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You will be quite astounded at these numbers but Apple is selling 200,000 iPads every week in the U.S. This number is leaving the Mac sales looking like small change. This extremely challenging statement was made by Mike Abramsky of RBC’s Capital Market who is an analyst. He has sent this astounding claim to investors. This claim puts the iPad as a front runner of Apple’s Mac line. The iPad is selling 110,000 units per week in the U. S. Compare that to the iPhone 3GS sales during the first quarter was touching the sales at 246,000 units in a week.
Abramsky has also made a statement that Apple stores spread around the U.S. are actually there on the waiting list just for the iPad. The tiny stock that these stores seem to have stored looks like there is WiFi only units. It is extremely hazy as to why there is such a big iPad shortage in the market. It may be because of a high demand or it could be that Apple is holding back some of the units and the stocks for its international launch which is due on the 28 May 2010. Mike Abramsky also believes that Apple has a pre-launch sell of 600,000 units in other countries. This will be the iPad summer launch.
Abramsky is a staunch believer in that the iPad can monopolize more than 25% of Apples myriad other products. Although it is extremely fuzzy and unclear as to where and how this monopolization will come to be from, will it be that the iPhone and iPods will also be involved along with the Macs. Besides that Abramsky also claims that Apple shall leap to a highly increased market share of financial revenue all because of the Mac. Just like Steve mentioned that it is better for Apple to take the first step and monopolize and eat into the competitors share then allow some other player to take the initiative and earn most of the pie.
The news however is this kind of monopolization could be pre-term. The findings presented by the online advertising firm Chitka shows that there is an almost 3% staggering hike in the Mac OS web traffic in the previous month itself. There could be a number of variables as to why this is happening. The explanations could be very different about the 3% point rise in the Mac OS web traffic. But, Chitka the online advertising agency had put forward a very strong claim that the numbers and the trends indicate that this rise is in the market share could be the iPad effect. The iPad effect in essence means that the users are being encouraged to go out and take a look at the Mac technology. The increase of sales in Mac is linked to the iPad.
It is quite early to predict this and is only an indicator of the market spectrum.


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Games of 2015
Top Games of 2014
'Valkyrie of the Battlefield' (PS3) - 18 New Screens
by Rainier on Nov. 13, 2007 @ 4:25 a.m. PST
First revealed at the Playstation Premier 2007 press conference in Japan, SEGA is developing Valkyrie of the Battlefield. While details are still unavailable, the new action is being developed by the creators of SEGA's PS2 crime series Yakuza.

domain: news


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Shares in Associated British Foods were down on the FTSE 100 in morning trading, despite the group reporting a "record year", with both revenue and pre-tax profit rising by double digit figures.
The group, which owns brands such as Kingsmill and Twinnings, as well as the Primark chain of stores, said that revenue in the year ended 18 September increased 10 per cent to £10.2 billion.
Adjusted pre-tax profit rose 26 per cent to £825 million and non-adjusted profits increased 54 per cent to £763 million.
ABF said it would be increasing its dividend by 13 per cent to 23.8 pence per share.
Net debt was reported as being £816 million.
George Weston, Chief Executive of Associated British Foods, said, "This year's outstanding results represent a step change for the group. A number of major projects will be completed over the coming year which will underpin future profit delivery and provide a platform for further growth. Opportunities for further attractive investment are plentiful and the group has the financial capacity to exploit them."
By 09:45 shares in Associated British Foods were down 1.12 per cent on the FTSE 100 to 1,061.00 pence per share.


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Zomatoshares witnessed volatility in intraday trade on September 14 after one of the top executives at the food- delivery platform quit.Moneycontrol was the first to report the resignation of Gaurav Gupta, who was elevated as Chief Operating Officer in 2018 three years after joined the company and as the founder in 2019. Gupta was also the face of the company in the run-up to its hugely successful IPO.The stock jumped 7 percent in the first half to hit an all-time high of Rs 152.
75 but cooled off to trade with mild gains. At 1345 hours, the stock was trading 1.26 percent higher at Rs 145.Track Live Market Updates HereThe stock has been gaining of late as thecompany exit its grocery delivery and Nutraceutical businesses. Nutraceuticals are food-related product that provides medical or health benefits.Zomato decided to wind up its nascent grocery delivery service due to gaps in order fulfillment, poor customer experience and increasing competition from rivals promising express delivery in 15 minutes.
The company said its investment in Grofers would generate better outcomes than its in-house grocery effort.Disclaimer:The views and investment tips expressed by experts on Moneycontrol.com are their own and not those of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.


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EMERYVILLE, Calif. (AP) — Jamba Juice has signed a deal with Foodmark to open 80 Jamba Juice stores across the Middle East over the next 10 years.
Foodmark is the food and beverage unit of Landmark Group.
Jamba Juice Co. said Friday that the first store is expected to open in Dubai this year.
Jamba Juice, which serves smoothies, juices, sandwiches and other products, said the deal brings its current pipeline commitment to 480 stores in South Korea, Canada, the Philippines, Mexico, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait and Qatar. It had 849 stores globally as of Oct. 1.
Jamba Juice's stock fell 29 cents, or 2.4 percent, to $12.05 in midday trading.


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It's possible that when you're worried about a tsunami wiping away you and everything you hold dear, you'll prefer a bucket of large extra crispy chunks as opposed to just a few crispy strips.
Equally, it's possible that the last thing on your mind would be, well, any kind of chicken at all.
KFC seems to have discovered the latter might be the case. As the Daily Mail reports it, some people were a little surprised in Thailand on Wednesday when, as they rushed home worried about a tsunami, KFC posted: "Let's hurry home and follow the earthquake news. And don't forget to order your favorite KFC menu."
Hundreds of people began posting their displeasure at this less than tasteful suggestion. Even though the earthquake was in Indonesia, Thais know very well the kind of devastation a tsunami might cause. In 2004, 8,000 Thais died in similar circumstances.
By today, KFC had removed the post and inserted a bucket of apologies. Yet memories can be long and unforgiving.
Sometimes, it's the young and enthusiastic who are put in charge of the new, dynamic world of social networking.
Perhaps, in this case, someone thought they were been enterprising and, even more importantly, reacting in real time. It is not yet known how KFC might have reacted internally to this clucking nightmare.
Might the people responsible be fired? Or might they be forced to eat only KFC for the next month or two?


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Legal hemp businesses are eligible for Small Business Administration loans, federal stimulus funds, federal and state agricultural grant programs and tax relief, among other benefits.Read More
Federal class action securities lawsuits against publicly traded marijuana businesses doubled from 2018 to 2019, a trend that’s typical in an emerging industry, according to a new report.Read More
Mexico inches toward legalizing hemp, marijuana despite latest delayRead More
The Lebanese parliament has approved a law that allows the cultivation of cannabis up to 1% THC for medical purposes.Read More
CBD retailers aren’t essential businesses that can stay open despite closure orders in Texas.Read More
The coronavirus has ushered in more dubious claims – and more warning letters from the FDA directing companies to immediately stop.Read More
The European Industrial Hemp Association wants EU policymakers to see industrial hemp as a potential catalyst for regenerating rural areas following the coronavirus economic downturn.Read More
Mexican lawmakers now have until Dec. 15 to legalize marijuana and hemp – a new deadline set by the country’s Supreme Court in light of the coronavirus outbreak. Late Friday, the Supreme Court announced the new deadline for legalization to happen during the lawmaker’s next scheduled session, which runs from Sept. 1 to Dec. 15. Only […]Read More
Pressured to ensure a consistent food supply, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced an additional $19 billion for farmers affected by the pandemic.Read More
Virginia has joined other states in allowing CBD in food despite federal prohibitions. Gov. Ralph Northam recently signed the legislation that defines CBD as food and gives state regulators power to regulate the new industry. The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumers will be in charge of regulations and enforcement, including overseeing labeling requirements, identifying […]Read More
An Ohio agency focused on conflict management has decided which businesses in the state are essential during the coronavirus pandemic – and retailers selling CBD are reportedly not among them.Read More
A California hemp grower is suing a sheriff’s office, alleging the authorities destroyed about 500 acres of their plants, which the company estimates were worth $1 billion, according to the lawsuit. The federal lawsuit filed Friday calls the demolition of the plants “one the largest wholesale destructions of personal property by government entities in the history […]Read More
Laura Drotleff Interviews Dr. Jonathan Vaught, CEO & Founder of Front Range BiosciencesHemp Industry Daily reporter, Laura Drotleff, interviews Dr. Jonathan Vaught, CEO & Founder of Front Range Biosciences.
Monica Raymunt Interviews Giovanni Isoldi, CTO at Materia Medica ProcessingHemp Industry Daily international reporter, Monica Raymunt, interviews Giovanni Isoldi, CTO at Materia Medica Processing.
Starting a CBD Business During a Time of UncertaintyThe economy has seen its fair share of up’s and down’s, but the CBD industry, still in infancy, has been a wild ride. The CBD industry has been the mecca for business entrepreneurs and start-ups, but what happens when economic or environmental circumstances out of your control strike? Hemp Industry Daily reporter Ivan Moreno, speaks with Jennifer Culpepper, Founder and Principal at Brand Joint and Co-founder at I+I Botanicals, and Christopher Gavigan, Founder and CEO at Prima, to discuss their experience during COVID-19.


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Agile Automations, a specialist in robotic process automation (RPA), has been shortlisted in the Best Use of Technology in Finance Award category at the Jersey TechAwards 2020.
Also in the same category are BankClarity, BDO Jersey and RBS International.
Sponsored by Prosperity 24/7 in association with BCS Jersey, the 2020 TechAwards will take place on 5 February 2021, celebrating and showcasing the very best of tech in Jersey.
There are thirteen categories celebrating a wide range of digital and technological accomplishments from local students and educators, to innovative organisations, projects and digital pioneers.
Agile Automations has been leading the way in AI, robotics and automations since 2015.
The company specialises in creating RPA for finance firms, banks, insurers, and SMEs, allowing them to identify and streamline manual business processes and in doing so giving them a competitive edge, unlocking the potential of their teams.
CEO Martin Keelagher said: “We are delighted to be shortlisted for the Jersey TechAwards 2020.
“We pride ourselves on our disruptive commercial model which is based on the ‘trust economy’ and the spirit of collaboration, forming long-lasting, strategic relationships.”


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Today's Web applications are more content and feature rich than ever, providing an interactive user experience. Traffic is increasing exponentially and networks worldwide are growing at a remarkable pace. With that, users expect applications to be delivered immediately on a variety of fixed and mobile devices and browser platforms.
A recent Forrester study found that "two seconds is the new threshold in terms of an average online shopper's expectation for a Web page to load, and 40 percent of shoppers will wait no more than three seconds before abandoning a retail or travel site."
In fact, companies today are becoming more reliant on network processor innovation to accelerate throughput, decongest the network and handle new services and applications, according to industry experts.
According to Zoomph, a provider of Web performance optimization software, Google (News - Alert) has publicly stated that a half second delay in load time results in a 20 percent drop in ad revenue3, while Amazon has found that a tenth of a second delay causes a 1 percent drop in sales4. Now more than ever, slow page load times translate into lost customers and revenue. In addition, companies can save significant hardware, software and bandwidth costs by improving application speed.
In fact, Zoompf today released the results of the inaugural "2010 State of Web Performance report," which ranks and details the performance of the top 1000 Web sites, after analyzing over 88,000 separate URLs.
According to the report, nearly 20 percent of Web content served by the Alexa Top 1000, can be eliminated through lossless optimizations that have no impact on content quality or substance.
Next generation networks and convergence have changed the game significantly, according to network processor leader Advantech (News - Alert). "We have seen that dedicated network processors still have a healthy role to play and, with the advances GPPs have made in terms of performance and suitability for specialized applications along with the development of hybrid SOCs, one has a multitude of choices any one of which will create an outstanding platform capable of supporting a plethora of network applications," according to an Advantech Network Application Platforms white paper.
Web applications have improved "dramatically" in terms of their features, functionality and content over the past five years, according to Theresa Lanowitz, CEO and lead analyst at voke Inc. "In addition, virtualization has become prevalent throughout enterprises. As a result, companies need to be able to measure and improve performance earlier in the application development lifecycle."
In addition, as fixed and mobile networks have seen dramatic performance improvements, in many cases applications have not kept up and are now the bottleneck in improving the user experience, according to Billy Hoffman (News - Alert), founder and CEO of Zoompf.
"In an always-on, instant-gratification world, Web application speed is becoming the next competitive advantage. Companies need to not just monitor, but actively work to improve application speed to keep up with user expectations," Hoffman said.
Erin Harrison is a senior editor with TMCnet, primarily covering telecom expense management, politics and technology and Web 2.0. She serves as senior editor for TMC's (News - Alert) print publications, including "Internet Telephony", "Customer Interaction Solutions", "Unified Communications" and "NGN" magazines. Erin also oversees production of TMCnet's weekly iPhone (News - Alert) e-Newsletter. To read more of Erin's articles, please visit her columnist page.
Edited by Erin Harrison


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ATHENS – With Chinese companies eyeing taking over more businesses in Greece, and Chinese tourists making beelines to the country and growing cultural links, a Greek bookstore chain is opening a special Chinese section in one of its Athens stores.
It will be in the Booktique in the wealthy section of Kolonaki and offers 50 books so far in Chinese and English with plans to build to at least 500, Sofika Eleftheroudakis, CEO of the G. C. Eleftheroudakis International Bookstore, told the Chinese news agency Xinhua.
During the opening ceremony, organizers of the initiative told Xinhua that they want to build a new bridge of understanding between Greek and Chinese people after exchanges saw exhibitions in each other’s countries, still growing.
In cooperation with Chinese publishers, Eleftheroudakis brought to Greece a selection of Chinese editions mainly on Chinese language, Art, modern literature and children’s books under a program run by the China Publishing & Media Co., Ltd.
“This project is mainly to introduce Chinese good books to readers around the world. The Chinese Bookshelf has already landed in 16 countries on four continents. This is a good attempt,” Sun Yuemu, Deputy General Manager of China Publishing & Media told Xinhua.
“Greece has much in common with China, and we feel that the biggest thing in common is culture – we all have a long history and culture. The long history and culture are important symbol of the continuation of human development and the move towards a higher civilization,” he said.
Booktique’s clients responded immediately, browsing through the editions, as the Chinese Bookshelf was filled with books, Eleftheroudakis said.
“More and more Greeks are trying to learn the Chinese language. It is taught at some schools. There is clearly interest for everything, the Chinese language, literature, children’s books and you know one gets to learn a lot this way. You can learn something new about culture through literature,” she noted.
“Our goal is to bring the two societies closer through Chinese books in Greece and Greek books in China… This is my idea: to promote, to create sooner or later a similar Greek shelf with Greek books and design objects at Chinese bookshops,” she said.
Sun Yuemu said his publishing house has many books about ancient Greek myths and legends because those stories are. It is the spiritual nutrition that our Chinese youth grew up from generation to generation.”
“The Commercial Press has a number of the world’s academic masterpieces translated into Chinese. There are many Greek classics like the works of Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates, which have been popular for many years. Chinese readers enjoyed them very much,” he added.


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The Calvary Waffle Shop Returns Feb. 14 – March 22
Lent begins this week, which means the return of one of Memphis' favorite spring traditons: the Calvary Waffle Shop.
Now in its 90th year, the Waffle Shop is more than a tradition – it's an instiution.
Every weekday from Ash Wednesday until just before Easter Sunday, 75 volunteers will serve about 500 lunches per day in Calvary's basement. The menu changes a little bit every week day, but some staples – tomato aspic, chicken hash, peppermint ice cream, waffles – are always available.
A visiting preacher delivers a short, completely optional sermon every day at 12:05. If you're pressed for time, this year you can eat in a special quiet room and watch the sermon via telecast.
If all of this sounds great, but you can't make it downtown during the day, the Waffle Shop has added additional evening hours this year. On Wednesday nights, they'll serve their full menu from 5:15 p.m. until 6:15 p.m., with a sermon starting at 6:30 p.m.
What: Calvary Waffle Shop and Lenten Preaching Series
Where: Calvary Church, 102 N. Second St., Memphis, TN 38103
When: February 14, 2013 – March 22, 2013
What time: 11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Monday – Friday and Wednesday nights 5:15 p.m. – 6:15 p.m.


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FDA Orders Shutdown of Seafood Company
The agency ordered a smoked seafood manufacturer to cease its operations due to the presence of Listeria.
The FDA ordered Washington-based Jensen's Old Fashioned Smokehouse, Inc. to cease production of its smoked fish products due to the presence of Listeria. The company has been ordered to stop processing, preparing, packing, holding, and distributing any food from its facility after an FDA analysis of samples taken during an inspection confirmed the presence of Listeria in the facility.
The FDA press release said Jensen's Old Fashioned Smokehouse Inc. is subject to a consent decree of permanent injunction, which was entered by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington in 2001. Under the terms of the consent decree, the company agreed to comply with requirements to control food safety hazards and ensure that its products are not adulterated.
The most recent inspection, however, confirmed the problem. In order to begin operations again, Jensen's Old Fashioned Smokehouse must thoroughly clean and sanitize the facility, hire an expert to develop a Sanitation Standard Operation Procedure, and test representative samples of all vacuum-packed smoked fish products on hand for Listeria.


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We had a great time at Affiliate Summit West—one of the industry’s largest conferences—in Las Vegas this week. Throughout the conference, we recognized a familiar theme across many of our discussions with brands: the increasing appeal of scaling performance-based partnerships globally.
Over the past several years, we've seen a tremendous increase in the number of brands across Australia and Asia who are successfully driving growth and revenues through innovative marketing partnerships. As part of this trend and to address a growing demand for solutions that enable these brands to manage their partnerships at scale, we recently opened up new APAC headquarters in Sydney to better serve our regional clients.
Image Courtesy of St Oswald's Hospice
The 2016 Great North Snowdogs event came to a close with the big Grand Auction that raised an incredible £259,000 for Newcastle-based St Oswald's Children's Hospice.
Last week in London, we hosted an educational event about the “The Bleeding Edge of Partner Marketing,” featuring key speakers from Universal Basket, LiveRamp, Performance Horizon, and Silicon Valley Bank. We thought the event was a huge success -- here are some key takeaways that we hope you find insightful.
We had the chance to attend some insightful sessions last week at PMI: London about the past, present, and future of partner and affiliate marketing, and all the factors in between that are making the industry more and more complex.
Last week, Performance Horizon attended the 7th Annual StarTrack Online Retail Industry Awards along with 700 people at the Dockside Pavilion in Sydney, Australia.
As part of the event, Performance Horizon sponsored the award category “Best Mobile Commerce Site/Application,” which spotlighted the retailer with the best overall mobile site and/or smartphone application.
We mention this not to simply tout our own participation but to draw attention to a topic that should be top of mind for every retailer – and in fact – every brand and digital advertiser: mobile commerce.
Photo courtsey of Emily Brown
Hello performance marketers! We recently hosted a retail-oriented educational seminar in London featuring key speakers from Visa, adidas, and Quidco. There were some interesting discussions and we wanted to share a brief recap and some takeaways that may apply to everyone in the performance marketing space.
Photo as tweeted by DigitasLBiAffiliates
We recently hosted a travel-oriented educational seminar in London featuring key speakers from Hotels.com, Hostelworld.com, Skyscanner, and vakay.co.uk. There were some interesting discussions and we wanted to share some takeaways that may apply to everyone in the performance marketing space.
Performance Horizon had a fantastic time exhibiting at the Great North East Tech Talent jobs and skills fair on Thursday at the Sunderland Software Center.
A little over a week has passed since the Performance Horizon team celebrated achievement and innovation alongside other industry leaders at the annual Performance Marketing Awards in London. The event - now in its 10th year - was a tremendous success as always.


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Company Overview of Mobile Entertainment Forum
Key Executives for Mobile Entertainment Forum
General Manager of Middle East and India
Strategic Advisor and Director
Strategic Advisor for Africa Region
Strategic Advisor for Middle East & Indian Region
Compensation as of Fiscal Year 2014.
Mobile Entertainment Forum Key Developments
Mobile Entertainment Forum Announces Executive Appointments
Oct 15 13
Mobile Entertainment Forum (MEF), the global community for mobile content and commerce, has appointed Jonna Vyasulu as general manager in the Middle East and India. Vyasulu joins MEF from UAE carrier du, where she was head of content verticals, advertising and monetisation. Vyasulu's appointment comes ahead of the annual MEF Connects Dubai on October 22, 2013 which will bring together key players from the region and MEF's wider global community. MEF's expanding remit in this key growth region is further supported by Saleem Mobhani, strategic advisor recently appointed to the newly elected MEF Global board. Mobhani's and Vyasulu's appointments bring experience and expertise in markets across the Middle East and India and will enhance MEF's regional roadmap for accelerating mobile content and commerce.
Mobile Entertainment Forum Appoints Growth Market Advisors
Aug 14 13
Former Vodacom exec Prins Mhlanga has joined MEF as a strategic advisor for Africa. Global community for mobile content and commerce, the Mobile Entertainment Forum, has appointed two strategic advisors - Prins Mhlanga and Saleem Mobhani - as the trade organisation seeks to expand in growth markets such as the Middle East, India and Africa. Mhlanga, who left his position as managing executive for digital at Vodacom earlier this year, will support
MEF's Africa office, which was set up last year in association with Vodacom, with a pan-regional mission in
Sub-Saharan Africa. Mobhani, former vice-president for digital marketing and entertainment at carrier Du, has
been appointed to support strategic growth and initiatives in the Middle East and India.
Similar Private Companies By Industry
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Recent Private Companies Transactions
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Sponsored Financial Commentaries


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One reason investors like to own General Motors (NYSE: GM) stock is that that company is the leading car manufacturer in China, when its local partners’ sales results are added to its own. Chinese sales are a primary reason investors like Volkswagen. And investors carefully watch whether Ford (NYSE: F) and Toyota (NYSE: TM) can challenge the market share of the two incumbents.
The trouble with relying on China as the future of the global car industry is that the people in the People’s Republic have lost some of their voracious appetite for new vehicles. The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers reports that, in January, sales of cars and light vehicles dropped 23.8% year-over-year. Analysts blamed the lunar holiday. But sales rose only 5% in all of 2011. So, the market has softened considerably.
China may produce sales of 18 million vehicles per year, well above the 13 million or so in the U.S. But car companies realize that American car sales are rising rapidly, while Chinese sales are not. The U.S., just two years ago the black hole of car sales, has become a foundation for revenue of multinational manufacturers. China has become a market where large investments in factories and marketing is a problem, at least for awhile.
Another challenge for foreign car companies in China is that local companies have grown tired of watching manufactures from the U.S., Japan and Europe exploit their market. All of the large local firms have learned manufacturing from their joint venture partners like GM and VW. That gives them the ability to stand on their own, and that can only hurt the sales of outsiders.
China has lost some of its luster for foreign car companies — that is, sales there have faltered — for a a number of reasons. Among them is that China’s middle class faces the effects of an economic slowdown and an inflation rate that hit 4.5% last month. And many Chinese cars are still relatively new. The factor of the replacement of cars that are six years or older, which is the cause for much of the improvement in sales in the U.S., is not as large a factor in China. There, the really huge volume in annual sales only happened in the past several years. The Chinese may not be ready to trade their cars in yet.
China, once the biggest hope for sales by global car companies, cannot sustain the revenue increases that the industry hoped it would.
Douglas A. McIntyre


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In his first visit since the start of the supply chain crisis, the U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg toured Los Angeles-area ports on Jan. 11, commending port workers and officials for “saving Christmas.”
“One of the reasons why Christmas was not, in fact, canceled was because ports like LA and Long Beach moved record levels of goods, allowing an all-time record high of retail sales this holiday season,” Buttigieg said at a press conference.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti joined the secretary at a press conference on a helipad at the Port of Long Beach. He thanked President Joe Biden and his administration.
“I want to thank the Biden administration, Joe Biden, this Cabinet, and this Congress for proving, together with the American worker, that not only Christmas could be saved but that American competitiveness, know-how, and the desire to rebuild this country is alive and well,” Garcetti said.
Biden tapped Garcetti to serve as the ambassador to India when his term as mayor is up in December.
Port officials have attributed record cargo ship and container backups to the COVID-19 pandemic and consumer spending increases.
The twin ports continued to see a backlog of cargo ships this month. On Jan. 10, 194 ships of all kinds were at dock or waiting in the waters off San Pedro Bay. Some ships were spread out across the Pacific Ocean, waiting for their turn to dock. Of those, 102 were container ships. One container ship, Pinocchio, from Liberia, has waited nearly two months to dock, according to the Marine Exchange of Southern California.
Buttigieg started the morning in San Pedro at the USS Iowa, a retired battleship, to have coffee with labor leaders to discuss upcoming projects at the ports.
By 9:45 a.m., he boarded an 83-foot catamaran called Triumphant, joined by nearly a dozen local lawmakers and port officials, including Reps. Ted Lieu (D-Los Angeles), Nanette Barragan (D-San Pedro), Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach), along with Los Angeles County Supervisors Hilda Solis and Janice Hahn, all of whom represent areas of Los Angeles and Long Beach near the ports, according to FOX 11 News.
The executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, Gene Seroka, and Port of Long Beach executive director Mario Cordero also joined in the boat ride from San Pedro to the port of Long Beach.
Along the way, Buttigieg stood at the bow of the ship, asking about the towers of cargo stacked on docked ships from Panama, Columbia, Hong Kong, and other distant countries, according to FOX 11.
Hahn and Solis spoke to the secretary about efforts to reduce emissions along the corridor that trucks and trains use to transport cargo from the ports to giant inland warehouses.
The catamaran cruised under the new Gerald Desmond Bridge, a $1.4 billion landmark project that opened in 2020, FOX 11 reported.
By 11 a.m., the tour reached the dock in Long Beach where the secretary was met by Garcetti, who accompanied Buttigieg to a press conference to discuss the progress made on easing supply chain problems.
“When there is an issue affecting ports here, you will feel it as far away as my Indiana hometown,” Buttigieg said.
The ports processed 14 percent more containers last year than the previous record, the secretary said.
“Not only is this about presents under the tree, but this is about essential goods, like medical goods, that are needed this moment of continued public health challenge,” Buttigieg said.
He highlighted recent grants received by the ports and mentioned that $17 billion more was committed to the ports from Biden’s Infrastructure Law, signed into law in November.
In December, the Port of Long Beach received a $52 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration to fund the development of an on-dock rail support facility. The facility will allow smaller train segments to connect to a larger train.
Construction on the project is expected to start in 2023 and will allow the port to move more cargo by train, according to port officials.
On Jan. 10, California Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled a new state budget for 2022–23 that includes $2.3 billion for state ports.
“The governor’s budget allocates $2.3 billion for ports to address bottlenecks in our supply chain, advance our efforts to decarbonize the freight system, and ensure a robust and resilient workforce continues to move goods on behalf of the state and nation,” Seroka said.
The funds are expected to pay for port-related projects that increase the capacity to move goods more quickly on rails and roadways, a rail yard expansion project, new bridges, and zero-emission projects. Some of the money is also slated for workforce training, enhancing the state’s ability to issue commercial driver’s licenses and new data systems, according to port officials.
FOX 11 contributed to this report as the pool reporter for the tour.


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The tablet wars in a nuthsell: of the tens of thousands of people who opened a tablet on Christmas morning, 7 times as many people got iPads than Kindles, 18 times as many people got iPads than a Google Nexus and 50 times as many people got an iPad as a Surface. Looks like Santa’s an Apple fan.
John Brownlee is a Contributing Editor. He has also written for Wired, Playboy, Boing Boing, Popular Mechanics, VentureBeat, and Gizmodo. He lives in Boston with his wife and two parakeets. You can follow him here on Twitter.


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World Diamond Congress to be held October 14-17, 2012
Antwerp, Belgium, July 24, 2012 – The 35th World Diamond Congress (WDC), the joint biennial meeting of the International Diamond Manufacturers Association (IDMA) and the World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB), will be held in Mumbai, India, from October 14 to 17.
The event is being organised and hosted by the Gems & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) and the Bharat Diamond Bourse (BDB).
Earlier this week, the organising committee launched a dedicated congress website that will be “a complete one-point access to all relevant information about the event.”
The website can be accessed at www.diamondcongress2012.com, and provides detailed information on the event’s schedule and programme, participating organisations, the hosts, information about registration, the venue hotel and room booking, social tours and post-congress optional programmes.
IDMA President Moti Ganz said India was the right place for this year’s WDC due to the major role it plays in the global diamond and jewellery industries.
“India is one of the leading manufacturing powers in the diamond and diamond jewellery industry and trade,” Ganz said.
“At the same time, as our industry is going through some very challenging times, both in the rough and polished diamond market, it is also among the first to be affected by those challenges.
“Mumbai is therefore the correct place to discuss the state of our industry and to reach a consensus on how to propel our industry forward and increase its market share in the luxury consumer product market.”


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Gun maker Freedom Group Inc., controlled by buyout and hedge fund manager
The Madison, N.C.-based company told the U.S Securities and Exchange Commission in a preliminary prospectus that its predecessor company was formed by Cerberus to acquire Bushmaster Firearms.
Firearms and ammunitions makers including Remington Arms, DPMS Firearms and Marlin Firearms were later acquired to form Freedom Group. The company posted net sales of $427.3 million for the six months ended June 30. The company’s total debt to EBITDA ration stood at 1.7x.
The filing also said that Freedom Group has a number-one U.S. market position in terms of its sales of shotguns, traditional rifles, modern sporting rifles and ammunition.
The filing did not reveal how many shares the company planned to sell or under which symbol the company plans to list its stock.
Freedom Group designs, manufactures and markets firearms under brands including Remington, Marlin, Bushmaster, Parker and Nesika.
(Reporting by Sayantani Ghosh)


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"We are planning with the expectation that NX sales will compensate for much of the impact on sales from reduced Wii U hardware sales."
"We will be putting out applications that use IP from actual games, so it will be a decent value for the fiscal year ending March 2017."
"The launch of NX is not the only project which requires funds, and we want to prioritize using it on projects that make use of our IP."
"Our approach is that we should wait until we can provide a fully realized experience rather than rushing to launch in the holiday season."
"How the game is played connects to the future of the IP."
"I believe that Miitomo reaching 10 million unique users in the short time since its release shows that it has achieved the level we had planned."
"Selling at a loss at launch would not support the business, so we are keeping that in mind in developing NX."
"Of course, Mr. Miyamoto, our Creative Fellow, is also supporting the business for smart devices from a company-wide perspective."
"Consumers playing Miitomo are gradually creating their own Nintendo Accounts."
"We selected two titles of different categories and IP to reach as many consumers as possible."
"The positive aspect of lowering the projected sales of Wii U hardware to 800,000 units is that it allows us to focus on the Nintendo 3DS system."
"As president and, then, the chairman of Nintendo of America, I personally observed the great efforts and contributions that Mr. Lincoln made during the past 17 years as the team’s CEO and the chairman."
"The purpose of introducing an executive officer system is to separate business decision-making and oversight from business execution, and to delegate authority for executing business."
"We expect that the launch of new applications using the Fire Emblem andAnimal Crossing IPs will expand our membership even more."
"We are working to provide a high-quality experience optimized to smart devices."
"We plan to greatly reduce the amount of Wii U systems produced and shipped for the fiscal year ending March 2017, compared to the fiscal year ended March 2016."
"More than half of these downloads came from the American market."
"Even after the start of the calendar year, the Splatoon series amiibo have continued to sell well, with sales approaching one million units in Japan alone."
"The 13th Splatfest, held from April 23rd to the 24th in Japan, saw around 790,000 participants, a record number."
"Nintendo platform titles hold the top nine spots, including two Wii U titles and seven Nintendo 3DS titles."


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|FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg|
The FDA has taken some tough action against Indian drugmakers like Ranbaxy Laboratories. It has a dozen inspectors stationed in India and will beef that up to 19. But the agency doesn't have it out for Indian drugmakers, FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg insists. Its actions there just reflects that India has become one of the biggest links in the global supply chain.
"We have an increased presence and that reflects that India is a significant and growing player in the U.S. marketplace," Hamburg said in a briefing Friday to talk about her 10-day trip to India to meet with regulators and top industry execs. She pointed out that India accounts for about 40% of the generic and over-the-counter drugs sold in the U.S. During questions, she explained she has already met with officials in China, another huge supplier of imported drug products to the U.S., as well as Latin America, and intends to make other international trips given how global and complex the pharma supply chain has become.
Her trip came as tensions have mounted between the two countries over some of its enforcement actions. In the last 10 months, the FDA has banned products from two Indian plants operated by Ranbaxy Laboratories and two owned by India's Wockhardt. But the agency has also banned imports from plants in China, Mexico and Canada, taken actions that have halted production of drugs in the U.S. and sent warning letters to drugmakers all over the world, including the U.S. and Europe.
The agency is adding to its inspection staff in India so that it can do more training as well as compliance work, but it also is adding inspectors in China and has inspectors stationed in the EU and Latin America, Hamburg said. A non-binding agreement signed with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare India while she was there is expected to result in joint plant inspections where Indian regulators can learn about what the FDA looks for from drugmakers.
Hamburg told reporters that the industry people she met with understood the importance of quality "and they value our increased engagement and work with Indian authorities." She said she was particularly struck by the response from a group of women from academia and the food and pharma industries she met with while traveling around the country. "I was delighted that the group appreciated how smart regulation can help shape, support, and strengthen the product development and manufacturing processes that can help ensure continuous quality," Hamburg said in a blog post about her trip.
- here's the blog post
- access a replay of the briefing at 866-448-5642 (U.S.) or 203-369-1187 (International) through March 23, 2013


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HTC is planning a big event on September 1. I guess we’ll hear many exciting news from the company during the event, but yet we don’t know what exactly it is devoted to, so we can only make assumptions… Many geeks think the HTC Puccini will be introduced on September 1.
HTC has launched several awesome smartphones during the last quarters, and there is nothing rumored besides the aforementioned tablet. This device will run Honeycomb and make a competition to such tablets as the Motorola Xoom and the Samsung Tab. Anyway, the tablet has passed FCC approval, which means it has all the chances to be in the center of attention on September 1.
However, we don’t think at a “big” event HTC will introduce only one product. So it is quite expected the new version of Sense that will work on Honeycomb will be demonstrated, too. Earlier it was rumored that a quick update to Ice Cream Sandwich will appear in August, but probably the developers didn’t manage and it was delayed till September 1.
And what do you think about the event?


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Author: Aoife Moriarty
The stunning vehicle is expected to fetch at least $9 million – three to four times what it would be likely to make without the iconic McQueen tag – according to motoring experts.
Ordered during the filming of The Thomas Crown Affair, the car was the only Ferrari in the actor’s stable for almost five years.
Delivered to the Hollywood legend on the set of the film Bullitt, the auto was lightly customised by McQueen. Originally coming in metallic gold, he had it repainted in classic Chianti Red. The car was also fitted with the Borrani wire wheels from his beloved 275 GTB N.A.R.T. Spider, which he had previously crashed. It also included a custom-designed rear view mirror, retractable radio antenna and custom seat trim.
The car passed through a small number of owners – the first of which was fellow actor Guy Williams in ’71 – before its current owner commissioned a full restoration to McQueen’s specifications in 2010. It had been on display at Ferrari’s museum in Maranello, Italy since March of last year.
The impressive auto is expected to be the star of the show at RM Auction’s Monterey event, which will also feature a one-owner 2006 Ferrari FXX Evoluzione and a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT N.A.R.T Spider.
“When it comes to cars with celebrity provenance, it doesn’t get any better than a Ferrari owned by Steve McQueen,” said Max Girardo, Managing Director of RM Auctions Europe.
“The vehicle we have on offer ticks all the boxes when it comes to collectability: it is one of the ultimate Ferraris ever built, it was recently restored by Ferrari themselves and it was delivered new to none other than the ‘King of Cool’.”
RM Auction’s Monterey sale takes place August 15 – 16 2014 in Monterey, California


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A Victoria publisher is trying to give independent bookstores a boost during the pandemic by creating a Google map link of shops across the country.
So far, Don Gorman, publisher of Rocky Mountain Books, has 260 bookstores listed and views have topped 67,500. He has also just launched a link for independent publishers.
The attention is welcome for booksellers such as Barbara Pope, who, with husband Tom, owns Mulberry Bush bookstores in Parksville and in Qualicum Beach.
She thinks the map is a great way to support local booksellers. Customers seem to want to support smaller outlets online, rather than buying through huge corporate sellers, Pope said. “We have so many customers who are just going out of their way to support us right now,” she said. “I think that the map has really helped that.”
Mulberry Bush has a website that provides access to millions of books, Pope said. Customers can place their orders online for home delivery or pickup in a special no-touch area at the stores. (The Mulberry Bush stores are closed except for pickups.)
The company has been in business 30 years and has an established online presence, Pope said.
While overall business is down because of the lack of walk-in customers, online customers are helping the bottom line, she said. “We order a lot of books for them. It’s just a new way of doing business.”
Gorman, who used to be a bookseller in Calgary, had the idea for the map link in mid-March amid rising virus concerns. “We were trying to track where our books were available and how to direct people who were interested in getting them. It was getting really tough to conceptualize where all these stores were,” he said. “I just woke up and decided: ‘Well, I’m just going to have to create a map so that I can actually see where these stores are and it just grew from there.”
The many thousands of views of the map show there’s “definitely a need,” said Gorman, who started with a post on Facebook. “Basically it went wild from there. A lot of publishers commented on it and shared it.”
His own bookseller friends on Facebook shared it, as well.
Gorman researched bookstores that he could find online and checked their websites for delivery and curbside pickup services. Bookstores have contacted him, as have shoppers, wanting to see specific outlets on the map. “Since then, I basically get one or two emails a day from local bookstores somewhere in the country asking to be added.”
The maps are confined to Canada, said Gorman, who does not know how many independent bookstores there are in Canada. “I don’t think anybody really knows,” he said. “I assume that this map will continue to grow. As the stores start to open, I think I will probably get contacted on a regular basis.”
He predicts the map will eventually grow to include more than 300 stores. “It’s awesome. It’s really exciting,” Gorman said, describing bookstores as a “really important community link for a lot of people.”


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Intel also enjoyed a 14.2-point advantage over AMD in Presales Support, and a 17.7-point margin in Training Support. Dallman attributes those two wins to the company's unwavering commitment to the channel during the economic downturn of 2008 and 2009. "During that time, we didn't stop doing our training, we didn't stop launching products, and we continued to hold face-to-face events," Dallman said.
The lone criteria in which AMD beat Intel was Return On Investment, where it had a 0.8-point edge.
Intel, which unveiled its next-generation 32-nanometer Core architecture in September and plans to roll out its 22-nanometer "Ivy Bridge" processor in the second half of 2011, expects to hold its advantage.
"Next year is going to be a very exciting year," Dallman said.


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The new concept also celebrates the 50th anniversary of Renault’s iconic Alpine A110 Berlinette and serves as a link to the automaker’s motorsports prowess, particularly in racing the Megane Trophy and supplying race-winning engines for a number of Formula 1 teams.
Renault is now set to showcase the concept in front of a public audience for the first time, announcing today that it will be on show at the upcoming 2012 Goodwood Festival of Speed.
The automaker has also teased that a surprise announcement will be made, and should cause quite the stir.
In addition to the surprise announcement and the presentation of the Alpine A110-50 Concept, Renault will roll out the classic Type K-fitted with the automaker’s first four-cylinder engine, which won the Paris-Vienna race in 1902. Other vehicles will include the Viva Grand Sport from 1935, plus the current Clio and Megane RS models.
Joining these classics will be the RS01 and RE40 Formula 1 cars, the rally-winning R5 Maxi Turbo, Alpine A443 and the current Megane Trophy race car. The array of vehicles will be driven by Renault chief Carlos Tavares as well as current brand ambassador and F1 legend Alain Prost.
The 2012 Goodwood Festival of Speed kicks off on June 28 on the grounds of Goodwood House in West Sussex, England.


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DHL Express hires 300 customs agents as it braces for Brexit
14 / 02 / 2019
DHL Express has hired an extra 300 customs agents in order to minimise the impact of Brexit.
Speaking at the unveiling of its biennial Global Connectedness Index (GCI) report, DHL Express chief executive John Pearson said that the company had been hiring “50 customs agents a week” across Europe as it prepared for the UK to leave the European Union at the end of March.
The company said it had also secured the “necessary trucking permits” and “flying rights” in a package of measures designed to “minimise the impact of Brexit”.
“We are fairly well set up with our flying rights and our road permits and so on and we have been running contingencies on Brexit,” said Pearson.
“But I don’t think anyone knows what is going to happen with Brexit. We may be only six weeks away from one decision or if we take another of the [proposed] amendments, a year away, which would just be a delaying scenario.
“We are stepping up quite quickly to manage any sort of environment, and customs is the main concern because we are in a position where the movement of goods by road or the movement of goods by air is in such a state that we will be able to continue to service the needs of our customers.
“If you are moving things by road and air and are protected in doing so, the real complication comes from customs and movement of dutiable items through borders, and that is where we are equally well equipped.”
However, he added that if there are hold-ups on borders in the event of a no-deal Brexit, the impact of this will effect DHL shipments as much as any other company.
“All our operational people are getting themselves in a position where delays are minimised, but if the M20 becomes a car park because people did not prepare in terms of the customs environment, we can’t just drive our semi-trailer on the hard shoulder and get up to the front – but that is in a no-deal scenario.”
DHL has also been working to ensure that Brexit did not also affect other UK trades, Pearson said.
“What is equally important is that there is no contagion from Brexit,” he said. “A lot of our customers who have been thinking it through have said ‘I don’t ship to Europe, I ship from the UK to the US but I want to know that your operational processes in your hub, service centres and gateways, safeguard my material moving from the UK to the US in terms of any gridlock scenario’.”
There are concerns that the UK could be treated as a third-country subject to full controls on goods and people, which could create backlogs at channel crossings as extra paperwork would need to be processed.
Meanwhile, freight groups have urged road operators to apply for international road haulage permits to allow them to transport goods in case a deal cannot be reached.
The GCI report also revealed that the UK has the most global distribution of flows around the world.
Despite this, the country’s connectedness is still likely to be affected by a hard Brexit, said report co-author Steven Altman, senior research scholar at the NYU Stern School of Business
“Even though the UK ranks as the country with the broadest pattern of connectedness,” said Altman, “the UK’s most important natural market under any scenario is still Europe, just because of the distance effects. Therefore, any kind of hard Brexit scenario I have to view as very negative.”
A UK country profile from DHL based on the report added: "The future of the UK’s connections with other countries will be shaped by the continued evolution of its plans to exit the European Union.
"Because international flows are dampened significantly by distance and other cross-country differences, a substantial weakening of the UK’s links to the Continent could reduce both the depth and the breadth of its global connectedness."
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The global spread of SARS-CoV-2 is disrupting regular supply chains and has sharply increased demand for personal protective equipment. WHO reported on 3 March 2020 that since the start of the outbreak, prices of personal protective equipment had surged. The prices of surgical masks had increased six times, the prices of N95 respirators three times […]
Piibe Lehtsaar: Travel agency services are not a thing of the past according to the Estonian Competition Authority
In August 2019, the Estonian Competition Authority (ECA) prohibited a proposed merger between two travel agency services providers in Estonia. In her most recent article our senior associate Piibe Lehtsaar analyses the case and gives a short overview of why the travel agencies’ arguments were rejected by the ECA. Read the full text here.


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[EDITOR'S NOTE — Each week, this feature section, “Movers and Makers,” will feature the stories of the movers, launchers, entrepreneurs and makers who contribute to the vitality of the Mahoning Valley. This section is supported by our first community partner, Farmers National Bank.]
AUSTINTOWN — Rebecca’s Unique Boutique, 5865 Mahoning Ave., is a home decor store and family-owned business that offers items to remember loved ones in a different way.
Owner Rebecca Christopher said the boutique sells a variety of cement pieces to give to someone after a loved one or pet dies.
“I wanted to do something that was different than just sending flowers,” Christopher said.
Christopher said people usually give flowers at funerals but they die after a short period of time. She wanted to include cement pieces in her boutique as an option to give something that lasts.
The cement pieces come in a variety of forms, such as plaques and statues, with engravings for family members, friends and pets. Christopher said customers have put them in their yards and homes.
Christopher got the idea for her store after her uncle died, and she wanted to give her aunt something that she could keep in his memory. She made her a wreath with a candle that she could keep in her home.
“It means something a little more,” Christopher said.
The boutique also sells a variety of other items, such as Christmas decor, jewlery and clothing.
The boutique opened in August, but Christopher bought the store in February. She said it took a while to prepare the store for opening.
Since opening during the pandemic, the boutique has struggled to get recognized.
“It's getting it out there but people do come in and really like it,” Christopher said.
The store is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays. It’s closed Sundays.
For more information on the store, check out the Facebook page or call 330-953-0319.


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On 10 October 2016, students and academic staff were given the opportunity to attend a seminar delivered by Professor Sofia Pais from the Catholic University of Portugal. Professor Pais was visiting the School of Law on a staff exchange in the context of the ERASMUS + Programme: Staff Mobility, organised by Professor Rosa Greaves. Professor Pais is an expert in EU competition law, which she teaches at the Faculty of Law (Oporto), Catholic University of Portugal. In 2014 she was awarded a Jean Monnet Chair; she also holds the position of Coordinator at the Research Centre for the Future of Law (Porto section) established by the University.
Professor Pais presented on “Pay-for-Delay Agreements in the EU and USA: Competition Issues” which covered recent EU and US case law concerning the anti-competitive agreements that pharmaceutical companies negotiate with the firms that manufacture generic medical drugs once patents have expired.
The seminar focused on patent settlement agreements with reverse payment (pay-for-delay agreements). These are agreements concluded between the patent holder (originator firm) and the generic supplier in the pharmaceutical industry before the patent expires. The idea behind such agreements is to transfer the value of the patent to the generic firm in order to avoid or settle litigation concerning the validity of the patent. According to Professor Pais, such patent settlements have several advantages; however, they may also have anti-competitive effects. Unfortunately, Professor Pais continued, there is no consensus from an economic or legal perspective.
Professor Pais considered the situation surrounding such agreements from the perspective of EU competition law and US antitrust law. In the US, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) holds the view that patent settlements with reverse payment should be presumed unlawful and should be considered per se violations of the Sherman Act 1890. Professor Pais briefly discussed FTC v Actavis, Inc. 570 US, 133 S. Ct. 2233 (2013) where the Supreme Court held that where a plaintiff invoked a large and otherwise unjustified reverse payment, the settlement should be reviewed under the traditional rule of reason analysis.
The perspective of the EU on the topic is different. According to the EU Commission Annual Pharmaceutical Sector Inquiry, there are three types of settlement agreements: 1. No limitation on generic entry, i.e. the generic firm can enter freely into the market 2. Limitation on generic entry without value transfer from the originator firm - e.g. entry restrictions through licenses or the generic firm becomes the distributor of the drugs of the originator firm 3. Limitation on generic entry with value transfer - i.e. delay of generic entry for value transfer
Professor Pais then provided some examples of the European Commission’s decisions. Lundbeck (CASE AT.39226) was the 2013 case where six agreements operated between 2002 and 2003. The agreements were in relation to the antidepressant drug (citalopram) and concluded between Lundbeck and four generic pharmaceutical firms. The terms included the stipulation that the generic firms agree to postpone their market entry against financial compensation. The Commission concluded that all firms involved in the infringement were at least potential competitors and that the generic producer committed itself in the agreement to limit, for the duration of the agreement, its independent efforts to enter the markets. The firms appealed against the Commission decision to the General Court.
The next important 2013 decision discussed by Professor Pais was Fentanyl (CASE AT.39685) which related to the co-promotion agreement between the Dutch originator pharmaceutical firm Janseen-Cilag B.V. and the Dutch generic pharmaceutical firms Hexal and Sandoz. The product in question was a strong pain-killer, fentanyl, on the Dutch market. The Commission concluded that the agreement infringed Article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) because, amongst other issues, it delayed the entry of a cheaper generic drug for more than one year (restriction by object).
Servier (COMP/AT.39612) was a significant 2014 decision discussed by Professor Pais. The originator firm developed a second generator product protected by patents. Its direct competitor developed an alternative drug used for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, Perindopril. Servier bought it in order to exclude it from the market. The Commission found this to be an infringement of Articles 101 and 102 of the TFEU, determining this as restriction by object. The Commission decision was appealed to the General Court (the appeal is pending).
The last part of Professor Pais’ presentation focused on recent developments in the US and EU. In the US, the Federal Trade Commission sued Endo because Endo paid more than $112 million to Impax Laboratories to drop a patent-challenge lawsuit and to delay the generic version of Endo’s painkiller. In return, Endo agreed not to introduce an authorised generic of the drug, therefore, guaranteeing that Impax would be the only firm selling generic Opana ER for a 180-day period. Furthermore, Endo paid hundreds of millions to Watson Laboratories to delay it selling a lower-cost copy of Endo’s drug.
The most recent development in the EU was the judgement of the General Court in Lundbeck v Commission (Case T-472/13), where the General Court upheld the Commission’s decision that the agreement between Lundbreck and the generic producers restricted competition by object in violation of Article 101(1) TFEU. Professor Pais highlighted various parts of the GC’s ruling. The most interesting point was that the General Court held that “the agreements at issue were comparable to market exclusion agreements, which are among the most serious restrictions of competition. The exclusion of competitors from the market constitutes an extreme form of marking sharing and of limitation of production” (para. 435).
In conclusion, Professor Pais said that despite the decisions issued in the EU and US, the boundary between lawful and unlawful conduct remain ill defined. The Federal Trade Commission and the EU Commission agree that reverse payment in patent settlements can raise competition concerns; however, the legal contexts are different. Professor Pais added that existing economic literature is compatible with different legal solutions.
~ Lana Nasibyan
Lana Nasibyan is a PhD candidate at the School of Law. Lana's research topic is 'Does the size matter? The comparative analysis of dominant position in the EU competition law and the monopoly in the US antitrust law'. Her supervisors are Professors Mark Furse and Rosa Greaves.


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The country's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) expects some impact on its production if lockdowns and curfews imposed across various states continue amid the second wave of COVID-19 sweeping across the country.
The auto major, which has around 50 per cent market share in the domestic passenger vehicle segment, anticipates a hit on the manufacturing activities as lockdowns would impact the functioning of its sales network.
"There could be an impact if lockdowns continue because then sales outlets would remain closed," MSI Chairman RC Bhargava told PTI when asked if he expects a hit on the company's production activities amid spike in the COVID-19 situation in the country.
When asked if the production could go down by as much as 50 per cent due to the pandemic-related disruptions, he noted: "We don't know yet how it will be in the future. It all depends on how it (lockdowns) continues. It has just been a few days." Bhargava further said: "I think we will have to see how the situation emerges over the next few days. We don't know yet. Let us wait a week or so, then we will know better how things are." MSI's two Haryana-based plants have an installed production capacity of over 15 lakh units per annum. Besides, Suzuki's Gujarat-based plant, which manufactures cars on a contract basis for MSI, has an annual production capacity of 7.5 lakh units.
On April, 27, while addressing a virtual press conference, Bhargava had noted that despite the surge in COVID-19 cases in the second wave of the pandemic, the company has been able to continue with full production.
The next day, however, the auto major announced that it has decided to advance maintenance shutdown at its two Haryana-based manufacturing plants by a month, from May 1 to 9, in order to divert oxygen used in its manufacturing process for medical purposes.
In the last few days, several states have announced lockdowns to curtail the spread of infectious disease. Facing the world's fastest-growing coronavirus outbreak, India has seen a near collapse of its health care system in several parts as hospitals ran out of oxygen and did not have enough beds to admit new patients.
In such a situation, various automakers have either decided to advance their annual maintenance shutdowns or go slow in production activities.
On Monday, Mahindra & Mahindra announced to advance the annual maintenance plant shutdown of its automotive division to this month. The maintenance of four working days was originally scheduled for June 2021.
Other companies, including Hero MotoCorp, MG Motor India, Toyota, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI), and Suzuki Motorcycle India have already announced the temporary suspension of manufacturing operations as the devastating second wave of COVID-19 sweeps across the country.


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The internet's transition from Web 2.0 to Web 3.0 is happening right now, and it's making history by carving out a place for itself across many industries and altering the economic structures of several enterprises.
Blockchain-based innovations are also being seen in social media platforms, which are assisting them in interacting with users and making an impact. With Web 3.0's emergence, users will have access to significantly more advanced capabilities than those seen in Web 2.0. Blockchain technology is also well known for its defence against data fraud, ill-informed algorithm tweaks, and unnecessary content filtering.
The present trend makes it clear that decentralised platforms backed by blockchain and bitcoin are the way social media will operate in the future. Additionally, the Web3.0 mandate has demonstrated that it has some unique characteristics that are being used to appropriately reward content providers, reward users for participation, and increase transparency.
Here is the list of five platforms based on blockchain technology to watch out for:
Taki also allows users to create their own user coins to build their economy on the Taki platform. Taki facilitates more ownership and engagement with creators compared to other social networking platforms as there is an economic value attached to even basic actions on the platform such as liking a post, making a comment, or publishing content in general.


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Ford teaches GM, Chrysler, and Washington that trade is better than state-aid
By Timothy Cox
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Ford is leading the way by selling cars, not by relying on governemnt bail-outs. After having posted a third quarter profit of almost $1 billion, and with over $13 billion in revenue from the North American market alone, Ford has proven how businesses, not bureaucrats, are best suited to providing products that people actually want. Moody’s immediately upgraded Ford’s credit ratings based on this recent news.
Yet perhaps the most important lesson is to observe how Ford’s two biggest “American” competitors, Chrysler and General Motors, who have been bailed out by Washington to the tune of $80 billion in tax-payer support, continue to struggle. As if the auto-subsidies weren’t bad enough, Chrysler and GM’s favouritism has obstructed the market for automobiles and, worst of all, infuriated trade partners.


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People like to buy organic foods. They think organic food is better because it uses fewer pesticides. However, not all organic foods are healthy. Organic ice-cream and cookie are high in sugar and fat. Even, they are organic, they are still not healthy. Organic food has nothing to do with the tastes. It is just a more sustainable way to produce food.
Why Organic food may not healthier??
An ongoing argument I had with almost every “eating clean” I have ever encountered is organic food. Almost everyone who tries to eat healthy, at one point or another, decided to go for organic. It’s better for the environment, and get rid of all the nasty chemicals should be good for your health.
You see it everywhere. The first thing that every supporter paleo earnestly will tell you is that conventional farming causing everything from cancer to autoimmune diseases, and almost all in between. At first glance, online shows you the condemned GMO and pesticide left-right and center, with a selection of organic, seems safe in the ocean just privileged that cause disease.
Overall, it sounds as though the main factor of organic agriculture – the use of pesticides, non-GMO, etc. – may have health effects that so many people say organic giving.
Is organic better for your health has been the subject of much research. From small studies to see the animals and cells in the laboratory, we have seen quite a bit of questioning to large, well-controlled human intervention studies.
Several systematic reviews look at the potential health benefits of organic. A systematic review of studies in which scientists look at the whole body of literature, searching thousands of studies, sees what evidence and the position is.
And if we see a systematic review of organic food, we found the same answer time and again: organic food offers no health benefits whatsoever compared to conventionally-farmed foods. There is always no Organic food is not healthy for you than anything else.
A new large-scale study from Stanford University found that organic food, such as meat, milk, and the results, may not be worth the extra money when it comes to nutrition. While organic comes at a premium, the researchers say they are not healthy and significantly safer than conventional foods and grown along with pesticides.
Organic foods cost as much as a third more than conventional alternatives, with consumers shelling out extra money in the hope of purchasing healthier, more nutrient-dense foods. Researchers, “There is no difference between organic and conventional foods, if you’re an adult or mature and making a decision based solely on your health,” said Dena Bravata.
In reviews of thousands of papers, the researchers found that there is also no guarantee that organic food will be free of pesticides, even though it had a 30 percent lower rate compared to conventional products. Despite this, the review produced little evidence that conventional foods posed greater health risks than organic products. The researchers also found that the levels of pesticides of all foods generally fell within safety limits permitted. Two studies of children consuming organic and conventional diets find lower levels of pesticide residues in the urine of children on organic diets, though the significance of these findings on child health is unclear, the researchers noted.
The study results – the largest review of its kind comparing organic to conventional food – published 4 September in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.
“Some people believe that organic food is always healthier and more nutritious,” stated co-researcher Crystal Smith-Spangler at Stanford School of Medicine.
“We were a little surprised that we did not find any benefits.”
A separate new study from Oxford University in England found that organic farming may not be good for the environment. The researchers say that organic products such as milk, cereals, and pork produce more greenhouse gas emissions than their conventional counterparts. However, organic beef produced lower emissions. The study was published online on 4 September in the Journal of Environmental Management.


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In addition to listing the company's accomplishments under his leadership, such as introducing fresh food to stores, Steinhafel, 59, wrote, "The last several months have tested Target in unprecedented ways."
"From the beginning, I have been committed to ensuring Target emerges from the data breach a better company, more focused than ever on delivering for our guests. We have already begun taking a number of steps to further enhance data security, putting the right people, processes and systems in place. With several key milestones behind us, now is the right time for new leadership at Target," Steinhafel wrote.
Target said it has asked Steinhafel to "serve in an advisory capacity during this transition and he has graciously agreed."
"The board is deeply grateful to Gregg for his significant contributions and outstanding service throughout his notable 35-year career with the company," the company said.
A spokesman for Target declined to comment.


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Arm has dropped more than 3% on talk of a new competitive threat to the chipmaker from US rival Intel.
According to George O'Connor at Panmure Gordon, Intel may announce a new low power processor later today, an area where Arm leads the way. He said:
The concern is that Intel takes share from Arm (this displaces the rumour that Intel will simply buy Arm). This is an easy scare mongering story to run with – but clearly Intel would need to unseat the product builders and the Arm ecosystem- so even with the processor there would still be much to do. Generally Intel (and pretty much everyone else in the world) sees the computing moving off the Windows plus Intel proposition and at some stage it has to follow the trend. So expect more weakness as [momentum] investors come out of the stock.
At the moment Arm is 19p lower at 583p.
But another technology stock, accountancy software specialist Sage, is heading in the opposite direction. Its shares have climbed 5.3p to 292p after it reported a 4% rise in half year profits to £183.5m and said it was seeing an increase in business confidence among its key small and medium size enterprise customers.
However analysts were not completely won over. In a hold note Investec said the numbers were slightly ahead of forecasts but added:
Growth was strong across main regions but the US was weak, even excluding healthcare. Perhaps the [recent] management change is not as smooth as originally indicated.
Peel Hunt was also cautious:
We are concerned that Sage will need to continue investing at today's levels to retain its market position. and therefore the outlook for margins is likely to be flat, at best, in the medium term. With competitive pressures increasing and margins already at very high levels, we see some risk of downside over the next few years. A lot will hinge on the speed of recovery in the US and although that economy is improving, we remain to be convinced that Sage will capitalise in a market in which it has always struggled.
Analysts at Matrix said if Sage wanted to sell its healthcare business, it would struggle at the moment. And they reckoned the company needed to make acquisitions to boost growth:
In order for us to turn more positive, we believe Sage should become more front-footed on M&A, given its currently low leverage (lowest gearing since 2002).


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A new Samsung device listed as SM-G510F has been spotted in a recent Benchmark. The low-end handset could be Samsung’s first 64-bit phone.
Linaro, a not-for-profit engineering organization that focuses on developing Linux and open source technologies for ARM processors, has started building 64-bit Linux kernels for Android on ARM.
ARM says that the shift to 64-bit mobile devices is taking place faster than expected, due to demand for its high performance 64-bit architecture.
MediaTek’s new MT6732 mobile SoC is 64-bit and LTE compatible and is based on four ARM Cortex A53 cores.
At MWC 2014 Intel has formally unveiled its Atom Merrifield and Moorefield 64-bit chips, with plans to release the dual-core Merrifield in the first half of this year.
Intel will be introducing two processors from its Merrifield and Bay Trail brands for tablets and smartphones at this year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
Intel CEO, Brian Krzanich, has told an investor earnings call that 64-bit Bay Trail powered Android tablets will be ready for Q2 2014.
Intel has revealed that it has been making code contributions to the 64-bit version of Android 4.4 KitKat and that the kernel work is now complete. The chip giant has worked to ensure that, at the kernel level at least, OEMs using its Silvermont based Atom processors have a 64-bit version of Android available for use on their devices.
According to new reports Qualcomm, Nvidia and Broadcom are all ready to release 64-bit quad-core processors during the first six months of 2014. The new chips could be announced shortly, maybe even as soon as January during CES 2014.
Speaking at a special investor’s event, Intel revealed that it plans to bring Android-powered 64-bit devices to the market sometime next year.


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The trade was settled at a day-ahead market on Thursday where generators offered to sell 35.45 million units of power at the exchange while utilities wanted to buy 44.42 million units jacking up prices between 8 pm and 12 midnight.
Between 8 pm and 9 pm, generators offered to sell 9.6 million units of power while demand was higher at around 10.1 million units. Trade for 8.4 million units was settled at a price of Rs 4.12 per unit.
For the slot, 9 pm and 10 pm, generators offered to sell 8.89 million units of power while demand during the period was almost 11.32 million units. Trade for Some 8.2 million units of power was finally settled at Rs 5.53 per unit.
Gap between demand and supply was highest for the 10 pm and 11 pm slot where generators offered to sell 8.36 million units of power while demand was 39% higher at 11.7 million units. However, only 7.6 million units of power was settled for trade at Rs 5.61 per unit, the highest price during the day.
Between 11 pm and 12 midnight, utilities wanted to buy 11.29 million units of power while only 8.5 million units were available for sale. Some 7.63 million units of power was settled for trade at Rs 5.23 per unit.
Demand from urban household has been jacking up demand during night. According to Exchange executives, the demand is propelled by increased use of air conditioners during night.
During the day, 269.5 million units of power was offered for sale while cumulative demand was around 179.38 million units. Some 148.14 million units was settled for trade.
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1 Comment on this Story
Kochar Bipin517 days ago
The power shortage is being caused by the fault coal allocation process - the Government must immediately order to Coal India to transition from firm allocation to a 100% auction model so that wasteful usage of coal to run legacy inefficient polluting plants comes down and more power gets generated from our limited coal production


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Dale Farm announces cut to October milk price
The board of one of Northern Ireland’s largest milk processors, Dale Farm, has announced plans to cut its October milk price.
Board members today announced they would cut the co-op’s standard litre price by half a penny. It brings the price down from 28.2p/L plus the 0.3p/L loyalty bonus to 27.7p/L plus loyalty bonus.
Just yesterday, cross-border rival Lakeland Dairies announced it would hold its milk price at 27.5p/L.
Analysts had warned that the European dairy market had begun to cool as drought fears dissipated.
Analysis by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) said that with milk production across the EU showing “little or no immediate impact” from the hot, dry summer, there were “few concerns” over a lack of supply.
As a result, market sentiment had shifted with prices falling for butter and cream.
The previous three-year contract offered by the firm tied suppliers in at 27p/L.
Milk supplied on the contract will be eligible for standard quality payments of Dale Farm Cooperative, as well as the large producer rebate bonus.


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Shake Shack's (SHAK 0.12%) business has been hit hard by social distancing efforts aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19.
The fast-food chain, which has a heavy regional focus in and around New York, said on Monday that comparable-store sales fell 29% in March as closures began to affect the business. That figure quickly worsened to roughly 70% in three consecutive weeks covering late March through mid-April.
Demand has picked up for four consecutive weeks since then, though, with help from rising delivery sales. "We have continued to see week-to-week improvement in sales in all regions," CEO Randy Garutti said in a press release, "since the lowest point at the end of March."
Shake Shack's second quarter, which started on March 25, is likely to include a bigger impact from the pandemic, even though the company is preparing to slowly ramp up its capacity to serve fast-food fans in person.
Management says the timing and pace of that rebound are unpredictable, but investors should prepare to see significant costs over the short term as Shake Shack invests in safety equipment and works through a period of less efficient store operations.


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The firm, which first bought into Rue21 in 1998, agreed to pay $42 per share, which represented a premium of about 23 per cent to the company’s closing price yesterday.
Apax was already the company’s largest shareholder, with control of almost 30 per cent of the business through its SKM II funds.
John Megrue, CEO of Apax Partners US and partner in the firm’s retail and consumer team, said, “We are very proud of the growth that Rue21 has achieved.
“I have worked closely with Bob Fisch to support the company’s growth from less than 100 stores at the time of the initial investment in 1998 to over 900 stores today, and Apax is excited to continue the journey with the Company’s senior management team.”
Rue21’s net sales were up by just over nine per cent in the quarter ending April 30, while comparable store sales decreased 4.6 per cent from the same quarter 12 months ago.
Rue 21 president, chairman and CEO Bob Fisch said, “This quarter Rue21 was impacted by the same challenges that affected the entire industry – unseasonably cool weather, higher payroll taxes and delayed tax refunds.
“All of these factors affected shopping patterns and resulted in a tougher quarter than we had forecasted in terms of sales growth.
“Looking ahead we expect both the weather and consumer spending to improve and believe our 2013 strategic initiatives, including opening 125 stores in 2013, will allow us to deliver consistent, strong profit growth to our stakeholders.”
Copyright © 2013 AltAssets


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Orbitz continues celebrating their 10 Year Anniversary with some exclusive deals for their customers. For the Summer, Orbitz is offering discounted International Flights, and International hotel deals. Be sure and check out Argo’s “Quick Booking” evaluation.
Kayak has further enriched its European portfolio by adding Checkfelix to its list of acquisitions. Checkfelix is an Austrian travel search engine that offers cheap flights, discounted hotels, and cheap rental cars. In the deal, Kayak will acquire JaBo Software Vetrieb- und Entwicklung, better known as Checkfelix, but the Austrian company will continue to function […]
The still raging war for online travel supremacy continues with news from Microsoft and Kayak. The pending sale of ITA to Google has spurred some fairly ridiculous allegiances and deals, not the least of which is the latest Bing “slash” Kayak pairing. Let’s face it, Microsoft has already spent two king’s ransoms trying to beat Google, and now this?
The war in online travel over basically who gets what & when continues this week with Delta Airlines snatching seats from Rick Seaney’s FareCompare, American Airlines going hog wild trying to engage on their own, and Google outlining (see Matt Cutts video below) how they can manually crucify websites for SPAM. Meanwhile travelers just want some price break justice.
The Justice Department stands poised to nix Google’s acquisition of ITA proprietary software as FairSearch and other entities press the issue. Is Google becoming a monopoly? This is the overriding question on the minds of consumers, but what is on the government’s mind, this is what counts. With American Airlines’ recent ITA deal, exactly how will the Justice Department deal with the immense pressures being leveled? This online travel war is a far bigger confrontation than many realize.
The shakeup for air travel bookings online continues today with American Airlines’ contention that their ticket sales have never been better – even without Orbitz and Expedia. The airline neglects to point out an email marketing initiative instigated simultaneously with dumping Orbitz, and the fact that ticket sales for every airline have risen these last few days. What is the customer to make of supposedly trusted travel partners when low blows are the trend?
With dozens of online booking solutions available who can you truly trust to offer you the best value? Expedia? Kayak? Today’s report on Bulgarian ski getaways reveals a little bit about how you should book your next trip. Seeing the forest for the trees is not as easy as you think.
The war between online travel companies and airlines is heating up. Expedia counters American Airline’s move to dump Orbitz, as Delta begins its abandonment of smaller OTA’s. Can online travel giants win out over the service providers they actually depend on? Much depends on the customer in the end.
In a transparent move to block yet another Google business move, Microsoft joins the scaredy cats at FairSearch. Like a ravenous whining hyena, Microsoft once again nips at the heels of the Internet’s most profitable and powerful company.
Recent developments in online travel highlight the immense power the Internet has on traditional structures. Google’s ITA software deal is now the subject or power strokes in Washington. As Microsoft, Kayak, and Sabre vie for Senatorial support, Obama’s Attorney General select focus scrutiny on the deal.
Google’s detractors huddle in Phoenix at this year’s PhoCusWright Conference to try an lobby allies. Fearing Google’s ITA acquisition will forever change the online travel game, some top travel execs seem willing to do anything to block the Internet’s biggest player.


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Independent Barnsley brewery launches casks amnesty
A Barnsley independent brewery hopes to see hundreds of forgotten beer barrels roll back in to the business as it launches a cask amnesty.
Acorn Brewery has asked 400 pubs and bars to have a look in the back of their cellars and yards – and return any stray casks they find to the brewery to put back into circulation.
Dave Hughes, owner of Acorn Brewery said: “Every week we produce and send out about 100 barrels of real ale. A lot of that beer is delivered via wholesalers to hundreds of pubs and bars across the UK, but we also deliver direct to more than 400 customers in the North and East Midlands.
“It’s these customers we’ve asked to have shufty in their back rooms, to see if they can find any stray empty casks and give them to our van drivers on their next visit.
“Pubs are very busy places and ours is certainly a high-turnover product. We expect some loss of barrels of course, but we have an excellent relationship with our customers so thought we’d ask them to help us put some misplaced casks back into action.
“We aim to be as green and sustainable a business as possible and don’t like to think of them sitting there not being put to good use carrying our beer!”
Dave says they have sent out around 2,000 casks over the last 12 years and reckons about 1,600 are in circulation today. Casks cost about £60 each and are re-usable many times. When they come back in to the brewery, they are washed, sterilised and refilled with prime real ale to return to the pubs with a shelf-life of four to five weeks.
Dave and the team are keen to get some misplaced casks back in to business now as they have launched their summer beers for the holiday season.
Dave said: “We’ve brewed a summer beer called Summer Pale and a cricket-themed one called Burning Bails and so have extra deliveries to make at this time of year.
“Plus of course all this warm weather makes our customers thirsty.”
Acorn Brewery, based on Aldham industrial estate in Wombwell, was established in 2003 and now has a turnover of £1.2 million and employs 12 people.
The expanding brewery has doubled production in the last seven years and now routinely brews 30,000 pints of ale a week. In the last 12 months alone, sales have risen by a further 12 per cent and Dave aims to increase trade by another 20 per cent this year.
Acorn produces six permanent ales, Barnsley Bitter, Barnsley Gold, Yorkshire Pride, Blonde, Gorlovka and Old Moor Porter; plus a wide range of seasonal IPAs and kegged beers. It also sells bottled beers to supermarkets, other retail outlets and export customers.
The brewery also runs the Old No 7 in Barnsley town centre where it showcases Acorn’s own beers amongst other worldwide brands.


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Android 13 might come with a breakthrough feature – the ability to use two carrier networks on one phone using just one eSIM.
If, until now, folks had to buy and use phones with two SIM cards to access different carriers and phone numbers, soon that could change, thanks to Google.
Google is apparently working on implementing the technology they came up with in a 2020 patent. There, the tech titan showed the possibility of Multiple Enabled Profiles (MEP), a feature that would allow a phone to function with two carriers and a single eSIM.
Splitting the SIM interface might be a feature introduced with Android 13, believes Esper. The company is rumored to be already testing the solution on their Pixel phones.
The protocol could work with iOS devices and even Windows, though.
That would mean more manufacturers would have the chance to rethink their designs and possibly reimagine the SIM slot as a microSD card one or increase the size of an inner phone component.
On the other hand, users could switch between networks easier and swifter.


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Former Big Brother presenter Davina McCall, has gym selfies in abundance on the official Davina McCall Instagram page.
The This Time Next Year presenter, is the ultimate fitness fanatic, and is regularly giving fans a glimpse of her butt-busting workouts.
And her latest snap from certainly whipped Instagram into a storm.
The shot which she captioned: "Every time I go to the loo I have to totally undress," saw Davina shed a load of her gym gear as she made the bathroom break.
Davina dropped jaws in the revealing snap that saw her show off her sports bra in a completely footless vest.
She paired the look with skintight gym leggings, which showed off the curve of her perky peach.
Davina's excess clothes littered the bathroom sink, as she posed with a t-shirt around her neck.
The mum-of-three 's natural beauty was evident in the pic, as she pulled her hair back into a messy ponytail and completely ditched the slap.
Davina's latest display followed a shot she shared last week that saw her show off her killer post yet another hardcore workout.
The 50-year-old looked every inch the ageless beauty as she posed up a storm in a minuscule crop top and skintight leggings with risqué mesh panels.
Her 889K followers flocked to comment on the sizzling snap.
One fan praised: "You look so beautiful in this picture."
While another continued: "Oh you look soo well Davina."
A third added: "Stunning!"
Davina boasts a fitness DVD empire, seeing her workout vids adored by millions.
She launched her first fitness DVD, Power of 3 back in 2004, and she has released a further 13 workout regimes since then, seeing her conquer the both the TV and fitness worlds.


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Lara Croft GO by Hitman creators Square Enix launching for Android on August 27
Hitman creators, Square Enix are about to launch their next mobile title for Android. Lara Croft GO will hit the Google Play Store on August 27 and will feature similar gameplay to the popular Hitman GO title. The developers promise beautiful graphics and challenging stages:
Square Enix Montréal today announced that Lara Croft GO™, the follow-up to the hugely successful Hitman GO® mobile game, will release on mobile platforms Aug. 27. The turn-based puzzle game offers a never-before-seen take on the iconic franchise, featuring challenging levels, gorgeous visuals and a mesmerizing soundtrack.
If it’s anything like the Hitman GO title, the Tomb Raider inspired version is going to be frustratingly addictive and could be one of the surprise hits of the year. Hitman GO was incredibly well reviewed. Just browsing through the Play Store listing shows glowing reviews. And — for once — it’s not a freemium game. So let’s hope Lara Croft’s version sticks to that pricing model.
As well as announcing the impending arrival of Tomb Raider GO, Square Enix has joined with Crystal Dynamics to launch an art contest. Artists are being invited to submit their own original Lara Croft GO-inspired artwork between now and August 21. The top 10 entries will be selected by a panel of “experts” and will be showcased during a party at PAX Prime in Seattle on August 28, one day after the game lands on the Play Store. Of these 10 entries, three will be selected to go to auction, with the proceeds going to Child’s Play, a “game industry charity”.
If you want to submit artwork, simply email email@example.com with the subject line ‘Lara Croft GO Art Contest Submission’, along with your name.


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80% of technology products and services will be built by non-technology professions by 2024, says research firm Gartner. It expects high-profile technology launches from non-tech companies to proliferate over the next 12 months.
Rajesh Kandaswamy, research vice-president at Gartner, said digital business is treated as a team sport by CEOs and no longer the sole domain of the IT department. “Growth in digital data, low-code development tools and artificial intelligence (AI) assisted development are among the many factors that enable the democratization of technology development beyond IT professionals.”
Kandaswamy said the availability of business technologists provides new sources of innovation and the ability to get work done. “Thus, technology and service providers will need to extend their sourcing of ideas and technology development into new communities, whether they are based on citizen development, their own customer communities or other sources.”
Gartner analysts said the rapid expansion of cloud services, digital business initiatives and remote services opened the door for new possibilities in integrations and optimization. Moreover, experts believe that technology encroachment into all areas of business and among consumers creates demand for products and services outside of IT departments. The buyers’ needs do not always fit neatly into offerings from traditional providers. And this has been compounded by the COVID-19 crisis, which has only expanded the amount and type of use cases technology is needed to fulfill.
In 2023, Gartner anticipates that $30 billion in revenue will be generated by products and services that did not exist pre-pandemic. COVID-19 has no doubt reduced barriers for those outside of IT to create technology-based solutions by providing an entry point for anyone who was able to serve pandemic-induced needs. These include non-technology professionals within enterprises or business technologists, citizen developers, data scientists and AI systems that generate software.


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In a victory for the Firm’s video game industry clients, a federal court on December 2 issued a permanent injunction on constitutional grounds that blocks the State of Illinois from enforcing the Violent Video Games Law and Sexually Explicit Video Games Law. The laws were to go into effect on January 1, 2006.
The court ruled that the laws violated the video game makers’ First Amendment right to freedom of expression. In addition, U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly ruled that the laws came “nowhere near”" to showing that video games cause violent or aggressive behavior in minors, whom the legislature designed the laws purportedly to protect.
According to the court’s opinion, the State lacks the authority to ban protected speech on the ground that it affects the listener’s or observer’s thoughts and attitudes. "If controlling access to allegedly ‘dangerous’ speech is important in promoting the positive psychological development of children, in our society that role is properly accorded to parents and families, not the State," Judge Kennelly concluded.
The laws would have subjected retailers and store clerks to criminal charges and fines for allowing minors to buy or rent video games designated “violent” or “sexually explicit,” and would have also required video game retailers to place labels on all games containing “violent” or “sexually explicit” content.
Partners Paul M. Smith, Katherine A. Fallow, and David P. Sanders and Associates Kathleen R. Hartnett and Wade A. Thomson challenged the laws on behalf of the Entertainment Software Association, Video Software Dealers Association and Illinois Retail Merchants Association.
Jenner & Block is representing the video game industry in challenging similar laws in California and Michigan. The court in Michigan recently granted the Firm’s motion for a preliminary injunction. The Firm has successfully represented the video game industry to defeat similar legislative attempts to censor video games in Washington and Missouri.