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Dunkin' Donuts hired sidewalk musicians, and now Domino’s is taking its branding to the streets. Literally. This morning around 3 a.m., operatives from a U.K. marketing firm, GreenGraffiti, etched the Domino’s logo into sidewalks using a stencil and a pressure washer. They targeted about 60 locations, including Times Square, outside of franchises, and outside of media outlets (we’re such suckers). A rep from Domino’s ad firm Crispin Porter + Bogusky assures us this was all approved by lawyers, and if anyone raises a stink, the team can just come back and wash the rest of the sidewalk square. Which sounds like a good idea to us — come to think of it, can they just go ahead and clean every damn sidewalk in the city, and clean all the garbage juice off the streets of Chinatown while they’re at it? If they do that, we’ll put better judgment aside and order Domino’s pizza once a week for the rest of our life. Well, once a month, anyway.
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Showing 31-36 of 45
19 July 2010
Acorns children's hospice in Walsall, West Midlands, is being given a bright new look worth £10,000, thanks to Homebase. The hospice won the makeover as part of Homebase's 'Transforming the Nation' competition which saw hundreds of worthy community projects put forward by the general public.
17 June 2010
Colleagues at Heywood Distribution Centre have been awarded 'Volunteer Group of the Year' for their work in the local community by Rochdale Council.
04 June 2010
The traditional image of university students as cash strapped with less than perfect diets could be about to change with the introduction of a new scheme from Homebase and the National Union of Students (NUS) to allow thousands of undergraduates to grow and eat their own fruit and veg
05 February 2010
We are pleased to announce that we have reached our £2million fundraising target for our Group charity partners – British Heart Foundation and Heart Children Ireland.
02 February 2010
Home Retail Group is delighted to announce the introduction of an innovative packaging system for upholstered furniture – the reusable sofa bag.
01 February 2010
As a result of new legislation coming into effect, Argos and Homebase stores offer customers a free disposal route for their waste batteries by providing waste battery containers in store.
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Home Retail Group 2012

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Search for memory expansion
As many of you might know that HTC is currently holding two conferences. The conferences being held in New York and London simultaneously and are pumping out information like there is no tomorrow. The Taiwanese company has now introduced the HTC One to the world, in an official capacity. Featuring new sound and camera architecture and aiming to r...Read more
Earlier today we came to notice a simple yet powerful change to the Nexus 4’s online manual. It looks like Google has stealthily changed some of the parts of the manual and removed parts about the Nexus 4 USB connectivity with accessories like keyboards and mice.. Previously the online manual stated that the users can connect mice and keyboards...Read more
As a result of unprecedented demand, the 16GB model of the Google Nexus 7 tablet is unavailable for purchase in the Google Play Store at this time. If you absolutely need the 16GB model, then you can check your local electronics retail stores because they may have the device in stock. Otherwise, the 8GB model of the Nexus 7 is in stock and curr...Read more
Today, I will be reviewing the LG Lucid on Verizon Wireless. It is the latest Android smartphone to be released by the nation's largest wireless carrier and it targets those on a budget looking for a solid Android smartphone. Featuring 4G LTE connectivity, the LG Lucid costs $79.99 on a two year contract. Before diving into the review, I am g...Read more
Toshiba is set to join the Android tablet parade with the Toshiba Thrive. Toshiba Direct and Office Depot are two options for customers to place pre-orders, as they are both accepting orders beginning today. The Thrive comes with a 10.1 inch touch screen display, Dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor, USB port, SD memory expansion, Android 3.1, 5M...Read more
One of the highly anticipated smartphones to be announced at the MWC 2011 is the well known Sony Ericsson Xperia Play. Founded upon gaming ideals, the Xperia Play boasts a slider gaming keypad and features Sony's Playstation Suite gaming app. Even though its primary function and feature to claim is its physical gaming keypad, the Xperia Play la...Read more
The Samsung Indonesian official website published live images of the Samsung Galaxy Ace Android smartphone expected to be announced at Mobile World Congress 2011. We first saw a rumored image of the Galaxy Ace about a week ago, and now it looks like we have official confirmation from Samsung. The Galaxy Ace isn't all that impressive with its ha...Read more
Usually, smartphone leaks come through sources affiliated with a certain company or carrier, but in the case of the upcoming Samsung Gem, the manufacturer itself leaked the device through its official website. The Samsung Gem is a mid-range device with a 3.2 inch touch screen and Android 2.1 expected to launch sometime soon. Some reports indic...Read more
Samsung has made a name for itself in the Android arena with its high-end Galaxy S lineup of smartphones and its high-end Galaxy Tab Android tablet. However, there is a pretty sizable market for mid-range devices which Samsung has made an entrance through devices such as the Samsung Transform and the Samsung Intercept. However, the Galaxy brand...Read more
Well, we knew Verizon Wireless had to announce the Droid 2 sometime early this week to match up with the rumored release date of August 12. Earlier this morning, Verizon Wireless finally announced the much talked about Motorola Droid 2. Since we already heard so many rumors regarding the Droid 2, the press release didn't really announce anythin...Read more
One of the latest additions to AT&T's lineup of Android smartphones is the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10. This high end Android device is well known for its 4 inch touch screen and 8MP camera with dual LED flash. One of its main shortcomings is the fact that it will launch with the outdated Android 1.6 OS. Some point after the Xperia X10 launch...Read more
Well Verizon's summer catalog was recently leaked online by BGR and it shows the normal hot Verizon devices you would expect. However, it does feature the unannounced Motorola Droid 2 complete with its specs. Unfortunately, we still do not have a price or availability date for the Droid 2, but it looks like latest rumor regarding the Motorola D...Read more
The Chinese smartphones are famous for their relatively low prices and cheap build qualities, but Vivo is looking to change that with its Vivo XPlay. The flagship from Vivo, the Vivo XPlay is a very surprisingly well equipped smartphone which has absolutely made us its fan. Vivo XPlay is packing some real heat under the hood and we are sure if re...Read more
The phablet is heating gradually and every manufacturer is looking to dominate it. The phablet era started with the advent of the Galaxy Note series and has been a critical hit. Pantech Vega No. 6 is large smartphone aiming to catch your attention with its rather large 5.9 inch display. Pantech is a relatively unknown company when it comes to bri...Read more
Samsung has been known to apply its very own TouchWiz interface on top of Google’s Android OS. For better or for worse, the TouchWiz does impact many potential buyers. Samsung Galaxy Discover is looking to please those who don’t want to root their smartphones just to get rid of Samsung’s OS layer. The Samsung Galaxy Discover is headed towar...Read more
It may come as absolutely no surprise that a Sony Xperia tablet Z exists, by now. But it is always in the wind unless the company gives a confirmation, Sony in a recent announcement has stated that the Sony Xperia tablet Z will indeed be launching. The Sony Xperia tablet Z after being subjected to many leaked news and photos was becoming a very eag...Read more
Few weeks before a major leak occurred regarding the latest device from ZTE, the ZTE Nubia Z5. The leak spilled many beans and almost gave everything away correctly. We were a bit skeptical of the leaked information not because of its nature but of its content. The ZTE Nubia was packing some serious heat under its beautiful hood. Today’s offic...Read more
Archos haven’t been making the news more often than most of the companies these days but it caught our eye with its 97 Titanium. Samsung for one can’t stop showing us new devices every week, ZTE and Huawei are also following pursuit having high profile leaks. Archos on the other hand has already showed its latest Android tabled called the 97 ...Read more
Reef Angel is the first open-source controller to offer the reefing hobbyist full control of hardware and software to accommodate their reefing needs. For more information about the controller, check...
Has released a version *** Multi-touch, in the case of compatible handsets, please use the snap memo MT.!!!!!!!!!!!!!Does not work and there is no free space on the SD card of 10Mbyte,Please prepare a...
Poweramp is a powerful music player for Android.Follow us on twitter @Poweramp2 to get instant updates on app development progress, feature spotlight, theme sharing, take part in giveaways and even ch...
HTC Droid Incredible The new HTC Droid Incredible has finally been released. In the U.S., it is a top-of-the-line smartphone offered on the Verizon network. Incredible is both the name of the device and what we think about it. This smartphone lives up to the standard it has set for itself through its name. This new HTC Droid uses the Google Andro...Read more


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The Humble Bundle with Android is back in its 6th iteration, sporting a grand total of seven games.
The Motorola X Phone is one of the hottest rumored devices on the planet. All sorts of crazy rumors have popped up about this device, and it’s been entertaining to say the least.
For those of you hoping Huawei would be joining in on the fun and releasing a stock Android “Google Edition” Ascend P6, let’s just get this out of the way right now: Huawei has no plans to participate in the Google Edition program.
It seems HTC has finally settled on some solid brands. High-end offerings are marketed under the One line and the Desire line-up hosts entry-level devices.
Samsung’s Premiere 2013 event is coming up, and they’re doing their best to keep people excited.
The technology world is filled with start-ups formed around a new product or service. But it’s not often we see a new company that plans to go head-to-head with Samsung, Apple, HTC, Sony and all the other big players in the smartphone space.
The Sony Zperia Z is Sony’s flagship for 2013, but unfortunately, it hasn’t yet sailed its water-resistant body across the pond to visit a US carrier.
Huawei’s Ascend P6 hasn’t been much of a secret thanks to a series of links that the device has starred in.
Sprint has named both Dish and Clearwire in a lawsuit today to prevent Dish’s potential acquisition of a large quantity of Clearwire stock.
The mysterious Motorola X Phone has had its fair share of rumors started, particularly about its specs and the possibility of customization.


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Travel tops the list of COVID-related complaints received by the ACCC
In what will probably come as a shock to no one, travel has been the most-complained about topic by consumers since COVID-19 hit.
Virgin and Alliance Airlines now authorised to cooperate on regional and international routes
The ACCC has sent its intern to Officeworks for an ink refill, after giving this new airline pact the stamp of approval.
Trivago loses appeal after misleading consumers over hotel ads
We assume Trivago’s lawyers have since made their way from the courtroom to the pub and are drowning their sorrows.
Virgin seeks approval for alliance with regional carrier… whose biggest shareholder is Qantas
by Huntley Mitchell
We now have a better idea of what Virgin’s regional plans look like under its new owner, and it appears they are very much reliant on Qantas.
ACCC reveals how it will crack down on dodgy airline competition
by Ali Coulton
Aussie airlines are being put under Rod Sims’ giant microscope to stop them from creating unfair disadvantages for their competitors.
Rex allowed to continue coordinating regional flights with Qantas and Virgin
Neville Howell, Alan Joyce and Paul Scurrah have been emailing each other high five GIFs today after receiving this pleasing bit of news.
ACCC and AFTA welcome Etihad’s refund offer for cancelled Aussie flights
ACCC tsar Rod Sims has been breathing down Etihad’s neck, and it appears it was too much to bear for the carrier.
Travel agents issued best practice guidelines for COVID-related cancellations
We’ve spent hours trawling through the new guidelines to bring you this summary. And when we still didn’t understand them, we asked AFTA what they were all about.
Qantas hits back at allegations of “predatory behaviour” with Sydney-Orange route
by Christian Fleetwood
A war of words has taken off between Qantas and Rex. Read all about the verbal tit for tat here.
Road & Rail
ACCC raises concerns over caravanning association’s proposed ‘loyalty program’
by Huntley Mitchell
Unfortunately, we don’t have a Road & Rail Wrap for you today. Instead, we give you a yarn about a caravanning association that’s caught the eye of the ACCC – and not in a good way.
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The Cybertruck from Tesla has to be the most delayed car ever and it has been controversial from the start, to say the least. Never mind its polarizing design or its bulletproof windows that got smashed live on stage. Tesla amassed a reported 3 million pre-orders for the Cybertruck from customers all over the world.
Tesla’s production capacity at 1.9 million cars with all four of its factories at speed means there is no way it can deliver the orders in a timely manner, never mind the initial lengthy delays.
The Cybertruck has now been removed from Tesla’s website in Australia but customers in Norway, Germany, Sweden, France, Iceland and the Netherlands still can place reservations for it. Tesla has confirmed that all Australian customers will have to apply for a refund now since the process is not automated.
Estimated orders from Australia stood at 38,000 and it is most likely just the beginning of a wider wave of global cancellations. It is a sad moment but clearly, the company has realized it will not be able to deliver all the orders. It would have to sacrifice its entire capacity to manufacture just the Cybertruck and that is not possible.
The most likely production of Cybertruck will reach 150,000 to 200,000 units per year. It will mean long waiting times but the resale value of the car alone will make the wait acceptable. Customers from outside the US will have to resort to private imports which will make the Cybertruck even more expensive and it will be a rare sight on European and Australian roads.
Yes I've had nothing but bad luck with BMW & nothing but the opposite with TESLA MOTORS! MY 2021 M3 IS PERFECT IMHO.
Con tesla es como estar en tercera dimensión, es el auto de mis sueños.
Huh? What hassles? Tesla is certainly far more reliable, in my experience, than any of the BMW I've owned.


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The first thing one may notice about Buckley’s newest eatery is the pair of anthropomorphic frankfurters standing in the gravel near the intersection of state Route 410 and Mundy Loss Road, pouring ketchup on themselves and licking their lips. The second thing one may notice is that it’s surrounded by a used car lot and an auto wrecking yard far from the downtown area, and the establishment is itself on wheels.
But Dave’s 21 Dogs is shaping up to be one of the more popular stops in Buckley since it opened shop in July. The hot dog stand, owned by Bonney Lake couple David Koroski and Danielle Woods, is based out of a food service truck parked in the lot of Koroski’s primary business, Dave’s Deals on Wheels.
“It’s always been my dream to sell hot dogs,” Koroski said.
Hot dogs were a $1.6 billion industry in 2009, according to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council. The hot dog industry had growth level of 2 percent in recession-plagued 2008, possibly due to cost-conscious Americans trading down”in their eating out habits.
Start-up funds required for a mobile food service are typically significantly lower than restaurant start-ups, which run in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Koroski estimated his and Woods’s start-up costs at $50,000, a figure which includes the cost to purchase a catering truck, bring it up to health code, repaint it and open for business.
Returns have been variable, but regular. On a slow day, the truck sells four 14-dog packs of hot dogs, but brisk business days see sales of 150 dogs, which doesn’t include other food item sales like drinks, French fries and onion rings. At just under $4 for the average hot dog, those base sales roughly translate to a daily gross income of $232 to $600, meaning the business could cover its initial investment and see a profit within a year.
Both owners bring prior food service management experience to the table: Koroski was once the owner of the Carbonado Saloon.
More than six months of planning led up to the business’s July opening date, including truck acquisition, permit acquisition and menu planning.
“We watch a lot of food-based TV shows, including ‘Hot Dog Paradise,’” Woods said. “So we spent a lot of time in our kitchen tweaking recipes we learned about there or elsewhere.”
Of the 21 variations on the basic hot dog, most are existing recipes and three are originals, the latter including the Cour-Dog-Bleu, the French Dog and the Toronto Dog. They plan to add more originals: one item in the works is an Italian hot dog prepared with Provolone cheese and marinara sauce.
“We just think of what flavors we would like and figure out how we can make that a product,” Woods said.
Dave’s 21 Dogs will remain open year round. The truck will be parked in the lot of Dave’s Deals on Wheels at 27815 state Route 410 E, except when it caters to Friday night football at White River High School.


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Digital TV News: Walt Disney
Disney+ coming to Hisense and Toshiba TVs with VIDAA Smart OS
Oct 19, 2021 – Disney+ and VIDAA have announced that Disney+ will be coming soon to VIDAA Smart OS-powered Hisense and Toshiba smart TVs with the latest firmware version. VIDAA Smart OS is a Linux-based open smart TV operating system.
News categories: VIDAA, Disney+, Hisense, Guy Edri, Apps, Digital TV, Smart TV, Streaming, USA
Disney+ comes to Panasonic TVs
Sep 17, 2021 – Panasonic has confirmed that Disney+ is now available on 4K Panasonic TVs, released from 2017 onwards, that feature its My Home Screen OS. On compatible TVs the Disney+ app icon will become visible in the Application view.
News categories: Panasonic, Disney+, Apps, Australia, Canada, Digital TV, Europe, Latin America, New Zealand, Singapore, Smart TV, Streaming
116 million paid subscribers for Disney+ on July 3
Aug 12, 2021 – The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) has reported results for its quarter ended July 3, 2021. Disney ended the quarter with a total of nearly 174 million subscriptions across its Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu direct-to-consumer services.
News categories: Walt Disney Company, Bob Chapek, Digital TV, Results, Streaming, Subscribers, Worldwide
47% of US broadband households subscribe to Prime Video
Jun 2, 2021 – Parks Associates research shows that 47% of US broadband households currently subscribe to Amazon Prime Video. The content rights deal between Amazon and the NFL will help increase the service’s uptake.
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Disney+ ends 1Q 2021 with 103.6 million subscribers
May 13, 2021 – The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) has reported results for its quarter ended April 3, 2021. Average monthly revenue per paid subscriber for Disney+ decreased YoY from $5.63 to $3.99 due to the launch of Disney+ Hotstar.
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Disney+ global expansion built on AWS infrastructure
Apr 29, 2021 – Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) has unveiled that The Walt Disney Company is using AWS for the global rollout of Disney+. Using AWS infrastructure, Disney+ has been able to rapidly expand to 59 countries across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Latin America.
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News categories: Comcast, The Walt Disney Company, Rebecca Heap, Michael Paull, Apps, Digital TV, Set Top Box, Streaming, USA
Disney+ passes 100 million subscriber milestone
Mar 9, 2021 – Disney+ has surpassed 100 million global paid subscribers in just 16 months. Since its U.S. launch in November 2019, Disney+ has added Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Latin America and Singapore.
News categories: Walt Disney, Bob Chapek, Digital TV, Streaming, Subscribers, Worldwide
Disney+ ends 2020 with 94.9 million subscribers
Feb 11, 2021 – The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) has reported earnings for the quarter ended January 2, 2021. Disney+ had 94.9 million subscribers on January 2, 2021, up from 26.5 million at the end of 2019.
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SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son speaks in futuristic terms about his company, but the success of his late-stage VC fund is still unknown.Technologyread more
Reports of Tesla vehicles spontaneously catching fire could make customers wary of EVs just as the industry ramps up production plans.Autosread more
Amazon's large and flashy investments stand out from those of its tech peers over the past year.Technologyread more
Huawei Technologies will immediately lose access to updates to the Android operating system, a source close the matter told Reuters.Technologyread more
Consumer IPOs from Snap to Uber have been disappointing and serve as a reminder that private investors are making all the money.Technologyread more
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The outrage has even inspired a Change.org petition called "Remake Game of Thrones Season 8 with competent writers," with over half-a-million signatories and climbing.Entertainmentread more
The company's comments Friday come after the White House said U.S.Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer will "address the threatened impairment" of national security from...Autosread more
Reservoirs in Cape Town, the jewel of South Africa's Western Cape region, are nearly empty.
Amid its worst drought since records began, the city — and the Western Cape province more broadly — is speeding towards a so-called Day Zero. This is when dam levels fall to 13.5 percent capacity, meaning that the taps must be turned off, forcing 4 million residents to instead queue for water. Day Zero is currently projected to fall on July 15, although has been forecast as early as April.
Cape Town's population has been living on 50 liters of water a day, a limit that can be maintained by flushing the toilet just once daily and limiting showers to 10 liters. Plugs have been removed from rooms of luxury hotels to prevent guests from taking baths. Staggered tariffs on water consumption have also been imposed.
But, the economic impact of the water crisis is harder to quantify.
The drought has not been factored into the South African Reserve Bank's economic growth projections for this year. "Developing an estimate is tricky and not straightforward — we are, however, looking into it," the institution told CNBC via email.
"We need to get low consumption but we don't want to collapse the economy," Ian Neilson, Cape Town's deputy mayor and head of the water response team, told CNBC via telephone. "It's critical to ensure that there is business continuity," he added.
Supporting business is key to South Africa's political agenda, more broadly. New President Cyril Ramaphosa is tasked with resurrecting the country's sluggish economy, which grew at 0.8 percent year-on-year in the third quarter of 2017. South Africa is infamous for its high unemployment, which had risen to 26.7 percent in the fourth quarter of 2017. Youth unemployment in Cape Town itself is higher, measured at 31.7 percent.
"The Western Cape economy is about 13 percent of the national economy, so a 1 percent reduction in Western Cape gross domestic product growth takes about 0.13 percent off growth of the total economy," Rian le Roux, South Africa-based strategist at investment firm Old Mutual, told CNBC via email last week.
But, he added that the hit to growth was difficult to forecast, given the nuanced impact of the natural disaster. "Not all of the province has been hit by the drought and other industries are being stimulated," such as borehole drillers and tank manufacturers, he added.
Socio-economic factors have played a role in exacerbating the water crisis. Rural-urban migration to Cape Town, South Africa's second-largest city, has been rising in recent years. The population grew 2.6 percent between 2001-2011, and managing newcomers "certainly is a real issue," Neilson admitted.
But for him, the focus remained on practical action. "We're more interested in dealing with the crisis than working out ways to measure it," he said.
Water tariffs have been criticized for hurting the region's poor while the rich are able to pay for more water, though Neilson said that the authorities were focused on making water management an "equitable process."
The local government, run by South Africa's main opposition party — the Democratic Alliance — has been criticized by some for its efforts to deal with the natural disaster. "The city started too late with water restrictions… Tighter restrictions should have started some years ago when dams failed to fill up properly," le Roux said.
On a national level, South Africa's parliament will hold an inquiry into allegations of mismanagement at its Department of Water and Sanitation, Reuters reported Friday. The country's Standing Committee on Public Accounts has called for a criminal case to be brought against the ministry for opening a 2.9 billion rand ($245 million) overdraft with the central bank, Reuters said.
Wine production, for which the area around Cape Town is world famous, is down by 20 percent. Meanwhile, fruit and vegetable production – including onions, potatoes and tomatoes – has dropped by 15 percent year on year as farmers planted less due to water shortages, Paul Makube, agricultural economist at South Africa's First National Bank told CNBC via telephone Friday.
The wine industry in particular is among South Africa's "biggest foreign exchange earners," Makube said.
Cape Town's residents can be fed with crops grown in South Africa's other provinces; food supply and the present drought's effect on food inflation is hedged by favorable conditions inland and a bumper crop last year. But Makube warned that "if there was another season of drought, the impact could be huge."
Even if sufficient rains come this winter, Cape Town's water crisis is unlikely to be solved for good. Tackling the problem requires a "permanent lifestyle change," Makube said.


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Apple said iPhone will support RCS messaging next year, possibly putting an end to the blue versus green bubble debate.
Sam Bankman-Fried faces 110-year max sentence after FTX trial – Here’s how long experts think he’ll spend behind bars
White-collar defendants often get far less than the maximum sentence—but legal experts told Forbes they expect Sam Bankman-Fried to face decades in prison.
X, formerly known as Twitter, launched two new tiers of Premium subscriptions—including Premium+, which eliminates ads in For You and Following—amid its declining ad revenue.
The new song called “Now And Then” is coming out November 2 alongside “Love Me Do,” the Beatles’ first single.


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Pictures | Spotlight
Iftar for charity
Children with special needs and their families were hosted at an annual iftar at Villa Rotana, Dubai.
Picture editor's choice
Abu Dhabi’s latest retail destination, opens its doors to visitors with multiple new retail brands
2.5 billion people lack basic sanitation services
Times Square is illuminated by the world’s highest resolution video display screen of its size, nearly as big as a football field


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Hyundai to launch 'Indian cars' into struggling marketAugust 07, 2013 19:36
Automobile major Hyundai is planning introduce cars developed exclusively from India. The Korean company aims to develop cars here from scratch. India is Hyundai's second largest market after China, which the company intends to strengthen.
Meanwhile, the company is set to unveil its Grand i10 compact car in September. With these goals, Hyundai seeks to develop cars for markets similar to India. Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) Chief Coordinator Shar Rukh Han told the Press Trust of India that their goal is to have a car fully developed in India.
“It won't happen in the next three to four years. It can happen after five years or more,” he added.
While Hyundai charts its long term path, the present market scenario isn't very encouraging. Second-hand car dealers are taking the best advantage of a slow down in the industry, with used cars more in demand now than new cars.
For the eight month so far, sales of new cars are still declining. A sluggish economy is one of the reasons for the slowdown. Aggressive demand for used cars was fueled by a wary and price conscious attitude primarily in tier-III cities.
Moreover, the government’s fuel pricing policy has boosted demand for diesel models. Pre-owned cars is a growing market.


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The bond market enjoyed another strong day, with corporate debt sales surpassing the $100 billion mark, the FT reports.» Read More
*Citigroup raises Volkswagen to buy from neutral; price target to. 175 euros from 155 euros. Reuters Station users, click. 1580.
NEW DELHI, Oct 10- India's car sales are seen growing just 1 percent to 3 percent in the current financial year, an industry body said, slashing its previous estimates as high interest rates and slowing economic growth continue to stifle a once-booming industry.
NEW DELHI, Oct 10- India's car sales are seen growing just 1-3 percent in the financial year that ends in March 2013, an industry body said, as it slashed its previous estimate of 9-11 percent on high interest rates and slowing economic growth.
NEW DELHI, Oct 10- Car sales in India fell in September for the second consecutive month, an industry body said on Wednesday, as high interest rates, rising fuel costs and slowing economic growth continued to drag down demand.
"There's no letup in the European auto slump and VW can't extricate itself from the crisis," said Frankfurt- based Commerzbank analyst Sascha Gommel.
PARIS, Oct 9- European stocks are set to inch higher on Tuesday, halting the previous session's sell-off as expectations mount of further stimulus measures from China, although gains could be limited by broad worries over global growth and on whether or not Spain will request a bailout. ,for Germany's DAX and for France's CAC were up 0.2-0.5 percent.
FRANKFURT, Oct 9- The DAX top-30 index looked set to open 0.3 percent higher on Tuesday, according to premarket data from brokerage Lang& Schwarz at 0619 GMT. Related news DEUTSCHE BANK, COMMERZBANK Deutsche Bank indicated 0.3 percent higher Commerzbank indicated unchanged.
BERLIN, Oct 8- Volkswagen AG, Europe's largest carmaker, said on Monday that group sales increased 10.6 percent during the first nine months to 6.802 million vehicles, according to an online presentation.
DUBAI, Oct 8- Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs Group Inc have lost their two top Qatar executives to local firms, three sources said on Monday, as the gas-rich Gulf Arab state lures back high-profile citizens with better pay and prospects.
BERLIN, Oct 8- Volkswagen's Audi. luxury-car division increased sales by 13.6 percent in September to 136,600 vehicles, powered by demand from China and the United States.
MOSCOW, Oct 8- Sales of new cars in Russia grew 10 percent year-on-year in September, the Association of European Businesses said on Monday, after a rise of 15 percent the previous month. The AEB expects that 2.8 million cars would be sold in Russia during 2012, around 7.5 percent up on the previous year.
VOLKSWAGEN Indicated 0.7 percent lower. Separately, Volkswagen could start selling its Golf 7 plug-in hybrid car from 2014, a year earlier than previously planned, German magazine WirtschaftsWoche reported, citing no sources.
*Toyota, Honda to cut working hours, slow line speed-Nikkei. TOKYO, Oct 8- Japan's Toyota Motor Corp, Nissan Motor Co and Honda Motor Co plan to slash production in China by roughly half, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Monday, as a territorial row between Asia's two largest economies cuts sales of Japanese cars in the world's biggest auto market.
index were up by 0.6 percent, while the futures contracts on Germany's DAX and France's CAC were up by 0.5 percent. Financial spreadbetters also expected Britain's FTSE 100. "I think it's going to be reasonably quiet ahead of the payrolls, but Spanish yields are creeping up, which is slightly worrying," said Joe Rundle, head of trading at ETX Capital.
Related news DEUTSCHE TELEKOM Indicated 0.4 percent higher. Sprint Nextel Corp is considering making a rival bid for MetroPCS Communications Inc, which agreed on Wednesday to a merger with Deutsche Telekom AG's T-Mobile USA, according to sources familiar with the situation.
FRANKFURT, Oct 4- German carmaker Volkswagen. Volkswagen, Europe's biggest carmaker and on course to overtake U.S. rival General Motors this year as the world's second-biggest carmaker, aims to sell 10 million vehicles by 2018, up from the 8.36 million recorded last year. The figure includes those made by truck units MAN and Scania.
FRANKFURT, Oct 4- BMW, the world's largest premium carmaker, increased sales of its flagship BMW brand in China by 55 percent in September to roughly 27,000 vehicles, the company said on Thursday. In the first nine months, China sales gained 32.7 percent to 219,800 vehicles. Audi meanwhile reported China sales rose 20 percent to 35,512 vehicles last month.
*Morgan Stanley in commodities talks with Qatar for a year. DUBAI/ LONDON, Oct 4- Morgan Stanley's talks with Qatar's sovereign wealth fund over the sale of its commodities business have run into difficulty, and the deal may need to be reworked if it is to go ahead, banking sources said.
*Island row taking toll on sales for Japan automakers. Violent protests and calls for boycotts of Japanese products broke out across China in mid-September after Japan bought two of the East China Sea islands, known as the Diaoyu in Chinese and the Senkaku in Japanese, from their private owners.


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The Mini Moke is Coming Back To Australia
Ever seen one of these bad boys driving past and wondered what they were? Where did they come from and why hasn’t more been made? Well, any Aussie legend who was living in Australia between 1966 and 1982 would remember the iconic Mini Moke from British Motor Corporation. Now set to return for 2021, the revival of the classic comes by way of Moke International, the manufacturer.
After making a comeback in the UK, the Mini Moke is set to travel across the pond for its highly-anticipated return to Australia in 2021. Manufactured down under between 1966 and 1982, the Moke’s legacy peaked recently with the release of the Ludovic Lazareth Mini Moke V8M.
A spokesperson for the manufacturer told CarAdvice, “We are very much looking forward to bringing the Moke back to Australia, and we are targeting middle of next year for market launch. We are actively seeking importer and dealer partners to really drive the success of the brand in a market we anticipate will be perfect for the car.”
Laying dormant ever since Moke International decided one afternoon just to start producing more after reacquiring the Moke trademark in 2015. Planning a modern reboot, much like Hollywood does, Moke is going all out for its revival.
The brand new models will feature fuel-injected 1.1-litre four-cylinder engines capable of generating 67 horsepower, 93 Nm of torque, and a top speed of 109 km/h; paired with either a 4-speed automatic or 5-speed manual transmission, it may not be the biggest or baddest car on the road, but damn is the Mini Moke thing unique.
With only a three-gauge instrument cluster, USB radio with dual speakers, heated windscreen and no airbags, perhaps when Moke said modern, they really meant to say minimal. Unlikely to meet the ANCAP safety rating here without them; at least the Mini Moke hasn’t been fitted with those Takata airbags.
Expected to be available in 13 different external paint options, the limited 56 model run of a genuine Moke returns steadfast, living the dream since 1964. From St Barths to St Tropez, the new generation Mini Moke is here!
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A mini moke can cost from $25,000 to $33,275
Mini Mokes were originally manufactured and marketed by the British Motor Corporation and are now also marketed by Leyland, Austin and Morris.


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Fashion industry sinking far off its pre-crisis growth rate: ASSOCHAM
August 21, 2009 - India
Notwithstanding its improved global profile led by a boom during the pre-crisis period, Indian fashion industry has been hampered by the global economic recession as reflected by stark differences in the growth rates of pre-crisis and the current period, according to the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM).
The ASSOCHAM Financial Pulse (AFP) Study on “Impact of recession on Indian fashion industry” analyzed that top companies catering to the fashion industry have faced huge losses as the demand of luxury readymade apparels, leather and gems & jewellery fell down drastically which impaired the sector’s profitability.
Forming the major part of the fashion industry, growth rates in the net profit of companies in readymade apparel, gems & jewellery and leather products declined by 151.7 per cent, 81.8 per cent and 445.7 per cent respectively in FY 2008-09 as against ostensible growth rates of 38.2 per cent, 7.4 per cent and 87.6 per cent respectively during the pre-crisis period (2005-08).
“Even though the Indian economy is growing at a robust pace, the per-capita income of the consumers is still too low to significantly boost the purchasing power for the high-end fashion industry during the economic downturn” said Mr. Sajjan Jindal, President, ASSOCHAM.
The AFP Study carried by Assocham Research Bureau is based on the corporate results of the companies from FY 2005-06 to FY 2008-09. The analysis includes the companies which are engaged in manufacturing of readymade apparels, gems & jewellery and leather based products.
The Chamber chief said, high operating cost borne by the textile sector is the major factor responsible for the shrinkage in the net earnings of the readymade apparel companies. The CAGR of net profit in the sector, which was 18.3 per cent during the pre-crisis period (2005-08), declined by 9 per cent in last fiscal 2008-09.
The slowdown in the economy and the major fall in the exports figure in last fiscal 2008-09 are attributable for this negative dip in the net profits of the readymade apparels sector.
Severely hit by the economic slowdown, Gems and Jewellery is another sector which dragged the fashion industry in deep trouble. The sector faced a decline of whopping 81.80 per cent in the net profit during 2008-09 as against a positive growth rate of 7 per cent during the pre-crisis period. External demand for the sector dried up due to the global recession.
The AFP Study also analyzed that leather products which include finished leather, leather footwear, leather garments & clothing, bags & handbags and other accessories & products faced the grip of slowdown and the demand of these products came down drastically. Also, India's leather exports posted an almost flat growth rate in 2008-09 owing to slump in demand in major overseas markets.
The companies engaged in leather sector faced a huge dip in profitability in2008-09 as the net profit declined by a staggering 445.70 per cent. In stark contrast, the sector showed a high positive growth in net profit in terms of CAGR of 87.60 per cent during the pre-crisis period.


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Virginia extends injunction on skill games
Pace-O-Matic has responded to the decision to extend an injunction allowing skill games to continue operating in Virginia. Justice Louis Lerner of the Greensville County Circuit Court extended the injunction till a new trial date is set in 2023 in order to permanently determine the future of skill games in the state.
A spokesperson for Pace-O-Matic, Michael Barley, expressed pleasure at the court’s ruling, adding that the games developer expects to see the court upholding the legality of skill games in the Commonwealth.
“First, we want to thank Hermie Sadler and his legal team for fighting so passionately on behalf of small businesses that depends on this revenue,” he said.
“We are pleased that legal skill games will continue operating in Virginia and providing much-needed revenue to small business owners across the state. We anticipate the final court decision will uphold the legality of skill games in the commonwealth.
“However, without further regulation and additional taxation, taxpayers are missing out on nearly $100m in tax revenue that could have gone toward critical projects along with curbing illegal games that are proliferating in Virginia communities.”
Barley said this about the statewide ban on skill-based games. In 2020, the Virginia legislature voted to ban skill games because they were too much like slots and other games of chance. However, for close to two decades these games have been a source of revenue for owners of convenience stores and other small businesses.
This ban on a viable source of revenue was what made former NASCAR great Hermie Sadler take the state to court and then demand a temporary injunction against the enacting of the ban. For Sadler, the ban was a government overreach that cost him about $750,000 per year.
Barley added: “If these games were important enough to support small businesses during COVID, they certainly are important now with the economic slowdown and should be allowed to continue operating in a regulated market today and in the future.”
Skill games continue to face opposition from the gambling industry, which feels they are an infringement on its market share. In states like Pennsylvania and Georgia, the fight is still on as to whether skill-based games are unfair competition for casinos.


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Investing.com – Streaming television service Roku enjoyed a rally Monday after a Wall Street analyst gave a thumbs up to the company’s presentation at the Consumer Electronics Show last week.
Roku (NASDAQ:) shares climbed 4.6% in afternoon trading.
Needham analyst Lara Martin wrote that among the takeaways from CES in Las Vegas, she and her team are raising active account estimates for the end of 2019, tied to Disney+ adoption, Briefing.com reported.
Roku will get higher economic share as its U.S. platform grows and the company will benefit from increased ad spending from Walt Disney (NYSE:), Netflix (NASDAQ:), Apple (NASDAQ:) and others as the “DTC Customer Acquisition War” heats up, Martin added.
Also in the sector, Netflix (NASDAQ:) rose 2.9%.
Last week J.P. Morgan said it was bullish on subscribers for Netflix (NASDAQ:) following an update of its model.
“Net-net, we come away with increased confidence in Netflix’s multi-year international growth potential, and we are raising our longer term global paid streaming subscriber estimates,” J.P. Morgan said. “We now project 300 (million) global streaming subs in 2024.”
Fusion Media or anyone involved with Fusion Media will not accept any liability for loss or damage as a result of reliance on the information including data, quotes, charts and buy/sell signals contained within this website. Please be fully informed regarding the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, it is one of the riskiest investment forms possible.


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NEW YORK — With less than four weeks to go, Fashion’s Night Out, once again, looks like it will be a Champagne-and-canapés-fueled night of special retail initiatives and celebrities, whose mission is to stimulate spending.
Now in its fourth year, the annual shopping event will take place on Sept. 6, in more than 500 cities nationwide, with much of the retail activity across New York. Here, some of the highlights for Manhattan:
• Kim Kardashian will be at Lord & Taylor to meet fans who purchased her True Reflection fragrance. She will be joined at the store by several designers and personalities of note, including Max, Lubov and Joyce Azria, Jill Zarin, and Kristi Yamaguchi.
• Speaking of the Kardashian clan, Scott Disick will be serving as a host for the Guilty Pleasure Lounge at Macy’s Men’s Lounge. The department store will also mark the opening of its new shoe floor with a special fashion trivia game there hosted by Michael Kors, and Tommy Hilfiger and actress Britt Robinson will also be at the Herald Square location for a Tommy Girl fashion presentation.
• Saks Fifth Avenue will have its share of designer appearances, including Oscar de la Renta for the launch of his new fragrance Essential Luxuries. Rebecca Minkoff will be on hand for a performance by Juliette Lewis of The Voice; Erin Fetherston will partner with hairstylist Edward Tricomi, who is going to offer to cut shoppers’ bangs in the designer’s trademark style, and Kimberly Ovitz is teaming up with Rihanna’s tattoo artist Josh Lord of East Side Ink on custom designs.
• Henri Bendel will bring a Las Vegas flavor to its store with a casino night, a performance by Cirque Du Soleil’s Zumanity and custom Swarovski FNO T-shirts and phone cases for sale.
• Bergdorf Goodman will use the night to kick off its 111th anniversary celebration with designers such as Lela Rose, Michael Bastian, Naeem Khan, Rachel Zoe, Thakoon and a book signing with Sara James Mnookin, who authored “Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf Goodman.”
• Bloomingdale’s will include appearances by Matchbox 20, Kelly Rutherford for Magaschoni, and Real Housewife of New York and Yummie Tummy founder Heather Thomson, as well as a BMW motorcycle stunt driver expected to be positioned on the Third Avenue side of the New York flagship.
Several celebrities and socials will also make their way to the city’s designer boutiques. Patricia Lansing, Jessica Seinfeld and Stephanie Winston Wolkoff will be at CH Carolina Herrera for a CH Kids’ party benefiting Baby Buggy. Azealia Banks will perform at MAC Cosmetics, while Solange Knowles will be the special guest DJ at Diane von Furstenberg.
Further information on the night and retail events is available at fashionsnightout.com.
The event will be accompanied with a special Fashion’s Night Out collection, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the New York City AIDS Fund in the NY Community Trust.
FNO, which was created in 2009 to celebrate fashion, boost consumer confidence and retailer’s bottom lines, is a collaboration between American Vogue, the Council of Fashion Designers of America, NYC & Company and the City of New York.
The annual Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic in Pacific Palisades this weekend drew Kate Hudson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Laura Dern and more. See pictures of the star-studded event on WWD.com. (📷: @chelsealaurenla) #wwdeye
In his new book “Hollywood Royale,” Andy Warhol’s Protégé Matthew Rolston celebrates the Eighties revival of Hollywood glamour. Featuring more than 100 portraits taken by Rolston from 1977 to 1993, the book contains photos of icons like Michael Jackson, Cyndi Lauper, and @drewbarrymore, pictured here in 1991. “Hollywood Royale,” out today, will be accompanied by an exhibition opening at Los Angeles’ Fahey/Klein Gallery on March 1. #wwdeye
"Nowadays when life is not so happy with everything going on in the world, I think people come to me for a little bit of whimsy and color and fun." - Designer Rebecca De Ravenel on her cult-favorite jewelry line. (📸 : @vsteves) #wwd40
“Everyone is talking about how the retail industry is struggling, but I think it’s an incredible time because brands who are doing something different and innovative are setting themselves up for the future,” said @adamgoldston, who founded the luxury athletic brand @apl with his brother @ryangoldsten. The Goldston’s are part of WWD’s 40 under 40: a group of industry notables. See the rest of the list on WWD.com. (📷: @vsteves) #wwd40
@eyeswoon blogger Athena Calderone debuted her first-ever cookbook, “Cook Beautiful,” which is heavily centered on the presentation and visual expression of food. Pictured here are her miso glazed carrots from the book. Get the recipe on WWD.com. (📷: @johnny_miller_) #wwdeye
“It’s passion that helps get anybody to a certain point and it’s what’s propelled me,” said Kith founder @ronniefieg, one of WWD’s 40 under 40: a group of industry notables who are changing the face of retail, fashion and beauty. Fieg, who opened a Manhattan flagship on October 7, began his career at age 13 as a stock boy and salesman for footwear chain David Z. “I think staying true to [my] beliefs, hard work and passion have gotten me to where [Kith] is today.” See the rest of the 40 at WWD.com. (📷: @vsteves) #wwd40
25-year-old @samweaving is about to break out this fall, starring in Netflix’s horror film “The Babysitter,” fittingly out today on Friday the 13th. That’s not the only place you’ll be seeing her, though — Weaving’s got a role Showtime’s “SMILF” and another alongside Frances McDormand and Woody Harrelson in “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.” Though she’s got a full plate at the moment, there’s one role she’s got her eye on: Marilyn Monroe. “I’m a little too young at the moment, but it’s on my bucket list,” the actress told WWD (📷: @dandoperalski) #wwdeye
BFF's Poppy Jamie and Suki Waterhouse celebrated the launch of their bag line Pop x Suki at Nordstrom last night. "The line is really about our friendship, and how we are so different but complement each other," said Waterhouse. 👯 (📷: Katie Jones) #wwdeye
After designing the new @louisvuitton and @bulgariofficial flagships and a @chanelofficial boutique opening in Japan, @petermarinoarchitect has another project on his plate: The Lobster Club. Located in the Seagram Building, it’s the famed architect’s first restaurant project in New York, serving up modern Japanese brasserie-style cuisine. Bronze hues, bespoke material detailing, blush and chartreuse tones and a heavy emphasis on Picasso can be seen throughout. Mark your calendars for Nov. 1 for the much-anticipated opening. (📷: @clint_spaulding) #wwdeye


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See a penny pick it up –and all day you’ll have good luck!
Remember that old rhyme? It could become a relic – along with the penny if some cost cutters get their way.
The Covid-19 pandemic has created a nationwide coin shortage. Shoppers are relying on debit and credit cards to avoid touching cash, which can carry germs, but that’s left parts of the nation short on spare change.
Here’s what the Federal Reserve said recently:
“Business and bank closures associated with the COVID-19 pandemic have significantly disrupted the supply chain and normal circulation patterns for U.S. coins. While there is an adequate overall amount of coins in the economy, the slowed pace of circulation has reduced available inventories in some areas of the country.”
The current coin shortage has revived the debate on whether or not we actually need the penny anymore!
Former Arizona Congressman Jim Kolbe spent several decades trying to kill the penny – by introducing legislation every year, but always got blocked.
Today – amid a coin shortage – experts are now debating the fate of the penny again.
The purchasing power of the penny has fallen because of inflation, while production costs have climbed.
In fact, the government loses money every year on minting pennies. It costs the government about 2 cents to make a penny. Indeed, the United States Mint manufactured more than seven billion pennies in the 2019 fiscal year, at loss of nearly $70 million, the New York Times reported.
While it could be a cost effective move for the government to say goodbye to the penny, there are many, however, who believe the penny should remain part of our coinage. It was one of the first coins minted by our country after all.
Notably, older pennies are made primarily of copper – which it turns out is antimicrobial. New pennies are made primarily from zinc, not copper.
The U.S. wouldn’t be alone if it makes this decision. Other countries like Canada, Britain and Australia have stopped making their smallest denomination coins. There is historical precedence – in 1857, Congress discontinued the half cent.
Feeling sentimental about pennies? Shop our cent inventory here.


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Break Monsanto's grip
One mega-company is gradually taking over our global food supply, poisoning our politics and putting the planet’s food future in serious danger. To stop it we need to expose and break up Monsanto’s worldwide grip.
Monsanto, the chemical giant that gave us poisons like Agent Orange and DDT, has a super-profitable racket. Step 1: Develop pesticides and genetically modified (GM) seeds designed to resist them, patent the seeds, prohibit farmers from replanting their seeds year to year, then send undercover agents out to investigate and sue farmers who don’t comply. Step 2: Spend millions lobbying government officials and contributing to political campaigns, get former Monsanto bigwigs into top government jobs, and then work with them to weaken regulations and push Monsanto goods into markets across the world.
As long as US law allows corporations to spend unlimited sums to influence policy, they can often buy the laws they want. Last year, Monsanto and biotech giants spent a whopping $45m to kill a ballot initiative that would have labelled GMO products just in California, despite 82 percent of Americans wanting to know if they are buying GM. And just this month, the company helped ram through the "Monsanto Protection Act," that blocks courts from stopping the sale of a product even if they’ve been wrongly approved by the government.
Monsanto’s power in the US gives them a launch pad to dominate across the world. But brave farmers and activists from the EU, to Brazil, to India and Canada are resisting and starting to win.
We’re at a global tipping point. Donate now to join forces to break Monsanto’s grip on our politics and our food and help stop the corporate capture of our governments.


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NCC cadets of St Agnes College (Autonomous) conducts Atma Nirbhar Bharat Awareness Campaign
Mangaluru 18 August 2020: As the Central Government had announced the Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan, so as to resuscitate every aspect of economy from demand, supply to manufacturing and make India self-reliant to sustain and negate the effects of any such pandemic on Nation’s economy in the future. It is important that the youth of the Nation, contribute towards Nation Building by creating awareness about the campaign.
Thus, the NCC was directed to conduct Atma Nirbhar Bharat Awareness Campaign through social media from 1 August to 15 August 2020. Wherein, the NCC cadets of St Agnes College (Autonomous) both Army wing and Air wing had actively participated in taking the online pledge and spreading awareness by making posters on Indian products and posting in social media, with #local par vocal, under the guidance of Lt Gayathri BK, ANO Army wing and Dr Hithakshi B, ANO Air wing.
Through this campaign the cadets have understood and realized the importance of supporting local ideas and inventions of Indian citizens and the governments support to introduce all those in global level, added to it, encouragement of domestic products, providing support for existing traditional methods and giving preference to export rather than import and thereby making the campaign a great success.


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Exclusive: PayPal’s VP of Product Sam Shrauger Resigns — Is He Headed for Yahoo? (Memo)
A PayPal spokesperson has confirmed to All Things D that Sam Shrauger, the VP of global product and experience, is leaving the company.
“After eight years at PayPal, Sam has decided to leave the company. We wish him all the best,” said Anuj Nayer, a company spokesperson.
Shrauger’s last day at the company will be as soon as tomorrow. In an interesting bit of timing, Yahoo’s new CEO — and Shrauger’s former boss at PayPal — is announcing a new restructuring of the Internet giant tomorrow. Sources said that could include Shrauger in a new senior role at Yahoo, given its former product head Blake Irving just resigned last week.
(Thompson already grabbed PayPal PR head Amanda Pires to head communications there — she starts next week.)
We’ve also learned through an internal memo, obtained by All Things D, that PayPal’s President David Marcus will serve as the interim VP of global product and experience (GP&E) while a search is conducted for a replacement.
Shrauger’s departure closely follows the appointment of Marcus, who filled the vacancy that was suddenly created when Scott Thompson left to become CEO of Yahoo. Marcus joined PayPal in August 2011 after it acquired Zong, a leading mobile payments provider, where he was founder and CEO.
The eBay-owned company has gone through a number of other employee departures, but as one of the better positioned companies to participate in the next wave of payments innovation, it is an easy target for companies as they try to beef up their knowledge in online payments.
The most notable departure was probably Osama Bedier, who left for Google. He now heads up Google Wallet, the company’s competing mobile payments initiative. More recently, American Express lured Neal Sample away from eBay to become SVP of technologies for its digital payments initiative, and 12-year veteran Alyssa Cutright left PayPal to head up international expansion at Square.
The departure of Shrauger, who helped help launch the company’s merchant services business when it expanded beyond eBay, will hurt PayPal in particular given his immense institutional knowledge in the space.
Here’s the entire internal memo:
Sam Shrauger has decided to leave PayPal. After eight incredible years with us, Sam says he feels like now is the right time to do something different. I know you join me in wishing Sam all the best. We’ll miss his passion, energy and commitment to PayPal and to creating innovative product experiences for our customers. I want to thank Sam for his leadership and many contributions. Sam joined PayPal in 2004 to help launch our merchant services business. He since has served in a variety of product and product strategy roles, including leading the Bill Me Later integration and launch of our digital goods initiatives. Most importantly, Sam leaves behind an extremely talented team. And I know they couldn’t be more fired up to deliver the next generation of groundbreaking PayPal products to delight our customers.
To ensure we don’t miss a beat, I will serve as interim GP&E leader. I’ll work in close partnership with the GP&E leadership team to ensure we’re on track to deliver our short and long term product and experience commitments. It will also give me a chance to take a fresh look at the opportunities ahead of us and the kind of product and experience leader we need. We will do a comprehensive search internally first, followed by an external search to find the right leader.
One thing won’t change. As we work through this transition, we will remain maniacally focused on delighting customers with amazing product designs and experiences. We’ve got some incredible momentum out there with recent product launches such as PayPal Payments, PayPal Here and our expansion into point of sale retail. We will continue to build on that momentum and elevate how we create world-class, disruptive and innovative product experiences.
I know the GP&E team can count on your full support. And as always, let me or the leadership team know if you have any questions.
We have enormous opportunity ahead of us. And we have a clear, bold vision and a strong strategy. Together, we are changing the world and creating the future of money. Let’s keep the momentum going.


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By Nabeel Al Mulhem
Iraq has voiced hope that the plans related to a railway linking the country to neighboring Syria would be revived to facilitate transport of goods imported by Baghdad via Syrian ports.
During his visit to Syria last week, Iraqi trade minister Mohammad Mahdi Saleh told Albawaba.com that his country is “looking forward to more activation of the Syrian ports, and to cost reduction by reviving railways existing between the two countries, which should be upgraded and made ready for use also by Arabs and foreigners.”
Sources at the Syrian ministry of economy and trade said that the volume of trade exchange between the two Arab countries has reached $400 million, calculated according to the contracts concluded between the two countries since they signed the memorandum of understanding.
According to the same sources, the contracts involve in their major part food and medicine deals, but Saleh’s visit to Damascus also aimed at expanding the volume of imports through Syrian ports. They said Iraq has already agreed with contractors to supply it with 839,000 tons of goods through Tartous Port, expected to rise to a million in the current year.
Talks between the Iraqi minister and Syrian officials also tackled trade exhibitions to be held in both countries, the sources added – Damascus, Albawaba.com
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)


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At Thursday’s session, the Serbian government decided to export two million liters of cooking oil. The decision was announced on Friday. With that, we enter into the implementation of the agreement – to start the “ramp” for basic products, wheat and corn, and to start the implementation of agreements, said Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy Ljupcho Nikolovski.
As the minister said, answering media questions after the award of contracts for the supply of pedigree cattle, there is no food, flour and oil, there is no need to panic and store supplies in households.
“The process has started, about 2,000 tons have already been approved, we continue to communicate with Serbia and the region within the “Open Balkans”. There is enough food, flour and oil, the stocks are inspected. Citizens should not panic, but also the information should be transmitted clearly, transparently and truthfully. The fact that two or three times more oil is procured shows that households store it unnecessarily,” Nikolovski said, adding that every effort is being made to provide enough raw materials and products strategically for the country.


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Fitbit flexes its muscle in stock debut
Strong IPO raises questions because the fitness tracker has plenty of rivals.
Fitbit Inc.’s stock soared in its debut Thursday in response to rapid growth for the industry leader in fitness-tracking devices.
But the rally, coming amid a sharp rise in valuations for technology firms overall, raised the question of whether Fitbit’s stock was getting a step ahead of itself because Fitbit faces no shortage of rivals.
After San Franciscobased Fitbit priced its initial public offering at $20 a share — well above early expectations — the stock with the symbol “FIT” closed at $29.68 on the New York Stock Exchange after trading as high as $31.90.
That gave Fitbit a total market value of $6.1 billion. Fitbit sold 36.6 million shares in the IPO out of nearly 205 million total shares outstanding, raising $732 million for the company.
The proceeds were the highest for a U.S.-listed tech company IPO so far this year, according to the research firm Dealogic Ltd.
Fitbit’s market jump “was a little north of what I expected but not too surprising ” because Fitbit not only leads a fast-growing industry for wearable tracking devices but is also profitable, said analyst Ramon Llamas of the research firm International Data Corp.
In a note posted on Fitbit’s website, Chief Executive James Park called the offering “a huge milestone for us … we can’t wait to see what’s next.”
Fitbit’s devices and other activity trackers have gained popularity for their ability to count steps, monitor calories burned and track time spent sleeping, among other things, which appeals to health-conscious, data-obsessed consumers.
Founded in 2007, Fitbit provides a multiplatform approach to health and fitness, integrating mobile apps and websites with colorful tracking devices that can be worn as bracelets or
clipped to clothing.
Fitbit’s sales last year of $745.4 million were nearly 10 times its sales of $76.4 million two years earlier. Fitbit turned a $131.8-million profit in 2014.
Last year the company sold 10.9 million devices — suggested retail prices range from $59.95 to $249 — in 45,000 retail stores in more than 50 countries as well as online, according to the IPO’s prospectus.
In the first quarter of this year, Fitbit had a leading 34.2% of worldwide shipments of wearable device trackers, IDC estimated.
In a report Thursday, IDC said the industry’s global shipments will more than double this year, to 72.1 million from 26.4 million in 2014, and are forecast to jump to 155.7 million in 2019.
The fitness devices are part of an exploding wearable computing market. Touted as the next big thing in technology, wearable tech has spawned a dizzying array of Internet-connected wristwatches, “smart” clothing and jewelry and headmounted devices.
But competition is stiff in the fitness-tracking arena, with Fitbit facing rival products from Jawbone, Misfit and Garmin, along with China’s Xiaomi Inc., which makes the Mi Band device.
Then there’s Apple Inc.’s new smartwatch, which Fitbit’s prospectus noted was a potential risk for its future business because the Apple device will have “some health and fitness-tracking capabilities.”
Although it’s impossible to know how much of a threat the Apple Watch or smartphone fitness apps will pose to Fitbit, there are cautionary tales. For instance, the proliferation of smartphones with GPS undercuts the sales of expensive dashboard GPS navigation systems.
Research firm GfK pre- dicted in a recent report that smartwatch sales will surge this year, partly because of heavy marketing, and will surpass fitness tracker sales for the first time.
Fitbit has stumbled at times. Last year, the company recalled its Fitbit Force tracker after some customers complained of rashes and blisters on their wrists.
Fitbit’s strong IPO joined surging valuations of tech companies, fueling concerns about another tech bubble.
Based on capital already raised, nonpublic start-ups such as ride-sharing firm Uber Technologies Inc. and video-messaging application Snapchat Inc. command multibillion-dollar valuations. New investments in venture-capital funds jumped to $30 billion in 2014 from $17.7 billion in 2013, the National Venture Capital Assn. said. Investments in start-ups hit $49.3 billion last year, the most since 2000 and the thirdhighest ever, the group said.
Harley Pasternak and actress Jordana Brewster lead a workout on behalf of Fitbit at the New York Stock Exchange.
JAMES PARK, Fitbit’s CEO, called the stock offering “a huge milestone for us.”


text:
June 16, 2014 |
MUMBAI: India's e-commerce companies such as Flipkart may be at odds with foreign rivals such as Amazon on whether or not to allow foreign direct investment, but they seem to be on the same page in anticipating an inflection point for the sector. Between them, the 10 top e-commerce firms plan to hire 60,000 people for the year ending March 31, 2015, the highest in a year for the fledgling industry. The job creation data is for the entire ecosystem: ancillary units, supply chain and logistics and temporary employees.
September 1, 2015 |
NEW DELHI: Venture capital funding in agri start-up firms is picking up in India and is expected to increase in the coming years, agriculture and food-tech focused venture capital firm Omnivore Partners said today. Lack of institutional funding through banks and Non- Banking Financial Company (NBFC) has prompted entrepreneurs to go for venture capital even at high cost, it said. "There has been increase in VC funds flowing in start-up companies operating in the field of agriculture.
April 11, 2008
This refers to your edit 'Limited tax breather for IT' (ET, Apr 8). The smaller IT company registered with STPI operates from within city limits. Moving out to a SEZ or an industrial park is not a viable alternative. These units are already under pressure due to rupee appreciation and slowdown in their business. Retraction of tax benefit at the end of this financial year is sure to crush them. Even if the minimum area is reduced to 14,000 sq m (ET, Apr 7 ? PMO offers tax shelter for IT in industrial parks)
January 6, 2011 |
A decade ago, Swarup Choudhury's career leap may have been seen as a step back. The VP of growth markets at IBM moved to search firm Amrop India in September last after 10 years with the hardware giant and 17 years with HSBC India, where he quit as head of merchant banking. When Choudhury moved to Amrop, neither those in the search industry nor in corporate India took more than cursory notice. Yet, with his experience, Choudhury was a good fit: he knew the talent required at senior levels in both industries.
February 17, 2015 |
MUMBAI: At a time when consultants are being poached by start-ups and corporate strategy teams, the Mumbai-based real estate company Lodha Group has created the biggest team of management consultants outside the white-shoe firms. As the realtor tackles scaling up challenges, the company has quietly picked up over 45 consultants from elite consulting firms such as McKinsey & Co., BCG, Bain, AT Kearney and Accenture. No other Indian real estate company or even corporate strategy team has so many consultants embedded within the organisation.
May 2, 2014 |
BANGALORE | MUMBAI: Police verification as part of background checks before hiring is becoming so vexing for companies that some are giving it up altogether while others are trying out alternatives. Online retailers, including Amazon India and Flipkart , and software firms, among them Symphony Teleca and Nest Software, have asked staffing companies not to carry out police verification checks at the time of hiring. This is because these police verification checks do not offer "value addition" to the employers, people familiar with the matter said although the companies themselves declined to come on record.
December 14, 2011 |
Britannia HUL Nestle
June 21, 2011 |
NEW DELHI: Seven out of the top ten brands in India are indigenous firms, with IT giant Infosys and salt-to-software conglomerate Tata pipping global majors like Google, Nokia and Facebook to the top spots in the list, a survey says. According to TLG's Index of Emerging Market 'Thought Leaders', the list of top 20 firms was peppered with Indian brands and was dominated by companies from the manufacturing and civil engineering sector. India's biggest car-maker, Maruti Suzuki , claimed fourth place, while engineering firm Larsen & Toubro was fifth, the Mahindra Group was at 10th place, Hero Honda Motors at 11th and Hyundai Motor India at 20th.
October 8, 2007 |
BANGKOK: Several Thai firms are interested in investing in north-east states of India after their executives visited several vital industrial plants in the region recently, Thai Commerce Minister Krirkkrai Jirapaet said. Ch Karnchang Pcl has expressed desire to invest in infrastructure projects such as road and dam construction, and hydroelectric plants, said Krirkkrai. The minister further added that the Indian government has a policy to allocate about $1.5 billion on these projects as well as granting special privileges to private investors who would undertake the projects.
April 1, 2012 |
NEW DELHI: State oil companies have deferred their plan to raise petrol prices by about Rs 5 per litre because the government opposed the move. Companies are free to raise petrol prices but they take the oil ministry's informal approval before acting.


text:
Cotton futures continued to trade in the red in most-active May Monday after spending the overnight session on the minus side.
May hovered off 68 points to 64.25 cents at 7:52 a.m. CST, trading within a 71-point range from 64.71 to 64 cents on a contract volume of 2,519 lots. It remained within the prior-session trading band.
Maturing March was untraded, July dropped 72 points to 64.50 cents and December fell 82 points to 65.03 cents.
In the news, U.S. consumer spending fell in January, a sign of caution among American households despite lower gasoline prices and steady hiring, Dow ...


text:
Instant payments have arrived.
In the five years since the launch of the RTP Network, volumes have steadily increased by more than 10 percent per quarter, and in Q3 2022, the network moved 45 million transactions valued at $19.7 billion.
Digital customer engagement has risen as a top priority for financial institutions in 2023, according to new research from Anna Kooi, financial services industry leader at Wipfli LLP, a top advisory firm in this space.
ICBA has launched an enhanced version of our Solutions Directory, which in addition to providing useful fintech-related company information, serves as a one-stop shop for community bank enabling technology. The new and improved directory is based on extensive community bank feedback, to create a better user experience.
In 2022, ICBA and community bankers stood together against a steady stream of efforts to impose harmful policies while working tirelessly to advance initiatives benefiting local communities—proving once again the importance of making our voice heard in the nation’s capital.
We have previously called 2021 a year of innovation, but there’s no doubt that ICBA doubled down on its position throughout 2022 to ensure that innovation is accessible, affordable, and attainable to all community bankers.
Just shy of a year ago, ICBA announced its role as one of the general partners and investment committee members in a strategic investment fund designed to accelerate technology opportunities and adoption at community banks. Today, BankTech Ventures, has raised more than $115 million in committed capital in its first fund and has backed eight different companies working to provide community bank technology solutions.
Digital transformation is the 2022 payments phrase of year. You can’t attend a meeting without hearing about its importance in the financial services landscape, and when you consider that nearly nine in ten Americans are now using some form of digital payments, you understand why it needs to be a top priority.
Even if you aren’t hearing the words “faster payments” or “instant payments” directly from your customers, trends and research show the demand is there – and rising. Recent Federal Reserve surveys reveal growing interest in faster payments
When I attended FinovateFall in September, I was struck by its palpable energy. Not only was it the most well attended Finovate to date with roughly 1,800 attendees and 64 participating companies, it was a widely collaborative conference, converting what had once felt like a competitive environment into one of enablement.


text:
CES 2018: Disruptive Technologies and Fun PC Stuff
Two disruptive technologies that we have been covering for the last few years are 3D printing—especially as it pertains to PCB fab—and autonomous driving.
3D printing has been around for a few years, but it seems like 3D printers were introduced to CES very recently. I saw one of the first units shown in 2012 which was by MakerBot (2012 is the middle ages when you realize how fast technology has progressed in the last six years). This year there were almost 50 exhibitors showing their latest offerings. Most of them were in the LVCC in the north hall at the 3D Printing Marketplace. Many of them were “me too” versions of what we have seen for the last few years with about 30% of them being from China. (Note: At CES this year, 482 exhibitors had the word Shenzhen as part of their name.) However, the sample objects being printed were more professional and realistic than in past years. But the reaction from those walking the area was a lot more ho-hum.
The applications for 3D printing that seem to garner the most interest, especially in our industry, are 3D printed circuits (conductors and insulation) and 3D printed metal parts. Still, most of what was being shown was an attempt to get the "Oh, wow" reaction.
This year, the company that we feel is one of the leaders in 3D additive PCB fab, Nano Dimension, was not exhibiting. When I asked whether they were going to be there, I was informed that this show was not focused on their market, and they are correct. They focus on 3D circuit production and, after all, a printed circuit does not have the wow effect that many go to CES to see. It does seem that their DragonFly PCB printer is gaining ground, and we will be covering them as well as others in the PCB 3D manufacturing arena in more detail as the year progresses.
It seems that 3D printing at CES has run its course, very much as 3D TV had a few years ago, and although there were some great showings, it is no longer a prime target for major 3D printer vendors. Still, let’s look at a few notable exhibitors.
One company that I find impressive is Markforged, which specializes in composite 3D printing. Their focus seems to be on carbon fiber as well as metal printed parts. They claim to be able to print parts “from aluminum to titanium to carbon fiber as well as composites.”
A familiar name, but not one usually associated with advanced manufacturing, is Polaroid. Declaring bankruptcy some time ago, it re-emerged as a new corporation using the same name. They entered the 3D printing arena at CES 2016 with the launch of their first 3D printer. They showed some new units last year and again in 2018 showing another new range of 3D printers. Their easy-to-use models offer many 3D printing options. They are all compact, with sleek designs, and bear the unmistakable Polaroid classic border logo. These new units make 3D printing accessible to anyone who wants to easily 3D-print artwork, models, and parts at home, in the classroom, or at the office—just as they did half a century ago for home photographers. It is good to see them back.
There is no doubt that 3D printing is now becoming more mainstream and that the real applications will not be printed toys but real items and parts. Will it really be a disruptive technology as we have all be predicting for years, or just an alternative but growing process segment that will be incorporated into the PCB fab industry for specific needs such as fast turn-around prototypes and short runs? I predict the latter.
Let’s move on to one of the most disruptive technologies that we may see in our lifetimes. Something that may be almost as disruptive as the first manned flights over a century ago, that being autonomous driving. This is a topic we have been watching for the last five years with truly driverless vehicles becoming not only viable but now expected. As we will be covering this topic in great depth in a separate article soon, I will highlight the more interesting announcements and show some of the amazing advancements and cars at CES.
By definition, “An autonomous car (driverless car, self-driving car, robotic car) is a vehicle that is capable of sensing its environment and navigating without human input.”
Are you looking forward to having a driverless car in the next five years or so, or using a driverless Uber-type of transportation service? Do you hate the thought of the entire concept?
Well, like it or not, it is coming, so let’s look at just a few of the announcements on this topic at CES as well as some of the first planned actual uses of this technology, as demonstrated at the show. Following is just a partial list of announcements from companies such as Intel, Nvidia, Amazon, Volkswagen, Cisco, Alphabet, Microsoft, various traditional car manufacturers, and others made at CES (a full list will be in the upcoming detailed article) regarding this topic:
- Nvidia introduced powerful new chip technology (Xavier) focused on autonomous cars
- Nvidia announced that the Xavier chipset is now in production and will ship to select automotive partners and customers within the next few months (Xavier can do 20 trillion deep learning operations per second)
- Nvidia announced that its Drive IX and Drive AR software kits are in use by Volkswagen for their electric buses and they are also partnering with Uber, Baidu and the Aurora startup for their upcoming driverless cars
- Alphabet’s (Google’s holding company) self-driving car now called Waymo announces it now has over four million miles of real driving experience performed in cities such as Mountain View, California; Austin, Texas; and Phoenix, Arizona
- Intel has acquired Mobileye (an Israeli company) that makes systems for collision avoidance in self-driving vehicles and has also announced a partnership with Waymo
- Microsoft has announced partnerships with automakers developing autonomous Internet-connected vehicles including BMW, Ford, Volvo, Renault-Nissan, and Toyota as well as Chinese company Baidu
- Amazon is focused on getting purchases to customers as quickly and as cheaply as possible, therefore they are part of a Toyota announcement revealing a self-driving food delivery vehicle called the e-Palette
- IBM received a patent in March for a "machine learning system that can dynamically shift control of an autonomous vehicle between a human driver and a vehicle control processor in the event of a potential emergency.” IBM has multiple patents that tie together machine learning and driving. Whatever road technology we see from IBM will likely be connected to its AI engine, Watson
The following are just some of the new self-driving vehicles that were shown and seem to be just about ready for prime time. Of course, there are significant reliability and testing programs ongoing, but these seem to be at final prototype stage.
Mercedes seems to be seriously planning to commercialize self-driving vehicles soon; they showed a few concept cars, some of which seem very close to being commercially ready.
NVIDIA exhibited their real self-driving race car. Not only is it autonomous but it is also powered by electric motors and is extremely fast. This vehicle has been shown previously but you have to see it in person to really get that “wow” feeling. I would love to see a race between 8−10 robo cars, imagining them all trying to outsmart each other and race to the finish. Well, it is a planned event.
Tesla is another company that has already invested in the self-driving arena. You may not know it, but for the last year, all new Teslas include the hardware required for the cars to drive autonomously. They want their current cars to be able to drive themselves when the software is ready which may be in the next 24 months. They now include the hardware in all their cars free of additional charge; great deal, right? But if you ever want to actually use it, it’ll cost you about $8,000—assuming you want to pay for it when you buy the car, with the cost rising if you decide to unlock it later.
Lyft has been doing demonstrations with a BMW 5 Series outfitted with self-driving tech designed by Aptiv. Great progress but they still have a person and a steering wheel ready to take over if necessary. Uber has stated that they can deploy driverless cars as early as next year. Ford, Volkswagen and others all have stated that they will be ready in the next few years.
There was so much to see, far more than I could get to in my three days at CES, but let me list some of the more interesting and fun items that may not be based on disruptive technology but are true advances and new offerings in their respective fields. So here we go, from the sublime to the ridiculous. You decide.
How about a very modern RV that comes with its own built-in helicopter?
Or a unit that allows you to remotely change the odor of your home to match the mood you want to create? Think perfume or flowers for romance, or burning gunpowder for playing Battlefield on your computer.
For those of us who hate golf but love building computers, there were many to visit. One of the ones I liked best, and I do like and use their products, is Corsair. In fact, I am typing this on a Corsair RGB gaming keyboard. They showed their new crystal cases, RGB special-effects fans, and their updated keyboards and mice. All of them are so versatile that they require their own dedicated software to allow you to use all their features. For example, I have my keyboard set to light up red when I turn on my computer; during the boot sequence it changes to brighter red; when boot is finished it changes to blue; and as the background operations come online it animates to a pulsing, breathing purple. There are also unlimited variations to fan appearance depending on what you want to show: Temperature in the case? Beat of the music you are playing? Getting killed in a game? The options are almost unlimited. Sublime or ridiculous? You decide.
NASA exhibited at CES for the third year in a row. Their booth was filled with young people who were seemingly excited about the U. S. space program getting out of neutral (or perhaps reverse for the last eight years). A model of the new NASA heavy lift SLS (Space Launch System) was on exhibit, along with a space suit that you could use for a photo op/selfie.
The SLS system is not designed to just ferry to the space station; NASA has industry partners such as Space X and Boeing for that. The SLS, being built by Boeing, will “take astronauts and science experiments farther into space than ever before.” Here are some comparisons: The Shuttle was 184 feet tall while the SLS is 322 feet tall, almost as tall as the moon-shot vehicle, the Saturn 5. As far as lift capacity, the Saturn 5 could lift 7.5 million pounds while the Shuttle could lift 7.8 million pounds; the SLS can lift 8.8 million pounds. But that is not the real story, what counts is payload into space. The shuttle could get 32 tons into space while the SLS can lift 70 tons into space. The SLS and the Orion will get us back to the moon, to asteroids and to Mars. Of all the things there were to see at CES I think this was the one that stood out in my mind and made me feel good.
Other general categories include a lot of IoT devices, many of them with absolutely no need to be web connected, such as RF radiation-shielding underwear to protect your critical parts when you carry your smartphone in your pocket or keep your laptop on your lap for hours. There was a $6,500 “Maybach Benz of Toilets” that not only is heated, has foot warmers, does all kinds of stuff and lets you stream music to it via Bluetooth. Robotic clothes folders and of course lots of robots, some potentially useful and some downright silly. And my choice for the most useless item, but one that will be loved by some of our youth who are married to their smartphones and take hundreds of selfies, the AirSelfie Drone.
Sublime or ridiculous? You decide.


text:
Gap grows the web but not as fast as before
August 22, 2014 03:59 PM
Gap reported a healthy increase in e-commerce sales in the second quarter. But growth online is slowing relative to earlier years, a situation Gap is watching closely, CEO Glenn Murphy told Wall Street analysts on the apparel chain retailer’s most recent earnings call.
For the quarter ended Aug. 2, Gap, No. 19 in the 2014 Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide, reported:
- E-commerce sales increased year over year 10.5% to $515 million from $466 million. In comparison, web sales grew 27% for Q2 2012 to Q2 2013
- Total sales grew 3.1% to $3.98 billion from $3.86 billion.
- Comparable-store sales were flat.
- Net income was $332 million compared with $303 million in the second quarter of 2013.
- The web accounted for 12.9% of all sales compared with 12.1% in the prior year.
Web sales growth slowed in part because of less activity among international buyers at Gap.com, although Gap didn’t release details. “Two years of back-to-back 18% [growth] is good, but I’d have my eye on 11%,” Murphy told analysts.
Gap will look for new ways to continue to drive web sales higher, Murphy said. “That 11% was a number we circled at the end of our profit and loss because we know every part of our business has to fire on all cylinders for us to reach our goal,” Murphy told analysts. “And our online business did a decent job in the second quarter, but we are always looking for strength.”
For the first two quarters of 2014, Gap reported:
- Web sales increased 11.8% to $1.09 billion from $975 million in the first six months of 2013.
- Total sales increased 2.1% to $7.75 billion from $7.59 billion.
- The company didn’t release year-to-date comparable-store sales
- Net income was $536 million compared with $636 million.
- The web accounted for 14.1% of all sales compared with 12.8% in the prior year.


text:
LOS ANGELES — Adira Allure is starring in Classy Angel’s new release, “Teen Bush Volume 3.”
Helmed by returning director Sid Knox, the new title will be launched on Monday, October 28.
“It was exciting to function with a company like Classy Angel,” stated Allure about her debut with the company. “[They’ve] been a trendsetter in the industry, and I can not wait to come back.”
According to the studio, the title “features virtually two-and-a-half hrs of enticing scenes.”
Pre-orders will be shipped immediately upon release, and copies will be obtainable for buy online and in retail stores October 28.


text:
HTC is Reportedly Building a Smartphone OS Just for China
August 28, 2013 10:40 AM
comment(s) - last by
Whether the OS is built on Android or something else is unknown
HTC is in the middle of building a smartphone operating system specifically targeted at the Chinese market according to a new report from the
Wall Street Journal
The sources claim that HTC chairwoman Cher Wang is currently overseeing the operating system and that it will have deep integration with China specific applications currently available such as Weibo, a microblog that is similar to Twitter. HTC hasn't offered an official timeline for the launch of its homegrown operating system, but the sources claim the OS will launch before the end of the year.
HTC has been
having trouble selling smartphones in the global market
and developing an operating system specifically for China is far from a surprising move. Chinese government officials have previously stated that they want their own software to reduce the nation's reliance on Android and decrease the need for Western companies.
HTC has been selling devices in China for a number of years, first under the Dopod brand and since 2010 under the HTC banner. It is unknown at this time if the operating system will be an offshoot of Android (like the OS used by Amazon Kindle Fire tablets) or its own homegrown solution.
HTC, like many in the mobile device market, is
actively trying to target the Chinese market
because it is one of the biggest areas of growth in the world.
This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled
8/30/2013 2:59:47 PM
This only makes sense if HTC is using an Android branch because then they can have their own app store and still use preexisting Android apps.
I know HTC isn't known for being the best, but they can't be dumb enough to start from scratch.
8/30/2013 3:35:45 PM
For a company that made the facebook phone, I wouldn't be surprised how stupid they can get.
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