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What began as a seemingly simple attempt to stimulate electronic commerce by giving so-called digital signatures the legal weight of their ink-and-paper counterparts has erupted into a partisan political battle in Congress that opponents fear could wipe out some basic consumer protections.
Digital signatures refer to various technologies including encryption, fingerprint readers and stylus pads that are used to verify one's identify in cyberspace in order to certify contracts that are agreed to over the Internet. They are accepted as legally binding in some states and localities, but not in all. The legislation was originally meant to create a uniform federal law recognizing the validity of digital signatures. But lately, it has been expanded in ways that critics say would work against consumers.
At issue are the thousands of state and local laws that require institutions like banks and insurance companies to keep certain paper records and to notify customers by mail of certain situations, including default on their credit card debts or loans; if there are changes to the terms of a financial agreement, like the amount of a monthly payment, or if a home mortgage is being foreclosed on or an insurance policy canceled.
Under the legislation pending in both the House and the Senate, such companies would be able to make those notifications electronically, instead of by mail, if the contracts were made online instead of on paper. The companies would also be relieved of a number of paper record-keeping rules.
Supporters say the measures would enable companies and their customers to realize the full benefits and conveniences of electronic commerce. Not only would the legislation make it easier for consumers to complete transactions from home, they say, but it would cut down on paper and mailing expenses, helping reduce the shipping costs that are passed on to customers.
But opponents fear that the proposals will allow companies to sidestep longstanding consumer notification laws.
Consumers, they say, may not know that the fine print of their contract eliminates the requirement for traditional notification. Or they may simply never get crucial information if their computers break down or they change their Internet service provider or e-mail address -- which typically has no forwarding-address procedure as postal mail does. Or, the opponents argue, companies can include contract fine print requiring that consumers periodically check a World Wide Web site for updates on their agreements, a kind of provision many may overlook or forget.
''It's bad public policy,'' said Andrew J. Pincus, general counsel for the Commerce Department. ''It's also bad for the Internet. If the online world is not safe for consumers, what does that do to the future of electronic commerce? It goes in the tank.''
The Commerce Department had given approval earlier this year to a bill on validation of electronic signatures by Senator Spencer Abraham, Republican of Michigan.
The department's support came after he agreed to reduce its scope so that the bill would be temporary, applied to the handful of states that did not already have laws recognizing the legality of electronic contracts. The idea was that Mr. Abraham's measure would expire once all states adopted a uniform digital-signature standard that has been recommended by a national group of lawmakers, state officials and lawyers.


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MESH Experience’s 2019 Retail Bank Experience Ranking Report is out; covering metrics such as share of experience, positivity and impact on brand consideration across paid, owned and earned media.
MESH shared some of their findings and insights at our recent webinar.
•Discover the leaders and laggards in retail banking – who’s moved up and who’s moved down the rankings
•Find out which challenger brand has had a meteoric rise and how they achieved this
•See which brand has risen in the rankings with superlative in-branch banking experiences
•Learn which bank has jumped up the rankings through great banking app experiences
•Key actions to ensure your brand is a leader
Fiona Blades, Chief Experience Officer, MESH Experience
Bharat Parmer, Managing Director EMEA, MESH Experience

domain: news


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British iGaming platform developer Pronet Gaming Limited has announced the signing of a deal that will see the online sportsbook at TrueNorth.bet utilize its innovations in order to launch into the Canadian market.
The St Albans-headquartered innovator used an official Thursday press release to detail that its latest partner holds a license from the Kahnawake Gaming Commission and is to now use its technology to present punters across Canada with the ability to place wagers on action from a wide range of sports including ice hockey, basketball and American football.
Pronet Gaming Limited stated that its technology ‘is now powering a full turnkey service’ for TrueNorth.bet and will simultaneously allow the sportsbetting brand to offer ‘micro-markets’ on some of the most popular ‘niche sports’ in Canada such as lacrosse, sprint car racing and darts.
Colin McDonagh serves as the Chief Sales Officer for Pronet Gaming Limited and he used the press release to proclaim that TrueNorth.bet has earned a reputation for being ‘the most legitimate brand’ in the Canadian online sportsbetting market despite the presence of ‘unregulated competition’ while consistently maintaining ‘a strict adherence to the regulatory framework.’ He moreover declared that his firm won the platform supply contract after being able to demonstrate the ‘flexibility and market specificity’ of its innovations in meeting ‘local technical requirements around responsible gaming, data protection, self-exclusion and anti-spam laws.’
McDonagh’s statement read…
“As a brand, TrueNorth.bet is well-known for the quality of its offerings and regulatory integrity and I’m pleased to say that we were able to adapt to meet those challenges in a well-established market. We fought off stiff competition to secure the business with the adaptability of our user interface and user experience ultimately proving pivotal in the decision-making process. As we go live, we look ahead to a long-lasting and successful relationship.”
For its part and TrueNorth.bet pronounced that it is ‘very pleased’ to be able to go live across Canada in partnership with Pronet Gaming Limited and is now certain that ‘the quality of the user experience’ offered by its latest associate’s iGaming platform ‘will be second to none’. The brand is furthermore expected to benefit from the recent passage of federal legislation that removed an earlier ban on single-game wagers so as to allow punters to lodge legal bets on individual sporting events.
Read a statement from TrueNorth.bet…
“Pronet Gaming Limited’s passion for the project shone through as did the quality and flexibility of its product and we are confident that this innovative new partnership will put us in the driving seat as the Canadian market matures.”


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The city of Kenmore has its first – and only – recreational marijuana store, Theorem, and it’s all about cannabis customer service.
“The people in Washington voted to have recreational marijuana and we wanted to make sure, in Kenmore, we had ours away from churches, schools, day care, bus stops [and] from residential,” said Kenmore Mayor David Baker. “When this whole thing got legalized… 60 percent of Kenmore voters voted to allow the legalization of marijuana – the majority of our voters.”
Ken Jones, the proprietor of Theorem, is mostly concerned with making the recreational marijuana retail experience as much of a normal experience as possible with products that are top notch, while minimizing the negative drawbacks to venues that cater to mind-altering libations.
“It’s been long anticipated, it took about a year… so we couldn’t be more excited to be open now. We want people to understand they can come in here and get quality products,” said Ken Jones, owner of Theorem recreational marijuana store. “Having a reputable perception by the community, I really want to take the ‘drug’ out of cannabis. People don’t perceive alcohol as a drug, even though it is, it needs to be understood that [marijuana is] a libation.”
The store has a clean interior, with lots of white and lots of green, including vaporizing products, edibles, tinctures and, of course, leafy nugs of marijuana.
For others in the community, they’re already happy that Theorem is open for business.
“I can’t find a place just to go with my ID and I don’t have a medical card. I don’t need one ‘cause I’m a smoker… every day, as I wake up, afternoon, every day I smoke,” said Luburi Lambey, landscaper working outside of Theorem. “Having marijuana in the Kenmore area is going to make a whole lot of love come through here.”
For Jones, Theorem’s future isn’t just about the sale of recreational marijuana, he’s in the community for the long haul. Already, he’s renovated a blight along the south side of State Route 522 by fixing and painting the exterior and cleaning up the weeds blocking the view of Lake Washington.
“The demographics of what we’re seeing so far has been upper 20s to 50 [or] 60,” Jones said. “So, it’s very diverse.”
Theorem has also kept pot purchasers off the street, too. For Jones, it’s important that they only get the kind of clientele that are proper – no junkies and no minors.
However, during a recent routine inspection, a staff member at Theorem sold a gram of marijuana to an undercover minor with ID that stated the person was underage.
“That was a really bad day for us because our brand is [not] about what took place here,” Jones said. “We’ve put a number of measures in place… and we’ve met with the LCCB [Liquor and Cannabis Control Board].”
Jones worked with his board representation to ensure that the sale didn’t happen again. Since the incident, Jones has installed a new ID reader which verifies a licenses legality, has posted an employee at the door at a welcoming podium and has also initiated a rule that all persons who look under the age of 30 are carded again at purchase. Those who are worried about tracking IDs can use a secondary checkpoint, which includes a manager.
“This is a bad mark on our record and we’re embarrassed by it. I’ll tell you, trying to turn that into a positive – I’ve never seen a group more on-point [since],” Jones said.
Theorem has paid all fines in connection with the sale-to-minor incident.
It’s not just minors showing up at his doors that he has to worry about, either. Jones also has to contend with the kids, too, knowing its also about keeping pot out of the hands of minors at home.
“It’s a simple process, we won’t carry products that even look attractive to children. [Even] the beverages we will be bringing are going to be like pomegranate, adult beverages,” Jones said. “I won’t get into bubble gummy things, gummy bears. The last thing I would want to do is hear that someone bought a product here that looked like gummy bears and a child ate it.”
There are also future plans to host community information sessions where people learn about marijuana, such as ‘Explaining pot to my kids’ sessions, or just meet and greet with community members at the local pot shop.
“What we’re going to do is some community based programs promoting prevention of [use by] the youth. We’re going to be putting on seminars and culinary classes with loyalty club members, but one of the classes we want to put on… is ‘how do I deal with this and my children.’”
While there’s evidences that suggest that child-use of marijuana may impact their development, there’s not a lot of information about how parents can talk to children about their own or other adult pot use.
For more information, visit Theorem’s website www.theoremcannabis.com.


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Parents and young adults pay highest price for Covid-19 financial toll
Economic upheaval is putting a disproportionate strain on young adults and parents in the UK, according to a pan-European credit survey.
More than a third (36%) experienced an income drop as a result of the Covid-19 crisis. Around 10% said their income has since gone back up to pre-crisis levels and a further 22% believe their income may soon decrease.
Young people and parents in the UK have been disproportionately affected, according to the latest European consumer payment report, with more than half of 18-21-year olds and 50% of parents surveyed taking an income hit.
Of the 24,000 surveyed by credit management company Intrum, a total 60% of parents said they are more concerned about their financial wellbeing now than at any point in their lives, where 37% of non-parents said the same.
Intrum’s UK managing director, Eddie Nott, said: “Our research shows the financial effects of the Covid-19 crisis are acute for particular groups. These vulnerable groups are those who have less financial flexibility anyway. For example, young adults often have fewer savings to fall back on, less disposable income and may be more likely to be made redundant. Parents have had to juggle childcare and home schooling with maintaining their income.”
The report also found a gulf between those who are struggling and those whose incomes have not been affected by the Covid-19 crisis, with one fifth of UK consumers saying they needed to borrow money to pay bills in the last six months, and 77% of those people borrowing every month to make ends meet – up from 53% in 2019.
Meanwhile, 78% said they are able to save money, with the majority maintaining their previous saving levels and 28% saving less, where 18% even managed to increase savings pots.
“Many of those whose income has remained the same have found they are better off financially, with no commuting costs, reduced leisure expenditure and few travel opportunities,” said Nott.
But almost half of those surveyed in the UK said they have realised their finances are not as secure as they need them to be with far more caution about unnecessary borrowing. For example, 55% are more wary than usual about taking on debt and 58% don’t want to borrow money to spend on major purchases until they are sure the crisis is over.
Consumers are also more aware of local businesses with 60% more likely to support them after seeing the effect of Covid-19 and 65% said they are more aware about the negative impact of a sudden revenue drop.


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Technology behemoth Tencent said last week that it strongly disagreed with a US decision to add its WeChat app alongside fellow Chinese e-commerce site AliExpress, in a government list of “notorious” markets known for trade in counterfeit goods.
WeChat and e-commerce site AliExpress were among those put on the list by the US Trade Representative (USTR) on Thursday, January 17, spotlighting markets Washington says “engage in, facilitate, turn a blind eye to, or benefit from substantial piracy or counterfeiting”.
The 2021 Notorious Markets List identifies 42 online markets and 35 physical markets around the world, including other online platforms like China’s Baidu Wangpan which made a return appearance, according to the USTR report.
China figures prominently on the Notorious Markets List for both online and physical markets, and USTR said the country “continues to be the number one source of counterfeit products in the world.” The report noted that “counterfeit and pirated goods from China, together with transshipped goods from China to Hong Kong, accounted for 83% of the value… and 79% of the volume of counterfeit and pirated goods seized” by authorities in 2020.
“We strongly disagree with the decision made by the USTR,” Tencent said in response, adding that the company was committed to working to resolve the listing. WeChat, a ubiquitous platform in China and with over 1.2 billion active users around the world in 2021, is part of the Chinese tech giant Tencent, and offers a massively popular “super app” which includes social networking, messaging, e-commerce services, and more.
Tencent added that it takes a “comprehensive approach” to combating counterfeiting and infringement on its platforms, while the Chinese commerce ministry said the US decision was based on “neither conclusive evidence nor sufficient proof, and is irresponsible and not objective.” In a statement, it said China did not “recognize the conclusions of the report” and that the country had made “continuous improvements” in its intellectual property protection system in recent years.
“The global trade in counterfeit and pirated goods undermines critical US innovation and creativity and harms American workers,” US Trade Representative Katherine Tai said in a statement. “This illicit trade also increases the vulnerability of workers involved in the manufacturing of counterfeit goods to exploitative labor practices, and the counterfeit goods can pose significant risks to the health and safety of consumers and workers around the world.”
AliExpress, owned by dominant e-commerce force Alibaba, where sellers “provide wholesale offerings and order fulfillment services for dropshipping retailers.” While USTR said the platform shares some tools with Alibaba, which has some of the “best anti-counterfeiting processes” in the online sales world, there was been a “significant increase” in fake goods sold on AliExpress as well as the number of sellers.
Alibaba also owns Taobao, one of China’s largest e-commerce platforms, which has been on the Notorious list since 2016, despite strides made by the parent company to improve anti-counterfeiting tools, the report said.
Meanwhile, USTR said WeChat is “viewed as one of the largest platforms for counterfeit goods in China,” and cited “weaknesses in WeChat’s seller vetting” and mild punishments against offenders. China “continues to be the number one source of counterfeit products in the world”, the USTR said.
The USTR did also recognize countries and markets that have made improvements, citing actions by authorities in Brazil, India, Thailand and others against manufacturers and streaming pirates.
© Agence France-Presse
22 February 2024
21 February 2024
21 February 2024


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Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, on Tuesday sent a letter to House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., demanding a hearing on what Jordan called the recent "unprecedented spike" in retail theft in cities across the country.
"The criminals carrying out these acts are emboldened by 'soft on crime' policies and progressive prosecutors who refuse to enforce the law," wrote Jordan, who is the committee's ranking member.
Crime has increased everywhere since the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, but "grab and run" incidents have seen major waves recently around major cities.
In September 2020, San Francisco police recovered $8 million in merchandise stolen from Walgreens, CVS and Target, Jordan noted. The thefts have forced retail chains to impose costly and cumbersome anti-theft measures as well as store closures, he added.
A Manhattan Rite Aid was forced to close after thieves stole more than $200,000 worth of merchandise this past December and January, Jordan wrote.
"These retail businesses are already suffering due to record inflation, a massive labor shortage, and supply chain issues," he said. "Now this surge in theft is forcing some retail stores to close permanently."
Pointing to examples of "soft on crime" prosecutors, Jordan noted:
"For example, in San Francisco, the new District Attorney [Democrat Chesa Boudin] announced in 2021 that he would deemphasize prosecution of drug and property crimes. Since his election, burglaries have increased 52 percent, representing one of the largest increases in the country."
He also noted a quote from Manhattan's newly minted District Attorney Alvin Bragg:
"[R]etail thefts that do not involve a risk of physical harm, the Office will continue to assess the charges based on all of the aggravating and mitigating circumstances presented."
"Dangerous bail elimination measures" are another contributor, Jordan said, quoting New York City's former Police Commissioner Dermot Shea: " 'Insanity. No other way to describe the resulting crime that has flowed from disastrous bail reform law.' "
Retailers also want Congress to act, he said.
"According to a 2020 study by the National Retail Federation (NRF), retail theft has risen sixty percent since 2015 and now amounts to retail-store losses of $719,548 per $1 billion in sales," Jordan wrote. "In the NRF survey, retailers 'cited relaxed law enforcement guidelines, changes in shoplifting laws and decreased penalties for shoplifting among the causes for increased organized retail crime.' "
© 2023 Newsmax. All rights reserved.


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SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- The Bank of Korea raised its outlook for the South Korean economy Thursday, upgrading its view for both this year and 2010, and raising hopes for a speedy recovery.
The central bank said it now expects this year's gross domestic product to clock 0.2% growth, higher than its prior prediction for a 1.6% contraction.
For 2010, the BOK forecast 4.6% growth, up from its prior estimate of 3.6% growth. And in 2011, growth is expected to hit 4.8%, "boosted by global economic recovery and improved consumer and investor sentiment."
The unemployment rate is expected to fall to 3.5% in 2010, a decrease from the 3.7% rate this year, the BOK said.
The unemployment rate is expected to fall further to 3.4% in 2011, it said.
Consumer price inflation is expected to run at roughly 2.8% in 2010, a similar rate to that experienced this year.
Core inflation is tipped at 2.5%, the BOK said, accelerating to 2.9% in 2011, as the economic recovery creates pressure "on the demand side."


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Europe will need to produce nearly one-third of the world's supply of battery cells for electric vehicles by 2030 to maintain competitiveness, German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said.
R.D. Abbott Co. Inc. and the ACS Rubber Division partnered on an 80-second video designed to appeal to high school and college students.
Whenever something major happens that puts critical products in short supply diverse groups, companies and organizations forming unlikely collaborations to get done what needs to be done. That definitely occurred this year.
Goodyear's segment operating income fell 44.5% in the quarter ended Sept. 30, but the company stresses that the pace of decline has slowed considerably.
There are several different classes of organic peroxides used in crosslinking HNBR. Understanding these peroxides and how co-agents interact with them is an important consideration when developing optimized compounds.
Myers Industries Inc. wants to acquire plastics molding companies with a goal of reaching a run rate of $1 billion in annual sales by the end of 2023, the company announced Oct. 29.
Dana Inc. said Wednesday that cost management and the restart of operations helped limit the damage from COVID-19 on sales in the third quarter.
Smithers Group has upgraded and expanded testing capabilities at its 800-acre winter test center in Brimley, including improvements to two hill sections and the addition of an off-road course.
Michelin North America Inc.'s BFGoodrich brand knows a thing or two about traction and grip in muddy, rocky terrain. Now, the tire maker is taking that expertise off-road for a different kind of "shoe."
Momentive sees creation of a consolidated facility in the Midwest focused on silicone elastomer compounding as a way to responsiveness and support for customers.
The International Silicone Conference, a biennial event, attracts leaders in the silicone industry from throughout the world.Plan now to attend this unparalleled technical program which will be offered virtually November 10-12
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Greatness is pretty much guaranteed when things work in unison. It has been one of the talking points of the technology industry whether tablet devices are really PCs, and how and where they should be factored in when reporting market numbers.
At the same time the traditional PC market is going through a bit of a paradigm shift.
Desktops and laptop sales are gradually on the decline, while tablet usage has been on an utter and immediate rise. Still when you combine these two domains together, you get a positive outlook, as taking into account sales of PCs and tablets means the negatives are counterbalanced well enough.
And this is why the latest analysis from Canalys is an upbeat one.
The market research firm, in its latest forecast for the PC market, combined the numbers for desktops, notebooks and tablets into one mind numbing figure — 493.1 million units are expected to ship in 2013. This comes in at more than a 7 percent increase from 2012.
Tablets are now expected to account for 37 percent, up from 25 percent last year.
The numbers are projected to increase over the next few years to end up at 713.8 million in 2017. By then no less than 64 percent will belong to tablets, essentially a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 9.7 percent.


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A huge bumper crop of solar panels already has caused a sharp decline in their prices and bankrupted many manufacturers worldwide over the past two years. Now a research report released Tuesday says another 180 solar panel makers will likely go out of business or be bought by 2015.
Nearly half of them – or 88 companies – will shut down factories in countries that have become too expensive for producing solar panels, namely the United States, Europe and Canada, said GTM Research. The report looks at over 300 solar panel makers to determine their chances of survival.
The prognosis is not only shocking, but it also answers a perennial question, at least for now, about whether solar manufacturing can thrive in the United States. China, which has used state owned banks and utilities to finance solar factory expansion and create domestic demand for solar panels, will continue to dominate solar manufacturing, though the government is reportedly working on rescuing only 12 large companies and forcing mergers in others. GTM is estimating that 54 solar panel makers in China will not survive over the next three years.
“Given where the industry is right now and how committed China is for its solar manufacturing industry, it’s very difficult for the U.S. to compete,” said Shyam Mehta, the senior analyst who authored the GTM report. In fact, by the end of 2013, cell and panel manufacturing could disappear all together in the United States.
China’s rise as the world’s epicenter for solar manufacturing has elicited resentment from rivals who believe Chinese companies haven’t competed fairly. The U.S. Department of Commerce recently sided with petitioners of such a trade complaint and imposed tariffs after finding that Chinese solar companies have indeed received illegal government subsidies and sold solar panels at below cost.
Signs of trouble began to show in early 2011, when changes in solar incentive policies in key European markets prompted solar panel makers’ customers – distributors and project developers – to delay purchasing decisions. Prices for solar panels began to fall faster than what manufacturers had expected. The prices dropped by about 50 percent last year and have continued to decline this year. At the same time, many manufacturers had built up massive factories and were counting on a huge surge in demand in the global market. In fact, they continued to churn out solar panels to keep their factories running and workers employed even though demand wasn’t keep pace.
First Solar, an industry bellwether, saw flat revenues and lower earnings during the first quarter of 2011. Life pretty much went downhill from there for many solar panel makers and their suppliers. Young companies that were entering mass production of their technologies in order to compete effectively with larger rivals went bust, including Solyndra and Abound Solar. GE, which once embarked on an ambitious plan to build a 400-megawatt factory in Colorado, decided to shelve that project earlier this year. First Solar, long the king of low-cost manufacturing, decided to gradually shut down its big factory in Germany and put on hold its plans to build new factories in Vietnam and Arizona. Other solar panel makers in the U.S., Europe and Asia have made similar decisions to shutter factories or file bankruptcy.
SunPower is one of them. The San Jose company announced Tuesday it will suspend production at six of the 12 solar cell production lines and cut solar panel production by 20% in the Philippines. It plans to lay off about 900 employees, most of them located in the Philippines.
Still, some solar manufacturers have proceeded with their plans to build new factories for a variety of reasons. Some thought the oversupply problem would be over soon; others needed to scale up their production to cut costs. As a result, the world will likely see 35 gigawatts of excess solar panels for sale per year over the three years, GTM said.
The plummeting prices for solar panels are good news for installers and solar power plant developers – and ultimately consumers. Some developers have switched to solar panels instead using other types of solar technologies. An increasing number of manufacturers have entered the business of developing solar energy generation projects since they are not making money selling solar panels.
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Brooks Brothers has added 200 jobs at Haverhill suit factory
(Page 2 of 2)
Southwick was a longtime Brooks Brothers contractor before it was acquired in 2008. Now, about 80 percent of the suits at the plant are Brooks Brothers suits, Martynec says. The factory also continues to make Southwick suits.
“We want to have American-made products,” Martynec says. “Customers want to know where their clothing is made.”
Labor costs are rising at a faster rate in other countries, he says, making overseas clothing more expensive now. Many of the overseas manufacturers require significant orders. That also drives up the cost of doing business when retailers here have to dump unsold inventory. The new Haverhill plant allows Brooks Brothers to be precise with its orders: Martynec says the facility can accept orders as small as two suits at a time. And he says orders from Malaysia can take twice as long to process as orders through Haverhill.
The company is also working on a direct-to-consumer sales model that would allow shoppers to bypass its brick-and-mortar stores if they choose, Martynec says. Having manufacturing capabilities in the U.S. will make it much easier for Brooks Brothers to pull this off.
“The whole idea about our success is going to be mass customization,” Martynec says. “It’s not about making a thousand things. It’s about making one thing a thousand different ways.”
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Some motor manufacturers are having serious problems right now, such that a few have closed factories, laid off staff and even sold brands. But as in Animal Farm, some problems aren’t really problems as we understand them. Take the case of Jaguar Land Rover for instance. The British brand owned by India’s Tata Motors sure has its own problems, but they are not what you may think.
Both the new Range Rover and Range Rover Sport are selling like ecstasy pills at a rave. In fact, the company just cannot keep up with demand, according to a recent report from Automotive News. There is a waiting list at least 6 months long on both cars, with the Sport clocking up to 9 months. Why, the potential buyer could have had a brand new baby by then!
One of the problems according to this report, is that JLR grossly underestimated demand for both cars, which can go up to R1.8 million a pop in South Africa (Sport not launched yet). As a result the Solihull, England factory from which they come, runs for 24 hours a day, seven days a week, non-stop.
The other problem is that Ford, previously an owner of JRL, still supplies the company with engines for both its divisions. Apparently Ford is also unable to match this rampant demand. These are problems one only dreams about.
In terms of what is on the engine equipment list at launch, we can see the 3.0-litre SDV6 turbo diesel with 215kW and the 375kW 5.0-litre V8 supercharged for the performance model. In 2014 there will be added engines, including a super 4.4 diesel worth 249kW, a milder 190kW V6 diesel, petrol as well as a hybrid. The gearbox is an 8-speed automatic system. Land Rover says 0 – 100km/h acceleration times start at 5.2 seconds across the range (pun intended), meaning the V8 will dip below this. We’ll ascertain these claims when we drive it.
The Range Rover is already on sale here in Mzansi, while the new Range Rover Sport only goes on sale in November following its public debut at the 2013 Johannesburg International Motor Show (JIMS) in two weeks’ time. Neither prices nor Mzansi launch models have been confirmed yet.


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Avatar has been available in 3D on Blu-ray for years. The problem is that it's been a Panasonic exclusive, available to buyers of Panasonic 3D HDTV sets, and later to buyers of Panasonic 3D glasses as part of a bundle. Those who were left out had to forage eBay and pay a lot of money to get access to what many call the best 3D movie of all time. Now, finally, Avatar 3D Limited Edition is set to hit retail stores in October. It'll be released globall on October 15, and appear in stores in North America the following day, October 16th.
Me? I'm more excited about E.T.: The Extraterestrial coming to Blu-ray.
The studio behind the blockbuster Avatar is offering an unprecedented look into digital filmmaking, with downloadable extras that will allow a viewer to watch the motion capture actors or CGI in real time.
Beginning on Dec. 20, customers can now download a total of six hours of extras via Apple's iTunes from Twentieth Century Fox, which include the three different views of the movie, plus a number of other extras that offer a real-time look into how the movie was made.
The Avatar iTunes Extras Special Edition will cost $19.99 for a high-definition version, and $14.99 for the standard version; both include the movie as well as the extras. Apple will begin accepting preorders at 11 AM PT, a Fox spokeswoman said.
Fox's motivation is to encourage consumers to get into "digital collecting" of digital movies, explained Aubrey Freeborn, senior vice president of marketing and product management for PPV, VOD and EST for Twentieth-Century Fox. The extras will be released to the U.S., the U.K., Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia on Dec. 20. Avatar is the top-selling Blu-ray disc of all time.
It’s back again, internets – the Weekend Read is here with a quick browse as the digital landscape turns up a few fun things to occupy your time when you could be out with your friends or drunk - texting your exes.
JACK KIRBY I: In honor of Jack Kirby’s 92nd birthday, Tom Spurgeon at The Comics Reporter has a breathtaking array of Kirby images on display. Words can’t even do it justice, so Tom doesn’t try. It’s just fantastic pictures and reminds us all how great Kirby really was.
JACK KIRBY II: If you do want some words to go with the pictures, Mark Evanier has quite a few of the nicer ones.
In case you were asleep on the Internet last week, James Cameron’s long awaited film Avatar just launched its first teaser trailer. All I can say is “it’s about time,” because I’ve been hearing about Avatar for years. Word is that James Cameron, who hasn’t given us a decent blockbuster since that one with the big sinking ocean liner, had to reinvent cinema technology to give us this 3D science-fiction epic.
It would appear that Panasonic is getting behind Cameron by helping to promote it by bringing their huge 103-inch screens to locations everywhere to show people the 3D effects. I got a chance to see Panasonic’s 3D television at CES, and it was quite something.
All I can say is that Avatar had better be worth this kind of promotion. If it is the Titanic hit that people believe it will be, than I have no doubt that 3D will soon become the new standard of big blockbuster movies.
In the meantime, check out the teaser trailer below:
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One thing that cable operators might have going for them is that the OTT market is changing in ways that make it a little less attractive to cord cutters. It turns out that it’s getting harder to be a cord cutter, and certainly more expensive.
For a while it looked like Netflix and Hulu would offer a real alternative to cable TV, and for many people they still do. But the things we used to like about those two services are changing rapidly. Hulu is a great example. Around 2011 they made a deal with over 20 sources of content like NBC, ABC, USA, Syfy, Fox, and many others. But those were 5-year deals that are now coming to an end and Hulu is about to lose a lot of the content that attracted people.
Hulu is being hit from all sides. NBC is pulling most of its content and has launched its own OTT product that is hinging on the popularity of the new Star Trek to draw customers. BBC has pulled the very popular Doctor Who and other programming in favor of its own OTT product. Even CW is pulling shows like the Flash, Arrow, Vampire Diaries, and Jane the Virgin and has launched its own OTT service.
The same has happened to Netflix. Long-time subscribers complain that there is half the content on Netflix as there was years ago, and it’s true. Content providers have slowly been withdrawing content and making it harder for Netflix to obtain both TV shows and movies. Netflix makes up for this with original content, but that content isn’t for everybody.
With the plethora of OTT options, it’s getting expensive to be a cord cutter. A cord cutter probably can’t pick only Netflix and/or Hulu and be happy – or at least not as happy as they were a few years ago. To get a wide variety of OTT programming, a cord cutter is going to have to subscribe to multiple OTT products, and at the end of that process might easily be spending as much for programming as they did with the cable company.
Consider Sling TV as an example. Sling launched with a very simple set of options. They launched with a basic package of 15 channels for $20 per month – these were channels that people miss when they cut the cord – ESPN, the Travel Channel, the Food Network, TBS, and the Disney Channel. They had an add-on package for $5 to add more sports channels.
But Sling TV has morphed to become a lot more complicated and a lot more expensive. They now have two basic packages each priced at $25 per month. One called Sling Blue is sports-oriented including Fox Sports and NBC (for the Olympics). The original package has been renamed Sling Orange and has also been bumped to $25. Both together are $40, and there are now several $5 add-on packages such as news and sports. Sling is looking at adding more content, but in doing so, they are now at or above the price that this same content can be received on satellite. But with satellite cable you get a lot more channels than Sling. The new Sling TV prices are starting to feel like a programming alternative, not a cord cutting savings option.
Hulu also has more expensive options now. They will soon be offering a package that includes live network programming starting at $35 per month. For $50 per month customers can store up to 20 hours of Hulu content in cloud DVRs.
Cord cutters now have much harder choices than even just six months ago. If they cobble together a half dozen OTT sources they can easily be paying more than they were with cable. If they limit themselves to one or two sources of content like Netflix or Hulu they will see their content choices shrinking and their monthly fees increasing. This all has to be good news to the cable companies – a lot of homes are going to like the OTT options less than they did a year ago.


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It was either move to Silicon Valley or bust, according to Nitro CEO Sam Chandler. His startup base of Melbourne, Australia, didn’t have the resources back in 2008 to help him scale his cloud-based, document-collaboration startup beyond an angel round of investing. It’s still a common dilemma for entrepreneurs throughout the world. Read More
Social logins are a convenient way to sign in to services without having to go through lengthy sign-up procedures and setting up yet another password. According to the latest data from social login service Gigya, Facebook remains the absolute market leader here and now powers more than 51 percent of all social logins in North America. Google+ is the second most popular service, but at 31 percent… Read More
An anonymous reader writes “Yahoo is most known for its search, email, and news services. But its U.S. web presence is only part of its corporate portfolio. It also owns large stakes in Yahoo Japan and Alibaba (a web services company based in China). Yahoo Japan is publicly traded, and Alibaba is heading toward an IPO, so both have a pretty firm valuation. The thing is: when you account for Yahoo’s share of each and subtract them from Yahoo’s current market cap, you get a negative number. Investors actually value Yahoo’s core business at less than nothing. Bloomberg’s Matt Levine explains: ‘I guess this is fairly obvious, but it leads you to a general theory of the conglomerate discount, which is that a business can be worth less than zero (to shareholders), but a company can’t be (to shareholders). … A fun question is, as fiduciaries for shareholders, should Yahoo’s directors split into three separate companies to maximize value? If YJHI and YAHI are worth around $9 billion and $40 billion, and Core Yahoo Inc. is worth around, I don’t know, one penny, then just doing some corporate restructuring should create $13 billion in free shareholder value. Why not do that?’”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Today, Yahoo launches new Flickr apps for Android (and iOS coming soon.) They include the ability to shoot video in the apps, or upload it directly. There is also better search, more detailed statistics for individual photos and a redesigned interface that’s had a lot of the crap scraped off of the interface to present you with Read More
When Yahoo removed Henrique De Castro as its COO, it wasn’t clear how much loot he was going to take with him. The final tally, revealed today in an SEC filing that also detailed Yahoo’s board nominations, has the figure: $58 million. Read More
Call it Yahoo’s version of the butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker. The venerable Internet firm today announced a trio of nominations to its board that could round out the sort of folks keeping tabs on its focus. Most interesting among the nominations is David Filo, a Yahoo co-founder. Read More
Yahoo‘s efforts to reinvent its search reportedly have some grand ambitions.
CEO Marissa Mayer wants to supplant Google as Apple’s default search on mobile products, according to a report from Re/code.
See also: Yahoo’s New Long Game: Contextual Search
If successful, the arrangement would prove a coup for Yahoo and drastically change the company’s share of the search market, particularly in the rapidly growing mobile segment.
Mobile search is not only growing, it is moving away from desktop. If Yahoo were able to convince Apple to use its mobile search, it would grow its declining search share to the detriment of desktop competitors. Read more…
Yahoo barely beat Wall Street estimates for its first quarter earnings report, but the stock shot up following more positive news about one of the company’s secret weapons: Alibaba
The Internet giant posted earnings of $0.38 per share on revenue of $1.09 billion in the first quarter, just beating Wall Street estimates for earnings of $0.37 a share on revenue of $1.08 billion. Yahoo’s results were essentially flat compared to the same quarter last year when it reported earnings of $0.38 per share on revenue of $1.07 billion.
If you get a job at Automattic, you don’t have to worry about moving. Hell, you don’t even have to get out of bed
The company, best known for WordPress.com, is completely distributed, meaning its 230 employees work from home. Or they can work from home. Matt Mullenweg, the CEO of Automattic, notes that the company has a physical headquarters in San Francisco. “Well, you’ve got to have somewhere TO get mail,” he explains. While a handful of employees work in the San Francisco office, the rest are flung across 170 cities. “It allows you to get the best and brightest people in the world,” Mullenweg says. Automattic gives its employees a monthly stipend of $250 to get a co-working space if their home office situation isn’t great. Read more…
An encryption flaw called the Heartbleed bug is already being called one of the biggest security threats the Internet has ever seen. The bug has affected many popular websites and services — ones you might use every day, like Gmail and Facebook — and could have quietly exposed your sensitive account information (such as passwords and credit card numbers) over the past two years.
But it hasn’t always been clear which sites have been affectedMashable reached out to various companies included on a long list of websites that could potentially have the flaw. Below, we’ve rounded up the responses from some of the most popular social, email, banking and commerce sites on the web. Read more…


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Cotton Candy is back in the spotlight after being forced to make a major cosmetic overhaul.
The decor has been the subject of a number of complaints, with many people claiming the decor is “too much”.
The iconic brand, which also makes its home in the US, is now seeking legal advice over a series of claims made against it, including that it “fails to protect children from inappropriate exposure”.
“I don’t know if I can speak for the rest of the company, but we’ve done a lot of work to try to get rid of the offending materials,” a spokeswoman for Cotton Candy said.
“It’s very upsetting and disappointing to see what happened to our brand.
I’m sure it’s very frustrating to all of our fans who have been supporting us and supporting our brand over the years.”
Cotton’s brand was founded by Michael Cotton, a former school teacher who left the company in 2009 to become the director of a film company.
He has since returned to the company with new leadership, with new colours and new products.
The company has previously apologised to fans and said the decor was “an oversight” that would be rectified.
“We are making progress on our cleaning processes and have already addressed a number and we will continue to address the remaining issues,” the spokeswoman said.ABC/wires


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Delivering the opening remarks at the 6th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog through video conference, Prime Minister Modi urged the states to take full advantage of this scheme and attract maximum investment in themselves and also reap the benefits of reduced corporate tax rates.
Accordingly, the PLI scheme offers incentive to boost domestic manufacturing and attract large investments in production of various types of equipment.
The aim of the scheme is to promote local manufacturing and reduce import dependence.
Besides, the Prime Minister said keeping in mind the aspirations of a young country like India modern infrastructure has to be built.
He stressed the need for strengthening businesses, MSMEs and start-ups.
Prime Minister Modi said shortlisting the products of hundreds of districts of the country according to its speciality has promoted them and also led to a healthy competition among the states.
He urged to take this initiative block wise, to make full use of the resources of the states and increase the exports from the states.
Furthermore, he stressed the importance for a better coordination and policy framework between the Center and the states.
On the increase in funds allocation for infrastructure in budget 2020-21, the Prime Minister said this would help the country's economy to advance the country's economy on many levels.
In addition, he stressed on the importance of making the states self-reliant and giving momentum to development in their budget.
The workers union filed a case at the industrial court in Pune on July 15, challenging the retrenchment of service and sought a stay on the sale of the factory to Chinese SUV maker Great Wall Motors or any other party. GM had stopped production at the factory in December 2020 and had agreed to sell it to Great Wall, though the deal had been stuck in part due to the labour issue at the plant.
Consequently Suman Mishra , sr VP ,Business transformation , Insight and Analytics , automotive sector will take over as chief executive of MEML and chief executive designate of Last Mile Mobility business with effect from August 14.


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Toyota consideration and interest has dropped even further in the past week as the company continues to issue massive recall announcements, according to the latest Kelley Blue Book (KBB) Market Intelligence data.
The latest KBB study conducted on kbb.com shows that 27% of those who said they were considering a Toyota prior to the recall now say they no longer are considering the brand for their next vehicle purchase, an increase of 6% from the 21% who indicated they had defected from Toyota the prior week (immediately following the initial recall announcement).
In addition, now 28% of those who said they were considering a Scion and 23% of those who said they were considering a Lexus prior to the Toyota recalls, now say they are no longer considering those brands.
Now nearly half (49%) of the car shoppers who have defected from Toyota say they are not sure if they will consider the brand again, even once Toyota’s problems are resolved.
KBB updates its famous Blue Book Values on a weekly basis, and the values continue to fall for Toyota models affected by the recall announcements. On February 5, 2010, company analysts initially decreased the used-car values of recalled Toyotas by 1-3% in response to the slowing demand for Toyota models in the marketplace following the consumer recall. This coming Friday, February 12, KBB will once again adjust values for these vehicles downward by an additional 1.5% on concerns around the growing supply of unsold Toyotas on both dealer lots and at auctions. The latest announcements about new 2010 Priuses and late-model 2009-2010 Corollas also have affected not just used-car values, but also new-car (transaction) values. After the latest Prius recall news, consumers can pick up a brand-new 2010 Prius closer to dealer invoice price than its suggested retail price, a difference of $1,000-1,500.
“We are seeing a softening of both used Toyota values and the New Car Blue Book values of new Toyotas this week,” said Juan Flores, director of vehicle valuation, Kelley Blue Book. “The softening of values is a product of weakened consumer demand, and the realization that Toyota is going to have to offer lower prices to get some consumers to consider Toyota vehicles again,” he added.
Kelley Blue Book Values Summary for Toyota:
— All Used Recalled Toyota Models: Used-car values declined 1-3% (depending on the model) on February 5, 2010, and will drop an additional 1.5% on Friday, February 12, 2010
— New 2010 Prius: New Car Blue Book Value (transaction price) will drop by $1,000-1,500 on February 12, 2010
— Used Prius, 2009 and older models: Used-car value dropped 1.5% on February 5, 2010, and will drop an additional 1.5% on February 12, 2010
— Used Corolla, 2009 and older models: Used-car values dropped 1.5% on February 5, 2010, and will drop an additional 1.5% on February 12, 2010
In addition to the values decline, site traffic from Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com detailed in the company’s Market Watch report also shows a continued decline in Toyota interest in the wake of the recall announcements. Toyota models have seen an overall 25% decline in page views since the recall news initially broke. Even Toyota models not specifically involved in the recall continue to see a decline in page views, demonstrating the negative impact the recall is having on current interest in all Toyota vehicles, not just the models named in the recall.
“It seems the longer Toyota is the subject of daily headlines with the continuing recall news, the more consumers are reacting negatively by defecting from Toyota, Lexus and Scion. We are seeing shoppers on kbb.com lean more toward competitors, especially the domestics like Ford and Chevy who are offering enticing conquest incentives,” said James Bell, executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com. “Toyota is going to have to work extra hard for quite some time to overcome the ‘double-whammy’ it is seeing with the continuing drop in values and consumer brand consideration,” he said.
RBR-TVBR observation: Ouch! As reported this week, Toyota and its dealers have been advertising heavily to try to counter this bad PR. The brand, however, is not going to be repaired quickly. Toyota will have to work hard to rebuild its previous image of quality and then convince consumers through advertising. Meanwhile, other brands should be taking advantage of the moment to pitch their own wares. It’s all beneficial to broadcasters.


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While fans await the release of "Grand Theft Auto V" for the next-gen consoles, more and more details of possible downloadable contents for the game have made the rounds on the Internet.
According to International Digital Times, the recent cover of PlayStation magazine suggests another DLC could have players fighting zombies. The YouTube video below from DomisLive gives fans a glimpse of what the possible "GTA V" zombie DLC looks like. It also gives an analysis on what the content may mean for the game series.
However, the site suspects the zombie DLC could be console-exclusive. Kotuku's Stephen Totilo previously spoke with PlayStation's North American marketing vice president, John Koller, about possible perks for "GTA V" for the PS4. The zombie DLC could be among the special treat for PlayStation 4 owners. Although Koller's statement about the game franchise is a little vague, he did say that "GTA V" and the "GTA" franchise is something that will be something very special on PlayStation."
When asked if there would be a "particular offering" that would best be suited played on PlayStation 4, Koller assured fans of its possibility.
"I don't think we announced anything publicly on that, but there will be," he said.
The "GTA V" zombie DLC is rumoured for release sometime in October or November, according to International Digital Times. However, Rockstar or Sony has yet to release an official statement on its release date.
Meanwhile, the release for "Heists," the downloadable content for "Grand Theft Auto V Online" is confirmed to be delayed. An administrator at Rockstar Games has issued an apology explaining the reasons for the delay.
"We know many fans have been eagerly awaiting the release of the Online Heists that we had planned to release for you this spring, and they are taking more time to create than originally anticipated. We are very sorry for the delay, and are working hard to bring them to you as soon as we can," the administrator said.
"Heists" dedicated site AreTheHeistsThereYet.com also counted down the days from the release of "GTA Online" up until the release date of the DLC. The site claims it's already been 332 days as of this writing and still no "Heists."
Rockstar reportedly addressed the clamour from fans for the DLC release by introducing the "I'm Not a Hipster" update, which features new jobs, cars and new customization options.
However, the update is said to be a far cry from the anticipated DLC that players are getting impatient. After all, "Heists" promises great gameplay since players can partake in missions, which reportedly includes Prison Van Rescue, Drop Off Hooker, Funeral, Territory Takeover, Flight Gangmate, Cop Territory, Ornate Bank Heists, and FIB Grab.


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American Airlines and US Airways fares are back on Orbitz websites, the online travel agent said.
Orbitz Worldwide (NYSE: OWW) reached agreement with American, settling a dispute that forced the airlines to pull their flights off all Orbitz sites last week.
"We are pleased that our long-standing relationship with American Airlines allowed us to quickly resolve business matters and that we continue to offer a broad range of options, including American Airlines and US Airways flights, to the millions of shoppers who book travel on our global sites each day," Sam Fulton, president of Orbitz, said in a statement.
American (Nasdaq: AAL) became the world’s largest airline in December when it merged with US Airways. It had planned to pull US Airways fares off the site on Sept. 1. The airline confirmed that it would put its fares back on the sites and would not pull US Airways on Sept. 1.
The companies are working toward a final agreement based on the letter of intent, American said in a statement. All tickets purchased through Orbitz before and after the dispute remain valid.
A travel analyst said earlier this week it's a matter of how much American is willing to pay Orbitz to have its fares, which can be purchased from a multitude of other locations, on Orbitz websites. It's similar to the showdown between networks and cable providers.


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We have just told you about very exciting developments in relation to a possible Pokemon Stadium 3 game on the Wii U, but now it’s time to divert attention firmly back to the upcoming release of Pokemon X and Y on the Nintendo 3DS. We have brand new gameplay footage for you to enjoy, this time taken from a Pokemon X and Y demo which shows the in-game transformation of Mewtwo into mega Mewtwo.
It was not too long ago that we told you that a new stage of evolution would be coming to Pokemon X and Y in the form of mega evolutions. Some fans are still not too sure on whether this is a good thing or not, but it’s definitely happening and Mewtwo has already been confirmed to have a mega evolution in place.
Nintendo has teased this fact further by releasing a brief gameplay clip, showing the full mega evolution of Mewtwo as it happens during a live battle – remember that the new mega evolutions are a one time thing and can only be performed when in-battle. If you pay attention to the clip, you’ll also spot one of the brand new professors in the game, professor Sycamore who rather foolishly sends out a weak flying type Pokemon to take on Mewtwo.
After the evolution of mega Mewtwo is complete, the battle is over after just one attack. What we’re interested to find out is just how easy it will be to mega evolve during a battle and if there is difficulty involved in getting the required items that are needed to mega evolve.
Check out the first evidence of Mewtwo mega evolving above and let us know what you think about mega evolutions.
*Identifying Monetised Links - outgoing links that we monetise are marked with an '*' symbol.


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Endeca announced Monday that it received a $15 million second round of funding. Investors included Ampersand Ventures, Bessemer Venture Partners and Venrock Associates. Cambridge, Mass.-based Endeca has raised a total of $25 million. The company's software, Endeca Navigation Engine, is designed to allow people to quickly locate and access catalog, commerce and corporate data.


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EXXONMOBIL has made a final investment decision to spend more than US$1bn expanding its Fawley refinery in the UK.
The investment is the biggest the company has made in the UK for nearly 30 years, and much higher than the US$650m it originally estimated it would spend on the project in September last year. The company announced today that it will spend more than US$1bn increasing production of ultra-low sulfur diesel by almost 45%, or 38,000 bbl/d.
The project includes a hydrotreater unit to remove sulfur from fuel, supported by a hydrogen plant that the company says will help improve the refinery’s overall energy efficiency. Detailed engineering and design is underway, with construction set to begin in late 2019, and start-up scheduled for 2021.
“ExxonMobil continues to invest in the Fawley refinery and chemical plant, Britain’s largest integrated facility,” said Bryan Milton, President of ExxonMobil Fuels and Lubricants Company. “This investment will make Fawley refinery the most efficient in the United Kingdom”.
The company says the investment will help reduce the UK’s reliance on foreign diesel, with more than half of supplies imported in 2017.
The decision follows an announcement earlier this month to invest in an expansion project at its Singapore refining and petrochemical complex to increase yields of higher-value products.
By Adam Duckett
Source: The Chemical Engineer
The US State of New York is introducing two new bills to combat over-packaging, poor recycling rates and litter issues, including an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program requiring companies such as McDonald’s and Amazon to pay for the cost of packaging disposal and recycling.
The new organization’s mission is to redesign the critical steps of the plastics sorting and recycling system for post-consumer lightweight packaging (LWP) to speed up circularity, born from a need to meet the rising market demand for high-quality recyclates for use in high-end plastic applications.
Starbucks and Hubbub have launched a £1 million (US$1.22 million) “Bring It Back Fund” to increase the uptake of reusable packaging in the F&B industry. The funding will go toward innovative ideas that make it easier for customers to use alternatives to single-use packaging by supporting pilot projects that help shift consumption habits.


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Save the Date: Free on the spot document shredding
(MIAMI, October 2, 2012) - Miami-Dade County is doing its part to help protect your identity. As part of National Consumer Protection Week, the County’s Consumer Protection Section of the Business Affairs Division, is partnering with Clearpoint Credit Counseling, The City of Miami, Cintas, and HopeLine to help create identity theft awareness in the community.
On Saturday, October 20, 2012, a special event will take place at Grapeland Park, located at 1550 NW 37th Avenue in Miami. Consumer Protection Investigative Analysts will provide tips on minimizing the threat of identity theft. Residents can bring up to three (3) boxes of documents to shred, as well as old cell phones to be recycled at no cost.
This event is a great opportunity for consumers and businesses to protect themselves from identity theft by having their documents containing personal information shredded for FREE! Business owners can help protect their company and their customers by shredding old documents that contain sensitive information.
According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) as many as 9 million Americans have their identities stolen each year. In fact, you or someone you know may have experienced some form of identity theft.
For more consumer tips, or to check the complaint history of a company, file a complaint or ask consumer-related questions, visit the Business Affairs and Consumer Protection website at www.miamidade.gov/business or call (305) 375-3677.


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The team at Sojourners is just about the only place in the evangelical world where the Democrats have a foothold. However, these Christian lefties have a sense of humor. Check out this fake news item from their April Fool’s email:
Is the disenfranchisement of minority voters not the only irregularity you struggle with?
Does America’s diet of pork-barrel politics and rich, cheesy candidates have you in a bind?
Tired of your personal healthcare concern constantly being a #2 priority?
Are you anxious to start a movement but know you’ll need some help?
MoveOn Laxative: Stop waiting for a movement – make it happen!
Made from safe, gentle, organic ingredients, including all-natural fiber from real grassroots
Easy to swallow – not gritty or uncomfortable like more “radical” remedies
Clinically proven effectiveness without animal testing – we use all human volunteers
Look for our full page ad in this Sunday’s New York Times


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By Manja Holter
Large national banks made recent announcements they will close a significant number of branches as well as drive-through lanes in the near future, citing a shift in consumer behavior toward online and mobile banking. Community banks offer those services as well, so will they follow suit?
Wells Fargo, which pulled the plug on 250 branches last year announced in 2018 it would shut down 800 more branches by 2020. The bank’s billion dollar legal costs in the wake of numerous misconduct allegations might be at the core of this development, but the behemoth is hardly alone.
JPMorgan Chase closed 9 percent of its branches between 2012 and 2016, while Bank of America shuttered 15 percent, according to research conducted by financial market analyst CLSA.
The driving force behind these closures is a general decline in transactions conducted in brick-and-mortar bank branches.
As national banks are closing rural branches, community banks are picking up the slack.
Noah W. Wilcox, president and CEO of Grand Rapids State Bank, offered the following statistic: “One in five counties in the United States are only serviced by a community bank.”
So, how do community bankers assess their future? Are community bank branches and drive-ups becoming obsolete?
Brian Nicklason is the president of Itasca County-headquartered Woodland Bank, a family owned business first chartered in 1920. It currently has four branch offices located in Grand Rapids, Cohasset, Deer River and Hill City.
“We are seeing a significant change in volume related to the internet banking. Our web-based banking is up from last year. We have over 9,000 more visitors per month and our mobile banking is up almost 500 transactions per month,” said Nicklason.
But even with this development, Nicklason said he is far from considering closing any of his branches.
In fact, he makes one key distinction: “The big banks are referred to as transactional banks because they focus on the amount of transactions. Community banks on the other hand are more relationship based.”
He said the expectation of his customers is to have a physical location. “If you want to open an account or need a loan, it is still nice to talk to a person.”
Wilcox views the impact of online and mobile banking on his business rather favorably. “It is another delivery channel for a different segment of our customer base that prefers to interact with us remotely,” he said. “Certain demographics like to do things differently and it is not always the younger generation that wants mobile services. We have a significant customer base between early 40s and 60s that are heavy mobile banking users.”
While in-store transactions are declining for both banks, drive-up transactions remain strong.
“Last Friday we had 120 drive-ups at our Grand Rapids office alone,” said Nicklason. He stated that if expansions are on the horizon, drive-up windows will be part of those plans. “We will always have a drive-up. We believe it is very valuable,” he said.
Wilcox echoed this sentiment. “We have not had any decline in our drive-through transactions, in fact, it is pretty steady.”
Will we see fewer tellers?
Nicklason said he was able to tweak branch office hours, according to the data he collected. His bank tracks transactions by the hour, by branch and by session.
“This allows us to extend our hours and still serve our customers efficiently,” he said.
Nicklason added there is still a customer base that values the personal service. “We have to offer a little bit of everything to everybody.” Personal service means maintaining a physical branch as well as experienced staff. “It is a little more expensive way, but I believe it’s the way it has to be.”
Wilcox on the other hand, estimates he employs fewer tellers now than he did 10 or 15 years ago. When Grand Rapids State Bank remodeled one of its offices in 2008, the number of teller windows was reduced by half.
Are vaults and safety deposit boxes a thing of the past?
Just until a few decades ago banks protected their money with gigantic vaults housed in formidable buildings. “Those shiny vaults have since been replaced by security systems,” said Nicklason.
What’s more, the stuff that was stored in the vaults, paper money, is becoming less as well. There is simply less need to have large amounts of cash on hand in each office, since the population is moving away from using it. “We’ve seen our debit card activity increase significantly. People just don’t use cash as much,” said Nicklason.
Surprisingly, demand for safe deposit boxes is still strong.
“We’ve been in the storage business forever,” said Nicklason, likening his bank to a self-storage business. He said all his branches are at maximum capacity.
Although safe deposit boxes are not very profitable for banks when taking the liability into account, both Nicklason and Wilcox feel the product is part of customer service. “We still see an element of our customer base that wants this service,” Nicklason said. He said demand for the bigger boxes is on the rise, while the smaller units are falling out of favor.
Wilcox said they witnessed no decline in safe deposit box usage. “The majority of our boxes are rented and remain that way,” he said. “There are customers that value the peace of mind of having their cherished items protected in that way and kept safe.”
Are paper checks going away?
Generally speaking, banks are discouraging the use of paper checks because their processing is more expensive than check image processing. However, banks make a small percentage when customers order check blanks. And while paper check usage is steadily on the decline, Nicklason is still surprised how much revenue continues to be generated through this channel.
Even though debit card use is at an all-time high, Nicklason doesn’t believe there will be a cashless society any time soon, and until then he thinks the paper check will have a niche.
“There is a place for paper checks. A segment of our population still likes to pay that way,” agreed Wilcox.
How does FinTech impact community banks?
Banks in general keep a watchful eye on so-called FinTech start-ups that peel off one profitable service after another.
FinTech, a portmanteau of financial technology, is the term used to describe any technological innovation and automation regarding the financial sector.
Business models include online financial planning services, online lending and borrowing, online retail banking, online fundraising, online money transfers and payments, online investment management and more.
Wilcox believes the services can be complementary to the banking industry.
“There are as many business models as there are community banks. It all comes down to leadership. If I can bring on a product that helps me serve our customers more efficiently and robustly, then I am all about that,” he said.
Nicklason agreed. “As a bank you have to understand the trends that come with the changing world. Even as a small community bank with limited resources you have to invest or get out of the way and let someone else do it. I hope we don’t ever lose the human element of banking but FinTechs are changing everything and community banks will struggle to compete in that arena.”
Nicklason believes this is one of the reasons why mergers and acquisitions are on the rise in the world of community banks.
“We have 4,000 less community banks than we did 15 years ago in this country. In Minnesota alone we lose three to four each quarter. Most of it is not due to closing, like it was during the recession, but due to merging. There are just as many branches but they belong to fewer banks.”


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Digital TV News: Changhong
LCD TV makers plan aggressive TV display purchasing for 2021
Oct 27, 2020 – According to Omdia, total LCD TV panel shipments are set to decline by 6% in 2021. However, the global top 15 TV brands want to grow their LCD TV shipments to new highs, up 9% YoY, if they are able to secure panel supply.
News categories: Omdia, Deborah Yang, China, Digital TV, Market Research, Smart TV, Worldwide
Global TV streaming device population reaches 1.1 billion
Sep 2, 2020 – The global population of TV and video streaming devices has now exceeded 1.1 billion, according to Strategy Analytics. The research finds that Samsung is the leading brand, followed by Sony, LG, Hisense, TCL and Amazon.
News categories: Strategy Analytics, David Watkins, David Mercer, Digital TV, Market Research, OTT, Set Top Box, Smart TV, Worldwide
44.8 million Smart TVs to be shipped to China in 2020
Aug 27, 2020 – IDC estimates that 44.8 million smart TVs will be shipped to China in 2020 – down 4.4% on last year. However, IDC believes improvements in features will grow Smart TV consumption in the country.
News categories: IDC, Sophie Pan, China, Digital TV, Market Research, Middleware, Smart TV
SonyLIV added to NetRange Smart TV App Store for India
Jul 9, 2020 – NetRange and SonyLIV have announced that Indian users of the NetRange Smart TV App Store can now access the SonyLIV app on their Smart TVs, enabling SonyLIV to expand its consumer base in India.
News categories: NetRange, SonyLIV, Tim Schröder, Apps, India, OTT, Smart TV, UX
HiSilicon to show 8K IPTV with ChangHong at IBC 2019
Sep 5, 2019 – At IBC 2019, HiSilicon will show 8K IPTV with set-top box provider Changhong. The solution enables 8K video streaming services and is powered by HiSilicon's Hi3796CV300 8KP120 chipset.
News categories: HiSilicon, Changhong, China, Digital TV, IBC, Semiconductor, Set Top Box
Market for 4K UHD technologies exploding
Feb 19, 2018 – The huge growth forecast for 4K UHD global markets stems from the technology’s growing adoption, rising disposable incomes, technological advancements, expanding 4K content and increasing TV unit sales.
News categories: BCC Research, Anand Bhandari, Digital TV, Market Research, Smart TV, Worldwide
Correction in LCD TV panel demand expected in 1Q 2018
Jan 17, 2018 – While some TV brands are expected to maintain their panel purchasing plans, others are forecast to reduce demand in the first quarter as it is a traditionally slow season and some demand was pulled into the last quarter, according to IHS Markit.
News categories: IHS Markit, Deborah Yang, Digital TV, Market Research, Smart TV, Worldwide
Dolby shows industry adoption of audio technologies at CES2018
Jan 9, 2018 – At CES, Dolby (NYSE:DLB) is showcasing a broad portfolio of audiovisual experiences across a range of price points and devices, driving Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos adoption in more markets with leading global partners.
News categories: Dolby, Kevin Yeaman, Blu-ray, Digital TV, OTT, Set Top Box, Smart TV
Zype and Opera TV launch integrated OTT offering
Apr 3, 2017 – Zype and Opera TV have announced the launch of their fully-integrated, end-to-end distribution and monetization solution for video content owners to manage and maximize advertising revenue through the Opera TV Store.
News categories: Zype, Opera TV, Ed Laczynski, Daniel Nordberg, Apps, Content Distribution, Digital TV, OTT, Worldwide
- Freesat 4K STB receives EICS certification with DTG Testing
- Cox Media Group Local Solutions partners with Amazon Advertising
- Samba TV announces global TV viewership dashboard
- Sky Brasil's SKY Connect 4K Android TV DVR powered by Wyplay
- NBCUniversal adopts Ad-ID for its One Platform
- Redbox to expand free live TV content with Wurl
- ThinkAnalytics rebrands its suite as 'Think360'
- Grupo Werthein to buy AT&T's Vrio operations
- ITV and Sky upgrade their commercial partnership
- TCL passes TÜV Rheinland ETSI EN 303 645 test for IoT devices
- OFIVE TV partners with Amagi for distribution to FAST platforms
- Comscore provides audience measurement currency to Spectrum Reach
- Global Smart TV household ownership to exceed 50% by 2026
- Innovid quantifies CTV impact on advertising in the U.S.
- HbbTV releases Targeted Advertising specification for TV sets in STB markets
- TheViewPoint supports OTT monetization at Caracol TV
- Altice USA introduces Optimum and Suddenlink 4K streaming device
- ThinkAnalytics integrates Gracenote Personalized Imagery
- CNN+ streaming service to launch in Q1 2022
- Verimatrix CA chosen for digital TV switchover initiative in Nigeria


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Europe’s premier conference on blockchain and digital currencies, Decentralized was organized for a third consecutive year, in Athens, from 30 October – 1 November 2019. The conference welcomed nearly 1000 attendees, and was organised by the University of Nicosia, and proudly supported by the Cyprus Blockchain Association once again.
The blockchain conference also attracted business executives and academics from more than 50 countries and hosted more than 150 leading speakers. This year’s conference debated current trends and future developments across three fascinating tracks. These were Business, Technology and Academic.
George Agathangelou, Business Development Manager for Grant Thornton Blockchain Cyprus Ltd, represented our association as a keynote speaker, and delivered a speech under the Technology track with the subject
“The Future of IoT and Machine to Machine Payments”
emphasizing on the increasing role blockchain technology in the Internet of Things.
George reiterated that it is expected to see most developments in the space of product identity and interactions being developed in a centralized manner and allow for a multi-stakeholder product lifecycle using DLT in the next few years. This will allow for greater transparency into product integrity (i.e. food markets and second-hand markets). It will allow us to track and trace products and provide increased visibility between the customer, the partner, 3rd party and machine to machine payments. It will decrease fraud, tampering and counterfeiting and will reduce cost for reconciliations. It will also allow the monetization of data transparency. It will provide greater transparency across supply chain partners; greater willingness to do business, it will allow for a more secure interoperability and network management, aligned with compliance adherence.


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Due to the Covid-19 lockdown, people became accustomed to shopping for everything online and having it delivered to their doorsteps. Payment frauds are also on the rise as digital payment methods gain popularity. Fraudsters have become increasingly sophisticated and constantly come up with new tricks. When you transact online, you are at risk of fraudsters draining your bank account if you are careless.
People ordering liquor online are getting cheated by online scammers
As the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) allowed delivery of alcohol online in the city, a 21-year-old student in Bhandup on May 24 received a WhatsApp message about a wine shop in the area that offered the service. The youth, who had already purchased alcohol from the shop earlier, checked Google listings to confirm the number belonged to the shop and then he called and ordered alcohol from them. However, the recipient of the call informed him that there was a problem with the debit card, and requested that the recipient share photographs of the card's front and back sides, as well as the one-time password (OTP) associated with the transaction. After a few minutes, Rs 1.5 lakh was withdrawn from the card's linked bank account.
Several similar fraud cases have been reported throughout the city in the last few days, according to the police. Due to a spike in alcohol demand following the lockdown, online fraudsters were tapping into potential buyers via WhatsApp messages, police said. Despite the legitimacy of the wine shops and their addresses, the scammers alter the phone numbers listed online.
In response to an increase in these cases, several people have taken to social media to warn others. Among the posts on Twitter, the user, known as Kritika, has tagged the Mumbai Police and said that a message with the name "King's Wine" has been spreading in Powai. The 'shop' took orders but failed to deliver alcohol, even after receiving payment, the user said.
In another case, Jinali Shah tweeted that she had ordered alcohol from Mukesh Wines in Borivali, and paid Rs 2,500 via Paytm, but it was not delivered. Another Twitter user, Deven Sharma, who has also tagged the Mumbai Police in his posting, said he paid Rs 3,060 to an online liquor delivery shop in Aarey but did not receive the product.
The Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Santosh Rastogi said they compiled a list and released 186 fake phone numbers being circulated online as helpline numbers to defraud people.
Also Check: Man Lost ₹1.81 Lakh to Medicine Supplier Fraud
How to avoid this kind of fraud?
1. Never give sensitive information over the phone, such as your credit card number, CVV, OTP, or UPI PIN.
2. Shops often display their phone numbers in front of their stores. In order to prevent being duped, you are advised to call the number provided by the shop.
3. Don't Google customer service numbers for companies or banks. Check their official websites to find their customer support numbers.
4. Making or receiving payments online is recommended through a digital escrow platform. Escrow does not require you to share any of your financial information with anyone. There is a platform that provides escrow services called Vouch.
How does digital escrow work?
In digital escrow, a third-party account holds the money deposited by the buyer until the seller fulfills the terms of the contract. The escrow company supervises the transacting parties.
What is the role of Digital Escrow in preventing online fraud in India?
Digital escrow services are offered by many companies in India. Among the most trusted is Vouch.
Vouch’s Digital Escrow service is a transparent way for buyers and sellers to build trust and secure a clean transfer of product and payment. Sellers can feel assured that they will be fairly compensated promptly, and buyers will feel confident that their order will be delivered as expected and on schedule. Vouch Digital Escrow keeps you updated and informed at every step of the transaction process till the end. Vouch’s professionals are always available to assist you with all queries that you may have during the entire transaction process.
There is no scope for deceit or fraud since the payments, shipping, delivery, and execution are carried out under the honest and watchful eyes of the Vouch’s professionals. With Vouch, any business transaction becomes transparent, uncomplicated, and hassle-free. If you ever come across a fraudster asking for OTP, asking you to scan a QR code, or asking you to click on phishing links, you can simply refuse and ask him/her to proceed with the transaction through Vouch.
This is Fraud Story #132. Check back here for more fraud stories and scams that you can protect yourself from.
Safety is not just about protecting your credit, debit card number, and UPI accounts. It's about having control of your money till you've received the product or service you bought online!
Note: This is a good-faith initiative to educate the world about avoiding frauds like these and how to act when you're becoming a victim of such a situation.
Do you have a fraud you would like to report? Please write to us at email@example.com


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Oil firms roll back fuel prices by up to P3 per liter
MANILA -Hefty rollbacks in the pump prices of petroleum products will greet consumers on Tuesday, Nov. 14, with local oil firms cutting prices by as much as P3 per liter.
In separate advisories, the companies said they would slash the price of gasoline by P0.70 per liter and diesel by P3 per liter.
The price of kerosene will likewise decline by P2.30 per liter.
Shell and Seaoil will implement the price adjustments by 6 a.m. on Tuesday.
According to the Department of Energy Oil Industry Management Bureau, “falling demand” in the United States, as well as weak exports from China triggered the rollbacks.
This marks the third consecutive week of price declines for diesel and kerosene, and the second for gasoline.
Last week, prices rolled back by P0.45 per liter for gasoline, P1.10 per liter for diesel and P1.05 per liter for kerosene.
This resulted in a year-to-date net increase of 13.75 per liter for gasoline, P9.35 per liter for diesel and P3.39 per liter for kerosene.


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FDA, Cardinal Strike Deal On Defective Drug Pumps
The health care products maker signed a consent decree with the FDA on Thursday. Cardinal will be required to make a number of changes to the design, manufacture, packaging, labeling and distribution of its Alaris SE infusion pump, formerly known as Signature Edition Infusion System.
The FDA classified the case a Class I recall, which...
To view the full article, register now.


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Microsoft Mac Business Unit (MBU) team member David Weiss has published a unique virtual tour of the hundreds of Macs the team uses each day.
The images reveal that the MBU uses almost every configuration of Mac for testing Mac Office, and uses an Xserve and Xserve RAID as primary back-up systems.
It's a rare glimpse at the labs used to test the software, and includes images of 150 Mac minis, all stacked-up.
The collection reveals that the MBU employs Apple Remote Desktop to access all the many Macs - some going back to the days before the release of the iMac.
The report also reveals a glimpse at how the company typically tests new software builds, including testing the quality of the software's ability to drive different printers.
"Until a few months ago we had every significant hardware revision Apple has ever released since the dawn of time," Weiss reveals.
"We even had a section of the Lab we affectionately called the "Mac Nursery" where we kept all the older Macs going," he says, though many of the older machines have now been put into storage to save space.


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Posted by Greg Mills
The recent US International Trade Commission finding isn’t the end of the war between Apple’s iOS platform and the Android platform, but drawing first blood may be significant. Had the ruling been related to something trivial like the shape of buttons, for example, HTC could have simply gone to round buttons instead of square buttons.
The particular patents found to have been infringed relate more to basic system organization that underly the very foundation of the Android OS. Further rulings will no doubt find additional infringement on more Apple patents that are even more specifically related to smart phones and mobile operating systems.
I looked up the Apple patents cited and they are so broad, Apple’s attorneys must be delighted. The ITC finding of infringement isn’t just related to HTC, but rather all Android phones. The finding is really more against the Android OS than HTC. See:
An upheld finding that HTC infringed even one claim of one Apple patent is enough to allow Apple to stop the importation of all offending HTC handsets into the Untied States. Of the major Android handset makers HTC has the most narrow product line, mostly smartphones that run Android. That makes the potential of an Android import ban particularly devastating to HTC.
Further hurting HTC is the fact of life for the smartphone industry that while Apple ships roughly 1/4 of all smartphones world wide, the iPhone has enough margin in it to give Apple half the profits of the entire industry. That means HTC survives on a much smaller margin.
The prospect of the entire current product line of HTC being banned from importation into the Untied States and serious damages paid to Apple on top of that, may well crush HTC. Watch for HTC stock to tumble badly next week. Note that the ITC released the finding against ITC after the market closed on a friday.
Going back to the drawing board to design their way around the Apple technology cited so far, may be an exercise in futility as a lot more patents and more litigation lies ahead and Apple has a lot of patents, both issued and pending that get more and more specific in describing Apple’s smartphone technology.
Keep in mind also, that Apple owns a lot of technology they don’t use that is still patented. Let’s say there are 8 ways to do something on a smartphone that Apple discovered, the best way and 7 other ways that for various reasons aren’t preferred. Apple patents all of them, so that even workarounds for the preferred method are also patented. Apple has the resources and legal team to bury the competition with continuing litigation and they can be expected to do just that.
Patents are always written as broadly as possible to protect as much technology as possible. HTC may find that to build an Android smartphone that is cool enough to sell may also infringe on something in Apple’s broad patent portfolio.
The other Android handset makers are in the same boat. Each of them have an Apple Federal Law Suit and complaints filed against them with the ITC as well. HTC was only the first to face the music. Each have vulnerabilities to Apple’s patent portfolio and a each may find critical elements that make up the look and feel of the Android platform in their phones an infringement of Apple’s technology. The uncertainty will be devastating and hard to overcome.
The engineering staff going back to the drawing board to come up with a viable HTC Android handset that doesn’t infringe on Apple technology may well find the obvious solutions to what they have to do blocked by unused but patented Apple technology.
Normally, when a company infringes on another companies technology it is a matter of money to settle the matter with a license issued to use the technology with damages paid for prior use.
Apple is expected to refuse to settle and license iPhone technology to anyone. Apple will just say no. If the Android handset makers can’t illegally use Apple technology and Apple won’t license them to use their patents, all that is left is a complete redesign that avoids infringement. That noninfringing design may well be impossible, not just inconvenient. That is certainly the goal of Apple’s patent attorneys who filed the 200+ patents on iPhone technology.
Should HTC be forced to remove its infringing Android smartphones from the US market, which is sounding quite possible, the company would have to wait it out to know fully what Apple patents will be upheld to avoid further infringement. Apple can be expected to attack again with fresh patents that are only now being issued.
I can’t believe I wrote this, but HCT ought to consider going with Microsoft’s new mobile OS instead of the Android OS. At least that way they would have the advantage of having Microsoft’s patent portfolio protecting them from Apple. Look for Android OS handset makers to begin to migrate away from the Android platform. This will allow Steve Jobs to sleep better and Apple to rule the smartphone market.
I was scratching my head when Apple filed suit against the Android handset makers instead of going after Google directly over the Android OS. While that may come, the individual handset makers are perhaps more vulnerable individually and if Apple can take down all the handset makers, the Android OS will implode. What good is a smartphone operating system if no one dares to sell a handset that will run it? Did you hear a popping noise? Thats Greg’s Bite


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Traficon's new Eye-D camera
Traficon will bring some exciting new technologies to the ITS World Congress. Next to its known video detection solutions for cities, highways and tunnels, the company will also highlight several innovations in AID, intersection enforcement, and intelligent parking.
Among a number of new automatic incident detection (AID) products which will be featured will be Traficon’s versatile AID solution for PTZ cameras. VIP-PTZ adds automatic incident detection to pan-tilt-zoom cameras in order to improve road safety and mobility over a much longer viewing range than is possible with fixed cameras.
It was at this year’s Intertraffic event in Amsterdam that Traficon announced the acquisition of Sumit, a provider of automatic number plate recognition technology and the company has been working ever since to incorporate the Sumit technology into its own portfolio. Now for the first time, visitors to the ITS World Congress will encounter Eye-D, a dedicated Traficon camera product for intersection enforcement.
Meanwhile, Traficon says it is looking forward to developing the parking management market with new products and capabilities. At the ITS World Congress in Vienna, Traficon will show how its existing and new technology can help its customers achieve intelligent parking areas.


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There are more Xbox games coming up next month but they are being kept a secret for now. Video game enthusiasts spend a big amount of money on games and the consoles themselves. So when a new console comes out, many players think twice before buying it because of the money that was spent on the games they already own.
Games Kept Secret
The Games With Gold February line up for both the Xbox 360 and Xbox One will be announced this week. While leaks usually get out prior to the official announcement, Microsoft has been keeping their details under wraps. However, the tech giant already has a date in mind when it comes to confirming their list of free Xbox games.
According to Express UK, there will be a total of four games announced by Microsoft. Two are on the Xbox One and two are on the Xbox 360. The roster, which will likely be released on either Monday or Tuesday, will be compatible with the next-gen console. This is possible due to the backwards compatibility feature. Unfortunately there are no details regarding the titles of the games included in the February line up.
Based on previous releases, there were no AAA games included in the Games With Gold list. Players did manage to get Gears Of War 2, but the other games were not up to par. So far, the only title that is confirmed for download is Killer Instinct Season 2 Ultra Season, which will be available until February 15. However, this is not part of the secret game list.
In other news, gamers who are looking forward the BC feature of the Xbox consoles will be glad to know that there are more than 300 games that are compatible with the latest-generation console. For gamers who have invested a lot of time and money on their older games, this is a godsend.
According to Gamespot, Mutant Storm Empire, Tekken 6, and Midway Arcade Origins are the latest additions to the game list. Other games that have made the list are Bayonetta, Call Of Duty 2, Dark Souls, Doom, Halo Wars, and many more. There will reportedly be “hundreds” more games to be released in the future.


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The latest update for the recently launched Attack on Titan 2 includes a free new online multiplayer option called Predator Mode. The new mode will enable players to play as Titans in a timed destruction-based scoring frenzy. Players will be able to control Titans captured in the game's various other modes. Each Titan will also have their own unique appearance, skill, and abilities.
Attack on Titan 2 was launched last week for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch. The game received a decent review score of 76 on Metacritic. In terms of sales, the game launched on number 17 in the UK and number 12 in Japan Check out out the trailer for the new mode below for more information and stay tuned for more gaming news and updates.
"AOT2 Predator Mode Gameplay Trailer"
Source: KOEI Tecmo


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Canon premieres Colossal to kick off new tour
In honor of the kickoff of their Family Ties Tour, Canon just teamed up with Steven Malcolm and nobigdyl. To release a brand new single titled “Colossal.” You can check it out for yourself right here.
Canon also recently did a video interview with Rapzilla where he discusses the new single, the Family Ties Tour, and much more. You can watch the entire interview on the Rapzilla YouTube channel.
Canon, Malcolm, and nobigdyl. have shows coming up across the U.S. starting through December 8th with more dates still to be announced and you can find the full list of stops on Canon’s Twitter.
— CANON (@getthecanon) September 10, 2019