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[Updated: 8/11/2021] EA Stock Update
Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA) recently reported its FYQ1 2022 results, which were better than Trefis’ and the street estimates. The company reported revenues of $1.34 billion, in-line with our forecast of $1.35 billion, and $1.28 billion consensus estimate. The company’s adjusted EPS of $0.79 was comfortably above the $0.75 per Trefis and $0.62 consensus estimates. The sales were bolstered by the company’s new games - Mass Effect Legendary Edition and It Takes Two, and continued growth from Apex Legends. While the revenues were down 4% y-o-y, it was a tough comparison to the prior year quarter, which benefited from Covid-19 related lockdowns, as people were confined to their homes, eschewing more public forms of entertainment. This resulted in higher user-engagement levels for gaming companies, including Electronic Arts
Looking forward, the company has raised its outlook for revenues to be around $7.4 billion, and adjusted EPS to be $6.40 for the full-fiscal 2022, compared to earlier forecast of $7.3 billion and EPS of $6.15. While the company has revised its earnings outlook upward, it still appears to be conservative, in our view. Despite an upbeat quarter, and a strong outlook, EA stock has declined over 4% over the last five trading days. This can be attributed to a larger sell-off in gaming stocks with mounting concerns of declining user-engagement levels following the reopening of economies post Covid-19.
However, we maintain our Electronic Arts Valuation of $170 per share, based on expected adjusted EPS of $6.80 and a P/E multiple of 25x, reflecting a 25% premium to the current market price of $136. While a decline in user-engagement levels (y-o-y) is expected with people now venturing out after being vaccinated, the overall engagement levels will likely remain higher than they were before the pandemic, in our view. We continue to believe that EA stock is undervalued at the present levels, and investors can use the current dip as a buying opportunity for long-term gains
[Updated: 8/2/2021] EA Q1 Earnings Preview
Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA) is scheduled to report its fiscal FYQ1 2022 results on Wednesday, Aug 4. We expect the company to likely post revenue and earnings above the consensus estimates. Electronic Arts, in-line with other gaming companies, is likely to benefit from higher gaming engagement levels seen over the recent quarters, bolstering its overall revenue growth. Furthermore, our forecast indicates that Electronic Arts’ valuation is $170 per share, which is 18% above the current market price of around $144, implying EA stock has more room for growth, in our view. Our interactive dashboard analysis on Electronic Arts Pre-Earnings has additional details.
(1) Revenues expected to be above the consensus estimates
Trefis estimates Electronic Arts’ fiscal Q1 2022 revenues to be around $1.35 billion, slightly above the consensus estimate of $1.28 billion. Despite the economies opening up with vaccination programs underway in multiple countries, the user engagement levels for gaming has so far remained on the higher side. Furthermore, the company made multiple acquisitions over the last fiscal year, including that of Codemasters and Glu, which will bolster the overall top-line growth. Electronic Arts’ fiscal Q4 2021 total bookings (refers to revenue plus change in deferred revenue) were up 19% y-o-y to $1.5 billion, primarily reflecting continued growth in its e-sports franchises. Our dashboard on Electronic Arts Revenues offers more details on the company’s segments.
2) EPS likely to be above the consensus estimates
Electronic Arts’ fiscal Q1 2022 adjusted earnings per share is expected to be $0.75 per Trefis analysis, well above the consensus estimate of $0.62. The company’s adjusted net income of $358 million in fiscal Q4 2021 reflected a 14% rise from its $314 million figure in the prior-year quarter. For the fiscal 2022, we expect the adjusted EPS to be higher at $6.81 compared to $5.75 in fiscal 2021.
(3) Stock price estimate 18% above the current market price
Going by our Electronic Arts’ Valuation, with an EPS estimate of $6.81 and a P/E multiple of 25x in 2022, this translates into a price of $170, which is 18% above the current market price of around $144. In fact, at the current market price of $144, EA stock is trading at 21x its 2022 EPS estimate of $6.81, compared to P/E multiple of 37x for its peer Take Two Interactive
Note: P/E Multiples are based on Share Price at the end of the year and reported (or expected) Adjusted Earnings for the full year.
While EA stock may rise in the near term, 2020 has created many pricing discontinuities which can offer attractive trading opportunities. For example, you’ll be surprised how counter-intuitive the stock valuation is for Xylem vs. Electronic Arts.


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Metro opens store in Calbayog
METRO Retail Stores Group, Inc. has opened a Super Metro Hypermarket in Calbayog City, Samar, the first store to be inaugurated in line with the company’s strategy to double its nationwide retailing footprint in the next five years.
The two-floor hypermarket in Calbayog City is Metro’s 27th store in the Visayas and 47th nationwide. It’s the 15th Super Metro in just three years.
“One of our strategic initiatives is to go to underserved areas where there is a lot of room for growth,” Metro Retail Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Frank S. Gaisano said in a statement.
The Super Metro Hypermarket is a one-stop community store that offers customers the convenience of a supermarket and department store combined, providing customers with a wide selection of food and general merchandise at competitive prices. It also features the company’s very own ancillary store, Metro Pharmacy.
“The hypermarket is our fastest growing format,” Gaisano said. According to Euromonitor, Metro Retail is the largest hypermarket operator in the Visayas in terms of retail sales value in 2014.
Metro Retail is present in key cities in the Visayas region, Central Luzon, National Capital Region, Calabarzon and Bicol region, and operates three different store formats—Metro Department Store, Metro Supermarket, and the Super Metro Hypermarket.
Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Cebudailynews. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.

domain: news


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Food giants muscle in on booming alternative protein market, with dedicated teams to develop and sell plant-based alternatives to meat and dairy...
30 Jul 2020
Severe shortages of critical medical supplies have prompted governments to compel private companies to fill the gap...
Elham Mafi-Kreft and Steven Kreft 26 May 2020
LG South Africa recently unveiled its new relocated head office - which now includes a new LG brand shop on the same premises - in Midrand, Johannesburg...
24 Jan 2020
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA: Samsung reported its smallest quarterly profit in nearly three years as its key smartphone business faltered under competition from Apple's iPhone 6 and Chinese handset manufacturers in an increasingly saturated market.
31 Oct 2014
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA: South Korea's Samsung Electronics has refuted fresh allegations by a labour protection watchdog that one of its suppliers in China is using child workers.
1 Sep 2014
SEOUL SOUTH KOREA: South Korea's Samsung and LG unveiled new smartwatches with upgraded functions and design as they step up their drive to lead an increasingly competitive market for wearable devices.
29 Aug 2014
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA: Samsung is buying a US home automation start-up SmartThings, as the South Korean electronics company seeks to expand beyond the increasingly saturated smartphone market.
18 Aug 2014
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA: Arch-rivals Samsung and Apple have decided to drop a series of bitter patent disputes pending in multiple courts outside the United States, the South Korean electronics company says.
7 Aug 2014
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA: Samsung Electronics said it would postpone the roll-out of its new smartphone based on Tizen, a home-grown operating system aimed at breaking away from Google's Android system.
29 Jul 2014
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA: LG Electronics posted a 165% rise in second-quarter net profit compared with a year ago, as strong TV and mobile phone sales boosted the turnaround to the company.
25 Jul 2014
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA: South Korea's Samsung and LG have both launched smartwatches powered by Google's new Android Wear software as they jostle to lead an increasingly competitive market for wearable devices seen as the mobile industry's next growth booster.
27 Jun 2014
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA: Samsung announced the launch of a new smartphone based on its own operating system, in a step towards independence from the Google Android platform that dominates its popular handsets.
3 Jun 2014
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA: SK Telecom, South Korea's biggest wireless operator, said its net profit for 2013 jumped 44.3% on increased value of its stock investment and expansion of lucrative 4G services.
29 Jan 2014
SEOUL SOUTH KOREA: South Korea, already one of the most wired countries on earth, Wednesday, 22 January, announced a 1.6trn won (US$1.5bn) plan to roll out a next-generation 5G wireless service that is so fast it can download a full-length film in a second.
23 Jan 2014


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Many rumors about the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S23 series were revealed in the past few days. However, there was no proper confirmation of this rumored information. The time for these rumored pieces of information seems to end as we got the first authentic specifications to reveal the Galaxy S23 series today.
This morning, the expected Galaxy S23 Ultra got listed on 3C Certification. The model number is “SM-S9180,” which denotes that this would be the Chinese variant of the Galaxy S23 Ultra. As mentioned in the certification, the new Galaxy S23 Ultra will support a maximum of 25W (11V/2.25A) charging.
It is worth noting that the previous model Galaxy S22 Ultra supports a maximum of 45W charging. Most probably, only the Chinese variant of Galaxy S23 Ultra would support charging at lower power.
The certification also reveals that the Galaxy S23 Ultra uses Samsung’s traditional EP-TA800 25W charger, which supports charging at the following modes: 15W (5V/3A), 25W (9V/2.77A), 10W-18W (3.3-5.9V/3A) and 7.5W-25W (3.3-11V/2.25A). It is worth mentioning that Samsung doesn’t ship chargers in the box, so this charger would be required to buy separately.
As per previous news, the display size and body dimensions of the entire Galaxy S23 lineup are expected to remain the same as in the Galaxy S22 lineup. The top-of-the-line variant (Galaxy S23 Ultra) will feature a 200MP lens and would be the second smartphone with this number of megapixels.
The entire Galaxy S23 series is expected to be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen2 chipset, which will be a massive upgrade over its predecessor. It is also expected that Samsung might eliminate the use of its Exynos series chipset. Some rumors also state that if Samsung manufactured the Exynos (Exynos 2230/2300 5G) powered Galaxy S23’s model, they would be very limited.
Currently, it is expected that Samsung will release its Galaxy S23 series between December 2022 and January 2023.


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The Wii currently holds the record for being the first console to last three years without a price drop. At least that what’s the clerk at GameStop told me, so it’s gotta be true! So just how long will the record last? It seems like the company is shooting for at least four years, maybe even five, if recent comments from the company are to be believed.
When asked at a “recent investor meeting” if Nintendo is planning a price cut for Wii to combat slowing hardware sales, company president Satoru Iwata said “no” without really saying no. “I think the current decline in hardware sales is due to the fact that there aren’t many big titles (at the moment),” Iwata said, without pointing to the recently released Wii Sports 2. “So right now, there aren’t a lot of (internal) discussions going on about hardware pricing.”
Translation: Wii will sell for $250 in 2010, assuring the 50 million current owners that they were right not to wait for a price drop.


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DP World Caucedo Executive Director Morten Johansen and JOC Senior Content Editor Alessandra Barrett discuss the strategic value of the Caucedo port, its free trade zone and its new logistics center and hub that will benefit from the opening of the expanded Panama Canal at the 16th TPM Conference.
At TPM 2016, Port of Prince Rupert's President and CEO Don Krusel joined JOC.com to discuss its 26 percent growth in 2016, plans for additional capacity, the role of collaboration and Fairview Terminal's unique design, as well as its drivers for growth.
JOC Senior Content Editor Alessandra Barrett and Port of Long Beach CEO Jon Slangerup talk about how the port was able to work its way through the cargo backlogs generated by the 2014-2015 West Coast labor dispute and the port’s Supply Chain Optimization initiative to boost productivity and efficiency throughout all the the links in the supply chain.
Jeremy Haycock, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, DCLI, chats with JOC Senior Content Editor Alessandra Barrett at TPM 2016 about changes within the marine chassis industry over last two years as steamship lines have stepped back, changing long-established practices and forcing stakeholders to adjust to a new reality.
Senior Vice President of CenterPoint Properties Matt Mullarkey and JOC Senior Content Editor Alessandra Barrett talk about acquisitions, where inland ports and hubs have a bright future in the U.S. and how the increasing demands for immediacy by e-commerce firms are reshaping the industrial real estate market.
More on JOC
Sep 28, 2017 2:00PM EDT
Aug 2, 2017 2:00PM EDT
Jun 5, 2012 2:00PM EDT


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- Production-linked incentive schemes have driven smartphone manufacturing in India since 2020.
- ICEA chairman, Pankaj Mohindroo said that India will hit about $60 billion in exports by 2026.
- Phone manufacturers such as Xiaomi Corp, Oppo and Vivo have also started holding talks with Indian contract phone makers to avail the cash incentives
India has recorded more than $10 billion worth of smartphone exports in the fiscal year ending March 31, buoyed by government incentives towards local manufacturing.
The record data was provided by the India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) to IANS.
Production-linked incentive schemes have driven smartphone manufacturing in India since 2020. ICEA data showed that India currently exports mobile phones to the UAE, the US, the Netherlands, the UK and Italy, among other countries.
Last month, ICEA chairman, Pankaj Mohindroo told Bloomberg, “We foresee another 10-fold growth by 2026 riding on the key pillars of Apple and Samsung’s global value chain ecosystem, as well as large domestic companies such as Lava. India will hit about $60 billion in exports by 2026.”
Riding the incentive wave
The cash incentives offered by the PLI scheme for smartphone manufacturing propelled many companies to sign up for the program. Apple Inc.’s primary suppliers, Foxconn Technology Group, Wistron Corp. and Pegatron Corp., were among the first to commit, alongside Lava and Dixon.
Apple became the first smartphone player in India to have exported $1 billion worth of iPhones in the month of December. It currently manufactures iPhones 12, 13, 14 and 14 Plus in the country.
Other phone manufacturers such as Xiaomi Corp, Oppo and Vivo have also started holding talks with Indian contract phone makers such as Lava International Ltd. and Dixon Technologies India Ltd., to avail cash incentives laid out by the Indian government. Bloomberg reported that in case the deal goes through, the companies would begin assembling the phones and exporting from their plants as early as this year.
Lava is already exporting smartphones to the US and Africa while Dixon makes Motorola phones for the US market.
The US-China technology war and supply-chain bottlenecks due to the pandemic, have prompted global manufacturers to reduce their reliance on a China-centric supply chain and India along with Southeast Asia is emerging as an alternative.


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NBC wraps lucrative upfront
Peacock nabs $1.9 billion in ad sales as the CW closes in on $370 milIn a marketplace that has more advertiser dollars in play than many had predicted, NBC has completed its upfront negotiations for all dayparts. The network had sold off its inventory at mid- to high-single-digit cost-per-thousand increases and taking in $1.9 billion in primetime ad dollars, up $100 million from last year's upfront.
Meanwhile, the CW is expected to complete its upfront deals as early as tonight, taking in about $370 million for the 10 hours it programs and garnering an average of 8% CPM increases.
Media buyer sources said NBC primetime deals averaged about 5% price hikes, while some of the other dayparts, particularly morning, were higher.
Although the amount of ad dollars advertisers wanted to put down was in the same range as last year's upfront, NBC was able to grow its primetime haul by selling about 80% of its available inventory, about 4% more than last year. The move limits NBC's exposure to the scatter market in an uncertain economy.
An NBC source said the network's decision to present a 65-week schedule in early April also helped it in taking in more upfront dollars.
"We were able to start our discussion early and to get some early commitments that we eventually turned into actual deals in the upfront," the source said.
NBC's primetime packages are said to include "dozens of product integrations" and many digital extensions and "360-degree cross-platform deals tied into broadcast network shows." The network estimated that it increased the amount of digital ad dollars by about 70%-75%, albeit off a smaller base.
Meanwhile, the NBC Universal sales team decided to wait on doing any deals for their four cable networks — Bravo, USA, Oxygen and Sci Fi Channel — to get a better read on the cable marketplace.
The CW is taking in the same ratio of primetime dollars as it did last year, when it bagged $570 million for 15 hours.
The network recently eliminated one-third of its weekly programming by giving up its five-hour Sunday lineup to Media Rights Capital. Under the terms of that deal, the CW sales staff is expected to sell ad time for the 5-10 p.m. block, which it has not started to do yet. Those dollars will be MRC revenue, but the CW will be compensated in some way for its sales efforts.
Media buyers said the CW received heavy ad-dollar interest for its Monday-Friday block from its traditional core categories — movie companies, wireless, retail and health and beauty products firms. The CW was able to garner higher than anticipated CPMs because it had fewer hours to sell, tightening available inventory, and also because it had less gross ratings points to sell because of its softer ratings. Despite those negatives, there were a large number of advertisers who wanted to buy into such shows as "Gossip Girl," "One Tree Hill" and the new drama "90210," looking to reach younger female viewers.


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Today, almost exactly one month after the Windows Phone 8 release and over 5 months after it was announced, Microsoft has never really publicly discussed Windows Phone 7.8 again nor has it hinted at when it might be released.
The fact that no Windows Phone 7 devices could be upgraded to Windows Phone 8 was the equivalent of throwing a flaming bag of shit on the doorstep of those users. The fact that they still can’t update — as promised — to at least some of those features is the equivalent of making those users eat said shit.
Nice quick walkthrough by Greg and Evelyn.
The little I’ve played around with Windows Phone 7, I think it definitely has potential. Whether that means anything, of course, remains to be seen.
I like that it’s not just a straight up copy of the iPhone in terms of interface. I think that really hurts Android. Android, even after all its improvements, is still nowhere near iOS in terms of about a billion little interface things. And because their basic frames are the same, the shortcomings are apparent to anyone who uses both.
WP7 is going in another direction. It might fail, but at least they’re being original and trying new things. Things that we may see iPhone and Android copy.


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NEW DELHI: Mobile-phone handset-makers are dialing the Big 4
to figure out the GST
, billed as India’s biggest tax-reform since Independence, even as they await clarity on local manufacturing rules under Make in India.
EY is among the global consultants and accounting resources companies have engaged to train employees, understand the impact of the levy, and register their units. The rush for professional help is evident even though clarity is yet to emerge on subjects such as custom duties on completely built, semi-knocked-down, and fully knocked-down imports. The levy replaces all producer taxes in India from July 1.
Companies that had earlier used the platform of the Indian Cellular Association to seek a three-month delay in the rollout are now issuing internal advisories to ensure GST compliance and meet the deadline.
“Our GST registration has been done. We’ve engaged EY as our business associate for advice on the implementation, for assessing the impact on the company, and for what our actionable are on July 1,” said Rajeev Jain
, chief financial officer at Intex Technologies
India is set to implement the GST regime from July 1 that will subsume all indirect taxes into a single levy – set at 12% for mobile phones. The move will raise prices by about 5%, even as the new taxation rules would require several internal changes that companies will have to do on compliance, migration, filing returns, new registrations, business processes, and accounting and logistics management.
“We need clarity on the custom duties that will be levied on completely built phones, semi—knocked down and completely knocked down kits, which should come before July 1,” Intex’s Jain said. There should also be clarity on the state-specific exemptions and the mode of availing them under GST, said Jain.
The GST is set to change the way India stocks its manufactured items, and distributes them across state borders. The biggest impact area, therefore, is warehousing.
“We have 40 warehouses across the country and we're considering a reduction in the number, which will improve our inventory management even though it may slightly increase our logistics costs. On a net level, benefits and cost will be balanced," said Gaurav Nigam
, head of product at Lava International.
Intex’s Jain added that the company has already moved one of its warehouses from Delhi to the capital’s eastern suburbs, Noida, where it has one of its mobile manufacturing units.
“Now, the system users are being trained, and internally, we’re explaining to people how to be complaint with the new rules,” said another senior industry executive.
Changes in GST-compliance invoices will impact stockists, and companies such as Lava are guiding their trade partners on the impact of the new levy on inventory valuation.
Pricing Based on GST
On new models, companies such as Lenovo, Motorola, and Nokia are already incorporating the GST impact into the cost and giving a composite retail price to ease consumer purchases even before the new levy becomes operational. "We will absorb the increase in tax for each smartphone unit sold," Anuj Sharma, head of product marketing for Motorola, told ET.
Simultaneously, the industry grouping representing handset makers is issuing advisories to alert members on the compliances required, and is asking them to seek clarity on issues they believe must be resolved. The association has highlighted one such unresolved issue this week.
“To encourage electronics manufacturing, countervailing duty or excise was reimbursable under M-SIPS (modified special incentive package scheme). We propose that entire Integrated GST or GST should be made refundable under M-SIPS as well,” the Indian Cellular Association said.


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HP has found a new executive to take on a key role for its massive Printers and Personal Systems (PPS) division. It poached Stuart Pann from Intel, sources close to the company tell Business Insider.
Pann is replacing the job vacated by Tony Prophet in April when he left to become the new head of marketing for Microsoft Windows. (Prophet was a new hire as part of the minor exec juggling Microsoft did when Satya Nadella became CEO.)
Pann is a 33-year Intel veteran and ran Intel's complicated supply chain and operations team, helping the company keep expenses tight by buying exactly what it needed when it needed it.
But he really made a name for himself helping Intel price its products, a source close to the company tells us. So hiring him is really about helping HP price products correctly and grow its revenues — something the HP sorely needs to do — not just tame expenses.
HP's PPS division is a massive unit responsible for PCs and printers. For the first six months this year, it reported $27.8 billion in revenue. That's about three times the size of HP's next biggest unit, the Enterprise Group, which makes servers, storage and network hardware.
CEO Meg Whitman has been saying 2012 that whipping the supply chain into shape is one of HP's biggest priorities to get the company back on track for both revenues and profits.
Here's the email sent to the HPs troops Tuesday evening that announced the hire:
Executive Vice President
Printing and Personal Systems
HP Restricted – For Internal Use Only
For us to continue winning in the marketplace and beating the competition, it requires that we have the most innovative, efficient and knowledgeable Operations team. We need the team to continue to think end-to-end and develop great relationships with the key ecosystem of partners and suppliers. These attributes will help us to continually evolve our operations model to be the most innovative in the industry and I am excited that we have found the right leader for such a team. Today, after a thoughtful search, I am pleased to announce that Stuart Pann is joining HP as our new SVP, PPS Operations, effective July 7. Stu joins us after spending 33 years at Intel.
Most recently, Stu served as Intel’s Corporate Vice President and General Manager of the Business Management Group. During his time in the role, Stu led a pricing strategy that helped contribute to significant revenue growth for the company. He also served as co-general manager of the Customer Fulfillment, Planning and Logistics Group and took Intel from being unlisted in the Gartner supply chain rankings to currently holding eighth in the world!
Stu mentioned the tremendous caliber of the HP team as a key reason for joining HP. Indeed I do believe that we have a world class leadership team in Operations and am confident that Stu will help take the team to the next level. I know that Stu and the team will continue to make operations a competitive differentiator and advantage for HP. I am excited to have Stu join my leadership team.
Stu will be based in Palo Alto.
I’d like to personally thank Richard Bailey for his interim leadership of the team. I know we have a strong Operations team that is truly committed. I’m looking forward to the team’s continued success.
Please join me in welcoming Stu to the PPS family.


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Post Malone Has Done A Collab With Crocs And It's Already Sold Out (For Some Reason)
In today's edition of Things We Didn't Know We Always Needed, rapper Post Malone has teamed up with Crocs to help redesign their signature squishy footwear.
The collaboration came after the baby-faced rapper tweeted: "U can tell a lot about a man by the Jibbitz in his Crocs".
If you're wondering WTF Jibbitz are, they're those kitschy little figures that you can attach onto the holes of your Crocs to give them your own personal touch.
And it looks like that's exactly what Postie has done with his design. He's kept it pretty simple in terms of the colour scheme -- an all-white on the night look -- peppering the shoe with a tiny Yoda-esque yellow Gremlin head.
The Crocs has also been adorned with a number of Jibbitz, including that aforementioned Gremlin head and a few other icons.
But you can put your credit card away, because the shoes have already sold out -- and they did so in 10 MINUTES.
“If you like something, go get it,” Malone said in a press release announcing the project. “I wear Crocs everywhere from the bar to the stage and I felt it was the perfect collaboration to get together with Crocs and give the fans what they’ve been asking for.”
And he ain't lying -- he's a photo of Post rocking his new creation.
If you're still keen to get yourself a pair don't stress because the Crocs website has promised that there will be more coming soon.
Feature Image: Getty


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The president of Aristocrat Americas has received this recognition for the 2020 Global Gaming Awards after his wonderful job at the leading gaming provider.
Licensed in around 300 gaming jurisdictions, operating in over 90 countries and offering a unique blend products and services, Aristocrat is an Australian global gaming manufacturer. In July 2019, Hector Fernandez was designated president for the Americas. Now, one year after, the company communicated Fernandez’s selection in the ‘American Executive of the Year’ category for the 2020 Global Gaming Awards (GGA).
In a short press release, Aristocrat expressed: “We’re thrilled with this nomination for our President of Aristocrat Americas, Hector Fernandez. We’re grateful for his everyday leadership and commitment to our teams.” Fernandez recently offered an exclusive and highly praised interview for Gaming and Media News‘ G&M 1on1 series. The video interview can be enjoyed here.
Besides, the company has also been nominated in three categories of the GGA: ‘Land-Based Product of the Year’, ‘Land-Based Slot Industry Supplier of the Year’ and ‘Slot of the Year.’ Aristocrat has been confirmed as sponsor of the ‘Digital Industry Supplier of the Year’ category at the GGA. The award ceremony was to be held in person at the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas on October 5th, during G2E event. Now, with the show canceled, it is estimated that the awards will be delivered virtually on that date.


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Composites material distributor Graco Supply (Fort Worth, Texas, USA) has announced the opening of a new location in Kent, Wash., USA. This new location will serve as a distribution center for the Pacific Northwest. This is first time the company has opened a new location since 2010 when the sealant repack facility opened in Ball Ground, Ga., USA.
The new Kent building has 12,615 ft2/1,171m2 of warehouse space, which enables Graco Supply to stock hundreds of items from various manufacturers, including Airtech vacuum bagging materials, AkzoNobel paints and coatings and Huntsman adhesives amongst others. A sub-zero freezer is also being installed at the Kent location to permit storage of adhesive films and other temperature-sensitive materials.
While this is Graco Supply’s first location in the Pacific Northwest, the company has been actively growing and acquiring customers in the area, even adding an outside sales representative to the territory earlier this year.
“Over the years, Graco Supply has built a significant base of business in the Pacific Northwest by providing flagship brands and excellent service from afar,” says Steve Novakovich, CEO for Graco Supply. “By opening a distribution center in the Seattle area, we are making a significant commitment to upgrading our service to the region by offering customers quicker support, local inventory — including frozen materials, and relief from high freight costs.”
Local customers will also have the option to pick up orders from the warehouse or have materials delivered by courier service.
The new location opens with an open house on Jan. 24.


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1080p/60fps Limbo Hits Xbox One Friday
Game was already available for early Xbox One adopters, but will go on sale for everyone December 5.
New Cyberpunk 2077 Gameplay Will Be Shown At E3 2019 - GS News Update Who Are The Kaiju (Titans) In Godzilla: King of the Monsters? E3 2019's Press Conference Schedule: Nintendo, Microsoft, Ubisoft, Square Enix, And More - GS News Update Fortnite: Week 3 Secret Battle Star Location Walkthrough (Season 9 Utopia Challenges) Avengers: Endgame Passes Avatar in the US Box Office, Still Behind Worldwide - GS Universe News Update Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey - Expand Trailer The Most Influential Games Of The 21 Century Video: PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds PS4 And PS5 Cross-Gen Multiplayer And Backwards Compatibility Teased - GS News Update Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order - X-Men Gameplay Trailer A New Handheld Video Game System Called Playdate Has Been Announced - GS News Update Fortnite - Dominating Win In Air Jordan Downtown Drop LTM Halo 5 Big Thursday Battle And More
[UPDATE] Following the publication of this post, Playdead officially announced Limbo's release date for Xbox One, and confirmed resolution and frame rate details.
"On Friday, December 5th, LIMBO will be released on Xbox One at $9.99 or equivalent. While we are completely absorbed by INSIDE, Double Eleven has once again helped us port the game and done a fantastic job, as it now runs 1080p at 60fps," the developer said.
The original story is below.
The game is technically already available on Xbox One, as Microsoft offered it as a free download to all of the 1 million+ people who bought an Xbox One during its launch weekend in November 2013.
For the millions of Xbox One adopters since, they'll be able to buy Limbo very soon. However, Microsoft did not announce a price. The Xbox 360 version of the game currently sells for $10.
Limbo isn't the only new game coming to Xbox One on Friday. Microsoft writes that Limbo will be joined by Threes!, as well as Boom Ball Kinect internationally. The game is already available in America.
For more, check out GameSpot's Limbo review.
Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email email@example.com


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Specialized has announced the recall of approximately 12,000 Globe bikes (specifically from the 2008 and 2009 model years) in conjunction with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. If you've got one of these bikes, quit riding it and take it back to the dealer for repair.
The problem is the potential for front fork breakage, which of course poses an injury hazards to riders. Specialized has already received four reports of this happening and causing injuries to cyclists, which is what prompted the recall.
Models involved are both women's and men's Specialized Globe bicycles sold in the U.S. from July 2007 to July 2012 for between $550 and $1,100. Specific models include:
- Globe Elite
- Globe Sport (and Sport Disc)
- Globe Centrum (Comp and Elite)
- Globe City 6
- Globe Vienna 3 (including Disc and Deluxe models)
- Globe Vienna 4, (including Deluxe model)
- Globe Vienna Deluxe 5
- Globe Vienna Deluxe 6
For additional information, contact Specialized toll-free at (877) 808-8154 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, or visit the company's website at http://www.specialized.com and click on Support/Safety Notices.
Note that this is worth doing even if you don't ride the bike anymore just for the fact that it is illegal to sell something that has a recall notice out on it and hasn't been fixed.
- Bike recall notices
- Five things to check everything you ride
- Does this helmet need replacing?
- The Five Layers of Bike Safety


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Vendini Continues Blockbuster Growth With Record Year(January 16, 2012)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- (Marketwire) -- 01/16/12 -- In 2011, Vendini held on to its number one ranking as the fastest growing company in the ticketing industry, winning 402 new venues for the year and adding 16 new concert venues in the fourth quarter alone.
In addition to strong customer and revenue growth, Vendini finished the year having debuted a number of leading edge mobile ticketing options, introducing a new application for the Android and improvements on its Apple app for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. Vendini's mobile ticketing solutions continue to be a major differentiator for the company, attracting new customers looking for flexible ticketing solutions.
"In terms of adding customers and innovating new technology, we've certainly experienced a phenomenal year," said Mark Tacchi, Vendini CEO and Founder. "We've become the leading cloud-based ticketing company in the industry, and a growing number of concert, sporting arenas, and performing arts venues are finding the flexible ticketing solutions we provide to be exactly what they need."
New Jersey's South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC), Paramount Theatre in Illinois, and The O'Shaughnessy at Saint Catherine University in Minnesota are just a few of the many large performing arts organizations that made the move to Vendini's modern cloud-based ticketing system in 2011.
And, while Vendini continues to dominate the ticketing industry in Performing Arts, its presence in concerts, sports and other events is also quickly increasing. Both the Silverdome and the International Basketball League's Los Angeles Lightning signed on with Vendini in 2011, as did The University of Toronto Athletics. Vendini was also selected to power ticketing for the renowned AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am golf tournament in California. Vendini saw equal success in concert ticketing with the signing of Forecastle 2012, celebrating its tenth anniversary, music festival happening July 13-15 at Louisville's Waterfront Park.
"We looked very carefully for a ticketing solution that would provide our customers with the best ticketing experience possible," says Carolyn Espinoza, Controller & Assistant General Manager for the Silverdome. "Vendini proved that they can meet our high standards when it comes to ensuring our events meet our patrons' expectations, and I love that Vendini is receptive to our needs as a company and provides us with great customer service."
Vendini Mobile currently offers ticketing applications for the Android, Apple iPhone, Apple iPod Touch and Apple iPad. Check out more insights on the future of mobile ticketing and join the conversation with Vendini's CEO and Founder, Mark Tacchi, at http://blog.vendini.com. Tacchi also took part in a mobile ticketing presentation titled "Not Just Ticketing!! Making Your Entire Box Office Mobile" at INTIX 2012 in mid-January.
VENDINI | Vendini is the leader in cloud based ticketing solutions. Thousands of organizations utilize Vendini's solutions for event promotion, ticket sales, and box office management. The company's suite of applications includes a fully integrated marketing system to promote events via email and social networks like Facebook and Twitter. Vendini counts many top arts, sports, and concert venues among its customers. Vendini's corporate headquarters is located in San Francisco, with offices in Beverly Hills, Boston, and Chicago. For additional information about Vendini visit http://www.vendini.com.
Hesser Communications Group
Copyright @ Marketwire
Related Keywords: Vendini, event promotion, ticket sales, box office operations, INTIX, Marketwire, , Apple Computer, Sports, Music, Sports, Golf, Basketball, Email, Other,


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CEO Rob Key will appear on a ‘Buzz Monitoring‘ panel at the Search Engine Strategies Conference in San Jose on Thursday 23 August.
As The Economist said in March 2006: “The direct, unfiltered, brutally honest nature of much online discussion is gold dust to big companies that want to spot trends, or find out what customers really think of them.” Listening to the online conversation can give companies a powerful competitive advantage and this session will help share tips and techniques for monitoring buzz online.
Search Engine Strategies 2007 Conference and Expo – ‘Buzz Monitoring‘ panel
Rob Key, CEO, Converseon
Chris Sherman, Co-Chair, SES San Jose
Thursday, 23 August, 2007
San Jose Convention Center
San Jose, California


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“With Terminator at the Forefront, Amazon is Hoping to Conquer the OTT Market”
Amazon, led by Jeff Bezos, is in talks to acquire Metro-Goldwin-Meyer (MGM), a Hollywood film studio that created "The 007 Series" and "Terminator." Amazon is in takeover negotiations with MGM, according to Bloomberg News and international media outlets such as the New York Times.
Photo source: AVForums
According to NYT and others, Amazon and MGM began negotiations last month. The acquisition cost is expected to be between $7 billion and $9 billion (roughly $7.9 trillion and $11.3 trillion KRW). "MGM has been calling for the sale of Apple and Comcast since last year, but no price deal has been reached," according to the New York Times. "Unlike MGM, which demanded $9 billion, Apple and others thought $6 billion was a reasonable sum." It will be the second-largest purchase in Amazon's history, valued at at least $6 billion.
The roaring lion logo is synonymous with MGM, which was established in 1920. It is a typical Hollywood film studio with over 4,000 films under its belt. However, MGM was also unable to avoid the consequences of the novel coronavirus infection (Covid-19). MGM, whose management had fallen out of favor, agreed to sell the company in December of last year. Netflix, Apple, and Comcast caught the public's attention, but the conversation was sluggish. Amazon was chosen by MGM because it offered the best acquisition price.
Photo Source : Unreserved Media
Amazon is attempting to buy MGM in order to catch up to Netflix, the leading OTT provider. Netflix has a global subscription base of 270 million people. It is followed by Amazon's Prime Video, an OTT website with 175 million users. The media industry's merger and acquisition battle to dominate the OTT market is expected to heat up even further if Amazon's acquisition of MGM is completed.
Article Source : https://news.joins.com/article/24061285


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New York and Massachusetts are the latest states to introduce tax legislation targeting digital advertising and data collection. Like the similar bills introduced earlier in Connecticut, New York, and Indiana, proposals similar to these latest New York and Massachusetts bills have been rejected by the respective legislatures in prior sessions.
New York revisits the commercial data collection tax
New York legislators continue to introduce bills targeting the digital economy and data collection. On January 18, New York State Senator Liz Krueger (D), Chair of the Senate Finance Committee, introduced S2012, which imposes a monthly excise tax on for-profit entities collecting and selling data from more than one million New Yorkers per month. The tax would apply regardless of how the data is collected, whether by electronic or other means.
The tax rate in S2012 would apply on a graduated scale based on the number of New York consumers whose data the taxpayer collects in a month. The tax starts at 5 cents per individual per month on the number of New York consumers over one million, which would cost businesses at a minimum $50,000.05 per month. The tax rate then gradually increases both in rate plus an additional flat rate amount. The highest rate is 50 cents per month on the number of New York consumers over ten million, plus a flat rate of $2,250,000. This legislation was previously introduced by Sen. Krueger during both the 2021 and 2022 legislative sessions in New York.
Massachusetts throws digital taxes against the wall to see what sticks
Massachusetts legislators have introduced a flurry of bills that would tax digital advertising, commercial data collection, or the sale of personal information. On January 18 and 20, state legislators in Massachusetts introduced six draft bills that would adopt a digital advertising services tax. Additional bills were introduced that would tax commercial data collection or the sale of personal information. Those bills are:
- HD 1507 was filed on January 18 and is pending committee referral. The bill draft would establish a special commission to conduct a comprehensive study relative to generating revenue from digital advertising that is displayed inside of Massachusetts by companies that generate over $100 million a year in global revenue.
- HD 1683 was also filed on January 18; this bill draft would assess and levy in each calendar year an excise on the sale of digital advertising services provided within the commonwealth. Revenue from digital advertising services would be required to be remitted monthly. The excise would be assessed at a rate equal to 6.25 percent of the annual gross revenue from digital advertising services provided within the commonwealth. The first $1 million in revenue would be exempt.
- HD 3052 was filed on January 20; the bill would impose a 5 percent tax on persons with revenue from digital advertising services in excess of $25 million per year. The tax would apply to digital advertising services accessed via a digital interface within the state.
- HD 3144 would impose a tiered digital advertising tax with rates of 5, 10, and 15 percent based on annual gross revenues from digital advertising provided in the state, based on IP address of the user’s device on which the advertising is accessed. The tax is imposed on persons with more than $100,000 of digital advertising services in Massachusetts. The draft was filed on January 20.
- HD 3230 would impose a 6.25 percent excise tax on digital advertising services provided in Massachusetts. The service will be deemed to be in the state if the advertising is received on the user’s device with an IP address in the state. The draft was filed on January 20.
- SD 1439 was filed on January 19 and is pending committee referral. The bill would impose a tiered digital advertising tax with rates of 5, 10, and 15 percent based on annual gross revenues from digital advertising provided in the state, based on IP address of the user’s device on which the advertising is accessed. The tax is imposed on persons with more than $100,000 of digital advertising services in Massachusetts.
- SD 1711 would tax on the collection of data by commercial data collectors. Similar to the New York Senator Krueger’s bill, SD 1711 would impose a tax on commercial data collectors that collect, maintain, use, processes, sells, or shares consumer data in support of its business activities. The bill also adopts a tired rate structure where the first $1 million of receipts is exempt, but rates thereafter range from $.05 cents per month of the number of Massachusetts consumers if data is collected from more than 1 million less than 2 million Massachusetts consumers, up to $750,000 per month plus $.30 cents per month on the number of Massachusetts consumers if data is collected from more than 6 million Massachusetts consumers.
- SD 1768 would require persons who sell personal information or exchange personal information for consideration in the state to register with the Department of Revenue, and provide certain detailed information concerning the data and the collection of such data. The bill does not specifically impose a tax, but requires the Department to recommend ways to tax businesses selling personal information to the legislature, “to ensure appropriate compensation to the people of the Commonwealth.”


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Egypt’s garment trade has grown significantly and now exceeds EGP 300 billion per year. According to Mohamed Abdel Salem, Chairperson of the Federation of Egyptian Industries’ Ready-Made Garments Chamber, this is due to a decrease in imports caused by Decree No. 42, which obliged importers to register with the General Organization for Export and Import Control (GOEIC). Furthermore, the Ready-Made Garment Chamber and Gahez Digital Marketing recently announced a collaborative agreement.
These characteristics, according to Salem, encouraged local enterprises in developing their products and producing high-quality clothing to suit market demands. The Federation of Egyptian Industries (FEI) is one of the country’s main employers’ organisations, representing over 60,000 industrial businesses, with over 90% of them belonging to the private sector, which employs over 7 million people and accounting for 20% of the country’s GDP.
- In-Depth Analysis2021.12.16Cotton Yarn/Fabric Market Report – 16th December, 2021
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- News & Insights2021.12.16Global Smart Textiles Market Estimated to be Valued at US$ 6.6 Billion by 2026 | MarketsandMarkets™ Study
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Convenience store owner accused of selling drugs for food stamp benefitsPosted: Updated:
PHOENIX -- A Phoenix convenience store owner has been booked into the Maricopa County Jail for allegedly selling drugs for food stamp benefits.
The Governor’s Office announced Thursday that Joo Ho Yi committed 10 violations of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program by illegally purchasing the benefits from EBT cards.
Authorities believe that Yi provided $544 in cash, five bags of marijuana, and a half ounce of methamphetamine to individuals in exchange for more than $4,000 in SNAP benefits.
Data from the United States Department of Agriculture suggests that Yi’s New Star Market was responsible for cheating the SNAP program out of more than $6,000.
Yi is now facing charges of unlawful use of food stamps, sale of a dangerous drug, and sale of marijuana.
Yi’s arrest is part of an ongoing investigation that began in 2010 when Gov. Brewer established the anti-fraud Trafficking Detection Unit within the Arizona Department of Economic Security.
“The success of this operation is a true testament to the good that can be accomplished when agencies work together,” said Gov. Brewer. “We will continue to pursue individuals who take advantage of the public’s generosity and goodwill.”
Since July 2011, 31 people have been arrested and charged with crimes against the SNAP program.
To date, 23 of those arrested have been convicted and ordered to pay a total of $241,193 in restitution to the SNAP program and $6,850 in fines to the Attorney General’s Anti-Racketeering Revolving Fund.


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Michael Cole, the marque’s UK MD exclusively told Car Dealer, that these inner city areas are proving the hardest to fill – despite interest in the brand blossoming.
‘These locations typically require a large investment,’ he said. ‘But the real problem is finding the right location and property.’
Cole added potential new franchisees had been knocking down his door in the past year – with the marque’s success under scrappage playing a major part in this interest.
‘We’re attracting interest from PLCs,’ he said. ‘But mostly its regional groups that are interested. However it’s important not to forget the great work our many owner operators have put in – some have been with Kia for 20 years – and it’s these dealers that have stuck by the brand as we’ve grown.’
A number of other open points for the manufacturer are in advanced stages of negotiation and Cole is determined to get these in place before 2011.
‘Next year will be a massive year for the brand and we need to make sure these partners are in place and ready to sell the products we have coming,’ he told Car Dealer.
‘Typically these negotiations take time, so we need to work hard to get them in place soon.’
Cole told press assembled at the launch of the Venga and Sorento models in Spain that 2010 would be a ‘tough year’.
He predicted registrations for the UK to be around 1.8m, but is determined to see Kia match its scrappage performance of 2010 when it registered more than 50,000 cars.
‘I want us to match or exceed that this year,’ he said. ‘But it will be tough. Three to four years ago we had a reputation for being a budget brand. But now we’re seen as makers of reliable, affordable and stylish cars with a seven-year warranty.
‘That shows our confidence in the products and think it will go a long way to helping sales in 2010.’
Exclusive by JAMES BAGGOTT


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China customs agency announced on Wednesday that the country has banned imports of pigs, wild boars and pork products from Slovakia, out of fear of the spread of African swine fever. Recent reports have suggested that between one third and one half of China’s entire herd could be wiped out due to the disease this year. That was reported by Reuters.
Bulgaria’s agriculture minister conceded on Wednesday that it, too, had failed to contain the spread of African swine fever. Reuters reports that the country has so far detected more than 30 outbreaks of the disease, which has led to around 130,000 pigs of the country’s total herd of 600,000 to be culled.
The House and Senate have adjourned for the summer.
International Trade Diversification Minister Jim Carr headed a roundtable with pork farmers and producers in Winnipeg on Wednesday, to discuss the continued blockage of Canadian pork imports to China.
“This round table offered an opportunity for Minister Carr to reiterate the government’s commitment to reopening the Chinese market as soon as possible, and to maintaining market access for Canada’s high-quality meat products,” said a press release from Carr’s office.
The governments of Canada and Ontario announced a shared investment to the beekeeping industry on Wednesday. Ontario Agriculture Minister Ernie Hardeman announced that $500,000 will be provided through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership to help beekeepers make improvements at managing pests, diseases and other stressors to bees.
Alberta Economic Development, Trade and Tourism Minister Tanya Fir says her government is reviewing her government’s international offices to see where it can save taxpayers money. The Edmonton Journal reports that Alberta spends $10.3 million per year on its international trade offices that include locations in Hong Kong, London, Washington, D.C. and Beijing.
P.E.I. farmers are in the midst of a hot streak that has some farmers — including potato producers, whose crop is starting to show stress — worried about the lack of rain. CBC News reports.Click here to see more...


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App developers and publishers reach more smart TV consumers faster with single-contract, single-window app publication
SAN RAMON, Calif. - Monday, June 2nd 2014 [ME NewsWire]
(BUSINESS WIRE) Smart TV application developers can now use a single, integrated process to publish their applications to compliant Smart TV Alliance members’ smart TVs. Successful completion of the Alliance’s Joint Quality Assurance process now triggers multi-manufacturer app publication through the Common Developer Portal, allowing publishers to reach more devices and users in one simple process. This makes the publication process simpler, more cost-effective and significantly faster.
Smart TV Alliance was launched in 2012 to unite the fragmented smart TV market and provide consumers with richer smart TV experiences and access to more content and better services. In less than two years, the Smart TV Alliance has streamlined the application development, QA and publishing process, offering developers an easier and more effective way to develop applications, and providing publishers with broader reach.
“The Alliance’s common SDK and specification, joint QA process and single contract reduce the time and cost of application publication, resolving development inefficiencies and alleviating the fragmented TV market,” said Seijiro Yasuki, president of Smart TV Alliance and chief technology executive of Toshiba Lifestyle Products & Services Corporation. “With today’s launch of the Common Developer Portal, the Alliance delivers a true ‘build once, run everywhere’ ecosystem.”
Develop and Publish Apps
Developers can register, develop, QA test and publish applications for multiple manufacturers’ smart TVs here.
The five-step process for mass app publication includes:
App Development - integrated environment for app development with common specification and SDK, including IDE, emulator, developer documentation and compliance tooling
Developer Support - free forum for basic technical developer support as well as premium developer support for in-depth and faster responses
Joint QA - joint quality assurance process simplifies app validation, including compatibility verification for compliant members’ TVs in a single QA, and provides developers with access to the joint QA team for technical support
Single Contract - single contract process for publishers, which includes joint agreement for app distribution on multiple platforms, standardized contract template, and one-click agreement with multiple Smart TV Alliance members
App Publication - publish app to participating members’ compliant smart TVs at once
Currently, the LG, TP Vision (for Philips smart TVs), Toshiba and Panasonic smart TVs will receive the apps when published. The Smart TV Alliance welcomes new members to join the Common Developer Portal and tap into this new source of smart TV applications.
New Alliance Membership Level Invites New Members
The Smart TV Alliance introduces a new membership level, Community Member, which invites new members to participate in and influence Alliance activities. Community level members can participate in work groups, access draft and final deliverables, use the Alliance logo, and participate in general and annual meetings. More information is available at http://www.smarttv-alliance.org/Join/BecomeaMember.aspx.
About Smart TV Alliance
Founders LG Electronics, TP Vision and Toshiba established the Smart TV Alliance in 2012 to create attractive, platform-independent services for Smart TV applications. Smart TV Alliance's mission is to create a large and productive ecosystem for smart TV application development that gives manufacturers a faster path to more and better TV applications, enables developers to write applications once for many different platforms, and provides consumers with a rich source of content and services. For more information about the Alliance, visit http://www.SmartTV-Alliance.org.
The Common Developer Portal is available at https://developers.smarttv-alliance.org/.
Inventures for Smart TV Alliance
Alisa Pfeil, +1-775-720-5071


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Because of the amount of people self-isolating, but still needing medical essentials with the COVID-19 pandemic, Walgreens has now expanded the offerings of its Drive-Thru pick-up. This will occur at over 7300 of the company’s pharmacy drive-thrus nationwide. This allows customers to still get the products they need from the retailer while also helping to promote social distancing.
“We are working around the clock to support our customers and patients, who are relying on us more now than ever before,” said Lisa Badgley, senior vice president of pharmacy and retail operations at Walgreens in a Walgreens press release. “We’re continuing to quickly introduce new and different ways to meet customers’ needs for greater convenience during the COVID-19 pandemic, while also promoting social distancing as one of the most important preventive measures we can take. We also ask that customers be patient as we work to provide this new and expanded service, as there may be wait times given current demand.”
There are more than 60 products made available to purchase at the drive-thru, such as cleaning supplies and sanitizers, over the counter products for cough/cold, medical supplies, first aid as well as other items. These items were chosen to help support the needs of the consumer and their community. Consumers may also confirm the availability of the product they are looking for at the drive-thru window.
Also, Walgreens pharmacy technicians are prepared to provide customers their items on the spot if there are no lines at the drive-thru. If there is a line, customers may be asked to drive around and will be given a wait time to come back and pick up their items.
Alongside this drive-thru change, Walgreens has also started setting aside a specific time period for senior citizens to be able to come to the store and pick up their items. This period, from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., is an hour prior to when the store opens to the public. This period is also open to caregivers and immediate family of senior citizens.
According to the Walgreens website, the retailer is offering their “senior day discount all day on Tuesdays during this time. Customers age 55 and older will receive 30 percent off regularly priced Walgreens brands and 20 percent off regularly priced national brands. Restrictions may apply. Current quantity limits on certain high demand products will be required.”
The store has also started tackling the challenge of social distancing by having “Social Distancing Line,” that begin 6 feet away from all checkout counters. These lines are marked with tape where customers must stand until a Walgreens employee tells the customer to step to the counter. As is the pharmacy waiting area where chairs have been separated to make sure people are apart far enough to keep everyone safe.
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On April 19, 2019, the five-day China Import and Export Fair (hereinafter referred to as “Canton Fair”) officially ended in Guangzhou Pazhou Exhibition Center. The Canton Fair attracted about 200,000 overseas buyers from over 210 countries and regions.
In the golden autumn of October with increasing chill, Guangzhou Pazhou Exhibition Center was full of hullabaloo. On October 15, the 126th China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) was grandly opened in Guangzhou Pazhou Convention and Exhibition Center.
On May 10th, the 2018 National Hardware Show came to a successful conclusion at Las Vegas Convention Center. It includes a wide range of new home improvement products from across the world...
From April 15 to 19, 2018, the 123rd China import and export fair (hereinafter referred to as the "Canton fair") opened at the pazhou international convention and exhibition center in guangzhou...


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Today, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer Realme launched a new smartphone in India along with Buds Air. The company introduced Realme X2 in the country. Alongside the smartphone, the company introduced Realme Buds Air for the first time and Realme Paysa financial services app on the smartphone. The app provides all transaction options along with the user protection stated by the company’s CEO. The newly launched smartphones come with a Snapdragon 730G SoC processor and 30W fast charging technology.
Realme X2 and Realme Buds Air pricing and availability
The company launched Realme X2 in three variants 4GB RAM with 64GB storage at Rs 16,999. Whereas the 6GB RAM with 128GB storage can be bought for Rs 18,999 and the 8GB RAM with 128GB storage will be sold with a price tag of Rs 19,999. The company introduced the phone in three colour options Pearl Blue, Pearl Green and Pearl White.
Now coming to the Realme Buds Air the company introduced the wireless earphones in India for the first time globally. Realme launched the earphones with a price tag of Rs 3,999. These will be available in three colour variants of Yellow, Black and White.
Both Realme X2 and Realme Buds Air will be available on the e-commerce website Flipkart as well as Realme online store in India. From today 2 PM onwards, the company will be hosting Hate to Wait sale on the e-retail platform. Whereas the smartphone will be available for purchase from December 20 via both the platforms.
Realme Buds Air features
The company introduced its truly wireless stereo earbuds Realme Buds Air for the very first time in the country as well as globally. The wireless earbuds will come with a case, which connects to your device instantly whenever you open the cap of the case. The device further comes with a new low latency gaming mode in which latency drops to 51 percent when the mode activates. There is a dual-mic noise cancellation feature, one will record the user’s voice and the other will record the environmental noise and they will together offset the background noise during a call.
The Realme Buds Air comes integrated with 12mm driver and it has a dynamic bass boost as well that offer punchy bass as the company stated. The Realme buds are touch-enabled for better as well as easy control. It offers 3 hours of playback time on just the buds and 17 hours of total playback with the charging case. The earbuds also support wireless charging.
Realme X2 specifications
Realme X2 comes with a 6.4-inch full-HD+ sAMOLED display with 1,080×2,340 pixels and a 19.5:9 aspect ratio. The display has Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection and DC dimining as well as night mode features. The handset runs Android 9 Pie-based ColorOS 6.1. Under the hood, there is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G processor with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage that can be expanded up to 256GB via microSD card.
In terms of camera, Realme X2 features a quad rear camera set up that comprises of a 64-megapixel primary sensor along with an 8-megapixel super-wide-angle lens. Further assisted by dual 2-megapixel camera sensors one for portraits and other for macro shots. The phone sports a 32-megapixel front-facing camera for taking selfies and video calling.
In terms of connectivity, the phone includes 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth v5.0, GPS/ A-GPS, NFC, USB Type-C along with a 3.5mm headphone jack. The sensors on the phone include an accelerometer, ambient light, gyroscope, magnetometer and a proximity sensor.
For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel. You can also stay up to date using the Gadget Bridge Android App.


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The latest blog from Nick Mernock, Chair of the Everton Fans’ Forum.
Regularly, talking points amongst fans are related to kit and merchandise.
Kit designs are always a hot topic of conversation with supporters – as has proved the case again in recent weeks with the release of our new third kit, even down to the colour of the sponsors’ logo. To answer that one, the colour of the logo is the choice of Chang themselves.
And as for future kit and merchandise designs - we have some exciting news to share with you in this blog.
But, away from the kits, the Fans' Forum has worked hard on behalf of fans to scrutinise the retail operation and also engage directly with the Club's retail partner.
Real progress has been made in that regard in recent months and I was keen to share that progress – and some key learnings we acquired from a recent visit to the UK headquarters of Fanatics.
Fanatics is the biggest online sports retailer in the US and, earlier this year, they acquired Kitbag.
Having the opportunity to visit their headquarters and meet senior figures from Fanatics was, in itself, a key step and a clear indication of the progressive approach being taken by the Club's retail partner since their change of ownership. It was also heartening that Fanatics were as keen to meet the Fans' Forum as we were to sit down with them.
The visit provided a great deal of insight in terms of how the retail operation runs and helped to underpin a lot of the visible improvements that have been seen by supporters in the last 12 months – kits released earlier in the summer, a broader range of kits for female supporters and young children and improvements to the online purchasing process.
The focus of the visit was the retail and merchandising operation and how it has been - and can be - improved for supporters. The actual commercial terms of the Club's agreement with the retail partner is for another day.
The visit provided an intriguing insight. There remains scope for further improvement - a point that Fanatics acknowledged - but after a couple of hours going through historical issues – yes, we mentioned sockgate! - and hopes for the future with Chris and Andy, there were some clear updates that I'm pleased to share with you:
We presented a series of the regularly referenced issues with the online purchasing experience which they have taken on board and committed to providing an update on.
Fanatics took the time out to show us the new ranges for the 16/17 season. While I would not class myself as a member of the fashionista I did think the ranges were a massive improvement on what we have had previously - although they are never going to please everyone.
Fanatics have agreed to engage with fans in the design of future merchandise ranges and that is something we will share more information on in the coming weeks.
They are willing to produce smaller runs of t-shirts and merchandise related to key events – and to also deliver a fan designed range. They have resolved the matter of kit availability at the airport with Everton strips available in Liverpool, Manchester and Gatwick Airports as well as making them available in JD Sports outlets in the North West and the flagship London stores.
We agreed to garner feedback from fans over the 'Nike approach' of a 'stadium shirt' at one pricepoint and a genuine replica at a higher price point. Your feedback on this topic would be welcome. For what it's worth, I think replica kits should remain affordable, so you can work out my thoughts yourself.
We expressed how keen fans are to see a well-stocked Christmas range – and also adequate stock availability to ensure Santa can deliver for any young Evertonian who wants a kit this Christmas. We were given assurances on this.
As for Fanatics themselves, they are a huge organisation. They have contracts with NFL, MLB, MLS, PGA and Ryder Cup as well football contracts with Real Madrid, AC Milan, Manchester City and Manchester United. We are in esteemed company. But the message from Chris and Andy was that Everton are hugely important to them – and moving forward there is real scope to grow the brand globally.
The Fanatics American connection has already started to pay dividends - a fellow forum member who recently went on holiday to the east coast of America saw first-hand the benefits the relationship is having after seeing the Chang emblazoned royal Blue ‘jerseys’ on sale in a well-known American sports chain. As you can see from the image below the new shirt is available in retail stores in America and it wasn't previously. Everton merchandise is sold through Everton USA with the American supporters group the only stateside supporters group with direct access to merchandise and tickets. There is a long way to go in pushing the Everton brand in the key territories but it’s good to see steps are being made.
Having visited their headquarters and had the opportunity to share some fan frustrations and observations with Chris and Andy, one thing is clear – Fanatics have brought a new approach, a new scale and a desire for a higher level of interaction with us, the fans.
Indeed, the last few weeks did provide an example of a situation that proved Fanatics are backing up what they say about listening and reacting. We could have had a hiccup with squad numbers following the changes for 16/17 but we were quickly in contact with Fanatics and there was an equally speedy resolution from them.
In order to maintain that new relationship between the fans and Fanatics, we are keen to continue to hear your thoughts, frustrations or feedback related to retail and merchandise matters. One thing we know – they are listening and they will heed what is said.
So keep us informed and give us your feedback. Email us here firstname.lastname@example.org


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Swedish oat milk giant Oatly is to open its third US production facility in Fort Worth, Texas. At 280,000 square feet, it will be the company’s biggest factory in North America.
The new plant is expected to create 100 jobs and produce around 150 million litres of oat milk per year, with space to expand if needed. It will allow Oatly to meet the rapidly growing demand for its products, which is set to outpace supply.
Oatly’s existing US facilities are in Millville, New Jersey, and Ogden, Utah. The company says it plans to open several more facilities worldwide by 2023.
Recently, Oatly made headlines when it unsuccessfully sued British oat milk brand PureOaty for alleged copyright infringement. Despite this, Oatly continues to thrive — the company now has an enterprise value of almost $13 billion following its highly successful IPO in May. It also has plans to further expand into China, where it is already available at thousands of cafes and stores.
“Every time someone decides to take their coffee with oat milk or have an Oatgurt for their afternoon snack, we believe they’re making a choice that’s healthier for them and the planet. And more and more people are making those choices every day,” said Oatly’s North American President Mike Messersmith. “We’re excited to break ground on this factory in Fort Worth, which we believe will allow us to meet the growing demand for Oatly’s products and grow our positive impact on the planet.”


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Iwata: No MMO from Nintendo
Nintendo big boss Satoru Iwata has stated that the Big N have no plans to delve into the murky worlds of the MMO genre, despite the growing importance of such games, and the significance of various 'social networking' spin-offs, such as the PS3's Home.
If Ninty were to make an MMO, it would have to be fun if you're "5 or 95", according to Iwata, while it would also have to be easily playable by those who are not computer or 'game' literate. "If that's not a hurdle we can get past, it's not something Nintendo is going to pursue," the executive told GameSpot.
Iwata believes the genre hasn't evolved enough to entice Nintendo yet, games like Second Life "aren't at a place where we'd like to join in - and certainly not to the point that we'd want to jump into competition with everybody else."
Moving on, Iwata tells the US website he believes third-party game sales on the Wii will increase, comparing the situation to the DS where third-parties took a while to get to grips with the innovative hardware.
Indeed, he believes the situation is resolving itself, citing December sales figures: "Wii titles are outselling Xbox 360 titles, and only five of the 20 Wii titles on the list were created by Nintendo, with the remaining 15 from third-party developers."
More from Iwata and Nintendo in general as we get it.
- Call Of Duty: Advanced Warfare PC system specifications announced
- Evolution adds more multiplayer events to Driveclub as they continue to work on the game's server issues
- Rockstar announces a San Andreas 10th Anniversary event this weekend for GTA Online
- Dead Or Alive 5: Last Round gets a release date
- Unfinished Swan to hit the PS4 and PS Vita next week
- Gamersgate.com CEO emphasizes that they have nothing to do with #Gamergate
- Microsoft announces the feature list for the November Xbox One update
- EA Sports patches in some more missing features for the next-gen versions of NHL 15
- Blizzard begins rolling out a new patch for Starcraft II


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Samsung Electronics is expanding its smartphone business in 2021 with a ‘two-track foldable’ strategy based on the Galaxy Z fold and Flip series. In a conference call for Samsung Electronics’ 4Q 2020 earnings announcement held on the 28th, Seong-gu Kim, executive director of the wireless business division, said, ‘We plan to strengthen the Galaxy Z Fold and Flip lineup this year.’ The Galaxy Z Fold focuses on entertainment and productivity, and the Flip series focuses on securing millennials and female customers with stylish designs and price competitiveness. Managing Director Kim added, ‘We will expand the foldable ecosystem through collaboration with our partners, and continue to expand product maturity and consumer experience.’
The Samsung Galaxy Fold Series
The Galaxy Z Fold series is a foldable smartphone that Samsung Electronics unveiled in February 2019. It has been attracting attention for the world’s first application of an in-folding structure that folds the display inside. When folded, it can be used through an external display, and if necessary, it is a model that has established the basic user experience of a foldable smartphone, such as opening the screen and converting it similar to a tablet.
In August 2020, the sequel Galaxy Z Fold 2 was released. When unfolded, the display size was expanded to 7.6 inches and the durability problem pointed out in the previous work was supplemented to enhance the completeness. At the time of launch, despite the high price of 2 million won ($1788), the pre-sale amount was close to 60,000, and it received a positive market response. In the industry, it is expected that the new model ‘Galaxy Z Fold 3’, which can fold the display twice and supports S Pen, will be released around May this year.
Also Read: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 to use under-screen camera
The Samsung Galaxy Flip Series
The Galaxy Z Flip is a new type of foldable smartphone that Samsung Electronics unveiled in February 2020. The clamshell design that expands and folds vertically is applied from the conventional method of folding horizontally. Unlike the Fold series, instead of giving up the external display, it is small in size when folded, making it highly portable. The screen size is 6.7 inches, similar to a typical large-screen smartphone, and an additional 5G model was unveiled in July 2020.
The strength of the Galaxy Z Flip lies in its unique design. At the time of its launch, Samsung Electronics also expressed expectations that ‘Galaxy Z Flip will serve as an icon that adds a fashionable sensibility to users’ lives.’ In particular, the design reminiscent of cosmetics received good reviews from female customers, and ‘Galaxy Z Flip Decorating’ became popular on social media after its launch. In addition, male customers at the beginning of the launch were nearly twice that of females, and it was popular regardless of gender.
As both models are showing positive results, Samsung Electronics is expected to maximize the strengths of each lineup to maintain its dominance in the fierce foldable smartphone competition. According to CounterPoint, the global foldable smartphone market is expected to grow by about 8 times from 700,000 units last year to 5.5 million units this year. The industry is also predicting that Samsung Electronics will replace the Galaxy Note series with a foldable lineup.
In addition to the foldable, there is a possibility that a new smartphone will appear. ‘It is difficult to reveal the mid- to long-term roadmap,’ Kim said in a conference call, but we are reviewing various form factors and plan to introduce it to the market once quality is sufficiently secured.
Meanwhile, the 2020 sales and operating profit of the Samsung Electronics IM (IT & Mobile Communications) division, which were revealed in the earnings announcement on the same day, were 99.9 trillion won and 11.47 trillion won, respectively. Compared to the previous year, sales fell 7%, but operating profit increased 23.7%. In the fourth quarter, sales were 22.34 trillion won and operating profit was 2.4 trillion won. An official from Samsung Electronics said, “While demand is expected to decline in the off-peak season in the mobile market in the first quarter, we will strengthen our leadership in the premium market by maximizing sales of the Galaxy S21, which was released early, and promoting the popularization of the foldable category.


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MannKind ($MNKD), decimated by the departure of former co-signer Sanofi ($SNY), is trying to conserve value in the face of sluggish sales for its inhaled insulin, signing a deal to transfer some of its pipeline to an obscure new company.
The drug developer put out word Thursday that it had partnered with a newfangled entity called Receptor Life Sciences, handing over the rights to potential inhalable treatments for pain, neurological diseases and inflammatory disorders. The agreement tasks MannKind with handling initial formulation studies for its partner, and the two entities plan to collaborate on clinical development on Receptor's dime. MannKind is due up to $102.3 million in milestone payments, the company said, plus low double-digit royalties on any future sales.
The deal is unlikely to change the narrative around MannKind, which was reduced to a penny stock earlier this month after the poor market performance of Afrezza, its sole product, convinced Sanofi to abandon a deal that could have paid out $775 million in total. MannKind has promised to find another partner willing to market its inhaled insulin, but the company's financial situation has led many investors to doubt whether it'll be in business for much longer.
Compounding matters is the mystery surrounding Receptor, a company described in MannKind's news release as "quietly laying the foundation for groundbreaking new products in the specialty pharmaceutical market." As TheStreet's Adam Feuerstein noted, there are no records of incorporation tied to Receptor in either Delaware or Washington, the state of its listed headquarters. And the company's website is a Squarespace-hosted placeholder that, according to a domain registry, was purchased Jan. 10.
According to a statement from MannKind CEO Matthew Pfeffer--who stepped in after the company's first choice ran into a noncompete issue--the deal with Receptor "demonstrates the fundamental value of our platform technology, while the risk-sharing structure of the transaction allows us to diversify our product opportunities without losing focus on our lead program."
- read the statement


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Herbalife products are not always good for general usage, based on numerous customer complaints listed on the Consumer Affairs website. Additionally, taking more than the recommended amount of certain vitamins and minerals contained in the products can lead to adverse reactions, as noted by Mayo Clinic.
Though marketed as an all-natural weight loss program, many of the claims made by the Herbalife company are unsubstantiated. At best, many who take the products often do not lose any significant amounts of weight, or worse, start to feel sick after consuming them, as stated in complaints filed with Consumer Affairs.
In December of 2014, the company was cited by the Federal Drug Administration for using deceptive language in its advertising, which appeared to indicate that the products had some form of safety approval by the agency. These advertising statements were incorrect, as the FDA is not required to give approval for herbal supplements, and in particular, had never issued any such approval for Herbalife, according to the Michael R. Taylor, the FDA's Deputy Commissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine.
In addition to potential safety issues with Herbalife products, the company itself has come under fire numerous times over the years for its multilevel marketing practices. These types of companies are strictly regulated in order to prevent fraud, and, as noted by the New York Post, Herbalife has failed to adhere to its own compliance policies and as of 2014 was being investigated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.


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Nokia recently revealed plans to put its name on new devices before the end of the year and now we’re getting our first taste of the company post-Microsoft. Espoo-based Nokia today announced the N1, its first Android tablet.
Though we’ve seen Android-powered Nokia devices before, the N1 is a little more recognizable as Android, despite the custom software overlaid on top. Rather than build a Windows Phone-like experience on an Android base, the N1 runs Lollipop with Nokia’s own launcher.
Aside from the Nokia logo, the tablet features a laminated 2048 x 1536 pixel 7.9-inch display and is based on a 64-bit quad-core Atom processor clocked to 2.4 GHz, along with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. There’s also a 5MP camera in the front, an 8MP camera in the back, and dual speakers. Perhaps most notably, the N1 uses a reversible USB Type C port. The N1 runs Android 5.0 Lollipop with the aforementioned Nokia Z Launcher on top. This is all wrapped up in a pretty aluminum package that measures just 6.9mm thick.
Nokia has made very clear that this is an OEM product with the Nokia name on top. Similarly, it’s licensing the Z Launcher software layer and IP on a running royalty basis to Foxconn, the same company responsible for building some of BlackBerry’s new smartphones.
“The OEM partner is responsible for full business execution, from engineering and sales to customer care, including liabilities and warranty costs, inbound IP and software licensing and contractual agreements with 3rd parties,” Nokia said in a statement today.
The N1 is hitting China in the new year priced at $249 USD, and the tablet will make its way to Russia after that. No word on a North American release but we’re sure Nokia has some more OEM partnerships in the pipeline.
Update: Over the course of the morning there’s been a lot of confusion as to whether or not this tablet has access to Google Play Services. The absence of any of Google’s own apps on the home screen seemed to suggest that it didn’t, and now Nokia has spoken out on the issue. Responding to a Twitter user asking for clarification, Nokia product manager John Kneeland tweeted:
“The N1 is first going to China where Google Play services aren’t an issue. We’ll have more announcements for Europe later!”


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Get the most important digital marketing news each day.
Facebook Is Testing A Way For Users To Schedule Deletion Of Posts
The limited experiment on iOS devices enables users to set posts to self-delete after set time.
Let’s say you want to post a special offer on your business’ Facebook Page, but you don’t want the evidence to stick around forever. Currently, you would have to manually delete the post, but that could be changing.
Facebook is running a test on a small number of users’ iOS devices that gives them the option to schedule deletion of posts in advance, giving them set choices from one hour to seven days. As reported first by The Next Web, several users noticed the new option and tweeted screen grabs, like this:
— Jen Flitter (@jenflitter) September 8, 2014
A Facebook spokesperson confirmed the test via email:
“We’re running a small pilot of a feature on Facebook for iOS that lets people schedule deletion of their posts in advance.”
All the usual caveats about Facebook testing apply — the company tests new features all the time and not all experiments are released to all users — but it would be a very useful addition for brand and business Pages. It’s easy to come up with examples that would benefit from posts that disappear when they are no longer relevant — events, coupons, contests, sales, etc.
Some opinions expressed in this article may be those of a guest author and not necessarily Marketing Land. Staff authors are listed here.


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Embroidery franchise, EmbroidMe, has signed a Master Franchise Agreement that will see locations open in Costa Rica, Panama, El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala.
The deal was signed with Ernesto Martinez and Adolfo Martinez, who will oversee the development of new stores in these countries.
The business partners already own the EmbroidMe Master Franchise for Nicaragua, but this new deal will enable them to open outlets in most Central American countries.
Mark Johnson, President of EmbroidMe, said: “We are thrilled to have Ernesto and Adolfo expand EmbroidMe throughout Central America. This is a very exciting time for EmbroidMe and we look forward to bringing our brand to more countries around the globe and expand our footprint.”
Published: 1 November 2012
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TACOMA (AP) - Port officials say if you look at the number of containers shipped through the ports of Tacoma and Seattle, it appears as if the Asian economic downturn has had little effect on shipments through Puget Sound.
But a closer look tells a different story.
The number of containers handled by the Port of Tacoma declined by a tiny 0.2 percent from 1997, but that number, just under 1.2 million standard units, was 1 percent higher than forecast. The Port of Seattle saw a 4.6 percent increase last year in the number of containers crossing the docks.
But containerized tonnage in Tacoma dropped from just under 6 million tons in 1997 to less than 5.2 million tons last year.
That loss in tonnage resulted from a huge imbalance between imports and exports - thousands of containers were shipped back to Asia with no cargo inside.
""We just really poured empties out of here,"" said Doug Ljungren, business planning manager for the Port of Tacoma.
In Seattle, the number of empty containers exported rose 150 percent, according to port spokesman Imbert Mathee.
While the decrease in tonnage didn't effect port revenues, which have nothing do to with whether containers are full or empty, it does show that Asian consumers have cut their purchases of American goods.
Exports of forest products and agricultural commodities are down around 30 percent, said Seattle economist Dick Conway.
Whatever the effect of the Asian economic problems, Tacoma port officials expect its container business to grow dramatically this year and next.
In April, Hyundai Merchant Marine will move its terminal operations here from its former base in Seattle.
That will bring an estimated 150,000 more containers here in 1999 and around 200,000 in 2000, Ljungren said. The move will boost Tacoma's container count to more than 1.2 million this year and more than 1.3 million next year.
Ljungren and other economists expect major trading partners in Asia to begin rebounding.
""I think the argument could be made that in countries like (South) Korea, the turnaround has already started,"" Ljungren said.
Japan, this state's largest trading partner, still is a mystery, however.
""It's hard to understand that one,"" Ljungren said. ""There's been a series of false starts.""
He said there is some evidence that import growth is slowing and export growth is increasing.
""If you look at it overall, I'd say maybe things are getting better over there.""


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AdvaMed Praises Launch of Japan’s Device Regulations
U.S. devicemakers welcomed the launch of new medtech regulations in Japan, saying they will work with the country’s health ministry and the Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Agency to ensure a smooth transition.
The law, which was adopted by the national legislature last year, creates a unique regulatory framework for devices and in vitro diagnostics and is expected to improve access to novel technologies.
Stephen Ubl, president and CEO of AdvaMed, says the law will have a positive impact on manufacturers by streamlining regulatory requirements, expanding the range of products eligible for third-party certification, and allowing quality audits to be conducted for product groupings, rather than on a product-by-product basis. It also simplifies the accreditation process for manufacturers, Ubl says.
The law goes hand in hand with the April implementation of a PMDA performance plan to speed product approvals. The goal, according to Ubl, is to approve devices faster than the FDA.
AdvaMed is planning two workshops — Dec. 8-9 in Washington, D.C. and Dec. 11-12 in San Francisco — to help manufacturers adapt to the new requirements. — Kellen Owings
Subscribe to Devices & Diagnostics Letter for complete coverage of the medical devices industry. Click here for more information.


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Everyone loves to watch the Olympics. The track and field events, and especially the marathon are super exciting for those of us obsessed with all things #running. However, this year there has been a lot of talk about Rule 40.
What is Rule 40?
1. Rule 40 is designed to protect the financial and intellectual property assets of the Olympic Games and its sponsors by limiting what the athletes, and non-Olympic partners, can do and say.
2. Olympic sponsorship rights are sold for the big bucks. WEIRD, it all comes back to money! (BTW, a Top Olympic sponsorship can cost as much as $1 billion over the course of each four-year Olympic stretch).
3. Basically, Rule 40 says that it is to “prevent the impression of a commercial connection between any non-Olympic partner & the Olympic games.”
1. Any athlete’s sponsor that doesn’t play the big money sponsorship game can’t congratulate their athlete via social media & the athlete can’t thank them via social media.
2. Really, it includes any kind of ad campaign. Not just social media.
3. Well, they can – just not in the “blackout period” of July 27th – August 24th for the Rio games. During that time, everyone who isn’t an Olympic sponsor is basically “he who must not be named.” (Harry Potter fans get the reference, the rest of you – go read the books you heathens.)
I first heard about Rule 40 from Oiselle. Much of the information I posted above is from Sally’s extremely well done blog post about Rule 40. See more at: http://www.oiselle.com/blog/birds-eye-view-rule-40-explained#sthash.nDrGr9JO.dpuf
It is a bummer, and a sad that hard working athletes who get a break and get a sponsorship can’t thank the sponsors who took a chance on them. I loved this campaign from Brooks: http://www.wsj.com/articles/brooks-goes-undercover-to-slam-olympic-marketing-rules-1469818175
Basically, they are making shirts and other marketing pieces to speak out against Rule 40.
“Brooks, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, is among several sportswear makers that aren’t official sponsors of the Games but do sponsor Olympic hopefuls. The company will send roughly a dozen athletes to Rio, including decathlete Jeremy Taiwo and marathoner Desiree Linden. Like the rest of the U.S. track & field team, they are required to wear the official uniform supplied and sponsored by Nike Inc.”
I’ll be sporting my shirt to watch!!


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Digital TV News: maxdome
Joyn free TV streaming platform for Germany to start in June 2019
May 8, 2019 – In June 2019, Joyn (formerly 7TV), the app featuring Germany’s biggest range of Free-TV content, will be launched. Joyn, the joint venture of ProSiebenSat.1 and Discovery, offers live streams from over 50 TV channels plus an extensive on-demand offering.
News categories: 7TV, Alexandar Vassilev, Katja Hofem, Digital TV, Germany, Streaming
Global spend on TV and Video will reach $559 billion in 2022
Aug 14, 2018 – Strategy Analytics has forecast that global consumer and advertising spend on TV and video will grow from $490 billion in 2017 to $559 billion in 2022, an increase of $69 billion. Spend on OTT video will account for 90% of the growth.
News categories: Strategy Analytics, Michael Goodman, Advertising, Cable TV, Digital TV, IPTV, Market Research, Satellite, Streaming, Terrestrial, Worldwide
German VOD revenues growing faster than ever
Jun 11, 2018 – At the end of 2017, 18% of all German households were subscribing to at least one paid-for VOD service. The market appears to be on an unabated growth trajectory and the boom is seeing revenues soar through the roof.
News categories: Goldmedia, Digital TV, Germany, Market Research, Streaming
QSC and Zattoo create white label triple play solution for municipal utilities
May 23, 2018 – QSC and ZATTOO have agreed a cooperation enabling municipal utility and regional telecommunications providers to market triple play. QSC will offer the IPTV services provided by ZATTOO as a white-label product to such operators.
News categories: Zattoo, QSC, Gernot Jaeger, Dietmar Becker, Content Distribution, Digital TV, Germany, IPTV
1&1 launches multiscreen IPTV in Germany with ABOX42
Jan 8, 2018 – ABOX42 has announced that 1&1, a tier 1 internet and telephone service provider in Germany, has launched a multiscreen IPTV service powered by ABOX42’s M30-Series smart STB platform.
News categories: ABOX42, 1&1, Matthias Greve, Digital TV, Germany, IPTV, Mobile, Set Top Box
OTT TV subscription rates poised to soar this Christmas
Dec 8, 2016 – According to Paywizard, TV audiences across the world are wholeheartedly embracing online pay-TV, as the proportion of consumers with OTT subscriptions has leapt from 25% to 45% in just 12 months with even more planning to sign up prior to Christmas.
News categories: Paywizard, Bhavesh Vaghela, Australia, Brazil, Digital TV, Germany, Market Research, Singapore, Streaming, UK, USA
Espial and RDK power advanceTV from Tele Columbus
Dec 5, 2016 – Espial and Tele Columbus have announced next January for availability of advanceTV, a 4K hybrid IP video service. advanceTV provides a combined TV and mobile-device experience including integration of maxdome SVOD services.
News categories: Espial, Tele Columbus, RDK Management, Jaison Dolvane, Ronny Verhelst, Steve Heeb, Cable TV, Digital TV, Germany, HTML5, RDK, Set Top Box, UX
Tele Columbus announces advanceTV
Dec 5, 2016 – Tele Columbus will launch its advanceTV product on 16 January 2017. advanceTV combines linear TV, video content from the Internet, personal recordings, maxdome flat-rate and Hollywood blockbusters on-demand.
News categories: Tele Columbus, Cable TV, Digital TV, Germany, Set Top Box, UX
VSE NET chooses Zattoo to provide its schlau.com IPTV service
Nov 14, 2016 – German network operator VSE NET has chosen Zattoo as the provider of its Multiscreen IPTV service under the brand schlau.com. The service is completely hosted and managed by Zattoo.
News categories: Zattoo, VSE NET, ABOX42, Gernot Jaeger, Michael Leidinger, Content Distribution, Digital TV, Germany, IPTV, Mobile, Set Top Box
- Ateme enables 5G Broadcast transmission in the U.S.
- Amazon announces Fire TV product updates
- TCL adds Fire TV options to U.S television portfolio
- Another slow year expected for AR/VR headsets
- Intigral partners with DIAGNAL to enhance entertainment experiences
- Du chooses DataMiner monitoring for broadcast and teleport operations
- TSTT switches to Zappware's multi-screen client framework
- Allegro DVT launches video encoder IP for 4K/8K video
- AVOD revenues to hit $69 billion in 2029
- ZTE unveils updated Cloud PVP solution at IBC 2023
- Accedo brings AI-powered sports highlights to Accedo Launcher
- 76% of Nordic households now have an internet connected TV set
- TVMonaco chooses OKAST streaming platform
- DAZN Edge platform expands coverage in Europe with MainStreaming
- LG presents vision to become media and entertainment platform company
- UK PSBs developing broadband-delivered free TV service
- ZTE and Netgem collaborate on cloud gaming for Android TV
- Rokid shows portable Android TV device for AR glasses at IBC
- NPAW introduces Nokia-developed video probe at IBC 2023
- Eutelsat and ENENSYS show live DVB-NIP over 5G at IBC