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4K TVs in charge as shipments to reach 233m in 2024
4K in pole position, 8K getting new tyres in the pits.
A recent report by report technical research outfit ABI Research confirms that 4K TVs are now firmly in the driving seat and will continue to grow even as the flat screen TV market reaches market saturation.Quoting a figure of 233 million 4K TV sets expected to be shipped in 2024, the report acknowledges that flat screen TV market penetration has become what it describes as ‘quite saturated,’ and that the adoption of modern TVs is being driven by consumer desire for bigger screens, higher resolutions and greater connectivity and content access. The growth to the predicted 233 million units shipped in 2024 represents a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 13%. Businesses use CAGR as a way of monitoring growth rate over multiple time periods.
Khin Sandi Lynn, Industry Analyst at ABI Research, explained, “For now, 4K will be the dominant format of the flat panel TV market, and of the content ecosystem as a result. 4K TV household penetration will reach slightly more than half of the TV households in mature markets, and with penetration still relatively low in emerging markets, there is significant room for 4K market growth in the years to come.”
Obviously, businesses want to get their products into as many households as possible, which can be difficult if consumers see no value in changing or upgrading. However, penetration can be increased by adopting a number of factors including adjusting pricing, launching new products, defining new target markets and developing strategic coalitions.
Of these, the recent introduction of 8K televisions is an obvious contender for creating new interest in a saturated market. As well as satisfying a consumer push towards bigger screens and higher resolutions it is also being backed by a number of associations such as the 8K Alliance, and partnerships between broadcasters and the latest 5G networks.
A number of the main TV manufacturers, including Samsung, Sony, LG and TCL have now introduced or plan to introduce 8K models to the market, albeit at prices outside most consumer’s pockets.
Lynn commented, “The cost of 8K TV sets is far from affordable for most consumers,” before adding, “This will limit the sales volume for the foreseeable future; however, we can expect the price points to decline to a more reasonable level over the next several years just as 4K sets have.”
And, despite the industry’s efforts to get 8K preparations in place, the high cost of 8K TV sets is not the main barrier to 8K take up but rather the lack of content and distribution models. Only Japan’s NHK is currently broadcasting in 8K, though the Korean Broadcasting Corporation (KBS) is working towards this goal. Additionally, streaming service provider, Rakuten, has announced it will provide 8K content later in the year but, overall, service providers are not incentivised to provide 8K content since the current market is so small.
Technical barriers also have to be addressed and one of the main ones is dealing with the much larger files sizes that 8K content creates, leading to distribution and data management issues. The proposed solution is the Versatile Video Coding (VVC) codec, which is expected to be standardised by 2020 and is up to 34 percent more efficient than HEVC.
So, it seems that 4K remains the TV technology most households will adopt and stick with for at least the next 5 years but with 8K waiting in the wings getting ‘get its ducks in a row’ the next TV you buy after that could well be an affordable, 33 million pixel beastie.
Are you already chomping at the bit for the latest in TV tech? Do you plan to be an early adopter and take advantage of upscaling technology until 8K content becomes available? Let us know in the discussion thread.
Source: www.broadbandtvnews.com, www.rapidtvnews.com
Image Source: TechRadar
To comment on what you've read here, click the Discussion tab and post a reply.


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A DISUSED shop which has lain vacant for almost a year is set to be transformed into a new indoor skate park and roller rink.
The 20,000 sq ft facility will be set up in the former BHS store at Ocean Terminal, which has remained unoccupied ever since it closed in July 2016.
Now the team behind popular Dalkeith skating spot Transgression Park are hoping to expand their facilities and return to their roots in the process.
Designed by skate park experts Vision Ramps, ‘Transgression at the Boardwalk’ will boast a 10,000 sq ft skate park and a 10,000 sq ft roller skating and recreational area.
Its arrival comes ten years after Transgression opened its first park at the shopping centre before moving to its current Dalkeith location after outgrowing the space.
Ken Smith, one of Transgression’s founding members, said the Ocean Terminal venue would offer families and extreme sports enthusiasts alike an “exclusive venue” to hone their skills.
He said: “We are proud to be returning to our roots in Leith where the Transgression story began ten years ago.
“With Scotland already known for its extreme sports elite, including Danny MacAskill, the new venue might help find our next big star. We can’t wait to open our doors.”
Mr Smith, who said his team were delighted to be returning to Leith, revealed the new skate park would be taking on a Coney Island theme, tying in with Ocean Terminal’s waterfront location.
He said: “The whole purpose of doing this was for the young people of Leith, because that’s where I’m from and that’s where my family is from. Once we had the opportunity to come back here we obviously grabbed it because we just love being in Leith.
“It is really exciting – seeing things that were just ideas a very short time ago become reality in front of you is just amazing. The general feedback we have had so far is people are really looking forward to it being there because it’s got such a wide range of people who can use it.
“If you can’t use the skate park you’ll be able to use the roller ring.”
This facility will be a first for an indoor shopping centre in Scotland, with private lessons and equipment hire both set to be available.
Michelle Whitelaw, marketing manager at Ocean Terminal, said: “We’re hugely excited to welcome back the skatepark with the additional of a roller rink bringing something truly unique to our shoppers.
“The BHS unit offers a huge space so we’re delighted to have the Transgression experts on-board to help transform the unit into a fun and interactive hub for young people and their families.
“It’ll be the perfect place try out a new hobby at the weekend or during the school holidays.”
A single one-hour session at the park will be priced from £7, lessons from £10 and equipment hire from £5.
An official opening date is yet to be confirmed but it is hoped it will be early to mid-May.

domain: news


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On February 26, there will be an update to Red Dead Online. This update is set to include a new Free Roam Event, Showdown Modes, Races, Guns, emotes and cosmetics. The new Free Roam Event, Fool’s Gold, is a competition where players will fight over a gold suit of armor. To earn points and wear […]
No New Content Coming to Arms?
After receiving the version 5.0 update for Arms, the development team gave consumers more reasons to purchase or replay the game thanks to their new, free DLC update. However, it seems that this will be the final update for Arms. Thanks to a user on restera.com, we have intel on what Nintendo had to say […]


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Sacre bleu! According to Orange France, the iPhone 4 white looks like it’ll attract a premium above the already weighty price-tag.
We decided to check with Orange on whether the UK prices would change, and they’ve told us that while the information on the white iPhone has been on the shop site for a while, they expect the UK price to remain the same as the black model. Apologies to our continental cousins.
This wouldn’t be the first time that Apple priced their products differently. In a bizarre reversal, a black MacBook cost more than the white version.
White iPhone models have begun to appear on inventory lists around the world, but we’re still waiting for a sale date. Do we want a white iPhone that much? Tell us.


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Two men have been sentenced to a total of 10 years for their part in a conspiracy to defraud and launder money from the proceeds of phishing scams, says the UK's National Hi-Tech Crime Unit (NHTCU).
US-born Douglas Havard, 24, was sentenced to six years, while UK-born Lee Elwood, 25, from Glasgow was sentenced to four years in gaol.
The NHTCU says the two men ran a UK syndicate which used identities and account details to steal from accounts via ATM machines and to buy and sell goods online. Officers estimate that the pair stole at least £750,000 over a 10-month period, adding that the proceeds of this crime over two years could be as much as £6.5 million.
The pair were also involved in online criminal gangs, Shadowcrew and Carderplanet. After initial contact via the Internet, the suspects exchanged stolen information and counterfeit documents such as credit cards, driver's licences, passports and birth certificates. The pair also enlisted people to sell goods bought with compromised credit cards on online auction sites.
Havard was arrested in Leeds in June and was found to have documents and equipment to manufacture false identities. Police raiding his flat found bank accounts in at least 10 names along with forged Euro and dollar travellers cheques. Overall, about £10,000 in cash was retrieved at various addresses and a further £20,000 was found in bank accounts in various names which were then frozen.
Havard also admitted to receiving data dumps of credit card information and passwords from unnamed Russian individuals who subsequently received a cut of the proceeds via money transfer agencies back to Russia.
NHTCU says Havard is also wanted in the US on two Texas State Warrants for non-appearance at court where he was due to face charges for counterfeiting and for armed robbery.
Elwood was arrested in June 2005. Officers found a large quantity of forged documentation and bank documents, credit card holograms, computers and other equipment at his flat.
Detective Superintendent Mick Deats, deputy head of the NHTCU, says over the past year the unit has seen a sustained increase in the professionalism of cybercriminals and although companies are taking the brunt of their attempts to steal money and data, consumers are also being hit.
"We hope that these sentences deliver a tough message to anybody either thinking about or actually using other people's identities to steal," he says.
The UK government said in May that it was introducing new legislation, under its new Fraud Bill, that will allow the law courts to impose sentences of up to 10 years on perpetrators of phishing attacks.


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Media Releases and Opportunities» Go to news main
Media release: New study finds cannabis labelling is misleading and doesn’t accurately reflect a plant’s chemical composition
Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021 (Truro, N.S.) Cannabis labelling is often misleading and would benefit from a more scientific approach when it comes to marketing the product, according to new research by Dalhousie University, Wageningen University & Research and Bedrocan International, a medicinal cannabis company based in the Netherlands.
The terms indica and sativa are often applied to cannabis and are widely believed to be associated with distinct aromas and psychoactive effects. By analyzing the genetic and chemical makeups of hundreds of cannabis samples, the researchers demonstrated these labels are poor predictors of a sample’s genetics and chemistry.
The research team’s findings are described in a scientific paper to be published Oct. 14, 2021, in the journal Nature Plants.
“Breeders label their cannabis strains using the terms indica and sativa. Retailers then rely on these labels to market their products, and consumers believe these labels are meaningful. But there is now broad scientific consensus that the current use of indica and sativa is misleading,” said Dr. Sean Myles, associate professor in the Faculty of Agriculture at Dalhousie University and lead author of the study. “These labels are simply not reliable indicators of a plant’s genetic or chemical composition.”
The research team also determined the creative names given to cannabis strains, like Lemon Haze and OG Kush, are poor indicators of a strain’s chemistry and genetics. They found pairs of strains with the same name are often just as different genetically and chemically as pairs of strains with different names.
“If Pinot Noir appears on a bottle of wine, a consumer can be confident the wine is made from Pinot Noir grapes. Unfortunately, cannabis consumers cannot have this confidence - labels and strain names do a poor job of informing consumers about what they are consuming,” said Dr. Myles.
Cannabis' faulty labelling system likely arose at least in part due to its long history as an illegal substance, leading to a lack of information on plant pedigrees and no regulated naming conventions.
“Cannabis is unlike other valuable crops in that its naming conventions are highly unreliable. For patients consuming cannabis as medicine, this is particularly concerning,” said co-author Dr. Robin van Velzen, a lecturer at Wageningen University & Research and a plant scientist at Bedrocan International. “There is now broad scientific consensus that an evidence-based naming convention is required for the cannabis industry.”
While the researchers demonstrated contemporary cannabis labelling poorly describes the genetics and chemistry of samples overall, they did find a weak signal in the data suggesting the sativa/indica distinction may be driven by a small number of aromatic compounds called terpenes.
Cannabis strains labelled as sativa had higher concentrations of terpenes that have tea-like and fruity aromas, while indica samples generally had higher concentrations of terpenes that smell earthy. This distinction in aroma between sativa and indica is consistent with reports by recreational users.
To explore this further, the researchers combined their chemical information with genomic data and identified a small number of regions in the cannabis genome that likely contribute to the earthy aroma associated with the ‘indica’ label.
“Breeders and growers may be labeling their cannabis strains rather subjectively based on a small number of aromatic compounds that are under genetic control,” said Dr. Myles. “But overall, our evidence-based approach suggests consumers should not rely on cannabis labels to inform them of what they are consuming.”
Associate Professor, Faculty of Agriculture
Senior Research Reporter
Communications, Marketing and Creative Services
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- Media release: Dal Arts Centre reopens as Maritimes' performing arts epicentre with $40 million investment
- Dalhousie University Celebrates Opening of Faculty of Agriculture’s Cox Institute
- Media opportunity: Dalhousie University researcher hopes to unravel the mystery of cognitive impairment ‑‑ or brain fog ‑‑ linked to severe cases of COVID‑19
- Media opportunity: Rural regions of Canada don't figure prominently in provincial, territorial government plans but are critical to economies, climate change initiatives and natural resources: national policy review
- Media opportunity: Isolating, overwhelming and exhausting ‑‑ Dalhousie University researchers examine the postnatal experiences of resettled Syrian women in Nova Scotia
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by Joe White
June 10, 2013
Apple has announced a revamped Safari for Mac app at its WWDC 2013 keynote. The new application will launch with OS X 10.9 Mavericks, the company's recently unveiled operating system. New features include a brand new Home page for Safari and a "Shared Links" interface, via which users can easily see URLs posted to social networks such as Twitter and LinkedIn. In addition, a number of under-the-hood improvements have been made to the application, one of which allows for super fast accelerated scrolling at almost 60 frames per second. For more of today's news, see: Apple Once More Improves Its Line Of MacBook Airs, Apple Introduces iCloud Keychain, Apple's All-New Calendar App In OS X Mavericks Sure Looks Good.


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Canada strengthens ties with Asian trade
Canada's international trade minister Ed Fast joins The Business to discuss his country's plan to increase trade with Asia by joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
TICKY FULLERTON, PRESENTER: What other country is big with wide open spaces, a pretty low population, a dollar, loaded with resources and has a two-speed economy? Answer: Canada. And the country sees a big future in trade with Asia.
Well I caught up with Canada's minister for international trade, Ed Fast, in Sydney this week and he's very enthusiastic about Canada joining the latest new trade bloc, the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Australia is already a member of the TPP.
Minister Ed Fast, welcome to the program.
ED FAST, CANADIAN MINISTER FOR INTERNATIONAL TRADE: It's good to be here.
TICKY FULLERTON: Well a big mission for you out here is the Trans-Pacific Partnership. How important is it to Canada and what are her aspirations?
ED FAST: Well Canada has decided that the Asia Pacific is a market that we need to be more deeply engaged with, and we certainly see the rise of some of the high growth markets in places like China, South-East Asia and the perfect vehicle for doing that is the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations.
TICKY FULLERTON: Well I notice US trade rep Ron Kirk in Singapore this week talking about next generation trade issues, for example, the digital economy, free flow of data and information through the TPP region without any unwarranted restrictions. Now, 56 per cent of Canadian businesses are looking to penetrate the Chinese market over the next five years. That sort of streamlining must be very important.
ED FAST: It's very critical. Our trade flows have increased dramatically between Canada and China, as has investment. There's an advantage to us and it's in Canada's best interests to find new markets, to expand the opportunities that our Canadian businesses have to sell into and also to trade with.
TICKY FULLERTON: You've recently been through China, Japan, Indonesia. In fact you're deliberately positioning Canada as the gateway of choice into North America. Why should Asian businesses look at Canada rather than the west coast of the United States?
ED FAST: Well, for at least two reasons. One is geographically our west coast ports in Canada are actually up to two days closer to many of the Asian economies, for example, China, Japan and Korea.
TICKY FULLERTON: Yeah, that's weird when you think about it, 'cause you almost have to check the map to see if that's right.
ED FAST: It's counter-intuitive, but it's absolutely the case. In fact many, many businesses are now realising that and are choosing the ports of Vancouver and Prince Rupert to access the North American gateway.
The other reason that people should look to Canada is that we've invested very heavily in gateway infrastructure on the west coast in our rail systems, in our port systems, in our overpasses, highways to make sure that Canada's goods, including our resources can get out of our market and into the Asian markets and also for our imports to get into North America on an efficient basis.
TICKY FULLERTON: I think it's about $1.4 billion in pure government money into your ports. Now, is this a little bit of a sensitive issue from the United States' point of view whether indeed you should be part of the TPP?
ED FAST: Well, we are competitors; Canadians are fierce competitors, but we're fair competitors. Please understand that the United States is by far our largest trading partner. It's certainly our most trusted partner. It's a partner that we continue to work with to improve trade between our countries.
TICKY FULLERTON: So they wouldn't mind that from the point of view of you being a TPP member, because it is the new game in town, isn't it?
ED FAST: That's true. And the point we've made with our American cousins is that Canada should be walking together as partners with the United States as we open up new opportunities in the Asia Pacific.
TICKY FULLERTON: When I think of Canada in terms of Australia, I think of her as a formidable competitor for the Asian market. So why should Australia be looking to Canada for investment opportunities?
ED FAST: Well, one of the amazing things is how much our bilateral investment has grown over the last five years. Today our bilateral investment is somewhere in the order of $40 billion. It's a dramatic increase since five years ago. And what it indicates is that first of all both of our countries have recognised that spreading risk out is helpful, it's good for business, we have similar economies that depend on resources, we have expertise that we can share with each other. And also, you know, we both have the challenges of appreciating currencies, and when you invest in each other's markets, in a way it's hedging, right?, that works to stabilise each other's economies.
TICKY FULLERTON: Anything more attractive?
ED FAST: Anything more attractive? Well, in terms of Canada, many, many things that we offer in terms of investment, for example, we have a very low tax regime. Our federal tax rate is somewhere in the order of 15 per cent. We have a highly educated workforce. And then on top of that, you have the safest banking system in the world, four years running.
TICKY FULLERTON: And no carbon tax.
ED FAST: No carbon tax in Canada. And so what we're saying to investors: "Listen, if you're looking for a safe place, a predictable investment climate, look no further than Canada."
TICKY FULLERTON: Minister Ed Fast, I know you're over the ditch to New Zealand next. Thank you so much for joining us.
ED FAST: Thanks so much.
Author Ticky Fullerton


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Best new Android and iPhone apps (November 22nd - November 28th)
That's right — it's Monday again and it's time we celebrate the start of a new week with some brand-new apps. Let's check out what the App Store and Play Store have in... their stockpile for us.
So, iOS gets a new File Manager-type app, an app that lets you virtually travel and check out locations and experiences photographed by others, and a pretty cool book scanner. Android got a 3D graphic editor, a black-and-white camera, and a font creator, which lets you draw up your own letters.
There are some more apps in the slideshows below. Check them out and, of course, do let us know if we missed a brand-new app, which deserves to be here!
New for iOS
New for Android
This story is part of:PhoneArena apps of the month (105 updates)
4 September Best new Android and iPhone apps (September, 2017)
7 August Best new Android and iPhone apps (early August, 2017)
31 July Best new Android and iPhone apps (end July, 2017)
24 July Best new Android and iPhone apps (late July, 2017)
17 July Best new Android and iPhone apps (mid July, 2017)


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Destiny USA continues to add to its plethora of available stores and this new wave is bringing in some high end brands. Companies such as Giorgio Armani, Salvatore Ferragamo and Johnson & Murphy now have outlet locations in Destiny’s newest wing.
Syracuse came together Saturday for the second annual. Neighborhood safety was the hot topic at the second annual Neighborhood Action Conference held at Fowler High School this past weekend. Some residents feel fighting crime isn’t rocket science; it’s a matter of starting out small with the family and the neighborhood at the center.


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I was really excited to see a few of my friends email me this article that just came out in Forbes Magazine. I am so proud to be part of the Spider Grips Ducati Race Team. I am also very proud to be mentioned along with Rossi – especially in Forbes.
I suppose the excitement will continue and I can only hope that the next time I am in Forbes Magazine, it will be because I am listed in the Fortune 500. 😉 GT.Ducati Gears Up With Rossi, Diavel
The guys at Ducati are in a good mood these days. Last month North American retail sales were up 106% over January 2010; last year saw double the market share of 2006 and a 10% increase in sales for Q3 and Q4.
Not to mention: Greg Tracy won the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on a Multistrada 1200—and racing legend Valentino Rossi agreed to ride for the Ducati MotoGP team.
Oh, and that cool Cigarette boat that just came out? Ducati helped develop it.
John Paolo Canton, a spokesman for Ducati North America, credits much of the company’s recent success (and the big get for the racing team) to a “relentless” R&D cycle. The Multistrada in particular played a key role.
“The Multistrada 1200 was groundbreaking,” Canton says. “It was the first motorcycle to really incorporate a lot of the technology found on cars—traction control, [ABS] braking—the first to wrap it all up as a package. A rider can say ‘I want the bike to run off-road.’ And you click a button twice and the traction control changes your engine, the mapping software changes, your suspension lifts the bike off the ground, everything.”
Tech like that doesn’t come cheap (the Multistrada 1200 S costs almost $20,000). But it shows that the right product will sell, even during a rough economy: Multistrada was Ducati’s second-best-selling model in 2010, despite the fact that it was available only half the year.
Ducati’s top-seller, the $9,000 Monster, is arguably its most-revered product. The Monster and Superbike families combined accounted for more than 70% of Ducati sales last year.
But the biggest hype lately has surrounded the brand-new Diavel. It’s a 463-pound, 162-horsepower cruiser that goes from 0-62 in 2.6 seconds. That’s faster than the base model of the $17,000 Superbike, without being as high-maintenance. Plus, it offers three ride modes (Sport, Touring and Urban), dual traction control and wireless ignition.
Canton says it’ll fit seamlessly into the Ducati portfolio—and that’s the point.
“If you go off the wholesale orders of our projections for 2011 between the Diavel and the Multistrada, the Sportbikes and the Monster, they’re going to roughly represent 20% of sales each,” he says. “Where it used to be that two families were 75% of sales, now it’s a well-rounded company.”
Part of that well-roundedness extends to making sure Ducati gets to the podium come race season. Rossi’s arrival goes a long way toward ensuring that goal. The Italian is widely credited for turning around the racing teams at Honda and Yamaha; Ducati expects him to bring extraordinary fine-tuning expertise when he joins partner Nicky Hayden on the track this year.
“The No. 1 thing Valentino will bring to our racing department will be his ability to develop a race bike,” Canton says. “The guy is so precise with his feedback. Of course he’s unbelievable on the motorcycle but historically when he’s had a bike that hasn’t worked for him, he’s able to give feedback to his engineers and they in turn have been able to adjust the bike to be able to make it a winner.”
It’s the same thing Michael Schumacher had going for him when he was winning everything in Formula 1. It may not be flashy, but being able to build a team that can refine a motorbike will be the key to their success, Canton says.
“Valentino can tell you, ‘I’m roughly 47 degrees over, and I felt it slip six inches before the bike went underneath me,’ which a lot of other riders can’t analyze to that pinpoint of accuracy. [Former Ducati racer] Casey [Stoner] was unbelievable on the motorcycle. But Casey’s way of doing it was ride absolutely out-of-control on the limit and force the bike to work. And he’s mashed himself up quite a bit doing it–but it never improved the motorcycle.”
Rossi will make his first racing appearance in late March. Canton couldn’t be more excited.
Follow me on Twitter: @HannahElliott


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Apple is to ship 71.5 million iPhones in the final quarter of 2014 – though sales are set to drop significantly in the first three months of 2015, say new estimates. The figures are from leading analyst Ming Chi Kuo, who also says that 57 million of the handsets will either be the iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus. He says that the rest of the devices will be iPhone 5C and 4S models. Kuo also claims that a relatively modest 49.7 million devices will be shipped in Q1 2015.
The analyst also said that iPhone sales will outnumber the Plus devices sales by 2:1, although other commentators have claimed that the ratio will in fact be 3:1. It is thought that increased supplies of the iPhone 6 Plus will lead to the split being tighter. The official results for Q4 2014 will be released at the end of January according to reports, with further estimates due to be released in the coming weeks. Rumors about the iPhone 7 are already starting to circulate despite the fact that the iPhone 6 was only released weeks ago. It’s thought that the next device will allow users to take ‘DSLR quality’ images.
Have you purchased an iPhone 6 or 6 Plus yet? Do you feel the speculation about the next device is premature or are you already excited about the iPhone 7? Let us know below.


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The Shorty Awards are starting to announce its 2017 winners after millions voted in this year’s competition. Though the full award ceremony isn’t until April 23, but the Shorty Awards have already started rolling out winners ahead of the big night.
For those not in the know, the Shorty Awards honor influencers, personalities, marketers, creatives and, in general, users of social media. The competition looks at the new media that social represents, and some of the phenomenal creativity that’s found there. Then, in true social fashion, the Shortys open the voting to the Internet, allowing anyone to stray come to the competition website and pick their very favorites in a host of categories.
The full winners list is coming on April 23, but several big awards have already been announced. Among a few of the most notable winners was Gaten Matarazzo of “Stranger Things,” who won the Shorty Award for Actor; Chrissy Teigen, who won in the Celebrity category; boy band BTS, who won for Music; and Seoul-based 1Million Dance Studio, taking the Dance category.
Some of the categories had unexpected triumphs. In the Twitch Streamer of the Year category, for instance, the winner was painter Bob Ross. Twitch, a streaming service best known for allowing gamers to broadcast gameplay videos, streamed the entire run of Ross’s show “The Joy of Painting” in 2016. It gave the show a huge boost more than two decades after Ross’s death.
A few big brand winners are also in the early dole. HBO’s “Westworld” campaign won the Integrated Campaign category, while Fox’s “Deadpool Gets All the Likes” campaign took home the Audience Honor award. The Olympic News Lab at Google grabbed top honors in the Multi-Platform Campaign category, and USA’s Mr. Robot Season 2 Multi-Platform Campaign took the next award in the category, gold.
Other notable wins included Syfy Digital taking two awards in the Art Direction category — Gold for its “‘The Expanse’: Enter the Future” online offering, and Silver for its “‘The Magicians’: Welcome to Brakebills” online offering. The often weird and always fun “Sonic the Hedgehog” Twitter account won Gold in the Games category for Sega. Netflix’s “Bojack Horseman” Season 3 took the Television category, with Cinemax’s innovative “‘Outcast’ Interactive Trailer: ‘Possession Begins’” snagging the Audience Honor award.
Brave Dog is also proud to give a shout out to our partner, Concept Arts, for qualifying as a finalist in this year’s Shorty Awards. Concept Arts’ slick social media native advertising offering for Marvel Studio’s “Dr. Strange” brings the movie’s mind-bending, awesome visuals to the Internet in a totally creative way. Check out the entry here.
There are tons more great winners, all of which are available in the full early winners list on the Shorty Awards website. All are worth checking out: You can see the winning entries and read their summaries, each with a dedicated webpage.
We can’t wait to see what more winners are still to come during the full Shorty Awards ceremony on April 23. You can watch the ceremony livestreamed here — it starts at 6:30 p.m. ET/ 3:30 p.m. PT on Sunday.
Congratulations to all the winners — and as always, keep being creative!


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With political parties declaring their ticket lists, election entrepreneurs have jumped in to make the most of the business of elections.
An Ahmedabad entrepreneur and Narendra Modi fan, Vishal Mehta, is launching an animation comic, Bal Narendra —Childhood Stories of Shri Narendra Modi . The 43-page comic on the life of BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, a series of 17 stories, has been created by another Ahmedabad-based company, Blue Snail . The online version is priced at Rs. 99 and the print version at Rs. 150.
The personality of the comic’s child, Modi, bears a striking resemblance to the image the Gujarat Chief Minister is crafting in his election campaign. For instance, one of the episodes in the comic is about how the “daredevil” little boy Narendra swam through a crocodile-infested pond to hoist a flag at the top of the temple in his village, Vadnagar. That too during a severe flood. There is also an illustration of the boy serving tea to Indian jawans on a train during the Indo-China war.
Launched in 2013, Blue Snail, according to its website, has the Gujarat government as one of its clients. Another Ahmedabad entrepreneur, Jignesh Gandhi, owns it.
The Hindu could not contact Mr. Gandhi for this story. It is not clear if Blue Snail was commissioned to create the comic on Mr. Modi by a client or the animation company has launched it as its own product. The copyright for the comic is with Blue Snail.
Mr. Mehta, a Cornell and MIT Sloan alumni, who worked for Dell computers and Amazon.com before returning to Gujarat, has acquired through his e-commerce venture, Infibeam, the online marketing rights for the comic from Blue Snail.
Infibeam has already received tens of thousands of orders for the online comic, the company’s official spokesperson said in an e-mail to The Hindu .
“The Bal Narendra project is privately owned for sharing with people at large with commercial motivation,” he said.
“The book has 17 stories inspired by the real-life childhood incidents of Shri Narendra Modi,” the Infibeam spokesperson said.
The personality of the comic’s child, Modi, bears a striking resemblance to the image the Gujarat Chief Minister.


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New footage from Injustice 2, Ghost Recon: Wildlands, Mass Effect: Andromeda, and more.
Raru cuts the prices on some big-name releases.
Here’s everything you need to know before the Nintendo Switch arrives in South Africa.
Is this PS4 exclusive the must-play game of 2017?
Here’s what you need to know about the latest video game releases.
New gameplay from Prey, Injustice 2, Crash Bandicoot HD and more!
The latest episode of Clueless Gamer sees Conan go up against the best quarterback in the world.
Sniper Elite 4 drops this week, but should you pick it up?
Two big titles arrive on the scene this week.
New footage from Nioh, Horizon: Zero Dawn, and more!
We review the bald-headed assassin’s latest retail entry to find out if the joy is worth the bodycount.
Check out some in-progress gameplay from the upcoming Psychonauts sequel.
We take a look at the video games you can play in SA this week!
New footage from For Honor, Horizon: Zero Dawn, and more!
Here are the free games PlayStation Plus members will be getting this month.
What are critics saying after going hands-on with one of 2017’s biggest games?
Here’s what’s arriving on store shelves and online stores this week!
New footage from Mass Effect, Conan: Exiles, and Square Enix’s secret Marvel project.
Raru has launched a “Best of 2016” gaming promo for local gamers to enjoy.


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Economic corridor project welcome: minister
Updated: 2013-10-29 08:58
By Zhou Wa (China Daily)
A businessman from Bangladesh promotes traditional handicrafts during a trade fair in Kunming, Yunnan province, in June. Economic ties between China and Bangladesh are becoming closer. Lin Yiguang / Xinhua
A proposal to further enhance economic development and cooperation between Bangladesh, China, India and Myanmar is welcome, Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Dipu Moni said.
Moni made the remarks in an exclusive interview with China Daily during her recent visit to China.
"We congratulate China for proposing this innovative (Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor) project. Bangladesh welcomes this proposal and stands eager to work with China, India and Myanmar for its early implementation," Moni said.
"I believe the (proposal) will provide a major boost to the trade and economic relations between China and the countries that the corridor would connect ... by greatly enhancing connectivity between them all."
The proposal to establish such a trade corridor in the four countries comes from an idea originally developed by Chinese scholars in Kunming at the end of the 1990s called the "Kunming Initiative".
The initiative evolved into the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Forum for Regional Cooperation during its first meeting in 1999, to create a business platform where major stakeholders could exchange ideas on promoting economic growth and trade in the region.


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National COVID Alert - Stay Home
From Thursday 5 November, everyone must stay at home, and may leave only for a limited set of reasons.
Under the new restrictions:
- People are being told to stay at home unless they have a specific reason to leave, such as work, which cannot be done from home, and for education purposes.
- School, colleges and universities will remain open.
- People are also allowed to leave home for exercise, medical reasons, to buy food and other essential shopping and to provide care for vulnerable people or for volunteering.
- Meeting family and friends indoors or in private gardens will not be allowed.
- People are still allowed to form support bubbles.
- Children can move between homes if their parents are separated.
- Outdoor recreation is encouraged, you can meet one person from another household outside in a public place.
- Pubs, bars, restaurants and non-essential retail must close, but takeaways and click-and-collect shopping can remain open.
- Leisure and entertainment venues, including gyms, will also close.
- Construction sites and manufacturing workplaces can remain open.
- Clinically vulnerable people are asked to be “especially careful”, but people are not being asked to resume shielding.
The new restrictions came into force at 0001 on Thursday, 5 November 2020 and will remain in place until Wednesday, 2 December.
Find the latest guidance and exemptions at www.gov.uk/coronavirus


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The delivery station at 1785 State Highway 5S will create more than 175 full and part-time associate jobs, all paying at least $15.00 per hour, in addition to hundreds of driver opportunities for Amazon’s Delivery Service Partners and Amazon Flex drivers.
Delivery stations power the last mile of Amazon’s order process and help speed up deliveries for customers. Packages are shipped to a delivery station from neighboring Amazon Fulfillment and Sortation Centers, loaded into delivery vehicles and delivered to customers.
For more information about open positions, visit https://www.amazon.jobs/
Delivery stations offer entrepreneurs the opportunity to build their own business delivering Amazon packages, as well as independent contractors the flexibility to be their own boss and create their own schedule delivering for Amazon Flex.
To learn more, visit www.logistics.amazon.com and https://flex.amazon.com
In celebration of the Amsterdam station launch, Amazon donated $10,000 to The Greater Amsterdam School District, enabling them to provide school supplies for 3,800 K-12 students.
Since 2010, Amazon has created more than 24,000 jobs in New York and invested more than $7.1 billion across the state, including infrastructure and compensation.
These investments have contributed an additional $5.7 billion to the New York economy and have helped create 17,400 indirect jobs on top of Amazon’s direct hires — from jobs in construction and logistics to professional services. In addition, more than 111,000 independent authors and small and medium businesses in New York are selling to customers in Amazon’s store, creating thousands of additional jobs across the state.


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EA confirms Battlefield 6 is coming in 2018; Battlefield 1 is getting Esports Mode and GOTY Edition this Fall
Skyrim, Pokemon UltraSun/UltraMoon, Rive, more coming to Nintendo eShop this week
Interview: Pocket Mana on the Launch of My Uncle Merlin's Kickstarter Campaign
Middle-Earth: Shadow of War, Assassin's Creed Origins, and Super Mario Odyssey are October 2017's best-selling games
Electronic Arts reiterates that Battlefield 6 and Anthem are coming in 2018
New Retail Releases: Axiom Verge, Rime, River City Rival Showdown, More
Valkyria Chronicles 4 will be released for PS4, Xbox One, and Switch in 2018
EA turns off all microtransactions in Star Wars: Battlefront II after fan backlash
Star Wars: Battlefront II, The Sims 4, Karnov’s Revenge, more added to Xbox Store
Middle-Earth: Shadow of War, Assassin’s Creed Origins, and Super Mario Odyssey are October 2017’s best-selling games
All Articles: EverQuest 3
Sony Online Entertainment has announced has they’ve laid off over 200 employees at studios in Denver, Tuscon and Seattle. Due to these cutbacks, the publisher has also confirmed the cancellation of The Agency, the long-in-development espionage MMO that was planned for the PC and PS3.
In a public statement, SOE said these layoffs would not effect current games like the recently released DC Universe Online. They also reiterated that EverQuest 3 and PlanetSide 2 are still in development.


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Volkswagen: Spinning Its Wheels?
No doubt about it: Volkswagen CEO Ferdinand Piech engineered one of Europe's greatest turnarounds. The grandson of auto pioneer Ferdinand Porsche inherited a loss of more than $1 billion and eroding market share in 1993. A battery of new models helped Piech seize European market share from Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Corp. With its Audi, Skoda, and Seat brands, VW now has nearly 19% of Western European car sales, up from 15% in 1994. Profits last year topped $1.2 billion on $71.4 billion in sales.
But no turnaround is eternal: Europe's largest carmaker is running into problems again. Profits of $799 million for the first nine months of 1999 are unchanged from a year ago, disappointing expectations. But that's not really what's worrying investors, who have bid the stock down 24% this year, making it the worst performer of Germany's big-cap stocks. What gives the market the chills is the prospect of increasingly tough conditions for the next two or three years: Unprecedented pressure on prices in Germany, persistent problems in big foreign markets, and revved-up rivals plotting comebacks.
The question is whether Piech has overreached in his drastic reengineering of VW. To ensure VW's dominance in the tough European market, Piech has expanded the model range dramatically. Its 1999 palette includes 51 cars, up from 42 two years ago. In the meantime, Piech has forced models to share parts. Eventually, all the company's cars will be built on four basic chassis and parts collections known as platforms.
CANNIBALIZATION. Cutting platforms has saved billions, and expanding the lineup has scored brilliant market share gains. But now Volkswagen may end up eating its own lunch. No fewer than 11 models ride on VW's so-called A-Platform, ranging from the sporty Audi TT Roadster to the quirky VW New Beetle to the budget Skoda Octavia. Buyers are starting to wonder why they should pay $25,000 for an Audi A6 when it looks suspiciously like a $16,000 Volkswagen Passat. "Consumers have learned that they can get the same technology on lower-priced versions," says Helmut Panke, a member of the management board of rival BMW.
There are early indications Panke's right: Sales of the Skoda Octavia have soared more than 60% this year while sales of the similar VW Passat and Audi A6 are flat. That's not necessarily bad if the Skoda is stealing more buyers from competitors than VW's own brands. But it's bad if Skoda's appeal is eroding the upscale image of its pricier brands.
VW's push into the luxury market may aggravate this problem. As part of an effort to shed VW's middle-class image, the company is spending about $745 million in 1999 and 2000 developing a luxury car to compete with Mercedes-Benz and BMW. The risk: The car could steal as many customers from Audi as it does from the other German luxury brands.
Meanwhile, competitors are fighting back. GM's Adam Opel unit aims to boost its market share in Germany to 17% from 14.5% by offering buyers generous incentives. In September, Opel's Astra outsold VW's Golf Europewide. Competition is already squeezing margins, forcing VW to pass gains in manufacturing efficiency on to consumers.
VW can still point to triumphs. U.S. sales are soaring, rising 40% in the first nine months, to their highest level in 25 years. But the U.S. remains a secondary market. And gains there are offset by losses in economically troubled Brazil, a far bigger market for VW.
The 62-year-old Piech is expected to end nearly a decade at VW's helm in 2002. His product offensive is impressive. But critics also fear his dictatorial style has purged top management of independent thinkers. "The autocratic approach that serves companies in dire straits can bring negative consequences when it's applied too long," warns J.P. Morgan Securities Ltd. analyst Nick Snee. VW could find out that Piech's turnaround isn't a one-way street.


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TEXT OF STORY
Steve Chuitakis: We got airline earnings this morning from Continental. And yesterday from Delta and United. Not good — all three are losing money, first class seats down big time. Although the three say they’re not losing as much money as they had. Delta says it could eventually be profitable this year. AirTran this morning said it made a little money as well. We’re expecting Boeing to check in next hour.
Cue the story about regional airports, and how when airlines are hitting turbulence, the smaller landing pads are getting bypassed. From Oregon Public Broadcasting, here’s Mitchell Hartman.
Mitchell Hartman: Fewer people are flying for business and pleasure these days. So airlines are parking planes and cutting back on routes that aren’t profitable.
University of Portland economist Richard Gritta:
Richard Gritta: What’s happening with airports is they’re getting hammered.
Mid-sized regional airports have been hit hardest. Airlines have canceled nonstop flights to hub cities and vacation destinations, or pulled out altogether. Cincinnati’s domestic traffic is down 25 percent this year. Places like San Antonio, Hartford, and Fort Lauderdale are also seeing big declines.
And that hurts the bottom line. For one thing, airports lose landing fees. Plus, says Gritta, with their retail concourses, airports have become shopping malls.
Gritta: And when you have less people flying, you have less people in the malls, buying less food, buying less other stuff.
Gritta predicts the pain will continue for some time. First, consumers need to start flying again. Then they might start buying.
I’m Mitchell Hartman for Marketplace.
There’s a lot happening in the world. Through it all, Marketplace is here for you.
You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible.
Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.


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Posts Tagged ‘revenue’
Akorn Inc. plans to pay $640 million in cash to buy fellow generic drugmaker Hi-Tech Pharmacal Co. Inc.
The Nasdaq stock market has informed Veeco Instruments that it doesn’t comply with listing requirements for the quarter ended June 30.
JCPenney reported its sixth straight quarter of big losses and steep revenue drops as it continued to face challenges related to a botched turnaround plan.
Estee Lauder’s fourth-quarter net income jumped 84 percent, as revenue growth in all geographic regions and several product categories buoyed the company.
Cisco’s revenue guidance for the current quarter was weaker than Wall Street expected, and shares fell sharply in extended trading.
Planet Payment, a processor of international transaction across various currencies, eked out a $300,000 second-quarter profit after a $1.2 million loss a year ago.
Tool maker P&F Industries reported second quarter income rose to $875,000 from $796,000 a year ago, as revenue rose to $19.5 million from $15.2 million ago year ago.
BioSpecifics Technologies Corp. reported second quarter net income rose to $1 million from $700,000 a year ago as revenue rose 26 percent to $3.3 million from $2.6 million a year ago.
A slight revenue increase and a modest drop in profit were detailed in the CPI Aerostructures financial statements issued Thursday.
Pharmaceutical and personal products firm United-Guardian reported that second quarter net income rose 12 percent to $1.34 million over the prior year.


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Nestlé Initiates R&D Innovation Challenge In Sub-Saharan Africa
Nestlé has launched a research and development (R&D) innovation challenge in Sub-Saharan Africa to boost local entrepreneurship.
The programme will provide a platform for start-ups and universities to identify sustainable and scalable solutions that accelerate the innovation of products catering to the needs of local consumers.
'An Exceptional Opportunity'
Nestlé chief technology officer, Stefan Palzer, said, "There is a growing number of Africa-based entrepreneurs and local researchers with creative ideas to address issues facing their communities."
"This R&D innovation challenge presents for our company an exceptional opportunity to leverage the outstanding creativity while helping to turn the most promising ideas into reality," he explained.
The challenge calls for devising innovative solutions in environmentally-friendly packaging, sustainable cocoa plantlets, affordable nutrition, and new routes to the market.
The programme was launched in Ghana, and is scheduled to take place in Côte d'Ivoire, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, and South Africa.
The food giant has also partnered with Kinaya Ventures to engage with local startups.
The R&D innovation challenge is part of Nestlé’s Global Youth Initiative, which aims to help 10 million young people around the world have access to economic opportunities by 2030, Nestlé said.
© 2019 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Dayeeta Das. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.


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A high-end furniture retailer aims to build a huge mansion-like showroom in Orange, on a prestigious site next to the Pinecrest Mall.
RH, the company formerly known as Restoration Hardware, is considering a $20 million project in the East Side village, according to documents filed with the building department. A permit application describes a three-story building of approximately 45,000 square feet, with dozens of interior furniture galleries, an interior design department, and a rooftop restaurant and park.
More akin to a museum than a store, the proposal reflects RH’s evolution from a high-end lighting supplier to a luxury lifestyle brand. In 2019, the company unveiled an equally opulent storefront in Columbus at the Easton Town Center.
Chairman and CEO Gary Friedman said the publicly traded company plans to roll out these “immersive design galleries” in all major markets.
“We believe there are those with taste and lack of scale, and those with scale and lack of taste”, and the idea of putting the scale taste is broad and far-reaching,” he wrote in a third-quarter letter to shareholders in December.
Earlier this month, RH declined to comment in response to Crain’s inquiries about a potential project at Orange. A spokeswoman said Friedman was the only person who can speak on behalf of the brand – and he was unavailable for an interview. She did not respond to a follow-up email on Wednesday, February 16.
Craig Maddy, RH’s construction manager, is featured on the building permit application, which was submitted on Tuesday, February 15. “I can’t speak to anyone about the project. Thank you,” Maddy said, when reached by phone.
RH already has a traditional design gallery in Lyndhurst, at the Legacy Village lifestyle centre. But that space is just 10,000 square feet, less than a quarter of the footprint the company offers a 15-minute drive southeast.
Legacy Village developer Mitchell Schneider, president of First Interstate Properties Ltd., said RH’s existing store is thriving alongside other home furnishings retailers including Arhaus, Crate & Barrel, Ethan Allen and Lovesac.
“We have had discussions with the company about a suitable location within Legacy for its larger design gallery, which are ongoing,” Schneider wrote in a text message Wednesday.
In Orange, the new RH Cleveland Gallery would replace Slyman’s Tavern on a 2.4-acre site along Interstate 271 in the Chagrin Highlands development. The restaurant and real estate are owned by local attorney Jon Pinney, mortgage magnate Ron Leonhardt Jr. and Pat D’Onofrio.
The partners have a purchase agreement to sell the plot to an entity controlled by HR, Pinney confirmed via email. He would not disclose the sale price.
Slyman’s Tavern is set to move into leased space in Pinecrest.
Pinney said the existing restaurant, at 4009 Orange Place, will remain open until the new 3,500 square foot location is ready.
“We’re rolling out a smaller, more efficient concept with the same great kitchen. The RH Mansion transaction was compelling and also a ‘win’ for the community, in our view,” he wrote. “After careful consideration, we felt this was a ‘win-win’ and we are delighted to move forward.”
The investors negotiated for more than a year with RH and Fairmount Properties, the developer and operator of Pinecrest, Pinney wrote.
“Slyman’s is an iconic Cleveland brand and a place I’ve known since my dad took me there when I was very young,” said Orange-based Fairmount manager Adam Fishman. “It is an honor for Pinecrest to welcome them to a new store which we believe will be opening in the coming months.”
The Orange Planning and Zoning Commission and Architectural Review Board will discuss RH Cleveland’s proposal at a March 1 meeting, said Robert McLaughlin, the village’s building manager.
Mayor Kathy Mulcahy was impressed when she visited the RH Columbus Gallery.
“You walk in there and you could be in any $10 million house in California,” she said, marveling at the upscale design, patios and a glass roof restaurant. which she described as “spectacular”.
She has no doubt the project near Pinecrest will go ahead, despite tough competition for tenants among East Side retail owners.
“I think it’s wonderful and will solidify the area up there as a regional destination, especially for home furnishings, and it will keep our commercial area vibrant and exciting,” Mulcahy said. “And I think it’s good for Cleveland. It’s prestigious.”


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This is not the best year to get a hot deal on a smartphone but there are some decent deals out there if you know where to look for them. Here are a few offers for Sprint customers new and current but be warned that most are good for a limited time.
If you have a large family and want to give all of them smartphones for Christmas, Sprint is offering free Samsung Galaxy J3 phones for your whole family when you buy a new smartphone for yourself. Of course, there’s lots of fine print like up to 10 lines, 24-month agreements, taxes, early termination, etc. The J3 is not Samsung’s flagship phone but it is a decent choice for a budget model with a list price of $192. This deal expires January 1.
Sprint is also offering its Unlimited Freedom plan at $60 a month for one line, $40 for the second and $30 each for additional lines. This would average out to $32.50 per month per line for a family of four and also expires January 1.
Another good Sprint deal lets customers with good credit get a new Samsung Galaxy S7 for no money down with 24 monthly payments of $28.96, plus get another Galaxy S7 free and a free Samsung Gear VR headset with Oculus gift pack.
All these deals can be found at Sprint.com but Best Buy is also offering a $200 gift card when you buy and activate select smartphones with a monthly payment or lease plan from Sprint. The smartphones included in this offer are the iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone SE, Samsung Galaxy S7, Samsung Galaxy S7 edge, Samsung Galaxy J3, LG V20 and LG G5. The Galaxy J3 is an especially sweet deal since payments are only $8 per month.
Given the shortage of super duper smartphone deals this year, all of these are worth checking out provided you want to have Sprint as your carrier. It’s always a good idea to check back on the websites of the major carriers to see what new goodies they’re offering this week.
If you still have money left to spend after getting through Black Friday and Cyber Week, Best Buy is ready to tempt you with the “Special Edition Tech Sale.” The retailer promises 11 one-of-a-kind items not available elsewhere. The fun starts on December 4 and here are some of the products to check out.
Shinola Magnolia Edition Red Belt Runwell Turntable – $2,499.98
For the vinyl collector or aspiring DJ on your shopping list, this exclusive turntable is just what you’re looking for.
Lenovo Yoga 910 Glass-Lid Laptop – $1,299.99
This laptop is individually numbered with a hand-painted glass top.
The Beatles Collectible 1964 Pro-Ject Turntable – $649.98
Interest in the Fab Four is at an all-time high this year and this is the ideal gift for that Beatlemaniac on your list, the one with the awesome collection of vinyl.
Beats Unity Edition Studio Wireless Headphones: available in USA, Mexico and Canada colors – $379.99 each
Again, something a bit different from the usual variety of Beats headphones available everywhere.
Harry Potter 8-Film SteelBook Box Set – $99.99
The ultimate gift for the Harry Potter fan on your list.
kate spade new york Activity Tracker – $98
This bubble gum pink wearable is definitely one-of-a-kind and perfect for the fashionable fitness buff.
DJI Phantom 4 Quadcopter in Black – $1,199.99
Because it’s the perfect toy for grown-up little boys.
GoPro HERO5 Black 4K Action Camera plus Best Buy Holiday Sweepstakes for a chance to win a trip to the 2017 X Games – $399.99
For the adventurer on your list who just might get lucky.
TUMI Aston Wrap Folio for Surface Pro – $79.99
So you can have the best-dressed hybrid tab on the block.
South Park Character Figures 3-Pack – $39.99
Don’t we all love “South Park”?
Team Liquid Razer Deathadder Chroma Elite Mouse and Goliathus Mouse Mat – $69.99
For the fearless keyboard warrior with a wild imagination.
Quantities are limited and most items are available in select Best Buy stores until December 10 or when they’re gone. Best Buy is offering free shipping on most products through December 24.
Cyber Week is winding down but there are still some smart deals to be had on smartphones. Here are three deals on popular phones that are available right now.
From December 4 through December 8, Best Buy will be offering the ZTE Axon 7 Mini that has a list price of $299 discounted $100 to just $199. That price is for the Axon 7 Mini in Gold while the Platinum Gray model will be $249. This is a great price for an unlocked smartphone that will work with AT&T, T-Mobile and many other GSM/LTE carriers but not Sprint or Verizon.
The ZTE Axon 7 Mini sports a 5.2” 1080p display, fingerprint recognition, 3GB RAM, 32GB of storage and runs Android Marshmallow that will soon be updated to Android Nougat. Buying an unlocked device has become an increasingly popular option with customers since retailers and carriers have stopped offering free phones with a two-year contract. Why not pay up front now instead of being stuck with 24 months of payments?
Verizon is currently offering deals on several phones but the most tempting is the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge with payments of just $18 per month. The usual monthly payment on this phone is $33 per month so that’s quite a saving. The list price of the S7 Edge is $792 but with this deal, you’d pay only $360.
That’s a sweet deal on a smartphone with a 5.5” curved Quad HD Super AMOLED display, 4GB RAM and 32GB of storage. The Samsung S7 Edge is available in Black Onyx, Silver Titanium, Gold Platinum and Blue Coral. This price is good at Verizon through December 10.
Rival AT&T is offering the Samsung Galaxy S7 for $349.99, less than half the original price of this best-selling smartphone. For that you get a phone with 5.1” Quad HD Super AMOLED display, 4GB RAM and 32GB storage that’s expandable to 256GB. This is definitely a good price for Samsung’s current flagship smartphone.
Walmart, Target and Kohl’s all did quite well over this year’s busiest shopping weekend but the big winner was Amazon with a whopping 30.9% of all sales. Lagging far behind were Best Buy with 7.4%, Target with 4.4% and Walmart with 4.1%. Rounding out the top ten were Macy’s, Kohl’s, Nordstrom, Apple, J. Crew and Home Depot.
Slice Intelligence scanned more than a million shopping receipts from Black Friday through Cyber Monday and revealed some interesting facts about how Cyber Weekend 2016 stacks up against the same period last year. Amazon’s slice of the pie actually fell a bit this year from 31.1% to 30.9% while Best Buy took a healthy jump, from 6.1% to 7.4%. Target stayed about the same while Walmart fell from 5.1% in 2015 to 4.1%.
Some retailers are getting a big chunk of their sales from online shoppers. Data from ComScore shows that Amazon, eBay, Walmart, Kohl’s and Target received the most visits from mobile devices and desktop computers on Cyber Monday, proving that people are doing a lot of their holiday shopping from work. It’s no coincidence that all five have smartphone apps that make it easy to place orders from your phone.
Where there are winners, there are also losers and this year the declining chains Sears, Kmart and JC Penney were again left out. It didn’t help that Kmart’s website was a colossal mess that made it practically impossible to find the alleged sale items. These three may be beyond saving, which is especially ironic for Sears, which got its start in the mail order catalog business.
Amazon won again by delivering thousands of deals in a way that kept shoppers coming back looking for more. Giving Amazon Prime customers early access to Lightning Deals is also a smart move. Making online shopping fast and easy is why Amazon is the runaway leader in online sales with $86.78B for the last fiscal year. Second place went to Apple which lagged far behind with $15.40B and in third place Walmart with $13.78B.
Even if you slept through Black Friday and Cyber Monday, there are still some cool deals out there for you. If you’re still watching those holiday specials on an old 19” tube TV, you just aren’t trying very hard because Cyber Week is loaded with tons of discounts on great big TVs, smart or not! For some retailers, Cyber Week still has a few days left and here are some of the better deals still available on all sizes of name brand TVs. Happy holiday TV viewing on your new set!
If you’re looking for a big TV at a small price, Amazon has three great deals to choose from. The LG 55” Ultra HD Smart OLED TV is discounted $2,003 to $1,997, less than half the list price. The Sony 55” HDR Ultra HD TV is just $698 and the Samsung Curved 55” 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV is $947.99 with the added bonus of a $100 Amazon Gift Card.
This big box store has a big deal on a really big TV – the Samsung 70” Class LED 4K Smart ULTRA HD TV for $1,299.99, a saving of $700. Save $500 on the Samsung 60” Class LED 4K Smart Ultra HD TV for $1,199.99 and $150 on the Samsung 40” Class 4K LED Smart Ultra HD TV now just $299.99.
This huge chain has savings of over $100 on a pair of mid-size TVs from Vizio. The Vizio SmartCast Class E-Series 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV is discounted $130 to $398 while the Vizio 55” 1080p LED TV is just $378, a saving of $120.
This trendy chain has three TV deals that can save you over $100, like the Vizio 55” D Series Class UHD Full Array LED Smart TV discounted $200 to $899.99. Save $130 on the Vizio D Series 50” Class Full Array LED Smart TV now selling for $399.99. The Samsung 43” Flat Panel TV list priced at $599.99 is now on sale for $399.99.
We’re about halfway through Cyber Monday 2016 and so far things are looking good. According to a report from Reuters, sales already totalled $490 million by 10 a.m. EST, pointing toward the biggest Cyber Monday ever. By the end of the day, sales are expected to reach $3.36 billion, an increase of 9.4 percent over last year.
This is following a very profitable Thanksgiving and Black Friday that brought in $5.27 billion, an increase of a whopping 18% over 2015. Experts credit the healthy economy for the rise in spending.
As in the past few years, the winners in weekend sales were retail giants Amazon, Walmart, Target and Best Buy with the best sellers being ultra HDTVs and gaming consoles. Also selling well were UGG boots and beauty products with handbags lagging.
While some stores were running more promotions in 2016, others had cut back the number of deals. Chains running the most promotions were JC Penney and Macy’s, both of which depend heavily on apparel sales. Both have also been closing stores due to falling revenues. Amazon is expected to offer a record number of deals this year while Target has reduced the overall number.
A report from the National Retail Federation estimates that 122.1 million people will shop online during Cyber Monday and 28% of them will do so from their mobile devices. NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay explained the spending habits of Cyber Monday shoppers: “On Cyber Monday, retailers deliver online discounts unlike any other day of the year—driving consumers to shop online no matter where they are or what device they’re shopping from.
“Millions of consumers shopped over Thanksgiving weekend and reserved a portion of their budgets exclusively for Cyber Monday, knowing that there will be digital deals that are too good to pass up.”
It’s interesting to note than the most-promoted products and top sellers of Cyber Monday are big-ticket items like smart TVs, tablets and gaming consoles. That seems to indicate that shoppers are in the mood to spend money this year – a lot of money.


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Have you every walked down the meat aisle at your local grocery store and noticed how red the meat is every day? Well, the truth is, gases are added to these pieces of meat to keep them “red” and appearing “fresh” for as long as a few weeks.
Chief investigative journalist from Inside Edition, Lisa Guerrero, recently investigated the deal with the redness of packaged meat. She found out that meat is packed and gassed through a special process using harmless amounts of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and nitrogen. By doing so, the meat can keep its red colour for a long period of time.
However, while the amounts of gasses used are considered harmless, can the process of keeping meat red be safe for consumers, or is it misleading?
Guerrero spoke to Dr. Ed Mills, a professor of meat science at Penn State University, to find answers.
“How long through this process can you continue to make a piece of red meat look bright red?” Guerrero asked.
“A long time,” Dr. Mills replied. In fact, according to Dr. Mills, meat can stay on the shelves for as long as 2-3 weeks; however, its colour does not necessarily indicate its freshness.
“A consumer can’t look at the products to tell it’s two weeks or three weeks old,” he said. “They have to look at the ‘sell by’ date of the package.”
Inside Edition put together an experiment, leaving two pieces of lamb outside at room temperature, in which one was gas-packed while the other one was not.
A few days into the experiment, the untreated piece of meat turned a gross colour while the gas-packed meat kept its red colour. Even at eight days the gas-packed meat stayed bright red!
Afterwards, both of the pieces of meat were sent to be analyzed in a lab, where it was found that they both contained great amounts of bacteria.
In fact, according to Dr. Mills, he cannot assume that a piece of gas-packed meat is safe to eat if it is not refrigerated.
While gas packaging has been approved by the FDA and USDA and claimed to be safely used in meat products by the North American Meat Institute, packaged meat was reclassified by the World Health Organization as a Group 1 carcinogen last year, which is also where tobacco, arsenic and asbestos were placed. It’s about time to reconsider the supposed “benefits” of consuming packaged meat.


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IART has announced the schedule for the 2013 training symposium for racquet technicians, which will run from Sept. 21 to 25 at Saddlebrook Resort in Tampa, Fla.
The TIA will hold a meeting on “The State of the Tennis Industry” in New York City on Monday, Aug. 26, during
the US Open. The meeting will update attendees on the different sectors, current tennis marketplace, key
initiatives, programs and research; plus take a closer look at the makeup of frequent tennis players and consumers
and how to get them more engaged with tennis.
The United States Tennis Association (USTA) today announced that it is developing an educational curriculum, consisting of a series of courses and workshops, that focuses on the development of young players. The USTA will work in collaboration with the Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) and the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA), in developing the curriculum, which will serve as part of the pathway to PTR and USPTA certification.
Thousands of retailers recently received postcards from the TIA urging them to “have a voice in your industry” by joining the TIA Retail Division. In addition, manufacturer sales reps received packets that include material they can bring to their retail accounts to help promote the Retail Division.
The Tennis Show, which debuted in New York City last year just before the US Open, and tied into the 2012 USTA Tennis Teacher’s Conference, will not be held in 2013. However, the Tennis Show will return to New York in 2014. The TTC, also on hiatus for 2013, will resume in 2014 with expanded plans to provide the best possible learning experience for tennis teachers and coaches.
The WTA is unveiling a new advertising campaign.
The "40 LOVE" global advertising campaign is a part of a year-long celebration of the four decades of the WTA, which also includes a season-long promotion of the WTA's historic milestones, headlined by a celebration of women's tennis and the champions of the WTA at an event that will include the gathering of former World No.1's in London on June 30, 2013.
For the first half of 2013 the TIA has been focused on industry efforts to grow the game and the business of tennis. Under the direction of TIA President Greg Mason—whose two-year term commenced at the beginning of 2013—and our board of directors, we continue to focus our efforts on our key strategic platforms.
Tiger Woods may have beat out his friend Roger Federer to be No. 1 on Forbe’s just-released list of the World’s 100 Highest-Paid Athletes, but tennis players fared well overall.
Since its inception in 2009, the TIA's Careers In Tennis intiative has been geared towards highlighting the viable career paths in this industry. Now, with more than 2,000 registered job seekers, and a constant "pool" of more than 1,000 jobs, the www.CareersInTennis.com website has become one of the "go to" sources for finding a career in the industry.
The TIA is at work planning various meetings in New York City before and during the US Open to help keep the industry informed and up to date on the latest research, data and key industry “talking points.”


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Dunnes and council in stand-off over Crumlin Shopping Centre parking
The supermarket wants to develop the vacant shopping centre and retain 400 parking spaces, but the council said it would only allow 114
Dunnes Stores and Dublin City Council are in a stand-off over plans to cut almost 400 car parking spaces at Crumlin Shopping Centre as part of the project to expand the development.
The grocery retailer said it could be forced to pursue other development options to renovate the centre that would not require planning permission if it cannot retain at least 400 spaces.
Last year, Dunnes Stores filed plans with the local authority to redevelop ...


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The City of Melbourne’s Business Concierge team is ramping up support for small businesses, helping them through another four weeks of trading restrictions.
The Business Concierge service provides one-on-one advice to business owners impacted by COVID-19, and helps them access support and important business information.
Lord Mayor Sally Capp said thousands of businesses are accessing the service through one of the most difficult trading periods in living memory.
“We know ongoing restrictions are significantly impacting our local business owners, and many are struggling to survive. We’re hearing from operators who are scared and frustrated, and desperate to reopen,” the Lord Mayor said.
“Our Business Concierge team has done a mighty job since being introduced in March last year, which is why we allocated $1 million in this year’s Budget to expand the important service.
“Over the coming weeks, Business Concierge staff will be calling business owners directly to check in on their plans and wellbeing, and provide any further support in the lead up to the city’s reopening.
“We’ll be using that feedback to advocate to the State and Federal governments for measures to allow businesses to reopen safely as soon as restrictions allow.”
Since the start of the pandemic, the Business Concierge team has had more than 24,000 conversations with local business owners.
Small Business deputy portfolio lead, Councillor Kevin Louey, said businesses are desperate for additional support.
“Business owners want help to access financial assistance and health and wellbeing support, and our Business Concierge team is doing what it can to connect them with the right services,” Cr Louey said.
“Traders also want our help to bring the city back to life, which is why we’re preparing to roll out a range of initiatives and events to drive visitation and spending in the city as soon as restrictions allow.”
Melbourne restaurant owner Alan Chong has been accessing the Business Concierge team for support throughout the pandemic.
“Our restaurant and bar Tian38 has been hit hard. We’ve switched to takeaway, but sales have dropped, and our ability to support our employees has been affected,” Mr Chong said.
“The Business Concierge team has been a wealth of information in helping us navigate this difficult period. They’ve checked in regularly and helped us to apply for grants and other support.
“The team have always been compassionate and helpful, and I’m extremely grateful for their assistance.”
Business Concierge is funded by the $100 million Melbourne City Recovery Fund – a collaboration between the City of Melbourne and the Victorian Government.


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Last year, 122 digital technology companies were founded in Colorado.
That's one every 72 hours, according to the 2012 Colorado Startup Report released Monday by Built In Denver, an online community for Front Range entrepreneurs.
Aiming to gain a better understanding of the size and strength of the state's much-ballyhooed startup scene, Built In Denver undertook the inaugural report tracking the launches and investment raises by digital technology startups last year.
"We're all excited about the activity in the state, and we really wanted to set out to quantify what happened in 2012," said Erik Mitisek, chief executive officer of the Colorado Technology Association and Built In Denver's board chairman.
Quantifying the activity could, in turn, help attract additional investment capital to the state, he said.
Digital startups -- which span segments such as software, business-to-business, consumer, mobile and e-commerce -- raised more than $500 million last year. Denver and Boulder-based firms accounted for the lion's share of those capital rounds, raising $280 million and $197 million, respectively.
Boulder was a hub of activity, with 36 firms raising more than $1 million as compared to 33 firms in Denver.
"Which speaks to the innovation cortex in Boulder," Mitisek said.
In addition to money flowing into startups, several others had exits. Twenty digital tech firms, including Boulder firms such as Everlater and Collective Intellect, were purchased.
Mitisek said one of the biggest takeaways from the report was that 78 percent of the privately held digital startups that raised investment capital were software and business-to-business web firms.
"The reveal there is we're really starting to define Colorado and our community by having a good concentration of those," he said.
Contact Camera Business Writer Alicia Wallace at 303-473-1332 or email@example.com.


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A couple who have run a healthcare company for 20 years now hope to make waves in the leisure sector, by opening a seafood restaurant in Newcastle city centre.
David and Penny Tilly’s Washington-base d business Care-ability Healthcare has been making and supplying moving and handling equipment for the healthcare industry since 1998, working with authorities and companies right across the North East, Cumbria and Scotland.
Now, however, they say the time is right to delve into a completely new business area, resulting in the launch of Nova Seafood Bar & Grill, an independent restaurant on Newcastle’s High Bridge.
A construction team is currently working behind the shutters of the small unit in High Bridge, the former Union Clothing shop, to create a high-end seafood restaurant, with the opening date coming within weeks.
Around 12 to 15 jobs will be created at Nova, which has a licensed allowing it to open from 10am until midnight.
Mr Tilly said the restaurant marks a new beginning for the couple, who will continue to run the successful healthcare company, which employs around 60 people, alongside the new enterprise.
He said: “We’re really excited about this new business and can’t wait to get open.
“My wife and I have worked in healthcare industry for about 30 years but we’ve always fancied having a business within the leisure industry.
“We’ve always loved going for nice meals and enjoying our experience so much that we can’t wait to go back – and that’s what we want to do with Nova.
“We just felt we are at an age, now in our 50s, where we can just do it.
“We both love seafood and could see a bit of a gap in Newcastle. There are places you can get it but we want to create a high-end restaurant serving everything from lobster and oysters to prawns – if it’s in the sea we’ll serve it. And we’ll have one or two meat options too.
“We’re working on a menu but we want our staff to be involved too. We’ve got ideas but we want to give the chefs the scope to put their own stamp on things.
“The fit-out is going really well and the one major thing that will prevent us opening when we want to is staff, so we are in the process of recruiting for experienced staff.
“We’ll need two or three teams to work in the restaurant over several shifts as we are licensed to have long opening hours.
“It’s a brand new venture for us and we’re not from the industry, so we are learning as we go along, but we’ve created a great business in Care-ability and those skills we’ve had over the years are all transferable.
He added: “We are trying to bring a bright new project to Newcastle – and that’s where the name comes from. ‘Nova’ means ‘new bright star’, and my wife and I thought it sounded very fitting.”


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A teenage boy in Virginia was killed two days before Christmas after a World War II-era hand grenade that was thought to be inactive exploded.
The Federal Agency for Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said the grenade was likely purchased in June at the Fancy Flea Antique Mall in Shallotte, NC.
It said other grenades “may have been sold by the same seller in June” and police officers were “concerned that the grenades bought by the seller contain live explosives and could be dangerous to the public”.
Authorities may not be able to determine the exact number of grenades sold at the mall in Shallotte, a coastal town nearly 100 miles south of Fayetteville, as transactions were made in cash during the busy summer season, a spokesman for the office said.
A similar style grenade sold around the same time “has yet to be considered,” the spokesman said.
In a statement, the mall said that “there was only one other grenade sold by the same seller the next day,” that it was “very sorry that this happened,” and that “we all felt that the Grenade was sluggish “.


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New Zealand’s new legislation regarding GST on international ecommerce products will come into play this weekend on December 1st.
The legislation introduces the requirement for all international goods purchased and shipped to New Zealand to have the standard 15 percent goods and services tax included in the consumer’s costs.
The existing system sees only items sold into New Zealand online for over $400 subject to GST, which is collected at the border. All goods sold online to Kiwis by foreign companies for less effectively are GST-free, giving overseas retailers a tax advantage against their New Zealand equivalents.
The goal is to increase spending within the New Zealand economy and to support smaller businesses that offer the same goods as big overseas companies.
For a long time, foreign retailers have been able to use the de minimis loophole to avoid paying tax on sales to New Zealand, and consumers were paying customs tax on orders with as little value as $250.
Retail NZ chief executive Greg Harford says, “Retail NZ is pleased that the Government has finally closed the loophole that has allowed foreign retailers to sell into New Zealand without paying GST. This has historically put New Zealand retailers at a significant price disadvantage, and effectively applied a 15 per cent reverse tariff on goods sold by New Zealand firms.”
Harford said he is glad the Government has dealt with the issue and hopes now, New Zealand retailers can be at ease and sell high quality goods alongside excellent customer experience.
Consumers often purchase from international stores and get items shipped to New Zealand as the prices can be lower and some items are only sold via overseas retailers. The change will benefit them by simplifying the purchase process – no more getting shocked with unexpected customs fees – but may generate some pushback if international retailers follow through with threats to cease supplying goods to New Zealand.
Some shoppers may use loopholes such as NZ Post’s YouShop parcel redirection service to bypass GST.
The new legislation may see an impact on New Zealand based Christmas shopping, with the date of implementation set at the beginning of the gift buying period.


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Ukraine exports over $9 bln worth of agricultural products in Jan-May
Agricultural exports from Ukraine grew by 2% in the first five months of 2020, to more than $9 billion, according to the information and analytical portal of the agricultural sector of Ukraine.
"In January-May 2020, exports of agricultural and food products amounted to $9.072 billion, which is 2% or $180.3 million more than in the same period of 2019," the report said.
According to the report, traditionally dominating in the structure of exports are crop products, in particular, grain crops, oil-bearing crops and processed products.
In general, compared to the first five months of 2019, Ukraine increased supplies to foreign markets of sunflower, safflower or cottonseed oil by $421.3 million (up 22.4%), barley by $107.6 million (by 2.4 times), wheat by $100 million (up 10.3%), sunflower seed cake, and solid waste from the extraction of vegetable fats and oils by $44.2 million (up 9.2%).
In addition, the demand for Ukrainian coleseed, rapeseed and mustard oil has increased significantly (by 18.7 times).
In the 2019-2020 marketing year, Ukraine exported 52.45 million tonnes of grain and leguminous crops, which was 18.4% more than in the same period last year. In particular, Ukraine exported 19.68 million tonnes of wheat (up 34.68%), 4.78 million tonnes of barley (up 40.18%), and 27.3 million tonnes of corn (up 8.01%).
Exports of flour for the period grew by 19.7%, to 306,300 tonnes.
In April 2020, Ukraine also exported a record amount of sunflower oil – 717,000 tonnes.
Ukraine. Vinnytsia sugar refineries produced 22,000 tonnes of sugar
Warehoused Garlic Volume Sets New Record, Prices Expected To Rise
Ukraine. Weather is favorable for growth and development of winter crops
2019/20 flour exports from Kazakhstan hit a 12-year low
Russian Railways transported a record 3.8 MMT of grain in September
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Latest News and Events
Metropolitan is proud to be featuring our esteemed sakes at these upcoming fall events:
- SIO Sake Day Celebration - Tuesday, Oct 1 at The Japan Foundation
- Toronto Cocktail Week Sake Seminar & Cocktail Demo - Wednesday, Oct 2 at Rock Lobster Food Co.
A recent video from a Ceviche event at The Drake Hotel where we were featuring our Momokawa Diamond Junmai Ginjo:


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Google and Microsoft Getting Close
Microsoft partnering with Google? Well sort of, an article released yesterday details the relationship between the two, and the use of Google Deskbar in Microsoft’s Partner Pack for Windows, “a collection of Microsoft and third-party products released last week that Microsoft describes on its Web site as “the ultimate application package” for a Windows XP PC.”
Interesting that these companies can partner with Microsoft’s large Windows group while at the same time remain a rival to MSN. Unfortunately the article doesn’t mention exactly why, but Joe Wilcox at Jupiter Research says “MSN Search folks may be in hot competition with Google, for the Windows platform but Google is a valuable partner”.
Any hopes of the two working together with Windows further? Possibly, and it is probably a good thing. Collaboration is still ongoing between the two, as for how close, we may not know.
Another blurb released today mentioned that Google has opened a new office in Kirkland Washington, incidentially right next door to Microsoft’s Redmond Headquarters. Google hiring more Microsoft employees? Maybe.


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.au commercial domains touch 500,000
The number of .com.au and .net.au domain names has touched half a million and this is ample evidence that Australian firms are embracing the internet as a means to do business, the chief executive officer of the .au Domain Administration says.
In a media release, Chris Disspain said after two-and-a-half years of controlling the .au domain space, auDA, along with its licensed registry AusRegistry, accredited registrars and their resellers, had established one of the world's best domain name regimes.
Disspain said auDA had strict rules in place, "to protect Australian consumers and businesses and ensure the overall integrity of the Internet in Australia."
As an example, he cited the fact that only a registered Australian business can take out a a .com.au or .net.au domain name.
According to auDA rules, this can be either someone who has registered a business name or one who has registered a company.
In contrast, anyone could register a .com or .net domain.
Disspain urged Australian consumers and businesses to get behind the .au domain regime because it clearly identified them as being uniquely Australian.
"In many cases an Australian business will be trading on the fact that they're Australian so why be circumspect? Show your colours," he said.


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Summary List Placement
As the school year approaches, some children will say goodbye to virtual learning and hello to a lot of new back-to-school clothes, shoes, and other items needed for in-person learning.
A recent Deloitte report found parents are gearing up to spend more on back-to-school shopping than in 2019, and that they are ready to start buying school supplies earlier than the back-to-school season typically begins. The report points to a possible reason why: half of respondents said they’re worried items will be out of stock.
Plus, experts say parents’ spending will be boosted by higher-than-normal details ⇒
BusinessMediaguide.Com portal received this content from this noted web source: BusinessInsider.Com


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During Tesla’s recent first-quarter 2021 earnings call, the CEO explained how the company’s solar panels and batteries can unite to work as a large distributed utility. The master plan is to collect solar resources in an inventive manner.
WARDS & LEARN SOMETHING NEW EVERY DAY.
Unlike a conventional grid with large power stations powering hundreds of homes, the panels could harvest energy and recharge batteries at single homes. That energy could then be returned to the grid and supplied to other houses, forming mini power stations.
Musk believes that this move must be made due to an increase in the number of electric vehicles on the streets. He said that the grid would require twice as much electricity if transport goes electric; due to a major shift toward renewables, because if heating switches to renewables, the world would require three times as much electricity to empower the clean energy future; the occurrence of more extreme weather disturbances; and to avoid the presence of more and lengthier power lines, as well as the increased presence of power plants.
Musk has promoted solar energy plus batteries before; in 2016, he demoed a “house of the future,” which included a Tesla Powerwall battery (a modified version of the battery in Tesla autos) that could couple with Tesla Solar Roof tiles to collect energy while the sun shines and store it within the battery. This setup grants the residence 24/7 access to clean energy.
A virtual power plant escalates this concept; as opposed to providing energy to a solitary house when required, a Powerwall battery is enlisted to return energy to the grid at specific times.
Also toward the attainment of this goal, Tesla has opened “virtual power plants” in South Australia, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and other regions. In July 2018, a Tesla virtual power plant in Vermont was able to utilise 500 Powerwall batteries to fill the energy gap throughout a heatwave.
In the UK, Tesla released the Tesla Energy Plan along with energy supplier Octopus Energy in November 2019. Architect Richard Hawkes, one of the scheme’s early enthusiasts, said that he would surrender control of his Powerwall battery as a portion of the deal. Hawkes could not regulate settings like the amount of electricity to store to shield against a power cut, but in exchange, he scores a less expensive price on his electric bills.
Tesla also has shifted its Tesla Solar Roof pricing so it now factors into roof complexity. The change involved an escalation of prices by about 30 percent for purchasers, although they’d already signed a contract. Musk said his company had made mishaps in assessing the difficulty of some roofs.
Tesla also said it will no longer sell solar panels and Powerwall batteries separately. Musk justified this decision by saying it would render installations simpler.
This figures in to Musk’s objective to expand the capacity of Tesla’s energy business.
In July 2020, Musk said he’d like the energy business to reach the same capacity as Tesla’s automobile business. Simultaneously, the energy business claimed only six percent of the company’s overall revenue.
Even presently, energy generation and storage has accounted for about five percent of revenue in the first quarter 2021 report. In 2020, competitor Sunrun deployed more than twice the solar capacity of Tesla, deploying 455 megawatt-hours.
Tesla stated in its latest quarterly report that energy storage deployments went up 71 percent by the year. Yet Tesla plans to reach volume production of its advanced battery cells, growing to three terawatt-hours of yearly production by 2030.
As the infrastructure arrives for Tesla’s fresh approach to energy, it is the battery cell that could help the company reach their revenue goals.


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Planet Fitness Gyms Will Now Require Masks for Working Out
Our lives have changed immeasurably during the COVID-19 pandemic. One aspect that will be tricky moving forward: exercising at the gym.
New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo has yet to give his green light to many large gymnasiums to re-open. Still, many chains like Planet Fitness have devised special plans to maintain safety for customers. The four Planet Fitness locations across the Mohawk Valley region in Utica, Rome, New Hartford and Oneida (along with four in the Syracuse area) remain closed for now.
But Planet Fitness gyms in other portions of the U.S. are open and practicing safety measures.
Teddy Savage, one of the trainers at Planet Fitness, has five great and easy tips on how to get an effective workout, even WHILE wearing a mask:
- Find a comfortable mask
- Breathe in rhythm
- Rest in intervals between cardio bursts
- Plan regular breaks in your routine
- Keep the workout interval bursts brief
Here's a handy video of Teddy's Tips:
Do you or could you exercise with a mask on? Will you continue to attend your favorite gym? Will you work out at home? Or will you find other methods of physical fitness?
The Planet Fitness chain began in Florida and New Hampshire and the story involves multiple owners. There are now more than 2,000 locations across the U.S. and in Canada, Mexico, Australia, and a few countries in Central America.


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Frontier Communications is set to begin a new chapter in its home state as it has completed its $2 billion acquisition of AT&T's wireline operations in Connecticut and its related statewide fiber network and U-verse operations.
AT&T's U-verse services drove up consumer wireline revenue growth 3 percent year-over-year to $5.7 billion and helped to cushion the blow of legacy consumer and business service losses.
AT&T reported $33 billion in consolidated revenue for the third quarter, up 2.5 percent year-to-year but missing investor forecasts by about $240 million. U-verse TV subscribers spiked at 216,000 in Q2, and U-verse high-speed Internet customers increased by 601,000.
AT&T Mobility reported fewer postpaid subscriber additions in the third quarter than analysts had expected. Still, the carrier reported strong data revenue growth and said that customers buying smartphones via its Next handset upgrade plan accounted for half of all smartphone sales in the quarter.
Verizon Communications is not going to bid for assets that América Móvil is going to sell off, according to CFO Fran Shammo. Meanwhile, thanks to rules being put in place by Mexico's telecommunications regulators, AT&T could face hurdles if it decides to acquire some of the assets.
AT&T may be the largest landline voice provider in the United States, but it said that as this once lucrative service source continues to decline, the FCC's Connect America Funds part II (CAF-II) funds should focus solely on broadband and not voice.
Striking a defensive tone eerily similar to another FCC petition issued by Comcast three weeks ago, AT&T and DirecTV tried to distance their proposed merger from that being undertaken by Comcast and Time Warner Cable.
A combined AT&T-DirecTV will be good for rural customers, effectively helping bridge the digital divide, but it has no connection with Comcast's proposed purchase of Time Warner Cable, AT&T argues in a new filing with the FCC.
In a twist on the old falling tree in the forest riddle, Tuolumne County, Calif., Sheriff Jim Mele said a criminal act, not a falling tree, actually caused a fiber cut that disrupted AT&T phone and Internet service outside the town of Sonora.
CenturyLink continues to aggressively chase the cloud and use the resources it gained when it acquired Tier 3.