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Source: Crypto Next
Crypto Next plc is an Isle of Man company that wants to bring digital currencies to grassroots level by providing turn-key packages that include a company, operating and trading accounts and white label currency exchange platform, instantly overcoming regulatory and technological barriers.
Crypto Next plc is the second cryptocurrency company to launch in the Isle of Man, where the Government has openly welcomed digital currency companies; a development which is attracting cryptocurrency based businesses since the announcement on the 10th June 2014.
Taking advantage of the Isle of Man's forward-thinking attitude towards cryptocurrency based businesses, Crypto Next plc is able to pass on the security that comes with being registered with a financial regulator to its users and affiliates. The company launched a crowd sale yesterday, July 15th, by issuing its own coin, Crypto Next Coin (CXC), which can be used in lieu of fees for some of the company's products and services, providing owners of CXC with considerable savings.
Peter Greenhill, the Director of E-Business in the Isle of Man Department of Economic Development said: "We welcome this announcement by Crypto Next plc and are pleased to have them join the growing number of quality Digital Currency businesses who are selecting the Isle of Man as their jurisdiction of choice. Their acceptance of our insistence to adhering to full AML/KYC regulations and then applying for formal registration by our Financial Supervision Commission will help us to ensure that the consumers are protected and that we keep crime out."
Crypto Next plc acknowledges the difficulty for some businesses to provide or integrate cryptocurrency platforms to their companies. By providing a legal and regulatory framework with its exchange, merchant and remittance platforms, Crypto Next plc enables companies to utilize digital currencies, a service that was previously unavailable to them.
Its mission is to simplify digital currencies and to make them more accessible, within the safety of a regulatory framework and conventional business practices. Crypto Next plc has appointed local company Döhle Corporate and Trust Services Ltd as Company Administrators. Paul Swindale, Director, said "We believe that Cryptocurrency is a key market for the future and are immensely enjoying working with Crypto Next plc on this exciting project"
Ron Gross, Executive Director of the Mastercoin Foundation said "With [Crypto Next plc's] solution, we could literally see 50,000 exchanges pop up within a year. This may be one of the key drivers to push Bitcoin to the next level."


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Samsung Electronics Co Ltd said Thursday it has begun mass production of chips with its advanced 3nm technology, the first globally to do so, as it seeks new customers to catch its much larger contract chip rival TSMC.
Compared with traditional 5nm chips, the newly developed 3nm process can reduce power consumption by up to 45%, improve performance by 23%, and reduce space by 16%, Samsung said in a statement.
The South Korean company did not mention customers due to its latest foundry technology, which provides custom-made chips such as mobile processors and high-performance computing chips, and analysts said Samsung itself and Chinese companies are expected to be among the first customers.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) is the world’s most advanced foundry chip maker and controls about 54% of the global contract chip production market, which is used by companies like Apple and Qualcomm that do not have their own semiconductor facilities.
Samsung, which is by far the second with a market share of 16.3%, announced a 171 trillion won ($132 billion) investment plan last year to overtake TSMC as the world’s largest logic chip maker by 2030.
“We will continue to actively innovate in developing competitive technology,” said Seung Choi, President of Samsung’s Plumbing Business.
Samsung co-CEO Kyung Kye-hyun said earlier this year that its foundry business will be looking for new customers in China, where it expects high growth in the market, as companies from automakers to electrical appliance manufacturers scramble to secure capacity to address shortages. Universal Continuous in chips.
While Samsung is the first to produce 3-nm chips, TSMC plans to produce 2-nm chips in 2025.
Analysts said Samsung is the market leader in memory chips, but TSMC is leading its spending on more diversified plumbing, making competition tough.
“Changing memory is different, there is a lot of variety,” said Kim Yang Jae, an analyst at Daol Investment & Securities.
“There are only two types of memory chips – DRAM and NAND Flash. You can focus on one thing, raise efficiency and make a lot of it, but you can’t do that with thousands of non-memory chips.”
Samsung’s compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for capital spending between 2017 and 2023, which measures how quickly the company can increase its investment, is estimated at 7.9%, versus TSMC’s estimated 30.4%, according to Mirae Asset Securities.
Analysts said Samsung’s efforts to compete with the industry leader have also been hampered by lower-than-expected returns from older chips over the past year or so. The company said in March that its operations had shown gradual improvement.

domain: news


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Republic is the third largest equity crowdfunding portal in the U.S. and the owner of the largest U.K. portal, Seedrs. In March of 2021, they launched the “Republic Realm Metaverse Real Estate Fund” available exclusively to a handful of accredited investors. In December of 2021, they launched a Test the Waters (TTW) Regulation A campaign to open it up to all investors. It was incredibly popular and maxed out the entire $75 million reservation max in a very short time.
The fund primarily focuses on buying up virtual real estate in NFT games like Sandbox, Axie Infinity and Decentraland. After purchasing the land, the idea is to hold it long-term, while continuing to develop it into virtual shopping malls, event spaces and other communities. (...)
What likely attracted that $75 million in investments, however, is the fund's incredible performance. Between its initial March launch and the December Regulation A raise, the fund returned 145% on invested capital.
(...) Now the SEC has officially shut it down, so the fund won’t be progressing. In a recent update, Republic said: “Based on the feedback we received from the SEC as well as other regulatory events that have transpired since we began this process, we no longer see a path forward for this offering. Unfortunately, that means that as of now, the offering will be canceled...We are working on making the necessary adjustments to eventually bring a similar offering to market.” (...)


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High Rollers Create Revenue Growth for Star Entertainment
Star Entertainment has revealed that they had an increase in their revenues and most of that revenue comes from international players. They have recorded a 16.4% growth in the past five months from January to May. Most of the international players are coming from Asia and are high rollers that like to play big.
In their report, the Star Entertainment said that their High Roller turnover has been growing up to 63.7% every year. The gaming operator has been looking into attracting VIP players beyond China. They also recorded a 1.35%-win rate for the high rollers.
Another area that contributed to the growth is the booming local tourism. The domestic gaming growth was up to 2.6% yearly.
Development of the Queen’s Wharf Project
Star Entertainment is in the process of developing Queen’s Wharf Resort which will cost AU$2.4 billion. It was initially estimated at AU$1.8 billion, and the plan was revised which then caused the rise in the costs for the development.
In the revised plan; the resort will feature a Sky Deck, a bigger gaming floor, more hotel rooms, dining and retail features. The Queen’s Wharf integrated resort will be located in the Brisbane central business region. It will feature 400 gaming tables, 2500 slot machines and 800 multi-terminal gaming machines.
The target opening launch is 2022 in the second half of the year and construction is due to start in 2020.
Adding Four Towers to the Gold Coast Casino
According to Mr Matt Bekier, Chief Executive at Star Entertainment said that gold coast does not need another casino and therefore decided to add more towers to the existing casino. The towers will be up to 74 storeys, and there won’t be any addition to the current number of pokies. However, at this casino, they saw a decline in the revenue at 77% in February.
The growth in the high rollers that visit Star Entertainment’s casino resorts is showing a positive impact on their revenue. With their new project in the works, it will probably keep growing.


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This research, created by Satmetrix, the Net Promoter Company and leader in customer experience programmes, as part of its annual Net Promoter Benchmark study, shows that much of the 14 billion spent on advertising each year in the UK would be better spent on delivering a higher quality customer experience. In fact, only 2% of respondents trust advertising the most as a source of information when choosing a product or service. Instead, almost half of consumers (49%) see personal recommendations from friends, family or colleagues as the most trustworthy source of information. And, over seven times as many people (15%) trust consumer opinions posted online than trust advertising.
It is somewhat ironic that while politicians argued, during the recent election campaign, to cut waste, billions of public and private funds are being spent on the information source trusted the least by consumers – advertising.
Treat us fairly and treat us right or we’ll spend our hard-earned cash with a competitor
Famous for their sense of fair play, the British don’t like it when they are not treated fairly. As a result, almost a quarter of respondents (23%) saw unfair fees or charges at the reason for switching. An additional 7% switched because discounts were offered to new customers but not to them.
Deborah Eastman, CMO at Satmetrix, says: “Business choices that seem to make sense from a financial point can negatively impact revenue and reputation if consumers don’t think they’re fair. If companies drop these bad profits, they will likely recoup lost revenue many times over by keeping their customers for longer and acquiring new ones through recommendations.”
The second most common reason for switching (22%) is poor product or service quality. Almost as many (19%) people leave because of rude or disinterested employees. And, 12% move because they can’t get anyone to deal with their problem.
Deborah Eastman says: “It seems that many organisations chose to invest in attracting new customers through advertising rather than invest in a good customer experience that creates loyalty. If companies listened more to their customers, and if employees could understand the impact of their behaviour by seeing customer feedback for themselves, then businesses could significantly reduce churn.”
The hidden cost of negative word of mouth
This report is a clear signal from UK consumers -‘Focus on me and the experience I receive or I’m off.’ But the results show that the cost to a company doesn’t stop with a lost customer, While 2% might trust what they read in an advert, almost two thirds of consumers (64%) look to other consumers to guide their purchase decisions, As a result, the survey shows that a negative experience will lead to a negative recommendation and with it the loss of a new customer.
Eastman continues: “This survey shows that we live in the Recommendation Generation and that the key to what gets recommended is the experience a customer receives. The companies that understand this and have invested in customer experience programmes are already leaving their competitors in their wake by creating loyal advocates.”
Satmetrix will be announcing the brands in seven sectors that deliver a customer experience that drives loyalty in its annual European Net Promoter Benchmark Report. To be announced at the Net Promoter Conference in London on the 17th of June, the sectors include: banks, ISPs, mobile phone service providers, computer hardware, mobile handsets, car insurance and TV manufacturers.
The results of the Satmetrix survey are based on a robust sample of over 5100 consumers in the UK.
When asked if they had stopped doing business with a company within the last six months due to a bad customer experience, 24% said yes – representing over 10 million adults in the UK.
When asked to identify the primary reason for leaving, respondents said:
23% Unfair fees or charges
22% Poor product or service quality
19% Rude or disinterested employees
12% Couldn’t get hold of anyone to deal with my problem
7% Discounts for new customers but not for existing customers
4% Inadequate return or refund policy
5% Out of territory call centres
1% Inadequate environmental policy
When asked which sources of information they trust the most when choosing products or services, respondents replied:
49% Recommendations from friends, family, or colleagues
22% Product test reviews
15% Consumer opinions posted online
6% Media articles (magazine, newspaper, television)
2% Direct mail
* Based on the latest figures from the Office of National Statistics those estimate that there are over 44 million adults in the UK.


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A photo that appeared on the net today is sparking numerous discussions, after it seems that the arrival of the series has been anticipated Uncharted on PC for the next few months.
It is no mystery that Sony, in recent months, has decided to focus more and more on the PC market. The PlayStation Studios titles have in fact begun to expand more and more to the world of computers, a trend that began in 2020 with the PC version of Death Stranding and then continued with Horizon: Zero Dawn And Days Gonereleased a few months ago on the Epic Games Store and Steam.
As Hermen Hulst, boss of PlayStation Studios, reiterated even not so long ago, Sony’s policy has not changed regarding the day one releases (they will remain exclusive to the console world), but the Japanese company has certainly opened up to the world. more PCs than in the past, and more series will also arrive on these platforms.
The series that seems closest to landing on Steam and Epic Games Store seems to be that of Uncharted, as reported by a photo leaked in the last hours that shows the advertising banner of the Uncharted: The Naughty Dog PC Collection.
This very interesting package, which still remains an unconfirmed leak, would include the entire Uncharted series developed by Naughty Dog which will be re-launched on PC, complete with an alleged release date: December 7with the announcement that it should take place on September 6, and therefore in a very few days.
The Uncharted: Naughty Dog PC Collection package would include:
- Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune
- Uncharted 2: Den of Thieves
- Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
- Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
- Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
The package, therefore, would not include the entire Nathan Drake epic, but also the spin-off The Lost Legacy, released on PS4 in 2017 as an unprecedented adventure with Chloe and Nadine as absolute protagonists.
Uncharted: The Golden Abyss, a prequel made by Sony Bend in 2012 for PS Vita that has never been remastered for home consoles, will not find its place.
Waiting to know if Uncharted is really ready to make the leap to the PC world, we point out below two very interesting offers that allow you to take home two of the most popular titles in the series with little change, obviously in the PS4 versions.
[AGGIORNAMENTO] The photo in question, which you can find in the link below, has been pointed out as false. It therefore seems that there is nothing official regarding the arrival of Uncharted on PC.
Thanks for reading!


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Nissan North America decided to challenge the only automaker offering a diesel-powered full size pickup truck in the United States – Ram’s 1500 EcoDiesel. But the 2016 Nissan Titan is also being offered with gasoline engines starting next year.
Nissan, the second biggest Japanese automaker, aims to create a “new class” of pickup with the introduction of the all-new 2016 Nissan TITAN XD later this year, equipped under the hood with its massive Cummins 5.0L V8 Turbo Diesel that delivers 310 horsepower and a massive 555 lb-ft of torque, sent to the asphalt via a heavy-duty 6-speed Aisin automatic transmission. Delivered as a Crew Cab, the Titan XD is only the first version of a lineup offensive that will include three cab configurations, two frame sizes, three powertrain offerings and five grade levels (S, SV, PRO-4X, SL and Platinum Reserve). The gasoline powered Titans will be in dealerships in spring next year.
Unfortunately, the lengthy statement sent by the press office of Nissan North America – detailing all the 2016 model year Nissans – had no details about those gasoline-munching Titan versions that would battle the other two pickup gurus – Ford’s aluminum F-150 and the Chevrolet Silverado. That doesn’t mean we can’t speculate, since Nissan has an extensive engine lineup and we already know what powertrains would be suitable for use in the Titan. In the V6 department we could see the 4-liter DOHC 24-valve unit from the Frontier, delivering 261 horsepower and 281 lb-ft (381 Nm) of torque. The V8 department should be handled by the Endurance 5.6-liter V8 – it boasted 317 HP and 385 lb-ft of torque (521 Nm) on the 2015 Titan.


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Midmarket deal professionals can learn something from the recent acquisition of online digital news magazine Business Insider by European publishing company Axel Springer: Online publishing is something you should be embracing.
Last month, Julia Greenberg, reporting for Wired, outlined how Business Insider has just been purchased for $442 million dollars – $200 million more than what the Washington Post sold for in 2013. One of the reasons Business Insider has achieved this success has been its willingness, along with other cutting edge digital publications, to aggressively embrace emerging publishing platforms like Facebook video, as the Wall Street Journal explained last month.
While Business Insider was able to rapidly scale thanks to $60 million dollars in funding since its founding in 2007 — a midmarket-focused blog or online magazine could grow a substantial audience with a comparatively tiny investment. An example of the sort of success a professional services digital platform can achieve is Australian online law firm LegalVision, which is generating 20 new customer leads per day from their inbound content strategy, according to their CEO and Founder Lachlan McKnight. McKnight outlined the firm’s strategy in a recent interview with the Australasian Law Practice Management Association (ALPMA).
Emulate the Publishing Success of Business Insider
A blog, a managing editor, and a commitment to publish about subjects of importance to key potential clients and business partners are all that’s needed to create an online publishing arm of your business. When you start out, you might just appoint one of your team members the managing editor; this will ensure that the blog doesn’t get forsaken for other seemingly more pressing concerns. The editor should be in charge of soliciting contributions, ushering articles toward completion, and tracking results.
A midmarket deal professional might, for example, consider committing to publish four articles a month of between 500 and 700 words focused on what your ideal potential client or referral source is interested in. Ask yourself: What do my ideal potential clients and referral sources want to read about? What services do I offer that can help them achieve their goals?
Then publish those articles on LinkedIn’s new publishing platform, Pulse, or on a firm blog on your website. Once published, you’ll also need to actively promote these articles on relevant social media platforms in order to secure maximum potential exposure. Essential to this effort is engagement on Twitter and LinkedIn, to name a few.
Imagine from that small investment what kind of audience might be built — and new revenue that might be won. Since 2007, as Greenberg outlined, Business Insider’s audience has grown to 76 million unique monthly visitors. But even if you start by attracting a few hundred or thousand eyeballs – those are people, many of them in your target demographic, who likely never knew you existed before.
The Importance of Publishing in a Digital Age
As Stephanie Sammons outlines in WiredAdvisor, more business are realizing “that they need to be self-publishing to attract and retain clients in the digital age.” She writes, “You may think of yourself as being influential, but if you’re not blogging in the digital age, you’re likely not going to be influencing anyone online.”
Business Insider’s valuation sends a very clear message about the importance of online publishing: Good all-digital publications can in a short time exceed the titans of the old-media era. And since anyone can adopt online publishing at a relatively low-cost, why not try?
Now, Business Insider’s acquirer Axel Springer is marching forward into new online niches. As Greenberg reports, they’re “also invested in digital news startups…and [a] news reader app.”
Midmarket deal professionals don’t need to out-do Business Insider in the publishing business to achieve online success. But they can model its success on a much smaller scale and reap the rewards that online publishing offers.


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While the entire world was focused on the launch of the new MacBook Pro, Apple India decided to increase the MacBook price by as much as Rs quietly. 10,000. The change happened last week, and Apple India’s website has been updated to reflect the new prices. The 12-inch MacBook now starts at Rs. 112,900, an increase of Rs. 6,000 from last October, when prices across the entire Mac line were revised.
The variant with a faster processor and double the SSD storage now retails at Rs. 129,990 139,900, an increase of Rs. 10,000. The US price of the MacBook remains unchanged, as does the India price of other Mac desktops and laptops, so the move is curious, to say the least. As always, these are maximum retail prices, and the products may be available at lower prices online and offline.
The MacBook was last updated in April with a sixth-generation Intel Skylake processor and slightly faster RAM, and PCIe-based flash storage. A new Rose Gold color option was also added to go with the Space Grey, Gold, and Silver variants available at the time. With the 11-inch MacBook Air discontinued, the MacBook is the smallest portable Mac that Apple currently offers. If the 13-inch MacBook Air is discontinued shortly as well, the MacBook will likely get a makeover and be repositioned to become the new entry-level portable Mac – when that happens, is anyone’s guess.
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Apple is no stranger to human rights and labor violation complaints and it seems like the iPhone 5C is no exception to the trend.
According to recent headlines human rights groups are targeting Apple for potential labor violations in connection with the iPhone 5c. These reports from the China Labor Watch, U.S. electronics manufacturer Jabil Circuit who are building the 5C are being accused of a number of violations including: the company owing workers millions in unpaid overtime wages, for forcing workers to stand for 11 hours a day with only a 30 minute lunch break and failing to provide adequate training. These are just a few of the complaints being made against the company. While Apple themselves have implemented a handful of changes in an effort to discourage and prevent such poor labor practices, the complaints just keep coming in over the quality of working conditions for Chinese laborers.


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The process for implementing a textbook rental program is well under way and is a great option for saving students money.
The online platform is expected to begin in winter or spring at the latest officials say. Competitive websites that already carry textbooks at a reduced price, include Half.com, Chegg.com, Affordable.com and Throwback.com.
“We always give options so we decided we need some sort of rental program,” said Leslie Thompson, manager, bookstore services. “I plan on doing rentals as long as it is a viable program. The success of the program will depend on the numbers, how many people take advantage of it, the feedback and demand.”
After investing money in increased tuition fees, parking, and other fees, it is hard for students to make ends meet and often they have to apply for financial aid. It is especially tough for international students.
“As an international student it’s already hard to pay for tuition,” said Max Vernon, political science. “If the prices are rising, I might end up just copying the books from the library or rent them online. Of course the state of California has a tight budget, but we can’t sacrifice education.”
The PCC Bookstore claims that it is here to support the college mission by providing exceptional service, reasonably priced items and an overall desire to help in anyway they can. Who thinks spending over $800 on books and supplies in one semester is reasonable?
In some cases, more than one book is required for a class. The typical costs per semester are: tuition – $456, books and supplies – $828, room and board – $2,430, transportation – $630, and miscellaneous – $1,890, an estimated total of $12,468 for one year.
“If they raise the prices of the books at PCC, more people are going to have trouble attending school,” Vernon said. “They have already raised the tuition. Those who don’t have much money, but that don’t qualify for financial aid, are going to struggle in order to get their education.”
Even though students are given one week during finals to sell back their books for a portion of the purchase price, a lot of time they are turned away because teachers decide to use newer editions for upcoming semesters or they have too many in stock. Without a buy back, students are out of money and are stuck with something that they may never use again.
“Renting books will make PCC more money because more and more people tend to go online to find their books,” said Vernon.
The best option is clear, and with the implementation of the textbook rental program, students will save money. Although it is not ideal in every situation, the benefits out weigh the drawbacks.


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Earlier this year we brought word that Sony would finally be allowing pre-loading of digital games on PS4. For years, gamers had been requesting the feature to alleviate the wait time between purchase and download, and Sony was finally going to give them their wish.
When Sony first announced pre-loading they revealed that the feature would launch alongside Bungie’s new MMO-esque shooter Destiny, which is slated to hit this September. As it turns out, though, that was not the case. Sony is ready to roll on PS4 pre-loading very soon, and the first game to support it is right around the corner.
In a new post on the PlayStation Blog, Sony Digital Distribution Manager Chieh Chen reveals that many of the high profile titles on-hand at Sony’s E3 2014 press conference will support pre-loading when they launch. Games like Bloodborne, The Order: 1886, and Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End will all take advantage of the feature, but all three of those games aren’t slated to release until sometime next year.
Next week, however, PS4 gamers will get their first taste of pre-loading with Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark, Edge of Reality’s new robots in disguise title. Meant to tie-in, or at least share a big marketing push with, Paramount’s Transformers: Age of Extinction, Rise of the Dark Spark isn’t necessarily the type of massive title that Destiny is, but the game’s support for pre-loading may help push digital sales among PS4 owners.
While Sony wouldn’t make any guarantees it sounds like any game available for pre-order after May 20, 2014 will support pre-loading. That includes 2014 releases like Battlefield: Hardline, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, and Dragon Age: Inquisition. For a full list of titles Sony is highlighting as pre-load compatible, see below:
Ultimately, the decision to support pre-loading sooner than expected is a good thing. For years, PC gamers have enjoyed the benefits of pre-loading a game the night or the week before a game releases, specifically the ability to start (not start downloading) a game the second it unlocks.
Now, PS4 gamers will finally be able to enjoy the benefits of pre-loading and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Digital games are presumably only going to get larger in size the deeper we get into this console cycle, so any way players can shorten the time between purchase, download, and play is a welcome advantage.
With Sony already showing their hand as far as new and useful features, the question now becomes how much longer Xbox One owners have to wait before they too can enjoy pre-loading. If Microsoft was smart they would roll out the feature before the big fall rush, but we’ll have to see if they do. PS4 owners, on the other hand, won’t have to wait long at all.
Which game will be your first PS4 pre-loading experience? How important is pre-loading to you?
Source: PlayStation Blog
Follow Anthony on Twitter @ANTaormina


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CNN Headline News, XM Satellite Radio Announce AllianceHeadline News Joins Three Other CNN Network Channels (August 07, 2001)
XM (Nasdaq: XMSR) will offer 100 channels of digital-quality sound coast- to-coast: 71 music channels, more than 30 of them commercial-free, and 29 news, sports and talk channels, for a monthly subscription fee. XM will launch commercial service September 12, initially in San Diego and Dallas/Ft. Worth, throughout the Southwest in mid-October and nationally in early November.
XM won several awards at the International Consumer Electronic Show in January 2001; including "Best of CES" in the automotive category. XM's strategic investors include America's leading car, radio and satellite TV companies. These radios will be available through retailers nationwide including Best Buy, Circuit City, Sears and Crutchfield. For more information, visit the corporate Web site at xmradio.com.
Related Keywords:DTV Professional, Digital Media Net, CNN Headline News, XM Satellite Radio, digital-quality radio, signed an agreement, CNN/Sports
Source:Digital Media Online. All Rights Reserved


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Grocery stores have had more empty shelf space than usual in recent months. New car dealerships have had less inventory to sell. Everywhere you look, you see fallout from the ongoing supply chain crisis. But is the crisis truly a labor issue, as a recent New York Times post suggests?
That may depend entirely on how you view everything from global trade regulations to labor itself. The Times lays most of the blame on a labor shortage in the transport industry. Taking it one step further, they blame the labor shortage on onerous COVID-19 restrictions.
If the Times is correct and said restrictions are the primary culprit, it should be only a matter of time before things get back to normal. That is assuming world governments will eventually remove the coronavirus shackles and let the rest of us get back to living.
Table of Contents
Planes, Trains, and Ships
The vast majority of cargo is carried overseas by huge container ships. The remainder travels on planes. Once delivered to importers, it is transferred across the mainland by trains and trucks. All these transportation options require human beings to operate. Therein lies the first problem, as identified by the New York Times piece.
When coronavirus hit, government lockdowns prevented anyone from moving just about anywhere. That put the kibosh on the supply chain overnight. Of course, we were told it would only take two weeks to flatten the curve. Nearly two years later, restrictions remain in place in many parts of the world.
Since the resumption of international trade, transportation companies have not been able to hire enough people to keep up with higher shipping demand. The New York Times cites several examples to explain why that might be:
- Visa Issues – Visa issues have long plagued international logistics. The issues have only been exacerbated by a slower visa process related to coronavirus shutdowns.
- Travel Bans – Government-imposed travel bans have obviously had an impact on how far from home transport workers can actually travel.
- Vaccination Requirements – Where vaccination requirements do not square with one’s ability or willingness to get vaccinated, workers are shut out of employment without the jab.
- Worker Quarantines – Worst of all are worker quarantines that have sailors trapped on ships, pilots unable to fly, and truck drivers being isolated in their rigs without access to food or essential services.
The way the Times describes it suggests a miserable working environment for workers in the transportation sector. If even half of what they claim in their post is accurate, it is no wonder shipping companies, trucking companies, etc. ere having trouble bringing back furloughed employees and hiring new ones.
Government’s Hunger for Control
All the coronavirus-related issues that the Times discusses in their post are symptomatic of a much larger problem: the government’s insatiable hunger for control. Even before coronavirus hit, international trade was made more complicated than it has to be by onerous trade regulations. Companies like Ohio-based Vigilant Global Trade Services exist only because importers and exporters need expert help in maintaining trade compliance services.
At the heart of the supply chain crisis is government. It is them that have created this mess by piling one regulation on top of another for decades. They created a dam of regulation that finally burst with coronavirus. And now, as they look to use coronavirus as a tool for maintaining control, they are making a bad situation even worse.
Is the supply chain crisis a labor problem? Yes, but only in the sense that the labor problem is one aspect of a much larger problem: government interference.


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Cloud bursting on the horizon
Cloud-based storage is finally ready to come of age, writes Brian Skelly
Is storage-as-a-utility finally coming of age?
While enterprises have for decades built their own storage infrastructure, the internet has given rise to a new phenomenon – cloud based storage, whereby storage is delivered as a service via the internet.
Ten years ago, during the heady dotcom days, the concept of storage as a utility was first envisaged. Now these services have finally become available.
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PHOENIX – Attorney General Mark Brnovich today announced that the Arizona Attorney General's Office (AGO) obtained a $22.5 million judgment and a permanent injunction against vaping peddler Eonsmoke, LLC.
“Eonsmoke is being held accountable for its unlawful conduct in Arizona, including marketing flavored vaping pods to children,” said Attorney General Mark Brnovich. “If you are an Arizona retailer and have Eonsmoke products on your shelves, they are illegal. This final judgment includes comprehensive injunctive relief, and our office will continue to monitor Eonsmoke's presence in Arizona and ensure its compliance with all state and federal laws."
The Consumer Protection Section of the AGO filed a consumer fraud lawsuit in January 2020 to stop Eonsmoke from selling illegal vaping products and targeting youth in Arizona. In October 2019, the FDA informed Eonsmoke that it was manufacturing and selling 96 illegal products that did not receive proper FDA approval. Illegal Eonsmoke products, however, continued to be available for sale in retail locations and online to Arizona consumers (including when the AGO filed its lawsuit against the company in January 2020). Even more egregious, Eonsmoke engaged in marketing tactics that targeted underage consumers in Arizona.
In February 2020, the Superior Court granted the State’s preliminary injunction request, ordering Eonsmoke to immediately cease the sales of illegal vaping products. In the wake of this ruling, the AGO's Tobacco Enforcement Unit sent over 4,880 letters to retailers informing them that they were facilitating the sale of illegal vaping products.
On July 27, 2020, the Court issued a final judgment against Eonsmoke. The judgment:
- Permanently enjoins Eonsmoke from: (i) advertising, marketing, or selling any illegal products in Arizona; (ii) marketing, appealing to, or targeting underage consumers in Arizona; and (iii) providing any products to underage consumers in Arizona or distributing products to retailers with three or more violations of the underage sales statutes.
- Awards the State a total judgment of $22,535,136:
- $21,974,000 in civil penalties
- $511,136 in disgorgement of revenues, and
- $50,000 in attorneys’ fees
Also in January of 2020, the AGO filed a similar consumer fraud lawsuit against JUUL Labs.
If you believe you have been the victim of consumer fraud, you can file a consumer complaint by visiting the Attorney General’s website. If you need a complaint form sent to you, you can contact the Attorney General’s Office in Phoenix at (602) 542-5763, in Tucson at (520) 628-6648, or outside the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas at (800) 352‑8431. To report potential tobacco violations, visit https://www.azag.gov/complaints/tobacco or email [email protected].
Copy of the judgment.


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Corona-Based Charity WorldBed Honors Industry Leaders for Contributions
CORONA, Calif., – Home furnishings and bedding industry charity, WorldBed, honored industry leaders who helped the non-profit humanitarian organization reach a milestone of distributing 20,000 beds to disaster areas around the world in 2010. Major donors Anatomic Global, Deslee Textiles, International Sleep Products Association, Leggett & Platt, Relax the Back, Specialty Sleep Association and Wright of Thomasville received awards in a ceremony at last month’s Las Vegas Furniture Market.
“If not for the invaluable contributions of our honorees, thousands of children and families who are victims of disasters would still be sleeping on the ground,” said Laura Castro, WorldBed executive director. “These companies and organizations are making a difference in displaced people’s lives that is recognized locally and globally, by the recipients of WorldBeds and the customers of these companies.”
Corporate sponsors of WorldBed have ranged from single-location retail outlets to large retail chains, major industry suppliers and world-renown philanthropic and disaster relief groups.
According to Castro, the roster of supporters continues to grow as the organization expands into more areas of the world where emergency beds are needed, such as earthquake-stricken Chile and in flood-ravaged Pakistan. In December 2010, 1,800 WorldBeds were distributed through WorldBed partner World Vision to several regions of Africa where they will be utilized by medical facilities.
“We are thankful for the generous support of the home furnishing and bedding industry which has made our organization possible. With the industry’s continued support, we will continue to improve the quality of life for displaced people by providing for their basic need of a place to sleep,” said Castro.
Click here to donate to WorldBed or to learn more.
Created in 2005 to aid victims of Hurricane Katrina, WorldBed is a not-for-profit organization that serves disaster-hit areas of the world such as Haiti, Chile, Africa and Pakistan by providing donations of cot-sized emergency relief field beds, consisting of specialized three-inch water resistant, medical-grade covered foam. WorldBed is made possible through the generous donations of its sponsors, including founding sponsor Anatomic Global, a California-based manufacturer of memory foam sleep products. WorldBed’s goal is to distribute 200,000 beds worldwide to places and people in need.


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Posh have joined forced with the Terrace to bring supporters a range of retro themed products.
Peterborough United have teamed up with the Terrace, the retro football and kit culture-inspired specialists, to bring supporters a range of themed products, from mobile phone cases to mugs and prints to coasters.
As a licensed partner, the Terrace is a brand that is growing rapidly, providing licensed retro and contemporary kit merchandise to football fans across the world. The range will grow over time and be available online via the Terrace.
Commercial Manager Alex Harris said: “We are delighted to team up with the Terrace and bring even more superb products to our supporters. Over a period of time, we hope to develop more products with the Terrace and are looking forward to the relationship grow over the coming months and years.”
Carl Sewell, Director of the Terrace, said: “We are delighted to be announcing our official license with Peterborough United, delving in to the history and culture behind the club, to add a spark of all things Terrace to the clubs merchandising ranges, it has been great to work alongside such a dedicated team and we cannot wait to see the partnership flourish.”
You can browse the full range via The Terrace here.


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Is Nevada ready for electric vehicles?
Reno Gazette Journal
Written by Yun Long
An electric vehicle is easy to fuel — just plug it into an outlet and leave it — but creating an infrastructure to support the cars takes much more work.
With high gas prices and a tighter wallets, experts across the country hope electric cars can be an answer to many people’s transportation needs, while at the same time reducing that nation’s dependence on foreign oil.
“Two-thousand twelve is the year of the electric vehicle in Nevada,” said Travis Johnson, NV Energy electric transportation program manager.
NV Energy and a statewide task force are working to make Nevada EV-ready. Despite its environmental and economic benefits, barriers exist that could prevent mainstream adoption.
“Electric vehicles don’t solve all of our problems,” Johnson said. “They just help solve most of them. If energy security and low-cost energy are your concerns, EVs are for you. If urban air quality and greenhouse emissions are your concerns, EVs are for you. If you are simply ready for another option, EVs are for you.”
By 2015, major car makers will have the ability to produce more than 1 million electric vehicles per year.
The price of electric cars now ranges from $29,125 for the Mitsubishi i to $109,000 for the Tesla Roadster. Those who buy an electric car can receive up to an $7,500 tax credit.
Electric cars could account for 64 percent of light-vehicle sales and make up 24 percent of the market in the U.S. by 2030, according to a 2009 forecast by the University of California, Berkeley.
The battery-charged electric vehicles work for short commutes, because they can go 73 to 100 miles per full charge. About 80 percent of Americans drive fewer than 40 miles per day.
The extended range EV, such as the Chevrolet Volt, is ideal for longer commutes since the gas generator increases the normal 40-mile battery driving range by an additional 300 miles.
The 116-member task force includes city, county and state officials from both the north and south, as well as from the University of Nevada, Reno, MGM Resorts and others from the private sector.
The group, which was formed in February, hopes to establish a charging infrastructure plan, promote fleet vehicle adoption, ensure that city codes and standards on EV charging systems are handled promptly and without excess delays and to secure federal grants for further EV adoption in Nevada.
Johnson has been an advocate for electric vehicles, and he promotes their advantages with NV Energy’s fleet of eight electric cars, which will increase to 13 by mid-November.
He has been test-driving the battery-only Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt, promoting the company’s mission of increased awareness of the alternative-fuel vehicles.
The electric car doesn’t rely solely on gas. It gets power from the electric grid, which relies on other sources such a nuclear, natural gas, coals, geothermal and other renewables.
“So, as the grid gets greener, so do EV cars,” Johnson said.
The national agenda to use energy more efficiently includes six goals: increase vehicle efficiency, electrify the vehicle fleet, deploy alternative hydrocarbon fuels, increase building and industry efficiency, modernize the energy grid and deploy clean electricity.
A major part the strategy is to decrease the nation’s reliance on foreign oil. The U.S. spends $1 billion each day for oil, which is responsible for 70 percent of the national trade deficit, according the U.S. Department of Energy.
The Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Readiness Task Force said its biggest task is the charging systems needed to fuel the cars. Public charging stations are necessary, but questions such as who will own them and how much to charge remain unanswered.
In addition, more stations are needed for drivers. With little more than a dozen charging stations in Reno and Las Vegas, the state — and its population — is underserved.
“Our goal is to get enough charging stations to give drivers confidence to buy an EV,” Johnson said. “And later, they will learn that they won’t need them as much as they thought.”
Permitting for home-charging stations is another area of concern. Most people could use 120-volt outlets to charge their vehicles, which is standard in U.S. homes, but a 240-volt outlet significantly cuts charging time.
“Level-two charging, a 240-volt, will put between 12 and 25 miles of (driving) range back in the car per hour,” Johnson said. “At level one, the120 level, around five miles of range per hour will be regained when plugged in.”
The problem is residents need to get a permit to install a 240-volt outlet. The task force is working on ensuring all permitting agencies known the latest codes and standards when issuing permits and to efficiently process such applications.
Stressing the System
NV Energy will have to perform minor improvements to its infrastructure to support electric cars and the increased demand.
If users charge their cars in off-peak hours, such as between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., Johnson said the electrical grid can handle more than 1 million vehicles without massive infrastructure improvements, which would trigger rates increases.
NV Energy offers an electric vehicle time-of-use rate. It incentivizes people to charge at night because it gives a 10 percent discount on off-peak rates, which would be a more efficient use of the utility’s electric grid.
The EV rate applies to the whole household energy consumption. It charges more for energy use during peak times such as during the day and less during the middle of the night when demand drops off. The standard rate, which most customers use, costs the same not matter what time energy is used. Both plans have a basic service charge of about $9.
As a point of comparison, an owner of a 25 mpg car that used $3 per gallon gas would spend $120 to drive 1,000 miles.
For electric vehicle owners who drive 1,000 miles, it would cost an average of $24 a month to power the car on the EV rate or $36 on the standard rate plan.
Johnson said that most of the charging should be done at home or at a workplace or retail unit. Few public charging stations would be required.
NV Energy has 13 charging stations across the state. All except two in Las Vegas are open to the public. Once the system is more established, the utility will begin charging for use.
Einstein Bros Bagels on Kietzke Lane also has a new charging station.
Reno’s Champion Chevrolet will have a charging station after its remodel is completed, and it, too, will be available to the public. Nissan of Reno plans to have four charging stations for Nissan lease owners only.
In September, California-based 350Green agreed to build more than 400 charging stations across the nation, mostly in California, New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois and Indiana. And more retailers are adding charging units across the country, Best Buy and Walgreens among them.
There is additional savings in maintenance. Electric vehicles don’t have as many moving parts as a car with a gas-burning engine, so maintenance costs will decrease. The Nissan Leaf, for example, only needs to be brought in once a year to have the battery checked. The Volt requires a little more maintenance because it still has a gasoline component.
There is about 50 percent less carbon dioxide emitted by an electric vehicle than a gas-powered car.
Volt hits Nevada
The next generation of electric vehicles will hit Nevada streets in November.
The Chevrolet Volt will be made available to the rest of the country — including Nevada — after a limited release last year.
But it might be hard to get one from Champion Chevrolet. Four of the five 2012 Volts the dealership will receive already are spoken for at their release. And the fifth must be kept as a demonstration vehicle for the next six months.
The Volt’s retail asking price is about $40,000, Champion owner Jack Stanko said.
Prices could fall as technology improves. The most important component, the battery, is getting more advanced.
“The batteries are much better now than they were (a decade ago),” Johnson said. “And that is what the game-changer is.”
Nissan and GM offer an eight-year, 100,000 mile warranty for their batteries. GM has tested the Volt battery for about 150,000 miles.
The Volt is not 100 percent electric. It uses an gasoline-powered generator to power the vehicle when it gets low.
“The setup with the Volt is the perfect combination,” Stanko said. “With all-electric cars, the problem is how long it can run on the battery, and it’s mostly for short commutes. The Volt can go 300 miles on a trip.”
Champion expects another shipment in the first quarter of 2012, Stanko said. Those who are interested in buying can be put on a waiting list.
Nissan of Reno has almost 60 people on its waiting list for the Leaf, said Peter Fletcher, sales and electric car specialist at Nissan.
All major car makers will offer electric vehicles soon, Johnson said. By 2013, more than 15 models will be available.


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Threat of downturn worries Canadian companies in China
Economic slowdown, theft of intellectual property rights are among firms’ top concerns, Asia Pacific Foundation survey reveals
A biennial survey of Canadian companies doing business in China shows they are worried about economic slowdown in the Middle Kingdom.
And although most report that their Chinese operations are profitable, fewer firms say they are making money compared to the response in 2012.
The 2014 survey by the Asia Pacific Foundation shows that 43% of the companies surveyed view the risk of economic slowdown as a key change in the business environment in China over the last year. China remains a profitable investment for 64% of the companies surveyed, but that number is down from 2012, when 75% of the companies reported profitable operations. In this year’s survey, firms with the longest track record of operating in China were more likely to report profits.
Only 11% reported losses, with the remaining 25% saying they broke even.
The 29-page report, titled Canadian Businesses in China Survey 2014, was compiled from an on-line survey of 229 Canadian companies conducted between June 9 and June 30.
“The 2014 survey sheds valuable new light on one problem all foreign firms in China share: intellectual property rights infringement and protection,” APF concludes in the report. “Intellectual property rights continue to be a serious issue for firms conducting business with China, and infringement is often perceived as seriously affecting a firm’s successful operations.”
Strategies that companies are using include legal mechanisms such as registering intellectual property and signing nondisclosure agreements. That suggests, the foundation reports, that Chinese reforms are beginning to take root, and that the risk of IPR violations can be mitigated if firms take precautionary actions.
However, the foundation states, firms with the longest business record in China expressed more cynicism over the effectiveness of registering intellectual property. Only 25% of the companies with 10 years or more experience said registering intellectual property was as an effective strategy, while 52% of those companies with less than 10 years experience supported the strategy.
“The results provide new insight into managing IPR challenges in China and provide a basis for further policy discussions on how to support Canadian ventures in an increasingly critical market,” the foundation states in its report.
Most of the companies that responded to the survey were located in British Columbia (43%) and Ontario (29%.)
The Asia Pacific Foundation consulted with the Canada China Business Council, the country’s leading facilitator of Canada-China bilateral trade and investment, and Industry Canada in preparing the 2014 survey. The full report is available on-line at the foundation’s homepage: www.asiapacific.ca
Sources of intellectual property rights infringement
Chinese competitors (private firms): 36%
Chinese competitors (public firms): 25%
Chinese government agencies: 11%
Former or current employees: 11%
Joint venture partners: 7%
Foreign competitors: 4%
Expansion plans for companies active in China
Expand substantially: 50%
Expand slightly: 33%
By: Gordon Hamilton


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Android smartphone news these days mostly revolve around Samsung, thanks to the Galaxy Fold brouhaha, and Huawei, thanks to the P30 Pro’s highly praised cameras. Former giants like Sony and HTC also get some attention from time to time but often not in a good light. The latest to join that group is LG who has just suspended the production of mobile phones in its plant in South Korea. While it retains some manufacturing capacity elsewhere, the drastic change puts the fate of its ailing smartphone business into question once again.
This might not really be news but LG hasn’t been making any profit from its smartphones for almost two years now. Unlike Sony, who until recently seemed to have a devil may care attitude towards smartphones, or HTC, who has practically given up and put its eggs in the VR basket, LG still earnestly tries to do better and change in the hopes of finally turning things around. So far it doesn’t seem to be working.
The disappointing sales of LG phones are partly a mystery. The company makes really good phones that are well-received by reviewers. Of course, there have been problems, especially with bootloop bugs, but, generally speaking, LG phones are on par with its rivals. Sadly, it seems to always be one step behind in terms of features or marketing.
According to Korean media, the company is suspending manufacturing those phones in Korea. It is, in effect, girding up its loins to save on production costs by reducing the places where those phones are made. LG hasn’t confirmed it but sources claim that the Korean plant’s task will be offloaded on its facility in Vietnam.
Suspending the Korean plant, however, could be quite telling. While LG does have plants in Vietnam, China, Brazil, and India, the Korean location is the one that manufactures its high-end models like the G and V series. If the Vietnam plant is unable to accommodate the increased load, LG could very well start reducing its high-end smartphone output as well.


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The Fourth of July is a patriotic holiday celebrated with parades, BBQs, fireworks, and the waving of the American flag. There is no disputing that Boston served as the epicenter of the “cradle of liberty” where the American independence movement began with “the shot heard round the world” in 1775. Thereafter, on July 3, 1781 Massachusetts became the first state legislature to recognize July 4, “the anniversary of the independence of the United States of America” as an official state celebration. The tradition and ideal that I like to embrace around the July 4th holiday – and always – is freedom.
This month Massachusetts is expected to issue its first retail licenses for recreational marijuana sales as the commonwealth finishes a decriminalization process that began at the ballot box in November 2016. On the surface, it would seem Massachusetts is continuing its twin traditions of freedom and liberty. But don’t be mistaken – New England isn’t the next American frontier to legalize cannabis.
There are expectations, and then there is reality. For months, July 1 has been floated as the day the first legal marijuana stores could open in Massachusetts. It is July and no marijuana stores will be open for business, and there is no forecasted date for when they will be. So far, no retail stores are licensed and only 22 medical marijuana dispensaries are open to serve a population of nearly 7 million people. As of the writing of this blog, the state had green-lighted just one recreational marijuana business, however that grower isn’t a retailer.
Cannabis Control Commission Chairman Steven Hoffman stresses that the commission is focused on launching the industry the right way. “I’m sorry that people have expectations that are not met,” Hoffman said. “I’m truly sorry about that. That being said, our objective is to satisfy the will of the voters of the state of Massachusetts to build a fair and safe and equitable industry. We are doing so.”
There is a lot of high anxiety about the freedom to consume cannabis. Public consumption of pot remains illegal in the commonwealth. Adults can also grow up to six marijuana plants per person or 12 plants per home. Landlords may prohibit renters from smoking or growing marijuana. Those under 21 caught with the drug face civil fines and the prospect of mandated drug-awareness classes.
I’ve been fortunate to travel to Colorado, where it’s very convenient to go into a store, talk to someone in a professional, informative manner, and understand what I’m buying. The following statement bears repeating: A well-regulated, legal substance is better than a poorly-regulated, illegal one. In Massachusetts, it appears that marijuana remains illegal, and that, my friends, is the very antithesis of freedom.


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Unifor calls for Canada-wide boycott of Co-ops as lockout continues
Workers at the Regina refinery have been locked out since December 5
Union leaders are calling for people across the country to boycott Co-ops in Canada as a result of a lockout at its Regina refinery that has more than 700 workers on the picket line.
Calls for the boycott were made at the Saskatchewan Hotel in Regina on Sunday morning and officials say they want Canadians to hit Co-op "where it hurts."
"When I was growing up one of my favourite Christmas movies was the Grinch Who Stole Christmas," said Scott Doherty, the executive assistant to Unifor's National President Jerry Dias. "I can tell you, I never thought I'd actually meet the Grinch, but here we are in Regina and it's alive and well with FCL and Co-op refinery."
The campaign, which will take the form of T.V. commercials and billboards, will be set up to greet shoppers from across Canada as they work to complete their Christmas preparations.
In a press release, Co-op said the boycott is disappointing, but not surprising, claiming the company has offered Unifor members a "fair deal" that includes a 11.75 per cent wage increase, a performance bonus plan and pension choice.
Kevin Bittman, Unifor 594 president, however, says the "deal was designed," to get workers on the picket line, arguing proposals around the pension will have a negative effect on workers.
"This isn't about sustainability," he said. "This is about power. This is about breaking our union and we will not let it happen."
Co-op however, argues the boycott is disrespectful to Co-op members across Western Canada, as local Co-ops across the west have invested "billions" in the refinery to ensure its expansion and growth.
"Local Co-ops and their members deserve more respect for these investments and the prosperity they've produced," Co-op said in the news release.
Doherty noted that the morale among union members remains high and they'll be sticking it out through the holidays.
"Hopefully Co-op will take this message and get back to the bargaining table and we'll be back to work at Christmas and be running," he said. "If that's not the case, then we'll be solid on the line and celebrate Christmas with our families and celebrate it on the picket line as well."
Unifor Local 594 employees at the refinery were locked out at 5:30 p.m. CST on Dec. 5.


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That didn't exactly send shivers down the spine of executives at Texas Instruments, Qualcomm, Samsung, STMicroelectronics and others that build chips for mobile phones. They've seen this coming for a long time, an inevitable consequence of Intel finding itself with reams of chipmaking capacity and a maturing PC market. And Intel has already tried this once, spending billions trying to develop a combination of chips for the cell phone market but failing miserably.
Following Intel's show in San Francisco last week, ARM developers will be meeting next week in Santa Clara, Calif.--Intel's hometown--for its annual developers' conference to discuss new applications and techniques for extracting more performance out of ARM's processor cores. The collective effort of both camps should do wonders to jump-start a market for , not just coffee-toting executives rushing through O'Hare trying to get the 7:42 flight to San Francisco.
Intel's definitely the challenger, not the favorite, when handicapping the looming showdown between the two companies. ARM is very well-known inside the tech industry, although its lack of an "ARM Inside" marketing campaign means that few mobile phone owners know much about the 1,700-employee design company based in Cambridge, England.
But there's an ARM core chip of some type or another insideon the planet, and in many cases, there are a couple. Chip companies like TI and Samsung license cores from ARM, and then build the processor and assemble the rest of the chips needed for modern mobile phones and their more powerful cousins, smart phones.
Intel Ultra Mobility Group
Despite its earlier struggles, Intel thinks it can be the company that vastly improves the mobile Internet experience by creating chips for a whole new category of devices. We're talking about mobile devices that are more powerful and nimble than current smart phones, and sleeker and with better battery life than.
This is where the next battleground will be fought in the chip industry. ARM and its partners have
A few years ago, Intel tried to get into mobile phones with a product called Manitoba. That project was an attempt to waltz into the mobile phone industry by integrating one of its XScale applications processor (based on ARM's instruction set, coincidentally) a communications processor, and some flash memory into a single package. It was a flop. Intel wasto take a risk on its products, and it last year for $600 million.
However, the trends that made Intel take interest in the mobile market aren't going away. PC sales growth is slowing in the U.S. and Western Europe (PC vendors shipped 239 million units during 2006, according to Gartner, up 9.5 percent from 2005), and while PCs are still hot in emerging markets, it's only a matter of time before growth there settles in at a respectable 10 percent clip.
Smart phones, on the other hand, are taking off. Mobile phones as a whole already sell more than a billion units a year, and Gartner thinks smart-phone shipments (defined as phones that can run sophisticated operating systems and access the Internet) are set to grow 52 percent from 2007 to 2008, from 102 million units in 2007 to 156 million by the end of next year.
So after failing to dial into the phone market, Intel now wants to invent an entirely new product in anticipation of a mobile computing world. The concept--for now--is called the as the UMPC (ultramobile PC).
Next year, Intel plans to introduce a chip called Silverthorne that uses the x86 instruction set found in every PC chip from Intel and Advanced Micro Devices. The design goal for Silverthorne is to consume 10 times less power than the first Banias Pentium M chip Intel introduced in 2003.
"We must have a comparable power envelope," said Gadi Singer, assistant general manager of Intel's Ultra Mobility Group. Many ARM chips run comfortably while consuming less than a watt of power, and that's the goal for Silverthorne. Beyond Silverthorne, Intel wants to cut idle power consumption by another factor of 10 with Moorestown, a future ultra-low power project introduced last week that CEO Paul Otellini said would arrive by 2010.
As its silicon design teams pursue these power consumption goals, Intel's busy selling the merits ofas the blueprint for future mobile computing. The idea is that there are a lot of application developers with considerable experience in the PC-based x86 world just itching for a chance to get into different types of devices. By extension, x86 developers are in the best position to improve the software experience on today's mobile phones, or so the pitch goes.
Intel is determined to drive that point home. Last Wednesday, during a speech delivered by Intel's Anand Chandrasekher, the company's marketing team fired the first salvo against ARM. Intel attempted to draw a direct comparison between the two architectures by counting the numbers of errors encountered while browsing the Internet on notebook PCs with Intel's chips, versus mobile phones and Internet tablets with ARM's processor cores.
The implication was that ARM-based devices aren't suitable for reading anything beyond stripped-down mobile Web pages because of compatibility problems, and that anyone thinking about buying a mobile device or developing one should choose an Intel-based device to receive the best possible experience.
Intel refused multiple requests to publicly identify the ARM-based devices it used in making its comparisons, citing the need to avoid embarrassing the very partners it might be courting with chips like Silverthorne. Walter Grayeski, who works in the competitive marketing segment of Intel's Ultra Mobility Group, said the company chose phones that were marketed as smart phones, not the basic phones that you can get for free with a two-year subscription.
Many of the browsers on those phones weren't necessarily designed to work with sites designed for PC browsers, and Intel thinks that's part of the reason why it will one day have an advantage. "It's fragmented," Grayeski said, referring to the number of players in ARM's world and their competing interests. Not all of the mobile browsers on ARM phones support Web standards like Flash, which automatically excludes a fair number of Web pages from a smart phone's browser.
There's no doubt as to the ubiquity of x86 software. But ARM thinks the more appropriate question is whether x86 software is simply too large for a power-constrained environment like a smart phone.
"The memory footprint, for a start, dictates what runs on some of these devices. Do you need a hard drive in there to go run an operating system?" said Ian Drew, vice president of segment marketing for ARM. "More memory consumes more power."
Intel's stance is understandable, because the company is just now turning its attention to the ultra-low power market and it has to sell the advantages it already has, said Will Strauss, an analyst with Forward Concepts.
"ARM's way ahead in low-power processors," Strauss said. "The PC (industry) says, 'we can bring x86 to the market,' but do you really need the x86 architecture for this wonderful new thing?"
ARM is aware that it has work to do to head off Intel's challenge, especially as more and more applications are accessed via the Internet, not on the device itself. Another ARM executive, Kerry McGuire, director of strategic alliances for mobile computing, noted that users of Nokia's N800 Internet tablet can download Firefox to run on ARM. But that's a much more powerful device compared with the breadth of what is available running ARM's instruction set.
"I think you'll always want a better browsing experience, and I think plug-ins become more important in this space," ARM's Drew said. "That's where I think the software initiatives should be."
And that's one area where Intel thinks it has an advantage, given the powerful software already available for Windows and Linux PCs. Linux, especially, will be an important part of Intel's strategy.
The first UMPCs were designed in cooperation with Microsoft, with plans to run Windows XP and Windows Vista. But since the Spring IDF in Beijing, Intel has been gradually backing away from its long-time partner to tout Linux-based operating systems for MIDs.
Last week, it invited Canonical CEO Mark Shuttleworth on stage during Chandrasekher's keynote to discuss implementing Canonical's Ubuntu Linux in future MIDs. Chandrasekher later said that Microsoft remains an important partner for Intel in the mobile space.
"But we're getting clear requests (for Linux) from customers for a variety of reasons--lower power, and smaller footprint is another," Chandrasekher said. And by extension, there are a lot of Linux enthusiasts who would love to get their hands on an open x86 mobile computer like an MID.
A solid argument can be made on behalf of either company. Intel, with a lot of money and plenty of smart engineers looking for The Next Big Thing, isn't a company to be taken lightly. ARM has the home field advantage--and the help of some heavyweights who would love to keep Intel out of one of the fastest-growing markets on the planet. So who has the inside edge?
"I won't decide that, and nor will Intel," Drew said. "Who will decide this will be the consumers. We have to provide the infrastructure and the products, and if we both don't do it, the (industry) won't grow."


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My Google "coffee" feed always dredges up a few news stories in which coffee is only a tangential player -- that is, stories in which coffee is mentioned even though the story is actually about something else. For example, judging by the news stories that pop up in my Inbox, a hefty percentage of public officials around the world are, at this moment, serving paper cups of coffee to constituents in various public buildings, malls and coffee shops. The "coffee with elected official" trend seems to be ubiquitous -- and maybe there's a good reason. But...I'll get back to that in a few paragraphs.
See, this post was meant to be a humorous collection of some of the quirky news stories that have mentioned coffee in the last couple of weeks. There's definitely plenty to choose from. There's the guy whose Tweets about the bad coffee being served to the jury helped get a death row sentence overturned. And the convenience store clerk who foiled a robbery by throwing a pot of coffee at him. And then I went looking for a photo of coffee and a newspaper to head up the post and found myself on a whole different tack.
See, the photo I found was the one accompanying this post, and the headline piqued my interest so I went looking for the study mentioned in it, the one that says people holding warm coffee are more generous. Turns out the report was published in Science magazine in 2008. Researchers at the University of Colorado at Boulder (Leeds School of Business) did an experiment where they had people hold either a hot cup of coffee or a cold coffee while asking them to describe a stranger they'd just met.
The results? The subjects holding hot coffee nearly always viewed the stranger more positively than those who held an iced coffee. More specifically, the researchers asked them to describe the stranger as friendly/unfriendly, happy/unhappy, generous/ungenerous, as well as other personality traits that had nothing to do with warmth or friendliness. There was no difference in the way the subjects judged others on those other traits -- but people holding hot coffee saw others as significantly nicer than the people holding cold coffee.
In a related experiment, psychologists tested whether people who held warm things (in this case, a hand warmer) were more generous than people who held cold things (an ice pack.) They thought they were doing marketing research for a new product. When they were told that as a thanks for participating, they could either choose a gift certificate for a friend or a gift for themselves, the group that were holding hand warmers were far more likely to choose the gift certificate for a friend. So holding a warm cup of coffee not only makes you see the world through rosier glasses, it makes you a nicer person.
Of course, none of this should come as a surprise to anyone who hangs around a warm, cozy coffee house. We all know that the pouring of coffee tends to lubricate conversation and social contact. For some people, it even leads to more, like the couple in Oklahoma who got married in the *bux coffee shop where they met. But it leaves me wondering just a little about all those political coffee meet-and-greets -- you think the pols are on to something?


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Consumer watchdog, Which?, has criticised supermarkets for misleading packaging tactics that confuse consumers.
Which? highlighted major retailers are using packaging which feature misleading lists of ingredients and over-priced gift sets. Using Lynx as an example, it found that the gift set costing £6.50 contained a deodorant which normally costs £3 and a shower gel that’s £2.
The report also heavily criticised misleading ingredients. Food companies are promoting their most exotic or more expensive ingredients on their drinks, and not the main ingredients. The Innocent Kids Cherry & Strawberry Smoothies contains only 18% cherries and strawberries, and the main ingredients are apples and grapes – dramatically cheaper ingredients.
The Which? report went on to assess food labelling and highlighted some fatal flaws. The consumer watchdog found that some ‘light’ products contained more sugar than the standard product, therefore misleading consumers.
Many own-brand products are criticised in the report for borrowing their look and feel from well-known brands, which is said to confuse consumers into accidentally buying them. In a trial, Which? members were asked to identify branded biscuits against Lidl’s version, with 39% choosing the latter.
Michael Bennett, MD at specialist packaging communications agency Pelican Communications, said: “Supermarkets should clamp down on misleading packaging tactics as it confuses consumers, and gives the packaging industry a bad name. Brands that have invested millions of pounds in developing their visual identity deserve the respect of the retailers who benefit from their investment.”
Pelican Communications are specialists in the environment, food and drink, outdoor and leisure and packaging sectors and offer a range of services such as media relations, brand management, event management and people development. Contact us for marketing and communications expertise.


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Also during the hour-long discussion at GM's Detroit headquarters, Akerson said:
— The company hopes to regain investment-grade credit status this year. GM is working with credit rating agencies to raise its status from junk, where it's been since 2005. Akerson said the company's recent $11 billion credit line received investment grade rating, showing that banks are ahead of the ratings agencies. Companies with investment grade ratings can borrow money at lower interest rates than those with junk status.
— The U.S. government's plan to sell its stake in GM by early 2014 should help the company attract more customers. Some people won't buy from GM as long as the government owns a stake, which is currently 19 percent. The government owned as much as 60 percent of the company after bailing it out in 2009. Taxpayers, however, are still roughly $22 billion in the hole on the $50 billion bailout.
— GM should be able to cut its European loss by one-third to one-half this year even as the region's economy falters. The company predicts that Europe will be profitable by 2015. GM has lost billions of dollars in the region in the past dozen years.
— GM has discussed with the United Auto Workers union about a lump-sum buyout of worker pension plans. Currently GM's U.S. pension plan's assets are $13.4 billion less than its obligations. GM last year offered lump sum buyouts to white-collar workers and shifted pension responsibilities to an insurance company annuity in an effort to reduce the obligations.


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The handset market in India could witness a sales dive from previous estimates of 140-142 million to 130-137 million, the market research firms International Data Corporation (IDC) and Counterpoint – headquartered in the US and Hong Kong respectively – have noted.
The global economy is struggling to cope with the sudden business and trade halts caused due to the spread of COVID-19. Joining the wagon of losses, the smartphone market in India is expected to witness a decline of 13-15 percent.
The substantial slump is being pegged as the first ever year of decline in recent memory.
India is a major market and manufacturing hub for several Chinese companies like Oppo, Xiaomi, Vivo, and OnePlus.
The companies have been trying to facilitate production in India with 20-30 percent capacity. Given that India is the second largest market for smartphones in the world, ramping up the manufacturing of handsets and smartphone equipment could help the country revive its economy, but lesser staff and the fear of contracting the coronavirus among people is interfering with work in these large factories, the media has reported.
Earlier this month, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged the public to “go vocal for local”, soon after which a trend of banning apps made in China picked up in India.
Prominent Indian personalities like Sonam Wangchuk and others have been urging people to boycott Chinese products. However, the government, except for stressing upon having a self-reliant India, has not made any comment so far to indicate any alternate view on Chinese investment.
Several public figures in India, including the famed Ladakh region-based educationalist Wangchuk, along with Bollywood celebs like Milind Soman and Arshad Warsi, have also joined the movement of boycotting Chinese products.
USE YOUR WALLET POWER#BoycottMadeInChina #SoftwareInAWeekHardwareInAYear to stop Chinese bullying in Ladakh & eventually to liberate the 1.4 Bn bonded labourers in China, as also the 10 Mn Uighur Muslims & 6 Mn Tibetan Buddhists.— Sonam Wangchuk (@Wangchuk66) May 28, 2020
Click this link to playhttps://t.co/ICjRQJ2Umf pic.twitter.com/lpzAXxARPj
I am consciously going to stop using everything that is Chinese. As they are a part of most of the things we use, it will take time but I know, one day I’ll be Chinese free. You should try it too ...— Arshad Warsi (@ArshadWarsi) May 30, 2020
Taking its time regarding Chinese products, India has also delayed its 5G trials. A lack of home-made equipment and infrastructure for high speed Internet is another factor that would not have been an issue otherwise, because Chinese tech giants like Huawei and ZTE were allowed to participate in India’s 5G trials before the pandemic broke out.


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Google is taking the rollout of Google+ very seriously. Rather than see another Google Buzz fail, they’re pulling out all the stops. Literally. Rather than offer competing applications with non-Googley names, they’re simply turning off Picasa and Blogger to basically force those users into the Google+ platform. According to Mashable, the move is part of a larger effort to unify its brand for the public launch of Google+, the search giant’s social initiative:
Blogger and Picasa aren’t going away, of course — they’re two of Google’s most popular products. Instead, according to two sources familiar with the matter, Google intends to rename Picasa “Google Photos” and Blogger will become “Google Blogs.” Several other Google brands are likely to be affected, though our sources made it clear that YouTube would not be rebranded. The technology giant shut down Google Video, its failed web video service, in May.
So what does this mean for usability? You can probably guess as well as me that both Picasa and Blogger are going to see a design refresh that falls in line with the new theme seen in Google+. If you’re not yet a member of Google+ but want to take this new design for a test drive, here’s how to get the new design for Gmail right now.
What do you think? Will the name change and design refresh affect whether you use the service or switch to a competing application? Will you dump Blogger / Google Blogs in favor of Tumblr or WordPress? Would you stop using Picasa / Google Photos and take the plunge into Flickr? Weigh in down in the comments or by mentioning @edudemic on Twitter!


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M&M-SsangYong accelerates joint project development, synergies to help SsangYong save over $50 million
SsangYong Motor Company recorded its first profit in 9 years in 2016 posting a profit after tax of 58 billion won.
Mahindra Group to double US investment in next 5 years
He said there can be arguments about immigration and whether immigration will hurt tal...
Mahindra and Mahindra to roll out e-rickshaws by year-end, buses to follow
Among the products due for immediate launch is a 9-metre bus to be...
Mahindra's two new models coming by next fiscal-end
The company, which sells utility vehicles ranging from compact KUV100 to XUV500, also has plans to introduce a new electric vehicle in the next two years.
M&M eyes 50 per cent revenue from abroad by Fy19, to have overseas base
The focus on setting up a base on a foreign shore emanates from the fact that M&M is aspiring to be a global player backed by Rs 4,200-crore investments.
Expect M&M growth to be higher than rest of the industry in FY18: Pawan Goenka
Pawan Goenka, MD, Mahindra & Mahindra says market share probably will be less that 4% in FY17.
Tata-JLR's joint project Q5 to develop new SUV; M&M has similar plans with SsangYong
The Q5 project to develop an SUV under the Tata brand with Land Rover traits is close to getting financial commitment from the Indian company.
Mahindra recalls Bolero Maxi Truck Plus model in India
Last year in September, the company had recalled certain number of its new generation Scorpio and NuvoSport SUVs to rectify faulty fluid hose in engine compartment.
Looking at financial turnaround of SsangYong: Pawan Goenka, M&M
"Now, focus will be on financial turnaround. That would require for us to continue to invest for the future. "
SsangYong Rexton facelift unveiled
The refreshed SUV receives some visual and equipment updates for the new model year
SsangYong Tivoli crossover revealed
First official image of the new SsangYong Tivoli crossover hits the web
SsangYong Tivoli crossover previewed
SsangYong has revealed the first design sketches of its upcoming crossover; calls it SsangYong Tivoli
SsangYong sales expected to grow 5-8% this fiscal: M&M
SsangYong Motor Co (SMC), which sold about 1.4 lakh vehicles during 2014, is banking on its domestic market and Western Europe to compensate for decline at two major markets of China and Russia.
M&M recalls new gen Scorpio, NuvoSport due to faulty fluid hose
The inspection and subsequent rectification will be carried out free of cost and customers will be individually contacted.


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Could Square’s patent help it steal banks' role in payments?
Alipay and Ripple have landed haymakers against the financial services establishment by making currency exchange nearly invisible. Square hopes to accelerate this process with a nod from the U.S. government.
Square’s new U.S. patent covers a system that allows real-time transfers between parties using two different “assets.” Square's merchants have shown early interest in cryptocurrency payments, and if merchants accept this new concept, it could exist along with other Square services to support numerous use cases that involve cryptocurrencies, cross-border payments, e-commerce, small businesses, micro-merchants and broader financial services.
In Square’s vision, the payer can use any currency, while the recipient gets paid in any currency, with a network managing the exchange. The payment request can come in a traditional currency, while the user can satisfy that request with a cryptocurrency or another traditional currency. By using one or more data structures maintained by the payment service (i.e., Square), the transaction can be converted to the payee's desired currency in real-time. A “privacy coin” would also help execute the transaction while maintaining privacy of the parties.
That’s designed to address several problems that have kept cryptocurrencies from being used for general retail payments. The volatility of bitcoin scares most merchants, who are concerned about a processing gap that could result in their payment being of less value. Bitcoin transactions are hundreds of times slower than than card payments, so Square’s real-time processing would address that argument by bringing crypto-based currency exchanges faster and closer to the point of sale than a traditional currency exchange.
“The elephant in the room with crypto is the time it takes to do the exchange,” said Richard Crone, a payments consultant, adding Square's system still maintains an intermediate step between buyer and seller. “Square is claiming it can do this in real-time, and that’s what would ignite this network.”
Another argument against cryptocurrency payments involves the actual use case. If people are accustomed to paying with dollars or euros or payment cards at a store, why would they switch to another currency?
The success of Alipay and Ripple suggests there is a growing market to process cross-currency transactions for low-value payments for shopping. Alipay, for example, has built a large network outside of its native China over the past few years by allowing Chinese travelers to pay in their own currency directly at merchants, thus avoiding longer currency exchanges.
That strategy has been bolstered by Ant’s $700 million WorldFirst acquisition to build bulk in Europe and a series of deals with merchants to gain a network in North America. Alipay has done so well in North America through this model that it’s at least temporarily punted on building a payment network of its own in the U.S.
To gain merchant support for its patented currency-to-crypto-to-currency rail, Square is armed with an existing feature that allows bitcoin trading in its Cash app.
Square Cash has become a centerpiece of Square’s effort to diversify its product line to make itself more attractive to both consumers and merchants. Square Cash’s volume has grown quickly, and Square has positioned the platform as a way for small business owners to make payments to vendors or employees, in addition to Cash’s original role as a Venmo-style P2P transfer app. Square more recently added stock trading to Cash.
Merchants have shown a willingness to accept bitcoin in surveys, and Square started letting merchants accept bitcoin about six years ago. Square CEO Jack Dorsey has said cryptocurrency will be the internet's "native currency," and Square has dedicated a team to cryptocurrency technology development — though Dorsey, who is also CEO of Twitter, has said he has no intention of creating his own currency. That strategy could help Square avoid some of the controversy that has hurt Facebook's Libra, a crypto project with many of the same goals as those outlined in Square's patent.
Square can also compete in Ripple's market by using its patented system to support cross-border transactions for online marketplaces. Ripple has built an international network by speeding international payments through its distributed ledger, removing third parties such as correspondent banks, and has been successful enough to gain bank support and partnerships with MoneyGram.
Square would not comment on its patent for this story. The patent application lists myriad use cases beyond retail payments, cryptocurrency, and traditional currency exchange — such as securities, derivatives and loans. Square has also applied for banking licenses more than once over the past few years. “What Square is describing in its patent is what the [card networks] do," Crone said.
As with any new payment type, the trick will still be convincing merchants to adopt it.
“For merchants, can they increase sales by adding another tender type?” said Crone. “Merchants did find they could boost sales by adding PayPal, when PayPal found it could get a sales lift by adding a social payment feature like Venmo.”


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VANCOUVER, BC, CANADA – (August 4, 2022) – VoltSafe Inc. is excited to announce it has been chosen by the Governments of Canada to join alongside Canada’s most innovative auto-tech companies in the Autotech Business Mission to California in September 2022.
This program will deliver significant value through its uniquely curated B2B access to potential U.S. investors, customers and strategic partners, introductions to sector experts and the auto-tech ecosystem in the San Francisco-Bay Area and Los Angeles. VoltSafe will also be provided with additional access to participate in ITS World Congress America in Los Angeles. This event attracts buyers, media, and investors from around the world. VoltSafe will join as part of the Government of Canada’s ‘Acceleration Track’.
VoltSafe’s Philipp Garber, VP, Partnerships & Sales, commented, “VoltSafe’s patented tech is getting incredible attention from OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers as a novel solution to accelerating decarbonization. With governments around the world placing heightened emphasis on addressing climate change, big investments are being made in electric charging infrastructure. VoltSafe offers the safest, simplest, and smartest electrical connector ever designed for high power, with built-in energy management capabilities and control. It also holds the key to autonomous charging (for truly autonomous vehicles) and provides superior durability, safety, and ease of use sought after by first responders, commercial & industrial, off-road and marine users. We’re thrilled to participate in the Autotech Business Mission to California to showcase our patented tech to Silicon Valley VCs and automotive tech scouts from around the world.”
Automotive Tech Week 2022’s trade mission provides a rare opportunity for select startups to gain market intelligence and meet potential customers, investors and strategic partners from around the world who have a presence in Silicon Valley and California.
VoltSafe recently closed a very successful community-focused, equity crowdfunding campaign to further accelerate its commercialization and licensing goals, oversubscribed at 181% of its initial goal. There is still a limited window of time to finalize an investment via FrontFundr; please contact VoltSafe’s CFO directly, Scott Carlson, at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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Three-D printing has been a breakout tech story this year, but the question is whether the printers will end up in people's homes.» Read More
Many factors could affect whether shoppers open their wallets this holiday season. But one thing is clear: The pressure is on.
Identity theft is a year-round problem, but fraud prevention experts warn that the hectic holiday season is prime time for this crime.
Wearing millions of dollars of diamonds, Swarovski crystals and lingerie, Victoria's Secret Angels hit the catwalk during the annual runway event.
With the high profile launch of two gaming systems and a slew of new games, the video game industry is hoping Santa brings it a turnaround this year.
It’s been a decade since Google came public with a $23 Billion valuation. We take a look at the search giant since its big day.
To kick off our year-long anniversary, we created a list of top leaders, icons and rebels.
The boom in America’s energy independence has major implications on the economy, foreign policy and the environment.


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British consultancy Cebr predicted China will become the world's top economy in dollar terms in 2030.
Economists said the recovery was being helped by resilient farm sector growth and government spending, but that new COVID-19 variants, a global slowdown and rising manufacturing prices pose risks to growth.
On this day in 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the decision to ban currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000.
The government is also likely to lose Rs 550 billion to Rs 600 billion in additional revenue after cutting fuel taxes this week to arrest runaway prices.
The IMF report showed India continuing to be the world's fastest-growing major economy clocking a growth rate of 9.5 per cent this fiscal year and 8.5 per cent in the next.
The pent-up demand and the festival season is likely to give further fillip to urban demand in the second half of the financial year.
For the entire South Asia region, the World Bank estimates the GDP growth to be 7.1 per cent this year and the next.
The sovereign rating by Moody's stands at 'Baa3' -- which is the lowest investment grade, just a notch above junk status.
The retail inflation based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) was 5.59 per cent in July and 6.69 per cent in August 2020.
The Congress leader said that the Congress was not against privatisation but its privatisation plan had a logic.