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The confidence of Connecticut consumers plunged between April and July, apparently because of worries about plummeting stock values and a lackluster job market, according to a new survey.
July's 16.4 percent decline in confidence puts the mood of Connecticut consumers in line with the sentiment of New England and U.S. consumers. The Connecticut index now stands at 95.7 while the U.S. index is at 97.1 and the New England index is 95.3.
Economists say it's too early to know if consumers might cut back on spending, slowing the economy even further, as a result of their less-rosy outlook.
The decline in Connecticut confidence was steep largely because optimism had been high -- not because people are hugely pessimistic, said Steven Lanza, executive editor of the University of Connecticut's quarterly economic publication. The state index, based on quarterly surveys funded by Webster Bank, is compiled by UConn's Center for Economic Analysis.
This is the first time since July 2001 that the state outlook is not substantially higher than national or regional levels. UConn researchers had surmised that Connecticut consumers were more optimistic because of the state's higher income levels. Wealthier consumers have tended to be more optimistic than the less affluent in previous surveys.
Researchers suspect that the July decline in stock values helped tarnish the outlook of the wealthy as well. This quarter's survey was done from July 17 to 23 -- the period when stocks fell to four-year lows. The Dow industrials dropped 10 percent over that week, for example.
Lanza said the broader slowdown of the economy hits hardest among those with the most to lose: older, wealthier investors.
But the lack of job growth in Connecticut is also a major concern for consumers, he said. The percentage of residents expecting jobs to be more plentiful six months from now fell from 33 percent in April to 21 percent in July. The number expecting business conditions to improve fell from 41 percent to 30 percent.
Fred V. Carstensen, head of the Center for Economic Analysis, said the decline in confidence makes sense given the general economic malaise and the state's strong ties to Wall Street. Connecticut residents tend to own more stock than investors nationally, and many Fairfield County residents work on Wall Street. In addition, Connecticut has a larger concentration of financial-services jobs than the United States as a whole.
Carstensen called the July index "a red flag" that shows consumers are concerned, paying attention and nervous about where the country is headed. But he cautioned against reading too much into the data, in part because of the timing of the survey. It's also not clear that lower confidence will lead to a corresponding drop in consumer spending, he said.
Some consumers are disillusioned by lower stock prices, but are spending on luxury goods and real estate instead of putting money in the market. That makes it hard to predict spending patterns.
"There are conflicting influences," Carstensen said.
When compared to consumers nationally, Nutmeggers are pessimists about jobs but optimists about general business conditions.

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Francis X. Suarez, Mayor of Miami, announced a new partnership with Time, Mastercard, and Salesforce to establish a novel Web3 approach to drive revenue to local businesses and nonprofits.
This model is specifically developed for local businesses and nonprofit organisations through special reward programmes that may ultimately increase their revenue.
Leveraging web3 for revenue generation
The City of Miami will exhibit a unique collection of approximately 5,000 NFTs created by 56 local Miami artists as part of the partnership, according to the official announcement. These NFTs represent the city’s 56 square mile territory.
Owners of these NFTs will gain access to Mastercard’s Priceless Miami programme, which offers special experiences like curated, unforgettable private tours of Miami cultural institutions and other memorable activities. These experiences range from one-of-a-kind events at neighbourhood Miami restaurants.
The arrangement calls for TIME, a company with a history dating back almost a century, to play a key role in directing strategy, creating the initiative’s creativity, and launching it. TIME has emerged as a pioneer in the web3 field in recent months.
While Mastercard’s contribution will be to enhance the program’s turnkey functionality by giving NFT holders access to its Priceless Miami experiences.
Through NFT Cloud, a brand-new solution that is presently in closed beta and is intended to help brands provide linked experiences across the physical and digital worlds, Salesforce, the world leader in CRM, will be in charge of handling the creation and sale of NFTs.
The City of Miami will be able to engage its NFT holders in significant new ways by utilising the power of Salesforce and merging web2 and web3 data.
Speaking about the partnership, Mayor Francis X. Suarez expressed his excitement to be working with TIME, Mastercard, and Salesforce on this project, emphasising that the City of Miami has been at the forefront of the web3 revolution.
Mayor Suarez seems unconcerned by the current crypto bear market, which has caused some crypto enterprises to lay off employees and declare bankruptcy, much like El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, whose everlasting devotion to Bitcoin.
“We will continue to employ these new technologies to support our existing businesses while attracting new ones, raising capital, and providing experiences for our citizens and those visiting the great City,” Suarez said in a statement, referring to crypto and NFTs.
The nation may also employ this cutting-edge approach, he said, to help regional charities and artists. It is anticipated that this initiative will begin in December 2022 and be on the Ethereum blockchain after switching from Proof of Work to Proof of Stake, which will cut the project’s carbon emissions by at least 99%.
However, the Mayor stated that he would disclose further details on the NFT drop and the application requirements for interested artists in the upcoming months.


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WASHINGTON: US consumer confidence slipped to a four-month low in November, with households less keen to spend on big-ticket items over the next six months amid high inflation and rising borrowing costs, heightening the risks of a recession next year.
But the survey from the Conference Board on Tuesday (Nov 29) also showed that consumers remained upbeat about the labour market, which could limit some of the anticipated economic downturn. The labour market has remained resilient despite the Federal Reserve's stiff interest rate increases, helping to keep consumer spending and the overall economy afloat.
“The weakening trend in confidence foreshadows a recession which will likely happen in the coming year,” said Jeffrey Roach, chief economist at LPL Financial in Charlotte, North Carolina. “However, any potential recession could be short and shallow given the tight labour market and the hint that layoffs may not be as bad as feared.”
The Conference Board’s consumer confidence index fell to 100.2, the lowest reading since July, from 102.2 in October. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the index to come in at 100.0. Still, the index remains above its Covid-19 pandemic lows. It places more emphasis on the labour market, which remains tight.
The decline in confidence was concentrated in the 55-and-over age group as well as among households with annual incomes below US$50,000. Lower-income households have borne the brunt of inflation that, before October, was marked by annual consumer prices increasing at rates not seen since the early 1980s.
There were notable decreases in confidence in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan, which offset increases in Texas, New York, Florida and Illinois.
Consumers' 12-month inflation expectations increased to a four-month high of 7.2% from 6.9% in October, which the survey blamed on rising gasoline and food prices.
The Fed has raised its policy rate by 375 basis points this year from near zero to a 3.75%-4.00% range in what has become the fastest rate-hiking cycle since the 1980s.
The survey's so-called labour market differential, derived from data on respondents’ views on whether jobs are plentiful or hard to get, rose to 32.8 from 31.8 in October. This measure correlates to the unemployment rate from the Labor Department.
Though it has dropped from 44.7 last November, it remains quite high by historical standards. This month's increase was despite a surge in job cuts in the technology sector as well as interest-rate sensitive finance and housing industries.
“The Fed’s strategy of attempting to reduce the availability of job openings relative to the supply of labour to put downward pressure on inflation does not appear to have made any progress in November based on this survey of households,” said Conrad DeQuadros, senior economic advisor at Brean Capital here.
With inflation continuing to dominate consumers’ concerns, fewer of them were interested in making big-ticket purchases over the next six months, the survey showed. The decline in buying intentions occurred across the board, flagging a slowdown in demand for goods and also bolstering expectations that recent signs of goods disinflation could become entrenched.
That also fits in with views that the economy could experience a sharp slowdown in growth or a mild recession in the first half of 2023.
The government is expected to confirm today that the economy rebounded strongly in the third quarter after gross domestic product contracted in the first half of the year.
Fewer consumers also planned to purchase a house over the next six months, according to the survey. Rising mortgage rates and high prices have significantly reduced affordability for many prospective buyers. Though house prices have came off the record highs reached during the Covid-19 pandemic-driven housing market boom, they remain significantly high.
A separate report on Tuesday showed the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller national home price index increased 10.6% year on year in September. That was the smallest gain since December 2020 and followed a 12.9% rise from August.
On a monthly basis, prices fell for a third straight month. Tight supply will, however, likely keep a floor under house prices.
“While buyers are stepping aside waiting for more affordable prices and rates, causing the slowdown on price growth, would-be sellers are sticking to their ground and holding tight to the inventory they currently own,” said Nicole Bachaud, senior economist at Zillow in Seattle.
“As a result, prices might not continue to plunge down as much as some projections anticipate, as the available inventory of homes on the market is constrained,” Bachaud said.
A third report from the Federal Housing Finance Agency showed that house prices increased 11.0% in the 12 months through September, the smallest rise since October 2020, after advancing 12.0% in August. – Reuters


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Fashion designer L'Wren Scott grew up in Utah and before her death created dresses for movie stars and rock singers too.
L'Wren even dated rock legend Mick Jagger, and he's the one who decided to bring the collection up for auction at Christie's.
We talked to L'Wren's brother Randall Bambrough who says his sister was known for her sleek, intricately detailed clothing.
Among the items up for sale are two jackets L'Wren and Jagger collaborated on for Rolling Stones performances. Both of those have a price tag of $28,254 to $42, 381.
Also on the auction block, are dresses worn by Nicole Kidman and Sarah Jessica Parker and even Madonna.
Proceeds from the sale will go towards the L'Wren Scott scholarship, set up by Jagger in 2015, at London art school Central Mt. Martins.


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You don't often get anything free in life, at least as far as car features are concerned, but most owners of 2020 and newer Infinitis can have wireless Apple CarPlay installed in their vehicles free of charge.
Infiniti has been rolling out the Bluetooth-based wireless connection for Apple CarPlay in its 2022 models but owners of the Q50, Q60, QX50 and QX80 from either the 2020 or 2021 model years can have the feature installed after a visit to their local Infiniti dealership.
The offer is available until March 31, 2022.
Infiniti estimates that 80% of its customers own at least one Apple product, so we can imagine quite a few of the eligible customers taking up Infiniti's offer.
Smartphone integration like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto have been a boon for vehicle owners faced with in-car infotainment systems that can be confusing or difficult to use when driving. Once your phone is connected, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto enable the phone's apps to be controlled via the phone's own menus, using the vehicle's infotainment system. This makes it easy to use popular apps from the phone while behind the wheel, such as Siri, Waze, and much more.


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Aldi elevated its recent meals choices by forty% in 2018 by expanding its produce choice and adding new vegan and vegetarian options. And it started providing extra different milks, together with soy and almond. On many products, barcodes are either tremendous giant or they’re printed on a number of sides to hurry up the scanning process at the cash register. Last 12 months, 19% of consumers who switched retailers began buying at Aldi, according to a Morgan Stanley survey. For Aldi, part of its success lies in appealing not only to low or mid-income buyers, however to wealthier ones as properly.
In September, it launched a nationwide advertising campaign, including tv commercials, to drive the message that it sells excessive-high quality merchandise. Aldi additionally just lately pledged to chop plastic and transition to one hundred% sustainable packaging by 2025 — not a cheap endeavor.
If you’re utilizing a web site you’ve not used before, search for them online to see if they’ve any adverse suggestions. For independent sellers on a web site, you’ll be able to try their online reviews on a web site like TrustPilot. Alternatively, online services like PayPal mean scammers will not be able to pay money for your financial institution details. Keep software and virus protection up-to-date and use robust passwords for online accounts. Sign Up NowGet this delivered to your inbox, and extra data about our services and products.
It bought online pharmacy PillPack for $753 million in 2018 and last month led a $575 million funding spherical into food supply company Deliveroo. Amazon has overtaken Google and Apple to become the world’s most precious brand at $315.5 billion, according to a ranking of world corporations, up fifty two% on final yr. Amazon has overtaken Google and Apple to turn into the world’s most valuable brand at $315.5 billion.
David Roth, chair of BrandZ, said the companies that did well had been those who mastered this new mannequin of different providers. “Brands want to understand the value this type of model can create and should embrace its approach to be successful in the future,” he mentioned in an emailed assertion.
But being conscious of this and researching what the real thing would price, will give you an idea of when a proposal is simply too good to be true. There is also some information you must find out before buying online.
- This shop is based in southern California and one of many internet trend retailer.
- Even this online store for women can be best place with inexpensive worth with exceptional customer service.
- It began to create the needs of women with varied vary of women’s cloth.
- This online shop is well-liked and distinctive to provide with numerous type and design.
Updates often include changes which assist defend you and your devices from scammers and online criminals. There are several issues you can do to keep yourself secure online. There can be a big online marketplace for promoting counterfeit goods. These could be exhausting to identify, even when you’ve got the product in your hand.
Always choose robust passwords for your online accounts, utilizing a mix of upper case, lower case, number and particular characters. Make positive your software program and anti-virus protection is up-to-date.
Under part 75 of the Consumer Credit Act, paying by credit card may also provide you with added protection on purchases over £a hundred up to £30,000. This means the cardboard provider has equal accountability with the vendor for defective, unsatisfactory or undelivered objects. This means, if you’re at a web-based checkout, you’ll have to move an additional level of security to prove it’s you making the purchase. Many banks and building societies are adding extra security when you purchase online, involving two-issue authorisation (2FA).
Two Great British Brands Join Forces
“We have not seen a disrupter in the grocery house like this in a long time.” With smaller grocers disappearing, there’s probably room for both Walmart and Aldi to choose up the items, Vu added. In the meantime, Aldi will hold leading the price wars, putting stress on the bigger gamers, too. To counter Walmart and other grocers’ strikes, Aldi has began compromising its bare-bones method.


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Towson University prevails in cyber competition
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“What [the students are] doing is getting the real world skills,” she said. “These skills are really highly sought after and they’re hard to come by.”
So hard to come by that some security firms and sponsors are there recruiting talent, Havermann said.
“A lot of the sponsors have hired former competitors here,” she said.
The importance of an event like this cyber challenge goes back to the need for more talent.
“We [don’t] have enough people to do this to be successful in cyber and we need more students with more experience,” Havermann said.
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NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- American Seafoods withdrew its initial public offering, citing market conditions, according to a letter from the company submitted Tuesday to the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Seattle-based fishing company was attempting to raise about $400 million in income deposit securities and another $158 million in debt. A similar stock-debt IPO is on deck this week from B&G Foods, owner of super market brands such as Ortega and Underwood.
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Mahindra e2oPlus Now Available On Rent In Delhi
Mahindra and Zoomcar came together in November 2017 to start offering the e2oPlus self-driving EV in the three cities of India, namely Jaipur, Hyderabad and Mysuru and after four months, the two companies have decided to make the electric car available for rent in Delhi as well. Mahindra Electric and Zoomcar announced on Tuesday about their unique service of presenting electric vehicles (EVs) for shared mobility solution to Delhi, the capital of the country. The companies are set to come up with 100 'e2oPlus' all-electric city car on rent in collaboration for the residents and visitors through the Zoomcar platform in Delhi under the same.
It was announced by the NITI Ayog In November 2017 under the government’s 2030 vision that it will be setting up 135 charging stations on the Gurugram-Indira Gandhi International Airport South Delhi-Noida corridor in order to overcome (to an extent) the range anxiety issues to make it go hand in hand with electric vehicles in India. The addition of 100 e20Plus cars in the operation will be able to take the services and benefits of this newly developed infrastructure. In March this year, it was just nine months after Ola started deploying electric cabs in Nagpur, the drivers showed their discomfort about the electric car’s limited range and long charging durations and stated their plans of shifting back to the old school diesel-powered cars.
This recent initiative by Mahindra and Zoomcar is targeted at promoting connected, shared and electric mobility as a model, in tandem with the recommendations in the NITI Aayog report. Mahesh Babu, CEO, Mahindra Electric, said speaking on the occasion that both the companies are confident that this move will help more people adopt electric vehicles as a technology and will also help in contributing in India’s journey towards a greener and eco-friendly future for the country.
In April 2017, Mahindra put in place its electric hatchback, the e2oPlus; in Zoomcar’s ZAP services apart from placing its EVs in the Zoomcar fleet. With the e2oPlus being listed on ZAP, a fractional car ownership programme by Zoomcar, the buyers can have it on lease at Rs 15,000 per month for an ownership experience of the car.
This latest initiative is likely to be even more helpful for the prospective e2oPlus buyers as they’ll be able to experience the car and the benefits and shortcomings of an electric vehicle for a desired period of time before committing to it. And unlike the ZAP, on which there’s a monthly commitment from the buyers, the buyers can have the e2oPlus with them for some days or weeks with Zoomcar before making up a decision related to the purchase. The electric vehicles under this initiative are going to be financed by LeasePlan. Zoomcar also has a larger financing arrangement with Mahindra Finance, which will look that Zoomcar obtain customized electric vehicle financing in addition to the same.;
As said in a statement by Mahindra Electric, Delhi is the capital of the country and an important business and urban hub, is quite apt for being a good choice for this initiative. It was also stated that the Delhi government has also been quite supportive of electric vehicles in order to improve the problem of the pollution situation in the city.
The Co-Founder and CEO of Zoomcar, Greg Moran stated that as the national capital, Delhi has always been consistent in showing visionary leadership on various sustainable initiatives for the environment such as the Metro, Odd-Even, and CNG infrastructure. He also added that the rollout of 100 electric vehicles mated with best-in-class fast charging infrastructure is an extension of the vision of the Delhi for a cleaner, greener India.;
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A diverse bilingual (English and Hindi) Copywriter and Content Creator based in New Delhi, India. With a degree in Journalism, I always had an inclination towards writing.
As a writer, I have worked on content related to automobile, technology, travel, lifestyle, photography and many more.


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Commercial freight transportation businesses rely on data, intelligence, and novel solutions for operational efficiency. Transport Topics technology coverage investigates available technologies, real-world applications of business solutions, and the strategies necessary for advancement. News topics focus on the latest applied science, and issues range from autonomous vehicle and robotics innovations to management software, tracking and transparency, data analytics, blockchain, and the internet of things.
Weeks after the California Air Resources Board approved a rule to limit rail pollution, the Pacific Harbor Line on May 4 unveiled one of the nation’s most advanced zero-emission locomotives.
Transport Topics has partnered with Spoken Layer to make one-minute daily briefings available on all your smart devices. Simply say “Alexa, play Transport Topics” or “Okay Google, talk to Transport Topics” to get the day’s biggest trucking headlines.
ANAHEIM, Calif. — As Volvo Trucks continues to roll out battery-electric heavy-duty trucks to fleet customers across North America, the truck maker also is building its support network.May 5, 2023
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Global vehicle manufacturer Hyundai Motor Co. premiered the production version of its Xcient hydrogen fuel cell electric Class 8 truck for the North American market.May 5, 2023
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Navistar is expanding its electric truck offerings and inked a partnership with Quanta Services to help fleets implement battery-electric vehicles efficiently.May 5, 2023
ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Lion Electric Co., a manufacturer of all-electric commercial vehicles, announced the launch of its battery-electric Lion5 medium-duty truck at the 2023 Advanced Clean Transportation Expo.May 5, 2023
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — President Joe Biden cited supply chain achievements and urged foreign investment as the Commerce Department held a networking event that included 70 countries.
More than 200 individuals weighed in on the Environmental Protection Agency's public hearing on its heavy-truck greenhouse gas emissions mandate.
Paying for power grid upgrades trucking companies need to charge electrified medium- and heavy-duty fleets would provide a long-term financial boon to utilities.


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Here’s the first look at the 2021 Lexus IS. Learn how Lexus used the new Shimoyama test track to create the balanced performance and linear response of the most thrilling IS ever. Watch as Lexus racing driver Townsend Bell introduces the 2021 Lexus IS sport sedan, reviewing new design updates and providing a complete walk-around of the new Lexus vehicle.
The new 2021 IS, which is expected to arrive in dealerships in late fall of this year, looks to expand upon the legacy it has carved out in the compact luxury sports car segment over the previous two decades. Truly a global vehicle, it will be available for sale in approximately 40 countries around the world, including the US, Japan, and other countries in Asia.


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In an endeavour to help women worldwide, Purvi Tantia, is on a mission to help 1 million women of wisdom to create legacy through the unique 3M formula i.e based on the 3 pillars of Mission, Movement and Monetisation. The unique and one of its kind, Women Entrepreneurship Summit has brought together 100+ women from 18+ countries who are sharing their secrets to business growth in the post covid world.
Women from Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, Germany, Iceland, India, Ireland, Malaysia, Netherland, Poland, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom and USA gathered online for the
Women Entrepreneurship Summit, which has opened a plethora of opportunities for women to learn, collaborate and grow.
Research by Babson College, USA shows that globally 6.2% women own and run businesses, and the trend in women entrepreneurship is on the rise owing to the possibility of conducting business online, specially in the service sector. Purvi Tantia informed that Retail E-commerce sales are projected to grow to 6.54 trillion US dollars in 2022 and there lies a huge opportunity for women to take a large pie from that. “My whole purpose is to assist women to be able to see the opportunity”, says Purvi Tantia.
The event is a perfect fit for mission based women entrepreneurs who want to increase their visibility online and monetize their missions online. The event covers 5 major themes including –
- How to do podcasting,
- How to do virtual events,
- How to get wisdom to the world through books,
- How to effectively use media for reach out, and finally
- How to use technology strategically to grow your business online.
“This event is aimed to provide mindset, tools and strategies to women from all across the world to start, grow and scale a business, while staying at home. It is a mission based event to help women to know that they can run successful businesses online while taking care of their family – in covid times or beyond”, says Purvi Tantia – the mastermind behind this event and the host of this amazing summit.
Purvi Tantia added that Online businesses can empower women and give them livelihoods. She promotes them taking on their passion and setting a recurring income for them.
The event passes are available at www.purvitantia.com/wes. For more information on the Women Entrepreneurship Summit, please visit www.purvitantia.com/wes.


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Eager to avoid falling further behind Tesla and Chinese car companies, many Western auto executives are bypassing traditional suppliers and committing billions of dollars on deals with lithium mining companies.
They are showing up in hard hats and steel-toed boots to scope out mines in places like Chile, Argentina, Quebec and Nevada to secure supplies of a metal that could make or break their companies as they move from gasoline to battery power.
Without lithium, U.S. and European carmakers won’t be able to build batteries for the electric pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles and sedans they need to remain competitive. And assembly lines they are ramping up in places like Michigan, Tennessee and Saxony, Germany, will grind to a halt.
Established mining companies don’t have enough lithium to supply the industry as electric vehicle sales soar. General Motors plans for all its car sales to be electric by 2035. In the first quarter of 2023, sales of battery-powered cars, pickups and sport utility vehicles in the United States rose 45 percent from a year earlier, according to Kelley Blue Book.
So car companies are scrambling to lock up exclusive access to smaller mines before others swoop in. But the strategy exposes them to the risky, boom-and-bust business of mining, sometimes in politically unstable countries with weak environmental protections. If they bet incorrectly, automakers could end up paying far more for lithium than it might sell for in a few years.
Auto executives said they had no choice because there weren’t sufficient reliable supplies of lithium and other battery materials, like nickel and cobalt, for the millions of electric vehicles the world needs.
In the past, automakers let battery suppliers buy lithium and other raw material on their own. But lithium shortages have forced carmakers, which have deeper pockets, to directly acquire the essential metal and have it sent to battery factories, some owned by suppliers and others owned partly or fully by the automakers. Batteries rely on lightweight lithium ions to conduct energy.
“We quickly realized there wasn’t an established value chain that would support our ambitions for the next 10 years,” said Sham Kunjur, who oversees General Motors’ program to secure battery materials.
The automaker last year struck a supply deal with Livent, a lithium company in Philadelphia, for material from South American mines. And in January, G.M. agreed to invest $650 million in Lithium Americas, a company based in Vancouver, British Columbia, to develop the Thacker Pass mine in Nevada. The company beat out 50 bidders, including battery and component makers, for that stake, said Mr. Kunjur and Lithium Americas executives.
Ford Motor has made lithium deals with SQM, a Chilean supplier; Albemarle, based in Charlotte, N.C.; and Nemaska Lithium of Quebec.
“These are some of the largest lithium producers in the world with the best quality,” Lisa Drake, vice president for electric vehicle industrialization at Ford, told investors in May.
The deals that automakers are striking with mining companies and raw material processors hark back to the beginnings of the industry, when Ford set up rubber plantations in Brazil to secure material for tires.
“It almost seems like 100 years later, with this new revolution, we are back to that stage,” Mr. Kunjur said.
Establishing a supply chain for lithium will be expensive: $51 billion, according to Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, a consulting firm. To benefit from U.S. subsidies, battery raw materials must be mined and processed in North America or by trade allies.
But intense competition for the metal has helped inflate lithium prices to unsustainable levels, some executives said.
“Since the start of ’22 the price of lithium has gone up so quickly and there was so much hype in the system, there were a lot of really bad deals that one could do,” said R.J. Scaringe, chief executive of Rivian, an electric vehicle company in Irvine, Calif.
Dozens of companies are developing mines, and there may eventually be more than enough lithium to meet everybody’s needs. Global production could surge sooner than expected, leading to a collapse in the price of lithium, something that has happened in the recent past. That would leave automakers paying a lot more for the metal than it was worth.
Auto executives are taking no chances, fearing that if they go even a few years without sufficient lithium their companies will never catch up.
Their fears have merit. In places where electric vehicle sales have grown the fastest, established automakers have lost a lot of ground. In China, where almost one-third of new cars are electric, Volkswagen, G.M. and Ford have lost market share to domestic producers like BYD, which manufacturers its own batteries. And Tesla, which has built a supply chain for lithium and other raw materials over years, has steadily gained market share in China, Europe and the United States. It is now the second-largest seller of all new cars in California after Toyota.
Chinese companies often have an edge over U.S. and European car companies because they are state owned or state supported, and, as a result, can take more risks in mining, which often encounters local opposition, nationalization by populist governments or technical difficulties.
In June, the Chinese battery maker CATL completed an agreement with Bolivia to invest $1.4 billion in two lithium projects. Few Western companies have shown sustained interest in the country, known for its political instability.
With a few exceptions, Western carmakers have avoided buying stakes in lithium mines. Instead, they are negotiating agreements in which they promise to buy a certain amount of lithium within a price range.
Often the deals give carmakers preferential access, crowding out rivals. Tesla has a deal with Piedmont Lithium, which is near Charlotte, that ensures the carmaker a large portion of the output from a mine in Quebec.
Lithium is abundant but not always easy to extract.
Many countries with big reserves, like Bolivia, Chile and Argentina, have nationalized natural resources or have stringent currency exchange controls that can limit the ability of foreign investors to withdraw money from the country. Even in Canada and the United States, it can take years to establish mines.
“Lithium is going to be tough to get and to fully electrify here in the U.S.,” said Eric Norris, president of the Lithium global business unit at Albemarle, the leading American lithium miner.
As a result, auto executives and consultants are fanning out to mines around the world, most of which have not begun producing.
“There’s a bit of desperation,,” said Amanda Hall, chief executive of Summit Nanotech, a Canadian start-up working on technology to hasten extraction of lithium from saline groundwater. Auto executives, she said, are “trying to get ahead of the problem.”
Yet, in their hurry, car companies are making deals with small mines that may not live up to expectations. “There are a lot of examples of problems that come up,” said Shay Natarajan, a partner at Mobility Impact Partners, a private equity fund focused on investing in sustainable transportation. Lithium prices could eventually collapse from overproduction, she said.
The miners appear to be the big winners. Their deals with the car companies typically assure them fat profits and make it easier for them to borrow money or sell shares.
Rio Tinto, one of the world’s largest mining companies, recently reached a preliminary agreement to supply lithium to Ford from a mine it was developing in Argentina.
Ford was one of several car companies that expressed interest, said Marnie Finlayson, managing director of Rio Tinto’s battery minerals business. Rio Tinto takes car company representatives through a checklist, she said, that covers mining methods, relations with local communities and environmental impact “to get everyone comfortable.”
“Because if we can’t do that, then the supply is not going to be unlocked, and we’re not going to solve this global challenge together,” Ms. Finlayson said, referring to climate change.
Until a few years ago, the price of lithium was so low mining it was hardly profitable. But now with the growing popularity of electric vehicles, there are dozens of proposed mines. Most are in early development stages and will take years to begin production.
Until 2021, “there was either no capital or very short-term capital,” said Ana Cabral-Gardner, co-chief executive of Sigma Lithium, a Vancouver-based company that is producing lithium in Brazil. “No one was looking at a five-year horizon and a 10-year horizon.”
Auto companies are playing an important role in helping mines get up and running, said Dirk Harbecke, chief executive of Rock Tech Lithium, which is developing a mine in Ontario and a processing plant in eastern Germany that will supply Mercedes-Benz.
“I do not think that this is a risky strategy,” Mr. Harbecke said. “I think it’s a necessary strategy.”


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Seasonal Demand on Asia Airfreight
The current demand for airfreight shipments from a number of key locations across Asia, including Hong Kong and mainland China, has resulted in a shortage of space, and in some cases a sharp increase in freight costs over recent weeks.
An increase in demand leading up to the festive season is not unusual throughout Asia, but managing this year ‘s capacity squeeze is proving more challenging. The industry has not seen a disparity between demand and available space on these levels since the economic downturn of 2008.
A strong US economy drawing capacity; manufacturing delays, difficultly in charter operators gaining flight permits in China; security restrictions; new electronic product launches and the growth in e-commerce, have all contributed to ongoing high demand for Asia origin airfreight during 2017.
Some reports are suggesting that rates during the past 4 peak season weeks have risen by up to 33% from some origin points, and are up as much as 60% on this time last year.
Leighton Bonnett – Uniserve Group Airfreight Operations Director – commented “We are currently managing the space situation successfully for our customers through our existing contracts and carrier relationships, or where necessary looking at alternative routings”.
“However we do urge customers to advise their local Uniserve representative of any urgent requirements at the earliest possible opportunity considering these difficult market conditions”.
Leighton & Uniserve Group’s airfreight team are the current BIFA airfreight award winners, receiving the accolade for a record breaking fifth time in January this year.
If you would like to find out more about our award winning airfreight services then please call 01708 259400 or email email@example.com.
The number one choice for retail logistics and supply chain solutions.
Award Winning Airfreight
Our record breaking (five times) BIFA Airfreight Award winning team eagerly await your enquiries.
Road – No issues reported at present. Port – Limited VBS’s. Vessel – MSC Sveva (Inbound), MSC Bari (Inbound). Weather – No issues reported at present. Road – No issues reported at present. Port – Limited VBS’s, slow turn around’s. Vessel – JSP Rider...
Road – No issues reported at present. Port – Limited VBS’s. Vessel – Cosco Indonesia (Arrived), MSC Katyayni (Inbound). Weather – No issues reported at present. Road – No issues reported at present. Port – STN Vessel delays, Limited VBS’s. Vessel – HMM Helsinki...
Road – No issues reported at present. Port – Major delays due to the port not releasing VBS’S. Vessel – Seaspan Dalian (Arrived), Moscow Maersk (Inbound), Wybelsum (Inbound), Vuoksi Maersk (Inbound), OOCL Indonesia (Inbound). Weather – Weather affected period...


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Both developers and consultants say the latter are able to offer specialised services in the marketing processes that lie outside the core skills of a property developer
Mumbai: Residential real estate developers across the country are increasingly depending on consultancy firms for sales and marketing functions, even as they begin to downsize their own teams. Both developers and consultants say the latter are able to offer specialised services in the marketing processes that lie outside the core skills of a property developer. This means that prospective home buyers will soon find themselves dealing with large consultancy firms in tier-1 cities and will no longer have extended direct dealings with the property developer.
Last week, Mumbai-based Poddar Housing and Development signed a portfolio deal with Xanadu Realty to sell the former’s affordable home units in Kalyan, Badlapur, and Atgaon. The firm already has similar sales and marketing contracts with developers like Hiranandani, Runwal, Raunak, Ruparel and Ekta World.
“Sales and marketing is a specialised job and developers have realised this. Post the pandemic, there is a refocus on sticking to core competences. Additionally, an entire ecosystem has to be created and made available starting from the brand promise to post possession management," Rohit Poddar, Managing Director, Poddar Housing and Development Ltd, told Mint. “The scale of operations of developers have to be of a certain size to have the cashflows and budgets to be available to attract and retain great talent which is not easy, specially post pandemic. A few credible revenue generation service providers have realised that this gap exists and have created good marketing and sales organisations."
The pandemic has increased the shift towards buying an integrated sales and marketing strategy from real estate agencies, and helps developers, who have been downsizing their sales teams, sharpen margins. An industry insider said that most grade A developers have a core marketing and sales team and a separate team dedicated to individual projects. It’s the latter’s roles that are now being outsourced.
“Retaining specialist real estate consultancies is certainly not a new trend. A firm like Anarock offers several advantages to developers when we undertake a project mandate which their in-house sales teams cannot emulate," Santhosh Kumar, Vice Chairman – Anarock Property Consultants, told Mint. “We use the latest proprietary technology (proptech) and provide a seamless sales experience to developers. However, it is true that the demand for our services has increased manifold after the realities of the pandemic became manifest in all earnest. Developers who were not able to on-board the latest technologies so far find themselves at a disadvantage in the current, highly tech-driven market environment. We fill this gap and also eliminate excessive reliance on in-house sales personnel as we have the best real estate sales specialists in our teams."
Certainly, since the beginning of the pandemic, there was an increase in applications from salespeople who were previously on the rolls of developers, Kumar added. “We have our sights trained on tech-savvy people for whom adoption of proptech interventions is less challenging. These may or may not come from previous developer firms, depending on whether or not a developer had stayed aligned with the latest real estate marketing technologies."
Agencies now underwrite whole projects, where they pay an upfront token amount (a fraction of total project sales) to take over the residential project. This system offers a price arbitrage available to the agency, which then uses this to make inroads among buyers. Experts say this was a popular practice in Delhi-NCR and is now expanding to other major markets where real estate agencies have a significant presence.
“The move towards outsourcing has been prevalent in more mature markets, such as the UK, for a while. So this trend coming to India is a sign of maturity here," Shveta Jain, managing director - residential services, Savills India, told Mint.
"In the past, one did not see Grade A developers opting to outsource to agencies; they preferred to invest in their own teams. But of late, we are seeing some changes here. This also happens sometimes with boutique developers or first-time developers who do not have the expertise to conduct sales," Jain said.
“At Savills, we are running two mandates in Bandra (Mumbai), where we are offering end-to-end services, starting from conceptualising the product, market analysis, product pricing, followed by marketing and sales," Jain said. "This way, we are better able to strategise product positioning and price homes in a better fashion."
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Apparently Spyker is very determined to make up the money they spend on buying Saab. And they’re still investing in the company in hope to arrive at great results. So when they needed some engines for the new models, they chose one of the best names in business, BMW. Based on their agreement, the Bavarian company will supply new 1.6 liter 4-cylinder turbo engines with latest fuel savings technologies for Saab’s new model series. They have not disclosed any financial or contract volume details.
“We are continuing to expand our powertrain system sales business worldwide as planned as part of our Strategy Number ONE. Today’s agreement marks another important milestone along this route,” explained Robertson. “We are delighted to support Saab with our engine expertise. Our engines have a clear lead over the competition when it comes to fuel consumption, emissions and performance,” Robertson added.
“It gives me great pleasure to confirm this exciting new relationship. BMW Group’s engines and their fuel savings innovations are widely regarded as a benchmark in the premium segment. We look forward to integrating this technology into our next-generation vehicles in a true Saab way,” noted Jonsson.
The engine, which will feature Start-Stop and other measures designed to reduce emissions and fuel consumption, will be assembled at the BMW Group’s Hams Hall engine plant in the UK.


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The simmering hostility between I.B.M. and its onetime partner, the Microsoft Corporation, burst into the open last week, after I.B.M. disclosed that Microsoft had put pressure on the organizers of an industry trade show to remove one of I.B.M.'s top software executives from the program.
Leland R. Reiswig Jr., head of the International Business Machines Corporation's personal software products division and an outspoken critic of Microsoft's Windows software, was scheduled to deliver the closing keynote speech at the Windows Solutions trade show in San Francisco on September 1.
But when an executive at Microsoft, which licenses the Windows name to the event and has veto power over who speaks, learned that Mr. Reiswig would be appearing, the executive ordered the organizers to rescind the invitation.
Cameron Myhrvold, director of developer marketing at Microsoft, acknowledged that in late July he had asked the show's organizer, the Softbank Exposition and Conference Company, to cancel Mr. Reiswig's appearance. But he said that he changed his mind a few days later and agreed to let Mr. Reiswig participate.
"It was an overreaction on my part," he said in an interview.
The two companies disagree about what happened next. I.B.M. said that Softbank asked Mr. Reiswig to return, but not in his original role as a keynote speaker. Microsoft and Softbank said that Mr. Reiswig was offered the same slot as before.
In any case, earlier this month I.B.M. decided not to participate in the show, withdrawing not only Mr. Reiswig but its exhibition booth, which was to have been one of the largest at the four-day event. Word of Microsoft's action leaked out last week, after a memo was issued to some I.B.M. employees explaining the company's decision to withdraw.
"Microsoft decides what they want users to have, they set the proprietary, closed 'standards' they want developers to adhere to, and now they choose what speakers Windows users get to hear," wrote Dan J. Lautenbach, vice president of worldwide marketing for the personal software products division, in the memo.
Microsoft and Softbank said last week that they would still like I.B.M. to participate in the show. But I.B.M. said Friday that there was now too little time for Mr. Reiswig to prepare the multimedia presentation he had planned.
The row flared up less than a week before Microsoft is scheduled to roll out its long-awaited Windows 95 software. It is also the latest episode in what has developed into an acrimonious relationship between the two companies.
In 1980, I.B.M. chose Microsoft, then a fledgling company, to provide the operating system software for its new personal computer.
But the two companies fell out in the late 1980's, when Microsoft abandoned joint development of a new operating system called OS/2 in favor of Windows, which can now be found on most personal computers.
Mr. Reiswig is head of the I.B.M. division that develops and sells OS/2, which despite recent sales increases, has only a fraction of the number of users that Windows does. I.B.M. is trying to get more independent software developers like the ones expected to attend the Windows Solutions show to write programs for use with OS/2, and he is not shy about denigrating Windows.
Mr. Myhrvold said that he regretted his initial reaction to the news of Mr. Reiswig's participation and pointed out that Lawrence Ellison, the chairman of the Oracle Corporation, another big Microsoft rival, would be delivering a keynote address at the show.


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The computer industry's most famous garage tinkerer said he believes the time is right to develop a new class of consumer electronics to take advantage of advances in satellite tracking, wireless networks and more powerful computer chips.
``Recent advances in global positioning software (GPS) systems and antenna technology coupled with the declining cost of processing power and two-way networking make the possibilities for new devices and services really exciting,'' Wozniak said in a statement.
Apple co-founder launches new company
January 23 - 09:03 ET: Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak TODAY announced the launch of Wheels of Zeus [currently pointing to woz.org] , a new company that will design wireless consumer electronics "to help everyday people track everyday things." The products will have "universal appeal among consumers and corporations alike," Wozniak said in a statement. Wheels of Zeus has secured US$6 million in first-round financing.
So is the Woz still on Danger's board?
I really like the idea of what Danger is doing, and like to rub it in the face of every "I want a PDA" screaming zealot. I haven't heard if the Danger hiptop has been adopted by any of the wireless companies yet, but unlike a PDA, I will probably buy a hiptop to replace my current cellphone.


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On December 9, 2009, Wal-Mart disclosed that it had settled a long-running wage and hour dispute in Massachusetts for $40 million. According to the Boston Globe, this was the largest wage and hour settlement in the state of Massachusetts. Interestingly, it was just a year ago at the end of 2008 that Wal-Mart reported that it had paid $640 million to settle similar wage and hour violations in 63 federal and state lawsuits.
- For SEC and investor purposes, what documents does Wal-Mart release that presents information about the violations?
- What are some of the possible wage and hour violations that a company could commit?
- How do you think that settlements are recorded in the company’s accounting records?
- The article also mentions disclosure of a Philadelphia lawsuit, where a judge ordered Wal-Mart to pay $188 million for a wage and hour violation. Since the case is currently under appeal, should the company accrue the litigation judgment? Explain your answer.
Leder, Michelle. (2009). Wal-Mart Settles Wage and Hour Claims for $40 Million. Footnoted.org (Retrievable online at http://www.footnoted.org/buried-treasure/wal-mart-settles-wage-and-hour-claims-for-40-million/)


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Another sign of tech slowdown? Samsung warns weak chip demand will keep profits subdued
Samsung Electronics has issued a shock profit warning, and told investors to expect a fall in revenues, as well as subdued profits for the three months ending December 31st 2018.
The South Korean electronics giant blamed weak demand for memory chips, coupled with intensifying competition in the smartphone business.
The news from Samsung after Apple shocked investors last week when it warned of a “magnitude of the economic deceleration, particularly in Greater China,” that forced it to lower its revenue forecast for its fiscal first quarter (ending 29 December) to $84bn (£67bn).
And the fact that Samsung has now added to this, will add to investor concerns of a tech slowdown, in the midst of a growing trading war between the United States and China.
Samsung said that it expected operating profit to drop 29 percent to about 10.8 trillion won (roughly $9.6 billion). It also expects revenues to fall 11 percent to 59 trillion won (approximately $52.5 billion).
The news shocked investors, who had been expecting operating profit of 13.2 trillion won, as well as revenues of 62.8 trillion, according to Reuters.
So where did it go wrong for Samsung?
Well, it reported cited difficult conditions in memory chips, but the firm did say that the market was likely to improve in the second half of the year as customers release new smartphones.
Samsung, it should be remembered, supplies memory chips to most of the leading smartphone markets, including Apple and China’s Huawei Technologies.
Indeed, Samsung’s memory and processor chips account for over three-quarters of overall profit and about 38 percent of Samsung’s total sales.
Samsung also cited weaker-than-expected demand from data centre customers, which impacted inventories drove down chip prices and hurt earnings.
And a slowing Chinese economy has also reportedly eroding demand for chips, with matters not helped by the fact that firms such as Apple are struggling to sell their iPhones in China.
Looking ahead to the current quarter, Samsung warned that earnings would remain “subdued” because of ongoing slow memory demand, but things are expected to pick up in the second half of the year.
On the positive side, Samsung hopes that 5G and foldable devices will improve its mobile division’s performance, and it also believes that its OLED panels for smartphones will continue to increase market penetration.
But there is little doubt that both Samsung and Apple have been hurt by slowing demand for smartphones.
Apple is mostly blaming a tough market in China, but Samsung is also facing intense competition in that market as well from the likes of Huawei and Xiaomi.
The arrest in early December 2018 of Huawei’s chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou in Canada at the US’ request, as well as President Donald Trump’s aggressive posturing on trade, is also said to have driven a spike in Huawei sales in China as Chinese consumers reacted to the US move.


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London - With the increasing demand for athleisure and active wear, it should comes as little surprise that Nike has retained its title as the world's 'most valuable' apparel brand once more. In fact the sporting goods giant has managed to increased its brand value by 13 percent this year, hitting 32 billion dollars (26.1 billion pounds) according to the latest data from strategy consultancy Brand Finance.
Swedish fast-fashion retailer H&M also managed to hold onto its spot in second place with a brand value of 19 billion dollars (15.5 billion pounds) for 2017, an increase of 24 percent compared to 2016. Thanks in part to its international campaigns and store expansion, which saw the retailer open 442 stores in 2016, H&M has ensure its global presence keeps on growing.
However H&M may have to keep an eye out for Spanish fast-fashion competitor Zara, which saw its brand value grow 43 percent to 14.4 billion dollars (11.7 billion dollars) this year and therefore surpassing Louis Vuitton to claim the third spot in Brand Finance annual ranking. Scroll down to see FashionUnited's charts comparing the top 10 most valuable fashion brands 2016 and 2017 worth and the top 50 ranking.
Top 10 2017 with brand value 2017 and 2016 in comparison
Top 50 most valuable apparel brands for 2017


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An M2 iPad Pro with MagSafe support could be only a few months away
Apple has been actively releasing new and upgraded products for the past few months. These include the iPhone SE 3 (2022), M1 Ultra-powered Mac Studio, and the Studio Display. However, the company could be planning for even more reveals this year. A previous report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman states that Apple could be working on the wildest array of new hardware products in its history for this Fall. We already expect the company to introduce the usual high-end iPhone (14) lineup, the Apple Watch (Series 8), and an upgraded entry-level iPad (10). The Cupertino tech giant could also be unveiling a redesigned MacBook Air with a slightly larger display. The latest report now hints at the possibility of us seeing an M2 iPad Pro with MagSafe support this Fall.
Bloomerg’s Mark Gurman stated these new details in his latest Power On newsletter. Gurman believes that Apple will be releasing an M2 iPad Pro that supports the MagSafe technology sometime between September and November. Considering the iPad Air 5 (2022) now includes the M1 chip, it would make sense for Apple to boost the iPad Pro to further distinguish between the two. Apple revealed the M1 iPad Pro back in April 2021, and — on average — it takes 13 to 16 months to upgrade its Pro iPad lineup. So a Fall release for the potential M2 iPad Pro is realistic.
We expect the Apple M2 chip to retain the 8-core CPU present on the current M1 chip, while offering improved GPU options. It will likely include higher speed and better efficiency — due to TSMC’s 4-nanometer process. It’s unclear what kind of MagSafe accessories the company could release for the iPad. However, we do hope that the rumors turn out to be accurate and Apple introduces some innovative uses for the MagSafe.
Do you plan on buying the rumored M2 iPad Pro? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments section below.


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SC Media reported yesterday that hundreds of hotels suffered data breaches after hackers exploited a flaw in the popular travel website, FastBooking.com. Impacts included the theft of more than 124,000 customer records from Prince Hotels and many other similar serious breaches. We asked several leading cybersecurity experts for their views on what made the attack possible and what could be done to avoid such catastrophic incidents in the future.
According to Sam Elliott, director of security product management at Bomgar, the FastBooking breach represented yet another event caused by unpatched systems, where an attacker was able to exploit a vulnerable web application. “This is a reminder of the importance of keeping up with security patches as they are released. Given the high profile of the Equifax breach, it is disheartening to see yet another theft of personal information due to a fixable issue.” Read more.


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In a deal that will change the way U.S. buyers of nutritional products do business with China, ingredientsonline.com, the industry’s first ecommerce platform, has signed a partnership agreement with Yangzhou Rixing Biotech to sell glucosamine online directly to American customers.
Ingredientsonline.com, an exclusive service of GWI (Green Wave Ingredients), plans to add more Chinese factory partners and products as it expands its buy-direct ecommerce platform.
“This is a game changer for the nutritional raw materials industry and the winners are U.S. customers and the American consumer,” said GWI President Sherry Wang, “Online factory-direct purchasing from suppliers means lower prices, higher quality and faster delivery.”
“It also is leveling the playing field for small and medium-sized U.S. nutritional supplement companies who today are at a competitive disadvantage,” Wang added. “We are changing the way companies do business with China.”
“We are excited to be the first to partner with ingredientsonline.com to create a new ecommerce business in our most important market—the U.S.,” said Jerry Zhang, CEO of Yangzhou Rixing Biotech Co. Ltd., a leading Chinese pharmaceutical ingredients manufacturer and one of the world’s largest makers of glucosamine. “We see this becoming the major channel for selling to American consumers. I encourage our existing customers to purchase our products through ingredientsonline.com.”
Glucosamine is one of the most common non-vitamin, non-mineral, dietary supplements and is used by adults worldwide for joint pain and arthritis.
Customers using the ingredientsonline.com platform will be able with a key stroke to buy high-quality glucosamine directly from Yangzhou Rixing Biotech, rather than through a distributor. They will get the factory price, comprehensive quality control, a transparent transaction, prompt shipment from ingredientsonline.com’s California and New Jersey warehouses, and excellent customer service. The service will be operational July 20th, 2015.
Factory-direct online purchasing is the latest step in the development of the ingredientsonline.com platform, which eliminates inefficient and expensive manual ordering.
To read more about ingredientsonline.com (GWI) and Yangzhou Rixing, check out the full article on newhope360.com.


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Windows Server on ARM processors is starting to seem like it's more than just a pipe dream, at least when it comes to Microsoft's datacenters and partner efforts.
Microsoft on Wednesday announced some chip-maker progress in using Project Olympus designs for datacenters.
How does Microsoft's latest Windows 10 accessory perform when not paired with the Surface Studio?
The market for Microsoft's mobile platform continues to diminish, but HP is giving it another stab with the HP Elite x3 targeted for enterprise use.
- By Paul Ferrill
From the growth of home AI to Microsoft's stepped up approach to battling ransomware, here's where technology and IT might be headed in the next 12 months.
While it definitely feels like a product still in development, the experience left me impressed and hopeful for the technology's future.
The ARM-based chip is being targeted at large players, like Amazon and Google, that are looking to lower the cost of building massive datacenters.
- By John K. Waters
Microsoft announced a partnership with Qualcomm this week at its WinHEC event in Shenzhen, China.
More than ever, Microsoft is in a position with its hybrid PC to challenge Apple in the space of innovation.
Microsoft this week quietly issued yet another firmware fix for Surface Pro 3 devices experiencing battery-charge reporting problems that have led to degraded performance over time.
Microsoft is starting to document how its long-term servicing branch concept for Windows 10 can affect organizations.
Microsoft is planning to speed up datacenter hardware contributions to the Open Compute Project (OCP) with a new "Project Olympus" effort.
Microsoft's PC/tablet hybrid has a serious battery issue -- an issue Microsoft refuses to properly acknowledge.
Microsoft is issuing a software patch for Surface Pro 3 devices with battery drain issues.
There were no actual software keys involved when anonymous researchers claimed that Microsoft had leaked so-called "golden keys" to the Windows secure boot protection scheme, according to an industry veteran.
Brand loyalty will give away in favor of ubiquitous devices from multiple makers that perform similarly.
Microsoft's truncated support policy for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users of Intel "Skylake" processors has been rolled back.
Microsoft's augmented reality hardware HoloLens is moving out of the invite-only stage and giving more of the public an opportunity to develop and test the platform.
- By Scott Bekker
Refresh Windows looks to battle the amount of unwanted software that is included with new PCs.
Microsoft has entered the testing stage of its new Big Data and Internet of Things (IoT) cert and training programs.


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By Nassim Khadem, BRW
Sean Garlick is targeting $12 million in revenue next year from his business, Garlo’s Pies.
Former football stars rarely launch their own business after they retire, but that’s just what Sean Garlick did.
During the 1990s, he was a high-profile rugby league player, serving as captain of the Rabbitohs and the Roosters. He left and started a pie business in 2001.
Garlo’s Pies, which makes 12,000 pies a day – including kosher and halal-certified varieties – and turns over $8 million in annual revenue, was launched as a small pie shop in Maroubra, Sydney.
It gained recognition in 2002 when the former athlete promoted his product to Australians via a pie-eating contest broadcast live on The Footy Show.
Sean and his brother Nathan initially made a few hundred pies a day. Now, father Terry, wife Samantha, and son Jackson are also part of the business.
The pies are no longer made at the back of the store, but at a new factory in Sydney’s inner west. They employ 40 staff and produce thousands of pies for supermarkets, petrol stations, hotels, cafes, sports clubs, schools and pubs across the country. Garlick says he recently started selling his pies to the Royal Australian Navy.
He says when Coles approached him in 2009 wanting to sell his pies, he was initially hesitant. But he negotiated to keep the product at his preferred price point and by 2010 Garlo’s Pies was available in Coles supermarkets across NSW.
Two years later IGA Supermarkets, and Woolworths in Sydney also stocked the product. There are now 16 varieties available at over 1000 supermarkets. Without any pork meat, Garlo’s Pies offers both kosher and halal-certified products for specific markets where there’s demand.
Garlick says he’s targeting $12 million in revenue next year. He’s wants to create an international presence in the United States, Europe, Japan, South Korea, south-east Asia and the United Arab Emirates, where he says there’s opportunity to cash-in on pies with an Aussie flavour.
Garlo’s Pies recently got Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS) approval to allow their locally made product to be sent abroad.
His first goal is to conquer California. He plans to open 13 stores and sell 1000 pies a day by next year, initially teaming up with a US franchise. He won’t name which one, but says, “It is headed up by an Aussie guy that’s been there for 20 years.
“We are hoping to replicate over there, what we started here [in Australia] – that’s having retail stores where we bake at the back and sell at the front”
The “US is one of hardest countries to export to” so if Garlo’s Pies can make it there, Garlick says they will then move to other countries.
“Japan, South Korea and south-east Asia are reasonably easy to export to,” he says.
“In UAE we are looking at a food service model where we . . . distribute to hotels. There’s also European supermarkets in Dubai and Abu Dhabi that we may be able to stock. We’re halal-certified and have been for past five years.”
That also makes the product perfect for Middle-Eastern airlines, including Etihad and Emirates. “We’re currently in discussions with them,” he says.


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Source: Vientiane Times
The rate of inflation recorded in Laos in the first quarter of 2023 averaged 40.85 percent, one of the highest rates in the region, according to the Lao Statistics Bureau.
Though the year-on-year inflation rate declined slightly from 41.3 percent in February to 41 percent in March, overall inflation remained very high. The high cost of goods and services in Laos is driven by external and internal factors.
The conflict in Ukraine has interrupted supply chains, while the hike in interest rates made by the United States’ Federal Reserve led to the dollar becoming stronger against Asian currencies, including the kip.
The depreciation of the kip against the US dollar and Thai baht is among key factors driving inflation in Laos. The weak kip makes it challenging for the government to curb the rising cost of goods and services, especially as a third of goods used to calculate price rises is imported.
The Head of the Bank of the Lao PDR’s Monetary Policy Department, Mr. Soulisack Thammavong, said the central bank will continue to tighten monetary policy and regulate the exchange rate as a way to combat inflation.
In February, the central bank raised its reserve requirement level and the base interest rate as part of efforts to tighten monetary policy.
Under the new policy, the kip reserve requirement has increased to 5.5 percent, while the reserve requirement for foreign currencies rose to 8 percent. With regard to the policy rate change, the central bank increased the base interest rate for loans issued in kip and having a term of less than seven days to 7.5 percent a year.
The government pledged to manage the prices of products in local markets to minimise the impact on the poor. In Laos, almost all machinery, animal feed, fertilisers, fish fingerlings and numerous agricultural inputs are imported.
For instance, the cost of fertilisers and diesel needed for wet season rice production accounts for 15.31 percent and 7.98 percent respectively of the total production cost. The price of fish feed and fingerlings accounts for 84.8 percent of the total production cost of farmed fish.
In addition, the price of animal feed and piglets accounts for 82.6 percent of the total production cost of pork. When the price of consumer goods rises for the key trading partners of Laos, particularly Thailand, it directly affects the cost of goods and services in the country.
The high inflation rate in March was mainly driven by food prices. For instance, the price of Grade A rice rose from 14,384 kip per kg in February to 14,637 kip per kg in March. The price of pork rose from 74,458 kip/kg in February to 76,349 kip/kg, and the cost of Grade A beef went up from 96,579 kip/kg to 105,725 kip/kg.


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"Nobody thought this was funny or clever," CNBC senior editor Dawn Kopecki tweets Wednesday afternoon about a Volkswagen of America marketing prank that stank.
"We didn't mean to mislead anyone," a company spokesman said a day after it promoted electric models by pretending the U.S. division's new name is Voltswagen. A statement added: "Our intent was to bring light to [an electric SUV] in a fun and interesting way as an April Fool's Day effort. ... We are sorry about any confusion this has caused."
VW even takes a victory lap, boasting that it "got the whole world buzzing:"
What began as an April Fool’s effort got the whole world buzzing. Turns out people are as passionate about our heritage as they are about our electric future. So whether it’s Voltswagen or Volkswagen, people talking about electric driving and our ID.4 can only be a good thing. pic.twitter.com/Rzx8mJgxkT— Volkswagen (@VW) March 31, 2021
Whatever the intent, the reality is that acting communications director and Mark Gillies and other representatives lied when asked if an online release was serious or an April Fool's week stunt.
While insiders see a marketing success, business journalists see self-inflicted damage to reputation, credibility and media relations. "This situation will likely be a case study of ... trust undermined by a gimmick," tweets Phoebe Wall Howard, a Detroit Free Press autos beat writer.
At Automotive News, Nick Bunkley posts a subscribers-only column under the headline "VW lied to sell diesels; now it lied to sell EVs."
"They lied when repeatedly questioned whether it was a joke," the Detroit journalist tweets. "They sacrificed other people's credibility for their own benefit. ... Even my kids are starting to understand that little lies affect their ability to be believed when questioned about more consequential things."
Lora Kolodny, a San Francisco-based tech reporter for CNBC, also is puzzled by the unforced error. "If you lie to reporters 'on background' because you are trying to pull a prank, the only thing you achieve is proving that you are not trustworthy once and for all, and that everything you say to a reporter should be assumed untrue."
From New York, Associated Press media writer David Bauer begins his dispatch on "an unwelcome prank" this way Wednesday:
Journalists are used to being wary about odd pranksters pulling April Fool’s Day hoaxes at this time of year. Few expect it from a multi-billion dollar corporation.
Under a headline that says "Volkswagen purposely hoodwinks reporters," Bauer quotes an AP spokeswoman:
"This and any deliberate release of false information hurts accurate journalism and the public good." ...
The AP wrote a story about it Monday after its reporter was assured by Mark Gillies, a company spokesman in the United States, that it was serious, [spokeswoman Lauren] Easton said.
It was a similar story at USA Today, where a reporter specifically asked if it was a joke and was told "no," said the newspaper's spokeswoman, Chrissy Terrell.
"The company used this fake announcement as a way to manipulate respected reporters from trusted news outlets to get attention for their marketing campaign," she said. "We are disheartened that the company would choose this type of disingenuous marketing."
Back in Detroit, CNBC's Michael Wayland -- first to report the supposed name change -- says Wednesday on Twitter: "I'm OK with companies doing April Fools' Day releases. They can be funny. It was the deception and lying to reporters that was the problem."
For its part, VW says in its damage-control statement that "many positive responses on social media showed that the campaign resonated with consumers."
Perhaps. But reporters' trust is a terrible thing to waste for a day or two of buzz. As Karl Henkel of Ford's communications staff puts it on Twitter: "VW employees . . . set their credibility ablaze for a story few will remember in a week."


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Analyst: No Fingerprint Sensors or Gold Colors for New iPads
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo released his latest Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) event predictions and his December quarter shipping estimates in a recent note to investors obtained by 9to5Mac. Like many analysts, Kuo believes that Apple will unveil the fifth-generation iPad, the second-generation iPad mini with Retina display, and a refreshed MacBook Pro at its media event on Tuesday.
However, the well-connected analyst included several new product details in his latest note, as well as the rationale behind his forecasts. For example, Kuo believes that the iPad 5 will feature an 8-megapixel camera with a larger aperture because Apple needed to keep its tablet competitive with Amazon’s (NASDAQ:AMZN) similarly-equipped 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HDX, which is reportedly shipping in November. He also predicted that the iPad 5 will include a 64-bit A7X processor.
Similarly, the iPad mini 2’s Retina display will keep Apple’s small tablet device on par with products such as Google’s (NASDAQ:GOOG) high-definition Nexus 7 II. The new iPad mini will also get a computing power boost from the same A7 chip that is found in the iPhone 5S. However, despite the rumors, Kuo doesn’t believe that either of Apple’s new iPads will include a Touch ID fingerprint sensor or be available in a gold color-option.
Kuo pointed out that fingerprint sensor and gold casing production capacity has likely already been allocated to the iPhone 5S. Many analysts have attributed Apple’s initial shortage of iPhone 5S units to production constraints caused by yield issues with the new fingerprint sensor. However, other leaks have suggested that Apple’s iPads will be available in both “space-gray” and silver.
Kuo also predicted that Apple will unveil a new MacBook Pro that will be upgraded with Intel’s (NASDAQ:INTC) next-generation Haswell processor. The MacBook Pro camera may also be boosted from HD to full HD.
Finally, Kuo forecasted that Apple will ship around 10.56 million iPad 5 units, 2.26 million iPad mini 2 units, and 2.33 million upgraded MacBook Pros in the December quarter. Apple’s media event is scheduled to be held in San Francisco on Tuesday, October 22.
Here’s how Apple closed out the trading week on Friday.
Follow Nathanael on Twitter (@ArnoldEtan_WSCS)


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New research has revealed that recall of interactive adverts delivered via hybrid TV increased by 300% over conventional ads.
The research, commissioned by satellite operator SES Astra in the UK, examined how British consumers are likely to respond to adverts that allow the viewer to interact with them. It found that these ads had a recall rate of 73% compared with 18% for standard ads. The findings also revealed that only 35% of people find TV ads entertaining or personally relevant and that 70% stop watching TV because of adverts, and instead choose to leave the room, channel surf, chat to others or turn the TV off.
When asked about hybrid TV services, 77% of respondents said they would like to see hybrid features implemented on TV and
43% believe that TVs will merge with the internet.


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AfterPay Insights’ monthly forecasts are back with this August outlook for e-commerce in the Netherlands, Germany and Norway. Do Dutch, German and Norwegian consumers intend to increase or decrease their online shopping in August? And which categories can we expect to grow or decline?
Our results show that consumers in all three countries intend to buy overall at a similar level in August as they did in July. At the same time, consumers intend to decrease online purchases, shifting some of their purchases from online channels to brick-and-mortar stores. We see the same pattern develop as in 2020: online purchases bottom out in August. A clear seasonal effect, which is confirmed by its reoccurrence in 2021.
When we look at shopping frequency and its effect on consumers’ shopping intentions, we see that infrequent and Light Online Shoppers (0-2 online purchases per month) intend to decrease online purchases in August, while Medium and Heavy Online Shoppers (4+ online purchases per month) intend to increase online purchases. Even though Heavy Online Shoppers stand for a disproportionally high share of online purchases, the relatively small size of this segment does not give it enough weight to compensate Light Online Shoppers’ decreased purchase intentions. Looking at the full market – and trusting that consumers will act on their intentions – this again confirms that online purchases in August will likely decrease.
Looking at consumers’ choice of product mix in August, we see Fashion – as always – as the locomotive of increased online shopping. But we also see consumers’ August projections for buying Travel/Transport increase significantly. Compared to one month ago, Travel/Transport is the category that shows the biggest increase in consumers’ purchase intentions, with Tickets coming in second place.
We see that online purchase volumes decline in July in the Netherlands and Germany with a small increase in Norway. This is a continuation of developments that we identify at the end of June. A similar trend is visible in June and July of 2020 (but then coming from a May peak in online purchases caused by the first pandemic waves that spread across Europe).
Comparing July of 2020 to July of 2021, we see that purchase volumes in the Netherlands are lower in July 2021 (+23%, compared to +32% in July 2020). In Germany volumes are higher this July (+22%) than in July 2020 (+14%). And in Norway volumes are about the same (+23% this July compared to +20% July 2020). But as noted, online purchase volumes in the spring of 2020 were significantly boosted by pandemic restrictions.
While online shopping volumes, after a peak in December 2020, decline from January to July of 2021, the online share of total spend stays at the same level or even increases for Heavy (10+ online purchases per month) and Medium (4-8 online purchases per month) Online Shoppers. We can expect the ‘online loyalization’ of these frequent online shoppers to have a positive long-term impact on e-commerce growth in the months to come. But this is not the case for Light Online Shoppers of whom many have switched back to brick-and-mortar shopping as societies have opened up again after lifting intense pandemic restrictions.
Our latest survey results indicate that the average Dutch consumer intends to buy at the same level overall in August, but is likely to decrease online purchases. However, when we take online purchase frequency into account, we see that Heavy Shoppers intend to increase online purchases in August. Even though Heavy Online Shoppers conduct a disproportionally large share of all online purchases, the segment is not large enough to compensate for the reduced shopping intentions of other segments in the Netherlands.
When it comes to product categories in the Netherlands, we see that Fashion dominates e-commerce from a numbers perspective. Based on consumers’ projections, Fashion will uphold both offline and online purchases in August.
Just like in the Netherlands, the average German consumer intends to buy at the same level overall in August, but is likely to decrease online purchases. However, when we take online purchase frequency into account, we see that Heavy Online Shoppers intend to increase online purchases in August. While this segment conducts disproportionally large share of all online purchases, it is not large enough to compensate for the reduced shopping intentions of other segments in the Germany.
In Germany, we see that Fashion and Food/Groceries will uplift e-commerce purchases in August, while Fashion is expected to grow stronger online compared to Food/Groceries in August.
Similarly, Norwegian consumers also intend to buy at a similar overall level in August, although they are likely to decrease online purchases. While Heavy Online Shoppers intend to increase online purchases in August, the segment’s impact is not large enough to compensate for the reduced shopping intentions of other shopper segments.
In Norway, Travel/Transport replaces typical front runner Fashion as the category where Norwegians intend to increase purchases the most in August; the origin of Travel/Transport’s growth can be split equally between online and offline channels.
Coming up next is a long-awaited deep dive into online Fashion. What are Fashion Shoppers’ demands of merchants? And how satisfied are they? What are Fashion Shoppers’ views on the future of e-commerce? Stay tuned to find out!


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has partnered with Swiggy
to distribute some of the essential products from its portfolio, termed ‘Saffola Store’, directly to consumers. This comes at a time when customers are finding it difficult to get essential items in grocery stores.
The initiative enables consumers to order such food items as oats and oils under Marico’s Saffola brand on the food-tech platforms. This service is available on Zomato in Delhi NCR and Bengaluru, and it will be activated in other cities such as Mumbai, Kolkata, Chandigarh and Ahmedabad next week. The company said Swiggy stores have started the delivery in Gurgaon and the service will be extended to rest of Delhi NCR, Bengaluru and Mumbai this weekend.
Marico COO (India sales & Bangladesh business) Sanjay Mishra said, “As India grapples with the unprecedented global pandemic, it is incumbent on every one of us to come together and extend our support. As one of India’s leading consumer companies, we are working towards ensuring the availability and easy access of essential food items to consumers. In an effort towards this, we have partnered with Swiggy and Zomato to provide Saffola and Coco Soul products to individuals’ doorstep in a safe manner.”
Supply chains have been disrupted due to shortage of workers and trucks in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. On-demand delivery platforms too face a manpower crunch due to the 21-day lockdown. Swiggy COO Vivek Sunder said, “Through our partnership with Marico, Swiggy will leverage and engage its extensive delivery fleet to ensure that essential products such as cooking oil and oats reach consumers quickly and in a safe manner.”
Zomato COO (food delivery) Mohit Sardana said, as an essential service provider, “it is important we find ways to utilise our expertise to fight against this pandemic”.


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Intel’s Skylake platform is set to succeed Broadwell. There have been many leaks in the past that have said Skylake would support PCI-Express 4.0, but according to VR-Zone this is not true. Luckily though the platform will still have DDR4 support.
We have already detailed Intel’s Haswell-E high-end desktop platform and we know that it will feature quad channel DDR4 memory in the second half of 2014, but what about Intel’s mainstream offerings? We have heard from reports that Intel will refresh the Haswell platform in the second half of 2014, but the Broadwell micro architecture would be limited to Xeon and mobility parts. Only in 2015 will we first see a mainstream 115* 14nm Skylake processor, which will pack some interesting features.
Apr 28, 2016 0


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A Retiring Glance At Trade – Past, Present And Future
As my tenure at UK Trade & Investment draws to a close, it’s time for a little reflection…
1 March 2010
Japan's retail sales rose in January for the first time in 17 months, figures have shown.
Separately, industrial output rose for the 11th consecutive month due to rising demand from China - the country's biggest export market.
Retail sales rose 2.6% from a year earlier and factory output rose at an annual rate of 2.5% in January, the Economics Ministry said.
However, consumer prices fell for the 11th straight month.
The country's key consumer price index - excluding volatile fresh food prices - fell 1.3% in the year to the end of January, according to the Ministry of Communications.
"Japanese exports of vehicles and construction material to China underlined booming demand in the country," said Hiroshi Watanabe, economist at Daiwa Institute of Research.
Deflation, a drop in the cost of goods, has been a constant problem in Japan - the world's second-largest economy - for more than 20 years.
Earlier this month, the country's finance minister setting a target for price rises of 1%, reiterating the commitment to beating deflation.
Interest rates in Japan are just above zero, meaning there is little room to cut rates to stimulate growth.


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Roku Inc. today announced its 2019 Canadian lineup of streaming video players.
more Stories »
This month, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Woodstock festival. Now let's celebrate the music that's been forgotten.
The Woodstock "Aquarian Exposition" in 1969 was a landmark event in many ways. It proved that ‘rock' music could bring together hundreds of thousands of music fans for a weekend of "peace & music" and uninterrupted good vibes. And it set a gold standard for open-air music festivals that's still unsurpassed today.
In response to the CRTC's new wholesale broadband rates, Bell says it will "scale back" rollout of Internet to smaller communities.
In a letter to dealers, Lenbrook has announced that it is ceasing distribution of Bang & Olufson products.
The CRTC has announced lower wholesale bandwidth rates, allowing smaller ISPs to resell Internet access more competitively.
Marantz, a part of Sound United LLC, has announced the NR1200 high-performance stereo receiver.
The acronym D-A-C is turning up with increasing frequency in audio circles. But it's time to ask ourselves: do consumers even know what a ‘DAC' is, or why they should buy one? Even in the trade, do we truly understand how DACs work, and what makes one better than another?
The CPU market heats up for this fall, with Intel's announcement of processors in the 10th Generation of its Core line.
iFi, in Southport, UK, has introduced a new power block designed to ensure clean, consistent power for sensitive AV equipment.
SnapAV and Control4 Corporation have announced the successful completion of their previously-announced merger.


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Fidelity Investments has raised the curtain on an advertising campaign featuring investment icon Peter Lynch and actress Lily Tomlin. But behind the scenes is another star-the creative force behind the company's efforts.
The way to get your message across is "not my pie chart is better than your pie chart," said Stephen A. Cone, president of Fidelity customer marketing and development. "American consumers are tired of that."
Splashy campaigns-such as one that featured Anthony Edwards of the hit television series "ER"-were Mr. Cone's hallmark in his recent stint as KeyCorp's marketing guru. He also published glossy annual reports formatted like consumer magazines, and put Charles Schwab on the cover of one.
You "have to have a little bit of entertainment in your message," said Mr. Cone, 48.
Fidelity's campaign, "Know what you own and know why you own it," aims to educate investors about both the company and principles of investing. It was created by Hill, Holliday, Connors, Cosmopolus, a Boston ad agency.
Mr. Lynch, vice chairman of Fidelity's investment adviser unit, was an obvious choice for spokesman, Mr. Cone said. But "I didn't want Peter to be just a talking head. I wanted him to interact with someone who he would really enjoy working with and vice versa."
That led Fidelity to Ms. Tomlin. Coincidentally, she said at a press conference, a few days before Fidelity called her she had told a friend that she wished she could call Mr. Lynch for investment advice.
Mr. Cone said Fidelity approached other celebrities as well, though he declined to name them.
The commercials that made their debuts over the weekend feature Mr. Lynch discussing Fidelity's capabilities and successes. Others, featuring Mr. Lynch and Ms. Tomlin, will debut this weekend.
In one commercial, Ms. Tomlin is a customer at a newsstand, searching for financial solutions. As she reaches for magazines, they topple to the ground-and so does she. Mr. Lynch steps in and tells her, "Fidelity can help you work out what you should know."
Fidelity is running corresponding advertisements in newspapers and magazines including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Forbes, and Time, Mr. Cone said.


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iOS 13 brought big changes and version 13.1 added some more, but Apple sure isn’t resting on its laurels — the company quickly rushed out iOS 13.1.2 and iPadOS 13.1.2. Anyone greedy for more new features is in for a disappointment, as this is entirely a bug-fix update.
This marks the fourth new iOS version in two weeks, and the third iPadOS version since Tuesday.
Apple put out yet another iOS 13 update this morning to fix some major bugs, just over a week after the huge update for iPads and iPhones was released to the public.
iOS 13.1.1 and iPadOS 13.1.1 address a major security issue that allowed third-party keyboard apps to have network access. The flaw could have allowed keyboards to track what you type, including usernames and passwords, and send them to a remote server. Anyone that’s running iOS 13 of iOS 13.1 should update ASAP.
iPadOS just launched, and Apple wants tablet owners to know why they should upgrade. Its short video hits the highlights, like accessing full contents of USB drives, the advantages of editing video on a larger screen, and much more.
iPadOS 13.1 is now available, ready to be installed on a wide variety of iPad models. It brings features Apple tablet users have long been asking for: allowing applications to open multiple windows, support for mice, full access to USB drives, and much more.
This new version was announced in June and has been in beta testing all summer so there are no surprises. But the time for testing is over. Almost everyone with an iOS tablet made in the past five years can install iPadOS.


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After months of leaks and speculation, Apple has finally announced the iPhone 7 – ironically, via its own Twitter account before it was unveiled at the actual keynote event (the tweet has since been deleted). We’re still waiting for more details, but the company has revealed quite a lot already.
(The tweet above was instantly deleted. Even funnier, Apple has deleted all of the account’s tweets.)
Much of it is as we expected. The antenna lines have been reshaped to curve around the top and bottom of the device. The camera hump has been smoothed a bit. The Plus model has two cameras, much like the Huawei P9 or Honor 8.
But there are also a few facts that hadn’t been confirmed: the iPhone 7 is waterproof, includes stereo speakers and has longer battery life.
There’s also a new glossy ‘Jet Black’ color, which looks wonderful, and much like the Mac
Trash Can Pro. I personally find the new antenna lines to be even more gaudy than the old ones, so thankfully the Piano Black color hides them with the new sheen.
One other difference: the home button doesn’t click in anymore, and This should help the phone’s longevity, but people
Apple says the dual-camera system is used to provide 2X optical zoom, which means it isn’t simply cropping the image like the zoom function on almost every smartphone.
The device will be launch starting September 16.
Developing… Refresh for more updates as Apple reveals the device at its keynote.
Follow our coverage of Apple’s iPhone 7 keynote and find the latest stories about it here.
Microsoft has released its command-line shell and scripting language PowerShell Core for Linux operating system as a Snap package, making it easier fo
1. Quora – A site for mostly professional questions about science, economics, movies or anything else. Currently owned by
list contains some of the most influential computing books ever written, most of which are suitable for beginners and experts alike, with a very few o
Besides Timehop, another data breach was discovered last week that affects users of one of the largest web hosting companies in Germany, DomainFa
Digitally signed malware has become much more common in recent years to mask malicious intentions. Security researchers have discovered a new ma


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Cisco is to provide a new advanced TV platform for Vodafone-owned German cable operator Kabel Deutschland with a launch date expected in 2016-17.
Kabel Deutschland will reveal more details of the platform, which will combine broadcast, on-demand, catch-up, and time-shifted TV with internet video, at the IFA 2015 show in September.
According to Cisco, which released the news ahead of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, subscribers will be able to access all the video they consume through a single user interface which works across all their TVs and personal devices. The platform will be based on a new cloud platform developed jointly by Kabel Deutschland and Cisco, which will also provide connected devices in the home to enable the consumption of video services.
Cisco and Kabel Deutschland have yet to reveal details of the platform, including whether it will be based on the RDK software stack supported by operators including Vodafone rival Liberty Global. Kabel Deutschland licensed the RDK in February last year.
“Our video future lies in delivering converged, personalised, social, multiscreen video experiences, from a standardized, IP-based, cloud-powered platform. We have chosen Cisco as our partner for software and set-top boxes because Cisco shares these fundamental tenets, and their products and plans best realize them,” said Manuel Cubero, CEO of Kabel Deutschland.
“Cisco is proud to work with a leader and innovator like Kabel Deutschland to realise their vision of transforming their video business to a software-based, agile, cloud-powered platform. Cisco has invested heavily to become the leader in cloud and virtualisation because these technologies will help our customers deliver great services, become more agile and ultimately grow their businesses,” said Yvette Kanouff, senior vice-president and general manager, Cisco Service Provider Video Software and Solutions.


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INTERNATIONAL. Diesel has announced its For Responsible Living strategy, which will see the brand commit to various environmental and ethical sustainability goals.
The announcement was made by Diesel Founder and Only The Brave (OTB) President Renzo Rosso during a media breakfast in Milan on 13 January.
The sustainability strategy is built on four key pillars that take off from Diesel’s ‘positively disruptive outlook’. These are Be The Alternative, Stand For The Planet, Celebrate Individuality, and Promote Integrity.
Over the next few months, Diesel will define and announce measurable targets for its For Responsible Living Strategy.
For Responsible Living was created in partnership with sustainability and communication consultancy company Eco-Age; which will remain a key stakeholder throughout the strategy’s implantation. With help from Eco-Age, Diesel will partner with environmental and ethical organisations from all over the world, as part of its renewed commitment to mitigate the environmental impact of the fashion industry.
“Eco-Age has accompanied Diesel for the last few months to set the framework of For Responsible Living and the Diesel team is a joy to work with.” – Eco-Age Co-Founder and Creative Director Livia Firth
Diesel Founder and Only The Brave President Renzo Rosso said: “I grew up and actually still live in the countryside surrounded by nature, it is where I truly feel at home and it is what I deeply love.
“Today we face a new vital challenge, the biggest one yet – as we become more and more aware of the social, economic, and environmental impacts of the fashion industry at large, and Diesel is ready to face it full steam,” he added.
“I salute Renzo Rosso for publicly taking this bold step and starting a difficult journey,” commented Eco-Age Co-Founder and Creative Director Livia Firth.
“It takes courage and commitment and I know Renzo has plenty of both. Eco-Age has accompanied Diesel for the last few months to set the framework of For Responsible Living and the Diesel team is a joy to work with.”