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Samsung, expanding its flip phone series in China, has introduced the SM-G9098 flip phone. The latest Android-based dual-screen flip phone is now listed on Samsung's China site
. Unfortunately, there is no word on the pricing and availability details of the SM-G9098.
The Samsung SM-G9098 sports two 3.7-inch Super AMOLED displays, on the inside and the outside of the top segment, both featuring a WVGA (480x800 pixels) resolution. The Samsung SM-G9098 runs on Android; however, the official listing does not specify the exact version. It offers dual-SIM (TD-SCDMA+GSM) support.
A quad-core (unspecified) processor powers the Samsung SM-G9098, clocked at 2.3GHz with 2GB of RAM. The new flip phone sports a 13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, while there is a 2-megapixel front-facing camera also onboard.
There is no word on the inbuilt storage of the Samsung SM-G9098 flip phone, however, the official listing reveals expandable storage support up to 64GB (via microSD card).
The Samsung SM-G9098 supports Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, GLONASS, Micro-USB and 3G connectivity options. It is backed by a 1900mAh battery with no word on the talk time and standby time delivered. The new flip phone from Samsung measures 117x59.5x15.8mm and weighs 179 grams.
The Samsung SM-G9098 flip phone is seen sporting a faux leather design on the back, while the China Mobile logo is also embossed there, hinting that the device might be sold through the Chinese carrier exclusively.
The new Samsung SM-G9098 will join the already launched flip phones in China, namely the W789, W2014 and the Galaxy Golden.
Earlier, Samsung's only Android flip phone available in India, the Galaxy Golden, received a price cut and was available online at Rs. 29,999. Notably, Samsung Galaxy Golden made its way to India in October, while globally the Android flip phone was launched in August.
Mobiles launched in May 2014
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Online video ad revenues tripled from Q1 2011 to Q1 2012
In May 2012, eMarketer reported on an R3 and Admaster Digital Consulting survey that found that 82% of marketers in China increased their digital marketing budgets in 2011, and another 81% expected to increase digital ad spending in 2012. Further, 23% of marketers surveyed expected digital video to take the largest share of increased spending in 2012. Now, findings show that the marketers surveyed weren’t all talk.
In June 2012, Analysys International, a local research firm in China, reported that online video ad revenues more than tripled from RMB660 million ($102.2 million) in Q1 2011 to RMB2.1 billion ($325 million) in Q1 2012.
According to Analysys International, cumulative online video spending in 2011 was RMB4.83 billion ($747.7 million). As the market matures and consolidates, including the merging of the two largest video platforms Youku and Tudou, online video ad revenue will be hard pressed to maintain such considerable growth for the entire year.
eMarketer expects online ad spending in China to reach $7.4 billion in 2012, an increase of 39% over 2011. Online video, which is starting from a smaller base, will grow faster, but it will still be dwarfed by search and display ad spending in the country.
Corporate subscribers have access to all eMarketer analyst reports, articles, data and more. Join the over 750 companies already benefiting from eMarketer’s approach. Learn more.
Check out today’s other articles, “Can Facebook Go Beyond Earned Media Success?” and “Consumers Take to the Web to Deliver Feedback.”

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- Pivotal Research analyst Brian Wieser reviewed the full-year 2016 results for WPP, Omnicom, Interpublic Publicis and Havas, then averaged the findings to treat the five largest agency conglomerates as an isolated group. In the process, Wieser learned that the group saw an average 3% organic revenue growth globally with just 1.5% growth in North America, according to a MediaPost report.
- In Q4, growth was 2.2% year-over-year globally, while dropping 0.3% in North America.
- The average numbers across the major agency holding groups were lower than expected, with Pivotal forecasting 5% growth for the year and 3.6% for Q4.
As a group, the major agency conglomerates brought in less revenue than was expected in 2016, which in the past would have been an indicator of overall softness in advertising spending. While spending was almost flat among big advertisers last year, per Pivotal, this may not be main reason why the agency conglomerates aren't doing as well as they could.
There are signs that brands are still spending on digital marketing, an area where traditional agencies have struggled. Facebook recently beat expectations with a 51% year-over-year increase in revenue during Q4 while Google, also beating expectations, saw revenue grow 22% year-over-year during the same period.
Pivotal, in its analysis, points to the emergence of a new category of marketers who simply don't use agencies, but instead prefer to work directly with Google, Facebook and others, which Pivotal believes is the biggest factor in revenue not meeting expectations for agency conglomerates. This category includes small businesses, but larger brands are also looking for ways to bring in-house at least some tasks previously handled by agencies.
Couple the strong revenue growth of Google and Facebook with the fact that traditional agencies are also facing pressures on a number of other fronts — including investigations into their business practices and allegations regarding a lack of diversity — and the poor revenue is just the latest reflection of a weakening relationship between brands and agencies.
Other factors negatively impacting revenues for agency conglomerates, per Pivotal, include increasing competition from independents, clients pressuring agencies to lower fees and the fact that all of the major conglomerates, except for WPP, don't use net revenue when defining organic growth, meaning proprietary trading activity and related costs go into the calculation.


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Mylan NV’s top shareholder is backing the drugmaker’s plan to avoid being taken over by its biggest rival in the generics industry.
Abbott Laboratories said it would vote its 14.5 percent stake in favor of Mylan’s $33 billion bid for Perrigo Co. at a shareholder meeting on a potential deal in July or August. A deal with Perrigo will let Mylan block a $40.1 billion takeover by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., so long as Mylan drops its offer for Perrigo. Perrigo has so far rebuffed Mylan.
Abbott gained its stake in a deal that sold part of Abbott’s generic drugs business to Mylan in exchange for shares.
“Abbott has considered the entire situation and we believe Mylan’s standalone strategy and acquisition of Perrigo will further enhance its platform, is strategically compelling, value enhancing for shareholders, and offers a clear path to completion,” Abbott Chief Executive Officer Miles White said in a statement Tuesday.
Mylan shares fell 2.1 percent to $72.03 at 10:54 a.m. in New York. Perrigo shares rose 3.1 percent to $188.98. Teva’s American depositary receipts dropped less than 1 percent to $60.55.
Perrigo makes prescription and over-the-counter drugs that Mylan is seeking to add to its lineup. About half of Perrigo’s $4.06 billion in revenue last year came from its consumer health-care division, including store-brand versions of popular medicine like Sudafed and NyQuil, sold in retailers such as Wal-Mart and Walgreens.
Mylan has vehemently rejected Teva’s offer to buy the company, which would create a generic drugs powerhouse with about $27 billion an annual sales. In letters, Mylan has accused Teva of “meddling” in its attempt to buy Perrigo, and said that a combination with Teva would be a poor cultural fit and have a hard time getting approved by antitrust regulators. Teva has said that it’s committed to a deal, and could win the necessary approvals.
“We are very pleased that, while Abbott is under no obligation to do so, Abbott has voluntarily chosen to express its support of Mylan,” Mylan Executive Chairman Robert Coury said in a statement Tuesday.
Teva said that a combination with Mylan makes sense. “Teva remains fully committed to consummating a transaction,” Teva said in a statement.


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The value of the bitcoin digital coin grows and grows. And one of the causes is the crisis that Venezuela is going through.
The increase in demand in China and the depreciation of the yuan is the main reason why the virtual currency has surpassed US$9,000 for the first time in three years.
But, according to analysts, Venezuelan inflation, the devaluation of the bolivar and the parallel exchange market in the South American country have also done their part.
Bitcoin is the result of Internet transactions made through thousands of computers and is used as a monetary safe haven and as an anonymous way of moving money around the world.
And in 2016 it was the best performing currency in the world, with a growth of 125%. 6 curious figures that show the low value of bills in Venezuela. A growth that is basically the result of a greater demand than supply of virtual currency.
The factors that explain the good behavior of the crypto currency are several, says David Moskowitz, founder of Coin Republic, a website based in Singapore specializing in bitcoin.
“The increase since November could be due to the demonetization of India followed by Venezuelan capital controls and rumors of similar actions in other countries,” he explains. “There was no money anywhere, this was desperate”: chaos in Ciudad Bolivar after massive looting by the Venezuelan banknote crisis.
And Kevin Charles, Surbitcoin’s general manager, points out that more and more Venezuelans are betting on virtual currency. “Without a doubt the situation in Venezuela echoes internationally about the benefits of bitcoin and there is some interesting and growing demand for crypto currency,” he tells BBC Mundo.
Once achieved, bitcoins can be exchanged for bolivars for everyday life in Venezuela or for dollars, which are used, for example, to buy abroad basic products that are scarce in Venezuela.
In addition, the parallel dollar market, the most used for exchange in the country, makes the acquisition of bitcoins and then dollars, very much in demand due to the devaluation of the bolivar, especially profitable.


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New production facility and storefront to make healthy easier for Houston area
Main Squeeze Juice Co. – the juice and smoothie bar franchise whose ownership group includes native Houstonian and current New Orleans Saints punter Thomas Morstead- is opening a brand new storefront and production facility in Cypress on February 26. This production facility will be the first of its kind for Main Squeeze and will be located at 16734 House & Hahl Rd.
The Cypress location will be owned and operated by Marc Miller and Jeff and Tabitha Drost. The team worked together to create and build the new production facility concept and include a traditional storefront on-site. To celebrate its grand opening, the new store will be offering promotions including $5 smoothies, juices, and bowls, and a free t-shirt with a purchase during the opening weekend. The Main Squeeze juice truck will also make a featured appearance at the grand opening.
“We were excited to work with the Main Squeeze team on this new concept and to see it come together and be completed is an incredible feeling,” said Drost. “As business partners, we are always looking at how we can streamline processes, and this production facility will help us better supply our locations and provide the freshest and highest-quality products possible to the local communities.”
The 1500 sq. ft. production facility will provide fresh cold-pressed juice options that will be readily available for all of Miller and Drosts’ current and future stores. The new location aims to facilitate an entirely in-house supply chain for all their locations to ensure freshness and consistency in product quality and taste.
“It was an incredible experience to work on this new idea that had never been done before at Main Squeeze and it is a huge milestone for everyone involved to see the production facility finished,” said Miller. “We cannot wait to open our doors and show our customers and the Main Squeeze team how committed we are to making healthy easier for the Cypress community.”
In addition to their Main Squeeze locations in Webster and Pearland, which opened in November last year, Miller and Drost have also signed on to open five more traditional locations in the coming years. This opening is part of a big Texas move for Main Squeeze, which already has eight locations open in the Houston area and is continuing to expand across the state.
Main Squeeze’s mission is to make healthy easier, and the company’s nutritionist-designed, superfood-centric menu does exactly that. It’s gluten-free and vegan menu offers a daily source of plant-based nutrition packed with natural and quick energy. The concept’s proprietary recipes feature chef-inspired cold-pressed juices and superfood smoothies, along with one-, three- and five-day juice cleanse programs, shots, and acai bowls created from organic and wild-harvested acai berries from the Amazon rainforest in Northeast Brazil.
Founded in 2017, Main Squeeze Juice Company is a New Orleans, Louisiana-based juice and smoothie bar franchise whose nutritionist-designed, superfood-inspired menu seeks to change the lives of those looking for a healthier and more convenient way of fulfilling nutritional goals. With 18 locations currently open and operating in Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi, Main Squeeze expects to open more than 50 additional franchisee- and corporate-owned stores throughout the Southeast over the next several years. For more information, visit www.mainsqueezejuiceco.com.
- More from Main Squeeze Juice Co.


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Payment service provider Computop and SafetyPay has announced a strategic global partnership. As a result, Computop now offers SafetyPay as part of its Paygate payment platform. With this functionality, Computop expands its range of payment options that enable businesses and consumers to securely conduct transactions globally.
With SafetyPay, consumers with an online bank account are able to shop globally but pay locally, using their own currency to make online purchases from businesses in the United States, Canada, Latin America and Europe via online bank transfer. Computop Paygate merchant customers are able to offer SafetyPay immediately through this partnership, increasing the secure online payment options they can present to consumers.
“There are 300 million online banking customers around the world, and SafetyPay enables these consumers to pay directly from their online bank account for purchases from anywhere around the globe irrespective of currency and without entering sensitive financial information,” said Dominic Guardino, director at SafetyPay. “We are excited about extending our payment solution through the Paygate platform which is recognised for its fraud prevention strength and compliance on a global scale.”
Barclays has signed contracts with six of the fintech startups that just graduated from its second New York accelerator programme.
Company card killer Pleo has raised $3m in new funding as it prepares for public launch in the UK and Denmark.
Cheques are become less and less common in the UK according to new research from global market research firm Mintel which claims contactless card use has overtaken cheque payments in the UK for the first time.
Payments for digital and physical goods made mobile operating system-based payments platforms like Apple Pay and Android Pay are expected to boom in the next few years according to new analysis from Juniper.


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A store clerk at a New Jersey gas station was arrested after he allegedly pointed a fake gun at a man who he suspected of shoplifting and then forced him to strip naked.
The incident occurred late Monday night at a Sunoco Gas Station store on Market Street in Salem, New Jersey. Amit Saraswat, a clerk, spotted a man who he believed had shoplifted inside the store over the past few days, according to store personnel.
Surveillance video shows Saraswat pointing a gun at the man and forcing him to strip naked. The man left the store and then returned later to retrieve his clothes after realizing the gun wasn’t real, police said. Investigators determined it was actually an airsoft style gun.
The incident was reported to police who arrested Saraswat. He is charged with aggravated assault by pointing a firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm for unlawful purpose and terroristic threats. He was released on a summons Wednesday.
The customer has not been charged and police have not confirmed if he had stolen anything from the store.


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Google is stepping into a new AI era with the launch of Gemini – its latest large language model (LLM) which CEO, Sundar Pichai, and Google DeepMind CEO, Demis Hassabis, dub as the AI model set to impact all of Google’s products. Gemini debuts in three variants: the light Gemini Nano designed for Android devices, the power-packed Gemini Pro servicing AI services, and the most potent model, Gemini Ultra, intended for data centers and enterprise applications.
Gemini has been unveiled through Bard and will be also accessible to Pixel 8 Pro users via Gemini Nano. Gemini Pro, on the other hand, will be available to developers and enterprise customers through Google Generative AI Studio or Vertex AI. Both are in the Google Cloud and will be launched beginning December 13th. Currently available in English, Gemini will shortly roll out to include several other languages.
Driven to take on OpenAI’s GPT-4, Google has extensively benchmarked Gemini. Hassabis reports that Gemini leads in 30 out of 32 benchmark tests, having the added advantage of interacting with video and audio over GPT-4. It is also part of Google’s roadmap to expand Gemini’s ability to work with images, video, and audio to including action and touch potentialities.
Though benchmarks are essential, the real evaluation of Gemini lies with AIs’ everyday users. The model’s efficiency will display in everything it impacts, like brainstorming ideas, information lookup, code writing, to name a few. Gemini is expected to be both faster and cheaper to run compared to former models like PaLM, thanks to Google’s Tensor Processing Units that Gemini was trained on.
The investment in Gemini is not only to initiate a larger project but is also viewed as a progressive step in AI development. Google has worked extensively on Gemini’s safety and responsibility aspects, though acknowledging launching a state-of-the-art model might be not without unforeseen issues. But, Google is cautiously optimistic that Gemini will pioneer a massive change like the web revolution did for Google in the past.
Link to the original article: https://www.theverge.com/2023/12/6/23990466/google-gemini-llm-ai-model


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The commercial reality of the internet has changed as a result of mobile devices, but Platinum favours a wide spectrum of technology stocks and its largest exposures are companies which “span several elements of the game".
Platinum breaks up its holdings among “e-commerce" stocks which are listed as: Google; eBay, Sina, Naver, Baidu, Youku Tudou and Zillow (the real estate portal which counts James Packer and
“We are spending a lot of time trying to track down the more interesting companies that will win in this highly competitive frenzy.
“Apart from the opportunities on offer, it also allows us to understand the vulnerabilities of the traditional players," Mr Neilson said in his report, which was penned last month but only published online on Friday.
“Creative destruction" caused by rival operators unseating each other’s assumed dominance has not changed since the days of Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer, the billionaire investor observed.
“Just when Google looked to be all-conquering, there has been the rise of on-phone applications and so-called verticals that allow regular users to circumvent search and instead to click directly on the app of their chosen site," he said, referencing Tripadvisor, Expedia, Zillow and OpenTable.
“Once established, these businesses have remarkable scale and are generally extraordinarily profitable with concomitant free cash flows.
“The stakes are enormous, which can induce highly promotional behaviour and careless use of funds at that time when the concept seems to have got a toe hold in this precipitous climb to dominance."
Technology stocks are back in favour and nowhere is that more clear than the response to the initial public offering of Twitter last week.
The social media company’s debut on the New York Stock Exchange was enormously successful, with stock trading at close to double the float price on its first day as a public company.
Twitter shares closed at $US41.65 ($44.37) on Friday compared with their $US26 issue price.
Market imbalances still remain for all the advances in technology and its take-up.
Online transactions account for only about 7 per cent of retail sales, according to the report, even though established retail businesses have been dealt a massive blow from the shift to online.
“Even in advertising there is still a large mismatch between time spent on-line and its share of the advertising pie. It has already taken its toll on traditional print media, but the rise of the likes of YouTube has still to be fully felt by traditional TV," Mr Neilson said.
He likened the disruptive impact of modern technology to the railway boom of the 1800s. Shares of Platinum Asset Management are on track for their second-best year since listing, up 50 per cent in 2013.
The Australian Financial Review


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Today is the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery – if you thought slavery was a thing of the past, we are still fighting to end it. Although slavery is prohibited worldwide through international laws protecting human rights, tragically these laws are not always followed and enforced.
According to theInternational Labour Organization, in 2021, an estimated 27.6 million people were in forced labor. This includes 23% in commercial sexual exploitation, 63% in various other private sectors, and 14% in state-forced labor. Migrant workers are more than three times more likely to be forced into labor than others.
Anti-Slavery International defines modern slavery as any instance in which “an individual is exploited by others for personal or commercial gain.” This may occur through force, coercion, or deception. Today,slavery is most common in industries that require heavy, lower-skilled labor and that inadequately regulated.
Modern slavery takes many forms, including:
Modern slavery can occur in many different types of industries including mining, construction, domestic work, or manufacturing, like in the garment industry. For example, it can look like a female garment worker with an unsafe employer, locked in a factory for long hours to labor for painfully low wages in abusive and dangerous working conditions. Sadly, of the roughly 75 million workers in the global fashion industry, as many as85% are women, and women are most likely to be the victims of slavery in this industry.
Garment ethics issues can even extend to the materials used to make the garments – and this is a point of particular concern in light of the US’s recent ban on cotton grown in Xinjiang, China. Arecent report by the United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner confirmed what many already strongly suspected: forced labor among Uyghur cotton farmers. Last year, oppressive treatment of Uyghurs, an ethnic minority group in China, prompted the US to pass the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, abill aimed at avoiding imports of products produced through forced labor in Xinjiang.
The UNreport suggested that Uyghur forced labor may be considered “crimes against humanity” and urged Xinjiang businesses to take “all possible measures” to protect human rights. The closed-door nature of Xinjiang factories and farms – a tactic used in many circumstances of modern slavery – meant that international investigations into labor safety were slow and difficult.
It’s a chilling reminder of the importance of understandingeverystep of a brand’s supply chain, because each part of the production process has the potential for mistreatment or slavery, because the issue remains painfully relevant in our modern world.
Thankfully, global awareness and action against slavery has come a long way and progress continues to be made. In particular, the fashion industry has been active in promoting more transparency of their supply chains and setting standards for protecting the workers in these supply chains.
TO THE MARKET’s mission is to help businesses and consumers around the world harness their purchasing power for good. This includes ensuring that all products we source from them come from the most ethical and sustainable supply chains.
The makers that we work with go through our proprietary vetting process (T.R.A.C.E) which is an acronym that stands for the five characteristics we look for in partner suppliers: Transparent, Responsible, Authentic, Conscious, and Ethical.
We work with makers that can provide industry best practice certifications and who perform well in third party audits. Some of the most common certificates held by our suppliers include those for:SA8000 Standard - Social Accountability,Global Organic Textiles Standard (GOTS),Fair Trade Certified,WRAP Compliance, andCertified B Corporation (B Corp).
Suppliers also have to agree to our Guiding Principles, which are centered on the lawful and fair treatment of workers in the supply chain. We are also regularly conducting third party audits as well as site visits with strategic suppliers, to ensure they remain dedicated to these Guiding Principles.
Today we are reminded to continue to fight to end modern slavery - which includes reflecting on our supply chain.


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A fatal blow for the microLED?
By pulling the plug on its supply agreement with Osram, Apple’s actions have sent shock waves through the fledgling microLED industry.
BY RICHARD STEVENSON, EDITOR, CS MAGAZINE
The nascent microLED industry has been plunged into jeopardy, following Apple’s decision to terminate its supply deal with ams Osram. Apple’s action, which caused Osram share price to plummet by 40 percent, has led this chipmaker to consider selling its second fab in Malaysia, built solely for the production of microLEDs for Apple Smartwatches.
According to Eric Virey, a Principal Analyst from Yole Group, Apple’s move has widespread implications, including delivering a massive and devastating blow to the microLED industry.
Virey points out that Apple has played a major role within this space for many years, having created the microLED industry through the acquisition of start-up Luxvue in 2014. “From that moment, dozens of startups and most OEM and display makers started investing in the technology.”
However, Virey believes that there is still a possibility that Apple has not inflicted a fatal blow to the microLED industry.
“If Apple had pulled the plug two or three years ago, we are confident this would have been a death sentence for the industry. However, the situation is different now: we consider that with sizable investments across all players and continents, the microLED industry has now gained enough momentum to continue on its own, although on a different path, with an immediate focus on applications where microLEDs can offer highly differentiating performance and functionalities.”
Promising opportunities for the microLED exist in the automotive industry, in augmented reality, and a variety of display technologies, according to Virey.
Despite ditching its partnership with Osram, Virey does not expect Apple to turn its back on the microLED: “We believe the company is still very interested in the technology, but will no longer try to develop its own technology and supply chain.”
Instead, Virey expects Apple to continue evaluating technologies and products developed externally, and to potentially adopt microLED displays developed by suppliers in some of its products, if and when it makes sense for them.
For Virey, Apple’s recent decision did not come as a great shock, as he viewed the project as challenging and risky.
“The multiple slips in Osram’s microLED fab ramp-up timeline indicated that Apple and its other partners were encountering problems and delays downstream, especially with the mass transfer and assembly of the microLED on the backplane and overall process integration,” remarks Virey, adding: “Yields remained low, which was a major challenge in meeting cost targets.”
Over the last two years, Virey and his colleagues have been arguing that the microLED Smartwatch project at Apple has been an incubator, not only for the company and its partners, but for the whole microLED industry.
“We continually warned the industry that the failure of this project remained a possibility despite the strong commitment and sizable investments made by Apple and its partners.”
The levels of investment are certainly eye-wateringly. Apple spent more than $2.6 billion to develop microLED displays, plus $420 million acquisition of Luxvue, and Osram invested $1 billion on its Kulim 2 fab. In addition, Apple’s partners, such as LG and Kullicke & Soffa had spent considerable sums to prepare to ramp manufacturing for the first microLED Apple watch, which had been scheduled to hit the market in 2026.
A state of shock
Responding to Apple’s decision, Osram’s leaders held a conference call to discuss the implications on 29 February.
Osram’s CTO, Rainer Irle, highlighted the company’s progress, saying that it had built Kulim 2, the world’s first high-volume 200 mm LED fab, in record time, and had made a huge commitment to deliver microLEDs to its former partner.
“We thought everything is on track, and then came that sudden change in the strategy of our customer. We don't understand where that suddenly came from, so we're very disappointed.”
Echoing this view, company CEO Aldo Camper added that while there was still some work to do, he had confidence that all the remaining ‘riddles’ could be solved.
Osram has calculated that the impairment cost associated with the Kulim 2 fab, its equipment, and the R&D expenditure associated with developing the microLED technology totals €1.3 billion.
“Out of the 1.3 billion, we have to write off 600 to 900 million. That includes the equipment that is still on order,” said Irle.
As Osram will no longer produce any samples in its Kulim 2 fab, the operating costs of running this facility will fall. However, the company will have to keep running the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system to maintain the value of the cleanroom.
Despite the axing of future business from Apple, Osram’s future is not in jeopardy, due to its strong position in other markets that use LEDs. According to Kamper, Osram is the well-established leader in the production of LEDs for the automotive market, and enjoys healthy sales in medical, industrial and consumer sectors. Sales of microLED sales to Apple would only have started to make a small impact to revenue in 2026 – and for that year the revised revenue growth is 6-8 percent, down from 6-10 percent.
With available capacity at Kulim 1 and Osram’s fab in Regensburg, Germany, the company has no plans to use Kulim 2 to produce its existing LED portfolio. Selling Kulim 2 is an option, but negotiations are complicated by a sale-and-leaseback arrangement for the facility, initiated in October 2023 to release proceeds of around €400 million.
As well as having to consider the future of that fab, Osram’s management will need to consider what lies ahead for the 200 or so staff that have been working on the microLED development programme. Kamper is keen to retain these “bright minds”. They may well shift to projects involving the development of new headlamps or sensors.
For many, the big question now is who might take over leading the commercialisation of the microLED. Virey and his colleagues say that the epicentre of the microLED industry has now shifted to Taiwan, which has a strong domestic ecosystem, thanks to AUO, PlayNitride and Ennostar.
However, for these and other players, there is a limited window for success. Displays based on OLEDs are improving on many fronts, including cost, efficiency, brightness and lifetime, and as this rival becomes increasingly entrenched, this reduce the chances of success for the microLED.


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The web-security blogger and hacker whisperer who first exposed Target’s massive credit-card breach may be the subject of a feature film at Sony, which has optioned rights to the story for a potential cyber thriller, Mashable confirmed Wednesday.
Brian Krebs, a former technology reporter for The Washington Post who has deep sources in the cyber-criminal underworld, broke the news of a devastating retail hack last December on KrebsonSecurity.com. Tens of millions of customers’ credit-card information was exposed in the breach, which could have repercussions for years to come.
New York Times reporter Nicole Perlroth later chronicled Krebs’ efforts in an article entitled, “Reporting from the Web’s Underbelly.” Sony has optioned rights to the article, and has tapped screenwriter Richard Wenk (The Expendables 2, The Equalizer) to adapt it for the silver screen.
Sony's deal was first reported by The Hollywood Reporter.


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Sony comments on that pesky backwards-compatibility
First off, let's go over what Sony's PR department said. Let it be known that this person was probably, or should be, fired. Even though Sony generally says stuff this arrogant. Anyway. The PR rep said that Sony expected from the get-go to be less than 100% with backwards compatibility. What is there right now is good enough, said the rep, and some people can put up with playing games that lack sound. Should be fired. Rude. Now for Sony's semi-official response. Sony says they will begin fixing the issues with system updates, perhaps even resorting to patches for individual titles that are particularly difficult. No date yet on these updates. Expect them soon enough.


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As the pixels settle after Apple’s meticulously planned rollout of its Vision Pro headset, battle lines have solidified in the war for a new reality. Multiple tech powers—and some rising upstarts—are developing headsets and other gizmos to digitally augment or replace the world our raw senses perceive. But there’s a clear split in philosophy over the role these mixed-reality devices will play.
Suddenly, that schism matters. Only a year ago—in those palmy days when we weren’t fixated on AI writing our essays and maybe wiping out humanity—tech’s big obsession was the metaverse. Every company seemed to have a strategy for this upcoming paradigm. Disappointing sales and the rise of generative AI shunted that discussion to the background. But Apple’s splashy entry has revived interest—and challenged the way that one-time undisputed king of the metaverse, Mark Zuckerberg, is pursuing mixed reality. Other players in the field will choose between these paths. Even giants like Microsoft. When I spoke recently with its CEO, Satya Nadella, he reaffirmed his commitment to the pursuit of “presence.” (Then we continued talking about AI.)
Nine years ago, Zuckerberg’s exposure to VR by way of the Oculus headset—then a bare-bones Kickstarter concoction—was like a lightning strike to his cranium. In an instant, he became convinced that digitally generated reality was the platform of the future. Predictably, the founder of the world’s dominant social media company divined that this new technology would be social. In 2014, he bought the startup for $2 billion. Even though progress was slow—his original roughly 10-year timeline is almost up—he’s never lost faith, even changing the name of his company to Meta to reflect his commitment. Embracing the term “metaverse,” the name novelist Neal Stephenson gave to the concept of an alternative digital world, Zuckerberg has the long-term goal of providing the tools to make us go somewhere else—and socialize there.
Long-term, indeed. Meta’s headsets, dubbed Quest, are the most popular VR rigs, but they’re far from ubiquitous. Zuckerberg’s path to change is paved with immersive activities like gaming, fitness, and VR social spaces where people are represented by cartoonish avatars. Silly as this is, I’ve found that these avatars can actually foster a semi-lifelike sense of connection. But Meta’s flagship social app, Horizon Worlds, is still clunky and tiring. Last year, a Meta executive had to scold employees for not using it for their meetings. Nonetheless, the company is spending billions in research to improve the technology, convinced its approach is the right one.
With its $3,500 Vision Pro headset—lighter and more sophisticated than Meta’s Quest devices— Apple has chosen a different course. As I wrote earlier this month in my first impressions of the device, the company sees its operating system, VisionOs, in the tradition of earlier advances in natural computing interfaces, like the graphical interface, and pointing devices like the mouse or touchscreen. James Wagner Au, author of the new book Making a Metaverse That Matters, says, “It makes more sense to think of Vision Pro as the successor to the Mac Pro—a device for high-end content creators who would find it appealing to have a single device where the multiple screens can be subsumed into one device or reality.”
Not once during Apple’s event was the word “metaverse” uttered. Instead the company’s wordsmiths said the device was a foray into “spatial computing.” The Vision Pro is primarily a solitary device that allows you to work or watch a movie. The most social component is that when a human being gets close to you in the real world, the digital display consuming your consciousness dims enough to let you know someone’s approaching, perhaps to ask you for a stapler.
Read the full article here


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From its press conference in New York today, Sony confirmed that a new Killzone game is headed to PlayStation 4 called Killzone: Shadow Fall.
According to Sony, in the game the Helghast are fighting for the right to exist. The war is said to devastate planets, and the state of the feud is similar to Cold War Berlin.
A demo featured slow motion effects and landing craft similar to those seen in Killzone 3. The player chased after a Helghan, hung from a ship as he was shooting soldiers, then jumped to a nearby platform and detonated to destroy the ship.
This marks the second Killzone game on the way, joining Killzone: Mercenary for Vita, which will arrive in September.


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Costa Rica's ICE Bids $ 5.9 Million in Vehicles
The Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad bids the purchase of 108 vehicles.
Friday, December 17, 2010
The vehicles must meet the following specifications:
The Judicial Authority of Costa Rica has issued a tender for the purchase of vehicles for the Judicial Investigation Organization and for its supply department.
The Ministry of Government has created a tender for truck type vehicles, minibuses and pickup trucks.
In two different bidding processes the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad will purchase a total of 70 vehicles.
The Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad has invited companies to bid for supplying 78 vehicles.
- Daily Update
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Announcing an investment of Rs 300 crore (USD 40 million), Bajaj Auto Limited has started work on a new facility in Akurdi for the production of electric vehicles. This production plant will have the capacity to produce 500,000 electric vehicles per year. Let us tell you that Akurdi (Pune), is also the site of Bajaj Chetak scooter factory, which made Bajaj Auto a household name in India.
Speaking about the new production plant, Rajiv Bajaj, Managing Director, Bajaj Auto Limited said, “In 2001 Bajaj 2.0 took off on Pulsar, in 2021 Bajaj 3.0 came on the attractive Chetak. Moving on to the Bajaj portfolio, apart from implementing a state-of-the-art ICE platform, which is currently under development, all our R&D Drive Train resources are now focused on creating EV solutions for the future. Thus, this investment in Akurdi complements the entire circle of hi-tech R&D competencies, high-efficiency engineering capabilities, world-class supply chain chain synergies and global distribution network, giving us a market-leading position in EVs in India and abroad. I must move on.”
The new facility will have state-of-the-art robotic and automated manufacturing systems for everything including logistics and material handling, fabrication and painting, assembly and quality assurance. It is spread over half a million square feet and will employ around 800 personnel. The investment from Bajaj Auto will be met through multiple vendors, who will invest a further Rs 250 crore (USD 33 million). The first vehicle from this unit is expected to be launched by June 2022.


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The fifth beta of OS X Yosemite was released to developers a few days a go, with the operating system getting closer to a general release, in today’s video we take a look at the subtle changes Apple has made in the latest beta.
Take a look at the video to see the changes in action.
Five juicy new rumors await you behind the crystal ball.
We get slammed 24/7 with new Apple rumors. Some are accurate, most are not. To give you a clue about what’s really coming out of Cupertino in the future, we’re busting out our rumor debunker each week to blow up the nonsense.
This week the rumor mill has been busy spitting out new details on practically every Apple product. From delays with the Apple TV revamp, to clues a new Mac Minis and 27-inch iMacs waiting for launch. Of course there are also some new iWatch rumors and a possible launch date for the iPhone 6, but you’ll have to slide up to crystal ball to see which of these rumors has what it takes to go all the way, and which ones about to fade away like ghosts.
The Rumor; The huge Apple TV revamp has been delayed again thanks to stalled negotiations with cable companies.
The Verdict:This looks promising. We’ve heard about Apple’s supposed redesign of the Apple TV for two years now, but the cable companies keep getting in the way, and it looks like this year the Time Warner-Comcast merger is making some executives drag their feet on inking the deals Apple needs to create the service it wants.
If a new Apple TV doesn’t come by the end of 2014, expect to hear about it at the beginning of 2015. Maybe that will give Apple enough time to add third-party apps and a SDK. Pretty please?
The Verdict: Don’t get your hopes up, yet. We’ve seen the NFC rumor pop up quite a few times already during this year’s iPhone rumor season, and even though these bare logic boards provide the most convincing evidence yet, until we see an actual NFC chip, or hear the words “near field communication support” stumble from Tim Cooks lips, we just can’t find any hope in our hearts that 2014 is really going to be the year the iPhone gets NFC. And at this point, I’m pretty sure no one wants it - unless it’s all tied into Apple’s incredible mobile payments service.
The Verdict: Probably not. Apple Store employees are kept completely in the dark on new product launches until they’re announced. It’s rumored that the iPhone 6 announcement will happen in mid-September, putting its launch date about two weeks later if Apple follows it normal routine. The company also prefers to launch new iPhones on Fridays to take advantage of sales over the weekend, but October 14th is a Tuesday, making it horribly unsuitable for a launch date.
The Rumor: At least half of finished iWatch products will ship with glass covers instead of sapphire.
The Verdict: Too early to tell. Along with lowering his estimate of iWatch sales for 2014 down to 3 million, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims that not all iWatches will get a sapphire glass display because of production issues with the ultra durable glass.
We’ve heard for months that sapphire production issues have plagued both the iWatch and iPhone 6. It seems that GT Advanced Technologies has finally come up with a solution to make a sapphire protective film, but it might not be ready for mass production until early 2015.
The Verdict:Believe it. Apple left a smoking gun on its support forums that it plans to release a new Mac Mini and 27-inch iMac by the end of the year. Both will probably just be modest hardware upgrades, though we wouldn’t mind seeing a sleeker Mac Mini and Retina iMac if Jony’s got them ready in the design lab.
While our Macs were designed for power, they were also made for beauty. Sharply rounded edges and fine materials come together to create the computers we know and love. But with normal daily use, dirt and grime can make our Mac workhorses less attractive.
In today’s video, we show you the surprisingly simple steps you can take to relieve your Mac of filth and enjoy a cleaner, better-looking computing experience. Make use of these quick Mac cleaning tips and having a fresh-looking computer will be a cinch.
While iCloud has been a trusty storage companion for photos and documents, Apple’s recently announced iCloud Drive upgrades what we already know and love about the service. In today’s video, we take a look at five ways iCloud Drive will upgrade your life when Apple rolls out the enhanced service alongside iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite.
As user-friendly as they are, Macs are complex machines. They’re absolutely loaded with features, some of which might not be obvious from the start. In today’s video, we take a look at five basic tips that can help make everyday use of your Mac much more enjoyable. Find out how to clean up your desktop, customize your Dock, tweak audio settings and more with just a few quick clicks.
Sometimes things aren’t as easy as they could be when you’re using your Mac to plow through the day’s tasks. Cluttered screens and excess clicking become irritating and tiresome. In today’s video, we take a look at five useful Mac shortcuts that can make using your Apple computer even more efficient.
It may seem hard to believe, but there was a time when Apple shipped computers without built-in monitor, not as an exception, but as the rule. Such was the case with the venerable Apple II, which shipped with a behemoth of a 320 x 200 CRT monitor that weighed a monstrous 22 pounds… more than a 27-inch iMac weighs today!
So in a very real way, this computer — built from an old Apple II connected by some kind of magic to an iMac running as the display by Franceso Zaia — isn’t just a sext Frankenstein. It’s actually a lighter, more efficient Apple II monitor than the original. And as an added bonus, you can dual boot up to OS X when the mood suits.
A cheaper iMac that proves you get what you pay for, fresh beta updates for iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, and a “rare” iPhone with a $15,000 price tag. You’ll get these stories and more in Cult of Mac’s video rundown of the week’s biggest Apple news.
If you plan on buying one of Apple’s new 21.5-inch iMacs for $1,099 and then upgrading internal components yourself later on, then listen up. Upgrade experts OWC have torn down the new entry-level all-in-one and discovered that its memory is soldered to the motherboard and cannot be upgraded.
The online Apple Store is back up and, as many suspected, there’s a new low-end 21.5-inch iMac for sale.
Featuring a 1.4Ghz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor, 8 GB memory, a 500GB hard drive, and integrated Intel HD Graphics 5000, the iMac is available for shipping within 24 hours at $1,099. The specs were leaked earlier today when French Apple website Macplus posted the below image of a box for the new iMac.


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BlackBerry's mobile messaging service BBM will be available for Windows Phone and Nokia X users this summer, the company announced Monday during Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
The big news from Nokia at Mobile World Congress was its Android-based X family, but the company also launched the Nokia 220 feature phone and the Asha 230.
In a bid to go after the low-end smartphone segment, Nokia is using Android with its own user interface and Microsoft services on the X, X+ and XL devices.
Nokia's Here Maps application will be available for free in the coming days for all Windows 8.1 users, including those with devices running Windows Pro and Windows RT.
Nokia has unveiled its Treasure Tag device, which can help people use their smartphones to find valuables like keys or a bag by putting a tag on them.
The two most talked about smartphones ahead of this year's Mobile World Congress sit at opposites sides of the spectrum; the low-end Android-based Nokia X and Samsung Electronics' new flagship model, the Galaxy S5.
Nokia and HTC have settled their long-running patent infringement battles, which played out in several countries and have seen a handful of HTC phones banned from sale in Europe.
Stocks including shares of tech companies tanked on Friday mainly due to worries about slowing global economic growth, but the mixed earnings reports from IT giants did nothing to calm concerns.
Nokia's improving Lumia shipments came to a halt during the fourth quarter, bad news for Microsoft, which will soon take over the phone unit.
The European Patent Office (EPO) has upheld a narrowed version of a patent on 3G technology at the heart of several legal disputes in Germany, an EPO spokesman said Thursday.
The Lumia 1320 aims to bring the large-screen form factor to the masses by delivering a value-for-money proposition. With a low $449 price tag, it poses a serious threat to its larger and more expensive rivals.
The U.S. International Trade Commission has ruled against InterDigital in a complaint that alleged Huawei, Nokia, ZTE had infringed the company's patents.
Nokia has released a beta version of its Camera app that will add more advanced features to smartphones like the Lumia 520 and the Lumia 720.
Nokia has obtained permission to sell its Indian handset factory after it agreed to deposit funds as security until a dispute with the country's tax authorities is resolved.
The U.S. International Trade Commission will review a preliminary decision that found that HTC infringed on Nokia patents.
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• Inside Secure has been the new name for Inside Contactless since late 2010.
News stories featuring Inside Secure:
November 13th, 2012
Inside Secure‘s Mobile MasterCard PayPass M/Chip 4 payment applet has received MasterCard‘s Cast and Functional certification when credentials are stored on the chip specialist’s SecuRead embedded NFC module or VaultSecure secure element. Functional certification confirms…
November 12th, 2012
A public authority consortium led by Docapost BPO, a division of France’s postal service La Poste, is to equip caregivers with NFC phones for use when making home care visits. The Confiance e-health project aims to…
November 12th, 2012
Ten device manufacturers are now using Infineon‘s Digital Contactless Bridge (DCLB) interface to enable a fast and secure connection between an embedded secure element and an NFC modem, the chip maker reports. Licensees include Texas Instruments, Inside Secure, MicroPross, MtekVision, Crocus Technology and Keolabs.
November 7th, 2012
NFC and contactless chip specialist Inside Secure has announced the availability of a new chipset that enables NFC payment capabilities to be added to standard mobile phones. New PicoPulse NFC RF front-end booster chips work in…
October 29th, 2012
Inside Secure generated revenues of US$28.6m during the third quarter of 2012, the chip maker reports, up 1% on sales during the second quarter of 2012 but 22% down on the third quarter of 2011….
October 29th, 2012
“With the availability of the VaultSecure IC, smartphone manufacturers, mobile network operators and other trusted third parties can co-own the SE and install, personalize and administer their own open- or closed-loop payment, access control, transit, loyalty or other secure applets,” says Inside’s Pierre Garnier.
September 25th, 2012
The NFC and contactless technology specialist has developed a way to turn NFC phones into “secured antennas” that can securely pull down sensitive data stored in the cloud and present it to a POS terminal or a contactless door lock — without the need to include an NFC secure element in the phone.
July 19th, 2012
Mobile network Orange has joined the NFC Patent Licensing Program, a patent pool run by France Brevets and launched in June with Inside Secure. “Our licensees will benefit, in addition to key patents brought by Inside Secure, to many NFC patents brought by Orange,” says Jean-Charles Hourcade, general manager of France Brevets. “We encourage other relevant patent holders to join our program to simplify the industrial deployment of NFC products and services.”
June 27th, 2012
The NFC chip specialist has hired IP commercialisation specialist France Brevets to handle licensing of more than seventy patents — including a core patent that is expected to mean any manufacturer incorporating an NFC controller into their device will need to acquire a license.
June 18th, 2012
NFC and contactless specialist Inside Secure has announced that its MicroRead solution has become the first NFC controller chip design to be certified by the NFC Forum. “This certification offers increased assurance that products using MicroRead solutions…
May 8th, 2012
Philippe Martineau has left NFC and contactless chip specialist Inside Secure, which recently floated on the NYSE Euronext Paris stock exchange, to join NFC microSD specialist DeviceFidelity as VP of business development. Martineau had been in charge of Inside’s NFC business since 2006. Fabrice Jogand-Coulomb has also joined DeviceFidelity, from SanDisk, as VP of product management.
April 23rd, 2012
NFC and contactless chip specialist Inside Secure, which floated on the NYSE Euronext Paris exchange in February, has announced revenues of US$34m for the first quarter of 2012, down 12% on sales during the same period…
April 16th, 2012
Inside Secure has officially confirmed that it is the NFC technology supplier for Nokia’s first Windows Phone with NFC, the Lumia 610. The Windows Phone 7.5 device is using Inside Secure’s Open NFC protocol stack and Inside’s MicroRead v3.4 NFC controller, says the company.
April 4th, 2012
Inside Secure’s consolidated revenues grew 94% to US$151m in 2011, due mostly to strong sales of NFC chips. The French company, which went public in February, supplies BlackBerry-maker RIM with NFC chips and estimates it has a market share of close to 50% by volume. “2011 was the take-off year for the NFC market and created substantial benefit for Inside Secure,” says CEO Rémy de Tonnac.
March 13th, 2012
The new MicroPass 4101-2K is the first large memory tag to both fully conform with NFC Forum standards and be available at an affordable price, says the NFC chip specialist.
February 28th, 2012
ID technology provider Morpho is to offer Inside Secure’s new NFC-on-a-SIM technology to its customers under the Morpho SIMply NFC-Revolution brand name. “Our bridge solution enables mobile subscribers to be introduced to NFC without the need to change their phones,” says Morpho’s Paul Naldrett. “We are convinced that this is the way to bring NFC to mass markets.”
February 27th, 2012
The Italian mobile network operator is to work with French technology cluster Pole SCS on the development of a range of innovative NFC services which will be introduced first in the city of Milan from later this year.
February 24th, 2012
Inside Secure is to show a new version of its NFC-on-a-SIM solution, first unveiled at the Cartes show in Paris in November 2011, at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona next week. The solution enables…
February 20th, 2012
Shares in the first NFC specialist to go public were oversubscribed by five times and the offer price was set at the high end of the range at €8.30 per share, netting the firm €69m and giving it a market capitalisation of €261m.
February 8th, 2012
The prospectus for Inside Secure’s IPO this month shows that the company made US$47m from the sale of NFC chips in 2011, that these were mainly delivered to RIM for use in BlackBerry NFC smartphones and that Inside believes it now has a share of close to 50% of the overall market for NFC chips for mobile phones.
Feed for stories featuring Inside Secure.
• Find a list of all the companies and other organisations that have been featured in NFC World in our directory.


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Elon Musk buys Twitter for $44bn
The world’s richest man buys social media platform, Twitter!!!
The board of Twitter has agreed to a $44 Billion (£34.5bn) takeover offer from billionaire and the world’s richest man, Elon Musk.
Twitter and Musk negotiated into the early hours of yesterday over his bid to buy the social media platform, less than two weeks after the billionaire first revealed a massive stake he made at the time. Mr. Musk, who made the shock bid less than two weeks ago, said Twitter had “tremendous potential” that he would unlock. He also called for a series of changes from relaxing its content restrictions to eradicating fake accounts.
The firm initially rebuffed Mr. Musk’s bid, but later asked shareholders to vote to approve the deal.
Mr. Musk is the world’s richest person, according to Forbes magazine, with an estimated net worth of $273.6bn mostly due to his shareholding in electric vehicle maker Tesla which he runs. He also leads the aerospace firm SpaceX.
“Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated…I also want to make Twitter better than ever by enhancing the product with new features, making the algorithms open source to increase trust, defeating the spambots, and authenticating all humans…Twitter has tremendous potential — I look forward to working with the company and the community of users to unlock it”
said Musk in a statement after the announcement.
THE ELON MUSK-OWNED TWITTER
With this purchase done, what will the future of Twitter be?
Will people leave Twitter?
Mr. Musk said that he hopes that even his strongest critics will remain on the platform “because that is what free speech means”.
However, some users have threatened to leave Twitter, while others have already quit and advised their followers to also abandon the social platform.
Will Trump return?
In the wake of the Capitol riot on 6th January, Donald Trump’s account was terminated permanently. While opting for his own social media platform, Truth, will Mr. Donald Trump return to Twitter once the ownership changes?
The future looks bright for Twitter but a lot of changes will how and we hope to see the adoption of blockchain technology and cryptocurrency by Twitter.
#crypto #bitcoin #ethereum #trading #anypad #blockchain
As written by Niranjan Duguta
Anypad is a next-generation blockchain Incubator and accelerator platform building a Multi-chain LaunchPad, Multi-chain AMM DEX, and Blockchain Game, Star Strike. Anypad would give crypto & blockchain startups & investors the best experience as the industry gains full-scale global adoption. Anypad is dedicated to incubating and accelerating the best and most innovative micro-cap blockchain projects, allowing blockchain startups to grow and raise funds seamlessly.


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AP Time Capsule now available on iPad; first edition features Sonny Moore (Skrillex)
Today we're excited to bring our iPad users a brand new feature, Time Capsule. We'll be periodically digitizing and releasing classic cover stories and other features a la carte for the iPad via our iTunes store. The first installment is our Sonny Moore (a.k.a Skrillex) cover story from AP #237, released in April 2008.
The feature is free to our iPad subscribers and 99 cents for non-subscribers. You can check it out in iTunes here.


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Dozens of Detroit developers sought federal grant dollars for neighborhood investments, but only a bundle of downtown projects were awarded money.
Black and Hispanic Detroiters are making far less and have fewer job opportunities than their white counterparts, a new report has found.
The week features unique foods from 21 Detroit restaurants representing six Latin nationalities.
A new analysis on the impact of an unexpected bill for low-income residents could help make the case for a guaranteed income pilot in Detroit.
New roasters sharing the culture and customs of East African coffee.
Cheryl Parks Ajamu, the Black Girl Food Critic, uses her entrepreneurial skills to boost Black-owned restaurants in Detroit.
West Village restaurant and butcher shop gets state grant from program that seeks to invest in Michigan’s food and agriculture sector.
Land contracts are alternatives to getting a mortgage, but they carry risks that buyers should be aware of.
In the Mix is eliminating food waste and preserving the effort of Black farmers by freezing broccoli, collards and other vegetables.
The city plans to bring on 2,200 workers in three years. So far, 176 have been hired.


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Company marketers see an improved customer experience as their top goal for using data in marketing, while agencies are slightly more focused on identifying new audiences and customers.
Archives for August 2016
Asian households have the highest median household incomes, of $75,910, reports Geoscape in its latest annual American Marketscape DataStream (AMDS) report.
Social networking accounts for almost 1 in every 5 minutes spent online, according to a recent study from comScore.
Consumers aged 14 and older access apps more frequently on smartphones than tablets, with social media the top app type on both devices.
The most commonly used email campaign types aren’t always the most effective.
Today, young adults ages 18 to 29 are less than half as likely to be white Christians as seniors age 65 and older.
Research from Econsultancy’s 2016 email marketing benchmarks report demonstrates that people more frequently turning to their mobile devices to check email, growing from 27% in 2011 to 55% in 2016.
US mothers are checking Facebook more times each day than they did in prior years.
In the battle among the social networks to attract new users, 2016 will be a banner year for Snapchat.
App store search accounts for more than 67% of actual new app discovery.


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Apple rumors have been quiet on the music front for a while, but an new one has popped up regarding a potential streaming service. According to AppleInsider, Apple may add a feature in iTunes 8 that will let users stream any media purchased from iTunes to any other Apple-made Internet-connected device.
According to the report, the service - potentially dubbed "iTunes Replay" - would grant access to the any media stored on its servers that iTunes users have already purchased. They could then stream it from connected devices such as the Apple TV or the iPhone, negating the need to store large files of video or music on each.
The move would be a step towards achieving what many feel is the future of digital media - remote access rather than local storage. Connected devices like the iPod Touch and the iPhone are expected to one day replace the large, multi-GB storage devices of past iPods as streaming technology improves along with the growing ubiquity of broadband access.


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3 Dividend Aristocrats to Buy and Hold Forever
These top dividend-paying stocks are set to reward shareholders for years to come.
The 3 Most Expensive Stocks Warren Buffett Owns
Compared to the usual Berkshire Hathaway purchases, these stocks' P/E ratios are on the high side, but there are good reasons why the famous value investor isn't bothered by that.
7 Costly Tax Mistakes to Avoid
Watch out for these errors and get your return right the first time.
Comcast's financial outlook for the new streaming service doesn't quite line up with what management is saying.
This could be a major setback for top hospital operators.
Alcohol-related deaths are up 50% since 1997.
The fine was initially set to $8 billion and was on top of a compensatory award totaling $680,000.
The precious-metals miner reported preliminary results for the fourth quarter of 2019.
The cannabis company provides an update on the Select deal, plus two other pending acquisitions.
Fresh reports suggest the company is considering its options.
Ignore the latest pop in the stock.
Shares of the eat-and-play chain were gaining on Friday after an activist investor revealed a stake.
UBS ups its price target by 50%.
MGP Ingredients is sinking after management released disappointing preliminary results -- here are the details investors need to know.
The company is raising gross proceeds of $20 million with the move.
The hard-drive maker is taking baby steps into the higher-growth market with enterprise and gaming SSDs.
Visa closed a huge acquisition and gained easier access to China, and some analysts became more optimistic about Apple.
Marijuana legalization, or just the expectation of it, could soon send these stocks skyrocketing.
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is a hit in Florida, and today it arrives at Disneyland in California, the park that needs a boost the most.
The grocer's stock wilts under the heat of an analyst downgrade.
China’s Anta Sports is growing at a much faster pace than its Western rivals.
EnLink Midstream slashed its sky-high payout to boost its financial flexibility.
The service will have both ad-supported and subscription options and be available free to Comcast cable subscribers.


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Narrow your search
iPhone fart app maker takes another to court over trademark infringement accusations as two developers battle it out in crowded fart simulation app market.
A revised look at how Apple's app store has evolved over the last several months.
Until you have these, you ain't got apps on your iPhone.
iFart and Pull My Finger decide that litigation hangs too heavily in the air, agreeing instead to forces, launching an app called Clear the Air.
Joel Comm, creator of the famous iFart application, is using a new platform to state his case for a new App Store review process.
Developers start releasing rank-to-sales stats.
The open nature of the Android Market is adversely affecting the overall quality of apps and causing users to return large numbers of Motorola devices, according to the company's big cheese.
An iPhone game developer says he believes "quality is mostly irrelevant" when it comes to making games for the new platform. We heartily disagree but the economics of cheap, useless iPhone games could be the voice with most authority.
Apple will reject books from the App Store that contain content it finds objectionable. It's within its rights to do so, but how does the company define "objectionable?"
Apple has approved an update to the Nine Inch Nails iPhone app, which it had previously rejected due to objectionable content. Frontman Trent Reznor claimed hypocrisy.


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The tonnage of the Kingdom’s milled-rice exports jumped nearly 50 per cent year-on-year in the first quarter, according to the Ministry of Commerce, with export revenues soaring as much as 82 per cent.
Total exports of milled rice for the first three months of 2012 hit 38,409 tonnes, climbing 49 per cent from the year-ago period, when exports were 25,784 tonnes, ministry data showed.
At the same time, revenues from exports increased 82.4 per cent to US$27.1 million, up from $14.9 million year-on-year.
Mao Thora, secretary of state at the Ministry of Commerce, said growth in both the number of rice millers and milling capacity, as well as the continued investment in sector, helped to push up the numbers.
“Now we see that rice millers are increasing gradually, so the exports are also on the rise,” he said, adding that both local and foreign investors are eyeing the sector.
Still, insiders noted that the Kingdom’s pricier milled rice had made the crop less competitive on the international market, as the early-stage sector had yet to create economies of scale that would lower production costs.
“Our price is high, and that made it difficult to ship rice out of the country early this year,” Seng Bun Sor, vice president of the Federation of Cambodian Rice Millers Associations and president of Seng Bun Sor Rice Exporter.
As a result, some millers did not see increases in their export numbers, he added.
That sentiment was echoed by Hun Lak, president of Mekong Oriza Rice Exporter, who said both Vietnam and India were selling their rice at more competitive prices and that is a threat to domestic exporters.
“The price of our milled rice is higher, resulting in a drop in the export of all kinds of milled rice,” he said. Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Chan Sarun recently acknowledged the increased cost of Cambodian rice, but said duty-free status in markets like the European Union should help to bolster the Kingdom’s competitiveness.
He predicted milled rice exports this year would more than double.
Cambodia’s milled rice exports last year were about 170,772 tonnes, totalling $103.9 million, according to Ministry of Commerce data.
To contact the reporter on this story: Sieam Bunthy at [email protected]


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The increased scrutiny of the fashion industry and its use of ultrathin models isn’t without validation, as nearly 9 in 10 American teenage girls say that the fashion industry is at least partially responsible for "girls' obsession with being skinny," according to a national survey released today by the Girl Scouts of the USA.The research also indicates that girls would prefer to see more natural beauty in the media. In fact, 81% of girls would rather see natural photos of models as opposed to the adjusted and airbrushed versions and 75% say they are more likely to purchase clothes shown on real-size models as opposed to stick thin models.
Yet despite these findings, it's clear that girls have a love-hate relationship with fashion and body image. Contradicting the aforementioned findings, 48% of girls wish they were as thin as the models in fashion magazines and 41% prefer to see the latest fashions modeled on thin women than fuller-figured women.
Other findings from GSRI's research include
- 47% say fashion magazines give them a body image to strive for yet,
- 65% say the body image represented by the fashion industry is too skinny and 28% say the fashion industry body image looks sick.
- 31% of girls admit to starving themselves or refusing to eat as a weight loss strategy and
- 20% of girls consider plastic surgery and/or weight-loss surgery acceptable.
- However 79% of Hispanic girls, 76% of African-American girls and 72% of Caucasian report being satisfied with their bodies.
Body image, the fashion industry's role and these survey results, will be addressed at New York City's Fashion Week by Girl Scouts of the USA. The conversation can be viewed live via online streaming video at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/beauty-redefined on Wednesday, February 10, 5 p.m. CST.
What's Happening Locally
Girl Scouts of Central Texas (GSCTX) recognizes that adolescence is an especially challenging time for girls and their self-esteem. With programs, volunteer trainings and merchandise, GSCTX continually strives to help girls develop into confident young women. Through its "grow strong" initiative, Girl Scouts of Central Texas hopes to help girls untangle their body image and develop a strong, healthy sense of self. Programs such as the Girls' Respect Conference encourage open, healthy conversations about relevant issues like body image and self-esteem, and ultimately assist in the development of confident young women.
Additionally, GSCTX offers merchandise through the shops that girls can feel confident and stylish in no matter what their size or shape. With 75% of girls citing fashion as very important; stylish, affordable and age-appopriate merchandise is essential to meeting the needs and interests of all girls.
For More Information
- For more survey results visit http://girlscouts.org/news/news_releases/2010/nationwide_study_feelings_about_fashion.asp
- For more about Girl Scout programs visit http://www.gsctx.org/?nd=gsctx_calendar_list
- For more about Girl Scout merchandise visit http://www.gsctx.org/?nd=shop
- To contact GSCTX visit http://www.gsctx.org/?nd=contact_us


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The first details for X Games Minneapolis 2017 are finally here!
ESPN and X Games have announced the sport disciplines and music lineup for their summer X Games event.
The world’s premier action sports competition debuts July 13-16 for its first year at the new U.S. Bank Stadium in downtown Minneapolis. The event will feature an all-encompassing youth culture experience, including more than 200 of the world’s best action sports athletes competing for medals and prize money in BMX, Skateboard and Moto X disciplines.
In addition to the sports, the X Games interactive youth cultural festival, X Fest, and world-class musical performances from A Day To Remember on Friday, July 14, Flume on Saturday, July 15 and Minneapolis’ own Atmosphere will also be part of the event. All three musical performances will take place at the Commons stage, located outside U.S. Bank Stadium.
Tickets will start at $20 for general admission. Multi-day admission and several levels of hospitality and suites are also available for purchase. For the first time in the X Games’ history, limited floor access will be made available, offering guests an opportunity to get as close to the action as the athletes without actually competing. Tickets are available now at www.xgames.com/tickets.
On Thursday, July 13, X Games Minneapolis will kick off with its first two medaled competitions: BMX Vert and Skateboard Vert, beginning at 5 p.m. CT. All guests are welcome to the U.S. Bank Stadium Plaza free of charge to see the world’s best BMX riders and skateboarders compete for medals and cash prizes. Harley-Davidson Flat-Track Racing will also take place on Thursday, July 13 with more details forthcoming.
Medalists from X Games Austin 2016 who have sport disciplines returning in 2017 will receive an early invite to compete in the X Games Minneapolis 2017 event.
X Games Minneapolis 2017 Sport Disciplines
|Big Air||Big Air||Best Trick|
|Big Air Skateboard / BMX Doubles||Big Air Skateboard / BMX Doubles||Best Whip|
|Park (M & W)||Dirt||Harley-Davidson Flat-Track Racing|
|Street (M & W)||Dave Mirra’s Park Best Trick||Freestyle|
|Vert||Park||QuarterPipe High Air|


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Microsoft this morning announced that the first widespread beta of Internet Explorer 4.0 would be available within 45 days for Windows 3.1, Windows 95, Windows NT 3.51 and 4.0, and the Macintosh. The final version of IE 4.0 for Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0 is due this fall, with Mac, NT 3.51 and Windows 3.1 final releases due 30 days later. A Unix beta will be available by the end of the year, with a final release expected in early 1998.
This is the first time Microsoft has committed to a schedule for Internet Explorer 4.0, which is currently in a pre-beta "platform preview" version for Windows 95 and NT 4.0 only. The Macintosh version of IE 3.x, however, does contain some features from IE 4, such as "Smart Favorites" and "Auto-Complete."
While recent news about porting CDF to Netscape Netscaster and this delivery schedule for IE 4.0 are aimed squarely at the Netscape marketing machine, Microsoft Product Manager Kevin Unangst thinks that customers should think carefully before choosing their next browser.
"Even with Communicator coming out, there really are good reasons to examine Explorer 4.0 before a corporation makes a decision to move," he said. "They should compare the products head-to-head and make their decision."
The final release of Netscape Communicator will be made available tomorrow, but the Netcaster component--promised for this release--is still some time away. Netscape will probably release a second beta of Netcaster this week as well


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World Wide Web inventor Tim Berners-Lee released an ambitious rule book for online governance — a bill of rights and obligations for the internet — designed to counteract the growing prevalence of such anti-democratic poisons as misinformation, mass surveillance and censorship.
The product of a year's work by the World Wide Web Foundation where Berners-Lee is a founding director, the " Contract for the Web " seeks commitments from governments and industry to make and keep knowledge freely available — a digital policy agenda true to the design vision of the 30-year-old web.
The contract is non-binding, however. And funders and partners in the endeavor include Google and Facebook, whose data-collecting business models and sensation-rewarding algorithms have been blamed for exacerbating online toxicity.
"We haven't had a fairly complex, fairly complete plan of action for the web going forward," Berners-Lee said in an interview. "This is the first time we've had a rule book in which responsibility is being shared."
For instance, the contract proposes a framework for protecting online privacy and personal data with clearly defined national laws that give individuals greater control over the data collected about them. Independent, well-resourced regulators would offer the public effective means for redress. Current laws and institutions don't measure up to that standard.
Amnesty International just released a report charging that Google and Facebook's business models are predicated on the abuse of human rights.
Berners-Lee nevertheless says that "having them in the room is really important." He said both companies had approached the foundation seeking participation.
"We feel that companies and governments deserve equal seats at the table and understanding where they're coming from is equally valuable," he said. "To have this conversation around a table without the tech companies, it just wouldn't have the clout and we wouldn't have ended up with the insights."
The nonprofit foundation's top donors include the Swedish, Canadian and U.S. governments and the Ford and Omidyar foundations.
One of its biggest challenges is the growing balkanization of the internet, with national governments led by China, Russia and Iran exerting increasing technical control over their domestic networks, tightening censorship and surveillance.
"The trend for balkanization is really worrying and it's extreme at the moment in Iran," said Berners-Lee. A strong government exhibits tolerance, the computer scientist added, for "other voices, opposition voices, foreign voices to be heard by its citizens."
So how to prevent governments from restricting internet access at their borders?
One approach, said Berners-Lee, could be financial pressure. Multinational lenders could condition lower interest rates, for example, on a nation's willingness to let information flow freely on its domestic network.
Elon Musk says Tesla has received nearly 150,000 orders for its new electric pickup truck since the automaker revealed the futuristic vehicle earlier this week to mixed reviews.
The Tesla CEO tweeted Saturday that the company received 146,000 orders for the wedge-shaped "Cybertruck" since is unveiling Thursday night.
Musk said 17% of the orders are for the single-motor model, 42% are for the dual-motor version and 41% are for the tri-motor model.
The much-hyped unveiling went off script when its supposedly unbreakable window glass splintered twice when hit with a large metal ball. Some analysts panned the truck's blocky, angular looks.
Placing an order costs buyers $100, which Tesla says is fully refundable.
Tesla has said the "Cybertruck," which starts at $39,900, will be in production in 2021.
U.S. top electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla Inc. has received 146,000 reservations for its new Cybertruck since it was unveiled only two days ago, Tesla CEO Elon Musk disclosed Saturday.
The all-electric pickup truck with a futuristic design was launched Thursday on the eve of the 2019 LA Auto Show in Los Angeles, Southern California.
"146,000 Cybertruck orders so far, with 42 percent choosing dual, 41 percent tri and 17 percent single motor," Musk tweeted Saturday, adding that the massive volume of pre-orders were made "with no advertising and no paid endorsement," which reflected consumers' huge interest in the new truck.
The eye-catching and unique design of Cybertruck included its adoption of the same stainless steel alloy as that of the spaceship manufactured by SpaceX, another company owned by Musk.
Cybertruck features three versions: a single-motor rear-wheel drive, a dual-motor all-wheel drive and a triple-motor all-wheel drive, with prices ranging from 39,900 U.S. dollars to 69,900 dollars, according to Tesla.
The company said the triple-motor version can tow more than 6,000 kg with a range of up to 800 km on a single charge.
Musk said 41 percent customers picked the most expensive 69,900-dollar tri-motor model and 42 percent chose the dual motor version, while the remaining 17 percent preferred the cheapest single-motor mode.
Production of the truck is expected to begin in late 2021, and that of the tri-motor variant starts in 2022.
Reservations for the pickup require a refundable deposit of 100 dollars, which analysts estimated would yield about 8 billion dollars from the pre-orders placed so far.
What if you are a diehard fan of movies, games or books; but can’t access those resources from Netflix, YouTube TV, PUBG or Amazon for not having any online payment wallet. Many people living outside US are facing this problem like you. In the present world, there are several countries, where the majority people still lack access to online payment systems. Is there any other solution but requesting a friend or relative who owns a master card/visa card/debit card? Don’t worry! Google Play Gift Card is there for you. It can give you access to the world of entertainment.
You can use the Google Play Gift Cards for paying online when you buy any product via internet. You can also apply a Google Play Gift Card for online subscription of diverse products and services. Let’s see what you can do with the entertainment filled Google Play Gift Cards.
Who can deny the stockpile of endless entertainment owned by Netflix. Signing up Netflix You can enjoy television shows, movies and other contents with superb streaming quality. However, to enter this limitless world of entertainment you need an international Mastercard or Visa or debit card. If you are a proud owner of these online payment options, you can enjoy Netflix for one trial month at free of cost. After completion of one month trial period, Netflix would ask you every single month for paying the coming months charge.
Signing up and paying Netflix bill every month is a real hassle from which Google Play Gift Card can give you relief. It is certainly a boon for the crazy movie lovers who are eagerly looking for a way to pay online securely. Now Google Play Gift Cards available in many countries, you can buy one to pay your Netflix subscription fee without any trouble.
However, you need to remember a few things. First, make sure the Google Play Gift Card is supported in the country where you are currently staying. Therefore, find the Google Gift card which is applicable for your region. Another thing to remember is, for paying the subscription fee; you need to place the bill through Google Play.
People from all generations love to watch television in their leisure periods. YouTube TV takes us to the next generation entertainment beyond geographical boundaries. You can use a Google Play Gift Card to pay for YouTube TV. However, don’t get frustrated if you can’t find the ‘Gift Card’ option on the list of payment methods in YouTube TV (YTTV).
All you need to do is convert your Google Play Gift card on your YTTV subscription account. Now you can find the ‘Google Play Balance’ in your YTTV account’s payment method setting. Thus, you can easily pay the YTTV subscription fee without using any master card or credit card or debit card. Subscribing to YTTV, you can enjoy diverse resourceful channels on YTTV including CBS, ESPN, CNN, ABC, NBC, Fox, etc.
In this digital world you don’t need to carry the weight of a book which also consumes space in your home. A book can get lost or stolen or be destroyed at fire, but a digital copy will remain forever. Technology allows you to buy, download and read books online with the help of diverse premium reader-friendly apps. If you are an enthusiast of reading online books and looking for new books frequently, you certainly need an online payment method for paying the fees. Google Gift Play Card can serve you in the expedition of buying/subscribing books from online book stores, libraries and websites like Amazon, Wal-Mart, etc.
Nowadays we require diverse apps for education, work or entertainment purpose. Google Play Platform is a breeding ground of thousands of apps which are very handy for students, job holders, programmers, freelancers, etc. Not all of these apps are free. It is a miserable situation, when you desperately wanna buy a specific premium app from the play store, but don’t have access to any online payment options like debit card, Visa card or Matercard. In this situation, the Google Play Gift Card can be your savior. You can easily get your desired app at fingertip, when you have a Gift Card.
Google Play Gift Cards are used as hot-tickets to pay for diverse online purchase including online subscription fees. However, many people are falling victim to scammers. Now how to understand you are being scammed. And how can you save yourself from being a victim of Gift Card scamming?
If someone asks you to share the code of your Google Play gift card to pay for any product outside Google Play, then that person might be trying to scam you. The scammers may call you pretending to be a government agency. Sometimes, the scammers claim to be a friend or family member or relative in trouble. They may also claim to be the representative of your friend or family member or relative. In order to overcome the situation the scammers might ask you to buy gift cards and share the codes with them. These people can be scammers, never believe them!
To avoid Google Play Gift Card scams don’t use your gift card for paying bail money, tax charges, or any other products outside the platform of Google Play. Remember that Google Play Gift Cards were made for purchasing products on the Google Play. And, never share your Google Play Gift Card’s back side code.
Amazon is suing the Pentagon over a $10 billion cloud-computing contract awarded to Microsoft.
Amazon said it filed a legal complaint Friday with the U.S. Court of Federal Claims seeking to challenge the decision.
The complaint is sealed, but the company said earlier this month there was "unmistakable bias" on the government's part.
Amazon's competitive bid for the "war cloud" project drew criticism from President Donald Trump, who said over the summer that he wanted the Pentagon to take a closer look.
The Pentagon awarded the contract to Microsoft in late October.
U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper has said the procurement was done fairly without outside influence.
The contract, formally called the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure, or JEDI, was sought by Microsoft, Amazon, Oracle and IBM.


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The PCI DSS is not the result of a knee-jerk reaction to an increase in security breaches but it is a studied approach to data security taken by each of the card companies. Before 2004, American Express, Discover Financial Services, JCB, MasterCard Worldwide, and Visa International had a proprietary set of information security requirements which were often burdensome and repetitive for participants in multiple brand networks. Seeing the need for greater cohesion and standardization, these associations created a uniform set of information security requirements that became known as the PCI Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), governing all the payment channels: retail, mail orders, telephone orders and e-commerce.
For more than two years, credit card companies have been encouraging retailers to comply with the strict set of 12 requirements that are aimed at securing cardholder data that is processed or stored by them. Unfortunately, with two deadlines looming – 30 September and 31 December 2007 for Level 1 and Level 2 US merchants – it seems that many companies will not be ready in time. Even with a last minute push, it is highly improbable that retailers – large or small – have the time or the resources to become compliant in such a short-time frame. Most companies, especially in the SMB market, want to become compliant but they are still struggling to introduce basic security practices let alone implement all the systems needed to become compliant. The most recent compliance statistics from Visa for the month of July indicate an improvement but they are far off the targets that Visa and the other card companies hoped for.
According to figures for July, 40% of Level 1 retailers were compliant, up from the 35% compliance rate in May 2007. With the somewhat smaller Level 2 retailers, the July figures showed a 33% compliance rate – up from 26% in May – and the smaller Level 3 retailers showed 52% compliance, just slightly up from the 51% that Visa reported for that group in the same month. Visa did not release figures for Level 4 retailers; however it said compliance remained low.
Such a low compliance rate – after more than two years of preaching by the credit card companies – is possibly due to three reasons. First, some companies have taken a very laid-back approach to the issue, realizing only recently that the credit card companies mean business. Now, they are rushing to comply by the deadline, suddenly aware that they have a massive task ahead of them. Second, many small and medium sized companies do not have the resources or the finances to invest in the more personnel or a technology solution to meet the PCI requirements. Third, some retailers have complained that the standard does not distinguish between retailers on the basis of their size.
By subscribing to our early morning news update, you will receive a daily digest of the latest security news published on Help Net Security.
With over 500 issues so far, reading our newsletter every Monday morning will keep you up-to-date with security risks out there.


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Nissan rolled out its newest Armada full size SUV model in Platinum and Platinum Reserve trim levels. These will offer the most luxury yet in the Armada lineup that was overhauled in recent years. Nissan said the State Fair of Texas would be the perfect venue to launch these new models given the anticipated fair attendance of more than 2.5 million this year.
In addition to the new SUV models Nissan also brought new Titan, Titan XD, and Frontier pickup models in the slick new Midnight Edition packages. Features include blacked-out trim and fascias, black alloy wheels, black step rails, body-color bumpers, and special badging. Nissan announced consumers can also get the Midnight Edition packaging on certain car and SUV models.
Toyota is back at the State Fair of Texas this year in the shadows not only Big Tex but also its recently opened national headquarters. The outdoor booth for the automaker features a live entertainment stage and the Toyota Sports Zone will allow visitors to participate in various sports skill challenges. On display in the Toyota area are the new 2018 Tundra TRD Sport, Sequoia TRD Sport, and RAV4 Adventure models, all with new styling cues and equipment.


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Qualcomm is obviously quite proud of its Snapdragon 865 5G Mobile Platform and it is the 5G SoC of choice for flagship smartphones. There are plenty of announced smartphones with Snapdragon 865, with Samsung leading the pack with its flagship Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra smartphones, Xiaomi with Mi 10 and Mi 10 Pro, Sony with Xperia One Mark Two, IQOO 3, rumored Meizu 17, Realme X50 Pro, Redmi K30 Pro, vivo Apex 2020 concept, and more.
Plenty of new smartphones coming with Snapdragon 865
According to Qualcomm, there are over 70 designs that have been announced or are in development based on the Snapdragon 865 Mobile Platform, and these will pave the 5G future with a second-generation 5G Modem-RF System, the Snapdragon X55, as well as bring connectivity improvements like WiFi 6 with a FastConnect 6800 mobile connectivity subsystem.
In addition to 5G and connectivity, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 865 SoC also has been marked as the best SoC for gaming smartphones, with Snapdragon Elite Gaming desktop-level features, so it does not come as a surprise that the list of smartphones include some upcoming gaming smartphones, which is still a rare breed, but also a rising trend.
“As the world’s leading wireless technology innovator, we are committed to driving and scaling 5G to the consumer. This year, the Snapdragon 865 will help make 5G accessible to billions of smartphone users around the world, further enabling immersive mobile experiences like high-speed gaming, intelligent multi-camera capture and all-day battery life”, said Alex Katouzian, Senior Vice President and General Manager for mobile at Qualcomm.
Qualcomm has released a list of Snapdragon 865-powered smartphones that are announced or coming soon and, as noted, it includes some that are already known, but also some yet to be announced smartphones, like the Asus gaming ROG Phone 3, Asus Zenphone 7, or Legion Gaming Phone, which is most likely Lenovo's push into the gaming smartphone market.
Here is the announced list of phones powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 865 SoC:
Black Shark 3
FCNT arrows 5G
Legion Gaming Phone
Nubia Red Magic 5G
OPPO Find X2
realme X50 Pro
Redmi K30 Pro
ROG Phone 3
Samsung Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra
Sharp AQUOS R5G
Sony Xperia 1 II
vivo APEX 2020 Concept Phone
Xiaomi Mi 10 and Mi 10 Pro
ZTE Axon 10s Pro


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Top Motorcycles of 2021
With 2022 well underway, and ahead of bikers looking at potential new bikes this year, Close Brothers Motor Finance looks back at the most popular motorcycles in the last 12 months. With an increase of 61.4% on Motorcycle registrations compared to last January the industry is seeing a shift in the right direction as buyers’ interest continues to rise.
Neil Richardson, Head of Sales North & Motorcycle Division at Close Brothers Motor Finance said: “After another turbulent year mostly caused by the pandemic, the motorcycle sector ended 2021 at a healthy speed – up almost 10% on the previous year. The MCIA reported on more than 114,000 new bike registrations in 2021 – the highest figure since 2016. This is likely due to a combination of people enjoying bikes for leisure, those opting to use their motorcycle to commute to and from work, and the increase in delivery drivers. Perhaps corroborating this is the fact that the Top Selling county in the UK for Motorcycles was Greater London with 846 units sold. This is up 292 units on last January.
“And with 2,354 more Bikes sold in January compared to January 2021, and registrations rising significantly across every single model band, it seems that interest in bikes continues to rise.
“Despite the optimism felt throughout the sector, challenges remain. The industry is not immune to the global manufacturing delays and the semiconductor shortage, which is throwing stock availability, both in the new bike market and used, into disarray. Another blow to the sector has been the recent announcement by the Government changing the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant’s rates and criteria. The 90% reduction in support will likely have a significant impact on the desire to switch to fully electric, zero-emission vehicles. Currently, demand continues to grow, with 72.2% higher electric bikes sales this January v last year. But if the Government is going to continue with its ban on new petrol motorcycles being sold in the UK from 2035, more will need to be done to encourage riders to move away from diesel and petrol.
“With the bike market performing well, the key for dealers to continue riding this positive wave is to remain engaged in where customer demand lies and stock the relevant bikes on the forecourt. Our data shows a mix of commuter-style mopeds and bikes used more for leisure. Interestingly, when comparing the top financed motorcycles from last year to the year before, the table looks very different, with almost all models moving up and down the table. And the top two most popular models (Lexmoto LXR and BMW S 1000 RR) moved from first and second place in 2020 to third and seventh place respectively last year. In 2021, the SYM JET has been the most popular bike choice, followed by the Yamaha MT and Lexmoto LXR. “
 Top 12 motorcycles financed by Close Brothers Motor Finance in 2020 and 2021