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Apple and its suppliers
Apple (AAPL) is a ruler in the premium smartphone market, earning more than 80.0% of the smartphone industry’s profits. Premium smartphones require more semiconductor content, which has made Apple one of the top customers for the semiconductor industry (SMH). However, the consolidation of the semiconductor industry and a slowdown in the smartphone market have created trouble between Apple and its suppliers.
As a general practice, Apple sources its components from at least two suppliers in order to get a better price and reduce dependence on a single supplier. However, many of its key suppliers have been acquired since 2013, shrinking its supply chain.
According to Susquehanna Financial Group, SanDisk, Broadcom, Intersil, Sharp, Elpida Memory, RF Micro Devices, TriQuint Semiconductor, and Fairchild Semiconductor were acquired by bigger companies, thereby reducing competition among Apple’s suppliers.
Apple brings semiconductor components in-house
These changes encouraged Apple to produce several components in-house. Recently, it told its graphics chip supplier, Imagination Technologies, that it would cut its order in half in two years as it looks to manufacture graphics cards in-house. This made Imagination Technologies stock fall 70.0% in just one day. More suppliers are likely to suffer a similar fate in the coming years.
Apple started in-house production of hardware components with processors and then gradually brought graphics, Bluetooth, and other chips in-house. There are rumors that Apple is looking to bring power-management chips and modem production in-house as well, putting its relations with suppliers Dialog Semiconductor and Qualcomm (QCOM) at risk.
In-house designing helps Apple maintain its top position among suppliers even after semiconductor acquisitions. It also gives Apple full control of its hardware.
While in-house designing has its own perks, it’s also time-consuming and can put Apple at risk of missing out on new technology trends, stated a Bloomberg report citing Canaccord Genuity analyst Mike Walkley. He gave the example of Nokia (NOK), which adopted a similar approach to cut costs and control the component supply chain but instead lost the smartphone inflection point.
Apple is further putting pricing pressure on its suppliers. In 1Q17, it forced its suppliers to reduce their fees for the iPhone 7 by 10.0%–20.0%, according to a Bloomberg report citing Yuanta Securities analyst Jeff Pu.
The lack of stability in Apple’s supply agreement and the demand for cheaper prices are squeezing out suppliers’ margins. Moreover, the slowing smartphone market and Apple’s dual sourcing strategy have encouraged many suppliers to reduce their dependence on the handset maker through diversification.
In this series, we’ll see how Apple’s actions are impacting its suppliers’ earnings.


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A total of 1.2 billion pirate music discs were sold in 2004, accounting for 34% of all discs sold worldwide, according to a report unveiled today (June 23) by the International Federation of the Phono
The European version of iTunes Music Store has pushed past the 50 million paid-download milestone in its first year of operation, Apple Computer said today (June 23).
The computer giant simultaneously launched its market-leading online music service last June in the United Kingdom, France and Germany. Apple has since rolled the download store out to a total of 17 European markets.
Since Apple pressed the button on its U.S. service in April 2003, it claims to have established a presence in 70% of the global music market. Itunes also operates in Canada. To date, roughly 430 million tracks have been downloaded on iTunes worldwide, according to Apple. The company did not break out sales figures by territory.
Apple has yet to confirm a launch date for imminent iTunes services in Japan and Australia.

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INDIANAPOLIS — President elect Joe Biden is proposing to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour and end tipped minimum wage.
Typically servers make a lower wage and then rely on tips to make more money. The president of the Indiana Restaurant and Lodging Association said this has the potential to completely change the restaurant industry, how restaurants look, the service, and what’s on their menus.
Potentially servers could get the $15 an hour plus whatever tips they make. Or restaurants might go the opposite way and decide to ditch tips altogether.
“So what you’re gonna see is, you’re gonna see potentially the loss of hospitality jobs, as well as in many cases, servers making less because we may go to a non-tip model as well,” Patrick Tamm, president of the Indiana Restaurant & Lodging Association said.
Tamm said this is a concern. At the same time, the association is encouraged by Biden’s plans for additional pandemic relief.


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Papa Cantella's Rolls Out Major Phoenix Marketing Push
Papa Cantella's has targeted the Phoenix market with its first major promotion of the year. Titled "Come to Papa", the new effort is designed to drive new customers to sample Papa Cantella's Mild Italian Sausage, Hot Italian Sausage and Black Forest Bratwurst, as well as increase usage among existing customers.
In Phoenix currently, Papa Cantella's is sold exclusively at Safeway stores as the chain's only fresh retail Italian sausage and bratwurst. "We're very excited by this new promotion," notes VP Tony Cantella. "Safeway's department managers are already giving us very positive feedback on this push and are expecting sales to increase significantly during the first half of 2011."
Focusing on research that shows consumers prefer a fresh sausage that contains no preservatives, no MSG and has never been frozen, the advertising tagline is: "When it comes to fresh, come to Papa!" The goal of the campaign is targeted on expanding and increasing sales of the company's fresh sausage products in the Arizona marketplace while looking at Phoenix as a test for expansion into other western, explains Tony Cantella.
The current promotion includes cents-off coupons in newspaper and free-standing-insert advertising
within the Phoenix area, as well as peel-off on-pack instant coupons with recipes that remain on the
Concurrently, the company will be introducing the product to over 50,000 new customers at selected high-traffic festivals and events, handing out free cooked samples of the sausages, along with recipes and coupons. Many of the recipes were developed by Papa Cantella's founder, Tom Cantella, and published in a prize-winning recipe book, The Ultimate Italian Sausage Cookbook.
In addition to the sausage recipes that are handed out to customers, a free downloadable recipe book has been posted to the company website: www.papacantellas.com/recipes. Customers who download
the recipes can also sign up for Papa's Club, providing them even more recipes, coupons and other promotions.
For more information, see www.papacantellas.com.


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rising fuel prices
Intense demand for compact cars has sent sales volume and prices
higher, even on used stock. According to ADESA Inc.’s statistics,
the wholesale prices of used compact cars increased from May to
June of this year by approximately $300 (£165), to $7,376
The automotive industry has seen a surge in the compact car
market in recent months. Supply is low and demand is high, and
four-cylinder, fuel-efficient cars are flying off the lots, leaving
sports-utility vehicles and larger vehicles behind.
Within the used market, dealers are selling compact cars well
beyond their book values and making great returns. There has been a
definite shift in the market.
Doug Deakin, a salesman at DCH Toyota City, said the market for
four-cylinder cars has increased by about 10 per cent to 15 per
cent from last year, the dealer’s most popular sellers being the
Camry and the Prius Hybrid.
Recently, credit companies have relaxed their lending criteria.
Toyota Financial Services Corp. for example still offers monthly
deals on pre-owned compact cars. The four-cylinder Toyota Camry
that gives 30 miles to the gallon is currently being offered at a
4.99 per cent finance rate.
Finance companies are more flexible now because people have
limited or no credit. The companies want to keep the industry going
so are more willing to give loans to less qualified
Incentive intentions absent from GM’s turnaround
Though General Motors Corp.’s overall incentive strategy will
remain intact despite the automaker’s latest liquidity-building
initiative, industry players are split on whether rebates and
special financing deals will increase. “There will be no change in
GM’s strategy for incentives,” said company spokesman Randy
GM’s efforts to reduce inventory will likely spur the carmaker
to increase incentives, albeit more prudently, said Jesse Toprak,
executive director of industry analysis for data provider
Edmunds.com. “GM has already increased incentives in the last three
months,” Toprak said. Even so, the automaker is “getting a little
better at optimizing how they spend incentive dollars,” he said.
“They’re able to optimize what they spend on new SUVs and
Whatever GM decides with regard to incentives and subvention,
GMAC LLC “stand[s] at the ready to execute,” said Mike Stoller, a
GMAC spokesman. Despite being majority-owned by private equity firm
Cerberus Capital Management LP, GMAC remains GM’s mechanism for
And, as it has historically, GM’s “incentive strategy changes
from week to week, day to day,” he said. “It’s a fluid process on
their end. They might decide at the end of September what the
incentives will be for October.”


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Walmart Brazil has signed an agreement with a Brazilian university and other organizations to aid the development of two different types of tilapia.
The Brazilian division of the US-based giant has signed an agreement with the State University of Santa Cruz (UESC) and with the institution Casa Familiar of Aguas del Bajo Sur (CFA-BSB), linked to the Inland Water Farmers’ Cooperative (Coopecon) to develop two new versions of tilapia.
One will be omega-3 rich; the other is described by the press release ad being “salmon-like”.
Changes in the feed will be used to develop both products.
The agreement was concluded in the framework of the International Fair of Fisheries and Aquaculture Aquapreca Brasil, organized earlier this month in Bahia.
Marcelo Almada, commercial director of Walmart Brazil, said the agreement will enable social and financial growth in the region, and the improvement of the quality of the resource.
“It will be an exclusive product of our stores, which will certainly make a difference in our sales,” he said


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This article is more than 1 year old
Apple pulls the ultimate switch with Intel embrace
Apple has bought into its own ad campaign and become a switcher. As expected, the Mac maker announced today that it will next year start phasing Intel processors into its computer line.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs previewed a version of the OS X operating system humming away on an Intel-based Mac during the company's Worldwide Developer Conference held today in San Francisco. He revealed that a version of the OS tuned for Intel's chips has been in development for years and will start appearing on machines in 2006. By the end of 2007, all of Apple's systems will have hearts from Chipzilla.
"Our goal is to provide our customers with the best personal computers in the world, and looking ahead Intel has the strongest processor roadmap by far," Jobs said. "It's been ten years since our transition to the PowerPC, and we think Intel's technology will help us create the best personal computers for the next ten years."
Gasps of concern went out at the developer conference when Jobs first mentioned the switch, as many Apple fans have long relished their non-Wintel status. The developers will be charged with doing most of the work to shed Apple software from the PowerPC architecture. More to follow. ®


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Forget for a moment that Apple is about to release their biggest (both literally in terms of screen size at 4.7″ and perhaps a second model at 5.5″ as well as in sales numbers) iPhone ever. Also forget for a moment that the iWatch that Apple has been meticulously crafting and perfecting for several years is a likely to be a monumental hit unlike Samsung’s iFlop. (Samsung doesn’t ever seem to do very well when they don’t have Apple to steal ideas from. No Surprise Samsung’s profits were down 25% from a year ago today.) Also try and ignore Apple’s huge new venture into car infotainment with CarPlay or their foray into homes with HomeKit. Finally do your best to ignore the fact that the next AppleTV will likely bring iOS to your big screen opening up an entire new world of possibilities for additional profits. And oh yeah ignore the fact that with the recent Beats acquisition the sky is the limit with streaming radio profits. Just for a moment consider the numbers right in front of our face today.
The tech giant was higher again on Monday after the company hired the vice president of sales at Tag Heuer, Patrick Pruniaux, ahead of its fall iWatch launch.
As shares approach their split-adjusted all-time high, is it worth biting into Apple’s stock?
“Technically, yes, we think it is still a buy, even after the nice run,” said Ari Wald, chief technical analysis at Oppenheimer & Co. “We like big caps a lot. We like Apple a lot. And, we like technology.”
Wald sees pullbacks in Apple, such as the one in June to the $90 level, as buying opportunities. “But even at current levels, we think it’s going higher,” Wald said. “It’s a buy here.”
According to Wald’s charts, Apple’s price behavior over the past three years is strikingly similar to what occurred between 2007 and 2008. “In December 2007, stock dropped 60% [and] it took 22 months to make a new high,” said Wald. “Fast forward to the last two years, the stock dropped 45 percent. More importantly, 22 months later, we’re again about to make new highs. It could trade sideways at around $100 [but] we think it breaks out to the upside. Buy Apple.”
Marc Lichtenfeld, chief income strategist at The Oxford Club, says Apple is cheap relative to the overall market even as it gets close to its all-time highs.
“It’s very inexpensive still,” said Lichtenfeld. “It only trades at 13 times forward earnings versus 15 for the S&P 500. So, the stock could still rise 15 percent and just be in line with the market. And, in my opinion, it deserves a premium.”
Now remember when I told you to forget all all those future products? Now consider if even one of them are even moderately successful. Let alone two or more. After the 7-1 stock split single shares in Apple suddenly became affordable to a great many people that couldn’t buy in at around $600 or higher. At the time of this post Apple was trading at around $96. That will not last long. By this time next year we could see AAPL trading easily at $115 and possibly higher. If you have ever wanted to buy Apple now is likely your best chance and certainly buy before the iPhone 6 is released.


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There are a number of explanations on what blockchain is and what exactly is the difference between Bitcoin and blockchain, but another area where I get many questions, is the difference between public and private blockchain. Many flavors of blockchain have evolved over the years and the terminology is often misconstrued. So, how are they different? The sole distinction between public and private blockchain is related to who is allowed to participate in the network, execute the consensus protocol and maintain the shared ledger. A public blockchain network is completely open and anyone can join and participate in the network.
IBM has unveiled a new blockchain product that lets start-ups and developers build their own distributed ledger projects. The service is a cheaper alternative to Big Blue's current enterprise plan for firms looking to develop blockchain applications. Blockchain, otherwise known as distributed ledger technology, is a massive distributed database that maintains a growing record of transactions or other data. It was originally used to underpin the digital currency bitcoin -- although cryptocurrencies are not what IBM is focusing on with its blockchain endeavors. Different to the public blockchain network that underpins bitcoin, IBM's technology only allows a certain number of trusted parties to access it.
The year 2019 was pivotal for enterprise blockchain. The technology expanded beyond adoption by innovators and first movers to include a growing number of organizations working together to rapidly turn blockchain's promised value into tangible business results. With greater blockchain adoption on the horizon, governance will become a key factor. Yet, creating a governance model that all participants agree upon can be challenging. In fact, we have found that 41 percent of organizations believe lack of uniform governance standards across partner organizations to be the most significant challenge to progressing their blockchain proof of concept (PoC) or minimal viable ecosystem (MVE).
IBM has dominated the blockchain-in-business space for a while, partnering with other companies to further develop its blockchain network, and until now most blockchain alliances have been forged with IBM. This new alliance shows that IBM isn't the only company developing a blockchain network for business, but it also shows that businesses are pretty serious about the new tech. It's not just a buzzword anymore, it's something on which companies are willing to stake money and reputation. The Trusted IoT Alliance plans to host annual events and hopes to create a more scalable and reliable IoT network by using blockchain. The alliance endeavors to connect physical objects -- a computer, a car, a phone, or even a tagged piece of clothing like a shoe -- to the Internet of Things by using blockchain, as a way of record keeping or managing inventory.
Whether it's artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, robotic process automation or the blockchain protocol, emerging technologies are moving at an incredible pace. However, these emerging technologies are still functioning in a somewhat fragmented nature – especially in the cryptocurrency and blockchain technology arena. Recognizing the need to utilize these emerging technologies within the future of decentralization, MATRIX AI Network has built an innovative blockchain protocol that embraces the many benefits of AI and machine learning. One of the overarching concerns of the blockchain space is the amount of energy required to keep networks operational 24/7. In fact, with 90% of Bitcoin mining costs attributable to energy consumption, the platform required a whopping 30 terrawatt hours of electricity in 2017 alone.


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Home furnishings buying group MEGA Group USA and Web4Retail have partnered to launch the new MEGA Marketing Program.
Supply chain and retail management software supplier HighJump Software has released new capabilities to Profitsystems' Retailvantage.
Pressure imaging products vendor XSENSOR has expanded the sales team for its Reveal mattress recommendation system in response global expansion.
Technology vendor Furniture Wizard has just launched an iPad inventory application and a touch-screen kiosk application.
Looking for a way to boost proficiency of sales associates using tablets to sell? The Furniture Training Co. has a solution.
Technology supplier Furniture Wizard has released Version 15 of its Furniture Wizard Software.


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Commitment Rings Won’t Let You Watch TV Without Your Partner
A new kind of commitment: No more watching TV shows away from your partner
Italian ice cream brand Cornetto has come up with a brilliant way to prevent cheating in the 21st century: The Commitment Rings won’t let you continue watching your favorite series on Netflix unless your partner is present.
Couples can select the series they want to commit to using a mobile app. When the two rings are near, the app will make the series available to view on the users’ preferred video streaming service. The matching rings use NFC technology to sense when the wearer is near. According to Cornetto: “Love should last more than one season.” The company is currently working with current streaming companies to make the rings a reality: Sign up on the website to find out when you can get your set.


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Nintendo looks to release 2-3 titles per year on other platforms following Super Mario Run’s App Store success
Date: Monday, December 26th, 2016, 05:48
Category: Android, Google, iOS, News, Software
In just under two weeks, Super Mario Run has rocketed to the top of Apple’s App Store charts and has surpassed 50 million downloads.
That being said, and because Nintendo likes money and fiscal solvency, Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima revealed that Super Mario Run is just the start of a new strategy for mobile gaming. The company plans to release two or three new games next year, and continue that pattern beyond 2017, he said. Previously it was reported that popular titles Fire Emblem and Animal Crossing were on tap for a mobile release.
Kimishima offered no details as to whether future Nintendo mobile titles would be released in Apple’s App Store and the Google Play Store, but said it is working on bringing Super Mario Run to the Android platform.
With the success of Pokemon Go and Super Mario Run, Nintendo seems driven towards bringing its properties to other platforms, something it had avoided for years.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.


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“I know what it feels like to not see yourself represented in the world,” Kim Culmone, vp Barbie Design, states in the Hulu documentary Tiny Shoulders: Rethinking Barbie, a film that was screened Thursday evening for The ArtCenter Dialogues.
An audience gathered in the intimate L.A. Times Media Center located at the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena for the screening of the Hulu doc followed by a discussion with the film’s director, Andrea Nevins.
Culmone and Nevins discussed the risks that Mattel took to make Barbie more inclusive for young girls. “It’s really difficult to take risks and be change makers when you’re beholden to Wall Street,” Nevins said. “I saw an opportunity to watch people willing to take a risk, and that’s always an interesting story.”
Culmone and her design team were afraid of changing Barbie’s body to make her inclusive for today’s little girls. All of Barbie’s accessories, including Barbie’s car and DreamHouse, would have to change. Customers would have to deal with “different-size clothes, different-size shoes” for each Barbie body type, Culmone said.
Yet, Culmone said, they needed to champion diversity inclusion because “it’s good business and [it] is essential to our future.”
Ruth Handler had created the original Barbie in 1959 to allow girls to imagine the life of their dreams. Yet, over time the doll’s unrealistic body proportions and materialistic characteristics became controversial.
“I was quite dumbfounded by the fact that the [Barbie] doll started off being a feminist tool, and it had changed so dramatically,” Nevins said.
Before Hulu bought the film, Nevins self-financed it through her production company Rare Bird Films. While filming, she discovered Culmone’s team was in the beginning stages of developing the Fashionistas line, which was a new line of Barbies with different skin tones and body types. Mattel launched this line of dolls in January 2016.
After the release, Mattel celebrated Barbie’s 60th anniversary with the #MoreRoleModels campaign as a way to showcase empowering women from all over the world.
Next up for Barbie is a collaboration with Margot Robbie and Warner Bros. on a live-action Barbie film to debut in 2020. “We’re very excited about the partnership with Margot and LuckyChap,” Culmone told The Hollywood Reporter.
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Usually, when Google announces a a change it makes marketers shake in their boots (i.e. Panda Update). This time, Google is playing around with what could be a game changer.
So, what is this latest Googlism I speak of? How does adding a subscriber to your mailing list without forcing them to even view your website sound?
Google is testing a new feature for AdWords users that will show an opt-in box in the search engine results pages. Viewers that are logged into Google won’t even have to enter their email address. It will be filled in for them. One click of the subscribe button and they are in like Flynn.
Alexia Tsotsis from TechCrunch hit up Google for an explanation. She reports in her latest article they responded with the following…
“We’re currently running a small experiment of a new ad format that helps users sign up more easily for email subscriptions or other free newsletters. This new ad format contains a box within the ad that displays a user’s Google email address (if logged in). If a user chooses to click ‘Subscribe to newsletter’ then the email address is sent to the advertiser directly, which is clearly disclosed within the ad itself.”
I am keeping my fingers crossed that this is one test that gets ut of the sandbox and into the mainstream. My guess is that it will be pricey, which will keep the majority of wannabe marketers away. Those that are willing to pay will be highly rewarded.
Here is a screen shot of what these email opt-in ads look like:


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The controversial bath salt drugs have become more and more popular amongst teenagers and young adults, which is why the number of emergency room visits and poison control calls continues to rise. The American Association of Poison Control Centers says poison control centers received 3,470 calls about bath salts during the first six months of this year, a jump from 303 calls in all of 2010. Experts believe that the use of these “legal high” drugs may have longer lasting harmful effects than previously thought.
Bath salts can cause:
- extreme paranoia
- rapid heart rate
- chest pain
- suicidal thoughts
The New York Times reports that the Drug Enforcement Administration is considering whether to classify two chemicals in bath salts, MDPV and mephedrone, as Schedule I drugs. While at least 28 states have banned bath salts, a DEA ban may not be very effective, considering that chemists can change one molecule of the formulation and the bath salts will comply with the DEA classification of the chemicals. Bath salt companies need only stay one step ahead of the DEA in order to keep operations up and going.
Just because a product is sold over the counter at a convenience store or over the internet hardly means it is safe for consumption. It seems like despite the heavy attention the press is giving these substances people are still ignoring the warning signs. There is no telling how one’s mind will react to such chemicals considering there has been little testing on them up until recently. Some people just hallucinate, while others contemplate suicide; again, there is just no telling how one will be affected by bath salts. The best thing anyone can do is avoid them altogether for mental health reasons alone.
If you know anyone experimenting with these substances, please caution them about the severe danger associated with the chemicals contained inside those little packets of bath crystals.


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SuperRare Cryptoart Popup Gallery
The Blockchain-based online art gallery SuperRare.io set up a cryptoart popup gallery showcasing non-fungible, tokenized digital art at the Ethereum Developer Conference (Devcon4) in Prague. In their gallery, SuperRare features my digital painting Consensus Process Two.
Conference visitors can scan the QR codes at the exhibition and bid on the paintings. The company Status (Website) will match the total sales of the popup gallery with a donation to education through Merry Merkle South Africa (Website).
UX Design Awards
In addition, Devcon4 is hosting the very first DApp (decentralized App) UX Design Awards. The UX Design Awards recognize the talent and effort of the most ingenious Web3 UX designs from developers and designers in the Ethereum blockchain community.
The Devcon4 UX team partnered with Blockchain-based online art gallery KnownOrigin.io in a creative challenge in which my submission was chosen to be a rare NFT (non-fungible token) award for the winner.
Devcon4 is showcasing the top projects on the main stage on the last day. The awards ceremony will be Friday, November 2nd at 2:30 PM (14:30) CEST at the Prague Congress Centre.


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Consumer electronics maker e.Digital has created a reference design for digital audio players based on IBM's Microdrive, a 340MB removable, miniature hard drive. Right now, the vast majority of digital audio players use flash memory to store songs. But analysts predict
that more and more digital audio players will start to use alternative types of storage such as hard drives. The Microdrive can store more than six hours worth of digital audio files.
San Diego-based e.Digital demonstrated production-ready digital audio players at the CeBit trade show in Hanover, Germany, which ended this week. The company expects licensees to use its reference design to build their own products.


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GEORGETOWN, April 26 – Penang Fashion Week sashayed into history on Sunday as the nine-day affair featuring trends for spring / summer 2015 came to a close. Penang Fashion Week has set the benchmark in a small island in Georgetown, Penang. It received a huge hit with many A-list locals and export crowds swarming in to the mall to spectate the fashion feast.
This fashion Week final day featured a couple of stellar collections by top designers like Keith Kee and Aden Yong. During Keith Kee’s fashion show on 26th April at 5:00pm, Penang State EXCO for Tourism Development, YB Danny Law witnessed the cheque presentation to The Penang Home for The Infirm And Aged.
Hunza Group Managing Director, Mr. Khor Siang Gin presented the mock cheque amounted to RM8,000 to Penang Home’s representative, Mr. H’ng. RM7,000 was the highest bid recorded on the opening gala on 19th April, where Tanya Steven auctioned one of her favourite dresses to the attending guests.
The dress came under the hammer when Mr. Khor Siang Gin’s bid was amongst the highest. Another RM1,000 was contributed by Amber Chia, who flaunted the dress in front of the hundreds of spectators who attended the opening gala. Aden Yong made the close with his feminine collection that fcused on bringing out the sensuality and elegance of the models strutting the runway on the last show of Penang Fashion Week.
All in all, the fashion week was a success bringing local designers and international, avant-garde and fashion labels together to celebrate fashion in the beautiful St.Jo’s of Gurney Paragon Mall. The management of Gurney Paragon Mall has received plenty of calls from other local designers after witnessing the success of the campaign and indicated their desire to hold their fashion show at the same value next year.
According to Hunza’s Executive Director, Ms Lily Tan, this is exactly what Gurney Paragon Mall tries to do, to promote Penang’s fashion and to encourage more local designers to take a step further to make their names in the fashion industry by participating in fashion shows like the magnitude of Penang Fashion Week.
Although Penang Fashion Week has come to an end, shoppers could still be indulged in a series of exciting campaigns carried out by Gurney Paragon Mall. During the month of April, shoppers who spend RM500 or more (maximum 2 receipts) in Gurney Paragon Mall are enrolled to redeem a RM50 shopping vouchers. Nor only this, those who spend RM300 or above will be in a running of winning a customised dress designed by one of the local designers.
The made-to-measure cocktail dress is worth up to RM1500. Look out for the MINI Countryman with “Penang Fashion Week” stickers on the car’s body throughout the contest campaign from 10th April onwards. The first 100 shoppers who have spotted the car and take a photo of it and upload to Facebook with hashtag #penangfashionweek will walk away with a gift.


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Shipments of Personal Computing Devices for Gaming Forecast to Deliver Solid Growth, According to IDC
The global market for gaming desktops, notebooks, and monitors is expected to grow 8.2% year over year in 2019 to 42.1 million devices shipped, according to a new forecast from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Personal Computing Device Tracker. Increased consumer interest, the rising popularity of competitive esports, and new hardware from GPU vendors will help drive growth throughout the forecast period. By the end of 2023 the market is expected to balloon to 61.1 million units with a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.8%.
IDC identifies Gaming PCs as desktops or notebooks that have a premium or performance-grade GPU. This includes the mid-range and high-end offerings from Nvidia and AMD. Professional-grade GPUs such as the Quadro or Radeon Pro are excluded from IDC’s gaming PC definition. Similarly, when it comes to monitors, IDC identifies Gaming Monitors as those with a refresh rate of 100 Hz or higher.
In 2019, IDC anticipates 15.5 million gaming desktops will be shipped worldwide. Though desktops will face a year-over-year decline of 1.9% in 2019, IDC expects a rebound in 2020 and beyond as newer games embrace the latest graphics technologies such as Ray Tracing and as game-related content creation continues to proliferate. Meanwhile, gaming notebooks are forecast to grow 13.3% year over year to 20.1 million units in 2019 and gaming monitors will grow 21.3% year over year to 6.4 million units.
“With game streaming on the horizon and the continued rise of mobile gaming, the PC gaming market will face new challenges but also opportunities,” said Jitesh Ubrani, research manager for IDC’s Mobile Device Trackers. “There are plenty of reasons for optimism as issues around latency and bandwidth requirements will likely limit the success of gaming streaming services in the short term. And in contrast to mobile gaming, PC gaming has a larger library of so-called hardcore games, appealing to a different type of gamer.”
|Worldwide Gaming Tracker Forecast by Product Category, 2019 – 2023 (shipments in millions)|
|Product Category||2019 Shipments *||2019 Market Share*||2023 Shipments*||2023 Market Share*||2019 – 2013 CAGR*|
|Source: IDC Quarterly Gaming Tracker, April 5, 2019|
* Note: All figures represent forecast data.
IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Personal Computing Device Tracker provides insightful analysis, quarterly market share data, and a five-year forecast by country for the global personal computing device market. It offers total market size and vendor share for the following technology areas: product category; product type; screen-size band; user segmentation; and channel. Additional technology splits are available to subscribers.
For more information, or to subscribe to the research, please contact Kathy Nagamine at 650-350-6423 or email@example.com.
About IDC Trackers
IDC Tracker products provide accurate and timely market size, vendor share, and forecasts for hundreds of technology markets from more than 100 countries around the globe. Using proprietary tools and research processes, IDC’s Trackers are updated on a semiannual, quarterly, and monthly basis. Tracker results are delivered to clients in user-friendly excel deliverables and on-line query tools.


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The Small Business Administration has launched an array of new initiatives in recent months aimed at boosting small businesses in the U.S., and the efforts appear to be working. The SBA announced Wednesday (July 1) that for the second year in a row, the group reached its goal to connect SMEs with federal contractors.
Reports aid that the government awarded nearly 25 percent of all of its contracts to small businesses – the highest percentage ever since the goal of 23 percent was first set in 1997.
Those government deals amounted to $91.1 billion landing in the hands of small businesses this past fiscal year, $8 billion more than was seen from the year prior, FY2013.
“We’re celebrating the federal government’s best year ever for small business contracting and it’s a testament to the world-class services that America’s entrepreneurs are providing their government across every federal agency,’ said SBA Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet at a press conference held at the Pentagon. “President Obama prioritized procurement at the highest levels of his administration and we’ve set a new government-wide standard as a result.”
The remarks were made alongside Frank Kendall, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics at the Department of Defense, which scored an “A” on its procurement scorecard.
The announcement was made in conjunction with the release of the SBA’s FY2014 Small Business Procurement Scorecard, which grates government agencies on their awarding of contracts to small businesses. Overall, reports said, the government received an “A” for its small business contract efforts.
The SBA dodged a bullet earlier this year when the Senate voted to increase the agency’s small business lending cap to $20.5 billion just months before it nearly reached its limit of $18.75 billion.
As of late-April, more than $11.4 billion in small business loans had been awarded by the SBA that fiscal year, reports said.


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Michelin, Europe's largest tire maker, said second-quarter sales rose 12.6 percent as the stronger dollar helped increase sales in the United States. The French company said sales rose to 20.05 billion francs ($3.19 billion), from 17.81 billion francs in the second quarter of last year.
Michelin will report first-half profit on Sept. 16. Analysts surveyed by I.B.E.S. International expect the company to earn 4.14 billion francs, or 30.43 francs a share, this year, up from 2.89 billion francs, or 24.65 francs a share, last year.Continue reading the main story


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Nintendo launched its Nintendo Switch trailer to much fanfare and internet praise, but there are still a lot of questions to be answered before the March 2017 launch. Chella asks if the hybrid console can succeed where the Wii U failed?
The World Championship of Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft will be help at BlizzCon on November 4 and 5th. This article explains what Hearthstone is, how it is played, and introduce Hearthstone eSports. GiN eSports presents Hearthstone and the journey to BlizzCon.
Todd’s friend and Xbox personality Ashleigh Ryan, also known as Venus Envy, was recently stripped of the gamertag she has used for over a decade. Microsoft calls it offensive. Todd calls it bone-headed censorship.
Virginia is the latest walking sim to divide gamers. Chella takes a look at the criticism levelled at these games, which focus on narrative over player agency and asks – games or not games?
Check out the October GiN eSports coverage for the latest news and competition highlights from around the world. Read about the latest from LoL Worlds, Hearthstone championship, and the Turkish phenomena Wolfteam. Also in news, NBA and European Football Clubs have become more involved with eSports.
October means crisp Fall air, colorful leaves and even Halloween. But it also means a slew of new games being released, leading many gamers to dub it “Broketober.” What’s the best way to spend your game money?
The Resident Evil 7 trailer was one of the headline-grabbers at Tokyo Game Show 2016, but Chella isn’t convinced. She’s pulled together a list of 6 likes and dislikes.
We are excited to announce our launch of a new column on eSports. This bi-weekly column will cover everything happening in the world of competitive gaming.
Sony is in the lead of the current generation of console sales, but a series of bad decisions like not allowing mods for Bethesda games, and weird ones like no 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player on the PlayStation 4 Pro, has got Todd wondering if the console giant is sabotaging its own success.
Chella attended the European Women in Games Conference, this week, and brings us a list of things she learnt from listening to respected industry figures, such as Jessica Curry of The Chinese Room.


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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- The Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) - Get Report (BRK.B) - Get Report annual meeting is upon us. Often referred to as the "Woodstock of Capitalism," it is one of the most anticipated -- and quirkiest -- events in investing.
Held in Omaha, Neb., this year's event is especially noteworthy as it marks the completion of Warren Buffett's fifth decade at the helm of Berkshire Hathaway. Themed "50 Years of a Profitable Partnership," the 2015 meeting will be the firm's biggest yet, with over 40,000 people expected to descend on the CenturyLink Center Omaha on Saturday, May 2.
Ahead of the 2015 gathering, here are 10 strange facts you may not have known about Berkshire's annual meeting.
1. The Meeting Hasn't Always Been Such a Big Deal
For years, it was basically a non-event, just 12 people attended in 1981.
Buffett first put in a plug for the gathering in his 1984 letter to shareholders. He acknowledged that "many annual meetings are a waste of time" but noted that his operation is distinct.
"Berkshire's meetings are a different story," he wrote. "The number of shareholders attending grows a bit each year and we have yet to experience a silly question or an ego-inspired commentary. Instead, we get a wide variety of thoughtful questions about the business. Because the annual meeting is the time and place for these, Charlie and I are happy to answer them all, no matter how long it takes."
Buffett's mention of the meeting spurred 250 of its 3,000 registered shareholders to attend the following year.
2. Candy is Sold by the Pound
At the annual gathering, attendees are encouraged to do their fair share of shopping at stands set up by Berkshire subsidiaries in an adjoining meeting hall. They can pick up products from a number of portfolio companies, including Fruit of the Loom, Kirby Company and The Pampered Chef -- all at steep discounts. Special products, made specifically for the event, are also on sale.
At the 1994 meeting, Berkshire sold nearly 800 pounds of candy. A decade later, it sold nearly 17 times that amount, 13,440 pounds. Sweets -- specifically, See's Candy -- will be on sale at this year's event as well. But they aren't the only things being hustled. During a nine-hour period at last year's meeting, 1,385 pairs of Justin boots were sold (one pair every 23 seconds), as were 7,276 pairs of Wells Lamont gloves and 10,000 bottles of Heinz ketchup.
3. Buffett Keeps Tabs on Who's Attending
One state had no attendees at Berkshire Hathaway's 1995 meeting, and Buffett was well aware. "Shareholders from 49 states attended our 1995 meeting -- where were you, Vermont?" he wrote in his annual letter to investors.
By 1997, Vermont had gotten its act together, and Buffett celebrated in his annual letter that the event had grown to 7,500 attendees from all 50 states -- as well as 16 countries.
4. Cherry Coke -- Not Coca-Cola -- is the Official Drink
It's no secret Buffett is a big fan of Coca-Cola (KO) - Get Report. He owns 400 million of the company's shares and drinks at least five 12-ounce servings of the beverage every day. Yet it's Cherry Coke that is the official drink of the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholders meeting.
In his 1985 letter to shareholders, the Oracle of Omaha wrote that there would be "only one change" at the 1986 gathering. "After 48 years of allegiance to another soft drink, your Chairman, in an unprecedented display of behavior flexibility, has converted to the new Cherry Coke," he wrote. "Henceforth, it will be the Official Drink of the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting."
5. Buffett Has Moved the Event for Mothers
Berkshire's annual meeting is usually held on the first Saturday in May -- but not always. In 2005, the firm scheduled its gathering for the last Saturday in April to accommodate mothers.
"This year Mother's Day falls on May 8, and it would be unfair to ask the employees of Borsheim's and Gorat's to take care of us at that special time -- so we've moved everything up a week," Buffett wrote in a letter to investors.
6. There's a Newspaper Tossing Contest
At 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, Berkshire Hathaway will host its fourth International Newspaper Tossing Challenge. The target: a Clayton Home porch, located about 35 feet from the throwing line. Shareholders will be able to challenge Warren Buffett to see who gets closest to the doorstep, and anyone who beats him will win a Dilly Bar, one of Dairy Queen's most iconic products. (The ice-cream chain has been a Berkshire company since 1997.)
The Oracle of Omaha tossed about a half a million papers as a newspaper delivery boy growing up, so he is stiff competition. Just ask fellow billionaire Bill Gates, who took part in the contest in 2013. At the time, Gates tweeted that he was "getting better" at the competition.
7. One Question is Off Limits
Each year, Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger field queries from journalists and analysts in a question-and-answer session that lasts for several hours. Fortune's Carol Loomis, CNBC's Becky Quick and the New York Times' Andrew Ross Sorkin will make several inquiries this year, as will analysts from Dowling & Partners, Ruane, Cunniff & Goldfarb and Morningstar. Buffett and Munger will also respond to a handful of lucky shareholders who have won a chance to ask questions themselves, via a raffle.
Essentially any subject is fair game in the Q&A session except one -- what Berkshire Hathaway is buying or selling. Even if the information is public, neither Munger nor Buffett discuss how they arrive at their decisions.
8. Attendees are Advised to Mind Their Manners
The shareholders invited to ask a question during the Q&A period are provided a set of "microphone manners" to follow. They are asked to speak loudly and clearly and to state their names and hometowns. They are requested to avoid asking more than one question or bundling several questions together.
Meeting attendees are also warned about saving seats, and a section of the 2015 Berkshire Hathaway Visitor's Guide is dedicated to the topic: "We have received complains from some shareholders about excessive seat saving in the Arena the morning of the meeting. Reserving a few seats for your group is certainly acceptable, but blocking off entire rows is unfair to the other shareholders. Security will assist in enforcing this policy."
9. Buffett and Munger Will Be Taking It Easy at the 2015 Meeting
The Omaha World-Heraldreported on Monday that Buffett will be less visible at the 2015 Berkshire meeting. His longtime partner, Charlie Munger, has been scaling back his presence for a few years.
This year, Buffett won't be selling jewelry at Borsheim's as he has in the past, nor will he be attending Sunday morning's 5-kilometer downtown run. One Berkshire officer assured the Omaha World-Herald that Buffett is "booked solid from Thursday to Sunday afternoon" with both public and private events. The only opportunity the public will have to see Munger will be on stage at the shareholders meeting on Saturday.
10. Warren Buffett Really Wants Everyone to Go to Dairy Queen
Berkshire Hathaway acquired Dairy Queen for $585 million in 1997. The following year, it sold 4,000 of DQ's ice cream bars at the annual meeting.
Shareholders will surely be able to pick up a Dilly Bar at this Saturday's meeting -- or win one in the newspaper competition against Buffett. But the Oracle of Omaha wants visitors to pay a visit to DQ beyond the event as well. The 2015 Visitors Guide lists 10 local Dairy Queen locations for attendees to stop by while in Omaha.
This article is commentary by an independent contributor. At the time of publication, the author held no positions in the stocks mentioned.


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THE MEDIA BUSINESS: ADVERTISING; No Smoke, No Foul? Critics Disagree
By Jane L. Levere
Published: August 9, 2006
FACED with proliferating smoking bans and declining cigarette consumption, Philip Morris USA and the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company are test-marketing new smokeless tobacco products, as is the U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company, the industry leader in the segment.
The products have already generated criticism, with industry watchdogs saying that smokeless tobacco provides an alternative in situations where smoking is prohibited. They also say the products will attract teenagers and young adults, many of whom are not smokers now.
None of the companies has claimed that the products are safer than cigarettes. Richard Carmona, a former surgeon general, told Congress three years ago that ''smokeless tobacco is not a safe alternative to cigarettes. Smokeless tobacco is a known human carcinogen.'' All three of the new products, which sell for $3 to $7 a container, package smokeless tobacco in pouches made of tea-bag-like material that is placed between the lip and the gum. The pouches are discarded after 10 minutes to half an hour and do not require spitting.
Smokeless tobacco sales in the United States are still relatively small -- according to Nik Modi, an analyst for UBS, they represent less than 10 percent of all tobacco sales, compared with an 80 percent share for cigarettes. But, Mr. Modi says, the growth potential is attractive; he estimates that smokeless tobacco sales will jump 7 percent this year.
Smokeless tobacco products ''are another way for cigarette manufacturers to diversify the mix and improve their margins,'' said Bonnie Herzog, an analyst with Citigroup. She says the operating margins of smokeless tobacco products can be 10 percent to 25 percent higher than those of cigarettes because of higher prices and cheaper manufacturing and promotion.
Philip Morris's Taboka and U.S. Smokeless Tobacco's Skoal Dry, part of its Skoal brand, are made in this country. Reynolds's product, Camel Snus, is named after its Camel brand and imported from Sweden. Blue Whale, based in King of Prussia, Pa., will introduce a fourth new product -- a smokeless tobacco substitute made of black tea and nicotine extract -- later this month.
Philip Morris USA, a unit of Altria, began testing Taboka in Indianapolis last month. A direct-mail campaign by Leo Burnett, part of the Publicis Groupe, features coupons offering a $2 discount.
Reynolds, a unit of Reynolds American, has been test-marketing Camel Snus in Austin, Tex., and Portland, Ore., since May, promoting it through a direct-mail campaign by Gyro Worldwide; offering free samples in bars; and starting a Web site, www.snuscamel.com, designed by Agent 16.
U.S. Smokeless Tobacco started test-marketing Skoal Dry in Austin, Tex., and Louisville, Ky., last month. The company is offering free samples and running ads, by Doe Anderson, in newspapers like The Courier-Journal in Louisville, The Austin American-Statesman and The Austin Chronicle. It also has a Web site, www.skoaldry.com, by Ryan iDirect.
Blue Whale's smokeless tobacco substitute retails for $5 a can and is not pouched. It will be introduced in Texas, Nebraska, Ohio and western Pennsylvania in August and September, and nationwide in November. Bill Whalen, president and chief executive of Blue Whale, said the company would spend $3.5 million on advertising in the first four states and an additional $10 million nationally.
Mr. Modi estimates that 92 percent of smokeless tobacco users are men. Blue Whale's TV and print ads, by 23k Studios, feature a woman's manicured hand suggestively lifting a can of Blue Whale from a man's rear jeans pocket. The company will also advertise outdoors and on radio, and offer free samples.
Some industry observers question whether Blue Whale's product falls under the jurisdiction of the Food and Drug Administration, as a food product that contains nicotine. (The F.D.A. does not regulate products that contain tobacco.) Blue Whale says the F.D.A. has told it that agency approval is not required for its smokeless tobacco substitute.
But Matthew L. Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, predicted that the F.D.A. would ultimately ban Blue Whale. ''Nicotine is a highly addictive substance,'' he said. ''While nicotine does not cause most tobacco-related disease, if it's delivered in high doses, it can cause significant health harms. Bottom line, nicotine is a substance that is not approved by the federal government for use in any food products.''
Laura Alvey, a spokeswoman for the F.D.A., said the agency might ''take a closer look'' at Blue Whale and its labeling ''and how it is marketing itself in order to determine if it falls under F.D.A.'s regulatory authority and it isn't in violation of any F.D.A. regulations.''
It remains to be seen how well any these products will sell. David Adelman, an analyst for Morgan Stanley, said ''it would be a mistake to underestimate how difficult it is to get people to change their tobacco-consumption habits.''
And their use remains subject to criticism.
Because the pouched tobacco products ''may be less harmful than other smokeless tobacco products and cigarettes, the question is, Why not suggest that people switch to them?'' said Thomas Glynn, director of cancer science and trends at the American Cancer Society. ''That's a very tempting argument, but it is a Pandora's box. There's a lot we don't know about. The products could encourage people to continue smoking who ordinarily would have quit.''
Mitch Zeller, a health policy consultant who was director of the office of tobacco programs at the F.D.A. during the Clinton administration, said the Web site for Camel Snus ''seems aimed at young adult males to get them to start using products.'' (The site says Reynolds found Snus in Sweden, ''home of the world's best meatballs, massage and blondes.'')
''That's not harm reduction, that's harm creation,'' Mr. Zeller said.
Photos: Blue Whale will offer a smokeless tobacco substitute this month.; Camel Snus, smokeless tobacco in a pouch, is made in Sweden.


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Scheduled to launch later this month, billie magazine will feature many familiar names from the fashion and shelter worlds such as photographers Matthew Williams, Paul Costello and Matt Albiani and writers Eliza Alsop and Stephen Treffinger. The first issue will include travel, home stories and market round-ups including the Texas country home of graphic designer Ashley Puttman.
The magazine's founder Lili Diallo (featured above), a former Domino stylist and author of Details: A Stylist's Secrets to Creating Inspired Interiors, will serve as the magazine's Editor in Chief, and Monika Biegler-Eyers, a former editor at Domino, has signed on to be Executive Editor at Large.
"It's a home magazine with lifestyle content as well. There will be lots of new faces that haven't been seen before," said Diallo. "It will not be too 'decorator-y' — it's more about a confident and natural person—but on the same note, won't shy away from 'It girls' we like."
The magazine will be online with monthly feature updates and more frequent market updates. Diallo is bootstrapping the project to start, and will consider seeking funding once the first few issues are underway.
Pottery Barn will host an event in its Beverly Hills store with Diallo, Costello and Goodman, as well as Elizabeth Blitzer and David Netto on October 25 next week.
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Leave your pet at home. That's the message from Salem Animal Control.
Last year the city enacted an ordinance which makes it illegal for people to leave their pet inside a car on days hotter than 80 degrees
"We're out here trying to save the pets," says Lt. Bill Bandy.
This summer they've handed out about 8 tickets.
Lt. Bandy says they do patrol shopping centers and parking lots but most of the time it starts with a phone call.
"Generally we get a complaint that there's a dog in a vehicle somewhere in a parking lot like Walmart," says Lt. Bandy.
Lt. Bandy says he hears a lot of excuses from people. Some say they were just running errands, others tell him their pet just likes to ride in the car.
Since the rule started last year, Lt. Bandy says the number of complaints have actually dropped.
"That tells me that people are getting educated through media outlets that sometimes we gotta love our pets enough to leave them at home," says Lt. Bandy.
The maximum fine is $500.


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JVC and Kenwood's new head units pack wireless Android Auto
Leave your phone in your pocket while you're driving.
Philips Hue lights will sync with music and games on your PC
It's also preparing a line of outdoor lights.
Facebook and Google will testify to Senate over terrorist content
Politicians want to know what internet firms are doing to fight extremism.
Meet the selfie drone that lives in your phone case
Selfly is a cute picture-taking robot from AEE.
Logan Paul may face ‘further consequences’ from YouTube
Paul posted a video of a suicide victim on the platform last month.
Huawei's Mate 10 Pro and its Porsche Design variant are coming to the US
Unlocked models will go on sale on February 18th.
Netflix brings HDR and surround sound to the Razer Phone this month
Watching 'Stranger Things' on the go is about to get a serious upgrade.
Google Wallet and Android Pay are finally united under one brand
Google Pay gives you one simple name to wrap your head around.
ASUS' latest ZenFone and its big battery will hit the US next month
Oh, and it has a really awkward name.


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Users looking for Lenovo IdeaPad laptops with 4K screens, some of the earliest laptops of their kind, are going to have to wait longer because they just shipped—but without 4K displays.
Initial IdeaPad Y50 (15.6-inch screen) and Y40 (14-inch screen) gaming laptops started shipping this month with high-definition 1920×1080-pixel screens. The 4K display option for the Y50 will be added in July, a Lenovo spokeswoman said in an email. A specific shipping date for the Y40 4K display was not immediately available.
The 4K displays will show images at four times the resolution of 3840×2160 pixels, making the laptops good for high-end gaming and multimedia. The laptops were demonstrated in January at the International CES.
TVs, monitors and cameras are already available with 4K, but other laptops with displays at that resolution are just being introduced. Toshiba in late April started shipping the $1,499 Satellite P55t with a 4K monitor, but it is now listed as not being available on Toshiba’s online store. Instead, the company is now shipping the more expensive 4K Satellite P50T-BST2N01 laptop, which starts at $1,799.
Display issues have plagued Lenovo in the past. In 2011, ghosting issues—in which images temporarily remained fixed on screens—affected ThinkPad X220 laptops. Lenovo had also delayed touchscreen options for some of its laptops, including the ThinkPad X240.
Lenovo was due to ship two 4K monitors—the ThinkVision 28 and the $799 ThinkVision Pro2840m—in April, but the products are not yet available. The ThinkVision 28 can also serve as an Android all-in-one desktop and has Nvidia’s Tegra processor.
The IdeaPad Y50 starts at $1,149.99, while the Y40 starts at $1,099. The 4K displays could raise the price of the laptops by a significant amount. Laptop screens have largely topped out at 3200 x 1800 pixels, such as in Samsung’s Ativ Book 9 Plus, Lenovo’s Yoga 2 Pro and Razer’s Blade gaming laptop.
The IdeaPad Y50 has Intel’s Core i7-4700HQ processor with a clock speed of 2.4GHz, and Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 860M graphics card. Other features include a 1TB hard drive, 8GB of RAM, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, two USB 3.0 ports and an HDMI slot. The more expensive models have touchscreens and more graphics memory.
The IdeaPad Y40 has an Intel Core i7-4500U processor running at 1.8GHz and an Advanced Micro Devices Radeon R9 M270 graphics card. The laptop’s features are similar to the Y50, but more solid-state drive storage options are offered. Microsoft Windows 8.1 ships standard with the Y50 and Y40 laptops.


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Smartphone evolution is steering so fast than users can actually catch up. The excitement around the 2014 releases hasn’t even cooled off, yet the news about 2015 models is already heating up in various publications.
There’s always something in the wings. No sooner a new smartphone is launched, than the next wrinkle in waiting becomes the new buzzword. Since 2014 has already ended, with nothing new expected to be released within the span of the remaining few days, which smartphones do you think will be the tower of strength in 2015?
RELATED ARTICLE: 10 Best Smartphones of 2014
Below i have listed the 7 smartphones to make a hit in 2015:
LG Flex 2
LG’s G3 was a huge success in 2014, but it’s not like LG is willing to let 2015 slide without creating a flagship to keep them in the lime light. Nope. At the moment, there are speculations about LG releasing another crack in 2015–LG Flex 2.
The phone, estimated to come with a 6-inch display and an extremely thin bezel, may be in the market anytime in January, 2015. It may as well be among the first few LG models to come with the company’s own homemade chipset.


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Attention all iPhone users!📣
Apple's latest version of its operating system, iOS 15 is finally out and waiting for you to install it!
We will share with you in this article the main new features of the iOS 15 and how you can install it.
What's so special about the iOS 15?
Skepticals might think that iOS 15 is identical to iOS 14 with one or two new features (Android users we're looking at you😒), but the below list will prove them wrong:
- FaceTime, Apple’s videoconferencing software, can now make calls to Windows and Android users
- Messages integration: A new section titled "Shared With You" is now added across Apple’s iOS apps—including Photos, Safari, Apple News, Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, and Apple TV. These sections are reference points for all the content shared with you by your contacts in Messages (and you can also send message responses from inside these apps, too).
- With iOS 15, Apple’s software can identify and provide users more information about animals, landmarks, plants and books that are in its Photos app. It also makes text inside the photos searchable, and users can even copy and paste text from a photo into a document.
- One of the biggest new features in iOS 15 "Focus" which is an upgrade to "Do Not Disturb" mode. Users can set up multiple Focus profiles for different situations such as home, work, or sleep. It will allow users to create special home screens so they can, for example, have different collections of apps for work or home. In addition, users can set custom notification rules for each one. There’s also the option to let other people know you’ve got notifications off when they try to text you.
- Apple Maps can now send "gentle reminders" to users notifying them when they need to get off the bus, train or subway before they miss their stop.
- iPhone's default browser, Safari, got its biggest redesign with iOS 15, bringing the address bar and back button from the top of the screen closer to the bottom to make it easier for thumbs to reach. It will also save groups of open tabs, so you can come back to them later, and supports extensions — just like Google Chrome or Safari on the desktop — for the first time through Apple’s app stores.
- Apple's Spotlight has a new look in iOS 15 with more photos, and Apple-provided information about TV shows, movies, musicians, and links that have been shared with the user.
- With iOS 15, Apple is redefining privacy for users! There's a new feature called “App Privacy Report” that will show users how often an app accessed their microphone or location over the last seven days. In addition, it will inform users if apps are phoning home to their own servers. Users who pay for iCloud will also get “iCloud Private Relay” which is a beta feature that is similar to a VPN and hides IP addresses. Apple’s Mail app can provide its users with random burner email addresses and hide tracking pixels that tell marketers whether an email has been opened or not.
- With iOS15, users can add their drivers' licenses and keys into the Wallet app, but it may be a while before all users can take advantage of these big new features.
- Siri is now faster than ever with iOS 15! It no longer needs to send data to a faraway server in order to understand what you’ve asked it. Now, it can do it on the device itself, which will lead to a snappier experience without a slight delay, as well as additional privacy — Apple won’t have access to all the recordings of your Siri requests anymore.
How to install iOS 15?
All you need is an iPhone SE (1st generation) or newer or an iPhone 6s or newer. And here’s what you do:
- Connect your compatible iPhone to Wi-Fi and power.
- Open Settings.
- Open General.
- Open Software Update.
- Tap Download and Install.
© 2000 - 2022 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)


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Printed from www.digitalmediafx.com
Digital Media FX News Archives
- August 28, 2001
Final Fantasy Performs
According to Daily Variety, In Italy, Final Fantasy "reaped about $277,000 on Friday and hit No. 1 in a field awash with newcomers, including heavyweights Spy Kids and Shrek."
is also performing strong in Spain (#2), Austria (#1) and Germany (#1).
This is good news for Square, which failed to interest U.S. audiences.
The movie could only muster a grand total of $32 million in the U.S..
It cost well over $100 million to create.
Gets Boost from Sega
"Sega is making video game history with the announcement of Sonic Adventure 2 for Nintendo GameCube," said Peter Moore, president and COO, Sega of America. "By bringing Sonic to Nintendo's platforms, Sega is delivering one of the world's most popular video game properties of all time to an even greater number of gamers worldwide. Continuing Sega's tradition of innovation, Sega also plans to be the first to deliver online gameplay to Nintendo GameCube with Phantasy Star Online."
Final Weekend Box
The gain/loss represents the movie's performance when compared to last weekend.
News Link of the
Day - Microsoft Delays Xbox Launch in Japan
said it is to delay the launch of its new Xbox game console in Japan until
February 22nd next year. The company said it wanted to concentrate its
efforts on the Xbox's US launch before rolling it out to other markets,
and denied that technical problems were behind the delay..."
These news articles and all digitalmediafx.com content are ©copyright 2001 by Joe Tracy and may not be reused for any purpose without expressed written consent of the author and Digital Media FX. All rights reserved.


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Intel has announced today that it is killing the well known "Pentium" and "Celeron" branding for its mobile processors releasing in 2023 and beyond. They will be replaced by a simple "Intel Processor" branding instead. The company states that the reason for this is to simplify its lower end product stack.
Josh Newman, Intel vice president and interim general manager of Mobile Client Platforms announced the change stating:
Whether for work or play, the importance of the PC has only become more apparent as the torrid pace of technological development continues to shape the world. Intel is committed to driving innovation to benefit users, and our entry-level processor families have been crucial for raising the PC standard across all price points. The new Intel Processor branding will simplify our offerings so users can focus on choosing the right processor for their needs.
Intel did not speak of desktop CPUs, so it is unclear if the branding will continue to be used for desktop SKUs or not.
The Pentium branding was introduced back in 1993 and Celeron followed five years later in 1998. While both of these are associated with entry level basic products today, the Pentium, especially, denoted mainstream and high performance parts at least until the Intel Core CPUs debuted in 2006.


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Will there be a digital audiotape (DAT) recorder in your near future, ready to make perfect (``digital domain``) copies of compact discs, tapes and records on palm-size cassettes?
Developers of the controversial DAT recorders were clearly bolstered last week by the findings of the National Bureau of Standards, which found faults in a system designed to limit the use and attractiveness of DAT decks. The anticopying system had previously won the support of the recording industry and also some members of the Congress.
``However, it`s still too early to tell if manufacturers will now be rushing to import their DAT decks to the U.S.,`` said Tom Friel of the Electronic Industries Association and Home Recording Rights Coalition. ``Our position is that there`s currently no legal reason not to bring in DAT. And we don`t think Congress will now be inclined to legislate against the consumer`s right to make DAT recordings at home.``
The National Bureau of Standards found that the CBS Copycode scanner system endorsed by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) did not always prevent taping of specially encoded programs and sometimes shut down recorders when nonencoded material was introduced. Furthermore, the government agency found that Copycode audibly distorted the sound of some musical recordings and could readily be bypassed by a competent engineer for approximately $100 in parts and labor costs.
The anti-DAT lobbyists are now reluctantly abandoning Copycode but will not give up their fight to ``preserve intellectual property,`` says RIAA President Jason Berman; however, his organization is now willing to discuss a ``compromise`` technical solution with DAT hardware manufacturers. It would give buyers of DAT decks the opportunity to make one digital copy of a CD, tape or LP for use in car or personal stereo applications but would not permit a DAT recorder to function as a mini-dubbing factory.
Called ``Unicopy`` by the RIAA, or ``Solo`` in a version previously proposed by Philips, this copy-limiting system installed in a DAT deck would read and memorize a special ID number that`s already encoded on each compact disc. The system would let the program pass through its gates once, then would lock up the recording circuitry if a second copying was attempted of the same program.
Philips` version could be quickly implemented, because it uses a memory chip already installed in some Magnavox and Philips CD players to store and recall 256 ``favorite`` tracks from a user`s disc library.
Major DAT hardware manufacturers recently met for a second time in London to discuss solutions to the DAT controversy and are reportedly giving ``Solo`` serious thought. Due largely to a boycott of DAT by most major software companies worldwide, the newly introduced, high-priced ($1,500-$2,500) DAT decks have been selling poorly in Europe and Japan. Sony chairman Akio Morita is spearheading the manufacturers` meetings and now sees both sides of the issue quite clearly as the new owner of CBS Records. Philips also has a hefty software interest to protect as major stockholder in Polygram.
To date, no DAT consumer recorders are available in the U.S., except on the gray market. Ford, Clarion and Alpine are beginning to offer DAT car stereo players, however, and a few small music labels-including GRP, DMP and Cappricio-are issuing titles on DAT cassette to feed the car decks.
One major tape maker, 3M, has indicated it will begin marketing DAT blank tape in June.


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Premier Foods readies Angel Delight ice-cream after 'successful' Facebook trial
By Sarah Shearman, marketingmagazine.co.uk, Monday, 30 April 2012 09:45AM
Premier Foods is to launch Angel Delight ice-cream mix in major retailers, following a trial launch on Facebook last year.
Last August, Marketing revealed the food giant had turned to Facebook to exclusively launch the "whisk and freeze" variant of its Angel Delight powdered dessert.
It gave away samples to Facebook users who liked the product and ran a six-week digital campaign to raise awareness of the product and suggest recipe ideas.
According to Premier Foods, Angel Delight's Facebook page received 49,000 "likes", 142,000 Twitter impressions and gave away 42,000 product samples.
The £1 ice-cream mix goes on sale this week in Tesco store. Retailers including Sainsbury's and Asda will also stock the product in the coming months.
Flavours available are expected to include Strawberry, Chocolate, Butterscotch, as well as the original flavour Vanilla.
Lisa Keogh, senior brand manager at Premier Foods, said the product had an "incredibly successful" social media launch.
She said: "We are confident the fun and excitement we have generated online can be translated into really strong sales."
The launch will be supported by PR and sampling activity.
Last month Premier Foods revealed that it reduced its consumer marketing spend by 19% last year to £25.6m.
It recently consolidated its creative agency roster, switching advertising duties on the eight brands from Dare and 101 into McCann London and JWT London.
Follow Sarah Shearman on Twitter @Shearmans
This article was first published on marketingmagazine.co.uk
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- 7Up kicks off global campaign with urban knitting ad
- Sainsbury's calls £60 million media review
- Brands use social media to congratulate F1 champion Lewis Hamilton
- VisitBritain crowdsources digital marketing campaign
- Zurich launches snowmen cinema campaign across Europe
- Cheil Worldwide buys Iris stake


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Latest Your Health Inc. Stories
About Your Health in Columbia, South Carolina is offering breast thermography specials in honor of Breast Health Awareness Month in October 2012. Columbia, SC (PRWEB) October 10, 2012 About Your Health Inc., a leading provider of natural health care education and holistic treatment, recently announced they are offering a special discount on breast thermography in recognition of Breast Health Awareness Month. During the month of October, the company will offer 50% off of breast...
- Exultant; jubilant; triumphant; on the high horse.
- Tipsy; slightly intoxicated.


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Video Slots Casino strikes Dreamtech deal
The impressive line-up of almost 5,000 games available to players will now feature Dreamtech's growing offering, which includes popular titles such as Legendary Tales, Book of Tao and Blood Wolf.
The studio, which holds UK and Malta licenses, has established a strong presence in the Asian market since it was founded in 2016, but it is now realizing its ambitions further afield thanks to its versatile casino content with unique game mechanics.
William Ahlberg, Head of Commercials at Video Slots Casino, said: "Adding Dreamtech's titles to the fold offers just the right kind of added quality and diversity our players demand.
"Video Slots Casino is exactly the right platform for new content such as this and we are very pleased to include them in our offering."
Dreamtech CEO Thomas Lu said: "What better place to further our reputation than Video Slots Casino?"
"It's a fantastic move for us both and we're sure that our range of visually striking and well-balanced games will go down a storm with their players."


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U.S. federal federal government nationwide safety panel has expressed concern about gay relationship software’s ownership
Chinese video video video gaming business Beijing Kunlun Tech Co. Ltd. is trying to offer Grindr LLC, the favorite gay relationship application this has owned since 2016, after a U.S. government nationwide protection panel raised issues about its ownership, relating to individuals knowledgeable about the situation.
The Committee on Foreign Investment in the usa (CFIUS) has informed Kunlun that its ownership of western Hollywood, California-based Grindr takes its nationwide risk of security, the 2 sources stated.
CFIUS’ concerns that are specific whether any effort ended up being designed to mitigate them could never be discovered. The usa happens to be app that is increasingly scrutinizing throughout the security of individual information they handle, particularly if a number of it involves U.S. military or intelligence workers.
Kunlun had stated final August it had been get yourself ready for a short general public providing (IPO) of Grindr. The sources said as a result of CFIUS’ intervention, Kunlun has now shifted its focus to an auction process to sell Grindr outright, given that the IPO would have kept Grindr under Kunlun’s control for a longer period of time.
Grindr has employed investment bank Cowen Inc. to carry out the purchase procedure, and it is acquisition that is soliciting from U.S. investment companies, in addition to Grindr’s rivals, in accordance with the sources.
Rare undoing of a finished purchase
The growth represents an uncommon, high-profile exemplory instance of CFIUS undoing a purchase which includes recently been finished. Kunlun took over Grindr through two split discounts between 2016 and 2018 without publishing the purchase for CFIUS review, based on the sources, rendering it susceptible to this kind of intervention.
The sources asked never to be identified as the matter is private.
Kunlun representatives would not react to needs for remark. Grindr and Cowen declined to comment. A spokesman for the U.S. Department associated with the Treasury, which chairs CFIUS, said the panel will not comment publicly on specific instances.
CFIUS’ intervention into the Grindr deal underscores its concentrate on the security of individual information, after it blocked the purchases of U.S. cash transfer business MoneyGram Global Inc. and mobile advertising company AppLovin by Chinese bidders within the last couple of years.
Private data has emerged as a main-stream concern of CFIUS.
– Jason Waite, worldwide trade and investment attorney
CFIUS doesn’t constantly expose the good reasons it chooses to block a deal into the businesses included, as performing this may potentially reveal categorized conclusions by U.S. agencies, stated Jason Waite, someone at law practice Alston & Bird LLP focussing from the regulatory components of worldwide trade and investment.
“Personal data has emerged being a conventional concern of CFIUS,” Waite stated.
The unraveling regarding the Grindr deal also highlights the pitfalls facing Chinese acquirers of U.S. businesses trying to bypass the CFIUS review system, that is based on voluntary deal submissions.
Past types of the U.S. buying the divestment of an organization after the acquirer didn’t apply for CFIUS review consist of Asia National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corporation’s purchase of Seattle-based aircraft component manufacturer Mamco in 1990, Ralls Corporation’s divestment of four wind farms in Oregon in 2012, and Ironshore Inc’s purchase of Wright & Co, a provider of expert obligation coverage to U.S. federal government workers such as for instance police force workers and nationwide protection officials, to Starr Companies in 2016.
Kunlun acquired a big part stake in Grindr in 2016 for $93 million. It bought out of the rest for the ongoing business in 2018.
Grindr’s founder and ceo, Joel Simkhai, stepped straight straight down in 2018 after Kunlun purchased the stake that is remaining the organization.
Kunlun’s control of Grindr has fueled issues among privacy advocates in the usa. U.S. senators Edward Markey and Richard Blumenthal delivered a page to Grindr year that is last responses when it comes to how a software would protect users’ privacy under its Chinese owner.
Kunlun is certainly one of Asia’s biggest mobile video gaming organizations. It absolutely was section of a buyout consortium that acquired Norwegian web browser business Opera Ltd for $600 million in 2016.
Launched in 2008 by Tsinghua University graduate Zhou Yahui, Kunlun additionally has Qudian Inc, a Chinese credit provider, and Xianlai Huyu, A chinese mobile video gaming business.


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Burgerology’s second annual Patchogue Beer Fest was a hit in Year 2.
The event, held last Saturday, brought in over 400 people to try local beer from across the island. There was also food, craft vendors and live music.
Below are even more. Scroll and tap the boxes to see them.


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As we predicted at the time, news arrives this morning that the QR recall previously affecting Trek bikes has now expanded to encompass more companies. Thirteen in total, all US-based, representing seventeen brands, and a total of around 1.5 million bikes. Working with various consumer safety groups, they’ve set up www.quickreleaserecall.com to explain the issue and offer a simple test to see if your bike is affected. As Brant advised in the comments to our last article, swapping the side your front QR tightens on is not a workaround to this issue.
Since hearing of this earlier, we’ve sought to clarify matters regarding the UK. So far, we’ve heard from Felt, Cannondale and GT that this recall is for US territories only and that, due to no reports of injuries caused by this issue, they are not issuing it in the UK. They did, however, stress the importance of checking your QRs before each ride.
Brands affected (in the US) are:
But, as we said, this is only currently being done in the US. In fact, Shimano has issued a statement on the matter. It states that “Shimano has posted a safety reminder about Shimano’s quick releases on the top page of its websites worldwide’ and that ‘Shimano’s quick releases, both steel and aluminium levers – are safe when uses as instructed in the safety manual that accompanies them.” and that while it will work to revise future QR levers so that they are in compliance with the proposed new standards, that it’s not recalling anything and that if you actually read the instructions, then there’s nothing to worry about.


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Samsung swaps Galaxy Note 7 for S Korea flyers
Samsung is operating booths at South Korean airports to let travelers swap their Galaxy Note 7 smartphones for free mobile rentals. The measure comes after a host of airlines worldwide banned the phones due to several spontaneously exploding.
Frequent flyer Mansour used Pakistani passport for trips, says media report
The official claimed that 'Wali' was a frequent flyer and 70 per ...
Indian flyers display rude behaviour: UAE report
The probe by the UAE authorities into the crash-landing of an Emirates flight at Dubai last ...
Flyers who frequently bring foreign currency put under CEIB scanner
About 32,600 CDFs filled up by passengers coming to India have been analysed by CEIB for disseminating intelligence related to financial crimes.
Arsenal's frequent flyer Alexis Sánchez
Somebody might one day explain to Alexis Sánchez the meaning of fatigue and burnout. Right now, he just doesn't get it.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Goods and Services Tax (GST)
GST is a single tax on the supply of goods and services, right from the manufacturer to the consumer.. Credits of input taxes are paid at each stage.
Laxmikant Parsekar defends Manohar Parrikar's frequent visits to Goa
Parsekar said BJP is confident that the alliance with Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) would continue in the upcoming assembly election.
Jet Airways asked to pay compensation to flyer
Jet Airways's counsel told the forum that the complaint did not fall under the purview of consumer forum and that the complainant was not consumer of the airlines.
Edward Snowden was a 'disgruntled' employee who had 'frequent conflicts with his managers': Report
Several prominent human rights groups have launched a campaign to convince President Barack Obama to pardon Snowden, who is living in Russia.
Frequent hacking queers pitch further for Twitter; crunch time for under-pressure CEO Jack Dorsey
Some famous twitter hacks include the accounts of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and of pop stars such as Kylie Jenner, Katy Perry and Drake.
Travel tips for frequent flyers
When travelling I make the best use of space. I keep a small backpack which can open up so that in case I have a lot of stuff while returning, it comes handy.
Mile high: Grooming tips for frequent flyers
The low humidity in aircraft cabins robs the skin of essential moisture and if you’re a frequent flyer, this can cause premature skin aging.
Air India, SpiceJet, IndiGo offer discounted fares to attract flyers
Air India cited that the offer can be availed on more than 250 domestic sectors for travel between August 22 and September 30, both days inclusive.
Lufthansa says some frequent flyer accounts hacked
The hackers used lists to try to match usernames and passwords - when one matched, they made purchases using the miles on the frequent flyer's account.
Aviation ministry announces slew of measures for flyers
The Modi government has ringed in some acche din for fliers by reining in runaway flight cancellation charges. Among the slew of flier-friendly measures announced, the aviation ministry said cancellation fees cannot exceed base fares.


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In a post on the official Windows Experience blog, Microsoft's Brandon LeBlanc has confirmed that the Windows 8.1 Update will become available on April 8—and that it will have all the desktop-friendly goodies the rumor mill teased. Among them:
LeBlanc says the Windows 8.1 Update will also cater to low-cost devices, enabling support for machines with just 1GB of RAM and 16GB of storage capacity. He says those systems will "provide customers with the experience they expect from a Windows device without sacrificing performance."
You can watch Microsoft pimp all these improvements in the video below, which is presented by Joe Belfiore, the company's VP of Windows Phone Program Management and Design. (No, I don't know why they didn't pick one of the regular Windows guys for the video.)
It's too bad the Start menu won't make an appearance in this update. Last we heard, the menu's return was planned for a future patch. Still, Microsoft seems to be listening to us desktop users again, and that's a good thing.
|Cooler Master's Mizar mouse reviewed||3|
|Cooler Master's Nepton 240M liquid cooler reviewed||11|
|AMD cuts A-series desktop processor prices||32|
|Get Shorty: Gigabyte intros mini GeForce GTX 970||16|
|Toshiba intros $330 notebook with 360-degree hinge||23|
|''Biggest ever'' iPhone launch drives strong Q4 Apple financials||58|
|IBM-GlobalFoundries deal faces regulatory hurdles||39|
|You can now pre-order Asus' $199 Win8.1 netbook||42|
|Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare needs 6GB of RAM and 55GB of storage||108|


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Benchmark websites like NenaMark are great places to discover new, unannounced devices and this week it looks like we’ve got an upgraded version of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. According to reports online, the phone was spotted on NenaMark’s benchmark listings; however instead of the TI OMAP 4460 with a PowerVR SGX 540 GPU found in the current Galaxy Nexus, it was listed as packing a PowerVR SGX 544 GPU – one that is found in the TI OMAP 4470 processor.
Now, there’s no way for us to confirm that it really is an upgraded Galaxy Nexus – it is possible to spoof the names of the GPU or the device (though why anybody would want to do that is another story). But with Sprint getting the Galaxy Nexus LTE later this year, there’s a chance that it could feature upgraded internals as well: after all, they’ve got to give folks a reason to pick up an older device. What do you think?
Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini Benchmark Results Leaked
Verizon 3G Prepaid Plans Data Cap Increased
Galaxy S4 Nexus Edition Reportedly Akin To T-Mobile Variant
Verizon Galaxy S4 Reportedly Being Shipped Ahead Of Schedule


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CNN Money reports that The Wall Street Journal says Apple has selected Cingular Wireless to provide wireless service for a new Apple-branded cellphone.
WSJ rarely gets it wrong. I tend to believe...
When Steve Jobs delivers his Macworld Expo keynote, we'll know more.
One question: will such a phone cannibalize iPod sales?


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Two high-end Canadian tourism companies are adding space to their list of exotic destinations.
Adventure Travel Company (ATC), in Toronto, and Montreal-based Uniktour will offer amateur astronauts rides on the suborbital Lynx spacecraft under development by Mojave, Calif-based XCOR Aerospace.
The companies, which offer personalized safaris and the like for well-to-do clients, are acting as agencies for Space Exploration Corp. (SXC). The Dutch marketing firm is selling Lynx tickets on behalf of XCOR, most notably for men's personal care product company AXE.
SXC chief commercial officer Reinhard Spronk said the move is a nod to the Canadian public's large interest in space, which is partly a result of the media attention paid to the nation's off-Earth robotics program, which contributed the huge Canadarm2 robotic arm and other assets to the International Space Station.
"Canada is a space-minded country, and many people can afford the $95,000 ticket price," Spronk told SPACE.com. "[Space] is a lot cheaper than it has ever been." [Inside the Private Lynx Space Plane (Photos)]
XCOR aims to get the first tourists into its Lynx space plane by the end of this year for high-altitude flights, and then offer regular suborbital flights above 62 miles (100 kilometers) in 2014. Spronk said XCOR has a history of meeting its posted expectations.
"They're reliable," he said, adding that the vehicle's rocket engines have been tested thousands of times and are ready to be put on the Lynx spaceship. The wings and cockpit will be installed in the coming months.
Uniktour's president, Philippe Bergeron, places so much faith in the technology that he plans to take the inaugural Uniktour test flight aboard a Lynx spacecraft himself in late 2013.
"It's the only technology in the world that allows rocket engines to open and shut during the flight," Bergeron told SPACE.com.
Uniktour ticket sales opened Feb. 1, and the firm has made two sales. Its primary market is in the Canadian province of Quebec; in the coming months, it will likely expand marketing to France, where a major shareholder is located.
ATC, which is marketing to the rest of Canada, is entering final negotiations with about a dozen customers since opening sales Feb. 5, Spronk said. More could be coming shortly.
There's a substantial price difference between the two firms: Uniktour's tickets range between $95,000 and $100,000, while ATC's offerings start at $142,000 Canadian ($141,840 at current conversion rates).
ATC's package includes a longer hotel stay and training, Spronk explained. Uniktour's clients can purchase training separately.
Ticket sales expanding worldwide
XCOR is running against rival Virgin Galactic to fly tourists to suborbital space first in the next couple of years. Several Canadians are among the roughly 550 customers who have signed up for a ride on Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo, which will cost $200,000 per seat.
XCOR's Lynx spacecraft will carry one passenger and one pilot per flight, flying up to four times a day from a conventional space runway. XCOR now has 205 customers standing in line for Lynx flights, Spronk said.
Sales opened in April 2011, he added, and have accelerated in recent months as the flight date approaches.
Most of SXC's Lynx clients are in mainland Europe, but the firm will ramp up marketing shortly in their "priority countries" of the United States, China, Russia, Brazil and the United Kingdom.
XCOR has kept fairly quiet about flight milestones since announcing its marketing partnershipwith SXC in mid-2012.
"Space, in a certain era, was something you saw and you were amazed [by], but perhaps you didn't feel like you were really going to be the one to participate in," Andrew Nelson, XCOR's chief operating officer, said in June 2012.
"But now, we can transfer ourselves into the faces and the names and the sights that we're seeing develop in front of us," Nelson added. "I think it's going to revolutionize the way we view space, the way we approach space, the way we create new industries."


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With the holiday season now upon us, Sports Media 101 and TiqIQ have decided to give back to the fans. Therefore, this week, we’ll be holding a holiday ticket grab bag giveaway where fans can win tickets to any of the following games:
Want Free Cincinnati Bengals Tickets? Here’s Your Chance to Win SomeDecember 20th, 2011 at 11:14 AM
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E3 2010: Medal of Honor Multiplayer Beta Launching Next Week
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 VIPs can get in on the action June 17 -- June 21 for everyone else.
Producer Sean Decker showed off a live, 24-player multiplayer demonstration of the new Medal of Honor at EA's press conference today. They also revealed plans to release the multiplayer beta to the public next week, June 21.
The brief PlayStation 3 demo was set in the Kabul City Ruins multiplayer map and showcased the team deathmatch mode. It seems the multiplayer devs at DICE have left their mark on the franchise; the UI had a very Battlefield: Bad Company 2 vibe, complete with players earning experience and special ribbons for in-game accomplishments.
EA also revealed that Battlefield: Bad Company 2 VIP members will get early access to the Medal of Honor beta on June 17 if they preorder the game as part of the company's new Gun Club initiative. Look for Medal of Honor on retail shelves this October 12.


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Maruti Suzuki to double existing sales network in India by 2020
Maruti Suzuki India has officially announced that it intends to double its existing sales network by 2020. Currently, the dealer network of India's largest carmaker comprises of 1,820 traditional dealerships spread across 1,470 cities. The company is planning to add another 200 dealerships in the current fiscal which will increase the total number to over 2,000.
The carmaker expects that increasing the sales network will help them in attaining their goal of selling 20 lakh units by 2020. To attain this goal, Maruti will also be expanding their product portfolio. The Maruti Ignis and the Maruti Baleno RS are expected to be launched this year. Previously Suzuki Motor Corporation has revealed its plan of introducing around 15 new models in India to attain the sales target.
RS Kalsi, executive director of marketing and sales, Maruti Suzuki India commented, "We are looking at doubling the sales outlets to 4,000 by 2020. This is in line with the ambition to sell two million units by 2020."
Apart from their traditional dealerships, Maruti is also aiming to inaugurate another 250 Nexa outlets in the current fiscal. Around 40,000 vehicles have been sold through Nexa dealerships. Maruti Suzuki expects Nexa dealerships to contribute around 15 per cent of its annual sales by 2020.
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SECAUCUS, N.J. (AP) _ Vitamin Shoppe Inc. (VSI) on Wednesday reported first-quarter net income of $3.5 million, after reporting a loss in the same period a year earlier.
The Secaucus, New Jersey-based company said it had net income of 15 cents per share. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring costs, were 21 cents per share.
The nutritional supplement retailer posted revenue of $283.3 million in the period.
Vitamin Shoppe shares have climbed 19% since the beginning of the year. The stock has climbed 23% in the last 12 months.
This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on VSI at https://www.zacks.com/ap/VSI