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April 16, 2001The California energy debacle has been well publicized. Reasons for the failure of deregulation in the Golden State vary, but fail it did.
The deregulation experiment has played out for four years, and even before the summer of 2000 highlighted the fundamental flaws in AB 1890, it had become clear that deregulation in California had not resulted in vibrant competition. At the height of switching activity, a little over 2 percent of customers had chosen alternative providers.
The one bright spot in the California market was that the majority of that 2 percent were choosing green power. If nothing else, the deregulated market had created an arena in which renewable energy could compete with fossil fuel-based power generation.
California has always had a reputation for strict environmental regulations and a commitment to renewable energy. As early as 1993, customers in the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) service area were able to commit to green power through the purchase of rooftop solar systems. Utility-sponsored renewable programs, called green pricing programs, emerged in many states as a response to customer demand and as a business strategy in preparation for newly competitive markets.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) opened its “Green Power for a Green L.A.” program in the middle of 1999. At the end of last year, the program boasted over 65,000 customers (about half of that total are low-income customers who receive green power at no extra cost).
The advent of deregulation meant that customers could go beyond their existing utility to purchase power, including shopping for cheaper or cleaner options. A customer credit of 1.5 cents/kWh was granted to consumers purchasing renewable power.
The initial opening of the California market brought over 200 registered energy service providers (ESP). After the initial shake-out, marketers offering power to residential customers were almost exclusively green power providers. As California’s precarious market began to fall apart, the relative success of green power marketers remained the bright spot. Now, even that achievement is gone.
California Green Power Marketers Are Virtually Obsolete
For the first few years of competition, the green power market did well, an almost unintended consequence of restructuring. Large commercial customers in California, driven either by internal or external eco-responsibilities, began pursuing green power (Toyota and Kinko’s are examples). Most power marketers found it unprofitable to market to residential customers, and soon the majority of options left to homeowners were green power products. Estimates vary, but roughly 85 percent of the customers who chose an alternative provider chose green power.
Starting last fall, there has been a steady exodus of green power suppliers from the state. The Center for Resource Solutions, the organization that administers the Green-e program, points to a number of reasons why green power marketers have left. They include the inability to acquire the credit necessary to purchase power at high supply prices and the fact that electricity transactions were linked to the California Power Exchange clearing price (the Power Exchange is now defunct).
Some suppliers structured their prices so that they charged a percentage discount off the PX price. When the price for power became too high, however, this discount became financially unsustainable. Currently, only Commonwealth Energy and Power Source are still open for business in California (Commonwealth, as of January 2001, has 57,000 customers).
If the previous deregulation legislation and market conditions created problems for green power marketers, new developments are only making it worse. New state legislation is in place that allows California to buy long-term power on behalf of the utilities. However, that same legislation also bars customers from switching providers. The government is currently securing deals at high prices and wants assurance that customers will continue to pay the high cost of electricity even if market prices fall.
While a number of green power marketers had left the state before the legislation was introduced, the new market rules virtually guarantee the end of competition. Sen. Debra Bowen is working on a supplemental bill to clarify how alternative providers can continue to operate, but there has been little agreement. Some providers continue to take on new accounts, in defiance of the new law. At the peak of competition, about 224,000 customers had signed up with alternate providers.
According to latest numbers available from the PUC (February 2001), close to 124,000 residential and business customers are still buying power from alternative providers. Go-Green.com, Utility.com, and Green Mountain Energy are the latest casualties of the California market.
Go-Green.com Suspends Operations
In April of 2000, the United States Postal Service made the largest federal purchase of green power in the country. The USPS partnered with Go-Green.com, a green power marketer in California, and contracted the purchase of green power for 1,100 of its California post offices. In 2001, the Postal Service planned to transfer an additional 1,000 offices to green power.
However, just six months after the contract was signed, Go-Green began having trouble acquiring enough credit to purchase green power from wholesalers. By December, the company had suspended its operations, and had returned not only the USPS, but also MCI Worldcom and 2,500 residential customers to their default utility.
Utility.com Pulls Out of All Markets
Utility.com, an online company based in California, offered electricity products in a number of states (but offered a green power product only in California). The business plan was fairly innovative – the company would manage volatile electricity prices by leveraging those costs with other services, such as DSL and telephone long distance. Utility.com’s originality came from being completely Internet-based. However, innovation and originality were not enough. The company recently announced that is was exiting its markets and the most noticeable dents have been in California and Pennsylvania.
The online company returned 10,000 customers in California and 30,000 in Pennsylvania. It also pulled out of the Massachusetts market. Utility.com claimed that it did not have enough capital to pay the high marketing costs of retail marketing and has attempted to redefine itself as an application service provider by renting out its technology to utilities and other online businesses. Most recently, sources say that the company is looking for a buyer. The company founder, Chris King, resigned as CEO in February.
Green Mountain Leaves California, But Shows Strength Elsewhere
Green Mountain Energy (GME) is typically perceived as the success story of green power providers. The company enjoys a high level of name brand recognition and successfully managed to market the invisible – electricity. Despite its successes elsewhere, Green Mountain was unable to remain in the California market. The company turned back nearly 50,000 California customers in February (it retained about 8,000 customers in San Diego via fixed-rate 8.6 cents/kWh wholesale contracts). On February 2, GME released a statement citing reasons for returning CA customers to their local utilities, including the fact that the PX credit, the index on which GME bases its customer prices, is now meaningless (since the PX has shut down).
Green Mountain, despite the loss of its California customers, is not hurting for work. The company has plenty of customers in Pennsylvania, just received its Texas retail license (it is the first exclusively green power provider in the state), and was recently awarded one of the country’s largest aggregation contracts – 400,000 customers in Ohio. However, if GME wants to return to the California market it will have to significantly invest (again) in marketing costs to regain customers.
Other States Show Mixed Green Power Success
California is certainly the worst off in terms of green power marketing opportunities, but other states are struggling as well. AES Power Direct will turn back more than 15,000 customers in New Jersey, and is no longer accepting customers in Pennsylvania. Likewise, Conectiv Energy recently ceased retail marketing efforts in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
According to March figures from the Pennsylvania PUC, outside of the Peco Energy territory, two green power marketers are operating: Green Mountain Energy and Peoples Plus. Within the Peco territory, five companies are offering a renewable electricity product. Despite the recent departure of some “green” companies, success stories exist. Not surprisingly, one of the biggest is Green Mountain. The company serves about 60,000 customers in Pennsylvania and now up to 50,000 customers of Peco Energy will the option of buying Green Mountain electricity at no additional charge.
GME usually charges a premium, but will charge 5.438 cents/kWh for residential customers (the Peco rate is 5.570 cents/kWh). Earlier in the year, the New Power Company won a bid to serve about one-fifth of Peco’s 1.5 million electricity customers. In light of the customer confusion that surrounded that exchange, the PUC has ordered Peco and Green Mountain to launch a customer education campaign to explain the selection process and benefits of switching.
As mentioned earlier, Green Mountain will also supply power in Ohio and Texas. The Ohio market opened at the beginning of this year and there are currently 39 alternate suppliers/aggregators listed on Ohio’s electric choice website. Of the eight service territories, five currently have an alternate provider (in three areas, the provider is FirstEnergy Services; in the remaining two, it is The New Power Company). The three remaining territories have no active suppliers yet, and neither of the current suppliers offer a green power product. However, GME was recently selected to provide power to over 400,000 Ohio customers. A letter of understanding between GME and Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council provides for a six-year supply contract with service to begin in September 2001.
Window of Opportunity for Renewable Energy in California May Soon Close
California’s experience highlights the vulnerability of all power marketers, not just green ones, who rely on the short-term market. Although the success of green power in California, however brief, served to create greater visibility for renewable energy, it also emphasized the necessity of owning generation assets. Green power marketers in California, and in other parts of the nation, were at the mercy of wholesale generators because, in general, that was the only place they could buy power to support their products.
The demise of small green power companies amidst the current power crisis in California is disappointing, to say the least. Environmentalists are worried that the loss of green power marketers, and the current legislative feeling in California, will lead to poor environmental decisions.
In February, a group of renewable energy generators formed a creditor’s committee in light of Southern California Edison’s ongoing failure to pay for power. Later that month, State Sen. Jim Battin introduced a bill into the legislature to formalize an agreement reached by renewable energy suppliers. However, this bill is now stalled amidst accusations that Battin had provided special perks for companies in his district (a charge he has denied). By mid-March five green power generators had announced that they would be unable to make property tax payments.
It was only a matter of time before the whole mess ended up in court. Cal Energy Operating Corp sued Edison over the issue of non-payment. Cal Energy wants to break its contract with the utility and collect the more than $75 million it is owed. On March 22, a judge ruled that the generator can temporarily sell its electricity on the open market. Following on the heels of that announcement, Edison stated it will begin making partial payments to alternative energy producers for future power purchases.
According to the utility parent, past failure to pay is due to a desire to avoid giving preferential treatment to power producers over creditors (a move that could place the utility in bankruptcy court). However, three more power producers have now sued Edison and the California Assembly recently rejected a plan to rescue alternative power companies. There is a danger in ignoring the needs of California’s qualifying facilities. QFs (including small natural gas-fired facilities) currently generate more than 20 percent of California’s electricity. The simple truth of the matter is that alternative power producers have little incentive to produce power if they are not being paid. On March 19, a Stage 3 emergency was declared by the California ISO due, in large part, to a 1,300 MW shortfall in the grid caused by alternative generator shutdowns.
The irony of the current green power situation in California is that demand for renewable power appears to be surging. The California Energy Commission reported a 500 percent increase in grant applications for the state’s solar rebate program.
The renewed interest forced Governor Davis to pledge another $50 million to keep the program from running out of money. Residential wind turbine manufacturer, Bergey Windpower Co., sold 40 units in California in January alone, compared to just six in the state last year and only 12 in 1999.
SMUD had planned to add 100 participants to its solar program this year, but already has a waiting list of 500. Renewable energy demand exists, whether it stems from environmental concern or a desire to take control over rising electricity prices. However, one of the avenues for feeding that demand is almost gone. Customers no longer have many green power options and, even in those limited cases where they do, they are prohibited from exercising choice by the current law.
The state, after creating an arena in which green power could compete, did little to ensure its survival. California has basically re-regulated its electricity market and, in so doing, eliminated the one good thing that came from its botched legislation. The green lining around California’s energy crisis cloud is gone.


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The Delhi High Court ordered Bharti Airtel to carry its disclaimer in a larger font
Experts and analysts tracking the media and entertainment industry say digital video is becoming as mainstream as it gets and there is a fundamental behaviour change at two levels.
According to analysts tracking this space, Hotstar is one of the major Indian OTT platforms to compete with the likes of international players Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
The assurance was given before Justice Yogesh Khanna, who was hearing a plea moved by Reliance Jio, a new entrant to telecom sector, alleging that the commercials of Airtel were "deceptive and misleading".
InMobi has begun a monetization partnership with Airtel TV which will allow brands to have a wider reach to premium ad inventory on the Airtel TV mobile app
The report titled 'Reimagining India's M&E sector' estimates that there are around 1-1.5 million "digital only consumers" in India today.
With affordable data prices, the last 12 months have seen higher video consumption in smaller towns, which are contributing more to the phenomenon, Star India's streaming platform Hotstar's India Watch Report noted.
This will further expand Airtel TV app’s wide range of offerings and expand the footprint for Hotstar’s content across Airtel’s large mobile customer base.
Within around a year of its launch, Amazon Prime Video is slightly ahead of Netflix in India, with about 10% of market share in 2017, revealed data from global information company IHS Markit.
Star is ensuring a strong presence across screens, be it television, iPads or mobile handsets couped with strong content
Netflix has grown significantly in the Indian OTT video streaming market; however, it is far behind other OTT players.
On the other hand in Japan, viewers watched the least content online per week at 6.2 hours.
With this, the telco claims to have become the only telecom brand to cross this number for a self-care app.
Google has rolled out a Made-for-India app programme that seeks to get developers to build apps that are low on memory usage, consumes less data, works in patchy networks, and have content in local languages. These apps will be showcased in a special section in the store.
The leading Indian OTT player has been one of the fastest growing platforms.
It’s not the 21% growth that is exciting broadcasting networks, content owners and telcos to push for OTT. It is the behavioural shift that has caught their eye.
There have been speculations around Reliance Jio’s entry into the TV market and the new photos (By DTHForum) of Jio’s Set-Top Box validate that the operator is indeed about to launch its IP-based TV services soon.

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ZDegree launches first online tire portal
Dubai, April 30, 2013
UAE-based ZDegree, a premier automotive maintenance company, has launched myzdegree.com, the region’s first online tire portal.
The company is a division of Zafco, the leading importer and exporter of automotive tires, batteries and lubricants to over 800 customers in 85 countries.
With the launch of the portal, customers can now order their tires at the click of a mouse from www.myzdegree.com/tires and enjoy the comfort and convenience offered by the company’s mobile service vans and trained staff who will replace the tires at the customer's location or alternatively at any of the four service centers in UAE.
Charles Jesudason, sales director, ZDegree, said: “We are proud to launch the first online tire portal in the region which at the moment caters to UAE customers only. We have experienced strong interest from customers during our soft launch phase and we have now begun a vigorous awareness campaign on the convenience and promptness of our service.”
“Once the customer makes a purchase order online, our service vans will be at his doorstep, whether at the office or home, to fix the tires. In addition we also provide wheel balancing and nitrogen filling services so our mobile vans are actually a complete tire service station on wheels.”
ZDegree has also made an extra effort to keep the machinery's noise level low so as not to disturb the neighbours, thus giving customers a superlative experience, the statement said.
The tires that can be purchased through myzedgree.com include Pirelli, Nitto, Zeetex, Michelin, Bridgestone, Continental, Dunlop, Toyo and BF Goodrich. – TradeArabia News Service


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A new review shows that folks are increasingly depending upon dating on the internet to find take pleasure in. According to the analysis, 39 percent of heterosexual couples reported interacting with their partner online. https://nickwignall.com/10-psychological-reasons-your-relationships-never-seem-to-last/ This is a rise from twenty two percent in 2009 when the research was carried out. The magazine was co-authored by sociology professor Sonia Wohnen and it is depending on a nationally representative survey of American adults.
One reason people depend on dating over the internet is comfort. Some websites are accessible from any device and let users to interact with others anywhere. In addition , one-third of folks that date online satisfied their spouse online. Though online dating is becoming increasingly popular, fewer folks are using it designed for sex. Naturally, it has proved to be a much better option for gay lovers compared to offline dating.
However , additionally, there are risks to online dating. One-third of on line daters own suffered from an IT security event or spy ware. This is particularly true of self-employed and entrepreneurial users. In addition to these types of risks, on the net daters will be likewise more vulnerable to scammers and malicious backlinks. One-third of those say that they use good passwords and limit the amount of personal information they share on line.
The survey also found that online dating offers a good effect on associations, although a minority feel it has negative effects. pretty english women However , one study shows that most people make use of online dating sites and dating applications to find absolutely adore.


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DeVries Global, an integrated communications specialty firm with offices across the U.S., Asia and Europe, announced the appointment of Christa Lombardi as SVP, Health + Wellness. Lombardi is charged with managing and growing the agency’s N.A. health + wellness portfolio. She will be based in the New York office and report to Jessica O’Callaghan, N.A. MD.
DeVries has built its business and reputation on consumer marketing, and has been extending its culture-first approach to the healthcare sector, with clients around the globe ranging from pharma leaders like Roche and Sanofi, consumer health brands like o.b. and Carefree, and OTC brands that include Mucinex and Airborne. The agency also supports the recently rebranded Center on Addiction (formerly CASA and Partnership for Drug-Free Kids).
The agency’s mission around decoding culture was developed in response to a crisis in marketing called Brandbiguity—the loss of brand relevance, value and distinction—which afflicts brands across sectors, including healthcare. “What DeVries uniquely offers to our health and wellness clients is the ability to decode the world their patients and consumers live in, and to do so in a way that is compelling and empathic and distinct,” said Heidi Hovland, DeVries Global CEO. “Trends around wellness and self-care, behavioral and emotional health, and women’s health overall, paralleled by a growing appetite for innovative communications across the healthcare spectrum, represent a perfect storm of opportunity for DeVries.”
Lombardi’s background, which spans pharma, consumer health and lifestyle marketing, was a bulls-eye for the agency. “We are at heart consumer marketers, with a rich heritage of marketing to women, a key audience for health and wellness companies, brands and solutions,” said O’Callaghan. “Christa has deep and diverse experience across the sector, which is critical, and also brings a creative, collaborative, client-centric spirit that fits perfectly with the agency’s culture, as well as our ambition for health + wellness.”
“I couldn’t be more excited to join and build the team at DeVries,” said Lombardi. “Many health clients are looking for a new approach to communications: to marry credibility with creativity, and reputation with innovation. Together we’ll harness the power of inspired communications to reassert relevance, value and distinction.”


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Here we bring you a review of our first regional North American OTC Conference, which took place last week in Morristown, New Jersey, America’s central business hub for consumer healthcare.
Nicholas Hall opened proceedings with his Keynote address and annual report, reviewing recent successes in the US market, and noting a particularly successful cough and cold season. He also delved into the seven market drivers leading the current growth in OTC, the most popular being consumption by women and the ageing population.
This was followed by a gloves-off panel discussion, hosted by Mike Tarino, Principal of Tiltas Solutions. Mike was joined by Sandra Morris, former Senior Benefits Manager at Procter & Gamble, Mike Thompson, President & CEO at National Alliance of Healthcare and Dennis Marco, Managing Partner of Hamilton Public Affairs. The panel discussed and challenged what the administration of Trump meant for consumer healthcare and OTCs. Tarino highlighted drastic changes impacting US healthcare, with the costs for a family of four seeing a near US$20,000 increase in the past 16 years.
Ed Rowland provided an update on Boots UK and implications for the Walgreens Boots Alliance in the US, exploring the differences in UK and US marketing. Scott Emerson, Founder & CEO of the Emerson Group, shortly followed with a presentation on Innovation and how it isn’t quite what you think! Scott asserted that we need to think about what it is consumers are looking for in their products. Brands need to question their white space and ask ‘is it truly white space?’ when it comes to being innovative in branding. Scott also stressed that we must not be afraid to be patient when it comes to launching new products.
Finally, seeing us into our lunch hour, Geoff Betrus, Senior Director Shopper Solutions and Lynn Hall, Senior Director of Health and Wellness Solutions, both of J&J, explored consumer healthcare and retail partnerships, and how these can be integrated to deliver new consumer solutions. Geoff explored the current diabetes epidemic, emphasising the importance of Diabetes wellcare and how education for diabetic patients / carers is vital in understanding how to live with the disease. Lynn addressed the need for marketers to help people change their behaviour and attitudes towards their well being, and how this is something that can be achieved through motivation enhancement – that is to say by enhancing our abilities and creating opportunities.
After an informative morning, our delegates once again congregated for an afternoon of presentations focusing on reaching new heights in consumer healthcare. The afternoon session began with Monica Wood, VP Global Consumer Healthcare and Member Insights for Herbalife Nutrition, detailing key learnings for OTC companies in benchmarking the direct selling industry to generate sales. Monica was swiftly followed by Tine Hansen-Turton, who discussed the value proposition of convenient care and how retail-based healthcare clinics can build a culture of consumer-driven healthcare.
After a brief networking break and injection of caffeine, Thierry Garrier, Director of Marketing, Dietary Supplements NA at DSM, presented some of the new technological advances in consumer healthcare, such as bone density scanners, blood cholesterol testing and lutein vision health, an area of tremendous growth. Thierry also showed us Vitascan, a finger prick blood test which gives results in ten minutes on a smart phone! Certainly food for thought in an industry constantly searching for the latest unique selling point!
Our closing presentation from Patrick Spear, President & CEO for trade association Global Market Development Centre, analysed how health & wellness can be packaged as a retail strategy, allowing marketers to meet consumer expectations. Patrick discussed the difference between the ‘consumer’ and the ‘shopper’, emphasising that the consumer holds the ambition but the shopper holds the reality of the purchase. Patrick also analysed some of the ‘disruptive innovations’ in the OTC industry; products such as wearables, which 70% of millennials now own. Patrick insisted that we must navigate towards health & awareness in the industry, enhancing transparency by connecting, collaborating, creating and using commerce.


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AUBURN, Ind. (Indiana's NewsCenter) - Since the economy took a downward spiral - things have been a little shaky in Auburn, said one Auburn hotel employee.
"Basically just keeps us going. It's something we can plan on every year and we enjoy seeing the people come back year after year," said Holiday Inn Express Front Desk Clerk Shelley Mack.
Meanwhile, with more than 40-thousand people attending the classic car auctions most businesses, especially restaurants cashed in.
"Double our business. We do 2 weeks in a matter of one week. Friday and Saturday alone is usually one week's worth of business as far as numbers go," said Mad Anthony Tap Room Front House Manager Troy Kosmatka.
However, Mad Anthony's is one mile off the Highway.
It is also a few miles away from the auctions but sometimes "different" is what customers want.
"We're just a different type of restaurant that is not a chain restaurant that's out by the highway and stuff like that. We're a little bit different so people come searching for restaurants like that," continued Kosmatka.
On Thursday, Friday and Saturday most Auburn hotels needed signs saying, "no room at the inn".
"A lot busier this year than it has been the last couple of years. Things seem to be getting back to normal," added Mack.
Overall, most hotels we stopped in were at least sold out Thursday and Friday night.
However, Indiana's NewsCenter found one restaurant that didn't fair as well.
"We were expecting like a big crowd from the auction. But we didn't even feel it. It was just a normal week," said Cebolla's Mexican Grill Manager Carlos Valencia.
"We even had extra people, extra staff on the floor to be prepared for that event. But nope, we didn't get very much business from the auction," explained Valencia.
Valencia said maybe it's the economy or his location on the less traveled side of I-69.
"It didn't really impact us at all. Next year we will probably just take it as a regular day of the week," concluded Valencia.
Meanwhile, Hotels won't be taking any chances. They're already booking rooms for next Labor Day.
What are your thoughts CLICK HERE to leave us a "QUESTION OF THE DAY” comment.
© Copyright 2016, A Quincy Media broadcasting station. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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There are all sorts of cell phone apps specifically for people here in Pittsburgh, but one is getting a lot of attention.
Imagine not being able to speak. For many people living with disabilities, that is a reality. However, there is technology to help give those people a voice.
New technology is helping to give a voice to those who cannot speak. Much of the new technology is on display at a conference being held by the International Society of Augmentative and Alternative Communication at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.
CBS Local is the new iPad app that brings the best of the local web right to your fingertips. Select your city, sit back and let CBS Local update you on the latest news, sports, weather, and traffic in your city.
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – You settle into favorite chair grab the remote and mind meld with the television for an average of four hours every day, according to the folks at A.C. Nielsen. So, what if […]
Some local teens say they’re depressed, even suicidal because other kids are using a free phone application called “SimSimi” to harass them. It’s supposed to make you laugh, but it has some teenage girls crying and worse.
– “Where’s My Water?” is a new iPhone app from Disney Mobile, featuring a character called “Swampy the Alligator.”
KDKA Radio’s Mike Pintek was joined on NewsRadio1020 KDKA by Sarah Chinn, a professor of English at Hunter College in New York.
We hear it a lot from Port Authority riders who get stranded at stops waiting for their bus, but now there is some new technology that lets you know when your ride is coming, and it’s free.
Grocery bills are soaring with prices for staples like bread, eggs and coffee up more than 30 percent in the last five years, and that’s why it’s more important than ever to sniff out savings. Consumer Reports ShopSmart has lots of new and easier ways to save.
It’s a cashless world we’re living in these days. Paying with cash is falling out of favor as more people turn to credit cards and debit cards. Now, there’s a high-tech way to pay the tab the next time you go to a restaurant.
Anxious about your brackets? Watching every game? Check into games, score points, root for your team and talk smack to your buddies with CBS Pittsburgh’s latest mobile application: Shout Sports!
The tooth fairy is taking her tooth collecting business digital. With the help of Michael Leedy, Bill Marcotte and Brian Franks, children now can alert the tooth fairy via an application for Apple’s iPhone, iPod […]
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Accidents can happen at any time; but texting while driving can dramatically increase those odds. Now a new app is promising to help stop distracted driving. DriveSafe.ly reads text messages and emails […]


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8:49PM Eastern: We have updated our certificates and the system is fully online.
7:00PM Eastern: While they should be auto-renewing and auto-installing, our SSL certificate for our app, www and storefront sites has encountered an issue. We're manually installing a new one and the system should be back online shortly.
6:07PM Eastern: Amazon has informed us that the components of their system we use "have now recovered". We have confirmed that logins appear to be back to normal as does the rest of the platform. We're going to call this outage DONE for the moment. Thank goodness. Obviously we'll continue to monitor, and if you see any lingering issues please open a support ticket ASAP. To our American customers, have a wonderful Thanksgiving. To everyone else, have an amazing Thursday tomorrow.
3:35PM Eastern: It appears that the system is starting to return. Logging in is intermittent, so if it doesn't work the first time - try again. Refresh your page if you get an error. As of 3:15PM eastern, Amazon stated "... (We) expect full recovery to still take up to a few hours."
1:47PM Eastern: Amazon just stated on their status page "The team has identified the root cause and is working on resolving the issue affecting this subsystem."
1:02PM Eastern: It doesn't help, but this Amazon outage is going to end up being on the all time biggest outages list. We're all as frazzled as you probably are. Talk about timing - right before Black Friday and CyberMonday. We're keeping an eye on this minute by minute so you'll know as soon as we know. AWS outage has taken down a big chunk of the internet
12:16PM Eastern: Amazon has said they are still working on the issue. This issue is also affecting companies like SiriusXM, Ancestry.com, Dish Network, Ring.com, Vonage and other companies beyond SureDone. We're confident that Amazon is treating this issue with the utmost urgency.
10:35AM Eastern: Amazon AWS is experiencing issues with their authentication platform which is what is preventing users from logging into SureDone. Please see https://status.aws.amazon.com/ for additional information. Once Amazon clears up the issue on their side, the SureDone issue should disappear.
10:30AM Eastern: We're experiencing an issue with the AWS authentication server that is blocking new logins. We're currently investigating.
11:28AM Eastern: We have identified the issue on one of our database servers and corrected it. Speed and availability are returning to normal.
11:00AM Eastern: We are experiencing performance issues and potential partial outages with our primary application, API and storefront servers. This is currently being investigated.
|10/19/2020||Status||We've identified a great new system for showing site status and performance (including allowing you to subscribe to updates via email) that will be implemented in December.|


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BERLIN (Reuters) - German engineering companies' order books fell significantly in April, reversing the "small ray of hope" seen in the prior month's figures, the VDMA engineering association said on Monday.
April orders were 20% lower compared with the same month last year, with domestic orders down 15% and foreign orders down 23%, according to the VDMA.
By comparison, there was a 6% drop in orders in March, the first month since September 2022 with a single-digit decline.
"This monthly result reflects the recently deteriorating mood in the economy," said VDMA economic expert Olaf Wortmann.
"As before, the global economic burdens are so great that an improvement in incoming orders is still likely to be lacking."
The Ifo institute's most recent survey of German business morale fell further than expected in May due mainly to a sharp decline in future expectations, adding to the signs that Europe's largest economy is facing stubborn economic headwinds.
The German economy was in recession in early 2023 after household spending in Europe's economic engine finally succumbed to the pressure of high inflation.
overall -20% y/y
of which German -15% y/y
foreign -23% y/y
overall -14% y/y
of which German -14% y/y
foreign -14% y/y
(Reporting by Miranda Murray, Editing by Rachel More)


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( Washington Post ) Mary Carson picks up her leopard-print tote bag and tugs on her leopard-print scarf.
“I’m just going to do a little bit of business,” the 77-year-old says as she walks into Neiman Marcus at the Tysons Galleria in Northern Virginia and asks for the manager. He appears in a pinstripe suit and shakes her hand.
“I’m very disappointed in what’s happened with the Trump line,” she tells him. “I hate to do this — I’m not a real activist — but I learned a long, long time ago that you cannot mix business and politics.”
The manager listens patiently.
Carson, who worked in marketing before she retired, pulls out her Neiman Marcus credit card and prepares to give it back. It was the obvious thing to do, she says, once the retailer stopped carrying Ivanka Trump’s jewelry line on its website a few weeks ago.
“If the company feels like they can hurt the daughter of a president by doing something like this, that’s mean,” said Carson, who voted for Trump. “I feel very strongly about that.”
A week earlier, Carson had driven to the nearby Nordstrom and returned her store credit card. She’d had that card since 1988, she told the manager, and had used it to buy at least one St. John suit a year — price tag, roughly $1,400 — for decades.
“I said to her, ‘You all really are the best store in the area,’ ” recalled Carson, who lives in Vienna, Va. “ ‘It’s a shame you couldn’t keep your mouths shut about our president.’ ”
… The manager assures Carson that a few Neiman Marcus stores still carry Ivanka Trump jewelry, so she decides to hold onto her credit card — for now.
“But if that changes, I’ll be back to ask more questions,” she says. “I’m going to keep my eye on this.”
‘There are a lot of us’
A few days later, Carson is back at the mall. It’s Sunday afternoon, just after church, and she sees something that startles her: a T-shirt that says “F*** America” prominently displayed in a store entrance.
She walks in and asks the manager to remove it. “It’s not appropriate,” she says. When he refuses — it’s his opinion against hers, he tells her — she enlists the mall’s management. The shirt is removed.


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House hunters seeking bargains: Here’s some more depressing news.
You’ve seen all of the reports about the limited inventory of cheaper homes. For example, ReportsOnHousing shows 1,208 homes listed for $500,000 or less on Feb. 25 – down 24 percent from a year ago.
That kind of supply shortage means sellers don’t have to discount much to move a property in Orange County’s most affordable neighborhoods.
ReportsOnHousing author Steve Thomas has an intriguing analysis in his biweekly breakdown of selling information from broker-listing networks: the ratio of selling price to the last list price. These numbers translate to how much discounting a buyer can expect a seller to make to get a deal done.
I tossed January’s selling data into my trusty…


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Netflix, the largest streaming service in the world, published its first viewing report, which sheds light on the most watched Netflix movies and series and the least on its streaming service. The corporation, which has long been criticized for its lack of transparency about content performance on its platform, said it will begin publishing a “comprehensive and in-depth analysis” of what subscribers watch every six months.
As part of broader measures, they are putting in place to be more transparent with creators, viewers and the media, according to Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos. Additionally, Netflix will publish a report every six months with audience information to avoid an environment of mistrust and provide transparency to the industry.
The criticisms were vital during the recent Hollywood strikes, which paralyzed the film and television industry for several months, as actors and scriptwriters demanded higher payments for programs better received on streaming platforms, as they had done on traditional television networks. Sarandos acknowledged that the “lack of data and transparency” had created “an environment of distrust” in Hollywood.
The First List: Most Watched On Netflix!
The first What We Watched report provided data on over 18,000 titles, representing 99% of most watched on Netflix. The entertainment giant assured that users watched over 100,000 million hours in the first six months 2023.
The Exclusive List Of Shows:
- ‘The Night Agent’ (Season 1)
- ‘Ginny & Georgia’ (Season 2)
- ‘The Glory’ (Season 1)
- ‘Wednesday’ (Season 1)
- ‘Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story’
- ‘You’ (Season 4)
- ‘La Reina del Sur’ (Season 3)
- ‘Outer Banks’ (Season 3)
Facts And Figures:
- The political thriller The Night Agent, released worldwide on March 23 and with 812 million hours, was the most watched program in that period.
- Other shows ranked high on the list were Ginny and Georgia, The Glory, Wednesday, and Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story.
- The Mother, an action thriller starring Jennifer Lopez, was the most-watched film with 249.9 million hours of viewing.
- Also, La Reina del Sur, a series based on the novel of the same name by Spanish author Arturo Perez-Reverte, was placed in seventh position on the global list, with 402.5 million hours watched.
The report also shows that content in languages other than English generated 30% of all views and that 60% of the programming released between January and June 2023 ended up on Netflix’s Top 10 list, a brief report that the company has prepared weekly since 2021 and that 55% of the platform’s views come from movies and original series and 45% of licensed titles.
Netflix pointed out that it is not convenient to use the data from the report to compare the acceptance of programs since some series or movies were only broadcast a few days or weeks before the end of the period analyzed by the study, and some content is not available in all markets where the company operates.
“Netflix’s success is not determined only by viewing hours. We have hugely successful movies and television shows with more and fewer hours watched. “It’s about whether a movie or TV show moved the audience,” the company said.
With almost 250 million subscribers worldwide, the leading platform had been reluctant to reveal all this information while building its business, partly to refrain from giving data that its competitors could exploit. But, it assured that “this is a big step forward” for the company and the industry. “We believe the viewing insights in this report will give creators and our industry deeper insight into our audiences and what resonates with them.”
As the BBC points out, Hollywood’s creative community depends on Nielsen’s audience figures, which it publishes annually, for traditional and cable television. Sarandos assured that the new most watched on Netflix report has not responded to the strikes but that the company wants to create “a better environment for the [Hollywood] unions, for the producers, the creators and the press.” They added that the published data” is the information we use to manage the business.”
Last year, Netflix launched an ad-supported service that industry experts say requires more transparency because advertisers want information about the popularity of content. According to Sarandos, the report’s release is not intended to help advertisers target their audiences. “We use third-party reporting because that’s the traditional way advertisers verify views for payment,” he said.
In summary, Netflix assures to increase its measurement capacity and implement third-party verification with collaborating companies such as Integral Ad Science and DoubleVerify. The company has also begun measuring the impact of advertising with EDO Inc. and has launched Nielsen ONE audience measurement in the US.


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G.SKILL has announced its new Ripjaws S5 series of low-profile DDR5 memory kits. The new Ripjaws S5 lineup joins the rest of the company’s new DDR5 offerings, which also include the recently announced G.SKILL Trident Z5 kits.
The new G.SKILL Ripjaws S5 series DDR5 memory kits are available with either a matte white or matte black heat spreader. The new low-profile design of the new Ripjaws S5 memory modules measure only 33mm in height, making the compatible with a wider array of systems and builds. The Ripjaws S5 series is also available in speeds of up to DDR5-6000 and capacities of up to 32GB, currently.
The new G.SKILL Ripjaws S5 series DDR5 memory kits will be available starting in November 2021 in the following frequencies, timings, and capacities:


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After Twitter jab by Tata Motors on crash tests, Maruti has 'undisputed claim'
Maruti Suzuki's official Twitter handle recently 'fought back' against indirect jabs by Tata Motors' Twitter handle which had pointed out how safe its cars are after the S-Presso had failed to get safety stars in a Global NCAP crash test. While both handles didn't name each other, Maruti Suzuki underlined that it is India's favourite automobile brand. "This claim is undisputed."
Twitter has recently seen a spurt in 'This claim is disputed/undisputed' memes after the social media platform itself had announced labels and warning messages on suspect tweets. Users soon started adding their own label and Maruti Suzuki joined the growing trend by doing so on its message. "And we’re dedicated to continue strengthening our place in all your hearts – our favorite family of customers!" the caption read.
The tweet may seem a one-off but it does come just days after Tata Motors had indirectly poked the country's largest car maker for having its S-Presso come a cropper in the Global NCAP tests. "Driving is #SeriouslyFun, only when you live it up with safety," Tata Motors Cars had tweeted. There was also a photo with the tweet which showed a broken coffee mug and a message which read - We don't break that easy. (Full report here)
Also check these Vehicles
Tata Motors' twitter handle would also take an apparent dig at Hyundai for getting two safety stars for its Grand i10. “You can only wow some by just being grand on the paper. Make your drives #SeriouslyFun and awesome with the best-in-segment safety of New Tiago, rated 4 Stars by GNCAP." (Full report here)
Many see these Twitter messages as light-hearted banter and something that may also serve to remind OEMs about safety standards and constantly work on improving these. And while Maruti may have reacted to the Global NCAP tests on the S-Presso by stating that the car meets all safety standards outlined in India, there is little doubting the fact that it is indeed the largest-selling passenger vehicle company. And by far.
In terms of domestic sales volumes, Hyundai is second while Tata Motors has shown some determination with its product portfolio and is currently placed third.


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19. Trix in the shape of fruit:
23. Any of these drinks in your fridge:
Or these foods in the grocery store:
30. A commercial that actually makes you want to buy a magazine:
32. Two twins that are more annoying than these two:
- BuzzFeed News has identified a second member of the ISIS execution cell led by "Jihadi John."


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Urban Jürgensen will celebrate its 245th anniversary at Baselworld this year, and the watchmaker’s president and CEO Søren Jenry Petersen is looking to connect with retailers that share the company’s vision for art, craftsmanship and innovation.
“We are here to provide world-class timepieces to our clients through unparalleled service together with our retail partners,” Mr Petersen says. “We still believe in the relevance and integrity of providing handcrafted artistically created timepieces to discerning clients,” he adds.
Mr Petersen believes that, as a handful of Swiss watchmakers increasingly dominate the global retail landscape, there is an opportunity opening up for retailers with the vision to work with more exclusive brands.
“We continue to look for the few select retailers who understand the fine art of selling these types of timepieces, and who are increasingly wary of simply trying to compete with a price on a website from a grey marketeer. I´d like to help, and I believe there is an excellent value to be created. “We see a clear business growth opportunity in the top of the market, where authenticity, integrity and true partnering skills can build a business serving the customers who will continue to aspire for handcrafted timepieces,” he states.
Mr Petersen thinks that the largest brands are stuck in a model of mass production and distribution. “All the large high-end brands are today industrial. They have very little choice but to build on their scale, and that is their primary concern. Their volume levels mean they get further away from unique handcraft. This is visible in their products that leave the factories as clones. Hence the differentiation is lost, and marketing and event-making are needed to compensate. The product loses its ability to stand on its own. Decisions to push for volume has resulted in this, and the channels are suffering,” he suggests.
Apple is perhaps the ultimate industrial watchmaker, and it is showing Swiss watchmakers a vision of what a commoditized market might look like without constant re-invention. “Combined with the paradigm shift into smartwatches, where Apple in Q4 of 2017 sold more smartwatches than the entire Swiss watchmaking industry, it is time to look at what in the future will constitute a differentiated and lasting offer for discerning high-end clients,” he concludes.


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Yeah, you read that right. We didn’t make a typo replacing AirPods with Apple Watch. As strange as it may sound, the next AirPods may come with a feature that can estimate the respiratory rate of users. Apple research suggests they can develop next-generation wireless headphones with health benefits.
New AirPods Feature: Respiratory Rate Measurements?
With the help of Cornell University, the tech giant has made noteworthy developments with the AirPods’ health assistant feature. To enhance Apple’s already beneficial Health app, the next AirPods might support a feature that allows recording breathing patterns in several scenarios. In research conducted by the team at Apple, they managed to access per minute respiratory rate from volunteers. The tech giant recorded the estimated respiratory rate of volunteered individuals during mild and excessive workout sessions.
They installed Apple AirPods with an in-bound microphone that records an individual’s breath sounds. They could further code recorded data with the help of augmented technology to display relevant measurements. Findings from these volunteer exercises might be used to code near accurate measurements in the Health App.
Once Apple finishes fully developing this technology, the company hopes that it may help in detecting underlying respiratory diseases. The conventional cardiovascular sensors are expensive and may not be accessible at all times. Hence, Apple is willing to enable respiratory measurement microphone sensors in the next AirPods as an easily accessible and cheap alternative.
With the ever-increasing demand for health and fitness wearables, it looks like the Apple AirPods will be soon joining the Apple Watch and the iPhone as devices with health benefits. What are your thoughts on AirPods possibly being able to check your respiratory rate?


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The videogame industry is ready to put on its own awards show.
The three major console makers, Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo, and the largest publishers that produce games for the systems, have paired up to back “The Game Awards,” with the first event set to take place Dec. 5, from the Axis Theater in Las Vegas.
The show, which will be streamed live across all gaming systems and devices, is a direct challenge to Spike’s “VGX,” formerly “The Video Game Awards,” which was essentially a television promotional platform for upcoming releases during the peak holiday shopping season.
The “Game Awards” also will be produced as an awards show that hypes new games with a first look a trailers and other content, along with musical performances, appearances by game developers, eSports players and online content creators.
In fact, Geoff Keighley, who produced that show is also behind the new “Game Awards.”
The host of “GameTrailers TV,” and former regular on gaming network G4, Keighley wants the event to acknowledge the place of videogames at the center of modern entertainment and culture — and make it available to a far larger audience.
Instead of airing on just one network, it will be distributed via a digital pool that includes Xbox Live, PlayStation Network, Nintendo and Valve’s Steam, which has over 100 million worldwide users on its own.
Producers will begin selling tickets to the show via TicketMaster on Nov. 11.
“The ‘Game Awards 2014’ will celebrate our collective love of games and the passion we all hold in our hearts for this incredible entertainment medium,” Keighley said. “Gaming has never been stronger, and this year we will celebrate the fastest-selling launch year ever for new game consoles, the dramatic rise of eSports and mobile gaming around the globe, and preview the games that will make 2015 the biggest year yet.”
Keighley has lined up an impressive roster of supporters, who serve on the show’s advisory board, including Reggie Fils-Aime, president and chief operating officer of Nintendo of America; Yves Guillemot, CEO, Ubisoft; Hideo Kojima, president, Kojima Prods; Shawn Layden, CEO, Sony Computer Entertainment America; Peter Moore, chief operating officer, Electronic Arts; Xbox chief Phil Spencer; Martin Tremblay, president, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment; Rockstar Games and Valve.
“Electronic Arts has long championed the way gaming brings together players with the talented teams behind the world’s greatest video games, and this event will be an exciting new opportunity to do just that,” said EA’s Moore. “We look forward to supporting ‘The Game Awards’ alongside our friends in the industry.”
The “Video Game Awards” will essentially kick off a flurry of end-of-the-year accolades for the videogame industry that culminates in February with the annual “D.I.C.E. Awards,” produced by the Academy of Interactive Arts of Sciences. Event is considered the Oscars of the gaming biz but is a smaller, more intimate affair for the industry.
The games industry is currently enjoying a period of growth as next-generation consoles from Sony and Microsoft find their way into consumers’ homes, and publishers release high-profile titles for the systems.
Consumers in the U.S. spent $6.3 billion on new games in 2013, another $1.8 billion on used games and rentals, and $7.2 billion on digital game content, according to NPD Group.
“’The Game Awards’ is a special event to honor the achievements in gaming, our talented developers and devoted fans. We look forward to celebrating the power of games this December,” said Ubisoft’s Guillemot.Added Jennifer Kolbe, VP of Publishing at Rockstar Games, “We have long been believers in the potential for videogames to inspire, challenge and entertain, and we look forward to standing with the industry to celebrate the medium at ‘The Game Awards’ this year.”


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FIFA President says we will hear about new FIFA branded series ‘very soon’ | The Sun
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has revealed that an announcement of a new FIFA series of games to rival EA Sports FC will be coming soon.
FIFA and game developer EA Sports had a very public divorce last year over licensing fees.
It was reported that FIFA wanted $1billion (£830million) for EA Sports to continue using the FIFA name on its series of football games.
EA Sports refused, and announced that it would continue to develop the series under the name EA Sports FC.
FIFA announced that it would continue the FIFA series with a new developer, but nothing about this has been revealed so far.
In contrast, EA Sports has been announcing small details about its upcoming game.
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Lead gameplay developer of the FIFA series Sam Kovalev told GLHF: “I know that each year we come up with additional things on the gameplay side, but we’re not redefining the game.”
Infantino was recently re-elected as president of FIFA, and has details about FIFA’s new series in his coronation speech.
He said: “The new FIFA game – the FIFA 25, 26, 27 and so on – will always be the best egame for any girl or boy. We will have news on this very soon.”
This could mean that FIFA intends to skip a release this year, as that would be FIFA 24.
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FIFA has invested in a number of metaverse projects over the last 12 months, which people believed was their alternative to EA Sports FC.
However, it seems the FIFA game will be a full football game like the series has been until last year.
The choice to use the term ‘egame’ over game makes it seem like the new series will be an online title, such as free-to-play.
It could also possibly add in metaverse elements, as shown by FIFA’s recent investments.
Written by Georgina Young on behalf of GLHF.
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Source: Read Full Article


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Google has announced a delay in the release of Gemini AI, its conversational artificial intelligence software intended to rival OpenAI. Initially, a small group of companies had access to an early version of Gemini, but Google has now informed them that the software will not be available until the first quarter of next year. This delay comes amidst a slowdown in Google’s cloud sales growth, contrasting with the accelerated growth of its competitor, Microsoft.
- Google delays the release of Gemini AI to the first quarter of next year.
- Gemini AI is designed to power a range of applications, from chatbots to text summarization and generation.
- The software could assist in tasks like writing code and generating images based on prompts.
- Gemini AI is seen as Google’s response to Microsoft-backed OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
- Google plans to offer Gemini through its Google Cloud Vertex AI service.
A Strategic Delay
Google’s decision to postpone Gemini AI’s release reflects the competitive and rapidly evolving landscape of AI technology. While the delay might be a setback, it also suggests Google’s commitment to refining its product to meet the high standards of the industry.
Gemini AI’s Capabilities
Gemini AI, a collection of large-language models, is poised to transform various sectors. Its capabilities extend beyond chatbot functions to include generating email drafts, music lyrics, or news stories. This versatility positions Gemini AI as a significant player in the AI-driven future of content creation.
The Competitive Landscape
The delay in Gemini’s release occurs in a context where Google’s cloud sales growth has slowed, while Microsoft’s has increased. This situation highlights the intense competition between these tech giants, especially in the AI and cloud computing domains.
Google’s AI Ambitions
Despite the delay, Google’s plan to integrate Gemini AI into its Google Cloud Vertex AI service indicates the company’s strategic focus on AI. This move aligns with the broader trend of tech companies investing heavily in AI to drive innovation and offer cutting-edge solutions to their customers.
Google’s postponement of Gemini AI’s release is a significant development in the AI industry, reflecting both the challenges and the immense potential of AI technologies. As Google works towards launching Gemini AI, the tech world eagerly anticipates the impact it will have on the landscape of artificial intelligence and cloud computing.


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Updated: June 8, 2021 12:23:26 pm
iQOO launched the Z3, its first mid-range device in India today. The new Z-series phone is packed with features like a 120Hz screen, Qualcomm Snapdragon 768G SoC and 64MP camera. Here’s all you need to know about the phone.
iQOO Z3 Pricing
The iQOO Z3 is priced starting at Rs 19,990 for the 6GB/128GB variant, Rs 20,990 for the 8GB/128GB variant and Rs 22,990 for the 8GB/256GB variant in India. The iQOO Z3 will also be available in two colours, ace black and cyber blue. The phone will go on sale on Amazon India and the iQOO website starting today. Users of ICICI Bank credit and debit cards will get a further discount of Rs 1,500 on the phone.
iQOO Z3 Specifications
The iQOO Z3 features a 6.58-inch IPS LCD FHD+ screen that supports a dynamic 120Hz refresh rate. Users can lock the phone at 60Hz, 90Hz, 120Hz or set it on a Smart Switch mode that dynamically switches refresh rates according to the apps you are using. For gaming, the phone offers a 180Hz touch response and what the company calls a 5-layer liquid-cooling system.
The phone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 768G SoC, which is 5G enabled. Users get up to 8GB LPDDRX4 RAM and 256GB UFS 2.2 storage on the top variant. However, iQOO claims an extended RAM feature allows the phone to use 3GB more RAM from the internal storage. The phone also comes with a 4,400mAh battery with 55W fast charging. There is also Android 11, with the FuntouchOS 11 skin on top.
Subscriber Only Stories
Coming to the optics on the iQOO Z3, the phone comes with a triple-camera setup on the back. This comprises a 64MP primary camera, along with an 8MP ultra-wide sensor and a 2MP depth sensor. For selfies and video calls, there is also a 16MP selfie camera on the front in a waterdrop notch.
Other features on the phone include Bluetooth 5.1, a USB-C port, and a side-mounted fingerprint sensor. We will also post our full review of the iQOO Z3 soon so stay tuned for that as well.
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* Will help Vimpelcom secure subscribers in eastern Russia
* Vimpelcom to buy out all shareholders in $420 million deal
* KT says looking at overseas investment opportunities
* KT reports 62 pct jump in operating profit for Q1
* KT gains over 2 pct in broad market that was down 1.8 pct
(Add Vimpelcom comments, further details, analyst comment)
By Hyunjoo Jin
SEOUL, May 6 (Reuters) - Russian mobile operator Vimpelcom VIP.N is buying New Telephone Company (NTC) from owners including South Korea’s KT Corp (030200.KS) in a $420 million deal that will see it move into eastern Russia.
KT Corp (030200.KS), South Korea’s top fixed-line and No.2 mobile phone company, said on Friday — alongside news of a jump in quarterly profit — that it was to sell its 79.96 percent stake in NTC for $346 million sale.
KT said the acquisition would help Vimpelcom, Russia’s No.3 mobile phone operator, secure a subscriber base in eastern Russia, where NTC is focused.
“KT concluded that it would be better for a nationwide operator to acquire and grow ... NTC,” KT said.
Separately, Vimpelcom said it planned to close the acquisition of a total of 90 percent within four weeks, including shares held by Summit Telecom Global Management, a unit of Japanese group Sumitomo Corp (8053.T).
It also plans to acquire the remaining 10 percent through a mandatory buyout offer, Vimpelcom said, adding the whole deal was based on a $420 million valuation of NTC, not taking into account its debt.
“Given that Vimpelcom lacks a presence in Russia’s Far East, NTC is a good fit, in our view. The purchase price is quite high, but is reflective of a premium for control,” said Ivan Kim, a telecoms analyst at Renaissance Capital in Moscow.
KT bought then loss-making NTC for $22 million in 1997 and turned around the Russian unit in four years, it said. NTC posted $25 million in net profit and $110 million in sales last year and has 1.5 million subscribers, KT said.
“I was doubtful of the NTC sale because NTC was making good money. But KT is expected to use the proceeds to invest in expansion in overseas markets such as Africa,” said Kim Hoi-jae, an analyst at Daeshin Securities.
NTC has been one of the few successful overseas acquisitions by South Korean mobile carriers, which have tried to expand abroad as the domestic market nears saturation.
KT said it would continue to look for overseas investments, including acquisitions and alliances, especially in emerging markets such as Africa and South and Central America.
Mobile TeleSystem (MTS) (MBT.N), Russia’s top mobile company, also said in February it had bid for KT’s stake in NTC. [ID:nLDE71D297]
KT, South Korea’s major seller of Apple Inc’s (AAPL.O) iPhone, reported a 62 percent jump in operating profit for the first quarter, helped by solid gains in smartphone subscribers. [ID:nL3E7G6014] (Additional reporting by Maria Kiselyova in Moscow; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Will Waterman)


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UK engine building set for £2.5bn surge
UK engine manufacturing is expected to increase by up to £2.5 billion in two years, increasing turnover by nearly a third (31%).
FTA issues priority list for Scottish logistics
The Freight Transport Association (FTA) has highlighted five objectives which are key to maintaining safe, efficient and sustainable logistics throughout the UK.
Lister to build £2m hypercar to rival McLaren P1
British sports car brand Lister is to launch a new, highly sophisticated £2 million hypercar to rival the McLaren P1 and Porsche 918.
Extended warranties a 'smart tool' for dealers
Offering an extended warranty product is a smart tool for dealers as it offers certainty to used car buyers.
IGA sees rise in independent technicians taking training
Record numbers of independent technicians are taking up training, according to figures from the Independent Garage Association (IGA).
ATS Euromaster prepares for 50th anniversary celebrations
ATS Euromaster will mark 50 years in the industry by having its largest ever stand at the 2015 Commercial Vehicle Show.
CAS joins Manheim Retail Services
Complete Automotive Solutions (CAS) has joined forces with Manheim to launch an upgraded version of its call recording and reporting solution, Voicesafe.
Hybrids dominate top 10 fastest selling used car table
Three hybrids feature in the top 10 of Glass's league of fastest selling used cars for September, reflecting the growing appeal of the technology.


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Smoke 'em if you got 'em. Because you won't have 'em long.
Smokers across Alberta were stocking up Wednesday ahead of a province-wide ban on menthol tobacco products that comes into effect at midnight.
The province announced the ban last May as part of a larger effort to eliminate flavoured products that critics say are meant to get youth hooked on smoking.
Renee Poirier spent $100 to buy as many packs as she could. She has smoked menthol for years and is unhappy about the government ban.
"As a menthol smoker, I would say it's a little upsetting that they're removing that choice from the adults," she said.
When her precious supply is gone, she said she might consider switching to a vapourizer, an increasingly popular choice for smokers and those trying to quit.
Bruce Lee runs a small convenience shop in the basement of Scotia Place. He said menthol brands make up less than 20 per cent of his cigarette sales.
"More variety makes us more revenue," he said. "But we have to follow the government rules."
When the previous Progressive Conservative government announced its ban on flavoured tobacco, menthol was specifically excluded. At the time, the Tories argued that eliminating menthol products would unfairly impact seniors and older smokers, who use them in greater numbers.
The NDP criticized that decision. Once the party took power, it moved to include menthol under the ban.
Starting Thursday, retailers in Alberta will no longer be allowed to sell flavoured tobacco products, with the exception of pipe tobacco and cigars above a certain weight and price.
Health Minister Sarah Hoffman said menthol cigarettes are used by one in four teenage smokers and she's confident the ban will help save lives.
Shop owners, she said, were given ample notice that the ban was coming.


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As consumers look to live out their New Year’s resolutions, Aldi US is bolstering its healthy offerings to help with expanded products and options launching this month.
“At Aldi, we want our customers to know we are dedicated to making living healthier not only attainable, but affordable, too,” said Liz Ruggles, Aldi’s Director of Marketing, on the "Hello Healthy" initiative. “In addition to providing high-quality groceries at the lowest possible prices, we developed these new resources to help our shoppers achieve their goals in health and wellness.”
Research shows people often give up on healthy living resolutions because they are overwhelmed by a number of factors, according to a press release from the retailer, including the perceived higher cost of healthy foods.
Aldi noted that 41 percent of people surveyed noted that lower prices on healthy food would best help them stick to their New Year’s resolutions to eat healthier.
Now a team known as the ALDI Advisory Council of Registered Dietitians, will select ‘Dietitian’s Picks’ to help more than 32 million monthly shoppers easily find smart choices and kick-start healthy eating habits at home, answering another call to why healthy eaters fall off the wagon: lack of a plan.
“It’s the time of year when everyone is thinking about making a fresh start and resolving to eat better, and I’m so excited that Aldi is offering these resources to help introduce better-for-you foods, whether it’s a new fruit or vegetable, or a smarter way of preparing a favorite recipe,” said Sally Kuzemchak, Registered Dietitian, Author, and Aldi Advisory Council Member. “And, many people don’t realize that Aldi carries several dietitian-recommended products–at a fraction of the cost compared to other grocery retailers.”
These products, hand-picked for their nutritional value, can be found by the ‘Dietitian’s Picks’ emblem online at ALDI.us. They include:
Along with expanded online and in-store healthy options, the retailer is introducing an ever-growing SimplyNature line of products, which is free from more than 125 artificial ingredients, as well as a gluten-free line of products under the ALDI exclusive brand, liveGfree, and Never Any! meat products that contain no added antibiotics, hormones, animal by-products, or other additives.
The program is available this month through March. Keep checking in with Deli Market News on all the latest retail launches and strategies.


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Another important step on the road to Baku 2015 has been taken today with the announcement that service provider Tickethour have been added to the sponsorship programme to control the supply of tickets for the inaugural European Games.
Established in 2005 by three senior figures from Athens 2004, the Greek company has grown to become a major distribution company in Cyprus and the Middle East, and is now expanding into Western European markets.
The potential difficulty of this task has been underlined in recent weeks by the problems faced by rival company Ticketmaster with the ticket-selling process for both the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and the England 2015 Rugby World Cup.
On both these occasions the process had to be suspended due to problems, but Baku 2015 chief operating officer Simon Clegg appears confident that no similar setbacks will be experienced over the next year.
"We are delighted to welcome Tickethour to our official supporter sponsorship tier and as the supplier of all ticketing services for the European Games," he said.
"With such a complex ticketing operation to be delivered in only 12 months, we are fortunate to be working with a team who has the necessary experience and track record in delivering highly successful ticketing services for major multi-sport events."
The ticketing programme is due to launch early in 2015, with Tickethour to be responsible for online sales along with city centre box offices.
"We are very much looking forward to working with Tickethour over the next 12 months," said Baku 2015 commercial director Charlie Wijeratna.
"I am sure with their support we will provide a fair, functional and successful ticketing programme which will appeal to sports fans across the globe.
"We are also delighted to welcome them to the European Games sponsor family.
"Partnership momentum for the inaugural European Games continues to grow and we expect further announcements to follow very shortly."
George Bolos, chairman of Tickethour, added: "This is an exciting and important deal for us and we will be putting all our efforts, knowledge and experience into ensuring the Baku 2015 ticketing system is accessible, efficient and reliable.
"We want to enable sports fans in Azerbaijan and beyond to easily enjoy a memorable festival of sport."
The Games are scheduled to take place from June 12 until June 28 next year, with the next major step being a series of One-Year-tTo-Go celebrations taking place next Thursday (June 12).
June 2014: European Youth Olympic Trials marks successful start of Baku 2015 test events
May 2014: Athletes move into Baku 2015 Village as prepare for first test event
May 2014: Baku 2015 set to reveal "two or three" sponsors as Hickey urges Europe to "make history"
May 2014: Baku 2015 unveil Procter & Gamble as first sponsor for European Games
May 2014:Baku 2015 unveil Frenchman as new director of communications


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BEIJING (Reuters) - The environmental group, Greenpeace, said unauthorized genetically modified (GMO) rice from the United States was found in Beijing’s supermarkets.
China does not allow sales and imports of GMO rice as rice is the staple food for most of the country’s population, though it does allow imports, particularly GMO soybeans and corn, to be processed into products, or used as animal feed.
Greenpeace in Beijing collected 10 U.S food samples from two supermarkets in Beijing in August and September and testing showed one of the samples contained Liberty Link rice strain, it said in a statement.
Liberty Link RICE601, a genetically modified strain made by Bayer Crop Science, was discovered in U.S commercial rice supply last year and led to a sharp fall in U.S export sales, especially to countries in Europe.
China is a not a big rice importer from the United States.
A Ministry of Agriculture biosafety official told Reuters that the ministry was investigating the case.
There was no immediate comment from the U.S embassy in Beijing.
Greenpeace two years ago said it had found GMO rice being sold in markets in Chinese cities in the south. The strain was being test-grown at a university in Wuhan, central Hubei province.
Reporting by Niu Shuping and Vivi Lin, Editing by Peter Blackburn


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Sony is believed to introduce a new generation console, the PlayStation 4, at an event to be held on February 20, 2013.
This info comes after Sony released a teaser in the form of video, the Japanese manufacturer indicated there would be a new console [...]
About 60 percent of those planning to buy a tablet chose Nexus 7.
Christmas Day will soon be arriving. In many parts of the world, it is time to hunt items to be used as Christmas gifts. According to a survey in the U.S. revealed that many public want [...]
Sony showed off its latest ultrabook Windows 8 operating system, Vaio T13 “Touch Screen”, Indocomtech exhibition in 2012 at the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC).
With a 13.3-inch wide screen, users can enjoy a new experience with Windows 8 [...]
You are one of those who dreamed of adventure and find treasures from the past? Google may be able to realize the dream.
Quoted from Slashgear, Monday (1/4), Google Maps Street View Team reportedly managed to find a treasure map of William ‘Captain’ [...]
You look forward to welcoming the Microsoft Office applications on Android and iOS seems to be more patient.
Because, the latest news says that Microsoft is delaying its release until 2014.
Quoted from ZDNet, Thursday (11/4), the largest software producer [...]
Who does not know the game Battlefield series. Games were popular through its multiplayer mode has a slick visual images and an interesting storyline.
According to an official invitation received by Gamespot, Electronic Arts and DICE plans to celebrate [...]
A number of games on the App Store and Android Market are sold at very cheap prices.
Approaching the end of the year as this, the lovers of the game spoiled by the vendor.
Following in the footsteps Rovio has staged a massive promo for every game his [...]
BlackBerry, the big names who are drowning and trying to get up. Research In Motion (RIM) is ready with a new platform that can be trusted to restore the glory of the BlackBerry.
BlackBerry 10 to be slid January 30, 2013 could be the answer. Just how [...]
The news about the presence of the successor to the iPhone 5 more widely heard. If previously only known to be released summer of 2013, the latest info mengunkapkan that the smartphone is ready to go July.
Quoted from Techradar, Tuesday (30/4), about [...]
Through a practical point of view, Asus (7/5) in the Grand Ballroom Grand Indonesia, Jakarta, Asus launched Fonepad.
Fonepad is a combination between a tablet and a 7-inch phone, with 3G mobile data and an Intel Atom Z2420 processor.
“Looking at [...]
BlackBerry, formerly known as RIM, decided not to sell latest BlackBerry 10 smartphone in Japan.
“Japan is not a major market for the BlackBerry,” said the company recently announced that BlackBerry Q10 and Z10.
Quoted from Cnet, Friday [...]


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The AP Chief Minister, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, convened a high-level review meeting to discuss the coronavirus situation in the state on Sunday. The Cabinet of State Ministers, and other concerned senior officials, attended this meeting. Andhra Pradesh Government decided to reduce the allocated time for buying essential commodities, by two hours in urban areas.
Therefore, the general public can now only move out to shop for in province essential commodities between 6 am to 11 am each day. Post which, the concerned officials are instructed to make sure that a strict lockdown continues. In rural areas, the allotted time continues to be from 6 am to 1 pm. The Chief Minister has also instructed officials to form the use of RTC buses for the availability of essential goods still as the delivery of vegetables through mobile vans. He has ordered officials to make sure an adequate supply of products to old-age homes.
Also, the Shops are Required to Showcase the Prices and if anyone defaults and sells at a higher price there will be a dedicated line to take complaints and if proven they will be jailed.
Andhra Pradesh Minister of Agriculture, Kurasala Kannababu, ensured that the govt is taking all necessary measures to work out that there shall be no interruption within the transportation of fertilizers needed for agriculture.
As Always Stay Safe!


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A rate hike on several items like mobile phones, footwear, fertiliser, tractors and renewable energy devices, among others, would be considered by the GST Council in its meeting on Saturday to correct the inverted duty structure (IDS) on these goods, sources said. This would fetch the government as much as Rs 20,000 crore annually, which is otherwise disbursed as refunds in lieu of accumulated input tax credit (ITC).
IDS arises when the tax on finished products is lower than its inputs, which restricts manufacturers from utilising ITC. While the GST system allows refund of accumulated credit, this often involves associated cost and efforts along with cash flow issues.
While the move would augment revenue collection, it would not be enough to address the shortfall of protected revenue for states which is estimated to be at Rs 28,000 crore at the end of FY 20. The GST Council in its last meeting proposed several measures, including merging slabs into higher ones, raising rates and cess on existing items, to shore up revenue.
However, it is unlikely any of these options would be approved by the Council just yet, an official said. This meeting would primarily focus on correcting the inverted duty structure faced by certain items so that the regime can work more efficiently, he added.
Sources pointed out that a 12% GST on mobile phones was problematic as most inputs were taxed at 18%. Further, there is no justification for taxing mobile phones at 12% when items like TV, torches, geyser and heaters attract the GST at 18%.
Similarly, sources said that while correcting the tax rate on fertilisers would increase subsidy, and would cause additional burden on the government, this was still desirable for simplifying GST given that this would not impact farmers as fertilizer is a subsidised product and urea prices are regulated.
While the pre-GST tax incidence on fertiliser was 9.75%, it was put in the 5% slab when the GST was launched. This has led to ITC refunds of about Rs 6,000 crore on fertilisers since July 2017.
Man-made fibre also faces the same scenario as products such as polyester, acrylic and viscose are taxed at 18% but their value-add products – yarns – attract GST at the rate of 12%. This inversion is further propagated in the value chain as fabrics attract GST at the rate of 5%. Garments, in trun, attract GST at the rate of 5% (up to Rs 1,000 per piece) and 12% (if more than Rs 1,000 per piece).
Source : Financial Express


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If you want to return that hideous sweater your aunt gave you as a gift, you should read the fine print.
According to goTRG, a logistics company focused on returns, 6 in 10 retailers have changed their return policies this year, shortening the time frame shoppers have to send an item back, charging fees, or telling shoppers they’ll have to cover the shipping costs themselves.
“According to Ray Wimer, assistant professor of retail practise at Syracuse University’s Martin J. Whitman School of Management, “most consumers expect free shipping… and a lot of consumers expect free returns as well.” But “If you’re the retailer, you’re paying for shipping twice and losing the sale if they return the items, so it’s a costly process.”
The holiday season is one exception to the new rules, as many retailers extend the return window for customers.
Old Navy, Gap, and Banana Republic, for example, reinstated a 30-day return policy this summer after temporarily extending it to 45 days during the peak of the pandemic. Purchases made online or in-store between Nov. 1 and Christmas Eve, however, can be returned until Jan. 15.
Still, there are some changes that shoppers should be aware of as they consider returning gifts and other purchases in January and beyond.
How much time do I have to return Christmas presents?
Returns windows had already been expanding over the last decade, with some retailers giving customers several months or more to return merchandise in order to compete with online rivals like Amazon. Then, during the COVID-19 pandemic, retailers extended time for homebound Americans to return items they couldn’t try on or see in a store.
However, many retailers are now shortening their return periods, typically to 30 days, in order to reduce the amount of merchandise returned by customers and give stores a better chance of reselling returned items before they go out of season, according to retail experts.
Retailers are also increasingly informing customers that they must pay to return an item. According to Inmar Intelligence, a data and technology solutions company focused on manufacturers, brands, and healthcare companies, 36% of 300 retailers surveyed this year said they do not offer free shipping on returns, more than doubling the number who refused to cover those costs last year.
Handling returns costs retailers a lot of money, eroding their profits.
According to the National Retail Federation, an industry trade group, over $761 billion in merchandise was returned last year, accounting for nearly 17% of all retail sales.
“People were obviously given some really generous return policies during the pandemic, from long return windows to free returns,” says Erin Halka, a retail strategist at supply-chain technology firm Blue Yonder.
With the rise of online shopping, consumers have become accustomed to a practise known as “bracket buying,” in which they order varying sizes and colours of the same outfit, returning what they don’t like or doesn’t fit.
However, all of these returns are putting a strain on a bottom line that is already being strained by rising fuel and labour costs.
According to Halka, it costs a retailer about $15 per returned item, which includes shipping, reprocessing, and the labour required to get the clothing, appliance, or piece of furniture ready for resale.
“If a retailer offers free shipping and returns, that’s a lot of cost in that good that the retailer is eating,” says Thomas Borders, general manager of Inmar Intelligence’s product lifecycle cloud.
According to Inmar, 31% of retailers anticipate that between 11% and 20% of the merchandise they sell this holiday season will be returned, while 16% anticipate that between 21% and 30% of the items they sell will be returned.
According to Andrew Hogenson, global managing partner of retail, consumer goods, and logistics for Infosys Consulting, these items frequently need to be heavily discounted, perhaps by 30% or 40%. In addition, if it is out of season, a retailer may be unable to resell it at all.


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If you have plans to build your own PC for the New Year (don't miss our guide on how to build your own PC in 2021 the right way if you're looking for tips), you should plan to do so very soon. This is because of the Trump administration's "List 3" tariffs that are intended to tax various Chinese products now include graphics cards and motherboards. Previously, these components were exempt from the tariffs, but these exemptions were not extended and thus expired at the start of 2021, according to a report from The Verge. As a result of this, GPUs and motherboards made in China are soon to be taxed 25 percent.
What does this mean if you're an average consumer looking to pick up a shiny new GPU or motherboard? Unfortunately, there's a good chance that PC part manufacturers will raise the price of components in order to help offset the impact of the tax. ASUS in particular has already stated to Videocardz that it is increasing the cost of its GPUs and motherboards, although thankfully it worked to "minimize price increases." Here is the full statement from ASUS Technical Product Marketing Manager Juan Jose Guerrero III:
The recent surge of Bitcoin may only worsen the situation if you're looking to get a new GPU. Recently, Coindesk reported that the price of Bitcoin doubled in less than a month from December to January, even briefly topping $40,000 for the first time ever. At the time of writing, the price of Bitcoin sits at about $32,500, but if the general upward trend continues it could result in a significantly increased demand for GPUs to be used for crypto mining. Previously in 2018, skyrocketing Bitcoin prices resulted in a massive GPU shortage that lasted for months. This could happen again in 2021, resulting in the availability of GPUs going down and the price going up on top of the hiked costs that will likely be brought about by the Trump tax.
Another thing that makes things worse for the future of PC building is that it's nigh-impossible to find most GPUs in stock already. Stock for both NVIDIA's 30-series cards like the RTX 3070 and RTX 3080 as well as AMD's 6000-series GPUs such as the Radeon RX 6800 has been ravaged by scalpers and genuine buyers alike, resulting in almost nothing on the shelf and skyrocketed resale prices on eBay. You'll probably have more luck if you're aiming for an older card, but regardless, getting your hands on any GPU is difficult right now.
Ultimately, all of this means that you should take any good deal on a GPU you can find and build your new PC right now, before Trump's tax goes into effect and before rising Bitcoin prices potentially result in a major extension of the GPU shortage that buyers are already having to deal with.
While things do look pretty bleak for PC building at the moment, there's a chance that things will improve over the course of 2021. Firstly, as reported by TechRadar, the shortage of new GPUs from NVIDIA and AMD may finally begin to end come February 2021. It will likely take a few months after that for the supply chain to get running smoothly again, especially during a pandemic, but it's nonetheless a light at the end of the tunnel to look forward to.
It's also worth pointing out that Bitcoin's recent upward trend may not continue, which would (hopefully) help the market avoid extreme demand for GPUs that manufacturers can't supply. This wouldn't be great news if you're a crypto miner, but it's certainly something that gaming PC builders would love to hear.
Finally, Trump's tariffs may be altered or reversed by the Biden administration following the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden on January 20. There's no concrete indication that the administration will do this so far, but Neil Torpey, chairman of Paul Hastings LLP's Hong Kong office, has stated that "The incoming Biden administration is expected to bring a return to relative normalcy" in regards to business relations. We can only hope that this "return to normalcy" includes cutting the taxes on GPUs and motherboards.
What do you think? Are you going to try and build your PC before Trump's taxes go into effect, or are you going to wait and see how the market changes over the course of the next several months? Let me know. Personally, this whole situation is making me glad I built my new gaming rig over the holidays.
If you'd prefer to buy a pre-built PC instead, we highly recommend the Alienware Aurora R11. It's one of the best Dell gaming desktops out there, and it's also one of the best gaming desktop PCs in general. This is because of its powerful specs, sleek design, and competitive pricing.
The Alienware Aurora R11's excellent specs, sleek and stylish design, and competitive prices make it one of our favorite pre-built gaming PCs on the market. It's a fantastic alternative if you're not comfortable with the DIY PC market right now.
Trump tax not applicable to the UK but we now have Brexit to add to the cost of imports
You're missing a big one too... Inflation... Just think about that, 35% of the total amount of US dollars currently in circulation has been printed in the last 12 month or less.... Have you seen that reflected in consumer goods pricing over the same period yet?
This madness ain't gonna end well and not only for the US for that matter.... And it will be way more problematic for the people than covid is.... Except you'll be able to sunbathe without a mask in "your" front yard while your house is being foreclosed... Or worst they do like they with did with gold ownership in the 30's to compensate.... anyway I ain't a complotist , but it's hard to ignore the facts that have spoken time and again in the past in the same context.... The Weimar republic inflation last century can give you an idea of what's cooking
This... I've thought about this quite a bit lately and it's scary what maybe coming.
And how precisely should I go about getting this new and wonderful GPU? They just aren't available
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Connected and driverless cars are a "great opportunity" for the chipmaking industry, according to the chief executive of British semiconductor company ARM Holdings, after reporting a surge in earnings.
ARM, which is a supplier to many device manufacturers including Apple, reported a 14 percent rise in revenue in the fourth quarter of 2015 to $407.9 million. Profit before tax was up 17 percent to £138.7 million ($200.7 million) year-on-year. Royalties for its technology surged 31 percent on the year.
Speaking to CNBC after the results, ARM CEO Simon Segars, said that the increasing amount of chips in cars is a big focus for the company.
"One particular interest right now that's growing strongly is automotive. We look at the future of that and see the potential for a hundred times growth in computing power in cars which is pretty similar to what we've seen over the past five years in smartphones," Segars said.
"In terms of the market that we can address in 2020, we see that as a $15 billion silicon market which when you do the maths, works out to about $150 of silicon per car. Now you compare that to a smartphone…its' about seven to eight times the silicon content, so great opportunity to us."
Chipmakers are looking for new streams of revenue as the sales of smartphones start to slow -- the auto industry has shown much promise.
Established carmakers as well as technology companies such as Google have all been touting the potential of connected and driverless cars. These vehicles will contain a vast number of chips and sensors in order to recognize the world around it and take autonomous decisions such as emergency braking.
Segars added that while margins on some of those chips will be "very inexpensive", the ones that will be doing the "real computational thinking" such as identifying emergency situations, would "command pretty reasonable margins".
The chief executive's comments come as ARM warned in its earnings outlook that "increased economic uncertainty may influence consumer and enterprise spending, potentially impacting semiconductor revenues and industry confidence". Shares were down over 5 percent.
Segars said that while semiconductors for cars might not be an immediate revenue driver, the company invests in future technology.
"Royalties that are generated today are from products that were in R&D maybe as much as 10 years ago, in some cases 20 years ago. So we really do take a long term view on investments," Segars told CNBC.
ARM is not the only technology firm hoping to get its products into future cars. Processor firm Nvidia, South Korean electronics giants Samsung and LG and Canada's BlackBerry are among some of the companies hoping to take a slice of the developing connected and driverless auto market.


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Gawker Media, a small company that operates snarky Web logs on culture and politics, like Gawker and Wonkette, has begun blogging on behalf of major advertisers.
The company's first paid blog is for Nike. Called Art of Speed, the blog will spend about a month showcasing a series of 15 short films on the theme of speed, all commissioned by Nike. Gawker Media Contract Productions, a new division of Gawker Media, will supply layout, commentary, links and other features. Terms were not disclosed.
''A lot of marketers are interested in Web logs as a medium,'' said Nick Denton, publisher at Gawker Media in New York. ''One thing to do is to run advertising campaigns on the sites. Some marketers are moving one step beyond that and looking at other ways they can engage this new form of independent media.''
The approach, Mr. Denton stressed, is borrowed from the print tradition of advertorials and special advertising sections.
Although Nike did not exercise editorial control beyond contributing the 15 films, bloggers said they wondered whether bought-and-paid-for content could succeed in the idiosyncratic world of Web logs, where an independent and acerbic streak (particularly when it comes to mainstream media) is highly valued.Continue reading the main story
''I'm skeptical that a lot of online readers would be interested in reading an advertorial blog,'' Patrick Phillips, the publisher of a blog called I Want Media, said. ''If you got to a site, and you know you're being sold something, I don't know that there's going to be a lot of interest.''
Gawker Media sites have distinguished themselves with a tone that says, ''I've got no strings.'' In a post on Thursday, for example, the editor of Gawker reported that he had given up his membership at Soho House, the exclusive Manhattan social club. ''They gave me a choice between not covering Soho House on Gawker and remaining a member,'' wrote the editor, Choire Sicha. ''I chose my dignity. Kidding! I mean, I chose trashy gossip.''
The established Gawker Media sites receive from 400,000 to 700,000 visitors each month, according to Mr. Denton, but Nike executives said the important point was quality, not quantity.
''It's the right community,'' said Nate Tobecksen, a communications manager at Nike, who called the Gawker crowd creative and connected. ''It may be small but it's an important and influential group.''
Steve Hall, the publisher of Adrants, a blog about the ad industry, said Nike would benefit. ''Is Nike going to see a massive increase in revenue and market share from this? No,'' he said. ''Are they going to generate some good feelings and low-level buzz? Yes.''Continue reading the main story