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It’s now widely recognised in the mobile industry that Asia Pacific (APAC) is the world’s foremost growth region in IoT, representing 40% of the total global spend last year. 37 of the world’s 110 Mobile IoT networks are deployed in Asia Pacific across 12 countries, and there remains plenty of room for growth and ROI – the GSMA published a report at this year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona setting out how APAC is putting Mobile IoT to highly innovative uses. That flourishing of connections and smart services – and all the improvements to quality of life they bring with them – won’t just continue to unfold unaided, however; and recent signs of slowing subscriber growth in Asia only further underscores the need for industry collaboration on IoT across APAC, to ensure continued adoption at scale.
To that end, the APAC IoT Partnership Programme was launched in October 2018, to bring together operators and their partners in the wider ecosystem for the sharing of ideas, progress updates and common challenges. By convening key players in this way we work to accelerate adoption of IoT across APAC, as well as promoting regional thought leadership. Participants can gain access to open labs to test innovative new use cases, and unparalleled networking opportunities through what is already the largest IoT community in the region. By the time of our engagement events in Hong Kong and Shenzhen in December last year – which focused on NB-IoT deployments, AI and engaging with device companies – over 500 partners had joined, including developers, manufacturers, system integrators and vertical solution providers.
The latest event on the Programme’s tour took us to Taipei last month, where 28 industry experts from 14 different mobile network operators met at the Smart City Summit Expo to consider progress and discuss the road ahead. As of March 2019 24 operators across 13 countries were members of the APAC IoT Partnership Programme, with two new members welcomed at last month’s event: Sri Lankan operator Mobitel, and Jazz from Pakistan. 16 IoT ecosystem partners were invited to showcase their solutions to the assembled regional operators in a pitching and matching session: these included innovations in smart agriculture, smart homes, smart cities, and a variety of other in logistics, edge computing and augmented reality. Real deployment learnings were available through inspection of innovations such as an integrated smart transport hub, and an MEC-based augmented reality-navigation shopping mall. There were over 100 companies present at the broader exhibition, providing rich insight into the shape of the region’s IoT market.
The feedback from Programme members was highly encouraging – in fact our member survey revealed 100% of participating operators felt their organisational objectives in attending had been met. Chamith Hettiarachchi, Head of Business Solutions, Mobitel reflected that it was “valuable to learn from and connect with IoT and smart city service providers based in Taiwan… they shared a lot of real use case, deployment information models, statuses an challenges.” We also received constructive suggestions in terms of the forward view – recognising the potential for events of this kind to catalyse development across this increasingly complex ecosystem, Hendra Sumiarsa, Head Of IoT & Smart City Business Development, Indosat urged the GSMA “to arrange and help explore more in mission critical communication, smart lighting, smart building, 5G IoT, AI, blockchain in specific vertical segments including healthcare, logistics, transport, manufacturing and automotive.”
Broadening, deepening and refining engagement across the IoT ecosystem is at the heart of the Programme’s mission, and we welcome such valuable input from our members. Our next activities will take place at Mobile World Congress in Shanghai between 26 – 28 June 2019; the Programme will also have a presence at the Mobile 360: Digital Societies in Kuala Lumpur. There remain speaking opportunities available for members at both. If you or your partners would like to join this growing network through either the APAC IoT Partnership Programme or the APAC IoT partner community, please contact
Start: Thursday 26 September 2019 8:30 am
End: Thursday 26 September 2019 5:30 pm
Venue: Mayang Sari Grand Ballroom, Lower Level 3, JW Marriott Kuala Lumpur
Location: 183, Bukit Bintang Street, Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Attend this IoT Summit at the M360 Digital Societies to learn the latest Mobile IoT development and deployment, understand how industries adopt the technologies and obtain insights into regional IoT innovators and ecosystem communities...


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People on prepayment meters could soon see their energy bills rise, according to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
The CMA has said it is adjusting the way it calculates the energy price cap for prepayment customers. The prepayment energy price cap was introduced in April 2017 and is not to be confused with Ofgem’s energy price cap that was introduced in January this year for customers on standard variable tariffs.
The prepayment energy price cap, which currently stands at £1,242 a year for the average household, will be extended beyond its initial end date in 2020 due to the delay in the smart meter rollout. The government has been planning for every home and business in the UK to be offered a smart meter installation by the end of next year, although officials have warned that this could be delayed by a further two years.
According to the CMA, once the rollout of smart meters is complete, there will be no need for the price cap to protect consumers as customers will be able to monitor and control their energy usage and efficiency. Smart meters record the amount of gas and electricity that is used in a home, sending the data back to the energy supplier who then bills the customer accurately, while displaying to the customer their energy usage in real time and in pounds and pence.
“The rollout of smart meters has not progressed in line with the initial projections on which the EMI Final Report was premised,” said the CMA. “Evidence shows that it is not on track to complete by the end of 2020 and we believe may be as much as two years behind schedule. Some of the costs that an efficient supplier is expected to bear in supplying prepayment customers have increased to a level materially higher than that reflected in the (prepay cap) methodology.”
Prepayment meters are typically used by vulnerable customers, for example those that have struggled keeping up with payments in the past and those living in rented accommodation. However, prepayment energy deals are usually more expensive than standard tariffs because of the costs involved with administering the technology. Households with prepayment meters have also been told they are likely to be the last to be offered smart meters. There are currently around 4 million households in the UK with prepayment meters.
The CMA said that energy suppliers and consumer groups have until July 8 to challenge their ruling, while the decision was welcomed by the energy regulator, Ofgem.
“This will ensure the market offers choice and protection to prepayment customers both now and in the future,” said a spokesperson for Ofgem. “Under the default and prepayment meter price caps, households are protected and will always pay a fair price for their energy and not be overcharged. If approved, the new prepayment meter cap level methodology will be reflected in the next cap period coming into effect in October, which Ofgem will announce in August. Alongside the price caps, we are continuing to work with government and the industry to deliver a more competitive, fairer, greener and smarter energy market that works for all consumers.”

domain: news


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Wickes today reports improved sales growth in the third quarter of its fiscal year. But he says uncertainty remains around inflation and consumer confidence – and warns his own energy costs could be £7.5m higher in his 2023 financial year than the year before if they stay at the current corporate price cap. This is currently set to end in April, when costs could increase further.
However, retail price inflation has receded for Wickes, in part due to lower lumber costs.
The leading digital DIY retailer, ranked Top50 in RXUK Top500 research, rolled out its 30-minute Click and Collect service in the third quarter of its financial year. It completed three store redevelopments during the quarter and has since opened a new store in Bolton and expects further openings in 2023.
The update comes as Wickes says in a third-quarter trade update, for the 13 weeks to October 1, that sales were up 2.6% in the quarter. This is an improvement on the 0.8% growth recorded in the first half of the year, when sales fell in the first quarter (-4%) but rose more strongly in the second (+5.4%). ).
Its core DIY sales were flat from a year ago, but sales of do-it-for-me (DIFM) services were up 12.2% from a year ago. Sales were ahead 19.2% over the same period in pre-pandemic 2019, with core sales ahead 27.3% but DIFM sales down 1.7%.
But while Wickes is still working on its delayed DIFM backlog, it says third quarter orders are down from the same time last year as “customers are taking longer to engage in important projects.
Trade sales have been strong, with its TradePro customers growing by 10,000 a month to around 720,000, which Wickes says reflects growing awareness of the program and “its compelling value proposition.”
Wickes now expects adjusted pre-tax profits for the full year to be between £72m and £82m.
David Wood, Managing Director of Wickes, said: “It has been a time of further progress across all areas of the business, with customers and traders continuing to come to Wickes because of our value, availability and service.
“While remaining attentive to external headwinds, we continue to focus on our growth levers and maintain strict control of our costs. Our unique balanced business model positions us well to continue to outperform the market. »
These figures follow a record first half turnover of £822.3 million, 1.3% higher than the previous year.
Wickes sells online and in 230 stores that support fulfillment nationwide through digital channels, including its website, TradePro mobile app and DIY app.


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Now with more talk time, voice-activated Siri access — and a new Wireless Charging Case — AirPods deliver an unparalleled wireless headphone experience.
If you can’t make an AirPower pad, change the products you’re supposed to charge on them so you can. I think that’s Apple’s new philosophy as we head into day 3 of Apple’s hardware-refresh-a-poolza.
Apple’s new A$319 AirPods with their now Qi compatible Wireless Charging case also introduce a new “H1” chip that boasts an extra hour of talk time, faster connection speed and “Hey Siri” activation support.
The new “H” for Headphone chips represent a new line of Apple’s ever-expanding chip lineup and will be iterated upon now made specifically for headphones. The “W” line that was used before will remain too but be used exclusively in Apple’s watches.
The new 2019 AirPods can also be bought without the Wireless Charging case (Why?) for A$249 and for those of you with an existing set you can buy just the case for A$129.
All of these are available for purchase now and will be shipping from Monday next week.
As for the AirPower pad… there are rumours swirling we may finally see that next week, now that they only have to deal with two types of charging instead of three.
Source: AirPods – Apple (AU)


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Lochinvar’s key tradeshow, the 2021 AHR Expo, had been canceled due to continued ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, the company needed to create a moment in time, even in absence of the AHR Expo, that would help them achieve the same impact as past events. Virtual events were nothing new after over a year of staying at home, but how could Lochinvar set theirs apart? That’s where we came in, excited to partner with their teams to create a virtual event that stood out from the rest.
A Key Product Launch—Without a Booth
The AHR Expo serves as the premier moment Lochinvar leverages to generate excitement around their latest innovations, announce new products and generate leads as they connect with contractors, engineers and distributors. In many ways the company’s calendar centers on AHR, as they are typically the biggest booth and are routinely expected to be the largest draw at the show.
Lochinvar also had a significant product advancement to launch this year—the CREST Commercial Water Heater with Hellcat™ Combustion Technology. CREST, an existing product, combined with new technology that makes real-time adjustments to external environments, would be the first of its kind in a commercial space. This wasn’t simply an update—it was a true game-changer for commercial spaces, such as baseball stadiums or hospitals, that now would not have to rely on additional maintenance hours for monitoring and tweaks.
Additionally, Lochinvar was set to announce its sustainability initiative, STRIDE, designed to mitigate the consumption of energy required to heat water and reduce greenhouse gas emissions over time.
With some big announcements—and business goals—on the line, Lochinvar turned to GS&F for a plan that would be just as exciting and worthwhile as a visit to their booth at an in-person AHR Expo.
Putting Industry Leaders First
As our teams considered how to bring a virtual event for Lochinvar to life, we returned again and again to Lochinvar’s status—they’re simply the best in the industry, from their products and people to the technological innovations behind them. With this in mind, the team decided to put the company’s experts directly in front of Lochinvar’s customers to speak to them.
Instead of speaking with a sales rep at the booth, contractors, distributors and engineers would get to hear the experts talk about the products they helped design. They’d get front-row access to the brains behind the innovation. To let the experts shine and to create a look and feel on par with Lochinvar’s industry leader status, we’d ensure the event felt simple but premium and exclusive with inspiration from TED Talks and Apple product launches. This approach became the driving idea behind the Lochinvar 2021 Reveal Event.
To promote the event, we turned to an integrated approach with paid, earned and owned media. Our creative team developed paid media banners, paid and organic social ads, a hype video and press kits, which were sent to a number of key players in the industry. As the event neared, we also used email campaigns to invite viewers, remind them to join the event, and add it to their calendars. After the event we followed up with a quick note of thanks, a link to watch the event again, and complete responses to questions that were covered during the event.
Setting the Stage and Raising the Curtain
Once we’d decided to focus on Lochinvar’s leaders in innovation, our production team got to work. Renting a stage space in the Nashville area, we recorded the event with six cameras rolling the entire time to achieve a premium look and feel with a variety of different types of footage. After the initial shoot, the produced video took two weeks to cut and finalize.
When it came time for the event our team hosted the live feed that allowed us to track metrics, such as attendees and how long they watched. Though the talk was pre-recorded, the chat feature allowed viewers to interact and respond in real time. Two teams at Lochinvar monitored questions and responded as they came in.
This engagement revealed an exciting benefit to virtual events—often, viewers come in already eager and ready to respond to what they see, whereas tradeshows can make it easier for visitors to have minimal engagement as they browse booths. Our team even heard of groups of viewers setting up watch parties to hear the latest from Lochinvar!
A New Way Forward
By the numbers, the Lochinvar 2021 Reveal Event generated outstanding engagement and registration:
2,550 total registrants
2,700 new users accessed the event site
1,200 individual devices accessed the video within the site
At least 5 countries represented by viewers
Tradeshows represent the way the industry has communicated new products and innovations for years, but after the 2021 Reveal Event Lochinvar expressed excitement for new opportunities to come. We’re all about partnering with ambitious brands like Lochinvar who don’t want to stick to the status quo, and this virtual event helped them take the next step toward becoming the company they want to be.


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It is amazing to see which the progress which medical 3D printing has been producing in new years, reflecting predictions created by Gartner regarding the next path of the innovation. Following the FDA-approved cranio and facial implants of Oxford Performance Materials, Bio Architects has revealed FDA approval of a patient-specific titanium cranial/craniofacial plate implant. Whilst it may not be the initially overall, BioArchitects is the initially to obtain such clearance for a titanium cranial/craniofacial plate.
The implant, to be permanently attached to the skull and/or face with self-tapping titanium screws, is intended to repair defects in non-loadbearing bones in the head and face. These injuries include bony defects of trauma, disease, and congenital issues. 3D printed with Arcam’s EBM innovation, the implants are created of biocompatible titanium and showcase light mass and high tensile durablity. Because the implants are created via CT and MRI scans of individual patients, they can be 3D printed specifically with the patient in mind.
Mark Ulrich, CEO of BioArchitects USA, said of the news, “We are incredibly proud to offer to what we consider another primary advance in the trend in the direction of personalized medicine. We believe which this is yet another step in the direction of what can ultimately become the new standard of care.” Magnus Rene, CEO of the Arcam Group, commented, “BioArchitects is a prime example of how new organizations are via EBM innovation to advance biomedical surgeries which truly effect people’s lives. Arcam has been a strategic supplier to the orthopedic market for over a decade and tens of thousands of implants are created annual of our EBM systems. It is clear which both BioArchitects and Arcam are advancing patient care with new technologies which can manufacture a worthwhile difference in the world of medicine for years to come.”
As amazing as this news is, it is part of a larger trend of increasing FDA approval of 3D printed medical devices which in addition include Aprecia’s 3D printed medication, dentures created with 3D printing, spinal implants of multiple companies, and the aforementioned craniofacial devices of OPM. Altogether, 3D printing is producing a lot of headway in the direction ofs becoming a mainstream innovation in the medical industry.


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A report in Ward’s Auto dated February 7 says EV battery prices are falling faster than expected and could be lower than the magic $100 per kWh mark by 2020. Ward’s correspondent John McElroy says he learned some interesting things while talking to industry sources at the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
He writes, “Back in 2010 the Department of Energy set a cost goal of $125 per kilowatt hour for an EV battery pack by 2022, because that would make electric propulsion systems equal to the cost of an internal combustion engine. In addition to individual cells, the battery pack also includes the supporting structure, cooling mechanisms, and battery management systems.
“At the time, no one saw a clear path of how to get to that cost. But at CES, several EV experts told me the DOE’s number is turning out to be a very conservative goal. They assured me those costs will be under $100 before 2020, and not long after that they will go down to about $80 per kilowatt hour.”
Let’s think about that for a moment. If you are an electric car advocate, what things need to change before EVs go mainstream? First, the price of the cars has to come down. The federal tax credit may not be around forever. In fact, it may not survive the Trump administration’s first 100 days. EV prices have to be affordable to mainstream shoppers even it there are no federal, state, or local incentives. Since batteries are the biggest chunk of an EV’s sticker price, reducing the cost of the battery is the fastest way to slash the sales price. Second, America needs more EV charging infrastructure.
General Motors product chief Mark Reuss has confirmed to Green Car Reports that the cells used in the new Chevy Bolt cost $145 per kWh. If that number dropped to $100, the battery pack for the Bolt would cost the company $4,000 less and that price decrease could be passed along to consumers. Keep in mind that cell prices and battery pack prices are two separate animals. The battery pack includes the individual cells plus the supporting structure, cell cooling mechanisms and battery management systems. According to the Institute for Energy Research, the price of Tesla battery pack today is $190 per kWh.
McElroy believes once battery prices fall below $100 per kWh, sales of battery electric cars in the US could grow to 1,000,000 vehicles a year, with plug-in hybrids responsible for another 1,000,000 sales. Suddenly, the market share of cars with motors would explode from about 1% today to over 10% and in just a few short years. Battery prices can’t do much about EV charging infrastructure, but more cars on the road would put pressure on utilities, governments, and entrepreneurs to make infrastructure catch up with demand. These are exciting times for electric car fans.
Source: Ward’s Auto


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Apple’s keenly awaited latest version of its flagship iPhone initially disappointed investors on Tuesday, as new chief executive Tim Cook’s debut product launch failed to meet expectations.
The iPhone 4S looks very similar to the iPhone 4 but includes a faster chip, a better camera and a voice-recognition feature that takes dictation and processes naturally asked questions such as “Do I need a raincoat today?” and “How is the Nasdaq doing today?”
Investors who had been looking for more dramatic improvements to be unveiled on Tuesday sent Apple shares down more than 3 per cent by mid-afternoon in New York, though they recovered most of that ground amid a broader market rally.
The phone includes a dual-core A5 processing chip, first introduced in the iPad 2, which Apple said made it as much as twice as fast as the previous iPhone. The phone also switches between two antennas to optimise call quality and double the speed of downloads, said Phil Schiller, Apple’s marketing chief. It has both GSM and CDMA capability, so that it can switch among networks around the world.
Mr Cook, under scrutiny in his first meeting with the press and analysts since succeeding the ailing Apple founder Steve Jobs, maintained his low-key style and said the critical advantage for Apple was its ability to combine hardware, software and services “in such a powerful yet integrated experience”.
In addition to the new handset, Apple said the fifth full version of its iOS operating system for iPhones and iPads would be available free from October 12. It has tighter integration with Twitter, less intrusive notifications, and a Newsstand application that refreshes magazines and newspaper content.
In services, Apple said its previously announced iCloud storage system, also free from the same date, would automatically download purchased songs and apps from iTunes to all devices owned by the same person.
The phone business now provides nearly half of Apple’s revenue, or $13.2bn in the quarter that ended in June. The company took in $6bn from its less than two-year-old iPad line and just $5.1bn from sales of its Mac computers, mainly notebook models.
Perhaps in recognition of the increasing challenge posed by handsets relying on Google’s Android operating system, Apple cut many of its prices. The new iPhones will cost $199, $299 or $399 with subsidies and two-year contracts from top US carriers AT&T, Verizon Wireless and new addition Sprint starting October 14. The phones will also go on sale then in the UK, Japan, Germany and elsewhere, spreading to more than 70 countries by the end of the year.


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Turkey, Azerbaijan agreed to make preferential trade deal, technical works underway: Minister
AA photoTurkey and Azerbaijan have agreed to make a preferential trade deal and its technical negotiations are underway now, a top Turkish official has said.
“In a bid to boost our economic cooperation, I want to remind that we agreed to sign a preferential trade agreement with Azerbaijan. The related technical talks are underway right now. We hope that the deal would be online soon and help to boost our bilateral trade ties,” said Turkish Science, Industry and Technology Minister Faruk Özlü in a summit in Istanbul on Feb. 17, as quoted by state-run Anadolu Agency.
In the 5th Turkey-Azerbaijan-Georgia Business Forum, organized by the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK), he also noted that the works to make trade with their own currencies have also started, adding that Turkey made some 6.5 percent of its foreign trade in the Turkish Lira in 2016.
“In this vein, Turkish and Azeri technical delegations came together last month and exchanged their views to further surge bilateral trade. One of our targets is to boost our bilateral trade on the lira and the manat, thus protecting our businesspeople from fluctuations in the foreign exchange markets,” he added.
Özlü noted that Turkey wants to improve its economic and trade ties with Georgia. Some $1.3 billion was recorded last year with a 4.2 percent of increase compared to 2015, adding that Turkey had remained at top places in the country’s imports and exports since 2009.
He added that the free trade agreement, which was signed between the two countries in 2008, played a key role in the rise.
Özlü also emphasized on the significance of joint projects by Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia especially in the field of energy, including the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) and the Kars-Tbilisi-Baku Railway.


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Apple iOS7 UI Designers Recruited from Kindergarten? [Trak.in Toons]
Release of iOS7 was the talk of the online world yesterday. For the first time since iPhone was launched in 2007, iOS has got a major cosmetic overhaul. The reactions to the new look iOS7 have been quite mixed.
While some of the Apple fans have described it a great overhaul, many others have been extremely disappointed with it. Many are talking about the revamped iOS7 being heavily influenced (even copied) from Android.
However, one of the most talked about change has been that of icons on iOS7. They are starkly different in design and look from iOS6. The Verge aptly summarizes it by saying,
“The icons are the first sign that there are points of confusion and even missteps in Apple’s new approach. For starters, the icon styles vary wildly from app to app.”
With lots of flak coming in regarding the flat but absurd icon designs of iOS7, one really wonders what exactly happened to Apple’s oh-so-awesome designs? Here is what we think..


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As WeWork tallies up the damage from its New York shopping sprees, the splurge it made at Lord & Taylor may prove to be the most costly of all.
The office-sharing startup — which scrapped its IPO last month amid accusations of self-dealing that ousted its charismatic CEO Adam Neumann — is now scrambling to shore up a massive bet it made on the landmark Lord & Taylor building on Fifth Avenue, The Post has learned.
In January, WeWork teamed up in an $850 million deal to buy the department-store chain’s historic flagship at 424 Fifth Avenue. In an unusual move a month later, it signed a long-term lease to also become the lone tenant in the 10-story, 660,000-square-foot building.
The big worry: WeWork agreed to pay a stiff $105 per square foot — well above the $80-a-foot that’s more typical of buildings in the neighborhood. Now, sources say it’s having trouble finding subtenants who are interested in the pricey floor space — including Amazon, which had weighed a deal to become the sole occupant.
“It’s become the real bloodsucker of WeWork,” one source close to the situation told The Post.
Insiders now speculate that, with Neumann gone, WeWork will be forced to tap outside brokers to market its L&T space for traditional long-term use.
It’s one of the thorniest problems left in WeWork’s lap by Neumann, who cut a string of deals to become a landlord to his own company. In this case, he became part owner of the Lord & Taylor building through a joint venture called WeWork Property Investors.
“Adam pushed everything through as he was the majority owner on everything, and nobody ever said no to him,” a source close to the company said. “The property fund is a huge conflict to the operating company. It was Adam’s way of profiting off the back of the money-losing side.”
WeWork is Manhattan’s largest office tenant with over 5 million square feet. The Lord & Taylor building is believed to be its biggest lease, spanning nearly twice the square footage of any of WeWork’s other city locations.
Originally, WeWork had said it would make the Lord & Taylor site its corporate headquarters. It had an apparent change of heart last summer, however, when it began talks with Jeff Bezos for Amazon to sublease most or all of the building.
Those discussions broke down, sources said, after Amazon turned its eye on 400,000 square feet at SL Green’s 460 W. 34th St. That negotiation, first reported in August by The Post, is likely to lead to a signed lease soon. The asking rent for an earlier lease at the building for First Republic Bank was $90 per square foot, SL Green said.
Now, some insiders say the prospect of Amazon coming to the Lord & Taylor space looks remote at best. One said Amazon was never serious to begin with — that “they were playing one landlord off another” following the collapse of its “HQ2” plan in Long Island City.
Another, however, insisted it was WeWork that decided to discontinue the Amazon talks, and that they could still be revived. “They went back to their plan to make Lord & Taylor a showplace. They’re spending a fortune on making it unique.”
Indeed, as WeWork reportedly raced to sell assets and lay off thousands of workers to stem its cash bleed, construction workers last week were busy renovating the Italian Renaissance Revival tower into a hip office-sharing space. At this point, sources say getting out of the lease isn’t an option.
“We are fully committed to meeting our obligations with the Lord and Taylor building, a marquee and historic asset that we are excited to continue revitalizing,” a WeWork spokesperson said.
Another source close to the deal put it more bluntly: “The only option for them to get out of it is if it goes bankrupt. If they have to raise money at the $5 billion valuation instead of $10 billion valuation, so be it.”
If worse comes to worse, WeWork is considering using half the space for its headquarters, a source said.
The joint venture that bought the Lord & Taylor building’s other backers include Rhone Capital and the Canadian pension fund Caisse de Depot. Hudson’s Bay, the Canada-based retailer that previously owned Lord & Taylor, also retains a $125 million stake in the building.
The purchase was funded by a $600 million mortgage from JPMorgan and Starwood Property. Last week, The Post reported that JPMorgan was in talks to assemble a financing package to help WeWork avoid a cash crunch in the wake of the cancelled IPO.
“Without the previously anticipated funding to shore them up, the building is now a huge problem,” a source said of the Lord & Taylor property.
Reps for JPMorgan and Amazon declined to comment. Reps for ARK didn’t respond to requests for comment.
Lisa Fickenscher contributed reporting.


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Costa Rica signs organic food agreement with Canada
Costa Rican organic producers will have increased opportunities to export their products to Canada following an arrangement reached between officials from the two governments.
A press release sent Friday by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency states the Canada-Costa Rica Organic Equivalency Arrangement is “the outcome of an extensive analysis of both countries’ production and certification systems.”
The agreement will allow for easier import and export of certified organic products between the two nations without the need for additional certification, thus reducing costs and red tape for the industry.
“This arrangement with Costa Rica eliminates trade barriers to give organic producers a competitive edge,” said Canada’s Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz. “Canadian consumers will also benefit by having increased access to organic food options.”
Costa Rica and Canada have had a free trade agreement since 2002, and it was updated last September. According Costa Rican Foreign Trade Ministry data, total trade between the countries has increased from $102 million in 2002 to $273 million in 2011, a cumulative increase of 168 percent.
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Neudata has appointed alternative data specialist Jan Scibor-Kaminski as Managing Director. Scibor-Kaminski (pictured), was previously Managing Director of Structured Retail Products (SRP), a data business for the structured products industry, and part of the Euromoney Institutional Investor group.
“I am excited to be joining such a talented, young, vibrant company in what is the most fast-paced and dynamic sector of the financial services industry: alternative data has disruptive capability for managers and investors alike and it is fascinating to be able to play a small part in shaping this nascent, game-changing industry” says Scibor-Kaminski. “I look forward to working closely with quantitative and fundamental fund managers and with the Neudata team to develop some groundbreaking alt data products and services.”
“Jan brings with him a track record of double-digit growth when it comes to data businesses achieved through innovative product development. Jan has spent the last 10 years working consultatively with the major derivatives desks of investment banks, asset managers, hedge funds, insurance companies and index providers to pioneer new products such as APIs and research products. We look forward to seeing Jan make a similar contribution to the alternative data space,” says Rado Lipuš, CEO of Neudata.


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The second quarter earnings report from AT&T is out today, revealing that the U.S. telecommunications company activated 3.7 million iPhones, with 22 percent new to the company.
The company also posted its best-ever churn rate -- 0.97 percent for post-paid devices like the iPhone -- and total smartphone sales of 5.1 million, a third of them 4G-capable devices.
But it's the iPhone number that's most interesting. AT&T, of course, was the first American carrier to carry the industry-leading Apple device, and enjoyed a domestic monopoly on four generations of it from June 2007 to February 2011. After that, Verizon joined the fray, with the iPhone 4. Sprint followed later that year.
Much ink has been spilled about declining iPhone sales in the face of stiff competition from Google devices, and that's certainly an interesting angle. Just as interesting is AT&T's continued hold on the iPhone crown, five generations in -- and its slipping grip with each passing quarter.
In 2Q12, AT&T activated 3.7 million iPhones. Verizon activated 2.7 million.
In 1Q12, AT&T activated 4.3 million. Verizon activated 3.2 million.
In 4Q11, AT&T activated 7.6 million. Verizon activated 4.3 million.
In 3Q11, AT&T activated 2.7 million. Verizon activated 2 million.
In 2Q11, AT&T activated 3.6 million. Verizon activated 2.3 million.
In 1Q11, AT&T activated 3.6 million. Verizon activated 2.2 million.
In 4Q10, AT&T activated 4.1 million.
You'll notice that sales of Apple's most profitable device in the U.S. haven't let up. Even excluding Sprint, they have steadily increased over the last year and a half.
But AT&T's lead is slipping. The carrier continues to have a strong lead over Verizon, yet Big Red has increased more on a year-over-year basis. (Call it "most improved.") Verizon is slowly gaining iPhone market share, despite AT&T's tremendous lead owing to contract exclusivity, even as the overall iPhone pie chart grows. (Where is that share coming from? We can't be sure until Sprint and T-Mobile release their earnings for the quarter.)
The biggest question is what we'll see in the next two quarters. Not just because of an anticipated fifth-generation iPhone model, mind you, but also because of AT&T's backlog of iPhone 3GS users and first-month iPhone 4 buyers. Many of these people are still on two-year contracts signed before competing carriers entered the iPhone fray; what will they do as their contracts come up for renewal? Assuming they stick with the iPhone, will they stick with AT&T?
In 2011, AT&T insisted that its churn rate didn't drop after it lost iPhone exclusivity. (Its churn rate for its most recent quarter? 0.94 percent, almost identical to AT&T's.) That may be true, but it's not a fair test until you allow customers to let their contracts run out. (At up to $325, that "early termination fee" does wonders for your churn, no?) The reality is that for all but the most passionate buyers, the effects of AT&T's exclusivity loss won't truly be evident until...well, right now.


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Portland, Ore.-based Elmer’s Restaurants has entered into a multi-unit franchise agreement with a restaurant group based in southern Oregon.
Southern Oregon Elmer’s, headed by local restaurateurs Bob Brutke and Dave Thomason, purchased three corporate-owned Elmer’s Breakfast. Lunch. Dinner restaurants in Medford, Grants Pass, and Roseburg, Oregon and has agreed to develop two more Elmer’s units in southern Oregon. Further disclosures are provided in the company’s Form 8-K, filed on 17 May 2002.
Commenting on the transaction, chairman Bruce Davis said: “Adding another strong multi-unit Elmer’s operator underscores our strategy to increase significantly the number of franchisees in our system and to expand the Elmer’s brand in the western US.
“This transaction follows the recent and successful opening of two new franchised Elmer’s restaurants in Woodburn, Oregon and Nampa, Idaho,” Davis continued.
Elmer’s owns and operates ten Elmer’s restaurants and franchises 22 restaurants in six western states. The company also owns and operates five Mitzel’s American Kitchen restaurants in Puget Sound, Washington and ten deli-style restaurants in Oregon.


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NOA has announced blue and pink DSi XL bundles for the US. The packs will land in stores starting November 6. The Metallic Rose and Midnight Blue versions will come with Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem, and will run you $169.99. Nintendo announced earlier today that Icy White and Misty Pink 3DS bundles would launch in Europe on November 18, and will include a copy of Super Mario 3D Land, and Nintendogs + Cats, respectively.
From the Web Sponsored links by Taboola


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Sugar Factory American Brasserie plans to launch Sugar Factory Express. The company plans to open the fast-casual extension of its restaurant chain in Orlando this fall.
While maintaining the current 20 full-service locations open throughout the world, Sugar Factory Express will begin to expand nationwide with future fast-casual locations planned for Las Vegas, Houston, Nashville, Tampa, Miami and more.
Offering breakfast, lunch and dinner, the drive up or counter service locations plan to offer Sugar Factory’s signature items at a more approachable price point, per a release. A focus on family-friendly fare will include Kids Happy Boxes and other additions. Select locations will also feature a full bar and cocktail menu.
Sugar Factory’s commitment to having social-media friendly food and spaces is as well documented as its commitment to hosting celebrities and influencers.
“Sugar Factory Express will focus on restaurant-quality food with fun packaging, incredible service, and unbelievable Instagrammable items in a fast-food setting with approachable pricing,” says Charissa Davidovici, owner of Sugar Factory. “Guests will find Sugar Factory’s signature goblets, milkshakes, sliders and much more at the Express locations across the U.S.”


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42-Year-Old Credit Card Law Hurting Online Retailers
Four-hundred pound hackers sitting on their beds aren't the only cyber-risks that online enterprises have today. Outdated cyberlaws, according to Chargebacks911, are hurting consumers and ripping off businesses.
The Fair Credit Billing Act of 1974 is still the legislation that e-commerce abides by, and fraudsters are exploiting the 42-year-old law.
“One of the primary objectives of the Fair Credit Billing Act of 1974 was to encourage credit card spending,” said Monica Eaton-Cardone, COO and co-founder of Chargebacks911. “The concept of ‘zero liability’ was created so cardholders could use their credit cards without worrying about fraud. For several decades, the Fair Credit Billing Act did exactly what it was intended to do, and credit card spending skyrocketed. But the problem is, the Act wasn’t designed to oversee digital transactions, shipped products or online purchases. As a result, this loophole has led to a dramatic rise in chargeback fraud.”
The chargeback allows consumers to report a fraudulent charge to their bank to obtain a refund, and the burden-of-proof is on the merchant to defend the legitimacy of the transaction.
“Because consumers have the legal right to contact their banks to report a fraudulent purchase – without requiring any communications with the usual legal authorities, such as the police – the chargeback mechanism is being badly abused,” said Eaton-Cardone. “People who’d never consider filing a false police report are calling their banks and demanding chargebacks for frivolous reasons. And far too often, they’re walking away with the product and the refund.”
Chargeback fraud is a multibillion-dollar burden the retail industry, and industry experts are pushing for new legislation - and with election year, their timing is impeccable.


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Last week, P. F. Chang made it onto the top-five list that no organization wants to be on.
The popular “China bistro” seems to be the fifth major retail chain to have suffered a credit card data breach, since thousands of new credit cards just appeared for sale on the carding site Rescator. This is the same payment site that was used to sell credit card data from the Target breach. P. F. Chang is still investigating whether the data is indeed bleeding from its own system, or someone else’s.
Regardless of where the breach originated, this incident brings the number of customers affected by retail data breaches up to a startling one-third of the American population.
Businesses: Be Prepared
If there’s any lesson to be drawn from the last few years of hacker headlines, it’s the importance of being prepared.
Big retailers aren’t immune; that much is painfully clear. Small businesses aren’t immune either. Many hackers adopt a high-volume, small-yield “profit model” for their crime of choice, gleaning easy pickings from victims in bulk. So how can businesses prepare themselves?
First, follow best practices in cyber security. The good news is that many of the basic steps behind a decent security strategy are not hard to implement – like changing the default passwords on your Internet-accessible POS devices. (Unfortunately, the majority of businesses fail to go even that far.)
Basic steps are good; advanced steps, even better. According to the 2014 Data Breach Investigation Report by Verizon, retailers should put particular effort into shoring up malware and boundary defenses. (For a detailed list of recommendations, download the full report.)
Second, build a business insurance backup plan. No business is 100% secure – and that’s a fact. Absolute security doesn’t exist; there’s simply no such thing as a totally bombproof strategy.
While we like to suppose that our efforts will protect us, it’s important to recognize that there is always, unavoidably, some percentage of risk.
For this reason, any time you’re having a conversation about business insurance, make sure to put cyber coverage on the table. Marsh reports that from 2011 to 2012, the number of U.S. clients buying cyber insurance increased by 33%. Furthermore, more than three-quarters (77%) of risk managers in the U.S. plan to have some level of cyber insurance coverage in place in the next 12 months, according to a Munich Re survey.
Finally, don’t assume that cyber coverage is already included in your standard business insurance policy. Many policies go out of their way to state, on the contrary, it is not.
Get the facts on cyber coverage. Contact us to adopt a plan to protect your business from the unaffordable fallout of a security breach.


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Samsung is expanding the reach of its mobile-payment service, Samsung Pay, by releasing it in the Middle East and Northern Europe. In the Middle East it has been launched in UAE while Sweden has become the first Nordic country to get it. Samsung Pay is a mobile payment service which uses NFC for wireless payment.
Samsung has launched Samsung Pay in the United Arab Emirates this week itself. In the UAE, which is the first region in the Middle East to get the service, Samsung has collaborated with nine banks, including ADCB, Emirates NBD, HSBC, Mashreq, NBAD, RAKBANK, and Standard Chartered for Samsung Pay.
In Northern Europe, Samsung has introduced Samsung Pay service in Sweden in cooperation with seven local banks including Eurocard and Nordea. There’s also early access for Samsung Pay in Hong Kong and Switzerland.
In February this year, Samsung released Samsung Pay service in Malaysia and Thailand. Samsung Pay is now available in 16 markets around the world including the United States, China, Spain, Australia, Singapore, Brazil and India and with the introduction of Samsung Pay Mini app which is to run on lower end devices, the company aims to emerge as the sole champion in the business.


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Magicka 2 Release Date Trailer
Magicka 2 announces its release date on May 26.
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We all know that Floyd Mayweather has a very extensive car collection, especially his Las Vegas collection. According to TMZ Sports, his collection just got bigger (and way more expensive) with the addition of his latest car, a Bugatti Chiron.
Sources have told TMZ Sports that the champion boxer put down $3.5 million for Bugatti’s upcoming hypercar. To make room for his new car, he also reportedly sold one of his Veyrons. Out with the old, in with the new, as they say.
And why wouldn’t he? The new Chiron’s specs are more than impressive. The hypercar is said to deliver up to 1,500 hp, hit a top speed of around 290 mph and accelerate from 0-62 mph in 2.2 seconds.


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Just a day after OnePlus announced its OnePlus 8T smartphone, Xiaomi has also announced the ‘T’ variant of its flagship smartphone, the Mi 10T. The Mi 10T series includes two smartphones - the Mi 10T and the Mi 10T Pro. Both the Mi 10 and Mi 10T were launched gloablly last month, with both the phones coming with a hole-punch display and an up to 144Hz refresh rate. The smartphones are powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865 SoC, same one that powers the OnePlus’ 8T and support 5G. The major distinction between the Mi 10T and the Mi 10T Pro is the camera unit. While the Mi 10T comes with a 64-megapixel primary camera, the Mi 10T Pro sports a 108-megapixel primary camera unit.
The Mi 10T has been priced at Rs. 35,999 onwards, while the Mi 10T Pro has been priced at Rs. 39,999 for the sole 8GB RAM and 128GB storage vairiant. The Mi 10T has been launched in two RAM and storage configurations - a 6GB RAM + 128GB storage variant, and an 8GB RAM + 128GB storage variant. Xiaomi has also announced up to Rs. 3,000 bank cash-back, an exchange offer, no cost EMI, and up to Rs. 500 off on the Mi 10T series using Flipkart Super Coins. Both the phones will be sold on Flipkart, Mi.com, and offline retailers starting today.
The Mi 10T and Mi 10T Pro come with a 6.67-inch screen with up to a 144Hz refresh rate. During the launch, Xiaomi also announced its new Intelligent AdaptiveSync Display technology. The company said that the new technology adjusts the refresh rate of the screen according to the content on screen. The Intelligent AdativeSync display adjusts the screen refresh rate between seven refresh rates - 24Hz, 30Hz, 50Hz, 60Hz, 90Hz, 120Hz, and 144Hz. The company claims that the Intelligent AdaptiveSync Display saves about 10 percent battery.
Both the Mi 10T and the Mi 10T Pro come with a triple camera setup. While the Mi 10T Pro uses a 108-megapixel primary camera paired with a 13-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens and a 5-megapixel macro lens. The Mi 10T, on the other hand uses a 64-megapixel primary shooter, along with the 13-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens and a 5-megapixel macro lens. Both the Mi 10T and the Mi 10T Pro use the same 20-megapixel front snapper.
Both the Mi 10T and the Mi 10T Pro are powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865 SoC paired with up to 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 128GB of internal storage. There is also a microSD card slot for expandable storage. Further, the Mi 10T series comes with features like 5G connectivity, a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, and Corning’s Gorilla Glass for protection.
The Mi 10T series has been launched in competition with the OnePlus 8T which was launched on October 14. The OnePlus 8T has been priced at Rs. 42,999 onwards while the Mi 10T starts at Rs. 35,999 for the Mi 10T, while the Mi 10T Pro costs Rs. 39,999.


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Crypto, personal care and fashion are key influencer violation categories.
Influencer violations contributed to 29% of the ads complained against at the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), revealed the leading ad body’s annual complaints report for 2021-22.
In June last year, ASCI had brought in influencer guidelines. The guidelines increased transparency, as it made it mandatory for influencers to label the promotional content that they post.
“95% of these violations are of non-disclosure, where the influencer has not made it clear to the consumers that they are viewing a paid content. The remaining are misleading ads,” shares Manisha Kapoor, CEO and secretary general, ASCI.
A total of 1,593 complaints were processed against influencers. The key categories included crypto (24.16%), personal care (23.2%) and fashion (16.3%). The other categories included e-commerce, F&B, services, mobile apps and finance.
“Some influencers are unaware of these guidelines. As the awareness grows, brands become more particular, consumers also become aware and we take up more cases. We will see more changes. One year is a short time frame for a fundamental change to happen. But we are already seeing both brands and influencers becoming more cautious on these issues,” Kapoor adds.
The influencers are also lagging behind when it comes to compliance. Digital media has witnessed an overall 89% compliance. Non-influencer digital ads have 95.5% compliance, but influencer ads have only 86% compliance.
“In most cases, they do comply. The compliance is still reasonably high when you consider the fact that these guidelines are barely a year old,” Kapoor mentions.
Where are the objectionable ads published?
As the digital advertising industry increases in market size year-on-year, it is expected to surpass television advertising by 2023. This is reflected in the ad complaints as well. 48% of the objectionable ads were published on digital mediums - Instagram being the highest contributor (43%), followed by YouTube (28%).
“As advertising increasingly shifts to digital platforms, the monitoring of advertisements for misleading content becomes more challenging. Ads are increasingly served and consumed on personal screens, making it difficult for regulators to truly understand their scale and impact. The volume of advertising creative units has exploded, and it is estimated that an average person is exposed to 6,000-10,000 ads per day,” the ASCI report states.
Kapoor says that it is a matter of evolution, as digital advertising is a new format and the advertisers are also new. On the other hand, TV and print advertising is far more established.
“It will take some time to settle in. I don't think it's a matter of concern. It is going pretty much in the right direction at a very encouraging pace,” she adds.
Gaurang Menon, CCO, BC Web Wise, says that the number of complaints on Instagram are higher as it is easier to access content there than on YouTube.
“The more the consumers flag concerns, the more the platforms will learn and add it in the system. 99% of the brands are fairly sensitive about their content. There is a per cent probably that tends to make mistakes. It could be due to a lack of awareness or anything else. But now, if something goes wrong, the very next minute action is taken,” he says.
Ramya Ramachandran, founder, Whoppl, says Instagram contributes more to the violations due to the nature of the platform and its contents.
“Instagram’s user base is increasing. It is a very aspirational platform today. Moreover, the users are exposed to so much content there. In fact, so much content is being pushed to the user. Through Reels, people are spending so much time on content there. Unlike YouTube, it is a short video format with snackable content. YouTube is for more long format content,” she says.
Objectionable ads in print and TV
Apart from digital, print medium had the next highest percentage of objectionable ads (47%). Meanwhile, television was a minuscule 3%.
“This year, we have also accelerated our own monitoring of digital medium. We are also proactively taking steps to monitor it. TV advertising is also huge, but the systems are well established. So, there aren’t as many violations,” Kapoor explains.
The high print percentage can also be attributed to ASCI’s monitoring. In 2021-22, it tracked around 600-700 publications, many of them being regional publications.
“These regional publications have fragmented advertisers. They can be local or small businesses. The nature of advertisers is different. Overall, the number of advertisers in that category is very high,” Kapoor adds.
In a recent case, ASCI pulled up deodorant brand Layer’r Shot for violating its guidelines. The ad contained sexually inappropriate themes. On receiving a complaint, ASCI suspended the ad.
afaqs! reached out to Instagram for its comments. However, it has not responded yet.


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As announced earlier during the Middle East launch event of the OPPO Reno5 series smartphone, the Reno5 Pro 5G is officially available in Saudi Arabia.
It comes with Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, 12GB RAM, 256GB storage, 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 fast charging along with many other features. The device was also selected as the official smartphone partner of PUBG MOBILE MEA Esports 2021.
Powered by the advanced Sony IMX766 sensor, the new AI Highlight Video on the Reno5 Pro 5G combines OPPO’s Ultra Night Video Algorithms and Live HDR Algorithms to significantly enhance video quality in dim light and backlit scenes. Meanwhile, a new Dual-view Video enables both the front and rear cameras to work simultaneously, ideal for vloggers who want to remain in the action at all times.
Upgrading to the Reno5 has been made easy with OPPO’s ‘Clone Phone’ feature. It allows users to transfer their data from any brand of smartphone to the new OPPO Reno5 series easily and conveniently. OPPO also employs industry-leading encryption methods to store and transfer private data and its security is recognized by third-party organizations including ISO, ePrivacy and TrustArc.
The ‘three-finger translation with Google Lens’ allows users to view a Google translation of anything on the phone screen with a single convenient swipe. The Reno5 Pro 5G has been precision-engineered to be just 7.99mm thin and 184grams light. The upgraded OPPO Reno Glow process also makes its way to the Reno5 Pro 5G on both the Galactic Silver and Starlight Black colors, which etches the AG glass surface to generate a grainy texture that shines like diamonds. It shimmers like millions of diamonds embedded into a moonlit ocean while keeping the back-cover fingerprint resistant, adding a distinctly premium feeling.
The Reno5 Pro 5G truly shines when it comes to gaming offering superior gaming moments thanks to powerful hardware setups from 90Hz screen, ultra-fast processing capability supported by Qualcomm 865 5G chip and 12GB+256GB storage, and the exclusive software powered by the ColorOS 11.1 that is designed to deliver a more immersive and fluid gaming experience. Features such as Faming Shortcut Mode, Gamer Mode, Bullet Screen Messages and Adjustable Gaming Touch create an environment for users to be totally immersed in entertainment.
The Reno5 Pro 5G 12GB+256GB is open for pre-order and will be available for purchase through all major retailers in the Kingdom and online from March 25, at a retail price of SAR 2,799.
Mataz Bait Almal, Public Relations Manager at OPPO Saudi Arabia said, OPPO has demonstrated incredible growth to become one of the most popular smartphones in the Kingdom. Our aim is to pursue the creation of best technology products with human-centric design that will shape the future not only for smartphones but for intelligent connectivity.
We are delighted to bring our new Reno5 Pro 5G to the Saudi market which we know will appeal to the tech-savvy Saudi consumer who demands cutting-edge technology and state-of-the-art design. The new Reno series smartphones will take advantage of the Kingdom’s 5G coverage offering super-fast connectivity and consumers will also be attracted by the very competitive packs.


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The Better Business Bureau (BBB) issued a scam alert last month when it comes to your smart phone voice search. If you’re trying to find a phone number, voice search has the propensity to route you to scam sites that aren’t really connected to the company you’re trying to reach. Instead, you’ll be routed to a company that might charge you fees before they can help you or demand remote access to your computer.
How it works
When you ask Siri or Alexa (or another AI voice assistant) to dial a number for you, you get connected to a “representative.” This person may or may not be actually associated with the company. According to the BBB, customers have been scammed in this manner when calling Roku and United Airlines, but you could also be scammed if you’re trying to reach UPS, hotels, Amazon or other prominent businesses. Scammers create ads with fake numbers, hoping that you won’t notice you’re calling the wrong number. Voice search increases the risk of getting a bad ad, because you don’t actually look at the ad or the phone number before calling. These ads are against search engine policies. The ads keep popping up,
What is Google doing about voice search scam phone numbers?
Scammers have been changing phone numbers on search for quite a while. According to a report from July, multiple airlines had incorrect phone numbers listed in search. Those phone numbers have since been corrected. A Google spokesperson emailed a statement, Google does “not tolerate this misleading activity.” And “Our teams have already begun reverting the inaccuracies, suspending the malicious accounts involved, and applying additional protections to prevent further abuse.”
How to avoid search scams
Although Google and other search engines are trying to combat phone number scams on search, it’s up to us to be vigilant. The BBB recommends that instead of using voice search to find phone numbers, go straight to the source. Look for the contact information on the official website or in the app, or use the helpdesk online or in an app. Double check the URL to make sure you’re at the official website. Use your credit card to make purchases, because you have more consumer protection and it’s easier to dispute. You may be able to dispute a purchase with a debit card, but it can be harder to actually get the money back.


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In the vast universe of gaming, Starfield, the highly anticipated sci-fi RPG, made its stellar debut on Xbox, bringing both excitement and a significant financial boost. Amidst soaring software sales, Xbox hardware revenue, unfortunately, experienced a slight dip. While Starfield’s mesmerizing journey captivates players, Xbox strives to navigate the infinite realms of profitability.
In a whirlwind of cosmic success, Starfield illuminated the gaming landscape as the best-selling game in the US last month. Its celestial allure captured the imaginations of gamers across the nation, propelling it to astronomical heights. Meanwhile, the ever-dominant PS5 continued its reign as the top console, casting a shadow over its competitors once again. With Starfield’s meteoric rise and the unwavering popularity of the PS5, the gaming industry seems poised to enter a new era of stellar accomplishments.
In the glittering galaxy of gaming milestones, Starfield has emerged as the meteoric phenomenon that shattered all expectations. With a celestial fanfare, Bethesda’s cosmic masterpiece surpassed its predecessors, etching its name in the celestial annals of record-breaking launches. As constellation-like sales figures materialized, it became undeniable that Starfield had carved a boundless space for itself in the gaming cosmos.
In an exhilarating turn of events, Xbox Game Pass enthusiasts are in for a celestial treat this month. Brace yourselves for the mind-blowing interstellar adventure of Solar Ash, the enigmatic puzzles of Lies of P, and the highly anticipated cosmic escapade of Starfield. Prepare to be lost in a dazzling universe, as Xbox Game Pass delivers yet another impeccable lineup for avid gamers. Get your controllers ready, folks, because the stars align for an unforgettable gaming experience!
As we gear up for Bethesda’s highly anticipated sci-fi RPG, Starfield, gamers are eager to know if their PCs can handle the interstellar adventure. Strap in, folks, because here are the PC specs that’ll propel you seamlessly into the immersive world of Starfield. Get ready to launch into a gaming experience like no other!
The long-awaited moment has arrived as Bethesda’s highly anticipated game, Starfield, has finally achieved the coveted “gold” status. With a galaxy of excitement among gamers, the space exploration adventure is set to launch soon, promising an interstellar gaming experience like never before. Be prepared to embark on an epic journey through the depths of outer space as Starfield takes the gaming world by storm.
UPDATE: Bethesda has confirmed that the standard physical editions of their highly anticipated spacefaring RPG, Starfield, will indeed include a disc. This will come as a relief to those who prefer physical copies of their games over digital downloads. The game is set to release on November 11, 2022, and pre-orders are already open. Stay tuned for further updates on what promises to be a stellar gaming experience.
Buckle up, space explorers! The highly anticipated release of Bethesda’s Starfield is just around the corner. However, reports suggest that physical copies of the game may not include a disc. What does this mean for gamers who prefer physical copies over digital downloads? We explore the possible ramifications of this decision.
The newest trailer for Starfield has been released, sparking the imagination of space enthusiasts. The cinematic preview offers a glimpse into the game’s interstellar world, showcasing stunning graphics and immersive gameplay. Fans are eagerly anticipating the game’s release and the chance to explore the cosmos.


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April is almost over and there’s plenty of new games scheduled to be released this week, including…
Lego City Undercover: The Chase Begins, a 3DS prequel to Lego City Undercover that’s available in stores and the 3DS eShop today.
Available Tuesday is Deep Silver’s latest tale of zombies in paradise, Dead Island: Riptide (PC, PS3, Xbox 360). Also available is Star Trek (PC, PS3, Xbox 360), Namco Bandai’s video game prequel to next month’s Star Trek Into Darkness, and Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen (PS3, Xbox 360), Capcom’s standalone expansion to last year’s Dragon’s Dogma.
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A San Francisco-based law firm has filed suit against Palm Inc. and its former parent company, 3Com Corp., claiming that a feature used to stream data between Palm’s personal digital assistant (PDA) devices and personal computers can cause damage to the PC’s motherboard.
It’s possible the problem could affect school districts across the country that use both Palms and PCs, plaintiffs in the lawsuit contend.
Pinnacle Law Group filed the lawsuit in San Francisco Superior Court in August, claiming that Palm and 3Com, both based in Santa Clara, Calif., failed to warn users that Palm’s synchronizing feature, called HotSync, has the ability to damage certain models of PCs. Some Palm users reportedly have complained of having to buy a new motherboard for their computer because of the damage.
The suit reportedly stems from a complaint against Palm registered by two California owners of the handheld devices.
“A friend of mine knew someone who had had some problems and he contacted me,” said Andrew August, one of the lawyers who brought the suit against Palm. “We started doing some investigation, went on a number of web sites and chat rooms, and found out this is not an isolated incident. The rest is history.”
Lawyers for the plaintiffs are seeking class-action status for other users in the United States who bought certain models of the Palm devices. Palm III-series and Palm Vs reportedly are affected. Lawyers representing the plaintiffs say they believe the newer generation of Palm devices might not be affected.
It’s unclear how large the class action suit will be. Lawyers representing the Palm users say it might be months before they know exactly how many plaintiffs are involved.
“My suspicion is that it is potentially within the hundreds of thousands,” said August. “If you factor in the class of people who have not suffered any damage to their computers yet, it may be in the millions.”
Once the story became public, the law group received somewhere in the neighborhood of 150 to 200 unsolicited eMails from Palm users who have had similar problems, August said.
The suit charges that the HotSync feature can disable the serial port on some PCs.
“Evidently, a static charge can be delivered through the Palm cradle and cause the serial port to fail,” said Rob Enderle, vice president of desktop and mobile technology for Cambridge, Mass.-based Giga Information Group. “This failure results in a PC that will not start up and needs significant work[namely] motherboard replacementto repair.”
The allegedly defective Palms have been sold since 1999, and International Data Group reports that the law firm estimates “hundreds of thousands” of users might be affected by electrostatic discharges (ESD) that potentially could cause harm to PCs.
“In essence, we are saying that Palm knew about electrostatic discharge and either failed to adequately design the cradle, or at minimum failed to warn users sufficiently [about] what steps they need to take to minimize damage from electrostatic charges,” said August.
It’s a problem that August and some upset Palm users say the company has known about for quite a while.
The Palm web site’s support pages feature a searchable section called “Knowledge Finder.” Typing in the keyword “ESD” brings up two articles, one of which specifically states: “Any electronic equipment that contains an external entry point for plugging in anything from cables to docking stations is susceptible to entry of ESD. Even a small amount of ESD can harm circuitry, which, in this electronic age, operates at very low voltages.”
Despite this admission, the Palm web site also states: “Palm Inc. is not aware of any defect or inherent flaw in Palm products that may routinely damage computer serial ports. Static electricity is a natural occurrence that can be prevented through sound usage habits, such as always grounding yourself before touching any electronic device. Palm Inc. meets or exceeds all standards for [ESD] protection.”
It’s true that any kind of peripheral device can convey static electricity, conceded August.
“But how many times in the course of a year do you plug or unplug a keyboard or mouse? Infrequently,” he said. “The handheld PDA’s whole reason for being is to put information in and out of the PC and take it with you. The notion that the computer manufacturer should do something, and not the handheld manufacturer, does not make sense to me.”
The lawsuit seeks monetary damages of an unspecified sum, as well as an order requiring Palm to warn users that its PDAs potentially could harm their computers.
“The remedy for this issue has yet to be determined,” August said. “Right now we are just trying to get a handle on how many class members there are and what the extent of the loss might be.”
Pinnacle first heard of the problems occurring with PCs from Dell Computer. However, following media reports about the suit, the firm has received eMails from people who also have mentioned the problems occurring on systems from Gateway, Compaq, Toshiba, and Apple, August said.
Although it’s true that the majority of Palm users reporting computer damage have owned Dell machines, August said people shouldn’t jump to the conclusion that this is because there is something wrong with Dell PCs.
“They control 33 percent of the PC market,” he said. “Just by sheer numbers it may occur more with Dell.”
A Palm spokeswoman told eSchool News that Palm is not aware of anything in its products that could cause ESD, nor is the company aware of any damage that could be caused by its HotSync feature.
Giga Information Group’s Enderle said Palm users who wish to use their handheld’s HotSync feature should take some simple steps to avoid electrostatic discharge.
“We have issued an advisory that if users have Palm devices connected to a serial port, they [should] buy a relatively inexpensive surge protector for that port just to be safe,” he said.
Pinnacle Law Group


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A medicinal cannabis company sourcing supply from Tasmania believes there is potential for huge growth in the industry.
That could potentially lead to significant export opportunities for the state.
With the opioid industry under increasing pressure due to problems with addiction and US legal developments, Perth-based AusCann Group Holdings Limited has told investors it will target the Australian market first with its medical cannabis products, followed by potential exports.
It said its initial focus would be on chronic pain.
AusCann announced in July Westbury-based Tasmanian Alkaloids had entered a three-year agreement to supply it with cannabis resin.
Tasmanian Alkaloids would supply at least 30 per cent of AusCann's cannabis resin requirements for the next three years, with an option for a three-year extension.
Tasmanian Alkaloids is best known for producing medicinal opiates from poppies grown in Tasmania.
In an investor presentation released on Wednesday, AusCann described itself as being "engaged in product innovation and clinical partnering within the emerging multi-billion-dollar medical cannabis growth sector".
It said it had received all required Australian licences and proprietary capsules were expected to be released to clinics for trials towards the end of 2019.
The company, chaired by doctor and former Liberal MHR Mal Washer, said the available pharmaceuticals for treatment of chronic pain had limited effectiveness.
It said there was a growing body of evidence suggesting medical cannabis could provide benefits for people suffering from chronic pain and associated conditions.
It said the chronic pain treatment market was expected to exceed $100 billion by 2024.
AusCann noted medicinal cannabis had challenges.
They included healthcare practitioners not having been trained how to treat patients using cannabinoid-based medicines and the stigma associated with cannabis.
"Despite recent developments in cannabinoid medical research and the legislation of medical cannabis around the world, mainstream medical societies have yet to accept cannabinoid-based medicines as a legitimate medicine," it said.
It said it aimed to establish strong relationships with healthcare professionals and provide them with reliable cannabinoid-based pharmaceuticals backed by clinical evidence and the tools to personalise treatment outcomes for patients.
While you're with us, did you know that you can now sign up to receive breaking news updates and daily headlines direct to your inbox? Sign up here.


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A DISCOUNT supermarket chain is to open as part of town regeneration plans.
A new Lidl is poised to open in Royton.
The council has agreed to sell the King Street car park for the construction of a 25,00 sq ft store on High Street.
Lidl is set to submit a planning application, which included up to 100 short-stay car parking spaces.
There are no exact dates for the plans.


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A group of food companies has filed a lawsuit against the Sugar Association, a trade group representing the sugar industry, for making false claims in advertising that allegedly caused loss of profit and other damages. Their action comes on the heels of an earlier complaint issued by the sugar industry against makers and users of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) for saying that their product was essentially identical to sugar and should be marketed as such. Last year, the Corn Refiners Association (CRA) had asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to change the name HFCS to “corn sugar,” a request that was ultimately rejected.
HFCS is derived from corn and is cheaper to produce than natural sugar made from sugarbeets and sugarcane. Both are present in countless foods and beverages Americans consume every day, and some experts believe there is a strong connection between these sweeteners and the current obesity crisis. In fact, studies have linked the consumption of large amounts of added sweeteners to widespread illnesses, including obesity, diabetes, heart disease and dental problems. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends an upper limit of 100 calories for women (about 6 teaspoons) and 150 calories for men (about 9 teaspoons) from added sugar per day.
That high sugar consumption, whatever the source may be, can be detrimental to people’s health is not disputed, not even by the respective industries. In a public statement referring to the lawsuit, the CRA says that “vilifying one kind of added sugar [in this case, HFCS] will not reduce American’s waistlines. Reducing all added sugars and reducing calorie intake in general will.” The real issue is, the statement continues, that “Americans should reduce their consumption of all added sugars and calories in general.”
Considering that sweeteners in all forms are added to so many food products, including those that don’t necessarily taste sweet, it is hard to see how consumers could control their intake on their own. The question is not whether sweeteners are “nutritionally equivalent” and “indistinguishable once they are absorbed in the blood stream,” as the CRA statement claims, but how consumers can be protected from potential harm to their health and be helped to make better choices.
Whether it’s HFCS or added sugar, the fact that they are almost ubiquitous ingredients in our highly processed food and drink supply leaves consumers without much chance to improve their diet. And besides, are we really to believe that food manufacturers whose profitability depends on ever-increasing sales are serious about encouraging the public to buy fewer of their products? If that was the case, why do they keep spending billions of dollars in advertising, including to children?
What’s at stake here is consumer spending – not health concerns. The damages that are being claimed are price erosion and lost profits – not damages done to people’s nutritional and physical well-being from products that may be associated with some of the most widespread health problems we are confronted with today.
If you enjoyed this article, you may also be interested in “Why It’s So Hard to Escape the Sugar Trap.”
Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” (http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter and on Facebook.


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Sony Pictures Consumer Products has partnered for the launch of “The Smurfs: iTalk,” an app that allows kids to interact with their very own Smurf.
Sony Pictures Consumer Products, in collaboration with Budge Studios and Lafig, has released the first Smurfs food mobile app–"The Smurfs Bakery."
Backstage Licensing has negotiated a new deal with Swiss Eyewear Group and its INVU brand for a Smurfs sunglasses line.
Sony Pictures Consumer Products is looking for licensing partners in all categories for summer 2015’s third Smurfs movie.
Sony Pictures Animation today revealed the lineup of its upcoming animation projects.
Backstage Licensing has negotiated a month-long promotion with Carrefour in Italy to promote Smurfs 2.
Lafig Belgium/IMPS has tapped Rubie’s Costume Company for costumes inspired by The Smurfs 2.
Sony Pictures Animation and Columbia Pictures are readying for the release of The Smurfs 2 Wednesday with a range of retail promotions.
Build-A-Bear Workshop has launched a second collaboration with Sony Pictures Entertainment for a collection of Smurfs plush.
International recording artist Flo Rida made waves as co-host of the Licensing Expo Opening Night Party
©2015 ADVANSTAR COMMUNICATIONS INC. All rights reserved.


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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – December 27, 2016: Photo USA is formally announcing that the company is representing Vivo Print for the upcoming International Consumer Electronic Show (CES) 2017, an annual technology-focused trade show organized by the Consumer Technology Association. Visit us at booth # 32065.
The CES 2017 will be held from January 5 to 8 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event will showcase over 3,800 exhibiting companies, comprised of manufacturers, developers, and suppliers of consumer technology hardware, content, and technology delivery systems. Over 165,000 start-up and global technology companies all over the world will gather to experience and see the latest innovations bound to be released in the coming year through the events’ more than 300 conference sessions.
CES is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Since 1967, the event has been the Launchpad of the greatest innovations in the technology.
“For 50 years, CES has served as a celebration of the visionary minds growing the consumer technology industry,” said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, Consumer Technology Association. “The accomplished authors included in this year’s Book Club are the epitome of what this innovative industry represents beyond the show floor. The extensive research, thoughtful insights and powerful storytelling in their work prove how the products and ideas that come to life at CES continue to touch our lives, establish a blueprint for creative leadership, and change our world for the better.”
About Photo USA:
Photo USA is a leading supply chain solution that has been providing sublimation coated products since 1992. The B2B Company is headquartered in Bay Area, California, with an 87,000 square foot facility located in Fremont.
About Vivo Print:
Vivo Print is a B2C company headquarter in Silicon Valley, San Francisco Bay Area of California. The company provides personalized products such as customized mugs, shot glasses, travel mugs and thermos, electronic accessories, photo gifts, and much more.


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FBN General Insurance recently won the Best Customer Service Company Award (Insurance Category) The award was given to the company at the 2018 Nigeria Brand Award held recently in Lagos.
In his acceptance speech, the MD/CEO, FBN General Insurance, Bode Opadokun, attributed the achievement to the company’s culture of priority attention to customer satisfaction.
He thanked the organisers for finding the company worthy of the honour saying, “at FBN General Insurance, we do not take our customers’ interests lightly.”
“We remain committed to delighting our customers at every touchpoint and we constantly seek better ways of delivering quality services to them at all times.
“Our recently launched Rapid Response Claims Assessment initiative, for example, is one of the many ways we have demonstrated that indeed, our customers do really matter,” he said.
He said this explains why FBN General Insurance recently launched three retail products, AutoFlexi, FlexiHome and FlexiGuard in response to customers’ yearning for simple, affordable and flexible insurance products.


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Fans of the Feminine Collective’s empowering website can now hold their favorite masterpieces in the palm of their hands thanks to the group’s latest release. Last week (January 28), co-founders Julie Anderson and Marla Carlton hosted a launch party for the Feminine Collective Raw & Unfiltered Vol 1: Selected Essays and Poems on Relationships with Self and Others.
“I am proud to be a part of a consortium of authors, writers, and poets that provides a platform not found in mainstream media,” Anderson said in a press release. “The Anthology opens the door for modern women’s perspectives. This is truly a unique book.”
Celebrity guests celebrated the book launch at the Pailhouse in Los Angeles, CA, enjoying drinks made with alcohol donated by Hollywood Vodka and beats courtesy of DJ Sean Cutter.
Famous faces in attendance included Rachel Hunter of New Zealand’s Next Top Model, Melia Kreiling from FX’s Tyrant, Ruth Connell from the CW’s Supernatural and Julia Ormond from former Lifetime series Witches of East End.
“The launch party event exceeded our expectations, and we received incredibly positive feedback on the book. Many of the writers attended to discuss their work first-hand, providing a forum for the raw and unfiltered voices that are at the core of Feminine Collective,” Carlton said in a press release.
All proceeds from the evening’s book sales benefitted the Women’s Center of Los Angeles (WCLA). This donation opportunity isn’t just for the celebrity guests at last week’s event, it runs through March 31 on all sales of the Feminine Collective’s book. The organization is donating 50% of all net proceeds from Feminine Collective Raw & Unfiltered Vol 1 to WCLA through the end of next month.
WCLA benefits women by providing role models, education and support. It also inspires girls to seek knowledge, confidence and courage to successfully live.
This is the Feminine Collective’s first published collection of work available in book form and it’s already receiving rave reviews.
After its initial release in December, Fuller House star John Stamos said, “When I need to tap into my feminine side, I run to FeminineCollective.com and now this book. It’s really smart.”
In addition, Agapi Stassinopoulos, author of Unbinding the Heart, reviewed the collection and said, “In the pages of this book you will hear your deeper voice and touch the raw places of yourself where angels fear to tread and as you read them watch out because you might you just might become fearless and unbound.”
The Feminine Collective is a nonprofit organization based in California with a mission to educate the public on issues facing women and children. The platform hosts raw poems and stories from a diverse group of authors who strive to raise awareness though the feminine voice. These authors cover nearly every issue ranging from mental health to body image.
To learn more about the Feminine Collective and to purchase a copy of the new book, visit the organization’s website.


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A store selling safe-to-eat cookie dough is coming to the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City later this month.
Sophie’s Dough Gourmet Cookie Dough is set to
open on Friday, November 24 — Black Friday — (update: the opening has been delayed) at a permanent kiosk on the third floor of the mall, near the soon-to-open Superdry clothing store.
Co-owner Sophia Fellers said that right now, they have 12 flavors of cookie dough to sell and may add more in the future. That includes flavors like pumpkin pie, and the signature called “Cookie Monster,” which has blue cookie dough with chocolate chips, cookie cereal, Oreo cookies and chocolate sprinkles.
“We’ll be doing all different types of cookie dough, cookie dough and ice cream, cookie dough milkshakes and cookie dough ice cream sandwiches,” Fellers said. “It’ll be everything cookie dough.”
Fellers said those flavor combinations have come mostly from trial and error, although her background and experience in cooking have helped them figure out what works and what doesn’t.
“I think that gives me an edge because I do cook all the time, so I have a niche for that,” she said. “It’s definitely a little bit trial and error. You put some things together and you’re like, ‘Oh, that doesn’t taste good,’ or it tastes good but it doesn’t look too appealing to the eye, because you want the combination of it tasting good and looking good.”
And while it is not normally recommended to eat cookie dough, as it contains raw egg and flour and so can result in salmonella, Fellers said they will do things differently to prevent anyone getting sick.
“Our cookie dough is safe,” she said. “That’s the big concern. For decades, people have been taking the risk and licking the spatula after Mom makes the cookies… Now, we don’t use eggs. I use an egg substitute, so there’s no eggs whatsoever in our products, and we also use a heat-treated flour to ensure that no one gets sick. So it’s completely safe and edible.”
The new store will make its cookie dough creations on site at its 10-foot by 15-foot kiosk. Fellers said it should be in place by the end of next week, ahead of final county inspections and permitting.
Photos via Facebook
A 4 BD/2 BA, 2 half bath renovated home with a private backyard, deck and patio is included in this week’s Just Listed.
The latest Boring Title takes a moment to highlight local Compass realtor Elvin Merlo and Haymakers for Hope in raising money towards cancer research.
President Biden is coming back to Arlington.
County Manager Mark Schwartz is proposing to use leftover money from the most recent fiscal year and federal COVID-19 relief for priorities such as employee bonuses and investments in disadvantaged…


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- A vegan passenger told Insider she been given fruit and nuts in its place of a sizzling meal through a flight.
- Juanita Headley was touring on a 6-hour KLM flight from Ghana to Amsterdam.
- Headley said she is allergic to some animal merchandise and has adopted a vegan diet program for 13 years.
A vegan passenger explained she was offered fruit and nuts in put of a warm meal during a six-hour KLM flight from Ghana to Amsterdam on April 19.
Juanita Headley, a TEDx speaker, legal professional, and writer, instructed Insider she is allergic to animal products and solutions, like eggs, and has followed a vegan diet plan for 13 a long time.
Headley was moved to the flight on quick discover soon after her first flight, from Ghana to London by means of Kenya Airways, was delayed by extra than six hours. Headley said she normally bought her possess food items but hadn’t experienced time to decide just about anything up as she had preordered vegan meals on the Kenya Airways flight.
Right after she was rebooked on to the KLM flight, she stated she knowledgeable employees she would need a vegan meal. Regardless of originally telling her they weren’t sure if it was attainable at quick discover, Headley mentioned airport team later on confident her there would be a vegan meal obtainable on the aircraft.
But when food stuff was served for the duration of the flight, she mentioned she was just specified fruit and nuts.
“I was sitting on a airplane, hungry, and whilst everybody was consuming very hot foods I acquired nuts, about seven pieces of tangerine, and 4 pieces of pineapple. That’s what I was served as a scorching meal,” she mentioned.
“The 2nd food was a banana, about six parts of pineapple, and nuts,” she added. “The staff gave me quite attentive personalized company and designed me come to feel quite special. But the makeshift food was a joke.”
In accordance to KLM’s web site, the airline can only guarantee vegan meals if a passenger submits the request much more than 24 hrs right before the flight’s departure.
“I have an understanding of these points can happen since I was not on that first flight,” Headley stated. “But this would not be an challenge if they set a pair of more vegan meals on the plane.”
A consultant for KLM instructed Insider: “Thanks to an unforeseen condition, there was no vegan meal accessible for this passenger on the flight. We regret that this happened and would like to supply our sincere apologies.
“Our shopper treatment section will be in call with this passenger to see how we can make up for this.”
Headley advised Insider she was unhappy with the airline’s reaction to her grievance and that it was “appalling that all KLM did is say sorry.”
“In this day and age the place veganism is not a new phenomenon, it is unacceptable that a six-hour, very long-haul flight would not carry a number of extra meals for circumstances like this, or at a minimum amount that the vegetarian food is also vegan which would make like very easy for crew and passengers,” she stated.
This is not the initially time vegan passengers have struggled on board prolonged-haul flights. Previous summertime, an Air Canada passenger explained to Insider she was originally only made available a bottle of water rather of a vegan food all through a 10-hour flight, regardless of preordering exclusive meals.
Headley posted about the incident online in a vegan team where she’d observed persons conversing about identical activities.
“I see photographs of people’s foods normally,” she mentioned. “A person posted just lately they bought a cup of salad and in all probability fruits as nicely.”