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MONTREUX, Switzerland Motorola Inc.'s Semiconductor Products Sector will pick up the pace of licensing its intellectual property (IP) cores both inside and outside the company, according to Fred Tucker, president of the sector. "We have not done enough of it," Tucker said of IP licensing. "Within the Standard Products Group, we are encouraging them to do more licensing rather than less."
Motorola will extend core licensing to the microcontroller arena, senior executives said at a press event here. That will enable customers whose chip volumes are too low to justify Motorola's silicon support to stay with Motorola architectures and preserve their software investment, rather than turn to foundries.
While Motorola wants to build a large market for standard products as well as high-volume custom designs, senior executives acknowledged that a middle ground of ASIC users has moved to foundry suppliers. Ideall y, these customers want to stick with host processors and integrate cores they have used historically in peripheral functions. By extending its IP licensing program to controllers, Motorola gives those customers who move to foundries a chance to build system-on-chip (SoC) designs with Motorola architectures instead of other vendors' processors.
Motorola is already licensing its MCore architecture. Now it's targeting established architectures that have built up large bases of code among customers, such as the 68HC05, HC11 and 68000 families. "We have just licensed [the MCore] to Xilinx, and we will be open to consider other cores," said Mario Rivas, corporate vice president and general manager for the Standard Embedded Solutions Group. "There are a lot of people who are interested in licensing [the 68HC05]."
Motorola indicated it would also consider licensing jointly designed cores like the PowerPC, though it would have to take into account its agreement with its PowerPC de velopment partner IBM Corp. The licensing push "is a big change for us; we have always kept these things close to our chest," said Rivas. "But the pull is there."
The 68HC05 is the world's most popular 8-bit microcontroller and exists in hundreds of variants worldwide. The 6805 exists in the form of a hard core only, but Rivas said any porting efforts would be minimal.
Chris Edwards is a contributing editor to Electronics Times, EE Times' sister publication in the United Kingdom.


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Posted March. 27, 2013 09:10,
The discount chain Homeplus and P&G Korea held an event called We Make a Better Tomorrow Together at the Homeplus branch in Seoul`s Yeongdeungpo district Tuesday. They donated part of the revenue to sponsor cultural and art education for children from low-income households. The event will be held at 134 Homeplus stores across the country from Thursday through April 11.

domain: news


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Samsung’s Nougat beta program has represented a neat opportunity for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge to get their hands on Android Nougat before the final version is rolled out to everybody. The two smartphones are the only Samsung phones to run Android Nougat.
Up until now, Samsung released five versions of the Android 7.0 beta firmware for the two smartphones and several reports have revealed that the company might be ending the program soon.
It might seem that the fifth update was the last, considering a post on Weibo which was shared by a tester on Samsung’s beta community, according to SamMobile.
The final version of Nougat could be rolled soon, but Samsung users shouldn’t get too excited since the company still needs a couple of weeks to complete the certification stage before starting to push out the software.


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Here is a list of the day’s latest China real estate news collected from around the web:
Local governments are expected to roll out additional tightening measures to temper property sales and price growth in the next 12 months, Moody’s Investors Service said in a report on Thursday.
While the first-tier cities tightened their measures to dampen excessive price growth, the government of Wuhan, a city in central China, announced in November new tightening measures on home purchases, making it the first second-tier city to release tightening measures in recent months.
Subsequently, other cities, such as Hangzhou, Nanjing, Changsha, Shenyang and Nanchang, also announced new measures to control price growth.
China Vanke, one of China’s few investment-grade property developers, issued a 1 billion yuan (HK$1.26 billion) dim sum bond on Wednesday night, according to a term sheet seen by the South China Morning Post.
The deal drew 2.5 billion yuan in orders from 69 accounts.
The senior, unsecured five-year bond was priced at par with a coupon of 4.5 per cent.
Zhong An Real Estate Limited (“Zhong An” or the “Group”; stock code: 672.HK), one of the leading PRC property developers in the Yangtze River Delta region, is pleased to announce that, on 26 November 2013, the Group entered into a cooperation agreement with Tonglu County Fengchuan Office for the development of Xiaoyuanshan Valley into China Wellness Valley which will integrate tourism, leisure, vacation, wellness, senior care and medical treatment. Meanwhile, to build a town of health preservation valley, eco-tourism, leisure and other features style in Fengchuan town, the location of the project, would greatly accelerate the development of small towns.
China retailers have to move nimbly to solidify their positions or risk being squeezed out of the market, according to Fitch Ratings.
The rating agency says that while China’s retail market continues to expand, growth opportunities have moved out of the first- and second-tier cities into less developed cities and online shopping sites.
Hong Kong-based Michelle Leong and Korea-based Jeong Min Pak of Fitch Ratings’ industrial team discussed the threat of saturation and e-commerce in China’s retail sector and the macroeconomic trends that will affect the industry over the longer term.
Foreign buyers accounted for 60% to 65% of all the retail real estate and half of all the office buildings sold in downtown Vancouver over the past 15 months, according to survey by CBRE, which looked at all sales priced at $50 million or less.
Nearly all of these buyers came from mainland China or the Middle East, said Jim Szabo, vice-chairman of the national investment team at CBRE, a Vancouver commercial real estate firm.
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The meme-inspired cryptocurrency Dogecoin (DOGE 5.82%) has been one of the big investing stories of the year, rising from half a penny to more than $0.72 at its height earlier this year for an incredible gain of 14,300%. But like most other cryptocurrencies, Dogecoin has seen its price drop and is now back down to around $0.25.
While the frenzy behind Dogecoin has subsided somewhat, could this be a good time to buy the dip before its next big run? Let's take a look.
Not a particularly special crypto
Started as a joke by two software engineers in 2013, Dogecoin is often called a meme cryptocurrency -- it was actually inspired by a meme that was popular in 2010 of a Shiba Inu, a breed of Japanese hunting dog. That's why you may see the Shiba Inu frequently associated with the cryptocurrency.
But the problem with Dogecoin is that it currently doesn't offer any significant differentiation from other cryptocurrencies like bitcoin, the pioneer of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology. Yes, Dogecoin tokens can be sent instantaneously to anyone on the internet without a bank having to facilitate the transaction, and yes, it is transacted on a decentralized network -- but so are lots of cryptocurrencies.
As a payments platform, Dogecoin doesn't really stand out either. It can process roughly 40 transactions per second and 50,000 transactions per day. That's actually faster than the likes of bitcoin and Ether, but it's nowhere near industry-leading and does not beat traditional payments companies either. The XRP ledger can process 1,500 transactions per second, while the traditional payments company Visa can handle 1,700 transactions per second (and in theory could handle tens of thousands transactions per second).
There are other cons to Dogecoin as well. There isn't a finite amount like bitcoin with its 21 million tokens. Instead, there are 129.5 billion tokens in circulation and counting. And other than payments, which most cryptocurrencies offer, it doesn't have any unique real-world utility like Ethereum with its smart contracts, or Theta Token with its ability to improve video streaming.
What's the case for Dogecoin?
If there is one big thing Dogecoin has going, it's the fun nature of the meme-inspired cryptocurrency, which has essentially turned it into a marketing machine. That Shiba Inu mascot on Dogecoin is unique in that it really has used the power of the internet -- and the power of memes -- to grow and build a community.
Celebrities like Tesla CEO Elon Musk and billionaire investor Mark Cuban have latched onto Dogecoin and pumped it wildly among their massive social media followings. This has benefited Dogecoin -- especially the relationship with Musk, who has teamed up with Dogecoin developers to make technical improvements to the blockchain. A recent upgrade proposal by Musk and the developers, for instance, would drastically reduce Dogecoin fees by 90% if passed. It's hard to ignore the impact influencers, social media buzz, and going viral can have on stocks today -- just look at GameStop. This kind of buzz can be hard to replicate.
"If there becomes enough of a community around an asset, and that community decides to effectively create long-term value through some form of declining supply cap over time, that could actually equate to a valuable currency," Mike Bucella, a general partner at BlockTower Capital, said earlier this year in regards to Dogecoin.
I'd argue that this has already happened in some regards. Dogecoin has gone from a joke to the sixth-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, and it now essentially moves with bitcoin and the wider cryptocurrency market in terms of trading.
While the bitcoin and Dogecoin charts aren't identical, they have more or less moved on a similar trajectory, which is not uncommon for cryptocurrencies in general. But this does mean that however useless Dogecoin might be, it could continue to move with the broader cryptocurrency market.
Buy the dip?
While Dogecoin may follow the trend of other cryptocurrencies, and I am sure it will rise at some point from current levels, I cannot recommend buying the dip when there are so many crypto options out there with better functionality and potential for future utility. This narrative could change if Dogecoin can continue to grow and foster the community that led to its meteoric rise in the first place, or if Musk and the developers upgrade the blockchain to a point where it has a real advantage over the majority of other cryptocurrencies. But until there is more proof of this, other than the small amount of Dogecoin I acquired a while ago for fun, I am going to stay on the sidelines during this recent dip.


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Yesterday, Hyundai Motor India announced the sale of over one million made-in-India SUVs across domestic and export markets. Currently, the Korean carmaker's SUV lineup in India consists of the Venue sub-compact SUV, the Creta compact-SUV, the Tucson mid-size SUV and the Kona Electric SUV - some of which are also exported to markets abroad. In fact, Hyundai will soon be expanding its SUV lineup in India even further with the launch of the new Alcazar three-row mid size SUV, and that will complete the carmaker's SUV portfolio in India.
What is currently a complete portfolio across various sizes and segments once had very humble beginnings. Hyundai's SUV journey in India began with the Terracan in 2003, but that was positioned at the premium end of the market and didn't bring in much volumes. The Terracan then paved way for the Santa Fe and the first-generation Tucson, but even these continued to be positioned at the premium end of SUV segment. While the first-gen Tucson also failed to make it's mark in India, the Santa Fe tuned out to be fairly popular and was offered for quite some time and across a couple of generation.
However, it was the Hyundai Creta, first launched in 2015, that really made Hyundai a name to reckon with in the SUV segment. The Hyundai Creta has been the brand's top-selling SUV in India, with a cumulative sales record of 5.9 lakh units in the domestic market and over 2.2 lakh units in the export market. Just like the first-generation model, the second-gen Creta - launched in March 2020 - continues to be the compact-SUV segment leader by quite a fair margin. In fact, it is primarily the Creta that has contributed to the 1 million sales figure.
Apart from the Creta, the Venue sub-compact SUV too has been a great success for Hyundai in India and abroad. It has consistently been among the top-selling models in its class. The company has already sold over 1.8 lakh units of the model in the domestic market. Launched in 2019, the Venue is the most affordable SUV in Hyundai's lineup and its affordability explains such high sales number in such a short period of time. It wasn't until the arrival of the Creta and the Venue that the company has been extremely active in the SUV segment.
Commenting on the landmark achievement, Tarun Garg, Director (Sales, Marketing & Service), Hyundai Motor India, said,
"We are extremely grateful for the love and trust our customers have presented in Hyundai branded SUVs. As frontrunners in the introduction of revolutionary technologies, we continue to establish new milestones and redefine benchmarks across segments. With over 1 Million cumulative SUV sales in domestic and export markets, we have reiterated the promise of Make-in-India over nearly two and a half decades of our presence in India. This achievement also epitomises our manufacturing excellence and the unconditional admiration for the Hyundai brand in India. Our journey towards SUV leadership was initiated by brands such as Tucson, Santa Fe and Terracan. Now we have witnessed exponential growth in the segment with the launch of contemporary brands like Creta and Venue that have quickly gone on to become well-established household names."


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The Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT) has announced plans to double its budget for advertising abroad by increasing the tourism charge on airfare for foreigners.
Tourism Minister Carlos Benavides, who argues that Costa Rica must take aggressive steps to strengthen its tourism industry (TT, May 19), told the daily La Nación during an event to promote the country in Munich, Germany, that the initiative could provide the ICT with $20 million in additional income each year. The funds would be used to continue the ICT’s strong promotion campaign in the United States and improve its campaign in Europe, he said.
“The investment could seem very high if we look at it in the national context, but it’s ridiculous in comparison to what our competitors do,” he told the daily.
He added that the institute has already begun talking to Legislative Assembly members regarding the possibility of legislation to increase the airfare tax, currently at 5%, and eliminate the 3% hotel tax – with which, according to the minister, hotels comply only 50% of the time.
Benavides was attending the closing ceremony of the “Costa Rica Arena” exhibit, held at a Munich museum to promote Costa Rican art, culture, food and products during the World Cup soccer tournament (TT,May 26).


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It happens each time there is talk that Apple is preparing to enter a new product category: industry leaders issue the standard statement that they’re unfazed by potential Apple competition because 1) Apple makes computers and 2) this is their turf, their expertise.
Almost like fulfilling the prophecy, head of Mercedes-Benz cars Dieter Zetsche recently did just that while discussing the rumor with Australian publication motoring.com.au:
“If there were a rumour that Mercedes or Daimler planned to start building smartphones then they (Apple) would not be sleepless at night. And the same applies to me.”
Zetsche added that his position in saying that Apple building a car would be like Mercedes building a smartphone is “full of respect” for the iPhone maker. expand full story


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(PRWEB) November 07, 2012
On Nov. 5, 2012, Merle Dress, one of the leading wedding dress online suppliers, released its evening dresses 2013 collection after two months’ careful preparation.
Since Merle Dress launched its evening dresses 2012 series in July, the market response has been unbelievably good. According to Donnie Terry, CEO of Merle Dress, the turnover of evening dresses in 2012 is expected to be twice than 2011.
The followings are some details of the new Merle Dress collection:
◆ High-quality comfortable fabrics,
◆ Fine sparkling beads, to make the dress look more elegant,
◆ Exquisite embroidery, to help the dresses more shining,
◆ Proper ruching,
◆ Nice-looking appliques, the soul of a dress,
◆ Fine lining and boning.
Donnie Terry, CEO of Merle Dress, said, “Many customers find Merle Dress at weheartit.com. Yes, you can know more about us through the Merle Dress Video on YouTube. The Christmas and New Year 2013 are coming, and they are the most important festivals for every business. We hope we can expand our business and maximize our market potential in the coming two months.”
"With all our growth and development, it just felt like the right time to give something back to our customers. Furthermore, we have a money-back guarantee, which provides customers a risk-free way of trying out any of our amazing dresses." Continued Donnie Terry.
About Merle Dress
MerleDress.com is the leading supplier of wedding dresses, evening dresses, special-occasion dresses, and wedding dress accessories from China. Merle Dress started with a basic idea of helping women dress better and is now famous for its outstanding quality in fabric, materials, and fit without the inconvenience and costs of traditional bridal boutiques and retailers.
For more fashion tips, please visit: http://www.merledress.com/


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One of the biggest buzz of this year is about to come true. Come June 2014 and you did be able to see yet another Internet giant joining the arenaread more...
AT&T Confirms the next iPhone to be Launched in June
We expected that Apple will unveils the iPhone 4G on June, But now some reports from BGR that AT&T has confirmed to it’s employees that there will be a new iPhone and it will hit the stores this June.
Here’s the report from BGR:
Title says it all, but you didn’t really need a confirmation, did you? The phone will be available for purchase in June, not July, and from what we’ve heard, it won’t even be late June
They also saying that it won’t even be late June, it seems like it will be Launched nearly in the next 2 Weeks, hope we see more about the iPhone 4G. [via iThinkdiff] – [Sorry iamhassan for dismiss]


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Big Time Rush makes a mad dash away from their screaming fans on the latest cover of Parade mag.
The guys opened up in the glossy (which comes in newspapers this weekend) about their fans and music.
“The second [album] time around we were like, ‘This is our band. We should be contributing to what it is,’” James said.
Kendall added, “We also decided, ‘Hey, we’re grown men. We can pick out our own shoes for the cover.’”
And their fans are super special to them. “For us to even say hi to someone, to change their day around or change something inside of them—that’s a pretty cool feeling,” Logan dished.
Want more on BTR? Head on over to Parade.com.
Bigger cover inside…


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WELCOME TO The THE INTERNET OF THINGS REPORT
Feature market insights and perspectives from top C-Level executives, elite technology influencers and thought leaders from your company here. This signature initiative has garnered immense support...
Variscite, Sequitur Labs | September 30, 2021
Variscite, a leading worldwide System on Module vendor in the embedded market, announced a new partnership with Sequitur Labs, a leading security company providing a complete chip-to-cloud software solution for secure device design, manufacturing, and lifecycle management.
The collaboration aims to deliver a complete security solution for customers using Variscite's i.MX8 based System on Module (SoM) for IoT and Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications.
Pluribus Networks | May 04, 2020
Pluribus Networks, the leader in open networking and controllerless software-defined networking (SDN) automation, announced the immediate availability of the Pluribus IoT Video Security Fabric.
The IoT Video Security Fabric also incorporate...
IoT Business News | March 27, 2020
IoTerop will now sit on the same table as ARM, AT&T, Ericsson, Itron, Qualcomm, and T-Mobile.
From April 20 – 24 the OMA will hold its bi-annual LwM2M TestFest.
SOFTWARE AND TOOLS
Elliptic Labs | December 13, 2021
Elliptic Labs, a global AI software company and the world leader in AI Virtual Smart SensorsTM, has signed a license agreement with a new Asia-based smartphone manufacturer. This agreement covers licenses for seven upcoming smartphone models to utilize Elliptic Labs’ AI Virtual Proximity SensorTM INNER BEAUTY®.
As a software-only “Virtual Smart Sensor” solution, Elliptic Labs’ AI Virtual Proximity Sensor delivers robust proximity-detection functionality...
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Why is it that in this new era of customer service automation technology have our customers become alienated and enraged instead of engaged? Why has rampant customer dissatisfaction become the new normal?
“Rebooting” the customer experience is not about “rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.” It’s an opportunity for us to re-envision how we can leverage technology to attract, service, satisfy and yes — perhaps even delight customers.
The February 2011 Cutter IT Journal seeks to unveil the solutions to a better customer experience. Proposals of interest are due 2 December. To respond, please visit http://www.cutter.com/content-and-analysis/journals-and-reports/cutter-it-journal/callforpapers01.html


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WASHINGTON — Three U.S. senators on Thursday said Amazon.com Inc should stop working with delivery contractors that violate labor laws by imposing unfair conditions on drivers delivering packages for the e-commerce company.
The senators, in a letter https://bit.ly/2lSfcDP to Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bezos, responded to reports that alleged Amazon pressured contractors and more broadly avoided regulatory scrutiny.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
Amazon said in a statement it had taken steps to ensure “a strong safety and labor compliance record across our transportation network of employees and contractors, and we continue to drive improvements that benefit our transportation providers, our customers and the public.”
The company added it has “strict requirements for safety and labor wages and working conditions that meet or exceed the law. We also require comprehensive insurance, competitive wages, working hours and numerous other safeguards for our delivery service providers and regularly audit to ensure compliance.”


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BP has lots of self-inflicted wounds from the Gulf oil disaster.
As it tries to repair its tarnished reputation, should it change the name of its gas stations?
Associated Press is reporting that BP station owners across the country are divided over whether the oil giant should rebrand U.S. outlets as Amoco or another name.
Some who have seen their sales plunge say BP has already sought a fresh start by naming an American to replace its gaffe-prone British CEO, AP writes. So why not change the name on gas stations marquees as a further symbol of that culture shift?
Others worry that a name change is a big deal that is risky given all the marketing dollars already spent building up the BP brand. They also believe a successful turnaround with the existing brand will have a bigger payoff, AP reports.
What do you think? Should BP try to get a fresh start with a new name? Will it do any good? Will it make any difference to you?
For instant updates, follow


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'Mango Mango' Mango Preserves has been awarded the title of People's Choice by the Specialty Food Association.
Over 140 food entrepreneurs competed for the title from the international organization of more than 3,000 members, according to a news release.
'Mango Mango' Mango Preserves appeared on the ABC TV show "Shark Tank" to pitch its product to investors. 'Mango Mango' is sold online, in Mid-Atlantic Whole Foods grocery stores and will soon be on the QVC shopping channel.
The business opened its new headquarters and fulfillment center at 320 Old Hampton Lane in downtown Hampton earler this year.


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Nintendo announced yesterday that Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow versions would be coming to the 3DS via the eShop on February 26th, the 20-year anniversary of their original Japanese release (Yellow was released two and a half years later, on September 12, 1998).
This news initially got our seven year old selves racing with joy, but it dissipated quickly when we realized just how poorly these games have aged. Unfortunately, between playing the games on original Game Boy cartridges (we still have one, though a dead battery means we can’t save anything) and watching speed runs on YouTube, the very first Pokémon games leave a lot to be desired.
When they were first released, these games were a marvel because they were not only playable in short bursts but equally playable for long stretches, making it easy to lose hours on a Saturday (or during school, if we’re being totally honest) to the world of Kanto. Graphically, at the time we didn’t know any better. But with games like Pokémon X and Y making the rounds, not to mention the remakes we’ve come to expect from The Pokémon Company such as Fire Red and Leaf Green or Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, the original games are little more than vessels of nostalgia.
Looking at the games through rose-coloured glasses, we all thought they’d still look amazing, but here’s what the game actually looks like. Eww.
Nintendo has said that they’ll be updating the titles to include wireless connectivity for trading Pokémon (there’s nowhere to stick a link cable, not that anyone has one), but that they’d otherwise be preserving the experience to run exactly as it did on the very first Game Boy in the mid-90s.
No pricing has been released as of yet, but we expect the games to cost anywhere between $5 and $10. Anything more and Nintendo is pricing themselves out of the market; anything less, and they’re likely losing out on a bit of revenue.
We’ll have a full review of the games when they launch next February, but don’t expect much beyond it being a nostalgia-ridden journey that, unfortunately, doesn’t hold up very well over time.


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Everyone thinks that their local spot is the greatest and now there's an opportunity to prove it. Mott's Clamato is running a competition to find the best caesar in Canada and the winner gets $25,000.
Not only can you nominate your favourite spot, but you also get to vote on which bar or restaurant in the country deserves the title of "Best Caesar in Town" and the cash prize that comes with it.
Until June 17, Canadians can nominate their favourite local bars and restaurants that make killer caesars. If a spot gets at least five nominations, they'll move onto the semi-finals and then a panel of judges will select 10 finalists.
From July 8 to August 4, everyone will be able to watch videos of the finalists sharing their recipes and then choose which one is truly the best version of the classic Canadian drink.
The official winner will be publicly announced on August 30, ending the debate — at least for this year — about which caesar reigns supreme.


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The central banks of Israel, Norway and Sweden are collaborating with the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) to explore the usage of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) for international retail and remittance payments.
The BIS is an association of 61 central banks from around the world.
The BIS has innovation hubs set up in multiple locations focused on exploring the applications of new financial technologies including CBDCs, which are digital versions of countries’ sovereign currencies.
The new collaboration, called Project Icebreaker, involves the BIS Innovation Hub’s Nordic Centre.
Project Icebreaker will test key functions and technical aspects of interlinking different domestic CBDC systems.
The International Monetary Fund has said CBDCs could cut costs for international payments while
Earlier this week, the BIS Innovation Hub announced the success of a project involving multiple Asian CBDCs that facilitated over $22 million in foreign-exchange transactions.
Project Icebreaker will test near-instant retail CBDC payments across borders at lower costs. A final report on the project is expected in the first quarter of 2023.


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Top 5 DSPs of 2021, Syntax Highlights Growth at Amazon, YouTube
January 10, 2022
If you’re tuned in to your favorite artist’s social media feed, it’s likely that you’ll mostly see mentions of Spotify and Apple.
While Spotify and Apple are always extremely valued partners of ours, In 2021 we saw significant growth from Amazon and YouTube.
2021 Revenue Share:
All others (combined): 6%
For Syntax Creative, Amazon and Spotify are tied for the second-highest market share. This is significant since the publically published number of subscribers suggests that Spotify is around three times the market share of Amazon for the wider music industry, and has the number one position putting Apple in second place.
“While it’s known that Country and Christian skew higher at Amazon, it’s also likely that the ability to ‘set it and forget it’ with smart speakers playing deeper catalog such as lullabies for babies or classical music for ambiance has attributed to this increase,” commented Timothy Trudeau, CEO of Syntax Creative.
Like Apple, in 2021 Amazon expanded their HD Audio options to a much wider audience, claiming a 20x expansion from their original soft-launch in 2019.
Between the continued growth and the recent addition of a pitching tool to Amazon Music for Artists, we’re expecting to see more people begin to include Amazon in their release strategy.
Coming in at third place, YouTube is another often-forgotten but sincere contender. We’re hoping artists begin to incorporate them into their marketing efforts as well. While publicly published numbers suggest YouTube has around 8% of the market overall market, for us that number is doubled.
“Like Amazon, I would attribute the success of our catalog at YouTube to the passive listener,” said Trudeau. “People who know what song or a genre they like and let the algorithm serve them up fresh tunes like a personal assistant. This is in contrast with the average Spotify or Apple user who I believe is more of an active listener—curating their own experience.”
Things may be getting a little more crowded at the top. We’ll be watching throughout the year, and report back to you with how everyone fared.


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Fiat hit the mark when it introduced the 500 a decade back. It came 50 years after the previous 500 was available, and it managed to capture the hearts of lots of clients since then. The funky Fiat 500 supermini will apparently be replaced in 2019 by an all-new model that might feature hybrid technology to enhance its fuel performance. Read on for complete details and our unique render of this upcoming rival to the Mini hatchback.
2019 Fiat 500 Design
The new car isn’t expected to look drastically various to the outbound model– it’ll probably retain the cutesy retro look that helped make the present 500 so popular. Its interior should likewise feature a comparable ’60s vibe to the existing car with a more current infotainment screen, a subtly revised dashboard and brand-new trim pieces and products.
2019 Fiat 500 Engine
The upcoming 2019 model will probably drop the current 500’s 1.2-litre gas engine in favour of an all-new system increased by a compact electric motor and a 48V electrical system. Two-cylinder Twinair petrol versions and a diesel model are also anticipated to be provided when the new car goes on sale.
In an effort to reduce hazardous NOx emissions, Fiat Chrysler manager Sergio Marchionne is looking at cleaner and more fuel effective powertrain choices for vehicles throughout the variety. While these will consist of plug-in hybrids on high-end luxury models from Alfa Romeo and Maserati, the Group’s tiniest cars will embrace a more economical technique.
2019 Fiat 500 Price and Release Date
Fiat hasn’t revealed when the new 500 will hit UK display rooms however order books are anticipated to open in 2019. A variety of basic petrol and diesel models must cost roughly the like the outgoing ₤ 11,350 car while brand-new hybrid versions might cost closer to ₤ 19,000. We might have to wait up until 2020 to see a high-performance Abarth variation in display rooms, nevertheless.
Incoming search terms:
- 2019 fiat 500
- フィアット アバルト


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Microsoft’s new Surface Pro has an unexpected Hibernation Problem
In spite of the great reception of the new Surface Pro, Microsoft has all the earmarks of being authoritatively unequipped for releasing a Surface without a sleep related issue, and the new Surface Pro is no special case to that rule.
We already wound up plainly mindful of few users of new Surface Pro, who revealed Surface sleep issues only 5 days after the gadget ended up plainly accessible, with the gadget going to rest while being used – bringing about lost work and user dissatisfaction.
The Issue is Real
In an announcement on the Microsoft string, a Microsoft rep noted,
“We are aware of a small group of customers reporting a scenario with their new Surface Pro in which the device inadvertently hibernates. We are investigating this issue.”
An arbitrator on the sub (MVP Barb Bowman) who helped thankful users manage the Surface Pro 3 and Surface Pro 4 battery issues has issued her own informal counsel, users who have this issue should restore their new Surface Pro at the earliest opportunity for a refund or substitution.
Lack of Quality Assurance
Microsoft’s Surfaces have been inclined to equipment issues as noted above, and the firm has been similarly ease back to issue fixes, with the Surface Pro 4 just being settled after a large portion of a time of issues, and the Surface Pro 3 getting a 1-2 punch of continuous battery issues. These gadgets are costly, beginning from just shy of $1000 and going over $2000, issues like these are not expected at the extreme costs – particularly since different OEMs offer correspondingly specced, more dependable gadgets at bring down costs.
Already, the issues with the Surface Book and Surface Pro 4 were credited to the Skylake stage (in spite of no different Windows PCs showing this in any noteworthy numbers), with the new Surface Pro encountering this issue too, maybe Microsoft needs to investigate its quality control, division.
Huge Names, Huge Mistakes
The official statement from Microsoft is still to come regarding this issue. However, this rather disappoint me that how these giants make such blunders repeatedly and keep their customers frustrated. The time has come when these companies have to put some extra penny on quality assurance and overall serviceability.


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New internet service from 3M quickly and accurately predicts the visual impact of creative work. 3M today announced the launch of its new Visual Attention Service (VAS), using the Windows Azure platform from Microsoft. The new Web-based service from 3M makes it possible for designers to test the effectiveness of their content using visual attention models which are based on algorithms that predict where a viewer’s attention will go in a scene. The technology has potentially significant applications in advertising and in particular POS.
Photos, creative content, packaging concepts and all manner of creative media can be evaluated in different scenes or contexts. Users simply upload images to VAS from their web browsers. Then application’s processing engine evaluates the image for its “visual saliency” and returns a map of the image that indicates, using markings such as those seen on a heat map, which areas of the images are most likely to attract viewer attention.


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One in five deaths worldwide in 2017 were linked to people eating poor diets high in sugar, salt and processed meat that contributed to heart disease, cancer and diabetes, a global study has found.
The research, published in the Lancet medical journal, found that among 195 countries studied, the proportion of diet-related deaths was highest in Uzbekistan and lowest in Israel.
In a breakdown of diet-related deaths, the Global Burden of Disease study found that of the 11 million in 2017, almost 10 million were from cardiovascular diseases; around 913,000 from cancer; and almost 339,000 from type 2 diabetes.
Consumption of healthier foods such as nuts and seeds, milk and whole grains was on average too low, and people consumed too many sugary drinks and too much processed meat and salt.
Chris Murray, director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, which led the work, said it “affirms what many have thought for several years”.
“Poor diet is responsible for more deaths than any other risk factor in the world,” he said.
“Our assessment suggests the leading dietary risk factors are high intake of sodium, or low intake of healthy foods, such as whole grains, fruit, nuts and seeds and vegetables.”
The study said that, in 2017, people ate only 12 percent of the recommended amount of nuts and seeds – an average intake of three grams a day, compared with the recommended 21g – and drank more than 10 times the recommended amount of sugary drinks.
Diets high in sugar, salt and bad fats are known risk factors for heart disease, stroke, diabetes and many types of cancer.
The global diet also included less than a quarter of the recommended amount of whole grains – at 29g average intake a day compared with the recommended 125g – and almost double the recommended amount of processed meat – at around four grammes average intake a day compared with the two grammes recommended.
In January, a consortium of three dozen researchers called for a dramatic shift in the way the world eats.
The report said that the global population must eat roughly half as much red meat and sugar and twice as many vegetables, fruits and nuts in order to avert a worldwide obesity epidemic and avoid “catastrophic” climate change.
The authors also noted that economic inequality was a factor in poor dietary choices in many countries.
The report found that on average, reaching the “five-a-day” fruit and vegetable servings advocated by doctors cost just two percent of household income in rich nations, but more than a half of household income in poorer ones.
“This study gives us good evidence of what to target to improve diets, and therefore health, at the global and national level,” said Oyinlola Oyebode, an associate professor at Warwick Medical School, who was not involved in the research.
“The lack of fruit, vegetables and whole grains in diets across the world are very important, but the other dietary factor highlighted by this study is the high intake of sodium.”
Annual deaths related to diet have increased from eight million in 1990, but the researchers said this was largely due to increases in population and population ageing.


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The Force Awakens is going to be a major IMAX 3D release in December, so big that it’s said to play on IMAX screens for a full month. Even though only one scene in the entire movie takes advantage of the IMAX format, it’s definitely the best way to see the new Star Wars movie.
IMAX.com has begun listing showtimes for The Force Awakens ahead of tickets going on sale this coming Monday. Yesterday they began with some East Coast IMAX theaters, but now theaters on the West Coast have begun to show up:
Clicking through the links take you to a dead Fandango page, which means IMAX may have jumped the gun a little bit and theaters aren’t yet ready to begin selling tickets ahead of Monday’s big announcement.


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The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has granted online retailer Infibeam an in-principle licence to launch B2B payment service in the country.
The company will enable corporates to pay their utility bills and other invoices by integrating its B2B payments capabilities into its existing CCAvenue payments platform.
The company is also planning to integrate the Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS) into the payments platform.
Infibeam has already initiated signing up agents for this business and is expected to shortly launch its new B2B app.
Recently, the Government of India selected Infibeam and its Chennai-based consortium partner Intellect as a B2G service provider by to run the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal, which will fulfill the all the procurement needs of central and the state governments.


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HP's TouchPad Tablet to Be Launched in July
| by Anuradha Shetty |
The burgeoning global tablet space will make way for yet another player, this time from HP’s camp, the TouchPad. According to HP, the TouchPad will be made available in the U.S. beginning from July 1. By mid-July, the tablet will be up for grabs in United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Germany and Canada. Italy, Spain, Australia, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Singapore will see the TouchPad reach their shores, later this year.
09 Dec, 2013, 01:00 PM
07 Dec, 2013, 05:53 PM
07 Dec, 2013, 02:18 PM
Here's a quick comparison of the Nexus 7 (2013) and iPad mini with...
Looking for tablets under Rs 10,000? Here are five options...
We bring you our pick of the top five tablets under Rs 20,000...
Wed Dec 11, 00:26:29
Wed Dec 11, 00:12:45
Tue Dec 10, 23:31:42


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Thank you, I've already joined Cointelegraph on Facebook!
Receive all Cointelegraph news immediately in Telegram.
Bitcoin users in Japan can now pay their electric bills with their favourite cryptocurrency and save money as well.
The United States House of Representatives has passed a nonbinding bill calling for a domestic policy demonstrating support toward digital currencies and the Blockchain technologies.
In the last week of January, Argentina-based operator enBitcoins expanded its services to Mexico
Bitcoin utility payments are not very popular at the moment. Most such services are designed for users that are already familiar with Bitcoin.
Africans rarely use Bitcoin payment services as they don’t trust Bitcoin as a currency.
Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine will review the bill defining the legal status of Bitcoin. Allegedly, it will be submitted in January, 2016.
As someone who's gotten two mothers to use Bitcoin, I thought I'd offer up a few tips on what seems to entice the maternal amongst us.
It's getting easier and easier to pay your day-to-day expenses in cryptocurrency. Now you can add to the list gas, electric, cable, and cell phone bills.
Turns out that paying for your rent and other utilities with bitcoin is every easy with a private and simple method that has been right under our noses.
A bill placed before the North Carolina Senate could see the Old North State implement mandatory licensing for companies operating with digital currency.
The Californian state assembly is considering legislation that would require all “virtual currency” businesses to acquire a US$5,000 license to operate legally.
CISA (Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015) easily passed through the U.S. Senate’s vote on Tuesday, creating a new avenue for consumer data sharing that benefits anti-privacy entities like the NSA
NordOvest Energie, a Turin-based utility company that supplies electricity and gas to Italian households and companies, has partnered with local startup Tinkl.it to enable consumers to pay their bills with bitcoins.
United States Representative Steve Stockman (R-Texas) kept his promise and recently introduced a bill in Congress that would not only extend substantial protections to cryptocurrencies, but would also require that cryptocurrencies be classified as a “currency.”
When Daniel Alexiuc launched Living Room of Satoshi as a one-man bill paying service in May of this year, he did so with one goal: to make Bitcoin more useful for more people. He charged zero fees and simply paid people’s fiat-only bills for them, in return for the same amount in Bitcoin.
A new bill paying cryptocurrency platform wins “Best Pitch” at Banking Industry “Startup Showdown”
Igot.com announced on its Facebook page on September 11 that it had introduced a new bill-payment feature for users in New Zealand and Australia that would allow those customers to pay things such as rent, utility bills and council rates in bitcoin.
The California State Senate and Assembly passed a bill in early September that amends the state’s Money Transmission Act.
Canadian startup YesToBitcoins.com announces a new service that allows local users to pay their credit cards bills using the digital currency.
Ross William Ulbricht, the person who was in charge of the Silk Road website, should not be charged with money laundering, according to his attorney, Joshua Dratel, who stated that Bitcoin are property and not real currency citing the IRS’ recent ruling.
A bill aimed at getting the state of Utah to accept bitcoin for states services passes its first reading in the Senate. The bill has now passed its first Senate reading having already passed through the House of Representatives with a slim majority of 38 Yes votes against 36 No's.
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The BurgerFication of the Nation that began in Florida continues, as the all-natural burger franchise BurgerFi opens the doors to its first New York City location in February 2013 on 1571 Second Avenue (at East 82nd Street).
BurgerFi brings a modern and healthy twist to the classic favorite roadside burger stand of the ’50s and ’60s, serving food made from all-natural ingredients in a fast-casual environment that features environmentally sustainable elements like recycled furniture and fans that use 66 percent less electricity. BurgerFi has reinvented the burger from the ground up, standing apart from other “better burger” franchises. BurgerFi burgers are made from all-natural Angus beef from cattle that are humanely raised, 100 percent antibiotic- and hormone-free, and sustainably farmed. The made-to-order menu also includes a tremendous variety of specialty items like Wagyu Kobe beef hot dogs, daily prepared vegetarian quinoa burgers, hand-cut fries and onion rings, a variety of specialty toppings, gluten-free options, frozen custards, natural cane sugar sodas, craft beer and wine, and more.
"I’m thrilled that BurgerFi will have a presence in New York City and become part of the city’s tremendous food culture,” says Nick King, chief operating officer at BurgerFi International. “BurgerFi believes our ‘farm to tray’ approach—better for both our customers and the environment—as well as our delicious variety of food and unique dining experience are all components that diners feel good about, and keeps them coming back for more.”
The BurgerFi philosophy is “all natural tastes better,” and New York City customers will be able to get a taste in February. The franchise also offers online ordering via its website at www.burgerfi.com. The BurgerFi opening in New York City is the first of two planned Manhattan locations, and will put the franchise one step closer to having 16 locations open by the end of February, with more than 60 total restaurants set to be opened nationwide by the end of 2013.


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COVID-19 has brought major shifts in how products are consumed, forcing consumer-goods companies to adapt in absorbing the variations in demand that resulted. Yet even though the pandemic’s specific dislocations were unprecedented, disruption is becoming all too familiar. Our colleagues’ research estimates that disruptions lasting a month or longer now occur every 3.7 years, on average, with a cumulative cost to consumer-goods companies of one-third a year’s earnings every decade.
While many companies found they could handle short surges in demand for a specific product, on the whole, consumer-goods supply chains have proved vulnerable to shocks. Several factors have contributed to their vulnerability during the pandemic.
Geographically concentrated production in some consumer subsectors has enabled companies to enjoy economies of scale and hone their expertise—but it has also led to bottlenecks when shocks occur. Health emergencies, natural disasters, and localized conflicts can cause shortages that snarl an entire production network. When COVID-19 struck, many consumer-goods companies came to the abrupt realization that some of their critical inputs were single-sourced, further amplifying risk.
COVID-19 has also increased costs for consumer-goods companies. From guaranteeing the safety of their operations and employees to reacting to increased pressure from retailers on service levels, the pandemic has necessitated often costly adjustments.
Although supply chains for consumer-related sectors tend to be more regionalized than those in other industries, the dynamics of commodities relied on by some industry segments, such as cosmetics, and global value chains, such as apparel, can expose them to a wide range of shocks (exhibit). Even sectors such as food and beverage, with more-localized value chains, have faced their own challenges. The relatively short shelf life of certain products means that even minor delays can cause spoilage.
Consumer behaviors have also shifted, with many changes likely to last well beyond the pandemic. For example, our colleagues’ research has shown that economic insecurity has led to increased price sensitivity. This has led to new shopping habits, including increased deal seeking, trading down to cheaper brands or private labels, and increasing use of value retailers.
We’ve also seen a rise in attention to wellness, leading to long-lasting changes in product selection and consumption. Healthy eating and investments in home exercise have endured through the pandemic, while heightened awareness of health risks has boosted the importance of hygiene in consumers’ daily lives.
Meanwhile, physical distancing has also led to increased consumption of online media and accelerated the evolution of e-commerce. Recent research shows how this has played out in the fashion industry, with companies vaulting five years forward in consumer and business adoption of digital since the onset of the pandemic in March 2020.
Five imperatives for ramping up resilience
In this environment, what actions can consumer-goods companies take to build resilience in their supply chains? In our experience, five steps stand out: creating end-to-end transparency, investing in digitization, improving communication and collaboration, embracing e-commerce, and building talent.
1. Creating end-to-end transparency: Enabling a comprehensive view of the supply chain through detailed subtier mapping is critical to identifying relationships that invite vulnerability. Without full transparency, companies may not recognize their reliance on suppliers in shock-prone regions.
2. Investing in digitization: Companies that invest in digitizing their supply chains can realize significant benefits in transparency, traceability, and agility. The up-front costs can prove worthwhile by increasing margins over the longer term.
3. Improving communication and collaboration: Strong communication and collaboration with both suppliers and customers have helped many businesses weather the storm. With retailers under increased pressure to keep shelves stocked and meet their customers’ demands, consistent, two-way communication has been critical for maintaining strong relationships and quelling any tensions early on.
4. Embracing e-commerce: For consumer-goods companies accustomed to working with a relatively small number of customers and distributors, the rapid shift to e-commerce has posed a challenge. The need to ship single units and introduce more-shippable product design has increased economic risk and reduced margins. Fully embracing e-commerce and thinking creatively about how to adapt product-design and distribution approaches are key to thriving in this context.
5. Building talent: The talent base within the consumer-goods supply chain is not designed to operate in this new environment. Whether creating teams of data scientists and engineers or leveraging skills internally, building new capabilities is an urgent imperative.
The essential ingredients for success
Over the past several months, some companies have successfully overcome the challenges posed by COVID-19 and built critical supply-chain resilience for the future. There are several drivers of success that have differentiated these companies from their peers.
They have focused on safety first, not only protecting their workforce from the spread of COVID-19 but also providing support to employees facing increased responsibilities at home. In times of crisis, a bit of empathy and flexibility can go a long way. Leaders who have been conscious of the challenges their teams face and accommodating of their personal needs have been able to maintain cohesion and high performance during a turbulent time.
They have cut portfolio complexity. Before the pandemic, consumer-goods companies were rapidly expanding their portfolios to capture shelf space and niche markets. This complexity has now become a vulnerability, demanding a return to basics. Some companies have worked closely with their customers and suppliers to simplify their portfolios and increase availability of high-volume items.
They introduced flexibility into their supply chains to allow them to cope with different demand and supply scenarios. For example, some food and beverage companies are developing alternative recipes should key ingredients become unavailable.
Finally, companies that have thrived during this challenging time have seized new opportunities caused by shifts in consumer behavior. They have reacted quickly and nimbly to changes in preferences and are continuing to look ahead to identify future trends.
The pandemic has tested many companies to the limit. And while COVID-19 has commanded the world’s attention, supply-chain shocks are becoming increasingly common. By investing in supply-chain resilience now, organizations have an opportunity to build critical agility into their supply chains, which will help them withstand not only the current crisis but also those to come.
This article originally appeared on LinkedIn.


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Japanese inflation hits 40-year high
Japan’s core consumer inflation benchmark hit a fresh four-decade high last month as companies continued to pass on rising costs to households, government data showed on Friday.
The nationwide consumer price index (CPI), which excludes volatile fresh food but includes energy costs, jumped 3.7% in November from a year ago, in line with market forecasts and up from a 3.6% gain in the previous month. It was the biggest rise since December 1981.
The data showed that, aside from utility bills, prices rose for a wide range of goods – from fried chicken, to smartphones, to air conditioners.
According to research firm Teikoku Data Bank, companies plan to hike prices for over 7,000 food products in the first four months of 2023. That’s more than double the number of the same period this year.
“We'll likely see a rush in price hikes next year that could be more intense than this year,” the research firm has warned, as companies face rising labor and distribution costs.
On Tuesday, the Bank of Japan (BOJ), the country’s central bank, surprised markets with a policy change, signaling that it could begin moving away from years of ultra loose policies aimed at spurring wages and prices higher.
The BOJ said it would loosen the tight limits it had imposed on bond yields, which could mean future interest rate increases. The bank’s governor, Haruhiko Kuroda, stated that the BOJ had no intention to roll back stimulus as inflation was set to slow below 2% next year.
Japan’s economy unexpectedly contracted an annualized 0.8% in the third quarter of 2022 amid global recession concerns and higher import costs weighing on consumers and businesses.
For more stories on economy & finance visit RT's business section


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Last year, Netflix proudly announced the release of the new Israeli series Bros on its service. However, since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, the streaming giant decided to release the series in a limited announcement.
The series, created by Hanan Savyon and Guy Amir, was filmed in Israel, Poland, and Georgia, and revolves around the dramatic story of the Beitar Jerusalem soccer team in Europe.
The production of the series was kept secret until Netflix's official announcement at the beginning of last year. Originally scheduled for release in October, it was inevitably postponed due to the brutal massacre by Hamas terrorists on October 7.
Initially, Netflix announced the series would be marketed to 190 countries. However, since the start of the war, an English trailer has yet to be produced for the series, and there have been no interviews with international media outlets for the show unlike promotions for other Israeli series including Hit and Run created by Lior Raz and Avi Issacharoff,. It's worth noting that Hit and Run, produced specifically for Netflix, was launched during the COVID-19 pandemic in a global premier.
Netflix had hoped to launch Bros back in January. However, this date was also postponed, and the series is only now being released in a toned-down manner aimed mainly at the Israeli audience of the service.
Netflix had planned large international launches for the series and had begun discussions on the matter before the start of the war. However, a limited premiere will take place in Israel instead. "It's frustrating," a production insider told Ynet, "We made a series for a global Netflix audience, but instead of announcing its release worldwide and showcasing Israeli creativity, Netflix is hiding it."
Another source added, "To my understanding, it's because of the current hostility toward us worldwide. Netflix doesn't want to get into trouble or upset anyone because of the war."
During new show releases, Netflix usually produces trailers to appear on their official YouTube channel. However, the preview for the Israeli series wasn't uploaded, unlike other new series being released.


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Gratomic Inc. CBULF has inked a deal with Forge Nano, Inc., a leader in surface engineering and precision nano-coating technology used for lithium-ion batteries.
What Happened: A Toronto-based graphite mining company, Gratomic announced Wednesday it had engaged in a partnership with Forge Nano. Forge Nano will then prepare Gratomic’s graphitic material for electric vehicle battery anode material using an Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) coating process.
“Forge Nano's ALD coating technology for use in lithium-ion battery anode applications could result in significant gains in performance to Gratomic's SG16 battery graphite compounds,” Gratomic said in the press release.
Forge Nano’s investment partners include Volkswagen AG VWAGY and LG Technology Ventures, the venture capital investment arm of LG Group. Another division of LG Group, LG Energy Solution, is one of Tesla Inc’s TSLA battery suppliers.
Why It Matters: With the EV market charging up, battery minerals are becoming highly sought after and scarce. On March 18, U.S. government officials met with a number of EV manufacturers including Tesla, and mining companies such as Talon Metals Corp. TLOFF and Livent Corp LTHM to discuss ways to boost production of Canada’s battery metals.
Canada currently mines 13 of the 35 metals needed for EV batteries and U.S. companies are having difficulty meeting EV production goals amid the battery metal shortage.
“Demand is no problem, but near-term cell supply makes it hard to scale Semi. This limitation will be less onerous next year,” wrote Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla on Twitter March 30. His tweet was in response to a report that Tesla had received an order for 10 semi-trucks from MHX Leasing.
Price Action: Shares of Gratomic are up 5.99% at $1.77 Wednesday morning.
(Photo: Albert Hyseni via Unsplash)
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.


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Kia unveiled the second-generation Niro back in November 2021, but it has yet to showcase the version it will sell in the United States. Thankfully, the electrified crossover has now been spotted camo-free roaming the streets of California near the company’s design center. Much like the global model, it adopts the quirky two-tone look with a contrasting green C-pillar we’re having a hard time getting used to.
Being a North America-bound Niro, it comes as no surprise it has the mandatory orange side markers in the headlights. You can also notice the US-spec license plate and the fact Kia is sticking to those unusually low mounted rear turn signals. The revamped crossover wears the fresh corporate badge and appears to be the non-plug-in hybrid version since that will be the first to go on sale. The PHEV and purely electric derivative will arrive at a later date.
Despite looking radically new both inside and out, the 2023 Kia Niro is not an all-new vehicle. It still packs 139 horsepower from a naturally aspirated 1.6-liter gasoline engine and an electric motor. The crossover gets a dual-clutch, six-speed automatic gearbox and will be offered exclusively with front-wheel drive.
Not only has the power rating been carried over, but so has the drag coefficient of 0.29 despite the massive design changes and the increased footprint. Compared to the model it replaces, the new Niro is 65 millimeters (2.5 inches) longer, 20 millimeters (0.8 inches) wider, and 10 millimeters (0.4 inches) taller.
In addition, the wheelbase has been stretched by 20 millimeters (0.8 inches) for greater rear passenger legroom. The significant jump in size will also pay dividends in terms of practicality by being able to carry an extra 15 liters behind the rear seats, now with a total volume of 451 liters.
South Korea will be the first market to get the 2023 Niro this month, with global regions – including the US – to follow before the end of the year.
Source: KindelAuto / YouTube


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“High voltage, rock ‘n roll!
Read This Article
Back when Scion launched in 2003, young people weren't buying Toyotas.
From the same automaker responsible for bringing us the Scion iQ comes this: a car, we think.
Marking the 37th anniversary of the charity event, the 2013 Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race will be held on April 20, and the official vehicle has been announced as the Scion FR-S.


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Swedish pyrolysis technology supplier expects improved market conditions for pyrolysis oil
Swedish tire pyrolysis equipment manufacturer and operator – Scandinavian Enviro Systems – reports about market expectations that can significantly influence the company’s profitability. Below, we cite the company’s recent press release describing the matter. Over the past year, Scandinavian Enviro Systems AB (publ, “Enviro”) has noticed a dramatic increase in interest in the oil — known as pyrolysis oil — that the company can extract from end-of-life tires using its proprietary technology. The oil has a high bio content due to the natural rubber in tires, and in the company’s opinion is therefore of great interest to many players in the market because it could replace fossil-based alternatives.


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Grand Mayne 2019 has been released at €25.2 per bottle ex-negociant, down 12.5% on the 2018 (€28.8). The wine is being offered by the trade at £317, down 8.4% on the 2018’s opening price of £346 per case.
Neal Martin (Vinous) awarded today’s release a range of 94-96 points, and said that “Grand Mayne has been on an upward swing in recent vintages and this is another outstanding wine from Jean-Antoine Nony”. The wine also received 92-94 points from Jeff Leve (The Wine Cellar Insider).
While the 2019 is the highest scored vintage from Neal Martin available on the market, it does not carry the highest price tag. Buyers looking for physical vintages might wish to consider the 2015 (NM 94), available at a similar price point.
Looking for more?
Our Bordeaux 2019 pages contain everything you need to know about this year’s En Primeur campaign; analysis tools, critics scores, reports and more.


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FDA Warns Against Using Hand Sanitizers Manufactured by Eskbiochem
The FDA has issued a warning to consumers regarding a variety of hand sanitizer products manufactured by Eskbiochem as they may contain a dangerous, toxic chemical.
Products manufactured by Eskbiochem SA de CV in Mexico may contain methanol (wood alcohol), a substance that can be toxic when absorbed through the skin or ingested.
FDA has identified the following products manufactured by Eskbiochem:
- All-Clean Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-002-01)
- Esk Biochem Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-007-01)
- CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 75% Alcohol (NDC: 74589-008-04)
- Lavar 70 Gel Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-006-01)
- The Good Gel Antibacterial Gel Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-010-10)
- CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 80% Alcohol (NDC: 74589-005-03)
- CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 75% Alcohol (NDC: 74589-009-01)
- CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 80% Alcohol (NDC: 74589-003-01)
- Saniderm Advanced Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-001-01)
FDA tested samples of Lavar Gel and CleanCare No Germ. Lavar Gel contains 81 percent (v/v) methanol and no ethyl alcohol, and CleanCare No Germ contains 28 percent (v/v) methanol. Methanol is not an acceptable ingredient for hand sanitizers and should not be used due to its toxic effects.
Consumers who have been exposed to hand sanitizer containing methanol should seek immediate treatment, which is critical for potential reversal of toxic effects of methanol poisoning.
Substantial methanol exposure can result in nausea, vomiting, headache, blurred vision, permanent blindness, seizures, coma, permanent damage to the nervous system or death.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a shortage of hand sanitizer at times and there have been advertisements on social media from unfamiliar companies offering the much in demand product. It could be easy to purchase this stuff without even realizing it, so it's worth a look to see what hand sanitizer products you have at your home, work and car.
If you have any of these products, consumers are asked to dispose of them immediately in appropriate hazardous waste containers. Do not flush or pour these products down the drain.
On June 17, 2020, FDA contacted Eskbiochem to recommend the company remove its hand sanitizer products from the market, but the company has yet to comply.


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Postal workers’ union criticizes Staples-run post offices
California leaders from a national postal workers’ union are criticizing a Staples pilot program that has installed dozens of small post offices in the office-supply stores.
American Postal Workers Union leaders said that opening retail units staffed by Staples employees is a “disservice to postal workers and the nation’s mail service.”
Staples Inc. and the U.S. Postal Service announced late last year an arrangement to allow 82 small post offices to operate at Staples stores in California, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.
The beleaguered postal service, which has seen mail volume and revenue decline, said in November the program might expand to other Staples stores if the pilot is successful. Union leaders had no comment at that time, but on Friday a delegation of APWU leaders visited 13 Bay Area Staples stores and delivered copies of a letter criticizing the move to store managers.
“Only U.S. Postal Service postal employees are fully accountable to the public, and sworn to uphold the sanctity of the mail,” the letter said, according to statement by the union.
An inquiry seeking comment from Staples was not immediately returned.
[Updated 3:35 p.m. PST Jan. 22: Richard Maher, a U.S. Postal Service spokesman, said the arrangement with Staples “is a direct response to the changing expectations of customers who demand greater convenience.” In a statement, he said that the pilot program was a step toward generating revenue to ensure the long-term viability of the postal service and that the agency had similar arrangements in place with 65,000 retail partners.]
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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Keeping your home warm and toasty could come with a chilling price tag this winter.
Let's connect the dots.
Many folks heat their homes using natural gas. According to a report from CNBC, natural gas prices have doubled in the past year.
You can probably guess what's to blame. That's right, the pandemic. When everyone started stayed home, the prices of gas and oil fell.
As a result, companies did not invest in as many new wells so the supply of new fuel is limited.
There's also less natural gas in storage after this summer's historic heatwave. Lots of folks had the air conditioner on full blast, meaning less gas was stored away for the winter months.
With prices already high, experts say one good cold snap, especially early in the season could send your bills soaring.
Analysts at Goldman Sachs say prices could double again if we see an especially cold winter so be sure to bundle up.
Wake Up Charlotte To Go is a daily news and weather podcast you can listen to so you can start your day with the team at Wake Up Charlotte.
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All of WCNC Charlotte's podcasts are free and available for both streaming and download. You can listen now on Android, iPhone, Amazon, and other internet-connected devices. Join us from North Carolina, South Carolina, or on the go anywhere.


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Baddies on a budget can finally get their hands on designer clothing as eBay has just introduced luxury consignment.
One of the first resale platforms, eBay will now allow its users to work with experts to sell pre-loved goods on their behalf. This will prevent high-end garments from collecting dust or ending up in a landfill by extending their lifecycle. With more consumers becoming aware of how wasteful fashion can be, circular fashion is increasing in popularity.
Last year, twenty-two shirts, six pairs of jeans and eight coats were sold every minute on eBay in the United States, United Kingdom and Germany — all pre-loved. eBay experimented with handbag consignment in the past as a Chanel 19 Flap Bag surpassed average sales for similar bags by over 45 percent. This brings good news for both buyers and sellers who my be experiencing over saturation on other platforms.


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Idaho Potato Commission Makes Major Announcement about Iconic Potato
Last year, organizers of the Idaho Potato Drop refreshed the giant potato they drop in front of the Capitol on New Year's Eve and made it a big, shiny "glow-tato." The Idaho Potato Commission must have been impressed, because it's doing something similar to the iconic 6-ton potato it drives across the country.
Over the past six years, you've probably seen IPC's 6-ton replica Russet Burbank potato at parades, the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl and other iconic Idaho events. According to Capital Press, that potato has survived a lot longer than it was initially made for. Unveiled in 2011, the potato was meant to commemorate the commission's 75th anniversary and only be shown off for one year. However, proud Idahoans loved the truck, so they've resurfaced and repainted the potato every year to keep it around longer.
Unfortunately, over six years IPC's identified some flaws with their Great Big Idaho Potato Truck. It's just wide enough to earn it a "wide load" designation. Wide loads aren't allowed to travel at night, meaning the potato's had to sit out the holiday night light parades like the ones in Meridian and Caldwell. There's also a chance the boards underneath the facade aren't structurally sound anymore. That's a real danger to anyone riding on it.
So what's next for the potato truck? Rather than retiring it, the IPC will spend a couple hundred thousand dollars to make a brand new "glow-tato" to put on the trailer. It will be crafted by the same family who build the Potato Drop's "glow-tato" last year. The new potato will be narrow enough to drive at night and will feature special lighting to make appear to glow in the dark.
Some fun facts about the old potato? It's traveled to 7,200 US Cities and has about 148,00 miles under it's belt.


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According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), approximately 11 million commercial trucks operated on American roads in 2018. That’s right — 11 million trucks. With such crowded roadways, standing out with memorable branding has never been more important.
Dan Hooks, CERP, president, Party Reflections, Charlotte, N.C., and American Rental Association (ARA) president, says truck branding is important to the success of his full-service event rental business.
“Without question, the best marketing decision we have ever made was to brand our trucks. With four locations, these trucks can be switched between markets with complete continuity and impact. As soon as I am introduced to someone, the first thing out of their mouth is that they see our trucks everywhere,” Hooks says.
The trucks at Party Reflections all match the colors and branding seen at the company’s multiple showrooms. They also display their website prominently and showcase large and colorful images of tables, linens and other equipment available to rent. As Party Reflections has grown, the trucks have helped extend brand recognition for the company. “They are rolling billboards that promote our regional brand with every mile they travel,” Hooks says.
Anyone who has ever visited California or Phoenix has probably seen the colorful and extremely memorable trucks from Bright Event Rentals. The company, with headquarters in Sonoma, Calif., has 10 California locations and one in Phoenix. The trucks literally are impossible to miss. Each truck features bright neon colors that extend from the top of the trucks and all the way down to the matching tires.
Bright’s trucks have become so recognizable over the years they have gained their own trending hashtag on Instagram — #ISpyBright — with more than 1,000 mentions. So why did Bright wrap their trucks this way?
“There is no more visible or memorable form of advertising in our industry than our trucks out and about in our communities. They need to be eye-catching, professional and indelible,” says Mike Bjornstad, CEO, Bright Event Rentals. “At one time or another, we’ve all been asked what we do. Inevitably, when we answer, the response is, ‘Oh, I see your trucks everywhere.’”
To extend this distinctive branding, Bright’s employees also wear matching shirts on job sites and the same colors are used on the company website and all marketing materials.
Elite Events & Rentals, Tampa, Fla., is a full-service event rental company that went multiple years with unbranded trucks. But after seeing more event rental companies in the competitive Florida market promote their new truck designs, the company’s executives knew it was time for a makeover for their fleet.
“We kept pushing off wrapping the delivery vehicles for years due to the associated costs and the downtime while the trucks were off the road. We were just too busy to pull the trucks off the road for an extended period,” says Brandon Ahlgren, CERP, Elite Events & Rentals president.
The impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19), however, quickly changed things. “When the pandemic slowed down our business, we decided it was the perfect opportunity to get the trucks wrapped,” Ahlgren says.
The positive response in the local region was almost immediate. The phones started ringing. “Within a week we received a call because they saw our truck and wanted a quote. This has been well worth it and I now wish we would had done it sooner,” Ahlgren says.
For more than 35 years, family-owned-and-operated Standard Event Rentals, Richmond, Calif., has served the Northern California region providing full-service event rentals for all size events. For most of its history, the company operated with unbranded trucks that did not display the company’s name or the different rental options and services available.
In 2021, Standard changed its name from Standard Party Rentals to Standard Event Rentals to better reflect the wide range of customers and rental options. Branding their trucks was a big part of the rollout of the new name.
“2020 lent itself to take a deeper look at our business and the services we offered, knowing 2021 would crave more. We started the year off with a rebrand bringing visibility to the depth of our capabilities and the cultivated rental experience that Standard Event Rentals offers,” says Isabel Galindo, senior vice president of sales and marketing. “From delivery to pick up, our new fleet design is an integral part of our brand exposure and client experience. The response thus far has proven to be worth the investment, and we are excited for what’s to come.”
There is no question that there is a real cost to a business to wrap trucks with colorful and memorable graphics and logos. But this added expense can be quickly negated by increased rental inquiries and long-term market recognition for a business. The bottom line is that a delivery fleet of trucks are all rolling billboards that are in front of thousands of potential new customers each day.


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Xiaomi Mi Mix 4 News: New details have emerged about Xiaomi’s phone, the Xiaomi Mi Mix 4, which will attract attention with its design. These phone sockets will almost burn.
Chinese technology giant Xiaomi has always been appreciated for trying something different in terms of design with the Mi Mix family. It is said that Xiaomi, which came out with the foldable Mi Mix Fold in the past months, is currently working on the Xiaomi Mi Mix 4. Today, it has emerged that the phone will come with the fastest charging support in the history of the smartphone. This charge is talked about a lot.
Xiaomi Mi Mix 4 comes to light sockets with 200W fast charging
According to the popular leaker DSC; Xiaomi has started receiving certifications for the Mi Mix 4. This phone, which will be introduced and sold before the end of 2021, will burn the sockets with its fast charging.
However, the “Temporary Provisions on the Radio Management of Wireless Charging (Power Transmission) Equipment” published by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technologies stipulated that the nominal transmission power of mobile and portable wireless charging equipment should not exceed 50W. Therefore, the wireless charging of Mi Mix 4 will not exceed 50W. But! When it comes to cable, Xiaomi will turn its competitors into whipping boys.
According to the reports; Mi Mix 4 will support full 200W fast charging. However, some say that it is a surprise that the phone will come with 120W wired + 70W wireless charging support. But we know that Xiaomi has patented 200W fast charging. Therefore, the possibility of 200W fast charging support seems very high.
For high-power charging, the safety of charging has always been of great concern to ordinary consumers. According to Xiaomi engineers; 200W fast charging has four ways of protection. These include charging temperature, charging voltage, charging current and charging protocol. This technology includes a total of 40 multiple safety protection measures. So there is no reason to be afraid of 200W charging for now. Let’s see when this revolutionary technology that charges the phone in minutes will be with us.


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In Bangladesh, 35 unionists and garment workers were arrested for participating in protests in December 2016. After a union campaign, the majority have since been released, and the remaining should be released soon.
The international campaign against the Bangladesh government’s crackdown on the labour movement was led by the Clean Clothes Campaign, Amnesty International, Global Unions, IndustriALL and UNI.
Canadian labour organizations mobilize
In Canada, the Canadian Labour Congress, PSAC, CUPE, USW, UNIFOR, UFCW and OSSTF mobilized to call for the release of the imprisoned leaders.
In a letter to Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland, the unions have demanded that the Canadian government ensure that the garments we import from Bangladesh are sourced responsibly and manufactured under conditions that respect international human and labour rights.
In 2016, Canada imported about $1.4 billion worth of textile and garments from Bangladesh, duty free under the General Preferential Tariff.


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This is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the positive effect on people around the world that ShoeBox Recycling is generating. It’s stunning to see how the choices we all make have the power to greatly benefit the lives of those around us.
Fairless Hills, PA (PRWEB) February 06, 2014
Community Recycling announces an early milestone for its ShoeBox Recycling program by recycling one million pounds of shoes for reuse. Within less than two years since implementing the ShoeBox Recycling program, Community Recycling is proud of the achievement and is excited with the promise of what is yet to come.
“With our ShoeBox Recycling program, we invite everyone to think about recycling in a very different way, with reuse as the central feature that connects people all over the world,” said Ira Baseman, president of Community Recycling, continuing, “This first million pounds is just one early, yet significant milestone on our journey.”
ShoeBox Recycling acquires recycled shoes through paid-collection partnerships with non-profits, schools, municipalities, retailers, and thousands of other organizations across the United States. The recycling partner that brought ShoeBox Recycling to the1,000,000-pound mark was Girl Scout Troop 15345 from St. Paul, Minnesota.
“We recently started our collection with ShoeBox Recycling after learning how Girl Scouts everywhere are participating,” said Sarah McCarney, Girl Scout Troop Leader for Troop 15345. “It’s a terrific way to keep shoes out of landfills and onto the feet of people who need them.”
Aside from the core mission of diverting usable shoes from landfills and finding them a second life, ShoeBox Recycling strives to connect its over 2,200 participating organizations like Troop 15345 with the individuals on the receiving end by creating SoleMate Notes. A SoleMate Note is a personal note written by the recycler that opens the door to dialogue between them and the new owner of their shoes—their SoleMate.
Baseman explains, “We have created SoleMates and have thousands more waiting to happen. It’s stunning to see how the choices we all make have the power to greatly benefit the lives of those around us.”
ShoeBox Recycling by the Numbers
•One million pounds of shoes equals approximately 500,000 pairs of shoes
•There have been 2,200 ShoeBox Recycling partners across the United States
•Shipments from all 48 contiguous states have been received via shipping and logistics partner, FedEx Ground
•35% of recycled shoes stay domestically for reuse and 65% find second homes in 22 countries around the world
•$500,000 has been paid out to ShoeBox Recycling partners’ fundraising initiatives
The environmental effect of diverting one million pounds of shoes from landfills has the following global impact:
•Preserves 5,714 cubic yards of landfill space, or the approximate equivalent of filling an entire profession football field with shoes
•Conserves 4.4 million pounds of carbon emissions, or the equivalent of removing 916,667 automobiles from the road
•Conserves the carbon sequestration equivalency of 3,606,559 acres of US forests in one year or about 5,000 trees for a lifetime
How to sign-up for ShoeBox Recycling
Call 1-800-336-0141, send an email to info(at)communityrecycling(dot)biz or sign up on our website. Recycling shoes for reuse is the easiest green thing everyone can do to save our resources, create jobs and fuel local economies.
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Community Recycling is a for-profit clothing recycler with a focus on reuse. Community Recycling diverts millions of pounds of clothing from landfills annually, generating new revenue streams for municipalities, schools, non-profits, thrifts and other US businesses. Committed to the mission of People Recycling for People, Community Recycling helps fuel economies through job creation domestically and internationally. Community Recycling, founded in 2001 and headquartered in Fairless Hills, PA, offers a portfolio of innovative recycling programs including CR Home, CR Kids, CR Campus, CR Bins and ShoeBox Recycling. Visit http://www.communityrecycling.biz for more information.


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The camera has become one of the key features of a smartphone that greatly affects customer’s purchase decision. So, ranking the flagship smartphones from different OEMs based on their camera quality is inevitable. Consumer Report has come up with their latest analytics ranking the cameras offered by different OEMs in their latest crop of smartphones.
The first glance at the latest ranking list from Consumer Report reveals that both the Apple and Samsung have the lion’s share of the list. In the top 10 list, Apple has six of its smartphones while the Samsung managed to take four spots with their smartphones.
This is what Consumer Report has to say about the smartphone camera ranking results:
All of the top 10 phones did very well in our tests of still-image quality, which evaluate resolution, dynamic range, color accuracy, and visual noise. The all-around top performers in that area were the iPhone X and 8 Plus, which just nudged past their iPhone 8 sibling.
Here is the list of top-10 smartphones on the list of smartphone camera ranking by Consumer Report:
And, here is the list itself:
- Apple iPhone X
- Apple iPhone 8
- Apple iPhone 8 Plus
- Samsung Galaxy S8+
- Apple iPhone 7
- Apple iPhone 6s Plus
- Samsung Galaxy S8
- Samsung Galaxy Note8
- Apple iPhone 7 Plus
- Samsung Galaxy S8 Active
The most of the results are based on the performance while capturing the still photos, however, the video quality is also part of the overall equation. Consumer Report has rated both the iPhone X and iPhone 8 as “excellent” in their testing while the iPhone 8 Plus managed to secure “very good” ranking. The report fails to dissect how the smaller iPhone 8 managed to get a better ranking than the iPhone 8 Plus with a dual camera setup.
The list seems a bit odd to me. First, the iPhone 8 Plus which has a better camera than its smaller sibling is ranked below the iPhone 8. Second, both the Galaxy S8+ and Galaxy S8 with the same camera setup are so far apart. Last, but not the least, the list does not include the Google Pixel or Google Pixel 2 XL.
You can read the full Consumer report here, but you must be a member of the publication’s subscription service.
via [Consumer Reports]


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Hyderabad : Bringing curtains down on the glorious saga of the Maruti 800 model, Maruti Suzuki India has stopped production of the iconic car brand that had been carrier for millions of Indian middle class families, since last month, a senior official of the auto maker said.
Launched in 1983, the company has sold close to 2.7 mln units of the Maruti 800 till date.
C V Raman, Executive Director MSIL, said though the car production has stopped, spare parts will be available for customers for the next 8-10 years as per rules.
The car, that was a breadwinner for many MSL dealers across the country and also first car for many Indian middle class families, may not be available in newer version unlike other MSIL brands.
Raman said company does not plan to replace the Maruti 800 with a new model at present.
MSL has stopped selling Maruti-800, that has revolutionised Indian Auto industry, in 13 cities including Hyderabad, Bangalore, Kanpur, Pune since April 2010. “Our policy is 8 to 10 years we have to keep (the spares available). For all the models which have been phased out till date, we have followed this policy,” Raman added. MSL redesigned most of its top selling brands such as Alto, WagonR, and Swift in redesigned version.
The car, which was priced at around Rs 50,000 when launched in early 80s is now available over Rs 2.35 lakh (ex- showroom Delhi), according to Maruti-800 official website. “There could be some stock of M800 at the dealer level and I don’t know the exact number,” Raman said.
To a query on the Global NCAP report, he said the test done by UK-based organisation was at 64 kmph, which is at much higher speed than even the regulation in Europe. “In India, we have a certain regulation today. All the vehicles that sell in India meet the Indian norms,” he said.
Some of the most popular small cars sold in India, including Maruti Alto 800, Tata Nano, Ford Figo, Hyundai i10 and Volkswagen Polo, have failed crash tests putting occupants at a high risk of life-threatening injuries in road accidents, according to UK-based Global NCAP. On sales, he said this year MSIL may witness 3 to 4 per cent retail sales growth over last year.


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The Chinese central bank will reportedly start the distribution of the digital currency e-CNY in four provinces of the country, including Guangdong.
China’s central bank vice-president Fan Yifei said at an event in Suzhou that the bank will launch e-CNY trials in Guangdong, Jiangsu, Hebei and Sichuan provinces, according to a report by the South China Morning Post on Tuesday. told. States with populations of more than 360 million will create a significant expansion in the central bank’s CBDC plans.
China digital currency: Beijing to expand e-CNY trials to four entire provinces including Guangdong https://t.co/kLnNnqn5iq
— South China Morning Post (@SCMPNews) September 20, 2022
China’s central bank aims to use digital yuan instead of cash as a result of the first CBDC trials it launched in April 2020. Digital wallet of 261 million users, paying more than $13 billion in transaction fees for e-CNY since January 2022 founded reported. In addition, China introduced its own digital currency during the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, allowing payments using e-CNY on certain public buses in August.
Neither the Chinese central bank nor the Chinese Government officials have made any statements regarding the rollout of CBDC throughout the country. In contrast, Fan Yifei stated that e-CNY trials in the four states will be launched at an “appropriate time”.
The Bahamas became the first country to officially launch CDBC in October 2020. While both Nigeria and China are still in the testing phase of their respective digital currencies, the United States has not announced any definitive plans to roll out digital dollars. Under US President Joe Biden’s mandate regarding digital assets in March, government agencies began exploring the potential benefits and risks of CBDC.


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There has been a massive surge in people planning staycations here and searching for holiday homes around the country, new figures have revealed.
The major rise in demand came as lockdown restrictions were eased recently– with a 112% jump in activity on the MyHome.ie property website in June.
The west fared best as searches soared compared to demand for Dublin holiday homes, which increased marginally, up by just 6%, compared to June last year.
Angela Keegan, Managing Director of MyHome.ie, said: “These findings reflect the huge pent-up demand that exists among people after three months of lockdown, which will have a much-needed knock-on effect for a hospitality sector that has suffered badly as a result of Covid-19 restrictions. “People need a holiday to look forward to after a tough year, and it looks like the domestic economy will benefit from the Government’s continued guidance to avoid non-essential foreign travel.”
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The staycation trend looks set to benefit most tourism hotspots around the country this summer -if the Covid-19 infection rate can continue to be brought under control.
However, during March and April, when stringent lockdown restrictions were in place, there was a noticeable slump in Irish holiday home searches.
There was a steep 48% fall in online activity during the third month of the year, while the following four-week period saw a 41% decline.
But, as the reproduction rate of the deadly bug plummeted after April the online activity and demand for booking holidays here steadily grew.
There was a 28% increase in searches in May for Irish holiday homes compared with the same month in 2019 as the roadmap for lockdown easing began.


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Apple is looking to cut back on hiring due to slipping iPhone sales, reports Bloomberg. Citing sources familiar with the matter, the outlet’s Mark Gurman says the company plans to reduce hiring for some divisions following weaker-than-anticipated handset sales during the recent quarter.
Tim Cook, Apple’s chief executive officer, made the disclosure to employees earlier this month in a meeting the day after he penned a letter to investors about the company’s recent struggles, particularly in China. During the meeting, Cook was asked if the company would impose a hiring freeze in response. He said he didn’t believe that was the solution. Instead, Cook said some divisions would reduce hiring, according to the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private matters.
Gurman adds that Cook hasn’t yet determined which divisions will cut back on hiring, but he emphasized that a division’s importance isn’t measured by hiring rates. It sounds like the reduction won’t hit key teams like those in AI, or affect the opening of the company’s new Austin, TX offices.
After more than a decade of explosive growth following hit products like the iPod and iPhone, Apple finds itself in a weird spot right now. Earlier this month the company announced it was forced to cut its projected revenue for the holiday quarter by at least $5 billion on lower-than-expected sales.


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Look, I know virtual goods sounded kind of exotic–four or five years ago. But when it’s a multibillion global business today, it’s past time to dispense with the notion that crops on Farmville and flowers on Facebook aren’t really real. While I’ve been guilty of describing virtual goods as imaginary at times, what set me off most recently was a story in the New York Times that couldn’t seem to hammer enough on the idea that they don’t actually exist in any meaningful way.
Consider the language in just the headline and first two paragraphs: “Fanciful items.” “Things that do not exist.” “Pretend merchandise,” in contrast to “actual goods.” “Make-believe items.” Later, the article asserts that “virtual merchandise is in its infancy.” Perhaps that’s true compared to what it can become, and it is relatively new as a sizable business in the U.S. But estimates of the value of virtual goods sold worldwide range from $2 billion to as much as $6 billion a year. That seems well beyond infancy.
The thing is, what we call virtual goods are really no different in the pleasure or utility they offer people from other virtual things we consider “real”: Digitized photos. MP3 files. Videos uploaded to YouTube. And of course, online newspaper articles. So why the continual amazement that people will pay for virtual goods?
Partly it’s because the very term “virtual goods” connotes an air of unreality. But I think it’s also partly because, even 15 years after the World Wide Web took off, many people still haven’t quite realized how much of our lives have moved online. You can argue we’ve gone too far, of course. Hey, I’ll choose a walk in the woods with my family over leveling up in Farmville every single time. But it’s time to get over the idea that virtual things aren’t real.
People all too often use the term “commodity” or “commoditized”, used in reference to the Internet (in either the data or content contexts) as inferring free or lacking value, which I very much disagree with.
All the best
Well, if you say “virtual”, that itself implies “not real”. But that doesn’t mean they don’t exist or have no value. Plus, value can be measured by time as well as money. People spend hours on Farmville – why is it such a suprise when they spend some money?