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JRPG fans who are excited for The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero will be excited to know that a new character trailer has dropped.
Deadly Dozen Reloaded is an old-school tactical World War II game that is polished in all the right ways while also falling short in regards to some aspects.
Crunchyroll has announced that the English dubbed version of all eight Attack on Titan OVA’s will premiere in May.
Steve Downes and Jen Taylor from the Halo series are the first confirmed guests for SacAnime Summer 2022.
GKIDS has announced that they have acquired the North American rights to Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water and are planning a 4K restoration.
Fans of the stealth action VR game will be excited to learn that Espire 2 is in the works for the Meta Quest 2.
In a collaboration with the VTuber agency, NIS America has announced the Hololive-DLC for Disgaea 6 Complete.
Following the successful launch on the Nintendo Switch, The House of the Dead: Remake is coming to the PC and consoles.
Despite its performance issues, Postal 4: No Regerts functions better on Day 1 than Cyberpunk 2077 did five months after launch.
Fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender will be excited to learn that Jessie Flower will be a guest at guest at Powerhouse Comic Con 2022.
Following the success of their April event, Retro Rewind has announced they will be hosting a May 2022 game swap.
XSEED has announced that No More Heroes III is coming to all current consoles and the PC sometime in Fall 2022.
Gundam fans will be excited to learn that both seasons of Mobile Suit Gundam 00 is now available to watch for free on GundamInfo.
Fans of old-school tactical games will be excited to learn that Ziggurat Interactive has announced a launch date for the PC version of Deadly Dozen Reloaded.
AFKxp has announced that they will be hosting the Spring Kirby/ Maid Cosplay Cafe.


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Various tech conferences held every year form the backbone of the tech industry. These events fall squarely in the B2B or B2C category, and they are crucial when it comes to educating, informing, and training attendees. And yes, they are also entertaining.
In 2019, it will be no different. You can expect to see a wide array of tech conferences taking place around the world, each focusing on some unique aspect of technology and IT.
However, you might find it overwhelming trying to search the Internet for details of the events. Thankfully, we’ve made the task a little easier by listing all the best 2019 tech conferences.
The International Consumer Electronics Show is right around the corner, and you should already have your tickets booked for the mega-tech event of early 2019. This event, which takes place Jan. 8-11 in Las Vegas, has served as the launch pad for groundbreaking new technology and innovation for the past 50 years.
Every company that generates business from consumer technologies and is eager to introduce new innovations to the market will be gathered here. This year, you will witness over 3,800 of the largest tech firms exhibiting in the same spot, making it a dream come true for every serious tech enthusiast.
AI Assistant Summit
Head to San Francisco on Jan. 24 if you wish to know what’s going on in the world of AI technology. Featuring nearly 900 attendees and 70 speakers, this annual AI Assistant Summit is massive and attracts the crème-de-la-crème of tech society.
Microsoft, Apple, and Huawei are just some of the names that will be attending this year’s event.
Considering how the primary agenda for this year’s tech conference is “The next generation in predictive intelligence. Anticipating user and business needs to alert and advise logical steps to increase efficiency,” expect to see various industries showcasing the progress they have made in the field of artificial intelligence as well as their real-world applications.
Europa-Park, the biggest leisure park in Europe, will serve as the site for CloudFest from March 23-29. Over the course of the week, you will learn everything you need to know about the whole cloud ecosystem.
This event is where attendees and partners feel as closely connected to the program as the panel of great speakers who deliver keynotes to excited crowds.
CloudFest is focused on celebrating the cloud, presenting great new technology and Internet innovations. If you are fascinated with the cloud and would like to be among similar-minded visionaries and thinkers, then you should definitely not miss out on this tech conference.
The INDUSTRY Europe Conference takes place in Dublin, Ireland, April 16-17.
The exhibition is always a hit as it showcases how different tech companies manage products in various environments, which isn’t the easiest thing to do given the difficulties associated with the development of world-class tech products. The event welcomes everybody involved in the tech field, from complex big enterprises to rapidly growing startups.
Attendees to this show come from far and wide to gain important insights into the industry from reputed product leaders who share the newest methods, frameworks, and tools they use to launch, build, and scale superior software technology.
The yearly CCB TechShowcase is the sole tech conference to be held in the great state of Wisconsin. The event brings together the top tech companies in the world so that decision-makers in the IT field and business leaders can experience the best and latest that business technology has to offer. Sound interesting? Then be present in Milwaukee on May 9.
TECHSPO Technology Expo
The TECHSPO Technology Expo is one of the leading IT conferences in the United States, displaying the newest developments in the field of innovation and technology. No one with even a passing interest in mobiles, IoT, virtual reality, augmented reality, 3D printing, and contextual tech should miss this fascinating event.
You can have a fantastic time browsing the entire collection of emerging tech, and exhibitors will be more than happy to present their latest products to consumers.
After all, the purpose of this program is to provide a platform where tech companies can try and outdo each other to garner the attention of the press and tech-savvy investors.
TECHSPO is where technology, business, and innovation collide to entertain the largest pool of tech enthusiasts hoping to celebrate fresh IT ventures. You could be amazed, inspired, and educated on the way these next-gen technologies will or certainly can boost your business/s in the coming years.
You can attend the events in New York, Toronto, and Santa Monica, Calif., from mid-May to mid-June.
Tech Cruise 2019
When you picture a tech conference, you expect a somber, dry affair. But Tech Cruise 2019 seeks to shake things up with its unique take on this traditional event. Kicking off July 7 from Orlando, Fla., this will be a Royal Caribbean Cruise lasting seven nights.
If you have been a part of the tech industry for numerous years and would like to see something unique for a change, here is your best opportunity. Tech Cruise 2019 enables you to rejuvenate and recharge yourself in new surroundings while you’re surrounded and inspired by like minds.
The annual Tech Cruise is also a wonderful way to network with other tech professionals in a relaxed atmosphere.
You get a shot at creating your own professional network, generating innovative ideas, learning, and establishing a rapport with potential business partners. Feel free to participate in four optional events if you want to build up your tech knowledge during the cruise itself.
Tech conferences: Enlighten yourself
The conference list you see above has been carefully curated to offer the best tech conferences across multiple industries in one convenient location.
If you aren’t averse to traveling around the globe, it might be worth your while to visit some of the featured events for the latest developments in FinTech, SaaS, the cloud, and more.
Featured image: Pixabay

domain: news


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Thanks to the low sales encountered by most manufacturers due to the pandemic, price hikes are fairly commonplace. Nissan, however, has decided to give potential buyers a little more reason to choose their SUV.
In a bid to attract customers, Nissan is offering fairly massive deals on its Kicks SUV. The plans are expected to stay in place for the rest of March or at least till stocks last.
The benefits have been listed on Nissan’s India website. These include a cash discount of Rs 25,000, an exchange bonus of Rs 50,000 and a loyalty bonus of Rs 20,000. All of this adds up to Rs 95,000 in total benefits. Additionally, Nissan is also offering an LTC offer for all government/PSB/PSU employees.
The Nissan Kicks compact SUV competes with the likes of the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos. It gets a choice of two petrol engines – a 1.3-litre turbo-petrol and a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated motor. Transmission duties are handled by either a 5-speed manual, 6-speed manual or a CVT automatic gearbox.
The Nissan Kicks comes in a total of eight variants across four trim levels. The entry-level trim starts at Rs 9.49 lakh with the top-spec variant costing Rs 14.64 lakh (ex-showroom, India). The offer, while valid to the end of this month, is expected to vary across dealerships and can be availed only at NIC enabled dealerships.
Nissan’s latest SUV, Nissan Magnite however, doesn’t receive any benefits, quite as expected due to its success in the market.


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11 results were returned
The UAE's new Internet of Things (IoT) regulatory framework is an important step in the government's IoT strategy. It is also a further indication of a shift towards federal data protection legislation in accordance ...
To aid the UAE government's efforts to position the UAE as a leader in digital services, on 1 January 2017, the UAE Central Bank published the Regulatory Framework For Stored Values and Electronic Payment Systems (the ...
For a third consecutive year we have asked our technology & communications specialists from around the world to identify the challenges and opportunities they expect the sector to face in 2020.
Bird & Bird is advising the Irish-headquartered global cloud platform company Cubic Telecom, considered one of Europe's most promising tech companies.
International law firm Bird & Bird today boosts its Dispute Resolution practice with the appointment of Lucas Pitts as a partner in Dubai.
Our international Employment Group takes a look at the uberization of the workforce across our jurisdictions
Processes, pricing, commercial & technical know-how… there's a lot of information that makes up your business.
A new EU Geo-blocking Regulation will apply from 3 December 2018 and will affect many businesses that sell their goods and services into EU countries and across the borders of the Member States. We highlight the main ...
Our international Automotive Group takes a look at the latest developments around the world regarding driverless cars


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Study Finds Branding to Account For 60 Percent of Digital Spend in 2012
A recent Vizu-sponsored Digiday survey of 450 advertising executives and marketers found 60 percent of online budgets will be allocated to brand advertising in 2012, an indication spending on online branding may surpass spending on direct response advertising for the first time in the coming year. Top findings from the study:
- 64 percent of marketers plan to increase their online brand advertising budgets in 2012, with 22 percent saying they will increase spending by more than 20 percent.
- In contrast, only 56 percent of marketers plan to increase their online direct response advertising budgets in 2012, with only 15 percent saying they will increase spending by more than 20 percent.
- Additionally, 60 percent of marketers responding indicated they are allocating dollars away from direct response to brand advertising initiatives.
Of the findings and in a statement that is sure to spark debate over what some see as the attempt to fit a square peg in a round hole, Vizu CEO Dan Beltramo said, "These growth predictions are clearly optimistic, but very encouraging nonetheless. There's still more that needs to be done in order to realize those numbers and make online the medium of choice for brand advertisers. I believe that when brand advertisers understand that their online ads can now be measured and optimized using classic offline brand metrics such as awareness and purchase intent, we will see a further growth in their online ad budgets."
But marketers agreed with Mr. Beltramo. When asked what would lead them to increase spending on online brand advertising:
- Nearly 7 in 10 (68 percent) said "Improved clarity around the actual return on brand advertising investment."
- A majority (56 percent) also cited the "Ability to verify my brand advertising created the desired result (e.g. increased awareness of my product)."
- In addition, a majority of respondents (53 percent) indicated the "Ability to use the same metrics to evaluate brand advertising effectiveness online as are used offline."
In what would appear to indicate a desire to return to the metrics simplicities of old, Beltramo said, "These issues are all indicative of a 'metrics morass' in the online medium, which often leads to information overload for brand marketers when trying to determine the efficacy of their advertising. In fact, 34 percent of respondents described themselves as 'drowning in data' when it comes to the online channel."
It seems brands and agencies are in agreement on which metrics they would like to use to determine the effectiveness of online brand advertising:
- In the top spot, 8 in 10 of both agency and brand respondents said: "Brand Lift generated as a result of the advertising."
- A majority (over 50 percent) of both also agree on "Sales generated as a result of the advertising."
- And in a finding that may result in one camp calling the other lazy, 55 percent of respondents said that they'd prefer to use "the exact same metrics used in the offline medium, and a few additional metrics specific to the online medium."


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With the coronavirus pandemic putting many families in a financial bind, thrift stores and pawnshops have seen more customers for the holiday season.
“Thrift stores are wonderful, my thrift store especially. I have quality items that are possibly used, possibly new but are in great shape and make perfect gifts for a fraction of the cost," said Tammy Kester, owner of Hidden Treasures Montana Thrift Store.
Kester says that choosing a thrift store or second-hand shop for gifts helps not only the customer but the business, too.
“So not only is it helping me out by staying open but it's helping the customer and the purchaser out by saving money and they still get a great product at a great deal," said Kester.
Across Kalispell near Evergreen, the Gold Rush Pawn Shop saw an uptick in people selling items for quick cash.
“The last two, three months, yes there's been there's been more. There's been an uptick; I think people are selling the stuff they bought initially, a lot of the intake of firearms," said Robert Windorski, Gold Rush Pawn Shop General Manager.
Windorski says that most of the items in the pawn shop usually carry a significant discount.
“You can get them half to two-thirds off of retail depending on how often they are used. But usually try and take in items that are gently used," said Windorski.
Windorski wants to encourage members of the community to shop local for holiday gifts.
“If you can shop local, it keeps us open," he said.
Kester also wants to remind others that her thrift store is taking donations for unwanted items 24/7.
“I don't even care if it's me or somewhere else, but don't get rid of your things. You know, there's so much stuff but the green box and things like that, bring them here, bring them to me. I'm accepting donations all the time," said Kester.


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According to research just released by accounting software solutions provider Intuit Australia - the company behind QuickBooks Online – for Australian entrepreneurs starting a new small business, however, success isn’t only measured in dollar terms.
And, according to Intuit, the survey highlighted that less than half (44%) of the owners of small startup businesses are very satisfied with the way they run their companies, but “whether it’s passion or wanting to be your own boss that triggers a startup business, the key to success is better planning and financial management”.
Nicolette Maury, Managing Director of Intuit Australia, says it is clear from the study that start up business owners will need to be “patient and expect success to take upwards of two years”.
The survey found that those startup owners regretted not:
• Learning to better manage and track their finances (21%)
• Preparing an effective business plan (18%)
• Spending more money on marketing (15%)
The Intuit survey - conducted by Galaxy Research - also reveals that, outside of financial rewards, success for startup business owners is measured in confidence, work-life balance, the flexibility of working from home, and even being able to decide whether to chase growth or not.
But, Maury says that with more than half (56%) still relying on ledgers or spreadsheets to handle their operations, “they are not yet tapping into the power of the affordable online financial management packages that are now available to every new business”.
According to Maury, the time savings, streamlined invoicing and access to accurate financial and inventory information help solve many of the problems experienced by busy entrepreneurs.
Maury also says the survey found that 43% of owners do not currently use an accountant or bookkeeper to monitor the financial and compliance side of the operation, and even those who do use them are not leveraging those relationships for advice or planning.
“This research is key to better understanding how Australia’s entrepreneurs are approaching their small startup businesses.
We are passionate about helping them set the right foundations for long term success, including educating them on the power of cloud accounting.”
Intuit also found that age and gender have an enormous influence on why people look to start a business, including:
• Women want to be their own boss (50%) or to supplement their or their family’s income (23%)
• 21% of Baby Boomer entrepreneurs started their own business because they were laid off, and
• Millennials are more likely to be driven by the passion for an idea (35%) or a hobby (19%).
Maury says Intuit acknowledges the hard work required to bring new ventures to fruition and recognises the value of SMBs to Australia’s economy. The company is lead sponsor of the nationwide Startup Weekend Australia program scheduled across the country from March to help local innovators succeed.


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TV cameras and TV hosts have become the norm at Carlisle rather than the exception as of late and that trend continues in 2017 as part of the Carlisle
TV cameras and TV hosts have become the norm at Carlisle rather than the exception as of late and that trend continues in 2017 as part of the Carlisle Import & Performance Nationals. This year’s Import & Performance weekend runs May 19-21 at the Carlisle PA Fairgrounds and features Korean cars, while also showcasing some of the best vintage imports, tuners and performance sport compacts from around the world. While 20,000+ guests and nearly 2,000 cars are anticipated, what is confirmed is that joining them in May will be a production team representing Discovery’s Velocity Channel.
This is not the first time Carlisle has been seen via Velocity, but it’ll be the first time in quite some time that the Import & Performance event gets its turn in the spotlight. The new program, entitled Legends of the Design, will air later in the fall and be comprised of 10 episodes filmed at shows around the country. Of those 10, one, maybe two of them will be set in Carlisle.
Legends of the Design is co-hosted by author and car collector “GT Joey” Limongelli as well as Maria Prekeges and will give those showing and attending at Carlisle their chance for 15 minutes of fame and to be able to brag that their car is now “as seen on TV.” Joey, Maria and the crew will scour the Carlisle grounds looking for cars that highlight amazing designs of the import world. Not only will the cameras flock to these showfield gems, Joey and Maria will speak with owners and enthusiast to better educate viewers on overall design and features. In addition, Joey and Maria will go the extra step, breaking down the who, what, where and why of the car design and its features.
A show like this is a perfect fit for the mixed audience of people and cars that come to Carlisle. According to Joey himself, Carlisle was a must for this upcoming season.
“I’m excited because I’ve been coming to this event for 20 years and I could not think of a better launching point for this all-new TV series,” noted “GT Joey”.”
“The filming of this new show puts our weekend of international automotive excitement on display for the entire world to see…literally,” said event manager Ken Appell. “It is exciting to see this attention brought to such a diverse market and to work with such a professional host as “GT Joey.”
The Carlisle Import & Performance Nationals is currently accepting registrations for the 2017 event. Be it showfield, vendor inquiries or the purchase of single day or weekend tickets, complete details are available by calling 717-243-7855 or online at www.CarlisleEvents.com.
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Carlisle Events is a partner or producer of 12 annual collector car and truck events. Events are held at the Carlisle PA Fairgrounds (Carlisle, PA), Allentown Fairgrounds (Allentown, PA) and the SUN ‘n FUN Campus (Lakeland, FL). The season schedule includes five automotive swap meets of varying size, four auctions, as well as individual specialty shows featuring Hurst branded machines, Corvettes, Fords, GMs, Chryslers, trucks, imports, tuners and performance sport compacts. Founded in 1974 by friends Bill Miller and Chip Miller, events hosted at Carlisle attract more than a half a million enthusiasts annually from all corners of the globe. More information is available via www.CarlisleEvents.com or www.CarlisleAuctions.com.
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Google today announced two new reporting capabilities for its Google TV Ads service, bringing more data to a service already renowned for its metrics-heavy approach.
“These are the two latest and greatest in our steps toward empowering advertisers with data so they can make their TV spend more efficient,” Meredith Papp, Google product marketing manager, said.
Google TV clients can now track the correlation between the airing of their TV ads and traffic on their Web sites on an hourly basis. A “Graph by Hourly” icon has been added to the Google TV dashboard that allows clients to see hourly measurements of their Web traffic compared with their TV exposure. The idea is to help clients determine how much impact their TV commercials are having on their Web traffic.
ClickZ reported that the shift to hourly metrics was expected in a comprehensive report on Google TV published last month. The comparisons were previously offered only on a daily basis.
The move to hourly reports was necessary to accommodate those clients with a heavy TV presence, Papp said.
“Now you can really more easily draw that correlation about which airing delivered the most bang for the buck in the form of Web site traffic, and as result you can start to identify which ads placed on certain networks or certain versions of my creative are driving traffic more efficiently than others, which in this economy is helpful,” she said.
Google TV is also now offering audience data reporting, which allows advertisers to see how well its TV ads reached specific demographics. Clients can search for audience types based on qualities such as age, household income and marital status, for example, and learn how much of a specific group was exposed to their ad based on set-top box data.
Papp said such audience data was particularly valuable to brand advertisers, a segment of the marketing population that Google TV has struggled to reach given its focus on direct-response style feedback.
“In addition to making sure they are reaching a big audience, brand advertisers want to make sure they are reaching the right audience — Are they reaching the moms that are going to buy the diapers?” she said. “I think both of these tools are a good value for brand advertisers.”
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New Delhi: Around 13 km from the district headquarters of Jind in Haryana lie the cobbled lanes of Bibipur village. The neat row of pucca houses in this small but prosperous hamlet is awash with stories and posters of ‘Mohini’ — a nine-year-old buffalo that is more precious than a few Audis parked along the narrow lane.
“We won’t sell Mohini even if we are offered tens of millions in exchange. It has received several awards from the (Manohar Lal) Khattar and (Parkash Singh) Badal governments (of Haryana and Punjab, respectively). Our buffaloes win more awards than our boys,” said dairy owner Jasvir Singh, as he stood watching his herd of buffaloes drink water from a pond near his house.
Mohini isn’t any other buffalo one finds strolling down the roads. It is a purebred Murrah — a coveted, high-yielding variety.
A talk about rural Haryana is incomplete without a reference to the Murrah buffaloes. Famous for its high production of fat-rich milk, Murrahs have changed the fortunes of their hookah-smoking owners in remote Haryana.
The per capita availability of milk in the state is 878 grams per day, much higher than the national average of 329 grams a day — all thanks to the Murrahs.
Mohini yields 24 litres of milk on an average every day.
“Murrahs have served us for three generations. We have earned more than Rs 20 lakh by selling milk and breeding these buffaloes,” Jasvir said, grinning ear-to-ear.
Over 70 km from Jind, in Hisar’s Litani village, Sukhbir Dhandha has a similar ‘success story’ to tell. He had recently sold one of his prized Murrahs, ‘Saraswati’, for Rs 51 lakh.
With a daily average milk produce of 33 litres, Saraswati reportedly held the world record in milk yield. “It had broken the record previously held by a Pakistani Murrah buffalo. I earned crores from this buffalo. In comparison, Rs 51 lakh is a meagre amount,” Dhandha added.
Kapoor Singh, a resident of Hisar’s Singhwa Khas village known globally for its Murrah buffaloes, had also made headlines in 2013 by selling his buffalo for Rs 25 lakh.
Not only milk, the semen of these prized buffaloes are also in high demand. A Kurukshetra-based farmer earned over Rs 40 lakh per annum by selling semen of his Murrah bull, ‘Yuvraj’.
The demand for these purebreds is so high that their prices are often fixed when a calf is still in the womb. A four-month-old at Dhandha’s house is now priced at about Rs 4.5 lakh, he said.
To better understand just how Murrah buffaloes are redefining farm economics in this north Indian state, this reporter travelled more than 500 km across Haryana.
What are Murrah buffaloes?
A breed of water buffaloes, Murrahs originated in India and its home tract is Fatehabad, Gurgaon, Jind, Jhajjar, Hisar and Rohtak districts of Haryana. The breed is also found in Nabha and Patiala districts of Punjab.
Murrah buffaloes are in particular demand for its high-fat milk yield — around 7 litres every day — which is used for making mozzarella cheese and preferred for sweets.
India has 57 per cent of the global buffalo population and there are 13 recognised breeds in the country.
Satbir Kumar, a resident of Singhwa Khas, described the “best trick” to identify a purebred Murrah. “You can spot a purebred among thousands of other buffaloes. Slender head and legs, thin black tails and curved black horns are some of the telltale identity markers.”
When told how a Murrah buffalo was costlier than an Audi car, he quickly remarked, “But Audis cannot produce milk, can they?”
‘Murrah hit the ramp’
With a glistening jet black body, curved ring-like horns, a light neck and head, Murrahs have become so popular that many of these beasts also have a huge fan following on social media.
When Dhandha had announced that he wanted to sell ‘Saraswati’, the buffalo’s fans on social media were “disturbed”. He soon arranged for an event so that admirers can “see it for one last time”, he said.
A host of very popular beauty pageants for buffaloes, where the animals are decorated with painted horns, ornaments and garlands are also held across the state. The prize money in these contests can range anywhere between Rs 1,100 and Rs 5 lakh.
‘Murrah hit the ramp’ is one such popular contest that is organised by the state government.
At Jasvir’s house, the cupboards and walls are adorned with awards won by ‘Mohini’. He gives an example of just how popular the buffalo is: “If you ask any one in the village about her or his date of birth, they may have to look for their ration or Aadhaar cards. But ask about Mohini’s and they will promptly give you the answer.”
Many other proud owners similarly displayed photos of their prized buffaloes on their mobile phones.
For the pageants, the animals are groomed from a very young age. A typical grooming session includes bathing, massaging their horns and body with oil and trimming their hooves.
Government incentives for rearing Murrahs
To motivate farmers and encourage rearing of Murrah buffaloes, the Haryana government had recently floated several schemes. The state’s animal husbandry department has launched an Integrated Murrah Development Programme under which owners of high-yielding buffaloes are rewarded at village and tehsil levels.
The owner of a buffalo that gives 15-18 kg of milk every day is given Rs 15,000 and those producing 18-22 kg are awarded Rs 18,000. An owner whose buffalo gives 22-25 kg of milk every day gets Rs 20,000 and those owning buffaloes yielding above 25 kg of milk get Rs 30,000.
Another programme, Departmental Dairy Training, is also organised to attract the youth towards animal husbandry. As part of this training, unemployed youth are informed about the best methods of breeding and raising animals.
Many dairy owners, however, also rued that a growing market of synthetic milk has dampened the business of selling buffalo milk.
Gulshan Pruthi, owner of a private dairy in Jind, said, “The business of selling milk has not been as profitable. Prices of pure milk have remained static for years due to the growing market of synthetic milk.”
“Also, fodder for buffaloes that usually consists of cottonseed and ‘khali’ (mustard cakes) are becoming increasingly expensive. In such a scenario, running a dairy has been a loss-making venture,” he added.
Murrahs are a ‘lifeline’ for women farmers
For several women farmers of the state, rearing Murrah buffaloes has helped them manage the smaller household expenses with ease.
Kavita, a farmer in Rewari district, said, “Our buffaloes give around 19 kg of milk. We can easily manage the monthly expenses with the money received by selling milk. Income from farming comes in our hand only on an annual or half-yearly basis but the buffaloes help get by every month.”
Ravinder Hooda, deputy director of the animal husbandry department in Jind, said, “Buffaloes are the spinal cord of rural economy. A rural woman can easily handle every small expenditure in her household by rearing buffaloes.”
An officer at Jind’s Vita Milk Plant, which is under the Haryana Dairy Development Cooperative Federation Limited, said, “We make payment for procured milk on the 1st, 11th and 21st of every month. A woman farmer can manage her household expenses with the amount she gets once every 10 days.”
‘80% milk come from Murrah buffaloes’
In Haryana, a livestock census is carried out every five years. According to the 2012 census, the state had 60.85 lakh buffaloes, including the Murrah variety. This number was 59.50 lakh in 2007.
While the numbers for 2017 are yet to be officially released, sources told ThePrint that it is likely to come down by 20 per cent.
Hooda cited several reasons for this likely decline. “In the last few years, Andhra Pradesh had procured a large number of Murrah buffaloes from Haryana’s villages. Also, more and more people have started living in cities and the government has denied permission to keep buffaloes in residential areas of towns.”
He, however, believes the numbers will go up again in the next five years. “Thanks to Digital India, every village is now getting connected to the Internet. Several farmers and dairy owners from Haryana have created their own YouTube channels where they upload videos of their buffaloes. This helps them publicise their farms and attract buyers.”
Many government reports ThePrint accessed to also concur with the fact that dairy entrepreneurs have influenced rural economy in a good way. Milk production in Haryana during 2018-19 was 10,72,6000 tonnes, of which 80 per cent was buffalo milk, officials said.
Officials at the Jind’s Vita plant also said more than 80 per cent of the milk coming to their plant is from Murrah buffaloes. With more than 700 dairies, Jind is called the hub of animal husbandry.
Why news media is in crisis & How you can fix it
India needs free, fair, non-hyphenated and questioning journalism even more as it faces multiple crises.
But the news media is in a crisis of its own. There have been brutal layoffs and pay-cuts. The best of journalism is shrinking, yielding to crude prime-time spectacle.
ThePrint has the finest young reporters, columnists and editors working for it. Sustaining journalism of this quality needs smart and thinking people like you to pay for it. Whether you live in India or overseas, you can do it here.


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Impact of the Kopo Kopo Cashless Payment System
When asked about how the Jasho Letu bio-centre has impacted his life, Kibera resident Morris Odoyo said, “I feel better about this. There are less flying toilets.” Created in 2007, Jasho Letu offers both daily and monthly payment for use of its toilets and cold showers. One time use of the toilet and shower cost 5 and 10 shillings respectively, while monthly use costs 150 shillings. In addition to the bio-centre’s 15 monthly clients, one-time use patrons bring in about 7,000 shillings a week.
One factor attributing to its success is the introduction of a cashless payment system that allows for both mobile payment and electronic transfer of cash transactions. This open-loop platform—called Kopo Kopo—allows customers to pay for bio-centre services using Safaricom’s M-PESA service to top-up credit on their mobile phone. With M-PESA, customers can immediately pay for bio-centre amenities and are not charged any additional fees; rather, Jasho Letu is charged 1% lumpsum each time the Kopo Kopo transactions are settled to their bank account.
The Kopo Kopo system also allows caretakers to electronically submit, transfer, and record cash payments with the M-PESA mobile wallet platform. Both Kopo Kopo payment methods, mobile and cash, improve accountability and record-keeping for the bio-centre, as the caretaker is responsible for significantly less records. Bernice Mmboga, the caretaker of the Jasho-Letu bio-centre, said that the Kopo Kopo system “makes it easier.” “I had to get used to it,” she says, “but it’s progressively improved.” According to Bernice, it was “difficult” and time-consuming to keep handwritten records of every bio-centre transaction. Now she is accountable for significantly less records, as bio-centre traffic and payment is automatically and electronically recorded.
One Jasho Letu member, David Kihara, says he has seen an improvement in not only recordkeeping but also number of bio-centre patrons. Although he notes that most still use cash, Kihara says that the number of customers has increased thanks to the M-PESA option. Kihara attributes the improvement to M-PESA’s “wide reach.” In 2013 alone there were 17 million M-PESA users in Kenya, many of which live in informal settlements like Kibera. Because many community members already use M-PESA, paying for bio-centre services is simple.
Kihara further notes that he has also seen an improvement in the actual receiving of funds accumulated from Kopo Kopo. For about a month now Jasho Letu has been using their own Jasho Letu Kopo Kopo till number to accept payment. Previously there was a delay in the distribution of money, as the bio-centre was using Umande Trust’s till number. But with their own till number, Jasho Letu receives payments promptly.
Another major success of the Jasho Letu bio-centre is the sale of cooking fuel. Jasho Letu currently sells ethanol for 87 shillings per litre, offering a sustainable, inexpensive, and healthier alternative to charcoal. “It has been very nice,” remarks Kihara. He notes that because customers often must travel to reach the bio-centre, many prefer not to use its community cookers. There has been “a very good response” to the ethanol, according to Kihara, who comments that the fuel “cooks in a shorter time and lasts longer.”
Evidently both the Kopo Kopo cashless payment system and the sale of biogas have led Jasho Letu’s bio-centre to go above and beyond water & sanitation. Along with the cashless payment systems and biogas, Jasho Letu’s 2nd floor community center provides space for community collaboration or entertainment. Community based organizations have a space for meeting, and football fans have a safe opportunity to watch sports. Jasho Letu hosts football viewings for 20 shillings a game. According to Odoyo, it’s his “favorite” part of the bio-centre. “It’s safe, I do not have to walk far at night,” he states. And Odoyo is not the only person benefiting from the Jasho Letu bio-centre; there are many more, and the numbers are growing.
Written by: Sarah Snead


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A lot of growth happened this year at Dealers United: We added 22 new team members from all over the country to #TeamDU, created 56 new company-wide Slack channels, and implemented many, MANY new product features. Check out our major accomplishments in this 2018 recap!
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SARASOTA, Fla., September 14, 2018 (Newswire.com) — On Thursday, September 13th, 2018, Dealers United was awarded the Fourth Annual Ringling College Innovation by Creative Design Award, a collaboration of the Economic Development Corp. (EDC) of Sarasota County and the Ringling College of Art and Design.
Have you heard of Facebook Marketplace, a new feature inside of Facebook that’s helping users buy and sell products online? If not, there’s one Marketplace section in particular that’s worth taking a closer look: the autos section. With a larger audience than Craigslist and Autotrader, Marketplace is quickly becoming the hotspot for listing pre-owned vehicles. Here’s what you need to know:
Sarasota, Fla., July 25, 2018 (Newswire) – On July 20, 2018, leading digital automotive company Dealers United announced a final agreement to acquire Seattle-based media and video production company What’s Next Media for an undisclosed amount. Continue reading…
SARASOTA, Fla., April 18, 2018 (Newswire.com) — Facebook Business just released a new automotive success story featuring Hub City Ford, signifying the 3rd customer of Dealers United, a digital solutions provider for auto dealers, to be published by the site. Keep reading…
Dealers, are you unsure your 3rd party leads are working, but you’re suffering from FOMOS, (Fear Of Missing Out On Sales)? You’re not alone. Thankfully, Facebook’s newest ad format is the secret to generating more 1st party leads and sales for your dealership—and it’s so new, your competition doesn’t have their hands on it (yet!).


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Amazon has said its sales of MP3s have increased since the arrival of its Cloud Drive.
Last month, Amazon revealed the online storage service and player, which lets users play their music collection from any computer as well as some mobile devices.
The announcement angered music labels that believed the storage and streaming service was breaking copyright and required an additional licensing agreement.
In response, Amazon's music team has reportedly sent an open letter to music firms, claiming the Cloud Drive service had boosted MP3 sales - although it hasn't said by how much.
The letter - seen by Billboard - stressed that Amazon doesn't think its online storage service requires a deal with music firms.
"There has also been speculation that we are looking for licenses for Cloud Drive and Cloud Player," the letter said, according to Billboard. "We are not looking for licenses for Cloud Drive or Cloud Player as they exist today - as no licensees are required."
"Cloud Player is a media management and play-back application not unlike Windows Media Player and any number of other media management applications that let customers manage and play their music," it adds. "It requires a license from content owners no more than those applications do. It really is that simple."
However, Amazon said it would be looking to cut licensing deals soon, as new features are rolled out. The letter said there would be "potential enhancements to Cloud Drive and Cloud Player that would require licenses, including serving different customers with a single copy and save on the efforts by customers to upload music to the Cloud Drive".
This article originally appeared at pcpro.co.uk


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Five days until old £1 coin deadline kicks in, but some places will still take coins
Retailers have been warned that they have just five days until old pound coins are no longer legal tender.
The old 'round pound' is being replaced by the new 12-sided coin, a move that is being taken to cut down on the number of fake coins in circulation - with the new design much harder to replicate.
Speaking ahead of the deadline, which falls at the end of this week, independent retailer representative body Retail NI's Glyn Roberts urged retailers to take the October 15 deadline seriously.
"This deadline is going to be a challenge given that multiple retailers have decided to be more flexible and continue to accept the old £1 coin from shoppers after 15th October,” he said.
“Retail NI’s advice is clear to retailers and is in line with what the Royal Mint is advising. Retailers are under no obligation to accept the round £1 coin from customers and should not distribute the round £1 coin after October 15.”
“All round £1 coins should have been banked. However, the round £1 coin can continue to be deposited into a customer’s account at most high street banks and the Post Office.”
It was also warned that continuing to accept the old £1 coins leaves businesses at risk of accepting counterfeits.
The Royal Mint has advised all businesses should have changed their machines and coin-handling equipment by the end of the week so that they are able to accept the new £1 coins.
Despite the 12-sided coins being introduced in March to facilitate the phasing out of the old coins, some retailers have said they will continue to accept the coins.
Supermarket giant Tesco has said that it will continue to accept the round pounds after they are no longer legal tender, extending this policy out by a further week.
Retailer Poundland has also said that it will continue to accept the coins up until the end of the month.
Belfast Telegraph Digital


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Google seems to be testing showing the number of bookings that happened through a local services ads directly in the Google ads. Tom Waddington posted a screen shot that shows Google displaying “booked 870+ times near you.”
Tom posted this screen shot on Twitter:
This is what I see:
I suspect showing the number of bookings does two things; (1) gives confidence to the shopper that the business is dependable and (2) encourages the business that doesn’t show the number of bookings to use a Google backed booking system.
Forum discussion at Twitter.


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The Samsung Galaxy F foldable phone, aka Galaxy X, could finally get its official reveal, launch or at least tease this Wednesday November 7, following an official hint from Samsung.
As you may have spotted from T3's report here, Samsung has officially begun production of its foldable phone. Up to a million units are expected to get rolled out, but exactly when, has still been in question.
Now it looks like Samsung is hinting that it will reveal the new bendable phone at its developer conference which kicks off this Wednesday November 7.
Samsung has decided to update its Facebook profile picture with a new version of its name, folded in half. Yup, it's pretty clear what that's a nod to. The timing, at the start of the same week the developer conference begins, seems a little too perfect to be a coincidence.
So what can we expect to see at the big reveal event? There should be a brand new type of folding 7.3-inch OLED screen with a second 4.6-inch OLED on the front of the device, allowing for closed phone use or opened tablet style interactions.
Also expected is the latest 7nm processing onboard for super-fast performance with low-battery drain. A good thing when you consider how much battery all those screens should chew through.
The Samsung Developer Conference will start with a keynote speech at 6pm GMT, where the new Galaxy F should be shown off, we hope. Don't expect this handset to get released until early next year as production has allegedly only just started.


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Peddlers to stop in Matamata
More than 120 members of The Warehouse, Plunket and other supporters have hit the road to pedal across New Zealand as part of Pedal for Plunket.
Their trip includes a 20 minute stop at the Matamata Warehouse this Thursday at 11.30am.
To welcome the peddlers and support Plunket, The Warehouse Matamata is holding a fundraiser at the entrance to the store which includes a bake stall, barbecue and face painting as well as plenty of small treats for the children.
Pedal for Plunket is a major fundraiser for Plunket nationwide. This is the second time the event has taken place and it raised over $200,000 in 2016.
The cycle tour runs from The Cape to Bluff throughout the month of March.
Matamata Warehouse Pedal for Plunket co-ordinator Delma Isabeth says The Warehouse is proud to be part of an initiative supporting Plunket and is thrilled the peddlers have included the Matamata store in their route across the country.
‘‘It’s a really great cause and we hope the whole community will get behind it by coming down, meeting the peddlers and buying some baking and a sausage.’’


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Sino Payments (OTCBB:SNPY) today announced that it has concluded a referral agreement for physical IP credit and debit card ecommerce processing in Asia with Pay.On Asia, Ltd. in addition to a services agreement for international ecommerce servicing.
PAY.ON Asia is a fully owned subsidiary of PAY.ON AG of Germany.
The global payment technology and transaction processing of PAY.ON enable Sino Payments to serve clients worldwide by integrating solutions that specifically meet domestic and international payment demands. The PAY.ON technology is a fully PCI-certified payment platform that enables online payments by classical as well as alternative payment methods, thus enhancing the market penetration rate for its client.
Sino Payments will utilize the PAY.ON payment platform PaySourcing(TM) to process ecommerce transactions from its customers worldwide in multiple currencies including the US dollar.
CEO of PAY.ON Robert Kuzelj stated: "We are delighted about the closure of the agreement between Sino Payments and PAY.ON. With Sino Payment we were able to win a further international partner for our payment technology, and to further strengthen our position in the Asian market. We have once more shown that our technology is truly global and meets local payment demands anywhere in the world."
Sino Payments President and CEO Matthew Mecke added, "This agreement and service relationship will enable Sino Payments to deploy ecommerce processing solutions worldwide without the need for Sino Payments to deploy offices and technical systems around the globe. I am looking forward to rolling out Sino Payments processing services for our merchants as a result of this agreement with PAY.ON."


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Health officials said more people have reported cases of E. coli, as a multi-state outbreak linked to chopped romaine lettuce continues to spread.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said about 53 cases of E. coli have been reported across 16 states, with 18 new cases reported after April 13. Pennsylvania, Idaho, New Jersey and Montana reported the highest number of cases.
The CDC said 31 people have been hospitalized, including five who have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a type of kidney failure. No deaths have been reported.
The E. coli outbreak has been linked to romaine lettuce grown in Yuma, Arizona, though no particular brand or grower has been identified. The CDC urged consumers anywhere in the U.S. to throw out any store-bought chopped romaine lettuce, including salads and salad mixes and to try and confirm where romaine lettuce comes from before eating it.
E. coli symptoms typically include diarrhea, stomach cramps and vomiting. Symptoms lasting longer than a week can result in hemolytic uremic syndrome.
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OnePlus is continuing to reveal bits and pieces of information about its upcoming smartphone and this time the company has posted about the RAM that will be packed into the device.
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Sony Mobile's CEO has put an end to rumours that the company might be looking to sell off the smartphone division and exit the market which has been bringing in losses for the company.
Samsung's homegrown Tizen OS will be featured on yet another device in the form of the Z3, which is said to feature mid-range hardware specifications and will be aimed at emerging markets.
Hacking Team, a company specializing in spy services on behalf of government agencies was hacked earlier today and the attackers have exposed its internal documents and credentials to the public.
Amazon will be turning 20 this month and to celebrate the occassion the company is kicking off a one-day sale across various countries for its Prime subscribers with a promise of great deals.
Apple has updated the terms of service for its AppleCare+ warranty plan which now includes a free replacement of the battery in qualifying devices once it loses 20 percent of its health.
Amazon's one hour delivery service that was launched last year in the United States has expanded to the UK and is now available in parts of London with a minimum purchase of £20.
Microsoft has announced that it will be joinging as a founding member of the R Consortium formed by the Linux Foundation along side Google and Oracle for creating a vibrant data science community.
Microsoft is already using its Minecraft acquisition to the fullest with the HoloLens and now the company has introduced a new program to bring dynamic experiences in the field of education.
Samsung's Tizen-powered smartphone, known simply as Z1, has managed to break the 1 million sales mark and to celebrate the occassion the company will be launching a Gold Edition of the device soon.
One of the long-running legal battles between Google and Oracle over Android's use of the Java API has finally reached the Supreme Court, where it has been tossed out for the time being.
Microsoft's next flagship smartphone may not be launching anytime soon but the device has already been spotted in GfxBench, revealing a bunch of hardware specs that might be part of the device.
In a rather interesting move, popular anti-malware software developer Malwarebytes is giving pirates an opportunity to convert their counterfeit product keys to legitimate ones.
Apple's bring your own music service, iTunes Match, will let users upload 100,000 songs up from the current 25,000 with similar features for Apple Music when iOS 9 launches in fall.
The specifications of a high-end Motorola smartphone, alleged to be the next generation Moto X that is expected to be released in the coming months, have been revealed by a benchmarking tool.
HTC has launched two new dual sim smartphones in the form of the high-end One ME and the mid-range Desire 826 in India, priced at Rs. 26,900 and 40,500 respectively.
Chinese smartphone startup, OnePlus, will be launching its next flagship smartphone on 27th of July using virtual reality to allow its fans to experience the product launch from wherever they want.
Just as Apple prepares to launch its music streaming service next week, Google has unveiled an ad-supported, free radio option for Play Music users in the US with plans to expand overseas.
Saygus V SQUARED, a smartphone aimed at media and gaming enthusiasts might soon be a reality as it has reached its Indiegogo target and is all set to enter the manufacturing stage in the near future.
Sony has acknowledged the overheating issue with the newly launched, Snapdragon 810-equipped, Xperia Z3+, and has promised to release a software update to address it in the near future.
It seems that many retailers are still not keen on accepting payments using Apple Pay as nearly half of the top 100 merchants revealed that they won't be implementing the system until next year.
Sony Music's CEO has revealed in an interview that Apple's rumored ad-free music streaming service will finally be unveiled at the company's annual developer conference tomorrow.
The HTC Vive VR headset built-in collaboration with Valve is now being shipped to randomly selected developers out of those who had registered for the development kits.
Netflix has announced plans to launch its video streaming service in Spain, Italy and Portugal in October 2015, increasing its European presence to 16 countries.
A report has revealed that Apple will bring its mobile payment system to the United Kingdom in the coming two months, and will make a formal announcement at the upcoming WWDC.
Amazon's newest "ambitious" project is a PC game and the company has now posted 26 job listings for building a new development team at its Seattle-based game studio.
Asus has launched a variety of new products at the ongoing Computex 2015, which include the next version of the ZenWatch, a selfie-centric ZenFone and three new variants of the ZenFone 2.
At Computex 2015, Microsoft showed off some of the upcoming devices from its hardware partners including a 'revolutionary' note taking tablet that is being developed by HP.
The ATM Industry Association has announced that the ATMs running on older Windows versions will be upgraded to Windows 10 when it becomes available as part of its 2020 migration plan.
Samsung's US website jumped the gun on the Galaxy S6 Active announcement as the device's product page briefly went live today revealing its design and hardware specifications.
Juniper Research has revealed the latest list of top IT executives, which is being led by Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella for his vision of the company and its upcoming products.
A recycling firm in California is looking for a woman who dumped off an Apple-I to split the $200,000 check it received after selling the computer which she left behind without knowing its worth.
More than a year since its unveiling, Project Tango is once again in the news as Google and Qualcomm are co-developing a pocketable protoype featuring the technology for a wider release.
The Internal Revenue Service of the United States is reportedly still running Windows XP on its computers along with other auditing software that is at least a couple of decades old.
Facebook users will finally be able to post animated GIFs to their timeline albeit using third-party hosts, as the company has finally enabled the support for these files.
The inexpensive Microsoft Lumia 435 has received a price drop at Walmart as the retailer is now selling the T-Mobile version of the smartphone for just $50 without any contract.
HTC has revealed that it will be upgrading the One M9 and M9+ to the recently announced M version of Android whenever it gets released and expects to bring the update for more devices as well later.
Sony announced an evolutionary update to its last year's flagship today with the Xperia Z3+ which retains the size and the design of the original Z3 while improving the internal specs.
Chinese smartphone maker, OnePlus, might soon announce its next flagship smartphone as the company's Twitter account has sent out a teaser similar to what it did last year with the One.
The latest rumor has indicated that Google might not release a new Nexus tablet this year and may instead go ahead with two smartphones allegedly made by LG and Huawei.
A new research report has revealed that most Android devices retain critical data such as contact information, messages, images and application data after a factory reset, raising privacy concerns.
The operating system running on the Apple Watch has been updated for the first time with support for new iOS Emoji, few performance tweaks and support for more languages.
The third generation Moto G smartphone was briefly listed by Indian online retailer Flipkart, suggesting a nearing launch date as the previous generation device has already received price cuts.
Samsung Galaxy S6 users have started taking to Twitter and various forums to report the damage caused by Clear View Covers to their smartphone's screen but have not been getting acceptable support.
An unannounced Sony smartphone currently known by its codename, Lavender, has been revealed by a leaker on Twitter and is said to feature a 13 megapixel front facing camera with flash.
After two successful events within a month's time, Microsoft's stock rating has been upgraded by the Deutsche Bank from "hold" to "buy" with a price target of $55 up from the current $44.
HoloLens, the mixed reality headset from Microsoft, seems to have piqued the interest of Samsung as the Korean company is reportedly seeking a partnership opportunity with the Redmond giant.
Apple has launched a new website to promote the iPad, which contains various videos showing people use their devices effectively for work and learning new things.
At the recently concluded Ignite conference, Microsoft announced SQL Server 2016 and revealed that the first public preview of the software would be landing as soon as this summer.
Microsoft's Office team showcased some of its key products and services today and also revealed that the previews of the next SharePoint Server and Exchange Server will land later this year.


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SUE HERERA, NIGHTLY BUSINESS REPORT ANCHOR: Hold on tight. Stocks slide, oil tumbles, as China concerns deepens and North Korea rattles global markets.
TYLER MATHISEN, NIGHTLY BUSINESS REPORT ANCHOR: Surprise subpoena. Chipotle food issues are now at the center of a criminal investigation.
HERERA: You’re hired. Private payrolls rise, a positive sign for the job market. But is it just a matter of time until the troubles overseas hit our shores?
All that and more tonight on NIGHTLY BUSINESS REPORT for Wednesday, January 6th.
MATHISEN: Good evening, everyone, and welcome. Glad you could be with us.
Not such a good start to the trading year, in fact, the worst since 2008 in the midst of the Great Recession. In the past three sessions, the Dow Jones Industrial Average has lost about 520 points.
North Korea adding to the growing list of geopolitical concerns after that country announced a nuclear test and claims to have successfully tested a hydrogen bomb. China fears deepened when a report showed the services sector of the world’s second largest economy grew at a slower pace than expected. And add to that the situation in the Middle East, a drop in oil prices big time, and investors all across the world were rattled this day.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 252 points to 16,906, NASDAQ dropped 55, the S&P 500 declined 26. Domestic crude settled at its lowest level since December 2008, down nearly 6 percent to $33.90 a barrel.
Michelle Caruso-Cabrera reports now on the global events pressuring stocks today.
MICHELLE CARUSO-CABRERA, NIGHTLY BUSINESS REPORT CORRESPONDENT: The selling started late last night when the world learned North Korea conducted yet another nuclear test, claiming they had detonated a hydrogen bomb. If true, that would be a significant advance in North Korea’s nuclear capabilities.
The claim was met with skepticism, because the tremor set off by the explosion appeared to be too small for a hydrogen bomb. Still, stock futures sold off on the news overnight.
And then adding to the woes a few hours later, weak data out of China. A measure of the service sector came in at a 17-month low, worrisome, because China optimists have said it doesn’t matter if Chinese manufacturing slows down because the service sector would pick up the slack. The data today suggests there may be a hole in that narrative.
In addition, the Chinese central bank allowed the currency to fall to a new five-year low. The Chinese currency does not trade freely in China. Its rate versus the dollar is set by the Chinese central bank. And investors worry the central bank’s move, which makes Chinese exports more competitive, could suggest the Chinese economy is weaker than the government is letting on and that the government is trying to use the currency to help out the economy.
And in the Middle East, the war of words between Saudi Arabia and Iran kept the pace. The price of oil down sharply again, in part because investors believe the tense situation between the two countries likely means Saudi Arabia will continue to pump oil at full tilt because it will hurt the Iranians just as they hope to begin selling oil on the international market if and when sanctions are lifted, possibly in the next month.
For NIGHTLY BUSINESS REPORT, Michelle Caruso-Cabrera.
HERERA: And today, the World Bank cut its global forecast for 2016, expecting the world economy to grow 2.9 percent this year, down from its previous forecast. The main reasons — China and its impact on emerging markets and the plunge in commodity prices.
MATHISEN: Joining us to talk more about the geopolitical cross currents and what they mean for your money here in the U.S. is Sameer Samana. He’s global quantitative strategist at Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC) Investment Institute.
You know, none of these geopolitical events that we’ve talked about today — China, North Korea, the Middle East — have really started to show up in the fundamentals of the U.S. economy or U.S. companies, but of those three, which one has the greatest potential to do so in 2016?
SAMEER SAMANA, WELLS FARGO INVESTMENT INSTITUTE: Tyler, that’s a great point about how it hasn’t shown up in the economics or fundamentals yet. But the one that probably holds the most risk for U.S. markets is probably the Middle East. And I say that because right now, we’ve gotten really used to low energy prices, and that’s been a great boom to U.S. consumers, to international consumers.
If that situation were to change meaningfully, and by that, I mean, you know, higher oil prices, that would be something we would really watch as something where the global economy might be shocked if oil prices were to jump sharply from here.
HERERA: Yet, when we saw the saber-rattling between Saudi Arabia and Iran the other day, we did see a pop in oil, but then it dropped back down again.
So, it doesn’t seem to be responding in what would be the typical way to the war of words that we’re hearing.
SAMANA: Exactly, Sue. What’s happening this time is you’ve got kind of the geopolitics working in reverse, where historically, what’s happened is when there’s been some kind of conflict, oil prices have jumped.
This time around, it seems to be more of a war of words, maybe a war by proxy, where they’re both kind of jockeying for position. So, what that’s leading to is both of them working through their oil production in terms of trying to produce as much oil as possible so that the price goes some down, so that each one of them actually ends up in a worse financial position.
So, it’s very interesting to see it play out that way.
MATHISEN: So, Sameer, I’ve got to do something with my money in 2016. What should I do?
SAMANA: You know, in our mind, it’s kind of a lot like it’s been over the last few years, where the U.S. continues to be the best place. We think U.S. companies are very well-positioned to continue to grow their earnings. We think that developed markets, think Europe, think Japan, probably come in next, and that’s because their central banks are stepping up the stimulus, and they’ve got currencies that are a lot lower than they were a year ago.
And then we think emerging markets are probably last. And if you look at specific sectors, we think consumer discretionary, think restaurants, think home-builders, think about information technology — again, what’s going on with the cloud, innovation, et cetera, and then industrials. You know, what’s going on with global growth, you know, continuing to firm. We think all of those sectors will continue to do well.
MATHISEN: All right. Sameer, thank you very much. Sameer Samana with Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC) Investment Institute.
HERERA: Those plunging commodity prices we just mentioned are reverberating throughout the sectors today. CEOs from some of the biggest energy companies in the nation discuss the low price of crude, how it’s impacting their firms and where they think prices are headed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GARY HEMINGER, MARATHON PETROLEUM CEO: We’re probably going to see $30 crude before we see $50 crude, and you know, we’re seeing a downturn in the crude price today. It was off about $1.65. I think that’s going to continue to put pressure on gasoline and probably come down and probably be below $1.60 a gallon if this continues into the weekend.
THOMAS NIMBLEY, PBF ENERGY CEO: The fundamentals are bearish oil. There’s 500 million barrels more oil in tank this time this year than last year. There’s 100 million barrels more crude oil in tank in the United States. This is simply supply and demand.
TRAVIS STICE, DIAMONDBACK ENERGY CEO: You have to be the last man standing in a commodity-based price business. And the only way you can be the last man standing is to make sure that your cost structure is the lowest and your execution is the highest.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HERERA: Those CEOs were gathered at the Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) energy conference in Miami.
MATHISEN: The drop in oil is considered deflationary. The Federal Reserve wants to see more inflation, and today, the Central Bank released the minutes from its latest meeting when policymakers raised interest rates for the first time in nine years.
As Steve Liesman reports, the decision for some was a close call.
STEVE LIESMAN, NIGHTLY BUSINESS REPORT CORRESPONDENT: Minutes from the Federal Reserve’s December meeting show that all Fed members agreed that the labor market and inflation data had shown that the committee’s criteria for hiking rates had been satisfied. All members also agreed that future rate hikes would be gradual.
However, for some members of the committee, that rate hike was actually a close call, and they say they’re going to want additional proof that inflation is moving up towards 2 percent before they hike again. The Fed gave four reasons why rate hikes would be gradual. They include the idea that the inflation outlook is uncertain. Second, it allowed the Fed to assess inflation as they go. Third, the neutral rate, or the rate where unemployment and inflation are balanced, where the Fed wants it to be, it seemed to be right now around zero and will rise only slowly.
Finally, it’s harder for the Fed to fight deflation, so it’s going to err on the side of hiking rates more gradually rather than more quickly.
In CNBC’s exclusive interview, Fed Vice Chair Stan Fischer was asked about the Fed’s median forecast that there would be four rate hikes this year, and here’s how he responded.
STANLEY FISCHER, FEDERAL RESERVE VICE CHAIRMAN: Those numbers are in the ballpark. You know, the reason we meet eight times a year is because things happen. And as they happen, you want to adjust your policy. Otherwise, we could meet in January and close down shop until a year later, but we have to react to incoming events, and we will react to them.
LIESMAN: Fischer said he saw continued uncertainty from around the world, including from China and from the possibility that North Korea may have detonated a hydrogen bomb, but the committee in the minutes in deciding to hike rates said it saw global risk receding and expected some improvement from the global economy this year.
However, the drag on U.S. net exports from a stronger dollar, they expect to be around for some time. Among the other lingering concerns was further dollar appreciation, persistent commodity weakness and further difficulties out of China, but they did see some upside risk, including lower energy prices, spurring better consumer spending than expected. Ultimately, most in the market think the Fed will take a pause in January and not hike rates, and then reconsider the issue again in March if fourth-quarter weakness that we’ve had with GDP running only around 1.5 percent for the fourth quarter turns around in the first quarter.
For NIGHTLY BUSINESS REPORT, Steve Liesman in Washington.
HERERA: The trade deficit narrowed in November as imports of goods fell to their lowest level in five years. The Commerce Department also reported a decline of 0.2 percent in orders to U.S. factories, and that is the third drop in the past four months.
And in a separate report from the Institute for Supply Management, growth in the services sector expanded at its slowest pace since early 2014.
MATHISEN: Positive news on the labor market. The latest private-sector payroll report showed a larger-than-expected gain in job creation last month. ADP reported an increase of 257,000 positions in December, which was more than expected. And the gains were evenly distributed among small, medium and large businesses.
HERERA: Ethan Harris (NYSE:HRS) joins us now to talk more about the labor market and if some of those troubles we’ve just highlighted overseas could at some point spill over into the U.S. economy. He is co-head of global economics research at Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) Merrill Lynch.
Ethan, welcome. Nice to have you here.
ETHAN HARRIS, BANK OF AMERICA MERRILL LYNCH GLOBAL ECONOMIST: Thank you.
HERERA: Let’s start, first of all, with the labor market. I mean, the ADP report certainly was solid. Are you expecting those numbers to translate into the overall government report?
HARRIS: Yes, I mean, the labor market is the shining part of the economy right now. It’s not just this ADP report we got today, but if you look at the number of people filing for jobless claims, you look at surveys of what consumers think of the labor market, we’re seeing steady, solid gains.
On Friday, we’re looking for 225,000 on the official government numbers, so this is one of the strongest parts of the economy, and it shows no sign of slowing down.
MATHISEN: What about incomes, Ethan, are they going to rise much this year? I think a lot of companies are looking at 2 percent, 2.5 percent raises, not much more than that.
HARRIS: Well, one of the encouraging things here is after six years of this kind of two steps forward, one step back recovery, we’re finally seeing in the labor market something close to full employment. We’re not quite there yet. And if you look at a variety of measures of wages right now, there’s the beginnings of that little bit of pickup in wage growth that we’ve all been waiting for.
So, I do think in the year ahead, you probably don’t get quite as big of job gains, but that will be replaced, I think to some degree, by finally getting a little bit of wage pressure. And as I said, it’s already evident in a number of series.
HERERA: Ethan, what about the troubles that we’ve been talk being this hour in overseas markets and overseas countries, like China, also the situation in the Middle East and now North Korea?
At what point, if at all, does that tend to affect our economy and our markets?
HARRIS: Yes, I mean, it’s a question of how long it lasts. I mean, right now, I am concerned that the turmoil in China continues, turmoil in their equity market, because I think there’s a good case for further correction there. I think that there’s also going to be further weakness in their currency. So, I am a bit worried about further headline risk coming out of China.
The other stories really depend on whether they escalate or not. The U.S. economy’s pretty resilient normally in the face of this kind of news, but right now, too much is piling up at the same time. I think that’s why the market’s having so much trouble with this. It’s like, suddenly, there’s three, four different major stories popping up, and it’s just a little too much to handle.
And so, the stock market, of course, doesn’t like what it’s looking at.
MATHISEN: Very quickly, did you see anything in the Fed minutes that give you a clue to the pace or trajectory of rates this year?
HARRIS: You know, I don’t think they know. I think that they’re going to go slow. That means they’re not going to go in January, and they’ll wait at least until March, but a good chance to go later. I think that the minutes were what you’d expect of a central bank that’s not ready to make a real commitment.
HERERA: All righty. So, we’ll leave it there. Thank you for your perspective.
Ethan Harris (NYSE:HRS) with Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) Merrill Lynch Global Research.
MATHISEN: Still ahead, an earnings warning and a subpoena. They both add to Chipotle’s troubles, which appear far from over.
MATHISEN: A subpoena and a warning sent shares of Chipotle lower. The company still reeling from food safety issues reported a big decline in December sales, much bigger than expected.
Also gave a weak fourth-quarter outlook for both sales and profits, and to top it off, Chipotle said it was served a grand jury subpoena in California.
That all sent shares down nearly 5 percent today. Look at the slide. It is off 40 percent during the past three months.
Jane Wells with more now on what’s ailing Chipotle.
JANE WELLS, NIGHTLY BUSINESS REPORT CORRESPONDENT: When it rains, it pours in bad news for the restaurant chain whose motto is “food with integrity”. But it turns out, the biggest surprise in Chipotle’s release today involved an incident here in southern California last august, which didn’t get a whole lot of attention.
It was an isolated outbreak of norovirus at a store in Simi Valley, which sickened over 200 customers and employees, allegedly, after an infected employee came to work. We have reached out to the U.S. attorney here about why a federal grand jury has subpoenaed Chipotle in a criminal investigation, what documents it’s looking for, Chipotle saying it is fully cooperating.
That August incident has been followed by well-known outbreaks of E. coli and another norovirus incident in Boston, and those have really hurt sales. Chipotle now estimates same-store sales for the fourth quarter will be down over 14 percent, its first drop since going public. Sales plummeted as much as 37 percent during one week in December.
At the same time, though, it plans to buy back a lot more shares. In December alone, Chipotle repurchased over $200 million worth of shares, though at prices almost $100 higher than where they are now.
So, what should investors do? A lot of analysts say, “wait and see”, which seems to be what a lot of customers are doing.
Telsey Advisory Group says, quote, “The silence in Chipotle’s dining rooms is deafening”. But Baird analysts are, quote, “warming up” to Chipotle shares at current levels, hoping the worst, if not over yet, will be over eventually. Stay tuned.
For NIGHTLY BUSINESS REPORT, Jane Wells, Los Angeles.
HERERA: Macy’s (NYSE:M) cuts its profit outlook, and that’s where we begin tonight’s “Market Focus”.
The department store lowered its earnings guidance for the fourth quarter and the full year, citing disappointing sales in 2015 and the warmer weather. It also outlined plans to shutter stores, cut jobs and shed $400 million in costs.
The news came after the close of regular trading, sending shares initially higher. In the regular session, the stock fell about 2 percent to $36.15.
Valeant Pharmaceuticals announcing an interim chief executive as CEO Michael Pearson remains hospitalized. The company had previously announced a three-person committee to head the company but has now placed the former chief financial officer in charge. Shares of the company up $102.40.
Reports today indicating Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) will slow its iPhone production, as inventory continues to build. The company released the iPhone 6 and 6S in September with record sales, and the company gave holiday guidance back in October that predicted record sales of the iPhone. Shares of Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) fell almost 2 percent to close just above the key $100 level.
Monsanto (NYSE:MON) seeing a sizable revenue decline in is first quarter as sales weaken. The agriculture company also announced plans to lay off another 1,000 employees as it continues its restructuring efforts. Monsanto (NYSE:MON) announced a round of layoffs back in October. Shares of the company down 1.5 percent to $95.21.
MATHISEN: Yahoo (NASDAQ:YHOO) taking heat today from the activist investor Starboard Value, as the firm pushes for management changes there. Starboard wants the company to spin off or sell some of its core business units. Shares of Yahoo (NASDAQ:YHOO) down fractionally for the day. They finished at $32.16.
The oil and gas exploration firm Pioneer Natural Resources (NYSE:PXD) says it’s going to write down the value of its wells by about $1 billion. However, the company expects production to increase in 2016. Shares of Pioneer off more than 7 percent today to $116.15. Rough day in the energy patch.
Other energy news, Consol Energy cut its 2016 sales outlook and announced it will cut capital spending for the year as well. The company also lowers its coal sales expectations as commodity prices continue to drop. Shares of Consol fell more than 11 percent to $7.58.
And the Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) CEO, Reed Hastings, took the stage at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to announce a large expansion in the company’s footprint.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REED HASTINGS, NETFLIX CO-FOUNDER & CEO: Today, I am delighted to announce that while we have been here on stage at CES, we switched Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) on in Azerbaijan, in Vietnam, in India, in Nigeria, in Poland, in Russia, in Saudi Arabia, in Singapore, in South Korea, in Turkey, in Indonesia, and in 130 new countries.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MATHISEN: The expansion completed a year ahead of schedule, sending shares higher by more than 9 percent. They finished the day at $117.68.
HERERA: Well, that wasn’t the only announcement today at the Consumer Electronics Show. Still coming up, the gadgets that the tech world wants to turn into the next big thing.
MATHISEN: Here’s what to watch tomorrow.
Initial jobless claims due out. It is the last piece of labor market data ahead of the big Friday employment report.
Two Fed presidents will speak. They include Chicago’s Charles Evans and Richmond’s Jeffrey Lacker.
And Boeing (NYSE:BA) will let us know its total commercial airplane orders for 2015.
And that is what to watch for Thursday.
HERERA: Volkswagen is going electric. The automaker showing off a new prototype at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. It’s an attempt to change the company’s image as it tries to dig out from the diesel emissions scandal, but will VW’s new electric car help usher in brighter days?
Phil LeBeau takes a look.
PHIL LEBEAU, NIGHTLY BUSINESS REPORT CORRESPONDENT: With two electric-powered concept cars, Volkswagen took center stage at the Consumer Electronics Show, trying to reposition itself as a green car company. But its current problems with diesel models that had rigged emissions meant more apologies from Volkswagen’s brand chairman.
HERBERT DIESS, VOLKSWAGEN BRAND PRESIDENT: We disappointed our customers and the American people, for which I am truly sorry and for which I apologize.
LEBEAU: Volkswagen’s legal woes include the Department of Justice filing a civil suit on behalf of the EPA. There are also criminal investigations. And VW has yet to find a fix for roughly 500,000 diesel models in the U.S. that are putting out too much pollution.
On top of that, VW dealers are stuck with scores of diesel models they can’t sell. Last month, Volkswagen’s U.S. sales plunged 9.1 percent, and they dropped more than 4 percent in 2015, while the rest of the auto industry had a record year in the U.S.
DIESS: The diesel issue, for sure, damaged us here, and it was a setback for us. We can’t dispute that. Our dealership is fighting hard against it, and they’re really doing a fantastic job. Also, I think our sales organizations, they are doing a fantastic job. I think once we sorted the diesel issue, I think we have a wonderful future in the United States.
LEBEAU: That future, according to Volkswagen, will include more electric models, with more connectivity and features like instrument panels operated through gestures and voice commands.
Cool ideas the company put into the Bud-E electric microbus concept vehicle, which could go 373 miles fully charged.
But right now, the Bud-E is a concept car, and there are no plans to build it. Still, VW says this is the future, one driven by electric cars as it tries to distance itself from diesel models and a scandal that is far from over.
Phil LeBeau, NIGHTLY BUSINESS REPORT, Las Vegas.
MATHISEN: Concept cars, gadgets, new devices and the latest innovations are all on display at the CES. More than 150,000 attendees, along with Phil LeBeau, were hoping to spot the next big trends in tech, and so is Josh Lipton. He’s our man in Vegas tonight, baby.
JOSH LIPTON, NIGHTLY BUSINESS REPORT CORRESPONDENT: Intel’s CEO kicked things off with the introduction of a new drone that’s light, portable and small enough to fit in a backpack. It will cost around $2,000.
And Intel’s not alone. Nearly 30 drone companies are here demonstrating the latest breakthrough for unmanned aerial vehicles.
A leader in the drone space, French company Parrot unveiled its newest consumer drone called the Disco, fully automated and fast. This drone can fly up to 50 miles per hour. Parrot’s CEO sees only more growth for the industry ahead.
HENRI SEYDOUX, PARROT CEO: The drone market is dominated by two companies — DGI, a Chinese company, and Parrot. So, the business is growing a lot. I think we will see more competition. But also, it is the only place where you can be very creative.
LIPTON: Beyond drones, plenty of start-ups here are hoping to capitalize on smart home technology. This newly launched outdoor security camera features facial recognition and can detect when cars or even animals are moving outside your home.
MATTHEW BROADWAY, NETATMO COO: What’s really exciting to me is you’ve got smaller start-up companies, you’ve got 20, 25-year-old engineers, fresh out of university, who are already able to generate this groundbreaking technology and that we’re able to bring it to market at a really consumer-accessible price point.
LIPTON: But these companies face a skeptical consumer. Nearly 50 percent of respondents in a recent Accenture survey cited security and privacy concerns as a barrier to buying an Internet-connected device.
Finally, the wearables market is set to explode, from 76 million units shipped last year to more than 170 million by 2019, according to IDC.
Under Armour’s new headphones measure your heart rate while you run, while its smart sneakers measure distance and even track their own life span, about 450 miles until users need a new pair.
So, which wearable will be the next big hit with consumers? It could be from a start-up right here at CES.
For NIGHTLY BUSINESS REPORT, I’m Josh Lipton in Las Vegas.
HERERA: Have you bought your Powerball ticket yet? The jackpot is worth $500 million, making it the sixth largest jackpot in history. The lump sum cash payout about $306 million.
And according to organizers, the majority of past winners let the computer pick their numbers. But you know the odds, and they’re not good, about one in 292 million.
If you do win, you don’t have to worry about what I’m about to tell you, and that’s another look at today’s market sell-off on Wall Street. The Dow Jones industrial average down below 17,000, worst three-day start to a year since 2008. NASDAQ fell 55. The S&P 500 off 26.
HERERA: Well, eventually, somebody has to win.
HERERA: All right, that does it for NIGHTLY BUSINESS REPORT. Good luck! I’m Sue Herera. Thanks for watching.
MATHISEN: And I’m Tyler Mathisen. Thanks from me as well. Have a great evening, everybody and we’ll see you tomorrow.


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Quiksilver Inc. has sold its snowboarding subsidiary, Mervin Manufacturing Inc., to Extreme Holdings Inc.
Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The all-cash transaction is expected to close in several weeks and is subject to certain customary closing conditions, the company said. Net proceeds from the Mervin sale will be used to reduce the amounts drawn on its credit facilities and “make investments in its emerging markets,” the company said.
"You start one way as a baby, but why shouldn't you be able to choose your own path as opposed to culturally people telling you which way to go?" - Thom Browne at his men's spring 2018 show, where he celebrated gender fluidity. #pfw #wwdmens (📷: @delphineachard)
"I think that all anyone really wants in life is to have people understand us for who we actually are, despite everything," says Ruth Negga. The actress talks "Preachers" season 2 and more on WWD.com. #wwdeye (📷: Dan Doperalski)


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Since Tech Data Mobile appointed as a distributor of Samsung in June, there have been strong demand for the Samsung Galaxy S6.
The based distributor, Basingtoke said that the sales range of the Samsung Galaxy S6, most consumers were business customers.
This news has just come since Samsung launched a new B2B reseller partner programme, as exclusively told by Mobile News.
Moreover, according to the managing director of Tech Data Mobile, Matt Child, the co-ordinated management of the launch programme was considered as a great success.
He added that, Tech Data Mobile had a really strong focus for Samsung Galaxy S6 from day one. He also said that, the excellent support got from Samsung and also the extensive and creative promotion that gave very positive results toward the Galaxy S6 sales.
In addition, Tech Data also has appointed a new business development manager, and also offers devices from other brands, like: Sony, ASUS, HTC, and Huawei. Tech Data is also one of three authorized Apple distributors (Ingram Micro Mobility and Westcoast).
Unfortunately, for the sales figures, Tech Data couldn’t show it due to its strict NDAs.
The head of retail and distribution of Samsung Mobile UK, Marcus Stone said that Tech Data Mobile has done a great job in selling the Galaxy S6 family and raising awareness for its unique design and features.
And now, Samsung market is growing well, and it is expected that Samsung will be able to support its distributors’ efforts to reach top of sales in all sectors of market.
Category: Smartphone News


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Chi town, Sept twenty five (Reuters) – In the event the Scott Troetel has gone out with household members if the Indianapolis Colts is to try out, the guy will are at for his Blackberry to check exactly how powering back Joseph Addai has been doing.
However, Troetel, who is 32 and you will lives in Boulder, Tx, isn’t such as for instance interested in the fresh new Colts. Addai’s overall performance is extremely important to help you “Addai regarding Existence,” Troetel’s dream football party.
Fantasy sporting events, in which admirers discover real players to own generate-trust communities, is actually exploding to the latest systems including mobiles and social network sites, grabbing the attention out-of business owners, cordless carriers and you will app people.
Along with a growing number of some one to try out casual game to the the online and you can a largely unexploited sector beyond your United states, experts say the marketplace to own fantasy football are only able to grow.
One of organizations benefiting from which progress was 4Info, https://hookupdaddy.net/local-hookup/ and therefore notice its users to things such as activities ratings and you may celebrity gossip through text message, using its cash originating from entrepreneurs.
Of one’s 50 % of a beneficial million text messages one to 4Info wants so you can post this current year, up to 15 % would be to people trying to sports leads to offer into their fantasy activities groups, said Ceo Zaw Thet.
“Folks have yet to realize the full prospective out-of dream because it really comes to the brand new phone and we’ll observe that over the course of another decade,” told you Thet, whoever organization is supported by Gannett Co GCI.N , Standard Electronic Co’s GE.Letter NBC Universal and capital raising organizations.
While there is argument with the source regarding dream sports, they stumbled on broad attract to the publication off “Rotisserie Group Basketball” back in 1984, according to a group starred from the a group of Ny media models and you may laws and regulations from the mag publisher Daniel Okrent.
This new beauty of dream leagues so you’re able to sporting events fans is sometimes cited as the a factor in early popularity of U . s . Today, which was revealed when you look at the 1982 with additional detail by detail baseball analytics than just almost every other hit.
“It’s instance you’ve combined the outdated manly concept of understanding much more than anybody throughout the activities with Dungeons and Dragons,” said Robert Thompson, teacher from pop society at Syracuse School. “It turns out that is a so good wedding.”
Troetel, such as for instance, inspections into their participants at the very least two or three moments a good week, playing with his portable product to see the relevant websites. “How i understand football now is far and away deeper than just if i don’t enjoy dream recreations,” he said.
Internet sites Improve
Dream activities grabbed a great dive on the later 90s while the the net generated activities results way more accessible and you may sites such as for instance Yahoo Inc YHOO.O started to machine fantasy activities leagues having a charge.
Nowadays there are more twenty-seven million people on Joined States and you may annual cash is within the variety of $800 billion so you can $step one billion, depending on the Dream Recreations Trading Connection.
Admirers currently have fun with the mobile phones to learn activities news, remark games results and check to their organizations. Wireless companies are now actually attempting to line up on their own solely which have whatever sporting events characteristics they can in order to build on their own far more popular with customers.
“While the only person just who offers what folks require, they’ll manage to switch to your own solution,” told you Steve Gaffney, movie director from sporting events and amusement sale for Race Nextel Corp S.Letter , which includes works together brand new National Activities League and National Connection to have Stock car Car Racing (NASCAR).
FEATURE-Technology spurs growth of dream recreations in U.S
If you find yourself short windowpanes aren’t one appealing to advertisers, cellphones like Browse in Motion’s RIM.In order to Blackberry and Apple’s iphone AAPL.O that offer alive streaming video clips or any other multimedia enjoys are unquestionable, said Bob Bowman, chief executive off Major league Baseball’s cutting-edge media tool.


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While established mobile platforms like Facebook and Google are already thinking about the post-mobile world, with bets on fire alarms, robots and virtual reality, the whole world is still adjusting to the post-PC world, where mobile rules. The dominant PC platform, Microsoft is still playing catch-up on mobile and its newly appointed CEO is expected to announce the long rumored Office suite for the iPad tomorrow.
Mobile devices have quickly proliferated and their shipments have eclipsed those of PCs, but they haven’t made a big dent in the productivity market to date. Time-spent on these devices is still concentrated in games, social networking, messaging and entertainment. But, it appears that this about to change and Microsoft’s announcement of Office for iPad couldn’t be more timely. In fact, it can define Microsoft and its newly appointed CEO’s tenure in the post-PC world. In a new analysis we conducted between the months of January and March 2014 we found that the average US consumer spends 119% more time in productivity apps than they did over the same period a year ago. This includes time spent in apps on iOS and Android devices, both tablets and phones. This growth rate eclipsed all other categories including Messaging, Games and News.
The actual numbers are still relatively low as the average US consumer spent 5½ minutes per day in productivity apps. This compares to 2½ minutes per day in March of 2013. This takes into consideration the relatively low penetration of productivity apps in general. In fact, an analysis of 7,800 productivity apps on the Flurry platform shows a total reach of 32 million US mobile users. But the year-over-year growth rate is still significant and indicates a shift in consumer behavior. Applications such as Evernote and Dropbox are gaining traction and new emerging apps such as Quip, Slack and Acompli are ushering a new era of mobile-first productivity applications. Continued innovation and growth in this category will accelerate the adoption of productivity apps on tablets and phones, and spell further doom for the PC industry.
Analysts are still divided on whether Office for iPad will fuel this industry and make Microsoft relevant in the post-PC world, or will simply be a product from another era, brought to mobile without much impact. The rumor of the announcement gave Microsoft a nice 4% boost in market cap, but the world is watching what Microsoft’s new CEO will say more than what the product will do. One thing we know is right: timing. Productivity apps are gaining tremendous traction on mobile devices and Microsoft’s products can simply be the second-stage booster for this industry. It will be fun (and productive) to see what happens the next few months.


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Blackstone, Lion Capital to bid for Lucozade, Ribena
Blackstone and Lion Capital, both private equity companies, have collaborated to make a formal takeover bid. The deal was valued more than a billion pounds for Lucozade and Ribena. The two latter mentioned are soft drink brands that were put up for sale by drug manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). This was according to a report on Sunday published by Sky News.
GSK directed an increase in focus in its consumer health operations on emerging markets. The company decided to put Lucozade and Ribena for sale as the soft drink brands no longer fit the drugmaker's portfolio. Lucozade and Ribena are among Britain's best sellers but lack a wider reach globally.
Last month, JPMorgan and Greenhill were appointed by GSK to be the sale advisors.
Rothschild bankers were appointed by Blackstone and Lion Capital to advise them on their bid said the Sky News report.
Blackstone and Lion Capital could not be reached to comment with said report.