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Mr. Sergei Stetsenko reports
AMPLIFY GAMES ANNOUNCES ALLIANCE WITH LEAPTRADE MARKETPLACE
BlockchainK2 Corp., wholly owned subsidiary of Amplify Games, says Leaptrade marketplace is joining the Amplify Alliance. Leaptrade will bring a robust marketplace to the Amplify network that allows its members to buy and sell everything from retro physical game disc/cartridges to digital game keys and non-fungible tokens.
"The gaming market presents such a huge opportunity for mass adoption of true digital ownership through blockchain and NFTs. Whether those NFTs are truly unique works of art, limited edition, bought/sold or even earned from within games as we play them, we will all need user friendly and accessible places to sell those tokens/items. Leaptrade's marketplace will provide Amplify with an ideal proving ground for the growing market of peer-to-peer NFT buying, selling and trading," said Tony Caputo, chief executive officer of Amplify Games.
Amplify Games will bring a full catalogue of digital titles to Leaptrade's already expansive catalogue of physical games. Leaptrade will be able to earn a portion of every sale from the Amplify catalogue, as well as augment Amplify's network of stores and marketplaces with goods and NFTs that its members list for sale.
"We are excited about this partnership for what it can do for our community. Leaptrade is a very tight knit group of active traders and connecting to the Amplify network gives them the opportunity to buy and sell games and other digital assets across a much wider group of stores and communities. It will also bring a catalogue of new digital games to Leaptrade for the first time, something our members have been looking for," said David Adams, community manager, Leaptrade.
BlockchainK2 has granted 70,000 incentive stock options to a director of the company in accordance with the company's stock option plan. Each option is exercisable into one common share of the company at $1.21 per share. The options vest immediately and have a 10-year term.
About BlockchainK2 Corp.
BlockchainK2 is a holding company investing in blockchain technology solutions for capital markets and other sectors that can be made more efficient through tokenization. The company owns a gaming platform Amplify Games Inc., changing the way video games are distributed and promoted. BlockchainK2 is also invested in RealBlocks, a technology platform for private equity, private credit and real estate that provides tokenized secondary trading of LP interests. The company's wholly owned subsidiary iRecover Inc. is working to implement the findings and principles of behaviourism, social neurodevelopmen, and behavioural economics in a blockchain-based application to support individuals recovering from addiction. The company also has executed a joint venture agreement with Standard Power, an industrial-scale cryptocurrency mining facility with very low power costs in the United States.
We seek Safe Harbor.
© 2021 Canjex Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.


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|Mon Oct 29 2012 09:53:11|
Sellers Are Guinea Pigs in eBay Search Lab
By: Ina Steiner
eBay Vice-President of Experience, Search and Platforms admitted that eBay alters and rewrites the search queries made by users through its search engine. Hugh Williams was speaking at the Big Data Summit in Sydney.
And, according to the ZDnet report on the keynote, "Not only that, Ebay uses big data to make predictions on whether a listed item will sell and how much it will sell for, which affects how high an item ranks on the auction site's search engine."
eBay's ongoing search tests could be compared to Google algorithm shifts that disrupt sellers exposure in search results, but there's a major difference: sellers pay Google nothing for exposure in organic search results, while eBay sellers pay hundreds or thousands of dollars a month to the marketplace for guaranteed exposure in search results.
eBay sellers began reporting plummeting sales in May, rebounding over the summer, and then again falling off a cliff beginning in early September. The anecdotal reports have been coming in fast and furiously and have continued into October.
Sellers are finding it impossible to verify traffic to their product listings - when confronted by reports of falling traffic, eBay said its traffic reports, provided by Omniture, were broken. In an announcement board post in mid-September, it told sellers it would keep them up-to-date over the weeks it would take to fix the reports, but eBay has not issued an update about broken traffic reports in the past five weeks.
The marketplace said at the time that actual traffic to eBay Stores was not impacted by the glitch, but sellers remain skeptical.
eBay's other analytics tool is also broken, since at least mid-September. A week ago eBay spokesperson Ryan Moore told EcommerceBytes engineers were working to fix "a couple of bugs" impacting certain functionalities for the Listing Analytics tool - particularly the keyword search display and revising an item features.
As Williams tries to roll out eBay's new Cassini search engine, Wall Street analysts expressed concern about the possible "unintended consequences" of rolling out such changes this time of year.
In his keynote today at the Big Data Summit, Williams told attendees, "It takes several months of engineering to implement a factor, and it's very high risk because we don't know at the time whether its actually going to be useful for our customers in helping them find items." And, according to ZDnet, "Which is why Ebay usually runs a number tests on the website for a sample group of users first to gauge the response."
eBay is indeed playing a risky game by altering shoppers' search queries, assuming it knows what they are looking for, and by making assumptions about the viability of listings when ranking them in search results.
The emails from sellers frustrated by low traffic and sales continue. The latest emails received this morning read:
"I should have about $1500 - $2000 in sales for 24 hours and only have a couple hundred bucks. I should also be getting at least 1200 views a day. Can you please do a follow up with eBay about traffic? Thanks."
"I know that there have been several discussions about traffic or the lack of traffic to many seller's eBay website. Our traffic has been very sporadic for the last 2 months or so. Can you please explain why our traffic changes so drastically? Each weekend we normally receive 8-10 emails from customers with questions about items in our store with close to 50 orders to ship out on Monday. This weekend no emails and 23 orders to ship out tomorrow."
eBay's communications team has ignored EcommerceBytes' repeated requests for information about Cassini and search.

domain: news


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Gluten-free and vegetarian top healthy claims
July 17 2014
When it comes to restaurants trying to promote healthier options or appeal to diners who choose not to eat certain foods, gluten-free and vegetarian labels are most commonly used.
Technomic's MenuMonitor database showed the former health claim appeared 560 times on menus throughout Canada, Restaurant Central reports. This highlights just how conscious operators are of the fact that some individuals are not eating gluten products, whether that's down to dietary restrictions or just an attempt to cut certain foods out of their diets.
These findings do not come as a surprise, considering that earlier in the year Restaurants Canada said gluten-free dining was the number one food trend in the country.
Coming in close second was vegetarian, with 443 mentions. Again, alongside individuals who choose not to eat meat due to ethical or moral reasons, there is thought to be a growing number of consumers who are trying to reduce their meat intake. This could be down to cost or health reasons, and such people are sometimes referred to as flexitarians.
Some operators are offering vegetarians the option to have a meat-free version of the signature dish on the menu in a bid not to exclude such diners. This could be a vegetable-based burger or using an alternative form of protein to replace the meat items in salads.
While meat is sometimes replaced with a tofu or mock substitute, a growing number of restaurateurs are choosing to make a vegetable-based item the focal point of dishes. This could include stuffed peppers or marinated eggplant.
Quinoa is one food that is also growing in popularity - voted second place in the survey - and is suitable for both vegans and those avoiding gluten in their diets. It is also a so-called superfood due to its impressive nutritional profile and is gaining traction among health-conscious consumers.
Organic appeared 333 times, highlighting its perceived importance to diners. Alongside the desire for healthy food, customers are keen to know their food does not have any chemical additives, such as preservatives or pesticides.
Not only does the organic label provide individuals with the peace of mind that the food they are tucking into is fresh and natural, but it also has sustainable connotations. For those who are keen to ensure their food is eco-friendly, the inclusion of organic food in menus certainly enhances consumer appeal.
In fourth place came the term healthy, while decaf and natural came in fifth and sixth respectively. It seems diners are increasingly interested in knowing not only where their food came from, but also what's inside it. The inclusion of decaf in particular suggests some are concerned about the chemicals they are putting into their body and appreciate being able to have a caffeine-free hot beverage, perhaps especially later in the day.
Lowfat, nutritious, Grade A and sugar-free also had positions on the top ten list and considering some of these are synonymous with earlier options, it only goes to emphasize just how much attention individuals are paying to their diets.


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CloudSurf Asia, the developer behind “FLY DAVAO” has previewed a new scenery that is taking shape
Sun, sea, pleasant air, good food. Ok, not something you can try in X-Plane, but Menorca is definitely a really good scenery to enjoy in the summer.
Blocks Off released a new script that loads values from the FMC to the MCP and more.
Microsoft has announced the development and the ETA of its new Flight Simulator. Will it be a game or a simulator? We’ll see in 2020…
Drzewiecki Design has announced the beginning of the work on a new Moscow Sheremetyevo scenery that will include a lot of improvements
MWP Projects has just released their True Shadows plugin which aims to portray realistic shadows even on low-end machines


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BRISTOL - The Walmart Neighborhood Market will be shutting its doors for the last time on June 9, according to a statement to the media.
It is currently the last Walmart Neighborhood Market in Connecticut, but there are still 35 Walmart and Sam’s Club serving Connecticut.
“For us any closing of a business that employs local folks and offers good service to the community is tough,” said Justin Malley, Bristol Development Authority executive director. “Our primary concern lies with the employees.”
The employees who worked at this location will be able to transfer to another store.
In the release, Walmart said they are “optimistic that any associate that wants to continue their career at Walmart will have the opportunity to do so.”
Malley also has been discussing with another business in Bristol that hires employees regularly to link the two businesses up and offer assistance to the employees.
In addition to providing assistance to employees, the BDA will be looking at bringing a new business to fill the vacant space left behind.
“Our concern here is with those employees, but of course, obviously the Walmart had plenty of patrons. The good thing is we have enough existing grocers here to hopefully be able to take in the patrons that were loyal Walmart customers,” Malley said.
Walmart officials said the store’s pharmacy will remain open until the end of May. The staff will help customers “transfer prescriptions to another convenient location as soon as possible.”
“It’s unfortunate to lose Walmart, but existing vendors can pick up the slack and we’re lucky in that way,” Malley said.
WFSB contributed to this story


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Celebrity heiress and frequent subject of photography Paris Hilton has introduced her new line of shoes. The trouble is, as some online have noted, that a) the shoes are blatant rip-offs of other brands, and b) they’re ugly as sin. As to the former, we want to point to the style-obsessed ladies of Fashionista, who explain that Paris’ sandal is almost a direct copy of the Christian Louboutin shoe commonly known as the Tibouroun 70 Espadrilles. Today, The New York Daily News reported that Paris has upset the fashionable elite, since her shoes very closely resemble the ones produced by Te Casan (most recently in the news for their new line with Natalie Portman). The trouble is that it seems Paris has the inverse of the Midas touch — whatever she encounters turns to trash — and people are sensitive about their footwear. Would you wear her shoes? Picture after the jump.
[Photo: Perez Hilton]


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For the past several years, Egypt has been a key market for U.S. beef exports – especially for exports of livers and other variety meat. Through May, Egypt was this year’s fourth-largest beef export market by volume at 59,170 metric tons – an increase of 12 percent from a year ago.
Dan Halstrom, U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) senior vice president for marketing and communications, says that while the U.S. beef industry is understandably concerned about political unrest in Egypt, exports continue to move smoothly into the market. Halstrom is in frequent contact with USMEF representatives in Cairo who report that beef demand remains strong, ports are operating in a secure and reliable manner and the Egyptian currency has been relatively stable. These are all import factors in keeping beef exports flowing to this important destination.
The value of U.S. beef exports to Egypt ($70.2 million) is 12 percent lower than a year ago, but Halstrom explains that this is unrelated to the political situation. He says it has much more to do with Russia’s suspension of beef imports from the United States, which took effect in early February. Because Russia was also a key market for U.S. beef livers, this has had a negative impact on price.


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20:20 Mobile has been included in the prestigious Sunday Times Deloitte Top Track 100 for the first time.
The Crewe-based mobile distributor was placed 59th in the league table of Britain’s hundred largest private companies across all sectors, measured by sales growth.
This accolade comes hot on the heels of two major contract wins announced earlier this month with Phones 4U (who came 65th in the in list) and Halfords.
The inclusion of 20:20 Mobile reflects a busy year which has seen a corporate restructure, a major refinancing of the business, a group rebrand and a ramp up of its international business. At the same time, 20:20 has retained Approved Partner status with Nokia.
20:20 Mobile Group CEO, Meinie Oldersma, said: “We’re clearly extremely pleased to have made the Top Track 100 for the first time. Our focus on raising our value proposition while expanding into new markets lies at the heart of our success.”
UK MD, James Browning, added: Like everyone else, we are in an extremely challenging trading environment at the moment, but we are still growing, making new deals and bringing new products and services to market and our inclusion in the Top Track 100 reflects that.”


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Facebook has made massive strides in the past year towards its goal of becoming not just the dominant social network worldwide, but also a major provider of universal identity on the Web (although its VP of Engineering tries to argue otherwise). Facebook Connect, launched just two months ago, has quickly gained support from thousands of partners, but mounting criticism of the company's "walled garden" approach has caused it to make an announcement that can only be described as perplexing.
On Facebook's official Developer Blog, a post titled "Next Steps in Openness" announces the social network's impending support for OpenID, a competing, open source effort that provides universal ID management and login credentials. Actually, scratch that—all Facebook really stated was that it has been "participating in OpenID efforts" all along. It's just now touting a recent presentation by one of its experts at an OpenID summit and that the company has officially joined OpenID's board. Facebook will also host an OpenID Design Summit next week in its Palo Alto headquarters.
In terms of identity management, Facebook Connect and OpenID are diametrically opposed solutions to the same problem. After Facebook Connect went live in December 2008, any site was allowed to become a partner, which let visitors use their Facebook credentials to log in, populate registration forms (at the user's discretion), and share their activity from that site back to their Facebook account.
The key here is that Facebook Connect allows users' identities to be harnessed outside of Facebook, but Facebook remains the gatekeeper for all that personal information. This is both convenient and conceptually simple from a user's perspective, but it is also the primary target of the "walled garden" arguments.
OpenID, on the other hand, is a distributed identity management system that allows any site to become a provider and/or a supporter. In the past year, Google, Microsoft, IBM, Yahoo, MySpace, Windows Live, and even VeriSign have pledged support. However, consumer confusion and questions over privacy and security have plagued OpenID's adoption, as many key players, such as MySpace and Yahoo, have only become either a provider of credentials or a consumer—but not both. This means that you can use your Yahoo account as an OpenID to log into other sites, but you cannot yet use an OpenID that you created at, say, openid.net, to log into Yahoo's services.
The case for OpenID seems even more confusing after Facebook's pseudo-announcement of support, in part because no actual details of what this support will mean have been offered. Will Facebook provide OpenID credentials alongside Facebook Connect, or will it allow users to register or login at Facebook.com with any ol' OpenID? What about linking a Facebook account to an OpenID so either can be used to log into remote sites? If users cancel their Facebook accounts, will their identity information live on in the OpenID? Or will both go down with the ship?
None of these questions are answered by Facebook's announcement or even the corresponding announcement at openid.net. Ars contacted a Facebook representative to gather more details, but we didn't get much: "We are committed to building tools and services that enable a more open and social Web, and working closely with other groups and standards in the industry is an important step in this."
"Our hope," the response continues, "is that we’ll be able to contribute to the OpenID community by helping a) lead and refine the direction of the user experience and b) helping gain widespread adoption by working with our partners and working with the protocol ourselves."
Facebook already boasts over 4,000 Facebook Connect partners including Hulu, The Discovery Channel, and Digg. While OpenID has support from some of the largest names in the industry, users don't seem to be signing up in droves. It is difficult to see what Facebook gains by supporting OpenID, or even how a partnership like this can help clear up the confusion regarding its approach.


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Our grandmothers did it really well: Taking leftover foods and turning them into something else. Scraps of vegetables and animal bones made stock; leftover bread turned into bread pudding; croutons became breadcrumbs.
What’s old is new again and companies are following grandma’s lead. And now it’s got a new fancy name: Upcycling. Upcycling means taking food that would otherwise be wasted and turning it into something new. It also means, hopefully, that the 1.3 billion tons of food that is wasted every year, according to the Food & Agriculture Association, will be reduced.
America’s upcycled industry was estimated at $46.7 billion in 2019, according to the Financial Times and by this year, more than 160 products from 37 companies are Upcycled Certified by the Upcycled Food Association (UFA), Greenwood Village, Colo.
Upcycling is gaining traction, especially with the environmentally minded, but even big companies are getting in on the action. Anheuser Busch is building two facilities, in the U.S. and Belgium, to process barley, which would otherwise be discarded or fed to cattle, to sell to companies like Nestle.
The greatest solution
Upcycling means doing more with less and protecting the planet at the same time. According to Project Drawdown, a reduction in food waste is the single greatest solution to climate change.
“Upcycling is absolutely on the rise,” says Maeve Webster, president of foodservice consultancy Menu Matters, Arlington, Vt. “It fits very well with the increased focus on environmental issues and consumer interest in solutions that help address this in a mindful and effective way.”
To help highlight upcycled foods, the UFA was created in 2019. In 2021, this group created a certification and logo for packaging.
We can expect to see many more upcycled products, says the UFA. There are currently 90 companies in the pipeline to become upcycled certified and some 400 upcycled products in the market.
“With more consumers seeking solutions to combat food waste, upcycled products and the upcycled claim are creating a positive spin on previous terms such as misfit, by-product and food waste,” points out Melissa Abbott, vice president, Hartman Retainer Services, The Hartman Group, Bellevue, Wash.
Brands incorporating upcycled ingredients are gaining attention, she adds, “by creating value-added products that connect with various food and beverage trends, indicating how sustainability and wellness trends share attributes and cues sought by the modern consumer.”
2.25 billion coffee fruit
In the spring of 2021, The Other Side Of Coffee entered the retail space.
The three drinks from this Seal Beach, Calif.-based company are made with coffee fruit, which surrounds coffee beans, and is otherwise waste that can harm ecosystems and release alarming amounts of methane and CO2.
“Coffee should be the poster child for upcycling because of the sheer quantity of waste with 2.25 billion cups of coffee consumed every day globally,” says Adela Romero, CEO and founder.
Putting “goofy” to use
Happy Moose, San Francisco, produces juices and juice shots, and sources oddly shaped, imperfect, and perfectly ripe produce from farms. “Historically, this type of produce would become compost waste, creating tons of methane and carbon emissions,” says co-founder Ryan Armistead. “We don’t care if [produce] is a goofy shape.”
Each bottle of juice rescues one pound of produce, saves 17 gallons of water and eliminates 3.5 lbs. of greenhouse gasses like methane and CO2.
His products are appealing largely to women aged 21 to 44. “They have a preference toward brands that address environmental and social issues,” Armistead points out. “Our target demographic has a holistic approach to food.”
Upcycling for Britain
In the U.K., there are also companies upcycling waste into viable products. ToastAle makes beer from leftover bread; Rubies in the Rubble makes condiments from misfit produce; Dash sparkling water is infused with wonky fruit and vegetables.
The Other Side of Coffee started off in Grocery Outlet, which Romero discovered through RangeMe, because the chain has a strong sampling program, which is key. However, consumers are also buying the drinks because they’re upcycled, Romero says.
Connecting through the story
For upcycling companies, the story they tell “can create a more emotional connection,” Webster points out, “and can support the company’s mission/brand strategy if focusing on environmental concerns are part of both or either.”
And it’s important to tell this story, she points out. “When communicated effectively, this can be a great competitive position, particularly because upcycling is so new and there aren’t a lot of competitors in the space … yet.”
Abbott agrees. “With younger generations seeing upcycled as a positive, making claims on pack and conveying as a premium value-add communicates that the brand’s ethos extends beyond taste.”


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It’s always fun when I hear of yet another device receiving an Android firmware update and this time we have the Motorola Droid X2. Apparently, everything must have checked out with the “soak test” going on a few weeks ago because Verizon has (update: announced the PDF) on their support page which would lead anyone to believe they’re getting closer to unleash some Gingerbread goodness onto the masses.
You can expect the normal Gingerbread goodies as well as the newly revamped and slick looking MotoBlur (same as on the Droid3). Droid-Life reported the update was rolling out now but we’ve gotten word that this was only Verizon getting ready the PDF showing off some of the new features of Gingebread that Droid X2 users will soon be able to enjoy. Either way, I guess this just means we’re getting closer to the official roll-out from Verizon and we’ll let you know as soon as it does! Thanks, Incrediboy84!


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No tax break talk until next election now says Vaizey
The UK minister for culture, Ed Vaizey, has officially tabled any talk of games industry tax breaks until the next general election.
This means the coalition government, despite promising tax breaks for games developers in the run up to this year's general election will now not even explore the possibility for another four years.
Vaizey told Gamespot UK that the issue was on "a hiatus for three or four years [or more] before it realistically comes back onto the table" effectively killing any hope that the industry had of getting some relief through the current economic climate.
During the previous election campaign the Conservatives promised "unequivocally" that they would introduce tax breaks in their first budget.
- The Vanishing Of Ethan Carter gets a PC release date
- Sony schedules PSN maintenance for Monday
- Warframe update 14 hits PS4 as it closes in on 10 million registered users
- Bungie releases the official Destiny launch gameplay trailer
- Codemasters releases a new Austria hotlap video for F1 2014
- Eden Hazard joins Lionel Messi on the cover of FIFA 15
- PS Vita getting a five-game Adventure Mega Pack hardware bundle
- Lords Of The Fallen has “a steep learning curve”
- PS4 trailer arrives for Dreamfall Chapters, and some screenshots too


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The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) recently issued a statement confirming the arrest of one Daniel Ezekwelu for allegedly producing fake Water for Injection (WFI) within two compounds at Ojoto village near Nnewi, Anambra state.
The suspect was arrested during a raid by the Federal Task Force on Fake and Counterfeit. According to NAFDAC, two under-aged girls were discovered filling and sealing the fake WFI products in plain view of Ezekwelu. The agency added that the production took place between 8:00am and 3:00pm every day, with the finished products transported to market at night.
Items recovered during the raid included plastic containers, gas cylinders and packs of the fake water for injection labelled ‘Sterilized water for injection BP’ and claiming a manufacturing date of 2015 and expiry date of 2020. The labels claimed the WFI – packed as 100 x 10ml vials – was produced by Hossanna Laboratories Ltd, Surrey.
In a statement released by NAFDAC, the agency highlighted other cases including a recent case involving distribution of fake Peak milk – one of the leading milk brands in Nigeria sold by a FrieslandCampina subsidiary.
NAFDAC stated that a transport vehicle containing several cartons of the Peak Milk products (batch numbers 28 2C; PD 04:16; BB 12:17) suspected of being counterfeit was intercepted and seized while on its way to Lagos. Upon further investigation, one Onyekachi Ikegwuonu was arrested.
The investigations are currently pending.


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Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 20
By Rashid Shirinov – Trend:
Kazakhstan produced 173 100 tons of salt in the first three quarters of 2018, Energyprom.kz reported.
This is 11.7 percent more than in the same period last year.
About a third of salt production covers more than 90 percent of the country's demand, and the rest is exported. In the first 8 months of this year, exports amounted to 114,300 tons, which is an increase of 22.8 percent year-on-year.
Almost all production (98.8 percent) is concentrated in the Kyzylorda region of the country, where the main salt producer of Kazakhstan Araltuz JSC operates. As part of the industrialization program, the enterprise commissioned two workshops for the production of salt by Spanish technology. This is expected to double the productivity and provide jobs for more than 1,200 people.
Head of the Industrial and Innovative Development Department of Kyzylorda region Rinat Sultangereyev has previously noted that Araltuz successfully meets the needs of Kazakhstan and in addition covers 12 percent of Russia's salt market.
Moreover, since last year, the supply of Aral salt to Azerbaijan was launched, and presently work is underway to start deliveries to China.
As for the price of salt in Kazakhstan, it practically does not change – this October it rose by only 1.8 percent compared to October last year.
Follow the author on Twitter: @ShirinovRashid


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AutoGuide News Blog
The AutoGuide News Blog is your source for breaking stories from the auto industry. Delivering news immediately, the AutoGuide Blog is constantly updated with the latest information, photos and video from manufacturers, auto shows, the aftermarket and professional racing.
Displayed for the first time at the Frankfurt Auto Show earlier last month Mansory’s SLS “Cormeum” is a wild take on the Mercedes-Benz flagship sports car.
With an entire body that has been refitted with Mansory’s now famous ultra-wide carbon fiber weave, the German exotic car tuner claims a total weight reduction of 200 lbs. Out back is a massive spoiler and aggressive diffuser, while up front the car sports a new bumper that apes the design of the McLaren SLR – the SLS’s predecessor. A widebody transformation is also included with front fenders that are roughly 2.5-inches wider than stock and rear fenders that are 3.5-inches wider than stock.
Along with a custom carbon fiber interior Mansory also upped the 6.2-liter AMG engine’s output from just over 500-hp to a total of 660-hp.
To maintain exclusivity Mansory says it will build just 15 “Cormeum” models, although as is often the case with these custom creations, we wouldn’t be surprised if it turned out to be a one-of-one.
GALLERY: Mansory Cormeum Mercedes SLS
Never one to disappoint, Mansory has revealed a host of new models at the Geneva Auto Show, including this rendition of the Mercedes-Benz SLS.
With an all-new carbon fiber shell, Mansory claims the car is almost 200 lbs lighter than the stock vehicle. Rather than just replace parts, Mansory got creative with the body, adding some wild additions up front, flared fenders (by 2-inches up front and 3-inches in the rear) and a massive rear spoiler.
Also helping cut weight are the ultra-thin spoke center-lug wheels, which sit deeper in the wheel wells thanks to a suspension that has been lowered almost an inch.
Mansory says power has been upped to 651-hp, while a 789-hp package is in the works.
As for that name Cormeum, it comes from a “operatic aria” called Vide Cor meum, that’s based on Dante’s “La Vita Nuova.” (Hey, at least we avoided any references to Dante’s “Inferno”).
GALLERY: Mansory Cormeum


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NEW DELHI: Pharma powerhouse Cipla has started talks with the government to share knowledge on making cancer drugs, which, if successful, could radically lower the prices of a class of medicines that remain largely unaffordable. "The initial discussions are related to 10 off-patented cancer drugs," said a person familiar with the matter, adding that the talks centred on the number of drugs and the processes involved in transferring knowledge.
It remained unclear if the talks touched upon the monetary angle, though Cipla has often repeated its willingness to share information with the government on drug technologies for free.
"Cipla is more than happy to share technological know-how of expensive anti-cancerdrugs ," said chairman Dr YK Hamied. The company sells nearly 40 cancer drugs with several others in the development stage. These generic drugs are priced around one-tenth that of the original made by global pharma companies. If state-owned pharma companies, such as Hindustan Antibiotics and Karnataka Antibiotics and Pharmaceuticals, get to make cancer drugs, their prices are expected to fall further. The government could sell these medicines at its own discount chain of chemist shops, Jan Aushadhi, and at public hospitals and clinics.
The development will be music to the ears of the country's nearly 25 lakh patients suffering from different types of cancer. Most cannot afford treatment as a month's dosage of some of these medicines cost as much as Rs 2-3 lakh. "Only about 5% of patients can afford chemotherapy drugs. Others can't afford the new costly drugs and have to rely on cheaper old molecules, which are less effective," said Cancer Patients Aid Association chairperson YK Sapru.
Many cancer patients in India rely on drugs made by generic companies such as Cipla, whose lower prices in part stem from getting approvals for sale without lengthy clinical trials to show they are safe and effective.
In April, Cipla launched a copy of Bayer's cancer medicine Nexavar at a tenth of its original price, deflating the drug's cost to Rs 28,000 a month. The company also unveiled a version of lung cancer drug Erlocip (Erlotinib) at a third of the price of Swiss major Roche's Tarceva brand in 2008.


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American foodtech startup
announced a partnership with a consortium led by Proterra Investment Partners Asia to build its first factory in Asia.
The consortium will invest up to US$100 million, while Eat Just pours up to US$20 million to build a plant-based protein production facility in Singapore, according to the statement.
Photo credit: Eat Just
Singapore has already provided an enabling environment for the project with support from the Singapore Economic Development Board, the company said.
“It is increasingly important for us to invest in novel sustainable agri-food technologies, such as alternative proteins, to meet the world’s future needs for food and nutrition,” said Singapore Economic Development Board executive vice president Damian Chan in a statement. “This will allow us to better cater to the needs of the Asian markets, while creating exciting opportunities for Singapore.”
Founded in 2011 Eat Just is the company behind the plant-based egg alternative Just Egg, which is made with turmeric and mung bean protein. The newly formed subsidiary, called Eat Just Asia, will create a supply chain to serve manufacturing and distribution partners or Eat Just’s flagship product across Asia.
Existing distribution partners in Asia include South Korea’s SPC Samlip, Thailand’s Betagro, and a partnership in mainland China which is yet to be announced.
Once built, the first factory will add to the company’s large-scale protein facilities in North America and Germany. Eat Just said that other future factories in the region are set to follow as the demand for protein in the region increases.
Eat Just and Proterra Investment Partners Asia are also in discussions to expand their partnership to focus on cultured meat, i.e., meat made from cells instead of slaughtered animals.
Another Singapore biotech startup looking to develop sustainable food alternatives is TurtleTree Labs, which uses cell-based technology to create milk. It claims to be the first biotech company in the world that can recreate real milk from all mammals inside a lab. Its main goal remains to be producing high-value human breast milk.
The company raised
in its seed round earlier this year.
- Eat Just gets regulatory nod to sell lab-grown chicken meat in Singapore
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- IREX and Singapore partner to build solar power factory in VN
- Singapore signs digital economy pact with Australia
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- Vietnam, Singapore hold online investment promotion event
- Meet the 50 top-funded startups and tech companies in Singapore
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In addition to crowning the champion of the National Football League, the Super Bowl also presents an opportunity for big-ticket advertisers to showcase themselves, and Facebook is helping them do just that with its Big Game targeting segment.
Much like the social network’s existing ad-targeting options, the new Big Game targeting segment will allow brands to serve ads to users based on their interests, with all user data remaining anonymous.
Facebook said in a release announcing the feature:
The Big Game targeting segment is Facebook’s first segment that utilizes real-time conversations (updating frequently throughout the game) related to the Super Bowl. The segment includes not just football fans who like the Seahawks or the Patriots, but also people engaging (e.g., likes, comments, shares) around party planning, sharing recipes, buying a new flat-screen TV, halftime show commentary, chatter about your favorite ads and more, to identify new targets for the segment.
Anheuser-Busch vice president of consumer connections Lucas Herscovici told Adweek:
We leverage all the tools Facebook provides to try them out, see how we’re performing and optimize accordingly.
Our main brands — Bud and Bud Light — we’re activating them in a 360-degree campaign where the TV ad is just one different element in the storytelling, so digital obviously plays a huge role in telling the other parts of the story.
And a Facebook spokesperson told Adweek:
The best stories from advertisers are ones that are told in the same way people create and consume content. Facebook has the tools in place to help marketers improve campaigns and create content that is relevant and rewarding for people.
Readers: Will you engage on Facebook during Super Bowl XLIX?
Image courtesy of Shutterstock.


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26 Nov 2018
Carlos Ghosn fired as Mitsubishi Motors chairman
Chairman of Mitsubishi Motors, Carlos Ghosn has been fired by the company after news of his arrest in Japan, following claims of misconduct.
According to reports, Mr Ghosn who headed an alliance of Mitsubishi, Nissan and Renault, had falsely understated his salary and had used company money for personal gains.
This led to Nissan removing Carlos Ghosn from the company last week, following his arrest, and Mitsubishi taking the same action.
The media in Japan, however, has reported that Mr Ghosn has denied all allegations. Though he is yet to speak publicly about the situation and currently remains in detention.
In a short statement by Mitsubishi, the company said:
“During today’s Board Meeting, it was decided that he is dismissed as chairman.”
Carlos Ghosn was the architect of the Renault-Nissan alliance. He was responsible for bringing Mitsubishi on board in 2016 to help stabilise the company after it was hit with the scandal of over-stating fuel efficiency in some of their cars.
Despite being in custody in Tokyo last week, Mr Ghosn has not yet been charged by the authorities. If allegations of financial misconduct against him are proved in court, he could face up to a decade in prison.


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This vehicle has been tested in every way. It gave excellent results after running continuously for 9 hours. The company says that, now it has become the world’s highest range solar electric car.
Lightyear CEO has said that he is very happy with the performance of this car
Solar electric vehicle maker Lightyear recently tested its Lightyear One prototype car, which covered 710 km on a single battery charge of 60 kWh for about nine hours. The EV maker says the Lightyear One is the world’s first long-range solar electric vehicle. The prototype car was taken via Lightyear to the Aldenhoven Testing Center in Germany where it completed a drive track at a speed of 85 kmph.
The testing was done on a single battery charge of 60 kWh. Lightyear believes that even the most efficient electric cars on the market today consume about 50% more energy at this lower speed. Everything was tested in the testing including solar panel, wheel function, cooling system consumption, software operating and battery performance. The EV maker emphasized that a long-range solar car could pose a huge opportunity and change mobility as one cannot drive a vehicle for months without charging.
Lightyear’s co-founder and CEO of Lex Hofslut noted that this is an important engineering and technical milestone for the company as the electric car’s performance validates previously patented technology. That said, the prototype has a range of over 440 miles and consumes only 137 Wh/mile of energy at 53 mph. This milestone is a great confirmation of the scalability of our business model.
At the same time, he further said that, we are confident that in the coming months we will be able to reach the same level of energy consumption from highway speed. The reduced energy consumption per mile of the EV means you can deliver a lot more range on a smaller battery.” Hoefsloot also points out that adding solar cells to low-energy cars can be an advantage as it can charge about 45 miles on a sunny day.
The company has said that an exclusive series of 946 Lightyear Ones will go into production in the first half of 2022 as it seeks to explore the Masquet on a large scale from 2024 onwards.
read this also:
Ayushmann Khurrana bought this luxury car worth Rs 2.43 crore, you will also become a fan after seeing VIDEO and features
Think before buying Royal Enfield motorcycles, once the company took a big decision about these bikes


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The owners of Riverhead’s Atlantis Marine World are looking to expand their aquarium and build a 126-room hotel.
Riverhead Supervisor Phil Cardinale said the aquarium owners have filed a site plan for a two-story, 102,000-square-foot hotel, which includes a restaurant and some retail shops on its East Main Street site.
Atlantis will buy a gas station next ...
Already a paid subscriber but not registered for online access yet? For instructions on how to get premium web access, click here.


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The beauty industry is always looking for creative ways to align their products with the latest fashion lines hitting stores. And now, a new tactic is emerging: top cosmetics brands are creating products specifically for designers to match with their shows at Fashion Week. The beauty companies preview the colors and designs, create a specially-tailored color or type of product, and send it to the designer, who then uses it on models during shows.
The company leading this trend is Sally Hansen, a nail products powerhouse with annual sales of up to $500 million. This year, the company collaborated with designers Prabal Gurung and Tracy Reese, analyzing fabric swatches from the upcoming lines and creating nail polish colors tailored to match the designers’ collections. This will be the brand’s tenth season collaborating with Tracy Reese — but it’s a first for Prabal Gurung.
Now that the runway shows have taken place and revealed the clothing, as well as the nail colors, Sally Hansen will put the polishes on sale in spring 2011 as limited-edition products. The brief availability creates a level of exclusivity and a pressure to buy quickly, driving greater sales. Prices for the designer nail polish collections are the same as any other Sally Hansen product, making them even more accessible.
Partnerships between makeup companies and fashion houses are appealing to both because “[designers] actually use the products…it’s not just a product placement. It’s a genuine endorsement. The companies get press coverage and have something measurable come out of their investment,” according to Allure editor-in-chief Linda Wells.
Nail polish in particular has become a best-selling cosmetic item in drugstore chains due to its affordability. “Polish has become the latest fashion accessory. It’s an easy way to play into trends in an inexpensive way,” explained Bill Boraczek, Sally Hansen’s senior vice president of marketing. Market-research firm Euromonitor International Inc. supported this claim, reporting that U.S. nail polish sales increased 11% in 2009 to $462.9 million.
Other industry insiders are beginning to get in on the collaborative act as well: designer Jason Wu recently launched his own line of nail polishes with the help of Creative Nail Design, marking CND’s first “direct” project with a fashion house.


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Netflix's (NFLX -1.4%) new test of monetizing password sharing promises some incremental revenues with a wider rollout, Cowen says.
The streamer recently said that it would test a feature in three countries (Chile, Costa Rica and Peru) encouraging subscribers to pay a few dollars extra a month to allow a profile or two outside of the household - less than the price of a full subscription, but a way to draw some money from password sharing that goes on now.
"We think Netflix's recent efforts reflect a natural progression across more mature markets, and could add incremental subs and revenue if the test is rolled out globally," says Cowen's John Blackledge.
If the test works and Netflix rolls the program out globally, he estimates it could add some $1.6 billion in global revenue, or 4% upside to the firm's 2023 revenue estimates.
That's based on an assumption that in a wider rollout, half of non-paying Netflix households would become paying members, and that those new payers would be split between those paying up to $3 as an "extra" sub and those paying average revenue per user for each region.
Cowen's monthly survey suggests there's a market for the new feature: Some 42% of U.S. users share a Netflix password, it says, and 10% of respondents said they had access to the service but aren't current subscribers, up from 7% in the first quarter of 2017.
Blackledge has an Outperform rating on Netflix and a $600 price target, implying 59% upside.
For its part, Benchmark is skeptical that the new plan can be a growth "game-changer."


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PressOn puts HP Latex R Series to work with bold projects
PressOn says it has secured several innovative graphics jobs during the uncertain pandemic period - following some spectacular pre-COVID projects - using its HP Latex R Series printer.
Installed in April 2019 and updated to the 2020 edition a few months later, the HP Latex printer has enabled PressOn to meet demands for fast turnaround, exceptional quality, and sustainability.
Founded by Andy Wilson in 2000, Kent-based PressOn has grown steadily thanks to its approach of pursuing new opportunities, investing in the latest technology, and maintaining accountability throughout the customer journey. Like many large format digital printing businesses, PressOn has felt the impact of COVID-related restrictions, but a look back over the past year has revealed some creative and innovative projects for well-known brands.
Andy notes the impact of wallpaper graphics at the offices of HBD Systems - a producer of double-glazing solutions - and PMP Recruitment respectively. HBD Systems' campaign saw the HP Latex machine produce vibrant photographic reproductions of stunning views, while the PMP job involved branding the office space with a bold geometric design inspired by beehives.
Both before and during the pandemic, PressOn worked with historic department store Harrods on a number of projects. These included preparing the Knightsbridge landmark for its reopening in June 2020, which required the removal of 549 linear meters of vinyl window graphics and the installation of new borders, logos, and graphics - and all in under six hours.
The PressOn team installed a new graphic in the same area in 2020, using artwork developed in a joint collaboration between PressOn's artwork team and Harrods' designers.
As to the future, PressOn Managing Director Andy Wilson is looking ahead to more exciting projects as the business continues to recover from the pandemic.
"Much of the work that had been postponed has begun to return," he says. “Working with HP Latex printers for the past twelve years has meant we are able to respond to customer demands for short-turnaround, high-spec work on so many different materials. We expect to do many more of these jobs in the coming months with our range of HP Latex machines”.
"As an added benefit, the HP Latex R Series printer has environmental benefits, such as water-based inks and media recyclability, that the market is increasingly expecting."
For more information on HP Latex printers, please click here
Source: Large Format Review


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The upcoming Halo 2 remake is a must-have for hardcore Halo fans, and Microsoft has something for fans who want to get a look at the craftsmanship that went into it.
Microsoft just released Remaking the Legend, a documentary about the production of the Halo 2 update. The remake is included as part of Halo: The Master Chief Collection and features a reproduction of the multiplayer mode for Halo 2, as well as completely remade cinematics for the game’s single-player campaign. The documentary is available for free on Microsoft’s Xbox Video website, and Xbox Live on the Xbox 360 and Xbox One consoles.
The updated version of the Halo 2 remake, which celebrates the game’s tenth anniversary, is arguably the most attractive part of the Master Chief Collection for Halo fans, followed closely by the Ridley Scott-produced Halo: Knightfall feature.
Halo 2, released for the original Xbox on Nov. 9, 2004, was the game that popularized online multiplayer on consoles, bringing a gaming experience that had previously been available only on PC to a new, huge audience. Halo 2 was also arguably responsible for the success of Microsoft’s then-nascent online gaming service, Xbox Live.
Halo Combat Evolved: Anniversary Edition was another tenth anniversary celebration, released for the Xbox 360 on Nov. 15, 2011. It featured cinematics that were updated to be closer to seventh generation console standards. The updated cinematics for the Halo 2 remake, however, look like they were updated to match the standards of the eighth generation Xbox One. In other words, they look spectacular.
Halo: The Master Chief Collection will be released for the Xbox One on Nov. 11.
Image courtesy of Microsoft


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From more than 2,000 entrants, Venus Spirits was chosen as one of 279 finalists for the 2018 Good Food Awards. In its eighth year, Good Food Awards are granted to “outstanding American food producers and the farmers who provide their ingredients.” There are 15 categories including beer, cider, charcuterie, cheese, pickles, preserves and spirits. Venus is being recognized for its Aquavit & Wayward Whiskey Bourbon. Products are judged on flavor as well as utilizing sustainable and local food production. For a complete list of finalists, visit goodfoodawards.org. Winners will be announced Jan. 19, 2018.
Quick Bites, compiled by Tara Fatemi Walker, is your weekly helping of Santa Cruz County restaurant and food news. Send items to firstname.lastname@example.org. Want local food and wine news as it happens? Follow the Sentinel’s food crew on Twitter (@santacruzfood); on Instagram (@santacruzfood); or on Facebook (Santa Cruz Food).


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US market continues to drive Naturex growth
half sales based on its increasing expansion into the US market.
The company, which first moved into the US with the acquisition of Brucia Plant Extracts in 2001, recently added to its portfolio by buying the rosemary business of Hauser.
After growth of 8.3 per cent in the first quarter (or 18 per cent excluding the currency factor), sales increased a further 41 per cent in the second quarter to €9.8 million, with the total turnover for the first half reaching €17.5 million, up 24.4 per cent on the previous year.
Naturex says good market growth in the US, particularly in the nutraceutcials sector is driving sales growth, also helped by a relaunched Brucia Plant Extracts business.
The company already generates half of its revenues in the US but the new rosemary business could expand this further. Included in accounts from April, it has already contributed 5.8 per cent of the first half growth and is said to currently be showing organic growth of 18.6 per cent.
Naturex is looking for a minimum 20 growth over the year and profits of between €2.4 and €2.7 million, or a 30-50 per cent increase.


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Clairvoyants weren’t the only ones who might’ve witnessed this week’s most arresting restaurant developments without a tinge of surprise. Even such head turners as Starbucks’ decision to scrap another concept were more of a continuation of recent patterns than a switch in direction.
Still, predictability didn’t keep beans from snapping left and right to follow the events. Here’s a neck-saving review if you missed them.
Starbucks pulls the plug on tea cafes
A much-ballyhooed diversification into tea bars came to a quiet end for Starbucks this week when the chain disclosed plans to close or convert three of its four Teavana cafes. Only the branch in Seattle will remain open, and that will function as a lab of sorts.
The coffee giant is still pushing the tea brand, but through Starbucks cafes and Teavana’s several hundred retail shops. Yet it’s no longer crowing about creating the sort of experience for tea drinkers that coffee fans find in a Starbucks outlet. Starbucks CEO had boasted that the venture could be a $90 billion opportunity for the company.
The retreat from tea bars underscores a new back-to-beans drive by the coffee giant. It is also shuttering its West Coast outpost of the Evolution Fresh juice-press concept, but opening a second Starbucks Reserve Roastery, a high-end cathedral to coffee, in New York City.
And it’s only been seven months since it threw in the napkin on the 23-store La Boulange bakery chain.
The coffee focus is less laser-like internationally. The Teavana concept, for instance, will likely be one of Starbucks’ growth vehicles in India, a tea-centric market.
What, no Hallmark card?
Special-interest groups have given the world such trumped-up occasions as Squirrel Appreciation Day (last Thursday), National Hug Day (also on Thursday) and National Pie Day (two days later). Restaurants have seized on the trend with such concocted events as ugly lamp festivals (when customers are encouraged to bring their abominations for a visit), and ugly sweater celebrations are now routine.
A restaurateur in Australia decided the global phenomenon has gone too far. Matt Chun posted a sign outside his Mister Jones restaurant to announce that the establishment was observing the latest narrow-interest occasion, National Dickhead Day.
“Yes, we’re open on National Dickhead Day,” the chalkboard observed. What Americans might not get: The occasion was actually a widely observed one, Australia Day.
Customers were apparently not amused. Local media reported that vandals seeped glue into the restaurant’s window joints and jammed the locks. Others bombarded the restaurant with angry emails and voice mails.
This year’s Global Peace Day has yet to be set.
A new benchmark for help wanted classifieds
The policy of hiring anyone with a pulse to work in a restaurant is going the way of rotary phones and free meals on planes. Heightened consumer expectations and an irrefutable correlation between employee skill and profits are pushing operators to aim higher in their recruitment and hiring efforts. But few have gone as far as Farmbloomington in Bloomington, Ind., which may have broken all standards in its recent Craigslist ad for a line cook.
The classified ad lists 44 criteria, ranging from “you show up early, and work hard each day,” to believing “’Yes, Chef!’ or ‘Oui, chef!’ is the only proper response in a traditional kitchen.”
The local health department might have some concerns about the requirement that a new hire show up for work “even if sick as a dog,” so the chef can decide if a sick day is warranted.
There are also recommendations that applicants be prepared to be efficient in their trips to the walk-in, mindful in monitoring supplies and laser-focused on avoiding waste.
You can see the whole ad here.
Blizzard proves worst and best of times
Restaurants typically don’t do well when a storm drops nearly three feet of snow on a market, halting transportation and prompting officials to direct a citywide shutdown of businesses. Yet anecdotal evidence suggests last weekend was an exception for places that managed to stay open and field a staff amid Blizzard Jonas.
Requests for seats at New York City restaurants usually booked months in advance fell 88 percent week over week on Saturday, 38 percent on Sunday and 26 percent in the days afterward, according to Resy, an app for bidding on hard-to-get reservations.
Most places threw in the napkin and followed Mayor Bill De Blasio’s recommendation to close and forego delivery during the storm. But those who managed to keep the oven fired, like Shelly Fireman’s Trattoria Dell’Arte enjoyed gangbusters business.
Advice Guy told of us a friend in the business who only had one cook show for the Saturday shift, when the snow was still falling at a rate of several inches per hour. The place decided to sell only hamburgers, charging $20 for each, and slapped 300 patties on the grill. It made a fortune.
‘Who removed my cheese?’
McDonald’s is the envy of many restaurant chains because of its well-grooved processes and systems—the sterling example of how to avert problems through well-oiled operations. But even Babe Ruth whiffed from time to time.
The Golden Arches caught fire on social media this week for a production problem with its new mozzarella sticks, a French fries alternative consisting of battered and baked mozzarella cheese. Post after post showed a hollow capsule of breading.
The chain explained to the media that “a low volume of guest concerns” had led to the discovery of a production problem. The cheese had melted during the baking stage and leaked out of the breading, a quality control issue that went unnoticed, McDonald’s acknowledged.
McDonald’s didn’t reveal how it’s fixing the problem, but indicated that steps are being taken. It also apologized to customers.
The sticks are priced at three for $1.


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Thanks to the rising popularity of tablets, shipments of low cost PC netbooks projected to slip to virtually zero next year.
Not so long ago, netbooks were red hot. The traditional notebook PC was losing steam and consumers gravitated toward smaller, lower cost netbook PCs with fewer features and capabilities. PC OEMs were selling tens of millions of netbooks per year.
But those days are gone, thanks to the rise of tablets. According to market research firm IHS iSuppli, shipments of netbooks are set to wind down to virtually zero afte next year.
IHS's latest compute electronics market tracker report projects that shipments of netbooks this year are set to fall to just 3.97million units this year, a 72 percent drop from 14.13 million last year. The netbook market peaked at 32.14 million shipments in 2010, according to IHS.
In 2014, IHS predicts that netbook shipments will plunge again to just 264,000 units. By 2015, shipments are projected to fall to zero.
"Netbooks shot to popularity immediately after launch because they were optimized for low cost, delivering what many consumers believed as acceptable computer performance,” said Craig Stice, senior principal analyst for compute platforms at IHS, in a statement.
According to Stice, netbooks were originally intended for light productivity tasks such as web browsing and email. But they eventually became more powerful, taking advantage of mature PC technology that enabled cost-effective implementation of more functionality. But their popularity began to descend after Apple's 2010 introduction of the the iPad, Stice said. Netbook shipments declined by 34 percent in 2011, IHS said.
"The iPad and other tablets came in a new form factor that excited consumers while also offering improved computing capabilities, leading to a massive loss of interest in netbooks,” Stice said.
Although not on the endangered species list just yet, mobile PCs have also been taking it on the chin since tablets showed up. Mobile PCs still retain the largest share of the overall PC market. In the fourth quarter of 2012, mobile PCs had about 63 percent share of the overall PC market compared to 34 percent from desktops and 3 percent for entry-level servers, according to IHS.
But IHS said mobile PCs continue to be sideswiped by the ongoing popularity of tablets. And new Ultrabooks and similar ultrathin PCs have yet to take off to the extent hoped for by manufacturers, according to the firm. Related stories:
A netbook is a heavily crippled small form factor laptop that's not allowed to have more than 1024x600 screen resolution or 1GB RAM.
Furthermore, its atom processor typically has about the same performance per core as at the introduction (2008?) (but 2 cores instead of 1), thereby making it unpractical for web surfing...
I have the feeling that netbooks are pointless now, as tablets and even phones have surpassed them, both in terms of cost and performance, even though I personally prefer the 'laptop' form factor for websurfing in the couch...
Exactly. Why try so hard to make a big deal over nothing?
Netbooks were a stepping stone to tablets, and really no different from tablets with detachable keyboards. They respond to the same market segment.
Nothing is going extinct. Things simply evolve.
Dylan should tell that great news and (mis) information to Google.
Google's Chromebook is a (next generation) netbook - with OS on "cloud" servers. What is correct is that the future of netbooks remains uncertain
At present definitions are:
-- Tablets don't have keyboard - only touch screens
-- Ultrabooks (or hybrids or convertibles) are the new/next form-factor of notebooks.
Many Ultrabooks have detachable touch-screen -- still if both they are simply a fast(er) growing form of notebooks (and Intel's bet in PCs).
There are also netbooks (Cloud client devices)- very lean because memory, application programs, etc, are on distant "cloud" servers. Google has been a big proponent of netbooks.
Netbooks were probably the coolest system concept Intel ever came up with next to the Centrino (Wi-Fi integrated) notebook which was a barn burner.
It's amazing netbooks got up to nearly 35m units a year.
But Intel's coolest idea of recent years pales in front of the consumer systems genius of the iPhone and iPad.
I admit I was a guinea pig and purchased a netbook back in early 2011 because of the low cost and promise of low, but adequate performance. Only the low cost portion lived up to the marketing hype. The machine lacked the ability to process or stream video at any acceptable level, and that created a quick trip to irrelevancy. It didn't even keep the attention of my children for more than 6 months.


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More Analysts Weigh in on Apple's Wed. Earnings Call
TMO Reports - More Analysts Weigh in on Apple's Wed. Earnings Call
by , 1:05 PM EDT, July 17th, 2006
Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster and American Technology Research analyst Shaw Wu on Monday gave their thoughts on Apple's upcoming earnings call, which will happen after the markets close on Wednesday, July 19. Both of them expect the company's revenue for the previous fiscal quarter to be at the upper end of Wall Street's consensus estimate of US$4.2 to $4.4 billion, with $0.44 EPS.
Mr. Munster sees Apple announcing iPod sales of 7.7 to 8.2 million units, below the Wall Street consensus estimate of 8.3 million. He also sees 1.23 million Macs sold, compared to the consensus of 1.25 million. In addition, the analyst expects Apple will continue with its tradition of providing conservative guidance for the current quarter, which right now stands at $4.95 billion in revenue and $0.52 EPS, according to Wall Street estimates.
"iPod timing has been a point of significant Street interest over the last two weeks," Mr. Munster wrote. "We do believe Apple is working to release a new/refreshed iPod in the September quarter. If we are wrong, Apple will miss some back-to-school benefit, but ultimately, we are confident the company will not miss the critical pre-holiday window."
However, he added, "we believe the more critical component in the quarter will be Mac market share. if new/refreshed iPods are not slated to be released in the quarter, we believe starting in the September quarter investors will start to place increasing emphasis on changes in Mac market share, given the Intel transition will likely be complete. If Mac market share grows in the September quarter, we expect the Street will look past a potential delay in new iPods."
Mr. Wu expects Apple to report 8.3 million iPods and 1.2 million Macs sold during the previous quarter. He sees $4.6 billion in revenue and $0.48 EPS for the current quarter, "helped by back-to-school but offset by weaker European seasonality," and much lower than consensus estimates that he thinks are "unreasonably aggressive." He thinks Apple will ship a revised iPod nano in October, "or late September at the earliest."
He concluded: "We have noticed that AAPL shares tend to be overbought or oversold. With the stock now trading at 20x our CY07 EPS (16x excluding net cash), we believe there is an over-discounting of AAPL's fundamentals and growth prospects that remain among the strongest in large-cap technology." The analyst reiterated his "Buy" rating on the stock, while Mr. Munster also reaffirmed his "Outperform" rating, with a $99 price target.
At 12:45 PM EST on Monday, Apple shares were selling for $52.86, up $2.19, or 4.32%, for the day. Apple's stock is well off the $86.40 52-week high it achieved in January.
If you are interested in Apple's stock, join our forum members in the Apple Finance Boards, a moderated forum for Apple Investors and people who are interested in Apple's financial dealings. For other stories regarding Apple's stock activity, visit our updated Apple Stock Watch Special Report.
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Dish Network Corp. has been ordered to pay a fine of $280 million to four states and the federal government over a telemarketing violation. The order was issued on Monday by Sue Myerscough, a U.S. District Judge.
The lion’s share of the fine, $168 million, will go to the federal government while the rest, $84 million, will be paid to the states of Ohio, North Carolina, Illinois and California for violating federal law by making telemarketing calls to consumers who were on do-not-call lists. Dish Network will also pay an extra $28 million to Ohio, North Carolina and California for violating state law.
The company was also prohibited by the U.S. District Judge from violating the laws in the future. Dish Network’s telemarketing operations will also be under supervision for 20 years. According to the judge, though the plaintiffs had sought to have Dish Network banned from telemarketing, she decided a compliance plan was the best option.
“The evidence supports the conclusion that the pressure needs to be maintained to keep Dish’s marketing personnel from reverting to their practice of trying to get around the rules,” the U.S. District Judge wrote in her ruling.
Telemarketing Sales Rule
The company was sued by the four states and the federal government in 2009 over allegations that 2 consumer telemarketing laws had been violated when over 55 million illegal calls were made. In the suit accusing Dish Network of violating the Telemarketing Sales Rule and the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, the federal government was demanding for fines totaling $900 million while the four states were seeking over $110 million.
Initially the states had asked for over $23 billion though they lowered the amount after the first phase of the trial last year. A spokesperson for the Department of Justice, Nicole Navas Oxman, admitted that the fines were the biggest-ever in a case involving robocalls.
Subcontractors and contractors
Dish Network laid the blame on subcontractors and contractors for over 90% of the illegal calls. The company said that the rest of the calls were made inadvertently. When Dish discovered the illegal activity it fired the contractors responsible for the illegalities. Bob Toevs, a spokesperson for Dish claimed that the penalties were unfair in comparison with the action taken against other offenders such as Caribbean Cruise Lines, Comcast Corp and DirecTV. Toevs also defended the company saying that it always ensured it complied with telemarketing laws and will continue to do so.


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‘Will you please do me a Favor?’ New delivery app reaches Dallas market
By Adriana Bremer
Downloading the app is a simple task. Yet ordering food from any local Dallas restaurant through it and waiting for it to come to you is even simpler. With just a click of a button, Favor provides personal delivery service that gets anything in the city delivered to your door.
“I can now get everything I want from all my favorite restaurants,” said Marie Theresa Ancira, who recently discovered Favor through a friend. “I order through Favor at least once a week, it’s amazing.”
The Favor app works as a personal delivery assistant. The app, which recently reached the Dallas area, has revolutionized the food delivery experience. As explained by their website, it has proved to be a success among students and locals as it stands out in the competitive and crowded market of app technology by providing what people want most: personal services.
“Favor is so incredibly fast. I’ve tried DiningIn, GrubHub, and Eat 24, yet none compare to how personal Favor is,” said Ancira.
Favor is user-friendly. As the user opens the app, recommended restaurants appear on the IOS device’s screen. The user may then select any of the featured restaurants or may search for his or her restaurant of choice. The menu then appears and when the order is selected, it can be customized to any particular needs and specifications. As soon as payment information is entered, it is now in the hands of the Runners.
The Runners are the people who work for Favor and therefore get the job done. As customers relax, Runners are in charge of driving around the city to order and pick-up the customer’s personalized order.
“Working for Favor is pretty fun,” said Ty Johnson. Johnson has been a Runner for Favor for a month.
Johnson enjoys the tips given by users and the opportunities to explore new restaurants. Users get to tip their runners as much as they please. Additionally, a service charge is included in the meal and delivery order.
“I get to go to places I had no idea existed. It makes me want to go visit them and eat there,” said Johnson.
The Runners can be spotted around the city easily, as they all wear bright blue tuxedo T-shirts that resemble outfits of a concierge service worker.
“I think wearing the blue shirt makes us look cool,” said Johnson.
Favor has not only given people who live in Dallas an opportunity to earn money as they provide services to others, but it has also helped local restaurants with their sales.
By being a personal delivery assistant, the app has made it easier for people to buy food from restaurants. It facilitates the process and thus makes it quick and simple. Additionally, it delivers food from restaurants that do not offer that service and customers also get to enjoy their orders at home. This has become an incentive for many to use the app.
“It has helped out this restaurant a lot as we do not personally deliver. More people are now buying our food,” said Gaby Bunda, of Dive Coastal Cuisine. “We get at least four to five Runners a day.”
Dive Coastal Cuisine, located at 3404 Ranking St., is one of many restaurants that greet Runners every day.
“I think every restaurant by this point is getting used to seeing guys and girls in their tuxedo shirts walking in,” said Bunda.
Reaching the Dallas market just this November, users of the app and restaurants from the area have already been discovering all of the benefits Favor has to offer.
“It is hands-down the best app I have ever downloaded,” said Ancira.


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Tag Archives: schools
A GoFundMe account has raised more than $4,000 and ClearView Auto Glass of Lenexa has partnered to repair the glass in students’ vehicles after vandalism left windows broken and items stolen. Click here to read more.
The Moraine windshield manufacturing business from China announced it would donate a $32,500 grant for the vehicle, which Centerville officials said would help the district connect with students and their families in the community. Click here to read more.


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An Interview With MannKind CEO Michael Castagna
Castagna: Yeah, I think we've already demonstrated that we've surpassed Sanofi's sales curves. I was actually a shareholder of MannKind when they got [Afrezza] approved. And I think those trends over the next six months will really start to show people what can happen. Castagna: I think in terms of turning into prescriptions, it will take about two months to start to see a meaningful lift.


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Recently, the United Kingdom government has sent an emergency alert to millions of its citizens as the country prepares for a possible nuclear war. This alarming move comes amidst rising tensions across the globe, with NATO pledging to take action in the event of a World War III. The potential consequences of such a catastrophic event are dire, and UK citizens are being urged to take the necessary steps to protect themselves and their families. In this blog post, we will delve deeper into this issue and explore what this latest development means for our future.
The world has witnessed several crises in the past few years, including wars, pandemics, earthquakes, and terrorist attacks. One such crisis that we cannot ignore is the potential for nuclear war. Recently, the UK sent an emergency alert to millions of its citizens, warning them about the possibility of nuclear war. As tensions rise across the globe, NATO has pledged to take steps towards preventing a world war three. In light of these events, it is crucial to prepare for the worst-case scenario. In this article, we will discuss the measures that can be taken to prepare for a potential nuclear war.
Gas Masks and Protective Equipment
One of the essential items that individuals should have in case of a nuclear war is gas masks and protective equipment. A gas mask can filter out hazardous particles and provide fresh air to the wearer. The Canadian Preppers Store offers premium gas masks and protective equipment for individuals to purchase. These items can help individuals protect themselves and their loved ones during a nuclear war.
Emergency Food Supplies
Another crucial item to have in a survival kit is emergency food supplies. In case of a nuclear war, access to food and water may be limited. Pre-packed survival meals can provide individuals with the necessary sustenance to survive during such situations. Canadian Preppers Store offers a wide range of emergency food supplies suitable for different dietary requirements.
- The store also provides survival food with a shelf life of up to 25 years.
- Customers can purchase freeze-dried fruits, vegetables, meats, and entrees such as lasagna, chili, and stroganoff.
Apart from gas masks and emergency food supplies, survival tools are equally important. These tools can assist individuals in building shelter, starting fires, and providing basic medical care. The Canadian Preppers Store has a vast collection of survival tools to choose from, including multi-tools, knives, machetes, and hatchets.
- The store also offers a variety of fire starters, such as waterproof matches, ferrocerium rods, and fire starting paste.
- A first aid kit is an essential item to have in a survival kit. The Canadian Preppers Store offers a collection of first aid supplies that can assist individuals in treating injuries during a nuclear war.
Shelter and Sleep Systems
In the event of a nuclear war, individuals may have to find shelter to protect themselves from hazardous particles in the air. Canadian Preppers Store offers shelter and sleep systems that can protect individuals from radiation and provide them with the necessary comfort.
- Customers can choose from a range of tents, sleeping bags, and hammocks.
- The store also sells emergency blankets and ponchos that can provide critical warmth during colder temperatures.
Water Filtration and Cooking Systems
Water filtration and cooking systems are equally important in a survival kit. Where access to clean water may be limited or non-existent due to nuclear fallout, water filtration systems can provide individuals with the necessary water to stay hydrated.
- Canadian Preppers Store offers portable water filtration systems such as straw filters, water bottles with built-in filters, and gravity-fed water filtration bags.
- The store also sells cooking systems such as portable stoves, mess kits, and utensils.
Survival Gear/Misconduct and Hygiene Products
Along with other survival items, Canadian Preppers Store also offers survival gear/miscellaneous and hygiene products that can ensure individuals are adequately prepared in case of a nuclear war. Survival gear could include items like compasses, ropes, paracords, and tactical bags with multiple compartments.
- The store also provides hygiene products such as soap, shampoo, sanitizer, and toilet paper.
In conclusion, the threat of nuclear war is a constant reality. It is crucial to take steps to prepare for such situations by having a survival kit that includes necessities such as gas masks, emergency food supplies, survival tools, shelter and sleep systems, water filtration, cooking systems, survival gear/miscellaneous and hygiene products. The Canadian Preppers Store is a one-stop-shop where individuals can purchase all the essential items to prepare for a potential nuclear war.
What is the Canadian Preppers Store?
The Canadian Preppers Store is an online store that sells premium survival and emergency equipment.
Can individuals purchase gas masks and protective equipment from the Canadian Preppers Store?
Yes, the Canadian Preppers Store offers a wide range of gas masks and protective equipment that can be purchased online.
Does the Canadian Preppers Store offer emergency food supplies?
Yes, the Canadian Preppers Store offers a wide range of emergency food supplies suitable for different dietary needs.
Does the Canadian Preppers Store sell water filtration systems?
Yes, the Canadian Preppers Store provides a range of portable water filtration systems that can be purchased online.
What other items can be found on the Canadian Preppers Store website?
Apart from gas masks, emergency food supplies, shelter and sleep systems, and water filtration systems, the Canadian Preppers Store offers a range of survival tools, survival gear/miscellaneous, first aid supplies, cooking systems, and hygiene products.


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Microsoft continues to expand efforts to sell its Surface line of tablets to business and enterprise customers. The company has revealed two new programs that should make it easier for organizations to purchase said tablets. One is a new warranty program, while the other will allow businesses to trade in older devices to get credit for buying new Surface tablets.
The Microsoft Complete for Enterprise warranty program will launch in early 2016. Here are its features:
- Ability to pool warranty claims by company versus individual devices
- Allowing for warranty claims against non-bootable devices – helpful when customers have data security policies that either require a device to be wiped of all confidential information or require destruction of the hard drive prior to the device being returned under the warranty
- Next day air in the US for fastest possible device replacement, and a similar rapid replace processing for markets outside the US.
- An on-boarding center to ensure a premium experience within the first 30 days for both IT and end users – Microsoft will assist IT staff to get setup with warranty and support processes as well as provide online training for their employees to get productive as fast as possible.
The Business Device Trade-in Program is a permanent program Microsoft has set up, rather than just a temporary promotion:
Microsoft also announced that even before the official release of the Surface Pro 4 next week, 13 large businesses and educational organizations have already pledged to buy the new 12.3-inch tablet, including Berkshire Hathaway, Land 'O Lakes and more.
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Sales have soared 77% at premium mixer brand Fever-Tree (FEVR) to £72m in the first half on the back of “exceptional” growth in the UK.
Distribution gains continued to drive the performance in its domestic – and largest market – with the 150ml can format proving a hit with supermarkets and c-stores. Fever-Tree has expanded distribution of the format, added new flavours and won a listing across the Virgin Atlantic fleet from this month.
Revenues in the UK grew 113% to £33.6m in the six months to 30 June, compared with the same period a year ago.
Fever-Tree said it had driven 99% of the value growth in the entire UK mixer category within retail in the past 12 months and now holds a 30% market share, according to data from IRI.
Sales were also up 64% across continental Europe, 43% in the US and 45% in the rest of the world.
Adjusted EBITDA more than doubled in the period to £25.2m, compared with £12.4m a year ago, but gross margins retracted slightly from 54.8% in the first half of 2016 to 54.5%.
Pre-tax profits were £24.1m, up from £11.8m in 2016.
The stock exchange darling upgraded its full-year forecasts thanks to the strong performance in the first half and expects profits to be materially ahead of its expectations.
CEO Tim Warrillow said: “We are delighted to report another strong performance in the first half of 2017, continuing the momentum seen in 2016.
“We achieved growth in all our regions, driven by further distribution gains and underlying rate of sales growth as the two key trends of premiumisation and mixability continue to gather pace globally.
“We continue to invest and improve our infrastructure, relationships with key suppliers and customers as well as adding to our senior team. The strength of our brand and first mover advantage means we are well positioned as the opportunity for premium mixers continues to gather momentum across our key markets.”
Shares have soared 9% to 1,900p as markets opening this morning.
Supermarket sales were boosted by the summer weather and a series of sporting events in the past month, according to the latest data from Nielsen. The amount shoppers spent on groceries during the four weeks ending 15 July 2017 was 5.1% higher versus the same period a year ago – the highest year-on-year rise for at least four years. It follows on from a 4% year-on-year rise in the previous four-week period. Shoppers also made 4% more grocery trips to supermarkets compared with the same period last year, when the weather was cooler and wetter. At the peak of the heatwave, sales of strawberries and cream rose 18%, while packs of strawberries alone increased 10% in the final week of Wimbledon.
“Various factors typically drive extra spend in grocery shopping – more disposable income, more promotions, peak events and changes in weather, and lifestyle,” said Mike Watkins, Nielsen’s UK head of retailer and business insight. “However, the first two have been falling in recent times which shows the impact that hot weather and big sporting events – such as Wimbledon, the British Grand Prix, the British and Irish Lions rugby and the women’s cricket World Cup – had on people’s purse strings. This combination encourages shoppers to spend more, particularly on fresh foods and to use convenience stores more often. With the likelihood of eating and drinking outside also increasing people are more inclined to indulge and treat themselves.”
The latest grocery market share figures from Kantar Worldpanel for the 12 weeks ending 16 July 2017 showed market growth has exceeded 3% for the fourth consecutive period – the first time it has done so since November 2013. Supermarket sales increased by 3.9% compared with the same period last year. One year on from the EU referendum, price rises are no longer accelerating with like-for-like inflation now standing at 3.2%, the same rate of increase as this time last month.
Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar Worldpanel, said: “Robust market growth this year has been boosted by higher grocery inflation, but consumers will be pleased to hear that price rises are no longer accelerating. One year on from the EU referendum – which had a marked impact on the price of imported groceries – hard-pressed shoppers could soon start to feel upward pricing pressures ease.”
He added: “June’s hot spell was good news for UK grocers, with sales particularly buoyant around the hottest June day for 40 years. Ice cream sales were up 34% in June alone, while sales of suncare products increased by 40% year on year as Brits enjoyed the unexpected sunshine. Over the 12-week period, celebratory shoppers spent an additional £158m on alcohol. Fruit and vegetable sales also spiked – up 7% – as shoppers parted with an extra £170m to help offset the summer indulgence.”
Lidl was once again Britain’s fastest growing supermarket, increasing sales by 19.4% – its strongest growth since October 2014. Its market share has in turn risen to a record high of 5.1%. Close behind, Aldi’s sales grew by 17.9%, increasing its share of the market by 0.8 percentage points to 7%. Elsewhere competition was tight as Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons saw sales increases of 2.3%, 2.2% and 2.1% respectively.
Refresco (RFRG) has continued its buy-and-build strategy with the $1.3bn (£1bn) acquisition of the bottling operations of Canadian drinks manufacturer Cott. The deal will create the world’s largest independent bottler for retailers and brands in Europe and North America with a combined production volume of approximately 12 billion litres, Refresco said. Cott’s bottling activities are made up of a beverage platform with a full portfolio of non-alcoholic beverages, focused on retailer brands and contract manufacturing. The deal adds 19 production sites in the US, four in Canada, one in Mexico and five in the UK. Cott’s bottling activities generate annual revenues of approximately $1.7 billion and make up about 47% of its total business.
“This acquisition is a transformational deal right at the heart of Refresco’s buy & build strategy,” Refresco added.
The transaction has been unanimously recommended and supported by Refresco’s executive and supervisory boards. Completion of the deal is expected in the second half of 2017, subject to customary conditions, including anti-trust approval in various jurisdictions and Refresco shareholder approval. Integration will start immediately after closing with the UK, representing around 30% of Cott’s business, being integrated into Refresco Europe and the North American organization being combined with Refresco US.
Lindt & Sprüngli Group has increased revenues by 3.1% to 1.5bn Swiss francs (CHF) (£1.3bn) in the first six months of 2017 despite a stagnating chocolate market, partly thanks to “very good” results in the UK, but it cut full-year forecasts due to struggles in North America. The Swiss chocolate maker reported organic growth of 3.6% for the half as it won share in “strategically important” markets. Profits also rose 5.7% in the period to CHF 76.3m (£61.7m).
“In the first half-year, Lindt & Sprüngli was once again confronted with stagnating or slow-growing chocolate markets, especially in its most important market, North America, and consumer sentiment that remained largely restrained,” the group said.
“Thanks to numerous innovations and excellent point-of-sale presentations, the seasonal business performed very well in the first half-year. Lindt & Sprüngli is once again growing faster than the chocolate market as a whole and was able to gain important market shares.”
Lindt added that growth in Europe in the half had been “good”, with sales up 6% on an organic basis to CHF 759.8m. It singled out the UK and Germany as doing particularly well in the half.
“Thanks to its premium positioning and, in particular, its leading position in products with high cocoa content, Lindt & Sprüngli is very well placed to meet the requirements both of the trade and its consumers,” CEO Dieter Weisskopf said.
Full-year revenues have fallen at household products manufacturer PZ Cussons (PZC) as currency devaluation in Nigeria, its largest market, continued to drag, as well as general tough trading conditions across the rest of the world.
Sales in the year to 31 May fell 1.5% to £809.2m as Africa recorded a 14.5% slump on the back of a 50% drop in the value of the naira to the US dollar.
Operating profits slipped 2% to £106.3m, but pre-tax profits nudged 0.5% higher to £103.5m.
Chairman Caroline Silver said: “The group has delivered a solid set of results with profits slightly ahead of the previous year. This is despite a significant year-on-year currency devaluation in the group’s largest market Nigeria and general tough trading conditions in most of the markets in which we operate.
“Our strategy of ongoing brand innovation and renovation continues to underpin the Group’s ability to maintain or grow our market shares.”
She added: “Despite consumer confidence remaining fragile in most markets, the group remains well placed to deliver full-year expectations and, with a strong balance sheet, to pursue growth opportunities as they arise.”
The group also announced chief operating officer Chris Davis is to retire from the board as a director with effect from the AGM on 27 September 2017 and will not stand for re-election. His responsibilities will be assumed by the CFO and other members of the company’s executive committee.
Yesterday in the City
Shares in B&M European Value Retail (BME) leapt 4.7% to 356.9p after The Sunday Times speculated the discounter was about to be the target of a £4.4bn takeover approach by Asda. The retailer poured cold water on the idea and it seems the City isn’t convinced a deal is going to happen given the modest rise in the price of the stock.
Cranswick (CWK) enjoyed a 2.6% rise to 2,917p after it reported a 27% jump in sales in a short first quarter trading update.
Reckitt Benckiser (RB) shares dived 3.2% to 7,627p after the Vanish and Dettol supplier reported the lingering effects of the cyber attack in its first half results. First-half like-for-like sales fell 1% at FTSE 100 consumer goods firm but profits rose.
McColl’s Retail Group (MCLS) had a volatile day but finished 0.9% higher at 209p as sales in the first half grew thanks to the acquisition of the 298 Co-op stores.
There were barely any other risers in the grocery/fmcg world to speak of yesterday, with TATE & Lyle (TATE), Associated British Foods (ABF), Booker (BOK) and Diageo (DGE) all in the red, down 2.2% to 669.5p, 2.1% to 2,880p, 1.8% to 190.2p and 1.7% to 2,246.5p.
Fever-Tree (FEVR) also fell 1.9% to 1,745p as the City waited for its interims this morning.


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The newest smartphone manufacturer from China, Zuk, which began as a startup and is supported by Lenovo and already had some success launching its first phone Z1, showed a prototype smartphone that has a transparent display.
From what we can see, the phone has no internal components, chipset, motherboard and battery, meaning that the entire computing power must be placed somewhere outside. This is one of the biggest reasons that problems faced by producers in the desire to launch the first transparent phone. The prototype is said to perform almost all functions of a traditional smartphone such as displaying images, making phone calls, play music, and more, and features an Android-like interface.
What is obvious is that the components are placed in the box below and, therefore, as a smart phone, it would be useless. How much this technology will be really usable is the other question. Yes, the cool factor is certainly present and certainly this phone would succeed in the market, but the image of the transparent display will never be as quality as that of the standard, at least not in the foreseeable future.
However, with the development of modified reality, these phones could have a very large application in that section. For example, the phone could display you see in the background, where you are etc., Just like Google Glass. At the present time, some of the smartphones can do this with cameras, but the fact is that the transparent display will bring the changed reality on a higher level.
Of course, do not expect to see this phone at the market any time soon (In addition, the tech required to create transparent displays is not yet widely available), but we can expect transparent TVs and large displays, that Samsung recently introduced, which can allow to have all the components located outside of the screen.


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The pre-editing feature in Epic Games’ popular game Fortnite is a feature that many players have complained about. It looks like Fortnite is also planning some changes to this feature.
The pre-editing feature in Fornite, which is among the most popular ‘battle royale’ games, allows games to edit their structures before placing them on the map. Players are looking for the answer to how this feature, which they do not use much, can be turned off.
There was even a new development regarding this feature, which was requested by some players to be completely removed from Fortnite. A developer recently announced that they are planning to do something about this topic.
When will this change in pre-regulation come?
In the FortniteCompetitive subreddit on Reddit, an Epic Games employee answered the question of how many people want to turn off pre-editing, saying “We don’t have a precise timeline, but we will.” So although there will be a change in this feature, it is not yet clear when it can be used by players for now.
However, this answer given by the Epic Games employee does not seem to satisfy Fortnite players. In addition, the lack of answers to the questions of whether this feature will be turned off completely or will offer players an option to turn it off does not eliminate the question marks in the minds of the players.
It is stated that since Fortnite is a very fast-paced game, the pre-arrangement feature can leave players in a difficult situation in an instant. When it comes to turning off this feature, it is estimated that it will be left to the selection of the players. In other words, players who want to turn off this feature can play by closing it, while players who want to play this way will be able to continue that way. Well, what do you think about this feature? Do you think it should be removed completely or should there be an option that anyone can remove?