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Game publisher Activision and game producer Infinity Ward have announced that their new game, the hotly-anticipated Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 , has become the biggest game launch in history with estimated sales of $310 million in North America and the United Kingdom in the first 24 hours. This according to internal estimates at Activision.
As you probably know, unless you’ve been living in a cave, Modern Warfare 2 was released on Tuesday, November 10th at over 10,000 retail outlets in the U.S. which held midnight openings to meet consumer demand. In its first day, it sold approximately 4.7 million copies in just North America and the United Kingdom, again according to internal Activision estimates.
Obviously, the folks at Activision were pretty excited about all of this.
“The shattering of these entertainment records is a testament to the compelling, cinematic and uniquely engaging experience that the Call of Duty brand delivers,” said Mike Griffith, CEO, Activision Publishing, Inc. “Modern Warfare 2 has taken interactive experience to unprecedented heights setting a new standard for entertainment.”
Works for us. Hey, we got our copies of the game here at The Flickcast HQ gaming lounge, how about you?


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T-Mobile fans will be dismayed to find out there's a problem with the Nokia 5610 XpressMusic... the screens on the launch handsets are faulty.
Which has meant that not only have the T-Mobilers had to stop selling the handset in stores AND send back all the demo units, the network has also been forced into recalling the handsets it has already sold.
Fixed but flawed
Apparently Nokia has already fixed the error according to the TmoNews Forums, but all of the handsets T-Mobile snaffled when the service was announced were manufactured prior to the fix. Eek.
It's unknown whether T-Mobile is going to be getting in fresh and fixed supplies of the dud handsets, as customers can now only get the Nokia 6301 or 5310 as a replacement, albeit with up to around £35 of credit as a way of saying sorry.
No word on whether this is a worldwide problem, but it's not a good thing to happen when the mobile phone world is in something of a state of flux thanks to the troubling economic times.

domain: news


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- WHITE PAPERS
SPARTA, Ky.—Domino's Pizza has been named the "official pizza" of the 70,000-seat Kentucky Speedway.
According to a news release, under the terms of the three-year agreement, Domino's receives category exclusivity, vending rights and signage at the $152-million venue, along with grandstand tickets, advertising and other promotional considerations. Financial terms were not disclosed.
The speedway, located between Louisville, Ky., and Cincinnati, hosts several large auto racing events throughout the spring and summer, including annual visits by NASCAR's Busch Series and the Indy Racing League.
"We know race fans are also huge fans of great pizza, so this partnership allows Domino's the wonderful opportunity to deliver the great taste of Domino's Pizza to Kentucky Speedway fans," said Greater Cincinnati Domino's franchisee Lou Metro in a news release.
Topics: Domino's Pizza


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How an Art Gallery Raised Venture Capitalby
Earlier this year we wrote about online art gallery 20x200 in our series profiling some of America’s Most Promising Startups. Founder Jen Bekman bootstrapped the site, which sells fine art and photography prints at affordable prices, into a profitable business with $1.2 million in revenue in 2008.
Online art retailers aren’t the kind of businesses venture capitalists typically fund. But Bekman just raised $825,000 to build out the business.
Here’s Tony Conrad, partner at True Ventures, in the NY Times:
“I love the idea of taking the friction out of the art world,” said Mr. Conrad. “A lot of people want to buy nice things, but don’t know how. Jen has built a business from that, which is growing very nicely and has a lot of repeat customers.”
“This really feels like a business that can disrupt the staid approach in the art world and make it more broadly accessible.”
Sell fine art prints over the Internet? No VC would seed this idea, most wouldn’t even take a meeting. This is one of those cases where execution made the difference. Bekman made it work from scratch. Now 20x200 has a track record and cash coming in. Now she can raise money to expand.
Cash flow positive. Growing revenue. Disruptive business model. If you’ve got those three things in place, it may not matter whether you’re the kind of business VCs typically fund.
Update, Oct. 27:
A few readers in the comments have asked for more detail about Bekman’s story, so I’m pasting our earlier piece on 20x200 below. You can also check out Tony Conrad’s post on why he invested.
Her Web site is officially called 20x200, but founder Jen Bekman calls her online mart the gateway drug to the art world. The Manhattan gallery owner launched the site in September 2007 to sell limited-edition prints and photography at prices low enough to attract first-time collectors, starting at $20 for a print from a run of 200. Bekman, 39, worked for Internet companies including Meetup before opening Jen Bekman Gallery, where prices range from $1,000 to $20,000. She bootstrapped the now-profitable Net venture for less than $1,000, with the help of contacts who donated time get the site running. She now runs it with a staff of five (plus contractors), who also operate her gallery and a third venture, photo competition Hey, Hot Shot! that leads her to many of the photographers for 20x200. She splits profits 50-50 with the artists, and her art-world cred assuages artists’ fears that their work will be commoditized. “People know that I am not just moving product,” she says. But the product moves nonetheless. The e-gallery has shipped more than 40,000 prints, with $1.2 million in revenue in 2008.


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Yen Hai Nguyen - Inside Retail Asia
Vietnam grocer Saigon Co.op has revealed an ambitious store rollout program for 2017.
Chinese smartphone brand Xiaomi Vietnam has launched.
Vietnamese retailers have been offered a helping hand in expanding regionally by the Singapore Retail Center of Excellence.
As Vietnam’s economy grows the Vietnam milk tea market has become a battleground for foreign franchises.
A Dolce & Gabbana pop-up store in Ho Chi Minh City marks the first step towards a permanent presence in the country.
Vietnam’s Mobile World plans to open 300 more grocery stores under the Bach Hoa Xanh banner this year.
Taiwanese bubble-tea brand Sharetea has launched into Vietnam with a store in Ho Chi Minh City.
Vietnam retail sales reached $117.6 billion in 2016, according to the General Statistics Office.
Aeon Vietnam has launched an online store, AeonEshop.com, offering discounted Japanese goods and local brands.
Jollibee Foods Corp’s subsidiary JSF Investment and its partner Viet Thai International plan to list the Highlands Coffee business on the Vietnam stock exchange.
The last Hanoi Parkson department store has been closed after eight years of trading.
Central Group Vietnam plans to invest $30 million to boost its store network.


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Feral meat – the future of sustainable Australian diet?
Vegetarian, vegan and pescatorian may all sound familiar, but how about pestatarian?
New research shows the rise of pestatarian, who eats feral meat for ethical and environmental reasons.
Dr Catie Gressier, a cultural anthropologist at the University of Melbourne who has studied people’s attitudes towards eating game meat, says hunting can be an ethical and sustainable alternative to traditional farming.
Reporter Yuzuha Oka also spoke to Matt Godson from Sporting Shooters’ Association of Australia about kangaroo as sustainable meat source.
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A proposed change to labeling of non-dairy milk products has been raised by the dairy industry. Panorama reporter Kasia Kosidlo spoke to Dairy […]


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Apple’s behaviour is anticompetitive and has gotten worse, not better: Tile
Tile Inc, which helps users find lost items, told a congressional panel on Wednesday that Apple failed to live up to promises aimed at resolving a dispute between the two companies
Tile Inc, which helps users find lost items, told a congressional panel on Wednesday that Apple failed to live up to promises aimed at resolving a dispute between the two companies and introduced requirements that would hurt their business.
The smart-tracker maker was one of four companies that testified against the big tech platforms - Tile focused on Apple - in a January hearing in Colorado of a panel of the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee.
At the time, Tile's General Counsel Kirsten Daru said that the company had initially had a mutually beneficial relationship with Apple which deteriorated last year amid signs that Apple planned to bring out a similar product.
"Unfortunately, since that hearing, Apple's anti-competitive behaviors have gotten worse, not better," Tile said in a statement to the committee posted online on Wednesday.
Tile had objected to Apple requiring its users to repeatedly agree to allow Tile to operate in the background, which is crucial to Tile's service. Without background location access, Tile's app can only detect when a user loses keys or a wallet if they happen to lose it while the app is open.
"Despite Apple's multiple promises to reinstate 'Always Allow' background permissions option for third party apps' geolocation services, Apple has not yet done so," Tile said.
Tile also said that there were indications that Apple planned to update its Find My product, adding hardware, so it would be a competitor to Tile.
Apple declined comment but pointed to a response it made to the committee in February which said that iOS 13 was aimed at strengthening privacy practices by reminding users that a third-party app is potentially using their location data.
Apple's Find My app enables background location tracking, Tile said, without these reminders.


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iPad Pro 2 Release Date, Specs, Features, News & Update: Apple Tablet Arriving With iPhone 8 In March 2017? OLED Display Expected
Apple iPad Pro 2 is one of the most anticipated tech releases that are expected to arrive in 2017; however, the Cupertino based company has continued to stay silent with regard to its development and launch date. Nonetheless, several reports from different publication have revealed some of the important details about the tablet including its specs and features. Now, new reports have surfaced suggesting that iPad Pro 2 will arrive in the market in three variations.
In a report by GamenGuide, the new iPad Pro 2 is going to surprise a lot of tech observers once it becomes available. According to the publication, the new tablet will feature an OLED flexible screen to improve user experience and make it more user friendly compared to the others in the competition. There are speculations suggesting that it will run on Apple's latest A10X processor paired with advanced specs under the hood including a much improved battery system.
According to the report, the three new variants of iPad Pro 2 will differ in sizes - 10.5-inch variant, 9.7-inch entry level model and a much larger high-end 12.9-inch model. All devices are expected to carry the same specs under the hood and run on Apple's newest iOS operating system.
As of the moment, reports are circulating that the new iPad Pro 2 is currently in the works and Apple is expected to make an official announcement before the year ends. However, the company has yet to confirm its development, which makes some fans to question the legitimacy of these reports. Nonetheless, industry observers believe that Apple will soon provide concrete details with regard to its next tablet release.
Meanwhile, according to PC Advisor, the upcoming iPad Pro 2 will be released in March 2017; however, the publication has yet to confirm its specs and features. There are also speculations suggesting that the device might arrive along with Apple's upcoming iPhone 8 and Apple Watch 3. Stay tuned for more news and updates about iPad Pro 2 and other upcoming Apple releases.


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How much will Starboard's Office Depot playbook resemble the one for AOL?
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Starboard at one point had a 5.3 percent stake in AOL (NYSE: AOL), but failed to get directors on the board. Starboard's stake has fallen to 3.06 percent as of June 30, according to a listing on Yahoo.
One question is whether Boca Raton-based Office Depot (NYSE: OD) could end up having a tense proxy fight like the one Starboard sparked at AOL.
Office Depot isn't a stranger to proxy fights. Fort Lauderdale's BFC Financial failed in its attempts to get two directors named to Office Depot's board after launching a proxy fight in 2008. BFC (NASDAQ: BFCFB) booked a $6.7 million gain on its 1.4 million shares of Office Depot when they were sold in 2009.
Office Depot appears to have a friendlier interaction with BC Partners, which made a $350 million investment for a 20 percent stake and gained three seats on its board.
BC's website indicates Office Depot is still part of its portfolio and I found at least two directors connected to BC. They could be important as to whether Starboard gain's any traction in its action.
Mudslinging at AOL
The AOL proxy heated up May 3 when the company sent out a press release that was headlined, "Starboard’s Misleading Proxy Campaign is Not in the Best Interests of Stockholders."
"Despite the fact that AOL’s stock price has increased by more than 100 percent since Starboard first began to acquire its position, Starboard continues to advocate a short-sighted approach that would result in the effective liquidation of the company by significantly weakening its product offering and attractiveness to advertisers, and has never offered any viable strategy or vision for the future of the company," the press release said. "In what we are convinced is a blatant attempt to force that misguided approach upon AOL, Starboard has issued a barrage of materially false and misleading statements targeted at AOL’s stockholders as part of a campaign to elect their handpicked directors to AOL’s Board."
Kevin Gale is editor in chief of the South Florida Business Journal
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Founded in 1907
At Bucharest, Romania from 13th to 14th of November 2015 a symposium, organized by international organization ProGlobal Science Association(PGSA) and a magazine Review of Applied Socio-Economic Research, took place.
Anna Dokukina, associate professor of Industry Economics, took an online participation at this event. The presentation of the report on a topic of "Strategic-based Integration of Modern E-Techniques in the Company's Operations: Experience and Prospects" that is posted in symposium materials and on this website. The article is going to be published in one of the upcoming REASER editions.


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Last year, Coca-Cola launched the Journey website as its own media outlet, using an editorial, image-heavy format.
Fuelled by the brand's Content 2020 plan, the redesign was described as 'the most ambitious rethink of Coca-Cola’s web properties' since it launched the first website in 1995.
The company has gone from being declared 'creatively bankrupt' by a chief exec in 2004 to being named Creative Marketer of the Year at Cannes in 2013.
But the brand hasn't stopped there. One of its goals is to 'kill the press release', reducing the number of press releases by half by the end of this year and wanting them gone entirely by 2015.
Another recent development is the launch of its own blogger contributor network, similar to LinkedIn's Influencer programme, but focusing on new talent instead of 'big names', called 'The Opener'.
Via Le Contenu.fr


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Next time you find yourself re-watching “The Princess Bride,” you could be noshing on truffle fries in reclining leather chairs, instead of curled up in bed wearing PJs.
In September, luxury movie theater Cinepolis is launching a permanent weekly film series, highlighting cult classics, oldies and even pre-recorded musical performances.
For a discounted price every Tuesday night, guests will be able to watch their favorite old movies at Cinepolis Jupiter as part of the Handpicked film series. All of the featured titles will have been selected by Cinepolis USA and its guests, according to a Cinepolis representative.
“Cinepolis Handpicked was designed to offer guests a unique outing at their favorite theater with more options to choose from,” the rep said.
Cinepolis Jupiter will offer two showtimes: 7 p.m. in the Cinepolis auditorium, and 7:30 p.m. in the Cinepolis Luxury Cinema auditorium, which features fully reclining leather seats and in-theater waiter service. Tickets will be sold at matinee prices ($14.75 for adults, or $12.75 for children and seniors for the luxury cinema).
The following films are on deck for the month of September:
- Tuesday, Sept. 1: “The Princess Bride”
- Tuesday, Sept. 8: “Jaws”
- Tuesday, Sept. 15: “Blade Runner: The Final Cut”
- Tuesday, Sept. 22: “Casablanca”
- Tuesday, Sept. 29: “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World”
Concert screenings of performances at London’s Royal Opera House on Wednesday nights will also be a part of the Handpicked rotation. Admission to these screenings will cost the same as an adult evening movie ticket. The concert schedule is being finalized and will be available online at cinepolisusa.com.
In addition to a gourmet menu and curated craft beer program, moviegoers can enjoy Cinepolis USA’s new exclusive lines of cabernet and sauvignon blanc.
Cinepolis recently partnered with Sonoma Wine Company to develop its own private-label wine, designed with the slogan, “Sit back, relax, escape.” It is now available at all four Florida locations, including Jupiter, for $9 a glass or $30 per bottle, and is also offered at five other Cinepolis luxury cinemas in Southern California.
Cinepolis Jupiter; 201 U.S. 1, Jupiter
Correction: A previous version of this story stated that the Cinepolis private-label wine will be sold at four Florida locations and two Southern California cinemas. It will be offered at all five Cinepolis luxury cinemas in Southern California and sold at a higher price ($10/glass and $37/bottle).


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For toy makers it is never too early to think about Christmas and that is what they have been doing at New York’s International Toy Fair, which is the industry largest gathering.
A big trend this year was traditional favourites adapted for high-tech use, like on tablet computers.
Adrienne Appel, a trend specialist with the fair’s organisers, the Toy Industry Association, said: “When you have these physical toys, they kind of bring everybody back together around the table. It’s a true family game night.”
There were over 100,000 toys on display at the event with the makers of the new entries hoping they would have the wow factor to become a hit.
Or you could go with products that are already guaranteed sellers, such as tie-ins with successful movies.
The distributor of Star Wars merchandise is hoping the re-release in 3D of the latest Star Wars films will drive sales.
Robyn Morgan is licensing director for Underground Toys: “With these products we’ve really been able to expand our distribution in a way that we couldn’t with another licence that doesn’t have the broad appeal that Star Wars brings to the products we make.”
Makers of traditional toys will be hoping that there is still room for their wares among the apps and the high-tech tie-ins.
Analysts say the toy industry has remained resilient even in tough economic times, though manufacturers remain worried after last holiday season when toy sales fell three per cent in the United States.


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An estimated 900 million bottles of Italian sparkling wine were sold in 2021, with sales in foreign markets up by 20%, new data has shown.
Production value exceeded €2.4 billion for the first time, and is up by 170% over the past decade, according to data published by the Italian Wine Union (UIV) - Ismea Observatory.
Sparkling wine now accounts for about one-quarter of total Italian wine exports.
Sales of Italian sparkling wine in the large-scale distribution channel in Italy for the first eleven months of 2021 grew 22% in volume and 26% in value, year-on-year.
Over 316 million bottles were consumed during the end-of-year festivities, up 18.3% on 2020 and 50% higher compared to five years ago.
Of this number, almost three out of four were sold abroad, while some 88 million bottles (+14%) were consumed by Italians.
Christmas And New Year Spend
The total spent on Italian sparkling wine for Christmas and New Year’s Eve amounted to €236 million, setting a new record.
In addition, Italians uncorked around five million bottles of imported sparkling wines, a 50% increase on 2020.
All the main Italian denominations saw double-digit growth, including Prosecco DOC (+25%), Asti, Franciacorta, Conegliano DOC, Trento, Oltrepò, Alta Langa, Lessini Durello and Colli Asolani.
Meanwhile, according to research by Italian farmers lobby group Coldiretti, the main importers of Italian sparkling wine are the United States (+44% in volume), followed by the UK (+12%), Germany (+2%), France (+16%), Russia (+52%), China (+29%) and Japan (+18%).
However, additional growth is weighed down by the presence of numerous imitations of Italian sparkling wine (prosecco), such as in Germany where bottles of Kressecco and Meer-Secco are on sale.
Elsewhere, a final decision of the European Commission is still expected on the registration of the traditional Croatian wine Prosek, whose name recalls the Italian sparkling wine.
© 2022 European Supermarket Magazine. Article by Branislav Pekic. For more Drinks news, click here. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.


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One hundred and seventeen new emojis have been designed, and are set to be released to android and IOS users. Emojis are visual representations of an emotion, object or symbol used by smartphone users to communicate among themselves.
This is an update and addition to the many other emojis that are already in existence. The new additions include the black cat, bubble tea, a smiling face with a tear, bottle-feeding parents, a disguised face, pinched fingers, anatomical heart, people hugging, a woolly mammoth, a fly, a potted plant, flatbread.
All human-like emojis will have a skin tone option similar to previous ones. This option gives users the option to select emojis that suits their skin tone.
The new symbols will expand on the existing ones, helping users to express themselves better and clearer.
The new set, which includes a total of 117 new pictograms, will be released later this year. The final say lies with manufacturers of smartphones to incorporate them via a software update.


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Operation Yellowhammer sounds like the sort of campaign name that a Risk player geed up on fizzy drinks and sugary treats might use as they seek to bulldoze their way to a coup in Africa.
In reality, Operation Yellowhammer is instead a series of contingency plans designed by a private government cabinet to minimise the damage caused by a No Deal Brexit.
The details in the papers are really rather concerning, and so it’s no wonder that Boris Johnson and his ministers wanted to keep them private.
However, MPs went to the polls in the Commons on Monday, and overwhelmingly they voted in favour of the Operation Yellowhammer documents being published. It was yet another hammer-blow, if you’ll pardon the pun, to Boris’ early days on Downing Street.
As mentioned, the details are, erm, ‘illuminating’, and while such notions can be taken with a slight pinch of salt – these are ‘worst case assumptions’ – these are some of the things we can all look forward to in this brave new world.
The humble food shop will never be the same again, according to Operation Yellowhammer, with the cost of many food products set to rise.
That’s because much of our fresh produce comes from EU based suppliers, who are able to send fruit and veg over at the current prices we pay in the shops.
But with import duty set to rise as well as delays at the border, much of this produce will not make it to the UK – and for that which does there will be a price bounty put on its head.
Other ‘critical dependencies for the food chain’ may be in short supply, and as we know from the supply-and-demand curve that pushes prices up as well.
The government is not planning for food shortages, according to the documents, but they are trying to come up with strategies to tackle what will be a decreasing availability of popular products, while others will increase in price – affecting low-income families and the vulnerable.
Helen Dickinson, of the British Retail Consortium, said: “Fresh food availability will decrease, consumer choice will decrease, and prices will rise.”
Not to alarm anybody, but Operation Yellowhammer also suggests that public disorder could be a major problem as communities become even more divided on Leave and Remain lines.
As a result, protests and counter protests are likely – particularly given how the government has handled prorogation and negotiations with the EU, and these have the potential to be long-lasting and violent.
Another interesting aside of Brexit, and one that hasn’t garnered all that many column inches, is that information shared between law enforcement officials in the UK and the EU might be delayed or not forthcoming at all – that will only help to toughen the task of policing the streets.
Healthcare and Medicine
Many of the chief suppliers of medicines to the UK are in the EU, which makes the supply of much-needed drugs and treatments more difficulty to manage.
The other concern is the delay at the borders in terms of getting goods across the Channel and into the country via Dover. The papers warn of ‘significant disruption’ that could last up to six months as new import/export protocols are agreed.
The minutiae is that lorries and delivery trucks could be delayed for more than 48 hours, and that could be crucial – particularly if the UK is subject to any kind of flu epidemic or similar this winter, or the complications that come flooding or severely cold weather.
On a similar note, Operation Yellowhammer documents also suggest that some adult social care providers ‘could fail’ with the supply of low-cost workers diminished.
Do you want the bad news or the even worse news?
The bad news is that some energy companies will be forced to leave the market due to the Brexit divorce bill.
And the even worse news is that those suppliers left behind will be able to increase their prices – it’s supply and demand, y’all.
Those instances will occur if the UK leaves the EU’s single energy market, which is a possibility in a No Deal.
The government has said it won’t impose tariffs on gas and electricity coming into the UK, but the price increases are still likely to come at the supply end.
And importing energy will become more expensive if the value of the pound continues to fall.
But it’s not all doom and gloom: water supply is unlikely to be affected! I’ll put up the bunting while you fetch the party snacks.
As ever, it will be low income families that are likely to be worse affected, disproportionately, to anyone else, and Operation Yellowhammer even warns of businesses going bust – particularly high street retailers, and the development of an old-school ‘black market’ for a cheaper supply of goods and services.
Still, at least we’ll have our independence, right guys? Right?


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The robot arm was set up in a glass booth in Stockholm Central Station where passersby could watch 1000 items of clothes being splattered with lingonberry jam, chocolate drink and tomato ketchup.
The robot was controlled via a Facebook page, which anyone living in Denmark, Finland, Norway or Sweden could log on to and direct the robot.
Individual users had a brief period to control the robot and aim it at clothing passing by on a runner. If they hit an item, it was washed and then delivered to them to prove the stain was removed.
The activity, created by Saatchi & Saatchi Stockholm, is part of a wider digital campaign running across Sweden, Denmark and Norway.


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As much as I would love to have gone, it's good to know that Gen Con is only going from strength to strength. Forbes reports that the world famous tabletop gaming convention last week drew a crowd of 56,614 - a 14% increase on last year and double that of five years ago.
Is this growth caused by a resurgence in gaming popularity over the years? Because of self-publishing there have been a tonne of new companies popping up recently, meaning that more tastes are catered for. When shows like Geek & Sundry, something that would have once been considered underground, get millions of dollars in funding, then you have to think about how far tabletop gaming has come.


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Nintendo DSi will be shipping overseas "by summer 2009," narrowing the previous US launch window of "well into 2009" set by Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. According to Reuters, Iwata said, "Specific plans will be unveiled by our local subsidiaries, but an autumn or year-end launch would probably be too late."
As of this writing, the DSi is now officially available in Japan. The DS Lite's launch spawned some iconic photographs of people waiting in seemingly endless lines to pick up the portable. That doesn't seem to be the case this time. According to ground reports from IGN, many stores in Tokyo opted to take only pre-orders and/or set up raffles where winning customers could come by at anytime that day to pick it up. Hype-inducing photo ops: Denied.


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The Grammy Awards highlighted this problem. The social media matrix Social media users continue to use a relatively diverse array of platforms. With the invention of social media, the marketer no longer has to focus solely on the basic demographics and psychographics given from television and magazines, but now they can see what consumers like to hear from advertisers, how they engage online, and what their needs and wants are.
Midday posting works best Sunday through Friday. Although the second route can be significantly shorter it also holds more risk particularly in the legal department.
But the social media story extends well beyond Facebook. Many Americans learn the significance of historical events and political issues through news media, as they are presented on popular news stations.
A social media post by an opinion leader can have a much greater impact via the forwarding of the post or "liking" of the post than a social media post by a regular user. Advertising is beginning to move viewers from the traditional outlets to the electronic ones.
With the exception of those 65 and older, a majority of Americans across a wide range of demographic groups now use Facebook.
When a University of Cincinnati student disappeared inhis friends and family used social media to organize and fund a search effort. Saturday has the least amount of engagement for nonprofits. Instagram users under 25 spend approximately 32 minutes a day on the app—so think of all the midday lulls when users are picking up the phone to check their feed.
IPO, lawsuits and one-billionth user Main article: When social events occur and are broadcast on television, there is often a time delay between airings on the east coast and west coast of the United States. Due to a change in how this question was asked, this figure is not directly comparable to a previous measure collected in Thus, the marketers see it as a potential platform to expand their brands exposure to the public, especially the younger target group.
However, a poor service will result in a negative consumer review which can potentially harm the company's reputation. At the same time, younger Americans especially those ages 18 to 24 stand out for embracing a variety of platforms and using them frequently.
An understanding of buying signals can help sales people target relevant prospects and marketers run micro-targeted campaigns. Created a Tumblr page, labeling it "Every color has a story" with the website name: Approximately one month after the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martinits online coverage by everyday Americans garnered national attention from mainstream media journalists, in turn exemplifying media activism.
The Center has asked about the use of five of these platforms Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Pinterest in several previous surveys of technology use. WhatsApp joined Facebook inbut continues to operate as a separate app with a laser focus on building a messaging service that works fast and reliably anywhere in the world.
This notion is no different for those in the tech industry. You can stay connected to the National Archives through Facebook! Many of our offices and project teams maintain Facebook accounts to share information with the public about our activities.
We encourage your input, but please be aware of our policies concerning comments on Facebook. The National Labor Relations Act protects the rights of employees to act together to address conditions at work, with or without a union.
This protection extends to certain work-related conversations conducted on social media, such as Facebook and Twitter. 12 Overlooked Facebook Features That Help Marketers by Julia Bramble on Social Media Examiner. #1: Customize Your News Feed The Facebook algorithm and the posts that get shown in the news feed can be a constant source of frustration.
The Social Media Marketing podcast is designed to help busy marketers, business owners, and creators discover what works with social media marketing. In this episode, I interview Andrew Foxwell.
He’s a Facebook ads expert who runs Foxwell Digital, an agency for direct-response eCommerce brands. He. The Social Media Marketing podcast is an on-demand talk radio show from Social Media Examiner. It’s designed to help busy marketers, business owners, and creators discover what works with social media marketing.
Caitlin explains how to choose a niche for your Facebook group that complements your. Nov 01, · Facebook believes that Stories are the future of social sharing.
The usage trends reflect this, the adoption rates are strong - just this week, in fact, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg noted that Stories and private messages are the company's " fastest growth vectors ".Social media facebook


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Assemble your friends and try out Blizzard Overwatch for free during the Open Beta May 5–9 on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
The world’s most popular game is now scientifically testing new features in order to curb player toxicity.
We explore the different types of gamers you will encounter online
A 32-year-old Taiwanese man was found dead after playing online games for three days straight at an internet cafe in southern Taiwan
The PlayStation Network is reportedly down (not that we are allowed to game at work in any case)
According to a recent study, Call of Duty players prefer their male counterparts to be aggressive and talk trash
Want to move to a new pad and get serious about streaming live shows, downloading tons of videos, and gaming online?
A South Korean man is accused of playing online games while his 2-year-old starved at home
“This won’t be a surprise to the gaming community, but it’s worth telling everyone else,” says US university professor.
ISPs are neglecting costly streaming services such as YouTube in favour of their on-network content.
They harm the F2P market by making the update certification process too long.
The SA Film and Publication’s Board highlights some online gaming risks
Black Ops 2 chart topper de-ranks himself after DDoS attacks
MWeb sees record numbers in July as local online gaming gains momentum
MWEB claims they are the ISP of choice for SA’s gamers
Attorney general initiates purging of online accounts
MyGaming reveals the most popular broadband connection types for South Africa’s gamers
An online gaming platform with some big ideas
Spoiler: It’s all your fault
And you’ll never guess who’s first


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News agency Dow Jones Newswires is suing an online news distributor based on US law's controversial 'hot news' doctrine. The court-created right came into being in 1918 and has recently been revived in internet cases.
Dow Jones says that Briefing.com breaches its copyright by copying its headlines and stories and selling them to subscribers. But it also says that it breaches the hot news doctrine.
Copyright does not apply to facts, but the hot news doctrine extends some protection to factual information for a period of time, while the information is still 'hot news'.
The US Supreme Court said in 1918 that the news agencies which invested in reporters covering war zones deserved protection for the information they gather in order to recoup that investment.
It gave companies a quasi-property right over information for the first time and became law across the US. It was later taken off the federal statute books but states were allowed to keep the rule as state law.
It lay largely unused until Associated Press (AP) revived it last year to hold another agency to account over the alleged copying of its material. That case was settled out of court.
Now Dow Jones is seeking to assert the right against Briefing.com. Dow Jones is part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, which bought it as part of the Wall Street Journal group in 2007. Murdoch's UK newspaper titles will start charging for access to their websites this summer.
Dow Jones' court filing to the US District Court for the Southern District of New York claims that Briefing.com bases its business model on "the early and systematic taking of the proprietary content published by media organizations like Dow Jones. While those companies might derive some content from their own legitimate news-gathering operations, they also unfairly ride for free on the backs of others".
"By instantaneously cutting and pasting into their own products the reports of news events uncovered and verified by other news outlets at significant expense, they offer a pirated product at a cheaper cost," the claim said. "The misappropriation of news and other content not only devalues news products, it also threatens the very economic structure upon which journalistic enterprises such as Dow Jones are built and on which its customers depend."
Copyright protects journalistic works, but not the bare facts which they report. Dow Jones claims that Briefing.com infringes its copyrights because, it says, the company copies its reports exactly.
"Briefing.com has copied verbatim, or nearly verbatim, substantial portions of Copyrighted Works carried on the [Dow Jones Newswire (DJN)] service and written and edited by DJN employees," it said.
As well as the direct copyright-infringement claim, Dow Jones says that its hot news rights are being infringed.
"The timeliness of business and financial reporting is essential to many subscribers to the DJN service," said its claim. "Briefing.com often copies verbatim or nearly verbatim from the DJN and distributes a breaking news headline reported by a Dow Jones journalist before or at the same time that The Wall Street Journal has the opportunity to distribute the news itself through its website."
"This free-riding of the type practiced by Briefing.com is likely to undermine Dow Jones' economic incentive to invest in the costly process of reporting time-sensitive news in the manner of the DJN," it said.
The company asked the Court to award it the profits made by Briefing.com and asked it to declare its activities unlawful.
AP's hot news case last year was taken against All Headline News, which settled the case out of court, admitting it had "improperly used" AP's material and paying the agency an un-named sum.
Copyright © 2010, OUT-LAW.com
OUT-LAW.COM is part of international law firm Pinsent Masons.


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Kerala resident Vinod Venugopal transformed his rubber plantation into a flourishing organic farm where he grows and harvests thousands of kilos of tapioca, alongside yam, coconut, arecanut, seedless lemons, and more.
A farming enthusiast from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, Vinod Venugopal was not ready to compromise his love for agriculture by owning just a rubber plantation.
Despite receiving a good yield and earnings from his sprawling 1.5 acres of rubber plantation, he decided to transform his land into an organic farm, nurturing a wide range of crops.
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“It was easy to maintain rubber, but I was never satisfied with it. Besides, I am a botany graduate and always aspired to do something that let me be in the soil and more close to nature. That’s why I decided to put the land to better use,” Vinod tells The Better India.
With two partners in 2019, Vinod, who also works as a regional manager of a medical devices company, replaced rubber trees with tapioca on his land.
His courage and efforts turned out to be fruitful. Within eight months, they were able to harvest more than 11,000 kilos (11 tonnes) of tapioca in a single harvest from his land at Malayam in Thiruvananthapuram.
A fruitful decision
When Vinod decided to transform the rubber plantation, he says that many questioned and criticised him for removing a perennial and highly beneficial cash crop. “People including my relatives advised me not to do it. But I was sure about what I was doing and went ahead with my plan,” says the 46-year-old.
In November 2019, after clearing the land, he decided to step into organic farming by partnering with Anu Joseph and Philip Chacko — two farming enthusiasts from Thiruvananthapuram. “While searching for ideal partners, I posted on Where in Trivandrum (WiT), a Trivandrum-based Facebook page, inviting interested people to start a joint farm venture,” he explains.
“I wasn’t looking for partners to invest money in. I wanted those who were ready to dedicate their time and put in real efforts to make it happen. Finally, after meeting several people, I decided to partner up with Anu and Philip, who had farming backgrounds and were equally enthusiastic about the venture,” he adds.
In December, they started their venture Farm in Trivandrum (FiT) by planting over 2,000 stems of tapioca, bought from the Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI) in Thiruvananthapuram.
Vinod says that after removing the rubber trees, he didn’t have to prepare the soil specially for planting short-term crops. “It was a fertile land and had rich red soil. I was confident that anything would grow here,” he notes.
In 2020, the trio harvested over 11,000 kg of tapioca. “We planned to grow a few more crops on the land, but it didn’t happen due to unavailability of seeds during the lockdown,” he says.
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“The first harvest was in September 2020. We didn’t want any middlemen, so we sold our produce directly to street vendors, small shop owners, hotels, etc, and the rest were distributed among our friends and family,” he adds.
Later, Vinod and his partners decided to venture into mixed farming and started cultivating a wide range of crops including short-term like turmeric, ginger, different types of yam, etc, along with long-term ones such as coconut trees, pepper, areca nut trees, cashew trees, drumstick trees, curry leaf trees, agathi cheera (Hummingbird tree), and so on.
“Short-term crops like yams, turmeric, and ginger were aimed at making fast revenue, which in turn has been used to invest back into the same venture,” he says, adding that currently, they sell a certain amount of their yield to their friends or family, and store rest of it as quality seeds for the next season.
“Therefore, revenue-wise we haven’t reached break-even yet,” he says adding, that it might take two to three years to hit the point.
According to him, they chose crops that don’t require daily supervision or maintenance. “With a full-time job, it wasn’t practically possible to supervise 1.5 acres of land on a daily basis. So, we decided to hire a few labourers from nearby areas who have been helping us in managing the farm,” he elaborates, adding that he visits the farm on weekends.
The trio has also planted Malaysian citric lemon, a rare and seedless variety of lemon on their land. “We have planted around 50 of them. It is a juicier and very unique variety of lemon, which is rare in Thiruvananthapuram. So, we decided to try it out here,” he says, adding that the saplings were sourced from Thodupuzha in the Idukki district.
Vinod says that he mostly uses cow dung as manure for all his crops. “We also use chicken manure and earthworm compost. We have been very particular about cultivating everything organically, so we don’t use any kind of chemicals or pesticides,” he points out.
Suku Thomas, a regular customer at Vinod’s farm, says, “Their produce is totally organic and we can eat it worry-free. Whenever there is a harvest, I make sure that I buy from them. At a time when we find it difficult to find organic and chemical-free farm produce, Vinod’s initiative is a blessing.”
Vinod and his team have now started marigold flower cultivation on 50 cents of land as part of an initiative by Krishi Bhavan for Onam.
“We also have plans to make value-added products out of our produce in the future under our farm and brand name ‘Farm in Trivandrum’ (FiT),” Vinod says.
Edited by Divya Sethu


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DEARBORN, MI: Ford Motor Company has partnered with social gaming platform Zynga to target tech-savvy, young audiences for the debut of the 2013 Ford Escape.
The company will reveal the 2013 Escape on Tuesday night through Zynga's Words with Friends game, which has more than 10 million users, said Scott Monty, global digital and multimedia communications manager at Ford. The company is encouraging fans across North America to play the game on Tuesday night to view the new model.
“We knew we wanted to do something big to announce the reveal of the 2013 Ford Escape. We've had a history of doing pretty groundbreaking and public things with regard to some of our vehicle reveals in the past, most noticeably the use of Facebook to reveal the 2011 Ford Explorer,” he said.
Monty added that the carmaker wants to reach a demographic that's “a little younger and a little more interested in technology” to describe the Escape's features and fuel efficiency.
Ford's brand and content team worked on the initiative with Team Detroit, a blended agency mix of the Detroit offices of WPP Group firms JWT, Young & Rubicam, Wunderman, Ogilvy, and Mindshare. Both Team Detroit and Ford's internal communications division are managing the brand's social media channels, such as Facebook and Twitter.
Burson-Marsteller is promoting the event through consumer print, online, and broadcast media outreach. Burson hired Laura Hall as managing director for its US consumer practice and head of the agency's Ford Motor Company global consumer team last month.
To promote Words with Friends, there is “lots of conversation happening on the Ford Escape Facebook page and corporate Facebook page” that reaches audiences in the US, Canada, and Mexico, said Monty.
“We want to make sure that the Escape is engrained in people's minds as something new, exciting, and fun, most of all, and we want people to come out and have a good time,” he explained.
The company is using Twitter to encourage consumers to participate, and Zynga is also promoting the event through social media networks. Actress Jenny McCarthy will host the event live at the Los Angeles Auto Show.


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LONDON (AP) — Amazon, seeking to resolve two European Union antitrust investigations, has promised to treat third-party merchants on its website fairly, the bloc's competition watchdog said Thursday.
The U.S. online retail giant offered to make a number of commitments to ease competition concerns, and the European Commission, the 27-nation bloc's top antitrust enforcer, said it will now seek feedback on them from “interested parties."
The commission launched an investigation four years ago over concerns Amazon breached EU competition rules by using data from merchants selling products on its platform to gain an unfair advantage over them.
It also opened a separate investigation into whether Amazon favors its own retail business and merchants that use its logistics and delivery system over other sellers.
The investigations are part of the bloc's wider efforts to curb the power of big technology companies.
Amazon said that while it disagreed with several of the conclusions, it has “engaged constructively with the commission to address their concerns and preserve our ability to serve European customers and the more than 185,000 European small- and medium-sized businesses selling through our stores.”
The company also said it has “serious concerns" about new EU digital regulations, known as the Digital Markets Act, that it said are “unfairly targeting Amazon and a few other U.S. companies." The act, part of the EU's overhaul of its digital rulebook, aims to rein in the power of tech giants and make them treat smaller rivals fairly under threat of hefty fines.
Under the commission's investigation, Amazon had faced a possible fine of up to 10% of its annual worldwide revenue, which could have amounted to billions of dollars.
Britain's competition watchdog opened a similar probe into Amazon last week, looking into concerns that the online retailer is abusing its dominance to undermine rivals.
The EU commission suspected Amazon of distorting competition by accessing and analyzing real-time data from independent vendors selling goods on its platform to help decide which new products of its own to launch and how to price and market them.
To address the problem, Amazon has promised to refrain from using “non-public data" from the vendors' activities to compete with them through its own sales of branded goods or “private label" products.
To settle the second investigation, Amazon also committed to allowing sellers on its Prime membership service to use any logistics and delivery company of their choosing and to set “non-discriminatory” criteria for who gets chosen to sell on Prime.
The company also promised to give equal treatment to all sellers when ranking their product offers for the site's “buy box,” which lets shoppers add items directly to their shopping baskets. The box features a single seller’s product even though multiple merchants might offer the item, so Amazon also is promising to show a second, competing offer to give consumers more choice.
If accepted, Amazon's commitments would remain in force for five years. The commission is receiving feedback on the proposals until Sept. 9.


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The Audiophiliac says forget the tech and enjoy music wherever you can.
CNET reviews the Numark NS6 4-channel DJ controller, a more affordable and portable successor to 2009's excellent NS7.
What sounds better, analog or digital? That's a matter of opinion.
In the pursuit of energy efficiency, the lighting industry is undergoing a broad technology transition much the same way that consumer electronics already has.
Ion's showing a number of products at CES that bridge the world between analog and digital.
If you love music you gotta check out vinyl.
Just how much distortion -- and the favored type of distortion, analog or digital -- varies from listener to listener, and that's where the story gets complicated.
The Audiophiliac ponders the ways we listen to recorded music.
USB turntables sound like crap, make lousy-sounding files, and worse yet, almost no one uses them to play records.
Curious if the Supreme Court will let Aereo live or die? So are copyright experts at the country’s top law schools, especially with the future of TV and digital copyright on the line.


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Disruptions in the global supply chain are being felt across the globe thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. China slowed its manufacturing and shipping operations significantly in the first quarter of 2020. Now, in mid-March, those same effects are stretching across the globe as many businesses move to remote work or temporarily shutter their doors. Wholesale food distribution, however, has no time to slow down.
Increased Grocery Demand During the COVID-19 Pandemic
With people hunkering down at home, the demand for grocery items – and the delivery of those items – is surging. Neilson reports the demand for non-perishable foods has jumped by up to 84% since a Trump Administration Press Conference on February 29th.
This surge has a ripple effect beginning with production, then moving to wholesale food distribution, grocery store stocking, in-store shopping, home delivery and curbside pickup.
Wholesale Food Distribution: A Crucial Service During the COVID-19 Pandemic
If the second phase – wholesale food distribution – falls behind, the remaining four steps are strained beyond the basic impact of increased consumer demand. That’s why it’s critical that wholesale food distribution companies use every tool available to optimize their businesses.
Short-Term Challenges of Wholesale Food Distribution
In the short-term, this requires an all-hands-on-deck approach to distribution and clear, ongoing communication with the stores they serve. A tricky situation, considering the many people who may be out sick. Additional precautions must be taken to ensure staff members are protected as they work in distribution centers and freight lines, too. As with all other businesses, cleanliness and sanitation are of paramount importance.
Despite the empty shelves across the country, this all-hands-on-deck approach to distribution is certainly in place. In a recent article from the New York Times, Chief Operating Officer of Costco Ron Vachris said, “Transportation is functioning, our suppliers are working around the clock and the flow of goods is strong.”
Whether this will remain true depends on how the coronavirus situation progresses. Though there are food items in storage throughout the country, keeping up with a more long-term surge in grocery demand will take ingenuity and fast action from farmers, suppliers and distributors.
Predicting What’s Next in Consumer Demand
Many of the top companies in the grocery space, like Amazon, are running data-backed predictions depicting what demand may look like in the coming weeks. All food distributors should be leveraging data to inform the stock they request from suppliers as well as the proper distribution of those goods once they become available. This forward-looking approach serves to protect food distribution businesses and the customers they serve, from grocery stores to households.
For businesses that have not integrated data management and analysis into their decision-making processes, the right time was years ago. It’s even more critical that they do so now.
Preparing for Post-Coronavirus Consumer Demand
Though many of today’s supply chain decisions must be made within hours, the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic deserve consideration, as well. Based on data gathered in China and South Korea — two countries who have already hit their infection peaks — Neilson created a six-part model of consumer behavior changes. As of mid-march, the United States is transitioning through step four, which is “quarantined living preparation.”
We are also beginning to experience step 5, which is “restricted living.” During this phase, people will begin consuming the goods they’ve recently stock-piled.
Eventually, we’ll reach step 6, which is “living a new normal.” It’s this phase that will have the greatest impact on wholesale food distribution after the panic subsides. In this phase, consumer buying behavior will retain some of the changes that occurred since the coronavirus outbreak began. These changes include keeping a stronger reserve of non-perishables on hand and increasing online shopping, curbside pickup, and home delivery.
Whole Food Distribution Businesses Can Leverage Data for Long-Term Planning
With the data gathered throughout the coronavirus epidemic, food distribution businesses can uncover insights that will better prepare them for the next surge in consumer demand. Some of the early indicators, such as a sharp increase in demand for one category or item (e.g. medical masks), can alert suppliers and distributors to the increased demands that will likely follow suit.
To achieve this foresight, companies need to build a robust, enriched and normalized data lake that can be leveraged for analytics and data visualizations. They also need streamlined software to help them complete each piece of their distribution model effectively. This software could include tools for better inventory management, enterprise resource planning, customer relationship management, messaging platforms, and more.
A Trusted Software Partner for a Secure Future
If your business is eager to implement an empowering data management strategy or streamline operational gaps with powerful custom software, reach out to 7T today. We offer a consultative approach to technology that empowers your team to create a perfectly-tailored software solution that will serve you for years to come, no matter what transpires in the world.


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Realme Narzo is a new smartphone series from the brand
If you thought Realme already has enough smartphone series for every price segment, then brace yourself as Realme Narzo was announced today as the new smartphone series from the brand. While we don’t know anything about the phones under this series, it is most probably going to compete with the likes of Poco in the Indian market.
On the official website, Realme says that ‘Narzo’ is ‘A Complete series with Max Performance in the segment’. It is going to target the youth in India. According to a report from 91Mobiles, there are going to be two variants of the upcoming Realme phone under this new Narzo series.
Well, at the moment we don’t even know what the first phone under this series would be called so stay tuned for more news on the same.


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Starbucks give staff revised employment terms following UK tax U-turn
Big cheers for Starbucks for making an effort to sort out their less-than-impressive tax arrangements, eh readers?
But now it’s BIG JEERS TO STARBUCKS for cutting paid lunch breaks, sick leave and maternity benefits for thousands of British workers, possibly in an attempt to claw back some of the losses that will be incurred by the whole tax thing.
As many as 7,000 workers have been told to sign revised employment terms, including the cutting of paid 30-minute lunch breaks and paid sick leave for the first day of illness. Some baristas and other staff will also see pay increases frozen.
One worker told the Guardian that staff felt they were being made to bear the brunt of some of the extra tax that Starbucks will almost certainly be paying in the future.
The anonymous worker said, “It's really convenient for them to say we're going to pay more taxes, when they're going to save money with us, the staff. It's convenient saying we'll pay more because they're going to save more – and the perfect excuse for them is to say to staff 'We're going to pay more taxes, so…'.”
Starbucks have said that the changes follow long-term consultation with staff over the past few months and are not related to the current UK tax situation. We’re sure they can imagine how it all LOOKS though…


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Despite the dramatic drop in the public markets and the slamming shut of the initial public offering window, many venture capitalists insist now is as good a time as any to be investing in developing companies. The turbulent market conditions have made company valuations more reasonable and imposed a return to VC investing fundamentals, including a renewed emphasis on due diligence and a slower investment pace, VCs say. While it remains to be seen if this is a true reflection of the current state of the venture market or, rather, some kind of market wide effort at self-deception, it is true that the pace of venture investing in the computer hardware/software sector has slowed precipitously through the first quarter of this year.
According to preliminary data from our VentureXpert database, VCs invested $2.39 billion in 200 hardware/software companies over the firt three months of this year. This represents a sizeable fall-off in venture activity from the same time period a year ago, when 400 companies, exactly twice as many enterprises, received more than twice as much – $4.8 billion ? in private financing. However, despite the slower pace during the first quarter, the average investment size for Q1 2001 is actually slightly larger than Q1 2000. Companies receiving funding during the first quarter of this year averaged $11.97 million, while companies left the negotiating table last year with an average of $11.89 million ? numbers which appear to support VCs? contention that while the venture market may be cooling off and eliminating the froth, solid companies will continue to find the funding they need to grow.
“The bar has been raised?.the trend is that only the best companies are getting funded,” said Matthew Cowan, a general partner at Bowman Capital. “However, in comparison to other sectors, some of which have gone close to zero funding, I do think the software sector is continuing to do well in terms of VC investment.”
Leading the list of fund raising successes for Q1 was PacketVideo Corp. The wireless multimedia software company closed on a $100 million in March from a syndicate of 19 investors, including Intel Capital, QUALCOMM Ventures, Sonera Corporate Venture Capital Program, Texas Instruments Inc. and Sun Microsystems Inc. Other first-class first-quarter fundraisers included online payment company PayPal, which closed a $90 million round of funding and Bowman portfolio company Epicentric Inc., a next-generation Internet and intranet portal infrastructure software & services company that received $40 million in a Series D round led by J. & W. Seligman & Co. Inc.
March proved to be the most lucrative month to close a deal, as 82 companies split $1.10 billion for an average of $13.44 million per company. January came next, as VCs invested a total of $748.93 million into 59 companies for an average of $12.69 per company. February rounds out the list with 59 companies divvying up $543.72 million in venture financing for an average of only $9.22 million per company.
Contact Alistair Christopher.


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Job Advice & Tips
Home-improvement retailer Lowe's Cos. said Tuesday that it plans to hire 45,000 seasonal workers ahead of its busy spring season, a sign that the nascent housing recovery is creating jobs.
The new Walmart that is opening in Novi is looking to hire about 300 employees for the new store that's set to open in August.
Job seekers will want to check out a pair of career fairs in Metro Detroit today that boast hundreds of open positions.
Before you head out on your next job interview, find out some of the sneaky --and borderline-- illegal things some hiring managers will do to weed out applicants.
A career fair is happening today highlighting jobs in law enforcement, firefighting, emergency medical services and dispatch.
Dozens of companies are hiring at a job fair in Bloomfield Hills today.
In a job market where a single open position can receive dozens, even hundreds of applicants, just getting to the interview stage is a huge accomplishment. So, how do you make sure you make the right impression? INSIDE: The most common and most bizarre mistakes.
Looking for a job? Home Depot may be looking for you.
Teenagers throughout the U.S. are finding it increasingly difficult to land the after-school, weekend and summer jobs they need for experience and spending money.
Tell me about yourself. What's your greatest strength and weakness? Where do you see yourself in five years?
John Matarese has the four warning signs that an offer of employment may not be from a legitimate company
The SAE 2011 World Congress Career Fair gets underway Tuesday at the Cobo Center in Detroit.
The unemployment rate fell to a two-year low of 8.8 percent in March and companies added workers at the fastest two-month pace since before the recession began.
What can you do to make sure you keep your nine-to-five? Job expert Michael Hayes offers tips to make you an "unfireable" employee.
More Personal Finance
Rev up the calculator and start your countdown: The annual tax-filing deadline is less than a month away.
Tax Day is just about three weeks away and 7 Action News is taking action for you, helping to get your tax questions answered in a web chat.
Plus, financial advice for twenty-somethings thanks to a new personal finance website.
Attention taxpayers: A few little-known and often overlooked benefits of this tax-filing season may reduce your taxes.
How to prevent money conflicts with your better half.
Don't Waste Your Money
How would you like to start saving 50% on your grocery bill? It seems far-fetched, but one local woman has her savings down to a science.
When planning your financial future adds up to confusion, a little professional help can go a long way. But money management advice doesn't always come cheap. Now, there's a new way to get financial first aid without landing you in the red. And you don't even need to make an appointment!
It's watering season. That means big water bills for many homeowners. With the way rates have been going up in recent years, you could pay hundreds of dollars this summer just to wash clothes and water your plants.
Can you really get salon looks at home? We put do it yourself hair color to the test.
If dirty grout in your bathroom drives you crazy, you may be tempted to try some of those miracle grout cleaners you've seen on TV. Before you do, you'll want to see this.


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GoDaddy and Worldpay Partner to Bring Commerce Solutions to Small Businesses
GoDaddy and Worldpay from FIS have recently announced a new partnership that will bring omnichannel solutions to small businesses. Together this partnership will bring omnichannel solutions to small businesses, helping them sell and grow their businesses in today's omnichannel world. This partnership combines the powerful and easy-to-use business tools of GoDaddy with the expertise of the world's largest payment acquirer in Worldpay from FIS. The innovative solution, called Commerce 360, will p
GoDaddy and Worldpay from FIS have recently announced a new partnership that will bring omnichannel solutions to small businesses. Together this partnership will bring omnichannel solutions to small businesses, helping them sell and grow their businesses in today's omnichannel world. This partnership combines the powerful and easy-to-use business tools of GoDaddy with the expertise of the world's largest payment acquirer in Worldpay from FIS.
The innovative solution, called Commerce 360, will provide small businesses with the ability to accept payments in any channel and sell through online marketplaces and through social media. This means that small businesses will be able to reach more customers, sell more products, and grow their businesses.
"Small businesses serve as the cornerstones of our communities and the engine that powers our economy," said Christina Wagner, SVP, Worldpay Global Small Business Solutions, FIS. "It is our passion and purpose to enable businesses to thrive by providing holistic solutions and evolving beyond payments. Our Commerce 360 solution helps small business owners sell more in-store, online and anywhere in between while giving them real-time insights that help create superior customer experiences."
In addition to the payment processing capabilities, Commerce 360 also includes a custom, curated website and merchant dashboard. The website will help small businesses create a professional online presence, and the merchant dashboard will provide them with real-time insights into their sales and transactions.
"GoDaddy built our omnicommerce solution to be the easiest and most powerful way for small businesses to take advantage of the latest technology online and in-person," said Prashant Nedungadi, Vice President, Commerce for Partners at GoDaddy. "Launching Commerce 360 with Worldpay from FIS, and having them join the GoDaddy Global Commerce Partner Program, enables small businesses all over the U.S. to keep their existing bank relationships while taking advantage of the latest technology."
The partnership between GoDaddy and Worldpay from FIS is a major win for small businesses. It provides them with the tools they need to sell and grow their businesses in today's omnichannel world.
Here are some of the benefits of Commerce 360 for small businesses:
- Accept payments in any channel - With Commerce 360, small businesses can accept payments online, in-store, and through mobile devices. This means that they can reach more customers and sell more products.
- Sell through online marketplaces and social media - Commerce 360 makes it easy for small businesses to sell their products through online marketplaces like Amazon and eBay, as well as through social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. This gives them another way to reach customers and grow their businesses.
- Custom, curated website - Commerce 360 includes a custom, curated website that helps small businesses create a professional online presence. This can help them attract more customers and boost sales.
- Merchant dashboard - The merchant dashboard in Commerce 360 provides small businesses with real-time insights into their sales and transactions. This information can help them make better decisions about their businesses and improve their bottom line.
- Efficient setup - Commerce 360 is easy to set up and use, so small businesses can start selling quickly.
Growpay is an online marketplace, helping simplify payment discovery for businesses worldwide. For more information, visit www.growpay.co.
Worldpay Partners with Alipay+ to Expand Cross-Border Payments
FIS, a global financial technology leader, has announced that its merchant solutions business, Worldpay, will integrate Alipay+ into its global portfolio. This will give merchants the ability to accept cross-border payments from a wide range of methods, including AlipayHK, the e-wallet operated by Ant Group. The integration will be rolled out in phases, with Worldpay's merchants first being able to support AlipayHK. The partnership is expected to help merchants enhance their customers' payment
Stripe Tax for Platforms: A No-Code Solution for Tax Compliance
Stripe Tax for Platforms is a new offering from Stripe that allows platforms to offer their customers no-code tax compliance. This means that platforms can now help their customers calculate, collect, and report the correct sales tax, VAT, and GST across more than 40 countries and all US states. The launch of Stripe Tax for Platforms is a major step forward in the fight against tax complexity. By making it easy for platforms to offer tax compliance as a service, Stripe is helping to level the p
Brex Launches AI-Enabled Accounts Payable Solution
Brex, the first fully unified global spend platform, launched Brex payables — an AI-enabled Accounts Payable (AP) solution, combining enhanced bill pay capabilities and purchase cards. Brex payables offers the controls required by an Accounts Payables team to manage procurement spend seamlessly across invoices and purchase cards, with the flexibility sought by employees for business spend. The product leverages AI across the lifecycle of an invoice, from receiving and matching to approving and


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Public School's police protocol
Public School wanted to promote the idea of unity with its police line-up style presentation.
The Big Apple-based label showcased its Spring/Summer 2016 collection at New York Fashion Week: Men’s earlier this week. The clothing was presented in a police box style set up and portrayed designers Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne's clear vision.
“The inspiration is this idea of unity represented with our classic Public School uniform set against this backdrop of a police line-up, where you would normally see a group of people who are contextualised and marginalised,” Dao-Yi explained to The Hollywood Reporter. “We just wanted to keep everyone the same to promote the message that we’re all the same, lined up, side by side, no better no worse.”
The presentation featured five installed police boxes, where models and an array of non-models, including stylish personalities Nick Wooster, Waris Ahluwalia, and George Lewis Jr., took it in turns to step forward in the style of a traditional legal line-up.
Celebrities in attendance included British Formula One star Lewis Hamilton who is an ambassador for the event, as is singer Joe Jonas, who was also there. NBA players Andre Iguodala and Nicky Young also showed their support for the label, as did Glee star Darren Criss who met the designers for the first time.
“This is me trying to sit at the cool kids table and hope they might let me hang out at their cool party,” he laughed. “The idea is to always hang out with people who are smarter, more talented and cooler than you, and hopefully, by some grace of osmosis, you can get some of that on you.”


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He made Drake’s favourite scent (supposedly), but he’s not into celebrities (also supposedly)
- Perfumer Francis Kurkdjian, whose Baccarat Rouge 540 fragrance is reportedly Drake’s favourite, worked with several famous brands before creating his own
- While he says he does not pay attention to the market and is ‘not into celebrities at all’, he knows Drake’s manager and sent the rapper a bottle of Rouge 540
Perfumer Francis Kurkdjian is the founder of a company owned by LVMH, the largest luxury group in the world, but he doesn’t like to talk about business, or celebrities for that matter (more on that later).
The French fragrance maker of Armenian descent established Maison Francis Kurkdjian 15 years ago after years spent behind the scenes creating scents for brands such as Burberry and Jean Paul Gaultier (he is the mastermind behind Jean Paul Gaultier’s signature Le Male perfume).
Kurkdjian’s brand was instrumental in the rise of so-called “niche fragrances”. The category was created around 20 years ago but soon became oversaturated as newcomers rushed to appeal to customers looking for something different from the perfumes found at Sephora or large department stores.
Kurkdjian believes that his brand should not be defined so much as “niche” but rather “small” when compared with beauty conglomerates that mass-produce fragrances.
“I don’t look at what’s going on in the market,” says Kurkdjian in an interview in Paris. “I only go to department stores and visit my counters and that’s it. We don’t think of our brand as a niche brand; we always say ‘small’ and small is different from niche.”
He is at pains to emphasise that his job is to make beautiful scents that please the senses and says that he leaves all corporate matters to his co-founder, businessman Marc Chaya.
“My focus is creativity and perfumes and creative products and I don’t care and don’t look at what other people do,” he says.
“Once in a while I look at what’s in the market because of course I have friends who tell me about new brands in an informal way, but we don’t do consumer testing or benchmarking. I don’t even know how much products or the formulas cost. It’s not my job.”
Rather than looking at what’s going on in the fragrance industry, which has recently become flooded with celebrities and influencers launching products on an almost daily basis, Kurkdjian is more interested in the past.
He famously recreated Marie Antoinette’s favourite perfume by studying 17th-century perfumery, and believes lessons learned from history can be applied to current times.
“When you study the past you learn about ways of doing things that were lost and you can bring some of them back because at some point they can be modern,” he says.
“Now we do refillable bottles because we want to protect the environment, but 300 years ago making glass bottles was hard and expensive so they had no choice, and there is a parallel with now.”
He adds that currently ingredients are scarce because of inflation and geopolitical issues, which is not that different from 300 years ago, when ingredients were rare because they were hard to find and extract from the earth.
While Kurkdjian says he is not really aware of the current boom in celebrity fragrances – “People are free to do what they want. I’m not into celebrities at all,” he says dismissively – he actually owes the recent sudden success of one of his perfumes to a mega-celebrity, Canadian rapper Drake.
Early this year, Baccarat Rouge 540, a fragrance Kurkdjian made in collaboration with crystal maker Baccarat, went viral on TikTok and Instagram after various online celebrity gossip accounts, including @deuxmoi, revealed that it was Drake’s favourite perfume.
While Kurkdjian and his team noticed that the fragrance had gone viral, which they admit was reflected in a rise in sales, they had no idea that it was because of Drake or that the rapper was a fan (I was the one who broke the news to them).
When pressed, however, Kurkdjian does admit that he knows Drake’s manager and that he went to one of the rapper’s concerts and sent him a bottle a while ago – a sign that perhaps the perfumer is not as out of touch as he appears to be.
While it’s refreshing to see someone so devoted to his craft and so removed from business matters or pop culture, it is also quite surprising, especially given that Kurkdjian’s brand is owned by LVMH, which bought the company about five years ago (Kurkdjian was also recently named perfume creation director at LVMH-owned Dior).
“LVMH is French and for me it was very important to anchor the brand to a French group because there is a real vision and a real creative passion about luxury houses with a lot of respect,” Kurkdjian says.
“We joined LVMH and have maintained our values and they help us with back-end and back-office challenges. We have had a lot of business opportunities thanks to them, like when we opened in China, the US and the UK. It’s very important for us.”
Kurkdjian is very committed to his craft and proud of what he has achieved in such a rarefied and even mysterious segment of the luxury business.
“Making perfume is not like fashion at all. Fashion is meant to be outdated, and the rhythm of fashion is fast and about creating something new,” he says.
“Perfume has a slower pace and is meant to last. To create a perfume you need to have an idea. It’s like writing a book or a piece of music – you need to have something to say.
“The ingredient is just the beginning. What’s more important is the idea. If you have a good idea, you have a great perfume.”


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If you’ve had any doubts as to the longevity of 3D printing—and certainly there have been numerous critics and skeptics from the outset—just look to the big leagues. While some of the bigger players and originators of 3D printing such as 3D Systems and Stratasys may have shown less than stellar numbers of late, there are others moving into the picture. And HP Inc. would be right at the center as their strategy for entering the 3D printing space continues to emerge with their Multi Jet Fusion system as well as recent acquisitions to further their mission. Just as there has been great speculation about 3D printing, that has also translated over to the idea of HP Inc. within the industry, surely uninvited, but obviously there to stay—and making one move after another.
Now, they are partnering with Evonik, a German company focused on specialty chemicals. Together, the two will be developing new materials for 3D printing, in the form of innovative plastic powders. While they are looking toward the development of numerous plastics in this collaboration, already Evonik has announced that they will be placing VESTOSINT 3D Z2773 on the HP Open Platform Program. This particular powder material, made in the Evonik Resource Efficiency division, is said to possess “superior mechanical properties.” It has also been approved as FDA compliant, and “the components printed on the basis of VESTOSINT can be approved by the Food and Drug Administration for food contact,” according to their latest press release. This means that with 3D printing and additive manufacturing technologies being used in ‘food production equipment components’ requiring flexibility due to limited quantities or specialized designs is definitely conceivable.
“Through the close partnership with HP and our active participation in the open platform program we anticipate further impetus in the development of new plastic powders for 3D printing use,” said Dr. Matthias Kottenhahn, head of the business line high performance polymers of Evonik.
Known as a leader in specialty chemicals, Evonik is headquartered in Germany, and operates in the Nutrition & Care, Resource Efficiency, and Performance Materials segments. The Resource Efficiency segment, producing items such as VESTOSINT, is known for creating materials that are both high-performance and environmentally friendly, supplied to industries such as automotive, paints and coatings, adhesives, construction, and many others. As their relationship with HP intensifies, it will be interesting to see what innovations are created with their 3D printing powders.
You will be able to learn more about VESTOSINT high-performance powders at the K 2016 plastics trade fair, being held from October 19-26 in Düsseldorf, Germany. There, numerous innovations will be presented that are relevant to the worldwide plastics and rubber industries. Discuss in the VESTOSINT forum at 3DPB.com.
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Starting in 2012, users of certain GPS devices will no longer get traffic updates, weather reports and other data because Microsoft is discontinuing its MSN Direct service.
Google Maps Navigation,introduced today, puts the company in direct competition with GPS makers and former best friend, Apple. The service, which can nicely replace a standalone GPS, is only available for handsets running Google's Android operating s...
If you're an Android user, Google is hoping to help you get where you're going.
The motoring authority of Victoria, VicRoads, has backed down on a plan to ban the use of mobile global positioning system (GPS) devices in cars.
The TomTom Car Kit for the iPhone 3G or 3GS is now available for sale in the UK through the Apple Store for £99.99.
Sygic has launched the first turn-by-turn GPS navigation app for Android-based smartphones, Mobile Maps 2009.
Commuters in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane may not yet have access to Google Maps' public transport information, but they can now receive free, live traffic updates on their mobile phones. As of this morning, Google Maps will display traffic informa...
A smartphone application coming to the US this fall could help drivers use GPS to detect speed traps, cameras at red lights and more than 200,000 related alerts based on a database of locations compiled with updates from drivers.
GPS manufacturer Navigon has used social-networking site Facebook to announce it will launch a dedicated iPhone car cradle.
GPS manufacturer TomTom has released its iPhone GPS app for Australia.
We still don't know exactly when the TomTom for iPhone GPS application will be available. But, we may know how much it will cost: a UK online electronics store has apparently leaked the price of the upcoming app via a pre-order listing.
Navigon has released the full Australian version of its MobileNavigator app for the iPhone, providing full turn-by-turn GPS navigation.
German GPS manufacturer Navigon has released an Australian version of its MobileNavigator Lite app for the iPhone, allowing users to try the software before deciding to purchase the full version.
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First impression on unpacking the Q702 test unit was the solid feel and clean, minimalist styling.
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Non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace SuperRare has raised $9 million in a Series A funding round, the team behind the platform announced Tuesday.
According to the March 30 announcement, the round was led by multi-stage venture capital firm Velvet Sea Ventures and crypto fund 1confirmation, with investments from Version1, Collaborative Fund, Shrug Capital, Mark Cuban, Sound Ventures, and more.
SuperRare launched on the Ethereum mainnet in April 2018, and the platform's community has grown significantly since then. To date, artists have earned over $30 million on SuperRare from primary sales as well as secondary market royalties (artists earn 10% of each subsequent sale of their work). Last fall, SuperRare played home to the NFT sale for CGI influencer Lilmiquela.
According to the SuperRare team, the influx of cash will enable the platform to further support artists and collectors. The team plans to add several new features to the marketplace, including more social elements like a chat service and personalized feeds, as well as making the process of auctioning work more seamless.
The team also plans to further implement layer-2 scaling solutions into the platform, following the lead of other Ethereum-based services in recent months.
"Art collecting has long been an opaque and exclusive market, inaccessible to most people," the startup's announcement read. "For the first time, we have the opportunity to digitize this ancient and inherently human activity, bringing it online for the first time at scale."


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June 10, 2014
On 9th June 2014, global leader in mobile money – Monitise - announced a new partnership with Yapı Kredi Bank, one of Turkey’s largest banks, to offer Nuvo – a ‘branchless banking’ service with mobile commerce capabilities. Nuvo enables customers to open accounts and complete all their transactions via mobile and internet banking, removing the need to ever visit a branch
Monitise is thrilled to continue its long-standing partnership with Yapı Kredi bank, a leading innovator in the Mobile Money space in Turkey, with the introduction of Nuvo. With nearly half of Turkish internet users now banking via mobile, today’s consumer values a seamless, secure, and enjoyable banking experience, stated Fatih İşbecer, CEO of Monitise MEA, in a press release. This new service is a fantastic example of how this can be achieved, he added.
Nuvo is an exceptionally exciting product. Its launch speaks volumes about the power of technology to transform consumer banking and commerce, enabling banks to stay competitive, drive new forms of revenue and play a bigger role in their customers’ lives, commented, Peter Radcliffe, President International at Monitise, in the same release. This is another great example of the role Monitise is playing at the centre of the Mobile Money ecosystem, connecting brands and fostering collaboration to provide an engaging consumer experience.
Yapı Kredi is one of the largest private banks in Turkey, with ten million customers and 143 billion Turkish Lira in assets under management. Monitise (formerly Pozitron) has been working with Yapı Kredi since 2010, developing its core banking app for eight platforms. Yapı Kredi, whose main shareholders include UniCredit Group, maintains a leading position in value-generating services and products leveraging innovative banking technologies.
Nuvo is currently available on iOS and Android, in both Turkish and English. Yapı Kredi estimates that Nuvo will have over 300,000 customers in its first year, with one million active users within five years.


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The North American based automaker Chevrolet has recently announced its plans to introduce an updated Camaro and the Corvette Convertible during the 2013 New York Auto Show.
According to the car manufacturer, an updated version of the Camaro, which will wear the 2014 model year in its name, will be officially presented to the public during the 2013 New York Auto Show. Chevy didn’t release any extra details on the 2014 Camaro but this might be a first step into producing a new generation of the popular muscle car.
“Chevrolet will showcase a new lineup of 2014 performance cars, including the all-new Corvette Stingray coupe and convertible, all-new SS performance sedan and refreshed Camaro”, as the automaker says in its official press release.
Besides the updated 2014 Camaro, and the SS performance sedan, Chevrolet will also pull the wraps off the brand new Corvette Convertible. The model has already been unveiled during the 2013 Geneva Motor Show and it will now make its U.S. debut. The 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible is powered by the same engine used on the 2014 Corvette Stingray Coupe, and the model has similar performance. Additional details on these vehicles will be announced during the 2013 New York Auto Show, later on this month.


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official now, O2 UK has canceled the O2 Xda Zinc, the
previously unveiled 3G
Windows Mobile 5.0 Pocket PC Phone Edition the carrier originally planned to
release in January. According to an O2 spokeswoman, "the Zinc (which was
developed by AsusTek)
failed to pass the carrier's network tests".
However, it's not yet clear if O2 Asia will continues the Xda Zinc or if the
Asian reseller will cancel it as well.
In any case, O2 UK found a sweet
alternative to the Zinc. No, unfortunately not the
HTC Kaiser but the HTC
Hermes which is on sale from O2
Germany for more than 9 months already and also O2 UK will carry it as O2
Xda Trion (see the::unwired's
review of the O2 Xda trion here).
Oh yes, and this time it seems to be
confirmed that the Xda Trion will definitely hit the UK now, at least it
already appears on the carriers outlook page:
A price wasn't given yet.
Cheers ~ Arne


text:
Disney, in its third-quarter earnings earlier this week, announced that it added 12.1 million subscriptions in the fiscal fourth quarter, bringing its total to 164.2 million. That number was ahead of analyst expectations, CNBC said.
At the end of the quarter, Disney’s Hulu had 47.2 million subscribers and ESPN+ had 24.3 million, bringing the company’s total to 235 million.
“Our fourth quarter saw strong subscription growth with the addition of 14.6 million total subscriptions, including 12.1 million Disney+ subscribers,” CEO Bob Chapek said in the earnings release. “The rapid growth of Disney+ in just three years since launch is a direct result of our strategic decision to invest heavily in creating incredible content and rolling out the service internationally, and we expect our DTC operating losses to narrow going forward and that Disney+ will still achieve profitability in fiscal 2024, assuming we do not see a meaningful shift in the economic climate.”
However, the company warned that growth will slow in the next quarter.
“It has taken just three short years for Disney+ to transform from a nascent business to an industry leader,” Chapek said on the earnings call. “That transformation is the direct result of the strategic decision we made at launch to heavily invest in our direct-to-consumer offering, a decision made knowing that achieving rapid growth would result in short-term losses. Building a streaming powerhouse has required significant investment. And now, with scale, incredible content pipeline, and global reach, Disney+ is well-situated to leverage our position for long-term profitability and success.”
Chapek added that Disney has now reached “peak direct-to-consumer (DTC) operating losses.”
“That expectation is based on three factors: first, the benefit of both price increases and the launch of the Disney+ ad tier next month; second, a realignment of our cost, including meaningful rationalization of our marketing spend; and third, leveraging our learnings and experience in direct-to-consumer to optimize our content slate and distribution approach to deliver a steady state of high-impact releases that efficiently drive engagement and subscriber acquisition,” Chapek said on the earnings call.
“With these factors, we believe we are on a path to profitable streaming business that generates shareholder value long into the future. And assuming we do not see a meaningful shift in the economic climate, we still expect Disney+ to achieve profitability in fiscal 2024, as losses begin to shrink in the first quarter of fiscal 2023.”
The company also touted specific shows and movies, including the movie “Hocus Pocus 2” and the Marvel shows “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law” and “Ms. Marvel.” The “Star Wars” show “Andor,” meanwhile, “earned rave reviews and showcases our ability to extend stories from the big screen to our streaming services,” Chapek said.
Stephen Silver, a technology writer for The National Interest, is a journalist, essayist and film critic, who is also a contributor to The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philly Voice, Philadelphia Weekly, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Living Life Fearless, Backstage magazine, Broad Street Review and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. Follow him on Twitter at @StephenSilver.


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Here’s the Adidas Court Stabil 11 for women. Successor to the Adidas Court Stabil 10.1 Women.
Image via amazon.de
Buy (Germany): amazon.de
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