text:
Facebook hasn’t peaked yet, but that point may not be far off.
While 1.35 billion people use Facebook each month, its growth continues to slow, as it reported in its third quarter earnings report on Tuesday. Facebook’s monthly active user count rose 13.5% year over year in the third quarter, compared to 14% in the second, 15% in the first quarter, and 16.3% in the fourth quarter of 2013.
Its continued slow growth points to a problem, albeit an enviable one. So many people already use Facebook that it’s having increasinging difficulty attracting more of them, thanks largely to a lack of reliable Internet service in the developing world.
So what’s a company to do if it relies on the Internet to fuel growth? Bring the Internet to the people.
With Great Size Comes Great Ambition
During the earnings call, CEO Mark Zuckerberg described the company’s ten-year plan. It’s nothing if not ambitous: It includes expanding Internet access throughout the world via Facebook’s Internet.org initiative, as well as artificial intelligence technology and hardware like recently acquired Oculus Rift.
Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg added that the company has plenty of room to grow in parts of the world Facebook doesn’t yet reach. She cited efforts like Facebook’s partnership with Airtel in Zambia that provides people with access to free Internet services (including, naturally, Facebook).
Another hurdle facing the company is the Great Firewall of China, which has blocked Facebook from that country’s 1.4 billion people since 2009. (Only a relative handful of Chinese users can access Facebook via proxy services that bypass government censors.) While Zuckerberg did his best during the call to play up the company’s opportunities there, a top Chinese Internet official said in September that Facebook “cannot” offer its service freely any time soon.
WhatsApp and Instagram are available in China, although the government blocked Instagram after photos and video from protests in Hong Kong appeared on the service.
“We’re going to be here for decades and we want to create good relationships with these countries and businesses around the world,” Zuckerberg said.
Despite slowing growth, Facebook’s not having any trouble making money. Facebook pulled in $3.2 billion in revenue this quarter, much of that stemming from the company’s mobile efforts. Mobile advertising now accounts for a full two-thirds of Facebook’s overall ad revenue.
What’s Up With WhatsApp?
Facebook also released financial information regarding its WhatsApp messaging-app unit, which it acquired earlier this year. Of the $17 billion purchase price, Facebook considered $15 billion “goodwill,” which is basically accounting-speak for the difference between what you pay for something and its actual fair market value.
WhatsApp isn’t much of an actual business at this point—it posted a net loss of $138 million on just $10 million in revenue in all of 2013. Unlike Facebook, WhatsApp makes its money off a $1 per year subscription fee (though users get their first year for free), and for now it remains ad-free.
Lead image by Mark Zuckerberg


text:
Latest Lithium iron phosphate Stories
LONDON, May 19, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- This report concerns lithium-based rechargeable batteries.
Global Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) Market 2015-2019 is the new research report added to RnRMarketResearch.com store.
LONDON, April 30, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Global lithium carbonate output grew by 10.57% year on year to 144,400 tons in 2013, and, driven by downstream demand, will maintain an upward momentum,
Boston-Power and Darfon enter 3-year battery supply agreement to target global residential solar storage market.
Sandlerresearch.org adds Global Lithium Market 2015-2019, Global Li-ion Battery Market for Mobile Phones 2015-2019, Global Li-ion Battery Market for Laptops 2015-2019, Li-ion Battery Market for AEVs
JOPLIN, Mo., March 19, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Today federal, state and local officials joined EaglePicher Technologies, LLC, and their honored guests to officially break ground on the company's
2015 Market Research Report on Global Lithium Ion Battery Industry report is added to DeepResearchReports.com. Dallas, Texas (PRWEB) February 12, 2015
Global Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery Market 2015-2019 is a new industry research report which profiles key players like A123 Systems LLC, BYD Co.
DeepResearchReports.com adds “2015 Deep Research Report on Global and China Lithium Carbonate Industry” report to its research database. Dallas, Texas (PRWEB)
DALLAS, January 19, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- A new research on global laptop battery market for 2015-2019, available with SandlerResearch.org, forecasts the industry to grow
- Stoppage; cessation (of labor).
- A standing still or idling (of mills, factories, etc.).

domain: news


text:
The European car market, after more than five years of stagnation, is projected to pick up in the years to 2020. The pickup provides opportunities for OEMs to leverage their captive financing companies to capture more of the automotive value chain, a Roland Berger report highlights. The benefits of captive finance are numerous, including among others, higher profit margins and customer loyalty, as well as the elongation of a customer’s life cycle.
The global passenger car market has been growing consistently across much of the world over the past five years, a new white paper from Roland Berger finds*. In the Americas for instance, the number of new units sold increased 29% from 15.9 million to 20.5 million. The growth in the Chinese market was even more considerable, up from 11.6 million to 17.9 million between 2010 and 2014. Growth in Europe in the same period remained relatively stagnant however. Sales of new units were at 16.4 million in 2010, decreasing 1% to hit 16.2 million in 2014.
Demand to increase
A closer look at the European market finds a more complex landscape between 2010 and 2014, with particularly Italy, France and Spain seeing considerable declines at -8.7%, -5.1% and -3.5% CAGR respectively. The number of new units sold in Italy for instance, dropped from 2 million to 1.4 million between in the period, while France saw a decline of 0.5 million new units sold between the respective years. On the other side, the UK saw a 5.1% increase, while Germany saw a 1.1% increase. In absolute terms, the UK market saw 0.5 million more units sold in 2014 compared to 2010, while Germany saw an increase of 0.3 million units.
The market is projected to pick up in the coming years, growing from the total of 16.2 million new units sold to 19.1 million in 2020. Almost every market is projected to see an increase, bar the UK. Particularly the Spanish, and Italian markets will pick up, as well as the rest of Europe.
Financing the drive
Buying new cars require considerable expenditure from customers, and, in the majority of the European regions considered, market financing is a means to provide customers with a way of driving the car away, without having the capital immediately available. Different countries have different levels of financing, as well as type, however. Germany in particular has captive financing (where the financing entity is owned by the vehicle OEM) as the major source of finance for a new vehicle acquisition at 45%, while 27% prefer to pay in cash and 28% use non-captive finance. In the UK the picture is somewhat different, there 11% pay in cash, 52% use non-captive finance while 37% use captive finance. The profile for Italy, Spain and France are similar to the UK, with for the most part non-captive finance being used as a means to acquire a new vehicle.
The creation of financing options in the new vehicle market creates a number of positive knock on effects for OEMs. “From the OEMs' perspective it makes sense to have a broad product offering partly because it enables them to generate customer data that would not normally be seen by anyone but the financing banks," says Philipp Grosse Kleimann, Partner at Roland Berger.
Customers whose new vehicle is financed tend to decide to purchase a more extensive configuration to their new vehicle, at 39%, a new car instead of a used one, at 38%, a new car earlier, at 28%, and a larger model, at 19%. They also tend to spend more money on a new vehicle, at an average of €27,635 compared to the €25,762 for cash payments. The average length of time a vehicle was driven is also significantly lower if the car was financed, at 4.5 years, compared to 6.2 years for cash buyers. “Captive banks often draw customers in with low interest rates and attractive payment terms in a bid to boost sales of their own brand,” says Grosse Kleimann. “A nice side-effect that stems from this is the fact that many customers will then have their car equipped with optional extras. Which for OEMs means higher revenues and bigger margins.”
The research finds that captive financing creates considerable benefits to the OEM across a range of metrics. Customer loyalty to the brand of the captive finance owner came in at 53% compared to 47% that changed brand, while for non-captive customers only 38% stayed loyal, with 62% shopping elsewhere. Captive customers also said that they were more likely to opt for the same dealer, at 62% compared to 59% of non-captive customers. Captive customers were also more likely to recommend the dealer, at 75% compared to 61% for non-captive customers.
The report highlights that captive financing deals have the potential to create considerable value above those that have traditionally been realised by OEMs. The deals are able to bolster a number of after-market benefits – which have high margins – such as sales from garages and spare parts. The financing agreements in addition allow them to learn about their customers to better tailor innovative products in the future, while customer ignorance about the value of cash discounts compared to low financing terms allow OEMs to better capitalise on their total profit from the customer.
The consulting firm concludes by stating that the further expansion and development of financial products through captive banks has the potential to deliver considerable benefits for automotive players, Grosse Kleimann explains: "Established captive banks have since realized that an extensive range of financial services brings more advantages for the parent OEM: they have the capacity to increase the customer value and with it the revenue per customer.”
* The study is titled ‘New captive finance – Optimizing customer lifetime value’.


text:
3Com falls to private equity and Chinese takeover
Bain Capital and Huawei Technologies team up to buy the mid-market network equipment maker, at a bargain price of $2.2 billion.
3Com, the enterprise and small business network hardware maker has accepted a $2.2 billion (1.1 billion) takeover deal from private equity house Bain Capital and China's Huawei Technologies. The takeover comes after 3Com announced net losses of $18.7 million for the fiscal second quarter ending 30 August.
Bain Capital, a private asset management firm worth over $50 billion (25 billion), will purchase 80 per cent of 3Com's shares. Huawei, a Chinese networking and telecoms equipment maker and former partner of 3Com, will purchase 16.5 per cent of the remaining shares.
The deal was struck even after 3Com announced net losses for the second consecutive fiscal quarter. "Net loss in the quarter was $18.7 million, or $0.05 per diluted share, compared with a net loss of $14.1 million, or $0.04 per diluted share, in the first quarter of fiscal year 2007." The deal was accepted for $5.30 per share, a significant premium on the closing price of $3.68.
It has been increasingly difficult for 3Com to compete in a market dominated by networking giants like Cisco. Their relative sales share in the market has been decreasing since 2000, and independent market researchers have repeatedly ranked them at the bottom of the industry. In 2006, Dell'Oro group placed 3Com fifth out of five in an industry revenue share ranking behind Cisco, HP ProCurve, Nortel, and Foundry.
3Com declined to comment further at the time of writing on how the deal would affect users and future product plans.
The state of Salesforce: Future of business
Three articles that look forward into the changing state of Salesforce and the future of businessFree Download
The mighty struggle to migrate SAP to the cloud may be over
A simplified and unified approach to delivering Enterprise Transformation in the cloudFree Download
The business value of the transformative mainframe
Modernising on the mainframeFree Download
The Total Economic Impact™ Of IBM FlashSystem
Cost savings and business benefits enabled by FlashSystemFree Download


text:
September 19, 2022 — TREES CORPORATION (OTCQB: CANN) (“TREES” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that is has signed definitive documents to acquire the Green Tree Longmont and Green Tree Berthoud dispensaries in the state of Colorado, over 34,000 square feet of grow operations, and a state of the art manufacturing facility (MIP) (“Green Tree”). This acquisition will add to the Company’s current footprint in Colorado and will bring its total number of Colorado dispensaries to 4 along with 3 operational stores in Oregon, for a total of 7 retail dispensaries.
The acquisition is expected to generate more than $10M of revenue with strong EBITDA margins within the TREES platform. Trees will acquire Green Tree for a combination of cash and stock. The Company is in the process of submitting the change of ownership application with the Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division for all of the assets to be acquired, and expects the acquisition to close in the fourth quarter of 2022.
Along with the acquisition, the Company is pleased to announce the appointment of Edward Myers, 63, as its Chief Operating Officer, effective September 16, 2022, deepening its bench of executive talent. Mr. Myers has been serving as an operations and financial consultant to the Company. Mr. Myers has over 40 years of operating experience in the payments industry and has held several high-profile positions including and notably, President for Global Payments North America, from 2004 until 2010.
When the transaction closes, the senior leadership of Green Tree will become an important part of the Trees team. Allyson Feiler, the founder of Green Tree, will become a member of the Trees Board of Directors and join the executive management team as Chief Marketing Officer. Loree Schwartz, Owner, CFO and Head of Compliance of Green Tree, will also join the Trees executive team as Chief Compliance Officer.
Carl Williams, Chairman of the Board, said, “It is an exciting time at the Trees organization, as the last couple of years of hard work are beginning to bear fruit. We’ve developed a rich pipeline of target acquisitions and continue to enhance our internal capabilities. We would like to welcome the entire Green Tree team to the organization and see this as one more step towards becoming one of the strongest operational players in the Colorado market. With the recent closing of the $13.5M Senior Secured Convertible Note, we are poised to continue rolling up above average revenue producing dispensaries, enhancing our internal team and expanding our Colorado footprint in a disciplined manner.”
TREES is the parent company of a vertically-integrated cannabis company and multi-state operator in the U.S., operating in Colorado and Oregon. TREES is pursuing a roll-up strategy of licensed assets in mature markets, while maintaining loyal, local customer bases. TREES currently owns and operates a 17,000 square foot light-deprivation greenhouse cultivation facility in Boulder, Colorado, a dispensary in Englewood, Colorado and three dispensaries in Portland, Oregon. TREES trades on the OTCQB market under the symbol CANN. For more information, please visit treescann.com.


text:
A new Grammy-sponsored charity auction has been launched in celebration of the holiday season that’s offering a variety of autographed collectibles signed by stars including Stevie Nicks, Jackson Browne and Barbra Streisand.
Among the many items up for bid are signed and framed vinyl copies of Nicks’ 1985 album, Talk to Me, and Browne’s 1976 record The Pretender, as well as an autographed copy of Streisand’s book My Passion for Design.
Other collectibles being auctioned include a platinum record award for Billy Idol‘s 1990 album Charmed Life, vinyl records signed by Johnny Mathis and Stray Cats frontman Brian Setzer, and a Frank Sinatra tribute book signed by Nancy Sinatra, LL Cool J, Garth Brooks and many other celebrities.
VIP packages offering fans the chance to attend the 60th Grammy Awards telecast and after-party event also are on the block.
Bidding for the items will be open until Wednesday, December 6. Proceeds raised will benefit the Grammy Museum and the MusiCares organization.
Check out all of the items at eBay.com/Grammy.
The 60th Grammy Awards takes place January 28 at New York’s Madison Square Garden and will be broadcast live on CBS.
Copyright © 2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.


text:
Saints Row 2 encourages "depravity"
In an interview with the New York Daily News, the NYPD union's chief Patrick Lynch has voiced his concern over controversy-courting new release Saints Row 2. As you may recall, the first SR game caused a similar stir at launch.
"Horrible and violent video games desensitize young people to violence while encouraging depravity, immorality while glorifying criminal behavior," Lynch told the paper.
We'll have a review shortly, while the game itself is due out this Friday in Europe. This probably won't be the last time THQ's sandbox gangster action game is mooted in a negative light. More soon.
- Visuals are key to the PS4's success according to Nielsen's latest survey
- Sledgehammer considering revisiting classic multiplayer maps for Call Of Duty: Advanced Warfare
- New ToeJam & Earl game comes to Kickstarter
- Free login campaign announced as Final Fantasy XIV tops 4 million registered users
- Fable Legends will be free-to-play on both PC and Xbox One
- Bastion will hit the PS4 in April
- Sierra bringing Velocity 2X to Xbox One and PC
- This month is a triple-A bonanza for Xbox gamers on Games With Gold
- New House Of Wolves leak shows a Reef social hub for Destiny


text:
A warning from Marks & Spencer’s new boss of a short-term profit hit from efforts to turn around its clothing business by cutting prices and improving ranges knocked its shares yesterday.
Steve Rowe, a 26-year M&S veteran, replaced Marc Bolland as chief executive of the 132-year-old UK retailer last month with a remit to revive clothing, which contributes about 60% of profit but has seen five years of falling sales.
Mr Rowe said he would focus on M&S’s most loyal customer, a 50-year-old woman he called “Mrs M&S”, who had been neglected in the chase for younger shoppers.
The warning that it would take time for customers to notice the improvements and return to M&S stores to buy products other than its successful food ranges, combined with the impact on its margin forecast shocked some investors, who experienced several such “turnaround” plans during Mr Bolland’s six years in charge.
M&S, which has long been Britain’s biggest clothing retailer, has seen its sales eroded by rivals like Next and a push from supermarkets into family clothing while younger shoppers favour Primark and H&M’s cheap prices and more fashionable clothes or online stores like Asos.
Mr Rowe’s plan is to focus on improvements to the quality, fit and availability of M&S’s ranges, while lowering prices and reducing the proportion of sales on promotion.
Together with difficult trading conditions this “will have an adverse effect on profit in the short term” he said.
M&S shares traded almost 9% lower at 405p at one stage yesterday.
© Irish Examiner Ltd. All rights reserved


text:
A RACE-READY version of one of Britain's all-time best selling family cars has emerged for sale - and could fetch as much as £80,000.
A favourite among the sales reps of our nation, the Ford Mondeo has been one of the UK's most popular cars thanks to its practicality since it was first launched in 1992.
But a side of the saloon's history that is often forgotten is its racing heritage.
Between 1993 and 2000 the Mk1 and Mk2 Mondeos raced in the prestigious British Touring Car Championship (BTCC), with Ford entering the factory works Ford Team Mondeo.
The team was taken over by motorsport group Prodrive in 1999, with this particular motor acting as the spare car for the 1999 BTCC season.
The Prodrive Super Tourer was raced in the last three rounds of that year's championships by renowned racer, Anthony Reid, after his original car was damaged beyond repair.
Just a year later, Ford pulled out of the Championship and the Super Tourer was sold for good.
It has been owned by a private enthusiast ever since, and has raced at a number of high-profile races including the Silverstone Classic.
The Mondeo has recently undergone a full engine rebuild costing £30,000, and has only been run for a total of four hours since.
Under the bonnet is a V6, 2.0-litre engine, which produced 305bhp in its prime, while the interior features just one racing seat and a roll cage.
Silverstone Auctions are anticipating offers of between £70,000 and £80,000, and are expecting plenty of interest from keen racers - especially given the recent popularity of "Fast Fords".
More classic motors for sale
Harry Whale, a classic car specialist with Silverstone Auctions, said: "This Prodrive Mondeo Super Tourer has proven performance credentials and is fresh from an expert rebuild.
"It’s a great opportunity for racers who enjoy competing at high-profile championship level surrounded by cars from an iconic period of BTCC racing."
The car will at feature at Silverstone Auctions' sale at Stoneleigh Park, Coventry, taking place on February 23.


text:
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — First Call Truck Parts has announced the opening of its newest location at 1113 W. Jackson St. in Thomasville, Georgia.
Tallahassee, Florida-based First Call Truck Parts, an HDA Truck Pride Member, has been servicing the tri-state area in the Southeast for more than 20 years.
“The demand for high quality truck parts and great service have been growing significantly in the last 10 years and having a physical location closer to their customers in South Georgia will allow First Call Truck Parts to offer better service and availability,” a news release stated.
“Our team is very excited about this expansion,” said Joe Ward, president of First Call Truck Parts. “Our phenomenal management team, headed by Terry Billingsley, will make sure the branch delivers the same great service as our other customers have come to expect.”
Learn more at www.FCtruckparts.com.
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.


text:
General Motors will invest $35 million in a Detroit assembly plant so it can begin production of the new Cadillac ELR plug-in hybrid about this time next year.
The ELR will be a luxury version of the more mainstream Chevrolet Volt and the European Opel Ampera. Though the maker didn’t reveal specific details, the Cadillac plug-in is expected to not only feature a more luxurious interior but also an upgrade to its battery-based driveline that will deliver improved performance and possibly enhanced range.
“The ELR will be in a class by itself, further proof of our commitment to electric vehicles and advanced technology,” Mark Reuss, president of General Motors North America, said during an industry trade conference. “People will instantly recognize it as a Cadillac by its distinctive, signature look and true-to-concept exterior design.”
Unlike the Volt and Ampera, the new Cadillac ELR will go with a 2-door body that clearly carries some of the edgy Art & Science design cues also seen on the conventionally powered Caddy CTS Coupe. It will also become the first 2-door produced at the Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant, colloquially known as Poletown, since assembly of the old Cadillac Eldorado was halted in 1999.
GM has so far invested $561 million since late 2009 in the factory, including a major plant changeover last summer and the 2010 launch of Volt production. Another $35 million will get things set for the ELR.
Like the Volt, it will officially be known as an “extended-range electric vehicle,” meaning that, under most circumstances, the ELR’s wheels will be driven by the vehicle’s electric motor. That, in turn, will draw power from a lithium-ion battery pack that can be recharged from a conventional 110-volt line or a higher-speed charging system.
The EPA has rated the Volt’s 16-kilowatt-hour pack as capable of delivering 35 mpg per charge. Once that runs down, the vehicle can continue operating indefinitely using its backup gasoline engine. The Chevy version is rated at 93 MPG. So though, it has a longer range than competitors such as the Toyota Prius Plug-in and Ford Fusion Energi it has a lower overall fuel economy.
GM officials were conservative when designing the electric driveline of the Volt, allowing the system to actually draw down only about half the energy actually contained in the T-shaped battery pack. Inside sources tell TheDetroitBureau.com that as they have become more confident about the long-term durability of the LIon pack the Caddy plug-in will likely be able to draw more of that power.
It is not clear if the pack will also be larger than the roughly 16 kWh battery assembly found in the Volt – though they suggest the ELR will all but certainly top the performance, and possibly the range of its Chevrolet sibling.
The addition of the Cadillac ELR follows extensive debate within GM – the new model taking its shape from a popular concept called the Caddy Converj.
GM is betting heavily on the underlying “Voltic” driveline used for the ELR, Volt, and Ampera and likely will have future variants, company officials have hinted. But they’re also working up pure battery-electric vehicles that include a version of the new Chevrolet Spark minicar.
Tags: Chevrolet Volt, Chevy Volt, auto news, battery cars, caddy elr, cadillac elr, cadillac news, cadillac plug-in hybrid, car news, electric vehicles, extended-range electric vehicles, gm news, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, plug-ins, poletown, thedetroitbureau


text:
Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) has finally revealed the name of its upcoming smart watch. The next generation fitness band from Intel is named as “The Basis Peak” and it will be shipped this November, PC World reported citing Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC)’s wearables chief, Mike Bell. According to the source, Bell revealed an image of Basis watch on Intel Developer Forum on Tuesday. Bell said that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s launch of smartwatch is giving a huge boost to the wearables industry and that Basis Company is the leader in fitness tacking devices and currently have some established devices in the market.
Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) has decided to make a major penetration in the wearables market. At the CES 2014, Intel’s CEO Brian Krzanich introduced smart earbuds for runners that can track their heart beat and show it on their smartphones. Intel recently announced a smart bracelet for women that will be launched next year.
Earlier Krzanich claimed that that the Basis band will be thinner and lighter and will have a better screen and long battery, PC World said. He didn’t reveal the price of the Basis watch. Basis band will also be able to predict restful sleep timings by monitoring the heart beat trends.
According to Mike Bell, cited by PCWorld, Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) will break the trend of locking customers into the ecosystem of data by different companies that are launching fitness tracking devices. Intel is also planning to roll out smart “iQ” development kits to allow different companies to prototype Intel’s embedded Edison processor. Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) will also reveal the API to make it easy for the third parties to integrate data with applications facilitating the Basis band features.
Ken Fisher’s Fisher Asset Management is one of the shareholders of Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) with nearly 19 million shares.


text:
We are evaluating the next steps: Coca-Cola on Salman Khan verdict
"We hold the court verdict in the highest regard. We are evaluating the next steps," said Coca-Cola in an official statement. Brand Salman is likely to be tarnished with the hit-and-run verdict. Including films and endorsements, Rs 500 crore are said to be riding on Khan
Celebrity reputation plays a big role in him/ her getting brand endorsements, as soon as the verdict on Salman Khan hit-and-run case was out yesterday, the first question that crossed people’s minds was how will it affect his current roster of endorsements. Khan’s endorsements had soared up after he cleaned up his bad boy image and launched Being Human, (NGO) clothing line the proceeds of which go to charity.
Rs 500 crore are said to be riding on Khan; this includes films and endorsements. Khan’s current roster of endorsements include Revital, Yatra c.om, Thums Up, Chlormint, Suzuki Motorcycles and Wheel . Other brands that he endorses are PN Gadgil Jewellers, Astral Pipes, Relaxo Hawai, Dixcy Scott.
His estimated fee per endorsement is Rs 1.5 crore.
A statement from Coca-Cola said, “We hold the court verdict in the highest regard. We are evaluating the next step.” It is likely that brands who have signed Salman Khan as ambassador may be hit financially and may also hold back their ad campaigns since the public image of the actor has been considerably tarnished following the verdict.
Salman Khan had earlier been involved in the Black Buck case in 1998.
Meanwhile, Salman Khan’s verdict has been captured by international media with great interest with likes of Time, CNN and The New York Times doing pieces on his arrest.
Khan’s upcoming movies are also likely to hit a roadblock with an estimated Rs 200 crore riding on him.For more updates, be socially connected with us on
WhatsApp, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook & Youtube


text:
The U.S. should not allow our oil to be exported to other countries [“Want lower gas prices? Export more U.S. oil, study says,” Nation & World, Sept. 9].
We don’t have enough oil for our own needs. We have to buy more than $300 billion of oil a year from abroad, half from Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) countries like Saudi Arabia and Iraq.
The U.S. has around 2 percent of the world’s oil. We cannot compete on a long-term basis, and we shouldn’t try. When we increase oil trade and infrastructure, it strengthens oil-producing regimes.
Unfortunately, we pay trillions to protect foreign oil and shipments, sometimes, funding both sides of the War on Terror.
There is an alternative. I just watched them at Pacific Raceways in Oregon: electric cars and trucks and motorcycles from amateurs’ garages and major companies.
Redesigning cars is as American as apple pie. Let’s mass-produce electric vehicles that are competitive and popular around the world, with charging stations and electric panels.
If the oil industry had to tack some of the cost of defending foreign oil onto prices at the pump, demand for electric cars and trucks would rise. Meeting that demand would create new jobs, profits and a stronger America.
Louise Stonington, Seattle


text:
Over the past decade, Samsung has worked closely with network operators, device manufacturers and software developers to make 5G a reality with its complete end-to-end solution.
A tit-for-tat race between three South Korean telecommunications carriers and Verizon started when the South Korean government set the launch date for Friday, exactly a week before Verizon had planned to roll out its 5G services.
For those on the anti-Apple side of the eternal iOS-Android debate, the release of a new Samsung Galaxy model is a big deal, and the recent unveiling of the brand-new Samsung Galaxy S10 was no exception. "Electronic companies like Samsung, the factories, production lines, contents that goes inside 5G phones ... they believe everything that is constituting the IT ecosystem will meet a new era under 5G network".
Samsung Electronics yesterday released the Galaxy S10 5G, the world's first available smartphone with built-in fifth-generation communications technology, as South Korea seeks to build a lead in the transformative system. No information about pricing options emerged though, so we're still in the dark on that one.
We still have no idea how much the Galaxy S10 5G will cost in the United States, but it'll probably be more expensive than all the other S10 phones. "I hope faster speeds will help me manage my time better". Unfortunately, the latter of those two upgrades has been the subject of multiple complaints since the phone's launch, the latest of which might be the most worrisome of all.
Mobile carriers are competitively developing and introducing photorealistic live streaming services and virtual reality experiences to prove that 5G network is a change that is worth the cost of purchasing a new phone and plan.
We have come across some leaks earlier surrounding the Galaxy S10 5G smartphone which suggested an upcoming launch.
Samsung's first 5G phone will launch in Korea on Friday, with prices starting at around $1,231 for the 256GB version, but you won't have to wait too long to get one in the U.S., as the Verizon version is rumored to launch in mid-May.


text: KOEI has released the first trailer from Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 2, illustrating this sequel developed by KOEI's Omega Force team for Xbox 360, PS2 and PS3. Thanks: Andreas. Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 2 will thrust players into incredible battles against legions of enemy Mobile Suits on distant planetary surfaces and in the far reaches of outer space. For the first time, Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 2 will let players engage in melee battles against colossal enemies such as the Psycho Gundam. The massive Psycho Gundam can quickly reconfigure their bodies into titanic mobile fortresses which can move with remarkable speed. However, highly-trained pilots can utilize their own Mobile Suitís speed, agility, and of course firepower to defeat these deadly juggernauts.


text:
Women having a difficult time raising startup capital should consider these self-funding methods
By Deborah Sweeney
How do women entrepreneurs finance their small businesses in 2019? According to the 650 female small business owners surveyed in Visa’s State of Female Entrepreneurship study, 61% chose to self-fund their own startup.
The decision to self-fund, according to the report, is one that the majority of women in business often make out of necessity. Those surveyed reported it was difficult to obtain the funding they needed for their companies—only 25% of female entrepreneurs received any type of funding from investors. And, in some cases, their funding efforts weren’t even provided in full: 8% received only partial funding from investors.
The good news for female entrepreneurs unable to get outside financing? There are several financing options available for self-funding. Women who are having difficulty obtaining capital through traditional investors should consider these funding methods instead.
Nearly two-thirds of the women surveyed by Visa self-funded their businesses. While the numbers do not specifically point to bootstrapping as an option, I like to think many opt for this financing route.


text:
The 2K Games-published first-person RPG Borderlands 3 has managed to break records with its impressive sales performance in the first week of release. The publisher announced today that Borderlands 3 sold over five million copies just in the first five days after launch across PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4, making it the fastest-selling title in 2K's history.
Compared to Borderlands 2's launch numbers, over 50% more people have purchased Borderlands 3, breaking pre-order records. Digital sales were strong in particular, with over 70% of the launch sales coming from that front, the highest percentage of digital sales 2K has achieved for a "cross-platform, cross-distribution title."
Though no numbers were shared, the Epic Games Store exclusive PC version was specifically mentioned for showing "incredibly strong" sales, which had also broken pre-order records on the store. With this, Borderlands 3 has become the highest-selling 2K-published game on PC "in a five-day window." Gearbox's Randy Pitchford recently revealed that Borderlands 3 concurrent player numbers at launch on PC almost doubled the all-time high peak of Borderlands 2.
2K president David Ismailer said the following regarding the highly successful launch, thanking Gearbox Software and the community:
“Borderlands 3’s incredibly successful launch is a result of the hard work and longstanding partnership between Gearbox Software and 2K. We are immensely grateful to everyone who played a role in making the Borderlands series the global, pop culture phenomenon that it is today, including hundreds of developers at Gearbox and many who have made this their life’s work. We also want to thank the Borderlands community. Mayhem does not happen by itself, and their passion for the series is what drives us to make each game an amazing experience.”
Borderlands 3 is now available for purchase on PC via Epic Games Store, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. A Google Stadia release is planned for November, while those looking forward to a Steam launch will have to wait at least until April 2020.


text:
Tax breaks mooted for US brewers
A United States senator has introduced legislation that would cut taxes and modernise outdated regulations for the country’s craft brewers, cider makers, winemakers, and distillers.
Introducing the Craft Beverage Modernisation and Tax Reform Act, Oregon Senator Ron Wyden said these industries are responsible for an estimated 40,000 jobs collectively and generate about $6 billion annually in revenue in his state alone.
“Oregon’s craft beer, wine, cider and spirits producers are both world-renowned and a huge boon to our state’s economy,” said Wyden, co-chair of the Senate Bipartisan Small Brewers Caucus.
“Each of these industries is unique, and this legislation takes targeted approaches to update antiquated rules and reduce taxes for these growing businesses to ensure that these innovators continue to create high-quality jobs for Oregonians.”
Brewers Association CEO Bob Pease said Senator Wyden had been a longtime champion for America’s craft brewers.
“He has been diligently working to reduce federal excise taxes for craft brewers through his co-sponsorship of the Small BREW Act. Now with the introduction of the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act, Senator Wyden has gone even further to ensure growth for small and independent brewers,” said Pease.
Deschutes Brewery founder Gary Fish said the legislation will enable Oregon’s breweries to continue to create good-paying jobs across the state.
“A fresh approach to eliminating outdated regulations and lowering taxes is a recipe for breweries’ uniquely Oregon success story to continue for years to come,” he said.
In addition to providing tax relief, the legislation would also:
- reduce compliance burdens for craft beverage producers by exempting nearly 90 per cent of all industry members from complex bonding and bi-weekly tax filing requirements;
- exempt aged beers, ciders, wines, and spirits from complicated and burdensome accounting rules;
- reform rules on brewers to encourage more collaboration and streamline regulations;
- equalise the playing field for all distilled spirits producers; and
- cut administrative backlogs by ensuring the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, which is charged with regulating these industries, is sufficiently funded. Additional enforcement funding and authority would help offset the cost of the bill by cracking down on tax cheats.
Wyden has long been a champion of craft beverage producers. Earlier this session he joined his colleagues to introduce the Small BREW Act, which would reduce the excise tax on each barrel of beer produced by small brewers. He has also consistently advocated to allow brewers to continue sending their spent grains to state farmers, and has fought to allow retailers and wineries to sell wine growlers in Oregon.


text:
[i]Guild Wars[/i] developer ArenaNet announced today the beta test schedule for their upcoming add-on pack, [i]Factions.[/i] The developer announced that every current player would be allowed to participate in the event, along with up to three additional friends via an in-game invitation system. This opens the beta up to a heretofore unheard of pool of up to three million potential players.
“To be able to open up Guild Wars Factions and share this one-time experience with so many people is truly a thrill,” said Mike O’Brien, ArenaNet co-founder. “[i]Guild Wars[/i] players will get the opportunity to play Factions before the game’s release while sharing the game with up to three of their friends. We can’t wait for the feedback from the
seasoned players, as well as those who join us for the first time on March 24.”
ArenaNet also announced that a pre-order of [i]Factions[/i] will be available, and will contain additional access to the beta servers along with special souvenirs only available to pre-order participants. For more information, please see the [a] www.guildwars.com [aa][i]Official Guild Wars Web Site[/i][/aa]


text:
SEC submitting paints a black visualize than CEO skin burns managed to do during profit telephone call.
Lordstown Motors, and that’s planning to begin an electric powered pickup, is included in the verge of running out of income, the corporate cautioned in a submitting on your Securities Exchange charge.
The organization spelled out the plight in slowed 10Q processing recently, which is why it had been approved through SEC. Organization officers will receive an opportunity to increase clarify all of it at business’s buyer morning Summer 25.
“We received wealth and cash equivalents of approximately $587.0 million and a collected shortfall of $259.7 million at March 31, 2021 and a net lack of $125.2 million when it comes to one-fourth concluded March 31, 2021,” the company claimed within the submitting.
“Our power to carry on as a going concern relies upon our very own capacity to complete the growth of our very own electric automobiles, get regulatory approval, start retail measure creation and establish the sales of such motors.
Dollars crunch ripples across vendor
“We think that our personal newest standard of financial and dollars equivalents will not be sufficient to finance retail range manufacturing and start of deal of such motors. These problems increase considerable question concerning our ability to continue as a going concern for several at least one spring from date of issuance associated with unaudited condensed consolidated monetary statements one of them review,” the processing said.
The filing explained the corporate’s owners is presently assessing several funding options that will aim to boost additional financing by the issuance of equity, mezzanine or credit investments, through plans with strategical partners or through acquiring credit from national or finance institutions.
“As all of us find extra resources of money, there is no assurance that this sort of loan might possibly be accessible to us on beneficial terminology or after all.”
During the filing, Lordstown Motors likewise recognized it really is facing major difficulties, most notably growing fees and so the slower-than-anticipated development of their onlylads promo code battery-electric pickup, the energy. The collection still is experiencing tests that will become all set for manufacturing in September since company offered early.
Dark content than Q1 income name
President Steve Burns previously doled out much of unhealthy announcements, putting a significantly better turn about it throughout the organization’s earnings name finally month. The man informed the firm would probably generate a lot fewer trucks.
“Capital may control our personal capability to prepare several cars even as we would like,” stated Steve uses, Lordstown’s chief executive, on a call with experts. “We were going to make sure everyone recognized the worst, bad situation.”
This individual noted that in case added budget does not arrived, it can write the EV business perilously reasonable on profit — between fifty dollars million and $75 million as opposed to the $200 million anticipated — in the end of the season.
They are apparently in talks to secure more resource through a national financing plan especially for nascent electric automobile employers. In addition, skin burns mentioned they truly are attempting to lock in some asset-based capital, but rejected to express the amount of funds they’d get attempting. The guy assumed upbeat that the corporation can obtain the capital.
“We have actually zero loans, and in addition we have actually lots of assets,” injury said, in line with the wall surface block newspaper. “There’s people who choose to finance that.”
Savings problems angering shareholders
Since the beginning of the year, Lordstown possess dealt bad account from analysts and legal actions from disgruntled investors, with implicated the corporate’s managing withholding important information regarding progress automobiles which had used during assessments the 2009 winter season.
The several lawsuits happened to be recorded by investors exactly who, inside aftermath of a devastating study report by noted short-seller analysis company Hindenburg data, need to be remunerated out from the finances the company nowadays says it may be small on in the end of the year.
Hindenburg reports reported the EV truckmaker either faked or overstated statements which it keeps improve sales for 100,000 of electricity pickups it intends to launching after this coming year.
“Lordstown is an electrical car or truck SPAC without earnings and no saleable product or service, which we believe offers misled buyers on both the interest and manufacturing capacities,” Hindenburg explained in report.
Lordstown features assured to push new lease of life into the previous universal Motors Co. meeting place next to the Ohio Turnpike in Lordstown, Kansas. GM sealed the famous herbal in 2019 then were purchased they to Lordstown generators with the hope it can easily take brand new opportunities to monetarily depressed northeast Iowa.


text:
A sports apparel store in Colorado Springs, Colo. is shutting down after it stopped selling Nike products this fall.
Stephen Martin, the owner of Prime Time Sports, is planning on closing shop in Chapel Hills Mall in the next month. He pulled all Nike gear from his store after Colin Kaepernick appeared in an ad for the company.
“That part of the military respect that’s in me just cannot be sacrificed or compromised, as I believe (Broncos linebacker) Brandon Marshall and Colin Kaepernick both did," Martin told Colorado station KOAA News 5. "I don’t like losing a business over it, but I'd rather be able to live with myself."
Kaepernick, the former 49ers quarterback, began kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial injustice in 2016. The quarterback opted out of his contract with San Francisco in March 2017 and has not found work in the NFL since.
Nike unveiled an ad campaign centered around Kaepernick in September.
“Being a sports store without Nike is kind of like being a milk store without milk or a gas station without gas," Martin said. "How do you do it? They have a monopoly on jerseys."
Martin also canceled an autograph session with Marshall, who took part in the protests during the national anthem, in 2016.
Martin added he's trying to help his employees find new jobs.
“As much as I hate to admit this, perhaps there are more Brandon Marshall and Colin Kaepernick supporters out there than I realized,” Martin said.


text:
Top Stories in KOFY's Weird News
McDonald’s Sued for $1.5 Million Over Napkin Dispute
McDonald’s is facing a $1.5-million lawsuit from a new Golden Arch enemy.
According to TMZ, a California man says he was only given one napkin at McDonald's, and when he requested more, a manager allegedly refused and made a comment that the man saw as racist. This isn't the first bizarre lawsuit the fast food chain has faced.
Find out more about this story by watching the video below.


text:
Here's something to wrap your head around: As fast as the world has changed in the last decade, the pace of innovation is actually accelerating. We went from a world without iPhones in 2007 to one dominated by the product just 10 years later. Uber didn't exist when Barack Obama was elected; now, it's an international heavyweight.
The point is, if you aren't investing in companies that have innovation in their DNA, and the ability to adapt over time, you'll be looking at negative returns.
Below, three Motley Fool investors point out stocks that they believe are truly innovative, and worth buying in October. Read below to find out why iRobot (IRBT -5.35%), Alphabet (GOOG -3.47%) (GOOGL -3.30%), and Wal-Mart (WMT -1.41%) all fit the bill.
If you are going to do one thing, do it well
Tyler Crowe (iRobot): It's pretty easy to criticize iRobot as a company. As it stands today, the company is a one-trick pony with its Roomba automated vacuum cleaners, which may make some investors uneasy considering it sells a high-margin consumer product that seems ripe for commoditization over time. That hasn't been the case thus far, though.
One of the things working in iRobot's favor is its head start over the competition. Being one of the first companies to sell an autonomous vacuum cleaner, it carved out a massive market share that has made the Roomba synonymous with automated vacuum cleaner. More importantly, though, is that the company continues to develop improvements for its flagship product that help to maintain a level of pricing power that allows the company to grow its business fast without sacrificing margins too much.
What is also encouraging is that management is looking to leverage its spatial awareness and navigation technology for the Roomba into other automated household products, and eventually into a complete smart home. With big win options out there like mops, pool cleaners, and lawn mowers, there's a chance that iRobot's products could be household "must haves" that make this stock an interesting one to follow.
Alphabet's not resting on its laurels
Brian Stoffel (Alphabet): Alphabet is one of my largest personal holdings -- almost 13% of my family's portfolio -- precisely because of the company's commitment to innovation. It would be easy to simply rake in the profits from the leading advertising business in the world, or to just focus on bolstering that business.
But Alphabet goes above and beyond.
The very reason Alphabet was formed -- instead of sticking with the "Google" moniker -- was to emphasize that the company was taking moonshots at innovations that could change the course of humanity by an order of magnitude. Many of these innovations will be flops -- already Google Glass failed to take off, and many are wondering how long the company will "waste" money on its other bets.
But all it takes is one of the company's long-shots to become a success for the investments to have paid off. It is becoming increasingly likely that the first of those investments will be in the autonomous driving system developed by Alphabet's subsidiary Waymo. But Alphabet won't stop there; it is trying to solve some of the most vexing problems in humanity.
Trading this month for 26 times trailing free cash flow, I don't think Alphabet is "cheap," but I think it's a fair price for such an important company.
An innovative retailer
Tim Green (Wal-Mart Stores): Mega-retailer Wal-Mart may be the last company you think of when you hear the word "innovation." But Wal-Mart is doing some truly innovative things as it aims to maintain its brick-and-mortar dominance while plowing into the e-commerce market.
For starters, Wal-Mart rolled out free two-day shipping on orders over $35 earlier this year. This followed a test of an Amazon Prime-like subscription, but the company decided that truly free shipping was a better option. Wal-Mart has also spent this year ramping up its online grocery business. Customers can place their orders online and have their groceries loaded into their cars at over 1,000 Wal-Mart locations, at no additional cost.
Wal-Mart's innovative streak doesn't stop there. The retailer launched its pick-up discount program earlier this year, offering discounts on certain online items to customers willing to pick up their order at a store. It's cheaper for Wal-Mart to ship an item to one of its stores than to a customer's doorstep, and it's passing on those savings. Wal-Mart is also testing out other ideas, like having store employees deliver orders on their way home from work. And the company plans to implement Jet.com's smart-cart technology, which can lower prices for customers, on Walmart.com.
These efforts are already bearing fruit. Wal-Mart's U.S. online sales soared 60% year over year in the latest quarter, driven in part by an expanded online assortment of 67 million SKUs. The company is aiming to be a viable alternative to Amazon.com. Given Wal-Mart's success in revitalizing its online business, I'd say it's on track to do just that.


text:
Borders to hold Beedle release parties
In addition to MuggleCast's live show at Waterstones Piccadilly and Whimsic Alley's release party, it has now been announced that most Borders and Waldenbooks stores will host release parties beginning at 6 p.m. on December 4.
The release notes that “the events will include trivia games, arts-and-crafts activities and a discussion of a crucial chapter from 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' that features one of the fables detailed in 'The Tales of Beedle the Bard.'”
Please contact your local Borders or Waldenbooks to find out their plans!


text:
With Baldur’s Gate seeing a revival by the folks at Beamdog, given the game’s history and popularity at that time, safe to say a lot of interest has been shown for it. So apart from Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition making its way onto the PC, Mac and iPads, where else could we be seeing the game? Consoles like the Xbox 360, PS3 or the upcoming Wii U perhaps? Given the Wii U’s touchscreen interface, we can see why the platform could be considered as a potential platform for Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition to launch on as well.
Unfortunately that will not be the case as far as the Wii U is concerned. Beamdog’s Trent Oster has taken to Twitter and responded to a fan and basically stated, “We don’t do Nintendo development. Our previous experience with Nintendo was enough to ensure there will not be another.” He also went on to reveal that Nintendo’s requirements and limitations, such as 6,000 units have to be sold before payment and a 40MB limit made it difficult for him to work with.


text:
Comcast On Demand no longer free
Comcast On Demand freebies are over.
Since Aug. 6, the cable service provider eliminated access to On Demand programming for channels that customers don't subscribe to as part of their regular digital package.
The On Demand digital library that includes more than 9,300 shows every month, now matches the channels customers subscribe to, officials said. Subscribers will still be able to access free movies, children's programing and local content programming, according to the cable provider.
"For example, if a customer subscribes to a package that includes the Discovery Channel, then the customer has full access to Discovery On Demand programming," company spokeswoman Shawn Feddeman wrote in an e-mail statement.
The company notified customers in July about the changes. Until recently, Comcast gave digital customers access to the full On Demand library as part of a free preview, regardless of what package they bought.
"In an effort to showcase the full range of programming that comes with Comcast Digital Cable with On Demand, we granted some customers in the past a small amount of additional On Demand programming from channels to which they did not subscribe," Ms. Feddeman wrote. "This preview has since ended. Any customer with On Demand who would like to continue to view this small amount of On Demand content that was available through the preview period can upgrade their service simply by contacting Comcast."
The On Demand service has been available locally since 2004 to digital cable subscribers.
Comcast digital cable service offers seven packages at different price ranges and a host of a-la-carte options, according to the On Demand web page.


text:
UK January 26
We’re in the midst of what marketing and advertising experts have dubbed the “Shecovery.” To get women back to the workforce, companies are prioritizing flexible work policies to better support overall employee health and wellness. Read more below.
- As the pandemic rages on, companies look to reverse course on the “Shecession.”
- This week’s Digiday+ Future of TV Briefing looks at how TV news networks like CBS News are adding programming featuring their top TV talent to their standalone streaming services.
- Turkey’s gaming industry is mobile-first; few, if any, Turkish game developers focus on major console titles. Unlike console developers, who can spend years fine-tuning their games, mobile game developers are cranking out scores of mobile titles until one catches on.
- Google readies new interest-based advertising in next phase of Privacy Sandbox experiments.


text:
KFC praised for ‘improving the lives of chickens’ as McDonalds and Starbucks slam
KFC has been praised in an animal charity report for making changes to its chicken farm – while McDonalds and Starbucks have been criticized for “refusing to change for the better.”
The fast food chain tops the “Pecking Order 2021” list – a list compiled by World Animal Protection that ranks restaurants around the world based on their approach to chicken welfare.
The charity said KFC’s commitment to sourcing chicken more sustainably by 2026 will “improve the lives” of millions of birds.
This year’s report shows that while the hospitality market has changed dramatically due to the global pandemic – with alarming trends still prevalent, Manchester Evening News reports.
Some of the chicken meat served by some big fast food brands comes from chickens that live in cramped, sterile environments without sunlight, and many suffer from lameness and skin damage.
Intensive husbandry methods also often rely on the systematic use of antibiotics as a quick fix to keep stressed and sick animals alive.
KFC, out of the eight global brands assessed, is the clear leader of the âPecking Order 2021â. It is the only Level 1 (Leading) company in the UK.
This is thanks to alignment with the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC) and KFC’s report on its performance against the company’s chicken welfare standards in Western Europe.
But the report also lambasted big brands such as McDonald’s, Starbucks, Subway and Dominos for “refusing to change for the better.”
The association called for an end to “cruelty and suffering” motivated by business motives that prevent billions of birds from seeing sunlight or growing up in healthy ways.
Jonty Whittleton, Global Campaign Manager at World Animal Protection, says: âMany big name restaurants deny billions of birds the chance to see sunlight, grow at a healthy pace, or behave naturally. COVID-19 has taught us that animal welfare and human health are linked – there shouldn’t be a status quo. Business motives lead to cruelty and suffering, and it must stop.
âKFC has once again shown leadership in the UK and Europe since joining the Better Chicken Commitment in 2019, which will improve the lives of millions of chickens.
âBut it’s disappointing that companies like Starbucks, Subway, McDonald’s and Dominos refuse to improve.
âAs more and more people take an active interest in the ethics of their food, more and more companies are ready to act.
âThe time has come for real change to happen, and companies that fail to meet market demands not only cause millions of animals misery, but also jeopardize their reputations. “


text:
Microsoft has brought its subscription service, the Xbox Game Pass, to PC. It’s currently in open beta, meaning you can get access to more than 100 PC games for $10 a month. It’s a lot of games for not a lot of money, including Microsoft’s first-party games the day they’re released.
Game Pass for PC has consistently kept over 100 games in its library since its beginning. After seeing Microsoft’s lineup at the Xbox games showcase in July, it sure looks like Game Pass is only becoming a better deal. In fact, Microsoft is sweetening that deal even further later this year when it combines with EA Play. The partnership is set take effect sometime in “Holiday 2020”, and when it does, Game Pass members will get access to a vault of EA games new and old.
Here’s the full list of Game Pass PC games available right now, beginning with games coming in 2020, followed by the list of currently available Game Pass games. Microsoft also removes some games from Game Pass periodically, so we’re now tracking what’s leaving soon as well.


text: By Dipo Olowookere Four banks have been appointed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as settlement banks for the $2.5 billion currency swap deal signed between Nigeria and China last Friday in Beijing. According to a report by ThisDay, the four financial institutions appointed by the apex bank are First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Stanbic IBTC, Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) and Zenith Bank Plc. Last Friday, the CBN, on behalf of Nigeria, sealed the much-awaited $2.5 billion bilateral currency swap agreement with the People\u2019s Bank of China (PBoC). The settlement banks are expected to handle the trade obligations that would enable an importer in Nigeria, after filling the required documentation, to easily exchange the Naira for the Renminbi (RMB) instead of resorting to third currencies such as the US Dollar, while the reverse will be the case for importers in China that trade with Nigerian businesses. Quoting a source at the CBN privy to the deal, ThisDay said while two of the banks will begin work immediately, the two others will have to upgrade their statuses in China. Standard Chartered Bank and Stanbic IBTC already have operational offices in China, while Zenith Bank and First Bank have representative offices in Beijing. \u201cWhile SCB already has a presence in China through its Standard Chartered Bank (China) Limited, Stanbic has been trading in the country through its affiliate, the Investment and Commercial Bank China (ICBC). \u201cHowever, FBN and Zenith Bank were also appointed because they already have representative offices in China. \u201cSo, while SCB and Stanbic can start immediately, it would take FBN and Zenith Bank some time to join the settlement arrangement because they would have to convert their representative offices to operational offices. \u201cThis whole swap agreement would kick off likely before June because we have to operationalise the settlement arrangement with the relevant institutions,\u201d the source quoted in the report said. It was gathered that these banks, to be responsible for settling the trade transactions between importers and exporters from both countries, will likely take off just before next month. The source explained further that the currency swap by the two central bank governors was partly facilitated by the improving economic environment in Nigeria. \u201cAs you know, negotiations have been on-going for two years, so yes to some extent, the improvement in foreign reserves and government revenues, drop in the inflation rate, and the uptick in economic activities, played a role in getting the swap with the PCoB. \u201cBut this was not the only reason factored into the negotiations, as there were other bilateral reasons which I am not at liberty to disclose,\u201d she said. When asked about the impact on the country\u2019s external reserves, the source pointed out that China is Nigeria\u2019s largest trading partner, accounting for about 35 percent of trade. However, the National Bureau of Statistics\u2019 (NBS) Fourth Quarter (Q4) 2017 Foreign Trade Statistics put China\u2019s trade with Nigeria at 22 percent, making it a major trading partner. The total value of trade in Q4 2017 was put at N465.13 billion. According to the CBN source, the currency swap will play a role in reserves management as pressure from Nigerian importers seeking to source dollars will now dissipate. \u201cOf course, this will help in terms of management of our reserves. What this means is that pressure on Nigerian importers seeking to source dollars to import goods from China will completely dissipate,\u201d she explained. Yesterday, the CBN, through its spokesman, Mr Isaac Okorafor, said in a statement on Thursday that among other benefits, the agreement is expected to provide Naira liquidity to Chinese businesses and provide RMB liquidity to Nigerian businesses respectively, thereby improving the speed, convenience and volume of transactions between the two countries. Also, the currency swap is aimed at providing adequate local currency liquidity to Nigerian and Chinese industrialists and other businesses thereby reducing the difficulties encountered in the search for third currencies. Furthermore, the deal will make it easier for most Nigerian manufacturers, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and cottage industries in manufacturing and export businesses to import raw materials, spare -parts and simple machinery to undertake their businesses by taking advantage of available RMB liquidity from Nigerian banks without being exposed to the difficulties of seeking other scare foreign currencies. The deal, which is purely an exchange of currencies, will also make it easier for Chinese manufacturers seeking to buy raw materials from Nigeria to obtain enough Naira from banks in China to pay for their imports from Nigeria. The CBN said this will protect Nigerian business people from the harsh effects of third currency fluctuations.


text:
It seems everyone is glued to their TV or the Internet watching the Super Bowl event.
This year, the Superbowl will be streamed live on Sunday, February 4 at the U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, and Minnesota.
In the United States, NBC Sports is the rights holder of the Superbowl sports event, and as usual, the matches will be streamed live for free online. But unfortunately, this won’t be possible for expats and the rest of the world. the sports channel is only available to watch inside the US.
VPNs to the rescue.
Fortunately, we have virtual private networks (VPNs) that can help solve this problem of geo-restricted content.
According to recent reports,
Many people outside of the US are setting up virtual private networks, or VPNs, to be able to watch sporting competitions such as the Super Bowl.
We, at VPN.Express, have also noticed an increase this month in VPN subscriptions in many countries around the world compared to other times.
This shouldn’t be surprising considering the fact that American football is one of the most popular sports in the world, of course, everyone will be anticipating the games and prepared to do whatever it takes to be able to watch this great sports event.
In general, VPN usage increases during sporting events, due to the fact that most people reside in regions where there are substantial gatherings of loyal followers of these sporting events coupled with a shortage of decent coverage.
Unfortunately, it’s really not a healthy thing that people only use VPNs to access blocked content to watch TV shows and sporting events. That’s just a small part of the overall benefits of using VPNs. For example, VPNs can be used for protecting your privacy from prying eyes, protection of your personal information, and so much more.
With that said, we shouldn’t blame people for using VPNs for entertainment purposes. The SuperBowl is one of the most anticipated events, and everyone wants to enjoy this opportunity to get a quick break from work and watched the games with friends and family.
So considering that the US-based sports channel NBC Sports is the most preferred way to watch the games, here is how a VPN can help you broadcast the channel without any restrictions:
- Purchase a VPN plan from a reliable provider
- Download the VPN pack to all of your connected devices
- Log in into the VPN app and connect to an American server
- Go to the NBC Sports website/app
- Enjoy unlimited access to the entire SuperBowl event
In fact, it doesn’t take more than about an hour or so to set-up all of the above. (Our super-easy to understand setup guide will get you running in no time, Click here to see for yourself).


text:
Sponsored by Everlytic Everlytic recently opened submissions to the first-ever You Mailed It Email Awards – an opportunity for South African marketers to showcase…
The company today published a draft of its Innovator’s Patent Agreement, which it informally calls the IPA.
According to Twitter “the IPA is a new way to do patent assignment that keeps control in the hands of engineers and designers”.
The social network claims that this means “that patents can only be used for defensive purposes” and that it “will not use the patents from employees’ inventions in offensive litigation without their permission”.
Because the control “flows” with the patent, it says, the patent cannot be used in any way other than the inventor intended.
Twitter claims that this is a fairly significant departure from the way things normally operate in the tech industry:
Typically, engineers and designers sign an agreement with their company that irrevocably gives that company any patents filed related to the employee’s work. The company then has control over the patents and can use them however they want, which may include selling them to others who can also use them however they want. With the IPA, employees can be assured that their patents will be used only as a shield rather than as a weapon.
Once the IPA goes live it will apply to all patents relating to Twitter — past and present.
Looking at the messy patent wars some of the big tech players are involved in, you can see why Twitter might want to distance itself from the rest of the industry. In 2011, after all, Apple spent over US$100-million suing the pants off Samsung, HTC and anyone who incurred its wrath.
Google’s US$12.5-billion Motorola Mobility acquisition meanwhile, was undertaken mainly to get its hands on over 17 000 patents. While useful in and of themselves, those patents also provided it with some ammunition in its war with Apple (surprise, surprise), Microsoft, and Oracle.
Besides money spent in court is money that could be spent on building better products.


text:
YUSEN Logistics (UK) has launched direct weekly less-than-container-load (LCL) services from Hong Kong and Shanghai to Southampton in response to increased market demand for services for the international movement of smaller cargo volumes.
The company said these services make use of premium carriers only, with Yusen Logistics offering a transit time of 24 days from Hong Kong to Southampton and 30 days from Shanghai to Southampton, reports the UK's Transport Intelligence.
The new routing provides full visibility of cargo in transit and delivery throughout the UK on Yusen Logistics' own tracked vehicles, giving enhanced visibility and security. In addition, the service includes nationwide warehousing and a range of value-added services.
Yusen Logistics is also supporting other origins such as Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia via its multi-country consolidation service (MCC) from Singapore.
Asian Shipper News


text:
WHAT’S FOR LUNCH? DRINKING TO OUR HEALTH
An eye-catching peppermint-and-spinach-based Grinch Bowl topped with granola at Freshica’s. (Photo by Susan Ericson. Click to enlarge)
By SUSAN ERICSON
It’s the first week of a new year, which means PieHole is trying to stick to its annual get-fit resolutions. So we headed over to Freshica’s in the Red Bank’s West Side Lofts building on West Front Street for a convenient, quick, and healthy lunch.
Open just six months, Jessica Dalmedo’s second store is already busier at lunchtime than her original spot inside Fairwinds Deli in Fair Haven, opened more than four years ago, she tells us. She and her experienced employee, Lee Ann Caporicci, patiently explained the benefits of some of the new-to-us ingredients in their recipes.
A cold brew smoothie is made with Fair Mountain organic coffee. Below, Freshica’s owner Jessica Dalmedo outside her juice and coffee bar on West Front Street. (Photos by Susan Ericson. Click to enlarge)
In addition to the original smoothies, the new juice and coffee bar carries acai bowls and juices, as well as a line of pre-made paleo salads and wraps made by Dawn of Thyme located in Jackson. The wraps are made with organic coconut flour and gluten-free.
Other quick grab-and-go options available are hot soups, oatmeal, and Fair Mountain organic pour-over coffee.
There’s a gym-style, no-frills juice bar vibe setup here, with tables, chairs and bright green stools that offer seating at a wraparound counter.
“There’s a different mix of customers here,” says Caporicci, who has been working at Freshica’s for about four and a half years and is familiar with both locations. “You see more of the moms in Fair Haven. They know exactly what they want. Here, they’re less familiar with the product.”
Vacillating between a smoothie and a Tropical bowl ($9.50), a customer ahead of us in line grabbed the last of the pitaya — a hot-pink dragonfruit-based fruit bowl — that we were itching to taste.
An equally pretty Grinch bowl — made with peppermint, spinach, agave, banana, almond milk and strawberries — also caught our attention. Still, we opted for a less colorful pick-me-up, the cold brew smoothie ($9.50).
Thinner than a shake but still pleasantly creamy, it produces a profusion of slurpable flavors. It’s a tasty melange of Fair Mountain organic coffee, almond milk, banana, cinnamon, agave, and cacao powder. Is it good for us? Well it’s low in calories and high in potassium, carries a kick of caffeine, and it’s filling enough to get us through until dinnertime.
Caporicci says more customers are coming in to kick-start 2017 with a cleanse. Listed as “serious greenage for the hardcore juicer,” a full-day cleanse will set you back $52.
Also on the made-to-order juice menu is a superfood shake containing a blend of maca — a plant grown in Peru — hemp, cacao, blueberries, banana, almond or coconut milk, flax oil, and cinnamon. It seems that the road to good health is paved with exotic ingredients.
Freshica’s in Red Bank is open from 6 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, and opens at 8 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.


text:
In its recent earnings call, Nintendo announced that the Switch family of devices (including the standard and Switch Lite models) has now sold 55.77 million units worldwide.
According to Nintendo’s report, 21.03 million Switch units were sold from April 2019 to March 2020. Meanwhile, Nintendo also reported a that it sold 168.72 million units Switch Software. This massive software sales figure was driven in large part by Pokemon Sword and Shield, which sold 17.37 million units since its release back in November; as well as Animal Crossing: New Horizons which posted 11.77 million sales, which makes it the fastest-selling title for the platform.
In a separate report, Nintendo revealed the top 10 best-selling games on the Switch (as of March 31, 2020):
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – 24.77 million
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – 18.84 million
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – 17.41 million
- Super Mario Odyssey – 17.41 million
- Pokemon Sword / Pokemon Shield – 17.37 million
- Pokemon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! / Pokemon: Let’s Go, Eevee! – 11.97 million
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons – 11.77 million
- Splatoon 2 – 10.13 million
- Super Mario Party – 10.10 million
- New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe – 6.60 million
Even if it has been three years since the release of the Nintendo Switch, the console continues to be a hot-seller. In fact, Switch consoles were even selling out worldwide last month; this is likely due to the fact that a lot of people around the world are at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Switch offers a great way to spend time while under quarantine.


text:
SCEA has updated the sales figures for Gran Turismo 6. It also gave us a new figure on the overall sales for the popular series too.
As reported by GTPlanet, Gran Turismo 6 has sold over 2.37 million copies since it came out in December 2013. This is sadly the lowest amount of sales a mainstream entry of the series received.
Gran Turismo 6 came out at a competitive time of year, and was also a game that was not on everyone’s radar. December 2013 was a month after the launches of both the PS4 and Xbox One consoles. Many hardcore gamers already spent all of their money on new hardware.
In comparison to other games, Gran Turismo 5 has sold over 10.89 million copies. Gran Turismo 3 still remains to be the best selling of the entire series selling nearly 15 million copies. This is impressive since the series is exclusive to the PlayStation family of consoles.
The driving series as a whole has sold over 72.6 million copies. It will be interesting to see how successful Gran Turismo 7 will be when it eventually gets released for the PS4. It’s possible the 7th game will be more popular as it will be released on a newer console and will should feel fresher than Gran Turismo 6.
- This article was updated on:March 8th, 2018


text:
In a context still affected by the pandemic, Groupe Renault sold 665,038 vehicles in the first quarter of 2021, up 1.1% compared to the first quarter of 2020. This start of the year has confirmed the positive impact of the Group's profitability-oriented commercial policy, with a price effect of over 6 points. Besides, the Group is progressing...
Luca de Meo, Elie Girard, Bernard Charlès, Jean-Marc Chery and Patrice Caine, respectively the chief executives of Groupe Renault, Atos, Dassault Systèmes, STMicroelectronics and Thales today announced their intention to join forces to create the Software République, a new ecosystem for innovation in intelligent mobility.
Groupe Renault UK has announced a number of senior personnel appointments, all of which are designed to help the organisation transition into a new phase of growth and restructuring as outlined in the recently unveiled Renaulution strategy. As part of this strategy, Groupe Renault will be divided into four separate business units: Renault,...
Plug Power Inc. a leading provider of turnkey hydrogen solutions building the global green hydrogen economy, and Alpine F1 Team are delighted to announce a new partnership in Formula One. The Plug Power logos will be present on the Alpine F1 Team’s A521 cars and team racewear.
To celebrate its debut in the pinnacle of modern motorsport in Formula One, as well as its assault on a selection of other high-speed disciplines, Alpine is taking a look back at some of its iconic moments in racing and significant achievements spanning more than five decades.
Alpine F1 Team is pleased to confirm Daniil Kvyat will join as Reserve Driver. Twenty-six-year-old Daniil, from Ufa, Russia, brings a wealth of recent F1 experience, including 110 race starts, 202 points, three podiums and one fastest lap over six seasons’ racing with Alpha Tauri, Scuderia Toro Rosso and Red Bull Racing.
Alpine F1 Team is excited to reveal its 2021 Academy line-up as it enters its sixth year. Victor Martins is the newest addition to the programme alongside Christian Lundgaard, Guanyu Zhou, Oscar Piastri and Caio Collet who have all been retained for another year.
Previous LMP2 World Champions in 2016 and 2019, the Alpine Elf Matmut team has decided to take it to the next level in 2021 by entering the Hypercar category, the premier class of the 2021 FIA WEC Championship.
Groupe Renault announces the appointment of Laurent Rossi, Director of Strategy and Business Development of Groupe Renault, as Chief Executive Officer of the Alpine brand, effective January 11, 2021. Laurent Rossi will take charge of Alpine Cars, Sport, F1 and competition activities. He will report to Luca De Meo, Chief Executive Officer of...
Groupe Renault UK has appointed Gemma Croft as its new Press Fleet Manager with the responsibility of managing and booking UK press evaluations across the Renault, Dacia and Alpine passenger car brands and Renault Pro+ commercial vehicles.
Alpine has revealed the new limited-edition A110 Légende GT, the most refined interpretation of the A110 to date, alongside the A110 Color Edition 2020 and the new Atelier Alpine personalisation programme.
For its third appearance at the International Automobile Festival in Paris Invalides, Alpine has created an exhibition of new or little-known models for the general public: the A210 prototype, the Alpine Vision Gran Turismo, the A110 1800 – 1972 Gp4 driven by François Alessandri and Jean Pierre Manzagol, the A110 SportsX, an A110...
The Alpine A110 has been presented with ‘Best Sports Car’ title for the second year in a row by influential motoring magazine What Car? The prestigious title was presented at the 2020 What Car? Awards ceremony held at the Grosvenor Hotel in London.
Alpine launches Alpine Eyewear, high-end glasses made in France. Designed to offer visual comfort and enhance the experience behind the wheel of the A110, Alpine Eyewear is available with corrective, clear and sun protective lenses.


text:
Chai Break’s Aditya Ladsaria and Anirudh Poddar have new plans for Kolkata
Chai Break’s Aditya Ladsaria and Anirudh Poddar’s hunger to venture into multiple F&B segments is insatiable
A casual chat over some hot cups of tea and snacks turned friends Aditya Ladsaria and Anirudh Poddar into business partners. Their brainchild, Chai Break, has been serving the city since 2010 with its diverse range of delectables and tea. A soft-spoken Aditya who is more a coffee-tea person, unlike Anirudh, a self-confessed party animal, tells us, “We have been friends since school and though we went to different colleges our friend circle was the same. Hence, we ended up meeting every day discussing everything under the sun. The idea of opening a good coffee shop, with some focus on food as well, struck during one such conversation and resulted in Chai Break”.
Besides the 17 outlets of Chai Break, the duo, egged by their lounge bar Truly Publik’s success in Jamshedpur, launched the classy lounge bar that serves a wide array of community cocktails and siders in the heart of Kolkata just after the lockdown was lifted. “We were thinking of lockdown as an opportunity. Though the market was shrinking with many outlets shutting shop, it seemed the right opportunity to launch a new brand and gain traction,” tells Aditya.
During the lockdown, the duo took advantage of their existing kitchens and ventured into the cloud kitchen segment with Bowl Break. Anirudh says, “Bowl Break, the takeaway option, was there in our future plans but the pandemic preponed it”, adding, “It’s just one of the concepts we have in mind and we intend to add multiple brands in the cloud kitchen space. One must be omnipresent both online and offline to make business shockproof ”.
Chai Break values its customers. Elaborating on the same, Aditya says, “The pandemic taught us that brand loyalty is of utmost importance. Chai Break has had a strong loyal customer base. In fact, 70 per cent of our sales are from regular customers. Post-lockdown we have got 80 per cent of our sales back. Apart from new ones, our regulars too are back.”
From Chai Break to Bowl Break and now Truly Publik, they are charting their journey with a lot of plan and hard work and they intend to continue doing so. Their next plan is to come up with a pizza brand very soon


text:
All ABP articles
View all stories with this subject category.
The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated a latent online sales trend, with more than 50% of vehicles across Europe currently sold across some form of online channel, according to new research. This has solidified automakers’ roll out plans for new sales structures across the continent and beyond.
Associated British Ports (ABP) is working with Verizon Business on the installation of a private 5G telecommunications network at the port of Southampton on the UK south coast. It will make ABP the first mainland port operator in the UK to offer a private 5G network to its customers.


text:
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (Feb. 3, 2016) — Chrysler and Jeep dealers are offering mounted winter tire-wheel packages this year through a new Mopar program.
Assemblies include a winter tire, steel rim and tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS), delivered to the dealership mounted and balanced, according to Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) US L.L.C.
“Mopar is rolling out our first-ever offering of winter wheel assemblies for those customers who desire a little extra control during the cold weather seasons,” said Pietro Gorlier, head of parts and service (Mopar), FCA – Global.
The program is also available in Canada through FCA Canada Inc.
Winter wheel assemblies are available for FCA US vehicles — including the Dodge Caravan, Dodge Charger (AWD and RWD), Chrysler Town & Country, Chrysler 300 (AWD and RWD), Chrysler 200 and Jeep Cherokee, with the program scheduled to expand to encompass even more vehicle models next year.
The winter tire-wheel assemblies are priced at $242 to $292 per wheel, depending on the vehicle, Mopar said. Dealer installation charges are not included.


text:
Keeping up with consumers’ unique tastes is difficult enough in the best of times but, in today’s marketplace, accurately cataloguing Covid-driven changes in consumer behavior has become a full-time job, especially when it comes to food and diet.
America’s eating habits have seemingly changed forever and the resulting market reformation, while somewhat daunting in scope, actually represents an incredible opportunity for CPGs to build brand, drive trial and grow in category. Successfully leveraging this opportunity, however, is going to require that marketers be able to strategically segment audiences and individually target lifestyle groups based on their demonstrated dietary preferences.
A growing opportunity.
As dining out remains a question mark for many across the U.S., eating at home has returned as a new norm. The International Food Information Council’s 2020 Food and Health Survey found 60% of consumers reporting they were cooking at home more due to Covid-19 while 43% of consumers said they were following a specific diet or eating pattern.
Of course, not all consumers are making the same changes. While some are trending toward more snacking and arguably more “indulgent” eating, there is an increasingly active -- and growing -- proportion of consumers adopting diets and foods intended to improve their health and nutrition, including low-carb, vegan, gluten-free, etc.
A marketing challenge.
Reaching and engaging consumers committed to healthier eating demands equal commitment from marketers but the potential return on investment is tremendous as evidenced by recent growth across the category.
According to Data Bridge Market Research, the global low-carb diet market is expected to grow at a rate of 6.4% between 2020 to 2027. At the same time, a report by Grand View Research forecasts the global ketogenic diet market to reach $14.75 billion while expanding at a CAGR of 5.5% over the next seven years.
And plant-based food that was already gaining traction pre-pandemic -- driven in large part by meat alternatives -- has seen continued growth with the Plant Based Food Association reporting that U.S. retail sales of plant-based foods grew 11.4% in 2019, bringing the total plant-based market value to $5 billion.
While the size of the overall opportunity is impressive, it’s critical to remember that engaging shoppers exhibiting these, and other, dietary preferences demands much more than simple “better for you” messaging. Successfully activating this diverse group requires both understanding and action; a clear understanding of their disparate affinities and behaviors and the capability to act on that insight by digitally distributing relevant, impactful and motivating promotional content.
A tool for the job.
The good news is that the data needed to inform this kind of hyper-targeted marketing is, in fact, available. As is the infrastructure needed for delivering individualized offers at scale. Both are available from Inmar Intelligence.
Inmar’s newest data offering -- Lifestyle Audiences -- combines shopper transaction data from Inmar’s proprietary ShopperSync™ platform with the SPINS® product intelligence library of 700,000 UPCs and more than 500 product attributes to identify and target shoppers active in any or all of the following subcategories:
With this insight in hand, marketers can leverage Inmar’s Media and Incentive solutions integrated in the Inmar Intelligence Retail Cloud to execute digital promotion and programmatic media campaigns -- across channels -- targeted exclusively to known buyers.
Establishing a brand as a preferred lifestyle ally in an already crowded healthier-eating marketplace isn’t an easy proposition. but the rewards are there -- along with the solutions needed to realize those rewards.


text:
THE world's biggest crime-busting organisation will be among the key players when the G-Mex plays host to Europe's largest design and manufacturing conference.
The FBI will be sharing the secret of its rapid prototyping successes at the Time Compression Technologies event.
Aimed at helping companies become more competitive by reducing the time it takes to get designs on the market, the event will feature the presentation of more than 30 papers.
And the Federal Bureau of Investigation will be explaining how it designs and fabricates electronic and mechanical systems for solving crime in double-quick time.
Known to manufacturers simply as ''TCT'', the event attracts the likes of Boeing, Ford, Motorola, Procter and Gamble, Electrolux and Lego.
Organiser Mark Blezard explained the lessons to be learned at the conference could help all manufacturers.
''We look for speakers from all industrial sectors, but, best of all, we look for speakers from engineering environments where time is of the essence for example, Formula 1 where the car is often completely re-engineered between races.
''Put a bunch of design engineers in such a competitive environment and you will not believe what they can turn around.
''It's these groundbreaking technologies that attracts not just the multi-nationals but the SMEs too. The sooner a new product reaches the market the sooner the cash starts to come back and that's something all manufacturing enterprises will appreciate.''
As well as the FBI, there will be industrial speakers from Caterpillar, Rolls-Royce, Land-Rover, Dormer Tools, Ford Motorsport and Nokia.
The conference has moved to the Manchester International Conference Centre after outgrowing previous homes in Nottingham and Cardiff.
And with upwards of 500 conference delegates and 1,500 visitors, many from overseas, the event is scheduled to run at the MICC for the next three years.
The event will be held on September 26 and 27.


text:
Facebook Looking to Expand Mobile Advertising Reach
Online advertising is a serious business. Spending is expected to reach $121 billion in 2014, largely due to a boost from mobile computing in the last few years.
A number of advertising-related acquisitions also have become common in the technology industry. One of the latest instances is Facebook acquiring Atlas Solutions from Microsoft early last year. Facebook is relaunching the advertising platform with the hope of pushing its way up in the world of mobile advertising by leveraging the extensive user data it has to target specific groups of people.
Facebook’s global footprint is large—as of June 2014, it had 1.32 billion monthly active users, of whom 1.07 billion where mobile monthly active users. It also has a feature called a shadow profile that lets Facebook collect data about users and their contacts, even if they don’t provide the information themselves.
With all of that data in its repository, Facebook is very well positioned to connect with end-users in ways beyond the core functionality it offers. What better way to do that than through mobile advertising?
While it is exciting to see such targeted advertising on the way, implementing it successfully has multiple dependencies because there are a number of external entities at play. Firstly, the Atlas Solutions platform is an acquired one. Making it work seamlessly with Facebook’s large data repository is no easy feat. How other companies consume this data and make the right targeted connections is another concern. Finally, it is in the hands of the user to respond to this advertising contact by either accepting it or opting out.
Several aspects such as functionality, compatibility, and performance should all be taken into account for a successful end-to-end implementation, but security and privacy will be the biggest ones to consider. Facebook was already in headlines due to a bug in its shadow profile feature last year that impacted about six million users. The scale now is even bigger with multiple external entities at play, which means we are talking about a lot of user data that will be combed through.
While the industry has gotten proficient with third-party integrations over the last few years, any mishap in the area of security and privacy will be a big setback—not just for Facebook, but potentially for the mobile advertising space itself.


text:
Apple has joined hands with Google to purchase Eastman Kodak Co. patents out of bankruptcy, with an offer of more than $500 million. Previously, both tech giants were leading two separate groups to buy Kodak’s 1,100 imaging patents, unnamed sources have revealed.
Due to the potential of neutralizing patent infringement litigation, unlikely partnerships in patent sales are not an unusual occurrence. Last year, a similar partnership was seen between Apple, Microsoft and RIM to purchase Nortel Networks Corp.’s more than 6,000 patents for $4.5 billion out of bankruptcy. Google initially made an offer of $900 million but eventually lost the auction for these patents.
Richard Ehrlickman, former vice president of Intellectual Property at International Business Machines Corp. and president of IP Offerings, remarked about the partnership between Apple and Google and said that both companies seem to have learned a lesson from the auction of Nortel. According to him, this move would, on one hand, serve to reduce the cost of the Kodak patents and, on the other, would also serve the business needs of both tech giants.
Apple was previously pursuing the Kodak patents with its partners including Microsoft, and Intellectual Ventures Management LLC. Google’s partners, on the other hand, included patent- aggregation company RPX Corp. and Asian manufacturers of Android devices. Both teams were separately offering less than $500 million but with the joint venture, the offered amount has also increased.
Representatives of Google, Apple and Kodak have declined to comment on the news of partnership because of a court-ordered confidentiality agreement. A previous report from Wall Street Journal said that the consortium was offering more than $500 million for the acquisition of digital patents form Kodak. Kodak, with the sale of these patents, intends to reduce its focus on photography and instead devote more attention to its functional printing and enterprise services.
Kodak mentioned in the court documents that the patents may be worth $2.21 billion to $2.57 billion. The company also said that it has generated over $3 billion in revenue by licensing some of its digital-imaging patents to companies such as Samsung, LG and Google. In its bankruptcy filing, the company listed $5.1 billion in assets and $6.75 billion in debt.