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“The demise of the Desktop with the future of on Tablets” – Oogle.
Tablets to target OEM markets
Its wholly-owned media processor and platforms company ZiiLabs has announced a new range of reference designs for Android tablets which look set to generate a wave of tablet computers capable of giving the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 a run for its money.
Aimed at the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) market, the ultra-slim, slight and sleek ZiiLABS Jaguar3 series sports a 10.1 inch screen and is only 8.1mm thick. OEMs have the option of reducing the thickness to 7.4mm if they are willing to bear the additional costs.
And the specs are not too shabby either. The Jaguar3 series tablets come with two processor options – the 1.5GHz ARM Cortex-A9 based ZMS-20 StemCell processors and next generation ZMS-40 SoC chip which sports a ARM Cortex-A9 and 96 StemCell Processors – both clocking in at 1.5 GHz.
The ZMS 20 is a dual-core processor, while the ZMS 40 is a quad-core processor that promises to deliver performances that can rival a laptop while consuming only a single watt of power.
This means that the device can last for over 10 hours of video playback and Web browsing while weighing no more than 480g.
In addition, the higher end JAGUAR3 comes with a customisable camera configuration maxing out at 12 megapixels. The camera can be coupled with software supporting HDR imagery and panoramic shots and upgraded sound configurations are also included courtesy of Creative’s Sound Blaster.
Chairman and CEO of Creative Technology Sim Wong Hoo believes that the JAGUAR3 can help usher in a new dawn for tablet computers.
He said: “JAGUAR3 allows OEMs to enter this huge explosive market instantly and economically while reducing the risk significantly. It breaks new ground as the most powerful, lightest, slimmest and most complete Android 3.2 tablet reference designs on the market.
“If you look into the future of computing through our JAGUAR3 technology, you will realise that the PCs today will look more and more like mainframe computers of yesteryear. With the performance provided by JAGUAR3, tablets will be the mainstream computing devices of tomorrow,” added Mr Sim. HIRANAND SUNNY


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Defenx enters into new agreements with majority shareholder BV Tech
Cybersecurity software group Defenx has entered into a software distribution agreement and a software services agreement with its majority shareholder BV Tech, it announced on Tuesday.
The AIM-traded firm said its wholly-owned subsidiary Defenx Italia had entered into the software distribution agreement, which amended the previous agreement with BV Tech, which was originally announced in June 2017.
Under the agreement, BV Tech would have the sole rights to sell Defenx products to certain bodies within the Italian defence, space, national security and critical infrastructures sectors through to the end of December 2023, for which BV would pay Defenx a total consideration of €1m, to be invoiced in three instalments before the end of the first half of 2019.
In addition, Defenx would receive a royalty fee equal to 50% of any revenues from the sale of its products during the period to the end of 2023.
BV Tech had also committed to purchase Defenx's products with a minimal value of €1.2m over a two year period, effective from 1 January this year.
As a result, Defenx would receive a minimum of €1.2m in a number of instalments over the two-year period from BV Tech for such products.
“The previous restrictions regarding the distribution of Defenx's products have also been removed, such that BV Tech is now able to distribute, on a non-exclusive basis, all of Defenx's products, other than those covered above, through any direct and indirect channel of distribution or sales through to 31 December 2021,” the Defenx board said in its statement.
The value of any Defenx products sold by BV Tech under the distribution agreement would - unless agreed otherwise by the parties - be based on the prices set out in the 2017 distribution agreement.
“All other terms of the previous 2017 distribution agreement remain the same,” the board added.
The company, also via Defenx Italia, had also entered into a software services agreement, under which BV Tech would undertake to provide services to Defenx in respect of its range of new and existing products over the course of 2019.
“The aggregate fee payable by the company to BV Tech for the services under the services agreement is calculated and payable monthly on a 'time spent' basis, capped at €1.2m,” Defenx said.
The services agreement contained warranties in favour of Defenx Italia in respect of the intellectual property created for the services.
BV Tech had the right of first refusal to extend the services agreement for a further year on the same terms, subject to its fees or timing for delivery of its services at least matching terms proposed by third-party suppliers, all other criteria being at least equal, the Defenx board explained.
“The services agreement contains a number of termination rights of each party, for cause, rather than for convenience.”
Defenx noted that the services agreement did not form part of the master services agreement previously entered into with BV Tech, which was announced in September 2017.
Following entering into the service agreement, Defenx said it would focus on completing work on its product portfolio, and now expected to be in a position to launch new products in the second quarter of 2019.

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The company said that this would be the world’s first phone runs on MediaTek Helio G80 processor, which is an upgrade version of MediaTek Helio G70 processor that was introduced last month in the realme C3 phone. It will likely be work on Realme UI based on Android 10 as similar to Realme C3. Here is the Geekbench result of Realme 6i with the Helio G80 processor.
The company also confirmed that the phone will come with a quad rear camera setup where 48 MP primary camera along with an 8 MP ultra-wide sensor, 2 MP macro sensor, and 2 MP depth sensor. On the front side has an 8 MP selfie camera.
The phone has already certified by the FCC certification with the model number RMX2040 that revealing notch display as compare to punch-hole display in the realme 6i. It also revealed by the leaked images that have a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, 3.5mm audio jack, and a USB Type-C port.
The phone powered by a 5000mAh battery that supports 18W fast charger through USB Type-C port. The phone has some features a dual SIM support, Wi-Fi b/g/n (2.4GHz) and Bluetooth 5.0.
We should know more information about the phone with the price on the official launch day. It will also launch in India soon.


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Tuesday August 6, 2019
The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau estimated that businesses and individuals across Essex lost £6.5 million between April and September last year. With fraudsters continuing to become increasingly dexterous in their tactics, all business owners need to exercise even greater prudence.
Almost three quarters of UK businesses increasingly feel they are vulnerable to scammers, who they believe to be ahead of the game according to payment system, Vocalink. Despite one in five UK businesses recording attempted fraudulent attacks on their business, 22% still don’t have any processes in place to put up a battle against this threat.
Often, it can be as simple as management teams not knowing what to look out for. In most cases, the threats that companies face can be safeguarded against with some considered planning and process implementation.
There is a marked need for education when it comes to protecting businesses against fraud and cybercrime. There are a number of informative events and workshops hosted across Essex aimed at business leaders, designed to equip companies with the insight and toolkits they need to stay secure. For example, Essex Police Cyber Crime Protect Team and Essex Chambers of Commerce are hosting a cyber security workshop in Colchester this October.
Failing to protect your business could expose it to threats which result in financial and reputational difficulty, particularly as protecting data is a regulatory requirement, too. Acting early will help businesses avoid falling into distress.
Understanding the problem is half of the solution. The lack of awareness of the types of tactics expert fraudsters are deploying means that businesses aren’t in a position to fight back effectively. These criminals are continually evolving their techniques to stay one step ahead of the game and outwit businesses.
In order for employers to keep their workforce functioning, and proactively mitigating potential scams, it’s important to have an acute awareness of the current scams happening in your sector, location or indeed already taking place in the company.
Attempts at phishing, the practice of posing as a respectable company to obtain sensitive information such as bank details or passwords, increased by 65% last year according to the Enterprise Phishing and Resilience Defence Report.
This surge means that even more businesses are exposed to the possibility of private accounts and confidential information being stolen. And, it’s not merely the fact that these attempts are growing in number, these cybercriminals’ guises are progressively smart. Now, some attackers use this type of scam as a point of entry into a company to launch even bigger scale attacks.
Be wary of obscure email addresses if you receive a request for personal or business information. Often, fraudsters will labour over making an email identical to the company it is attempting to impersonate, but the disingenuous email address format and small errors will be a tell-tale sign that it’s not authentic.
Hacks like this are common amongst even the largest of companies, with British Airways suffering a data breach just last year. Personal and financial details of 185,000 customers who had made reward bookings were stolen by hoaxers.
Invoice fraud is also on the rise, with £93 million lost by victims in 2019, according to UK Finance. This type of attack means a fraudster is appearing as a regular supplier to that business and contacts the business bank to update details. From this point, companies then unwittingly transfer money to incorrect, fraudulent accounts.
To combat this, directors should verify any payment amendment instructions verbally with a known contact at the given supplier. If the hack is being made over the phone, ask to call back – don’t use the number they have given you. End that call and then call a trusted number instead, for verification. Auditing all third party and contractor accounts is also vital to ensure nothing slips through the net.
Every year, we see businesses lose hundreds of thousands of pounds as a result of fraud, but those businesses that choose to invest in preventing damaging attacks from being successful are less likely to be impacted than those who simply try to fix a problem when it arises.
First and foremost, employers should provide regular training to all staff so that your workforce doesn’t fall victim to even the most basic attack. Equipping your colleagues with the skills they need to identify fraud and cybercrime is vital to safeguard your business. And, it’s important to provide refresher sessions, so employees stay attuned to the changing criminal landscape and new techniques. Ensuring your workforce also understands the regulatory need to be vigilant to protect customer data will also aid their understanding of why these processes are so important.
If you are unsure about how to begin preparing, the best approach is to speak to an expert business adviser without delay to get the wheels in motion.
Onboarding professional help as early as possible means you have more chance of mitigating these risks. Not only could these attacks cause your business significant financial loss, but reputational loss, too.
For example, consider investing in the best cyber security software, to protect both your own businesses’ sensitive information, and your clients and customers. Losing customer data can have a devastating impact on your company’s reputation, and the feeling of mistrust can harbour for long after the attack has passed. By safeguarding in this way, both your staff and customers have the peace of mind they need to trust in the business.
First published in the Essex Chronicle in August 2019.


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The world’s most valuable illuminated manuscript went on show in London today before auction, where it is expected to fetch up to £11 million.
The Rothschild Prayerbook will be sold at Christie’s New York in January, nearly 15 years after it set the world record at auction for such treasures.
The collection of texts, prayers and psalms, known as a book of hours, was made in the Netherlands in about 1505. It is one of the finest manuscripts in private hands.
It was part of the famous collec-
tion of the Viennese branch of the Rothschild family during the 19th century,
It was confiscated from Baron Louis Nathaniel von Rothschild after the Nazis annexed Austria in 1938. After the war, the new Austrian government forbade the export of important cultural artworks.
The book was returned to the Rothschild family in 1999, who sold it in London for a record auction price of £8.5 million.
Nicholas Hall, international co-chairman of Old Masters at Christie’s, said the auction house was honoured to be entrusted with its sale for a second time.
“Every aspect of this book of hours — from the quality of the parchment to the wealth and refinement of the decoration — marks the Rothschild Prayerbook as one of the most prestigious and exquisite examples of Flemish manuscript illumination,” he said.
The manuscript is closely related to another book of hours in the British Library. It will be the centrepiece of an auction of early treasures, and can be viewed at Christie’s in King Street, St James’s, until Monday.Reuse content


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Tesco’s overstatement was more than a little – Picture sourced from Shutterstock
The firm, which is understood to have suspended its UK managing director Chris Bush as one of the four, overstated its profit guidance by £250 million, a quarter of its announced profits to date.
Chris Bush will be replaced throughout the duration of the investigation by Robin Terrell, the multi-channel director for Tesco.
Disappointment would be an understatement
Launching the investigation being led by Deloitte, the CEO of the firm, Dave Lewis said that to say he was disappointed would be an understatement. Mr Lewis, who only took over at the top of the firm at the start of September said:
“It doesn’t take away from what I’m able to build at Tesco”.
Mr Lewis also went on to say that the suspensions were not as part of any disciplinary action being taken by the firm or should be perceived as an admission of guilt in regards to the individuals involved.
Uncertain for investors
With shares in Tesco falling by over 8% in morning trading on the London Stock Exchange, market analyst Robert Gregory told the BBC Breakfast programme:
“Investors are really uncertain about Tesco at the moment and its future direction.”
Clive Black, an analyst at Shore Capital said:
“Such an announcement is not the stuff of a well operated FTSE-100 organisation.”
At the end of August, the retailer said its expected trading profit for the first half of 2014 was around £1.1bn. In its latest statement to the stock market however, Tesco said this overstatement was largely as a result of an:
“accelerated recognition of commercial income and delayed accrual of costs”.
It also apportioned some of the blame to accounting issues with its suppliers.
Alerted to the error by ‘an informed employee’, Tesco said that the Financial Conduct Authority, the financial regulator for the UK, had been informed.


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The average selling price (ASP) of smartphones in the Philippines stood at $192 (Php10,394) for the first six months of 2018, according to the Philippine unit of market analyst International Data Corp. (IDC). That represented a 51-percent surge from the average of $127 per smartphone seen in the first half of 2017.
While that can be added to the growing list of items affected by the nine-year-high inflation rate and overall market conditions, IDC has a different and more optimistic reading of the price growth.
“The higher ASP indicates that end-users are willing to invest in a phone with better specifications and features to suit their latest needs,” said Polyne Gallevo, market analyst at IDC Philippines, in a press release dated October 1.
Indeed, data from IDC show that while smartphones sold in the first half of 2017 were dominated by those in the “ultra low-end” segment, which IDC defines as phones priced at less than $100, the first half of 2018 saw more smartphones sold in the low-end price segment (priced at $100 to $200) and the midrange price segment ($200 to $400) compared to a year prior. Smartphones priced above $400 still saw minimal sales, but those segments also had more brands available in the market compared to 2017.
“The availability of payment options has continued to make purchasing higher priced smartphones less taxing for end-users,” wrote IDC in the press release in explaining the increasing preference for low-end and midrange phones. “Financing companies, such as Home Credit and Flexi Finance, and in-store retail credit allow customers who do not own credit cards to get installment plans to make payments lighter.”
While smartphone ASP saw massive change, IDC revealed that the country’s most preferred smartphone brands are largely the same from last year.
Local phone manufacturer Cherry Mobile kept its title as the most popular smartphone brand in the country for the first half of 2018, with Korean technology firm Samsung following closely behind at second place. Vivo and OPPO, the two Chinese phone brands that have continued to shake up the market, switched places as they land in third and fourth respectively.
The only new entry in the top five is Chinese technology brand Huawei. IDC credited its “significant growth” in smartphone sales to its “marketing activities with noticeable in-store display in retail, online ads and celebrity endorsements.”
The Philippines saw 7.8 million smartphone units shipped in the first half of 2018, a 5.6-percent jump from the year before. That’s a big improvement from the 6.6-percent drop in shipments experienced in the first half of 2017, which IDC attributed to “the increase in shipments of midrange smartphones.”
Lorenzo Kyle Subido is a staff writer of Entrepreneur PH


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In 2022, the APAC SVOD sector (excluding China) is expected to grow by 25% year-over-year to $12bn.
The Asia Pacific online video industry revenue will grow by 16% year-on-year in 2022 to reach $49.2bn, according to the new report titled Asia Pacific Online Video & Broadband Distribution 2022 by Media Partners Asia (MPA).
The study forecasts online subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) will grow by 19% in 2022 to $24.6bn in revenues with China contributing 51%. Apart from China, the Asia Pacific SVOD sector is set to grow by 25% year-on-year to $12.0bn in 2022. SVOD revenue is projected to reach $19.1bn by 2027 in APAC ex-China and $36.5bn with China.
Commenting on the findings of the report, MPA executive director Vivek Couto said: “Investors are increasingly focused on enhanced scale, improved monetization and real profitability across global, local and regional online video platforms. In this context, the role of Asia Pacific continues to have a critical role in the future of the global online video industry. The region remains the largest growth contributor to global online video customers and users today and is emerging as a significant contributor to revenue growth. With the US and Europe fast maturing and China inaccessible, APAC’s large markets – India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea and Thailand – will be increasingly important to global platforms. Each of these markets requires local content and distribution strategies with long-term investment.”
China, APAC’s largest market, will generate $11.2bn in revenue in 2022, representing 48% of the APAC online video revenue pie. Two long-form platforms Tencent Video and iQIYI, and two short-form video players ByteDance and Kuaishou lead, will capture ~70% of China’s online video revenue in 2022. Despite regulatory hurdles and market maturity, China will remain APAC’s largest online video market, growing at a CAGR of 5% over 2022-27 to top $30bn or 42% of the APAC online video revenue pie, by 2027. China’s online video market is insular and largely closed to international streamers.
Australia is a high revenue generating online video market. SVOD has reached maturity with household penetration at 85% in 2022, higher than even the USA globally.
Japan and Korea house high-ARPU and relatively high-CPM audiences, with significant growth potential as SVOD penetration of households are not yet saturated at 49% and 42% respectively. Content from Japan and Korea have proven global travelability, allowing local content investment to be monetised internationally by multi-market players. Ex-China, Japan is APAC’s largest OTT revenue market, generating $9.7bn billion in 2022 and forecast to grow to $14.7bn by 2027.
India’s streaming OTT video market is in its second growth phase with total revenues of $3bn in 2022 expected to more than double to almost $7bn by 2027. Competitive intensity is set to grow between global giants and newly capitalised local players. Five leading platforms – YouTube, Meta, Disney+ Hotstar, Amazon Prime Video and Netflix – will account for a combined 82% of total online video revenues in 2022.
Indonesia is Southeast Asia’s largest online video market, generating close to $1bn in revenue in 2022 with advertising contributing 62% and subscriptions 38%. The premium video sector (SVOD and premium inventory) has emerged as a material revenue generator. Five major players – Netflix, Vidio, Disney+ Hotstar, MNC Digital and Viu – will account for 75% of premium video revenue in 2022. Amazon Prime Video will expand its Indonesia SVOD service after August 2022.
Thailand’s online video industry is forecast to generate $809m in revenue in 2022. Thailand’s accessible and sizeable content creation ecosystem has historically had stronger production values than other Southeast Asian markets, positioning the market for a potentially transformational period as streamers such as Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar, WeTV, Viu and others scale local content investment.
The total addressable market (TAM) for high-speed broadband continues to expand rapidly in the Asia Pacific with greater 4G, 5G and fibre-enabled connectivity. Ex-China, combined 4G and 5G users will reach 78% of the population across APAC in 2022 while fibre-driven fixed broadband penetration will reach 31%. Telcos, connected TV (CTV) operators and pay-TV operators remain important aggregators of SVOD, freemium and AVOD services, contributing between 20-80% to OTT video platform reach, depending on the market.
According to MPA analysis, 20 online video platforms will account for 67% of the total APAC online video revenue pie.
YouTube leads with an estimated 42% share of the APAC ex-China AVOD pie in 2022. Meta Video is also sizable. In the global SVOD category in APAC, Netflix, Disney and Amazon lead.
According to MPA, the three players will have a 56% share in aggregate of the APAC ex-China SVOD pie in 2022 with Netflix at 33%; Amazon Prime Video at 12%; and Disney+ (including Disney+ Hotstar) at 11%.
Netflix established an early lead given its launch and expansion in APAC after 2015-16 and success with premium Korean and Japanese content in particular. Its share of revenues has declined however from 35% in 2021. Disney+ and Disney+ Hotstar services are building scale, local content investment and monetization in markets such as Australia, India, Indonesia, and Thailand while also expanding in high ARPU, and strong local markets such as Japan. A third of revenues come from India however, where it has recently lost digital rights to the highly successful IPL cricket franchise to Viacom18. Prime Video leads the Japan SVOD category while also growing rapidly in India and is now set to expand in key Southeast Asia markets in Q4 2022.
In Southeast Asia, Viu is a major proxy for premium advertising growth and a freemium business model. Ad-supported SVOD models will launch across the Asia Pacific in 2023-24, led by Netflix and Disney+.
In India, new local players with deep pockets are gearing up to grab market share, led by a newly recapitalised Viacom18, backed by strategic Reliance, Bodhi Tree and Paramount while domestic incumbents Zee and Sony are merging to create a strong TV / online video business.


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Royal Jordanian Airlines' compelling ad shows what it's like to be Arab on an airplane
On Thursday, Royal Jordanian released an online ad tackling an issue most Arabs and Muslims face while on an airplane: discrimination. The ad places viewers in the shoes of a presumably Arab man, as passengers board the plane. While several people stare and glare into the camera with suspicion and fear, the ad features the voiceover of the man sharing his own fears of being be feared.
"I'm afraid I end up somewhere I don't want to go," he said. "Afraid of being stuck in a place where people look at me differently. I'm afraid of the 'what ifs.' What if something wrong happens, and they don't believe me? What if they don't ask and just act on their fear?"
The man then points out how something as simple as a book or beard can criminalize someone who looks Muslim or Arab. "They don't know who I am," he said. "They look at me and only see a color, a name, a beard, a book."
The 60-second ad closes with viewers finally seeing the man. He's sitting next to an older white woman who glares at him with suspicion. He's squirming in his seat. He's visibly uncomfortable, insecure and afraid, but the ad leaves viewers with one powerful final message: "Don't be afraid to say no to discrimination."
This isn't the first time that Royal Jordanian Airlines has taken on xenophobia. The company launched a brilliant marketing campaign amid the 2016 presidential election. On Election Day, the Royal Jordanian Twitter account tweeted fare prices to Chicago, Detroit and New York with a snarky jab at Donald Trump's xenophobic campaign promises: "Just in case he wins, travel to the U.S. while you're still allowed to!" One week after Trump signed his Muslim travel ban, the airline company jumped on the opportunity to make profit while condemning the new policy.
Then when the Trump administration announced an electronics ban on items larger than a smartphone from 10 Middle Eastern and North African airports, Royal Jordanian struck again by tweeting a list of 12 things to do without a laptop or tablet on a 12-hour flight. Some of the other ads and tweets included poems condemning the Muslim travel ban and a writing contest as a hit on the electronics ban.
The airline company even cleverly went after United Airlines after it dragged Vietnamese-American doctor David Dao from an overbooked flight. On April 10, Royal Jordanian tweeted, "We are here to keep you #united. Dragging is strictly prohibited," as a reminder for passengers to not smoke in the airplane.
Since 9/11, numerous airline carriers have discriminated against Muslims, Arabs and Sikhs. In December 2015, an American Airlines flight attendant singled out a Muslim passenger by name before removing him from his flight. In April 2016, Southwest Airlines booted an Iraqi refugee from an airplane because he spoke Arabic on the phone. And in May 2015, an United Airlines flight attendant refused to give an unopened can of Diet Coke to a Muslim woman because she might "use it as a weapon." The discrimination has escalated to the point that some airline carriers are finding ways to screen Muslim passengers on upcoming flights based on what in-flight meal they select.
But with this anti-discrimination ad, Royal Jordanian is taking a different route from their competitors — at least publicly. And, hey, it also seems to be working to their benefit.
Royal Jordanian did not yet respond to Mic's request for comment.
You can watch the ad in full below.


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Produce Industry Sounds Alarm Over Pallet Shortage
The United Fresh Produce Association says pallet shortages are disrupting the produce supply chain. The organization says the lack of pallets is adding stress to a supply chain that is already facing significant challenges. Other supply chain issues include a lack of available trucks and shipping containers, labor challenges and a pending shortage of resin used to make reusable containers and pallets. Expectations are that the pallet shortage will continue for months, perhaps for the balance of 2021.
The shortage of lumber and wood products has increased the cost of raw lumber 200%-350% and makes the cost of wood pallets increase incrementally. Some report over the past few weeks, pallet costs have increased more than 400%, if the pallets are even available.
The organization warns that without ensuring pallet availability for produce shipments, "there is little doubt that it will be very difficult, if not impossible,” to meet consumer produce demand.
If you have a story idea for the PNW Ag Network, call (509) 547-1618, or e-mail email@example.com


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In California, residents pay around $1,400 each year for car insurance coverage, making the state one of the most expensive in the country for auto insurance. The reason for the high cost is due to the higher risk that Californian drivers face. Theft and vandalism rates are high in California. The dense population and risk of natural disasters in the region also contribute to the hefty car insurance costs.
Elon Musk blames the Californian Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara for the high prices. He has a reason: Tesla Insurance, which does not follow the traditional model of car insurance. Instead, it calculates insurance costs through customers’ real-time driving behavior.
Tesla Insurance is not available in California. Therein lies Musk’s issue with Lara.
The insurance is only available for Tesla Motors’ Model 3, Model S, Model X and Model Y cars in four states. Using technology to monitor people’s driving to come up with a fair insurance price is known as telematics insurance.
Musk also blames Lara for the high cost of insurance in California because the telematics method is not used. But Lara, like many others, has concerns about telematics insurance. Most importantly, many reports have suggested that telematics insurance could lead to data privacy breaches.
Saving Money on Your Car Insurance in California
Before we look at exactly what was said by Musk and Lara, it is worth noting that although California is renowned for high car insurance costs, it does not mean you cannot get a good price. It all comes down to comparing different insurance companies.
When you use a platform like CheapInsurance.com, you can easily find the best and cheapest car insurance in your chosen location.
Furthermore, by using the site, you can find affordable car insurance regardless of your driving record, age, and vehicle type. With access to hundreds of car insurance companies, you will quickly be able to find the cheapest deals.
What did Musk and Lara say?
Elon Musk does not mince his words. In January, he not only publicly stated that Ricardo Lara was responsible for the high car insurance rates that are typical in California. He also said that Lara should be voted out of office over the high insurance prices.
The spat began when Musk, in Tesla’s fourth-quarter earnings call, said that Tesla was pushing very hard to change the rules in order to allow informatics in California, which involves drivers’ road behavior being measured.
On the point that Tesla Insurance customers can save on their insurance by driving safely, Musk said that Tesla rewards its customers monetarily. He added that the current rules in California are contrary to the best interest of consumers in the state and, therefore, the rules should be changed.
Ricardo Lara, who is California’s eighth Insurance Commissioner, which is a position that involves leading the largest state consumer protection agency, believes he has California residents’ best interests at heart.
In response to Elon Musk’s comments, Lara tweeted that California will not bend on protecting consumer data, privacy, and fair rates.
He later posted a follow-up tweet making it clear that the state of California only allows vehicle data to work out the miles driven by a person. It was in response to Lara’s tweet that the billionaire Musk tweeted: “You should be voted out of office.”


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Aston Martin's new CEO, Tobias Moers, has been spearheading growth at Daimler's Mercedes-AMG performance division for the past seven years, expanding the unit's product line and quadrupling its vehicle sales to a record 132,136 last year.
Moers, a German engineer from the Black Forest region, must now reverse the fortunes of the cash-strapped UK sports-car maker that is betting its future on the DBX, its first SUV.
Moers, 54, signaled he would be fit for the Aston Martin job as far back as a year ago.
"My ambition is to take on more responsibility, I am a strategist," Moers told German newspaper Die Welt, which called him Daimler's "hidden champion" in a story published in February 2019. "I know how the big picture works and have the view for the essentials."
Moers has worked for Mercedes-AMG since 1994. He was appointed CEO in 2013. The unit has proved to be fertile ground for bigger careers at Daimler.
Moers's predecessors at AMG include current CEO Ola Kallenius, the company's China head Hubertus Troska and former management board member Wolfgang Bernhard.
Moers successfully added hybrid versions and compact cars such as the GLA 45 to Mercedes-AMG's lineup since taking over at the unit in late 2013. But one of his landmark projects, the Mercedes Project ONE hybrid supercar inspired by Formula 1 technology, faced delays.
Moers will take over from Andy Palmer as Aston Martin CEO in August.
Aston Martin has tried to emulate the success of Ferrari yet has lost more than 90 percent of its value since going public in 2018.
Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll threw the automaker a fresh lifeline with a sizable cash injection in March, but the coronavirus crisis that has shuttered showrooms and dampened consumer demand is complicating recovery efforts.
Moers's appointment should boost confidence in Aston Martin ahead of the key rollout of the DBX in July, said Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Michael Dean.
The appointment "helps solidify Aston's relationship with Mercedes," Dean said.


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Eddystone has arrived to boost the proximity market and paves the way for a world full of context-aware applications. Google has addressed all the flaws detected by the community in the Apple iBeacon specification, meaning that even more companies and developers are going to create useful products using all the expertise that has been gathered over the last two years.
These are the key features that Eddystone brings:
- Unique ID: It does not have the same number hierarchy (UUID, major, minor) that iBeacon has, but it is a very similar concept. Eddystone can broadcast a unique ID that will be received by any mobile device in the vicinity.
- Broadcast URL: Google has included / merged the physical web project into the Eddystone protocol, meaning that beacons can communicate with things directly, without the need of a supporting infrastructure behind them, effectively helping to create a decentralized network of devices that are able to communicate with our mobile phones.
- Telemetry: Each of the most relevant Bluetooth Beacon manufacturers so far send information about the beacon such as the battery level in a proprietary format, meaning that if you wanted to read this information, you had to consult the manufacturer docs in order to do so. Google, on the other hand, has standardized the way information is sent by the beacon as part of the Eddystone protocol.
Proximity Beacon API
Another important feature is the introduction of the Google Proximity Beacon API. It is a public beacon database from Google were anyone can store information related to a particular device, so now more than ever, we are going to be seeing more and more networks of public beacons created and shared with the world.
This also allows the beacon owners to manage information without having to change anything in the beacon itself, adding flexibility to the Eddystone protocol.
Google has also included
longitude fields to the beacons stored in the cloud, so in the near future when there are enough beacons deployed in venues, it is more than likely that Google Maps will include Bluetooth Beacon detection to improve indoor location.
We are implementing the Eddystone protocol in the Android SDK and have some really cool ideas for Eddystone in our roadmap.
During the upcoming months, the market should validate all the ideas behind Eddystone and after this new technology takes hold, we are sure it will be more widely adopted than iBeacon was in 2013.
No news so far on what Apple's next move regarding the proximity market will be... but it would no doubt be beneficial for everyone if they decided to support Eddystone in the future... who knows...


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Auto industry body, Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) urged the government to implement some immediate steps including reducing GST rates on cars from 28 per cent to 18 per cent to help manufacturers amid slumping sales. The body on Monday also asked for initiation of scrappage policy.
SIAM President Rajan Wadhera said that the market is yet to respond to the various measures initiated by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman last month. "The sales report coming out from various companies for the month of August 2019 has been very dismal with over 30 per cent erosion of sales for passenger vehicles. The commercial vehicle and two-wheeler sales are also significantly negative indicating that the market has still not responded to the various measures initiated by the Finance Minister last month," he said in a statement.
Wadhera said that the series of announcements on credit availability and reduction of cost of credits do not seem to have percolated to the NBFCs. NBFCs support the bulk of finance for the automotive industry. "The consumer sentiment also continues to be low and there is clearly a trust deficit in lending money to the dealers," said Wadhera.
He added that the industry has done everything in its power to stay afloat. Wadhera added that the industry is offering attractive deals and discounts to the customers but they can only offer limited deals. "However, the ability of the industry to provide large discounts is limited and this only highlights the need for Government to consider reducing the GST rates from 28% to 18% which would significantly reduce the cost of vehicles and in turn create demand," he said.
He also urged the government to come up with incentive-based scrappage policy.
"As the festival season is around the corner, it is imperative that these decisions are taken quickly and announced without delay so that the industry could hope for a better festival season that could harbinger a recovery in the industry," said Wadhera.
Major automotive companies such as Maruti Suzuki India, Hyudai, Mahindra and Mahindra, Honda and Tata Motors reported a double-digit de-growth in August sales.
Copyright©2021 Living Media India Limited. For reprint rights: Syndications Today


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Fellow Forbes contributor Bruce Y. Lee has a must-read column “Toddlers, You Are Eating Too Much Added Sugar”.
He writes that according to a study presented at Nutrition 2018, the American Society for Nutrition's annual meeting, 99 percent of toddlers, ages 19 to 23 months, have added sugars in their diets, an average of 7.1 teaspoons a day – that’s a whopping 29.6 grams. Please note – that’s added sugars – not naturally occurring ones from fruits, vegetables or milk.
Based on this study presented by Kirsten Herrick, PhD from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a majority (61%) of infants, 6 to 11 months old had added sugar in their diets with average daily consumption being 0.9 teaspoons. The sugar consumption then rises to 5.5 teaspoons when they hit one year old through the time they reach 18 months.
The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans does not include "added sugar" recommendations for anyone under 2 years of age. The 7.1 teaspoons of added sugars a day that I mentioned before – well that already exceeds the recommended 6 teaspoon daily limit for older children (age 2 to 19 years) and adult women.
By the way, guys you are in luck - the recommended limit for adult men is 9 teaspoons.
Back to the kids. Lee writes that excess sugar can contribute to various childhood health problems such as obesity and cavities in teeth and later to major health issues such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. Some kids, according to the CDC, at 10 years old are getting type 2 diabetes.
Food retailers should take the initiative – as many have – and offer retail dietitians in their stores to help answer shoppers questions about sugars, salt & fat – if we are to avoid epidemic proportions of obesity and other diseases that could be avoided with the proper nutrition education and eating habits. For more – visit retaildietitians.com


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St. Thomas Township may host Rutter's store
CHAMBERSBURG - Rutter’s Farm Stores may build a convenience store in St. Thomas Township.
Rutter’s representatives met Wednesday with Pennsylvania Department of Transportation officials on the first step toward acquiring a driveway permit for a store at Lincoln Way West (U.S. 30) and Hade Road.
Rutter’s officials discussed several potential store sites in southcentral Pennsylvania, including one in St. Thomas, according to PennDOT spokesman Greg Penny. The pre-scoping meeting is the first step in a process that would include a traffic study. Eventually a highway occupancy permit could be issued.
“The information is confidential until a permit has been issued,” Penny said.
A township official said Rutter’s proposes building on the northwest corner of Lincoln Way and Hade at the site of the former Oasis Restaurant. No plans have been submitted.
Rutter’s, a family-owned business based in York, operates 60 convenience stores throughout southcentral Pennsylvania, including five in Franklin County. A store in St. Thomas would be the firm’s westernmost site.
Jim Hook 717-262-4759


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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Hardly three months into the launch of 'plastic free city' campaign, the ruling council has decided to leave the campaign mid-way dreading legal suits from retail chains and textile merchants. The corporation steering committee has decided to halt the raids in textile shops and retail outlets after the officials were told that they would be sued for acting against court order.
As per the plastic rules (management and handling)-2011, the ban applies only to the sale of plastic below 40 microns. The textile shop owners also cite the court ruling which bans plastic below 40 microns. During the raids, the corporation squad had conducted massive seizures of plastic from various shops.
"Now they say that they are using plastic bags above 40 microns and we have no right to end the sale with the court ruling still in practice. Any measure of enforcement from our side would amount to breach of law and contempt of court. We can't proceed with these raids as the owners are pointing out the legality of the issue. This would put our officials in serious trouble and we don't want that to happen," said deputy mayor G Happy Kumar.
So far the campaign has produced fruitful results in wayside shops and among small-scale vendors. Although some of the textiles switched to cloth bags, the officials say that the bags are not fully made of cloth. "It is just a new variant of plastic and we can't seize them since those bags are above 40 microns and sale of such bags are permissible under law," said a corporation official.
The civic body is now planning to go for alternate measures. The project to issue hologram imprinted plastic bags is likely to be renewed. "We have got no other option. Ideally the shop owners should have cooperated with us. That didn't happen and now we have to make it mandatory for the merchants to sell only those plastic bags which carry the hologram sticker of corporation," said chairperson of health standing committee S Pushpalatha.
As per the scheme, each plastic bag should be sold at Rs 5 out of which the corporation will get Rs 1. The civic body is also planning to forward an official letter to the state government to introduce a law banning the use of plastic. "That is the only option left with us. The letter will be forwarded to the law minister citing the legal issues involved in implementing the anti-plastic drive in the capital," said the deputy mayor.


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Google’s Pixel 2 and Pixel XL 2 is one of the most eagerly anticipated Android smartphone releases of the year.
The upcoming pure-Android phone is expected to be launched during a marque event held on October 5, according to the latest leaks.
From various leaks we already know the iPhone 8 and Google Pixel 2 will both have drastically slimmer bezels, with the former resembling something like the recently released Essential Phone and the latter like a Samsung Galaxy S8.
I’ve been looking at large-bezelled phones for about a year now, but I’ll admit that was me being a snobby tech geek. I was well aware that the general public didn’t yet care much about large bezels at the time.
But times are changing. We are almost at the time when slim or no bezels are expected for big name phones. In a couple more months, just about every flagship phone by every major company will go that route.
Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8 continued the S8’s design aesthetic; Huawei’s boss already confirmed the Mate 10 to be have an “edge-to-edge” screen; and Xiaomi is very likely going to release a follow-up to its pioneering bezel-less phone very soon.
So this begs the question: who are these for? The outdated-looking, big-bezelled Pixel 2 has already been mocked all over the web by tech geeks and I think the general public’s reaction will be the same.
Unless Apple and Google plan on selling the weaker versions of their phones with the noticeably outdated hardware at drastically lower prices, I really wonder who’s going to buy the large chin Pixel 2 that look like it’s stuck in spring 2016 when there are futuristic, almost all-screen versions of the same devices sitting next to it at the display counter.
The Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL is rumoured to ditch the 3.5mm headphone jack and have the latest Snapdragon 836 processor.
The flagship devices are also expected to have a better camera, waterproofing for the first time and be available in a wide range of bright colours.
However, if you can’t wait that long to get your hands on the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, then now might be the best time to buy an original Pixel phone.


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Collateral damage from Intel's DTV decision
October 14, 2011 // Junko Yoshida
So, who are the unsuspecting victims of Intel Corp.'s plans, publicly disclosed this week, to “wind down” its digital TV SoC business? Rick Doherty, co-founder and director of Envisioneering Group, identifies the real victims as “more than 20 Chinese ODMs, all hoping to ride Google TV's coat tails.”
Meanwhile, when asked which part of the CE business Intel is getting out of, an Intel spokesperson said: the retail [digital TV] business. While adding that Intel will continue to work with a few partners on a case-by-case basis, she declined to name names of such partners.
For Intel, ditching the digital TV SoC business was a tough decision, but it creates a clear path to align its consumer business with Ultrabook devices, smartphones and tablets, which the Intel spokesperson now describes as top corporate imperatives.With this decision, Intel no longer needs to get caught up with, or getting distracted by, what might turn out to be fierce price competition on the digital TV SoC market.
Intel is now wisely shifting its CE silicon strategy to the gateway and IP set-top-box media processor businesses. Meanwhile, the company will wind down its operations in the Digital TV business, the spokesperson added.
So, what's left of Intel's CE business? The IP set-top media processor business and the gateway business, says Intel. These remaining CE businesses will be folded into Intel's tablet organization headed up by Doug Davis. By IP set-top media processor business, Intel means SoC silicon and hardware designed for high-quality digital set-top boxes where content delivery is via IP networks.All news
Dual 13A or single 26A μModule regulator integrates digital power system management
July 25, 2014
Datacenters and server farms contain vast amounts of digital electronics, such as ASICs, FPGAs and CPUs. Powering, monitoring ...
What's that smell? An app for that soon, says Sensirion
GE phosphor powder creates more vibrant LED displays
Foremost Electronics to distribute NKK's switches in the UK
Traffic light switches to smart mode
Sony investing in stacked image sensor manufacturing capacity
July 24, 2014
Sony Corp. has said it plans to invest 35 billion yen (about $340 million) to increase its production of stacked CMOS image ...
The Filter Wizard: 'three-legs' and the 4-20 mA current loop
Set-top boxes morphing into MHGs
Imagination positions itself for 802.11ah for the Internet of Things
- Testing GPS with a Simulator
- DSM presents: Select the best plastic for DDR4
- Dual 13A μModule Regulator with Digital Interface for Remote Monitoring & Control of Power
- Exploring the Business Model Evolution of High-Tech Equipment Manufacturers
InterviewCEO interview: China, not Apple, is way to go, says mCube CEO
Ben Lee, CEO of MEMS startup mCube, explains why he wants to spend $37 million on being a supplier of sensors to Chinese ODMs and avoiding a design win with Apple or Samsung.
Filter WizardCheck out the Filter Wizard Series of articles by Filter Guru Kendall Castor-Perry which provide invaluable practical Analog Design guidelines.
Linear video channel
READER OFFERRead more
This month, Altium Ltd is offering EETimes Europe's readers the chance to win one TASKING VX-Toolset for ARM Cortex-M Premium Edition, normally licensed for 2.395 Euros, for ultra-rapid prototyping and code development around ARM Cortex-M based microcontrollers.
The VX-toolset for ARM is the first TASKING compiler suite to receive the Software Platform technology, which is seamlessly...Read more
December 15, 2011 | Texas instruments | 222901974
Unique Ser/Des technology supports encrypted video and audio content with full duplex bi-directional control channel over a single wire interface.


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Prices slashed on new Apple (AAPL) iPhone 5C
Walmart, Radio Shack, Best Buy cut prices
Last Updated: 65 days ago
The phone was just released last month, but three big-box retailers have slashed prices on the Apple iPhone 5C.
Radio Shack and Best Buy announced they would be selling the phone under contract for $50, half off the list price, by including a $50 gift card with purchase.
Not to be outdone, Walmart then dropped its price to $45, down from its previous price of $79.
The deals are good for those who agree to a 2-year extension or new contract with AT&T, Verizon and Sprint.
Copyright 2013 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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OAKLAND, Calif., Aug. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Clorox Company (NYSE: CLX) announced today that it has sold the Aplicare skin antisepsis business to Medline Industries, the leading privately-held manufacturer and distributor of health care supplies in the U.S. The transaction closed on Aug. 21.
"Selling Aplicare, which was part of our Professional Products business, was the result of our periodic strategic assessment of our global portfolio," said Clorox Chairman and CEO Benno Dorer. "We are very pleased that, in Medline, we've found a buyer that has strong capabilities and can add significant value to the Aplicare business."
Dorer added, "Importantly, this doesn't change the strategic focus of our Professional Products business, which continues to be stopping the spread of infection, with an emphasis on killing pathogens in the environment."
As communicated in the company's fiscal year 2017 SEC filings, Clorox had been exploring strategic alternatives for Aplicare. Clorox's Form 10-K filing on Aug. 15 reported that for fiscal year 2017, which ended June 30, 2017, the Aplicare business had $46 million in net sales, representing slightly less than 1 percent of total company sales, and insignificant net earnings.
Clorox will provide an updated fiscal year 2018 outlook during its first-quarter fiscal year 2018 earnings call on Nov. 1.
The Clorox Company
The Clorox Company (NYSE: CLX) is a leading multinational manufacturer and marketer of consumer and professional products with more than 8,000 employees worldwide and fiscal year 2017 sales of $6 billion. Clorox markets some of the most trusted and recognized consumer brand names, including its namesake bleach and cleaning products; Pine-Sol® cleaners; Liquid Plumr® clog removers; Poett® home care products; Fresh Step® cat litter; Glad® bags, wraps and containers; Kingsford® charcoal; Hidden Valley® dressings and sauces; Brita® water-filtration products; Burt's Bees® natural personal care products; and RenewLife® digestive health products. The company also markets brands for professional services, including Clorox Healthcare® and Clorox Commercial Solutions®. More than 80 percent of the company's sales are generated from brands that hold the No. 1 or No. 2 market share positions in their categories.
Clorox is a signatory of the United Nations Global Compact, a community of global leaders committed to sustainability. The company also has been broadly recognized for its corporate responsibility efforts, most notably receiving a Safer Choice Partner of the Year Award in 2016 and 2017 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as well as being named to CR Magazine's 2017 Best Corporate Citizens list and included in the 2016 Newsweek Green Rankings. The Clorox Company and its foundations contributed about $11 million in combined cash grants, product donations and cause marketing in fiscal year 2017. For more information, visit TheCloroxCompany.com, including the Good Growth blog, and follow the company on Twitter at @CloroxCo.
SOURCE The Clorox Company


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Arroyo Grande is moving forward with plans to fill the empty Kmart building.
On Tuesday night, the Arroyo Grande City Council approved a motion to fill the building with three businesses. There will be some modifications.
The Kmart building has been vacant since April. It was one of 64 closures the company announced during the spring. Now, city leaders want to build a 24-hour gym, retail store, and grocery store in the 82,000 square foot building.
Community members attended the meeting Tuesday night. Some opposed a 50-foot sign that would be built with the development. They worry it will be an eyesore for people nearby.
After public comment, the city decided to push the decision on the sign back to a later date. When the city does discuss the plan again, anyone who lives within 300 feet of the sign would have to be notified and given an opportunity to give input.


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ECCO currently has more than 40 stores across the UK, offering its high quality, comfortable shoes along with a range of accessories.
And now the company is set to launch in the region, having taken a unit at intu Metrocentre’s Platinum Mall.
The footwear giant has doubled its outlets in the country over the past three years and David Butler, UK Managing Director, said he was “delighted now to be opening our first store in the North East.”
“intu Metrocentre is one of the top shopping centres in the country and a great place for ECCO,” he said.
“The design of the new shop will capture our Scandinavian attributes and fit perfectly into the high end surroundings of the Platinum Mall.”
The company will now join top clothing brands such as Phase 8, H&M Kids, independent designer fashion brand Tessuti and an Oh You Pretty Things champagne bar in the Platinum Mall.
intu regional director Kate Grant said: “We’re delighted to welcome ECCO to intu Metrocentre and to the North East.
“Platinum Mall is a place where we want customers to feel special. Whether that’s from the welcoming atmosphere or the boutique feel we’ve created, our customers are able to shop, relax, meet friends and ultimately go home happy having spent a great day with us.”


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Sydney-listed The Lottery Corporation has posted an 8 per cent increase in revenue to AUD$1.92bn for its financial half-year period ended 31 December 2022.
In its [...]
Online lottery provider Lottoland has unveiled plans to launch a new online Keno game in Australia featuring a record AUD$20m jackpot.
KenoGO is set for launch [...]
Sydney-listed lottery and keno provider The Lottery Corporation has reported an 11 per cent increase in full year revenue to AUD$3.28bn in its maiden results [...]
Sydney-listed lottery provider The Lottery Corporation (TLC) has expanded its board with the appointment of Megan Quinn as a non-executive director.
Quinn is recognised as a [...]
Sydney-listed gaming giant Tabcorp Holdings has made a number of board and senior management changes ahead of its demerger of The Lottery Corporation.
With the company [...]
The Australian state of Victoria has granted dual Keno licences to leading lottery operators Tabcorp and Lottoland, enabling them to offer Keno games online as [...]
Australian betting and lottery giant Tabcorp Holdings has reported a 2 per cent increase in revenue to AUD$2.93bn for the first half of its 2021/22 [...]
The Massachusetts State Lottery has generated the highest annual profit in its 50-year history following a record performance during the 2021 fiscal year.
Total lottery revenue [...]
Sydney-listed gaming giant Tabcorp Holdings has proposed a demerger of its Lotteries & Keno business after completing a comprehensive strategic review of its ownership options.
Sydney-listed betting and gaming operator Tabcorp has reported a 1.5 per cent drop in group revenue to AUD$2,870m for the first half period ended 31 [...]
London-based games developer Pixiu Gaming has entered into a partnership with Banijay Brands to develop a series of new Keno games based on the popular [...]
Sydney-listed gaming giant Tabcorp has reported a 4 per cent increase in revenue to AUD$2,913.9m for the first half ended 31 December, buoyed by a strong performance [...]


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The worldwide active Internet population continues to grow. Of 11 countries tracked by Nielsen//NetRatings, only Germany and France lost more active Internet users from July to August 2005. The figures can be compared with other countries on the Web Worldwide chart.
|Global Active Home Internet Universe, July and August 2005|
|Country||July 2005||August 2005||Growth (%)||Difference|
|Source: Nielsen//NetRatings, 2005|
Election 2016 is already like no presidential race before it, and one of the most striking aspects of this year’s race is the disparity ... read more
Businesses near ‘PokeStops’ are enjoying a huge surge in footfall due to the popularity of Pokémon Go, according to our first major ... read more
An effective content marketing strategy needs to be customised to the demands of each industry. Here are five tips to increase your ... read more
We put China and United States head to head on smartphone sales and smartphone penetration; 4G subscribers; 4G coverage and speed; mobile internet users and m-commerce; to find out where the world’s biggest m-commerce opportunity lies.


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3NTOCC – it means: No Train, No Terminal, No Truck (3NT) Operating Common Carrier (OCC) – Presented by Prof. Wojciech Paprocki PhD, SGH Warsaw School of Economics at the Unmanned Cargo Ship Conference, which takes place on June 13, 2017, at Maaspoort, Venlo, The Netherlands.
The digital technologies give new opportunity to achieve edge on the market of transport services for the operators of virtual platforms. These operators do not need to own hardware assets but they should be able to satisfy the shippers offering them requested services on very attractive rates. The implementation of the new business models is possible creating the integrated data base which reflect the potential of players in the intermodal transport: railway and terminal managers, rail operators and truckers. The prerequisite is proper cooperation with the biggest shipping companies, which carry out the global transport of containers.
About Prof. Wojciech Paprocki
Experience as top manager of transport companies providing the services on the European market. Currently full professor active in field of research and development in field of supply chain management and Industry 4.0. Member of the advisory and supervisory boards in companies in Germany and Poland.
About SGH Warsaw School of Economics
SGH Warsaw School of Economics is the oldest university of economics in Poland. Its mission has continuously been educating economists and business leaders serving the nation, country and the region. SGH is famous for its tradition, flexible adjustments of programmes to students’ needs, unquestionable education level, and successful alumni.
Sea freight volumes continue to increase and shipping industry is challenged with finding new ways to offer competitive and sustainable services. Still in its infancy, research and development projects into unmanned maritime cargo initiatives are aiming to bring about massive disruptions in the global transportation world throughout the complete logistics value chain.
Focus topics: Remote control technology; Security; Legal and liability implications;Autonomous operation architecture (5G / satellite);Human factors;New value chains / business models and more…..
The Unmanned Cargo Ship Conference is part of the first global multimodal unmanned cargo systems event – a two-day event (Jun 13-14, 2017) that includes 4 dedicated conferences and an exhibition:Cargo Innovation Conference; Unmanned Cargo Ship Conference; Unmanned Cargo Ground Vehicle Conference; Unmanned Cargo Aircraft Conference; Smart Logistics Expo


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Discover one of our 28 local entrepreneurial communities »
Be the first to know as we launch in new countries and markets around the globe.
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Google’s phone has plenty of potential, but some say its mechanism for delivering applications could lead to problems.
Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO, confirms rumors that a cheaper iPhone with GPS will be available in July.
Intel’s MeeGo will let apps span tablets, phones, and TVs.
Developers speak about the challenges of rebuilding iPhone apps for the device.
An Android phone’s approach to security is radically different from an iPhone’s–but is it better?
Whether Google has succeeded in revolutionizing the cell phone may depend on who you ask.
Whrrl combines activity recommendations with real-time location data.


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Purchase Benadryl online
Schizophrenia: 'Resyncing' brain circuits could halt symptoms
'Resyncing' brain circuits in an adult mouse model of schizophrenia eliminated some neural and behavioral symptoms of the disorder, a new study found.Tue, 18 Sep 2018, 19:00
Can eating this type of sugar prevent weight gain?
Newly published research finds that mannose, a type of sugar, has surprising effects on metabolism, weight gain, and the gut's microbiome.Tue, 18 Sep 2018, 18:00


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New reports reveal that Apple might have in plans a collaboration with Tesla, as Adrian Perica met with the chief executive of Tesla in a secret appointment.
So, according to the latest reports the merger and acquisitions chief at Apple Inc., Adrian Perica, had a meeting with Tesla’s chief executive, Elon Musk. The meeting actually took place last year, speculation raising on Apple’s potential intention of signing a type of deal with the electric car maker.
The fact that this meeting took place was first revealed by the San Francisco Chronicle, which revealed the news it received from an anonymous source. The source claimed that Apple is very interested in Tesla.
It seems that Apple is looking for new ways of expansion and the company might actually think bigger than the iPhone and the iPad. According to the latest reports, Apple might have an interest in electric cars and medical devices to find technology that can predict heart attacks.
This is not the first time when it is believed that Apple might be considering to team up with Tesla. Actually, speculation on a potential deal between the two has been on for quite some time now. At some point, reports even revealed that Apple was considering purchasing Tesla, which would surely make sense having under consideration the rumored plans of the company.
However, the exact reason why Apple might be interested in Tesla remains a mystery for now. Moreover, the two companies have decided to remain silent about their intentions, so there is no word on what Apple or Tesla are planning on doing.
Still, it is quite well known that in the past few months Apple has tried to find new technologies, so the company might be interested in unique ways to expand its activity. Some reports even revealed that Apple can turn its interest in any potential markets.
The latest reports reveal that Apple might have certain medical ambitions, so the company is exploring unique ways to make a presence on this market. If the company is working at something that may really be able to predict heart attacks, this would surely be an amazing and quite a spectacular release.


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THAILAND: Mitsubishi starts exporting redesigned Triton pickup truck
Mitsubishi Motors' Thai pickup truck hub plant has started exporting the redesigned Triton.
The model went on sale in Thailand last November.
Exports started to the Philippines and will be followed by ASEAN markets, Oceania, the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and Latin America. Eventually, the trucks will be shipped to about 150 countries.
The Thai plant started exporting pickup trucks in 1991 and has shipped over 1.6m so far.
MMC said the Thai government's consistent policies supporting the automobile industry had helped it achieve growth and expansion so that Thailand was now positioned as its pickup truck production and export hub.
Caapcity at the Laem Chabang plant is the largest of all MMC manufacturing plants.
Cumulative production is 3.5m units and it has exported over 2.5m.


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Russian dairy industry has enough reserves of raw material, ingredients, incl. starter cultures - ministry
MOSCOW. Feb 2 (Interfax) - Russia's dairy industry is currently fully supplied with raw materials and ingredients for production, including starter cultures, the Agriculture Ministry said.
"Russian dairy companies currently have sufficient reserves of the necessary raw materials and ingredients, including bacterial cultures. And their shipment to Russia is continuing. Furthermore, systematic work aimed at stimulating domestic production of food ingredients is being done to supply the needs of the sector," the ministry said in a statement.
A number of major investment projects to set up high-tech production of bacterial cultures are now being implemented in Russia, the ministry recalled. They include a biological plant in Yaroslavl Region, construction of which began last year; it is expected to have capacity to make 160 tonnes of product per year. Another biological plant will be built in Moscow Region.
The project in Yaroslavl Region is being carried out by AgriVolga, a company controlled by businessman Sergei Bachin.
Bachin said in an interview with RBC on Thursday that dependence on imported cultures is a key concern for makers of dairy products. This refers foremost to starter cultures - microbiological components that cause fermentation and are needed to produce fermented milk products and cheese.
"Right now 90% of our market is imported cultures. We simply don't have biological plants for their production. There's an experimental biological plant in Uglich and small labs that are trying to do this. But they cover no more than 10%, and actually even less of the total amount of cultures that are needed," Bachin said.
He also said that in 2025 AgriVolga plans to launch a biological plant to supply Russia's dairy industry with domestic cultures. "The plant should start up in two years. This is a serious high-tech enterprise - the first phase of production alone will be able to cover 25% of the market's culture needs," Bachin said. In the second phase, the plant's capacity is expected to increase to "around 50% of the Russian market's needs," he said. Investment in the first phase will total about 3.5 billion rubles, he estimated.
An agreement on the implementation of this project was signed at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum last year.
The Russian market for starter cultures for the dairy industry totalled about 744 tonnes or 4.3 billion rubles in 2021, experts estimated.


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It’s Black November at Vodacom, offering fantastic discounts on everything you need to stay connected! Whether you’re working from home, studying online, gaming, or streaming, Vodacom has the perfect deal for you. Save up to 75% on fixed, home, and mobile connectivity deals, with new offers every week throughout November.
Enjoy SIM-only data plans at low prices when you already have a device. Rashid Tar Mahomed, Managing Executive of Products and Services at Vodacom South Africa, emphasizes their commitment to fulfilling customers’ connectivity needs, especially in the face of high living costs, load shedding, and year-end stresses.
Customers can take advantage of up to 75% off fixed wireless home connectivity, including a 100mbps option at R499 per month over 36 months. There’s also a massive 44% discount on the RED VIP 40GB plan, saving customers R25,200.00.
For business customers, Vodacom offers the RED 500GB data deal and a 20mbps (800GB) Business Internet LTE deal at discounted rates.
Vodacom’s Black November deals run from November 7th to December 6th, 2023. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to save big and stay connected! For more information, visit this link or view Vodacom’s deals page.


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Independent developer Steve Troton-Smith found code in iOS 12 support framework AvatarKit for the iPad.
AvatarKit is used to implement emoticons Animoji and Memoji, repeating facial expressions of the user through a camera TrueDepth. In proof of the findings of the developer brought the screenshot of the interface of emoticons Emoji, including for large displays iPad.
Steve notes that for face tracking camera , which is the current model iPad. So, with the release of iOS 12 Apple is going to correct this misunderstanding.
While the front camera TrueDepth and all the «chips» to monitor and scan the faces remain exclusive to the iPhone X.


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The project will be led by recent hire Sean Allen-Moy, who joined The Academy as a director in June from W Communications, where he was head of W Enterprise.
At W, Allen-Moy worked on accounts includingJaguar Land Rover, The Stylist Group and Ministry of Sound, and was previously a producer at Sky News, Sky Sports News and BBC Radio 2’s Jeremy Vine Show.
He will lead on a brief that covers consumer PR and influencer marketing, and The Academy will work alongside Pret’s corporate agency, Headland.
Pret chief customer and growth officer at Pret chief customer and growth office Tony Holdway said: “At such an exciting and important time for the business as we step up our digital services through initiatives like this, we have been impressed by The Academy’s ability to provide strategic guidance while delivering a top class lifestyle and social media campaign.”
The Academy co-founder and CEO Mitchell Kaye added: “YourPret is bold, brilliant, and an absolute no-brainer for the customer too. We are really proud to connect and introduce it to the British public.”


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sold more than 4,200 equipment items in its latest auction in Fort Worth, TX, generating more than $59 million in gross transaction value and attracting more than 11,500 bidders.
Approximately 90% of the equipment in the auction, which was held from July 19 to July 21, was sold to U.S. buyers, including 42% sold to Texans, while the remaining 10% was purchased by international buyers from countries such as Australia, India and Singapore.
“Ritchie Bros. is transforming its live events to celebrate our customers and partners. Last week in Texas, we held an onsite customer appreciation day, an industry association meeting and a fantastic auction in Fort Worth,” Chuck Roberson, regional sales manager at Ritchie Bros., said. “With more than 11,000 bidders, we saw a lot of competition online and onsite, resulting in a strong pricing for most asset categories, especially construction-related equipment.”
Equipment items and trucks were sold for more than 640 owners at the auction, including a complete dispersal for Bradford Boring, a drilling contractor based in Oklahoma.
“We are very pleased with the results and look forward to working with Ritchie Bros. again,” Scott Bradford, owner of Bradford Boring, said. “It’s great that we were able to bring our items to Ritchie Bros.’ yard in Oklahoma City, selling virtually in a cost-effective and efficient way while getting the benefits of the big buying audience Fort Worth attracts.”
Five Big Sellers in Fort Worth
- 2020 Vermeer D100X140III directional drill – $430,000
- 2009 Grove GMK5130-2 130-ton 10x6x10 all-terrain crane – $320,000
- 2016 Caterpillar 160M3 AWD motor grader – $280,000
- 2008 Vermeer T755III tracked trencher – $250,000
- 2012 Caterpillar D8T dozer – $207,500
Auction Quick Facts
- Gross Transaction Value: More than $59 million
- Bidders: More than 11,500 from 58 countries
- Items sold: More than 4,200
- Consignors: More than 640
“Our next Fort Worth event in September is going to be special, with our very first Ritchie Bros. Energy Day, which will feature thousands of oil and gas specific assets stored onsite and at offsite locations in Midland, TX, and Oklahoma City, OK,” Kelly Kittson, director of strategic accounts and leader of the Ritchie Bros. energy team, said. “If you have equipment to sell, contact us as soon as possible so we can start marketing your equipment to the world.”


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California federal courts, particularly those in the Northern District, have become a magnet for food labeling litigation—in particular, cases challenging “All Natural” labels on products containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The FDA, which has regulatory authority over food labeling, has not addressed whether foods containing GMOs may be labeled “natural,” or whether the existence of GMOs would contravene the agency’s guidance establising that “natural” means nothing “unnatural or synthetic” has been included. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers may seek to change that in Cox v. Gruma Corp. (Case No. 12-CV-6502 YGR).
Earlier this month, Judge Gonzalez Rogers issued a tentative decision in the Cox matter, indicating that she is inclined to stay the case for a period of six months while the issue is referred to the FDA for a “determination of whether products containing GMO or bioengineered ingredients may properly be labeled ‘Natural’ or ‘All Natural.’” The court explained that plaintiffs’ claims have identified a “gaping hole in the current regulatory landscape” and that the FDA has “unquestionably and squarely” been given the authority to address the issue. Citing the Ninth Circuit’s recent decision in Pom Wonderful, LLC v. Coca-Cola Co. 679 F.3d 1170 (9th Cir. 2012), [see our prior discussions here and here] the court (tentatively) concluded that “[u]nder these circumstances, deference to the FDA’s regulatory authority is the appropriate course.”
Not surprisingly, the plaintiffs have objected to any stay, arguing that the FDA has previously declined to define “all natural” and there is no reason to expect it will respond differently now. Whether the FDA will continue to dodge the issue is hard to predict. But the recent surge in “all natural” claims, along with growing public concern over the use of GMOs, may pressure the agency to finally weigh in. Judge Gonzalez Rogers has ordered further briefing on the appropriateness of a stay; this briefing will take place over the next several weeks. Whether the court will adopt its tentative and actually stay the matter has yet to be seen. Check back with us for further updates.


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As part of the 2010 VGA ceremony, Blizzard cofounder and executive vice president Frank Pearce spoke with gaming blog Destructoid, confirming Titan as at the very least a working title for the studio’s much-speculated upon new massively multiplayer online role-playing game.
“Titan is… the media is not meant to know anything about that,” Pearce said. “It’s our next-gen MMO, and we’ve only started talking about it in a limited fashion because we want to leverage the fact that we’re working on something like that for the purpose of recruiting–getting some of the best talent in the industry on that.”
Titan is likely just the project name for the next-gen MMO from the studio, we simply won’t know until well into 2012 probably. Blizzard is adamant this isn’t to ‘replace WoW’. “It’s not a sequel to World of Warcraft – we want to do something a bit different,” they said earlier this year. Blizzard ran a prototype of their new MMO in World of Warcraft’s engine.
Confirmation of the titular designation of this project comes on the heels of a supposedly leaked release schedule outlining Blizzard’s projects for the next five years. This schedule, circulated by MMOGameSite and widely believed to have been inadvertently released by Blizzard’s Chinese office, lists Titan (possibly a working title) with a Q4 2013 release date.


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Petrotahlil:Not only the lower PX and PTA prices but also the intensifying trade war between China and the US dragged down regional PET markets during H1 August.
Spot PX prices at lowest since July 2016
The weekly average data from ChemOrbis Price Wizard suggested that spot PX prices on an FOB Korea basis hovered at a 3-year low by the end of last week.
PX prices turned down by mid-July and have lost around 9% since then. The consecutive decreases were in tandem with the losses in the energy complex, as can be seen below from the weekly average data from ChemOrbis Product Snapshot tool.
PTA slumped almost 10% just in a month
Looking at the spot market, PTA prices have declined by approximately $75/ton cumulatively in a month on CFR China basis.
Chinese PET shrank to more-than 2-year low
Export PET offers out of China have been following a decreasing trend since early July, yielding to falling PTA futures and waning buying appetite. Current levels indicate the lowest levels not seen since May 2017.
Although the depreciation of the Chinese yuan against the USD may help exporters boost their competitiveness, the already cautious atmosphere created by the re-escalating trade dispute and the possibility of new anti-dumping duties on Chinese PET in different export destinations also hurt demand.
Import PET prices in SEA hit lowest since July 2017
Trade war fears has added to cautious sentiment and activity has remained subdued across Asia during the first half of August. Import PET prices in Southeast Asia have followed a bearish trend for more than a month now.
Several Chinese producers applied additional reductions on their PET offers to Southeast Asia over the week, which was followed by Taiwanese suppliers.
According to ChemOrbis Price Index, import PET offers are currently standing at their lowest levels since July 2017 on a weekly average.
Follow us on twitter @petrotahlil


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Herbie Husker Update
Lincoln -- Tired of his old clothes and accessories, Herbie Husker went shopping. "Herbie has undergone a rigorous exercise routine, resulting in a loss of 70 pounds of fat and had an increase of 50 pounds in muscle mass and his clothes didn?t fit too well any more," said Boyd Epley, Nebraska Director of Athletic Performance. "He has gotten his hair cut and now wants to put the finishing touches on his new look. So, he went shopping."
Herbie and a few of his mascot friends, ?Lil Red and Homer the Lincoln Saltdogs mascot, tried on everything from new shirts, jeans, hats, boots and gloves. The new boots were mandatory after Homer chewed Herbie?s his size 17 tennis shoes.
Athletic Director Steve Pederson put Herbie on a strict regimen on Feb. 11. The 30-year old mascot has agreed to do his part to get in playing shape, so that he is able to more effectively entertain Husker fans at events. The conditioning plan will update Herbie's physical appearance, so that he will be a mascot that fits the Nebraska image of strength and power.
The next Herbie Husker Report will be issued the first week of June.


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Three Chicago area Sears stores are slated to shut down by September, as part of the latest round of store closings for the department store chain. Only 12 Sears department stores will remain in MI after the closures, not counting dozens of franchised Sears Hometown stores.
Sears will close at least 72 more stores as sales plunge and losses mount.
There were several IN locations on the list.
In a statement, the company said the locations were chosen from a list of 100 non-profitable stores. Stores closing sales at the 72 stores will begin "in the near future", with plans for the others to be determined. It also has showrooms in Apex and Knightdale and an outlet store in Garner.
The company released the list of stores today.it includes 15 K-Mart stores and 48 Sears locations and says it is evaluating the remaining 9 locations.
The Illinois-based retailer had previously announced that 166 stores would close this year.
Sears Holdings closed its Kmart location at 180 Main St.in Saugus on earlier this month.
Sears closed its store in the Enfield Square Mall two-and-a -half years ago. Sears CEO Eddie Lampert has been criticized as being distant, neglecting stores and customer service, and not innovating enough to keep the company evolving with the times.
Sears shares, which have lost nearly all of their value in the last five years, were down almost 10 percent at $2.90 in mid-day trading.
The company revealed the closures as it announced revenues dropped more than 30% for the quarter to $2.9 billion.


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Changes are in the cards for Louis Vuitton’s menswear division. After the untimely passing of former artistic director Virgil Abloh, Louis Vuitton men’s has been left without a creative figurehead to steer its ship. Its autumn/winter 2022 menswear collection was effectively the last to be designed by Abloh.
With the spring/summer 2023 menswear show happening soon, the maison had earlier announced that the collection has been designed by the in-house design team. It’s not unusual of course for a collection to be designed by a team while in transition — the same happened with Givenchy post-Claire Waight Keller and Lanvin post-Alber Elbaz. But rumours have already been circling on who could take over creative reins.
The top contender at present is Martine Rose. Louis Vuitton CEO Michael Burke was spotted at Rose’s recent spring/summer 2023 show and that caused quite a stir among the fashion community. And while Louis Vuitton’s announcement that an in-house design team has designed the spring/summer 2023 menswear collection, there’s no telling yet whether Rose (or another creative) had a hand in it. After all, that’s how Gucci’s Alessandro Michele was introduced to the world before officially assuming the role he currently holds.
What will be interesting to see, either way, is how the spring/summer 2023 menswear collection will look like. And especially how much of Abloh’s influence will remain.
Watch the Louis Vuitton spring/summer 2023 menswear show here as it goes live from Paris, France.
What: Louis Vuitton spring/summer 2023 menswear runway show
Where: Paris, France
When: Thursday, 23 June 2022 at 8.30pm Singapore time


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business circle seems to have formed an unwritten agreement: 618 years of senior high school entrance examination at the end of 11, the double test, two year exams, Bibi grades, sun fan. Jingdong has announced 618 strategies, Tmall, the United States and other electricity providers, this year’s 618, wartime extension, cross-border, micro business debut, the war has begun to highlight the characteristics of the whole line.
the United States online will be fought "618 opener" on May 28th, and will begin in June 17th the old Mu special Jingdong and Lao special for the ultimate PK.
a live market for existing resources
Gome online chairman Mou Guixian said, the United States is based on the long-term strategy of 618, the beginning of the 1+5 strategy, the line is expected to continue to optimize the line.
Gome’s 1+5 strategy is specific – the user experience as the core + logistics supply chain, Gome micro business, Gome, channel sink, Internet banking. Mou Guixian said that the user experience can directly bring conversion, supply chain optimization is the foundation. In the past six months, up to the service, cheap and easy to find goods and perfect after-sales service, is the main direction of the United States to enhance the supply chain.
"this is the United States 618 primer." Mou Guixian said.
therefore, the United States 618 year strategy with ‘1+5’ for each line. Among them, the United States home since its launch in April, currently has more than 2 thousand intention of users, the United States will launch a Gome Home reservation gift certificate in the 618, into 618 categories.
The United States
Internet Financial layout has been basically completed, focusing on the "financial" plate, launched a regular, advanced and annual rate of up to 15% of the explosion, the explosion. The maximum daily launched 2 million yuan. Mou Guixian said: the United States and the country’s financial product risk is minimal, because the docking fund is also the United states."
micro shop, billion state power network has learned, the United States currently has 26 thousand micro micro shop owner, has been piloted in some areas, the end of June will be the basic shape. 618 GOME stores will be fully integrated into the country, micro business will play a considerable role." Mou Guixian said.
and the corresponding channel sink, regional wars, urban wars will be fired. In addition, a number of activities in the United States 618 wireless, wireless is expected to account for more than 40%. The United States APP started late in the second half of 2013 was launched last year in 618, wireless accounted for only 10 percent, in April this year the anniversary, wireless accounted for nearly 40%.
in addition, Gome in the liquor business aspects of the layout will be incorporated into the 618, through the GOME cellar overseas direct mining, launched a limited panic buying.
once again with the price war Sike Jingdong
618 was originally the home Jingdong home court, Xian Sike Jingdong is reasonable. The United States will be described as "close combat", cash coupons, price, 000 suite, old group, X special 5>


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The Nissan Leaf, an electric car aimed at attracting environmentally conscious motorists, will get the equivalent of 99 miles per gallon in combined city and highway driving, based on government testing.
Nissan Motor Corp. said Monday the Environmental Protection Agency's fuel efficiency window sticker, which provides information about the car's energy use, would estimate the electric car will achieve the equivalent of 106 mpg in city driving and 92 mpg on the highway.
EPA's tests estimate the Leaf can travel 73 miles on a fully charged battery and will cost $561 a year in electricity. Nissan has said the Leaf can travel 100 miles on a full charge, based on tests used by California regulators.
Nissan and General Motors Co. are both releasing electric cars within weeks in the auto industry's most prominent attempt at mass-producing vehicles that shift away from petroleum. The Leaf does not have a gas engine and must be recharged once its battery is depleted.
The tests show equivalent fuel efficiency of nearly twice the Toyota Prius, which gets 50 mpg in combined driving.
GM's entry, the Chevrolet Volt, uses an electric battery for the first 25 to 50 miles and a small gasoline engine to generate electricity once the battery runs down. The gasoline engine can generate power to run the car another 300 miles. GM has not yet revealed the mileage rating for the Volt.
Mark Perry, Nissan North America's director of product planning and strategy, said the vehicle's range would vary based on driving conditions. Tests conducted by the Federal Trade Commission, which regulates advertising claims, had estimated a range of 96 to 110 miles per full charge and the company's internal tests had found a broader range of 64 to 138 miles, Perry said. The California Air Resources Board estimated a range of 100 miles.
"As we've said all along, your range varies on driving conditions, temperature, terrain and we've talked about, very openly, this idea of a range of ranges," Perry said in an interview. The Leaf's label will indicate the vehicle is the best in class in fuel efficiency and tailpipe emissions.
Nissan will start selling the Leaf in California, Washington, Oregon, Arizona and Tennessee in December with a sticker price of $32,780. The Leaf will go on sale in other markets through 2011 and be available nationwide by the end of next year.
The Volt will have a sticker price of $41,000 and GM will sell it first in California, then make it available in New York; New Jersey; Connecticut; Washington, D.C.; Michigan and Texas. The car will be sold nationwide in 12 to 18 months.
Both vehicles qualify for a $7,500 federal tax credit. Some states and communities are offering additional tax breaks that will lower the price further.
GM spokesman Greg Martin said the automaker was working with EPA and expected to announce details of the Volt's mileage estimates soon.
EPA calculated the Leaf's fuel economy based on a formula that says 33.7 kilowatts per hour holds the energy equivalent of one gallon of gasoline. The label estimates a charging time of 7 hours on a 240-volt charge. Cost estimates were based on 15,000 miles per year at 12 cents per kilowatt-hour.


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Excite@Home chops 500 workers
Surely all the dead wood's gone by now?
Struggling Excite@Home is to axe 500 jobs in its ongoing battle to cut costs and keep its business afloat.
However, the move has only intensified speculation that the operation is facing bankruptcy and some rumourmongers claim that Excite@Home could file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection within the next two weeks.
The job losses - which represent around a quarter of Excite@Home's workforce - come predominantly from the dotcom's portal operation.
Excite@Home has stressed again that this latest announcement is in line with its strategy to bail out of its online media and narrowband businesses and, instead, focus on its broadband strategy.
Said Patti Hart, chairman and chief exec of Excite@Home: "Selling and reducing our narrowband media assets that do not contribute financially or strategically to the broadband access business is the right direction for our corporate viability."
However, in a gloomy statement the company reiterated claims that it would need additional funding to continue operating, although it could not give any assurances that a cash in injection - or major restructuring - would necessarily save the company.
Excite@home also announced it would close its interactive marketing services subsidiary, MatchLogic, by the end of the year.
Earlier this month Excite@Home flogged its online greetings card business, bluemountain.com, to the American Greetings Corporation for $35 million in cash. The troubled dotcom said it would help cut overheads and deliver much-needed liquidity at a time when hard cash is in short supply. ®


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Beef ‘O’ Brady’s, a 238-unit family sports bar concept, is working on plans to franchise in non-traditional locations such as colleges, airports and travel plazas.
This additional emphasis comes as the parent company, Family Sports Concepts Inc. of Tampa, Fla., has undergone new ownership and extensive changes in management this year.
Levine Leichtman Capital Partners of Los Angeles became the company's owner earlier this year after converting its at least $24.5 million investment in debt into equity. In March, the firm brought in Christopher Elliott, formerly of Cinnabon Inc., as chief executive to replace Chuck Winship, who had been with the company since 1998.
Elliott has recruited Joe Uhl, a former Cinnabon franchisee, as chief operating officer, and James Walker from Baja Fresh as chief development officer. Nick Vojnovic, who had been president of Beef ‘O’ Brady’s and had once held an equity position in the company, left in June to pursue a master’s degree at the University of South Florida.
“It’s very clear that the ownership group here is behind the brand, wants to grow the brand and is making the necessary moves from a human resource and human capital standpoint to get behind the brand and really push it,” Walker told Nation's Restaurant News.
Part of that strategy is to consider alternative sites for Beef ‘O’ Brady’s units as well as the traditional versions. The chain already has a version of a campus location at the University of South Florida.
“Taking a brand that is known for value, for fun, for core American staples like Buffalo wings and burgers and wrapping that in a fun, sports-type venue, to me, is frankly a dead match for airports, colleges and universities,” Walker said.
However, he noted that chain would continue to develop its traditional restaurant model.
“We still see the vast majority of growth at Beef ‘O’ Brady’s being in the traditional format,” Walker said. “The street-side, owner-operator format is still our main focus here.”
Beef ‘O’ Brady’s development team is establishing a new set of criteria for the traditional prototype that allows for some flexibility, ranging in size from 3,400 up to 3,800 square feet. Units typically need about 125 seats in order to have a full liquor license. Per person check average is $11.63.
“We don’t pigeonhole our success into one narrow, vanilla-box prototype,” Walker said. “We’re able to make a successful Beef ‘O’ Brady’s in a number of different prototypes. We want to continue that to take advantage of great real estate and prime locations.”
Part of that will be in smaller, non-traditional spaces, Walker said, adding that Beef ‘O’ Brady’s is drafting plans for as little 700 square feet with a more limited menu and more dayparts.
“Very few of our restaurants do breakfast today,” Walker said, “but in the [non-traditional] venues we are talking about, more will do breakfast.”
Chief executive Elliott said he sees “significant potential for Beef’s in college towns and other areas where our culture, food and environment is an ideal match.”
Walker said he was already considering at least one request for proposal for a non-traditional unit.
“This is just a part of the overall strategy," he said. "This is an accretive path that moves in parallel to traditional development.”
Franchise fees for traditional Beef ‘O’ Brady’s units are $35,000, payable in two equal payments with that latter at lease signing. Royalties are 4 percent of gross sales and marketing-fund contributions being 1.5 percent of gross sales.
Cost of investment in stores begins at $165,000, Walker said, and ranges to the low $400,000s.
Walker added that Beef ‘O’ Brady’s appears well situated to meet the needs of a more cost-conscious consumer.
“We were a value player prior to the macro-economic decline,” he said. “So where a lot of brands have been very reactionary to the economy, we started as a value player, and that’s where we sit today.”
Contact Ron Ruggless at [email protected].


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KOMPAS.com – Bali took the top spot for the world’s best honeymoon destination beating out the usual favorites Hawaii and the Maldives.
The ranking was based on research conducted by elite travel company Kuoni and was reported by the Daily Mail.
Couples in search of a location to honeymoon are found to significantly rely on the Pinterest app before making their decision.
Read also: Bali Among Trip Advisor's Top Destinations
Dean Harvey, researcher at Kuoni, shared that Pinterest is a valuable app for individuals searching for a honeymoon location.
“We hope that this research has inspired couples ready to take the next step for the rest of their lives,” said Harvey.
Through Kuoni’s analysis and assessment, it was found that numerous Pinterest boards featured Bali boosting the Indonesian island getaway spot to the top of the list.
Read also: Ubud, Bali in Top Ten of Travel + Leisure's Best 25 Cities
As the world’s best honeymoon destination, Bali joins the ranks of Italy, Hawaii, Maldives, Ireland, and Iceland.
The world’s top-20 honeymoon destinations are:


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Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) reported better-than-expected first-quarter results, helped by strong demand for its cancer drugs. It also raised its revenue guidance for the full year, however kept its earnings outlook unchanged saying certain divestments it previously planned to make in 2018 might be pushed into next year.
J&J shares slipped more than 1 percent in the mid-day trading on Tuesday apparently because of not revising its profit guidance.
The healthcare conglomerate said sales of its cancer drugs climbed 45 percent to $2.31 billion in the quarter.
J&J’s famous rheumatoid arthritis drug Remicade’s sales were not up to the mark amid intense competition from inexpensive alternatives and cheaper copies, which pushed the company to focus on newer drugs including cancer treatments. Remicade’s sales plummeted 16.9 percent to $1.39 billion in the latest quarter.
The New Jersey-based company said it intends to streamline its supply chain across the globe and expects to save $600 million to $800 million, before taxes, in the next five years.
J&J also plans to increase its capital expenditure by 15 percent in the U.S. that would bring the total to $30 billion by 2022.
Overall, the company posted net earnings of $4.37 billion, or $1.60 a share in the first quarter, down from $4.42 billion, or $1.61 a share, in the comparable quarter last year. On an adjusted basis, earnings were $2.06 a share. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters were looking for earnings of $2.02 a share.
Revenue for the quarter came in at $20.01 billion, up 12.6 percent from the same period last year, and also above consensus forecast of $19.46 billion.
J&J’s consumer products unit generated revenue of $3.40 billion in the quarter, up 5.3 percent versus last year.
Looking forward, the company expects sales in a range of $81.0 billion to $81.8 billion for the full year, as compared to its previous forecast in between $80.6 billion and $81.4 billion