made the discovery after studying the growing phenomenon of the melting of sea ice and melt ponds in the region.
Typically, phytoplankton can not grow under the ice as ice blocks sunlight from reaching the water below. But, increasing global temperatures have caused an unprecedented melting of ice in the Arctic Sea, allowing sunlight to enter the water below and massive blooms of phytoplankton to grow.General: Environment
A short video and a couple of images swirling around the web are depicting a number of Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus prototypes with dual camera setups.
The leaked video and images apparently corroborating some older reports that suggested that the Korean manufacturer had plans to integrate two main lenses into the rear of its newest flagship smartphone.
Those previous reports, which began appearing in late August, were promptly dismissed by several industry insiders who eventually ended up being correct as both the Samsung Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8 Plus smartphones were launched with single-lens main camera setups.
Nevertheless, the video and images depicting numerous Galaxy S8 Plus prototypes featuring dual camera setups continue to swirl the web. However, the handsets shown in the images are not particularly as eye-catching as the official devises look like.
Unlike conventional camera systems, dual camera setups allow original equipment makers to enhance on the imaging capabilities of their devices without fitting a smartphone with a large camera bump. Some smartphone makers like Huawei and LG are already utilizing this technology.Technology: TechnologyCompanies: Samsung
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While discussing the future of Android at Google I/O, Dave Burke, a VP of engineering, announced a new version of TensorFlow optimized for mobile called TensorFlow lite. The new library will allow developers to build leaner deep learning models designed to run on Android smartphones. As Google rolls out a greater number of AI-enabled services that run on Android, it makes sense to use a… Read More
You can’t really blame HTC for embracing a gimmick. A rough couple of years for the smartphone maker warrants some experimentation to help set its devices apart from myriad other Android manufacturers. Edge Sense, sadly, however, is not going to be that technology. Read More
Xiaomi is increasing its office retail presence in China as bids to gain ground stolen by rivals in its homeland, and now it is making that very same push in its second largest market, India. The Chinese company, which is valued at $45 billion, suffered a tough time last year as sales growth slowed — Xiaomi, notably, didn’t go public with sales figures for 2016 — but India… Read More
Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi is preparing to enter North America, but it isn’t quite the launch you may be waiting on. The company, which was last valued at $45 billion by investors, has revealed plans to sneak into the continent by selling its Redmi Note 4 phone in Mexico. Fans can pick up the device from Coppel, Best Buy and Sam’s Club stores when it is stocked towards… Read More
LG Electronics has posted its Q1 2017 results, which show a nearly 10 per cent year-over-year jump in revenue. The electronics maker is reporting KRW 14.66 trillion ($12.70BN) in revenue, an increase of 9.7 per cent from the same period last year. Read More
A new hardware/app device called Revolar aims to make it safe to walk the streets. This tiny button will notify your friends and family if you’re scared, the authorities if you’re in trouble, and will even simulate a phone call if you need to get out of a sticky situation. It works with iOs and Android and ships in May. The idea for Revolar came about when co-foudner Jacqueline… Read More
We asked for your most bizarre, awkward wrong number calls and text messages and, boy, did you deliver. These tales of “whoa” involve everything from clueless callers to tactless texters, playful responses to toilet phones, and everything in between. Read more...


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California-based, watch and accessories brand Nixon has announced the debut of the world’s first ultra-rugged, action sports smartwatch called The Mission, which will become available later this year at select retailers. Built on the latest technology from Google’s Android Wear smartwatch platform and the Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 system-on-chip (SoC), The Mission features a suite of custom applications tailored to action sports, as well as industry-leading durability and a category-first 10-ATM (100 meter) water-resistance rating.
In addition to the full capabilities of the Android Wear platform and apps, the smartwatch introduces Nixon’s custom Mission app powered by Surfline and Snocountry. The Mission app keeps surfers and riders updated in real-time on surf and snow conditions worldwide. The Nixon Trace app allows users to track their sessions and easily view their stats and session details during activity.
“We’ve always pushed things that have never been done before and we’re doing it again with The Mission,” said Nick Stowe, CEO of Nixon. “We wanted to make our entrance into the smart category in a disciplined and purposeful way by bringing functions that are useful and true to our DNA and action sports heritage. Building The Mission, and the family of smart products to come, is Nixon’s leap into the future, and working with partners such as Google and Qualcomm Technologies has been an inspiring experience.”


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Chinese smartphone maker Oppo today confirmed that it is going to launch its latest Selfie Expert, the Oppo F5 in India on November 2. The company has started sending media invites for a launch event on November 2.
The new selfie centric device from the company will come with a minimal bezel display with an aspect ratio of 18:9. A few days ago, Oppo had confirmed that it is going to launch its latest selfie centric device in Philippines on October 26.
Recently, Oppo had confirmed that the selfie centric Oppo F5 would be launched in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. Apart from this information, the company had also revealed some specifications and features of the device along with some images.
Oppo has confirmed that the F5 will come with an 18:9 display with a full HD+ resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels. The device is expected to come with a 6 inch display, however, the company might use a smaller display.
The main highlight of the device will be its AI Beauty Recognition technology that will use artificial intelligence that will analyze various aspects such as the person’s age, gender, skin tone, lighting conditions and then referencing it with other facial images in a global database to beautify the image.
Oppo has claimed that the AI will scan more than 200 facial recognition spots to learn the unique facial features of a subject (for example – the nose, cheek, lower jaw etc.), to make the ideal enhancements to the image, regardless of the facial expressions or shooting angle. The company adds that the AI will improve self learn as you take more and more selfies.
We will know more about the Oppo F5 when it is launched on October 26 at City of Dreams, Pasay City, Philippines. We expect to know more details about the device in the coming weeks.


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Since its inception, the Two Sides North America Anti-greenwashing Campaign has eliminated literally billions of instances of paper-related greenwashing in the United States and Canada, and its engagement with large utilities, banks, insurers and other organizations during the first half of 2023 has added to this success.
During the first six months of 2023, 21 additional companies representing approximately 90 million customers have removed greenwashing messages such as “Go green, Go paperless” and “Go paperless to help protect the environment” from their marketing communications.
“In addition to misleading consumers, these types of unsubstantiated environmental claims pose a serious threat to the economic security of the more than 7 million people whose livelihoods depend on a healthy North American paper, printing and mailing sector,” says Two Sides North America President Kathi Rowzie. “Our recent research found that 65% of consumers who’ve seen anti-paper greenwashing are influenced to go paperless.”
That same research found that the Two Sides Anti-greenwashing Campaign has preserved more than $300 million in annual revenue for the paper, printing and mailing sector over the last decade.
Two Sides challenges greenwashing companies to remove unsubstantiated environmental claims in a non-confrontational way, educating CEOs and other senior management with facts from credible, third-party sources that clearly demonstrate the unique sustainability characteristics of paper products and the solid and continually improving environmental record of the North American paper industry.
“Paper is one of the few products on earth that already has an environmentally sustainable, circular life cycle,” Rowzie says. “North American paper is made from an infinitely renewable natural resource – trees that are purpose-grown, harvested and regrown in sustainably managed forests. It’s manufactured using mostly renewable, carbon neutral bioenergy in a process that uses water, but in reality consumes very little of it. And paper products are recycled more than any other material in the U.S. municipal solid waste stream. But many consumers believe paper is bad for the environment because corporations and other organizations they trust are telling them so. The Two Sides Anti-greenwashing Campaign is working hard to change that.”
You can help Two Sides in the fight to eliminate anti-paper greenwashing and protect North American jobs. If you see instances of greenwashing, please email them as a PDF, JPG file or link to firstname.lastname@example.org.
For more facts about the sustainability of print and paper products, please visit www.twosidesna.org/mythsandfacts.
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Kathi Rowzie, President, Two Sides North America


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In a digital age where image often reigns supreme, young Chinese consumers have found a novel way to partake in the luxury lifestyle without bearing the financial burden. This new trend, known as dianzi dapai (电子大牌 or “digital high-end brands” in English), allows users to virtually try on and showcase luxury items like jewellery, handbags, and cosmetics through photo editing rather than paying for the real deal.
According to the New Retail Business Review and various social media platforms, this phenomenon has rapidly gained traction online, especially among young people who earn around 5,000 RMB (685.84 USD) per month. Taking Chinese social media platforms by storm, the hashtags “Young people fall in love with ‘digital high-end brands’” and “Would you Photoshop luxury brands on photos?” have garnered over 447,000 views and 516,000 views respectively to date on Weibo (China’s Twitter-like platform).
The appeal of this newfound virtual luxury experience is the fact that it provides young people with an alternative to traditional luxury consumption. With just a few taps on a smartphone, users can apply the latest trendy lipstick colours or superimpose expensive jewellery onto their photos. Mixing irony and fun, the trend indicates a shift in how the younger generation perceives and interacts with luxury brands.
Coco, a recent graduate who prefers to go by a pseudonym, shared her thoughts with Chinese news outlet CBN Data on the trend, stating, “It doesn’t matter whether there are brand names or not. The key is that you can keep the photos forever. Isn’t that nice? There are so many rich people, so I can’t be left out.” Her sentiments reflect the growing popularity of this concept, where the notion of using photoshopped high-end brands to enjoy a wealthy life becomes a playful, yet intriguing part of the digital experience. This trend, as Coco notes, has led to an interesting twist in photo editing, with more people joining in to flaunt their virtual luxury.
However, what most netizens may not realise about this trend is the legal implications involved. Legal experts warn of potential infringement issues, as many luxury brands have patents on their designs. Moreover, the direct use of brand names and product images in paid software could pose significant legal risks. This concern is heightened as luxury brands themselves have started to explore digital iterations of their products in the metaverse, with companies like Louis Vuitton and Gucci already making forays into this virtual realm.
Amidst the popularity of “diànzǐ dàpái“, the luxury goods market is facing its own set of challenges. LVMH, the world’s largest luxury goods group, reported a significant slowdown in their third-quarter sales growth. This slowdown is indicative of a larger trend in the luxury market, where sales growth in core sectors like fashion, leather goods, and cosmetics has decelerated. Simultaneously, luxury brands continue to raise prices, with iconic products from brands like Chanel seeing dramatic price increases over recent years.
Overall, this digital engagement, often driven by a mix of curiosity, fun, and a touch of irony, represents a departure from traditional modes of luxury consumption among Chinese youth. It serves as a clear signal to luxury brands looking to enter or expand in the Chinese market that the ability to effectively blend the allure of their products with the digital savviness of this demographic will be key to finding success in the market.


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JLL’s latest Retail survey shows shopping centres continue to shift their offering to food, services, entertainment and leisure to counter key themes impacting sentiment. Food operators continue to drive tenant enquiry while online retailing continues to be a key headwind for fashion.
AUSTRALIA, April 9, 2018 – JLL’s latest research on shopping centre management has found landlords continue to transition their tenant profiles with retailers who are less likely to be disrupted by online retailing.
JLL’s 18th Retail Centre Managers’ Survey was undertaken in February across 106 JLL-managed retail shopping centres nationally. The majority of centres were neighbourhood and sub-regional centres.
The main concerns being highlighted by Centre Managers as impacting their future turnover performance have remained constant during 2017 and 2018 to date. These are: competition from other centres, followed by online retailing, fuel prices and the economic outlook.
JLL’s Head of Property & Asset Management – Australia, Richard Fennell said, “When we asked Shopping Centre Managers what factors were impacting turnover performance, competition from other centres remained the top concern, with online retailing again in second spot, for the third survey in a row.
“We found that a number of landlords are transitioning their tenant profiles with retailers who are less likely to be disrupted by online retailing.
“A number of centres are shifting their offering to food, services, entertainment and leisure uses and focusing on marketing initiatives to drive customer traffic. In addition to food and beverage operators, it’s health, gyms, medical centres, other medical-related services and insurance that are expanding in shopping centres.
“However, in some centres the amount of food and beverage tenancies has begun to create competition for existing operators. And the expanded offering of the supermarkets has started to result in lower demand from speciality food retailers.
“But overall, food operators continue to drive tenant enquiry levels while online retailing continues to a key headwind for the fashion segment,” said Mr Fennell.
Promotional discounting remains a major drag on retail sales growth, with prices for ‘clothing and footwear’ having declined by 3.0% in the year to December 2017 and having declined by 0.8% for ‘household goods’. However, the non-retail categories of household consumption continue to record the highest price increases, including Education, Health and Housing, all of which are major components of household budgets.
JLL’s Director of Retail Research, Andrew Quillfeldt said another key result from the survey was an improvement in tenant enquiry, albeit from a low base, and Centre Managers were a bit more optimistic on the outlook for retail sales growth over the next 12 months.
“Centre Managers are more optimistic on retail sales growth in their centres over the next 12 months compared to the previous surveys, with more than half (56%) expecting an increase. “Planned refurbishments, tenancy profile changes and growth in the trade area were driving factors of the improved trading expectations.
“Total shopping centre MAT (Moving Annual Turnover) growth improved marginally but remains generally subdued. Sub-regional centres recorded growth of 1.0% in the year to December and just 0.2% in neighbourhood centres.
“Specialty store rental growth continues to be relatively constrained by subdued retailer demand. The market remains favourable to tenants in most centres. However, 37% of Centre Managers anticipate some level of rental growth in speciality rents over the next 12 months while 43% believe rents will stay the same over that same period,” said Mr Quillfeldt.
Rental growth was found to be more consistent between the two main categories of shopping centres surveyed. Sub-regional speciality rents grew by a modest 1.1% in the year to December 2017 – the lowest figure reported in the last eight surveys and below the current rate of inflation (1.9%). Neighbourhood centres reported a growth rate of 1.2% in the year to December 2017, up from -0.9% in the year to June 2017.
Read the full survey here.


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Swedish firm picks Henry for its first U.S. plant
Even though it’s a relatively small community, the Martinsville-Henry County area continues to diversify its economy, adding international companies to its mix of businesses.
Two recent economic development projects, for example, have involved companies based in Britain, Kilgour Industries Ltd. and Hardide plc.
The latest addition is Sweden-based Starsprings, a privately held spring and spring unit manufacturer.
“Advanced manufacturing is a good fit for us,” says Mark Heath, president and CEO of Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corp.
The company, founded in 1918, is based in Herrljunga, Sweden. In addition to its home country, it has operations in Brazil and Poland.
Starsprings will invest $3.7 million in establishing its first U.S. manufacturing operation in Henry County. It will make mattress units used in the cabs of trucks making long-distance hauls. “The company does a lot of work for Volvo and Mack Trucks,” says Heath.
Starsprings found a 50,000-square-foot building in Henry County that suited its needs. “It was owned by Frith Construction, a local construction company, and it had been used by different manufacturing companies over the years. It was perfect for them,” Heath says.
Before committing to Virginia, the company considered locations in North Carolina and Pennsylvania.
“They were serious about looking at other places. During the middle part of this, I would not have been surprised if they had gone to North Carolina,” Heath says. “North Carolina was still very much in the mix when they were looking at us, but I think we had an aggressive package.”
Virginia’s incentive package included a $100,000 grant from the Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund and $220,000 from the Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission. Starsprings also will receive benefits from the Port of Virginia Economic and Infrastructure Development Zone Grant Program.
“The CEO of Starsprings was very honest when the announcement about coming to Virginia was made, saying the fact we had a good incentive package was helpful for them,” Heath says. “Also helpful was the amount of local support and help we were giving them.”
The company’s goal is to have the site operational by this fall. It will create 68 jobs. “They are projecting to hire 22 people this year and the balance in 2017,” says Heath.


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Canadian cannabis items recalled in January include faulty all-in-one vape pens from Hexo Corp. along with musty marijuana from Saskatchewan processor AgroGreens Natural Products and mislabeled bud from Manitoba’s Delta 9 Bio-Tech.
Hexo’s recall, announced Jan. 12 by the Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS) online merchant, affected three types of non reusable vape pens.
Hexo informed Marijuana Organization Daily the vapes were sold in Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Ontario and Saskatchewan as well as to medical marijuana clients.
The producer attributed the recall to “a mechanical hardware problem, in which prolonged auto-ignition might cause excess heat in the battery cell, which in turn might cause melting of the plastic shell.”
“As an immediate restorative action, Hexo has actually implemented improved third-party hardware approval criteria consisting of making use of an independent third-party recognized laboratory to examine all gadgets under consideration,” Shannon McCoy, Hexo vice president of quality, wrote in a declaration emailed to MJBizDaily.
“Hexo expects the financial impact of the voluntary recall to be very little, and well within the normal course of business,” McCoy included, without defining the specific variety of recalled vape pens.
The Agro-Greens recall, released Jan. 7 by Health Canada, impacted 752 systems of North 40 Black Cherry Punch marijuana bud offered to medical marijuana customers via mail and by leisure cannabis sellers in Saskatchewan.
“The impacted product might include mold,” Health Canada stated in its recall notice, including that Agro-Greens had received four problems about the lot and one report of an unfavorable reaction.
Grower North 40 Cannabis flagged the mold issue to the general public in a Dec. 27 tweet.
“All environmental conditions were on point throughout the drying and treating,” North 40 kept in mind in its tweet. “It appears like a very isolated event.”
The moldy bud was at first determined in a late December post on the Reddit message board, stated David Purcell, primary earnings officer at Shelter Marijuana, which remains in the procedure of getting Agro-Greens.
Purcell stated Agro-Greens is investigating the mold issue and is waiting for last test results that will supply more details.
“We wish to be proactive, since we desire to provide the finest possible services and product to our clients that we potentially can,” Purcell stated.
Mold recalls have actually been reasonably unusual, but not unheard-of, in Canada’s regulated marijuana market.
Another recall provided Jan. 8 involved 600 units of cannabis bud with incorrect THC and CBD values.
The 3.5-gram plans of Oceanic Ocean breeze Marijuana, grown by Delta 9 Bio-Tech of Manitoba and cost stores in Newfoundland and Labrador, had “inaccurate cannabinoid values, where the labelled total THC and overall CBD are higher than the real worths,” stated Health Canada’s recall notice.
Incorrect cannabinoid labeling has actually caused the bulk of cannabis recalls in Canada since recreational legalization in 2018.
In the previous year, labeling-related recalls have affected products such as flower from Aurora Cannabis subsidiary MedReleaf, pre-rolls from Sundial Growers, drinks from AgMedica Bioscience and ingestible cannabis oil from Trip Marijuana.
Solomon Israel can be reached at [email protected]
Published at Thu, 21 Jan 2021 18:52:56 +0000


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Shares of Orbotech (NASDAQ: ORBK), a provider of yield enhancement and production solutions for the electronics industry, slumped on Wednesday after the company reported its fourth-quarter results. Orbotech missed analyst estimates for both revenue and earnings, sending the stock down 12% by 11 a.m. EST.
Orbotech reported fourth-quarter revenue of $215 million, up 14.2% year over year but about $4 million below the average analyst estimate. The flat panel display business posted the strongest growth, with revenue increasing 58% year over year to $71.6 million. The printed circuit board business grew at a slower 13.7% rate, producing $77.2 million of revenue. The semiconductor device business was a weak spot, with revenue slumping 11.4% to $62.1 million.
Image source: Orbotech.
Non-GAAP EPS came in at $0.70, up from $0.54 during the prior-year period but $0.07 short of analyst expectations. This number includes a negative impact from currency translation and hedging losses totaling $4.8 million, or about $0.10 per share.
Orbotech expects to report first-quarter revenue between $180 million and $190 million, compared to revenue of $190 million during the first quarter of 2016.
Orbotech CEO Asher Levy sees positive industry trends propelling the company's results in 2017:
Orbotech expects its results in 2017 to be more back-end loaded compared to previous years due to the timing of deliveries, which explains the company's lackluster guidance. Orbotech put up solid fourth-quarter numbers on an absolute basis, but fell short of expectations, prompting investors to push the stock price lower.
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Every Bitcoiner’s Worst Nightmare Is Being an NFT
The most infamous Bitcoin tweet is being auctioned off as an NFT on OpenSea
Early Bitcoin investor Greg Schoen has announced that his legendary tweet expressing regret for taking profits too early is now available for auction on leading NFT marketplace OpenSea.
Sell 3 of 4 NFT of my old 2011 tweet on OpenSea. The sale ends on February 10, 2022.
— gregschoen.eth (@GregSchoen) February 4, 2022
He says “a lot of people” have suggested such an idea, although Schoen was surprised to see someone want to buy his 2011 tweet.
As reported by U.Today, former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Cardano creator Charles Hoskinson were among those who auctioned off their famous tweets as NFTs last year.
Teaching the importance of HODLing
In May 2011, when Bitcoin hit $8, Schoen tweeted about the sale of 1,700 BTC he bought for $102 for $0.30, causing him to miss out on significant gains.
I wish I had kept my 1,700 BTC @ $0.06 instead of selling them for $0.30 now that they are $8.00! #bitcoin
— gregschoen.eth (@GregSchoen) May 16, 2011
His stock would have been worth a whopping $68 million as of today.
Over all these years, Schoen’s story has served as a cautionary tale for those Bitcoiners who question the power of HODLing.
The early investor did not leave the cryptocurrency community out of spite and remained relatively active on Twitter.
In December 2017, the month Bitcoin hit $20,000 for the first time, Schoen tweeted that he was long overdue. At the time, he said he still owned some crypto, but his balance was “much lower”. In September 2018, Schoen tweeted that he sold his remaining Bitcoin for $15,000 to pay off student loans.
Schoen is under no illusions, claiming he would have been tempted to sell at every major price milestone had he not sold for $0.30:
Unless you literally knew it was going to take off like a rocket, you would be tempted at every milestone.


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From Microsoft Windows as a platform for independent software vendors to Facebook Canvas for games to Google’s Android/Apple’s iOS for mobile apps, the definition of 'platform' has come a long way.
As a building block for both success and failure, the topic of platform is becoming an increasingly important factor for startups to deeply consider.
So what are some key things a platform should provide?
- A standardized and stable development environment allowing developers to trust that their efforts won't be crushed at the whim of a policy or technical change
- Broad adoption: platforms provide developers with a more extensive reach than they would otherwise gain trying to acquire customers directly – through paid or organic channels
- A quid pro quo on monetization where the platform reduces friction for user acquisition and monetization (sometimes it comes at a cost to the developer via a revenue-share arrangement – which is the case with iOS, Android and Facebook games)
The challenge for startups
For entrepreneurs, betting on platforms can be difficult, mostly because even though the three tenets above should hold, often times, they have little or no influence on the terms.
Policies can change, usually in favour of the platform, adoption might be usurped by a new platform, and monetization could eventually be taxed at higher levels by the platform owner.
King’s recent IPO is not only an important milestone for the team after a ten-year journey, but it is also testament to the importance of being conscious of the ever-changing platform environment and pivoting when necessary.
Throughout its journey, King has demonstrated flexibility with platform adoption. The company has navigated web portals (such as Yahoo and ProSieben in its early days), social networks (when Facebook Canvas games launched in 2007 ) and iOS (with its launch of Candy Crush in autumn 2012).
Today, 93 million users play Candy Crush every day with 78% of the King’s total revenue coming from the game alone. The company generated $1.88 billion in revenue last year, which is more than an eleven-fold increase on its $164 million revenue generated in 2012 before the pivot to social and mobile.
Other platform stories to consider
Compare King’s story with Zynga, the iconic social gaming company, which bet deeply (and solely) on Facebook as the platform.
Soon after Zynga went public in 2011, it tried to unwind its dependency on Facebook by launching its own web-based platform the following year. What Zynga missed until this month was the massive evolution of social gaming from the web (and Facebook) to the web and mobile with Facebook.
This was the gap that King leveraged by seeing Facebook not as a platform, but as “social glue”. Through this, the company acquired users across the web and mobile, seamlessly moving them across platforms based on their Facebook-derived identity.
Today, King, a European startup nonetheless, reigns supreme across mobile games, while Zynga’s valuation is slowly recovering from a precipitous drop since its IPO.
Twitter serves as another lesson to entrepreneurs on platform dependency. In 2008, the Twitter 'pipe' was the hot game in town – Tweetdeck, Tweetie and Seesmic all built apps on top of the 'platform'.
But as Twitter scaled and grew, its platform strategy clarified and it became kingmaker – acquiring Tweetie and Tweetdeck – and effectively changing the rules of its own ecosystem.
Here are my two cents for entrepreneurs betting on someone else's success: be careful that everything can change from one day to another and all the rules will change. I will never be that dependent on anyone anymore.
There are countless other stories of startups betting too deeply on a single platform without understanding the power the platform holds unilaterally. For example, Apple kicking AppGratis out of the App Store just after it raised $13.5 million or WordPerfect betting too heavily on DOS as it saw Microsof Word surpass it.
If Facebook, iOS and Android are the platforms of today, what will be the platforms of tomorrow?
In the West, we are beginning to see that messaging apps have been a massive revenue-generating platform in the East for the last decade.
Developed by Tencent in China, WeChat is set to generate over $1 billion this year and about 40% more in 2015 as a message-centric dating, gaming and e-commerce platform. This doesn’t even take into account Tencent’s 800 million users on QQ Instant Messenger and more than 200 million users on mobile messaging product Weixin.
Visual e-commerce is also thriving on different platforms such as Polyvore (the unsung hero of fashion e-commerce), Houzz with its 16 million monthly users as well as the potential of Pinterest given its scale.
In the world of video and music, there's YouTube evolving into a platform that brings a global audience to home-grown talent through the likes of Maker Studios (sold to Disney for up to $800 million). At the same time, it's providing an environment for startups like ipsy to leverage video as an e-commerce driver.
And based on Mark Zuckerberg’s post on Facebook’s massive $2 billion acquisition of Oculus, he evidently sees virtual reality as a potential future platform for gaming and shared virtual experiences.
So, my simple advice to entrepreneurs is this: live by the platform, but also be aware that you can die by the platform.
Bet strategically and, as King was able to do, be willing to pivot and hedge if necessary.


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Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) has teamed up with one of the world's leading ARM SoC producers for tablets. Rockchip has agreed to design an Intel-branded quad-core x86 SoC based on Intel's SoFIA 3G integrated baseband/processor for the tablet market. Rockchip expects this product to be ready for commercial release by the first half of 2015.
This deal with Rockchip will not openly help Intel achieve its 40-million tablet chip sales target this year. However, it is a strong confirmation that Intel still commands enough influence to win the support of a leading ARM-chip vendor. Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE:AMD) is joining the ARMy, but Rockchip is now a recruit in the x86 army of Intel.
Brian Krzanich has found a great ally in its war of attrition against ARM Holdings (NASDAQ:ARMH). Rockchip Electronics has surged past Allwinner and MediaTek to become China's biggest supplier of tablet processors this Q2 2014. A DigiTimes writer expressed doubt that Intel will hit its 40-million tablet application processor sales target this year. The ARMy really grew big very quickly that industry observers keep on belittling Intel's future on mobile.
However, Intel's savvy move of winning Rockchip to its fold is strong evidence that Krzanich's overt and covert operations to make Chinese white-box tablet makers defect to the x86 faction are working. ASUSTeK (OTC:AKCPF) is already shifting much of its low-entry Android tablets to Intel's processors.
The Shenzhen Army Wants Quad-Core SoC
Intel's original dual-core SoFIA 3G design might not be satisfactory to Shenzhen-based white-box tablet manufacturers. White-box tablet vendors like Onda and PiPo are already accustomed to quad-core ARM SoCs from Allwinner, MediaTek, Amlogic, and Rockchip. A dual-core x86, even if it is cheaper than a quad-core ARM, has no serious compelling selling point to Chinese companies.
Intel is desperate to win the support of Chinese OEMs and ODMs to improve its chances of winning substantial market share on tablet chips. The deal calls for Rockchip to make a quad-core version of the SoFIA 3G. It is not just a money-saving effort on the part of Intel. It is a shortcut towards winning the trust of Shenzhen-based tablet producers.
Rockchip will use Intel's x86 Atom IP to design a quad-core SoFIA 3G that is cheap and yet powerful enough to rival Rockchip's very own ARM product, the RK3288. Subsidies from Intel are insufficient to fully convince Shenzhen tablet makers that a dual-core SoFIA 3G can increase their sales.
Customers around the world expect their $100 Android tablets to multitask, smoothly play HD movies, and be able to play the latest 3D games. Quad-core and Octa-core ARM SoCs with embedded LTE like the Rockchip RK3288 (with Mali T-764 GPU) have proven they can satisfy the requirements mentioned above.
Here is a RK3288-equipped PiPo 8 tablet's Antutu score:
Intel's Bay Trail-T portfolio may beat the CPU-intensive benchmark scores of ARM SoCs, but its GPU performance needs improvement. The collaboration with Rockchip may involve using a non-Intel integrated GPU for the quad-core SoFIA 3G.
Rockchip gets access to Intel's x86 Silvermont IP to create a unique SoC that's not a copycat version of MediaTek's or Allwinner's ARM products.
The cut-throat and low-margin competition in entry-level Android tablets require white-box companies to make products to differentiate themselves from the generic make-up of numerous sub-$150 tablets in the market.
A quad-core SoFIA 3G may also lead them to make Windows 8.1 tablets to get a higher markup. Using Microsoft's OS is always a good excuse to sell higher price-tag tablets, even though the Bill of Materials is usually equal to that of an Android OS-powered product.
INTC investors should appreciate that Intel's deal with Rockchip is a big step forward towards making more ARM licensees add x86 chips to their product line-up. Intel cannot force mobile chip makers to abandon ARM, but it can seduce some of them to abandon their monogamous relationship with ARMH.
Intel is waging a bloody uphill battle in tablets. It faces formidable foes in Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM), Allwinner, Samsung (OTC:SSNLF), and MediaTek. Intel is roughly losing $3 billion/year in its gory quest to make its x86 microarchitecture stay relevant in tablets and smartphones. Rockchip's huge influence among white-box tablet companies is like getting a big artillery support for the beleaguered Intel. Rockchip knows where to accurately shoot x86 SoFIA 3G chips in Shenzhen.
Intel is a Buy for the long term. INTC will never trade with a P/E as high as ARMH, but it's a good dividend stock (3.37%) worth holding on to forever. Intel, even with its huge war chest, cannot dominate the mobile chip business. What Intel is trying to do now is to cause much destruction (from price wars) against ARM-based companies. Damaging the competition to force them to negotiate a tacit truce with Intel... x86 on PC/Servers, ARM on tablets/smartphones.
In the end, Intel will remain safe and rich on its own x86 kingdom. Please compare the two charts below. ARMH, unlike INTC, is currently trading with stratospheric valuation.
Disclosure: I am long INTC, AMD. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.


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Rumour has it that we're entering a recession.
Last month, the American Bureau of Economic Analysis reported that the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) had dropped 1.6% in Q1 and 0.9% in Q2, a common sign of economic recession. At the same time, many sectors of the economy have been thriving, with companies like Amazon, Walmart and Shell reporting their greatest profits in years. The U.S. labor market has also remained strong, creating 2.7 million jobs in six months and lowering the unemployment rate to 3.5% — a level rarely seen during a recession.
As experts wrestle with conflicting data, the debate over whether the U.S. is currently in a recession has become largely semantic. Ultimately, people are struggling as prices continue to soar, the cost of borrowing rises and layoffs increase across the country. Consumer sentiment has reached a new low, forecasting a wave of cautious spending. As a result, organizations sit in limbo, depending on a ‘wait and see’ mentality…
Learning from History
If the past has taught us anything, it's that economic moments of uncertainty provoke resiliency and companies that adapt quickly create new competitive advantages. A 2010 Harvard Business Review study revealed that during the recessions of 1980, 1990 and 2000, a fraction of companies actually flourished, beating competitors by at least 10% in sales and profit growth.
While many leaders want to come roaring out of the recession, they’re unsure of which strategic approach to deploy. Organizations that react in panic and cut costs faster than rivals don't necessarily thrive; they actually have the lowest probability of pulling ahead of the competition. Companies that overreact and blindly invest don’t necessarily succeed; they fall prone to fluctuating trends.
Nearly three decades of working with The Fortune 100 has taught us that those who master the fine line between cutting costs and investing based on customer needs do best in a recession. This blog will discuss what it means to have a prevention, promotion and progressive-focused approach to periods of economic recession. We’ll also explore how past ‘recession-winners’ have used innovation to stand out from the crowd and how your organization can do the same.
Prevention and Promotion-Focused Approaches
During a crisis, many CEOs solely concern themselves with preventing their company from being negatively affected. They delay much-needed investments, hoping that saved costs compensate for any potential loss in the future. In reality, only 21% of prevention-focused companies are likely to outperform rivals by 10%.
At the height of the 2000 recession, Sony postponed investing in its manufacturing process and slashed its workforce to help reach a reduction target of $2.6 billion. Between 1999 and 2002, Sony did increase its profit margin but growth in sales steadily declined. The company has had a difficult time regaining momentum ever since.
In the eyes of promotion-focused leaders, market disruptions are seen as opportunities to forge ahead. These leaders make bold investments that have long-term payoffs by leveraging talent, assets, or entire businesses that become available during a downturn. Often, these companies take on more than they can handle, neglecting the need to focus on customer needs and calculated risk-taking. On average, only 26% of promotion-focused companies go on to outperform their rivals by 10% or more.
Once the recession is over, promotion-focused organizations struggle to deal with the costs of their changes, leading them to become blindsided by poor financial results. For instance, after aggressively investing in expanding its workforce during the Covid-19 pandemic, Shopify laid off more than 10% of its employees as the e-commerce boom fizzled out– less than a year after the hiring wave began.
Innovation Can't Wait.
Get started by taking our innovation maturity assessment to gauge your organization's innovation skill level and what you'll need to accelerate your journey. Receive your Innovation Maturity Rating within minutes!
Walking a Fine Line: The Progressive-Focused Approach
A progressive-focused organization is the most likely to be a ‘recession winner’ by employing a balanced strategy. They deploy the perfect combination of defense and offense. Like prevention-focused companies, these firms make defensive moves. However, they focus on operational efficiency rather than cutting employees. Like promotion-focused organizations, progressive firms also make bold offensive moves– but they are carefully thought out. Progressive-focused companies invest significantly in customer research, market intelligence and workplace learning to develop new and existing business opportunities.
These investments may not make a massive difference during the recession but add to sales and profits afterward, enabling progressive-focused companies to respond faster than rivals to a rise in demand. That’s why a staggering 37% of prevention-focused companies are likely to outperform their rivals by 10% or more. Adopting a customer-centric mindset is critical; progressive-focused companies rely on customer needs to guide their investments in times of uncertainty.
How Our Clients Have Become ‘Recession-Winners’
When the pandemic hit, ExperiencePoint was approached by various organizations looking to pursue a progressive-focused approach and future-proof themselves. One of the world’s largest North American banks came to us intending to invest in their people during times of uncertainty. They turned to us to up-skill a key part of their workforce and support a move away from transactional work towards more strategic work as business advisors.
ExperiencePoint helped the bank to understand, based on their experience, what power skills were most critical to advisory success. We then curated a set of our Spark episodes and delivered them via facilitated online workshops to over 1000 people in one day.
These Spark episodes helped the firm focus problem-solving efforts on user needs, enabling divergent thinking that leveraged customers’ pain points and sparked conversations around user empathy. People were better able to step back from existing solutions, get fresh perspectives and advise on how to improve overall offerings, products and services. Workshop learning was reinforced through executive presentations and town halls to ensure new customer-centric mindsets stuck.
For organizations hoping to ensure employees feel a greater sense of purpose at work (a key measurement of employee experience according to IBM), it's beneficial to help workers understand customers and offer insights rather than just process numbers. While some turned to layoffs or subsidiary acquisitions to respond to the pandemic, our client was able to invest in their people and breathe fresh air into their work culture.
Where Does Your Organization Stand?
While the rest of the corporate world is gearing up for economic uncertainty, your organization needs to ensure that it has an innovative culture that can capitalize on opportunities. Working with market leaders has taught us that investing in people’s innovation capability is essential to building future-proof organizations. With the help of ExperiencePoint's innovation training products and services, you can enable your people to face whatever lies ahead–recession or not.


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gucci cufflinks sale – Urban DJ Cufflinks, This pair of Cufflinks will get your mojo flowing and help you unleash the creative potential within. , Dimensions: 5/8″ square, Material: enamel, rhodium silver,
BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese coffee startup Luckin is aiming to open 2,500 new stores this year and overtake Starbucks Corp (SBUX.O) as the largest coffee chain by number of outlets in the world’s second-biggest economy, it said on Thursday gucci cufflinks sale. The firm, which only officially launched its business at the start of last year, has expanded at breakneck speed, propelled by a focus on technology, delivery, and heavy discounting even at the cost of mounting losses. “What we want at the moment is scale and speed,” Luckin’s chief marketing officer, Yang Fei, told reporters on Thursday at a presentation in Beijing..
“There’s no point talking about profit,” he said, adding that subsidies to lure in more users would be an important part of the firm’s strategy for the next few years gucci cufflinks sale. Luckin said it was targeting a total of more than 4,500 stores by the end of 2019, which would take it past Seattle-based Starbucks that has long dominated China’s coffee scene and has over 3,600 stores in the country. Luckin’s caffeine-fuelled expansion is in stark contrast to Starbucks, which opened its first China store in 1999 and has spent two decades reaching its current store count..
The U.S. chain, which spearheaded the growth of a coffee culture in China, started to see competition rise from smaller peers over the last 18 months, though Luckin has stood out as the most aggressive competitor. But Luckin’s rise has not come cheaply gucci cufflinks sale. The firm recorded a loss of 800 million yuan ($116.34 million) last year, which its chief marketing officer said was in line with expectations as it pushed to expand. Luckin, backed by Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC Pte Ltd and China International Capital Corp Ltd (3908.HK), opened more than 2,000 locations in the last year, gaining a valuation of $2.2 billion after raising $200 million in a funding round last month..
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Johnson & Johnson’s (JNJ.N) sales in India dipped 3 percent in the year to March 2018, a regulatory filing showed on Thursday, as the U.S gucci cufflinks sale. drugmaker grappled with the country’s stringent medical device pricing policies. The company, currently mired in a controversy surrounding the safety of its baby talcum powder, reported overall sales of 58.28 billion rupees ($829 million) in India for the year, its filing with the country’s Ministry of Corporate Affairs shows..
But its after-tax profit for the period rose 18 percent to $98 million on other income, including foreign exchange gains. J&J’s medical device sales in India have been hit following the federal government’s move in 2017 to cap prices of devices such as orthopedic knee implants to help poor patients gucci cufflinks sale. The restrictions were part of a broader push by India to end what it called “illegal profiteering” by companies. The company has recently been in the news after a Reuters investigation found J&J knew for decades that cancer-causing asbestos lurked in its baby powder..


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A Georgia bank company's deal to acquire a small South Carolina community bank has been terminated because of the buyer's languishing stock price.
Flag Financial Corp. in LaGrange, Ga., announced in March that it would buy $58 million-asset Bank of Abbeville (S.C.) for about $9 million. Since then, Flag's stock price has fallen nearly 30%, to about $8.
"We have mutually agreed that the timing is not right to consummate our proposed transaction," Flag said in a statement Monday.
Flag, a multibank holding company with about $600 million of assets, has been an active acquirer in recent years. In recent months the company has bought Thomaston (Ga.) Federal Savings Bank and First Hogansville (Ga.) Bankshares.
But the company's faltering stock price has cost it at least two deals. Last November its agreement to buy Heart of Georgia Bancshares in Macon collapsed three months after it was announced,because Flag's stock price had dropped by about one-third. -- Alan Kline


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Future Publishing has told subscribers it will be releasing FirstPlay in Ireland from May 19.
In response to a user’s question submitted via PSN, the company said:
“We’ll be available in Ireland from Episode 7 onwards, so check it out on the 19th!”
FirstPlay launched in the UK on April 8, however Future has always said it planned to expand the service.
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. For more information, go here.


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Travel businesses have told The Telegraph that the industry will be “torn to pieces” by the new lockdown measures, which will outlaw all non-essential movement from Thursday.
The new rules will last until at least December 2, rendering all holidays and leisure travel off-limits – both in the UK and overseas. And with many businesses ineligible for furlough, or unable to top up staff wages, business owners are pleading for extra financial support from the Government.
The industry is “not just frayed or ragged – but in shreds,” said Emma Coulthurst, a spokesperson from TravelSupermarket.
“The travel industry had no pre-warning about the decision. Both here and overseas, many people rely on the tourism industry for their income: entertainers, hotel and bar workers, etc. Covid has wreaked devastation on so many people’s lives.”
For many businesses, the extended furlough scheme will not be enough to support them through winter. “The travel and hospitality sectors are already on their knees,” said Sonia Davies, CEO of travel agency Scott Dunn. “We are yet again surprised and very disappointed by the latest government u-turn and subsequent chaos that this creates for the travel and hospitality sectors.
“Whilst we understand the need to balance the health of the country with the economic impact this causes, the lack of forward planning is causing chaos for both businesses and consumers.”
“Standardised testing now has to become the absolute priority,” Davies added. “It is crucial now to solve this testing fiasco and get an international system in place, starting with Europe and then rolled out globally with common agreement between countries as the WTTC has called for over the last few weeks.”
Julia Lo Bue-Said, CEO of Advantage Travel Centres, agrees. “The ban on international and domestic travel as a result of the new lockdown measures will crucify the travel industry,” she told The Telegraph. “The reality of the new lockdown means many of our travel agency members will not last the year without a financial support package from the Government.
“Fifty per cent of jobs from our members have been lost since March, and 80 per cent will run out of cash by May.
“Since the summer, the industry has been crying out for a testing regime to be implemented at UK points of entry – and we are still waiting.”
Instead of a reliable testing regime, the industry has been dealt an “ineffective yo-yo quarantine system”, said Lo Bue-Said. Now, the travel ban will “without a doubt lead to an unwelcome déjà vu in terms of providing advice and support to confused travellers and a rush on refunds which will again put pressure on travel agents whose bottom line is sinking lower and lower.”
Airlines too, are struggling with the setback. “The steps the government has taken, which effectively prevents leisure air travel from the UK, has caused further disappointment for our customers who have been looking forward to well-earned holidays, many of whom have already faced disruption following the inconsistency of Covid-19 policies across the UK,” said EasyJet Holidays’ CEO Garry Wilson.
Highlighting that Saturday’s announcement “came with no travel industry consultation or pre-warning”, Wilson shared that the airline was “contacting thousands of our customers to share their options and offer reassurance.”
“With domestic and international leisure travel effectively grounded until December, airports and airlines will face a challenging period,” added Robert Sinclair, Chief Executive of London City Airport.
Though the airport “welcomes the extension of the furlough scheme, the lockdown measures make it even more urgent that the Government publishes its Aviation Recovery Plan as soon as possible.”
At this time of year, bookings would usually be surging – but not right now, say tour operators. “Make no mistake, the travel industry is being hung out to dry by the Government and it’s going to be a long hard winter,” said Colum McLornan, MD of single travel specialist Friendship Travel.
Jane Hawkes, Consumer Champion and Travel Expert, agreed, adding: “the travel industry has undoubtedly been one of the hardest hit by the pandemic and this second lockdown could quite well be the final decisive nail in its coffin.”
“Aviation in particular has taken a crucifying hit in its uphill struggle for survival and now faces the added hurdle of the ban on domestic and international travel. My heart breaks for those in the industry who have been hammered by endless quarantine changes, are crying out for support which hasn’t been forthcoming and an effective testing system which has failed to materialise.”
“Action needs to be taken without delay to protect the industry or we won’t have one to discuss.”


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A new full frame image sensor IMX455AQR now leaked on the web. This Sony IMX455AQR image sensor features 60MP, 8K Video, and native ISO at 64. According to source, IMX455AQR is a low version of IMX551. IMX455 will probably used on Nikon D6/Z8.
The largest Photograph show Photokina 2019 now got cancelled, and will resume in May 2020. This means we may not see some big announcement from major photograph companies in early 2019.
Last Update: January 21st, 2019
The GoPro HERO 7 action cameras are GoPro’s latest action camera released in September, 2018. GoPro HERO7 have three versions: HERO7 Black, HERO7 Silver, HERO7 White. The list price for three models are $399, $299 and $199 in US. So are you looking for hot deals on GoPro HERO7 action cameras ? Below are currently best deals for GoPro HERO7. See the details below:
Pentax announced the new Pentax K-1 Mark II (Amazon/ B&H/ Adorama) in February 2018. It is the Ricoh’s new flagship full-frame DSLR, featuring a 36.4MP full-frame CMOS sensor, Ricoh’s SRII Shake Reduction system, five-axis shake, a new Dynamic Pixel Shift mode, SAFOX 12 autofocus mechanism with 33 autofocus points, and a Flexible tilt LCD monitor and a Smart Function dial. If you are looking for some best lenses for your Pentax K-1 Mark II, please read this passage. Read More »
The new released DJI Osmo Pocket (Already In Stock at DJI/B&H Photo Video/Adorama/Amazon) only supports MicroSD memory cards, up to 256GB Max. Capacity. So are you looking for best memory cards for DJI Osmo Pocket ? Here is the best MicroSD memory cards for DJI Osmo Pocket that we tested.
Read More »
The leaked DJI Osmo Pocket world’s smallest 3-axis stabilized handheld camera now officially announced, this is the real GoPro HERO7 killer ! The US price for Osmo Pocket is $349, now available for pre-order at DJI/B&H Photo Video/Adorama/Amazon. The release date for DJI Osmo Pocket is on December 15th, 2018.
Read More »
The next camera from Nikon could be the rumored Nikon D6 full frame flagship DSLR camera. Previous rumors said that D6 will be announced sometime in 2019. Now according to NR, it seems that development announcement for Nikon D6 could be as early as at CES 2019 in the beginning of January. Nikon has already registered a new camera code N1811 in Russian.
According to latest rumors from CR, Canon currently is working on a new EOS R body with a 75+ MP full frame sensor. As rumored before, Canon has scrapped one DSLR camera line, the most possible DSLR camera is Canon EOS 5DS/5DS R line. So this new high megapixel EOS R body could be the replacement of EOS 5DS and 5DS R.


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M&S challenge for Yasmin
Yasmin Yusuf, poached from Arcadia's Warehouse chain as new fashion chief at Marks & Spencer's, will have her work cut out after reports of big quantities of womenswear left unsold in the week to 20 January, hindering the launch of spring ranges.
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WEST CHESTER, PA — Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq: VRCA), a dermatology therapeutics company. announced the first commercial sale of YCANTH™ to its exclusive distributor, FFF Enterprises Inc. (“FFF”).
“We are pleased to announce the first commercial sale of YCANTH™ to our exclusive distribution partner FFF Enterprises,” said Ted White, President and Chief Executive Officer of Verrica Pharmaceuticals. “As one of the nation’s most trusted specialty pharmaceutical distributors, FFF is well positioned to help Verrica introduce YCANTH™ as the first FDA-approved therapy for the treatment of molluscum contagiosum in the U.S. With this first commercial sale of YCANTH™, we continue to execute our launch plans and we look forward to providing a more detailed update on our progress in November.”
“FFF has a well-established reputation for partnering with companies like Verrica that develop innovative products to address a significant unmet medical need,” said Patrick M. Schmidt, the founder and Chief Executive Officer of FFF. “As the first FDA-approved product to treat molluscum, YCANTH™ clearly addresses a significant unmet need for the millions of children and adults with this viral skin disease. Through this distribution partnership with Verrica, we plan to introduce YCANTH™ into the U.S. dermatology and pediatric communities so that millions of patients can finally gain access to the first FDA-approved therapy for the treatment of molluscum.”
“FFF has consistently demonstrated true partnership and customer centricity that we value at Verrica,” said Joe Bonaccorso, Chief Commercial Officer of Verrica Pharmaceuticals. “With our sales and marketing team fully in place, we are excited to work in partnership with FFF so this large and underserved patient population can benefit from YCANTH™ therapy.”


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Many people believe that the government (via the FDA, USDA, EPA, etc.) protects consumers from dangerous products BEFORE they enter the marketplace. While this is generally true for products that cause a quick death, it is not necessarily true for products which may produce long-term deliterious effects.
- For approximately 25 years, DDT was deemed perfectly safe. Then, in 1972, it was banned for its destructive effects on wildlife and its potentially carcinogenic nature.
- Coumarin, which imparts a vanilla-like flavor and is a flavor fixative, was used as a food and tobacco additive for many decades. Coumarin was banned on March 5, 1954 when it was discovered that it caused liver damage in both rats and dogs and was suspected of being carcinogenic.1
- In 1989, tryptophan, an essential amino acid sold in the U.S. as a nutritional supplement, was manufactured in a new way from a genetically altered bacteria. Over time, thousands of people who took tryptophan from this batch became ill, 1,500 were permanently disabled, and 37 died.
Subsequently, very sensitive chemical testing showed that although the tryptophan was 99.6 percent pure, and thus 'substantially equivalent', the genetically engineered bacteria had unexpectedly introduced a tiny amount (0.01 percent) of an extremely toxic contaminant. If the FDA had insisted on more thorough testing, using animal or human subjects, this product would never have been allowed on the market.2
- On November 6, 2000, the FDA recalled phenylpropanolamine - an ingredient used in many over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription cough and cold medications as a decongestant and in OTC weight loss products - due to the risk of hemorrhagic stroke, or bleeding into the brain.3
- On September 25, 2000, USA Today found that 54 percent of the experts hired to advise the FDA on the safety and effectiveness of medicine have financial ties to the drug companies that will be affected by their decisions.4
To further clarify my position:
While I do believe that government regulatory agencies provide an invaluable service, they are not perfect. Therefore, I continue to critically evaluate the products that have been approved by regulatory agencies.
As lordaych reminded me, the idea that "they wouldn't let people sell it if it wasn't safe" is just not necessarily true.
kamamer's "Why I trust car doors that will magically pop open and eject me onto a truck bed carrying fluffy mattresses more than I trust seatbelts", while humorous, is an incorrect translation of my ideas. A more consistent translation would be "Why I trust defensive driving more than I trust seatbelts". While I do think seatbelts are great, I don't blindly believe that they alone will protect me from the dangers associated with driving a motor vehicle.


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Nike inks office lease at Pier 17
Howard Hughes Corp.’s $731M redevelopment's is set to open next year
Nike will be one of the latest tenants to come to the South Street Seaport.
The company has signed a lease for 23,000 square feet of creative office space at Pier 17, according to the New York Post. It will be right next to the third floor’s ESPN studio. No further details of the deal, including asking rent, were immediately available.
A “winterland” program is also coming to the pier’s rooftop in mid-December that will include an ice rink and cafes.
The $731 million redevelopment project from Howard Hughes Corporation is set to open next year. The project will include multiple new restaurants, including one from acclaimed chef Andrew Carmellini, one from Jean-Georges Vongerichten and a new Momofuku location. [NYP] – Eddie Small


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The IAB UK’s third Leadership Summit: Day two
Nigel Gilbert, VP, strategic development, EMEA at AppNexus, kicked off day two of the IAB UK’s Leadership Summit with a call to action for the industry to ensure trust and transparency, which he said were ‘the keys to growth’.
With sustainability again a recurring theme of the day, he entreated those in the business of digital advertising to avoid too much short-termism.
Andy Sandoz, Deloitte Digital’s UK Chief Creative Officer then took to the stage with an eloquent and provocative plea to the industry to embrace change and its associated challenges. He reiterated the need for human creativity alongside the application of technology.
Liz Brandt, CEO at Ctrl-Shift, challenged delegates to question perceived thinking, saying that instead of perceiving GDPR as a villain, it could be described as a ‘hero.’ She pointed to massive opportunity in the burgeoning personal data economy, arguing that given the rise of ad blocking, unwanted targeted advertising is the real villain.
Barnaby Dawe, global CMO at Just Eat, again took up the theme of a need to find the right balance between data and creativity. Data drives the Just Eat business, but a ‘forensic’ understanding of customers is key. Dawe also warned against letting data ‘overshadow’ creativity.
A panel session on diversity followed, led by Ali Hanan, founder and CEO of Creative Equals. The speakers provided a very convincing case to the benefits of hiring a diverse workforce. Kate Gilbert, Genius Within’s head of business development; Pip Jamieson, founder and CEO, The Dots; and Roxanne Hobbs, founder of The Hobbs Consultancy all described how neurodiversity has not yet been fully explored, nor the potential benefits for workforces recognised.
Delegates were urged to foster truly inclusive working environments, with the panel warning that traditional interview and recruitment screening processes can fail to identify talent. What’s more, the panel discussed how initiatives like flexible working, quiet zones and a ‘strengths-based’ approach to personal development can benefit everybody.
Twitter’s VP, EMEA, Bruce Daisley, later returned to the topic of how to create happy and productive work environments. He warned that fear kills creativity and stressed the importance of focusing on output rather than input.
Turning email notifications off your phone; sleeping more; reclaiming your lunchbreak; and even getting happier friends are just some of the things that can be done to boost productivity, he added, before pointing out that employers must also allow people the space to be themselves.
According to Daisley – who has analysed much of the available data in this area – workplace chat and connection also correlates to an uplift in productivity and, while flexible working patterns are largely beneficial, an office which acts as a central hub is also a good thing.
Meanwhile, Nick Wrenn, EMEA head of news partnerships at Facebook, explained the reasons behind the platform’s renewed focus on what he described as meaningful social interactions. He said this decision was made in order to optimise the experience for its users and that, as a result, their time on Facebook will be better spent as a result. He also reiterated the need to champion quality news.
In another session after lunch, Anita Caras, director, sales insights EMEA at Oath, revealed a number of insightful findings from its large-scale research around the drivers that build brand love. Brand love is generated when brands exceed expectations, she said, again coming back to the need to take a long-term approach – via brands which set trends, build trust, share values, elevate experiences and respect consumers.
And with ‘wild’ volatility all around us, for the relatively short term at least, Steve Richards, political columnist and broadcaster, spoke about the importance of leadership in an era of dramatic change. It is impossible to predict what will happen over the coming weeks and months, he said. But the IAB UK’s Jon Mew again stressed that by collaborating and working together positively, the industry can make huge strides even in this era of unprecedented uncertainty.


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14 September 2023
Despite record potato production, supplies fall short of demand.
POTATO prices are soaring in Bangladesh, even though growers this year grew a record 10.4 mln tons, cutting the buying power of consumers.
Within one week, prices increased by Tk5 per kilogram to a maximum of Tk45 in Dhaka’s markets, as per the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh, which is being blamed on supplies falling short of demand. The current price is 57% higher than that a year ago.
Prices are going up as traders and growers of large-scale operations, who store potatoes in cold storages for sale during the lean season, are taking it slow in releasing their stocks, according to stakeholders.


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Abilis Solutions is part of Les Affaires' 2011 listing of the 300 most important SMEs in Quebec.
The latest issue of the business magazine Les Affaires features an article aout Abilis, highlighting our unique business model.
Exportwise, Export and Development Canada's online magazine, published an article about Abilis' CORIS Offender Management System.
The business magazine Les Affaires did a video interview of Eric Le Goff (in French), President of Abilis Solutions as part of the classification of the top 300 SMEs in Québec.
In its special report on Innovation and Research, Direction Informatique, Quebec's French IT magazine, published and article featuring Abilis Solutions' R&D practices.


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In Mid-April, LG announced that they were creating a new brand identity by giving each device it’s own name, beginning with the LG Velvet.
Just a week later, LG presented the Velvet in a video, showing off the design as well as revealing that the device will have a Snapdragon 765G processor, an upper-mid range processor with 5G network capabilities.
Now, the day before the Velvet’s release, both hands-on video and the official South Korean pricing of the device have been released.
The video, released on May 4, shows a full hands-on with the upcoming Velvet as well as its specifications.
As previously confirmed, the Velvet will feature a Snapdragon 765G. However, it’s also noted that the device will have 8GB RAM, 128GB storage expandable up to 2TB, and a 4,500mAh battery. The device will feature a 6.8″ FHD+ display.
The triple-camera array on the back of the Velvet consists of a 48MP main module, backed up by two auxiliary modules, one at 8MP and the other at 5MP, although the purpose of these modules is not clear yet. The front has a 16MP waterdrop sensor.
LG has officially announced the South Korean pricing of the Velvet at KRW 899,800, which squares up to about $735. For comparison, the Oneplus 8 with the Snapdragon 865 comes in at $799. Even though not much has been left to the imagination concerning the device, LG will be announcing it tomorrow, May 7.


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Mauser Packaging Solutions, a global leader in solutions and services across the packaging life cycle, is making significant investments in state-of-the-art equipment to more than double the combined production capacity of quart and gallon-sized F-style metal cans at its Memphis, Tennessee facility.
After the successful installation of a new quart-sized F-Style can line at the facility in August 2019, an additional investment is being made in a new gallon-sized can line. The new lines utilize cutting-edge technology and automation to optimize raw material usage, reduce waste, reduce energy consumption, provide enhanced safety features, and offer significantly higher productivity levels.
“Our investment in the latest F-style can technology in North America puts us a step ahead of the competition,” said Brian Cooke, President, Small Packaging, Mauser Packaging Solutions. “It adds the necessary capacity to meet our customers’ growing demand for high-quality F-style cans, and demonstrates our ongoing commitment to partnering with our customers to provide unmatched quality and customer service.”
The gallon F-Style can line is anticipated to be fully operational in Q3 2020 with an expected increase in capacity and improvement in quality. The quart-sized F-style can line has already resulted in a significant improvement in output. Mauser Packaging Solutions continues to upgrade technology on existing machines throughout its network of facilities.
Ranging in size from half pint to 1 gallon, F-Style cans are ideal for packaging solvents, such as paint thinner, charcoal lighter fluid, chemicals, and other products. Cans contain a minimum of 25% recycled content and are 100% recyclable post-use.


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The simple banking process that could stamp out scams
Name and account matching – also known as confirmation of payee – could reduce scams, but what is it and how does it work?
New Zealanders lose around $200 million to scammers each year, prompting the New Zealand Banking Association (NZBA) to adopt a range of initiatives to fight fraud and scams.
Perhaps the most meaningful of these, and the one consumers are most likely to encounter first-hand, is confirmation of payee (also referred to as CoP). The NZBA has indicated that it will instigate an industry wide CoP service, but has not provided an indication of when this will be implemented.
What is confirmation of payee?
CoP means you can check that the name and account details of the person (or business) you intend to pay, match, before you make a payment.
If you believe you’re making a payment to a woman called Jane Doe, but the bank account you are sending money to is registered to Mr A. Naughtyman, the CoP process will flag the discrepancy before you make the payment.
It’s a simple process, but can have an immediate impact on preventing certain types of scam – notably, authorised push payment scams.
How CoP prevents some scams
An authorised push payment scam is when someone is tricked into sending money to a fraudster posing as a genuine payee, such as in a “Hey mum” scam.
In this scam, a victim receives a text from a new number saying something like “Hey mum, I’ve lost my phone so I’m texting from my friend’s number. Please can you transfer some money to my account (ACC: 12-1234-1234567-123).”
CoP is effective at preventing scams of this nature. If the victim attempts to transfer money to the account number provided using her child’s name, CoP will block the payment, flagging that the name and account details do not match.
Speaking to Consumer NZ in July, Banking Ombudsman Nicola Sladden said, “There are systems and technology that the banks could employ to help protect consumers from some of these fraud risks. An obvious example is the name and account checking functionality which has been adopted in the UK. That has prevented significant sums of money being taken by mistake or by fraud.”
How effective is confirmation of payee in reducing scams?
In markets where CoP has been adopted, the results are very positive and very fast.
In the UK, CoP was first adopted by the country’s six major banks in July 2020. This allowed for comparisons with payment service providers that had not adopted CoP.
In the Netherlands, the adoption of a CoP system led to an 81% decline in the number of fraudulent domestic bank transfers.
CoP’s effectiveness is also shown by how quickly cybercriminals stop using payment services that adopt it.
In the UK, in the quarter after CoP was introduced, banks that were not using CoP saw authorised push payment fraud increase by more than 60%. Analysis by PwC said this exemplified “how quickly fraudsters direct their attention to the weakest link”. Similarly, research conducted in 2022 by the UK’s Lloyds Bank showed that transfers made to firms not using CoP were up to 100 times more likely to be fraudulent.
British consumers have another layer of protection if they become the victim of authorised push payment fraud. Collaboration between banks and consumer groups has led to the adoption of a voluntary code of conduct, which has increased reimbursements to victims of authorised push payment scams.
The code – named the Contingent Reimbursement Model – began operating in 2019, following recognition within the banking industry that there are circumstances where banks should identify that payments, despite being authorised by their customers, may relate to a scam.
Ten payment service providers, accounting for 90% of authorised push payments, have signed up to the code. While it’s not perfect, it has seen the percentage of money returned to victims of authorised push payment scams increase from 23% in 2018 to 66% in 2022.
Why do we need CoP?
While New Zealanders are protected by a provision in the New Zealand Banking Association Code of Practice, this only protects bank customers if they are a “victim of fraud where someone accessed and used your electronic banking or your card without your authority”.
So long as you weren’t dishonest or negligent, took reasonable steps to protect your banking, and complied with your bank’s terms and conditions, you should be reimbursed for this type of scam.
However, the provision is a watering down of the previous iteration of the banking code of practice, which pledged to “continue the practice of reimbursing all customers that are genuine victims of Internet Banking fraud.”
In the UK, victims of authorised push payment fraud are protected first by CoP, and then by the voluntary reimbursement code.
In Aotearoa today, we have neither.
Consumer NZ welcomes the New Zealand Banking Association’s “instigation” of CoP but is concerned there is no timeframe for its implementation.
Consumer NZ Chief Executive Jon Duffy said, “Banks have finally accepted that name and account matching is necessary to help prevent scams. It’s our view this function should have been implemented before now, and failure to do that means banks have not been adequately protecting their customers.
"We know that the CoP function won’t prevent all types of scams and that scammers will always look for ways to get round preventative measures, but that doesn’t mean banks and other businesses shouldn’t be doing everything they can to prevent harm to their customers.
“We think until banks have introduced this technology, they should reimburse anyone who loses money if that loss could have been prevented by name and account number matching.”
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BBK Mobiles sub-brand Oppo Mobiles has just the launch of Oppo A3, the latest smartphone in the A Series by the company. It’s company’s recent try to mock iPhone X like top-notch into mid-range smartphones.
Going through Oppo A3 specifications, the handset boasts 6.2-inch display bezel-less display with 19:9 aspect ratio. The display resolution is of 2280 x 1080 pixels with 405 PPI pixel density. Quite surprisingly the smartphone ships with 128 GB of internal storage.
Under the hood, the Oppo A3 is powered by an Octa-Core MediaTek Helio P60 processor coupled with 4 GB of RAM. It runs on ColorOS 5.0 based on Android 8.1 Oreo and it will surely get upgraded to Android P version.
This latest smartphone by Oppo features 128-point face recognition technology which can unlock the smartphone within 0.08 seconds.
The Oppo A3 in terms of optics has a 16 mega pixel rear camera with f/1.8 aperture and 8 mega pixel selfie camera on the front f/2.2 aperture. Even though there is 128 GB storage on this model, the company has included a micro SD card slot supporting expansion up to 256 GB. It’s backed by a 3400 mAh battery, includes AI based smart assistant and game mode for uninterrupted gaming.
The Oppo A3 Price is said to be around CNY 2099 in China and will be available in Pink, Red, Silver and Black color variants. Soon it will be available in other countries like India at a price of Rs 19,999 (expected).


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Eaze has officially launched its second year of Momentum: A Cannabis Business Accelerator to cultivate the growth and success of underrepresented founders nationwide. This $500,000 program is one of the largest social impact initiatives in the cannabis industry to date.
Eaze is seeking people of color, women, members of the LGBTQ+ community, veterans, those who have been formerly incarcerated, or anyone who has been affected by the War on Drugs and faced significant barriers to enter into the industry. The program will include a $50,000 grant (no equity is taken), participation in a 10-week education program led by 70 industry volunteer experts, and access to Eaze’s ecosystem of business, marketing, and retailer resources. At Momentum’s conclusion, participants will pitch to industry-defining investors for the opportunity to raise additional funds to grow their businesses.
Applications are open and the deadline to apply is Dec. 15. You can learn more and find the application at Eaze.com/momentum.
Interested applicants from District 9 may also contact Andrea Greene, Director of Arts & Social Initiatives, at (323) 846-2651 or [email protected]


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The event, held by ABTA, the Travel Association, will look at the possible scenarios for when the UK leaves the European Union, what these may mean for travel businesses and how businesses can prepare.Ê
ABTA’s event takes place just over a year before the UK is due to leave the EU on 29 March 2019.
Yesterday David Davis, the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, and Michel Barnier, European Chief Negotiator for Brexit agreed in principle the terms for a transition period, which would operate from 29 March 2019 to end of December 2020. The EU Council of Ministers is due to meet on Thursday, where it is hoped Ministers will sign-off the agreement.
Since the referendum, ABTA has been working on behalf of its Members and the wider travel industry in highlighting the most important Brexit issues to the travel and tourism sector. It has been encouraging the UK Government to focus on four central points in relation to travel:
- Aviation access and open skies.
- Ensure businesses can post staff to support holidaymakers.
- Visa-free travel for holidaymakers and business travellers.
- Protect valuable consumer rights.
Its report ÔTravelling Together: The Economic Value of UK Outbound Travel‘ released at the end of last year, highlights that UK travellers are worth in excess of Û37 billion in total aggregate GVA to the economies of the EU27 and support hundreds of thousands of jobs and businesses abroad.
Mark Tanzer, ABTA Chief Executive said: ÒAgreeing to the terms of a transition period is a helpful development, and would give a degree of confidence to consumers and businesses. But it’s important that, as an industry, we look ahead to what we’re transitioning to Ð we need to start talking about what the future relationship will look like and agreeing to the legal framework to make this happen.”
ÒMany travel companies have already begun to look ahead to 2019, knowing that some British holidaymakers will be looking to plan their trips now for next year. So today’s event is a good opportunity to for the industry to have a constructive conversation about some of the possible outcomes of the next phase of the negotiations, and identify how businesses may want to prepare.Ó


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Fitness trackers routinely measure physical activity such as running and cycling and encourage people to stand up and walk around throughout the day. But what if you are in a wheelchair? Apple recently announced that an update expected later this year to the Apple Watch will include a fitness tracker for wheelchair users.
Instead of standing breaks, people in wheelchairs will be prompted to wheel or spin their chairs around regularly. Apple will also start tracking distance, speed and calories burned during wheelchair use, just as it does for walking or running.
Jeff Williams, Apple's chief operating officer, said the feature isn't about market opportunities.
"We want to make products that serve every walk of life," Williams said in an interview. "We realize that while it was great for messages on the wrist, we wanted to offer this group of people the same opportunity to get healthier using Apple Watch."
Apple largely had to start from scratch because past scientific studies on burning calories weren't designed with wheelchair subjects. The company couldn't simply translate formulas meant for walking and running.
For one thing, people push their wheelchairs differently when approaching a ramp or circumventing an obstacle. Apple also had to factor in different seat and wheel heights and different surfaces, like carpeting or asphalt. And some formulas change depending on whether the disability is from a spinal-cord injury or muscular dystrophy.
"The more you look into it, the harder and more challenging you realize it was," said Ron Huang, Apple's director of software engineering for location and motion technologies.
The feature is part of a free software update, watchOS 3.0, expected later this year. No new hardware is required.


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Published Wednesday, 23 July 2014
The £50m Three Rivers development, which could create 1'000 jobs in the area, is planned for a green-field site at the riverside dividing Strabane from Lifford in Co Donegal.
It includes an employment park, a learning campus and a sports and wellbeing centre.
There will also be a 90 bed hotel, a retail foodstore, a garden centre, and a petrol filling station.
A children's play area, a river wildlife centre and environmental and access infrastructure are also part of the plans.
The scale of the development meant that the decision to approve or reject planning permission lay with the Environment Minister, Mark H Durkan.
He said that the development has the potential to provide significant employment opportunities for the local area, transforming this cross border location.
"I have considered this application carefully as I am aware of the fundamental planning and policy issues concerning this development. However, I also recognise the potential benefits of the project.
"I am aware that Strabane is one of the most deprived areas of Northern Ireland with 44% of the population of Strabane District Council area living in deprived areas," the SDLP minister said.
"I have visited Strabane and listened to and considered the views of a broad spectrum of interested parties. I acknowledge that overall there is strong local support for the project and the need for new investment, job creation and the potential for this development to act as a catalyst for further inward investment.
"I am also aware of the concerns of some local town centre traders. However, I believe that any potential negative impact associated within this development will be offset in the long term by growth in the local economy, the creation of jobs and greater wealth, inward investment and visitor spend.
"I believe this is a unique opportunity for Strabane, there is no other comparable proposal and an investment opportunity of this kind is unlikely to come forward in the foreseeable future.
"The Riverine Project will strengthen cross border linkages and build on the relationship which exists between two border towns. I see this project as an opportunity to develop a regionally significant visitor destination at this gateway location and to redefine the relationship between Lifford and Strabane."
However, the Northern Ireland Independent Retail Trade Association (NIIRTA) has reacted angrily to the minister's decision to grant approval.
Strabane Town Centre Retailer Declan Hughes said: "This decision is utterly disgraceful and shows yet again that this Minister is ignoring his own party policy and departmental policy of Town Centre First for these types of retail development.
"Local traders have pointed out that the vacant Smiths Mill site in Strabane Town Centre was a better option. Again this was ignored by the Minister.
"This decision will destroy and displace existing retail jobs from Strabane Town Centre, which has a vacancy rate of 30%. It will take £50 million out of the economy of Strabane town centre and seriously damage the town's footfall."
NIIRTA Chief Executive Glyn Roberts added: "Northern Ireland has the highest shop vacancy rate in the UK and if he continues to grant permission to out of town retail hypermarkets this figure will continue to grow.
"Does Mark Durkan really want that as his ministerial legacy?"
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