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About a decade ago, I enjoyed a Christmas party at the 10,000 square foot mansion of a son of the co-founder of data storage giant
Looking at the stock chart of companies like EMC,
After peaking in 2000, EMC stock tumbled to about $5 a share in October 2002 and has since climbed to $27 -- 73% below its peak. One of EMC's best moves since then was to pay $625 million in cash in 2004 to acquire VMWare, a data virtualization software maker that makes 100 physical servers do the work of 500 virtual ones. EMC's 43 million shares in the now-publicly traded VMWare are worth a tidy $4.6 billion.
Now a VMWare-like upstart is nipping at EMC's heels. The CEO of
EMC declined to comment.
In a classic David and Goliath tale, EMC is the giant that is dedicated to encouraging companies to buy its expensive gear to store their data. And as the volumes of corporate data keep growing so are the costs of storing and retrieving that data.
One reason for that growing cost is that companies make many copies of their data – used for many purposes like backup and recovery, testing new computer systems, or development of new applications -- on separate devices.
Actifio gets rid of the need for all those copies -- letting companies do all these things through a single “golden copy” that also slashes the time it takes to retrieve old files.
EMC could have developed a product that helps companies in these ways -- but it would have cut into EMC's revenue as customers bought the cheaper product that saved them money and time.
Actifio has taken advantage of the gap between the interests of customers -- who want to operate more efficiently -- and EMC management that wants to meet its revenue targets. EMC has been responding to this threat in a way that has not been overwhelmingly effective. It acknowledges the importance of Actifio’s market – dubbed Copy Data Management – through public statements and white papers. However, EMC has not provided any actual products that deliver a similar benefit to customers.
I'd guess that EMC hopes to blunt Actifio’s growth by suggesting that it may eventually introduce such products.
Meanwhile, Actifio has suffered its own set of disadvantages. Many big companies are reluctant to bet on a startup that could go out of business. After all, startups generally are unprofitable and if a big company like EMC can scare away potential customers, an upstart could burn through its cash and disappear.
But Actifio has lobbed another stone at the head of EMC. On March 23, Actifio announced that it had raised $100 million in new financing – led by investment firm, Tiger Global Management, along with venture capitalists Andreessen Horowitz and Greylock Partners -- that valued the company at $1 billion.
Although revenues are in the $50 million to $100 million range and it is losing money, Actifio’s growth has been impressive. Revenues were up 182 percent in 2013 and it has over 300 business customers – such as Time Warner Cable, Netflix, IBM and Unilever -- in 31 countries who pay an average of $349,000 for a three year contract to license its software, according to the New York Times.


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Some of Liverpool’s most-loved restaurants are launching delivery services after the government advised people to avoid eating out.
In a briefing to the public, Prime Minister Boris Johnson asked people to avoid any unnecessary social contact including going out to eat, drink and to the theatre as part of new measures to slow the spread of coronavirus.
But unlike leaders in countries such as Ireland, France and Italy, he did not ban venues from opening - leaving business owners having to make difficult decisions.
In response, many Liverpool restaurants have launched delivery services and contact free collection, in order to combat the lack of walk-ins and bookings expected to come, as more people across the country self-isolate.
Here’s some of the venues across Liverpool that are now doing delivery or contact free collection. If you know of a venue doing the same, post the details in our Liverpool Food and Drink Facebook page to help spread the word.
The Stanley Street restaurant announced it would begin to deliver its coveted menu right to your door.
Arran Campolucci-Bordi, who is the third generation of his family to run the restaurant, said: “We believe home deliveries will be the way forward for customers who may be forced to self-isolate. So we have announced we're pushing the technological envelope yet again by offering a full home delivery service through the three major delivery platforms, Just Eat, Deliveroo and UberEats.”
There will be free delivery if you order directly and Casa Italia is offering NHS workers who show their badge upon delivery a 20% discount.
Delivery hours will be 12pm-9pm from Monday to Saturday and 12pm-7pm on Sunday. There are no delivery charges if you order direct and orders will be accepted within a five mile radius of L1 6AL.
You can order by calling 07514 137415 and cash or card will be accepted on delivery. For more information on Casa Italia’s home deliveries, please visit their website here
After writing an emotional open letter to the Prime Minister, Lunya, which this year celebrates a decade in Liverpool this year, has confirmed it is doing ‘meals to go’ in Liverpool, Wirral and Manchester.
It also has an online deli shop which is delivering across the UK and is still selling vouchers, which it says, ‘help hugely with cash flow to pay wages’. See what's available at Lunya Liverpool.
Free State Kitchen
It is now offering a 10% discount on or orders collected from the restaurant. If you do wish to collect, you can ring in advance or wait for your order at a safe distance.
The Tavern Co
The Smithdown Road restaurant is offering an extended delivery service through their website available from 9am to 9pm every day to “preempt staff losses and possible closure”.
Currently offering their full breakfast and evening menu, the restaurant has also decided to offer delivery of staples such as loo roll, milk, eggs, boxed juices, sausages, bacon, beans and fresh vegetables too plus as much of their stock holding that can be converted to delivery packaging as possible.
All the fresh meat and dairy will be date labelled including packaging information including the date, time packed and suggested use by dates.
It’s launched a home delivery service “to try and aid those in self-isolation or those just generally wary of leaving the house during covid-19, and try and ensure we can pay our staff wages amongst the economic madness we find ourselves in at the moment”.
The Smithdown Road venue is now primarily focused on deliveries and takeaways. The restaurant remains open, but anyone at home can call on 0151 733 0879 to order delivery.
Woo Tan Scran
Liverpool’s only vegan chippy, on Lark Lane, is also offering delivery via Deliveroo and non-contact collection at the restaurant. To call for collection, ring 0151 727 2980.
Slim's, Bold Street
Slim’s can be ordered via Deliveroo, who are offering non contact delivery. If you want to support Slim’s by purchasing vouchers for future use, gift cards can be bought via their website: www.slimsboldstreet.co.uk
Wood-fired pizzas, sides and nibbles are available for delivery via Deliveroo, which has contactless delivery available.
Argyles Coffee and Wine
Located near Liverpool ONE, this is now closed for sit-ins but is available on Deliveroo.
The London Road food market has also closed its seating areas but is available on Deliveroo and Hungry Panda, with contact-free deliveries possible.
Black Lodge Brewery
With people now advised not to go to the pub, Black Lodge Brewery is now doing beer deliveries, and asking people to give donations to a charity that feeds homeless people when they deliver. Orders can be placed by emailing firstname.lastname@example.org
The restaurants on Smithdown Road and in Crosby are now offering contact free collection from 12pm and customers using Spitroast Ormskirk can have contact free delivery from 5pm. See the Spitroast website for menu and full details.
The Allerton Road Thai restaurant already does takeways for collection but has now launched a free delivery service for anyone living in L16, L17, L18, L19 and L25. Delivery is currently available for Tues-Thurs and Sundays. For its menu and more details visit Chaba Chaba.
The Dale Street pub has launched a delivery service offering a whole menu which features everything from burgers and chips to homemade scouse. You can order by calling 0151 352 9544.
One Percent Forest
The Woolton venue does breakfast, brunch, sandwiches and more, and will be doing deliveries and takeaways for collection. Its delivery menu even included bottled cocktails, beers and ciders.
Get American style food delivered to your door. You can order via the Just Wings app for delivery to your door. Items available for delivery include traditional chicken wings, boneless coated chicken, wraps and burgers. There's also American salted fries, milkshakes, onion rings and homemade coleslaw.

domain: news


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Some recent cases of news articles about same-sex marriage disappearing from the newspaper page on Facebook appear to have been caused by a bug and not a policy violation, the social network said.
Facebook plans to test a new service designed to streamline the check-out process for people shopping on their mobile devices. It could become a competitor to other e-commerce players like PayPal.
Google is shutting down its Messenger group chatting service as part of an update to its Google+ app for Android-based devices, the company recently announced. Google will also be ditching the service on iOS devices.
Twitter has acquired Marakana, a company that provides open-source training, as part of an effort to develop new skills among its engineers.
Facebook is acquiring a company that specializes in speech interpretation and translation software. The move, disclosed Monday, could help Facebook better connect its users across the globe.
Path, the social network designed to better connect people who are already well-acquainted, is opening up its API to 13 outside developers to give its users more ways to share content.
Users of the Google Maps app will soon start seeing more ways to interact with paid content within the app, the company recently announced.
Twitter has announced a new program to analyze some users' activity on the site to give marketers better information about how companies' tweets impact sales in physical stores.
Instagram is doing everything in its power to point out the differences between its videos and Vines. Now you can import videos to the app from your Camera Roll, a feature Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom promised back in June.
Facebook is rolling out Graph Search, its newfangled social search engine, to everyone who uses the U.S. English language, the company announced Wednesday.
Instagram is adding several features to its mobile apps including the ability to import and post previously recorded videos.
Twitter today simplified account security with an enhancement that lets customers approve two-factor authenticated log-ins from inside their iOS and Android mobile apps.
Facebook is incorporating some changes into its news feed to make the content that it displays to users more personalized and relevant.
A rising percentage of older adults are using social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and Google+ too, according to a Pew study.
China Mobile, the country's largest mobile carrier, introduced two own-brand handsets on Friday, as a way to bring more affordable smartphones to its 740 million customers.
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Friday 30 December 2011
Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle All The Way, Oh What Fun We Had, With Safe Habour and the DCMA!
Here’s hoping that my headline doesn’t offend post Meltwater and Infopaq, but this is my (personal) take on copyright and the business of music in 2011, a busy busy year around the globe with a mixed bag of results for the different sectors in the music industry.
A number of threads emerged, most notably the battleground over what (if any) responsibility Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and another web intermediaries should have for the infringing acts of their users – something considered by the US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in UMG v Veoh, by the British High Court in Newzbin2, The Australian Full Federal Court in the iiNet case and by the European Court of Justice in Scarlet v SABAM with legislation pending in a number of countries including Spain and the UK. A second thread was the future role of collection societies in monetising music copyrights and the potential for enhanced but streamlined societies – at least on a pan-European basis, And finally, IF music copyrights can be monetised in the digital age with the “can pay won’t pay” generation of users, then battles remain over who gets what share of the pie with artistes beginning to challenge the accounting practices of the recorded music sector in particular.
It is no secret that music is important in almost everyone’s life, but the music industry has thus far been fairly ineffective at designing workable business models fit for the digital age – whilst others such as ISPS and companies such as Amazon, Google, YouTube and Apple have reaped huge benefits from their association with music. It’s been an interesting year!
In January, the first news was bad news for the recorded music sector with new data showing that US recorded music sales fell 2.4% in 2010 to $1.5 billion, as CD sales plummeted nearly 20% while digital track sales were up just 1%. at 1.17 billion. While CD sales fell dramatically last year, digital album sales rose 13% and the report noted that digital music accounted for 46% of all U.S. music purchases in 2010, up from 40% in 2009 and 32% in 2008, and digital track sales broke the 1 billion sales mark for the third straight year. The picture was similar in the UK where sales of digital singles and albums continued to boom in 2010 but overall recorded music sales continued to fall. Digital album sales in 2010 were up 30.6% on 2009, and singles sales - mainly digital - were at an all time high. But overall album sales were down 7%, with CD sales declining 12.4%. Better news came from Google who announced a number of new initiatives to help combat copyright infringement online, including the promise of 24-hour turnaround on takedown requests, and preventing terms associated with piracy from appearing in its "autocomplete" search results. Google also promised to improve its AdSense anti-piracy review, and expel infringing sites making money off infringing content and also said that it will experiment to make authorised preview content more readily accessible in its search results. Also in January, Limewire finally gave up the ghost and the company said that it would close its remaining businesses. Finally the legal battle between EMI and Pink Floyd seemed to have run its course. Earlier the Court Of Appeal had upheld a High Court ruling against EMI which determined the way Pink Floyd's music could be sold online and how the label should account to the band. Pink Floyd had objected to the sale of the band's albums on a track-by-track basis on digital services like iTunes and claimed that their 1967 contract with EMI prohibited the record company from selling their music in this way. But the parties agreed to a new five year deal - and EMI were able to sell individual Pink Floyds tracks as digital downloads after all. EMI’s recorded music division was sold to Universal at the end of 2011.
In February the Spanish Parliament passed reintroduced legislative proposals that will make it easier for content owners to target copyright infringing websites, The so called Sinde Law will offer a fast-track system through which content owners can force commercial websites that exist primarily to assist others in their illegal file-sharing offline. Amid a high profile campaign by some internet service providers, websites and consumer groups, including the accusation that the legislation was ‘US influenced’, the House of Representatives originally voted against the proposals but the legislation was reintroduced with new safeguards which include a judicial stage in the shut down process. The French government also had to add in a judicial stage into their Hadopi three-strike law. A January poll in France indicated that 49% of French Internet users continue to illegally download music and video and it remains to be seen how Spain’s new government will implement the Sinde law. Also in early February, news broke that Andrew Crossley, the lawyer behind controversial law firm ACS:Law, had withdrawn from pursuing 26 alleged illegal filesharers, blaming “criminal attacks” and bomb threats as reasons. And in speech in London, EU Digital Commissioner Neelie Kroes called on content owners to create “a simple, consumer-friendly legal framework” for making digital content available across borders in the EU.
In March, The Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft (AFACT) lost its appeal against Australian ISP iiNet. In the absence of specific legislation in Australia, AFACT, representing the TV and movie industries, had argued that net companies had an obligation under Australian copyright laws to take a proactive role in policing online piracy and that the Australian ISP was responsible for illegal content downloading by its users. Australian courts had previously found that web company Kazaa was liable for ‘authorising’ infringement and clearly content owners were hoping that the courts would extend copyright law to include a duty on ISPs to monitor and filter unlicensed content on their networks, and/or to find that that a failure to do so would make them guilty of authorising. A majority of the three judge appeal panel in the full Federal Court dismissed the appeal holding that even though iiNet was dismissive of copyright infringement complaints, that fact alone did not mean it was liable for authorizing infringement. That said, all 3 justices in the appellate court found that in appropriate circumstances it was appropriate to disconnect customers (one even outlined a potential termination strategy) and in a dissenting judgment, Justice Jagot held iiNet liable for authorising users’ acts of copyright infringement and that the trial Judge had erred in holding that the relevant test was whether iiNet had provided the ‘means’ of infringement. The Australian High Court will now hear the case. In better news for the content industries, credit card companies including MasterCard and Visa are working with the City of London Police and the recorded music sector to extend cooperation in tackling illegal online services selling unlicensed music worldwide.
In April another Australian case hit the headlines when the Federal Appeals court in Australia upheld a Federal Court ruling that said Larrikin Music, publishers of Australian children's classic 'Kookaburra Sits In The Old Gumtree', were due a share of all songwriting royalties on the Men At Work classic 'Down Under', because the short but distinctive flute sequence in the 1981 pop hit was borrowed from the folk tune. The Federal Court ruled that Larrikin should get 5% of all 'Down Under' royalties dated paid back to 2002. EMI must also cover Larrikin's legal costs in relation to the appeal. Also in April, the giant Chinese search engine Baidu said that they had reached an agreement with the Music Copyright Society of China to start paying a publishing royalty on any MP3s downloaded or streamed via the search platform.. Under the new agreement with MCSC, Baidu will pass a share of advertising revenue on for every track accessed via the search platform from a new music service that Baidu plans to launch in May.
In May there were cloudy skies – as Google announced that it would join Amazon in launching a new music-based cloud digital locker service - despite not have any licensing deals in place with the record companies or music publishers. Amazon had previously argued that its digital locker service did not require licences from with record labels or music publishers because all its digital locker does is allow users to upload their own MP3 collections to remote servers and suddenly all eyes turned to the US case of EMI v MP3tunes which would clearly significant in determining the legality of these unlicensed platforms. More on that later! Also in May, Professor Ian Hargreaves, charged by David Cameron with independently reviewing UK intellectual property law and the environment to promote e-businesses in the UK, published his Report Digital Opportunity and his recommendations included: legalising format shifting; looking at copyright exceptions at national level to realise all the opportunities within the EU framework, including exceptions for parody, non-commercial research, and library archiving; proposals for a new system for licensing so called ‘orphan works’; the appointment of a senior figure (now confirmed as Richard Hooper) to oversee the design and implementation of a “cross sectoral Digital Copyright Exchange” and support for EC moves to establish a framework for cross-border licensing within the EU.
In June a report from the United Nations said that provisions of the UK’s Digital Economy Act (which had already been unsuccessfully challenged by ISPS in a judicial review) that could see music and film pirates cut off from the internet were disproportionate. Frank La Rue, the report’s author and UN special rapporteur on freedom of expression, called on the government to “repeal or amend” the legislation. He said he was “alarmed by proposals to disconnect users from Internet access if they violate intellectual property rights”. In The USA the Senate Judiciary Committee approved a bill that would make it a felony to stream copyrighted movies and TV episodes online and in Germany two computer hackers who targeted pop stars and record companies in a bid to secure personal information and distribute pre-release tracks online were handed down prison sentences by a court in Duisberg. And back in the UK Video Performance Limited, the audio-visual arm of collection society PPL (Phonographic Performance Limited) lost a major case in the Court of Appeal against a decision of the Copyright Tribunal that said that that the correct royalty rate payable by TV channel operator CSC should be somewhere in the region of 10% to 15% rather than the higher rate set in an earlier licence between VPL and BSkyB. And Neelie Kroes outlined the Digital Agenda for the EU saying "Too many barriers still block the free flow of online services and entertainment across national borders. The Digital Agenda will update EU Single Market rules for the digital era".
In July Mr Justice Arnold reached his decision in Newzbin 2, where the Motion Picture Association succeeded in an action which it brought against telecoms giant BT to invoke Section 97A of the Copyright, with Arnold J saying “in my judgment it follows that BT has actual knowledge of other persons using its service to infringe copyright: it knows that the users and operators of Newbin2 infringe copyright on a large scale, and in particular infringe the copyrights of the Studios in large numbers of their films and television programmes, it knows that the users of Newzbin2 include BT subscribers, and it knows those users use its service to receive infringing copies of copyright works made available to them by Newzbin2.”. Newzbin blocked!
In August Online music service Grooveshark had to face a new action from music publishers. The online service allows users to post their own tracks to their site while sharing them with the world was sued by a number of songwriters and music publishers. Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, the plaintiffs claim the music illegally violates many copyright laws, and therefore is liable for contributory infringement, copyright infringement and vicarious infringement saying “Defendant neither sought nor obtained a license, permission, or authorization from plaintiffs”. The company claims to abide by all rules of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (“DCMA”) and that it is protected from any copyright violations committed by its users. Also in August, YouTube’s takedown procedure came under the spotlight for seemingly being too effective with videos by Justin Bieber, Rhianna, Lady Gaga, Beyonce and Shakira after “iLCreation” managed to get videos by all of these artistes and many more taken down from YouTube. Seemingly rather easily. And finally the much anticipated ruling in EMI v MP3Tunes was announced and in a potentially highly damaging day for the US content industries, the New York district court has ruled that digital music lockers don't need licences from record labels to store recorded music and that the operators of digital locker services are protected by the ‘safe harbor’ provisions of the DCMA.
In September a number of newspapers carried stories about moves by US songwriters and recording artistes to ‘reclaim’ copyrights from music publishers and record labels - including Bruce Springsteen’s “Darkness on the Edge of Town,” Billy Joel’s “52nd Street,” the Doobie Brothers’ “Minute by Minute,” Kenny Rogers’s “Gambler” and Funkadelic’s “One Nation Under a Groove” thanks to a till then little-noted provision in United States copyright law that meant that those artists — and thousands more — now have the right to reclaim ownership of their recordings after 35 years, so long as they apply at least two years in advance. Recordings and songs such as the Village People’s YMCA from 1978 are the first to fall under the law, but in a matter of months, hits from 1979, including “The Long Run” by the Eagles and “Bad Girls” by Donna Summer, will be in the same situation — and then, as the calendar advances, every other master recording once it reaches the 35-year mark. In Europe the European Commission announced the extension of the copyright term for sound recordings from 50 years 70 years which was agreed by the EU on the 12th September, following an earlier meeting of the European Union's Committee of Permanent Representatives. The new Directive included some provisions which might aid artistes (rather than labels) receive a share of new revenues, although many remain unconvinced that the major labels will be able to tear themselves from traditional business models which artistes claim are simply unfair, or a widespread attempt to underpay recording artistes” or even a sometime “criminal” enterprise. Less welcome news for the music industry was a decision by a court in Germany which followed on from the record industry’s fairly unsuccessful attempt to block digital cloud locker service MP3Tunes in the USA. In Germany EMI failed to force a German ISP to block access to file-sharing service eDonkey. The court in Cologne ruled that the net firm HanseNet was not liable for the actions of its customers in accessing Russian illegal file swapping services. In the see-saw world of US copyright damages for illegal downloading and file-sharing, a federal appeals court reinstated the $675,000 judgment against Boston University post graduate student Joel Tenenbaum, who had already admitted to downloading music on Internet file-sharing sites. In an earlier hearing a judge had reduced the previous jury award at the same level by 90%.
In October the U.S. Supreme Court denied an appeal against an appellate court’s ruling that a traditional Internet download of sound recording does not constitute a public performance of the recorded musical work or the composition under federal copyright law. The Supreme Court denied the appeal without comment. Also a number of major artistes faced infringement claims with Bob Dylan accused of replicating several famous photographs in his new art show, The Asia Series, which includes paintings that seem like acrylic reproductions of images by Henri Cartier-Bresson, Dmitri Kessel and Léon Busy and Beyoncé was accused of copying the choreography of Belgian choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker for the video to her track 'Countdown' . In the UK, Campbell Cowie, Director Of Internet Policy at media regulator OfCom, said that warning letters under the three-strikes style anti-piracy system put in place by the Digital Economy Act were now not likely to go out until 2013. And significantly, the European Court of Justice handed down a preliminary ruling decision in the linked cases of MPS v Murphy and FAPL v QC Leisure holding that national legislation which prohibits the import, sale or use of foreign decoder cards for pan-European satellite channels are contrary to the freedom to provide services and cannot be justified either in light of the objective of protecting intellectual property rights or by the objective of encouraging the public to attend (live football matches) football stadiums. And yes, EU competition law 'trumps' copyright !
In November a class action between a number of recording artistes and Universal Music over how digital royalties are calculated was given the green light by a federal judge in California. The action, headed up by a number of long established artists, led by White Zombie, Chuck D, Whitesnake, and the estate of Rick James will be a major test of how artiste digital royalties are calculated by record labels in the absence of specific contract wording: The label would like to calculate the royalty based on the same accounting process as a normal (physical) sale – whilst artistes want a share of the income which will almost certainly be a substantially greater share of the revenue. There is a precedent here, the so called ‘Eminen’ case that actually involved FBT Productions, the production house involved in some early Eminem recordings, who took Universal to court over digital royalties and succeeded in achieving the higher royalty rate: FBT argued they had a right to a 50/50 split of profits with Universal on sales of digital music and ring tones through online retailers such as iTunes and Sprint as these 'Master Licensing' deals attracting the higher royalty. The contract did not specifically mention income from download stores like iTunes, or what share the artist (and therefore FBT) should get from such sales but Universal have been treating download sales as being equivalent to CD sales paying a lower rate of 12-20%% as if these were physical sales. Whilst a district court refused summary judgment saying the agreement was ambiguous, The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco agreed with FBT saying that the higher royalty should apply and the US Supreme Court then declined to hear an appeal by the Universal Music Group. A number of artistes including Cheap Trick and the Allman Brothers have brought a similar case against Sony BMG to gain a greater and they say fairer share of revenues. The European Court of Justice added to the jurisprudence on the role of ISPs in the Scarlet v SABAM case saying “EU law precludes the imposition of an injunction by a national court which requires an internet service provider to install a filtering system with a view to preventing the illegal downloading of files" adding “Such an injunction does not comply with the prohibition on imposing a general monitoring obligation on such a provider, or with the requirement to strike a fair balance between, on the one hand, the right to intellectual property, and, on the other, the freedom to conduct business, the right to protection of personal data and the freedom to receive or impart information”
And Finally in December, The Swiss Government decided that downloading music and movies would remain legal. With an estimated one in three of the Swiss population admitting to downloading content without permission, Swiss policy will now be that downloading for personal use WILL be legal since people eventually spend the money saved on entertainment products. And in the USA the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals handed down its decision in UMG v Veoh, the case addressing copyright liability for ISPs that host infringing works. The court affirmed the lower court’s interpretation of the DCMA and extended ‘safe harbour’ protection to Veoh and meaning that the onus to first identify infringing materials is on rights owners and the Court said that it is copyright holders who know precisely what materials they own, and are thus better able to efficiently identify infringing copies than service providers like Veoh, who cannot readily ascertain what material is protected by copyright and what is not
I am sure next year will be equally fascinating – and can I wish all of our readers a happy, healthy and prosperous 2012.


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Tesla (TSLA-US) CEO Elon Musk started selling company stock again after a few days of rest. If calculated on the basis of his previously promised 10% of the shares, more than half of the progress has now been completed.
According to documents submitted on the evening of Tuesday (23rd), Musk exercised the option at 6.24 per share. DollarThe price, 2.15 million shares of stock options were purchased, and 93,4091 shares were sold to pay taxes related to the transaction.
Musk previously launched a poll on Twitter asking whether he should sell 10% of Tesla’s shares.Since then, he has sold shares many times, and has now sold 9.2 million Tesla shares, for a total of about 9.9 billionDollar。
To achieve his stated goal of selling 10% of his holdings, Musk needs to sell about 17 million shares, which is about 1.7% of the company’s outstanding shares.
After this vote, Tesla’s stock price fell sharply and then rebounded by about 9.4%.
The CEO of Tesla does not pay, but is subsidized through stock options. Before this vote, he had actually formulated a plan and passed it on September 14 with the purpose of “orderly selling” shares related to the exercise of options scheduled to expire in 2022, but he is launching a vote It was not mentioned at the time.
According to related investigations, Musk became the world’s richest man after benefiting from the surge in Tesla’s stock, with 303.7 billion yuanDollarOf wealth.


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Another useful “insight” for buyers and contracting authorities
Are suppliers trying to fool the UK taxpayer?
Loren Thomson in Forbes attacks US policy
Competition is key – but there are several aspects to that headline
New UK regulations will reduce cost plus margin, tighten up on claims
Could this be a sensible use for the new procedure?
Are they threatened by technology and competition law?
Learn more about the issues, webinar at 4pm CET Tuesday October 28th


text:
Fox News reports that Americans ate an average of 5.6 pounds of butter in 2012, which is reportedly a 25 percent high than the average from 10 years ago. While that may seem like a lot, Realfooduniversity.com says that the average person consumed 18 pounds of butter a year in 1930. Now that's a lot of butter.
With Americans weighing more than ever before, and obesity running so rampant that it has been labeled a disease, people are wondering if there is a better alternative. Some have turned to things like olive oil for their cooking needs, but Dairy Goodness published a report comparing butter to both margarine and olive oil, and as it turns out butter is in line with the alternatives. In fact, butter actually has less fat and fewer calories than olive oil. Who knew?
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Fresh multi-million euro investments by three retailers in outlets in Galway – Dunnes Stores, Dealz and Homestore & More – have been hailed as a major vote of confidence in the city.
And the head of Galway Chamber of Commerce believes it possibly signals ‘turning the corner’ from the economy’s collapse.
Yesterday, the discount chain ‘Dealz’ created 25 jobs when it opened a new 25,000 square foot supermarket in the Galway Shopping Centre in the former Atlantic Homecare premises.
The supermarket – which is owned by Poundland in the UK – has a price point of €1.49 for every item, with specials for 99c of multiples for €1.49 and stocks a wide range of groceries and health and beauty items, as well as DVDs, electrical accessories, clothes and gardening items.
Meanwhile, it is understood that Dunnes Stores is planning multi-million euro refits for its premises in Terryland and Westside shopping centres.
Dozens of jobs are expected to be created during the renovations, which will see both supermarkets given a complete makeover.
However, in keeping with their media policy, the company refused to comment on the plans when contacted by this newspaper.
During the summer, rivals Tesco completed a €2m refit of their premises in the Galway Shopping Centre.
And in the coming weeks, furniture and homeware chain ‘Homestore & More’ will create between 15 and 20 new jobs when it opens a new 26,000 sq.ft. store beside Woodies in Wellpark Retail Park.
The chain already has thirteen stores in Dublin, Kerry, Wexford, Louth, Limerick, Cork and Carlow, employing more than 200 people.
Michael Coyle, CEO of Galway Chamber said the new businesses represent new competition for existing retailers in Galway.
“But these are national brands, these companies don’t make these decisions lightly. Any time a national brand makes a decision to locate in Galway, it’s a major vote of confidence in the city.
“This might just signal that we’re turning the corner, and hopefully these retailers are confident of that, too,” said Mr Coyle.
For more on this story, see the Galway City Tribune.
Connacht Tribune tributes to loved ones
These past few months have seen so many communities left to silently mourn family members and friends, whose funerals they would have attended in such numbers, were it not for the current Covid-19 restrictions.
But those that are gone have not been, and will not be, forgotten – which is why we want to open the pages of the Connacht Tribune to you to tell their stories.
If you’ve lost a loved one, whether to Covid-19 or not, or if your community or organization or sports club is mourning the death of a valued member and friend, you can email us your tribute and we will publish it in our papers.
All you have to do it to click on the above link, and it will take you to a short set of questions which you can fill in – and then add whatever you feel tells the story of the life of your friend, family member or colleague.
You can email that with a photograph to us, to email@example.com or you can post it to ‘Obituaries’, Connacht Tribune, 21 Liosban Business Park – and please enclose a contact number in case we have any queries.
We sympathise with anyone who has lost a loved one at this awful time, particularly given that so many people were unable to mourn with them and their family in person – and we hope that this will help in some small way to show those family members that we are all united in grief, even from a distance.
This is an additional feature we are providing alongside our long-established weekly Family Notices section where loved ones are remembered immediately by Months Mind Notices and annual anniversary remembrances. You can contact our team for further details at firstname.lastname@example.org
WATCH: The Olivers to the rescue … again!
Father and son rescue team Patrick and Morgan Oliver were back in action in Salthill this morning, when they helped a swimmer who got into difficulty.
A member of the public raised the alarm at around 10.30am and the Coastguard sought the assistance of Galway Lifeboat who launched from Galway Docks.
Two members of the lifeboat shore crew made their way to the promenade to assist in the rescue.
Patrick and Morgan Oliver were fishing off Salthill at the time and spotted the man taking refuge on Palmers Rock about 200 metres from Salthill shore. They took him on board their fishing boat and brought him back to Galway Docks. Galway Lifeboat in the meantime was stood down.
The man was taken into the Lifeboat station where he received treatment for symptoms of hypothermia until an ambulance arrived.
Assurances given on progress of road, bridge and bus projects
From this week’s Galway City Tribune – It will take time and a lot of money, but the city’s network of major transport projects will proceed on schedule – that was the assurance given this week to councillors by City Council Chief Executive, Brendan McGrath.
Councillors had expressed concerns at their meeting on Monday about the slow rate of progress being made with major capital projects including two new pedestrian bridges over the River Corrib.
However, Brendan McGrath told the meeting that the timelines for the range of capital transport projects – while challenging – were reasonable, pragmatic and achievable.
“All of the projects are moving forward but we must adhere to all the procedures and the different stages that have to be complied with: we have no choice in that,” said Brendan McGrath.
Senior City Council Engineer, Uinsinn Finn, in reply to a number of queries about potential new bus routes, said that while the Council worked closely with Bus Éireann and the bus companies, the local authority didn’t decide on the routes.
Earlier in the meeting, Cllr Peter Keane (FF), asked ‘how it could take 63 months’ to deliver a pedestrian/cycle bridge over the Corrib even though the piers (old Corrib Railway Line) were already in place for the project.
“How can it take over five years to put a bridge like this over the Corrib,” he asked, after hearing that this €11 million Greenways-linked project would not be completed until 2026.
There is a snappier timescale for the Salmon Weir Pedestrian/Cycle Bridge – to be located adjacent to the existing structure on the southern side – with planning consent expected by next Summer and a completion date set for the end of 2022.
This is a shortened preview version of this article. To read the rest of the story, see this week’s Galway City Tribune. You can buy a digital edition HERE.


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China plans to limit exports of advanced drones and supercomputers for national security reasons.
A new global trade agreement that eliminates tariffs on more than 200 kinds of IT products should result in lower prices to technology buyers around the world as it is implemented over the next three years.
A proposed set of software export controls, including controls on selling hacking software outside the U.S., are "dangerously broad and vague," Google said Monday.
WikiLeaks wants to raise US$100,000 to offer as a reward for whoever leaks the full text of the controversial free trade agreement, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
A trade agreement that has digital rights groups worried gained traction this week, when lawmakers voted to end a filibuster of legislation that would fast-track trade deals through Congress.
Protests over a controversial international trade agreement have taken on new urgency in recent days, after U.S. lawmakers introduced legislation that would give President Barack Obama's administration broad authority to negotiate the deal.
China is scratching its head over why the U.S. is opposing a new anti-terror law relating to cybersurveillance when the U.S. and other countries have also requested that tech companies hand over data to help stop terrorists.
The European Commission must soon strike a deal to regulate personal data transfers of EU citizens to the U.S., Germany's federal data protection commissioner warned, saying further delays could trigger a suspension of those transfers, with dire econ...
U.S. President Barack Obama has authorized new economic sanctions against North Korea, in part for the country's alleged hack of Sony Pictures Entertainment in November, the White House said.
President Barack Obama's administration is pushing two potentially controversial Internet policies in a secretive trade pact, with trade negotiators calling for other countries to adopt net neutrality provisions while rejecting policies requiring loc...
Here's one flight delay that European Union citizens might appreciate: The European Parliament has grounded an agreement that would have sent more passenger data winging its way to Canadian law enforcers. And like other flight delays, it could have h...
Amazon.com is hoping to attract more consumers from China, with a new agreement that will let the U.S. e-commerce company bring millions of products from its international sites to the country as imported goods.
Intel was the target of an elaborate hoax Thursday that drew attention to its plan to invest almost US$6 billion in a chip plant in southern Israel.
More than 100 online firms including Google, Amazon and Facebook have signed a joint letter to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission warning of "grave consequences" if it fails to protect the openness of the Internet.
A group of 29 technology companies has urged the U.S. Congress to reject a proposal to give President Barack Obama's administration broad authority to negotiate a controversial trade agreement with countries in the Pacific region.
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I’d happily recommend this touchscreen laptop and Windows 10 as a great way to get serious work done at a desk or on the road.
Ultimately, I think the Windows 10 environment is excellent for me as it caters for so many different uses. The inclusion of the Xbox app is also great for when you need some downtime too!
For me, the Xbox Play Anywhere is a great new feature as it allows you to play your current Xbox games with higher resolutions and better graphics without forking out extra cash for another copy. Although available titles are still scarce, but I’m sure it will grow in time.
First impression on unpacking the Q702 test unit was the solid feel and clean, minimalist styling.
For work use, Microsoft Word and Excel programs pre-installed on the device are adequate for preparing short documents.
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It's the most crucial time of the year for retailers — the run-up to the big holiday season, as they try to get their final shipments into stores for the rush.
But right now, retail supply chains are in trouble. They've been crippled by the wrath of Hurricane Sandy, report Stephanie Clifford and Nelson D. Schwartz at the New York Times..
“Things are slowing down,” Chris Merritt, VP for retail supply chain solutions at trucking company Ryder tells the NYT. “This whole part of the supply chain is clogged up.”
So now, they're scrambling to get things back on track.
From the NYT:
FedEx, for example, has rented fuel tankers to supply its delivery trucks as commercial gas stations run dry. Ryder has been hunting down rental trucks to add capacity. CSX, the major railroad company, was continuing to advise customers to expect delays of at least 72 hours on shipments. And retailers ranging from Amazon to Diane von Furstenberg have told customers to expect delays on shipments.
Because of all the damage to ports and rail lines, along with ravaged warehouses that had their merchandise ruined, the effects of Sandy may carry over into the season.
Some items that have been advertised for Black Friday sales may not reach stores or homes in the Northeast in time, and orders that have already been paid for may not be fulfilled.


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The government is planning to introduce a law to ban private cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin and put in place a framework for an official digital currency to be issued by the central bank, according to a legislative agenda listed by the government. The Cryptocurrency and Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill 2021. The law will “create a facilitative framework for creation of the official digital currency to be issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI),” said the agenda, published on the lower house website on Friday.
The legislation, listed for debate in the current parliamentary session, seeks “to prohibit all private cryptocurrencies in India, however, it allows for certain exceptions to promote the underlying technology of cryptocurrency and its uses,” the agenda said.
In mid-2019, an Indian government panel recommended banning all private cryptocurrencies, with a jail term of up to 10 years and heavy fines for anyone dealing in digital currencies.
The panel has, however, asked the government to consider the launch of an official government-backed digital currency in India, to function like bank notes, through the Reserve Bank of India.
The RBI had in April 2018 ordered financial institutions to break off all ties with individuals or businesses dealing in virtual currency such as bitcoin within three months.
However, in March 2020, India’s Supreme Court allowed banks to handle cryptocurrency transactions from exchanges and traders, overturning a central bank ban had that dealt the thriving industry a major blow.
Governments around the world have been looking into ways to regulate cryptocurrencies but no major economy has taken the drastic step of placing a blanket ban on owning them, even though concern has been raised about the misuse of consumer data and its possible impact on the financial system.
country’s leading cryptocurrency exchange CoinDCX on the new cryptocurrency bill (The Cryptocurrency and Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill 2021) being introduced in the Parliament.
Sumit Gupta, Co-founder & CEO, CoinDCX said –
“Since the government is considering introducing the bill during this session of Parliament, we are sure the government will definitely listen to all the stakeholders before taking any decision. We are talking to other stakeholders and will definitely initiate deeper dialogue with the government and showcase how we can actually create a healthy ecosystem in unison”
Mr. Rahul Pagidipati, CEO at ZebPay on the digital currency bill announcement:
“The digital currency bill to be introduced before the Lok Sabha is a welcome step forward. Its success will depend on the details, particularly the definition of what the bill calls “private cryptocurrencies”. This is not a common term. Bitcoin is not privately owned by anyone. It is a public good, like the internet.
Bitcoin and most crypto assets are more like gold and not an alternative to government-issued legal tender. Crypto assets and digital government currency can coexist and together, they can bring tremendous benefits to the Indian economy.
We hope the Lok Sabha members and advisors will consult crypto and blockchain companies as they make their decisions. Millions of Indians have already invested in this new asset class. Millions more want the same opportunity to build wealth that investors in other countries already have. We have faith in the government and hope that this bill will move India forwards, not backwards.”


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If you're interested in a streaming stick this holiday season, here are our top three to consider.
66 Recent Stories
Roku announced on Tuesday it has sold 10 million of its set-top boxes in the United States, meaning about 8.6% of the country's 115 million households own -- or have owned -- the device. Roku, which launched in May 2008, was the first device to stream Netflix on TV. Since then, others including Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Google Chromecast have emerged as competitors. Gaming consoles including Xbox and PlayStation also offer streaming.
Of all the media-streaming households in the U.S., 44% of them use Roku as their primary streaming device, a new report suggests.
Roku just unveiled its answer to Google Chromecast. The Roku Streaming Stick is a tiny device that plugs into your television's HDMI port and allows you to stream HD video from the web, controlled from a phone or tablet. "Consumers want a ton of entertainment, an easy way to search for movies and TV shows, and options to control the experience with a remote or mobile device," said Jim Funk, senior vice president of product management at Roku.
Amazon is considering live TV programming via a paid online service, according to a report. The online retail giant has approached "at least three big media conglomerates seeking rights to distribute their content online," according to The Wall Street Journal. Amazon's service would offer channels that are currently available on cable and satellite, according to the report. Reps from Amazon could not be reached for comment.
Welcome to this morning's edition of "First To Know," a series in which we keep you in the know on what's happening in the digital world. We're looking at three particularly interesting stories today. At this year's International CES, streaming player Roku announced it is joining the smart TV market this fall. Users will have full access to the Roku Channel Store that includes more than 31,000 movies and 1,200 channels.
One small step for man, one giant leap for cat videos -- Roku now has a dedicated YouTube channel. YouTube and Roku both announced the moved today in respective blog posts (Roku) (YouTube). In addition to being able to access YouTube videos in HD, the new service will also include a "Send to TV" option that gives users the option to navigate with their smartphone. For now, only the Roku 3 will have the YouTube app.
Google is one step closer to unveiling its own Nexus-branded set-top box for streaming videos and playing games, according to a new report. The set-top box, which streams video from services such as Hulu and Netflix will run on Android, and could be available as early as the first half of 2014, The Information reported Friday. See also: 6 Great Alternatives to Netflix The tech publication is not the first to speculate on a set-top streaming device from Google.
Sling Media announced a new SlingPlayer channel for Roku streaming devices on Monday. This means you can enjoy live or recorded TV via a Slingbox on a Roku streaming player. The result is similar to the TiVo Stream and TiVo Mini products, in that it lets you access content and remotely control a TV set and DVR from another location.
Netflix is rolling out a major update for the Netflix on TV experience on Wednesday. The new look, which Netflix dubs "the biggest update in Netflix history to our TV experience," will work not only on game consoles, but also on devices such as Roku and on Smart TV and Blu-ray players. Netflix says that the update has been in the works for more than a year and a half, with the primary goal of making it easier for users to discover great content.
Roku has updated its product line with three new streaming devices aimed at users who want a great connected video player at an affordable price. Back in March, Roku launched the Roku 3, its most powerful streaming player to date. At $99.99, the Roku 3 has a dual-core ARM Cortex A-9 processor, dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi, a Wi-Fi remote with an included headphone jack, and the latest UI. See also: 7 Photo Editing Apps to Use With Instagram The Roku 3 is now available in Canada, the U.K.
As previously reported, HBO Go is indeed coming to Apple TV, effective Wednesday. Apple announced that WatchESPN and content from an assortment of other streaming providers are now available on the device as well. Apple TV owners -- at least, those with subscriptions to HBO and ESPN -- have been able to stream content from those networks using iPhone or iPad devices (and AirPlay) for some time. The new integration simply saves them the need to pull out a secondary device.
Stop me if you've heard this one before: The living room is about to become totally connected. For the past decade or longer, users were promised a world where live TV, digital video from Netflix, Hulu and YouTube, and purchased or downloaded content would all be available from one interface using one remote. A decade later, we've failed to reach that apex of what remains the true holy grail for the connected living room, but we're getting closer than ever.
Following the launch of a Time Warner Cable app for Roku in March, the cable telecommunications company is looking to launch its application on other platforms, including Apple TV, according to FierceCable. At Time Warner Cable’s investor conference on Tuesday, CEO Glenn Britt told his audience that the company’s interests extend beyond Roku, according to FierceCable's report.
Hulu has rolled out a new interface for Hulu Plus on Roku, select Samsung TV and Blu-ray players and the Nintendo Wii. The update mirrors changes made to the PlayStation 3 Hulu Plus interface last fall and this spring's Apple TV redesign. The update is more living room-centric, with a focus on larger artwork, an easier way to scroll through recommendations and improved search. It also brings the Hulu Kids section into the living room.
Streaming device company Roku has raised another $60 million in funding. In the competitive connected device space, Roku stands out as one of the most viable competitors to Apple TV and consoles such as the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The company primarily makes connected devices, such as the new Roku 3 and also works with OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) to create Roku Ready devices that can accept a Roku Streaming Stick.
As all eyes look toward Microsoft's announcement of the next generation Xbox and its bid to take on the PlayStation 4 in the gaming space, the company also has an opportunity to broadly take over the burgeoning connected device space. How? By continuing to sell the Xbox 360 -- but for a flat $99.99. Yes, Microsoft has toyed with $99.99 Xbox 360 bundles in the past -- but those bundles include a monthly Xbox Live Gold subscription that adds another $120 to the purchase.
Roku is out with a new addition to its line of streaming media players. The box itself has a familiar look, but users will immediately notice the user interface is completely redone. Mashable got a sneak peek from Roku and we can tell you the new UI is a much simpler, easier way to discover content. Roku has restructured the UI into a grid form, with user index on the left, and channels on the right as you can see in the photo.
LAS VEGAS -- At International CES 2013, Netgear announced the latest member of its NeoTV streaming player market, the Google TV-enabled NeoTV Prime. NeoTV is Netgear's attempt to take on companies such as Roku in the low-cost streaming player space. The players have a small footprint and allow users to access streaming content from sources such as Hulu Plus and Netflix. The NeoTV Prime is the first Google TV offering from Netgear.
Roku has secured more channels for its smart TV boxes, bringing the streaming-entertainment company's offering to more than 700 channels since 2008.
By tomorrow, one of the presidential candidates will be celebrating their victory and the other will see their name featured in a new advertising campaign from Roku.
Roku on Monday rolled out a new update to its devices, Roku Search, that makes it easier for users to find movies and TV shows on the company's line of streaming devices. Roku Search replicates one of the best aspects of the Xbox 360, namely, the ability to search for a video title across a multitude of services. This means that instead of having to search Netflix, Hulu, Vudu and Amazon for a program, you can search all services at once.
Ready to make your home movie night a little more like going to the theater? Streaming media player company Roku announced on Thursday that it is teaming up with 3M to launch a projector that can recreate the cinema experience from your couch. The streaming projector is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, yet can project large moving images across any flat surface. It can create up a screen up to 120 inches and comes with built-in audio and a headphone jack to add speakers to the device..
Roku founder Anthony Wood runs a startup that, along with companies like Apple and Microsoft, sells hardware that's bringing web video to home television screens. It's no wonder his nine-year-old daughter prefers to watch her favorite Disney shows on Netflix at her whim, rather than surf Disney's own 24-hour cable channel. This is one example of how traditional TV service providers are losing their hold on America's eyeballs.
This week, Sony announced the launch of its new Google TV set-top box, the NSZ-GS7 Internet player, giving us one more option for watching TV and movies minus the cable box. If you'd like to shift content from your small-screen laptop to the giant flat-screen in your living room, there are now plenty of options available. Check out these five popular picks to see which player suits your viewing habits best.
Streaming media player company Roku just announced the new Roku Streaming Stick that will turn compatible TV sets into robust Internet-connected devices. The Roku Streaming Stick packs the power of a Roku player into something about the size of a USB flash drive. It plugs into the HDMI port on your TV and offers up the entire Roku experience, including access to services like Netflix, Pandora, Crackle and Hulu Plus.
Light up your iPhone, peek at a future Lexus, slip on some self-cooling shoes and even harpoon a comet in the latest Top 10 Tech This Week. We'll blow you away with the best and brightest, the craziest and scariest, the most innovative and unbelievable technology introduced in the world over the past seven days. Strap yourself in, because it's going to be a helluva ride. Here are previous editions of Top 10 Tech This Week.
HBO programming will be available on Roku boxes at the end of the month, thanks to a deal between Roku and Time Warner. The HBO Go service will provide instant access to 1,400 titles and it will be free to Roku customers who already get HBO through their TV service. HBO rep Quentin Schaffer says you won’t be able to get HBO Go "over the top" without otherwise subscribing. "What we’re doing is taking our HBO Go service and making it ubiquitous," he says.
The team at Roku has just announced its newest line of streaming players, the Roku 2. It was only last fall that Roku revamped its line of players, introducing the Roku XD and XDS. The new Roku 2 comes in at the same price as the previous units, but it comes in smaller, sleeker and with support for a Bluetooth motion-remote control. The new remote will be bundled free with the $99 Roku 2 XS and will come bundled with a version of Angry Birds built just for the Roku.
You can play Angry Birds on a variety of smartphones, on your desktop or -- if you're imaginative enough -- in real life. Now, Internet-connected TV platform Roku has partnered up with game maker Rovio to bring Angry Birds to the TV. Roku plans to offer Angry Birds, Angry Birds Seasons and Angry Birds Rio video games as well as an Angry Birds video channel featuring animated shorts based on the franchise.
Google and its partners made a major bet on Google TV, an ambitious attempt to bridge the gap between the web and TV worlds. But so far it has failed to pay dividends -- quite literally, in the case of Google partner Logitech. On Thursday, Logitech released its fourth quarter fiscal report, and the results were a mixed bag. Operating income was a mere $3.6 million, a far cry from the $24.5 million it made a year ago.


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Foreign backpackers and others on working holiday visas will be able to help bushfire- affected communities get back on their
The Australian Government believes it is delivering on its promise to boost regional migration. Recently released figures show that in
Regional businesses in Australia are benefiting from a 20 per cent increase in the number of working holiday makers supporting
The Australian Government has announced a new campaign to attract more working holiday makers to Australia, helping to boost regional
The Australian Government has announced changes to the Working Holiday Maker (WHM) visa program to support regional and rural communities.


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Detroit’s Black McDonald’s Operators Association (BMOA) have once again teamed up with food rescue organization Forgotten Harvest to make the holiday brighter for families around Detroit.
On Monday, Nov. 19, representatives from Forgotten Harvest and dozens of local non-profit agencies came out to the McDonald’s restaurant at 1321 W. 8 Mile Road to pick up turkeys, which they will then distribute around the area in time for the holiday.
“The Detroit BMOA is committed to giving back to our community and we are once again happy to be able to make the holiday a little better for many of our neighbors,” said Savarior Moss-Service, BMOA President. “We hope our effort helps make sure that every family in Detroit is able to enjoy a feast this week and celebrate with their families and friends.”
Click here to continue.


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Daily Mail accuses insurers of ‘ripping off’ motorists to the tune of £1.5bn
Dual pricing has hit the headlines again, with the Daily Mail highlighting the cost to motorists.
Almost 5 million motorists are overpaying £1.4bn each year on their car insurance premiums because they’re not shopping around, the newspaper calculated, based on a survey of 2,000 drivers by price comparison site GoCompare.com.
The newspaper accused insurance companies of “ripping off” loyal customers by discounting premiums for new customers, but inflating the prices paid by loyal policyholders.
The FCA said in its latest business plan that it planned to look at dual pricing, but previous reviews have yielded little action to stop the practice.
Subscribers read more:
Insurers are now obliged to print last year’s premiums on renewal notices to highlight any premium increase, and it has had some impact on retention.
But the newspaper said the proportion of drivers automatically staying with their existing provider has fallen only fractionally from 17% to 16%.
With 31 milion cars registered in the UK, that means that nearly 5 million are paying over the odds, the Daily Mail calculated. And it said that, with the average driver saving £268.69 by shopping around, that equates to £1.4bn being overpaid each year.


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A design for a 42-story wood tower, the tallest yet, has been published in a report by architects Skidmore Owings & Merrill. Its carbon footprint is smaller than a steel tower.
“Code approval for new uses of wood products in these markets requires dedicated performance testing,” said Geoff Huntington, director of strategic initiatives for the OSU College of Forestry. “This testing is key to unlocking the engineered wood supply chain to meet growing demand.”
Have something to say? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.


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Granite Investment Partners LLC reduced its stake in shares of American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (NYSE:AEO – Get Rating) by 1.3% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 756,440 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock after selling 10,012 shares during the quarter. Granite Investment Partners LLC’s holdings in American Eagle Outfitters were worth $10,560,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Belpointe Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in American Eagle Outfitters in the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Eisler Capital UK Ltd. bought a new position in shares of American Eagle Outfitters during the third quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board bought a new position in shares of American Eagle Outfitters during the first quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd bought a new position in shares of American Eagle Outfitters during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $51,000. Finally, QVIDTVM Management LLC bought a new position in shares of American Eagle Outfitters during the third quarter valued at approximately $58,000. 93.34% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.
Insider Buying and Selling
In other American Eagle Outfitters news, EVP Michael R. Rempell sold 12,510 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $13.13, for a total transaction of $164,256.30. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 172,003 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,258,399.39. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other news, EVP Michael R. Rempell sold 18,997 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $14.65, for a total value of $278,306.05. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 172,003 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,519,843.95. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Michael R. Rempell sold 12,510 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $13.13, for a total transaction of $164,256.30. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 172,003 shares in the company, valued at $2,258,399.39. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 43,202 shares of company stock worth $599,822 in the last 90 days. 7.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
American Eagle Outfitters Trading Up 0.7 %
American Eagle Outfitters stock traded up $0.07 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $10.70. The company had a trading volume of 3,977,512 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,083,970. The firm has a market cap of $2.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.33, a P/E/G ratio of 0.85 and a beta of 1.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a current ratio of 1.43. American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. has a 1 year low of $9.46 and a 1 year high of $17.09. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $13.10 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $14.17.
American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE:AEO – Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 24th. The apparel retailer reported $0.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.17. American Eagle Outfitters had a net margin of 2.23% and a return on equity of 13.20%. The company had revenue of $1.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.07 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.16 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. will post 1.12 earnings per share for the current year.
American Eagle Outfitters Cuts Dividend
The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 21st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 6th were given a $0.10 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, April 5th. This represents a $0.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.74%. American Eagle Outfitters’s payout ratio is presently 72.73%.
American Eagle Outfitters Company Profile
American Eagle Outfitters, Inc is a multi-brand specialty retailer, which offers an assortment of apparel and accessories for men and women under the American Eagle Outfitters brand, and intimates, apparel and personal care products for women under the Aerie brand. The firm operates stores in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Hong Kong, China and the United Kingdom.
- Get a free copy of the StockNews.com research report on American Eagle Outfitters (AEO)
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: Premji Invest
, the investment arm of Wipro
billionaire Azim Premji
, has infused $25 million (Rs 170 crore) into Bengaluru-based food company ID Fresh Foods that has popularised ready-to-cook products, including idly and dosa batter, chapatis and Malabar parotas. Premji Invest has acquired a 25% stake in the company , valuing it at over $100 million.
Two years ago, venture capital firm Helion Ventures had picked up a similar stake in the company for Rs 35 crore. School dropout Mustafa
PC started selling dosa batter from a shop run by his cousins in 2006, that morphed into ID Fresh Foods in 2008.Mustafa tapped into market potential for ready-to-cook products as busy professionals were increasingly timeconstrained to prepare fresh batter for making idlys and dosas at home. The company has seven factories across the country , and one in Sharjah in the UAE.
Premji Invest did not respond to TOI's email query on the funding, while Mustafa did not respond to calls and text messages. MAPE Advisory Group is the adviser to the transaction.
The initial success of the Bengaluru-firm stoked Mustafa's ambition to expand beyond Bengaluru into other cities, including Chennai, Mumbai and Hyderabad.The company is learnt to have clocked Rs 100 crore in revenue for the 2015-16 financial year, said sources. With the new round of funding, the company is looking to grow its national footprint and expand its product portfolio. Over the last few months, ID has introduced curd and paneer as part of its offerings and it's also plan ning to launch vada and rava idly batter soon.
The 71-year-old Premji's investment firm manages assets worth over $2 billion with investments in about 50 publicly traded and privately held companies. Premji has placed significant investment bets on the internet economy , including Snapdeal
, Lenskart, PolicyBazaar and Amagi Media. Premji is also an investor in cancer care specialist HCG Global, which listed on the bourses last year.
In 2015, Premji Invest led a $80 million funding in US-based mobile operating system startup Cyanogen that counted Twitter Ventures, Qualcomm
, Telefónica Ventures, Smartfren Telecom, Index Ventures, Rupert Murdoch
among others investors.


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In this edition of Scattered Showers, Oprainfall takes a look at the longest-delayed games in Europe.
And now Sly Cooper :( At least not 10 years :\
I would sure hate to have my country controlled by an undemocratic EU Parliament.
irrelevant...? they don't actually control video game industry or something like that
N4G is a community of gamers posting and discussing the latest game news. It’s part of NewsBoiler, a network of social news sites covering today’s pop culture.


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Chevrolet replacing 120-volt power cords on most Volt automobiles
If you're one of the 10,000 or so folks who pay insurance on a Chevrolet Volt, you may have a new cable coming your way. According to The Detroit News and Yahoo! Autos, General Motors will soon be sending out replacement 120-volt charging cords for Volt automobiles, which are said to "offer some more consistency in charging," while also making it more durable. We're told that some of the newfangled chargers have shipped with recent Volts, but the majority of customers were sent home with the older model. Of note, GM won't be swapping out any of those optional 240-volt cords, and the company won't consider this a recall or safety issue. As for getting your replacement? Owners are slated to be notified directly in the "next few weeks."
All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.


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Canute has launched a new cycle safety scheme in conjunction with its supply chain client Wilko’s. The scheme involves training drivers to improve their awareness of cyclists, particularly in urban environments, and ensure they are equipped to take all available precautions to avoid collisions with vulnerable road users. The training involves drivers pulling into a designated on-site area with strategically placed bicycles before leaving the yard for delivery. The driver must check that the bikes are all visible in the […]
Stobart Group has entered the savings market with a new six-year retail bond. The retail bond is aimed at small investors, and will yield a fixed-rate of 5.5% per annum, while providing Stobart with another funding stream. Well known retail brands names such as Tesco, John Lewis and National Grid already market bonds, which offer investors relatively attractive interest rates in exchange for tying up their money. Stobart bonds will available to buy and trade on the London Stock Exchange, […]
Tiger Trailers clawed its way out of the worst of last year’s pandemic to turn in a financial performance it said was “the best in our history”.
The industry has begun making plans to mitigate the effects of Covid-19, but hauliers have told motortransport.co.uk they also need the government to provide more regular updates on the spread of the virus.


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London: A hand-coloured print of Edvard Munch`s "Madonna" has sold at auction in London for 1.25 million pounds, Bonhams said.
The price was around double pre-sale estimates of 500,000 to 700,000 pounds and made it the most expensive print ever to be sold at auction in Britain, said the auction house Tuesday.
The 1895 work was sold at Bonhams to a private buyer from the United States, for 1,252,000 pounds including buyer`s premium.
The print, which had not been shown in public before coming to auction, shows the Madonna in yellow and white set against a halo of blue, green and red.
The Norwegian artist reworked his original idea several times between 1895 and 1902. The work sold Tuesday had been in the same family for more than 100 years.
"It has been a real privilege selling such a wonderful image and it fully deserves to have achieved such a fantastic price," said Robert Kennan, Bonhams head of prints.


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While TSMC will continue to use immersion lithography for this 7nm node, Samsung recently confirmed it will skip a 7nm immersion node. Instead, GlobalFoundries and Samsung are working on a 7nm process that utilizes Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography.
The companies claim their 7nm EUV node will deliver “the tightest contacted polysilicon pitch (44/48nm) and metallization pitch (36nm) ever reported for FinFETs”. For comparison, the Intel 10nm node, which is expected to hit mass production in 2017, has a reported 56nm gate pitch.
Using EUV, GF and Samsung claim they will deliver “the tightest contacted polysilicon pitch (44/48nm) and metallization pitch (36nm) ever reported for FinFETs,” in an abstract for the International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM).There is still quite a bit of work to be done to get EUV ready for mass production, but the companies hope the node will be ready for production before the end of 2018. You can read the full piece at EE Times.
The pitches leapfrog the 56nm gate pitch Intel announced in August for its 10nm process, claiming industry-leading density for the node it aims to have in production next year. Observers have started to suggest both TSMC and Samsung might leapfrog Intel which has slowed the pace of releasing new process technologies as progress in Moore’s law becomes more complex and costly.


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The holiday season in the UK brings joy but also magnifies the challenges faced by many families in the midst of a cost of living crisis. As brands showcase their budget breaking Christmas campaigns, how are they balancing sales goals with an understanding of the struggles being faced by those most in need this year?
Understanding the climate
Rising costs have made Christmas an increasingly daunting time for working class families. According to the Office for National Statistics, prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages rose by 10.1%, and private rental prices rose to 6.1% in the 12 months to October 2023.
And recently, skyrocketing lunch prices were in focus at the FT who wrote about how expensive sandwiches are flawed economic indicators. It confirms how much the prices of our lunch staples at Pret have increased since 2020: ‘Pret’s bestseller, a tuna and cucumber baguette, has risen from £2.99 in December 2021 to £4.25 today — an increase of 42%. The price of a chicken Caesar and bacon baguette has jumped about 32% from £3.99 to £5.25. As it stands, an undiscounted online-ordered Pret ham sandwich, brownie and Coke was £5.55 in 2020, £6.80 last May, and £9.90 today.’
In the run up to Christmas, how are brands and retailers balancing their need to hit Q4 sales targets with the very harsh realities of the cost of living crisis?
Keeping prices stable
In October, Aldi, the ‘big shop’ go-to, price locked its Christmas dinner lines, with items including turkey crowns, pigs in blankets, Christmas puddings and vegetables at the same price as last year. The move was made after Aldi said a survey earlier this month of 2,000 UK adults by OnePoll found 35% were worried about the cost of Christmas and 40% were planning to spend less this year than last year.
Opting out of the Christmas ads race
This year, Iceland made the bold move to scrap its Christmas ad entirely in favour of investing money into keeping prices low. Iceland’s managing director, Richard Walker, took to X to explain the move: ‘Rather than spend millions creating and sharing a TV ad, we chose to invest the money supporting our customers during the cost-of-living crisis. No-brainer.‘
Practical support for families in need
Iceland’s decision to shun a Christmas ad is an admirable PR move but unlikely to make a difference to the millions who are facing a very lean Christmas. Rather than cancelling their Christmas campaign, perhaps Iceland could have redirected the planned investment into real life community programmes where this kind of money could make a tangible impact. For instance, Tesco’s Christmas Ad may help us to ‘become more Christmas’, but its food collection partnership with the Trussell Trust will help those on the lowest incomes survive Christmas.
Similarly, the Co-op’s new Christmas campaign pledges ‘no Hollywood actors, talking veg, or global singing stars‘. Instead, it focuses on ‘the gift of community spirit’ as it calls on members and customers to donate to local causes, which the retailer has pledged to match.
Advertising as a driver for economic opportunity
We know that overall, advertising is a vital driver of economic growth and opportunity. Patrick Collister explains in the documentary John Webster: The Human Ad Man that great work enables us to ‘build factories, keep people in jobs and support brands‘. Building a culture of ‘Collective Genius’ enables our industry to grow the economy.
Effective advertising can contribute to the well being of working class communities, particularly during Christmas with more jobs and busier high-streets.
So in 2024, how should brands balance their efforts to drive effective advertising and ensure empathy with those struggling at this time of year?
First, think practically. Before making bold gestures like canning campaigns in solidarity for everyday people, ask yourself, ‘will this really make a difference or can we do more?’. Look for practical ways to support those communities most in need and then promote the hell out of it.
Next, look at the make-up of your own team, agencies and your suppliers. Will you realistically understand the nooks and crannies of normal people if your brand is built through a lens of total privilege. Getting the balance right means championing representation of people from working class backgrounds. And while this is a longer term play, fair representation is always a smart brand move.
Featured image: Thiago Matos / Pexels


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The US Department of Commerce will issue its conclusion on an investigation of evasion of trade remedies for plywood using hardwood materials imported from Vietnam on December 1. This marks the fourth time that the department (DOC) has changed the date to announce the conclusion of the investigation, which comes amid the wood industry facing great risks with high raw material prices, especially in the export stage to Vietnam’s largest markets.
|Wood manufacturers on alert for unpredictable new year prospects, photo Le Toan
The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), in a report released last week, advised businesses to be cautious with their business plan for 2023. The impact of the economic slowdown and high inflation in many major import markets, such as the US, EU, and Japan, has directly impacted Vietnam’s production and exports.
Thus, the ministry fears a prolonged decline and strong impact to the whole of 2023, signalling a difficult business year for many manufacturing industries, including wood and wood-based products.
Two weeks ago, a seminar on reducing risks and promoting sustainable development of the domestic wood industry in the southern province of Dong Nai – one of the largest timber processors in Vietnam – was held as successive delegations of the DOC and the European Commission came to Vietnam to review the implementation of commitments on legal timber. Using plantation timber materials to replace raw materials from natural forests has thus become a top priority for many stakeholders.
The domestic market, an integral component of the timber industry, is directly affecting the export component. In the first 10 months of 2022, wooden furniture exports to the US reached $6.5 billion, accounting for almost 88 per cent of the total export value of wood and wood products, down 3.1 per cent over the same period last year. The export value of wooden furniture to the EU in the first 10 months of 2022 also reached only $784 million, down 2 per cent over the same period last year, according to the MoIT.
Meanwhile, in the domestic market, production and business activities remain unstable, putting pressure on the output of craft villages. Le Phi Chien, a representative of Lien Ha craft village in Hanoi, said that the land has become much more expensive as the factory investment rate increased. “Meanwhile, loan interest rates are increasing, all to the worry of many households. Previously, we only had wholesale, but now we have to go via retail to maintain operations,” Chien said.
In response, wood enterprises led by Tavico JSC connected with some northern wood craft villages with the goal of converting input materials and changing habits to use natural wood, especially precious woods.
Modern and traditional are the two trends dividing wood craft villages. Dang Thi En, a representative of Van Diem woodworking village in Hanoi, assessed, “This split could render any attempt of linking up with each other void. The most developed households in the craft village are those who are not interested in association. They want to keep a stable mentality and preserve their assets,” said En.
In the past, when En developed her business by connecting with architects and interior design units, she was repeatedly dissuaded by her family, who thought it was unnecessary. “Van Diem woodworking village is almost unchanged, still using designs maintained many years ago,” En lamented.
Vo Quang Ha, general director of Tavico, offered suggestions after a workshop in early November which displayed craft village products at the Tay wood wholesale market. “The chain of links from raw materials, processing, to product output does not need only a few links, it needs many other links, in finance, technology, and logistics. The most important part is to develop a sustainable wood product supply chain,” Ha concluded
Data from the Association of Vietnam Timber and Forest Products (Viforest) showed that export orders of wood enterprises are declining sharply, especially in the US and EU markets. Currently, 80 per cent of businesses report a decrease in revenue compared to 2021. The average order decline in the US, EU, and UK markets is forecast to be over 40 per cent.
|Large inventories stifling wood production objectives
High inflation has almost paralysed the output of several wood processing sectors in Vietnam at this time, with consumers cutting their use of wood and related products in major import markets worldwide.
|Sourcing restrictions to slow wood pellet export
With rising energy costs around the world, the attractiveness of wood pellets as an alternative energy source has surged dramatically during the year, promising enticing export profits, if all requirements are met.


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Kimberley Walsh opens up past body image struggles
Kimberley Walsh has opened up about her past weight struggles in an interview, revealing that as a teenager she often turned to quick fix diets in an...
Fashion's a family affair: Daisy Lowe helps mum Pearl launch new line
They make quite the team, this mother and daughter. Launching her new Christmas line for leading retailer Peacocks, Pearl Lowe turned to daughter...
Gavin Rossdale puts a smile back on daughter Daisy Lowe's face following Peaches Geldof's death
Gavin Rossdale and his daughter Daisy Lowe enjoyed a rare lunch together on Wednesday.CLICK ON PHOTOS FOR FULL GALLERYThe pair were seen deep in...


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Carnival Corp.'s Cunard Line, operator of the Queen Elizabeth 2 cruise ship, said it is designing the largest luxury ocean liner ever built, capitalizing on the QE2's famous name and reputation for elegance.
Miami-based Carnival, the world's largest cruise operator, bought a majority stake in 160-year-old Cunard in May for $500 million and merged it with Seabourn Cruise Line, which it also controlled. Cunard's name has become associated with a 1920s-and '30s-style of luxury trans-Atlantic travel.
These days, Cunard is designing a new class of ships that is likely to extend Carnival's dominance of the luxury-cruise market, analysts said. The market is expected to grow as consumers spend more on leisure activities. Cunard has dubbed the new class of ships "Project Queen Mary." The Queen Mary was another grand ocean liner, launched in 1930s.
The new class of vessel will make the same trans-Atlantic trip that the Queen Elizabeth 2 now does, said a spokesman.
The company didn't provide specifics of the new ship's size, number of berths or cost. Nor did it say who will build the ship or when it will be ready.


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Almo Professional AV will host a “bonus” event on its E4 AV Tour on July 10 in Baltimore.
Milestone AV has announced the promotions of several sales executives, naming Jay Rohe vice president of U.S. commercial sales, a role which will give him responsibly for all sales across the Chief and Da-Lite brands.
The Women in CE organization announced Wednesday the honorees for its annual Women in CE Legacy Awards. The four main honorees are Amy College, senior vice president of merchandizing at Best Buy; Amy Jo Smith, president of DEG: the Digital Entertainment Group; journalist Andrea Smith, formerly of ABC News; and Revenew founder and CEO Nasrin Thierer.
Almo Professional A/V has announced a "bonus" event for its E4 AV Tour, with an E4 Philadelphia Expo scheduled for August 15 at the Valley Force Casino & Resort in King of Prussia, Pa.
Da-Lite this week announced a pair of additions to its sales team.
The event at CEDIA Expo hosted by Women in CE last week broke all levels of attendance and sponsorship support, the organizers announced Thursday.
The continual decrease in pricing for large-screen flat-panel TVs has made big-screen viewing more common than ever. But there is still no more appealing and
immersive audio/video entertainment experience than the one-two punch provided by projectors and screens.
Chief Manufacturing announced this week that it has teamed up with Da-Lite and Epson to create the Chief Integrated Interactive System, a new boardroom system that combines Chief's mounts, Da-Lite's screen technology and Epson's BrightLinkPro 1410Wi projector.


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Häfele, the global manufacturer and distributor of furniture fittings, lighting, hardware, ironmongery and accessories, has teamed up with Chelmsford-based kitchen studio Regal Kitchens to host a workshop for design students from University Centre South Essex.
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The event, which was in its second year, saw design students receive an education on how lighting can change the look of textures and colours used in a kitchen. Students were then set a brief to design a fresh, bright kitchen in a space with limited daylight, which was then presented to a panel from Häfele and Regal and a winner chosen.
“We were extremely impressed with the designs. The student’s presentations were amazing and it’s easy to see that they are all going to do brilliantly well in whatever career they choose after their course finishes,” said Emma McLoughlin, business development manager for Regal Kitchens.
Matthew Lissaman, regional sales manager for Häfele added: “The standard of work was incredibly high, and it made choosing a winning concept very difficult. However, the winning team managed to follow the brief to the letter, showed a very good use of light and incorporated AluSplash, an innovative splashback solution from Häfele into their design.
“Lighting can often be overlooked when designing a kitchen, but it was clear from the day’s presentations that the students really grasped the concept and we hope they’ll take what they’ve learnt forward as they develop their careers.”