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|By PR Newswire||
|January 7, 2013 12:00 PM EST||
LAS VEGAS, Jan. 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Walmart is making it easier and more enjoyable for movie fans to watch their favorite movies when and where they want. Today at the 2013 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the retailer announced it is expanding its in-store Disc-to-Digital service to provide customers with digital versions of their previously purchased movies from the comfort of their home. Walmart will also be launching a new Facebook app that will give people access to exclusive movie content and the power to influence and shape what movies are sold in-store and online.
"From Smartphones to Smart TVs, our customers are consuming and sharing content more than ever," said John Aden, executive vice president for general merchandising, Walmart U.S. "We see a great opportunity to provide our customers with accessible and affordable tools to help them bring their movie collections into the digital age. In addition to Disc-to-Digital, Walmart's new Entertainment Facebook app will give movie fans a starring role by serving as place for them to share, interact with and choose the movies they want to see in our stores and online – ultimately enhancing the way people watch and enjoy movies."
Walmart Entertainment's Disc-to-Digital Service, Powered by VUDU
Starting this month, watching DVD and Blu-ray movies from compatible Internet-connected devices will get even easier. Walmart's industry-leading video streaming service, VUDU, will soon have the capability to convert previously purchased DVD/Blu-ray movies to UltraViolet digital copies. UltraViolet is a free, cloud-based digital library that gives users greater flexibility with how and where they watch the movies and TV shows they purchase.
Customers need to simply take the following steps:
- Visit http://www.VUDU.com and download the VUDU To Go App for Macs and PCs.
- Search for previously-purchased movies from participating studio partners – DreamWorks Animation, Lionsgate, MGM Studios, Paramount Home Media Distribution, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, Universal Studios Home Entertainment and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.
- Select how you would like the movies converted:
- Convert a standard DVD or Blu-ray movie for $2; or,
- Upgrade a standard DVD to an HD digital copy for $5.
- The VUDU To Go App will authorize the digital UltraViolet copies and place them in your VUDU account. No upload is necessary, and customers get to keep their physical discs.
- Log onto VUDU.com to view movies any time, any place from any of the more than 300 Internet-connected devices supported by VUDU.
Walmart recently enhanced the VUDU experience by providing the ability to stream and download more than 100,000 movies and TV shows on a growing list of select Android tablets. While the capability to stream on iOS devices is already offered, these users will have the capability to download their collections starting mid-February. The free app is now available for download in the Google Play and iTunes stores.
As an added incentive to try Disc-to-Digital, powered by VUDU, Walmart is giving customers who sign up for a new VUDU account 10 free pre-selected movies when they sign up for an UltraViolet account or link to an existing account.
Walmart Facebook Entertainment App
Developed in partnership with Hollywood's largest studios, the Walmart Entertainment Facebook App will enable Walmart's more than 26 million Facebook fans to read and submit kid friendly movie reviews, watch exclusive behind-the-scenes film content and even vote on what movies the retailer will feature – everything from limited releases to Walmart $5 movie bin offers.
- Customers that use the Walmart Entertainment Facebook App will have the ability to:
- Vote for popular movies to be sold in-store and online;
- Personalize movie recommendations and fan picks and share with friends;
- Redeem and share special promotions and offers, such as free movies via VUDU;
- View mom-approved movie ratings and recommendations; and
- Gain access to exclusive content for highly anticipated theatrical and DVD releases and video games – trailers, sneak peeks, behind-the-scenes, polls, photos, interviews and more.
Walmart's Entertainment App will be available just in time for the highly anticipated The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 Blu-ray and DVD pre-sale in February.
"The concept behind Walmart's Entertainment app is to create an innovative approach to shopping," said Tom Arrix, VP of Global Marketing Solutions, Facebook US. "Connecting social activity to Walmart stores across the country will empower fans to change and personalize the store experience."
More News from CES
Digital Entertainment Group Honors
The Digital Entertainment Group (DEG) announced its selection of Walmart as this year's "Retailer of the Year for Hardware, Software and Digital" marking the first time a single retailer has won all three categories. The membership of DEG voted for Walmart based on its leadership and innovation in supporting new digital technologies and offering its customers a broad range of products and services from Blu-ray hardware and software to its Disc-to-Digital program.
"We are honored that The Digital Entertainment Group has selected Walmart as this year's Retailer of the Year. When we launched Disc-to-Digital, we had a singular focus – give our customers a new way to watch the movies they already own while also unlocking more ways to enjoy them. We are committed to innovation and are proud to offer our customers simple and affordable services to bring their movies into the digital age," acknowledged Aden.
To learn more about Walmart Entertainment's new services please visit: www.walmartstores.com/entertainment
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, more than 200 million customers and members visit our 10,400 stores under 69 banners in 27 countries and e-commerce websites in 10 countries. With fiscal year 2012 sales of approximately $444 billion, Walmart employs more than 2.2 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com, on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmartnewsroom. Online merchandise sales are available at http://www.walmart.com and http://www.samsclub.com.
SOURCE Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
The demand for organizations to expand their infrastructure to multiple IT environments like the cloud, on-premise, mobile, bring your own device (BYOD) and the Internet of Things (IoT) continues to grow. As this hybrid infrastructure increases, the challenge to monitor the security of these systems increases in volume and complexity. In his session at 18th Cloud Expo, Stephen Coty, Chief Security Evangelist at Alert Logic, will show how properly configured and managed security architecture can...
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SYS-CON Events announced today that Ericsson has been named “Gold Sponsor” of SYS-CON's @ThingsExpo, which will take place on June 7-9, 2016, at the Javits Center in New York, New York. Ericsson is a world leader in the rapidly changing environment of communications technology – providing equipment, software and services to enable transformation through mobility. Some 40 percent of global mobile traffic runs through networks we have supplied. More than 1 billion subscribers around the world re...
May. 4, 2016 01:45 PM EDT Reads: 1,328
SYS-CON Events announced today that Peak 10, Inc., a national IT infrastructure and cloud services provider, will exhibit at SYS-CON's 18th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 7-9, 2016, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Peak 10 provides reliable, tailored data center and network services, cloud and managed services. Its solutions are designed to scale and adapt to customers’ changing business needs, enabling them to lower costs, improve performance and focus inter...
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In his session at @ThingsExpo, Chris Klein, CEO and Co-founder of Rachio, will discuss next generation communities that are using IoT to create more sustainable, intelligent communities. One example is Sterling Ranch, a 10,000 home development that – with the help of Siemens – will integrate IoT technology into the community to provide residents with energy and water savings as well as intelligent security. Everything from stop lights to sprinkler systems to building infrastructures will run ef...
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We're entering the post-smartphone era, where wearable gadgets from watches and fitness bands to glasses and health aids will power the next technological revolution. With mass adoption of wearable devices comes a new data ecosystem that must be protected. Wearables open new pathways that facilitate the tracking, sharing and storing of consumers’ personal health, location and daily activity data. Consumers have some idea of the data these devices capture, but most don’t realize how revealing and...
May. 4, 2016 12:45 PM EDT Reads: 599
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May. 4, 2016 12:15 PM EDT Reads: 530
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There is an ever-growing explosion of new devices that are connected to the Internet using “cloud” solutions. This rapid growth is creating a massive new demand for efficient access to data. And it’s not just about connecting to that data anymore. This new demand is bringing new issues and challenges and it is important for companies to scale for the coming growth. And with that scaling comes the need for greater security, gathering and data analysis, storage, connectivity and, of course, the...
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Increasing IoT connectivity is forcing enterprises to find elegant solutions to organize and visualize all incoming data from these connected devices with re-configurable dashboard widgets to effectively allow rapid decision-making for everything from immediate actions in tactical situations to strategic analysis and reporting. In his session at 18th Cloud Expo, Shikhir Singh, Senior Developer Relations Manager at Sencha, will discuss how to create HTML5 dashboards that interact with IoT devic...
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Digital payments using wearable devices such as smart watches, fitness trackers, and payment wristbands are an increasing area of focus for industry participants, and consumer acceptance from early trials and deployments has encouraged some of the biggest names in technology and banking to continue their push to drive growth in this nascent market. Wearable payment systems may utilize near field communication (NFC), radio frequency identification (RFID), or quick response (QR) codes and barcodes...
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Manufacturers are embracing the Industrial Internet the same way consumers are leveraging Fitbits – to improve overall health and wellness. Both can provide consistent measurement, visibility, and suggest performance improvements customized to help reach goals. Fitbit users can view real-time data and make adjustments to increase their activity. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Mark Bernardo Professional Services Leader, Americas, at GE Digital, will discuss how leveraging the Industrial Interne...
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Whether your IoT service is connecting cars, homes, appliances, wearable, cameras or other devices, one question hangs in the balance – how do you actually make money from this service? The ability to turn your IoT service into profit requires the ability to create a monetization strategy that is flexible, scalable and working for you in real-time. It must be a transparent, smoothly implemented strategy that all stakeholders – from customers to the board – will be able to understand and comprehe...
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May. 3, 2016 12:15 PM EDT Reads: 1,617


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Every issue, we will present major news of the audio industry as we learn of it. Aside from expository text required to make sense of the press-releases, we will refrain from editorial comment. ---Ed.
[In its 70 year history, McIntosh Laboratory has had a number of owners. The company was bought by the Japanese car audio maker Clarion in 1980, and was sold to D&M Holdings---which also owned Denon and Marantz, among several other audio companies--- in 2003. The Fine Sounds Group was formed in 2007 when Italian capital group Quadrivio SGR bought Sonus Faber; Mauro Grange came on as CEO of Sonus Faber in 2009, the same year the group bought Audio Research. Subsequently, Fine Sounds purchased the importer/distributor Sumiko in 2010; Wadia in 2011; and McIntosh in 2012. Fine Sounds also owned an Asian distribution company, Fine Sounds Asia, and started a luxury headphone brand, Pryma. In 2014, Grange and McIntosh Laboratory President Charlie Randall led a buyout of Fine Sounds in partnership with two capital groups, and in 2016, the group was renamed McIntosh Group. Complicated, eh? --Ed.]
CEO Mauro Grange stepping down after 8 years at the helm of the Group. Charles Randall, CEO of McIntosh Laboratory Inc. to step in.
New York, USA – January 23, 2017: After successfully leading Fine Sounds Group, renamed McIntosh Group in 2016 for almost a decade, Mauro Grange will be stepping down from his position as CEO, effective December 31, 2016, as planned at the time of the Management Buyout supported by financial sponsors LBO France and Yarpa.
During Mr. Grange's tenure, the Group developed into one of the leading players in the High End Audio industry.
“We thank Mauro for his service for the last 8 years. He built McIntosh Group into a world-class leader and has prepared the organization for the future challenges, as the widely appreciated new Lifestyle products and the strategic entrance in the Premium car audio sector demonstrate” said Robert Daussun, President of LBO France. “Mauro is leaving us in a strong position to move towards our goal of consolidating our leadership position in the core audio market and continue our momentum in new sectors, including Lifestyle products and Premium car audio,” added Luca Paveri Fontana, Yarpa’s Executive Vice Chairman.
“It has been an incredible privilege and personally gratifying for me to have led Fine Sounds Group first and McIntosh Group later for the last 8 years and to have worked side by side with brilliant colleagues whom I now call friends. I’ve been surrounded by an incredible team, many of whom have been at the organization even longer than me. I’m confident that with this team in place the future goals will be achieved,” said Mr. Grange.
Mr. Grange will remain Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Group for a period of time to ensure a smooth transition for his successor and will maintain its equity position in the Group’s holding Company. Charles Randall, CEO of McIntosh Laboratory Inc. will step in.
Randall while holding the position of COO of the Group for the last 5 years, and his 30 years of experience with McIntosh Laboratory Inc. will continue the mission of the Group as CEO to be the premier collection of brands in the consumer electronics industry.
[The Norwegian technology company Aspiro started up an online music-streaming service called WiMP---no, I don't know what it stood for, in English--- back in 2010. When the service came to the US in 2014, the name was changed to Tidal, and the company was an early leader in providing CD-quality streaming. In 2015, Aspiro was bought by rapper/businessman Jay-Z for $56M. The service has struggled to gain subscribers, but at CES, announced that it had gone live with MQA Authenticated content. And now, a third of the company has been purchased by Sprint, allegedly for more than three times what Carter/Jay-Z paid for the whole company. Who says rappers aren't good businessmen?---Ed.]
TIDAL and its artists to deliver exclusive content to help Sprint acquire new customers, reward current customers
Sprint will make TIDAL available to its 45 million post and prepaid customers
Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure to join TIDAL Board of Directors
NEW YORK and OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Jan. 23, 2017 – Global music and entertainment platform TIDAL and Sprint (NYSE: S) announced today an unprecedented partnership that will soon give Sprint’s 45 million retail customers unlimited access to exclusive artist content not available anywhere else.
TIDAL and its artists will make exclusive content that will only be available to current and new Sprint customers.
As part of the partnership, Sprint will acquire 33 percent of TIDAL. JAY Z and the artist-owners will continue to run TIDAL’s artist-centric service as it pioneers and grows the direct relationship between artists and fans. The formidable pairing of Sprint and TIDAL will grow customers on both platforms by offering exclusive access for customers who subscribe to TIDAL. Sprint’s chief executive officer, Marcelo Claure, will also join TIDAL’s Board of Directors.
“Sprint shares our view of revolutionizing the creative industry to allow artists to connect directly with their fans and reach their fullest, shared potential,” said JAY Z. “Marcelo understood our goal right away and together we are excited to bring Sprint’s 45 million customers an unmatched entertainment experience.”
TIDAL is a global, experiential, entertainment platform built for fans, directly from artists around the world. Members of TIDAL enjoy unmatched exclusively curated content that directly connect artists with their fans in multiple ways. TIDAL is available in more than 52 countries, with a more than 42.5 million song catalog and 140,000 high-quality videos.
The innovative TIDAL platform, combined with Sprint’s award-winning reliable network and best value for unlimited data, talk and text, will deliver a first-of-its-kind experience for music fans.
“Jay saw not only a business need, but a cultural one, and put his heart and grit into building TIDAL into a world-class music streaming platform that is unrivaled in quality and content,” said Claure. “The passion and dedication that these artist-owners bring to fans will enable Sprint to offer new and existing customers access to exclusive content and entertainment experiences in a way no other service can.”
More news on exclusive offers and upcoming promotions from Sprint and TIDAL will be unveiled soon.
Sprint’s dedication to its customers and to artists is at the heart of the partnership. Part of that effort will include the establishment of a dedicated marketing fund specifically for artists. The fund will allow artists the flexibility to create and share their work with and for their fans.
The Sprint-TIDAL partnership comes on the heels of TIDAL’s recent announcement revealing the availability of “Master” quality recordings. A wide variety of content from labels and artists, including Warner Music Group’s world-renowned music catalogue, is now available in Master audio across all of TIDAL’s available markets worldwide.

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Update: One of the photos CNMO leaked hinting at the alleged Sony Xperia 3 appears to originally come from a review article on Sony Xperia 1, published by the AndroidPIT website. That said, it’s unclear whether other pictures belong to the rumored device that is expected to be featured on next year’s MWC event in February.
Sony’s phone manufacturing business seems to be plummeting as opposed to other products it offers and works on. The Japanese company seems to have difficulties keeping up with the demanding markets of Samsung, Apple, Google and others with its flagship phones getting less and less noticed by consumers. However, despite that, Sony still doesn’t want to let go of its smartphone strategy, as reported by CNMO and GizmoChina. New photos of the alleged Sony Xperia 3 have been leaked online, revealing some of the notable features this smartphone could boast.
Sony has a strange timeline of revealing its smartphones. One of the first flagships that was featured this year was Xperia 1 which the company teased in February, as well as Xperia 5, a little less of a flagship compared to the others back in September. Now, the new images that were leaked online hint at the existence of a device supposed to be Sony Xperia 3.
As the site CNMO spotted, the phone was seen in the pictures with the Xperia 3 branding, as well as the hint of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chipset. Supposedly, this chipset is still to be revealed by the processor-making company, although it’s expected to be the new generation expected to launch in December. More importantly, this chipset generation is expected to appear on many upcoming smartphones, and maybe even Galaxy S11 and OnePlus 8 that’ll launch next year.
The leak suggests that Sony will release two versions of the same phone. One phone will follow the new cellular technology trends and debut with 5G support, while the other phone will ship with standard 4G technology. That said, the 5G-boasting phone will likely be more costly than the one without.
Other than that, the photos featured on the site don’t show much change in design compared to its predecessor Xperia 1. The phone shows a small camera space, with circular housing, although it’s hard to tell given that the phone was pictured from its side. The potential Sony Xperia 3 will also come out with a fingerprint sensor at an unconventional place, the side of the phone. Given it’s visible from the same shot, it’s hard to say what it really is. Additionally, given that these images are just leaks, it’s best to be reserved until Sony confirms the potential launch of its phone.
It’s also still not confirmed what the phone’s real name could be, despite the alleged Xperia 3 branding in the photos. After all, the company has a strange naming policy. Its high-end flagship Xperia 1 is called that because that’s the best phone that the company currently offers, while the Xperia 5 is a tad less superior to its predecessor. Finally, the two phones are followed by Xperia 10, which is considered the mid-range phone.
That said, with Sony’s strange naming policy, that should mean that Sony Xperia 3 would sit between Xperia 1 and 5 when it comes to the high-end performance. If the phone is scheduled to launch, Sony will likely reveal more features at the MWC 2020 event that will take place next February. However, given that this is the first leak of the alleged phone, it’s just a matter of time before more rumors surface as the potential reveal approaches.


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Hewlett-Packard, Dell, IBM, three of the world’s top-line pc makers have been in the Indian market for quite some time, but now they have started to taste success only. Recently all these branded PC manufacturers, along with HCL infosystems, were the past selling to corporates government, business, professionals, and to some extent the educational institutions.
In the current session, the Indian p.c market enjoyed its best quarter ever with a total of 4.5 million desktops, notebooks, and workstations shipped.
That’s an increase of 30% compared to last year’s QUARTER and in spite of ongoing ship storage.
As a whole, the Indian P.C market saw a total of 4.4 million shipped units, over 1 million more than last year.


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Estée Lauder Companies includes numerous color cosmetics, fragrance, and skin care brands; and boasts a global reach—selling product in more than 150 countries. Leadership for each of those brands ensures the company retains its place among the top beauty leaders in the world.
Effective immediately, Jean-Guillaume Trottier is global brand president for Jo Malone London.
For the past four years, he has served as that brand’s global general manager. “Under Mr. Trottier’s leadership, brand sales have doubled globally in the last three years and Jo Malone London’s unique positioning in the luxury sensorial lifestyle space has been solidified,” according to the company statement.
“Jean-Guillaume is a highly talented and creative leader who has effectively articulated Jo Malone London’s special equity as a British luxury brand for a global stage,” says John Demsey, executive group president.
“From the successful growth of the freestanding store business, to cultivating the brand’s distinctly ‘giftable’ appeal, Jean-Guillaume’s unwavering vision continues to make the brand a must-have for prestige consumers around the world.”
Beginning in October, Julie Van Ongevalle will be the company’s senior vice president and global general manager for the Origins brand.
“Ms. Van Ongevalle’s strong brand leadership experience, coupled with her multi-category and retail expertise, position her well to take the helm of the Origins brand,” according to a press release about the leadership moves. “A successor for her current role will be announced at a later time.”
Van Ongevalle has worked for Estée Lauder Companies since 2004, taking on more and more leadership responsibilities as the years pass. Among her accomplishments is the launch of Origins in the Netherlands. And, she’s been integral in the global growth of MAC.
“I am thrilled Julie will be assuming the leadership of Origins. Julie is a superb brand-builder possessing a keen understanding of the highly-influential Millennial consumer, as well as valuable global expertise in digital and social media and retail dynamics,” says Jane Hertzmark Hudis, group president, adding, “I am confident she will lead this extraordinary brand to its next phase of growth around the world,”
In January, Estée Lauder Companies made other leadership shifts within its brands. Origins got a new global brand president in Stephane de la Faverie, who also at that time stepped in the same role for the company’s Darphin skin care brand.
Beth DiNardo accepted a new role as global brand president for Smashbox at the start of the year. And, Daniel Rachmanis was promoted to president of the Latin America region.


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Tesco PLC has TSCO, -2.58% agreed to pay a fine of £129 million ($162 million) for overstating its expected profits in a trading statement in August 2014. The supermarket operator must also fulfill other requirements under the deferred prosecution agreement with the Serious Fraud Office announced Tuesday. In addition, Tesco has agreed to a finding of market abuse by the U.K.'s Financial Conduct Authority, the company said in a statement. As part of the deal with the FCA, Tesco has set up a compensation scheme for certain investors who bought stocks or bonds between 29 August and 19 September, 2014. The scheme will provide compensation of 24.5 pence per share purchased, plus interest of 1.25% per year for institutional investors or 4% a year for retail investors.
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McDonald’s continues to grow, Australian operations remain strong
McDonald’s has announced another strong rise in global comparable sales as cost-conscious diners continue to frequent the fast-food restaurant.
“By continuing to provide the menu variety and value consumers want with the fast, friendly service they expect from McDonald’s, we’ve strengthened our connection with customers and driven comparable sales growth for six consecutive years,” Chief Executive Officer, Jim Skinner, suggested.
Comparable sales rose 6.9% in April, marking the 72nd consecutive monthly increase, although the strength of their home currency saw sales fall after exchanging figures into US dollar terms.
Their core menu, beverages including the new McCafe coffees and snacks were seen to be strong contributors to the strong result.
Australian growth robust
“In Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa, April comparable sales increased 6.5% driven by Australia and Japan, partly offset by China,” the company advised. “Locally relevant menu choices, everyday affordability and extended hours contributed to April’s performance.”


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McDonald’s was hit with seven lawsuits by workers in California, Michigan, and New York, who claimed that the company and some franchise owners failed to pay the employees for all hours worked, failed to pay them overtime, shaved their hours from their time cards, and ordered them to work “off the clock.”
In California, lawsuits were filed against area restaurants, including one filed against 100 McDonald’s owned and operated by the company itself. In Michigan, attorneys for the workers allege that fast food restaurants told their employees to show up for work, but only paid them after having them wait an hour or two for more customers to arrive. The New York lawsuit alleges that McDonald’s failed to reimburse its staff for the laundering and maintenance of their uniforms, or the time spent doing so, even though the restaurant provided them with only one uniform and required a clean uniform to be worn each day. Because of these and other worker rights violations, the lawyers for the restaurant workers are seeking reimbursement for unpaid wages, liquidated damages, and other relief.
These lawsuits come on the heels of several strikes organized in New York to pressure McDonald’s and other fast-food restaurants to increase the minimum wage.


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One Stop has unveiled its Easter campaign, which sees it giving away £1,000 community grants to 25 community and charity groups across the UK.
Customers will have the opportunity to nominate a community group or charity of their choice and outline why their nominated group deserves an extra special bank boost this year. Customers will need fill in a short form by 2 April.
Nigel Prendergast, One Stop’s Head of Customer and Business Support, said: “We understand that many of our customers rely on their local community groups and charities, so we’re proud to be able to give back to 25 of those groups this Easter.”
One Stop is also running a competition on its Facebook page, where customers can tag a friend for a chance to win a One Stop hamper, until 14 March.
Customers can also play One Stop’s Easter Egg Drop game, between 20 March and 2 April, for a chance to win.
Prendergast added: “Our interactive games are more popular than ever and they’re a great way to engage our customers, as well as giving them an online hub to discover our weekly deals, recipes and learn more about our community initiatives.”
In addition, One Stop will have seasonal deals on offer until 19 March, with large Easter eggs on offer for £2.50. These include Twirl Large Egg, Maltesers Teasers Large Egg, Galaxy Minstrels Large Egg, and Cadbury Creme Egg Larger Egg.


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BITCOIN’s cost has dove by about $25billion in the previous 24 hours and the cryptographic money looks set to endure another disillusioning day on the business sectors. Be that as it may, why is bitcoin (BTC) falling today?
The world greatest and best-known cryptographic money drooped beneath the representative $10,000 limit yesterday (Wednesday February 1), however its esteem slammed promote overnight to about $8,600.
Bitcoin has fallen by more than 56 percent since the turn of the year, in the wake of cresting at about $20,000 in December 2017.
CoinMarketCap value outlines demonstrate that bitcoin has been succumbing to weeks, however this most recent crash has been faulted for mounting perplexity encompassing the Indian Government’s position on digital forms of money.
Recently, the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley spooked speculators when he reported plans to “kill” the utilization of computerized monetary standards for installment purposes.
He stated: “The Government does not consider digital forms of money lawful delicate or coin and will take all measures to dispose of utilization of these crypto-resources in financing ill-conceived exercises or as a feature of the installment framework.
“The Government will investigate utilization of blockchain innovation proactively to usher in advanced economy.”
Ajeet Khurana, leader of the Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Committee of India (BACC), has illuminated the circumstance to some degree, contending that digital forms of money are simply not some portion of the “installment framework”.
In a meeting with Your Story, he stated: “The installments framework incorporates a great deal of things like the settlement component, and the managing an account framework. As of late, advanced wallets and other installment components have been added to the whole situation.
“The Finance Minister may state that digital money isn’t thought to be a piece of these installment frameworks.
“So also, gold isn’t a piece of an installment framework, however individuals still deal resources like gold for merchandise, as long as the two gatherings record the exchange. It is an advantage bargain exchange.
“There is a little subjectivity on the issue. Will an individual swap digital money for another cryptographic money?
“We need to sit tight for elucidation on what the Finance Minister implied when he said installment framework.”
Miles Eakers, boss market investigator at Centtrip, is presently expecting more weight on the token to bring about costs tumbling down to $8,000.
He stated: “Driven by discusses likely expanded control, Bitcoin’s woeful begin to 2018 proceeded with today. Bitcoin has again fallen beneath $10,000 a coin, a long way from its record cost of $19,891.
“The drop took after remarks made by India’s Minister of Finance, Arun Jaitley, that the Indian government ‘does not consider digital forms of money legitimate delicate or coin and will take all measures to take out utilization of these crypto-resources in financing ill-conceived exercises or as a major aspect of the installment framework’.
“We expect there will be a greater amount of such protectionist control. This is probably going to put Bitcoin under more strain, making it drop to the $8000 a coin level.”
The news comes after the South Korean Government demanded that it would not boycott digital currencies like bitcoin, Ripple and Ethereum, rather proposing that they will be all the more vigorously controlled.
Be that as it may, Oliver von Landsberg-Sadie, author of cryptographic money trade BitcoinBro, has contended that bitcoin is at present simply encountering “developing agonies” and really invites assist control in South Korea.
I believe we’re seeing developing agonies
Oliver von Landsberg-Sadie of BitcoinBro
Addressing Bloomberg, he stated: “I believe we’re seeing developing torments.
“You alluded to administrative misfortunes however I think these are administrative strides forward.
“South Korea’s position on ensuring that the trades know who they’re managing is an exceptionally positive advance. Be that as it may, it had a hit on bitcoin.”
In another blow for bitcoin, web-based social networking monster Facebook will soon boycott adverts that advance cryptographic forms of money.
Ransack Leathern, Facebook’s item administration executive: “We need individuals to proceed to find and find out about new items and administrations through Facebook promotions without dread of tricks or trickery.
“All things considered, there are numerous organizations who are promoting paired alternatives, ICOs and digital forms of money that are not right now working in accordance with some basic honesty.”
He included: “This approach is a piece of a continuous push to enhance the respectability and security of our promotions, and to make it harder for con artists to benefit from a nearness on Facebook.”
Bitcoin, Ripple and all other major cryptos are likewise experiencing a current barage of negative popular feeling, a specialist has cautioned.


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Bitcoin fell extra than 7 p.c on Monday soon after a whale deposited 18,000 BTC into a Gemini wallet.
The flagship cryptocurrency dropped to an intraday minimal of $54,568 at 0940 UTC, down 7.47 per cent into the European session. Its correction started out on Sunday soon after the selling price arrived at a new file significant earlier mentioned $61,000. Traders used the refreshed peak to safe their revenue, top the price ranges lower. However, the offer-off accelerated right after the stated Gemini deposit.
A $1 Billion Bitcoin Offer-Order
Analysts throughout the cryptocurrency current market interpreted the $1 billion transfer to the US exchange as a indication of a main dump ahead. CryptoQuant CEO Ki-Youthful Ju was fast to stage out the correlation in between increased Bitcoin influx and its place costs. He released a chart that showed a spike in Gemini’s Bitcoin influx on February 21, which followed a downside correction of extra than 26 p.c.
Bitcoin painted two superior-volumed red candles on its 4-hour chart just as the Gemini news went viral across social media, illustrating panic offering among the retail traders. On the total, the cryptocurrency lose pretty much 10 percent, or about $6,000, of its valuation in the prior 6 hrs.
Analysts interpret enormous inflows into cryptocurrency exchanges as a bearish sign. Traders typically transfer Bitcoin to their exchange wallets due to the fact they want to trade them later to rival cryptocurrencies or fiat currency. Conversely, they withdraw bitcoins from their trade addresses if they want to hold the cryptocurrency.
“This 18k BTC deposit is legit as it was a transaction among user deposit wallets and Gemini hot wallet,” mentioned Mr. Ju. “All Exchanges Influx Imply is skyrocketed due to this deposit. Never overleverage if you’re in a prolonged position.”
All over $1.41 billion worthy of of prolonged entries obtained liquidated in the previous 4 several hours, in accordance to “rekt” facts supplied by ByBt.com.
Technical chartists shifted their downside targets to the lower $50,000s following its sharp decrease Monday.
An unbiased analyst mentioned that the BTC/USD trade fee could drop towards $51,860, a amount that served as resistance for the duration of the pair’s rebound from the yr-to-day small around $43,000. That is partly due to the fact of BTC/USD’s drop below its community support space close to $58,000 (the redded vary in the chart under).
“The working day is still young so [the] price tag could however take care of itself relative to this crimson boxed region and flip it into support,” the analyst included. “Technically, BTC is in the course of action of a risky retest.”
Small-phrase, Bitcoin was screening its 50-working day straightforward shifting average wave as help.


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Long, stretched-out videos? Don't yell at the people who take them. Instead, let's wonder why phone cameras aren't smarter.
Know someone who suffers from Vertical Video Syndrome? Gift them this app and help them shake the bad habit!
If you're in the market for a monitor, CNET's buying guide will set you on the right path.
At the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show, BMW announced it added Spotify to its roster of ConnectedDrive apps.
Google's 10-year run as Firefox's default search engine in the US is over. Yahoo wants more search traffic, and a deal with Mozilla will bring it.
The upcoming Xbox One wants to keep its feet flat on the ground. It wasn't built to be upended, an Xbox exec warns.
If you never keep track of how many tabs you're opening in Chrome, or you love working in full-screen mode, this extension is for you.
Running out of juice and no charger in sight? A new feature in Android 5.0 Lollipop promises to squeeze 90 extra minutes out of your device.
What inspired the Galaxy Edge's swooshing shape and second screen? In an exclusive interview with the phone's designers, CNET gets a look at what makes them tick and where they're going next.
The Korean electronics giant countersues Nvidia, and drags Nvidia customer Velocity Micro into the fight.


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The 2017 version of Toppling Goliath’s Morning Delight will once again be offered in smaller bottles.
The beer in question is Morning Delight, a 12 percent ABV imperial stout brewed with coffee and maple syrup that was first released as a draft-only option in 2011. The stout was packaged in 12-ounce bottles in 2013, while the 2015 and 2016 incarnations were sold in 22-ounce bottles.
MorninDelight2017 release will be August 19th this year. More details tonight. @TheTGBNews It will be in 12 oz bottles 4 packs
According to posts on Toppling Goliath’s Twitter page, Morning Delight 2017 will be released on Aug. 19 packaged in a set priced at $100 that will include one four-pack of waxed 12-ounce bottles, two glasses and one pour of the stout.
2k fans, $100 set: 4 12Oz. bottles, 2 glasses & 1 pour. Sign-up for tickets will run 5-days, sign-up link will be posted when live.
In addition, only 2,000 of the sets were sold and no proxies will be allowed.
Update (July 3, 2017) — This post was updated to include details on the pricing. It was originally published on June 15, 2017.


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(PRWEB) July 14, 2014
Recently, Fadhits.com, the distinguished wedding dress manufacturer and retailer, has announced its fashionable pageant dress promotion. According to the company’s senior spokesman, the big sale is launched to expand its international market. All the company’s current and prospective customers can get a discounted price (up to 65% off) before the end of July.
Fadhits.com is a well-known online supplier, and it has won thousands of happy customers. The company has its own designers who can always make premium quality special occasion outfits. All of them want to meet the diverse needs of worldwide consumers.
The senior spokesman feels happy to announce the big promotion. “We are happy to offer the cheap pageant outfits for worldwide clients. Our pageant dresses come in varied styles. I have confidence in these fashionable items. By the way, the current sale will come to an end on July 31, 2014. As you know, our experienced experts are devoted to making more beautiful outfits for worldwide clients,” he says.
Along with fashionable pageant dresses, Fadhits.com is also providing big saving for many other items, including evening dresses, prom gowns, bridesmaid gowns and so forth. The company’s major officials believe its cost-effective items will be popular in the world.
Fadhits.com is a leading wedding dress company from China. Its aim is to provide worldwide clients with perfect outfit solutions. All its fancy outfits are offered at low rates. In addition, the company pays close attention to the latest fashion trends. Now, worldwide clients can access a lot of cheap, graceful items at its website.
More detailed information about the company and its new items can be found at http://www.fadhits.com/.


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In an opinion piece in Food Safety News, two insurance company executives reassure food companies that a product recall doesn’t necessarily mean it is time to panic. They say that in recent years, the food industry has experienced a dramatic increase in recalls, withdrawals and contamination events. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) requested or monitored almost 100 Class I recalls involving serious health hazards related to meat, poultry and egg products in 2015, a 130 percent increase from 2010. Class II recalls, involving less serious risks of health hazards, rose by about 70 percent during that period. The trend continues this year. Through August, the FSIS reports 51 food safety and inspection recalls and alerts, which reflects more than a 120 percent increase from the same period in 2015.
The authors outline several factors that may be contributing to the rise, but say that regardless of the reason, food companies should take a proactive stance by protecting themselves against the recall risk, rather than being reactive and responding in a panic. They say an important tool in every food company’s arsenal to help alleviate the economic and reputational consequences of a contamination or recall event is Product Contamination Insurance (PCI), which may provide coverage for: (1) accidental contamination; (2) malicious product tampering; (3) governmental recall; and (4) product extortion. The article goes on to explain losses that are potentially covered, as well as how to maximize coverage and avoid possible “time traps.” READ MORE


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Will consumers stop spending?
America’s economy runs on consumer spending. That’s why data such as the sentiment index is so important in forecasting how the recovery might fare in coming months.
“The recent declines have meant that the sentiment index now signals the onset of a sustained downturn in consumer spending,” said Richard Curtin, chief economists of the Surveys of Consumers.
That could be bad news for the recovery. At the same time, household savings are still bolstered because many people changed their spending habits during the pandemic, which could help support spending going forward.
Inflation is widely expected to fall this year as some of the pandemic pressures, including supply chain challenges, ease. But whether the near 40-year high from January was the peak remains to be seen.
–CNN’s Jennifer Agiesta and Ariel Edwards-Levy contributed to this report.
Credit: Source link


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New chips, including a more budget-minded version of the Pentium 4 will ring in the New Year for chip giant Intel.
The chip maker is coming out with a 1.3GHz version of the Pentium 4 in the first quarter that will allow PC manufacturers to introduce PCs with the chip for less than $1,600 (£1,126) sources said. A souped-up version of the Celeron running at 800MHz will also be introduced.
Additionally, introduction of a low-low power 500MHz Pentium III for notebooks, which effectively will compete against processors from Transmeta, has been moved up from the middle of the year to the first quarter.
New versions of the Xscale, formerly the StrongArm chip, will make their debut as well. StrongArms are currently used in Pocket PC devices from Hewlett-Packard and others.
The early-year chip onslaught comes on the heels of a difficult year for Intel. In the first half, Intel lost sales because of a dire processor shortage. And in the second half, dropping PC demand forced the company to scale back earnings expectations twice. Intel also had to recall a number of products.
For 2001, company executives say they are intent on avoiding further shortages as well as beefing up quality control. "We are going back to the 100 percent everywhere testing," said Jeff McCrea, marketing director for Intel's desktop products group. On a 1.13GHz Pentium III that got recalled, he said, "in a little bit of our haste we didn't go through all of our traditional product validation."
The 1.3GHz is being put in the lineup to fill a price/performance gap between Intel's aging Pentium III 1GHz chip and its new brand-new, high-end Pentium 4. Currently, Pentium 4 PC prices start at about $1,900 to $2,100. Pentium III 1GHz PCs, on the other hand, cost about $1,400 to $1,500.
The 1.3GHz chip would appear in PCs priced between $1,500 and $1,700, a market segment that is becoming the home turf of Advanced Micro Devices. PCs containing a 1.1GHz Athlon chip, for example, start at about $1,800, with 1.2GHz chips selling for slightly more. AMD executives at Comdex discussed how the company plans to exploit the gap between Pentium III and Pentium 4 prices.
Intel officials declined to comment on unannounced products, but broadly hinted that a cheaper Pentium 4 was coming. "You can expect to see us expand the (Pentium 4) product line throughout the year," said McCrea. "It might make sense to expand (Pentium 4) both up and down."
Slowing demand for PCs has freed up manufacturing capacity so that Intel can afford to dedicate factory space to the chip, said Mike Feibus, principal at Mercury Research. "If you look back a year ago, Intel's thought at the time was that P4 was big and expensive to make, so it would fill the gap with Pentium III," Feibus said. "Now, Intel can do (1.3GHz) with the Pentium 4 now that it has the manufacturing capacity, and there's also capacity for RDRAM."
The push to get Pentium 4 more into the mainstream of computing, however, could be hampered a bit by Rambus memory. Although it has come down in price, Rambus RDRAM is still more expensive than conventional memory; it is also the only type of memory that can be used in Pentium 4 computers.
Toward the third quarter of 2001, Intel will release a chip set, code-named Brookdale, that will let PC makers pair Pentium 4 computers with regular memory, called SDRAM. In early 2002, Intel will come out with chip sets that will let users incorporate Double Data Rate (DDR) SDRAM, a faster form of standard memory, McCrea said.
In addition to the new Pentium 4 chip, Intel also plans to ship a number of new processors in the New Year, ranging from faster Celerons to new XScale chips.
The chip maker is expected to launch an 800MHz desktop Celeron chip in early January. Along with slightly higher clock speed, the new chip will be the first desktop Celeron to offer a 100MHz front side bus, a crucial data path between the PC and the rest of the computer. Current Celerons have an older, slower 66MHz bus.
Intel also will offer additional performance for handheld devices, with XScale chips that will run at 400MHz and 600MHz. The additional speed will allow handhelds and handsets to run more complex applications, such as speech recognition, and process more data at a faster rate, said Cary Snyder, an analyst at MicroDesign Resources.
The 1.13GHz Pentium III chip likely won't be launched until the second quarter of next year. AMD will counter Intel with a 1.33GHz Athlon chip, sporting a 266MHz front side bus. That chip is due in the first quarter, according to the chip maker.
Micheal Kanellos contributed to this report.
Go to our Chips Central 'news special' which include a Flash-based interactive timeline to illustrate new product launches from AMD and Intel from now -- through Q1 2001. Updated daily.


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Huawei P50 Pro Renderings
The first half of this year there are a large number of new phones releases, for Huawei, there is no doubt that they are preparing a new flagship, and according to the rhythm of previous years, the P series is about to meet us, according to the naming pattern should be Huawei P50 series.
As we reported that series will use a re-designed camera layout, now, OnLeaks has drawn up Huawei P50 Pro Renderings based on current exposure information, using a completely new design that is different from the previous generation.
The recognition is very high as shown in the picture, the rendering of the front of the Huawei P50 Pro is centered on the perforated screen, double curved form, the curvature is not large, belongs to the micro curve, is the current flagship phone mainstream program. It looks like the new machine’s face value is still very high, with an extremely high screen-to-body ratio on the front, four extremely narrow bezels.
Huawei P50 Pro’s backside has considerable changes, the camera changed to an oval layout, containing two circular modules, is expected to have at least three or four cameras. From the picture, the rear camera design is quite exaggerated, round camera module, giving the first sensory impression is that the ability to take pictures will be very tough.
Huawei P series has always been the main photography aspect, the burst of news that the P50 series has stronger photo capabilities, the entire system standard with Sony IMX800 CMOS, said to be Sony’s largest sensor ever, compared to Samsung’s just-launched ISOCELL GN2 stronger, with a large 1-inch bottom, which will also become the world’s largest bottom cell phone sensor.
With Sony IMX800 1-inch of the industry’s largest bottom will also make Huawei P50 image-level again, coupled with the unique RYYB filter array, the P50 series will become the most powerful Huawei photo models in history.
The Huawei P50 Pro has a 6.6-inch centered perforated screen with slightly curved edges, very narrow bezels and a very narrow chin, and a glass back panel with a flat top and bottom metal frame. The phone also features an under-display fingerprint sensor, dual upper and lower speakers, and supports infrared remote control.
As for the core configuration, Huawei P50 series three new hardware configurations slightly different, including the P50 Pro and P50 Pro+ will be equipped with Huawei’s top processor Kirin 9000, while the standard version will be a little less, equipped with Kirin 9000E processor; while previous reports claim P50 Series will be released on April 17 along with MatePad Pro2 and new wearables.


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‘The best thing to happen to Washington in years’ - Google reviews praise new Tim Hortons as doughnut and coffee restaurant officially opens
Washington’s newest import opened its doors for the first time today and has been praised in online reviews as coffee lovers flock to try the new restaurant chain.
The North East’s first Tim Hortons officially opened today and the first Google reviews have been full of praise for the Canadian chain.
The coffee shop and restaurant, based at the Galleries Retail Park, in Washington, opened at 7am on Monday, August 9 for takeaway, dining in and drive thru.
The first customers at Tim Hortons have been quick to praise it with online reviews describing it as the ‘best thing to happen to Washington in years’ and ‘just what we needed’.
One reviewer said: “The best thing to happen in Washington in years. What a pleasure to meet lovely staff and have the pleasure to have sampled beautiful food. On behalf of my fellow Sainsbury's colleagues, a big thank you.”
Related article: Take a look inside the North East’s first Tim Horton’s restaurant.
Another said: “Came in for opening day. Was expecting a few hiccups with the store and staff being new, but it was all fantastic and smooth. Staff were chatty and helpful, took care of customers waiting in the rain, and the food/drink was just as good as it was in Canada. Plenty of space to park and watch my motorcycle too which is a bonus. Looking forward to visiting again soon.
Another reviewer said: “Went to the opening for the Washington store this morning. Was great and I loved my food and coffee. Lovely staff.”
The grand opening of the store also saw the first customers come through the door and drive thru awarded with a year’s supply of free coffee.
Along with that, the first 100 guests at the Washington restaurant also received free breakfast meals.
The restaurant is the first of two Tim Horton venues to come to the North East with another in Boldon set to open later this year.
The launches form part of the firm's plans to create more than 2000 jobs across the country, bringing Tim Hortons to every major town and city by 2022.


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By Matthew Merrilees, CEO, North America at Global-e
Ecommerce has been gaining traction across virtually every product category, while consumers continue to avoid physical stores even after lockdowns lift and divert budgets from leisure activities and travel. Whether it’s the rising number of brick-and-mortar stores shutting their doors forever or the steady stream of retailers filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, COVID-19 has demonstrated that a comprehensive global ecommerce strategy is one that brands and merchants can no longer ignore.
Ask most retailers and they’ll acknowledge the rising power of online spending as U.S. consumers will spend over $709.78 billion on ecommerce in 2020, an increase of 18% from the previous year, with brick-and-mortar retail spending expected to decrease by 14%. While many retailers have needed time to transition legacy systems to become more digital, this year, the retail sector has recognized that this transformation needs to happen at breakneck speed as the rate of online spending has soared, and as a way to meet consumer expectations and demand. Additionally, with the total U.S. retail sales forecasted to decline 10.5% in 2020, merchants are looking for new revenue streams to help weather the COVID-19 storm.
A global approach to the ecommerce arena has shown to have balanced sales due to the timing the pandemic hit different regions worldwide, as well as the consumer reactions to it. For example, while European consumers’ confidence and ecommerce sales slowed in February and early March, it made a significant recovery from April onwards. U.S, sales were still strong in February, with a slowdown only starting in the second half of March and into April, while at the same time, Middle East and North Africa (MENA) markets reached new sales peaks.
Adapting to a “New Normal”
With so much market uncertainty and social distance practices being put in place, consumers are banking on products to become more widely available online. An analysis of over 300 of our global ecommerce merchant customers’ retail sales in over 185 countries (focusing on apparel, accessory, cosmetics and footwear items) found that despite the current economic volatility, cross-border ecommerce has surged 101% year-over-year worldwide, from January 1 through mid-June. May alone increased 133%, due in part to additional brands joining the D2C ecommerce trend.
In the U.S., consumers flocked to international retailers for online purchases, with April seeing 7% year-over-year growth and May experiencing 42% YoY growth respectively (see graph). While many regions worldwide experienced a temporary dip or flattening of their discretionary ecommerce growth in March in response to the outbreak of the pandemic, the Gulf region markets (which includes the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait) showed a positive growth trend with cross-border ecommerce sales reaching a skyrocketing growth ahead of Ramadan in April, surging to a 575% YoY increase (see graph). As COVID-19 cases and lockdowns peaked at different times globally, this has highlighted the need for retailers to spread their efforts worldwide.
Finally, one category that has relied most heavily on in-store retail is luxury. However, with major travel restrictions, and high-touch in-store experiences all but nonexistent, luxury items have been buoyed the most by global cross-border ecommerce strategies to boost sales, with a 39% YoY global growth in both April and May respectively.
Making Cross-Border a Seamless Experience
Despite dire warnings about the future of retail, in assessing the industry, the opportunities overtly exist in global D2C ecommerce. All regions have seen steady positive growth since April, with cross-border online sales rebounding and even exceeding pre-pandemic figures. Many brands and merchants have already started rolling out different initiatives to enhance the shopping experience online – whether that’s through simple ways to return online orders, offering more flexible payment options, enabling faster delivery or optimizing search.
As retailers seek to recover, rebuild or even expand sales this year, a truly robust and diversified ecommerce strategy is central to their survival and growth. A tailored and comprehensive approach to the local needs of digital buyers worldwide not only can help counter an inevitable retreat in brick-and-mortar retail, but open up revenue and growth opportunities to where the online shopping world is truly a retailer’s oyster.
About the author
Matthew Merrilees is the CEO, North America at Global-e, the leading provider in cross-border ecommerce solutions. He is responsible for all aspects of the country’s international ecommerce business ensuring frictionless integration with brands and delivering best-in-class service to customers. Matthew has previously held leadership positions at FedEx and DHL, and has a BA in business administration and management from Fairfield University.
With the holidays fast approaching, new research from Miconex shows that the majority of Americans are keen to support local retailers. 24% will be spending up to $1,000 during the holidays, and 78% worry about finding the perfect gift.
Millennials and Gen Z consumers are at the forefront in embracing financial services from their favourite brands. For businesses, incorporating financial services into their offerings presents a compelling proposition for brands as a path to increase engagement, conversion and repeat visits.
The standout concern for many retailers this Black Friday is shrinkage. More specifically, theft. With nearly 80% of US brands saying organized retail crime is a risk that has become a priority in the past year for them, increased footfall in-store only enhances the potential for shoplifting.


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WASHINGTON • The Trump administration has extended a licence allowing US companies to continue doing business with China's Huawei Technologies until May 15.
The US Commerce Department had in the past issued extensions of the temporary licence and previously extended it until April 1.
Huawei, the world's second-largest maker of smartphones, is also a major telecom equipment supplier that provides 5G network technology.
After adding Huawei to an economic blacklist last May, citing national security concerns, the Commerce Department has allowed it to purchase some US-made goods in a move aimed at minimising disruption for its customers, many of which operate wireless networks in rural America.
Separately, the Commerce Department sought public comments on whether it should issue future extensions and asked what was the "impact on your company or organisation if the temporary general licence is not extended?"
It also asked about the costs associated with ending the licences.
It has said the licences allow rural carriers to continue to service customers in some of the most remote areas of the US.
President Donald Trump also signed an executive order last May barring US companies from using telecommunications equipment made by companies deemed to pose a national security risk.
The US has expressed concern that Huawei equipment could contain security loopholes that allow China to spy on global communications traffic, which the company has denied.
Last November, the Federal Communications Commission followed up by voting unanimously to designate Huawei and ZTE Corporation as national security risks, effectively barring their rural customers in the US from tapping an US$8.5 billion (S$11.8 billion) government fund to purchase equipment.
Last month, Congress passed legislation to reimburse telecommunications providers with fewer than two million customers who replace equipment in their networks deemed to pose a national security risk.


text: The Spanish competition authority has launched a wide-ranging investigation to decide if Amazon’s rapidly expanding fulfilment service should be legally defined as a postal service. The Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia (CNMC), which regulates the postal sector, announced yesterday that it has agreed to open a case “to determine if Amazon satisfies the requirements to be considered a postal operator”. The investigation could take up to three months. “The Directorate of Transport and the Postal Sector believes that there are indications that, in its e-commerce activity, Amazon provides services that may be considered postal services,” it stated. The CNMC said the investigation will take into account “the characteristics of the shipments that it manages, the activities involved in said shipments, the legal relationship it maintains with freelancers who distribute its parcels and with third-party parcel delivery companies, the management of their self-service lockers, and others”. Under the Spanish postal law from 2013, postal operators have to ensure confidentiality of postal communications, observe laws to protect the rights of workers and users, and comply with regulations involving tax or immigration matters, the authority noted. Amazon has been expanding its logistics activities in Spain rapidly over the last few years. Its network includes two large fulfilment centres, five regional logistics centres, at least a dozen local delivery stations for final-mile deliveries and two urban logistics centres in Madrid and Barcelona for same-day Prime Now deliveries. The next major facility will be a 55,000 sqm regional logistics centre close to Murcia Airport in south-east Spain, according to recent Spanish media reports.


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Digital TV News: ESPN
MOBITV to power new TV service at Consolidated Communications
Oct 1, 2019 – MOBITV has announced that Consolidated Communications has selected the MOBITV CONNECT Platform to power its new TV service, CCiTV. The service will deliver content from nearly 200 live local, national, and premium channels, initially to subscribers in Southern Maine.
News categories: MOBITV, Consolidated Communications, Charlie Nooney, Rob Koester, Cable TV, Content Distribution, Digital TV, TV Everywhere, USA
Disney renews PlayStation Vue distribution agreement
Sep 27, 2019 – The Walt Disney Company has agreed the continued deliver of its lineup of sports, news and entertainment content to PlayStation Vue customers. The agreement includes the newly acquired FX and National Geographic networks as well as ESPN's newly launched ACC Network.
News categories: Walt Disney, PlayStation, Sean Breen, Digital TV, Games Console, OTT, USA
Pay-TV Innovation Forum releases 2019 global findings
Sep 11, 2019 – NAGRA (SIX:KUD.S), in partnership with MTM, has released the global findings of the 2019 Pay-TV Innovation Forum. The report summarises insights collected from industry executives across four regions: Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and North America.
News categories: NAGRA, MTM, Simon Trudelle, Jon Watts, Big Data, Content Distribution, Content Protection, Digital TV, Market Research, Worldwide
Netflix losing US share as rivals gain
Aug 21, 2019 – This year, 182.5 million people in the US will view content via subscription OTT services, representing 55.3% of the population. While Netflix remains the most popular subscription service, rivals like Hulu and Amazon Prime Video are stealing share, according to eMarketer.
News categories: eMarketer, Digital TV, Market Research, OTT, USA
New global launch dates confirmed for Disney+
Aug 19, 2019 – The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment has confirmed that Disney+ will launch in Canada and the Netherlands, in tandem with the U.S., on November 12 and in Australia and New Zealand on November 19.
News categories: Disney+, Australia, Canada, Digital TV, Netherlands, New Zealand, OTT, USA
Charter agrees deal to distribute Disney streaming services
Aug 14, 2019 – Charter Communications (NASDAQ: CHTR) and The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) have agreed terms for the continued deliver of Disney content to Spectrum customers. The deal also covers Charter’s future distribution of Disney’s streaming services, including Hulu, ESPN+ and the upcoming Disney+.
News categories: Disney, Charter Communications, Sean Breen, Tom Montemagno, Cable TV, Content Protection, Digital TV, OTT, USA
Consolidated Communications launches CCiTV in Southern Maine
Aug 12, 2019 – Consolidated Communications (NASDAQ: CNSL) has introduced CCiTV, a 200-channel TV service that includes restart/replay TV, voice-activated remote control, HD with 4K compatibility and cloud-based DVR storage to enable viewing of content anytime, anywhere.
News categories: Consolidated Communications, Rob Koester, Cable TV, Digital TV, Set Top Box, USA, UX
Pay-TV Innovation Forum reveals U.S. key findings
Aug 6, 2019 – NAGRA (SIX:KUD.S), with MTM, has released the key findings of the U.S. edition of the 2019 Pay-TV Innovation Forum. The report explores a wide range of themes and issues, from the future of the U.S. pay-TV market to the opportunities in next-generation aggregation.
News categories: NAGRA, MTM, Simon Trudelle, Jon Watts, Digital TV, Market Research, USA
DISH activates Google Assistant on Hopper receivers
Jul 31, 2019 – DISH has began rolling out a software update on the company's Hopper family receivers that allows customers to access the Google Assistant via the DISH voice remote, The capability builds on the voice remote's existing ability to control the TV.
News categories: DISH Network, Google Assistant, Rob Sadler, Digital TV, Satellite, Set Top Box, Smart Home, USA
- HEVC Advance adds JVCKenwood, NEC, Intellectual Discovery, and Korean Patent Investment as licensors
- TV Time acquires Mediamorph
- Apple TV App and Apple TV+ coming to the Roku platform
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Editor’s note: This article is part of an ongoing franchise series, which highlights brands that are new to or aggressively expanding via franchising. Is your restaurant starting to franchise? Email us at [email protected].
In the late 1990s, Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux and Bar founders Jack Warner and Brandon Landry were walk-on basketball players at Louisiana State University. While on the team, the pair competed at college campuses around the country, where they saw communities gathering at sports bars. But there wasn’t such a place near LSU’s stadium in Baton Rouge, and that sparked an idea.
During an entrepreneurship class, Warner and Landry hashed out a business plan for a sports bar with the help of their professor. After they graduated, they opened the first Walk-On’s restaurant — a 10,000-square-foot, 350-seat restaurant within walking distance from Tiger Stadium at LSU — in September 2003, Walk-On’s CEO Scott Taylor said.
But things didn’t run smoothly.
“The nickname early on was ‘wait-ons’ or ‘walkouts’ because you didn’t get your food or you didn’t want it when you got it,” Taylor said.
The founders weren’t going to give up easily, however, and constantly sought feedback on how to improve. They would offer gift cards to people, asking them to give the restaurant another shot. The founders asked industry experts for advice on how to run operations more efficiently. By 2008, Warner and Landry were ready to open their second location, Taylor said.
By 2009, Walk-On’s became a stereotypical bar with frozen and fried food that didn’t have anything special on the menu, Taylor said. When Taylor met the team in 2010, they explored ways to improve the menu, including changing from frozen, premade hamburgers to fresh ground beef and cutting fresh fish and peeling shrimp in-house, he said.
After opening its first couple of restaurants, the company brought on additional team members to help operations. As part of streamlining the menu, it removed overly complicated items and improved training to improve overall execution. Over time, the company phased in different technology such as a kitchen display system and prep areas along with inventory and prep management systems to reduce waste, Taylor said.
In 2011, when Walk-On’s opened its Lafayette, Louisiana, location, it unveiled its new menu and quickly saw food sales become 80% of its sales mix. Comparatively, its Baton Rouge location’s sales were split 50/50 between food and beverages at that time, Taylor said.
The focus on its menu paid off, and ESPN awarded Walk-On’s, which had only four locations at the time, the best sports bar in America in 2012.
“It was about our food. It was the fact that we didn’t even serve chicken wings,” Taylor said. “We had crawfish etouffee, duck and andouille gumbo, jumbo gulf shrimp and fresh seafood. And [it was] even more the fact that they came in and saw families and girls nights out and guys nights out and grandma and grandpa, everybody was there. It … wasn’t your typical sports bar.”
Following the award and success of its new menu, the company realized this was a concept that it could franchise. Things really kicked off after NFL quarterback Drew Brees, who was already a Jimmy John’s franchisee, wanted to invest and franchise the concept. Brees did so and became co-owner of the restaurant company in 2015.
The company had also been building its corporate infrastructure to support franchising and grew its team to 30-plus employees in the office by the time it opened its sixth restaurant in 2015. The company has since grown to over 75 units across 14 states, and received an investment from 10 Point Capital during the COVID-19 pandemic, Taylor said.
Walk-On’s expects to open its 100th location by the first quarter of 2024, Taylor said.
The company supports franchisees through three training modules: management training, new restaurant opening training and core training for already open restaurants, he said. The company offers 12 weeks of training for franchisees in total, including one week of training at the corporate office. Most of the training occurs at certified training locations around the country. In-restaurant training, which lasts nine weeks, offers learnings on hourly functions to best understand how to manage hourly employees. Each week provides leadership and operator training on how to be a successful operator, Taylor said. After this training, an operator partner helps in at least one new location prior to the opening of their own to better understand what it takes to successfully open a restaurant. This training lasts one week.
Following in-restaurant training, all managers must complete 30-hours of instruction at Walk-On’s University program, in which department leaders at its Baton Rouge headquarters provide hands-on training and a culture immersion into its “Walk-On’s Way” culture, Taylor said.
For new restaurants, Walk-On’s will send over a dozen corporate employees to the field for two to three weeks to help open the location as well. The company also limits the number of restaurants that are managed by franchise coaches to 15 units and regional marketing coaches to 20 units to ensure that they can provide the attention needed to operators.
The company has also been adapting its operations in recent years, especially following the pandemic. During the covid crisis, the company was still opening restaurants that were under construction. These units were opening with 50% capacity, but were still setting national sales records. That made Walk-On’s realize that it didn’t necessarily need 8,000 square feet to build a successful restaurant.
Walk-On’s developed a 6,000-square-foot model, dubbed Wildcat, that has a little over 200 seats. This is enough dining room space to maintain the average unit volume of $5 million, Taylor said. The company is working on several new locations with this model, but hasn’t announced them yet. The smaller model generates about 35% of savings compared to the larger restaurant. Walk-On’s has also been focusing on restaurant conversions and has repurposed TGI Fridays, Twin Peaks and other full-service restaurants around the country.
Since the pandemic, Walk-On’s embraced curbside, takeout and touchless payments at the table. This year, the company is undergoing its largest technology upgrade ever, which will include a revamp of its website and a new point-of-sales system and loyalty app, Taylor said.
“Everything is geared around ‘how do we engage with our guests in a personal way,’ understanding that everybody’s different,” Taylor said.
Development plans: The company has over 100 units in the pipeline and expects to open around 18 restaurants this year, Taylor said. The brand doesn’t plan to open more than 20 to 25 units per year to ensure that each of these openings are successful.
Walk-On’s likes tertiary markets with populations of about 100,000 where it can be a big player in a small market, but also will open in larger markets. The company generates 30% of sales during the lunch daypart, so it also wants to be around a daytime population where families, travelers and others can come in for lunch during the week. It also wants to be close enough to families to generate weeknight business, Taylor said.
Ideal franchisees: Walk-On’s works with single- and multi-unit operators, Taylor said. Oftentimes franchise operators are partnerships between an interested individual, like an athlete who has necessary capital but no restaurant experience, and an experienced restaurant operator who knows how to run the business but doesn’t have the capital. The company prefers individuals who are well-connected to their communities. One operator company, which is run by three couples who went to Texas Tech University and church together, opened a restaurant in Lubbock, Texas, in 2016. The owners knew everybody in the community and would greet people as they arrived. That restaurant continues to be successful, Taylor said.
Franchise quick facts
- Minimum net worth: $1.5 million (per location)
- Minimum liquidity: $500,000 (per location)
- Franchise fee: $60,000
- Royalty fee: 5%
- Marketing fee: 2%


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Yummy Yorkshire showcased its produce at a meal celebrating the benefits of wind energy attended by chef and broadcaster Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.
The ‘Great British Wind Meal’ event, which took place at the chef’s River Cottage Plymouth Canteen and was organised by RenewableUK and energyshare on Friday (29 November), showcased products where the ingredients come from sources powered by the wind.
We are chuffed to bits to announce that Yummy Yorkshire has won the Huddersfield Examiner ‘place to make it award’ 2013.
Yummy Yorkshire’s Toffee & Cherry Ice Cream has beaten off stiff competition to win best Dairy Product at the eighth annual deliciouslyorkshire Awards.
The judges of best Dairy product described the winning product as ‘very creamy and not too sweet with a lovely balanced combination of flavours.’ They particularly loved the whole black cherries rippled throughout which give a subtle flavour.
We are chuffed to bits to announce that Yummy Yorkshire co-founder Louise Holmes has been shortlisted as a finalist in the Forward Ladies 2013 Women in Business Awards for Yorkshire and the North East.
Yummy Yorkshire has been shortlisted for a further food award just two weeks after winning three prestigious Great Taste Awards.
We are thrilled to announce we have been shortlisted in the eighth annual deliciouslyorkshire Awards for two ice cream flavours; Hazelnut and Toffee & Cherry.
Yummy Yorkshire has been awarded a two star Gold rating for its Basil flavoured Ice Cream while its Coconut & Mango and Black Garlic™ flavours received a one star Gold rating each.


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A friend of mine recently told me she was going to have a solar company come out and give her an estimate on installing solar panels on her roof. I never followed up to see what happened, but if she’s still considering it she might want to read the fine print. The Daily Signal reported that many of these companies, which receive big taxpayer subsidies, are gouging consumers with hidden costs. Oh, and it’s not just the consumers with solar panels, but their neighbors who get stuck sharing the cost.
Thanks to the slew of solar industry subsidies, homeowners can effectively contract with solar leasing firms that will install those panels for free. But they often get gouged later, as do taxpayers in one of the great corporate welfare scams of modern times.
Shady Solar Leasing Firms?
Congress is investigating if the industry is ensnaring homeowners in green energy “teaser” loans.
Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., a member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, plus 11 House colleagues fired off a letter last month to the Federal Trade Commission asking if the booming solar leasing market — a “new industry with a limited track record and little regulatory oversight — poses a “considerable risk” to homeowners.
Some leasing companies “sold large numbers of subprime mortgages to unsuspecting homeowners in the runup to the subprime mortgage crisis,” the investigators have found.
California and Louisiana homeowners have filed class-action lawsuits vs. solar leasing companies alleging fraudulent marketing campaigns that don’t warn customers of true costs and risks.
Read the whole thing, there is much more, including how utility companies are forced to buy solar power at inflated rates, which must then be passed on to all of their customers. The solar companies also market heavily in areas like mine, where it’s not always that sunny. Hey, why not when other people foot the bill? What a racket!


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Elijah Cummings releases new accusations of Walmart bribes
- Staff Baltimore Business Journal
Democratic U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings and Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., have made public new accusations that Wal-Mart Stores Inc. bribed public officials in Mexico to accommodate the company's growth plans, Bloomberg reported.
The New York Times in December published detailed reports on Walmart's expansion in Mexico — including the company's strategy to gain favor among local officials to win necessary approvals.
Now, Bloomberg reports, Cummings and Waxman are investigating claims made by an ex-lawyer for Walmart that the retailer used a current state governor to distribute $156,000 in bribes to help Walmart open new stores. Former Walmart attorney Sergio Cicero Zapata says Graco Ramirez Garrido Abreu, a Mexican governor, was "the main contact person" to rush approvals from the country's Urban Development Ministry.
Documents released by Cummings and Waxman also reveal hundreds of thousands of dollars in alleged bribes to other Mexican officials that had not yet been reported.
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From: FinTech Global
Darknet users have increased the value of their bitcoin transactions, according to new research from Bitfury, the emerging technologies company.
The research found that the value of the cryptocurrency used in the seedier parts of the web had increased by 65% in the first three months of this year, compared to the same period in 2019.
At the same time though, the amount of bitcoin decreased.
This was partly due to the fact that the value of bitcoin has increased and that darknet entities are transferring more money between them. The growing popularity of the cryptocurrency also contributed to the rise.
The amount of bitcoin sent from darknet entities to so-called mixers, services used to mix potentially identifiable or tainted cryptocurrency funds with others to make it harder to track their origins, also grew in the period.
“It is possible that darknet users are trying to hide their bitcoin flow inside of the darknet, avoiding detection of their activities,” Bitfury said. “This also encourages darknet services to cooperate and grow their revenue internally.”
The research comes as the debate about bitcoin being used for more murky purposes have been reignited in the aftermath of the big Twitter hack this week. The hack saw Twitter’s cybersecurity being breached in a social engineering attack, which in turn gave the bad actors access to several high-profile accounts. The cyber criminals then used this access to launch a bitcoin scam.
Bitcoin stakeholders now worry that the scam will soil the cryptocurrency’s reputation further, with it already suffering from reports about how criminals use cryptocurrencies to launder money or, as in the infamous OneCoin case, form the centre of elaborate multi-million scams.
Copyright © 2020 FinTech Global


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NEW YORK (AP) — PepsiCo Inc. said Friday that it plans to invest an additional $2.5 billion in China in the next three years on new plants and research facilities as the food and beverage maker builds up its presence in the growing market. The company made the announcement in a news release Friday from Shanghai, site of the Shanghai Expo, where PepsiCo is a sponsor of the USA Pavilion.
OSCEOLA, Wis. (AP) — Polaris Industries Inc. says it will shut down its parts plant in the western Wisconsin city of Osceola (ahss-see-OH'-luh). The Medina, Minn.-based maker of snowmobiles, ATVs and Victory motorcycles says it's moving many of the operations to a new facility in the Monterrey-Saltillo area of Mexico.
GUANGZHOU, China (AP) — A worker at Foxconn Technology Group, which makes iPhones and iPads, jumped to his death Friday from a building in the southern Chinese boomtown of Shenzhen — the ninth suicide this year at the world's largest contract maker of electronics, state-run media reported.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The heads of Tesla Motors Inc. and Toyota Motors Corp. surprised the auto world Thursday by announcing a partnership to develop and build electric cars at a recently shuttered auto plant in the San Francisco Bay area. Akio Toyoda, CEO of the world's largest automaker, said Toyota will invest $50 million in Tesla when the company begins selling stock to the public, and Tesla CEO Elon Musk said his company will purchase the New United Motor Manufacturing Inc.
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Nissan Motor Co. is planning to recall 48,700 trucks and sport utility vehicles for problems with a suspension part that could lead to a rough ride. Spokesman Colin Price says the company is working on details with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and expects the recall to begin this week.
BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union fined 10 producers of memory chips, including Samsung, a combined euro331 million ($403 million) on Wednesday for colluding in a price-fixing cartel. The EU Commission said that the companies, mostly non-European, rigged the market between 1998 and 2002 by sharing secret information which allowed them to set prices and quotations for Dynamic Random Access Memory chips in Europe.
DETROIT (AP) — AM General LLC, best known as the maker of hulking Humvees and gas-guzzling Hummers, is going greener with a new foray into the electric vehicle business. The South Bend, Ind., company will handle final assembly of Ford Motor Co.'s electric Transit Connect commercial vans, which will go on sale next spring.
TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner visited some of the top exporters in Washington state on Tuesday in advance of a trip to encourage China to open more of its markets to American companies and their products. After going to Boeing Co.'s 737 jetliner plant in Renton, Geithner and Gov.
HAMMELBURG, Germany (AP) — On the outside, it looks like a normal SUV. But the prototype "autonomous robot car" — fitted with sensors and scanners, multifocal camera systems and powerful computers — might one day help avoid military fatalities from bombings and ambushes — or so its designers hope.
Deere & Co. said Wednesday that its second-quarter profit jumped 16 percent as sales of farm and construction equipment improved, so the maker of iconic green and yellow machinery raised its outlook for the second time this year. The Moline, Ill.-based company said it generated $547.5 million in net income, or $1.
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SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — An Arizona-based company says it wants to open a wind turbine blade plant in Sioux City, which has recently suffered large layoffs. Sioux City officials and TPI Composites say in state documents that the company wants to open a 250,000-square-foot factory that would employ 500 workers.
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NEW YORK (AP) — Pfizer Inc. said Tuesday it will cut 6,000 jobs as it trims its manufacturing capacity worldwide after acquiring smaller rival Wyeth last year. The world's biggest drugmaker says it will cease operations at eight plants in Ireland, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. by the end of 2015, and reduce operations at six other plants over the next several years.
DETROIT (AP) — In less than a year, General Motors Co. has roared back from bankruptcy to a quarterly profit. Now comes the hard part: Sustaining the income and repaying billions of dollars in government aid. There are signs that GM is on track to do just that. Revenue is up 40 percent over the first quarter of last year.
BEIJING (Kyodo) — China's Air Force has refused to accept 16 J-11B fighters manufactured by a domestic aircraft maker due to technical problems, the Kanwa Defense Review magazine said in its June issue, quoting a Western intelligence source in Beijing. China is believed to have developed the new fighter based on technology from the Russian fighter Sukhoi Su-27, sparking speculation that the maker, Shenyang Aircraft Corp.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Army says it is recalling 44,000 advanced combat helmets that have been issued to soldiers worldwide because they do not meet military specifications. The Army said in a statement Friday that the risk to soldiers wearing the helmets is still being determined. New helmets are being issued to anyone who has a defective one.
STUART, Fla. (AP) — If you've ever perched on the fiberglass platform that juts out from the back of a boat, it might have been made by Beachcomber Fiberglass Technology. The Stuart company, in business since 1978, builds those swim platforms and other ubiquitous items that are so much a part of boating and marinas that most people never think about their origins.
KETTLE FALLS, Wash. (AP) — Roaring furnaces unleash the energy of wood at Avista Corp.'s Kettle Falls generating station. Chips and bark become white-hot ash as temperatures soar to 2,500 degrees inside the massive seven-story furnaces. The searing heat produces steam, which runs a turbine for electricity.


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Mitsubishi Motors’ Q1 profit tumbles 75 pct after mileage-cheating scandal
TOKYO, July 27 (Reuters) – Mitsubishi Motors Corp on Wednesday reported a 75 percent plunge in first-quarter operating profit as domestic sales slumped after it admitted to overstating the fuel economy of some of its vehicles.
Japan’s sixth largest car maker by vehicle sales posted an operating profit of 4.6 billion yen ($43.63 million) in April-June, compared with a SmartEstimate loss for 140 million yen from five analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S/.
Mitsubishi stuck with its forecast for an annual net loss of 145 billion yen for the year to March as the fallout from the mileage-cheating scandal drags down operating profit by a whopping 82 percent.
The company said it will book an extraordinary loss of 125.9 billion yen for the full business year as a result of the cheating.