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Four years ago, Microsoft assembled a team, many with killer Windows pedigrees, to build Microsoft's public-cloud operating system, Windows Azure (codenamed "Red Dog.") On the all-star roster were folks like Dave Cutler, the father of Windows NT, and Hoi Vo, an expert in hypervisor development, among others.
Earlier this month, one of my tipsters filled in a related piece of this puzzle. Vo quietly had moved from the Azure team, where he was Director of the OS/hypervisor, to the Interactive Entertainment Business (IEB) side of the company. Yes, Vo's LinkedIn bio doesn't mention his new job, but according to my tipster he is now working in ISS Console Development research and development.
(ISS is the Interactive Entertainment Business Software and Services group headed by Microsoft Corporate Vice President David Treadwell. The group's charter is to develop and deliver "connected entertainment experiences for consumers.")
(I asked Microsoft officials for comment on Vo's move and was told "Microsoft doesn’t discuss internal movement to this degree." I also emailed Vo and received no answer back.)
So what about Cutler? He's earned the right to do basically whatever he wants at Microsoft. And word is that "whatever" has something to do with the future of Xbox.
I asked Microsoft for comment and got this statement from a spokesperson:
"Dave is one of our brightest minds and is currently working on projects that will help advance our goals in the consumer space as we continue to grow the Xbox from a game-centric console to a complete home entertainment device."
The spokesperson declined to provide any further details or say when Cutler left the Azure team. (I'm thinking it happened some time after March 2011, when his last boss, Amitabh Srivasta, left Microsoft.)
One of my contacts said to think about Cutler's new role as focusing on moving Xbox beyond a gaming platform. Does that simply mean he'll be helping Microsoft do what it's already on the path to do: To make Xbox more and more of a TV and/or settop-box replacement? Or is it something bigger, like helping Xbox also become a home videoconferencing/telepresence hub -- or maybe even a whole home-automation system? (Remember, Microsoft has a HomeOS research project exploring these kinds of scenarios.)
One thing to remember is the current Xbox operating system is loosely built on NT, and Cutler knows a thing or two about that operating system...
Any guesses (educated or otherwise) as to what Cutler is doing specifically in the Xbox space?


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Naspers’s Prosus, through its OLX Brazil business, has agreed to spend R$2.9-billion (R9.9-billion) to buy Grupo ZAP, described as one of the fastest-growing technology companies in the South American country.
OLX Brazil is a 50/50 joint venture between Adevinta and the Amsterdam-listed Prosus, which was spun out of Naspers last year. The investment, for 100% of Grupo ZAP, will be equally financed by OLX Brazil’s two shareholders, with Adevinta financing its share through existing bank facilities.
The transaction is subject to approval by Brazil’s competition authorities.
“OLX Brazil and Grupo ZAP, currently among the most relevant players in the online real-estate classifieds and advertising sector in Brazil, are highly complementary platforms,” OLX said in a statement.
“The acquisition will therefore offer a great opportunity for synergies and value creation. The merger will help boost the real-estate market, offering a better range of services with a broader database of properties.”
With Grupo ZAP, OLX Brazil will be able to offer its users more than 12 million listings from more than 40 000 real-estate agencies and thousands of private listers, as well as allowing its advertisers to reach a larger audience, it said.
In 2018, Grupo ZAP had net revenues of R$217-million (R738.7-million) and earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation of -R$18-million (-R61.3-million), with an average of 28 million visits per month in 2019.
Martin Scheepbouwer, CEO of OLX Group, the classifieds business of Prosus, said: “The acquisition of Grupo ZAP promises to advance the real-estate sector in Brazil and develop technology that better serves all our customers. We already have a strong presence in the online real-estate market in Europe, South Africa and other Latin American countries, and we look forward to exploring further growth opportunities in Brazil.”
The deal is expected to close in the second half of 2020. – © 2020 NewsCentral Media

domain: news


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For years now, omnichannel has become a buzzword in the retail industry and has been somewhat synonymous with digital transformation. Now, there is more urgency as traditional merchants need to place more emphasis on technology, e-commerce and integrated online and offline during COVID-19.
Shopify has launched an update point-of-sale (POS) system for the post-COVID retail landscape. Also, Yelp introduced some new features that will help local business owners compete in a new, more virtual economy.
Among the long list of Yelp updates discussed in its blog post were:
- Virtual Service Offerings: an icon that appears in search results to help businesses providing online services such as classes, tutorials, consultations to be more easily identified. There’s also a filter
- Surfacing takeout, curbside pickup: Yelp is prompting users on the homepage to discover restaurants that offer takeout and now has additional filters for restaurant takeout and delivery options. It will soon be doing the same for curbside pickup.
- Yelp Collections will offer lists of open, relevant businesses (curated by Yelp’s community team).
- Yelp Connect is available as a free tool to communicate updates to customers of individual businesses
- Better COVID banners (available for free and in any category) for business pages to communicate critical information
- New Business Highlights with COVID-friendly categories such as curbside pickup, giftcards, remote services. These are icons that appear on the business profile.
- Yelp for Business improved: The company also introduced a new version of Yelp for Business, with a better UI and more data for business owners.
Yelp is trying to enable restaurants and service businesses to effectively move into omnichannel fulfillment, and Shopify is trying out a similar tactic for SMB retailers who are desperate for help right now.
Shopify released an updated point-of-sale (POS) system integrates both online and offline sales capabilities, orders and payments into “one unified customer experience.” This new POS is full of useful features, which can enable merchants to serve online, in-store or curbside customers in a flexible way.
These features includes:
- App integration
- More “actionable insights on store performance
- “Reporting” and mobile checkout for in-store or curbside usage.
Shopify said that “merchants who connected their online and in-store sales with Shopify POS saw revenue increase by 30% year over year.” It added that the company has recently seen a “10-fold increase in retail stores on Shopify adapting to social-distance selling by offering local delivery or buy-online-pickup-in-store.”


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The Microsoft Investor is a daily report from SAI. Sign up here to receive it by email.
Ellis Hamburger, Business Insider
MSFT Down As Company Pays Nokia Bank
Stocks are rising as the Fed vows to keep interest rates low, jobless claims spike although still point to recovery and one of the world’s best bellwethers announces smashing earnings and construction outlook for 2012. Shares of MSFT are down to flat after having a decent run. Upcoming catalysts include Windows 8, Windows Server 8, Office 15 and Windows Phone 8; expansion in the smartphone market with primary hardware partner Nokia; strides in cloud computing; profitability in the online business, including integration of Skype; and continued evolution of Kinect and next generation Xbox. The stock currently trades at 7.9x Enterprise Value / TTM Free Cash Flow.Nokia Confirms It Sold 1M+ Windows Phones (paidContent)
Nokia’s reported earnings and the numbers are not pretty. The company confirmed analyst estimates that it has sold over a million Lumia Windows Phone handsets. Nokia currently has two models Windows Phone devices in the market: the Lumia 800 and Lumia 710. Unfortunately, that didn’t stop a horrible 31% slide in its total smartphone sales compared with last year with revenues down 21%. The company and is planning to launch a new 4G version in the U.S. in March of this year.
A $100 Nokia Lumia 900 Could Be A Game-Changer (BGR)
AT&T and Nokia are planning to launch the Nokia Lumia 900 in the U.S. at just $99.99 with a two-year contract. That’s $100 less than its main competitor, the iPhone 4S. That price point would be a game changer for Windows Phone. It makes sense when you think about how much money Nokia and Microsoft are spending promoting the launch. This could be the boost Nokia (and Microsoft) needs to get some traction in the U.S.
Microsoft Paid Nokia Quarter Of A Billion, And That’s Just The First Payment (SlashGear)
Let’s hope it pays off. Microsoft paid Nokia $250 million in last quarter to switch to Windows Phone. And that’s only the first payment. The $250 million is part of a series of “platform support payments” Microsoft will pay Nokia to continue using and collaborating on Windows Phone. These support payments in combination with “software royalty commitments” will amount in to billions of dollars in the long run. Previously, Nokia had committed much of its smartphone efforts to the antiquated and ultimately doomed Symbian operating system.
Microsoft To Expand Xbox To Other Mobile Platforms (Forbes)
Microsoft is trying to make Xbox 360 an all-encompassing entertainment hub, from live TV to on-demand streaming, to social networking and music. Now the company is looking to continue that mindset even when you’re not at home and expand the gaming platform to be fully immersed in the mobile world. Given recent comments, the company is no doubt preparing to bring a fully integrated Xbox Live experience to Android phones, iPhones, and tablets to extend the Xbox brand something beyond the living room. If you can’t beat them, join them.
Xbox 720 rumoured To Crush Nintendo’s Wii U Console (The Wall Street Journal)
rumours concerning Microsoft’s next gaming console are nothing new. Yet a recent reports site that Microsoft is gunning for a late 2013 shipment date for a new Xbox game console, possibly called “Xbox 720.” The new console is reported to have 6x the graphics processing power of the Xbox 360 and provide 20% greater performance than rival Nintendo’s upcoming Wii U console. Whether or not the rumours prove true and despite still being incredibly successful, Microsoft is due for a console refresh. In the six years since the launch, much has changed in the gaming industry with the rise of casual games. Other rumours include not being able to play used games.
Microsoft Stock Looking Strong, Just Needs Volume Buyers (Seeking Alpha)
Microsoft is looking strong on the charts after releasing earnings last week. The company is undervalued with a forward looking P/E of 11x. Proven strength in earnings, low debt, 75% institutional and insider ownership and a dividend yield of 2.69% make Microsoft very attractive. The stock is now trading around ~$29 after breaking above resistance and the momentum is bullish and increasing but volume isn’t in the move yet. When the market gets behind Microsoft it will go to $37.50.
Valuation Too Rich, Wait For A Pullback (Seeking Alpha)
Microsoft stock has been on a tear lately. But earnings estimates for the company have actually been coming down while the stock has gone from under $25 to almost $30 in the last two months. Microsoft is a long term investment. The stock offers a nice dividend, which should increase going forward with financial flexibility and the company is buying back large amounts of stock. In no way is this stock dead money, but you can likely get it cheaper.


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Data collected within the “Global Hemp Market by Type” report from Analysis and Markets, which analyzed the quite a few functions of hemp as a textile, meals merchandise, building materials, and extra. The report initiatives that the following 5 years will see the trade’s compound annual progress fee (CAGR) of 21.6%, suggesting that this proportion will rise as a result of many different international locations have legalized industrial hemp, or will achieve this within the close to future.
The report additionally cites examples of hemp successes seen all through this 12 months. When it comes to software, hemp meal was not too long ago lined as an alternate technique of feeding livestock. “Hempseed and hempseed muffins may very well be used as feed supplies for all animal species, based on the scientific opinion of the European Meals Security Authority (EFSA) Panel on Components and Merchandise or Substances Utilized in Animal Feed, with species-specific variations within the fee of inclusion within the weight loss program,” a Research and Markets press release states. “Hemp oil, as a wealthy supply of important fatty acids, can be utilized as a complement in animal feed, whereas hemp seeds and hempseed muffins can be utilized as a fats and protein supply in animal diets.”
The report additionally explains that hemp bast fibers, that are made up of cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin and pectin, additionally provide many advantages to be used in textiles. “The advantages of bast fibers embody lighter product weight, decrease power consumption, and a smaller environmental footprint. Bast fibers might be spun and woven and are thus broadly used within the textile trade,” Research and Markets states. “Moreover, bast fibers are far stronger than cotton and don’t mildew. Hemp bast fibers have distinctive properties resembling energy, sturdiness, and anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties.”
Along with a rise in legalization worldwide, the report additionally cites the elevated use of hemp seed and oil in meals objects and a “rising incidence of Power Illnesses” to be two predominant drivers contributing to the rise of hemp. Though, the lasting stigma towards hemp and hashish and a few nation’s restrictions on industrial hemp proceed to hinder its progress.
Different hemp-based studies have additionally been printed not too long ago and anticipate the same progress for the hemp trade. A report from the United Nations Convention on Commerce and Growth (UNCTAD) known as “Commodities at a glance: Special issue on industrial hemp” that the worldwide hemp market will attain $18.6 billion by 2027. In accordance with UNCTAD economist and report writer Marco Fugazza, hemp provides quite a lot of potential for each established and growing international locations. “The rising hemp market provides vital financial alternatives that each one international locations can capitalize on,” Fugazza said. “As a renewable product, the alternatives are sustainable. That is extraordinarily vital as international locations attempt to increase their economies whereas defending the setting.”
The UNCTAD report recommends that “governments should make clear its authorized standing as a non-intoxicant.” As soon as this has been performed, international locations can start to discover the numerous advantages that hemp vegetation provide. “Due to its versatility and its useful traits, the commercial hemp market holds huge potential in agriculture, textiles, recycling, automotive, furnishings, meals and drinks, paper, building supplies and private care,” the UNCTAD report states. Moreover, hemp might be an efficient a part of crop rotation, which may help maximize the usage of land and contribute to elevated incomes for farmers.
Hemp for animals and livestock continues to be an argued subject. Whereas hemp as animal feed might reduce stress in cattle, a latest analysis research confirmed that it discovered THC in the systems of cows who ate hemp feed. In September, the state of Idaho halted the sales of CBD pet supplements as a result of “Secure ranges of hemp and hemp-derived merchandise in animal feed haven’t but been established underneath federal or state legislation,” the State Division of Agriculture stated.


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New Year is approaching, New Year's Eve bustle is already reigning everywhere. It's time to buy gifts and decide where to celebrate 2020. Soon New Year's fairs will be launched all over Minsk and Belarus, about 900 fairs are planned to be organized in total.
Three main fairs will be held in Minsk:
two Kalyadnye Kirmash fairs, which can be visited from December 14, 2019, till January 15, 2020, at venues near the Sports Palace and on Oktyabskay Square;
Metelitsa, which will unfold near Komarovsky market from December 21, 2019, to January 1, 2020.
An interesting fact from VETLIVA: not only dishes of national cuisine will be cooked to treat the visitors of the fairs, but also traditional in Europe mulled wine, burgers, hot dogs and even real fried snails! So if you want to try something unusual — Kalyadny kirmash and Metelitsa are waiting for you.


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Prime Minister Narendra Modi government’s flagship initiative for startups in India, Startup India, crossed the 50,000 mark today, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) said. “As of 3 June 2021, 50,000 startups across have been recognized as startups by DPIIT, of which 19,896 have been recognized since 1 April 2020,” the release by the department mentioned.
What is Startup India
Startup India is an initiative of the Government of India launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 16 January 2016. The initiative is intended to catalyse startup culture and build a strong and inclusive ecosystem for innovation and entrepreneurship in India. Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) acts as the nodal Department for the Startup initiative.
Each State and UT has at least one startup
With the launch of the Startup India initiative, recognized startups have now spread across 623 districts. Each State and UT has at least one startup. 30 States and UTs have announced specific Startup Policies to support startups. Maharashtra, Karnataka, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat have the greatest number of startups.
Notably, it took only 180 days to add the last 10,000 startups, as compared to 808 days for the first 10,000 at the beginning of the initiative. 743 startups were recognized in 2016-2017, in the first year of the initiative, which has now increased exponentially to over 16,000 startups being recognized in the year 2020-2021.
Entrepreneurs now have options to avail benefits across a range of laws, regulations, fiscal and infrastructural support, leading to a surge in startup ecosystem growth.
5.5 lakh jobs created in 5 years
The recognized startups have contributed significantly to job creation, with 5,49,842 jobs reported by 48,093 startups with an average number of 11 employees per startup. About 1.7 lakh jobs were created by recognized startups in the 2020-2021 period alone.
The sectors that had the maximum registered startups were ‘Food Processing’, ‘Product Development’, ‘Application Development’, ‘IT Consulting’ and ‘Business Support Services’. The leadership teams of 45% startups have a women entrepreneur, a trend which will inspire more women entrepreneurs to turn their ideas into startups.
Startup India at DPIIT has played a pivotal role in strengthening the key pillars identified for our startup economy. Funding opportunities to startups have been enhanced through the Fund of Funds Scheme with an overlay of Rs10,000 crore and the recently launched Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS) with an outlay of Rs 945 crore.
Startup India making country a global leader in Innovation
Multiple programs conceived and implemented by DPIIT -National Startup Awards, State Ranking Framework, Global VC Summit, Prarambh: Startup India International Summit – have provided the ecosystem an opportunity to engage with multiple partners, get recognized for their contribution and showcase the work that is being done.


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There needs to be a new direction for tourism in Wales says the country's Economic Minister.
In a report out today Edwina Hart says the strategy to attract people to Wales over the next seven years should focus on luxury destinations.
The vision she says is to work with "iconic, high quality, reputation-changing products and events. There will be a focus on more luxury and branded hotels; more well-being facilities such as spas; more heritage hotels that utilise historic and distinctive buildings."
There also needs to be all year round attractions, activities and cultural experiences and more unusual and distinctive products if the target of 10% grow in the tourism industry is realised says the report 'Partnership for Growth'.
Most tourists to Wales come from the UK and the Welsh Government says marketing will be increased in London and South East Midlands and Yorkshire, as well as within Wales itself for the first time.
More top news
Andrea Byrne presents the third episode of Helimeds following the helicopter crews of the Wales Air Ambulance.
The heaviest of the rain clears overnight leaving a much drier and brighter picture for the weekend!
Thunder and lightning brought a warm and dry start to September to a soggy end. But how are we looking for the weekend?


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Wi-Fi through room lights, coffee machines that remember your order and a table that charges devices all could appear in a Best Western hotel room in the future, as the group looks to showcase new technologies.
Best Western GB will show off new technology in four ‘hotel rooms of the future’ to 279 independent hoteliers during its Annual Members Conference in Wales next Tuesday.
This will include LiFi which transmits data using light visible to the human eye (and is currently not commercially available), while smartphone payment and smartphone room access will also be shown at the rooms in Celtic Manor.
Hoteliers will also be able to test entertainment through virtual reality headsets and keyboards that project onto any surface.
“LiFi is the future for the hospitality industry therefore we are delighted to showcase it for the first time. Our Inspiration Hotel reveals what’s just around the corner for guests and hoteliers, so it’s incredibly exciting to bring the future of hospitality to our members,” said Best Western GB’s CEO Richard Lewis.


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The European Investment Bank (EIB) has provided BNL Gruppo BNP Paribas with a total of â‚¬250m to finance SMEs .
The funding has come via two agreements:
â€¢ â‚¬200m, which can be used either by SMEs or â€“ for a maximum share of 30% â€“ by publicly owned companies of any size
â€¢ â‚¬50m for research and innovation investments by SMEs and midcaps.
Miguel Morgado, director for Italy at EIB, said this continued a beneficial relationship with BNL Gruppo BNP Paribas.
â€œIt pairs financial resources with favourable terms and an extensive presence on the ground, stimulating wealth-generating investments that create jobs and promote innovation and environmental protection.'
The funds made available by the EIB dedicated to SMEs are aimed to support businesses across all productive sectors of industry, tourism and services to financial investment.
â€œBy working with the EIB, BNL is underlining its support for Italy's many economic players, recognised internationally for the quality and sustainability of their products â€“ the result of a consistent emphasis placed on research and innovation,' added Regina Corradini D'Arienzo, head of corporate banking at BNL.
Financing for SME and midcap investment projects worth up to â‚¬25m can be covered up to 100% of the costs, while for publicly owned companies, EIB financing cannot exceed 50% of project/investment costs.
Loans will be for a maximum amount of â‚¬12.5m with a term of up to six years (seven years for research and innovation loans).
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Today Arm is announcing its new Neoverse V1 and N2 microarchitectures. The new microarchitectures represent a ever bigger jump than the already vastly successful Neoverse N1 that’s been adopted in designs such as the Graviton2 or Ampere’s Altra. With a 50% generational IPC uplift, the Neoverse V1 goes for maximum performance in the infrastructure market, with similar design philosophies to the Cortex-X1 in the mobile space. Furthermore, although Arm is being vague on the architecture of these new CPUs, they represent the company’s first ever designs supporting new SVE (Scalable Vector Extensions).
Go to Source
Author: Andrei Frumusanu


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Mühlacker (DE) / Weiz (AT), 19 October 2023 – Achieving a CO2-neutral business by 2028 – this is the goal the Craiss Group has set itself for its logistics centre in Weiz. The awarding of an ISO 14001 environmental management certificate to the Austrian site at the end of June was a major step in this direction. Numerous environmental protection measures played their part, such as using resources carefully, banning environmentally harmful substances or having an energy efficient building. Soon, this could also include using alternative drives: The Austrian Federal Ministry for Climate Protection, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology (BMK) has recently approved a grant for the purchase of two battery-powered trucks.
“Sustainable business practices are becoming increasingly relevant in the logistics industry. In part, customers are demanding this type of corporate social responsibility but at Craiss, we essentially follow our own convictions,” says Pascal Mroncz, Team Leader for Sustainability at Craiss Generation Logistik GmbH & Co. KG. “We always weigh our actions against social, ecological and economic concerns. Innovation must therefore achieve at least an equivalence, but ideally represent further development,” Mroncz continues.
This approach is reflected in the sustainability plan for the latest Craiss new build in Weiz, where the logistics provider has been handling inbound and outbound logistics for a major German customer from the technology industry since 2021. Marco Niesen, Quality Management Officer at Craiss Generation Logistik Austria GmbH & Co. KG, and his team have set themselves a challenging climate target: “Under the slogan ‘One world, one vision, one mission’, we want to implement various measures to reduce our CO2 emissions to zero by 2028.” For the logistics provider, success will be measured by the following six key aspects: electricity consumption, heat consumption, paper consumption, consumption of auxiliary and operating material, kilometres driven and fuel consumed.
As part of this, Craiss also plans to convert part of its fleet from combustion engines to all-electric vehicles. “Conventional diesel trucks are simply suboptimal for the six to ten-kilometre drive between the production plant and the logistics centre. Therefore, together with the Municipality of Weiz, we have developed a persuasive e-concept and are in the process of agreeing this with the authorities,” says Niesen.
Basically, the logistics centre in Eastern Styria is at the cutting-edge of technology. For example, only LED lighting is used, electric blinds are automatically raised and lowered according to the light conditions, and the twelve-metre-wide doors can be controlled individually by remote control to reduce heat loss. Furthermore, the logistics centre is equipped with a modern photovoltaic system, which has a maximum output of around 1,780 kilowatts. As Niesen points out, “That’s the equivalent of supplying 316 three-person households per year or powering an electric car around the world four times.” Any electricity purchased comes from CO2-neutral sources. Heat is supplied from a district heating system using logs, wood pellets or wood chips – “Using leftovers from nearby forestry,” according to Niesen.
Attention is also paid to environmental friendliness in everyday operations. For example, only organic products are used in the cleaning process instead of environmentally harmful chemicals – such as turpentine or nitro thinner. What’s more, used cardboard boxes from incoming goods are reused and shipped with biodegradable adhesive tape. Organic waste is composted on site. “Our employees have used the new soil to create a raised bed on site and have grown their own vegetables there,” reports Niesen. By design, rainwater is not collected but instead returned directly to the environment to ensure the soil water balance is maintained. To facilitate emission-free commuting, the 61 employees can get job bikes at a discount. Craiss is currently in talks with the Municipality of Weiz about having their own stop on the current electric bus route.


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Canadian cannabis retail, CBD and accessory company High Tide announced a deal to acquire 80% of Denver-based CBD wellness product producer and distributor NuLeaf Naturals.
High Tide also has an option to acquire the remaining 20% of the Colorado company.
The agreement announced Monday is worth slightly more than $31.2 million, which values NuLeaf at more than $39 million, according to a news release.
High Tide is paying in shares and will have a three-year call option to acquire the remainder.
NuLeaf’s owners also have an 18-month put option to sell the rest of the company to High Tide.
If High Tide acquires the remainder of NuLeaf, it will pay in cash.
NuLeaf Naturals produces hemp-derived CBD and other cannabinoid products, including tinctures, softgels and topicals, and sells them in retail stores and through an e-commerce website.
High Tide said NuLeaf generated $19.4 million in revenue in the year ended Sept. 30, with $16.3 million of that revenue from direct-to-consumer e-commerce.
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“With the purchase of NuLeaf, we are now further vertically integrated in our CBD business, just like we have been with regard to consumption accessories,” High Tide President and CEO Raj Grover said in a statement.
This year, Calgary, Alberta-based High Tide has acquired Milwaukee-based FabCBD and United Kingdom-headquartered brand Blessed CBD.
High Tide also owns a number of online cannabis accessory retailers and operates more than 100 retail marijuana stores in Canada.
High Tide shares trade as HITI on the TSX Venture Exchange and the Nasdaq.


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FrontBurnr: Earlier this week Infinity Ward released their debut teaser trailer for the next Call of Duty installment entitled Ghosts. Only it wasn’t really a trailer that showed the audience anything about the game. It was more of a trailer that teased another trailer and then asked you to pre-order the game you know nothing about. It’s an interesting angle that only a franchise like Call of Duty could pull off.
Since Call of Duty hit consoles in 2003, it has been a prominent part of many gamer’s collections. But have we really hit a point where players will jump to pre-order a game they haven’t seen based solely on the fact that it has “Call of Duty” in the title?


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Today’s Japanese news: update and more free DLC for Puzzle & Dragons X, but also…
- Monster Hunter XX
- Subara City
- Denpa Ningen no RPG Free!
- Megami Meguri
- Nintendo Classic Mini: Family Computer
Puzzle & Dragons X
Today, GungHo released a new update for Puzzle & Dragons X, bringing the game to Ver. 4.0. This new update adds several new monsters, as you can see below. Also, the latest batch of free DLC went live today!
Here’s some screenshots for the update and the latest batch of free DLC:
Monster Hunter XX
This week, Monster Hunter XX will be featured in Famitsu magazine, with a massive 10-page article detailing new monsters (including new Deviants), hunting techniques for all 14 weapon types, the Prowler and Palicoes, and more.
Here’s the preview from Famitsu magazine:
Also, here’s pictures of Poogie publishes releasing in March in Japan:
Monster Hunter XX (3DS) comes out on March 18th in Japan.
Today, Flyhigh Works announced that their latest Nintendo 3DS game, Subara City (showcased at the Tokyo Game Show, last year) would be released next week in Japan, on February 15th. It will cost 500 Yen on the Nintendo eShop.
Here’s some screenshots:
Subara City (3DS – eShop) comes out on February 15th in Japan, and later this year in Europe and North America. The Upcoming Releases page has been updated!
Here’s pictures of the Charizard x Ash x Pikachu figure, that will be released in June in Japan (price: 8 900 Yen + taxes):
And here’s the latest episode of the Pokémon Puppet Show:
Denpa Ningen no RPG Free!
From February 9th to February 15th, Genius Sonority will hold a special Valentine’s Day event in Denpa Ningen no RPG Free!.
Here’s some pictures for that event:
Here’s the recording of the segment dedicated to Megami Meguri, from last week’s episode of Capcom TV:
And here’s some more screenshots:
Nintendo Classic Mini: Family Computer
Here’s the recording of the segment dedicated to the Nintendo Classic Mini: Family Computer, from the latest episode of Denjin Getcha:


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Candy Crush Sagadeveloper King has closed its office in South Korea, according to reports.
MMO Culture cites local media claiming the publisher had withdrawn from its operations in the country.
Its live games in South Korea will now be handled in Sweden and by local distribution partners.
It is not known how many staff were affected by the decision to shut down the office.
Not a top grosser
Unlike in other countries such as the UK and US, where its portfolio of titles such as Candy Crush Saga are mainstays of the top 10 App Store top grossing charts, King has struggled to reach those heights in South Korea.
As of February 23rd, Candy Crush Saga was ranked 133rd on the App Store top grossing charts, with Farm Heroes Saga in 567th, Candy Crush Soda Saga in 67th and Candy Crush Jelly Saga in 212th.


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NORFOLK, Va. (WVEC) -- Friends of Norfolk Animal Care Center is hosting the biggest dog and beer party in town!
For the 5th consecutive year, Dogtoberfest is taking place Sunday, October 22 from 1 to 5 p.m. at O'Connor Brewing Company.
The Ghent Brewing Company is opening up its beer garden and parking lot to all friendly dogs and their owners.
Dogtoberfest raises funds for Norfolk's largest animal shelter, last year over $8,000 was raised.
“Dog enthusiasts from all over Hampton Roads come out every year for this. They love the live music, the craft beer and dressing up their fuzzy friends. It's just about the most fun you can have on a Sunday afternoon,” says Friends Chair Anne Odell.
For $30 at the door, patrons will get a ticket to a variety of goodies, like a Dogtoberfest beer glass, a craft beer tasting from O'Conner's and lunch at one of the food trucks in service.
A special performance is planned by Goliath, a local canine who is possibly the smartest dog in Hampton Roads, according to his owner. The 4-year-old rottweiler can retrieve hundreds of different items on command and will be demonstrating his skills.
Dog owners will get a chance to show off their own canines in a costume contest as well as a “Tricks for Treats” contest during the event. The winner of the pup pageant will reign as "Toptober-Dog" for a full year and will be featured as the “cover dog” for Dogtoberfest 2018.
For more information click HERE.


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- Montana on Friday became the first state in the US to approve a bill banning the social media app TikTok.
- A growing number of countries are partially or totally banning the app over security concerns.
- The US is threatening TikTok’s Chinese parent company with a ban if it doesn’t sell to another company.
A growing number of countries are placing partial or total bans on TikTok amid data security concerns, citing fears that its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, could be forced into giving user data to the Chinese government, or be pressured into amplifying or suppressing certain topics based on China’s interests.
The US recently threatened the app with a potential nationwide ban if its Chinese owners don’t sell their ownership stake, but TikTok has said forcing a change in ownership would not address national security concerns. Montana lawmakers on Friday approved a bill that would ban the app from being downloaded in the state, and potentially fine companies like Google, Apple, and TikTok itself if it remains available on an app store.
“If protecting national security is the objective, divestment doesn’t solve the problem: A change in ownership would not impose any new restrictions on data flows or access,” a TikTok spokesperson previously told Insider. “The best way to address concerns about national security is with the transparent, U.S.-based protection of U.S. user data and systems, with robust third-party monitoring, vetting, and verification, which we are already implementing.”
Here’s a running list of countries with a partial or total ban on TikTok:


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Alibaba passes one million paying cloud customers as CEO calls it ‘merely a starting point’
Alibaba has broken the one million mark for paying customers of its cloud computing business with revenues increasing 96% year over year, according to the company’s latest financial statement.
Revenues from cloud computing totalled RMB 2,431 million (£278m) in the quarter ending June 30, while the total number of customers was 1,011,000, up 15.7% from 874,000 in the previous quarter.
Alibaba clearly defines its cloud computing revenue in its reporting – something of a change to many other cloud providers, as regular readers of this publication will know – and puts its paying cloud customers alongside its active commerce customers. Overall revenue for the company in the latest quarter was RMB 50,184m (£5.7bn), up 56% from this time last year.
Speaking to analysts, as transcribed by Seeking Alpha, Daniel Zhang, Alibaba chief executive officer, said the firm’s cloud business “continues to enjoy high growth at scale” and that the one million milestone is “merely a starting point.” Maggie Wu, chief financial officer, added: “Our cloud computing business enjoys first mover advantage and we’ll keep expanding our market leadership by continuously providing value-added services.
“Our technology advantage and the team’s strong execution have strengthened our market position as reflected in expanding customer reach spanning many industries, deepening existing customer relationships, and increasing adoption of innovative and value added products by customers,” said Wu.
The company’s cloud push has been long-documented. In 2015, Alibaba announced an additional $1 billion investment in Aliyun – now known as Alibaba Cloud – to expand its international presence. Alibaba has since been busy building out global data centres, announcing plans for Frankfurt, Dubai, Sydney and Tokyo towards the end of last year, and further plans for India and Indonesia in June.
You can read the full Alibaba statement here (pdf).
Photo source: www.alibabagroup.com
- » Journey to the cloud: The most common challenges and how to overcome them
- » Orchestration in the cloud: What is it all about?
- » Why it’s time for manufacturers to take security in the cloud seriously
- » Why enterprises are creating a self-induced skills gap despite strong cloud appetite
- » HPE puts $4 billion aside to invest in the intelligent edge


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PAT Garvey's stately home and estate is for sale with a €3m-plus price tag. We haven't been inside, but would have to imagine that it's fairly sumptuous.
One of Ireland's first technology millionaires, Garvey started out in business working for photocopying giant Rank Xerox, which was where he met the late Eddie Kerr.
In 1980, Garvey and Kerr partnered up to found Sharptext, a photocopier and office products company that acted as Sharp's agency for Ireland. It was good timing and the business grew rapidly.
Sharptext bought British office equipment distributor Micro-P in 1989, and with this it became one of the major office equipment distributors in both Ireland and Britain. As the information technology age slowly began, Sharptext would become Ireland's leading distributor of computer products.
Garvey and Kerr and a third partner broadened their interests and also set up GFK technology, a payroll software company, in 1985. It was bought out by Sage in 2003.
Kerr sold his share in Sharptext to DCC in 1990, while Garvey remained on board until 1998 when DCC bought out the rest of Sharptext for £6.35m cash. Garvey remained onboard as a director and joined the board of DCC's computer products division when he kept a seat until 2000.
He went on to invest in a number of other technology companies, including Deecal, Kadius, eWare and Cara Group. He was a director at Anne Heraty's CPL Resources from when it first floated on the Iseq in 1999 only leaving the board in 2007.
A keen horse owner and breeder, he was a director at Tote Ireland from 2007 until last year.
He owns a venture capital and private equity firm called Riantec. He recently became a director at ElectricHosts, a British cloud computing company.
Georgetown House, a 110-acre estate in Co Waterford was bought by Garvey and his wife Rita 10 years ago. They added to its lands and established a stud farm. The €3.4m price tag is down €500,000 since it went on sale for €3.9m last July.
Sunday Indo Business


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There’s a heavyweight battle being fought over data centre dominance, with Google, IBM, and Rackspace teaming up against Intel. Ultimately, the winner will be us.
Google is partnering with Rackspace Hosting, one of the largest cloud providers in the world, to develop new hyperscale server designs. They’re basing their designs on IBM’s next-generation Power9 processors, which will see the light of day sometime in 2017. With Google using IBM servers in its massive data centres, and others following their lead, Intel should worry.
Today, Intel rules the server chip market with 99 percent market share. Everyone’s been expecting their crown to be challenged for years, but they’ve held on to their monopoly. And we don’t like monopolies, do we? We like choice.
In the data centre world, the money is in the compute components. It’s the more profitable, prestigious opportunity for chip makers, more so than in the memory, storage, and networking spaces. This is where Intel has a stranglehold, and where IBM sees a future. Their new processor will be a big deal over the next few years. The Google-Rackspace project is just a hint of what’s to come.
We’ll know the fight is on when we get word that Google is swapping out its Intel Xeon processors with IBM Power processors. We’ll have to listen carefully though. It will be a much quieter roll-out than the Google self-driving flying car.
Every IT organization wants to become more efficient and cost-effective, and we have companies like Google to lead the innovation work. When they take an active role in creating a next-generation data centre to meet their enormous and exponentially compounding needs, we should have our noses pressed up against the glass.
When the dust settles on this one, and the heavyweights start getting more performance for the price, our enterprises can expect to get faster applications and cheaper cloud services for our hardware dollars.
How do you see your data needs growing over the next three years? How are you going to manage it?


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A lawsuit Universal Orlando is battling about the origins of its concept for Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen has survived a motion to dismiss it.
“For purposes of a motion to dismiss, the Court finds that Plaintiff has, at least minimally, sufficiently alleged a trade secret,” wrote Orange County Circuit Judge Donald A. Myers in ruling against Universal’s initial request to throw out the suit.
The judge added that it couldn’t be determined yet whether trade secrets were actually provided and stolen because that matter “involves questions of fact.”
The lawsuit was filed by Ohio resident Adam Limle, who claims the company’s restaurant and dessert attraction was his idea.
Universal has, in turn, accused Limle of trying to claim general ideas and “a mixture of known ingredients” as trade secrets. Universal executives haven’t commented on the lawsuit.
Limle’s attorney, David S. Oliver of GrayRobinson, said he was pleased at Myers’ first ruling in the case. “Universal moves like a giant, formidable ship simply sinking smaller vessels in its path. This time, it has hit a land mine,” Oliver said.
Limle filed suit in August 2016, just before the Emporium opened on Universal Orlando’s City Walk promenade. The suit seeks at least $40 million from NBCUniversal and Universal Orlando.
Limle alleges that the company ripped off his idea, after he showed them sketches and themes based on an idea his daughter had. Universal hasn’t yet denied meeting with Limle.
But Universal says, “Chocolate or confection-themed restaurants, in-house working chocolate factories, and retail stores are known elements” and not trade secrets.
Limle registered a trademark for The Chocolate Factory in 2014. Universal changed the name of its project, three months before it opened, to use the word Emporium instead of Factory.


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Welcome to our weekly roundup of wellness news we’ve spotted and reported throughout the week. Our Page Six!
Healthy vegan froyo fave Soft Serve Fruit Co. debuted a new breakfast menu, complete with scrumptious-sounding fruit parfaits, smoothies, and a superfood bowl.
Chaise 23 announced its official East Hampton location (15 Lumber Lane) and open date (June 23), and the brand also launched an iPhone and iPad app for on-the-go class booking.
As One is known for its hard-core fitness challenges, like Roman Legionnaire weekends. Now, the brand is hosting a Mount Everest climb, where participants will climb 29,035 feet (the height of the mountain) on Step Mills and Jacobs Ladders, for charity.
The New York Times reported that New York moms are taking their 12-year-old girls to get underarm, leg, and bikini waxes before shipping them off to summer camp.
According to YogaDork, there’s a smart new yoga tank in town: Move by Elextrifoxy senses your alignment and gives you “nudges” to make corrections when your Warrior II is lopsided.
A ruckus erupted on the NYC yoga scene after beloved instructor Marco Rojas told the New York Post he was fired from Pure Yoga and escorted out the back door.
SLT Yoga is hosting a “Yoga Rocks” Day on Tuesday, June 12 with free yoga classes, nutrition advice, Organic Avenue juices, and more.


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San Francisco, CA — June 6, 2018 — dfndr lab, the premier cybersecurity and anti-virus research arm of PSafe, staffed with the world’s top information security experts with help from community collaboration, announced its latest findings from Q1 2018. The new study is based on data from cyber attack detections in Android smartphones from more than 21 million active users of the dfndr security app by PSafe. dfndr lab analyzes 200 million digital files to keep its software products current when it comes to protecting users’ devices and staying ahead of cyber criminals.
Who you are and where you live matters
dfndr lab analyzes data by type of fraudulent activity, as well as detections by gender and region. The Q1 2018 study unveiled that men are twice as likely to click on malicious URLs than women, and they are more apt to fall for messenger schemes. Women, on the other hand, are more likely than men to fall for fake giveaways.
The Southeast region was the primary target of cyber criminals using malicious links during the first quarter of 2018, with 746,000 detections. California, Texas, and Florida were the top three states where such activity was detected, accounting for 31.4 percent of all the malicious link detections in this past quarter.
“We invest heavily in dfndr lab and rely tremendously on proprietary AI and machine learning so we can acquire the knowledge and build the skills we need to learn, detect, analyze, and alert our security team about cyberattacks, the latest malware and viruses, online scams, and cybercrime trends,” said Marco DeMello, CEO, PSafe. “All of this rich intelligence is rolled into our suite of products to protect customers.”
Beware fraudulent ads, spoofs, and phony SMS messages
Fraudulent ads that involve spoofing well known and trusted brands continued to hold the top spot with 1.5 million detections, up more than half a million detections from last quarter. Just behind fraudulent ads, phishing scams took the second spot at 1.4M of the total detections, down from 2M in the last quarter, suggesting that other types of online attacks are on the rise and hackers might be trying new and more targeted tactics such as phishing scams.
Phishing scams involve the use of spoofed emails and SMS messages that appear to come from well-known organizations asking users for personal information such as social security numbers, bank account credentials, credit card numbers, and passwords. Often times phishing attempts appear to come from websites, services, and businesses that the user may not even have an account with. Common tactics involve asking users to update personal information, issues with an order, or a problem processing a payment.
The top three scams detected include:
- Fake virus alerts sent to your mobile device (558,221)
- Adult dating site phishing scams (175,423)
- Fraudulent promotions or giveaways (108,106)
Fraudulent ads on the rise, especially through messaging apps
Increasingly in the news, and confirmed by dfndr lab, are scams using messaging apps, such as WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. Although attacks related to messaging apps were down 32 percent overall from 475K detections in Q4 2017 to 326K detections in Q1 2018, counterfeit promotions saw a more significant reduction in detections from 537K to 215K, down 60 percent. Data trends suggest that hackers are increasing their focus on using fraudulent advertisements as their preferred method of attack while using other methods less often.
Fake news: what is it, and why should you care?
Fake news stories contain misleading or false information that is published by often unreliable and unverifiable sources. Many times, misinformation comes from websites that spoof legitimate news agencies or other reputable websites. Authors usually are not experts on the subject they are writing about and in some cases profit from spreading false information.
Fake news is harmful because it can diminish the credibility of individuals or organizations who repost these stories or cite them as sources of factual information. Stories that contain false information about an individual or business can cause irreparable damage to their reputations. Additionally, websites that post bad information such as false medical advice can be dangerous and physically harm users.
About dfndr lab
The dfndr lab team uses intelligent software to scour the Internet for potentially harmful stories tied to scams. PSafe security experts then analyze all flagged content for legitimacy, updating the company’s database daily to alert the public of new threats as soon as possible.
Users are encouraged to assist the dfndr lab team with these efforts by submitting suspicious content for analysis. Visit dfndrlab.com and paste a suspect link into the URL checker tool. This tool not only identities dangerous links for users, but also supports PSafe’s quest to cover fake news sites. Since Q4 2017, fake news detection has increased by 19.6 percent. To join us in PSafe’s goal to keep consumers safe from cyber attacks and learn more about how to spot fake news, please visit dfndrlab.com and review the study to learn more.
PSafe Technology is a leading provider of mobile security, privacy, and performance optimization apps. The company is dedicated to delivering innovative products that protect consumers’ freedom to safely connect, share, play, express, and explore online. The flagship antivirus and anti-hacking app, dfndr security, with 130+ million installs globally, has consistently been named as a top-rated antivirus software by AV-TEST Institute—the world leader in security and antivirus research. To safeguard and enhance users’ online experiences, the company’s app portfolio continues to grow and now includes a cleaning and boosting app—dfndr performance, a virtual private network app, dfndr vpn, a private storage app—dfndr vault, and a battery performance app—dfndr battery. PSafe is funded by Redpoint Ventures, e.ventures, RPeV, Pinnacle Ventures, and Index Ventures. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, CA with offices in Brazil and numerous satellite employees around the globe.


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Consumer Direct Wine Sales Report
Slower DTC Sales Growth Predicted in 2019
Top performers use sales training & high frequency marketing beat the competition
Windsor, CA – May 15, 2019 – After years of double-digit sales gains, winery owners and managers are forecasting slower sales growth this year, according to the latest VinQuest 2019 U.S. Consumer Direct Wine Sales Report.
Declining tasting room traffic and increased competition for wine country visitors, wineries participating in this year’s survey report DTC sales growth will average 7% in 2019, sharply down from the 13% reported in 2018.
This year’s report features an exclusive new DTC Sales Performance Index that identifies best practices by rating 46 DTC sales and marketing tactics according to their relative impact on U.S. tasting room, wine club and online sales growth
Top-performing wineries in this year’s survey relied on intensive sales training programs and high frequency outbound marketing to post DTC sales growth rates double the industry average.
Key findings of this year’s research reveal:
Wine Club share of 2019 DTC Sales: 43%
Tasting Room share of 2019 DTC Sales: 34%
Ecommerce share of 2019 DTC Sales: 7%
2019 Wine Club Growth: 8.8%
2019 Tasting Room Growth: 5.9%
2019 Ecommerce Growth Rate: 9.1%
"With more competition for visitors between wineries, microbreweries, distilleries, and cannabis-themed businesses, most wineries surveyed are expecting lower DTC sales growth this year. But by doubling-down on sales training and customer outreach, growth-oriented wineries have discovered new opportunities to expand their wine sales in 2019,” according to VinterActive CEO, Bryan St. Amant.
About VinQuest 2019
The VinQuest 2019 online survey was conducted by VinterActive LLC in partnership with the Wine Industry Network from December 2018 through February 2019, to measure industry averages, identify best practices and provide insight that can help wineries better manage their tasting room, wine club, and online sales.
Now in its twelfth year, VinQuest research has produced one of the largest and most widely used sources of consumer direct sales data in the U.S. wine industry.
Participating winery associations include Atlantic Seaboard Wine Association, Lake County Winery Association, Mendocino Winegrowers, Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance, Garden State Wine Growers, Oregon Wine, Sonoma Vintners, Temecula Valley Winegrowers, Texas Wine & Grape Growers, Wine Road Sonoma County, and Wine America. Initial guidance and support were provided by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.
To Learn More
A 10-page research summary – including a detailed comparison of tasting room, wine club and online sales results at wineries of all sizes – was distributed to survey participants and is available to purchase here.


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Snapchat is the latest app to add features. The app debuts the “Dual Camera” recording feature that it previewed at its Partner Summit earlier this year. The update allows users to take photos and videos using their phone’s front and back cameras simultaneously. It’s available now on iOS for iPhone XS and newer (Snap says Dual Camera won’t be available on Android for several months.)
The company first teased the feature, when it said the new video option would be part of a suite of more advanced features for creators called “director mode.” But while director mode has yet to launch – Snap says it’s expected in the coming months – the company has opted to roll out the dual camera as a standalone feature within Snapchat’s main camera.
Capturing content with both devices’ cameras at once isn’t a new concept – the briefly popular app experimented with it nearly a decade ago – but the concept has become more popular in recent months with the rise of the BeReal selfie app. However, Snapchat’s take on functionality is a bit different from those apps, which were more selfie-focused.
With Snapchat’s dual camera enabled, users can record videos using both cameras at once and can change the layout of the two clips. There is a split-screen version, which places each camera on one half of the screen; a picture-in-picture style; and a cutout mode similar to the effect you might get with TikTok’s green screen. The dual-camera mode also supports Snapchat’s augmented reality lenses, although for now the effects can only be applied after the fact.
Snap isn’t the only company experimenting with dual-camera recording. Instagram is also testing a dual-camera setup called , which the company confirmed last week is currently an “internal prototype.” For now, this feature looks more like a direct copy of BeReal, but it’s not hard to imagine that the feature could one day make its way to Reels as well.


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China to roll out trade support amid ‘increasing pressure’ behind the scenes
- Beijing has promised new policies to stabilise trade, including credit support for small firms and help diversifying markets
- Exporters face high raw materials prices and shipping fees, and more competition as other economies recover from Covid-19
China has no reason to be “blindly optimistic” about trade amid increasing headwinds, the country’s vice commerce minister has said, in the latest warning from Beijing about challenges facing the world’s No 2 economy.
“Behind the scenes of China’s rapid growth in trade, we must be clear that many trade companies, especially small firms, are facing increasing pressure and difficulties,” Ren Hongbin told a press conference on Wednesday.
“It is common for them not to take orders and they are seeing profits rise less.”
The central government will introduce new policies to keep trade stable, including greater credit support and help to diversify markets for exporters, Ren said.
The minister’s comments, the latest in a string of cautious economic announcements by Beijing, come as expectations grow of a deeper deceleration in China’s economic growth rate during the final three months of the year.
Roaring exports have been driving a strong post-pandemic economic recovery since mid-2020, but observers have warned the trend is unlikely to be sustained due to a declining base effect and the resumption of production in other major economies, which will eat into demand for Chinese goods.
“A significant slowdown in export growth could be a real game changer, possibly dealing a heavy blow to the economy and forcing Beijing to revise its policy stance on property curbs, green measures, zero-Covid strategy, and the currency,” Lu Ting, chief China economist at Nomura, said in a note on Thursday.
“With a high base, a slowdown in exports is inevitable when the world gradually returns to normalcy,” he said, noting that exports’ contribution to China’s real economic growth might soon fall to zero from about a half in the third quarter.
Although exports grew by 27.1 per cent in October and beat market expectations, analysts have argued the exaggeration from price inflation should not be ignored, especially as the country’s export freight volume growth weakened to 0.8 per cent from a year earlier last month, from 23.1 per cent in February.
Ren said Chinese trading firms are facing rising raw materials prices, high sea shipping fees and protracted port congestion around the world.
Exporters are also getting fewer orders, while still suffering from the global semiconductor shortage and insufficient manufacturing labour, he said.
“Domestic and international challenges are both here, while short term and medium-to-long term risks are piling up,” Ren said.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said the economy is facing “new downward pressure” in meetings with several provincial heads, economists and entrepreneurs over the past week.
He urged provincial policymakers to pass more tax and fee cuts for small businesses hurt by soaring raw material prices, power shortages and recent coronavirus outbreaks.
The State Council, the country’s cabinet, has also issued a raft of measures to provide more support to small firms, which contribute about 80 per cent of China’s urban jobs and 60 per cent of gross domestic product.
On Wednesday, in an article published by the People’s Daily, the official newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party, Vice-Premier Liu He said a reasonable amount of infrastructure construction should be brought forward to boost domestic demand
Ren said on Wednesday the commerce ministry would intensify credit support for trade companies and enhance their resistance against exchange rate risk.
Authorities will also tap existing free-trade agreements and national-level trade expos to help companies diversify their markets.


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Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano gave a press briefing last week on the border security bill. She wore brick red:
You know that I put only a limited emphasis on fashion and trends in this forum. But the combination of muted brick red with black collar and trim is so dated, I can't not say anything. It sort of reminds me of "holiday party" outfits that were popular about 15 years ago. The low contrast of the two colors, and the muted color palette aren't doing her any favors either.
As we've said before, a clear, true red would have been a much better choice for her.


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New York City has ordered the quick removal of about 500 devices from payphone booths around Manhattan, following an Internet news media company’s claim that the devices could track people.
Outdoor media company Titan, which owns the ad space on payphone booths in the city, installed near the end of last year about 500 beacons, Bluetooth devices that interact with smartphones to send information.
Buzzfeed’s article early Monday, where it revealed Titan’s little-known installation, used phrases such as “Beacons can push you ads—and help track your every move,” that had New York officials moving quickly to pacify the public.
The Mayor’s Press Office released a statement in the afternoon: “While the beacons Titan installed in some of its phones for testing purposes are incapable of receiving or collecting any personally identifiable information, we have asked Titan to remove them from their phones.”
Over the coming days, the beacons will be removed from payphone booths.
In a statement, Titan’s chief strategy officer, Dave Etherington, said the testing was designed to determine how the beacons functioned in dense metropolitan areas.
Etherington noted that beacons have many possible uses, besides commercial, such as for public safety and communication.
In the far future, people might see beacons used for amber alerts or severe weather alerts.
Beacons are set up in various locations and work with smartphones. Currently, they’re used in sports stadiums, in the MTA, and retail stores.
The way beacons work, people download an app and give the app permission to use Bluetooth at a location. The app can then detect the beacon and display relevant information to that location, for example, the history of a certain museum painting when one is standing next to the painting.
Jules Polonetsky, executive director of a D.C. think tank, Future of Privacy Forum, clarified the function of a beacon.
“Let’s explain this rapidly spreading new technology we often see described inaccurately,” wrote Polonetsky in a LinkedIn article published Monday, “Beacons are not tracking your phone. In fact, your phone is tracking them.”
Spokesperson for the NYC Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT) Nicholas Sbordone explained: “When your phone comes into proximity with one of these beacons that’s sending out ‘I’m here, I’m here, I’m here,’ if your app has the permission, it’ll recognize the ping and you’ll get the message, ‘Hey, it’s 10 percent off lattes!'”
Specifically, Etherington stated, in words that echoed the Buzzfeed article, “Gimbal proximity beacons do not collect user data/information, they do not send or push content, nor do they track people.”
Gimbal, a San Diego company, manufactures and sells the beacons, which need phone apps to trigger the advertisements.
Sbordone said that he wouldn’t be concerned about being tracked.
“If I didn’t opt in [to an app], and I started getting stuff, I’d say ‘well, what’s going on here?’ said Sbordone.
“But if I did opt in, my first reaction might be ‘oh that worked, that’s kind of cool.’ I wouldn’t think someone was trying to track me, when I’ve said yes, please let me know what things apply to me that I might be near.”


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Moto G5 smartphone launched in India for Rs 11,999
Tuesday, April 4, 2017, 5:42 PM
Motorola Mobility, a Lenovo brand on Tuesday launched its Moto G5 smartphone in India. Priced at Rs 11,999, consumers can buy the G5 on Amazon.in starting midnight April 4. The 5-inch full-HD display carrying G5 has splash proof design and equips a finger print sensor. G5 is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon octa-core processor coupled with 3GB of RAM and houses 2,800mAh battery.


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SHOULD protecting an endangered turtle be illegal? Yes, if it impedes one country’s attempts to sell goods to another, says the World Trade Organization. Back in the mid-1990s, the US banned an import trade in shrimps from Thailand, Pakistan, Malaysia and the Philippines worth an annual $2.5 billion because fishermen in these countries used nets that captured up to 20 000 endangered Olive Ridley turtles a year. Last October, the four countries went to the WTO court and won their case. The court did not support the US government’s argument that it was merely upholding international treaties on endangered species.
It would be a mistake to think US officials are always the good guys, though. Last July, Isi Siddiqui, a senior trade official in the US government, said that Japanese plans to identify supermarket foods containing genetically modified material would breach the WTO’s rules on free trade. “Obligatory GM labelling suggests a health risk where there is none,” he said. “I fear major trade disruptions.”
According to the WTO, it’s usually illegal to discriminate between identical products on the basis of how they are produced, whether it involves turtle-killing or genetic modification. The shrimps precedent suggests that it may soon prove illegal to ban fur coats made from animals caught using leg-iron traps, or timber clear-felled from the swamps of Borneo. It may even be illegal to label a “fair trade” packet of coffee.
Not surprisingly, green groups are up in arms. In Seattle, the hitherto shadowy WTO hit the headlines with a vengeance. Founded in 1995, it has more than 130 member nations committed to freeing up world trade. It will launch a “Millennium Round” of negotiations to advance free trade around the globe. Environment groups and aid lobbyists will protest against its growing powers. For them, the WTO is becoming the cuckoo in the nest of international treaties, growing ever larger and turfing out its smaller siblings.
The WTO recently came close to recognising this viewpoint. In its Trade and Environment Report published last month, the WTO acknowledged that “industries often appeal to competitiveness concerns when lobbying against environmental regulations, and on occasion with some success.” And it accepted a second charge that it had induced a “regulatory chill” over some international environmental negotiations.
Negotiations on the Biosafety Protocol to control trade in genetically modified organisms and products broke down earlier this year when the US said the proposed deal, backed by the European Union, would contravene WTO rules. A similar paralysis has hit talks on banning known pollutants such as DDT and PCBs and on encouraging developing countries to protect their rainforests by guaranteeing them rights of the animal and plant resources they contain. The World Wide Fund for Nature fears it could yet undermine controls on trade in endangered species and shipments of hazardous waste.
The WTO is understandably sheepish. The preamble to its charter requires it to promote environmentally responsible trade. And article 20 of its charter says the WTO can exempt conservation laws from its anti-protection rules. But critics say it has never done so. According to Charlie Arden-Clarke, trade campaigner at the World Wide Fund for Nature, “If article 20 cannot protect endangered and internationally protected turtles, what can it protect? Under what circumstances will the WTO give priority to the protection of the environment over market deregulation?” However, a WTO spokesman told New Scientist: “Market forces cannot be entrusted to solve all problems themselves.” He said the organisation backed improved international cooperation on environmental issues.
The next test for environmentalists could be the timber trade. Over the past five years, the WWF and some other environmental groups have developed an internationally acknowledged system of green labelling for timber taken from forests managed to protect the environment and forest animals. But, under plans discussed by the timber trade and the WTO earlier this year, certificates from the Forest Stewardship Council could be challenged at the WTO as a “technical barrier to trade”.
But proponents of the WTO argue that free trade is the environment’s friend; that it banishes the subsidies propping up dinosaur industries that pollute the air and wreck farm soils, that deplete fish stocks and pour greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Look at China, they say. The world’s most populous country has slashed coal subsidies by more than half in the past decade. The result is an economy that is growing by between 7 and 10 per cent a year-but is creating less pollution. It is probably no coincidence that China’s growing interest in economic efficiency has enabled it to sign a free trade deal with the US this month and apply for membership of the WTO.
More fundamentally, these proponents believe that economic efficiency is indistinguishable from environmental efficiency. The WTO’s new director-general, Mike Moore, says: “Poverty is the real enemy of the environment.” Banish poverty and protectionism, the argument goes, and people will have the wealth, incentives and technical know-how to clean up their environments. But cynics note that industrial might and a love of laissez-faire economics has not stopped the US being the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases.
Some environmental campaigners even envisage the organisation as the vanguard of big business’s move to world domination-and the abasement of environmental standards. The talk is all of a “mobilisation against globalisation”. Others are less hostile to free trade and recognise that globalisation could speed green technologies round the world. But green economist Paul Ekins of UK-based Forum for the Future says: “In its current form, globalisation is increasing inequalities within and between nations.” People like Ekins fear globalisation will mainly benefit Western-based multinationals that lack allegiance or commitment to local communities. The result, they say, is that employment and consumer rights will thrive-and the environment will suffer.
But it shouldn’t be overlooked that some of the most serious tension occurs between groups opposed to the WTO. While most Western environmentalists backed the US in defence of the turtle, Asian groups accused them of complicity with the US in bullying Third World fishermen. “Western environmentalists must recognise that there are fundamental flaws in using trade as a tool for controlling environmental misbehaviour,” says Anil Agarwal, director of the Delhi-based Centre for Science and the Environment. “Compared to what the US is doing to the world’s climate, what India and others are doing to the marine turtle is a contemptuously small problem.
“But can the nations most likely to be affected by global warming-the Maldives and Bangladesh, for instance-impose trade sanctions on the US and expect it to be effective?”
And almost inevitably, suspicions arise that some WTO decisions arise from vested interests rather than free-market ideology. The WTO invoked science to rule against a EU ban on importing hormone-treated US beef. The EU insists that the ban is a health precaution. But the WTO has accepted the findings of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, a UN advisory body that triggered a crisis in 1995 when it ruled that hormones in US beef were safe. Critics accuse the commission of bias because many of its scientific advisers are paid by the food industry. They see it as the lever that will ensure the spread of GM foods around the world.
The agenda for the Millennium Round has yet to be drawn up. That will happen in Seattle. Both the EU and the US have talked of wanting to push the environment higher up the trade agenda, though without saying exactly how.
Optimists at the WWF hope this signifies the dawn of “a healthier path towards world prosperity”. Others fear environmental concerns are taking a back seat, and that the WTO is more a means of speeding globalisation-but globalisation to suit a select few.


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It’s the time in the vehicle model year to hear about vehicles that are coming and going. In other words, which ones will be all-new or redesigned; and which will be discontinued and become distant memories.
Among the first “coming and going” notices this year was from Dodge, discontinuing the Avenger so it wouldn’t compete with its sister vehicle, the 2015 Chrysler 200. Since then, more information has come out, and we bring some of it to you here.
Coming and Going: A Partial List
Coming: The redesigned Smart fortwo. The new version will continue to have a 105.9-inch size, and will feature a higher strength steel for increased passenger safety. The new version will feature a choice of two engines, one of which will be turbocharged.
Coming: The redesigned Mazda2. It goes on sale soon in Japan with two engine choices, one of which is a diesel. It will feature design cues closer to its larger siblings, the Mazda3 and Mazda6. No word on which engine choices will be available in the United States or when it will make its debut.
Coming: The all-new Volkswagen “CrossBlue” concept SUV into production. Dubbed a “high-capacity” crossover, it will be built in VW’s Chattanooga, TN factory. The concept vehicle was a diesel-hybrid model, but speculation persists that a gas-hybrid model will be the offering in the United States when it debuts.
Going: Nissan Murano Cross-Cab. Nissan’s attempt to produce a convertible crossover SUV was a bold move. Despite considerable time and effort to make it succeed since its 2011 debut, it never really caught on. Some experts actually compared its odd look to “a bathtub on wheels.”
Going: Nissan Cube. The boxy small car was designed in 2009 to compete in what at the time was a hotly contested niche that had it going against vehicles such as the Kia Soul, the Honda Fit and the Scion xB. Now that the dust has settled, only the Soul has been truly successful – so this doesn’t come as a surprise to anyone.
Going: Dodge Durango. The Chrysler group’s largest SUV is being phased out, but Durango lovers shouldn’t be totally bummed. Its replacement (in 2016) will be the rebirth of the Jeep Wagoneer, which will have several similarities to the Durango.


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Largest Water Well Camera Company
Fresno, CA, May 25th, 2023 – Laval Underground Surveys, the leading manufacturer in water well camera technology, proudly announces its recent acquisition of Aries Industries’ water well camera division, solidifying its position as the world’s largest water well camera manufacturer. This strategic move underscores Laval Underground Surveys’ unwavering commitment to innovation, technological excellence, and exceptional customer service within the global water well camera industry.
The acquisition of Aries Industries’ water well camera division represents a significant milestone for Laval Underground Surveys and the industry as a whole. By merging these two industry leaders, Laval Underground Surveys gains an unparalleled portfolio of cutting-edge technologies, reinforcing its dominant presence in the market.
“Since introducing the world’s first water well inspection camera over 70 years ago, we have continuously driven the industry forward through innovation, superior products, and exceptional customer service. This acquisition marks the next chapter in our journey as we continue to grow and evolve,” said Garrett Jones, President of Laval Underground Surveys.
With this acquisition, Laval Underground Surveys will provide support to existing Aries customers while solidifying its position as the global leader in water well video inspection manufacturing and technology.


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FASHION CHAIN Republic has become the latest retailer to collapse into administration, continuing the trying start to 2013 for the nation’s high street.
Republic – brought down by poor trading results in the autumn as well as a rapid decline in sales in late January – follows the high-profile demises of well-known retailers including Comet, Blockbuster, HMV and Jessops.
Yet it is the failures of HMV and Blockbuster that has delivered the most marked lesson about what happens if business models fail to adapt to changing market forces. Both have struggled in the face of the digital revolution – music downloads and video streaming services changed the market in a fundamental way.
Neither downloads nor streaming are particularly new. The types of services pioneered by Apple and LOVEFiLM have been around since the turn of the century. Given their dominant market position – HMV accounted for 38% of all physical CD sales in the UK – both HMV and Blockbuster were uniquely placed to capitalise on the evolving buying habits. Thirteen years offered plenty of time to get the house in order.
“The insolvencies have been the result of the businesses not moving with the times and competition, rather than the current recessionary climate in which we find ourselves. There is clearly a strong link with people’s technology buying habits and purchases in the recent cases,” says Chris Ratten, head of restructuring at RSM Tenon.
“If businesses do not innovate and change, they will follow the traditional business cycle – birth, growth, maturity, decline and death. To ensure success and continued growth, business owners must ensure they have the market analysis, strategic and management information they need and plan utilising it – as well as do the day job.”
Where the FD comes in is to ensure the business has the data at hand and uses it to drive decision-making. From where are customer sales coming? What is the cost of investment in driving online sales? What is the ROI? What is the cost of online sales as opposed to physical sales?
One retailer, Sainsbury’s, is a case in point. The company noticed its customers were shopping more frequently and locally to reduce food waste, so it pressed ahead with its convenience growth plans.
Last year, the retailer opened 1.4 million square foot of space, adding 19 new supermarkets and 73 new convenience stores to its estate, bringing its total convenience estate to 440. The vast majority of Sainsbury’s investment – core capital expenditure increased by £102m to £1.2bn due to its extensions – is in rolling out those areas of the business that are growing the fastest, CFO John Rogers told Financial Director.
“There is a fantastic return on capital for the investments we make in that area. They are our best returning investments and we want to do more of those and do them quicker,” he says.
Interestingly, rivals are using Blockbuster’s troubles as a way to play catch-up. Supermarket chain Morrisons recently bought 49 of the collapsed retailer’s stores to expand its range of convenience stores.
Companies that successfully adapted to online sales have been able to cut distribution costs and slash the high rental cost of floor space. John Lewis is a prime example of a company that has successfully combined online sales with a traditional bricks-and-mortar operation.
Electrical goods are increasingly being purchased online, and more people are happy to buy their groceries without ‘squeezing’ the product. Neither of these changes have been as dramatic as that of digital downloads, yet businesses have still had to change their models to capitalise on the convergence of technology.
The growth in online retail creates some challenges specific to the finance function. On the plus side, online is not very capital-intensive and potentially has a higher return, whereas stores require a lot of working capital investment.
In an interview with Financial Director last year, John Lewis chief finance officer Rachel Osborne predicted that 33% of John Lewis’ markets will go online, with customers used to shopping instore migrating across. Whether money comes through the front door or from a click of the mouse should not matter but, according to Osborne, the migration online matters for the finance function.
“It matters because the financials are different; they are different business models,” she says. “One is high fixed cost, high marginal contribution; one is low fixed cost but lower marginal contribution because the variable costs associated with online are higher.”


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According to latest figures, the beauty packaging will reach $33bn by 2024
The cosmetics packaging industry is expected to reach $33bn by 2024, according to figures from Transparency Market Research.
Previously valued at $23bn in 2015, the latest research indicates the sector is on a steady 4.4% CAGR between 2014 and 2024.
The growing numbers of beauty consumers in emerging markets such as Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Latin America, is said to be the main driving force for the packaging industry’s growth.
Asia Pacific was noted by the analyst to be a key revenue generator for the market.
In 2016 the region accounted for 32.5% of the global cosmetic packaging market and is predicted to retain the figure during the forecast period.
The growing use of cosmetics among young men is also a growth driver, Transparency claims, as more men are becoming urbanised with access to a disposable income.
“This demographic is also more swayed by packaging innovations than older demographics, which has made it a crucial target demographic for many cosmetics companies,” the analyst noted.
Plastics are predicted to remain the preferred material in cosmetics packaging.
However, glass is also expected to take up a “significant share” due its growing use in premium products.
The use of paper and wood in cosmetics may also gain momentum due to the increasing focus on environmental issues.


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The Chief Executive Officer of Carbon Credit Network (CCN), Femi Oye, has said that the firm has concluded plans to storm the world with made in Nigeria electric cars through its renewable energy drive, The Nation reports.
During the firm’s fourth anniversary ceremony in Lagos recently, Oye said, “The technology is already here only waiting for some documentation. CCN is pioneering electric cars in Nigeria, starting with our tricycle cars to advanced luxury cars. The good thing about it is that they are not imported, they are to be manufactured here.”
While speaking on the CCN plan to establish a bio-fuel refinery in Nigeria, the CCN boss said, “To militate against the effect of food security we cannot continue to produce fuel when the world is going hungry. We are losing over 100 thousand women yearly to indoor air pollution from black carbon that is why we decided to do something differently.”


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Glimpse into Future of Retail and Health Care at 2017 Total Store Expo
The popular “Vision” pavilion will return to the Exhibit Hall at the 2017 National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) Total Store Expo, which will be held at the San Diego Convention Center from August 19 – 22.
The popular “Vision” pavilion will return to the Exhibit Hall at the 2017 National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) Total Store Expo, which will be held at the San Diego Convention Center from August 19 — 22.
This year’s rendition — “Vision 2028” – explores the future of retail and pharmacy through interactive technology demonstrations and dialogue with industry experts. NACDS has partnered with retail and consumer goods accelerator XRC Labs to curate the content and selection of startups in the pavilion.
Vision 2028 will provide a snapshot of emerging technologies positioned to disrupt current approaches to doing business. Such technologies include augmented reality, virtual reality, 3D printing, machine learning, robotics, and computer vision/facial recognition. Attendees will engage with technology that can be implemented across key business areas such as manufacturing, supply chain and user experience.
“Technology, omnichannel and rapid innovation continue to play an increasingly important role in the evolution of retail, so we are excited to present Vision 2028 — in large part due to the work and insights of XRC Labs and Kantar Retail,” Steven C. Anderson, IOM, CAE, president and CEO of NACDS said in a press release about the pavilion. “Retailers and exhibitors have the unique opportunity to strategize about how their business will operate in the future – a decade from now – in addition to focusing on the product they need to sell today.”
The following technology companies are confirmed to participate in Vision 2028:
AdhereTech — Smart, wireless pill bottles that collect and send all adherence data in real-time. The system automatically analyzes the information and populates the data in a secure dashboard. If doses are missed, patients receive customizable alerts and interventions via automated phone calls, text messages and more.
Facenote — Facial identification platform to recognize customers in real time, identifying loyal customers and giving them special treatment. Unlike existing solutions, that require a development team and special hardware, this platform only needs a webcam or mobile device in the store for customers to be remembered.
Feelter — Smart widget for online shopping that serves customers valuable social information on products. The result is an increase in conversion, engagement, and time on site – and reduced bounce rates. Customers see authentic, relevant reviews about products pulled from social networks to make an informed purchase decision without ever having to leave a company’s site.
Forge — Empowers retailers and other businesses to offer the same flexibility that ride-share drivers have for their hourly workforce. Forge provides scheduling software, a performance rating tool to track high-quality employees, and a verified talent pool of additional workers to hire, ensuring supply and demand of labor are met during peaks and lulls of business.
InVRsion — Realistic, customized virtual reality experiences for B2B businesses. Retail space simulator ShelfZone reproduces the store environment by overlaying data onto products, shelves, and zones to support inventory merchandising (view a data-enhanced 3D planogram). Integrated behavior analysis helps design new systems for ecommerce and market research.
LogistiVIEW — Enterprise augmented reality solutions that solve real-world business challenges. The VIEW Platform manages and tracks the execution of repeatable tasks with minimal loss of human efficiency, ensuring a business can have a safer, more productive, and more accurate logistics workforce.
Neura — Artificial Intelligence and machine learning technology that enables apps and devices to deliver experiences that adapt to who their users are, and react to what they do throughout the day. The digital health focus is on disease management, medication adherence and wellness – with the ultimate goal of improving the consumer’s health at each critical moment.
VirtualApt — Augmented reality and virtual reality for real spaces. Using proprietary technology, including robots that autonomously navigate and capture 360 degree video, they create the experience of a moving or guided tour of a space (e.g. retail location, real estate). All experiences are web-based and viewable to a global audience in multiple languages.
WiserTogether — Consumer-focused healthcare IT solutions that advance clinical and financial outcomes, and patient satisfaction results. The Return to Health platform empowers consumers to be a true partner in the healthcare process; it circumvents immense amounts of medical data on the Internet and in the market for guidance on the most effective treatment options.
Retail and technology thought leader Kantar Retail returns to the innovation pavilion this year. Kantar Retail is a leading retail and shopper insight, consulting and analytics and technology business, part of Kantar, the data investment management division of WPP.


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Lee’s appointment to lead SPC Group’s Baskin Robbins and Dunkin’ businesses across South Korea, coincides with new leadership for the South Korean food and beverage giant’s Paris Croissant China and SPL Co. manufacturing subsidiaries
Lee Joo-yun, CEO, BR Korea Co.
South Korea’s SPC Group has appointed Lee Joo-yun to lead its BR Korea Co. subsidiary.
Lee, who previously served as Chief Strategy Officer for Starbucks Korea, is the first female CEO within the SPC Group and reportedly one of the first female CEOs in the Korean food industry.
She is expected to accelerate BR Korea’s digital transformation strategy across the 1,800 Baskin Robbins and Dunkin’ stores in South Korea.
As part of a wider leadership reshuffle, SPC Group has also promoted Lee Myung-wook from Vice President of Paris Croissant to CEO of its Chinese operations.
He has been tasked with strengthening the group’s bakery businesses following the lifting of zero-Covid policies across China, where it operates 300 Paris Baguette stores.
Alongside the Paris Baguette bakery café chain, Paris Croissant also operates Italian coffee chain Caffe Pascucci across South Korea.
Additionally, South Korean food and beverage giant SPC Group has also appointed Park Won-ho as CEO of SPL Co, its manufacturing subsidiary.
Park, previously SPC Group’s Head of Safety Regulations and Related Management, is tasked with rebuilding the company’s image following the death of a 23-year-old employee at one of its bakery factories in Pyeongtaek in October 2022.
SPC Group created a safety management committee in November 2022 and said in January 2023 that it planned to create three new departments to improve industrial safety, working conditions and corporate social responsibility.


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NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — Shares of the following companies were among those that made significant moves in Friday’s U.S. stock market:
Advanced Micro Devices Inc.’s
shares jumped more than 19 % after the maker of processors used in personal computers disclosed a third-quarter sales outlook that topped market expectations. Others in the semiconductor sector also advanced, with Micron Technology Inc.
shares gained 17.5% a day after the provider of cloud-based coordination services reported a second-quarter profit that beat market estimates.
shares added 7% after the business-software maker late Thursday posted first-quarter sales that exceeded market expectations.
Flextronics International Ltd.’s
U.S.-listed shares gained 9.4% a day after the Singapore-based electronics maker reported a first-quarter jump in profit.
Gardner Denver Inc.’s
shares climbed 6.7% a day after the manufacturer hiked its yearly earnings forecast.
Genworth Financial Inc.’s
shares rose almost 9% as insurer recouped some of the beating it took on Thursday after it said it would increase loss reserves at its U.S. mortgage insurance unit.
shares advanced 9.6% after the flash-memory card manufacturer late Thursday reported second-quarter earnings that topped estimates.
Skyworks Solutions Inc.’s
shares rose almost 19% after the maker of cellphone chips late Thursday forecast better-than-expected results for the fourth quarter.
Western Digital Corp.’s
shares gained 8.3% a day after the computer-storage reported a fourth-quarter profit that beat forecasts.
shares dropped 5.8% after the heavy-equipment maker reported second-quarter earnings under expectations.
shares fell 7.5% a day after the vending-machine operator projected second-quarter revenue below Wall Street’s expectations.
C.R. Bard Inc.’s
shares dropped 11.7% a day after the maker of surgical products projected third-quarter earnings under estimates.
Ruby Tuesday Inc.’s
shares declined 14% after the restaurant chain late Thursday forecast first-quarter earnings below analysts’ estimates.