text:
While three-dimensional (3D) printing has opened up new possibilities across a variety of sectors within manufacturing and R&D, the technology has also created opportunities for amateurs to print their own, typically untraceable, firearms
“3D printing opened another door for those kinds of unethical criminal activities.. Anyone who can get gun designs online can make his own homemade 3D printed gun,” said Wenyao Xu, PhD, an associate professor of computer science and engineering at the University of Buffalo School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Xu and a team of researchers are working on a solution. They’ve developed a new technology dubbed “PrinTracker” that they said can fingerprint the specific printer that a 3D printed item originated from, enabling law enforcement agencies to track the origin of 3D-printed guns, counterfeit products and other goods.
Discovering the ability to “fingerprint” items from a 3D printer was initially surprising, said Xu in an interview with R&D Magazine.
“We thought all of 3D printers are uniform, but we identified that there is a unique signature on each product,” Xu said. “As technology evolves, the impact of our work is to let people know there is a fingerprint of a 3D printer.”
Similar to common inkjet printers, 3D printers move back-and-fourth while printing an object. However, instead of the inks used for conventional printers, 3D printer nozzles discharge a filament, such as plastic, in layers until a three-dimensional object is formed.
Each layer of a 3D-printed object contains small wrinkles—that are generally measured in submillimeters—called in-fill patterns that are supposed to be uniform in an ideal world.
However, the printer’s model type, filament and nozzle size are among the factors that cause slight imperfections in the patterns and result in an object that does not perfectly match the design plan.
For example, a printer could be ordered to create an object with half-millimeter in-fill patterns, but the actual object has patterns that vary 5-to-10 percent from the design plan. Similar to a person’s fingerprint, the patterns are unique, repeatable and ultimately can be traced back to the original 3D printer.
To test the new system, the researchers created five door keys from 14 common 3D printers, 10 of which are fused deposition modeling (FDM) printers and four that are stereolithography (SLA) printers. Digital images of each key was produced using a common scanner. The researchers then enhanced and filtered each image to identify the elements comprising the in-fill pattern.
The researchers then created an algorithm to align and calculate the variations of each key to verify the authenticity of the fingerprint.
PrinTracker was able to match each key to the printer it originated from 99.8 percent of the time.
About 10 months later, the researchers ran a separate series of tests to determine if additional usage of the printers would influence the system’s ability to match objects to their printer. Despite the extended period, PrinTracker was equally successful matching the key with the specific printer.
The researchers conducted another test, where PrinTracker proved with 92 percent accuracy that it could identify the original printer, despite efforts to damage the keys in various ways to obscure their identity.
According to Xu, the researchers are currently working with 3D printing vendors in an effort to expand the study.
“We would like to work with them to validate our technology with a larger sample size and test the scalability of our technology,” he said.
Xu also said the research team has communicated with government agencies so both sides can brainstorm as to how the tracking system can be implemented for law enforcement purposes.
“The key challenge is going to be what is the limitation of the technology,” he said. “Right now the 3D printer resolution is in the millimeter.
“If in the future the technology evolves and becomes nanometer, how can we still find signatures from each 3D printer?” Xu added. “It’s time to look at the possible hazards of individualized manufacturing and computer science can contribute to this cyber security challenge.”
The researchers presented PrinTracker in Toronto at the Association for Computing Machinery’s Conference on Computer and Communications Security from Oct. 15-19.


text:
Apple's new credit card could mean saying goodbye to your wallet
It’s the biggest Apple launch since the iPhone XR last autumn. But, unusually for the brand that’s built its name on its mobile handsets in recent year, this isn’t a new phone, it’s a credit card – the imaginatively titled Apple Card. Announced back in March and developed with backing from Goldman Sachs, it rolled out its first few cards to a random selection of eager Apple customers in the US today. So what can we expect to see from the Apple Card? Here’s our thoughts on what it has to offer.
1. Firstly, the Apple Card… isn’t actually a card
Rather, it’s a virtual credit card that appears in your Apple Wallet once you’ve signed up and answered some questions from the Goldman Sachs team. It works using Apple Pay technology, allowing users to buy anything they want on their phones without ever getting their wallet out, as well as to view their balance and transactions in real time in the Apple Wallet.
While customers can send off for a titanium Apple Card (to use in the few locations that don’t yet accept Apple Pay) this is more of a footnote, with users very much encouraged to prioritise using Apple Pay over the physical card – more on that in a bit.
2. Strangely, you won’t get a credit card number
Unlike every other credit or debit card, the physical card that you can receive will be completely blank – no card number, security code, expiry date or signature. Instead, the card’s number is stored in a secure chip inside your Apple Wallet, which then generates numbers for any online purchases that require it.
According to Apple, this will be more secure than normal bank cards, as customers’ card numbers can’t be stolen or cloned. While this is a compelling innovation, what is more interesting is the way the card prioritises Apple Pay’s own security measures – for example, the fingerprint and facial identification you need to be able to work it – rather than traditional banking processes. It’s certainly a step forward in terms of card security, but hackers and hoaxers are a creative bunch – only time will tell in terms of how safe it actually is.
3. You’ll get cash back (and more so if you buy Apple products)
One of the major draws of the new Apple Card is the cash back it offers on all purchases. Its incentivising is crystal clear here: you get three per cent back on all purchases of Apple products, two per cent on any purchase made using Apple Pay, and a mere 1 per cent when you use the physical card. The cash back appears in your Apple Pay Cash account, and can be used however you wish – transferred to another bank or to pay off your credit card’s balance.
Of course, it’s a patent encouragement to buy more Apple products, and to use Apple Pay for everything else. While it’s a refreshing antidote to other credit cards’ complicated points systems, it’s also a clever incentive for users to stay entrenched in the Apple world – and, most significantly, to keep your money circulating within it.
4. Your privacy is protected – but only on Apple’s terms
Apple has made a big deal about protecting users’ privacy with the Apple Card. It says that customers’ purchase history is stored on their phones, and that the company can’t see or use that information. It has also emphasised that Goldman Sachs will not be allowed to use data from the Apple Card for marketing purposes.
‘We at Apple believe that privacy is a fundamental human right,’ said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, at a conference in Brussels last year. But there’s a caveat to that. Apple already has all the data it could ever need on its users, from our web searches on Safari to our daily journeys on Google Maps. And that’s not to mention the fingerprint and facial recognition software that come installed as standard in the latest iPhones. Any more information that it collects through the Apple Card – users’ credit scores, for example – will just be icing on top of that particular privacy cake.
5. Basically, Apple wants more from you than just your iPhone
Apple’s recent 2019 Q3 report showed that iPhone sales were down 12 per cent year-on-year, a further drop following a bad performance in 2018. It’s no coincidence that, in reaction to these poor sales, the company has decided to diversify its offering this year to include the Apple Card as well as a streaming service due to launch this autumn, and Apple News+, a magazine and newspaper subscription service. Apple is also working to solidify its presence around the world, introducing on-phone metro tickets in Beijing and Shanghai, and digital student IDs on college campuses in the US. It’s also expressed interest in one day replacing driving licences and passports with a digital ID that’s hosted on your iPhone.
Of course, in the identification card-shy UK, that day is probably a long way off. But the introduction of the Apple Card indicates that we’re one step closer to having everything we need – from our address books to our calendars to our credit cards – exist on one small hand-held device. How futuristic. Most of all, though, the introduction of the Apple Card also shows the brand’s determination to embed its users even further in the Apple ecosystem, and ward off competition from other tech brands by making everything simple, convenient and all in one place. After all, it’s already made music players, landlines and TVs pretty much defunct. It’s only a matter of time before it makes your wallet – and other credit cards – defunct, too.

domain: news


text:
UPA Granada has warned that the cultivation of slimy onion is on the verge of disappearing in the province; and not without reason. The organization stated that even though producing it costs 21 cents, producers are only paid 7 cents for their onions. A price that contrasts with the prices paid by consumers in large supermarkets and local stores, where slimy onions are sold for no less than 1.30 euro per kilo.
The Secretary-General of UPA Granada, Nicolas Chica, said it was a shame that a crop that contributes to the sustainability of the rural environment is close to its final disappearance: “There are barely 60 farmers left and about 50 cultivated hectares in the entire province.”
“It’s unfortunate the little importance that the people in charge of legislating give to farmers. That’s why the current regulations to guarantee fair prices at source don’t work,” he added. “We have suffered a marked loss of capital in the last decade, mainly because large supermarkets decide the prices they’ll pay farmers, which are always below production costs, without caring, of course, for their profitability.”
“Large supermarkets play with the sensitivity of consumers by launching fictitious campaigns to support farmers when the reality is quite different: they crush us with ruinous prices and by importing onions from other countries,” the general secretary of UPA Granada added.
To help farmers and not wait for the administrations to do their job, UPA Granada has placed its facilities at the disposal of producers so they can sell 5 kg bags at 2 euro. “UPA Granada’s office is open and available to all our farmers and ranchers so that they have a space to sell their product directly to consumers. The first support action will be the sale of 5-kilogram bags of onions at 2 euro so that people become aware of the importance of protecting a crop that is necessary for the economy and for the environmental sustainability of our province,” Nicolas Chica concluded.


text:
Staying Connected to Loved Ones
Flying through an airport with Wi-Fi service provided by Boingo? Passengers traveling nation-wide can look forward to free Wi-Fi on Thanksgiving Wednesday. The initiative, launched by Verizon Wireless and coined as “Connection Day,” allows users to stream movies, music, audiobooks and more from their personal devices. “We hope that not only our customers, but everyone, will take advantage of this day—a day to connect with family and friends, to learn something new about their device, or just to provide a little more entertainment during what can often be a hectic kick off to the holiday season,” shared Ken Dixon, vice president of marketing, Verizon Wireless in a statement last week.
And free Wi-Fi won’t be limited to the ground. Passengers flying low-cost carrier jetBlue will enjoy free Wi-Fi for the full duration of their flight, and airlines serviced by Gogo will offer passengers 30 minutes of free Wi-Fi. Participating airlines include:
- American Airlines
- Alaska Airlines
- Delta Air Lines
- Air Tran
- United Airlines
- US Airways
- Virgin America
LAX, one the busiest airports in the US over the Thanksgiving holiday, will be taking a “furry friend approach” to help passengers manage their stress levels. On the Sunday and Monday after Thanksgiving, pet therapy dogs will be making their way through terminals accompanied by LAX volunteers. Travelers may take some time out from their hectic day to stop and pet the dogs, who are trained to relieve passenger anxiety.
jetBlue, known for their “Terra Blues Potato Chips,” have put a together a fun Thanksgiving campaign promoting their “always free” snack service. They sent out this tweet yesterday, which playfully arranges the infamous chips in the shape of a turkey:
— JetBlue Airways (@JetBlue) November 25, 2014
Oh and they’ve got dancing turkeys too:
But jetBlue isn’t just all fun, they’ve got games and prizes for Thanksgiving travelers too as part of their #travelhappy campaign. The airline has once again paired up with retail giant Zappos this year to bring travelers unexpected gifts and prizes at the baggage carrousel at JFK airport. If a passengers’ luggage lands on a prize square, they’re handed a gift.
The campaign has been a hit on Twitter today:
— Alexander Nikolov (@alexasapdotcom) November 26, 2014
— Molly Galler (@mollygaller) November 26, 2014
— SID daGreat (@sidburgos) November 26, 2014
With free Wi-Fi, dancing airport turkeys, therapy dogs and freebies, Thanksgiving travel is looking a little less stressful and a lot more fun.


text:
EA has confirmed that the upcoming Battlefield game will not be dropping its single-player portion.
Security researchers revealed a way around that some hacking groups have been found using in the wild to bypass a security feature of Microsoft Office 365, which is originally designed to protect users from malware and phishing attacks.
Since hackers have started exploiting two recently disclosed unpatched critical vulnerabilities found in GPON home routers, security researchers have now released an unofficial patch to help millions of affected users left vulnerable by their device manufacturer.
With the weekly Fortnite updates, Epic Games’ latest patch has just gone live, introducing a little bit of an Avengers cross-over into the title. The timed update introduces Thanos Infinity Gauntlet which, when found in the map, turns the player into the villain in Avengers: Infinity War. And in doing so they’ll be able to put it on and transform into Infinity War villain Thanos, and in their new form they will be able to wield “all the power that comes with him”.
Over the past few years, single-players were on a decline – and any single-player game that did release was almost always packaged with a multiplayer component. This lead many people to wonder if people still play single-player games, and if so, should studios be focusing resources on creating these experiences?


text:
The new cruise facility is scheduled to open in 2014 and represents one of the largest cruise industry investments ever made in the Dominican Republic, Carnival said in a statement.
A transportation hub at the facility will give cruise visitors easy access by land and sea to surrounding destinations and attractions, Carnival added.
A joint venture with the Rannik family of Grupo B&R, the new two-berth cruise terminal will be able to accommodate up to 8,000 cruise passengers and 2,000 crew members daily. It’s expected to host more than 250,000 cruise passengers in its first year of operation.
The new cruise facility is designed to re-establish the Dominican Republic’s North Coast as a popular cruise destination. Puerto Plata had its last cruise ship call nearly 30 years ago.
“Amber Cove promises to be a spectacular facility that will serve as a gateway for cruise guests to experience the natural beauty and wonder that makes the Dominican Republic such an attractive tourist destination,” said Giora Israel, Carnival Corp.’s senior vice president of global port and destination development.


text:
A proxy server is a computer from a far location or a different country that serves as a gateway between your computer and the internet. Those servers are used to protect privacy by hiding a user’s real IP from websites and other web users by giving you a different one that is usually from another country.
The new IPchanger 3.5 has been released on September 14th – meet our API.
The new IPchanger 1.0 has been released on February 12th. The new software will facilitate and automated the process of changing IP for our customers. The new features are:


text:
Stablecoin issuer Paxos is expanding into the Solana (SOL) network, becoming the first multi-chain platform to be regulated across multiple jurisdictions.
In a new press release, the New York-based crypto firm says that after exclusively working with top smart contract platform Ethereum (ETH), it will now be releasing its dollar-pegged crypto asset, Pax Dollar (USDP), over the Solana blockchain.
“Paxos, the leading regulated blockchain and tokenization infrastructure platform, is pleased to announce a strategic expansion of its stablecoin issuance to the Solana blockchain platform.
Previously exclusive to Ethereum, this initiative represents a significant milestone for the innovation and evolution of Paxos’s enterprise and consumer-facing businesses.”
Pax Dollar will be available over the Solana blockchain starting January 17th, 2024, according to The Solana Foundation.
“Paxos’ expansion to the Solana blockchain broadens the growing payments ecosystem on Solana and their USDP stablecoin is planned to be available for public use starting Jan. 17th, 2024.”
As stated by Raj Gokal, co-founder of Solana, in the press release,
“Paxos’s decision to bring stablecoin issuance to the Solana blockchain will showcase how Solana’s high-performance network and low transaction fees can support regulated financial products and provide leaders like Paxos new ways to scale and innovate.
The Solana network will enable Paxos to further its vision for a more open and financially empowering future.”
Solana is trading for $96.62 at time of writing, a 4.05% increase during the last 24 hours.Don't Miss a Beat – Subscribe to get email alerts delivered directly to your inbox
Check Price Action
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Telegram
Surf The Daily Hodl Mix
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed at The Daily Hodl are not investment advice. Investors should do their due diligence before making any high-risk investments in Bitcoin, cryptocurrency or digital assets. Please be advised that your transfers and trades are at your own risk, and any loses you may incur are your responsibility. The Daily Hodl does not recommend the buying or selling of any cryptocurrencies or digital assets, nor is The Daily Hodl an investment advisor. Please note that The Daily Hodl participates in affiliate marketing.
Generated Image: Midjourney


text:
Trucking company ABF Freight System opened offices in 12 additional Asian nations, expanding its overseas reach from Japan to India.
The new offices in Asia will help Fort Smith, Ark.-based ABF capture more less-than-containerload and full containerload freight bound for the United States.
ABF’s services now extend “from the Asian manufacturer’s floor” to domestic door delivery, said Roy Slagle, senior vice president of sales and marketing.
That reflects a trend toward greater diversification among LTL carriers and a step away from the traditional, transaction-based LTL service model.
Rather than shipping one pallet or container, customers want to transportation suppliers to move hundreds or thousands of boxes under contract, ABF said.
In addition to being an LTL carrier, ABF is a non-vessel operating common carrier, a global logistics service provider and an intermodal carrier, Slagle said.
The new offices are located in Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Philippines, India and Sri Lanka.
ABF already has offices on China’s mainland, as well as Hong Kong and Taiwan.
The LTL carrier launched its global supply chain services division in 2008. It had an $8.2 million operating profit in the second quarter on $498.6 million in sales.


text:
Middle Eastern press outlets have reported an alliance between Ooredoo Kuwait, a telecommunications company owned by the Qatar-based Ooredoo group, and Batelco, the principal telecommunications company in Bahrain, to establish what is known as Global Zone Kuwait.
Global Zone, a carrier-neutral data centre, was launched in Bahrain in 2019. It offers what is described as a rich digital business solutions portfolio including Manama-IX, a carrier-neutral internet exchange, Cloud Connect solutions, and IPT solutions. These will now also be available in Global Zone Kuwait.
The growth of Global Zone and its expansion into new markets has been aided, a statement from the partners says, by a seamless data centre interconnection created and entirely powered by Kuwaiti ISP FASTtelco. FASTtelco was acquired by Ooredoo in 2016.
The companies say that the expanded partnership with Batelco will give FASTtelco access to a new set of products to further grow its portfolio by offering AWS DX, Global Zone, MPLS and MN-IX. It will also provide Ooredoo Kuwait clients with access to additional global fibre routes.
Featuring state-of-the-art high-density designed systems, Global Zone Kuwait is being developed rapidly and supported by a superhighway network infrastructure. Ooredoo Kuwait/FASTtelco and Batelco’s partners can use these solutions for their business needs and, it is hoped, reach new markets, while eliminating the complexity of getting connected to other players.
Batelco’s expansion of Global Zone into the Kuwaiti market is described by the partners as a stepping stone into a rollout plan for the region.


text:
- Subscribe NowLimited Time Offer
Sign Up for the Atlanta Business Chronicle Afternoon Edition Newsletter
Send this story to a friend
Is this the end of guacamole at Chipotle?
Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. is cautioning that factors beyond the company's control -- the weather in particular -- may prompt the removal of guacamole from its menu.
Denver-based Chipotle (NYSE: CMG) uses 97,000 pounds of avocados daily to make its guacamole to serve at its locations, including 22 in metro Atlanta.
PBS NewsHour reports that the company noted higher prices of some ingredients could force the company to increase what it charges for its menu, or it could just do away with some portions of the menu.
"In the event of cost increases with respect to one or more of our raw ingredients, we may choose to temporarily suspend serving menu items, such as guacamole or one or more of our salsas, rather than paying the increased cost for the ingredients," the company says in its annual report.
"Any such changes to our available menu may negatively impact our restaurant traffic and comparable restaurant sales, and could also have an adverse impact on our brand," the purveyor of bulging burritos adds.
But Chipotle said the removal of menu items would be temporary.
L. Wayne Hicks is associate editor of the Denver Business Journal, writes the "Cultural Attache" blog, and compiles the daily "Morning Edition" email. Phone: 303-803-9221.
If you are commenting using a Facebook account, your profile information may be displayed with your comment depending on your privacy settings. By leaving the 'Post to Facebook' box selected, your comment will be published to your Facebook profile in addition to the space below.
- Most popular
- Report: Delta looks into pilot’s on-air rant with tower (AUDIO)
- Couple behind Cyclorama gift no Civil War buffs; Wanted to give back
- Michelle Nunn blasted over leaked memos that mention race, money
- Whole Foods, Kroger and others issue stone fruit recall in Georgia
- Sandy Springs halts new apartments
- August start set for Three Alliance
- 1,154 unaccompanied, illegal immigrant children released in Ga.
- Piedmont Park looks to add restaurant, expand outdoor dining space
- Roswell’s Canton Street scores new location of The Big Ketch
- Atlanta restaurant’s burger among top 33 in U.S. (SLIDESHOW)
Two years ago this month, metro Atlanta voters rejected a tax (TSPLOST) for transportation projects. If the vote was held again today, would you support a TSPLOST for transportation projects?
Senior Account Director infinitee communications | Atlanta, GA
Commercial Appraisal Division Director King County | Seattle, WA
Transactional Finance Associate - Baltimore, MD Miles & Stockbridge | Baltimore, MD
Vice President of Development Atlanta Humane Society | Atlanta, GA
Retail Sales Representative Verizon Wireless | Peachtree City, GA


text:
|Helio and Yahoo! Partner to Offer Mobile Internet Access|
Posted: 13-Apr-2006 [Source: Helio]
[As youth-centric MVNO Helio ramps up for launch this spring, it announces a relationship to offer a variety of Yahoo! services on its 3G network.]
Los Angeles -- HELIO LLC, a new mobile service built for young, connected consumers, and Yahoo!(R) Inc. today announced a relationship to give Helio members access to one of the most extensive suites of Yahoo! services available from any mobile brand. Through this relationship, Helio members will stay connected to their favorite Yahoo! services such as Yahoo! Search, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! Messenger, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Sports and more on Helio's 3G services.
"There are millions of people who use Yahoo! as their online hub of connectivity and who align with Helio's target market," said Sky Dayton, CEO, HELIO LLC. "By extending Yahoo! services to the Helio platform, we're giving these people the opportunity to access their information and connect with friends from virtually anywhere nationwide -- away from the PC -- all through a familiar experience."
"We're continually seeking new ways to keep our users connected to their community of friends and personalized content," said Marco Boerries, senior vice president, Connected Life, Yahoo!. "Helio's innovative service platform and 3G service allows our users to keep connected in new, unique ways including fast access to the best of the Internet, including Yahoo!'s powerful services, on their mobile phones."
Helio will integrate many of Yahoo!'s industry leading services, including:
*Yahoo! Search: Helio and Yahoo! are partnering to offer an industry first: one-click access to a single-button Yahoo! search experience from the Helio device home screen that combines Yahoo!'s mobile Web, local, and image content with Helio's premium mobile content such as videorings, music videos, games and more. For example, a Helio member can start a search by literally typing in a search term just as if they were dialing a phone number. This feature is provided exclusively by Yahoo! on Helio's device home screen. Members will also be able to use Yahoo! Shortcuts, a quick way to get useful information such as local restaurants, movie showtimes, sports scores, weather, and stock quotes.
*Yahoo! News, Sports, Finance and more: Helio will offer one-touch links to a full range of Yahoo!'s content services including News, Sports, Finance and Movies. In addition, for more immediate access to the latest information from Yahoo!, Helio will provide consumers dynamic news feeds on selected topics on their Helio device home screen.
*Yahoo! Mail: Helio members will have fast and easy access to their Yahoo! Mail account from anywhere, including the ability to reply, forward, delete and move messages to folders. Members will also be able to add, edit or delete contacts in their Yahoo! Address Book.
*Yahoo! Messenger: Yahoo!'s easy to use instant messaging service gives access to the existing friends' list and the ability to send and receive messages. Members will also be able to set presence information to show friends and family when they are online and available to chat.
Combining market-driving innovation from Korea, one of the most advanced 3G markets in the world, with services tailored for the young US consumer, Helio recently announced its exclusive launch devices -- the Hero and Kickflip(TM). Helio will launch in the US this spring. Stay tuned.
Back to Headlines...


text:
Mac OS X 10.6.6 build 10J537 seeded, Mac App Store clarification says no demos
Two items: last night Apple seeded another build of 10.6.6 (we reported a build had been sent back in November) build 10j537, and a Mac App Store statement from Apple has put the kibosh on any demo apps.
More intriguing is this bit as reported by Macstories, wherein developers are encouraged to host demos, trials and the like on their website. Presumably developer websites listed in the Mac App Store will lure buyers to the site, where they can download a demo. Then they'll come back to the Mac App Store and buy the full version. It'll be interesting to see the numbers when this all shakes out. In any case, the Mac App Store is coming sooner, now that January 17, 2011 deadline is looming.
Deals of the Daymore deals
Software Updatesmore updates
- Poser 10 and Poser Pro 2014 available, bringing new characters, physics and more
- Agile Partners releases Lick of the Day 2.0
- Google announces new Hangout app to hit iOS today
- Microsoft Office for Mac 2011 Update 14.3.4
- Pixelmator 2.2 available with over 100 new features and improvements
- DabKick for iPhone lets you share photos, watch videos and now listen to music in real-time


text:
News > Apple's Safari browser may not be safe to use right now, thanks to new bug
Apple's Safari browser may not be safe to use right now, thanks to new bug
Business Today | 17/01/2022 11:47 AM | Click to read full article
Apple's Safari browser has a bug in its WebKit service. The bug reveals user data and sensitive information to any other websites. Apple has not taken note of the situation yet, so avoid using Safari right now.
A new security bug was found in Safari and it could reveal the browsing history and the user identity to websites, including ones that may be operated by hackers.


text:
Like the U.S. economy, America's auto market is slowly, steadily recovering from the aftershocks of the Great Recession. New sales data from Kelley Blue Book suggests that March 2012 will see double-digit gains over March 2011 and will, in fact, be higher than any March on record since 2007.
In all, KBB expects March new-car sales to clock in around 1,425,000 units -- up 24% from last month and 14% higher than March 2011. In terms of the seasonally adjusted sales rate, or SAAR, that puts the U.S. auto market at around 14.6 million sales for the year. That's a bit lower than the 15.1 million SAAR seen in February, but KBB says that sales for that month were unusually high due to the warmer weather.
Why does March matter? Because March is typically a big month for auto sales. At temperatures become more temperate, shoppers often get the urge to kick a few tires -- especially on new model-year rides they might not have seen before. And thanks to the tax refunds burning holes in some folks' pockets, they've got the financial wherewithal to seal the deal, too. So, like the crocus, March sales are often a harbinger of how strong (or weak) a year may be.
What to expect
KBB predicts that auto sales will continue to climb, thanks in part to the larger inventories on-hand at dealerships these days. In 2011, we saw shortages on many lots, often due to natural disasters that put crimps in the production lines of many Asian automakers. Significant headway has been made in Japan (crippled by the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami last March) and Thailand (ravaged by floods for nearly six months), meaning that popular models like the Toyota Prius are once again in ready supply.
However, shoppers looking for discounts and other incentives might find only disappointment. Soaring gas prices have resulted in huge demand for hybrids and smaller, fuel-efficient rides. In fact, a KBB survey of current car shoppers revealed that 51% are looking for a smaller, more fuel-efficient car, and 20% are checking out alt-fuel vehicles like hybrids and diesels.
As a result, sales of subcompacts like the Chevrolet Sonic, Ford Fiesta, and Honda Fit are in high demand. KBB expects March growth in that segment alone to come in 40% above March 2011. Given that demand, the waiting list for the all-new Prius C could be impressively long.
In terms of automakers, Volkswagen, Chrysler, and General Motors are seeing the most benefit from these improving sales. March will likely be a banner month for VW, with sales up 38.7% over last year. Chrysler will ring 34.7% more sales, and GM 24.1%. KBB doesn't explain the reason for those gains, but we know that VW has been pricing its models very competitively as of late. Chrysler and GM suffered from lagging sales following their restructurings in 2009, and from our perspective, it seems as if both are finally getting back up to speed.
Bottom line: if you're looking for a new ride and you're hoping to catch a bargain, you may not get your wish. On the upside, there should be enough supply of most models to keep you from waiting too long for your next set of wheels.


text:
We may think New York Fashion Week leads into London Fashion Week, but we're overlooking something: Detroit Fashion Week, which just wrapped up its fourth consecutive year on Saturday. Detroit insiders are looking to "redeploy" the city's creative force toward fashion:
Joe Faris, a former Project Runway contestant who lives in metro Detroit, says that because car designers are designers, they are aware of fashion — design principles can be translated across industries. "Creative people are just creative — it can be applied both ways," he says. And a manufacturing workforce is a manufacturing workforce, whether they're manufacturing carburetors or brocades. The River Rouge is just a hop, skip, and jump from the garment district!
From the New York perspective, this might seem like a long shot, but if you're interested in fashion (and not necessarily interested in living here, or in any city where the beers cost $6), it's not crazy. Detroit has extremely low overhead costs.
"Michigan is more approachable for a designer who wants to be able to afford housing and also run a business and make a profit," says Brian Heath, founder and producer of Detroit Fashion Week. Also: People in Michigan still need to wear clothes and are still going to buy them, and they don't uniformly think elastic-waisted pants are the way to go. For stylish individuals outside of cosmopolitan cities, there should be life beyond GO International.
In their efforts to make sure Detroit is known for more than just being an automotive town, the fashion community has planned a second sort of Fashion Week: Fashion in Detroit, "a high-end runway show," will drop in less than two weeks.
Unlike Detroit Fashion Week's $350 entrance fee, Fashion in Detroit's fee is $140 for Oct. 1-2, and both Kid Rock (who has a Made in Detroit clothing line) and Betsey Johnson will be showing. It would seem Detroit's catching on quickly, then: The pricier the velvet rope, the better the show.


text:
Andrew “Boz” Bosworth, who is currently head of Facebook Reality Labs overseeing the company’s VR and AR businesses, announced a series of nomenclature changes in a Facebook post Thursday.
“VR will be the most immersive way for people to access the metaverse and as we look toward our goal of bringing 1B people into VR, we want to make it clear that Quest is a Meta product,” Bosworth wrote. “For this reason, we’re simplifying our brand architecture and shifting away from the Oculus brand.”
Starting in early 2022, the Oculus Quest virtual-reality headset will become “Meta Quest,” and the Oculus App will be renamed “Meta Quest App” over time. Facebook bought Oculus seven years ago for $2 billion.
“We all have a strong attachment to the Oculus brand, and this was a very difficult decision to make. While we’re retiring the name, I can assure you that the original Oculus vision remains deeply embedded in how Meta will continue to drive mass adoption for VR today,” Bosworth said.
In addition, going forward, Meta’s Reality Labs group is working on “new ways to log into Quest that won’t require a Facebook account, landing sometime next year,” Bosworth wrote. “This is one of our highest-priority areas of work internally.”
In other branding changes, Facebook Reality Labs will be dropping “Facebook” from its name and plans to expand Meta Horizon “as the brand that will encompass all of our first-party immersive social experiences,” according to Bosworth.
“You’ve seen this already with Horizon Workrooms and Horizon Worlds. Soon you’ll see us shift from Oculus to Horizon Home, Horizon Venues, Horizon Friends, and Horizon Profile,” he wrote. Other changes will include relabeling Facebook Portal as “Meta Portal.”
Bosworth is in line to become the company’s next CTO, after Mike “Schrep” Schroepfer steps down from the chief technology officer sometime in 2022.


text:
The five-day conference will host a range of summits, covering topics from machine learning to audio production.
From Assassin's Creed's biggest DLC to the women of Ubisoft, here's all the news from the past week.
From the Ubisoft Developers Conference to a Fortnite crossover, here's all the news from this past week.
At the recent internal Ubisoft Developers Conference event, Ubisoft La Forge announced the expansion of its successful research and development model into five studios worldwide.
Learn more about the measures put in place to support the safety and wellbeing of Ubisoft teams in Ukraine.
All Ubisoft news from the past week in one article, including an interview from the Ubisoft Developers Conference.
Here’s all the news from this past week, including the launch of Assassin’s Creed: The Ezio Collection on Switch.
Ubisoft recently held its internal Green Weeks: a set of inspirational conferences on the tools and initiatives being explored to create a greener world through videogames.
The games industry veteran joins Ubisoft’s Editorial team to support creatives across the company’s worldwide studios.
Get all the details about the live show airing on June 12


text:
It seems like only yesterday that LG released its newest flagship, the G4, but rumor has it that yet another revision is already imminent. The G4S will supposedly be a slightly less premium version of the flagship, and it may launch as early as July.
Updated on 07-07-2015 by Malarie Gokey: Added leaked benchmark result from GFX Bench, which mentions several specs.
Given the extremely short window between the G4’s release and the G4S’ inception, the changes between the two are unsurprisingly minor, according to a handful of reports. Earlier on, Russian website hi-tech.mail.ru posted renders of a tweaked G4 — a “G4S,” if you will — ahead of a reported July unveiling. The site also mentioned a few specs. Now, a leaked benchmark from GFX Bench has more details on the device.
LG allegedly plans to position the G4S as a budget alternative to its pricier counterpart, and the specifications reflect that. According to a leaked benchmark test on GFX Bench and an earlier report from Russia, the G4S features a 5.2-inch, 1,920 x 1,080 screen, which is less high-res when compared to the G4’s 1,440 x 2,560 resolution. It’s also supposedly run by a slower Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor, though it may have 2GB of RAM.
The benchmark hints the device will come with 16GB of built-in storage, which will be expandable with a MicroSD card. It also states the G4S will ship with Android 5.1.1 Lollipop onboard. As far as the camera is concerned, the G4S is said to have a cut-down 8-megapixel camera versus the 16-megapixel shooter on the G4. Otherwise, it sports the same laser autofocus, dual LED flash, and manual mode as the G4, the Russian site reports. The benchmark also hints at a 5-megapixel front-facing camera.
If the G4S shares as much in common with the G4 as rumblings suggest, it’ll be a strong mid-range contender. The G4 may not best the competition in terms of raw numbers, but the Digital Trends review team came away incredibly impressed by the G4’s ergonomic design, great camera, and bright display. We especially appreciated its battery capacity, which at 3,000mAh is larger than most.
The G4S isn’t the first inexpensive derivation of G4 to hit store shelves, believe it or not. Just two months ago, LG unveiled the G4C and G4 Stylus, both of which are bound for foreign markets. The G4C sports the G4’s specifications in a smaller package, essentially. The 5.7-inch G4 Stylus, meanwhile, compromises in the areas of processing power with a 1.2GHz quad-core or 1.4GHz octa-core processor, picture prowess with a 13-megapixel rear camera, 1GB of RAM, and just 8GB of storage, but ships with LG’s Rubberdium Stylus for on-screen doodling.
Details on the G4S are otherwise hard to come by, but hi-tech.mail.ru reports it’ll launch in the second half of July.
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Plus vs. iPad Air 4
- LTE vs. 4G: The differences explained
- Google Pixel 5a vs. Pixel 4a 5G: Spot the difference
- The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE 5G gets a U.S launch. Can it compete with the iPad?
- OnePlus Nord CE 5G vs. Google Pixel 4a 5G


text:
Steel Industry Goes On Offensive After Ford F-150 Surprise
Industry Claims Automakers More Interested in Attributes than Materials
Since the auto industry’s inception, one material has dominated in the area of automotive bodies and frames: steel, which still has the lion’s share of the market. However, aluminum is being increasingly used by automakers looking to lighten their vehicles weight and raise fuel economy under pressure from government regulations. The use of aluminum got its biggest boost yet with the introduction of the 2015 Ford F-150, by far the industry’s largest-volume deployment of the material in automotive history. However, the steel industry isn’t sitting idly by and letting aluminum producers eat its lunch. Leading steel producer ArcelorMittal is going on the offensive with a multi-pronged, proactive approach, getting involved at earlier stages of vehicle development and working hard to come up with cost-competitive solutions that meet automaker’s engineering objectives, according to Bloomberg.
Brian Aranha, head of ArcelorMittal’s automotive business (the company’s most profitable division), said Ford’s development on the F-150 was kept highly confidential for many years and that the company was caught by surprise by the choice to go aluminum on the new truck. Although the proportion of steel to aluminum in the auto industry still favors the former by an overwhelming margin -- 150 million metric tons for steel compared to just 4.5 million tons of aluminum -- the industry recognizes aluminum as a competitive threat. Aranha said automakers aren’t categorically inclined toward aluminum but are simply looking for certain attributes in terms of weight and strength, which he believes the steel industry can meet.


text:
Maybe it’s our imagination, but it seems like we have not had too many opportunities this year to report good news out of 35 West Wacker Drive. It seems like all we have had to share is this creative leaving or an account gone.
Well, today that changes for The Reel as we have some good news to report about Leo Burnett. After a review, the agency was named as Serta/Simmon’s new creative agency, leaving Doner Detroit after seventeen years.
Insert slow dramatic hand clap here.
The announcement ends the brand’s first creative review launched in August. Incumbent agency Doner, which Serta named as its creative agency of record back in December 1999 and created the brand-defining animated sheep, did not participate according to sources.
Rich Stoddart, CEO, Leo Burnett Worldwide discussed the agency’s reaction to being named AOR, “We are thrilled to be partnering with Serta. The brand has a storied history of product and marketing innovation that has defined comfort and sleep for generations. Our focus, in close partnership with the Serta team, is to help evolve the brand with a relentless focus on reaffirming Serta’s position as the undisputed category leader.”
A statement on the Burnett website credited the collaborative effort between Leo Burnett, Rokkan, Arc, Greenhouse and The Core, who all came together to reel in the industry’s leading mattress maker. The agency claims the new partnership will, “bring its story of comfort and a good night’s sleep to consumers in new and exciting ways.”
On the Atlanta-based company’s website, Andrew Gross, EVP of Marketing was gracious about the Doner work, “We would like to thank Doner for their many years of service with us and for their past contributions in making Serta the top-selling brand.”
Warren Kornblum, interim chief marketing officer for Serta Simmons Bedding, added, “We selected Leo Burnett based on their understanding of our business and creative vision. We look forward to partnering with the team at Leo Burnett to deliver bold, innovative ideas and creative campaigns that will continue Serta’s momentum as the best-selling brand in the United States.”
According to Kantar Media, Serta spent over $35 million on measured media in the U.S. during the first quarter of 2017, up from $15 million spent last year. Kantar Media largely attributed the increase in spending to print ads in newspapers and magazines.
Sleep tight Serta team. Then get up and do some great work!
Contact Colin Costello at firstname.lastname@example.org or follow him on Twitter @colincostello.com.


text:
SWITCHING CHANNELS: Fern Mallis is moving her business, “Fern’s Finds,” from QVC to HSN. She will make an appearance on HSN on Oct. 10 from 10 p.m. until midnight.
“The width and breadth [of the collection] will be shown over two hours and I’ll have the ability to talk about it and connect with customers,” said Mallis. The line consists of necklaces, earrings and rings, manufactured in India and China.
This story first appeared in the September 12, 2012 issue of WWD. Subscribe Today.
“I have great respect and love for everybody at QVC, but it never got off the ground the way we envisioned it,” said Mallis, on why she’s making the switch. “It’s a bigger collection that needs the time and nurturing.” Mallis will appear on the network several times a year. She said the HSN buyers will see what she brings back, tweak some things and then make more of what she brings back.
“HSN nurtures brands and commits to them,” said Mallis, noting that she plans to expand into tunics and other Indian-inspired things. Mallis has made 35 trips to India during her lifetime. “I fell in love with all things Indian and Asian. I’m a gypsy at heart. It gives me a great excuse to keep shopping while I travel.”


text:
Thirsty Suitors shows off skateboarding and drops PC demo
The Annapurna Interactive Showcase began with a new look at Thirsty Suitors, which has a new demo up on Steam right now.
Thursday's Annapurna Interactive Showcase kicked off with the latest update on Thirsty Suitors. The team at Outerloop Games explained some more about what to expect from their upcoming turn-based RPG, showing off some new footage and even announcing the deployment of a new demo.
Most of what was revealed is already well-known. The story follows a young woman named Jala, who navigates the challenges of growing up in a South Asian family while also confronting her past in the form of her various exes. This inevitably includes turn-based battles with each of those exes, which features a variety of different mechanics, abilities, status conditions, and more. Viewers got to soak in more of the game's lighthearted tone, as they meet the story's various characters.
However, players also got to see one of Thirsty Suitors' more underplayed elements to this point: skateboarding. Jala could be seen skating along a neighborhood theme park, performing various tricks and stringing together combos, similar to an arcade-style skating game like Tony Hawk's Pro Skater. Skating will be spotlighted heavily during a portion of Thirsty Suitors, especially as Jala is confronted by the bear mascot Soundie and his cohorts. Studio founder Chandana Ekanayake notes that skateboarding is designed to be accessible, but with enough depth to allow skating veterans to fully dive in.
There is still no release date for Thirsty Suitors. Once it releases, it will come to PC (via Steam), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. It will also be available on Xbox Game Pass on day one. Those who want a taste of what they're in for can play a new demo, which is live on Steam starting today. You can also check out our recent preview from earlier this summer.
Ozzie Mejia posted a new article, Thirsty Suitors shows off skateboarding and drops PC demo


text:
According to a ThisDay report, Toyota Nigeria recalled some models of Hilux and Yaris over faulty airbags.
The reason for the recall is that the company believes the inflator modules contained in the airbags in the cars may be faulty. As a result, the company has advised owners of these vehicles to prepare to turn them in for repairs.
Vehicles concerned are Toyota Hilux manufactured between 2003 – 2007, and Toyota Yaris manufactured between 2003 – 2005.
Managing Director of Toyota Nigeria Limited, Kunle Ade-Ojo, stated that the airbag issue is a global problem because it affects all vehicles/makes that use the airbag inflator device manufactured by Takata, a Japanese company.
Photo Credit: Toyota/Izmo Cars


text:
Sellers revolt as eBay goes corporate
FOR more than a decade, eBay has functioned as a global jumble sale where browsers can buy and sell everything from bric-a-brac to a Gulfstream jet.
So far-reaching has eBay's appeal become that millions have taken to disposing of their wares on its online pages.
Now, however, the internet auction site is facing a revolt from some of the individual internet users that helped to establish it as a worldwide brand.
Sellers are threatening to boycott eBay because of fee rises and rule changes which they say favour big business and will dismantle the site's give-and-take "community" element. This was credited with establishing the bedrock of trust to enable strangers to buy and sell each others' goods anonymously.
A worldwide one-day boycott of eBay, which


text:
By Fabian Hakalits – EMTV Port Moresby
The National Government’s position on banning imported Australia’s uncooked poultry meat remains effective.
Agriculture and Livestock Minister, Tommy Tomscoll, when responding to the question raised by Talasea MP, Francis Marus, told parliament that the ban aims to grow Papua New Guinea’s economy and benefit farmers to recapitalise and expand the poultry industry.
Minister Tomscoll said priorities of the poultry industry sector are on farmers. The PNG’s Poultry Industry generates K712 million annually, much higher than Australia’s K100 million.
The ban imposed on April 5th, protects the bio-security of poultry industry, national economy and human health of Papua New Guineas.
Minister Tomscall said it is important not to entertain or provide market for farmers in other countries.
The Government has commissioned a review into the Bio-Security Act and Bio Security of the poultry industry in Papua New Guinea.


text:
Dr Karen Stephenson spoke to the 35 OneMBA graduates about the power of strategic collaborations.
The RSM STAR Sustainability Forum 2019 attracted students and business professionals.
Inaugural address about leadership for innovation by Professor Daan Stam.
Erasmus School of Law and University of St. Gallen partner with RSM to launch course for lawyers.
Coaching and feedback session for innovators and intrapreneurs on 100-day challenge.
Participants explored business through lectures and company visits in Rotterdam and Warsaw.
Professionals learn to deal with challenges effectively in seven-day outdoor leadership programme.
The multi-source case explores TomTom’s brand management success and challenges.
Managers, entrepreneurs and students explored transparency, data and blockchain at Venture Café.
Blockchain and transparency will be explored by managers, entrepreneurs and students on 25 April.


text:
The IBM and Danish delivery and logistics corporate Maersk introduced on Jan. 16 that it has teamed as much as create a supply chain and provide no longer but named Blockchain. corporate. The function of the corporate is to marketplace Blockchain for all facets of the worldwide provide chain device, from delivery to ports, and from banks to customs places of work.
Blockchain era is certainly one of a sort. as a result of it could possibly change tedious and hazardous paperwork with protected virtual recordings which are additionally clear.
Maersk’s business director, Vincent Clerc, who will chair the brand new board of administrators of the three way partnership, was once quoted within the respectable remark. Advert:
“The possible presented via the be offering of a impartial and open virtual platform to switch data simply and securely is massive and the entire gamers within the provide chain will receive advantages. ” 19459004 The corporate had promised to ship the brand new venture via the top of closing yr. The be offering is the of completion of a yr of making plans via each firms, who’ve additionally invested in Blockchain in more than a few alternative ways. The three way partnership hopes to start out providing its device answers via the 3rd quarter of 2018.


text:
By Naomi Whidden The Daily News, Jacksonville, N.C.
WWR Article Summary (tl;dr) A struggling entrepreneur goes on the Steve Harvey Show (despite reservations) and gets much more than a seat on the couch.
The Daily News, Jacksonville, N.C.
A local woman has overcome much in her life as she raises two children and furthers her own career as an entrepreneur.
She recently shared that story on the 'Steve Harvey' show.
Stephania Roberts created Bou'Jae Vodka in 2015 and has since struggled to get her product in the mainstream market, but that won't stop her from trying.
Bou'Jae vodka is an premium spirit that is organic, gluten-free, allergen-free and non-GMO.
"I think that my story fits in line with Steve Harvey's book that just came out on Tuesday. (The book) is about people that have a business that may have failed or failed to jump. My story goes hand in hand with that," Roberts said.
Roberts was flown to the set of the show on Nov. 16, all expenses paid, where she met and spoke with Steve Harvey.
Despite being a Jacksonville High School dropout, Roberts overcame financial insecurity to create a life for herself and her two children Nathan, 6, and Jaeon, 5, who happens to be autistic.
She began her journey of being a business owner after attending Harvey's "Act Like a Success" conference in Washington D.C. "The conference was great, I learned a lot of valuable information. I learned it's not about where you've been but where you're going," Roberts said.
The Bou'Jae Vodka brand was launched soon after and had a promising customer base in Onslow County but restrictions limited how much product Roberts could sell.
Roberts has since fallen on hard times and was a guest on Steve Harvey's show to ask advice on how to pick herself back up and revive her business, according to a press release.
"Initially I was kind of scared (to go on the show) but after I talked to the producers the nervousness died down," Roberts said.
She was presented with a check for $10,000, was surprised by learning one of her drinks would be included in the monthly Cocktail Courier service, and given access to Mixology Company, a multi million dollar enterprise.
To view Robert's story, check your local listings or visit http://www.steveharveytv.com/.


text:
New Delhi, Oct 2 (IANSlife) With mounds of paperwork, seemingly endless usage of water and electricity, and no sustainable development policies in check, office spaces are an eco-hazard. Co-working firm Avanta India’s MD Nakul Mathur tells IANSlife how offices, where working individuals spend hours on end, can turn more environmental friendly.
1. Reduce use of paper
The increasing use of technology leaves no excuse for us to leave long paper trails on the planet. Use digital copies as much as possible. If printouts must be taken at all, offices should implement a policy of printing on both sides of the paper. Recycled papers must be used wherever possible.
2. Reduce energy consumption
Shutdown the computers properly after use and unplug all the idle electronics. Even plugged in chargers pull small amounts of energy. Switch off all the lights when not needed. Use LED bulbs that consume almost 75 per cent less power as compared to traditional bulbs. Always set the temperature of air conditioners at 25°C.
3. Use reusable containers
Reduce usage of plastic items such as bottles or containers in offices. Employees should be encouraged to always carry jute or cloth bags. Inside the premises, office should only keep reusable containers to be used for drinking water or coffee. Suppliers of food items and other office accessories should be requested to use less plastic.
4. Recycle etiquette
Install recycling bins at places that are easily accessible for employees. Spread awareness about using these bins to store segregated waste. If we can recycle even 30 per cent of our daily trash, we will save energy equal to around 12 billion gallons of gasoline.
5. Sustainability team and three ‘R’s
Being eco-friendly boils down to three Rs — Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Monthly targets can be set for employees with awards to encourage everyone become eco-friendly. Regular environment awareness sessions should also be organised and every new employee should be informed about the eco-friendly policy.


text:
Twenty-First Century Fox says it offered to buy Time Warner, a move that would unite two powerful media conglomerates, but Time Warner rebuffed its offer.
Starbucks makes its debut in the country synonymous with coffee after years of roasting Colombia's Arabica beans for billions of java lovers the world over.
A gauge of U.S. consumer spending rose solidly in June, in the latest indication that the economy ended the second quarter on a stronger footing.
Fed Chair Janet Yellen will have some good news to tell Congress about the health of the labor market. But lawmakers will likely want to hear more.
Microsoft is planning its biggest round of job cuts in five years as the software maker looks to integrate Nokia Oyj's handset unit, a report says.
An investor group that includes investor and reality TV star Marcus Lemonis said it plans to acquire Crumbs Bake Shop out of bankruptcy.
Volkswagen plans to build a new seven-passenger SUV at its factory in Tennessee and add about 2,000 jobs as it tries to reverse a decline in U.S. sales.
Citigroup will pay roughly $7 billion to settle an investigation into risky subprime mortgages, the type that helped fuel the financial crisis.
@SFHiddenBitcoin has arrived, transforming San Francisco into a gigantic bitcoin beta test.
Global oil demand growth will accelerate next year and will again be met by rising supplies from the U.S. and Canada, further eroding OPEC's market share.
Three authors share their experiences in self-publishing and offer advice for other to succeed in the business.
Average U.S. rates on fixed mortgages edged up slightly this week, remaining near historically low levels.
The Federal Reserve's controversial bond buying program also known as quantitative easing is gearing up for its finale.
The wildly popular Game of Thrones TV series has spurred tourists' interest in visiting Croatia, where much of the epic TV fantasy is set.
Germany's Commerzbank is expected to pay up to $800 million to resolve investigations into its dealings with Iran and other countries under U.S. sanctions.
Rates aren't the driving factor for home sales. At least that's what the correlation between rate moves and mortgage applications suggests.
Germany not only kicked Brazil's butt at the World Cup, but Germany's Adidas looks poised to beat Nike in scoring Manchester United's endorsement.
The world's largest chicken breeder has discovered a fertility issue among roosters, adding to problems constraining poultry production and raising prices.
With the ubiquity of social media, there's a widely held idea that friends or followers equate to your network. But don't mistake quantity for quality.


text:
China's influence is everywhere, Peter Brookes said, and he doesn't expect that to change.
Brookes linked high gas prices to the ever-expanding nation. China is the second-largest consumer of energy and produces more greenhouse gases than any other, he said.
And trade? The U.S. has a trade deficit with China amounting to $200 billion a year, Brookes said.
"It has been estimated that if Wal-Mart were a country, it would be China's seventh-largest trade partner," he said at a Leadership Program of the Rockies event Monday morning.
Brookes, a member of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, gave a talk called "China: Partner or Peril?" to a few dozen participants at Rex's American Grill & Bar. He also is an author, columnist and senior fellow at The Heritage Foundation.
"No country or issue, even terrorism, will shape our country for good or for bad more than China," he said.
In Brookes' view, plenty of issues deserve a close look: China's expanding military, burgeoning population, booming economy and dramatic effect on the environment, for example.
China has the fastest-growing peacetime military budget in the world, Brookes said. It has grown by double digits every year of the past decade, and the nation announced another 18 percent increase this year.
No one is sure what the motives are for that growth, he said. No nation is threatening China, but it's common knowledge that the Chinese want Taiwan, which has governed itself since 1949. If China tries to take it now, it's likely that the U.S. and China would "cross swords" in the Taiwan Strait, Brookes said.
However, the U.S. must step gingerly. He theorized that President Bush has been wary to alienate Russia or China because he doesn't want to push them together.
"The concern is about capability and intent," Brookes said of China's military. "It may take years to build capability. Intent can change overnight."
China's population also is a huge factor on the global stage, he said. The 1.3 billion people there use a great deal of resources.
"Some estimate that China will put as many as 300 million new cars on the road in the next decade," Brookes said. "That's the population of the United States."
He noted that one of the biggest pollutants in Beijing's air is cement dust, and Brookes pondered, as an aside, the effect of the dirty air on athletes at this summer's Olympic Games. China is building coal-fired power plants at a rate of two a week, he said.
But China's massive population could benefit the U.S., Brookes noted. As the economy grows, the Chinese could become big consumers of American goods.
There are plenty of opportunities for cooperation and collaboration, Brookes said. The United States should try to help shape China into an ally as it grows, he said.
"China could be a stabilizing force or a destabilizing force in the international system," Brookes said. "It's going to be that big."
- To reach Blythe Terrell, call 871-4234
or e-mail email@example.com


text:
Retailers in China have bumped up the costs of AMD’s Radeon RX 7900 XTX GPUs because the ban on NVIDIA’s RTX 4090 is now formally carried out.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Ban Attracts Players To Workforce Crimson’s Providing, AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX Sees Worth Hike Throughout Retail Section In China
With the US ban on the GeForce RTX 4090, an “synthetic” scarcity has been created in Chinese language markets, as costs have soared to new ranges. This has resulted in avid gamers and professionals looking for different options and AMD GPUs are the primary that come to thoughts. However because the demand for RTX 4090 was already excessive, retailers at the moment are profiting from the scenario and rising the costs of the following finest graphics card in the marketplace, the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT.
For a fast background recap, the US has formally carried out steps to hinder the expansion of AI in China, by reducing off the availability of one of many essential elements, GPUs. Regardless of all of the political fiasco, NVIDIA’s flagship Ada GPU has someway been dragged into the sphere because the GPU exceeds 600 GB/s reminiscence bandwidth barrier, or 4800 TOPS.
For the reason that GPU comes underneath the T&C of the restriction, it has been banned by the US as an export product, which has prompted a scarcity within the Chinese language business. Whereas board companions drastically elevated their shipments of the GPU as quickly because the information surfaced, it nonetheless had no impact as sources reveal that the pricing of the GeForce RTX 4090 has reached an all-time excessive. However whereas these GPUs are eligible from NAC (a course of that approves eligibility for imports of restricted GPUs in China), the retail market is totally profiting from elevating costs of high-end GPUs.
Primarily based on a report from MyDrivers, the GeForce RTX 4090 is now being retailed between round 20,000 yuan, as retail channels are in a position to purchase it across the 15000 yuan to 17000 yuan value bracket. This can be a super improve because the preliminary MSRP of the flagship Ada GPU was round 12,999 yuan. Regardless of the massive value, the GPU continues to be out of retail throughout main Chinese language marketplaces, which means that the scarcity has had a widespread impact on the retailing channels.
Now with the scarcity of a extremely demanding product, rivals have stepped in to fill the hole in mainstream markets. It’s disclosed that AMD’s flagship Radeon RX 7900 XTX is now being seen as a substitute because it additionally packs 24 GB of VRAM which is nice for professionals & content material creators. The export restriction may show to be a “blessing in disguise” for Workforce Crimson because it now provides them the chance to make their market choices extra compelling to potential patrons.
However nearly as good as which will sound, it appears to be like just like the RX 7900 XTX itself is going through value hikes throughout the board as retailers use the RTX 4090 ban as a tactic to bump up the charges. The latest 11.11 offers noticed the RX 7900 XTX hit costs of round 7000 RMB or round $1000 US however these are anticipated to be inflated by 200-500 RMB or round $1050 US.
The ban on the GeForce RTX 4090 has additionally created a “domino” impact amongst the opposite SKUs inside the Ada Lovelace lineup because the GeForce RTX 4080 and the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti have additionally witnessed a rise in pricing.


text:
Toyota's UK-made, production-ready Auris hybrid will make its world debut at the Geneva auto show early next month.
The Auris HSD (Hybrid Synergy Drive) is a key part of Toyota's plan to introduce its full-hybrid gasoline-electric powertrain technology across its entire model range by the early 2020s, the company said in a statement.
In July, Toyota President Akio Toyoda said the carmaker would shift its focus in the diesel-heavy European market to hybrid vehicles as part of a new effort to use its resources more selectively. Toyota has a goal of selling at least 1 million hybrid vehicles a year within the next few years.
Built in Toyota's plant in Burnaston, England, which is about 200km north of London, the Auris HSD is the first Europe-made hybrid for the world's largest automaker.
Toyota Europe CEO Tadashi Arashima said making hybrids in Europe would help ensure that full hybrids "become more accessible to a wider range of customers."
The compact car will go on sale across Europe in the summer. When Toyota showed the Auris hybrid concept at the Frankfurt auto show last September the automaker said it uses 19 percent less fuel and emits 17 percent less carbon dioxide than the standard Auris.
The Auris hybrid will share the stand with Toyota's growing lineup of low- or zero-CO2 models. The automaker will show the production version of the Prius Plug-in Hybrid and the all-electric FT-EV II concept for the first time in Europe. Toyota's next-generation fuel cell hybrid vehicle, the FCHV-adv, also will be on display.
A little spice
To add a little spice to its Geneva display Toyota's FT-86 sports coupe concept will make its first appearance in Europe.


text:
Eden Studios has been hinting lately that they may be doing a licenced Buffy the Vampire Slayer RPG sometime next year. Keep your eyes peeled for an announcement in the weeks to come.
Issaries Revises Product Schedule
Siting the unavoidable delay caused by their layout artist’s emergency Cesarean section (she’s fine), Issaries said the release of Barbarian Adventures for Hero Wars has been pushed back a month to November. Further releases are thereby pushed back a month as well, with cash flow determining the final release date. Next in line is Orlanth is Dead! followed by Hero’s Book, though Issaries still hopes to release Hero Wars: Second Edition early next year. I’m getting a small taste of 2nd Ed. already, since the guys I work with are already using many of the new rules in our campaign. Looks good so far.


text:
Computer Associates International, the software company, fired its chief financial officer and two other executives yesterday after a company investigation into how it recorded sales.
The financial executive, Ira H. Zar, will be succeeded on an interim basis by Douglas Robinson, the company said. The departures come amid an inquiry by the audit committee of the company's board. The Securities and Exchange Commission and the United States attorney's office are investigating the company's accounting practices, including how it recognized revenue.
Computer Associates, which is based in Islandia, N.Y., recorded certain sales after the end of quarters in the fiscal year ended in March 2000, Walter Schuetze, the former S.E.C. chief accountant who is leading Computer Associates' audit committee, said in a statement. The contracts were genuine, he said. The shares have more than doubled this year.
''The stock has had a good run, but I look at their charts and the stock has a question mark'' about the investigations, said Pat Becker Jr., who helps invest $1.5 billion at Becker Capital Management, which has avoided buying Computer Associates shares.
Shares of Computer Associates fell as low as $26 after the announcement. During regular trading, the shares rose 99 cents, to $28.96.
Computer Associates said it asked those who oversaw sales accounting to resign, including Mr. Zar; Lloyd Silverstein, senior vice president, finance; and David Rivard, vice president, finance.
Sanjay Kumar became chief executive in 2000, taking over from the founder Charles Wang, and added the chairman title last year when Mr. Wang retired.
In August, Computer Associates said that it would settle class-action lawsuits related to its accounting practices. The company will issue 5.7 million shares to plaintiffs and will take a charge of $97 million, or 17 cents a share, in the current quarter to cover costs of the settlement.
One suit, filed in federal court in New York in 1998, asserted that Mr. Kumar and other top Computer Associates executives hid bad news so they could receive $1.1 billion in bonuses tied to the price of the company's shares.Continue reading the main story


text:
Robert Walters driven by Y generation
The Y Generation of young professionals refusing to commit to corporate life is causing acute shortages of specialist staff - and proving a boon for recruitment consultants.
Financial recruitment firm Robert Walters has identified an unprecedented squeeze in the market for high-quality new job candidates.
Such a strong candidates' market is sending up salaries, with those who do quit able to get a new job quickly.
'There are hard facts like the demographics of the ageing population and then there are the theories of the Y Generation and their lack of desire to stay in the corporate environment,' said chief executive Robert Walters.
'The fact is we are in a driven market.'
The firm today reported soaring pre-tax profits for 2006, up 56% at £19.8m on net fee income of £108m. The full-year dividend is being boosted 18% to 4p.
Shares were up 2½p in early morning trading to 387½p.
Walters added: 'Current market conditions remain favourable. We are still at the early stages of our international development, with huge scope to exploit opportunities in new regions and disciplines. We therefore remain confident of further growth.'
Walters has been opening offices across Europe and Asia and now generates 56% of its fees from outside of its main UK operation.
Most watched Money videos
- Rare 1965 Jaguar E-type found in barn sells for £40,000
- Ford unveils electric version of Britain's best-selling vehicle
- Watch the BANNED Land Rover ad that 'misrepresented' parking sensors
- 1990's advert for the Vauxhall Cavalier Turbo 4x4
- Is Elon Musk the right person to lead Twitter?
- BMW's new 7 Series luxury limo features giant cinema screen
- Ray Massey gets exclusive access to the new green Rolls-Royce Spectre
- Ford tests traffic light tech that could change the commute forever
- Bentley brings the comfort of a limo to their popular SUV
- Land Rover unveils its new £80,000 Range Rover Sport
- A 1956 Mercedes SLR 300 Coupe reportedly sells for record £115m
- Rustbucket Mercedes-Benz roadster sells at auction for almost £40k


text:
Phillips 66: How huge Humberside oil refinery is powering mass production of electric car batteries
While Rishi Sunak may have recently delayed a ban on new petrol and diesel cars for five years, there is one unexpected place where the accelerator is still very much being pressed on facilitating the electric vehicle revolution.
The Humber Refinery in South Killingholme, North Lincolnshire, is run by US giant Phillips 66 and currently produces around 15 per cent of the UK’s road fuels with a processing capacity of more than 200,000 barrels per day.
However, the company is attempting to position itself as a “refinery of the future” and has plans to spend hundreds of millions on reducing its carbon emissions by 90 per cent over the next decade.
But one fast-growing area of work already well under way is its production of a key component in the manufacture of electric cars.
It now makes enough battery anode coke to put around 1.3 million new electric vehicles on the road every year - and has ambitions to go further.
The Yorkshire Post paid a visit to the site to learn more about the process from the experts behind it, an undertaking which raises some challenging broader questions about exactly how eco-friendly electric car production currently is.
Chris Gilbert, decarbonisation lead for the refinery, explains that the battery anode coke comes from refining crude oil.
“You take a barrel of crude and make road fuel, you make jet fuel and then as part of the process at the bottom of the barrel you are left with a process called delayed coking,” he says.
“Some refineries do it and they make different grades of coke that effectively goes into coal and into power stations. We have learned over the years with particular feedstocks that we run to make certain grades of coke that have certain uses. We are the only one in Europe so it puts us in a unique place.”
The speciality graphite coke has been produced on site for 40 years and put to a variety of uses but it is only since 2016 that it has gone towards the EV battery market.
Refinery manager Paul Fursey says: “We have gone from nothing to enough production for 1.3 million vehicles in seven years. There’s nobody else in Europe anywhere close.”
After being produced at the refinery, the coke is then sent to specialist sites in China to turn it into the anodes that go into the electric car batteries.
Fursey says the company would prefer to use domestic production but it is not currently possible.
“The coke we make today goes all the way to China, gets processed, gets turned into batteries and put into vehicles that end up in the car park back here. Having a domestic or European supply chain is a far better environmental solution for the planet without having to go all the way to China.
“All the technical know-how is in China. We’ve heard stories about companies like Britishvolt that tried to get off the ground and failed with ambition probably greater than their capability. But there are plenty of other companies out there that want to be part of the supply chain. But they’ve got to grow that technological capability.”
Gilbert adds it is hoped such work will form part of the broader strategy to decarbonise the industry-heavy Humber, which currently has the country’s highest level of carbon emissions.
He says: “The vision for the area is we will produce the coke and then together with carbon capture that will attract companies in the manufacturing sector. That is the vision.
“The Government has support and we are also talking to some companies who also do most of their operations in China at the moment.”
Fursey admits there is something of a global “arms race” for the production of electric vehicle components such as anodes.
The processes and techniques used to create the Phillips 66 product are a closely guarded secret but their battery coke is aimed at the premium end of the market as car manufacturers and their customers demand high-performing batteries.
Shaun Mullins, Principal Coke Technology Consultant, explains: “We have some unique processes and we have been through the learning curve. A lot of research goes on and there is a lot of customer feedback and trying lots of things. There’s a lot of to and fro with clients to get it right.
“The result is our coke is high quality and consistent.”
In line with their understandable approach to commercial confidentiality, Fursey says the company does intend to grow its battery coke production but won’t give numbers.
He adds: “Ultimately for electric vehicles there are other challenges around availability of cobalt, access to charging locations, electricity distribution, all those challenges that are out there that will ultimately restrict growth in this area to some degree.”
He says the five-year UK delay announced by Sunak has limited impact on the company’s plans given its global aspirations.
“When you think about the amount of vehicles on the planet and in the UK, that is a small impact. The scale of growth is huge. 2022 was the first year in the UK where electric vehicle sales outpaced diesel vehicle sales. But it takes 15 to 20 years to turn over the car park through natural ageing of vehicles.
“Car manufacturers have grown their brands on how cars look, how they perform and the consumer experience. Move into batteries and there is a different challenge there for them now.
“If we all buy the same car, brand and model, we want the battery to perform the same way. Having that consistency of supply and quality is key.”


text:
Drivers' chance to have a say
THE Alliance of British Drivers (ABD) is inviting the Northern Ireland public to give their opinions on the way local councils create heaven or hell for drivers.
The ABD is launching a competition: 'Does Your Council Give You The Hump?' Some local authorities treat drivers with due respect. Others are sold on the idea they have some kind of duty to discourage car use.
I hope that the competition will open many eyes to the best and worst practices and stimulate more public debate on these important issues.
Director, Alliance of British Drivers


text:
72% of adults support violent-game ban for minors - Poll
Zogby survey of 2,100 adults find nearly three-quarters favor law forbidding sale of "ultraviolent or sexually violent" games to children; full 75% disapprove of industry's handling.
The US Supreme Court won't start hearing arguments over California's law banning game sales to minors until November 2. However, the ruling in the court of popular opinion is already in, according to a new poll.
This week, parent watchdog group Common Sense Media released the results of a survey it commissioned on children's access to violent games. Conducted by polling firm Zogby International, the survey asked 2,100 adults whether they would support a law that "prohibits minors from purchasing ultraviolent or sexually violent video games without parental consent." Of those surveyed, some 72 percent said they would approve such a law.
Common Sense Media CEO and founder James Steyer, whose nonprofit organization is lobbying for game-restriction legislation in many states, hailed the poll's findings. "We hope the [state] attorneys general will take a look at these poll results and that they'll side with families over protecting the profits of the video game industry."
Zogby also asked those parents that were polled some more general questions about violent video games and their children. Some 65 percent said they were "concerned about the impact of ultraviolent video games on their kids." A full 75 percent of parents would give the game industry as a whole a "negative rating when it comes to how they protect kids from violent video games." Over half of both adults and parents would rate the industry's efforts as "poorly" in the latter matter.
The studies come just weeks before the US Supreme Court will begin a process that could decide once and for all the question of whether states can restrict sales of violent games to minors. At issue in the case is California Assembly Bill 1179, which was signed into law by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2005 but challenged in court before it could take effect.
Penned by California state assemblyman Leland Yee (D-San Francisco), CAB1179 sought to ban the sale or rental of "violent video games" to children. A "violent" game was defined as a "game in which the range of options available to a player includes killing, maiming, dismembering, or sexually assaulting an image of a human being." If it becomes law, retailers that sold such games would be subject to a $1,000 fine.
The bill would also have required "violent" video games to bear a 2-inch-by-2-inch sticker with a "solid white '18' outlined in black" on their front covers. That's more than twice the size of the labels that currently adorn game-box covers and display the familiar Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) rating.
In 2007, a circuit court judge struck down the law as unconstitutional but admitted he was "sympathetic to what the legislature sought to do." Last year, an appellate court judge backed up the original ruling. Months before the appellate court's decision, in an appearance on GameSpot's HotSpot podcast, Yee predicted that the dispute would be pushed to the Supreme Court.
The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors. GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.
Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email email@example.com


text:
FULLERTON, Calif. (Oct. 27, 2010)—Yokohama Tire Corp. said it will spend $13 million to expand operations at its Salem, Va., plant because of rising demand for its consumer and light truck tires.
The U.S. arm of Japan's Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. said the project will include new tire-making machinery, upgrading and modifying existing machines and an increase in high-performance and light truck tire manufacturing flexibility.
The expansion is scheduled to be completed by August 2011.
Yokohama has experienced strong demand, well above the industry average, according to Dan King, vice president, sales and marketing for the Fullerton-based firm. Increasing shipments from the company's plants overseas hasn't been enough to meet the need, he said.
King said demand for Yokohama tires has been strong across the board, and pointed to a third expansion by the parent company of a factory in Thailand—at a cost of $117 million—as an example of the firm's response to higher sales.
The Salem plant currently has the capacity to make 5.5 million passenger and light truck radials annually, and employs 1,152, according to information published in Rubber & Plastics News´ Global Tire Report in September.


text:
Auto Industry Merger Mood Still Alive
And one West Michigan firm was a big part of it.
Mergers and acquisitions worldwide jumped 35 percent, from 462 deals in 2001 to 621 last year, according to the recent annual report on global automotive merger and acquisition activity by Pricewaterhouse Coopers.
Mega deals drove the value of global mergers and acquisitions to $35.1 billion, up 85 percent from the $19 billion in 2001 but still well below the valuation peak of about $80 billion just four years earlier, Pricewaterhouse Coopers reported.
In the component supplier sector, the number of deals in 2002 totaled 274, up 24 percent from the 221 in 2001. The rate of supplier mergers also exceeded the previous peak of 1998.
Supplier mergers and acquisitions were valued at $16.2 billion, up from about $11 billion in 2001.
The 2002 activity includes Canadian supplier Magna International’s $389 million deal to acquire the former Donnelly Corp. in Holland, a transaction that created the world’s largest automotive mirror supplier, MagnaDonnelly.
In terms of valuation, the Donnelly acquisition by Magna International that closed in October was the fifth largest of the year worldwide.
While the billion-dollar deals of the 1990s are not as common today, the report indicates that a substantial increase in merger and acquisition activity shows a “second phase” of consolidation.
The report says that activity within the automotive industry is occurring in the Tier 2 supplier community.
“The middle market is where the consolidation is happening,” said Michael Burwell, the U.S. head of Pricewaterhouse Coopers Transaction Services Automotive Group.
A main driver of the trend is a need for Tier 2 suppliers, particularly “commodity suppliers” such as metal stampers and plastic molders, to generate critical mass, cost savings, higher volumes and a broader geographic market coverage to meet the increasing demands of automakers, Burwell said.
Another factor involved is the need for Tier 2 suppliers, experiencing financial problems because of pricing pressure from customers, to sell out or find a partner in order to continue in business, he said.
Those dynamics meet with a push by Tier 1 suppliers that are in a buying mode in order to have more control over their supply chain, greater production capabilities that are demanded by automakers and to grow the business through acquisition.
“It ultimately comes back to shareholder value. People are looking to generate value,” Burwell said.
An indication of the acquisition trend is seen in the decline in the average value of supplier mergers, which has fallen from $294 million as recently as 1999 to $125 million in 2002.
Primarily driving the decline were deals that involved smaller companies, reflecting the shift in consolidation focus from the large Tier 1 suppliers that dominated deals in the late 1990s.
The supplier sector today is “characterized by aggressive, middle market consolidation within Tier 2,” as well as Tier 1 suppliers that have been disposing of their non-core business units.
“The figures underline our view that consolidation in the sector is far from over,” the report states.
“Tier 2 component suppliers continue to account for a significant slice of the action.”
Pricewaterhouse Coopers expects the trend to continue as the automotive supplier sector goes through a period of consolidation and restructuring in the supply chain.
Pricewaterhouse Coopers last year predicted that by 2010 — as mergers and acquisitions continue unabated — the number of Tier 1 and Tier 2 automotive suppliers globally will dwindle from more than 10,000 today to around 800.
Also contributing to the decrease in the average valuation of supplier deals since 1999 is the fragile stock market and economic uncertainties that have resulted in lower-valued companies.
The Pricewaterhouse Coopers report states that net effect is the creation of “something of a buyer’s market.”
The report says this market lies in companies that originally intended to sell out but now are being coy.
The report indicates that with prices down, such firms have been holding back from actively marketing themselves in hopes that values will pick up again.


text:
Virtual reality and 360-degree video are emerging opportunities for operators. While the market is still very nascent and the opportunity still undefined, some operators are moving forward with new platforms to develop a strong market position for when the market eventually takes off.
Swisscom AG (NYSE: SCM) Event & Media Solutions, a division of the operator that specializes in providing ICT infrastructure for music festivals, corporate shows and other events, is one such organization. It has developed a strategy to leverage the operator's network and distribution assets to help deliver immersive video experiences.
The group's entry into the space is an interesting story in itself. Given the still-emerging nature of virtual reality (VR) and 360-degree (360D) video, awareness and interest were comparatively limited within the organization. However, its CEO at the time chose to institute an organizational restructuring that reduced his own authority and gave more freedom and accountability to the team members. The idea for the 360D coverage came from team members rather than management, and Stefan Rupp, now the chief digital officer of the division, fully credits his team for the company's initiatives in this emerging market space. (See Swisscom's Rupp: Flat Team Structure Drove VR Innovation.)
Rupp, a 23-year veteran in sports and concert event production in Europe, described the virtual reality initiatives of Swisscom Event & Media Solutions AG and shared his thoughts on the future of VR in an interview with Telco Transformation.
Telco Transformation: What are the kinds of the 360D services you provide?
Stefan Rupp: Basically we connect content producers with communities. The content guys don't have the reach -- they can't reach people. For VR, the community isn't there yet, but we believe it is coming. We have to start to build early.
We are still trying to figure out key content areas. What to prioritize -- sports, entertainment, tourism. Also retail may be an opportunity, and also industry -- maintenance, training ... not consumers as such.
But already we have a lot of content, a lot of production. And we understand the consumer side, the producer's side, the sponsor's side. [As the network provider] we see everyone's experience, everyone's point-of-view.
But we still need to make it work in terms of conversion, analytics. In all these things we are behind the big players. And we might work with them potentially, in areas where others are strong. [Having the analytics piece] is necessary to give customers insight into how it works, how it’s happening over time; otherwise they won’t know VR works.
TT: Can you give us some examples of what you are doing today?
SR: We have developed Virtual Switzerland -- it's the biggest community in terms of clients. We have 2.7 million clients for Swisscom. Obviously the VR users are a very small percentage today, but we've started early, and we'll be ready [when the base ramps up.] And we work with Swisscom TV, the biggest TV service provider in Switzerland. It can make VR possible, you can receive VR on many devices -- smartphones, tablets, etc.
TT: How do you see the VR space evolving in the future?
SR: If you are in VR, you get the impression that VR is everywhere. But if you look for activity, it is actually very small. It will get big when you have the chance of reaching a big community. You can't do that while you have big tech hurdles -- latency, bulky goggles, wires... it may not happen for three years. But it could happen very fast also. But let's say in five years, I think we will see some of these tech limits go away. And some will go faster -- many gamers are OK with goggles, they don't find them too heavy.
For the larger community, maybe they will need a richer experience on the smartphone. That's also the VR vs Augmented Reality (AR) argument. I don't see them as competitive as such. But I do see a big push for AR, as it's much more accessible and moving faster.
I think the VR segment will also exist but there will be a big shift to AR because there are no huge technology hurdles. [Currently] we are all geeks here, [happy to be] fumbling with technology, but it needs to be easy if you want to get a huge community to use it.
Pokemon Go showed very well how fast you can get people into new technology. It was huge and very fast. But that's also why it's difficult to predict.
Personally, I hate people who are sure about the future, because they tend to be wrong anyway. Maybe three to five years VR will take off. But equally, we may see some totally new technology in the holographic area, which offers totally new experiences. Then we'll face a totally different market!
— Aditya Kishore, Practice Leader, Video Transformation, Telco Transformation


text:
Arran 21 Year Old (46% ABV) has been matured in a combination of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks (predominantly sherry).
|Arran 21 Year Old|
This latest Arran release, will initially be released as an inaugural batch of 9,000 bottles, but will then form part of the brands core range, along with their 18, 14 and 10 Year Old expressions.
In-keeping with their traditional style, Arran 21 Year Old is said to be rich and sweet and have initial flavours of dark chocolate, grapefruit and ginger, before giving way to a lasting finish of soft spices and figs.
Isle of Arran Distillers are approaching another significant milestone in their history with the construction of the new Lagg distillery in the South of the island. It is expected to be fully operational in 2019, and will increase production capacity to 2m litres a year.
Commenting on the launch, James MacTaggart, Master Distiller at The Isle of Arran Distillers, said: “We’re extremely proud to have produced a dram that showcases our traditional Arran style, while the extended maturation process adds an extra elegance and complexity. I’m sure that the ever-growing community of Arran Malt lovers will be able to taste an elevated version of the whisky that they’ve come to know and enjoy. It’s an immensely exciting time for the company and the island, with the release of this 21 year-old bottle and looking forward to the completion of the new Lagg distillery next year.”
Arran 21 Year Old, is now available from specialist retailers, for a RRP of £115.00.
Posted by Steve Rush


text:
Choose your (idealized) reality...
We went to Comic Con 2008 expecting the same song and dance from 38 Studios, the Boston-based studio currently developing the fantasy MMORPG Copernicus (working title). With superstar talent like popular fantasy novelist R.A. Salvatore and comic book and toy legend Todd McFarlane aboard, it's hard to not be anxious for a peek behind the curtain.
And that's exactly what Director of Creative Development Scott Cuthburtson and newly announced Art Director Thome Ang offered us! Taking two exclusive pieces of artwork (which we're proud to now present to you for the first time), the 38 Studios crew explained the vision behind what their signature art style.
""(Scott Cuthbertson) Now we're in the process of going from the conceptual phase to the prototype and some digital imagery that you can drive around in, as well as making sure it's technically possible to take this painterly, artistic style and make it something that's real in the game. And not just something where you can say, 'Well, that's a pretty painting, but it doesn't really look like that, does it?' It really does."
To read the latest guides, news, and features you can visit our Copernicus Game Page.


text:
Attention Acme shoppers, you still have one more day to take advantage of a special offer.
Acme markets in Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania are lending a hand to customers devastated by Tuesday’s severe storms that cut power to hundreds of thousands by offering a 5 percent discount to affected customers. Acme hopes the discount helps folks replenish food items lost in the dark.
“Our region was greatly affected by the recent storm and many communities are just regaining power,” said Acme president Dan Croce. “We want to help our customers recover as quickly as possible from this storm. This is just our way of taking care of the community we’ve been a part of for the last 124 years.”
With many power lines knocked down, many of those affected had to dispose of their refrigerated and frozen food items.
Click here to print out the five percent coupon. For costumers still in the dark or without access to a smart device, Acme customer service representatives are offering in-store assistance. The special offer began on June 26 and continues through Tuesday.