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Tech Tent: Elon Musk’s amazing week
- Stream the latest Tech Tent episode on the BBC website
- Download the latest episode as a podcast
- Listen to previous episodes on the BBC website
- Listen live every Friday at 15:00 BST on the BBC World Service
On Tech Tent this week we focus on an extraordinary few days in the career of the tech tycoon who's been likened to the comic book superhero Iron Man.
We also discuss Samsung's most important new device in years, and meet one of the creative superstars of the gaming world.
Musk - who dares wins
Just about every day this week Elon Musk has been making news, On Thursday there was another landmark for his Space X business when it launched a recycled rocket and then landed the booster for a second time on an ocean platform. If the most expensive part of a rocket can be used more than once, that could transform the economics of space travel and the satellite industry.
Earlier in the week, news emerged of yet another new Musk venture with the aim of augmenting the human brain with computer technology. Neuralink, which is in its very early stages, plans to implant tiny electrodes into the brain in an attempt to treat various disorders.
And then there were more developments at his Tesla electric car business which has now attracted an investment from the Chinese tech giant Tencent. It has bought around 5% of the company's shares - and that helped propel the valuation of Tesla to around the same level as that of the Ford motor company. To put that in context, Ford has been around for 113 years and made more than 3 million cars last year, while Tesla is just 14 years old and made 84,000 cars in 2016.
We talk to the electric car analyst and long-term Musk watcher Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield on the programme. She says the market is valuing Tesla so highly because it sees it as a Silicon Valley software firm rather than a carmaker.
Investors veer between faith in Elon Musk's vision - and fear that it could all come tumbling down. Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield says Musk has teetered on the edge of disaster many times in his career but has always been willing to bet big on his ideas, "It is the stuff of science fiction - he's willing to take those risks".
Samsung's comeback device
It's also been a big week for Samsung. For the world's biggest mobile-phone-maker it has - to say the least - been a trying few months. First the Samsung Note 7 had to be withdrawn after it showed a tendency to overheat and catch fire, then the firm's boss was arrested and charged with corruption in a bribery scandal which has rocked the South Korean government. So a lot was riding on the launch of its new flagship smartphone, described by one analyst as its most important device in a decade.
In the event, the Galaxy S8, with its infinity screen and its Bixby AI assistant, got some pretty positive reviews. It is also worth noting that amid all the turmoil of recent months, the Samsung share price has sailed on to record highs.
The company's investors seem convinced by the underlying strengths of a business which, as well as making its own high-end devices, makes components for other leading smartphones. We discuss with the leading gadget pundit Jonathan Margolis whether the brand has recovered from any damage caused by the Note 7 fiasco.
A gaming superstar
This feels like a key moment in the development of the games industry. The smartphone revolution introduced a whole new audience to games - and allowed a new wave of bedroom developers to compete on a more level playing field with the giants.
Now another new technology virtual reality has come along to shake things up again, with billions invested in a new vision of how we will experience games. We went to an event called Rezzed - part of the London Games Festival - to take the temperature of the industry.
And there we ran into a gaming legend, Ken Levine, the creator of the Bioshock series. For all the talk of VR and other innovations he's convinced that something rather old-fashioned, storytelling, is at the heart of what makes a successful game. "I come from a writing background so character and setting have always been most important to me." He says that's important to gamers too: "They want stories, they want characters but they also want a world they can participate in."
As for virtual reality, he says he's tried it and been knocked out by it - but isn't convinced it's quite there as a gaming experience yet. "These things take time to get right, I don't know as a gaming platform whether it's there yet." Ken Levine says augmented reality has already had a killer app in the form of Pokemon Go but VR is still waiting for that.
He is now at work on a new game, and there are few details yet on what form it will take - but one thing it won't be is a virtual reality experience.


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Best Buy apologises for offensive tweet about Serial podcast murder
WELL this is a new low for misguided corporate tweets. A retail giant in the US has apologised after a grossly tone-deaf tweet about a grisly 1999 murder.
AMERICAN retail giant Best Buy today has issued a hasty apology after online outrage over a lighthearted tweet it made about the murder made famous by the Serial podcast.
The Maryland Best Buy outlet has become a macabre tourist attraction for fans of the podcast, which is re-examining the 1999 murder of Baltimore teenager Hae Min Lee.
A witness in the case claimed the man convicted of Lee’s murder called him from a payphone at the Best Buy, although as fans of Serial would know, there is no evidence that there was a payphone at Best Buy.
In an apparent attempt to cash in on that attraction, Best Buy issued the now deleted tweet: “We have everything you need. Unless you need a payphone. #Serial”.
The reactions to the tweet, which was retweeted more than 1000 times, ranged from the offended to the unprintable, forcing a retraction a short while later.
Best Buy is not the first company to try to be edgy on social media and then plummet over that edge. But making jokes about a murder takes dumb corporate tweets to a new level.
We deeply apologize for our earlier tweet about Serial. It lacked good judgment and doesnât reflect the values of our company. We are sorry.â Best Buy (@BestBuy) December 11, 2014

domain: news


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🥇If There’s One Story To Read Today Big win for Uber and other ride-apps? California Court revives debate on regularisation of gig workers The California Court of Appeal caused ripples in the start-up sector on Monday when it ruled that Proposition 22, a law that allows app-based transportation and delivery companies to classify drivers as "independent contractors," is mostly constitutional. The decision overturns a lower court's earlier call that the law was invalid. So, what does this mean for India where hundreds of gig workers are demanding the “employee” status? The ruling may complicate this discourse but the Service Employees International Union (SIEU), which fought the legal battle in California, isn’t giving up either. It said it may approach the Supreme Court for a review. But do they have a chance? [Read, 3 minutes] Click here to subscribe to MediaNama Daily and receive the best of tech policy in your inbox. 🎟 We’re excited to see you at our event! To what extent does a user need to be identified? Can verification processes prevent scams? How can we protect our sensitive data while undergoing government verification? We will be raising and discussing these, and more such questions, at our hybrid roundtable on ‘Exploring User Verification’ at The Claridges in New Delhi on March 23, 2023. Want to join? Register here. Need to know more? Read here. 🗓 Your Tech Policy Agenda Future of connectivity: Politico is holding an event ‘Telecoms drumbeat for the future of connectivity’ on March 21, 2023,…
MediaNama Daily: Big win for apps, but what about gig workers?
California Court of Appeal upholds law allowing app-based companies to classify drivers as contractors, RBI asks banks and companies to submit report, and tech policy updates from around the world.
- Explained: The G20 Task Force On Digital Public Infra for Economic Transformation, Financial Inclusion & Development April 1, 2023
- MediaNama Daily: The Great Indian Surveillance Spectacle April 1, 2023
- Are Courts Doing Enough To Question “Proportionate” Intrusions on Privacy And Other Rights? #NAMA March 31, 2023
- Why did PhonePe cancel its deal to acquire ZestMoney? March 31, 2023
- RTI: Chennai police confirms 9 drones as part of a Drone Police Unit and here’s why it’s important March 31, 2023
MediaNama’s mission is to help build a digital ecosystem which is open, fair, global and competitive.
Amazon announced that it will integrate its logistics network and SmartCommerce services with the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC).
India's smartphone operating system BharOS has received much buzz in the media lately, but does it really merit this attention?
After using the Mapples app as his default navigation app for a week, Sarvesh draws a comparison between Google Maps and Mapples
In the case of the ‘deemed consent' provision in the draft data protection law, brevity comes at the cost of clarity and user protection
The regulatory ambivalence around an instrument so essential to facilitate data exchange – the CM framework – is disconcerting for several reasons.
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More business process outsourcing (BPO) firms are eyeing to set up their facilities in the Philippines, Contact Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP) board of director Jojo Uligan said at the sidelines of International Contact Center Conference and Expo (ICCCE) in Pasay City yesterday.
He said around 12 to 15 firms visited the country in the last three months, looking to invest in the local market.
“We’re piloting Australian client here in the Philippines looking to outsource 500 seats,” Uligan said.
He added that there is a growing interest of BPO firms from Australia and New Zealand to have their facilities in the Philippines.
Among these BPO firms eyeing to set up here include top BPO player and a market research company both in Australia, which Uligan declined to name.


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In the past one month, the shares of the electric motor vehicle manufacturer have appreciated by 35% based on future prospects since investors are betting on the fact that Tesla's chief executive officer and co-founder, Elon Musk, will revolutionize both the energy and the auto sectors.
The letter was also signed by the California State Teachers' Retirement System (CalSTRS), Connecticut Retirement Plans and Trust Funds and Hermes Equity Ownership Services, which combined with CtW have about $721 billion in assets under management.
The shareholder letter was signed by officials from a NY city office overseeing public investment funds, retirement funds from the states of California and Connecticut, Hermes Equity Ownership Service and CtW Investment Group.
Guillen had previously been in charge of Daimler's Cascadia semi truck program, which makes him particularly qualified to lead an electric truck program since he not only has experience with trucks, but he was also more recently the program director of Tesla's Model S.
Musk a year ago announced plans for electric vehicles ranging from a commercial truck called the Tesla Semi to a public transport bus, a "new kind of pickup truck" and a compact sport utility vehicle.
Tesla board members include Mr Gracias, a shareholder and board member of SpaceX, another company controlled by Elon Musk; as well as Brad Buss, a former chief financial officer at solar power business SolarCity, which was founded by Mr Musk and later bought by Tesla. The investment group also sought to forbid immediate family members of the senior executive team from concurrently serving on the board.
A defiant Elon Musk took to Twitter to suggest disgruntled Tesla investors buy stock in Ford Motor Co. "Shareholders need to be able to hold management accountable". As a result, it invited criticism on corporate governance. There's no grille on the face however the nose has gone under the scratch, for which Musk additionally invited contributions from Tesla fans.
While the pension funds behind the letter do not have large positions in Tesla on their own, they are influential among other institutional investors. "But we will push for these changes regardless". At the close on Tuesday, Tesla's market capitalisation was $5.4bn higher than Ford Motor and trailed General Motors by about $461m.
America's biggest auto dealer isn't sold on Tesla Inc. becoming the top USA automaker by market capitalization. Year-to-date, TSLA has gained 42.85%, versus a 5.30% rise in the benchmark S&P 500 index during the same period. "If Tesla truly wants to be forward thinking, then it needs to embrace accountability and it needs to welcome diverse, independent opinions into its boardroom", New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer told Bloomberg. "Strong performance doesn't insulate Tesla from accountability".


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Super Monkey Ball: Banana Splitz for the PlayStation Vita has a release date. Today, Sega announced that the game will be released this October in North America.
Sega say the game has over 100 stages and that you can use the Vita camera to photograph real-world objects for creating your own stages with. Super Monkey Ball: Banana Splitz also has online multiplayer with leaderboards. It will be released on October 23rd, 2012 in North America.
The Japanese version of Super Monkey Ball: Banana Splitz features an “adult” stage with gravure idol, Yukie Kawamura. First-print copies of the game in Japan come with a download code for her special stage. There’s been no word from Sega on the stage being included in the North American version. It should be pointed out, though, that the ESRB have rated the game “E” (Everyone).


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The 2015 BMW i8 is an exceptional hypercar that revolutionized the entire auto industry with the latest technological advancements, but sometimes, even this extraordinary piece of German engineering does fall apart. Well, not literally.
BMW recently announced that 16 BMW i8 models were recalled to factory because of a problem reported at the stability control system. It seems that holes may have been drilled in the dynamic stability control system, which would negatively influence the car`s braking system in emergency situations. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has also confirmed the issue.
The affected models were manufactured between 29th of May, 2015 and 5th of June, 2015, and fortunately, no injuries have been reported so far. All models will return to the closest dealerships for a free replacement. Back in late 2014, 223 BMW i8 units were also recalled to factory due to a fuel leak.
As a reminder, the BMW i8 is quite revolutionary in terms of performance, as it packs a conventional 1.5-liter turbocharged inline three-cylinder engine, backed up by an electric motor. The overall power it produces stands at 357 horsepower and 570 Nm of torque, which makes the hybrid sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.4 seconds, at a top speed of 250 km/h.


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Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
If Apple and Google were not already feeling pressure to reform their app stores, they could feel it via a proposed piece of Russian legislation.Reuters reviews that politician Fedot Tumusov has submitted a bill to Russia's lower house of parliament that may cap the fee on app sales to 20%, or a third below the 30% Apple and Google respectively demand from the App Store and Play Store. It would also require that a third of the fee go toward an IT expert training fund.The move can be a "growth opportunity" for developers, Tumusov said.We've asked Apple and Google for comment.
There's no guarantee the bill will pass. If it did, although, it could force Apple and Google to make difficult selections. They would must either reduce their take from app sales (even supposing it's just a Russian exception) otherwise stop providing app downloads in the country. Russia is one of the world's biggest phone markets, and losing that would affect the final analysis for both tech giants.This would not be the 1st time either agency has been asked to change its ways in the region. Russian antitrust regulators made Google unbundle apps on Android gadgets, and determined that Apple abused App Store dominance in rejecting a Kaspersky parental manage app.Officials aren't especially fond of the outcomes Apple and Google have on Russian builders, and that is the reason growing serious headaches for both firms.
Dated : 2020-10-30 14:49:02
Tags : Google play store


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SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — There’s a chill in the air, and the ground is cold enough to prevent the snow from melting. That means ski season is here.
Camelback is open and Montage Mountain opened its slopes as well on Wednesday.
Hundreds of outdoor enthusiasts hit the slopes at Montage Mountain. One of them, Michael Sosnowski said he traveled from Honesdale to see what opening day is all about.
“Very promising. Definitely, since it was last week there was no snow. They definitely put a good amount together for today, opening day,” said Michael Sosnowski, Honesdale.
Six slopes are open with two on deck, just waiting for snow.
“It’s a good environment up here, a lot of good people that you meet. That you normally don’t see,” Sosnowski explained.
“I’ve been too little bit to different mountains over the past two weeks but now montage mountain is finally open. So just happy to be back ripping,” said Dimitri Brown, Kingston.
Montage has several things that are new for this season, including ticket kiosks where guests can order online, on-site QR Code Scanners to have their chair lift pass printed out.
“Literally just go, type in your stuff, get it and just scan it, and that pretty much the whole idea,” Brown said.
“We have a lot of new upgrades around the mountain, we have a couple of new food and beverage outlets which is really exciting,” explained Director of Resort Relations, Tyler Crawford. “We have a brand new RFID technology system for ticketing and lift access, gift cards, food, and beverages, all that good stuff.”
Montage officials say with all the new technology wait times are down. Skiers can essentially go from your car right to the slopes.


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Last month, we looked at what might be for the next PS4 2.04 firmware update and the release pattern revealed it could have arrived any time. Now almost 2 months on, we are still waiting for the PlayStation 4 to receive a new system software update with 2.03 being the last install.
The next PS4 update is certainly taking longer to appear than some gamers hoped, especially when you look at problems being reported within this wishlist for next firmware. Requests range from boosting PS4 recording quality to sound issues, although some of these problems might be isolated cases.
Latest PS4 2.04 firmware update in Jan or Feb – now that we have well and truly moved into 2015, there was hopes to see the latest system software update in early January and this never happened. We are closing in on the end of Jan, so it could be that PlayStation gamers will need to wait until February for their system fixes and possible new features.
Considering the last system update released on December 3rd and before this, it was November 11th, 2014. The monthly pattern would be welcomed by many, especially if you have been waiting for certain features or fixes to ongoing problems. We are now 49 days since the previous firmware, which released exactly 7 weeks ago today on a Wednesday.
Are you in no rush for the next PS4 firmware update and would be happy to see it release in Feb, or must the update arrive in Jan in your opinion? You can almost certainly count on a regular system stability update by the latest next month, although if we do see the firmware go live with new features, then Product Reviews readers will be the first to know.
Leave your wish list for fixes and features below, also when you would ideally like to see another system upgrade.
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Discount retailers Aldi and Lild are poaching shopper spend from Asda, the latest Kantar Worldpanel grocery share figures reveal.
Data for the for the 12 weeks ending 12 June 2011 show Aldi and Lidl have grown at nearly 18% year-on-year and hold onto their all-time record shares of 3.4% and 2.6% respectively.
Asda suffered a downturn the period, dropping its share from 16.7% in 2010 to 16.3%, as the discounters bag a larger share of its shoppers’ expenditure, said Kantar.
At the other end of the retail spectrum, upmarket grocer Waitrose performed well with growth of 8.9% in the latest 12-week period.
Tesco’s premium own label range, Finest, is selling strongly too with double digit growth, said researchers.
Overall, the figures show the grocery market is growing at 4.7% per year. However, this performance conceals the sharp slow-down expected after the Royal Wedding and Easter boost. Growth for the four weeks ending 15 May 2011 was 7.8% but slumped to 2.5% for the latest four weeks.
Edward Garner, communications eirector at Kantar Worldpanel, said: “Against this murky background, the ‘two nations’ effect continues unabated.
“The discounters are attracting some new customers but most of their growth is coming from gaining a greater share of the household shopping list. Customers are making a main shopping trip to their favourite store and this is then ‘topped up’ with selective shopping at the discounter – this has been dubbed ‘canny shopping’.”
Market share for Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons remains relatively constant this period at 30.9%, 16.2% and 12.0% respectively.
Garner said: “As the household budget remains tight, there is no doubt that many shoppers are adopting coping strategies such as taking advantage of promotional offers or ‘topping up’ at the discounters. However, there is no sign of a return to the rapid growth of budget own-label ranges that we saw in 2008.”
To view the video commentary from Edward Garner or to get further information visit www.kantarworldpanel.com and select ‘Insights’.


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Walmart (WMT) is scheduled to report results of its second quarter before the market open on Thursday, August 15, with a conference call scheduled for 8:00 am EDT. What to watch for:
1. OUTLOOK: In February, Walmart reiterated its fiscal 2020 guidance, including sales growth of 3% or greater. Walmart U.S. comp sales growth is expected to be 2.5%-3% and eCommerce net sales growth is expected to be around 35% for FY20, the company said. Earnings per share are expected to be down by a low single digit percentage vs. fiscal 2019. The current Street forecast for EPS and revenue are $4.83 and $526.78B, respectively. The company previously said it was moving to an annual guidance framework with its quarterly updates, and that while there may be fluctuations within the quarters, "we believe EPS growth will be relatively consistent across the year." In May, Walmart said it expects currency to negatively impact Q2 sales by about $1B. Baird analyst Peter Benedict said he remains comfortable with Q2 expectations ahead of Walmart's earnings report. The analyst believes comp trends will remain solid and although he expects pressure on margins from Flipkart, he sees the company continuing to manage and drive SG&A efficiencies.
2. COMPETITION: Retailers like Walmart have been hurt by an increase in online shopping on sites like Amazon (AMZN) rather than at brick-and-mortar stores. Walmart announced this week that it is stepping up its battle with Amazon by offering one-day delivery without a shipping fee, weeks after Amazon announced a similar offer. Earlier this year, Amazon said it plans to deliver packages to Prime members of in one day and expects to spend $800M toward the shipping goal in the second quarter alone. Walmart said that as many as 220,000 items, which range from laundry detergent to toys and electronics, will qualify for one-day shipping. Walmart started offering same-day pickup in its stores in 2011 and caught up with Amazon's two-day free shipping two years ago by offering it without a membership fee.
3. FIREARM SALES: A man armed with a rifle opened fire at a Walmart store in El Paso, Texas, in early August, killing 20 people and wounding 26 others. Following the August 3 massacre, Walmart said it has no plans to stop selling guns or ammunition. A spokesman said, "We go beyond federal law requiring all customers to pass a background check before purchasing any firearm," adding that Walmart stopped selling "modern sporting rifles" in 2015 and raised the minimum age for gun purchases to 21 from 18 in 2018. "As it becomes clear that the shooting in El Paso was motivated by hate, we're more resolved than ever to foster an inclusive environment where all people are valued and welcomed. Our store in El Paso is well known as a tight-knit community hub, where we serve customers from both sides of the border. I continue to be amazed at the strength and resilience we find in the diversity of communities where we live and work," CEO Doug McMillon wrote in a post on his Instagram page. Following the mass shooting in El Paso, Walmart decided to remove violent video game displays and signs from stores. "We've taken this action out of respect for the incidents of the past week, and this action does not reflect a long-term change in our video game assortment," Walmart spokeswoman Tara House said. The company maintained its stance that it will not stop selling firearms.
Keywords: earnings, results, quarterly results, Q2, guidance, analyst commentary, earnings watch


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This week we’re getting bombarded with news from Facebook’s developer conference f8 2011, not just because Facebook has been announced to be improving and changing drastically, but because they’ve begun working with several big buckets full of businesses from all over the media world. One of the first to make a formal announcement is TiVo, this increasing the groups Social TV functionality as they update both their iPhone and iPad apps to include additional integration with Facebook. The social network’s new APIs for developers are rolling out today at f8 and TiVo appears to have been able to get on the boat early.
Users will now be able to see exactly which of their friends “like” which movies and programs they’ve watched. Users will now also be able to view these shows and videos by using the “Watch” feature, this immediately scheduling a recording or allowing you to watch LIVE based on the recommendations made by your friends. Social graphs will be fully interactive, your ability to discuss shows, movies, and online videos now simple and fully encouraged – you don’t even need to be a TiVo subscriber to chat.
A limited set of enhancements will be released immediately if not soon, while the complete set of new features will launch on the TiVo app for iPhone and iPad later this year. This will layer on top of TiVo’s current iOS experience, that being “the full complement” of TiVo functionality to to users plus real-time info on programs being viewed. Connect your TiVo iPad and iPhone apps to your TiVo DVR and blast off into Facebook-toting outer space!
Check out all the rest of our TiVo news to get in on the party, then hit up our [f8 2011 portal] for all the Facebook updates you can handle from the one and only Facebook developers conference here in San Francisco, California.


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Mario Kart Experience will be a major attraction within Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan, an executive announced Thursday during groundbreaking ceremonies for the land.
"It gives me particularly great pleasure to make an announcement that we know the fans have been waiting for: And that is to tell the world know that a key part of Super Nintendo World will be the Mario Kart Experience," said Mark Woodbury, vice chairman of Universal Parks & Resorts.
"Together, we have been working to make Mario Kart Experience an attraction that is unlike any that the world has ever seen, the most immersive and cutting-edge technological attraction that we could have possibly have imagined," he said. "We know the fans and our guests are going to be thrilled to experience it."
Super Nintendo World is scheduled to open in the Osaka theme park by 2020. A Nintendo-themed area is also coming to Universal Orlando and Universal Studios Hollywood, although the time frames have not yet been announced.
Details for a future Nintendo space in Orlando have been scarce. Universal has not announced if the attractions would go in its Universal Studios or Islands of Adventure theme parks or if they were part of a plan for property purchased on and around International Drive.
On Thursday, Woodbury was accompanied on stage by two other executives, including J.L. Bonnier, president of Universal Studios Japan, who said Super Nintendo World would include attractions, retail and restaurants. Shigeru Miyamoto, co-representative director of Nintendo, spoke in Japanese, including a word for "immersiveness," increasing its status as an international theme-park buzzword.
"Guests will be able to enter a world of excitement where they will feel as if they are playing inside Nintendo video games," said Miyamoto, according to translation superimposed on the video.
The trio of executives were decked out in dark suits, oversize white gloves and Mario-styled red caps for the ceremony. A Mario walkaround character in his traditional overalls look joined them.
email@example.com or 407-420-5477; Twitter, @ThemeParks


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Love Cycling Go Dutch and Think Bike Workshop a report back by Pete Abel (Manchester Cycle Forum, 11th December 2012)
Love Your Bike would like to cordially invited you to a Bike Fabulous Christmas shopping soirée at Keep Pedalling in the Northern Quarter, on Thursday 13th December.
Love Your Bike submitted the response below to ‘Get Britain Cycling‘ on 7th December 2012.
MySociety has launched a new website, Mapumental Property, which allows users to decide what counts as a tolerable public transport commute time, and the site displays homes for sale or rent within that timeband.
In September 2012, we ran a photo competition for International Park(ing) Day. The winning photo, by Dave Coleman is below. [flickr id=”8087415294″ thumbnail=”medium_640″ overlay=”false” size=”original” group=”” align=”normal”]


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In a significant development for the mixed and virtual reality space, Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) announced on Thursday that Samsung Electronics and Alphabet’s (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google intend to utilize its latest computing chip designed to power mixed and virtual reality headsets. The newly unveiled chip, known as the Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2, is equipped to handle data feeds from up to a dozen cameras integrated inside the headset.
This move by Qualcomm marks a strategic advancement in the competition for mixed-reality headsets, where the user experiences a blend of virtual and real-world surroundings through embedded cameras. With Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) poised to release its Vision Pro headset, priced at $3,500, the competition in the mixed-reality headset market is expected to intensify. The Vision Pro headset is anticipated to use a custom-designed chip, akin to some of Apple’s laptops.
TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggested that Apple could commence sales of the Vision Pro headset later this month or in early February, further fueling the competition in the mixed-reality space.
While Google and Samsung have not provided specific details about the products incorporating the new Qualcomm chip, the adoption of Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 signifies a strategic move by these tech giants to enhance their offerings in the mixed and virtual reality domain. The Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2’s ability to process data from multiple cameras within the headset is expected to contribute to improved functionalities and immersive experiences in the upcoming mixed-reality products from Google and Samsung.
As mixed-reality technologies continue to evolve, the collaboration between Qualcomm, Samsung, and Google underscores the industry’s commitment to advancing the capabilities of headsets, providing users with increasingly sophisticated and immersive mixed and virtual reality experiences. The competition and innovation in this space are likely to drive further developments and improvements in mixed-reality technologies.
Featured Image: Megapixl


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* Q2 EPS $0.46 vs. est $0.32
* Q2 rev $92.3 mln vs. est $87.8 mln
* Raises '09 revenue outlook
Aug 6 (Reuters) - Fuel Systems Solutions Inc, an alternative fuel components maker, posted better-than-expected quarterly results, helped by a rise in demand for its delayed original equipment manufacturer products, and it raised its revenue outlook for the full year. Shares of the company rose 8 percent to $29 in trading after the bell. They closed at $26.82 Thursday on Nasdaq.
The company posted second-quarter earnings of $7.4 million, or 46 cents a share, compared with $4.6 million, 29 cents a share, a year earlier. Revenue fell 6 percent to $92.3 million.
Analysts on average were expecting earnings of 32 cents a share, on revenue
of $87.8 million, according to Reuters Estimates.
The company raised its full-year revenue outlook to a range of $370 million to $380 million from its previous forecast of $330 million to $360 million.
This company is well positioned in the alternative fuel space and gets a lot of business outside the US, which seems to be the driver of growth these days.
I regret not buying the stock when I first posted about it at $18. I'd still like to own it if I get the opportunity at a better price, but I probably won't be buying when the shares rise 10% like today.


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FTSE 250 housebuilding company Vistry Group (LON:VTY) saw its share price drop by 6.01% to 597.28p (as of 15:35 BST) after it booked a pre-tax loss for the six months ended 30th June. Revenues for the half year were up by 28%, but site closures and slow sales during lockdown impacted financial performance. Management said that the second half had started well with strong sales and robust pricing.
CEO Greg Fitzgerald commented: “We moved quickly to integrate Linden Homes and Vistry Partnerships at the start of the year. It has been a successful process bringing together the best from each business, with the benefits from the combination expected to be ahead of our initial target. We have achieved this whilst maintaining our focus on delivering excellent service to our customers.
“Housebuilding’s first half performance was significantly impacted by the lockdown and resultant site closures. Vistry Partnerships demonstrated its market resilience and robust revenue model and led the group to an early successful return to site, with production levels across the Group now back at near normal levels.
“We have seen positive sales trends since early May, with consumer interest higher than at any time in recent years. Our sales rate in the second half to date is running 20% ahead of last year at 0.73, and pricing remains robust. The Group is well positioned to capitalise on the opportunities available in the second half and into 2021 when we expect to deliver a step-up in completions and profitability, a reduction in gearing and a return to dividend payments“.


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China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MOA) organized a number of wholesale markets to purchase 4,677 tons of unsold vegetables in Central China’s Henan Province from November 22 to 28.
China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MOA) organized a number of wholesale markets to purchase 4,677 tons of unsold vegetables in Central China’s Henan Province from November 22 to 28. Henan is one of the largest vegetable production provinces in the country.
The wholesale markets in Beijing purchased 330 tons of vegetables including cabbages and cauliflowers from Ruzhou and other regions in the province; two markets from East China’s Jiangsu Province bought a total of 1,151 tons of vegetables like eggplants and carrots from Zhengzhou, Kaifeng and other cities. Central China’s Hubei procured 329 tons of vegetables from Luoyang and other areas.
Due to COVID prevention and control as well as a drop in consumer spending, some places in Henan faces the risk of large quantities of unsold vegetables.
According to local media reports, 3.5 million kilograms of onions, 930,000 kilograms of spinach, 191.2 million kilograms of cabbage and many other vegetables were left to rot in Ruzhou, with the local market only able to absorb 10 percent of what was available.
In order to address the issue, the local government issued 10 measures on November 18, to protect normal vegetable production and business activities, including improve specific COVID control measures.
Henan Province is one of China’s largest vegetable producing provinces, with its sowing area totaling 25 million mu (1.67 million hectares), and its total output remains above 70 million tons. In 2021, Henan ranked second in the country with 76.124 million tons of vegetable supply, accounting for 10.2 percent of the total national vegetables supply.
The MOA noted that it will continue to actively promote the sales of unsold vegetables through large agricultural retail markets, while strengthening the monitoring of national agricultural markets.
The agricultural ministry will guide localities to ramp up marketing activities of agricultural produce, accelerating the storage of vegetables like cabbages and radishes by supporting cold storage and preservation facilities.
Originally published at Global Times


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In less than a week, Riga will host one of the biggest networking events in Latvia – the 21stInternational Business Networking Event. These events happen twice a year, and this time the main theme for the event is “The Modern World”. It gathers industry professionals, company owners, managers, investors, experts and even members of the Latvian and European parliament. Best Coin Investments are proud and thankful to be one of the main media partners for this event.
The Modern World
The event will take place on 22ndof March, and if you visited the previous one, the location stays the same – Citadele conference center.
The presentation panel will be opened by the Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of Latvia, Inara Murniece. Also, speakers from all around the world will deliver many interesting subjects that will flock your mind. From communications and new technologies to customer service, from virtual reality to money. From medicine to performance arts. Topics covering specific country experiences like Indonesian development of technologies, and the success of Estonian startup ecosystem. In short – there will be topics for everyone.
Of course, we are most eager to hear Mr. Arturs Boss and Kristaps Strelis’ presentation, because they are going to cover a 20 minute long speech titled “Money, money, money… Faster, better, individual approach to conventional banking in 21stcentury”. We hope that this presentation will feature topics around cryptocurrencies or at least the use of blockchain. As mentioned in the title, they will cover the conventional banking system, but as many of us knows, JP Morgan Chase, is about to release their own stable coin – JPM Coin.
Moreover, another interesting speech should be about the famous Estonian start-up ecosystem, which has attracted many young entrepreneurs and helped them to achieve their goals and visions. Taxify being one of the most popular ones.
“You don’t need to move to Silicon Valley to compete with huge global giants and build a transportation platform that’s used by tens of millions of people across the world. We’ve done it from Estonia,” says the owners of Taxify.
For a more detailed schedule of the event, go to their website.
Tickets and Organizers
Also, you can still purchase tickets which price is very
In addition, these events are usually very well organized. You will not have to worry about coffee or snacks, because everything will be provided. A nice lunch for every kind of taste, coffee breaks long enough, specifically meant for networking, and a really nice after-party with drinks and meals on a cute ship right next to the conference location. All that for 200 Euros – we believe that it’s more than worth it.
The organizers Talivaldis Kreislers and Mara Kreislere from IBNC (International Business and Networking Consortium) have been organizing these events for more than 10 years and we can reassure that these people have mastered the art of organizing a networking event. You will feel nurtured, and everything will be provided for you to qualitatively take on information.
“IBC forums are useful for business development, promotion of export and sales in general. Through business contacts made in our forums, hundreds of companies have found new customers, business partners, and investors”.Talivaldis Kreislers, the lead organiser.
The previous event
Best Coin Investments also attended and covered the previous event. It happened just a few months ago, in October 2018. Back then the main theme for this business networking event was new challenges and opportunities in Asia. Many company owners shared their experience of working in abroad areas like Indonesia, India, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and China. They told about the unique possibilities that these countries offer to the Baltic States and how this cooperation can benefit them.
Of course, we went there to find out the current state of cryptocurrency adoption within these many foreign countries. Most of the entrepreneurs and government officials we met, were aware of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology. They knew what this technology can offer, however, all as one shared the same opinion – cryptocurrencies must be properly regulated. To read more about the last event and what many industry professionals had to say about cryptocurrencies, read our article.
Contacts and tickets
(To purchase tickets, press “I’m attending” and fill out the form)
Photo by sfk.lv


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To enhance the viewing experience, Moët & Chandon put together a handful of cocktails meant to represent some of the teams taking to court as the season winds to a dramatic close.
Famed brand Milagro Tequila recently announced a pretty nifty deal for folks who purchase a bottle of the company's wares, offering "Marga-Refunds" on that special day.
Jose Cuervo, the world's top-selling tequila brand, launched a new "Tip It Forward campaign aimed at easing the burdens of those individuals.
Today (April 20), the company rolled out a new Dank Dust IPA and hired a new "Director of Dank" in one Action Bronson to bring it all home.
For those who partake and for those who don't, we've got a couple of cocktails below that are, ahem, "smoky" and stand as perfect pairings for your afternoon and evening enhancements.
WhistlePig, a distiller of premium rye whiskey, introduced a new offering of their fine product that was aged in the old bats of famed MLB slugger, David Ortiz.
Recently, Spirit.Ed had the pleasure of joining the first tasting of Bisquit & Dubouché in the United States, adding to cognac's lasting legacy as an elevated drinking experience.
The talented Janelle Monáe and the Martell cognac house partnered together along with Cognac Educator ms. franky marshall for a new cocktail kit that's only available for a limited time.
Celebrating the famed patron saint of Ireland, St. Patty's Day is also a day of revelry for many in the states and across the pond.


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Apple has announced a multitude of new features on its preview of the iPhone OS 3.0, including several developer features that weren’t available and will allow those who are registered developers will get their hands on the new OS before the rest of us could get one.
New features in the iPhone OS 3.0 include MMS (multimedia messenging system); capture and send audio recordings with a new Voice Memo application; landscape view in Mail, Text and Notes; and cut, copy and paste between applications – which was the most requested feature (and I guess Kevin Rose was right after all).
The Stocks App will now feature company news and current trading information, while Calendar will now be able to sync to Yahoo! Calendar, iCal or Google Calendar.
Stereo Bluetooth, pairing devices via Wi-Fi, turn-by-turn GPS, Anti-phishing and remembering login credentials on Safari, parental controls on music, TV shows and movies, HDTV streaming for audio and video, along with a new media player, and new search functionality from Spotlight also are features in the new OS.
For Developers, new integration of maps from Apple, push notifications, access to a user’s music library, in-app purchases, and peer-to-peer connections are some of the 1,000 new features in the iPhone API, making it more flexible for developers to build applications on the iPhone.


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Pollock (Scotrans) returned to the black last year after making a loss in 2015 following the collapse of one of its clients. The Scottish firm made a pre-tax profit of £25,690 on a turnover of £25.6m in the year ending August 2016, newly published accounts show. This compared with a £156,214 loss on a £24.9m turnover the previous year, which it attributed in part to the collapse of paper maker Tullis Russell. In its business review, the company said a […]
Miniclipper Logistics has reported pre-tax profits were down 22.4% at £796,176 for the year ending 31 May 2020 with turnover dipping by 3.9% to £14,699,129.
Fowler Welch saw turnover climb 6% to £178.7m in the year to 31 March, although annual profit was pegged back due to operational inefficiency at certain depots.
Maxi Haulage is on course to deliver “acceptable” profit levels this year after driver wage rises and a steep hike in shipping costs to Ireland saw the firm’s pre-tax profit take a 41% hit in 2017.


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We've been keeping a close eye on the big mobile manufacturers such as Samsung, Apple and Motorola to release wearable tech, though less than a week after Samsung unveiled its Galaxy Gear smartwatch, Nissan has revealed its very own smartwatch especially designed for drivers.
The watch, called the Nissan Nismo, not only measures the driver’s heart rate and temperature, like many similar devices, but it also connects with your car to track your car’s performance, including its fuel consumption, distance travelled and miles per hour.
The Nismo is expected to be more popular than the smartwatches being launched by the likes of Sony and Samsung, though, with critics claiming that the Nismo will serve more of a purpose to its users.
Nissan Europe’s marketing communications general manager, Gareth Dunsmore, stated that Nissan’s vistion is to create a range of smart devices which connect mobile technology with cars in order for to spot users’ emotions, tiredness and level of concentration.
Written by Charlotte Kertrestel


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A potential takeover of Bemis Co. Inc. by Amcor Ltd. makes sense in the eyes of one observer of the two plastics packaging companies.
A news report indicates Melbourne, Australia-based Amcor is eyeing Bemis as a potential acquisition target, a move that stock analyst Christopher Manuel of Wells Fargo Securities LLC said he can understand.
Amcor has made several acquisitions around the world in recent years, and Bemis has been disappointed with recent financial results. It has been working to make improvements by closing locations, cutting jobs and is looking to broaden its customer base.
Bloomberg reported the potential acquisition Sept. 7, and Manuel provided some perspective.
"At this point, the concept is merely conjecture [no comment from management]; however we see several merits behind how such a transaction could make sense," he wrote in a research note. That includes Amcor's continued investment globally in flexible packaging and the company's desire to grow "inorganically, including a bigger presence in the U.S."
Flexible packaging is Amcor's largest product segment.
Total company sales for the year ended June 30 totaled $9.1 billion, including about $6.2 billion for flexible packaging, Manuel reported.
It was just last year that Amcor purchased Alusa, South America's largest flexible packaging business, for $435 million. That move brought four plants to the company.
Amcor also bought Deluxe Packages of Yuba, City, Calif, at the beginning of 2016, a $45 million move that gave the company a West Coast presence in flexible packaging.
"North America is an attractive region for flexible packaging and this acquisition represents an excellent opportunity to accelerate profitable growth," Amcor CEO Ron Delia said in a statement at that time.
The company also has made a series of acquisitions through its Amcor Rigid Plastics division, based in Ann Arbor, Mich., in recent years.
Bemis has sales of about $4 billion annually, including about two-thirds of that total coming from the United States.
Neenah, Wis.-based Bemis makes both flexible and semi-rigid plastic packaging and has about 17,500 employees. An investor presentation posted on the company's website earlier this year indicates the company has 59 facilities in 12 countries.


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Vogue Business took Earth Month as an opportunity to focus on fashion’s biggest sustainability issues: overproduction and overconsumption. Here, we put together everything you need to know about the businesses, brands and technology offering real solutions for the fashion industry as it faces up to the climate emergency.
Firstly, senior sustainability editor Rachel Cernansky offers up solutions from new business models, smarter production decisions and the de-growth mindset.
She spotlights some interesting smaller brands, artisans and cooperatives offering blueprints for operating sustainably and introduces new thinkings on how to view growth and prosperity.
La Réunion, an upcycling startup, serves as an example of small producers scaling up sustainably.
Another alternative business model for fashion is Swedish menswear brand Asket, which sells only one permanent collection of high-quality, trendless clothing. The profitable brand is tweaked and improved but never added to, the CEO says.
Fashion’s latest shift to offer take-back programmes that sort, sell and recycle clothes from consumers in the West have been praised for their circularity. But Rachel’s deep-dive revealed a worrying reality that most still end up in the Global South as landfill and litter. The best might become recycled cashmere, but the rest ends up in dumps in markets like Ghana, hurting the local designers, manufacturers and environment.
Amazon is certifying products as “Climate Pledge Friendly” to help people buy better and, given its scale, encourage others. But it’s far too limited for advocates, who say certifications only address specific issues, are not foolproof and do little to change the bigger picture of overconsumption and carbon emissions associated with it.
Singular sustainability efforts, common around Earth Month, have their limitations, so we unpacked the more holistic approaches needed and what to avoid.
Eileen Fisher is an American designer with some big ideas on alternative fashion business models. She spoke exclusively to Rachel on Earth Day in this webinar.
On-demand manufacturing is improving fashion production. We uncover the companies specialising in new technologies for a look at one possible solution to overproduction.
Finally, we spoke to Veja CEO and founder Sébastien Kopp about why they are now offering repairs and advice on how he scaled the direct supplier model.


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NEW YORK (MarketWatch) - Eastman Kodak Co. reported Wednesday a dramatic increase in fourth-quarter profit, helped by its consumer digital business and greater cost efficiencies.
The company also said it completed a four-year restructuring and cost-saving program, which has driven earnings growth.
The Rochester, N.Y., imaging company earned $215 million, or 71 cents a share, up from $16 million, or 6 cents, in the year-earlier period. Sales rose 4% to $3.22 billion.
Earnings from continuing operations were $92 million, or 31 cents a share. Excluding one-time restructuring charges and other special items, the company would have earned 41 cents a share.
Analysts polled by Thomson Financial expected earnings of 52 cents a share on revenue of $3.1 billion.
Kodak EK shares fell 3.4% to close at $19.75. The stock is down more than 20% in the past year on concerns over a drop in business-IT spending.
Indeed, the quarter's operating earnings from Kodak's graphic-communications group fell 30% to $33 million. The drop stems primarily from higher aluminum costs, the impact of an intellectual-property-licensing settlement, and decreased sales, the company said.
Profit from the consumer digital business, which include cameras, printers and software, improved by $5 million to $146 million.
Kodak "successfully entered the $50 billion consumer inkjet market and exceeded our first-year printer-sales goal," Chief Executive Antonio Perez said in a statement. "What's more, third-party data indicates that Kodak is enjoying a 30% price premium over the industry average."


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It’s a conflicting message.
With COVID-19 cases on the rise in Nova Scotia, many people will be spending more time inside during the coming weeks.
But the holiday season is just around the corner, and local businesses are also suffering right now.
So for people looking to stay inside, but still shop local, it’s as easy as picking up the phone and making a call.
That’s according to Halifax business professor Ed McHugh, who says online retail just keeps getting bigger and bigger, and local businesses should be getting into e-commerce.
McHugh tells The Sheldon MacLeod Show, local businesses will need to adjust quickly to make online shopping happen.
“Energize your phone lines somehow, or get online, or get your website some e-commerce capabilities,” he says.
As for shoppers who might be hesitant to go out but still want to support local, McHugh says people should consider the local businesses they want to support, then give them a call and try to work something out.
McHugh says, given the current climate, local retailers will likely be more than willing to make some sort of purchasing arrangement.
“Pick up the phone and call them, and find out how you can support them in some way, and I’m sure they’ll find a way.”
However McHugh does caution small businesses that there is a lot of online competition out there, and one key will be finding a way to stand out from the crowd.
"(Online Shopping) is only going to get bigger. This COVID might be a way to push some retailers toward doing that.”


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Lil’s Wayne’s Tha Carter IV album is expected to hit stores August 29 and of course everyone can not wait.…
Early reports indicate that Young Jeezy aka The Snowman has officially made the release date for Thug Motivation: 103 from…
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Shenzhen-based new tobacco startup YouMe raised a RMB 73 million (USD 10.65 million) Series A financing round at an unknown valuation, reports tech news outlet Iyiou.
Founded by former Apple manufacturing employee Chen Chaoxian, and with an R&D team made up of Xiaomi and Huawei alumni, YouMe produces non-combustion-based cigarettes and tobacco oil, taking after leading new tobacco manufacturers IQOS and Juul.
YouMe’s product line includes the Suorin e-cigarette device — a Juul copycat available in overseas markets and among the top-three best-selling e-cigarette devices in the US.
Now the company is turning its attention homeward. In April, it launched the YouMe Jingyangbao (clean cigarette device), a “heat, not burn” device similar to IQOS products that vaporize regular cigarettes at 315℃, giving smokers the same dose of nicotine and a similar tobacco flavor profile as conventional cigarettes, but without the combustion and smoke.
As the world’s largest tobacco market, China presents a substantial opportunity to homegrown companies like YouMe. The country is home to 350 million smokers, and yet e-cigarette penetration stands at less than 1%, far lower than the 13% in the US. New tobacco is a rising industry in China, with sales reaching RMB 40 billion (USD 5.8 billion) in 2017, and growth wavering between 20% and 30% ever since, according to data cited by Iyiou.


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Run your eye down the latest sales charts for the world’s larger markets and one name stands out. Volvo has found the recipe for gains even in those countries and regions where every other brand is in the doldrums. Can it keep this run of good fortune going, and just as importantly, will it be able to make strong profits from all the EVs which it says are coming?
Across the European Union and its regional neighbour markets, Volvo alone has had a great first two months, its share of EU-EFTA-UK sales now at 2.8% compared to 2.1% for the equivalent period of 2020. Every other medium to large brand has by contrast fallen, all three of the German mass-premium suffering double digit declines. BMW, Mercedes and Audi remain well ahead as you’d expect yet Volvo has closed the gap to its far larger rivals.
The story is the same in China, where even though February was the eleventh straight month-on-month gain for the market, it should be noted that Volvo’s numbers were up by a whopping 2,700% to 7,497 locally made passenger vehicles. And the US? A decent performance there too, sales rising by 17% to 9,164. Worldwide, the company claims a 29% year-on-year surge for the first two months, to 110,383.
Electric-only in 2030
“To remain successful, we need profitable growth. So instead of investing in a shrinking business, we choose to invest in the future – electric and online,” Håkan Samuelsson, the chief executive, said earlier in March. “We are fully focused on becoming a leader in the fast-growing premium electric segment.”
The brand’s initial EV was a low volume version of the C30 built for a few years from 2010 and it was quite some time after that until the arrival of model number two, another liquid fuel Volvo which was converted to run on ions. This, the XC40 Recharge, is doing very well in many European markets, as is the entire XC40 range, which in February became the marque’s global best seller, a title which used to belong to the XC60.
What other electric cars and SUVs are coming next then? One of them, the C40 Recharge, has just been announced, although production won’t start until October. Volvo even plans to sell this coupe-crossover in the USA so it will be interesting to observe how that goes in a market where most brands’ EVs are still taking some time to be nationally accepted.
With Geely and Volvo’s CMA as its basis, the C40 Recharge is 4,431 mm long and shares a 78 kWh battery and two-motor drivetrain with the XC40 Recharge P8 and Polestar 2. Volvo estimates a WLTP maximum range of around 420 km but official numbers are yet to be announced. Ghent (Belgium) is the only plant to have been confirmed as a build location but it’s possible that the model might also be made in China. And as for the likely manufacturing life cycle, that should end in around 2028/2029 with a facelift and new battery pack in 2025/2026.
The company has dropped coded suggestions that some of its cars might not have direct replacements – the S60 would be one of the obvious ones to disappear at the end of its life cycle in 2025 if not earlier. Having said that, should demand for electric sedans in this size class take off next year, the firm will have to look again at its strategy and put a four-door vehicle into the segment where Tesla’s Model 3 has swept all before it. There is even an argument to say that the S60 could be phased out early and an ‘S60 Recharge‘ fast-tracked for launch in the US-China-Europe. Even if such a project were given the green light today, such a car wouldn’t arrive until 2024 at the earliest though.
Returning to SUVs, a large one designed to compete with the likes of the BMW X7 and Mercedes GLS is said to be on the way, due for launch in the second half of 2023. The provisionally named XC100 will use SPA 2. This architecture, plus a production line at Volvo’s South Carolina factory, will be shared with the third generation XC90 which lands later this year.
There should also be either a PHEV or fully electric variant of the XC100. Expect both six- and seven-seat layouts and a length of 5.2-5.4 metres. Volvo told the media in May 2020 that future SPA 2 models will be available with LiDAR supplied by Luminar. And with the statement made last month that all combustion-engine vehicles will be gone by 2030 – and that obviously includes hybrids and plug-in hybrids – the XC100 will likely only be in production for six years. However, an EV version would probably remain until perhaps 2030 or 2031.
Another crossover, albeit a much smaller one, could arrive in 2025. The proposed XC20 would use SEA, the brand new Geely-Volvo electric-only architecture. Given that development will probably not yet have started properly, few other details are known at this stage.
Reports for many other manufacturers’ future models are grouped in the OEM product strategy summaries section of just-auto.com.
Future platform intelligence
More detail on past, current and forthcoming models can be found in PLDB, the future vehicles database which is part of GlobalData’s Automotive Intelligence Center. That includes the many Volvo models not mentioned in this report and data concerning their proposed replacements.
This is the fourth of five reports on the future vehicles of Geely’s brands. Maple, Geometry and Geely itself were first; followed by Lynk & Co; then Proton and Lotus. A look at what’s coming for Polestar will conclude the series.


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FCA can manage the consumers in Europe through limited editions, and good marketing; they simply can’t replicate that formula in USARead More Fiat 500 fails in USA: the product, stupid
The Fiat Centoventi is a big surprise. The brand had not presented a concept car in Geneva motor show since 2011 when it revealed the Fiat 500 Coupe Zagato Concept. Unlike other projects, they managed to keep the secret until the very last moment, when pictures of the covered car started to circulate right before […]Read More The Centoventi might not be enough to offset the negative effect of Jeep on Fiat
One of the effects of globalization on the car industry is that most of the vehicles are now conceived and developed for all regions. The global car is a reality for many brands that want to save costs and increase their presence everywhere. Each market has its differences on regulation, taxation and consumer taste, but […]Read More The two sides of Fiat brand
Once again, I had the chance to attend the press day at Paris motor show to see the latest products and trends. This year the event featured a more modest scenario as many brands decided to skip the show. However, there were big news coming from the French stands but especially from the German premiums. […]Read More The real competitors of Fiat, Alfa Romeo & Jeep
The 2018 edition of the Paris motor show will be the occasion for some carmakers to show their latest products for Europe, and the event where many others decided to skip. FCA brands will not take part of the show because according to the company, the potential sales and publicity did not justify the outlay […]Read More An example to follow
The latest results from USA and Italy indicate that there is a big change within FCA brands. Following my own forecast for this year, Jeep is set to become the group’s largest brand by sales volume by the end of this year. It would be the first time that the Fiat brand doesn’t lead the […]Read More Jeep to outsell Fiat for the first time
It is time for the Punto to pass away. After the end of production of the Fiat Palio in South America, the company has officially stopped the production of another glorious nameplate. The Fiat Punto has been in the market for 25 years and after 4 years of agony, the brand decided to kill the […]Read More The Fiat Punto is dead, long live the Punto
So many things have been said about a deal between FCA and a potential buyer. The rumors grab more attention than the company’s financial results, but there’s very few evidence of a real agreement. Sergio Marchionne has constantly said FCA can make by its own, but at the same time he doesn’t hide his desire […]Read More Speculating about the potential buyers of FCA brands
Everybody is wondering about the future of Fiat brand after Marchionne’s statements during Geneva motor show. This is called the “big issue” among FCA’s top managers as is not clear what it is supposed to be done regarding the Italian brand. While there has been a lot of speculation about a possible acquisition by the […]Read More What’s the future for Fiat brand?
Fiat may not be attractive and not even profitable, but it is the biggest brand in terms of sales volume. My own figures indicate that 1,52 million units were sold/delivered/registered last year. That’s 1,1% higher than the total seen in 2016. One in three cars sold by FCA globally is a Fiat. Therefore it is […]Read More Fiat brand grows by 1,1% in 2017. It needs new cars.


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A few days ago, Apple officially released its performance report for the third quarter of 2022. It shows that the revenue in this quarter was USD146 billion, a year-on-year increase of 8.1%, and the net profit was USD 20.71 billion, a slight increase of 0.83% year-on-year.
Thanks to the early launch of the iPhone 14 series, this third-quarter performance was very eye-catching, with iPhone revenue reaching $42.63 billion, a year-on-year increase of 9.67%.
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Data from research firm StrategyAnalytic also shows that Apple’s global market share will reach 16% in the third quarter of 2022, which is the highest level Apple has achieved in the third quarter in the past twelve years.
In particular, the iPhone 14 Pro market has performed very strongly, and it is still in short supply, which also makes Apple confident. Even Cook said at the meeting “Versailles” that the Pro series will continue to be in short supply for some time.
Thanks to the outstanding financial report data, Apple’s stock price also stood out among the plummeting US technology companies. It opened higher on Friday and closed up 7.56%, the largest one-day increase since April 2020, and its market value overnight, soaring 176.1 billion US dollars.
In addition to Apple, US technology giants such as Microsoft, Google’s parent company Alphabet, Facebook’s parent company Meta, and Amazon have seen their stock prices fluctuate sharply and continue to fall after the announcement of their financial reports.


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FRAMINGHAM, MA: The TJX Companies issued an RFP for digital support across its Marshalls and TJ Maxx brands.
TJX PR manager Laura McDowell said the company is looking for an agency to handle blogger relations and digital influencer programs to support its traditional media relations efforts.
The company is currently looking at small and mid-sized PR firms, not including incumbent digital agency Rocket XL. She said that the company worked with the agency for about three years and decided to conclude the relationship when the contract ended in 2010.
McDowell explained that the company is looking for fresh ideas.
"It's such a fast-moving space," she said. "It's all about their capabilities, what they're done, what they're doing, and how they see the space in the future, and innovative ideas in general and for our business."
The review began this month, and McDowell expects that the company will make a decision in March.
Regarding the length of the relationship, she said that the company is striving for a long-term agreement but that it could change depending on what happens during the review.
At this point, it's a closed review.
The company, which also owns HomeGoods, works with AOR Ogilvy PR Worldwide.
Rocket XL did not immediately return a request for comment.


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De-banking threatens Australia’s cryptocurrency ambitions
The Australian government is keen to be seen as a world leader in the regulation of crypto assets. It is easy to see why, as a December 2021 report said the digital asset economy could be worth more than $68bn and employ in excess of 200,000 people in Australia by 2030.
As Capital.com previously reported, the current administration has laid out plans to consult on the establishment of a licensing framework for digital currency exchanges.
However, its strategy for tackling the thorny issue of banks denying service to companies and individuals operating in the crypto space are pretty lukewarm and thus far only extend to “receiving advice from the Council of Financial Regulators and other relevant agencies on the underlying causes”.
Andrew Bragg, chair of the Select Committee on Australia as a Technology and Financial Centre says banks should “stop de-banking hard working Australians”.
De-banking lawful services
He refers to a warning from the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre that de-banking legitimate and lawful financial services businesses can increase the risks of money laundering and terrorism financing as well as negatively impacting the economy.
It was reported last October that Allan Flynn, owner of Canberra Bitcoin, had settled a de-banking complaint against ANZ.
The bank stated that it closed his accounts due to the risk of money laundering and terrorism funding that it perceives among exchanges and denied liability.
However, it also acknowledges that de-banking the trader could have amounted to unlawful discrimination and that it was done without contacting him for further information about his activities.
“Institutional control of consumers”
Flynn did not respond to requests for comment, but other traders were keen to talk about how this issue has affected their businesses.
Michaela Juric, founder of trading firm Bitcoin Babe says that following her participation in the Select Committee on Australia as a Technology and Financial Centre’s hearing in September 2021, she was de-banked by two financial institutions.
“One of Australia’s largest banks (and its subsidiaries) recently went one step further to discriminate against digital currency exchanges that use the POLi Payments (an Australian digital payment network) to process their customers’ payments for cryptocurrencies into their own accounts,” she says.
“This is a step in the troubling direction of institutional control of consumers, dictating where they can and cannot spend.”
AML regulation an issue
Zerocap CEO Ryan McCall says that in addition to de-banking, transfers to businesses are being blocked from the customer’s end (by their bank) leaving them unable to fund their account or settle trades.
“This is even happening with sophisticated investors transferring money to regulated businesses like ours,” he says. “This will likely remain a problem until banks get a better handle on AML CTF (anti money laundering and counter-terrorism financing) regulations, which unfortunately is not going to happen in a hurry.”
There have been numerous cases in Australia and abroad of crypto ventures being denied access to financial services, says Dimitrios Salampasis, lecturer in fintech innovation and entrepreneurship at Swinburne Business School.
“It could be argued that the perceived reputational risk may be fuelled by ideological or political controversies rather than a case-by-case determination of the risk associated with each customer.”
De-banking process less arbitrary
“Hopefully regulatory provisions will bring clarity and introduce reform measures that enable sound risk mitigation mechanisms,” he adds.
PwC Australia director, Sagan Rajbhandary, says media and political discussion of de-banking has applied pressure on banks and that anyone now denied access to banking services is likely to have gone through a more rigorous decision-making process.
“AML and know your customer (KYC) practises at many crypto companies are not particularly robust,” says Zennon Kapron, managing director Kapronasia.
“For a bank, the risk of a fine or reprimand from a regulatory authority because of a KYC or AML failure just isn’t worth the risk, especially in Australia where these practises have been under intense government scrutiny over the past few years.”
Aussie banks slow to embrace crypto
Jonathon Miller, managing director of Kraken Australia, accepts that Australian banks have been slow to embrace crypto.
“That being said, there have been some very supportive partners and with signs of mass adoption of crypto globally, local banks are now starting, perhaps belatedly, to recognise the opportunities in this area,” he says.
According to Angel Zhong, senior lecturer in finance at RMIT School of Economics and trading trends expert, the absence of a government bailout or asset guarantee for cryptocurrency exchanges highlights the importance of investor protection regulation.
Zhong also believes an Australian central bank digital currency (CBDC) would boost confidence in cryptocurrencies domestically.
Retail CBDC would help
“Government participation in the digital currency space shows that digital finance is the future of finance and can encourage investor participation,” she says.
A December report on the future of the country’s payment systems regulatory framework stated that the Australian government will have received advice from the Treasury and Reserve Bank of Australia on the feasibility of a retail CBDC by the end of this year.
Rajbhandary says the creation of an Australian CBDC would be an acknowledgement that cryptocurrency is the way of the future.
However, he also says that awareness and education would impact on how much confidence individuals may take from hearing the central bank issuing its own digital currency.
“For example, someone who does not really understand cryptocurrencies may look at the fact that the central bank is issuing a cryptocurrency as legitimising the technology and cryptocurrencies in general, therefore gaining confidence,” he says.
Supranational digital currencies
Darcy Allen, senior research fellow at RMIT University’s Blockchain Innovation Hub agrees that a CBDC might increase investor confidence in digital assets but warns that in the longer term they will struggle to compete with innovations in supranational digital currencies.
Kapron questions whether Australia actually needs a central bank digital currency, noting that many economies around Asia are looking at stablecoins which address many of the same issues but with less operational complexity.
This point is taken up by Juric, who suggests that by creating an “open market” dynamic Australia could avoid the monopoly concept attached to a CBDC as well as provide more opportunities for innovation in other sectors — inside and outside of blockchain — that would otherwise be prevented by a CBDC due to an institutional entity deeming the opportunity too much of a risk.
“With impending regulatory upgrades being implemented with the intention of bringing consumer protections surrounding cryptocurrency (including stablecoins) up to speed with other traditional finance sectors, there is the potential for stablecoins to overtake the traditional finance sector as the ‘economy of choice’,” she says.


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MEMPHIS, Tenn.– A pair of suspects are on the run after police say they robbed and kidnapped a mother and her 1-year-old son.
Memphis Police said officers responded to the incident at Target on US Highway 64 around noon Wednesday.
The victim told police her 1-year-old son was in the shopping cart while she was putting groceries in her car when an armed man got out of a goldish tan colored vehicle, pointed a gun at her, and he demanded cash.
Police said she told the man she didn’t have any cash on her and just to take her wallet and cards and gave him the pin number to one of her cards.
That’s when investigators say the suspect grabbed the 1-year-old out of the cart and forced the woman to get into the front seat of the car at gunpoint.
The armed suspect then sat in the backseat with her child. The driver was not armed.
The suspects went to the drive-thru ATM at Regions Bank on Stage Road. The driver withdrew $800, took the victims back to Target, and made them get out of the car.
Police said the armed suspect wiped off the victim’s debit card that was used before throwing it back into her purse. The suspects then left the store with the woman’s wallet.
The woman ran into the store and alerted a staff member who called police.
The victim said no shots were fired and no one was injured during the incident.
Laura Parsons said she comes to the store all the time with other two daughters.
“A one-year-old, it’s not good. Being a mom, it’s very horrible,” she said.
In a shopping center surrounded by other businesses, Parsons said she typically feels safe but not anymore.
“It makes me want to be aware of my surroundings and lock my doors and possibly carry mase,” she said.
Memphis Police have released photos of the suspects.
If you have any information, call Crime Stoppers at 901-528-CASH.


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Shares in Warehouse Group [NZX: WHS], New Zealand's largest publicly listed retailer, rose to a six-week high after the stock was upgraded to 'buy' at brokerage Craigs Investment Partners.
Warehouse jumped 1.8 percent to $3.32, its highest since March 10. That's a discount to the stock's 12-month price target of $3.64, Craigs analyst Chris Byrne said in an April 17 note where he upgraded his recommendation from 'hold'.
Under chief executive Mark Powell, who notches up three years in the job next month, Warehouse is investing in its core 'red shed' stores and has bought 11 businesses in the past 18 months as part of a plan to grow the 'non-red' side of its business to be as large as the general discount stores. While investors are questioning when the investment will translate into higher profits, the retailer's expansion into financial services by buying the Diners Club business last month is a good strategic move, Byrne said.
"Warehouse has announced that it plans to be a leading retail financial services company within five years," Byrne said. "We are of the view that this is a good, low-risk strategy given Warehouse's ability to build a business of scale."
Auckland-based Warehouse aims to build a finance book worth about $600 million by 2020. Based on the earnings of Fisher & Paykel's finance business, which was a similar size, Warehouse could build a finance business worth $68 million to $90 million in that time, Byrne said.
The business doesn't appear to be overly risky and is an opportunity that Warehouse "should not pass up", Byrne said.
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The rate of inflation has risen above 10% for the second time this year as the economy reels from the effects of rising food and energy prices.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the consumer price index rose to 10.1% in September, returning to double figures after a slight dip to 9.9% in August.
It was above the expectations of economists, who had predicted a figure of 10%. The figure matches the 40-year high inflation hit in July and remains well above the government’s target of 2%.
The increase was driven by surging food prices, leaping by 14.5% compared with the same month last year, representing the largest annual rise for 40 years.
ONS director of economic statistics Darren Morgan said: “After last month’s small fall, headline inflation returned to its high seen earlier in the summer.
“The rise was driven by further increases across food, which saw its largest annual rise in over 40 years, while hotel prices also increased after falling this time last year.
“These rises were partially offset by continuing falls in the costs of petrol, with airline prices falling by more than usual for this time of year and second-hand car prices also rising less steeply than the large increases seen last year.
“While still at a historically high rate, the costs facing businesses are beginning to rise more slowly, with crude oil prices actually falling in September.”
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said the government would prioritise help for the vulnerable after the latest inflation rise.
The figure is usually used as the benchmark to raise benefits and the state pension, but the government has refused to confirm that payments will keep pace with rising prices.
Mr Hunt said: “I understand that families across the country are struggling with rising prices and higher energy bills.
“This government will prioritise help for the most vulnerable while delivering wider economic stability and driving long-term growth that will help everyone.
“We have acted decisively to protect households and businesses from significant rises in their energy bills this winter, with the government’s energy price guarantee holding down peak inflation.”
Confederation of British Industry principal economist Martin Sartorius said the rising inflation figure underlined the need for the government to give more details on its revised energy support package.
He said: “Inflation returned to its recent 40-year high and is expected to grow further in October as energy bills rise in line with the government’s energy rice guarantee.
“While the Chancellor’s statement on Monday seems to have restored some fiscal stability, adjustments to the energy price guarantee suggest inflation may yet remain higher for longer.
“The prospect of household energy bills rising sharply again in April 2023 emphasises the need for government to set out the details of any future targeted support sooner rather than later, in addition to how the country will establish its longer-term energy security.”
Joshua Raymond, Director at online investment platform XTB.com, added: “This marks the fourteenth consecutive monthly rise in annual food inflation, with prices continuing to grow at an alarming pace. This spells yet more trouble for families who face their weekly grocery shop becoming more expensive with each passing month and with mortgage rates rising at their fastest pace in years, the cost of living crisis is well and truly entrenched in the UK economy.
“Perhaps equally troubling is core inflation, which strips out food and energy prices and also rose faster than expected to 6.5%. This shows inflationary pressures remain broad and deep. The Bank of England expects inflation to top out at 11% in the coming months, yet these reports may show there is further room for inflation to grow above this, especially given the weakness of the pound compared to its historical value.”


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Mercedes-Benz has revealed that its 2018 model year Mercedes-Benz C-Class cars in the US will not have three-pointed star hood ornament.
The three-pointed star ornament on Mercedes-Benz cars is one of the most important ornaments – at least for Mercedes-Benz owners – and is an iconic symbol in the world of automobiles globally.
Mercedes-Benz USA has however decided that the 2018 model year of the C-Class will not be getting the hood ornament anymore. Instead, it will get a large three-pointed star on the grille itself, like how the Indian C-Class gets it. Along with this, the 2018 C-Class models will also get subtle updates to the interior and exterior as well.
If we revisit history, Daimler had trade-marked the three-pointed star symbol in 1925. It had the Benz laurel wreath wrapped around it and the ornament made its way on the bonnets of some of the most iconic cars in the Mercedes-Benz line-up.
Some reports on the internet say that this particular move could be due to the company’s efforts in presenting Mercedes-Benz cars as a ‘young’ brand, which caters to car buyers who are on the right side of 40. Either ways, car buyers in USA will surely miss the lovely three-pointed star on the Mercedes-Benz C-Class.


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With so many sneaker releases happening each month, it's easy to forget what's even released. Often, the everyday sneaker enthusiast's Saturday pickup is forgotten for next weekend's crop of shoes. But, reflection at each calendar flip can help cement some of those that are worthy of being remembered. Looking for a refresher on all the great sneakers that came out this month? Here, the Sole Collector staff share what were their favorite sneakers that launched in the month of October.
Gerald Flores, Editor-in-Chief
ASICS has been the longtime sponsor of the New York City Marathon, but the brand has never really used its ASICS Tiger heritage line to celebrate the annual event. That was until 2015, when the brand linked up with NY's Alife for a capsule collection that included the Gel Kayano Trainer and Gel Kayano 22 – the first and latest in the Kayano series, respectively. The Trainers, which were cut with Alife's signature three diamonds on the mudguard and hits of reflective details, were easily my favorite of the collection (along with that red and white crewneck).
Brendan Dunne, News Editor
I haven't been huge on the Diadora revival, but this one definitely did it for me. It's easily the best Ronnie Fieg shoe this year, and that man makes a lot of shoes. There's a tendency for people to just slap suede on every retro runner collaboration and I'm glad that was avoided here. Also the the split toebox is awesome. I was able to pick up a pair via the early Uber Rush release, which pushed this project over the top for me.
Steve Jaconetta, Archive and Release Date Editor
October was a relatively light month for Jordan Brand, with a few notable exceptions. The Supreme collabs finally dropped (and caused a major commotion) and it was great to see the "Laney" 14 Low come back. But the standout to me was the return of the "Power Blue" Air Jordan 1. Finally back in its true form, the quality was on par with previous 2015 AJ 1 OGs, and the colorway is as timeless today as when it originally released.
Zac Dubasik, Managing Editor
Sure, the model is now 33 years old, but the Air Force 1 is looking as good as ever thanks to Nike’s "Color of the Month" program. October’s entry has a special significance to me, as a longtime fan of Rasheed Wallac, and a lifetime fan of the Pistons. While the colorway originally appeared in the ‘80s, it could have just as easily been a PE from Sheed’s run in Detroit.
Brandon Richard, Senior Writer
Jordan Brand crossed another off the short list of remaining non-retroed original Air Jordans when they brought back this Air Jordan 14 Low. The shoe, which actually predates the first official “Laney” release, wasn’t exactly a popular colorway the first time around. However, those overlooked colorways have a tendency to grow on you over time – probably because they’re not overexposed like the others. One of the wildest looking Jordans of its time, the “Laney” 14 is a better fit in today’s environment, which is reflected by the way it was received by sneakerheads more than 15 years later.


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Honda is yet to reveal the pricing details of the 2022 Civic, but we expect it to see a marginal hike over the outgoing 10th-gen model
Honda recently debuted the 2022 Civic in prototype form, ahead of the production model’s launch. The eleventh-gen version of the car seems to have undergone a complete transformation both inside and outside, and there’s certainly a lot to talk about. To make things a bit easier, Autolist has uploaded a first look video of the updated car on its YouTube channel.
Talking about its design, it looks like Honda has aimed for a clean and mature look for the upcoming new-gen Civic, bidding farewell to the curvy yet angular design. However, Honda has somehow managed to maintain a degree of sportiness, which is what the Civic nameplate has been best known for.
Moreover, the new-gen Civic will likely continue to be offered with the current body styles and trims, including the sedan, the hatchback, the sporty Civic Si, as well as the sports-oriented Type R. However, the two-door coupe version will be let go with the introduction of the eleventh-gen Civic.
Since it is just a prototype, the orange paint scheme that the car sports will not be offered with the production-ready version. Apart from that, the 2022 Civic is expected to miss out on the darkened taillights, as well as the upscale twin exhaust tips. Honda is yet to reveal the powertrain details of the upcoming new-gen car.
However, not much changes are expected on the mechanical front. That being said, a four-pot naturally aspirated gasoline engine will likely be on offer with the lower trims, while the higher trims could get a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine. The Type R could carry over its predecessor’s 2.0-litre straight-four turbocharged petrol engine with a power bump.
Honda has also confirmed that a manual gearbox will be offered with the 2022 Civic, available on the Si sedan, the Honda Civic hatchback, as well as the Type R. On the inside, Honda seems to have opted for a clean dash layout. The car will get a floating touchscreen infotainment system, along with a digital instrument cluster. A honeycomb mesh design can be seen running the width of the dash, housing the air vents between it.


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The Google Pixel 4 has finally arrived and it's not surprising anyone. For months the handset has been subject to colossal leaks, making it one of the most leaked phones of all time. It reached such a stage that Google itself twice published information about the phone ahead of its reveal.
There's little about the Pixel 4 that we didn't know before Google's hardware event started this afternoon. That doesn't mean that it's not worth your time, though.
First, the basics. This is Google's fourth in-house phone – there's been one released every year since October 2016. There are two new models that have been revealed by the tech firm this year: a 5.7-inch Pixel 4 and a 6.3-inch Pixel 4XL.
It's likely the company will reveal a budget-friendly Pixel 4a (as it did with the Pixel 3a) early in 2020. Both the phones it has just announced come with the 10-month-old Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chip, 64GB or 128GB of storage, wireless charging, Android 10 and no headphone jack.
That's all pretty standard, and the specs aren't going to excite any power users who want the latest in raw hardware grunt. But that doesn't mean Google hasn't done any work to improve upon the already impressive Pixel 3s. As a small nod to the phone's languishing hardware specs, Google has bumped both devices' RAM up to 6GB, from the previous 4GB. (The batteries largely stay the same: they're 2,800mAh for the Pixel 4 and 3,700mAh for the XL, compared to last year's 2,915mAh and 3,430mAh).
Where the big physical change for the Pixel range comes this year is in the camera. More accurately, the cameras. For the first time, Google has bowed to the industry trend of slapping multiple lenses onto the rear of the device. Apple, Huawei, Samsung and OnePlus have bolstered their phone line-ups with triple-camera setups in recent months.
Google is still holding out from a trio of cameras on the rear, but it has moved from one camera to two (on both the Pixel 4 and XL model). One camera is 16MP with ƒ/2.4 aperture and the second is 12.2MP with a ƒ/1.7 aperture – they're supplemented by a 8MP front-facing selfie camera. The idea is that both cameras capture images independently and then software stitches them together. The lens that's missing when compared to competitors is an ultra-wide angle camera.
But Google's photography efforts aren't focused on its hardware. Since the first Pixel was launched, its camera tech has been regarded as some of the best in the industry, and this is all down to the firm's artificial intelligence. The Pixel 4 is no different in this respect, the company has added a number of new machine-learning powered features to the device in an effort to improve the camera output further.
Using machine learning, it has tweaked what a phone owner sees as they go to take a picture. "[On other Pixels] the photos after the fact look a lot better than what you see through the viewfinder," says Sherry Lin, a Pixel product manager. "That's because we do a ton of post-processing to enhance the photo. This year we've pulled it directly into the view finder – it's a much better representation of what you're going to get in the final image."
Also new for the cameras is a dual-exposure mode. When taking a photo it's possible to make the image's foreground bright without altering the background of the image. By tapping on a focus point in the viewfinder a new exposure setting appears that allows the foreground to be enhanced, which could be used when there's a large amount of sunlight coming from behind the photo's subject.
With the latest iPhones Apple rolled out its new "Night" mode for low-light images. For the release of the new Pixels, Google claims it has improved the performance of its existing night mode (called Night Sight). The latest addition is Astrophotography. The phone uses the setting to capture images of the stars and sky; it takes 15 extra-long exposure images – each lasting for around 16 seconds – over a period of four minutes and then uses machine learning to stitch them together.
The other big new addition to this year's Pixels is Google's gesture technology. Dubbed Motion Sense, it's something the company says it has been working on for five years. In demos of the tech, Lin shows how a song could be skipped to the next track by swiping a hand from left to right a few centimetres above the phone's screen. You can also stop alarms and mute calls.
It works by using a tiny radar chip that sits next to the phone's front facing camera. The chip is able to sense a hand moving above it, and Lin says is better than previous camera-based systems that have been used. (The Pixels don't have a notch, but their bezel is pretty large because of the radar chip that's been added to the phone).
First impressions of the tech imply that it's a neat addition that phone owners will probably become accustomed to using. But we're not convinced there's a widespread need or demand for the technology in its current limited state.
Elsewhere on the phones, the firm has revamped how Google Assistant looks. It can now be activated by completing a small swipe up from the bottom right-hand side of the phone's screen.
Perhaps the most useful application of Motion Sense is helping to speed up face unlocking. Like other Androids and iPhones, the Pixel 4 drops a fingerprint sensor in favour of facial biometrics. Google says that as users reaches to pick-up their phone, face unlock is activated and the phone will start to scanning for your features as it is lifted.
The Google Pixels are being made available in black, white and a limited edition orange. Google will be selling them from October 24 and the cheapest model will begin at £669, which is lower than the Pixel 3 when it was first released last year.
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Tissue Farm opens in Confluence
A new coffee shop with a little extra flavor has come to Confluence.
The Tissue Farm, at 446 Latrobe Ave. in Confluence, opened last week in a former Chevrolet dealership. And co-owners Suzanne Lentz and Jeffrey "Pope" Pankey said they're not stopping at espresso.
The co-owners also hope to open a gallery and artist residency program at their location near the Great Allegheny Passage.
Lentz said the espresso shop is the second phase of their plan. They hope to have the artist residency program open by the end of the year.
"In part it's a place for our local residents and also a place for tourists to come," she said.
Both Lentz and Pankey are from outside the area, but Lentz spent a lot of time near Confluence in the summers, so they decided on Confluence for their gallery. The coffee shop is mostly a way to raise money for the artist program.
They also sell snack bars, fruit, tea and baked goods from local producers.
"We look at this place as a retreat to inspire people," Lentz said.
Follow Dylan Johnson on Twitter @DADylanJohnson and on Facebook at facebook.com/DylanJohnsonDailyAmerican.